Real Kyper & Bourne - Patience in the Prairies

Episode Date: February 26, 2024

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee start the second hour with a recap of an eventful weekend in the NHL, including an unexpected result in the Battle of Alberta. They are joined by Flames' analyst Eric Francis (3:32), who weighs in on Calgary's recent hot stretch, whether it changes their deadline plans at all, the price for Tanev and their hesitancy to make a move with ex-GM Brad Treliving in Toronto. Finally, they regroup with Sam for news and notes - rookie Matt Rempe turning heads with his fists in New York, Chelios gets his jersey retired in Kane's 'showtime' return to Chicago and the Canucks reportedly taking calls on Elias Pettersson.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 here we go the national edition of the real kipper and born show nick kiprios justin born sammy mckee tons to get into around the league newsy weekend oh it's been awesome awesome we are live on sportsnet of course sportsnet 650 in vancouver and sportsnet 960 in calgary this hour of real kipper and born brought to you by bet 365 also highlighted this weekend the battle of alberta oh and i gotta tell you guys i mean it was it was fun it was fun it had that fun. It had that edge. Can I have a complaint? Go ahead. Go ahead.

Just a complaint of the jerseys. Those outdoor jerseys, they're way too busy. You have two of the most beautiful. I like the Calgary one. Oh, you're crazy. No, I like the Calgary. I don't like the gold on the Oilers. I don't know.

I'm the only person I'm aware of who likes the Oilers set up like that. It looks good. I wouldn't want it all the time. The pants look nuts. One of these things doesn't belong. I agree that it definitely stands out. The Flames whites are some of the nicest jerseys in the league. No argument.

And the Oilers blue, the aesthetics are gorgeous. So just wear your normal jersey. So anyways, go ahead with your actual hockey point. I can't believe we started this. I know. It drives me crazy. It drives me crazy. It's my fault.

You can tell young Sammy is compared to me. All right. Leafs. Sorry, Leafs. We just did that hour. Flames just beat the Jets, Oilers, and Bruins in succession as a team that are tanking? Selling? Not tanking.

I don't know. Does Lindholm automatically the trade for Vancouver Lindholm automatically make you think that they're tanking? Well, you know, Markstrom's in the news and Tanev's in the news and Tanefin's in the news.

I know. Just feels like this team that we've been waiting on getting up and they just don't. Bailing, I think for me, you have to have two or three trades that, and it does still feel, believe, yeah, it still feels like Calgary's heading towards

that as we get to the trade deadline, but it hasn't happened yet. No. So, I saturday night was just a wonderful way for a group of guys to say you know screw the world man we think we can win they are five points out of a playoff spot with a game in hand on nashville they've got minnesota and st louis uh a point up on both or on them. So, you know, they're hanging around. They're not in. They're probably not going to be in.

But boy, very impressive that this team has come together. And the cadre's been great, by the way. Every time I turn on the game, it looks really nice. It was so good Saturday night. How did it make you feel about the other team on the ice? It made me feel confused. Yeah. I'm very confused about the Oilers in general.

You know, they kind of can go either way what a league right now seriously yeah edmonton can go and have that horrific start then they can go on this heater for 17 games 16 16 looking for 17 didn't get it and then they can look like Saturday night. I don't know. They're a 6-18 win percentage team, and it felt like they have been both the best and worst team at some point this year. Okay, let's welcome in Eric Francis,

senior columnist, analyst with Sportsnet, and fresh off vacation that we couldn't even find Zoom to get him on our show a week ago. I think it was longer than a week. Two weeks ago? I don't know. How are you, Eric? If you're referring to my trip to Edmonton on the weekend,

we've got a problem. Well, was the sun out? You got a terrific tan for those of you watching on our shows. Yeah, I always forget that that's the dead giveaway that you snuck away for a week. Sorry about that. So, hey, thanks for joining us, joining our show today. And it's coming off of a fun game Saturday night.

Not sure how fun for Oiler fans, but in terms of this team and what they've been facing all year, where was your surprise meter on the effort and at times the domination of the Oilers Saturday night? Because I saw a team that came out and battled hard and flat out beat the Edmonton Oilers. Yeah, going into that game,

the Oilers had won eight of nine against the Flames and four in a row and were dominating. And basically ever since that debacle in the playoffs where they won four straight and kind of humiliated the Flames in the playoffs, it's been a one-way street in the Battle of Alberta. But the other side of the coin is where I wasn't totally shocked. I mean, it's always surprising to go in that building and win convincingly. But the other thing is the Flames had just come off of wins over, really impressive wins over Boston and over Winnipeg. Like two other, I would say, juggernauts in the National Hockey League. And that's kind of been the story of the Calgary Flames season.

They've beaten pretty much all the best teams in the National Hockey League and beaten a lot of them soundly. It's the consistency that's the problem with the Calgary Flames, and you just never know which team is going to show up. Now they've won three in a row against really good teams, and I think everyone in Calgary is just waiting for them to lose three in a row now against lesser teams. L.A. is the next up, and they're not exactly a lesser team.

