Real Kyper & Bourne - Edmonton Strikes Oil + World Juniors Deep Dive

Episode Date: December 29, 2025

Nick Kypreos and Justin Bourne kick off the second hour alongside Oilers analyst Rob Brown! They dive into Edmonton's resurgence after a slow start to the season, the departure of Noah Philp, the fractured relationship with Andrew Mangiapane, and what Spencer Stastney has added to the blue line. Rob also touches on Connor McDavid's incredible run of form, the state of the team's goaltending, Zack Hyman's impact, and the Oilers' trade deadline priorities. Later, former Director of Amateur Scouting with the Florida Panthers and current Sportsnet analyst, Jason Bukala (32:24) joins live from Minnesota to share the latest from the World Juniors!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 go national. Justin Boren, Nick Kiprios, in for our very own Sammy McKee, Christian Cheneity. He wrote it phonetically for us, which was very kind of him. I would not have guessed Cheney. I need it that way for Smith and Jones. I'm not a professional.

Our whole thing should be written phonetically. I'm not a professional. professional host here but we are live on sports that 360 we are live in vancouver we are live in calgary look now i got a new lineup it's color oh i can barely read sports that 650 in vancouver 960 in calgary and streaming always on sports net plus spotify apple podcast and youtube when you get a chance when you can't catch us live right in a few minutes we'll welcome in Rob Brown does a terrific job former Edmonton Oiler.

Analyst for Chad. Oilers have been hot lately. McDavid has been all-world lately. Coming off a tough game against Calgary though on the weekend, that was a fun game to watch too. Plenty of chances for McDavid.

Still found a way, though. Get on the score sheet. I know we got an extra game played or two. One point out of first in the Pacific now. After all this preseason, Hullabaloo. They lost a guy on the waivers wire. Yeah, Noah Phelp picked up a Carolina surprised me.

Big right-handed depth guy. Yeah. Not nothing. Not nothing. I think they liked him all right. Yeah. It sounds like in the minors, you know, they got a couple of guys that Isaac Howard playing pretty well.

God, there's another guy there. Either way, they got some guys in the minors that are doing well that I think they can give opportunity to if need be. There seems to be a bit of a comfort zone now that, I know, once again, part for the course, slow start. Yep. But now should be comfortably in a position now to get ready for yet another back half of the season, push. I think you look at this roster and you go, tough to find a team better than that. Like when fully healthy, you know, Nugent Hopkins, McDavid Hyman, so good.

Pod Coles has been good with dry sidle, Frederick, Ross. They're good. They're a good team. All right. Let's welcome him in. He's been on the show many times. Does a great job for us, Rob Brown. What's going on, Brownie?

Not much. Merry Christmas to everybody. Yeah. A nice holiday. You as well. We were just saying that once again, all the panickers for Edmonton's slow start get, just have to eat a big crap sandwich right now. Well, in Edmonton in the winter, there's not a whole lot to do.

We've got inside our houses for about eight months. So we have the Oilers, and the expectations were huge this year. Back-to-back finals, this is the year they're going to get over it. They make some move, sign some players. So the expectation is this is the year they get over the hump. And the expectation is it starts in training camp and preseason, and they're just going to go 82 and O'N-O and run through the playoffs. This Euler team doesn't do that.

They make things a little harder. They struggled out of the gate. And there was panic. There was panic amongst the fans. there was anger and panic in the media and the other players, well frustrated, they still were like, you know what, there's a lot of time left, we're fine, we're going to be okay.

And I think everybody now, the way the others are playing, understood that the players and the coaching staff knew what they were capable of, and now they're playing that way. You know, the trials and tribulations of a season kind of help you sort out what you need and what you don't need and some things fall by the wayside as you pick up pieces you do need. Noah Phelp gets claimed article on SportsNet today from Mark Specter

about why it's falling apart between the Oilers and Andrew Maggiapane. So those two guys potentially on the outs, what makes that possible and is it a good thing? Well, Noah Philip, I think the media expected him to be a fourth-line player penalty killer for the Oilers. And that was what everyone thought coming into the season. But it was funny, it was one of the early exhibition games, the Oilers got too many men on the ice penalty. and Noah Philip was sent to serve the penalty

and in between periods when I do my talk I'm like that tells me that Noah Philip isn't going to be a penalty killing player here and if that's not the case he doesn't have the trust yet from the coaching staff so if he's not going to penalty kill here then they're going to move on from him

so I hope Noah Philip has success when he moves on I believe I thought Carolina claimed him today so good for Noah Philip as for Mangiapani there was I mean Stan Bowman came out at the beginning. So he's a guy that we really wanted in the off season.

And they signed him to a two-year deal. I think it's $3.6 million. There was the hope that he could be, you know, in the top six, regain the form that he had with Calgary, where he scored 35 goals. But I think you're seeing the Magiapani that Washington had, where he was a fourth-line player. He was a role player.

And it hasn't caught on here with Edmonton. And right now, if you're not in the top six, well, the bottom six needs to be physical. They need to bring energy. if anyone watched the Calgary game the other night they watched Lombard and Klapka run around. That's exactly what the others were hoping from their bottom six

and they haven't got it yet. And Maggiapani, it hasn't worked out. So he's been moved down to the fourth line today. The Oatler's fourth line does not play a lot. Maggiapani doesn't kill penalties so if you're in the fourth line at Emmettin and you're not on either special team

it's hard finding you ice time. So I read the article like you did wouldn't be shocking. if they moved on from him. But on the other hand, he's got two years at $7.2 million total. That's not going to be easy to move on from when his stat line doesn't show right now that he's a $3.6 million player.

