Real Kyper & Bourne - Leafs Hour: Marner Returns to Toronto

Episode Date: January 23, 2026

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee get set for Mitch Marner's return to Toronto with the Leafs taking on the Vegas Golden Knights. They begin with Craig Berube's gym injury before delving into the Marner subtext of the game, his tenure with the Leafs, and how he'll be received in his return to Scotiabank Arena. Then, they react to the news that Anthony Stolarz will be back in action against Vegas. Finally, Nick, Justin and Sam take your calls and questions on the Leafs Line!The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

TV, hold for TV. About a nickel for every time Derek Brenda O said, hold for TV. Wherever you're watching and listening on SportsNet 360, Sportsnet 590, the fan, streaming Sportsnet Plus, or downloading Spotify, Apple Podcast, or YouTube. We are glad you were bored

for the Real Kipper and Born show, Mitch Marner edition of our program. Nick Kiprios, Justin Borns. Sammy McKee, Jake the Snake, Schultz, Derek Brandeo, and Ethan Zaja Gabor. So a different vibe today. Like we've beaten up this Mitch Marner thing, but we're going to do it

a little longer because everybody's doing it. Just squeezing for more juice. It is a different feel. right here as rights holders, a national game, a rare national game for Sportsnet on a Friday night. They acknowledged it right away. Mitch Marner returning to Toronto. Classic Leafs Net.

There comes Leafs Net. That's okay. It's Leaves Hour right now. People are, that's right, baby. Let's go. There is a game also outside of Mitch Marner's return, the Vegas Golden Knights in. town coming off a loss last night to the Boston Bruins while the the Leafs had a day off I'm not sure how much of a day off it was for head coach

Craig Barubi what in the world are we getting to this right away yeah yeah please because I get the Mitch Martyr thing and we'll get to it but when your head coach shows up for a morning skate and looks like I don't know Jake I think we had did I send his screenshot look at that He was almost the headless coach. Okay, that to me is like a pretty big story. Okay, guys, that's a flap of skin that must have folded over his eyes. Is there a chance he watched me yesterday on our show and said,

I'm going to one up my former Hershey Bear teammate? No, we have to have the conversation. We have said things at times that are not 100% flattering of the Leafs or of coaches, whatever. It wouldn't shock me if you guys who knew each other, your roommates once upon a time. And Barubi said, let's just get together and talk about this. You show up, you show up yesterday with eight stitches in your chin and a fat lip, and his head looks like you hit him with a sledgehammer.

I actually have, I attain footage of what actually happened. If you could pull it up there, Jake, I actually attained footage of this. We now go live. Oh, gosh. This is an old Ranger Washington Capitol tussle between me and Craig Barubi. If you cannot watch. And I am holding on for dear life. At this point, Bill McCreary's my best friend, the official, who told Chief at the time,

you came off the bench and you're suspended for 10 games. Is that right? And Chief started, he stopped swinging at me and started to get into a conversation with Bill. And I'm like, Bill, you just saved me, pal. So that's from that story that you've told before. That's the actual thing, though. That's what happened. He was politicking with...

He said, I watch you come off the bench and go straight for Kiprios. You're suspended 10 games. And Chief's like ready to cock me wine in. And he's like, 10 games! 10 games! And I'm like, this really doesn't concern me. I'll let you too sort it out yourselves. I'll just be over here.

You guys let me know when you're done. Exactly. So do we have sound of Chief off of that? But hold on. What has to happen? Like, I guess you drop a dumbbell on your head. Well, just, I don't know. We haven't got into the explanation.

Okay. I have it here. It's clip six on his appearance today at Morningscape. Yeah, I'll address it because it's going to, you're going to see it tonight. Just I had an accident in the gym yesterday. The other guy looks way worse. There was three of them. No.

It was just a, you know, it's tough, man. Like I had a, yeah, it was stupid. It was just a bad accident. It's all on me, my fault. And, yeah, I'm fine. No, no. I need more than that. He didn't, they pushed him further and he was like, I'm not going to talk about it.

Half his forehead was split open. Like, I can only imagine the sound and people running into the gym. You know, in wrestling, they do those little cuts of their forehead because that part of your body bleeds forever. And he had his head off. That would have. He must have. 60 stitches. That would have produced the blood help.

Did he... If they're not staples. Did he run a 100-yard dash in an 80-yard gym? It's like the gym accident. Did the attendant attack him with a crowbar? It looked like he's changing the weights on the lap machine and the whole stack fell on his head. Well, listen, he's...

And the black guy to go with it. His nose must have been... He's in. Your generation, boy. You just don't miss him. You just don't miss game. Are we sure? Can I get him to say the months of the year backwards?

Are we sure we want them doling out ice time and making snap decisions? Is everything okay? That's insane. Put him in the quiet room. Okay. I know we're going to get to Martiner. Yeah.