But the point is this team's lost a lot of games this year to the San Jose's, the Chicago's, the teams that you have to beat to make the playoffs. Eric, is it a foregone conclusion that they're going to sell? Oh, yeah. Oh, absolutely. Doesn't matter if they just keep winning? Yeah. And I mean, I think it helps a little bit explain why they haven't made the move yet.

I think they are going to wait until the very last minute to maximize return, to get a bidding war going. I mean, they're controlling the trade market, let's be honest. And I think they've got four more games between now and the trade deadline. That means Noah Hannafin and Chris Tan have one of the best shutdown pairings. The NHL can play four more games, theoretically, for the Flames. You know, it's going to be gutting in that dressing room when those two guys are gone. It's going to be a big, big loss.

But, you know, this organization knows it needs to do it. I don't even think the fan base debates. Like, they're excited about those guys getting traded, even though they're beloved players in this market. You know, those two are gone for sure. I'm not markstrom is going to get traded um by the trade deadline i think he's a summertime deal when you can have a whole lot of other bidders and teams with more cap space and teams that realize that they lost in the playoffs because they didn't have a goalie so i those two guys are gone for sure i'm not sure if the extent will go much further than that but you can bet on the defense and i'm leaving for sure should they'm not sure if the extent will go much further than that, but you can bet on the defense and then leaving for sure.

Should they play? Should they play these four games? Isn't that a bit of a risk given the way a guy like Tanev plays? Yeah, Tanev's the concern. I mean, Hanif is not as much of a concern, but yeah, Tanev, I think he's second in the league in blocks and definitely first in the league in blocks with his face and his teeth. So yeah, it's a concern every time he goes out there.

It's a concern every time he goes down the tunnel with a bit of a bump or bruise. And every time he comes back, you just kind of exhale if you're a Flames fan. But, you know, this is a league. And I'm proud that this is a league that doesn't tolerate load management, this garbage that the NBA has where their stars sit out just because, well, just because they want to rest. And I understand the rationale in the NBA, but I'm glad the NFL or the NHL frowns on it.

And I'm glad that it's not a common practice in the NHL. So, no, I'm not in support of sitting these guys. Unless you've got a deal that really does look like it's coming down within the next 24 hours, then I'm okay with it. But otherwise, I'm not all for it. We're talking to Eric Francis, senior columnist analyst with Sportsnet. Does a terrific job covering the Calgary Flames.

Eric, is it safe to say that Tanev would have been gone already if teams would have hit Calgary's mark here? And we assume it's a first-rounder they're trying for, and no one's biting right now. Yeah, you nailed it. I mean, I do think he probably would have been gone by now because I think there are a handful of teams that are happy to cough up a second-rounder

and another, I think it's a two-part deal to get tan of i mean he's in that much in demand um i think there are a lot of teams willing to pay that second rounder but not the first rounder and i think the calgary flames are just happy to wait around waiting for someone to sweeten the pot to that first round or a second rounder and a prospect and maybe a little bit more you know there's a bidding war going on for Chris Tanev right now. There's no question about it. And with that in mind, it's smart for the Calgary Flames to just sit and wait for guys to stumble all over themselves and eventually cough up something even more.

Is that the main reason why the Leafs can't get in on Tanev? Is they have no second rounder? Or maybe still a little bitter feelings between the flames and brad tree living you know if you're the calgary flames ownership group and you have a chance to trade this guy to anybody in the league and it and and your general manager comes and says yeah you know that guy who walked out the door last year and kind of you know kind of left us high and dry to a degree, maybe we don't deal with him. Listen, I think that that might be a small part of it.

I think Conroy's scared to deal with the guy who kind of mentored him to a degree. Scared's not the word, but I think there's a real fear, guys. You guys know, if you make a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs and you end up losing that trade, and or if the Leafs go on to win the Stanley Cup, that trade is remembered forever and ever and ever, and you're forever tied to that misstep. So I think that there's a little bit of a hesitance to deal with the Leafs, but the big reason, guys, is because the Leafs don't have the assets

or they're not willing to part with the assets that the Calgary Flames are looking for. Is there anyone else, well, teams are looking at the Flames and trying to go, ooh, who would we like? Who can we get our hands on from that roster that maybe people don't see coming? Would Rasmus Anderson probably be impossible to pull off the roster?

Any other names that you could see being up for grabs? You know, this is the part of the program I hate. Like, if I throw out names, then it starts rumors that guys are out of town. You know what? I don't really see an obvious one the only guy that i could see in there because he's only got one year left in his deal is andrew manjapani but i'm not sure what the market is for andrew manjapani but there are a lot of teams that would like his feistiness and the fact that sorry my puppy just scared me.