So we will see if everything went perfectly, Monjiapani and Trent Frederick would give the Oilers that depth, that third line that they want. It just hasn't gone the way they had planned yet. I'll throw this out to both of you guys just in terms of the whole situation. here with Manjupani.

And me personally, I think it's a really bad look for the Oilers and Andrew to sit there and go, it's not working out after 39 games. And I think the quote from Elliott was both sides willing, willing in the right situation is what Elliot's saying. And it's like, boys, you got together in the summer. You made a commitment to each other. 39 games. 39, yeah, exactly.

Like, you know, you're not getting a divorce, okay? Work it out. What did you see? And what are you quitting on in 39 games? Well, what the oil is, I mean, they didn't go as well with the Trent Frederick contract yet. It hasn't gone well with Andreemondi, but what it has gone well for is Jack Roslavik coming in.

Yeah. And that was one that fell into the other's lap. And I think because they got, back Roslovick and he's been a top six guy or he will be a big part of a third line. They're saying, okay, if we could get rid of that 3.6 million, there are other holes that we need to fill. We don't need Mangia Pani on our third or tonight he's playing on the fourth line. That's 3.6 million playing wing on the fourth line.

I'm sure the Oilers would love that cap space if that's where Mangiapani is going to be. So I think the addition of Roslilovic and I think also Quinn Hudson from the miners came up, he looked very good. Howard is lighting it up down in the minors. So they got two young players on much better contracts that if for some reason they were able to move away from 3.6 million, wow, that opens up a little bit more cap space to possibly fill come trade deadline

and whatever needs the others will have at that point. Yeah. So one of the things they have done is they added this Spencer Stasney on the back end. I don't know anything about him, really. He was in Nashville. What can you tell us about Stasney? Well, it's funny.

I knew nothing about him either. I had to Google them before he came over to turn on the trade. Oh, okay. When they made the trade, I mean, in a perfect world, the Oilers weren't trading Skinner. They were going to have Ingram and Skinner, the two goals, if Ingram found his game in the minors. But the Oilers did not play well at the beginning of the year. Neither did Skinner, neither did Pickard, and neither did Connor Ingram. So they had to make a move.

And they trade for Tristan Jari. Well, because of contracts and money, someone had to move out. Kulak moved to Pittsburgh. Kulak had not had a great start to the year, but the last two playoffs, he's been exceptional for the Oilers. He skates, well, he gets them out of trouble, and in both years, they've run into injury problems

where he's moved up top four and got top four minutes. It was excellent. So they had to move him out, and then they needed to fill a spot. And Stazni has come in, and he's like Kulak 2.0. He doesn't have the veteran experience. He hasn't played playoff games,

but he skates very well. And you guys know as well as I do, a third pairing defenseman, which he has been, if at the end of the night you don't remember what he did, that's a good thing because there's no glaring mistakes. It just, what did Stasny do? I mean, hmm, then you look at his line, he played 15 minutes. He was plus one, one block shot, one hit. And you're thinking, well, that's what we wanted of a third line defenseman. So he's come in here and he's played very, very well to the point. And I think I saw the lineup today where Regula is out tonight.

I believe, and Stillman is in. Stasny's now put himself in the equation as being an everyday player. It was going to be Stasney, Regula, Emerson, rotate, find their way when Walman came back. But Stasney's played so well. He's no longer in that consideration. He's a regular here, and that's a good thing for the Oilers. Brownie, we're 10 minutes into this thing,

and we haven't mentioned Connor McDavid yet. And, I mean, every game we're looking at him going 1,000 miles an hour and making... defensemen look like Statue of Liberties. I mean, we've seen it before, but have we really seen it like what we've seen in the last 30 days or so? Well, what he's doing is what Nick, you and I would do if we went out on with a grade three class

and had a scrimage. We would dominate. We push kids to this side, come to a bar down, make the goalie look silly. But that's what he's doing right now. It is, if he doesn't have three points at the night, you think, oh, God, the other team's goal, he must have played well. He's getting that many great A's.

The game he had five points against the flames. Could have been 10. Dustin Wohl played phenomenal for the flames that night. Kept that out of being double digits. He's just on a different level right now. They had a really tough schedule to start with. And the end of that schedule, a couple of Florida games, you could see the fatigue on both Connor and Leon.

They came home. They were home for long stretch. They had a better schedule. They got practice in. And since that time, since Connor McDavid got the rest that he needed, he's gone to a different level and you've been around superstars superstars want to be the best

and Nathan McKinnon got off to this incredible start and he's having an MVP type season he certainly is but Connor McDavid was down and there's I mean there's in our podcast in the papers who's better I know that you on your guys this program who's better McKinnon or McDavid

well I think McDavid's like okay all right I'm going to show you what I'm capable of in the last month it is just it's stupid how good he is because he's putting up numbers that you haven't seen since the 1980s. So, yeah, Connor McDavid is on another level, which, unfortunately, for the Oilers, sometimes masks other problems on the team because right now they are winning games because Connor and Leon and a power play are incredible.