But I'll just kind of parlay this quickly into good on chief for showing up for a game tonight. Yeah. And good on OEL for showing up and playing tonight. Because there were some reports that he was done for a long time. And, you know, he could have easily taken tonight off. He did not. He played all but a minute and a half.

half last game. But this guy is a warrior, man. I have so much respect for OEL. Capital P hockey player. We have a great clip. We actually have a great clip on it from Barube. Clip four, please, Derek, on durability. You know, first of all, you know, you got to want to play through things, right?

Everybody's banged up. Like, there's a lot of guys in the league that are banged up. And, you know, it's just a mindset and a choice that you play through it. and he's definitely one of those guys. He's been doing it since I've been here coaching him. And the number of things that he goes through throughout the years last year and this year, but he fights through it.

Yeah, there you go. And we saw the game we were at, right? San Jose, where it looked like he was going to be out for a while when he fell kind of awkwardly on his knee, comes back to the next game in place. Now, I'm not thinking of Willie Neelander, would I say this, okay? Because Willie Neelander didn't miss much hockey

in his first six. or seven years. I don't think he missed any games. He missed any. So I'm not saying this looking at Willie Nealander, but those comments that he made puts tremendous pressure on guys that don't want to do that.

And I'm not suggesting what is right and wrong here. I'm not suggesting that sometimes you can make bad mistakes too. And we're going to talk about that one in a few minutes regarding Stolar. playing tonight. Oh, yeah. But it does, it takes those guys that just don't need to feel 100% and totally put them on the spot.

And I'm okay with that like you. You know, I really am. I know dealing with Sheldon Keith and the Leafs medical staff for those couple of years that there was frustration at times because it felt like we'd entered an era where you couldn't talk to the player and be like, okay, well, how bad is it? Can you go? Can you go?

You just had to be like, well, he says he's not 100%. He can't play? And it's like, can you play at 98? So I don't know. I felt it as a player too. I was someone who did, I played. Played with a lot of stuff. And so I admire that.

I don't know. Okay. So we're eight minutes in and we haven't really talked about Martner at all. Sammy, you've made it well clear on our program that we've beaten this thing up for a very long time. I wouldn't even know where to begin this conversation right now. because we've seen others. We saw our very own Elliot Friedman, write a bit of a historical piece on him.

With some reporting mixed in. With some, like, what did you get out of that, Sammy? What did you learn new that you didn't know before? Like, where do you want to start this return of Mitch Martner tonight at Scotia Bank Arena? There's a lot of great stuff in that article from Fridge, so good on them. But I think the thing that jumped out the most of me probably kept is,

him talking about how when the good times were good, he was really upbeat and happy and, you know, one of the, just a really positive guy. And when the lows were low, he was really dragging it and feeling it and reading stuff on Twitter and all that stuff.

And the thing that jumped out to me about that is his personality, whatever you want to say about it, it just really feels like that type of person maybe isn't a match for Toronto. And that a guy like that that's going to feel the highs where every, the godlike stuff where you're like, oh, dude, we're gods, we're treated like gods. And then on the other side of it, when people are saying mean things,

you're going online and reading them. But that was taken out of context, too, right? The gods. Well, no, I understand that. But like, he said that. Yes. And it's true, when the least are playing well and the least are making deep runs are treated like gods.

Yes. I just, I think a fundamental fracture between the type of person that Mitch Marner is. Yeah. And what this city expects, it's just two very different things. And reading that in that article, that's what was I hope.

to me. Me to go? Just to follow on that. Yes. There was a sense though and I think everybody could buy into that that whatever disappointment you had in his nine years including seven of them where you couldn't get out of the first round. He just seemed to take more of it than than anyone else, right? I mean, that's been your... Not yours? Equal? Equal. I think towards the end it was definitely the worse on him.

But I think that's because he wasn't here long term. Like last year would be the worst on him for sure. But it was with the surrounding the fact that he had inside a long term contract. We definitely don't agree with that. I think when it came to like a whipping boy for the core four, he took the majority of the brunt out of it. Okay. You know, I thought the line, so, you know, I said this to you earlier that I feel like

we're all sort of trying to get to like a cohesive story where we all kind of agree on the back part of it. I don't just mean our show. I mean Leif's Nation in general. I thought Elliot's piece yesterday was one of the definitive explanations of the history. I thought Jonas Siegel did a really good one. And, you know, the one thing that stood out to me from Elliot's was there's a line in there where he talks about some of the petty grievances that they just couldn't let or he couldn't let go.

But what he says is that it's not so much Mitch that couldn't let go of them. And that stood out to me where it's like maybe some of the advice, the people around him. Okay. Like, yeah, and I read Elliott's piece and terrific as well. But like, what is petty to Elliot and what is petty to an NHL player, the living in it, night and day? So you tell me what was petty over the years and I'll tell you if it warrants that type of. But this, I actually think that this sort of speaks to the way it worked where it's like, I didn't really get the vibe from the person Mitch that it bothered him that much,

but there does seem to be this like, you know, insulation around him that are really bothered. The whole ecosystem of people that worked with him, helped him, supported him, or, you know, part of the team that were very bothered by treating him differently than Austin Matthews. Where I think the general public viewed Matthews as first overall pick. Yeah, Matthews didn't take it like he didn't. Matthews had 60 goals and I know Mitch still had 102 points, but it didn't, 102 points doesn't insulate you like a 69 goal season. Yeah.

