Real Kyper & Bourne - Rick Bowness' Coaching Itch + Hughes' Golden Goal Puck with Jason York

Episode Date: March 18, 2026

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee begin the second hour discussing Jack Hughes' request for the golden goal hockey puck from the Hockey Hall of Fame and the Hall's response, the potential for Leon Draisaitl to avoid surgery and be good-to-go for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Gary Bettman doubling down on his league's seeding format, and Russia's status for the World Cup. Then, Columbus Blue Jackets' head coach Rick Bowness stops by (18:30) to chat about his return to coaching, his Blue Jackets' success, and adjusting to a new team during a hockey season. Afterwards, Sportsnet hockey analyst and co-host of the Coming In Hot Sens Podcast, Jason York, joins the guys (29:03) to talk about why Hughes' puck belongs in the Hall, the Ottawa Senators chasing for a playoff spot, who's attributed to their run, and the difference between the Buffalo Sabres' turnaround since firing GM Kevyn Adams vs. Jackets changing head coaches.  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.

It's that time of the show where we go national on the Real Kipperman Bourne show, live on Sportsnet. Sportsnet, 6.50 in Vancouver, 960 in Calgary streaming, always on SportsNet Plus. If you can't catch us live, there is the convenience of Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. Yeah. Where we are also live and in color. Everyone enjoying the chat and give us a thumbs up if you get a chance. This hour of Real Kippenborn brought to you by Bet Three. 365 in a few minutes.

We'll welcome in head coach, current head coach. Can you believe I'm saying that? Rick Bonas back in the National Hockey League and a very successful, might I add. All he does is win, win, win, win. Jason York also will join us in about 30 minutes. Co-host of coming in Hot the Sends podcast

and they are certainly knocking on the door as well. Lead us in, Sammy. Did you guys want to? talk Jack Hughes puck talk I mean I barely do but I do I think we should we barely do are you aware Kip of the story I am aware of the story uh jack's looking for his puck yes that scored the game winning goal he says it's BS that it's in the hall of fame why should they have it he wants to give it to his dad um and today Greg Wyshinsky did some reporting on this and he uh talked to the hockey Hall of Fame.

Yeah. And they basically said, I mean, there's never Jack's puck to give to anyone, right? This is there. Well, hold on a second. Let me finish. Go, go, go. The IOC and the International Hockey Federation work in part with the Hall of Fame through all these events and have so since 1998.

All of the stuff from all these events goes to them. That has been, it's signed over, whatever. Okay. Now, for me, I have never assumed that a game I'm playing in that I own the puck. Or that the 20 of us do in the game or 40 of us. doing the game or whatever. So to me, it's not much of conversation, but you feel differently.

Oh, buddy, listen. You score your first NHL goal. You score your 40th goal. You skate to the net. You pick it up. I've never seen at any point a player pick up a puck

and the official or a league official come down and say, oh, that's not your puck. Right, but you see the difference here. Yeah, you know the difference I see? is that in my day, the puck was just a puck. And today,

a puck may be worth half a million bucks. Yeah. Or a million bucks. Right. That's all that's changed here is that the perception out there is that that thing is worth a boatload of money. Well, that thing...

Oh, so you're coming out from a money perspective. Yeah. That thing is... What else is there? Well, that in this game, which is in tandem with the Hockey Hall of Fame and the IHF, it's their puck.

It's not his puck. It's always been their puck. I've never paid for a puck in my life. And I play pro hockey and I don't think Jack Hughes has ever paid for a puck. But there's always, the precedent was that if you scored a goal, you could skate to the net

and pick it up if you wanted to. That's a courtesy in an NHL game, not an international hockey game. Sydney Crosby's puck is in the Hockey Hall of Fame and has been since 2000, whatever it was, 12. 10. 10, sure. I'm not saying when the switch happened, okay?