Andrew Maggipani is the only guy I can kind of maybe see in there. But again, I don't want to start rumors and suggest, but I just, when you look at cap friendly and you see a guy who's got one year left and you know, okay, well, this is a rebuilding club and maybe he does or doesn't fit into their plans. If a team is looking for more players and make this a bigger deal, maybe he's the kind of guy you can include in it i'm not sure and i think they've also looked at very hard at trying to get

you know trade dan bladar to make room for dustin wolf but that's that's been proven to be a tough contract to move because he's making 2.2 million dollars he's a backup and he's played quite well this year but his numbers don't reflect that i don don't think Noah Hannafin's two goals and an assist hurt his chances of being traded here. But are you one of those that think it added to the pot here? And where do you think he ultimately ends up? Is it a trade and sign? Is it a rental here? Are teams undecided here still on on hannifin i can't imagine teams are undecided on

him i mean no just in terms of what they're gonna give like there's there's a different price for a rental than there is if you're gonna sign them you know what's really interesting about that question kipper is that when they traded lend, I was very surprised to hear from Craig Conroy that only one team asked to speak to Lindholm's representative to talk about the possibility of an extension. Everybody else who was bidding for Lindholm, and there were more than a handful of teams, they were all completely happy with them just being a pure rental. I can't imagine that's the case with Hannafin. And I think that's maybe part of why this is going to take right to the deadline, in my opinion, is because a lot of teams do want to talk to Hannafin and see if he sees it as a fit in the market that they're in for a long-term sign and trade for eight years or whatever the case may be. I would be very, very surprised if it wasn't a sign and trade for the full eight years and he goes to a city that he

really wants to go to and if i had to guess one place that i thought noah hannifin would end up i'd put my money on the tampa bay lightning i mean they lost surga chad and they you know he's kind of a really good replacement for a guy like surga chad they were looking for defensemen before surga chad was injured so i think hannifinfin's also a guy who's probably had a lot of conversations with Matthew Kachuk about how good it is to play hockey in the state of Florida. So I think all these things combined, that's what I think the front runner is.

The question is, do they have the assets or are they willing to find the assets to come up with a deal for a guy like Hannafin? So when you have a team that is expected to sell and I think they have been for some time, but they just keep winning. Who are the bright spots there right now? I look through that roster and I see guys like Wieger and Sharon Govich and even Ryan Huska, you know, kind of taken over from Sutter.

Where do you place the credit for, I guess, what you would call marginal success in the face of expectations? You know, the guy who's got to be right near the top of the list is now codrey i mean you know he he's playing at a point of game ever since i think game eight uh he's really taken over this you know a lot of people wondered what is this team going to do now that doesn't have a number one center after they traded lindholm and ever since then he's even stepped up his game even more and he's done it all season long. All season long, he has centered a line with rookies on either side of him. That's quite a feather in your cap.

And I think it's a bit of a – it's not a bit of a – it's a statement from Nazem Khadri that, you know, around the league, people have always seen me as a really good number two. I helped Colorado win a Stanley Cup as a really good number two. I think he sees himself as a number one center in the league, and he's proving it right now in Calgary. Blake Coleman has also been incredible this year. Jacob Markstrom is the reason they're still in the race. There are a lot of guys that have stood up.

There's an obscure stat. The Flames have nine players with 30 or more points this year. Only one team has more. I think it's Dallas. And again, we can read into that whatever we want, but it points to the depth and the fact that they've done it as a team. So those guys are spearheading this charge,

but there are a lot of unsung heroes. Connor Zari and Martin Voskos, two raw rookies that most people around the league never heard of. They're playing a major role in this too. Really fun to watch. Yeah. Yeah. Zari's fun to watch yeah yeah

zari's fun to watch and that's uh that's energy right yeah youth and energy um yeah in terms of markstrom now we still see i know how you feel about the summer but i just want to revisit it for a second because he is in the height of his career right now he's not 30 31 he's an older guy LA and I don't know how you feel about New Jersey New Jersey's how many points back I don't know it might be even too late a full seven points back out of a wild card spot but I for the life of me I don't understand why there isn't a bidding war between these two clubs to get a goalie. You nailed it. Seven points out. I just wrote a column on this on sportsnet.ca about, you know,

is it too late for Jersey to go out and get that goalie? I have no doubt that if they don't get Markstrom by the trade deadline, I have no doubt that they'll be the front't get markstrom you know by the trade deadline i i have no doubt that they'll be the front runners to resume talks in the summer to get markstrom because he's got two more two more years left on his contract and that's clearly the ingredient that the new jersey devils are missing so i think the part of the problem is i don't really think that you have a bidding war going on right now yeah there are a handful of contenders around the league that would probably love to upgrade their goaltender to a guy like Markstrom.

But is it their number one priority or do they have the assets to do it? No. So in the absence of a bidding war, I don't think you're going to get anything done. Because why would the Flames trade him for anything less than the massive asking price they're looking for? There's no rush on this one. And that's the way I've seen Markstrom all along. Would he help everybody? Sure. Is he the hottest hand in the league right now? He's one of the top three or four goalies in the league right now. I really believe that, the way he's played this year.

But it doesn't seem like many people are stepping up to try and land him. Yeah, a consistent run towards the end of the season would sure help out whatever they could do in the summer. I look at the Cap Friendly page for the Flames, and I see a lot of draft picks. They are fairly fairly well stocked they have a couple of good young players what is a realistic sort of timeline for this team to get back to a more competitive place when's the new building going to be ready ah is that the plan well i think that that stands to reason i mean they're looking to break ground right after Stampede this year in the summer. You tell me how long it takes to build anything these days.