Yeah. And so I think, you know, these things have been well rehashed by us and all that. But I mean, where's the pettiness for you? I just think that a guy that's going to make over $100 million. So the money, the money should take care of all of that, right? Totally. That's the madman comment that that that's what. the money's four.

Well, I mean, the penalty for him not being on the Leafs when he was 18 years old was going to play with his friends on the best junior team in the history of Canada and winning the Memorial Cup and getting to play in the world. It's not like he was sent to Guantanamo here. Like he got... The fact of the word bonuses comes up still blows my mind. He's going to make 120 million. But you don't know that, Sam.

You don't know that. No, you do not know that. And he's going to make $120 million? As a, yeah, you don't know that. You could get hurt tomorrow. He could be out. It could change. Your life could change tomorrow.

But through the lenses of now, Kipper, where he said that it still comes up. Of course. Now it's crazy. Of course you can sit there and say it. But back then it was a big deal. Sure. The bonuses were a big deal. It was a million and a half dollars.

The difference between bonuses and not bonuses. Don't say it's petty and don't say, oh, you're going to make $120 million anyways. But does have this still? be a conversation right now is exactly what we're talking about. But it's, it's, but again, it's just so much more to that.

And like, just let me give you a little bit of history on the bonuses. Okay. They came in and they looked the kid in the eye and say, we're not doing bonuses. We're not doing bonuses. So, you're not getting them.

And you're like, well, okay. But by the way, every top five pick, the last 10 years got these B bonuses, everybody, with the exception of maybe one. Everybody got them.

But we're going with no bonuses. All right, okay, well, there's nowhere with me to go. Matthews comes up, and they look at Matthews and go, no B bonuses. And you know what Matthews says? No Austin Matthews. And they're like, what do you mean? No, Austin Matthews.

you're giving me B bonuses or I'm not coming. And if you look back at the history, the only first pick overall that isn't signed within days of being drafted, Austin Matthews. Do you remember how long it took? Do you remember how long it took for him to sign? It's insane. Do you remember how long it took him to sign?

No, of course I don't. Yeah, I do. Yeah, of course. A long time. Well, yeah. Because they caved. But the fact that they look at Austin is the number one overall pick and think they're the same. No, no, no, no, no.

No, it's not the same. You're not the same. Then why wouldn't you say that to him right off the bat? Okay, every, we're not doing bonuses unless we get a number one overall. No. Yeah, well, like, better than lying, better than saying nobody gets them and then you cave. She's like, how many people ago was this at that point? I'm just saying, though, like, you guys think it's petty.

Yeah. But it's not for the player. It's not. It's like, well, you told me one thing and then you changed your mind and went the other way. Then it's like, then go away. Asked to be traded if you're so mad about it that you don't. Then just don't be a part of the organization. 100%.

You know? Did they do that? No, I'm saying for him, if it's so, you can't move on. And if you can move on, then move on. I'm just. Either forgive and forget or go. I'm just saying. You don't get to stay and hold a grudge.

You could have, you could have gone any way you wanted without. that and I agree with everything you're saying. But when you start relationships by, you know, go to your boss and you go and say, well, if you're treating Elliot and everybody else the same way, I'm fine with that. But tell me that you're treating Elliot or me or Sammy one way and then you find out that it's not. I'm the worst guy to go to with this because I accept that I'm going to be treated differently than Elliot Friedman. Or, yeah. But are you told that differently?

I don't think they, I don't know, I've never needed to be told it explicitly because I can do the math. I don't know. I'm just saying that once you start with this stuff and it snowballs over the course of a long time, then you know what? Then the Leaf should have threatened, they should have gotten rid of him when he threatened to go to Switzerland over an RFA. They should have got rid of them then. Hey, hey, hey, like. We're going to sit here and talk about what they should have done a million times.

It's not just one side. Like, it's just been there's petty stuff from both sides. It's like all the reports as soon as he's going to sign his free agent contract. We're going to Switzerland because we're not going to be met. We're going to Switzerland. That happened. So like his, his, just as petty. I'm not.

Two wrongs make a right. We can sit here over 10 years and pick a thousand things of Elliot's comments where Mitch should have rised up or the Leafs should have rised up. Right? And it's like you said no bonuses. then you turn around and you treat people differently and you look like you there's a lack of credibility in that too on their part i think for the first year sure you can be upset about that but like when everybody's made hundreds of millions of dollars and still be talking about it is but you're looking

in the rear view mirror you've you're not talking you're not talking about then i know i just said now it means nothing to me you're telling me now well no but at the time i understand him being upset. But once he signs the $66 million RFA deal, you think he would move on and it wouldn't come up anymore. I don't know. Correct. That's exactly why I feel.