But I'm just saying, I'm telling you that it's been customary that a player gets to keep a puck, that he shot it in the net for whatever milestone that he wanted, right? In the NHL, yes. But now, whether it's a baseball in game seven, and how many guys sold the ball at the Blue J game this year for 60,000, 80,000? Like, there's big money now.

Well, that's why Jack wants the puck. Of course it is. Yeah, my dad can keep it. Yeah. Until we bury him six feet under. Yeah, I'm sure all of his son's making $100 million combined. He can't. It's like he needs to buck.

It's still the point, Sam. I don't care whether he needs the money or not. Stop that. It should be in the Hockey Hall of Fame. I'm telling you that these things now are huge money. It's a big business. It's just me first. That's what it is.

It is. is. That's separate. It's separate. It's not. That's entirely what this is. It's me first. It's why are you thinking about that?

It's in a place right now, a very democratic place where anyone can go and see it for, because it's a relevant goal in the history of hockey. I'm not debating that he's, you know, thinking of himself or it's, but I'm just telling you that it just didn't happen before because we just didn't hear of these things. and any memorabilia now is worth a ton of money. So if there's value in it, all Jack is saying is it's my value. And whether I want to give it to my dad,

I want to bury it in my backyard, or I want to sell it, we've had 40 or 50 years where the precedent was set. When did it change? 1998. And it's not his puck. He's saying it's my puck. It's not his puck.

If anyone gets the puck, it's hell of buck. We're talking about it. There is documentation process and handing over and they have the paperwork. Today it was. Yes. But not years ago. There was no documentation.

I'll give you a, listen, you know where my game seven Stanley Cup jersey is? It's in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Yeah. They came and got it. They asked for it. Yeah. And you gave it to them. Now the part I'll never admit is they probably asked about six other guys and they all said no.

And then they came to me and they said, you know, would you like, would you like? A huge honor for you? Would you like it? But he, 100% because I told them that they can take it. Yeah. Okay. But my interpretation today in 2026 is I'm still the owner of that jersey. Yes. And I've given them permission to use it.

Yep. And if I want it back. And I believe that to be true. And if I want it back, I can go and get it. Totally. I believe that to be true. But you haven't signed a. No, there's paperwork for the puck, Kip.

But according to you, that maybe the Rangers are saying, I paid for the jersey, it's mine. No, I'm not saying that. You gave it to them. You donated it, whatever it is you did. There's paperwork from the Olympic Games. Megan Keller's puck, all these pucks. Sidney Crosby.

I was just about to read it. Yeah. Go ahead. He was asked about his puck. I didn't even think about it that way, to be honest with you. I was just happy I scored that goal. I was happy the puck was going to the Hockey Hall of Fame. I'd even think about it that way.

You know, it's a different mindset. And I felt the exact same way with my jersey. Yeah. Yeah. So what I'm saying here is, like, it's a team sport. Like, you think they're even without Jack Hughes, whatever, they still could win that game. Without Conner Hellbuck, there's no chance of winning that game.

Without all these guys that put it together. And for him to go to Wish and be like, I want my puck. It's just so childish. It's not childish because everybody, prior. There was an unwritten rule that if you shoot a puck in the net, you get to keep it. Okay?

Yeah. Everybody scores their first NHL goal. Where does that puck go, Sam? Goes to their... But we're arguing two different things here. Yeah. We're arguing two different things. That's the NHL.

And I think you would have the choice at that point if you wanted to donate it as you did your jersey. If you want the puck so, Ben, Bay, go grab it. And Phil Pritcher did an interview today too with Wish, he represents the Hall of Fame where he said it was never his puck to give. If it didn't have the value that it has today, that Jack would be proud to have it there.

They'd probably give it to him. Oh, no, I mean, I don't know about that. I just Jack would be proud to have it there if it didn't have the value that it has today. I even saw someone saying, put it in the U.S. Hall of Fame. It's not in the Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame. It's in the International Hockey Hall of Fame that happens to be in Canada.