It's always probably a year more than you think it's going to be. They're targeting three years from now. I think that's a bit of a pipe dream. But generally, in and around two or three years from now, they're hoping this team is really starting to grow with a bunch of these youngsters that you're talking about. They've already got a pretty good base of youngsters youngsters conroy's done a phenomenal job accruing more uh draft picks they're going to continue to do that over the next couple of weeks so i i don't think it's unreasonable to think that by the time this new building opens

this will be a team on a serious upswing no problem our faces like cadre and and jonathan huberto you you do you see those faces in a new building i see cadre i see who we're going yeah i do but to that point what i'll say is you know hubro's contract is pretty untradeable i think that stands to reason he's a point of game guy since christmas this year he's really turned it around like he deserves a lot of he's got he's a point of game guy again uh since christmas but that at that price tag 10.5 million dollars that's a pretty untradeable contract at this point in time and probably for the next three or four years uh i think he'll be around and i think he actually is a quite a uh an important part of their leadership group he is is a big presence in that room, and he's a really classy guy in the face of this franchise.

But Condry, the narrative early in the season was that that's an untradeable contract, too. And I beg to differ. I bet you there are a ton of teams right now that would absolutely kill to have him back there as a number two guy, including Colorado. So I don't think he's untradeable. I think he could be tradable

but they also may see him as the guy who wants to spearhead this rebuild because so far he's been phenomenal with the kids so you had a chance to watch the world's most unpredictable team the edmonton oilers on saturday night what were your impressions of what's going on there well the knock on them of late since they wrapped up that 16 game winning streak was that they don't put together more than 40 minutes in on any given night on saturday i'm not sure they put in more than 10 minutes uh so it's a situation where unpredictability is is kind of scary for them it's the inconsistency that every team goes through to some degree uh but they're now experiencing it you know of late i'm not really worried about the others even when they were in that incredible funk at the beginning

of the season hands up all those who were really really worried and thinking they weren't going to make the playoffs so i i really do feel like this is one of the teams i'll put florida in that same basket it's really all about building for the playoffs so going to two or three game losing skid right now i don't think it's anything to worry about as the playoffs. So going to two or three game losing skid right now, I don't think it's anything to worry about. As long as you feel like there are a lot of things moving in the right directions and you're staying healthy as you go into the playoffs, then I don't worry about the Oilers.

But on Saturday night, they weren't just the second best team. They were, I mean, they were, yeah, they were completely undressed by the Calgary Flames. Eric, we just spoke moments ago about a Calgary-Toronto possible trade. And if that's realistic, how about a Calgary-Edmonton trade for Tanev? There's a lot of talk that maybe they'd like to move Cody Cece back and throw Tanev up there with Darnell Nurse to give them a different look. How realistic is that?

I don't think it's very realistic. I really don't. I mean, like I said, there's bidding wars going on for Chris Tanev right now. Edmonton would be in it. They'd be crazy not to be in it. Oh, I think Edmonton's interested. There's no question about it.

He's exactly what they need. But I would say Tanev's exactly what about 10 teams that are heading into the playoffs need. So, again, all things being equal or close to being equal, you look as a management group at one another and say, are we really going to go help the Oilers and maybe give them someone who, we may not play them in the playoffs this year because we don't make the playoffs, but what if he re- resigns in Edmonton? I don't know.

It would be pretty shocking. There haven't been a lot of trades over the years between the Flames and the Oilers for good reason. I can't see him being the one guy that Conroy decides, ah, we'll just let this one slide and we'll trade with Edmonton. I remember Conroy played in the Battle of Alberta for a lot of years. His hatred for the Oilers runs pretty deep. Yeah, you can't do that. You can't do that. I just, last one is also on Tanev.

What do you think about where his career arc is in his heading? Like if a team resigns him for four years, do you feel like he's going to be able to sustain some level of play given the way he plays? Listen, when the Flames acquired this guy four or five years ago, whatever it was from the Canucks, I'd heard he was a broken player, not the player he used to be, and he won't be very good.

He'll be like a Giordano light, somebody called him. This guy's been unbelievable. I mean, he is – Rasmus Andersen said he should be the only untradeable guy on our team. He's not important to our team. I think the Flames would have signed him already if he would have agreed to a two-year extension. I think everybody's happy with that. He's 34 right now.

But I think that he's looking, and I don't blame him, he's got the cachet right now to sign a four-year deal. So how does that look in years three and four? I think there's concern or reason to be concerned given the way he plays. But I also think that if that's the price you have to pay to get a warrior like that and help you for a run now and or help you down the road to mentor young players. And I think a lot of teams would be willing to pay. People will pay. He will sign a four year deal this summer. And I don't think they were going to regret it much at all.