That's right. Okay. But, you know, again, you want to say, okay, well, we gave you $66 million. But it's, there's parts of that, that, again, weighed into just getting there. Like, it's just not, hey, you got $66 million and a store. It's like for some people, it's how you got there too. And those negotiations were, the Leafs wanted him to sign six times eight years, right?

He counters and says, I'll give you eight times eight years. And they're like, no, you're not an $8 million player. Okay. And he says. That was his year before he played with DeVaris. Yes. And at that point, he probably wasn't eight. wanted him around six, six and a half.

I think Willie at the time was maybe five, nine, they'll go six and a half. He offers eight times eight, which by the way would have been his last year at eight this year. But they say, no, you're not an $8 million player. And then he says,

well, we're not signing and we'll just wait for Austin. And they're like, well, Austin is, we're only going to give him 10. We're going to give him Jack Eichel. Okay. And then Austin goes to, I don't know, 11 and a half. and then he scores 90, 100 points. And they go from now the sixes and the eighths to 10.9.

But it's great. He got 10.9. But what's not great is the process that you had to go through it. And all of this just weighed and weighed and weighed. Is he the only guy that's ever gone through nasty contract negotiations? And also, by the way, an hour after Marner signed that rantin inside for nine and everyone went awesome. And rating point and all these guys. All of them after.

He made his money. I'm just saying that like when you look over why he left, there was right from the get-go, right from Babcock, wanting a defenseman to the point where he made his decision to leave. There was a, there's an accumulation of one thing after another. This wasn't an overnight decision. Yeah.

Yeah, of course. I mean, one of us were saying. And what you thought was petty. Others think not. Well, him. Others, him. No, players. Just players, Sam.

Just NHL players. Okay. I mean, that's... Okay. That's all. Okay. It's, it always had a field, didn't it? Like, it always had this sort of...

This tension, this, you know... Yes. You know, you... Him feeling like he's not getting enough money, respect, time, power, love, whatever. The Leaf's feeling like he's asking for too much, being greedy, pulling. There's... There was just, it was all very public. Yeah, and it just, you know, it always felt bad.

He had tension with the media. Yeah. It wasn't there in big games. The relationship was always. Maybe in a short period of time, maybe 10 years, 20 years from now, nobody's going to remember B bonuses. Nobody's going to remember, you know, whatever the case is, you know, insulting contract offers.

There's just going to remember what could have been. What could have been, right? Yeah. How great he could have been. What were the, what could the numbers have been if Austin and Mitch stayed together for 15 years? Like that, that's going to be the one,

the one what if, totally. Above anything else. You know, we're going to sit here and, you know, you've seen people run the boards of his career numbers with the Leafs. I think the six most points in Leafs history and second most assist. Like, you know,

he's got all these great numbers. And I was thinking, you know, he's got this video tribute tonight. Like, what's the biggest goal he scored here? What are they going to show over that time? And I struggle, you know, even assist. What's the biggest assist? Game six, Matthews.

Was it made it one one? To make it one, nothing. You know. Two, not one. I can't remember what the score was. Right. Like, that's, a round two assist is what we got, you know? Like, so it's, he was electric.

He helped them reach heights in the regular season. We've never seen. people should appreciate what a talent he was and how much got to just he made games easier to win for them but you're right in the end we're going to go what could have been all right we got some sound from guys talking about Mitch what do you want what do you got you got you got John Tavaris we got I mean do you want to hear what Marner said like what kind of so let's let's be clear he played last night there was no availability he made himself available this morning at the hotel correct I don't know where it was yeah yeah yeah At his team hotel, and he spoke briefly. So we have some clips off of that? Yeah. I mean, we could do what he's the kind of reception he's expecting. Not sure.

I'll see as soon as warm up starts. But, yeah, just excited to go back there. Yeah, that building's meant a lot to me. So excited to be going back to and playing it. So that is the overwhelming tone of all of these clips. Everybody's downplaying it. Nobody's, like it's not, we're not getting the Jonathan Tays feel going back to Chicago. No, but also not the Tavares one.

Can I ask though, like, why, you can be yourself, man. You're not in Toronto anymore. You're free. You've gotten away from this. You're now in a place where there's one reporter. You don't have to, you don't have to go look, Luke Fox in the face. It's easier said and done. He's guarded.

Sam. Yeah, but just, you won, man. You got out of here. You got your big contract. You're playing the Western Conference. But he would have got a big contract here. But just say, like, stop with the money. You know what's, stop with the money.

Yeah. Or just yell, little B bonuses for 20 minutes, buddy. I told you. That was back then when he was starting his career and you think you're a broken neck away from it all being gone, Sam. I just, you know what's going to happen. Just cut the crap. You're going to get booed.

Just say, you know what, I'm probably going to get booed. But I love my time here. Why would you say that? Because it's a dumb thing to say. It's not dumb. Just show a touch of personality that like, no. Like you have anything in there. He's not giving you a thing.

It's crazy. You've won. You got free. The feeling is he won't talk on the telecast tonight. We won't see an interview for him. He's just shut it all down. No warm up interview. No.