But there's other things that haven't been going as well for the Oilers, but it's hard to critique them when the Oilers are putting together a winning streak like they have. Yeah, it is, you know, I said to someone the other day, I don't think anyone's ever played hockey better. End of sentence. I don't think anyone's ever played hockey better than he is currently doing it. It is unbelievable to watch. So, obvious question because we're talking about the Oilers.

Tell us about the goaltending. Where are we on the situation in the crease as they move towards, you know, what they hope is another Western Conference championship? Well, you know, this is just me from outside watching. I think in a perfect world stand moment would have had Stuart Skinner, Calvin Pickard and Connor Ingram as their three goalie. Ingram finds his game in the minors, pushes up into the lineup.

Then he and Skinner are 1-1-A. And now they can challenge themselves. Then you can make the moves that you need at the trade deadline. But everybody struggled to start with. So they made the trade for Tristan Jari. Well, and this isn't just now we've seen what's happened. Everyone beforehand knew that Tristan Jari has injury problems. So now you got the injury.

Now you got Pickard and Connor Ingram, who when they called up, the others had a goal tenor who had the worst say percentage in the NHL in Pickard and a goalie who had the worst say percentage in the American hockey league and Connor Ingram and you're like, this could go sideway real bad. Right, right, right, right. But Connor Ingram played the first game, played well. And then they're like, okay, let's see if he can do it in back-to-back games. Well, game 2E was good, but didn't matter.

No one, I mean, anyone could have played goal, the 5-1 Calgary game. But then he went into Calgary again. So I think what the others are trying to find out if there's anything that goes wrong or sideways after the deadline or in the playoffs. Can we ride Connor Ingram? Can he be the goalie that he was two years ago? So I think they're still trying to find that out. He's been fine.

The older they're playing better in front of him than they did at the beginning of the season. So he hasn't had a whole lot of stress. I'm sure they'd love to see if there's adversity. If he lets in a bad goal, if he has an off night, can he bounce back? But right now, I don't know, I know as much as you do, about when Tristan Jari's coming back, the Oilers, when they say two weeks, that's either two weeks or three months,

so we're not positive of when he's back in the lineup. But I do believe that they've liked what they've seen from Connor Ingram, but it'll be interesting when Jari comes back, what they do. Because every team wants to have three NHL goaltenders. I believe if Calvin Picker gets sent down, he will be claimed. And at some point, Connor Ingram, once he gets a certain amount of games in the NHL level, if he gets sent down,

the teams are taking notice of what he's capable of doing right now. So there is a fear, I would think, that if the others send one of those two players or goalies to the minors, one of them will be gone. And then the others are again in that same problem, what happens if Tristan Jari gets hurt? I know the addition of Zach Hyman

certainly hasn't hurt Connor McDavid here, but what is it done to kind of reset the whole feel of this lineup? Well, it moves somebody that was playing with Connor down in the lineup. get to put whoever it would been at that time in a position where they should be and whether probably the third line. I think it was game

22 or 23 in the season was the first time that the Oilers five-man power play unit played in the same game. And we've seen now how good that power play is. It's at 40% in December. And it's every time they step on the ice, it feels like they

are going to score. Hyman is a, I like all Canadian teams. I enjoy watching the Leafs play and one of the few people from Edmonton that do. And when the Leafs used to come and play the Oilers, I was always looking forward to watching Marner and Matthews and DeVars and Riley, all these players. But it was Hyman that always stood out to me.

And I think that's what you see when you watch an orler game. They got all these superstars, but there's one guy that if you're sitting in the stands with your kid, you're like, you know who you got to play like and they'll say McDavid. No, kid, you're never going to play like McDavid. Play like Hyman. You can't do that. Play like Hyman. Watch how he's a dog on a bone.

Watch his back check, watch his for check, watch his initiative, going to the net. So I think he's contagious the way he plays. He's a guy that everyone wants to play like. So Hyman coming back into the lineup pushes players where they belong, but he also brings an energy that everyone else on the bench can, you know, buy into because you can do the little things that Hyman does, and he forces other players to do that as well. Hyman is almost like if you took an amalgamation of everything coaches say you should do, and put it in a person

and it's like, lead with your stick, finish your check, go to the blue paint, have a motor, be competitive, you know, it's just like everything you're supposed to do he does. He is a coach's dream. Both on and off the ice. He's also a guy you cheer for. He's like a perfect human being.

So, yeah, he has been getting him back in the lineup does make the evidence. It does much, much better. Brownie, one of the things that, so he was on the Marley's when I was there in the American League, Sheldon, Keith was the coach, and they, you know, you only talk to the coaches when you're bad as a forward, right? You call in, okay, watch the video, okay, we've got to talk about this.

At some point they realized Hyman had been on the team two months and nobody had spoken to him. Like he just did the whole thing. It actually created a system where you made sure you checked in with all the players because no one had talked to the guy. He just always did the right thing and no one needed to ever give him any advice. No flaws. In his video. Yeah.

I hated when they brought video. And seriously, I always had my man until video came. and then they could prove me wrong. Yeah, no, he's done great. Brownie, we're going to go, we're going to take an Olympic break before we know it, and then we're going to have the trade deadline before we know it. So if you're Stan Bowman, you know, if you're Jackson upstairs and you look at the lineup right now, where does their focus need to be if they need one more push or step with the roster for you?