I'm okay if tomorrow, you know, the owner said, hey, I paid for the equipment, I paid for the jerseys, I paid for the sticks. You can't even give them away. Don't give them away. Totally. Like I paid for them. I own them.

Well, that's, that is kind of a presumption because, you know, the idea that someone could shoot it in the net in the NHL and it becomes their puck. By what process? You know, like you didn't buy the puck. It's not your puck. Well, why did he get to keep it five years ago or 10 years ago? Well, I understand that that's because it's been a courtesy

that they've done in the National Hockey League. Again, I want you to make, know that these are separate things. The Olympics and the national hockey league. Really? Well, I mean. According to the paperwork, I get it. I get it now. Yes.

All right? Yeah. But I know what you're saying that typically we have given these puck to be, the puck's to pee. We're not sure where Paul Henderson's puck is, I would believe. I would imagine. It's not at the hockey hockey office. Worth a couple of bucks out there somewhere you would think?

I don't know. There was a, I don't know if there, uh, if the story goes. that one of the players picked it up when nobody was looking. Oh, really? For the record, I would support the Olympic, or the Hockey Hall of Fame being like,

we don't want controversy and we don't want stuff that players don't want us to have. I would be fine with the Hall of Fame team, but I also would have appreciated it, like, if you cared this much about it. Approaching it professionally. Maybe getting your agent to call the Hockey Hall of Fame

or going, like, as opposed to going to a writer and saying this is. Yeah, I agree with that. Like, come on. Go behind the scene. and just try to get a fair answer without dragging it through the media. But everything goes through the media now. I don't love the Hall of Fame having something that a player doesn't want them to have.

Everything goes through the media. I'm okay. I'm okay with telling me that he doesn't own it and there's new paperwork. But I'm just a traditionalist at heart. And I know when usually when a guy shoots it in the net, you know. I am far. courtesy is that he gets to actually keep the puck if he if it's something important to him. I am far more up in arms, I guess, about the way Hughes has been entitled about it.

Then I am the actual concept of, hey, let's just give it to the guy. You know, I'm bothered by calling it BS, like the Hall of Fame stole it when there was a process that there has been for 20 years. It was filled out. It was done the way it's always been just like Sid's puck was. and then being the guy who's like a baby about it. You can have the puck. I would prefer it to not be in the country. They should actually keep the display up

and have no puck there. Give it to Hughes. Have a caption of where the puck went. They should melt it down and turn into a doorstop for all I'm. I'm going to get rid of the guy. Oh, sorry. It fell into the woodshipper. Throw it in the Lake Ontario.

Down there with Babe Ruth's first home run ball. That he hit at Maple Leaf Stadium. Is that real? Yeah. I can't find my honest. Oh, no. Well, to be fair, I bumped him last time. You bumped him last time.

Maybe he's bumping me. I don't know. Can't find him. He took your number like an old hockey game. I'll get you back the next time we see each other. Sorry, please. He's 16, 2, and 4. Chances are we're going to see him on Jimmy Fallon before we see him on our show with 16, 2, and 4.

The good news is we have lots of other content and a whole backhand. half of headlines planned that we were going to have room for. So, I'll ask you what I was going to ask, Rick. Do you see Columbus getting in? Uh, are we getting Rick or not? If, if we're not, I don't,

I don't, you know, it's tough. It's tough sledding, right? Like the Bruins look really good. The Red Wings, it's just tough ahead of them. Are they going to be 16, 2, and 3 for their next? it's a tough stretch, Kip. It's tough to see them who they're going to take out. There is clearly good energy.

We talked about this a little bit on our first hour, but undeniably, the energy just changed overnight. And you just wonder if teams now are sitting there, you know, maybe even Toronto or New Jersey or somebody else going, did we, did we miss something here? Buffalo. It's the chance to make a coaching change. Buffalo prime example again.

This time it was a general manager. Yeah, it is fascinating because for Columbus there now, two points behind the Islanders and the Penguins. They have games in hand on the Islanders. Like, it's a tight race. So certainly not impossible now for them to pull it off. I said this yesterday and I stand by this. must be terrified of seeing Boston and Detroit falling out for Columbus and Ottawa.