No. It just seems so insincense. here. And that's how it's felt the entire time. He's not the only one. Everybody's like shut it down. Like, uh, Tavares, right? Did he speak of it? And how do, can we, can we have that clip? Let's get John Tavaris's comments. Yeah, John Tavares clip. I don't know, one. I'm sure it'll be a lot of different feelings. Um, you spend, uh, spend, uh, you know, a large, uh, you know, portion of your life, you know, your career,

a lot of people make an impact on it, and I know for me, I still am, always will be very grateful for that. You know, I think there will be a lot of appreciation from him, but obviously, you know, you put the gear on, you've got to go out there and play. So I'm sure there'll be a lot of, a lot of things that he's feeling,

but at the end of the day, both sides, once the puck drops, you're trying to get in the flow of the game and compete and go out there and two points. But that's saying nothing. That's avoiding completely Mitch Marner. That's just, just drop the puck. Obviously, it's a tremendous honor to play. You wanted, you wanted avoidance.

That was avoidance. Yeah. That's not talking about a guy that historically was one of the greatest Leafs. Listen, all I'll say is I don't. Move along. There's nothing to see here. I don't think they're all doing it.

You don't go to John DeVarres for interesting sound bites. No, you know who you go to? I want to know what you're getting. it. Do you think that they should be? He's saying that he's, Mitch is like give me more, nobody's giving anybody anything. Yeah. But that's the problem. Nobody. It just seems like it's never mattered to him. The captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs

didn't even make himself available. Yeah. I disagree with that decision big time. The face and the spokesperson who's a big part of this wouldn't even talk about it. I guess your, guess your theory was right. It worked. No more smarter questions for the masters. But he worked. He can't go back and talk about it. He looked like an idiot.

So I don't blame him for staying with his word. So funny, because I think he should have hung out there today and talk. Of course he should have. Totally agree. But he should have done it on TV with Mark Masters. That's when he should have done it. He should have taken the high road and then just tag along, play along. But to say nothing for the guy who was most responsible.

He did say all this stuff. Say it again. Say it again. Yeah. And say it again. There's no start and finish. No, and I'm fine with that. I think he should have been out there saying it again.

But all the things you wanted him to say he said. He just didn't say it nine seconds before the hockey game. And that for some reason really set you off. I'd rather him say that in a scrum. But you're not to an audience that's watching live. That's a different piece. You have that so bass backwards. You'd rather him say, I don't want any Mitch question.

in the question, scrum? I'd rather him say it to a few people that are meaningless in that scrum than national television. You're speaking to Sportsnet the same way. No, I don't. Treat Sportsnet special. TSN's a partner.

Treat them better. Treat sportsnet better. Treat the NHL.com better. And then tell the stupid blogger who doesn't give a crap. I'm not answering your question. So you have this. exact sentiment for Mitch then tonight.

Well, you can't please everybody, but pick your spots. Well, Austin can't please everyone. Mitch could sure pick his spot to appease the partners and all the other things. Listen. He did it back at the camp with COVID. Mitch should go on TV. I don't agree with that. I think he should go on TV tonight.

But he's a grown man. He makes his own decision. I just think it's super easy for Austin to come out today and say, I already answered this. Yeah, we had a great time. He's a good dude. We stay in touch sometimes. Anything new?

Like, I think it's easy. You make the reporters look silly by coming out and answering again. But it's better than unavailable. I agree. Come on. They're not close. Play the cold card. Joel Wall was the best.

What do you mean? Oh, yeah, because he shamed the fans. That's why he's the best. Well, he's, he was the most open, Sam. Well, it wasn't the best. He said, he said how he honestly felt. It wasn't guard. Did you have that?

Well, see, I view that is totally different. He, he, I view that as the safe. We have that, Derek. I think we got that. Listen to Joe Wall. Yeah, I heard it. Yeah, I mean, right. You said he's been here about a decade or,

and he's been a special player for, for this team for a long time. And he's been a big presence in the community as well, not just with hockey. So I would hope it's a warm welcome. I know he has nothing but, you know, good memories here. And I think the fans have experienced a lot of good memories here. experienced a lot of good members with him as well. So he's a great guy. It's unfortunate. He's not with their group anymore.

But yeah, I mean, I hope I think hockey is a place of respect. And I hope that, you know, the fans pay him respect. And, you know, I can't speak for everyone. I don't know how everyone feels. But, you know, just with playing with him. I know he's been an unbelievable guy and it's going to be emotional for him. An adult. I'm stunned.

You like those comments. An adult. Okay, unguarded. No. Told you how he honestly felt. Why does that feel honest to you? That sounds out of touch to me when he says, Mitch has nothing but great memories here.

Not true. Fans have only great memories. Not true. Like it sounds like someone who's saying all the nice things because he wants everyone to be kind to one another. And I do too. That's nice. Everyone play nice.