Is it, as long as you got McDavid and Drysiddle and a 30 plus power play, is this good enough to get by Colorado or Dallas or both if you need as is? I mean, Colorado is at a different level this year. The Oilers played them once and I think it was 9-1. Now the Oilers weren't at where they are now. I think for the Oilers, if I was them, I'd want a little more veteran savvy on my back end. I think that Stazni has been very good.

Regula has struggled at times. Emerson, you know what you're getting with him. I just fear that if someone in the top four and the others gets hurt, you don't know what Stasney does in the playoffs because you've never seen it. Regula, what's he going to do? Emerson wasn't good enough last year to play in the playoffs. He was healthy scratched. So I would think they would want someone at least a number five,

four or five defensemen at the deadline. And then the biggest concern here in Emmettin is their bottom six. I think they've got enough good pieces to make a very good fourth line. But third line, they have not. And what we saw last year in the playoffs, the Florida Panthers so-called third line with Marchand on it, dominated. And the Oilers had no answer to it.

So I think they hoped to have built a third line around Trent Frederick. It has not been good. So I would imagine, and right now Jack Roslick, I think, is playing center on the third line tonight. I don't think that's the perfect position for him. But I think they're trying anything. So something to build around on a third line and a four or five defenseman, I think would be the two big keys for the Oilers at the deadline.

When you look around the division, the conference, I would say the division, I think the Oilers are the best team. You can correct me if you think I'm wrong there. And then just some serious battles await with that Central, though. I think, I don't know if, well, I'm guessing the Vegas Golden Knights aren't done yet. I think they will add something, as they do every year. I think right now the Oilers are better than Vegas, but if Vegas goes out and gets Erasmus Anderson on their back end,

all of a sudden it becomes a little tougher. So Edmonton and Vegas are the two teams in the Pacific. The only good thing for the Oilers in the Central is the Central, they have to play each other to get out of it. Health-wise, if Colorado gets through and they're healthy, that is a tough out. And they play the Oilers well. They got Kail McCar in the back end who can skate with Connor.

They've got McKinnon up. They've got a superstar. I think there's five teams out west that are capable of moving on to the Stanley Cup finals. And I believe the oils are certainly one of them, if not in the top two. What did you see out of Calgary in terms of their direction? And, man, I mean, you look across the league and we thought Nashville was dead and buried, and we thought Calgary was dead and buried, and nobody's dead and buried. Well, out West, I think there's six really good teams, five for sure,

and probably five really good teams. And then after that, it's a mishmash. And any of those teams gets hot. They can move in the playoffs. The Calgary Flames, they work hard. And they've had a good record as of late. And then they came into Edmonton and we're like, oh, how. But they've got fantastic goaltending.

Wolf is good. They work hard. Their fourth line completely changed momentum in the game. game the other night and their fourth line was the reason they beat the oilers the problem for the vancouver excuse me for the calgary flames is they have to work really really really hard to score a goal yeah like the oilers could be hemmed in their own zone for a minute then they pop one in either connor or leon or hyman or nudge or one of those players gets a breakway and they score so the calgary flames i imagine they will be unloading pieces if they can at the deadline and they got

some pretty good pieces i don't see rasmus anderson staying there and wherever he goes is that team's going to be better. Brownie, great stuff as always, man. Always love our updates with you. Thanks for checking in, Brownie. Cheers, guys. Happy New Year. You too, pal. Edmonton Oiler analyst for Chad Rob Brown.

And this hour of Real Kipper and Bourne brought to you by Bet365. Let's get that in. You like where Edmondson's going? I just, I don't see how they're not the best team. Well, I should say, in the Pacific, to me, they're the best team. The Central is. absolute war zone. I don't know.

Where are you at on them? Yeah, I, I just think the ripple effect of Broberg and Holloway. Yeah, it hurts. It stings them. Yeah. And I don't know, I don't know between now and the trade deadline if they can make it up. It's tough too, because those are like the perfect age. Think about Broberg now on that lineup.

I know. And it's just mind-boggling that they made that decision to walk away from them. That one hurts. Yeah, that one hurts. So now you're just dying for another body. Not sure we find that guy, right? They're so hard to find. It is funny, though, that he talks about McDavid and how it just kind of papers over all your problems.

And it's a lot of pressure to go into playoffs being like, we're a very flawed team, but you just go be the best guy in the world. And he has done that many years in a row now in the playoffs. But it's hard. And it's like I know what the expectation is. Yeah. And Leon. The other teams do too.

Leon's the forgotten guy at five odd five. It's like Leon, just carry the second line. Oh, by the way, just carry a second line. It doesn't really matter who we put you up. No, we're just going to slap anybody on your side does that. And then the power play. Savoy and Pod Colson. It's legitimately his line.

I know. And he's the. fourth in the league and score. No problem. Yeah, got it. I'll just make it up in other places. Oh, by the way, still get points on five on five, too. Yeah, he's unbelievable.

Shall I do game time? All right, Sammy. It's game time presented by Bet365. Visit the app for the latest odds and see why it's never ordinary. At Bet, 365 must be 19 plus Ontario, only please play responsibly. So let's look at some hockey games tonight. Care for the Edmonton-Oilers are in Winnipeg, the Winnipeg Jets. are plus 100.

So mild, mild underdogs, almost even odds. Minus 120 if you want to bet on the Oilers. The Jets are in tough, aren't they? Like, things are just not going awesome. I don't want to say 18 wheelers, because that belongs to the Toronto Maple Leafs. That catchphrase.