Market-wise, radio-wise scenario for them. But, boy, are they good stories? The sends continue to scrap it out. Unfortunately, everyone ahead of them just keeps winning. Did you want to hear Stan Bowman talk about Leon Drysidal and his timeline? Yeah, and then I want to do Batman too. Okay. We'll start with the Drysidal thing.

Let's play Stan Bowman clip on Drysidal. No, when we say end a regular season, that's the timeline. It's not like a fabricated timeline. I mean, he's got to go through the process of recovery, but if everything goes as scheduled, he should be back right at the end of the season. Is it just the fight that rehab should take care of things? Yeah, he doesn't need any surgery, yeah.

Was that taking during happy hour and St. Patty's Day in the pub? No, no, it was at the general manager's meeting in a loud room. MCL typically, and this is four to six weeks. Same as Sid? that's same as Sid. Sid is four weeks to the day today and playing tonight. Yeah. So four weeks?

And you got to make sure that like a high ankle sprain. You just don't want anything lingering. You don't want to be out there trying to protect it when it's not quite ready. But I think Sid should feel pretty comfortable with four weeks. Yeah. That's good. Good to get him back because the penguin story. Yeah, that'd be a team for a.

Columbus to catch if Sid were out for too much longer. Yeah. And we had mentioned that Columbus has one of the tougher schedules as well. Columbus, yeah, looking at their schedule, they only play five teams in their last 15 games who are not in a playoff spot. So 10 teams that are in playoff spots down the stretch. But Rangers, Seattle, Islanders, Philly coming up, they can get a few points over the next little stretch. Okay, the general manager meetings, they concluded today?

I think so. say goodbye? Did they sign your books? Did Ellie get his yearbook signed by Gary and Bill Daly? So Gary talked today. Are you more interested in Russia or the playoff format? Let's do playoff format. So he is very proud of the playoff format,

saying that he likes it because it gives them the best first round. And he says you get more games rather than if you played one V8 and you had more upsets. or not upsets, but more lopsided series, which to me is what you want, because it rewards teams for a great regular season. The good teams go deeper. You get your longer series there, but Gary likes it.

And so it's not going anywhere. How long has it been now that everybody says that the first round is the most exciting out of everything that happens in the playoffs? That's his whole point, is they don't want to give that up. But yeah, 20 years. But wouldn't you want the more exciting ones

to be a little further down? on the line closer to the final? To me, it's like in an athletic competition, do you not want to reward the better teams who had great regular seasons? But he clearly, I think you have more eyeballs around the league in the first round than in the cup final.

More fan bases are in it. It's going to, it's going to take the owners to change this. Well, and who is it in Minnesota there? It's a very established owner. Craig. Craig Leopold. That's right.

Like, I'm sure he's got some cachet to be. like this sucks. Dallas. Dallas finds a scenario where they get, right? Yeah. Do we want, I think Rick may be with us. Sure. Do we have, do we have Rick? Oh, he's going to call him back. Okay. All right. We'll do it. Yeah. And very quick, so we don't want to hear the Batman clip on Russia and Ukraine. No one wants to get into politics. Well, I mean, no. I'm interested in your, your thoughts on that. Okay. Yeah. We'll save it for. Yeah, we'll save it. We'll save it. So while we're waiting, I'll just give the background. Yeah, go ahead.

Is that fine? So, Betman essentially said that Russia will not be back in the World Cup, will not be a part of it unless the war with Ukraine is over. Bill Daly said that. Bill Daly said that. He said that to angles. Okay. So you said upstairs when I brought that up to you, like they're not,

if it happens in 2027, the war ends, do you think they're suddenly going to then reinstate Russia, immediately. I don't know. What's the cut off? 24 hours? Yeah. All right.