And it's going to put a lot more bank in his pocket i could tell you that he's not one of those guys that uh you know you think you're going to steal at two and a half or three million dollars at the end of his career this guy's going to command a pretty big buck this summer i uh i can't speak highly enough about this guy on and off the ice. Players absolutely love him. And again, I think there could have been a very good argument to keep him in Calgary if he would have stayed for two years. Because even if you're completely rebuilding and you know you're not going near the playoffs anytime soon, there's no better guy in that room to teach youngsters

in terms of what it takes to win in the National Hockey League and what it takes to be a professional. So somebody's going to land a guy who's going to make a major impact in their room right away and for many years. Eric, great stuff, man. Really appreciate your time. And we're going to be leaning right back on you

as we head towards the trade deadline, especially with the Calgary Flames playing front and center in the next 10 days or so. Thanks for doing this, pal. You guys touch base anytime and just a heads up, we're in Florida during the trade deadline and that's not a holiday. It doesn't count as a holiday. Nice.

It's a work trip. Got it. If it makes you feel better, I've got a small puppy up here named Sammy who scares me as well. He's not small. He's like, you know, there he is. Oh, look at the little

burner. Oh, what a beaut. Turner the burner. Love it. All right, pal. Thanks for doing this. What's your dog's name? Turner. Turner the burner. Oh, I love it. Okay. I didn't catch that. Turner the Burner.

Cheers, boys. Just to touch on Tanev. The one thing that teams want as much as anything on the ice is his presence in the dressing room. That is at a absolute premium. And you're

paying for it. How is no one paid a first for this? Am I out of my mind? I'm listening to this going, no one wants to give him a first. The Leafs first is like 25th or something. That's what they're waiting for. In a bad draft. They're waiting. They're waiting. I think if Brad Treliving throws him a first,

they get him. What's that? If Brad Treliving throws him a first right now, I think he gets him. Because you don't risk losing a first. The reputation on Tree Living coming to Toronto, when you asked a lot of people in Calgary, was that in on everything, but never really happened.

Like a lot of like you hear, because he talks to everyone. He's a well-liked guy in a lot of conversations. You know, didn't pull the trigger a ton. If you find out as a Leaf fan that Tanev goes to pick your team, it's going to be a competitor for a pick that's around in the 20s and your team didn't do it because you were waiting for what? To talk him into a second you don't have? What could they, you know what I mean?

Like I think it would be a frustrating moment for them and something they wouldn't forget quickly i think it's just i think the age well that's a different thing if they don't think that he's going to be a good player for the next few years that's fine i can live with that assessment but not we didn't want to spend a late first. I'm with you. I don't think there's a team out there that need him more than the Toronto Maple Leafs. Yeah, like I did the Leafs playoff lineup in an article last week, and I just put him in there to see the difference of what it does

to everyone's spot, like where it puts guys. And it just slots the minute left. They don't have a guy that you want to get over the boards to you know throw his face in front of a puck it was tj brody give me 10 of every time no no true shutdown guy no true shut my caves come on a little bit but love 10 of would change it but you change it for 10 other teams that's the amount amount. Why is there supply demand? There's no supply. There's some demand. There's few times at the trade deadline

when there is a guy out there that is just like legitimately perfect for your squad. Can I say a scary thing about that? Yes. Nick Foligno was that. He was a perfect fit for what they did. They didn't have leadership. You know, grindy, could finish.

You play that out 10 times. It plays better the other plays better there's no way it goes worse than it did yeah and i know i mentioned this briefly too but there's also the component that that he's gonna command probably around five million dollars a year on a maybe you're getting a cut this number years going, no. It's always at five. Five? Yeah. I don't want five. I know. I know. There's some teams that would not like that.

So now giving up, whether it's the Leafs or anyone else, are you going to give up a first-round pick for a mid-30-year-old defenseman? All you're saying is that I prefer to have Chris Tana than TJ Brody. That's the statement you're making, which Brad Treeliving has made before. Yeah. Very possible. Game time? Game time.

Game time. All right. It's game time. Presented by Bet365. Visit the app, the latest odds, and find out why it's never ordinary at Bet365. Must be 19+. Ontario only.

Please play responsibly. So four on the ice tonight as i'm pulling them up here but a particularly good one uh la and edmonton tonight edmonton's been you know a little inconsistent here of late kings have been coming on this is always a good game when these two teams play plus 130 for the la kings if you think they got a shot heading into edmonton edmonton's probably pretty hungry after um after getting embarrassed by the flames on their home ice you could sell me on both sides of this but i think i would like the oilers at minus 155 in this matchup you like the oilers i do i like the kings did you see the mcdavid clip about the goal? Yeah. He's not. He's done shooting.

See how many assists he can get this year? Yeah. I think he had nine straight games without a goal, and he says he's just going to try to get assists now, which is very funny. He had good. It was very light, and I enjoy that he seems more comfortable this year.

This guy's going full Vince Carter. Stop dunking. Stop dunking. Stop scoring. He's just going to stop scoring. Is that what Carter did? Oh, yeah. You don't remember that?

I don't remember that. This is part of the reason he so heavily booed. He just like. People. He's just going to stop his story. Is that what Carter did? Oh, yeah. You don't remember that? I don't remember that. This is part of the reason he so heavily booed. He just like... People... He tapped out. Okay. Not to get on Raptors' side here, but when people... Are people forgetting that he dumped on the city?