But it's, it went south fast. I mean, won the president's trophy. I believe I picked them to win the Stanley Cup. Go to the Cup final. going into the year. And why wouldn't you? Why wouldn't a lot of people? Yeah.

I didn't. I don't know. They kind of got old fast, I guess. And things are just, once things start going in a negative direction, I think it's really hard to turn it around. The Oilers at minus 120 look good to me, though. I do think that that's my pick tonight.

The Buffalo Sabres are favorites in St. Louis, minus 115. Sabers won eight in a row. Let me say that again. Eight. Two losses in a row and they could. be in the basement. They're not even in a playoff spot.

They won eight in a row and they're not in a playoff spot. They're like a point out. Yeah. Everybody seems to be getting three point games now. The problem, and I said this last night with the Toronto Maple Leafs who are, some said, oh, they're three points out of a wildcard spot. There's seven teams out of a wildcard spot is what they are. Yeah.

So you've got to win eight in a row to, because someone's going to play well. So Tampa seems comfortable with a two point. regulation time and then Montreal battles back and earns a point in the last dying seconds here. Get your point. So the Leafs find a way to get a point but they don't gain on Montreal and they lose on Tampa Bay.

Yeah. Congrats on your point. You're farther back. Their point doesn't help them. No. It's they need a lot of wins in a row. Last one I want to mention a really, really good game tonight. Actually, there's a couple really good games, but the Vegas Golden Knights host to the

Minnesota Wild. Knights, Wild, both at minus 110. No favorite. That's in Vegas tonight, which means they kind of like the team of Minnesota a little bit better. Vegas gets the home advantage. Vegas is kind of quietly like...

Just skim them along. They're just on the outside that they're not making anybody believe anything right now. Yeah. But they're not bearing themselves. They're kind of holding their own. And Mitch Marner could be on pace for, I don't know, 90 points, which

98% of the league would die for, but he hasn't really found his comfort zone. Last I checked in a while, last I checked, he had like six goals or something. Has he put a few in recently? I think he's right around his wheelhouse. He's going to end up with 20, 25 goals

and 70 assists. I don't know, 90, 95. If he gets hot, he'll hit 100 again. He's also playing center. Yeah. Played in Toronto for, nine seasons? Yeah.

I don't know that he spent a game there. I don't know if he did either, but that's also an organization that had plans on Willie Nealander being a centerman two or three times and never ended up playing, I don't know. Zero attempted games for Willie, zero attempted games for Mitch.

I don't know. Yeah. Maybe throw it at the wall once or twice. But they're kind of quietly just on the outside looking in right now. And as Rob Brown just told us moments ago, they seem like they're destined for another big trade down the road. Yeah, as it is, I like Minnesota.

Boldie has snuck up in the top ten in points. Faber and Quinn Hughes, unbelievable duo. Erickson X so good. Caprizov so good. I really like the Wild. So give me the Minnesota Wild. That is game time presented by Bet365. Visit the effort the latest odds and see why it's never ordinary.

Bet365 must be 19 plus Ontario only. Please play responsibly. Okay. we'll hit a couple of notes just before we go to break because I want to get your thoughts. We got Jason Buckel on the other side here to get us up to speed on World Junior Championships in Minnesota and a couple of prospects and potential first and second overall picks.

I'm going to be asking him questions with complete sincerity because I don't know the answers to them. Good, good. Nothing should change on our show after five years like that. Barzell's two-handed chop On Marchment I like a two-minute tripping penalty

Or a slashing penalty But you thought it should have been a game I you know I And this is your team I love what he did I thought the Marchman play was cheap I loved that he stood up for his guy I don't want him to fight

So take a chop at a guy Perfect love love love I do think the league should say We can't baseball bat Swing at each other I don't care where you hit him I don't care if there's no injury We can't do baseball swings.

That's a suspension. So I, listen, I'm in favor of, if I'm on his team, I'm like, way to go, Barzzi. But you got to suspend a guy who baseball bats a guy, don't you? I'm a big believer of, you know, you can baseball bat a guy and miss him. And I don't think it's suspendable. Really? Well, it depends how close. But no, no, I think you have to hit a guy.

And he. Well, he did. But he was very smart. Infield single. And focusing on escape blades, he didn't chop them in the waist. But it's funny to me, like if Marchman's, you know, top of his foot, he cracks a bone there or something, he misses whatever. If he cracks a bone.

If I shoot a gun at you and it hits your heart, it's worse than it hits your. There's the magic word. If. Yeah. And we don't ever have to worry about that. Because it didn't happen. Because it didn't happen. There is no alternate reality.

If you break a bone, then, you know, you're suspendable. Right. So you just give them a little, just a little Julio Franco full swing with the knee into it. Josh Donaldson. Anyway, love it. You know, stand up for your guy. Islander's been pretty good about that this year. I just think, by the way, that one from Barzal, I didn't mind as much as the Lundel one,

which was a $5,000 fine, which was the worst of the McMahon-Lundel Barzell trifectives. Lundel almost killed him in. I know. I know, I know. He catches him on the top of the helmet on the way down. Yeah. Oh, he's just off balance. Okay.

I really think that the league quietly loves that Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay. Oh, absolutely. So give him a fine. Yeah. Keep them in the match for the next one. The boys want to go back out of. By giving them a fine and not suspending them, they're really encouraging that type of push the envelope. I know.