How long after the war do we forget what just happened? Yeah. Could they stop the war, play, and then start it up again? Totally do that. Call it off for a couple weeks. But like, I mean, it really, it's really a shame because we know what Russia historically has meant to international hockey. and so many of their players participating every game still.

You know, it's just, it's sad at the end of the day. The whole thing is just really sad. All right, on a happier note, it's bring in Rick Bonas, who purposely didn't come on right away to get back at our Sammy for bumping them, I think, two weeks ago. Revenge.

I like it. Rick, bonus. How are you, Rick? No. I'm doing great. Not revenge at all. I'm sorry. I'm sitting here doing video,

and I completely lost track of time. So that's on me. My apologies. Buddy, you're 16, 2, and 4 since you got there. I think you've bumped a lot of people for video. I've got a great staff here, and they do an awful lot of work for me. So we're just trying to put something together for the guys for tomorrow,

so we can stay on top of things and try to keep this thing going forward. So, Rick, before we get, Justin, get in here soon, but just we were talking, you know, today about the jolt. And whether it's a coach, a general manager, we've had some examples, recent examples, your hockey club, Buffalo. You can go back even a few years ago with Edmonton making a coaching change. Like, what is it? It just can't be you. Could be. I agree with you.

It can't be mean. So what is it? What is it, Rick? How does this happen? Well, I can't explain anything other than what. Coming in here and I've taken over a few teams. And I just, I guess we kind of just changed the focus a little bit to making sure that we defended a lot better. And when I came in here, the team was 30th in goals against.

It was 29th. slot shots against. Like every defensive analytics was wrong. It was on the wrong side. So when I came in and I told the guys right off the bat, these numbers that we're looking at and I had them written on the board are they a ticket out of the playoffs. If we want to get back into the hunt for a playoffs,

we have to improve and put all our focus on these areas. And so I give the guys that's a tremendous amount of credit because they have. They have bought in to what we're doing here. and they're creating a lot more offense now, simply because we're playing much better defense and we're getting the puck back a lot more. So they've bought into it.

They're working incredibly hard to keep that puck out of our net. We're protecting the net front a lot better than we've had in the past. So you just give the players credit for buying in and understanding that your 30th in the league and goals against, you're out of the playoffs. You have no chance to make the playoffs. The only team that can score their way into the playoffs right now is Edmonton because of those two guys.

We don't have them here. And so we just went into more or less, okay, offense from good team defense. And again, the players are bought in. The goal tendings been very consistent. We brought all the defensive analytics back to where we need them to be, to be competitive. So that's coming from the players, so good on them. Rick, you know, when we're on the media side of things, we think we know about players,

but I know that once you actually get with a team and you're with them every day and you see some guys, and you go, oh, my, like, people don't recognize. They don't know what this guy is or how good he is. Has there been anyone for you there where you're like, ah, this is, this is that guy? Charlie Coyle. Okay. This guy is just a tremendous 200-foot player. I mean, he's hit rewarded last night.

He got his goal and three assists. But the man plays hard every night. He kills penalty. He's on the power play. I put him against the opposition's top line, and he delivers every night. Like, I've coached against him his whole career because he was in Minnesota, Colorado,

and I know an awful lot about him. I didn't know he was this good. I didn't know he was this consistent. Didn't know he had that offensive upside and just a tremendous teammate, a tremendous competitor, and just a real joy to be around. He's been outstanding every night.

Zach Rensky, yeah, You know, I was out west all those years. You don't see him enough. You get to watch them every day and you say, wow, can this guy ever control the pace of the game? He knows when to take the puck back and slow the pace down. He knows one to jump up on the rush. Like, I get his offensive analytics are all great,

but then you watch him do it on a consistent basis every night, and he's very very impressive. The young players, you know, you look at Motentilly there. He's got a tremendous upside again. It's just a young player. he's learning how to play a 200-foot game. He's got great offensive instincts. He now is improving his play without the puck.