People are way too... Like, I went to a Raptors game, and there's people out front being like, retired 15, retired 15. She came up to me. I'm like, are you kidding me? Are me are you kidding me like you're too young that's what it is it's like a whole generation of people that see the numbers see the slam dunk comp and like but to her point this hurt will pass and what he did was real not to people who were like between 12 and 20 during that time never forget never forget i can't stand vince carter

if they retire his number i'm done being an after fan okay uh and the other matchup that i'm looking at tonight barney you're poor islanders not looking so hot no heading into dallas and i gotta tell you i like the dallas by minus goal and a half I think they're getting I think they're getting dropped if the Isles get dropped in Dallas tonight it's going to change the path of the season and they're going to be sellers here they should probably now but

I do get back on McDavid for a little bit here it's 9 games he hasn't scored? I think so. He's got like 21 assists. So I think you're going to have a different look of him tonight. You think he'll have a better goal?

Yeah. I think his top priority is to push it over the goal line today. Since the All-Star break, he has one goal in 12 games. Yeah, if you want an anytime conor mcdavid goal it is plus 105 tonight so there you go a little bit of plus money and the last thing i'll bring up here i'm just looking at these lines the ottawa senators are a minus 140 favorite against the washington capitals don't love the sentence at a minus 140 no favorite over anyone but they've been hot they could capital stink they could win but it's a big number

yeah you're looking at this mcdavid game log here's his assist six three one two two two two six yeah he's a dishing magician oh yeah anything on uh islanders in dallas is is this the game that makes the islanders complete sellers after tonight? Yeah. Yeah, it is. They're deep in the pit, my friend. They are currently nine points out of a playoff spot. Now, granted, they have a few games at hand on the team that holds that spot down.

Actually, three. It's Tampa Bay, but it's a big climb from here with only 25 games left. You lose a couple more. She gone. She gone. That was Game Time time presented by bet365 visit the app latest thought to find out why it's never ordinary bet365 must be 19 plus ontario only please play responsibly okay we're gonna take a quick break because when we come back we got so much in the news and notes around the nhl uh rempe matthew rempe is taking remember the name the league by storm could you say he's storm did you say he's on a rem page with his hands we got sid crosby getting emotional we got

we got chelly's retirement with cindy crawford nailing a hundred foot shot did. Did you see that? I love this. Kane doesn't get a mention, but Cindy Crawford did. That's a promo right there. The Canucks taking calls on Pedersen. Oh, good Lord. What'd you say? Is that? I don't know. That's Elliot. Didn't Elliot mention something Saturday night? Many more times. Wow!

Have we got a ton to still get into. Don't go away. Everything Raptors before and after the games. The Raptor Show with Will Liu. Subscribe and download the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Nick Kiprios, Justin Bourne, Sammy McKee. All right, we were mentioning before the break,

not since Hamilton have we seen a Broadway hit like Matt Rempe. That's really good, Kip. Yeah. You practice that one in the mirror? That's a really good line. I like that. Don't try this at home. I'm a professional.

Wow. But hey, straight up, this guy has people's attention. I mean, we played his clip, Matt Martin, giving him the fight night one. Night two of his career, he goes out and destroys. Yeah. We'll give it some background for a lot of people that maybe just didn't watch on the weekend the new york rangers have a young player in their lineup matt rempe who was like a seventh round pick he's 21 years of age

basically just got called up he's played four career games he is 6 8 240 he's 6 foot 8 240 and throws with both hands and feet and nunchucks he's 32 pims in five games he game two he destroys bastion tries to fight siegenthaler after fighting martin game three he fights nick delorier game four he fights olivier the heaviest of heavies in the nhl and the and the the big attention was the fight with nick delorier saturday afternoon which ran viral beyond belief this was something that you you you could google uh over the course of the history of fights in the NHL and it could easily match with a lot of them.

Oh, buddy. And we're talking haymakers beyond... Slugfest. Belief. Slugfest. You know, there were, and we'll get into this,

but like he wears a few and DeLore wears a few and neither of them are fazed by the punches that they are receiving. Well, and they just kept and part of that that viral was people saying. Could this be the best fight like in a decade? Yeah, right.

Definitely a contender. Yet yet. He comes off Saturday against the Flyers, faces Columbus. In a back-to-back. In a back-to-back. 24 hours later, he takes on another tough guy in Matthew Olivier from Columbus. And this one, he probably didn't fare as well. No.

Took a few more, which have a lot of people also saying, okay, someone's got to pull the reins in on this kid. Yeah, you can't just go fight 82 times here, which seems to be the plan. You know, too quick. Olivier filled him in. Yeah, he had a bad grab on Olivier. No, it was just, it did not go well. He was inside.

Two thoughts on this. One is that we used to say with like hockey fighting and all the dangers, you know, players didn't know what they were getting into, right? And like concussions were a thing and it was a big worry at the time, whatever. People know now. This is a grown, 21-year-old guy is making a choice. This is what he wants to do.