And someone will break up. one of those times. But I will say this, if you're trying to appeal to Floridians, where the weather wants you dead with hurricanes, the people want you dead with guns,

the animals want you to as crocodiles and mosquitoes, the best thing you can do is say the players want each other dead out there. You have that it, Florida, Tampa Bay, murder fest. Yeah, I'm not that extreme.

Well, the league might be. Is this a freaky Friday here? No, I do. You got the Neanderthal? You got the Kipper Neanderthal thing going right now. No, I'm not encouraging. I'm saying Florida is a terrible, hateful place and that they love the murder.

That's all. All right. On that note, we'll go from beaches to a snowstorm, I think, in Minnesota right now. Let's do it. We'll get the latest weather update, including all world juniors out of Jason Buchala when we returned to Real Kipper Enborn.

Hey, it's Matt Markeesie. And I'm Mike Futa. We're discussing the top stories of the day across the NHL and the hockey world. Weekdays at noon. fan hockey show on SportsNet 590 the fan and wherever you get your podcast.

As a reminder, this hour of Real Kipper and Bourne brought to by Bet365. Nick Kippreos, Justin Bourne. Let's welcome in Jason Buchal, SportsNet Hockey Analyst, founder of the Pro Hockey Group. And now our lead analyst at the World Junior Championship as we preview Canada and Denmark. Tonight, 7.30 p.m. Eastern. Bookes, what's going on there?

Happy holidays, fellas. It's as cold as I've ever felt in Minnesota in my career. Oh, my. That's saying a lot. Unbelievable. Outdoor game next year. You know, it's unbelievable that they actually played out there were football here. It is minus 18 degrees. But when the wind was coming between the buildings on my walk over to the rink today, it felt like it was about minus 30. I'm getting old and creaky. And that's Celsius? That's what we're talking about? Well, it's my Celsius.

Here. Listen, it's unbelievable. There was a fellow journalist of ours. He walked from his hotel to the venue today, and he went all Mike Holmgren. I don't know if you remember him when he coached the Green Bay Packer. His beer, I think the moisture coming out of his shnauz froze his entire beard up on his face by the time he got to the ring.

Love it. So it's still fairly early. in the tournament, but what have we seen out of Canada that's making people say, I want to see more. A couple of narrow victories, right? But not anything too convincing for Canadian fans. So a couple of things, like in behind me right now, Chequia's leading team Finland won nothing guys.

And there's a lot more parody in this tournament than there ever has been. So I'm going to take that into account first of all. Chequette, they look like they could be a problem for the remainder of this tournament, the way they're playing here and whoever loses this game is going to be you know Finland plays team Canada on Friday night and or primarily on New Year's Eve and that's going to be a big big game now having said all that Canada it's just been a little bit disconnected for me I have to be honest the top line with Michael Hage is from the University of Michigan they've looked really good but beyond that Michael Misa has not hit his stride in my opinion and

And the bottom of the lineup hasn't exactly played to all of those strengths either. So what I'm trying to say is that they just haven't quite come together. And they're allowing a team like Lafeya to hang around and hang around. And then the next day, Lafeya gets it handed to them eight cobb by team Finland. Obviously, it's a tough turnaround 24 hours for Lafria. But still, this is a deep Canadian roster. I'm sure their best hockey is still to come here. But don't discount the parody in this event this time around.

There's a lot of really good hockey being played here. You know, I don't follow junior hockey, hyper, hyper close. But, like, I know all the names in this Canadian roster. I'm looking at this team and thinking, like, these are supposed to be our superstars. Gavin McKenna enters the year is the presumed number one pick overall. I know there's been movement there. Just a couple of games.

How's he looking? So let me, you can't teach what he does offensively. Barney, that's a God-given talent. And he makes plays like his seam pass in the first game to the middle the ice to Brady Martin coming right down the middle of the ice that's that's a calculated play that's a skilled spinnerama play it's not just a it's not a hope he makes those plays my problem continues to be this for everything that he does exceptionally well offensively there's three or four times in the game that a puck gets exposed in key areas of the ice that to me as a as a as a as a as a stout at this

stage while I'm starting for projecting to June I have to be comfortable enough that those things are going to be happening less frequently as he projects the pro game and people have to respect that process that's what we do you know it's not about what you see the pretty plays it's also about other things going on in the game so what i'm trying to tell you is that just be average which he sort of has been defensively but there's been a lot of plays that the opponent hasn't been able to capitalize on that are kind of soft area hopeful that that could be end up with the puck in the back of the net is what i'm trying to say so his game has been okay i still think there's more to come here for him as well was that was that

exposed when he made the move down to the states with Penn State that he's not as strong as he should be for a first pick overall on all sides of the game? Yeah, absolutely. I mean, the most recent guy that had this type of pedigree, if you will, was McElacly-Selabrini. And the thing with McElabrini guys when he went to college was he played like his hair was on fire up and down the ice sheet, like 200 feet. If he lost and drawn the defensive zone, he was on it. If he turned a puck over on the half wall, you know how skilled guys. We've seen this forever, right? When a skilled guy turns a puck over on the half wall and Major Junior or even college hockey sometimes,

they don't bust their chops back. They're a little bit slower to the gate. There's that little hesitation of sulk. Celebrini was never like that. I'm not saying for one second that Gavin McKenna sulk's about it. All I'm just saying is that his reaction time to get back into position is a little bit off. And he's being challenged, Kipper, at the college level. it has gotten exponentially better in the last month and a half.