That's great. But I don't think that's an honest. Yeah. Why is it a referendum on booing? Because we want to do it. Like everybody's like, oh, you shouldn't boo. You shouldn't boo. Why can't we?

boo. It's sports. Nobody's saying you can't boo. Who's saying you can't boo? There's the boo referendum right now. I've said you can't boo. There's the referendum on booing. Who said you can't boo? I mean, I've seen the should we booed tomorrow polls? Will he get booed? Is he going to get booed? Bood, booed? He's going to get booed. We're allowed

to boo. We're sports fans. He left boo. Nobody is arguing that. Nobody. I would argue that there are people arguing that. They're just putting it out there because they're doing whatever they can to get your eyeball on it. but you're so you're expecting a loud Oh, he's going to get hammered I don't, you know, the one the reason I think it may not be too terrible

is tickets are very expensive and I think you got the business crowd on Bay Street Friday after work who's like, oh, I get to be a part of the spectacle not the passionate fan who really wants to lean in and let him know how they feel. We should go to break. Stollers is playing a night, boys. Holy smokes.

How do we feel about that? I feel like we should go to break. No, let's talk about it. Okay, well, here's how I feel about it. What's happening? What do you mean he's playing tonight? He had one practice of the Marley's? I had him with the Marley's for a week.

Yeah, I texted the Leafs. They said you had one practice with the Marley's. And now he started. Good to go. So. Good to go. There's my two cents. Vegas.

Which I know nothing about this. Showcase? No. Just shorter. Just as for tonight. Okay. He said I ain't playing in the Marley. I'm not playing for the Marley's.

No, I agree. He said that. No, no, don't need it. I'm ready. Put me in. That's what I think happened. He said, I paid my dues in the American hockey league. Let's, you know.

Can I say that I absolutely love that? Yeah. He's just like, I'm not doing that. I'm ready. Put me in. Until he lets in three on six shots. Yeah, I mean, won't be worse than Jari last night at least. There's a real chance.

I think this is like, this is a calculated risk. And he is talented enough where he may pull it off. Is he in shape? I don't know. What kind of shape can you be in two and a half months? Really, really bad, I can tell you from experience. What's the puck going to feel like when it bounces off your chest? Right?

Like a rubber ball? I don't know. So all these questions, but he is talented enough where he may pull this off, but I just don't like the percentages on this after being off for so long. Is it a chance people are going, how could you do that to the Leafs and their fans, the Mitch's return game. Like, you put this guy in there and he gets lit up and you're chasing the games. This is go bigger, go home on this decision.

So, you're kidding. Do you both think you should have played multiple games to the Marley's before this? I should have been in a hockey game before this. I'd like one. One would have been good. This is an Anthony Santander swing batta, badda, betta, betta. Putting him on the ALDS roster and hoping for the best.

Does this not tell us that they're still not comfortable with Hilden be. Yeah, it kind of does. Like, whoa. And I think I feel a lot better about Hildebe than I did a month ago. Yeah. Not just for the sake of it. I disagree with that. Like, I mean, he hasn't played since Remembrance Day, boys. It's almost February. Like, he's been practicing. He's been on the ice for two weeks here now. You're getting paid good, like, it's time to do the hockey. Like, yeah, sure, it's a risk, but putting Hildebees in a risk, putting walls in a risk. I don't know. No skates of the lease, Sam. No nothing with the team.

Like, just, he's your, he's back. He's at the marries. He came in as your starting goalie. And he says he wants to play. He feels ready to play. Everything's a risk to me. I don't hate it. You may get lit up and this looks stupid, but.

You know what? You make a great point. It's been November. I don't hate it. I just feel like it is risky. That's all. You're right, though, about the point that, like, they're at the point.

They got to take some swings here. It is, it is a, a slet. light, it's showing your cards a little bit on how desperate you are tonight. 100%. We need a guy to come in and be hot. What thing we didn't talk about? How do you expect Marner to play tonight? What do you think he's going to give?

I don't think he's going to want out of the puck on his deck a lot. It's like it was in Vegas. Yeah. Kind of hot potato. No, I think he'll be fine. Yeah. I think he gets five points or zero. It'll be a similar look, I think.

Like, he's pretty consistent guys. Like, the numbers, I know the production, probably is down and there's certain categories down, but he still likes the puck in the middle of the ice. He can still gain the zone. He can still... He's not... He's not...

He's not folding tonight because of it. Yeah, I think... I mean, I don't want to quote the article too much, but reading some of the stuff in the article, feels like him getting booed mercilessly in his hometown Mike Getto. That's what I... From the stuff that I read about... I think getting booed in Vegas by Lee fans was a nice, like, warm up.

Totally. I actually think this is the best case for him that he's like, okay. He's expecting the worst. You don't think he expected it coming in before that? I wasn't. No, no, but like. Not to that degree. Sam did, though.

But pre-Vagus, like, you don't think he expected to be coming here and getting boot? He might be insulated and half. There's always some hope that it's a little less than you think. But I don't know how. how he could feel that way coming off of being in your home city and getting booed. Yeah. So I think he's, I think he'll be well prepared for it. All right.

All right. All right. That's that it. Is that it? Are we done? Are we done? I mean, when Vegas goes on a Stanley Cup run and Marner's the cons, it'll probably come back up again.