So I'm done with that conversation because we know now. You can't claim you're unaware of the risks you've accepted he chooses to do this the next thing is that it is really really bad for you to get hit in the head this often and the rangers want this guy in the lineup they can't let him do this kip uh i i totally agree with you just in terms of too much too soon and let's not get this kid hurt and let's not have a scenario where he he didn't have a chance to kind of bring this guy along he just threw him to the wolves as a and you don't want him you don't want him getting hurt i can't believe for one second that he wasn't feeling any effects from his Saturday fight to go do it again Sunday.

So I'm not sure where the Rangers were in on that conversation of, there's another tough guy over there, Olivier. We don't need you to do that. Go fight him. Don't go fight him. Where were the veterans around him to say hey listen you know again in my era if i ever felt like i needed to fight and i wasn't feeling great from another fight 24 hours later there'd be three or four of my teammates to go okay you're you're

not you tonight i've got this one you don't have to feel like you need to do this. And we've got your back. That's not the case, as we know, for most lineups now. That there is only one guy on each team. If, in fact, you do have one named Ryan Reeves or Rempe now. Well, the problem is it does feel a little bit of the sideshow to it where, like, like you know he is burst onto the scene and if you're olivier both him and deloria talked to him in warm-ups there's videos of both of them stretching beside the red line saying hey and so it's almost like this kid's

running the gauntlet like everyone there's a new kid on the scene that he he wants to check all these guys off yeah i fought him him and him and they all want to say hey you know this is the way it these tough guys did come in though right they came in like that like that yeah and they had their checklist and they knew it and they would talk to guys uh craig barubi i came up with him in in hershey together and I would watch him size up their tough guy or, you know, made it crystal clear, don't F around tonight or I'm all over you. So this guy is as old school as I've ever seen to come in and want to make a presence like this. I don't think we've seen in 20 years a guy have a presence,

a physical presence like this. And he scored. He had one go in off his toe cap or knee or whatever. But the Rangers and some of his teammates have to also kind of pull the reins in a little bit and say, we don't want you to get hurt, and we don't want you to suffer concussions. And, you know, for me, he did so much Saturday night to get people's attention to form a reputation already. You don't need that second fight against Columbus.

You didn't need it. But he wanted it. He wanted it. Yeah. And they play Columbus again Wednesday. Which, how much pressure now will he feel to go with a revenge fight? And then leave Saturday, Reeves. Now he comes in.

And then what? And then the Panthers. Saturday night, Canadian kid comes in on hockey night in Canada. You're telling me now he. I think he's from Calgary, yeah. Yeah, he's from Alberta. So now he's hockey night in Canada. You're telling me now he's Canadian? I think he's from Calgary, yeah. Yeah, he's from Alberta. So now he's hockey night in Canada? Yeah. Listen, Reeves, he's fighting.

Bring him in. Better get ready. No kidding. Reeves hasn't fought in a while. Make no mistake. He's hit every one he fought. Olivier was bleeding at the end of the fight he lost. Same with DeLore.

His forehead was. Let me tell you something. This is a 21 year old going against 27 and 33. He's fighting Deloria. He's been around for 12 years. And he's 33. More than anyone in the NHL over the last five years. Deloria.

This Rampy's like Clifford the Big Red Dog, okay? He's just a big puppy. It reminds me of Chara. Because, you know, Chara, when he came in for the Islanders, was just like, I mean, he was Gumby. And then eventually he figured himself out and started fighting. If this guy just can not get himself hurt between now and maybe a year and a half, two years,

he's going to get free reign anywhere he goes on the ice. And he can play a bit too. He scored a couple of levels. Can skate. Like work on getting a puck out off the wall, getting it in deep, getting a good forecheck going. You start developing that with the fact that you love doing this. I can't believe for one second someone would have three fights

in four games and not absolutely love it. That's the challenge. Kip, I don't even know what the concept of loving fighting is. Oh, no. There are some guys that just live for it. Ty Domi lived for confrontation. I remember asking you if you miss fighting you. You were like, yes. He would pull guys out of cars

in Windsor in junior and would be like, look at the rest of his guys and go, is this the toughest you got right now? Really? Really? That's it, you guys? That's all you brought on a Friday night in Windsor?

This guy? Good Lord. Loves it. Yeah. Okay. Well, hey, he does seem to... I'm curious to know if they're not going to put an arm around him and go, we want you to be a Ranger for the next eight years.

Yes. That arm has to come around. Yeah. Hope he fights on Saturday, though. Do you want to see him fight Reeve? It is quite remarkable though like the the ripple effect that it it has around like it's it's not a it's not a skilled goal it's not a michigan it's not an anything and then this thing has the ability to go

as viral as anything else out there. The NHL does not want to lose this. There's still a demand for this. And the one game he didn't fight, he left the guy sitting on the ground like an external war movie. Oh, yeah. Where am I? And he's grabbing Segan. He's a...

What a first impression. Lots of human. Where do you want to go? Sid Crosby, he's. He's in. What a first impression. Lots of human. Where do you want to go? Sid Crosby, he's doing everything he can. I cannot believe. Is that as big as Chelios and Kane? No. Okay, let's go Chelios.