I have to give him credit, but there's still a ways to go there. And especially when I'm here, I came from the Germany-Sweding game watching Ivers Stenberg and to a man over there, a lot of people that come up to me just to talk hockey and, you know, chew the fact, they're like, well, I don't notice them all the time. Well, you don't notice him because he's a calculating player, Stenberg, that is in Sweden. He's a pointed game guy in the S-HL. He positions himself right on the puck, off the puck, and then when he gets that opportunity to strike offensively. He's above the play. He strikes. And he plays a pro style already that's

projectable. And that's why he's got so much momentum right now. And we're going to see how the rest of this tournament unfolds. It is funny. You know, like Stenberg's three points in three games. McKenna does manage to have four. So he has this, you know, power play and all that stuff. He finds his way to get on the board just just with raw points. The guy who's leading the tournament, Anton Frundel drafted by Chicago, third overall last year, three goals, two assists in three games. Has he looked as a lead as the numbers say? Yeah, he has. So another guy that plays a buttoned up style.

He plays for Jurorgaarden and the SHL, again, plays the game the right way. He's got good size, good leverage. He absolutely crushes the puck from the weak side on the power play. I mean, crushes it. So he's got that in his back pocket with the man advantage. But he'll push the North guys in transition. And if nothing's there, you guys have seen a lot of these Europeans, right? When there's nothing there in the neutral zone,

They don't really try, Swedes, especially in Finns. They don't try to create something out of nothing. They chip it deep and then they work the wall or they'll work the corner. I'm not talking William Neelander type Swedes. I'm talking about, you know, the majority because he's an anomaly. So these other guys that really busted along the half wall on that. That's what Brondell does. He creates his own space.

And then when he sees an opportunity, man, oh man, does he rip a puck? We know you're brilliant, you know, when you, we know, we know you're brilliant when it comes to this sort of stuff down there. But, you know, and how many of you covered over your career? But have you, do you go every year and just see somebody that blows you away or surprises you or because you're so good, you know, everything? Well, I definitely not that good. As you've alluded to, and with my draft record in the past, right there,

live in studio, I'm not that great sometimes. But who is it so far that stood out that you didn't really see? Galvis, the defenseman for team check. He had number 23, the left shot, Thomas Galvis. He went through the draft last year, guys, which is alarming to me on a lot of levels. He's a little bit undersized, but he's been really good here. Quarterbacks to power play. He's been elusive.

He's got escaped in small areas. He'll walk the blue line, and he's not easy in the defensive side either. Like, he stick on puck, and he's got enough leverage. I don't know how he didn't get drafted last year. He was in my top 65, I think, on my year on Drap list. But for whatever reason, he wasn't, nobody's going to miss on him this time. He's too obvious every time he's on the ice for Team Chekia. And I'm going to tell you something, I love watching Team Chekia play hockey.

It's like they're skating downhill, their hair's on fire, they're giving everything they've got. Yes, they emptied the tank against Canada and didn't come back with this great enough for the, you know, maybe as buttoned up the next game by here today against the Finns. I can tell you right now over my shoulder, Finland's got 15 shots on goal, and we're in about 12 minutes left in the game. So it gives you an idea how hard checky a place. Right. So fill us in on those big, bad Americans.

How are they looking? Are they the top threat? It sounds like Sweden's pretty good, too. Sweden's really good. More calculating, more like a chess match, I would say, with the Swedish roster compared to the other rosters here. US is good. They're solid, scary incident the other night with high.

getting injured. Cole took a shot to the back of actually he's a defense when he just turned around is a shot that came through traffic and hit him right below the helmet line and above the neck guard there guys where there's no protection in and it set the stinger like a stinger down is that's why he couldn't move on the ice he's been cleared he's not going to play tonight but we'll see how he does going forward keep an eye on if anybody's going to be watching or for a name chase read from the sous Saint Marie Greyhounds the right shot defenseman he's a climber and I think yeah with him

and Carson Carl's from Team Canada. You're looking at top five guys in the draft. He's going to play elevated minutes here for the U.S. They're different this year, Borny, but they do have nine returning players from a gold medal winning team. And we all know, champions in the room, they can tow the role for other guys

and teach them along the way. So the games have been sold out over there at the big rank, not so much as other people can see everywhere else, but the Americans are excited and they're going to be a tough out here. Why is that? I mean, this is a great state of hockey in Minnesota and you know it's it's one thing to say okay

some of the other lesser teams don't get it to be a draw but I'm watching Canada with an empty building what the heck is going on down there 100% I totally agree with the Kippurso I don't want to get into the geopolitical landscape but I have to

tell you that the word on the street around here in Minneapolis is that the Canadian people from the prairies or Manitoba whatever you know the ones that can make an easier truck to come down here. Not so much interested in doing it. I don't know if it's the American thing or just the landscape of the world, but maybe it's the cost too. I don't know, but all I know is this, that people are not flocking here from north of the border the way that the organizing

committee anticipated that they would. And trust me, I've been overseas, like two years ago in Gothenburg, I'm losing track of time here, two years ago in Gothenburg, 9,000 Canadians were in Gothenburg, Sweden to watch. If we put 9,000 in this building behind me right here, it would be sold out with Canadians to give you some perspective. So not sure why, but it stands out, and it's disappointing, to be honest with you.