I got news for you. I got news for you. Vegas has got a ton of issues right now. Can't get it safe. Okay. Is there any past that one? Even with Marner and who he plays with, they don't look like a great line.

Dorifaev and I don't know who the other guy is. Riley Smith. They don't like, they just come off a loss. They're on a back to back. Leif's got to be the better team tonight. Totally. Right.

That's a huge game. Willie. They're three points bad. They did a one last game, 60 to nothing. But as soon as he left, it was over. There's three points back at the last spot now. Just like that. Close the chapter.

I mean, it's going to get cracked back open on the Leaves line. And the National Hour. Yeah, in the National Hour. Leaf line callers next when we return to Real Kipper and Born. Diving deep into Leaps, Raptors, Jays, and NFL. The Jady Bunk is podcast. Subscribe and download the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back to the program.

Nickyper, Justin Bourne. Sammy McKee. Game day tonight. Scotia Bank Arena. Everything gets going on SportsNet. 7 p.m. puck drop, 6.30 pregame. From the YouTube chat, somebody's asking to show your Stanley Cup ring. Oh, hey, you're rocking that today.

Can we get a close-up on that? I'm in from Jake. It's so old now. Oh, yeah. There we go. That's a sweet ring. Look at that. Oh, yeah.

If you're listening, we're showing off this Stanley Cup ring. I'm going to the game tonight, but I can't believe. I'm actually I'll be with some Mercedes Ben's people tonight. Oh, baby. And they, and they like to see it every once in a while. Keep them happy, will you?

We need them. For sure. Let's start with old friend Ben from St. John's New Brunswick. You know, the guy who called immediately after I proposed my fiance and called you guys and said the majority of my family, I need to introduce myself with that reminder since I don't have a catchy name like Chuck Nelson.

First of all, after hearing yesterday's guests, I have to thank you for the free counseling sessions during the first half of the scary leave season. It was therapy. I feel like my health benefits from work should be paying for my sports net plus subscription. I have to address an issue here. What is all this nonsense about the Mariner Bowl? This isn't a Mariner Bowl. This is a Sammy versus Kipper Bowl.

Sammy, a man of the people. unofficial presence of Leif's Nation calling out dry hair Mariner for what he really is and Kipper, who sounds like a Mariners defense lawyer. Let's put a wager on the board, fellas. Leaves Swin tonight. Kipper wears a Matthews jersey on the show

one with a big beautiful C on it. Vegas wins, and Sammy gets out to Vegas has and hangs a Mariner jersey on Monday's show. Regardless if they lose, my excuse is just the injuries anyways. Sammy has born raised in Cape Breton but now live in New Brunswick. So congrats. Welcome to the club with me, Ken Reed, Doug McLean.

That's right. You're now an honorary maritimeer. I officially sworn you in. I'm bailing you today, but I won't. I'll drive this show right off the rails myself. Sammy, enjoy your stress smokes tonight. Kipper, I'm not mad at your murder takes. I'm just very, very disappointed.

Ben, love you still, even though you don't like my side. It's a fabulous ball. I don't own a, I don't own my bag of sat anymore. I threw it on the street. And then I don't have a market. Our budget's a little tight. If you can mail us a Marner jersey by Monday, I'm happy to put it up.

How about like a turtleneck bed or something? Hey, how much money do you think turtle neck bed? I just want to wear a turtleneck. How much money do you think Marner's got on the board tonight? Real question. Great question. A lot. I think it could be a team dinner, which could run you a 10 grand.

I was going to say, I think the high ends five or 10 grand, but it's probably five. Probably five. That's a lot. Let's go to Johnny from Parts Unknown. Johnny from Parts Unknown. Hey, Sammy, Kipper, Borny. We need some more information on what the hell happened to Craig Barouba.

Because that is not what happens in a normal gym accident. Like, was he doing four sets of six of slamming his head off the desk after that Red Wings game? Or Sammy, I saw your tweet. Was it Kipper? Could it have been Kipper? We need to confirm that. some investigative work. Also, guys, wanted to call because you've probably seen the news that Anthony Stollars is starting

tonight for the Maple Leafs against Marner and the Golden Knights. Are we sure about that? Do you remember who started the game when J.T. went back to play on Long Island for the first time? It was Garrett Sparks, and it was an absolute barn burner. Are we sure we want to play the guy in Anthony Stollars, who wasn't played in 75 days, and has barely practiced, didn't even play with the Marley's? I'm just not so sure. I think you go wool tonight.

What do you think? Thanks, guys. Love the show. You sure about that? It's a great call, Johnny. It's a really good call. I got a guy from Slapshot that, Johnny. So is he like on the treadmill well-doing weights and fell on the treadmill?

Can I just put this into context here? The man had 3,000 penalty minutes. He's fought some of the toughest guys excluding me. Yeah. Right? I'm not in that bunch. And his face never looked like that. Once.

Not even close. Not even close. Probert. Coture. Domi. Twist. Like Rob Ray. Some of the meanest, toughest guys in the history of hockey.