I'm worried about time. All right, right. Chelios. Okay, Chelios. Retired last night. It was star-studded having his jersey. Retired in Chicago. He probably never thought that would happen since he left and joined forces with the Detroit Red Wings.

Kind of ironic that it's up against Patrick Kane. Coming back. Let's have a listen to Chelios yesterday. While we're on the subject of great ones from that era, I got to include him. This guy will go down as the greatest American-born player. Kaner, Patrick Kane, unbelievable.

And don't worry, it'll work out in the end. You'll be standing here, same as me. But just be careful, don't go stealing my thunder today, okay? I got money on the board to shut you down. He lost that money. I love that he said he has money on the board to shut you down he lost that money first of all i love that he said he has money on the board that's all because i bet he did yes uh he also said and

another quote that getting traded to chicago was the best day of his life that you know he showed out the halves but said it was the best day of his life getting traded chicago and all that stuff but i mean kane ot winner back in chicago he broke marazic on that breakaway and it was a long a long breakaway let the anticipation ever got to see it was kane like everyone was involved in that shoots it under the bar and screams showtime at the crowd that's as good as it gets i mean that's out of a movie it really is i will say though though, that. Conor Bedard probably should have got off the ice when he broke his stick. Yeah.

Well, hey, also, I will say Kane's decision. Only you. Minute and a half. He's out there. Kid, kid, get off the ice. Kid. The play and whistle out there in a three on three. The play Kane makes to go on the breakaway is a terrible play. A terrible play.

Chicago's on a three-on-two. Yes. And he's like, I'm not going to get there. He turns back. And he was going to leave his team to play three-on-two on the off chance they got it next, and they got it next. All three of those guys were almost touching the goal line. So all it took was just one little guy just

batted it out and he's gone yeah he slowed it down like a shootout and yeah man peter morazic yeah and his fun moment bite my moment first so when i first been awesome yeah he's over really good when i first broke in the league i thought i was going to make a name for myself and challenge chelly to a fight. Really? Oh, yeah. Yeah. And I started working him over behind the net. He's like, what are you doing?

What are you doing? Greeks. I'm Greek. He goes, hey. And then he says to me on the ice, and my dad loves you. And I'm like, really? And I'm like, okay. He didn't fight you?

No, didn't fight. Win him over with a little soft praise i can't no you're fight a guy whose dad loves me and is greek no no that's the right choice so yeah yeah it's just like don't you know about the fraternity that's right there's not many of us in this league let's stick together chelio's had an absurd career for how long he played. But maybe the greatest contribution he gave to hockey was the mic'd up in the UHL clip. I don't know if you've ever seen that. No.

But it was during the lockout. He went down and played for like in the IHL. Dude, he played until he was 47. But like during the lockout, he went down there. Oh, the UHL. He played for the Motor City Mechanics. You've never seen this video? Maybe.

And there's like a just dusty guy in the UHL that's just chirping him, telling him he's hitting the tanning bed. Oh, my God. I can't believe you've never seen this video. I think I have. It's one of the best all time. Didn't Babcock bench him? Yes.

In the outdoor game? And he may or may not have had a. No, he did. He had a beer. I think he had his kid bring him a few beers. Might as well enjoy it with the people in the stands. What's the... Does he say like a devastating line or something?

I'm not going to try. A lot of swearing. It's just very funny. But he makes fun of him for being down there. 266 playoff games for Chelios. 1,600 regular season. Elliot Friedman on uh saturday night mentioned uh petterson and he said he's definitely traded he asked for trade elliot said i'm making

that up i'm kidding i'm kidding are people panicking people are panicking because he said they're listening to calls but they have an rfa who hasn't signed so of course people are calling and they're listening to those calls not much there um i haven't what don't tell our vancouver the fact that we saved this to buy 53 our vancouver listeners are panicking about this but and they're not trading until he's signed get used to it because fans went through with willie kneelander and but that report never came out about willie kneelander that they were taking calls on him during the regular season when they were playing well it's a different listen what's

your interpretation of taking calls and not hanging up yeah but they're listening he's the best player of your course you're gonna listen you can't tell me that the Leafs didn't take any calls on Willie Nylander either but the reports they did, but the reports weren't out. I'm just saying, my Vancouver brethren, who I love so much, I know how you're panicking. I feel you. I appreciate your passion. I think there's nothing to be worried about right now.

I do. Well, listen, the good news, it's only Monday, and we've got the rest of the week to revisit all of this, including Sid Crosby,

who continues to carry an organization on his back. Shout out, Sid. Much love. What a career. The golden three assists. What, are you retiring him already? Crosby, who continues to carry an organization on his back. Shout out, Sid. Much love. What a career. Gold three assists. What, are you retiring him already? Well, he seems to be retiring himself. He had tears the other night. He was talking to Tony Granato. Showed a good side of him.

Touching side. Let's see if it was played tomorrow. Okay. Enjoy your games tonight. We're back tomorrow. Real Kipper and Bourne. Real Kipper and Bourne.