Do you think suggesting that they annexed our entire country, frustrated people a little bit? I don't know. Seems like, yeah, maybe that had some influence books. I see you tiptoeing around that. But yeah, some people are pretty mad about that still. I think it has something to do with it. And listen, people from the Midwest,

They're Canadian. Like, let's be honest. Absolutely there. People from Wisconsin and Minneapolis, Minnesota, stuff, they get at us. They're the best. They're totally like us. Yeah. No, absolutely.

Couldn't agree more. Just wanted to get a couple more updates on specific players on the Canadian team. You know, I think a lot of people tuning in now as the tournament starts to move along. I know the Leafs, Ben Danford is involved. But a lot of big names on this team. So who are you looking for more from in the days to come? come. Well, why don't we start with Danford? Because I think that we've got a lot of people that want to know. He's playing, you know, the right side behind Perrek and Brunick. So two NHL guys.

And then Danford, of course, is the first round pick for the Leafs as well. He's played mostly to his identity here, guys. What I like about Danforth in terms of his trajectory is that his small area speed, agility to defend small spaces has got exponentially better over the last year and a half. And he was a captain in Oslo. He's going to be on it. He's on a wagon in Bramford. should win the Memorial Cup. Puck play's been okay. So it's just been okay. He's more of our windows and boards guy

than up here stick to stick. I'm going to launch it. I'm going to join the rush, which is fine. So what I'm trying to tell you is that I like the fact that his pace and his agility has improved a lot. His puck play is still average to average plus for me.

I don't see any offense whatsoever. He'll eat a puck on a shot block and he'll body up physically. He's calculating that way. So I'm good with all that. Zane Perak has been probably the best version of himself for Calgary Flames fans. He's more of that whirling dervish skating around freely here at this tournament. You can see that he's oozing that confidence to play the game.

His style, if you will, and Dale Hunter is just going to let him do that. He's going to open the door and let him do that. But at the same token, there's been similar to McKenna, there's been some glaring weakness defensively that are going to have to be inferred upon a great deal to allow his elite skill set to rise to the occasion going forward. So, you know, just some little things to keep an eye on there. Carter George, the goaltender for Monsdown, he's an L.A. draft pick. We'll see how he does.

I expect that he'll be running the table now going out. I don't know that for sure, but I expect that that's what's going to happen. But here's, I'm going to end it with this for Canadian team prospects. Michael Hage from Michigan, who's the second leading score at all of NCAA hockey. he's been excellent here for team Canada except for the fact that he can't win a draw and that's going to be something he's going to have to work on he's probably around 20%

in the face off sock or circle but that's not going to cut it but the rest of it's been exceptional and he's been a big reason why Canada's looking like they're going to continue to score more goals offensively going forward Bookes we'll let you get back to the game

great stuff we'll catch up but we'll catch up again with you later on in the that's right yeah In the series, in the tournament, in the whatever you call it over there. Okay, boys. Hey, listen, let's get together after New Year's. Happy New Year's to you guys.

I appreciate you having me on, right? That'd be great, Boox. Thanks for your time, pal. Jason Buchla. Yeah, buddy. Geper, leave me alone for crying out loud. For one show, just get off my chase. I'm starting to love you like Sammy.

You're almost at Sammy level. See you, Bookes. Have a good one. Jason Bucla. That's great stuff. You're talking to a real professional scout there. Yeah. Guy had a real hand.

I don't know that people know the hand he had and what the Florida Panthers are today. Yeah, they influenced there. I get the whole Canadian thing if they don't want to come down. Yeah. But that's the state of Minnesota. Sure.

Those people can wear it. I'm fine with hanging it on them. They're not going. No, they're not. No, they're not going. You know. And that to me has everything to do with, it's just too expensive,

but no like okay can you as sold out it's just too expensive yeah everything wants to be the super bowl not everything's the super bowl you're a junior hockey tournament they're kids and i know that you're selling hey come see connor mac david before he becomes connor mac david but you're not selling that for a hundred bucks or 125 bucks to go see ladvia because come see a potential fourth rounder yeah you're not selling latvia i'm sorry they're still kids 27 bucks the more than a movie, I'm in. That's not a 27 bucks. So I mean, 107, I'm not good.

And they don't sell them individually. They're telling you, go spend thousands of dollars on the whole package. That's the other thing, too. And Minnesota fans are going, I don't think so. I'll just, you know, I'm not doing that. I do get it, though, because like, they're trying to get people

to go see Slovakia, Czechia, those games. And so usually it's like, okay, buy the good tickets, and then you, as a package, you get these ones. Can we just not. be so greedy, you know, on this tournament. Yes.

Start there. Yes. Okay. Our thanks to Jason Bucola, Rob Brown and Sheldon Keith. Buddy, two people doing this show for two hours? Yeah. I'm exhausted.

Too many words. Oh, I can't talk. We'll get Christian in here tomorrow. Oh, Christian's going to save me. Yeah. Christian? Chenedia, too. Get a good warm up.

Good stretch before tomorrow's show. How about the time? All right. Thanks. How many games we got on top, Sammy? Literally, no way. Okay, a lot. A lot or none?

I don't know. This is not my role. Whatever it is, find it, enjoy it. And come and join us again tomorrow on The Real Kipper and Boren Show.