And today he looks like that. Until you fill in the vacuum of information on this, people are going to fill it the way they did with Jay Leno falling down a hill. Oh, yeah. Do you remember when Jay Leno's fall? face was just brutalized. And he fell down the hill. And he fell to...

Meekrider. Yeah. Like, we need answers. Somebody said he was juggling doorbells. It's done. It's not funny. Like, he could have... Like, that is...

It's funny now. It's funny now. It was very close to not being funny from the looks of that. Oh, my God. Do you think playing Stollars to Parts Unknown caller there? Maybe that... He made the decision after he hit his head. Do you think the injury happened and then the decision to start?

He forgot everything between now and November 11th. He's like, ah, he's going. Yeah, he's fine. His boy say he can go. That's actually very funny. Let's go to, I don't know, I forget all these. Let's go to Josh and Kitchener. I just have a question, like, or I just want to know what you guys feel about how we compare

the Leafs season to the Euler season specifically. It seems like whenever media is covering the. the Oilers. I don't know if they just get the benefit of the doubt because they've been to the cup final two years in a row. But, you know, when you look at it from a standings perspective, the Leafs are right, you know, like they're a point back with two games in hand. And everybody talks about the Oilers as if they're a second place team, which they are. And the Leafs are on the outside looking in, which they are. But at the end of the day, it just comes down to where they play, you know, Mickey Mouse West

or, you know, contender-driven East. And I just, I don't know, I want your thoughts on why are we giving so much praise to the Oilers and not enough love to the Leafs? Are we being too hard on the Leafs? I mean, know what you think. I think Josh nailed it on the benefit of the doubt. Leaves have the higher winning percentage than the Oilers this year. Yeah.

Oilers, they lose lots. I think they've lost a lot recently, too. If I'm not mistaken, they're on a pretty bad stretch here. And the one similar aspect, I think, just eight of their last 17. When they get critiqued is the blue line issues too, right? With. Is the defense good enough in Edmonton?

And I believe that, you know, until Morgan becomes Morgan again, the similar issues defensively. But it's crazy that, yeah, it's kind of like that. Hillers have figured out. Let me worry about them. Every time they do badly, it's not like they're bad or they're struggling. It's like, ah, they'll be all right. I really love this caller.

You don't know why. Kathy from Riverview. Love your show. Love your opinion. And sometimes I think Kipper just needs to shut up and listen to you. That's just me. Honestly, I get it. Marner's going to get booed tonight mercilessly.

I really wish the fans wouldn't do that because I think that's only going to fuel him and all the Las Vegas nights and we need these points. Kipper's going to disagree. with me. Justin might agree with me. I don't know. But he's going to get food for how he left, not that he left. If he loved the leaf so much as he said, we would have rant in today. We would have had netches today. It wasn't always about the love for him. It was about the money. Sorry, guys. That's just what I think. Have a great day. Enjoy the show. So I need to go first on Kathy. I want to move away from Kipp on this. Kathy, you're in La La Land. If you think,

think that there was a better way for Marner to leave. The guy was going to get hammered no matter what. And Kipper, who sounds like Marner's defense lawyer. And Kathy, if you think for one second that you were close to getting ranting in, you are also in La La Land. To go up to a guy with a no move and say, can you go to a place that you'd never dreamt of ever going in your life, just so we can get ranting in back

was never close. It was the biggest hope chip you'd ever play in your life. And he was never going to go to Carolina and you were never going to get ranting in. What do you think? I think there's an interesting parallel hill here between Marner and Boe leaving.

And what, like, the best case scenario for Marner and the Boe covers. Because I think if Bo had a left without having this last playoff hurrah where they go to the world series. I think there would have been a world where a lot of people would have booed. And I think apparently it was shown

on the Jumbotron at the least game and people booed, which I was surprised by. But like, Mar just one singular big playoff run where they go to the final and the whole thing's changed. It just never bounced the right way. You go ahead. Yeah, you know, the only way

that you can leave and have people not be mad is if you telegraph your plans early and say, I'm not resigning, Ella Matthew Chukh. Or you say Quinn Hughes, I'll stick around if we're winning. And, you know, those sort of things where people kind of know the deal. And I think that so in that way you're right,

Kathy, that it's how you leave, not necessarily that you leave. As far as the bow thing. Yeah. Okay. The big difference is that there's, tremendous excitement still around the Jays. And in baseball, a big star can leave.

And you're just stroking a check away from a big star coming back. Okay. And Marner leaves and everybody knows you can't stroke your check to bring new stars in. And that's part of the frustration tonight. I get that they're booing Marner tonight. but they're also booing a lot of other things including past failures

including that you never replaced them agree okay yeah they're first in the league right now they're going to take a lot of frustration out on this organization the past 10 years but they'll take it out on Marner yeah they will abu

abo be interesting emotionally charged evening at Scotia Bank Arena. Watch it nationally on Sportsnet. Do though. We go national rest. We're on a Kimbrun-Born show.