This guy's got a great future ahead of him. So there's been a couple of wonderful surprises here. But honestly, the guys have been, you know, when I was out and I kept saying this, I really miss working with the guys and on a day-to-day basis and the communication and helping them out. And this group has just been a tremendous group to work with. Every one of them has been fantastic. and has really made me happy.

I came out of retirement. Rick, as far as your goal, Tending is concerned, I know you got Elvis and Jet there, but they must have been the happiest players on the team when they see those numbers that you were talking that were near the bottom of the league, all of a sudden start climbing.

How good have they been? They've been very, very good. You know, when I first went to Winnipeg, I told Connor Hallibuck, Bucky, we're going to make your life a lot easier, men, we're going to take a lot of those slot chances away from you. And obviously, his numbers went way up. And these guys, listen, they both are outstanding for us.

Again, you know this league. You don't win anywhere. You don't go anywhere. No matter how well you're playing, you're going to give us some chances. The league is too good. You can't control every shift out there. Both goaltenders have been outstanding. I didn't know much about them.

Obviously, coming in here. But, man, they're two wonderful guys. Great teammates. You know, again, we've got two goals. that the guys love playing in front of them because they work so hard. So the goal fitting has been outstanding. And again, in our league, as you know, man, you're not going anywhere no matter what we do without the guy in there to stop the puck.

And they both been very, very consistent at that. So tell us a little bit about what the process of adjusting and learning to a new team, a new building. Like, do you even know where the front door is the first day? And you have to learn so much about the place as you're in the middle of a hockey season. What are some of the challenges? Yeah, getting used to the locker room and the layout of it. Yeah.

First couple days, I kept turning the wrong way. This is a tremendous setup. They've done a great job here at the locker room, the coach's room, the training room, the dressing room, everything. It's really spread out. And the first couple days, I kept turning down into the wrong door. So that took an adjustment. But I've been coming into this ring for 25 years through the front door to get downstairs.

So I had that figured out. but just get working my way around the locker room, the coach is ruined, getting out to the ice and all the little things, you know, but it only takes a couple of days. You know, Rick, for an organization that's missed a playoff a whole lot here, it's a sneaky good hockey town, isn't it?

I've always enjoyed coming to Columbus. It's always been a great atmosphere. I've always hated that stupid cannon going off. Because it's so loud. Now, now I just love hearing. So it's always been a great atmosphere. The 25 years they've been in the league. You know, you come downtown.

It's clean, it's safe, great restaurants. You can walk around without any worries at all. And always, always a great atmosphere in that rink. And now I love the sound of that cannon going off. And I've enjoyed it. It's a great, it is. It's a great hockey community. And it's a great organization and a great fan base

and very enthusiastic. We've had a couple of games here, man. It's been so loud on that rink, and it's just been fun to be a part of it. You know yourself when you're behind that bench and you're feeling it and you're hearing it, no, the whole building is rocking, man. There's no better feeling.

Well, we certainly appreciate you taking some time out from taking all that video in. You've got the New York Rangers tomorrow night. Keep her going, Rick. Thanks for doing this for us. Appreciate it, boy, sorry for the delaying getting back to you. My bad. No problem.

Thanks for coming on. We appreciate it. Rick Bonus, head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets. I got to believe we're the foremost blue jacket covering Canadian podcast. Well, we did the jersey thing really. Look at that jersey. We've had Waddell on a lot. We've had Portsline on. We're talking a bonus.

We're all over the jacket. Doug McLean. Oh, yeah. I forgot about it. You need a cannon going off. Oh, God. Please no. I mean, the Argos games already has a cannon.

That scares me half to death. Oh, yeah, yeah. After they get a touchdown, they shoot the cannon and they sing a song. What do you want to do? Let's go to break. So we can get to Yorkie and then we'll do game time after York. All right. And I want to hear J.B. On Russia? International Affairs. I'll do that at commercial break. I got a Ukrainian parogi tattoo right here. I can give you my take.

Okay. You heard the man. All that when we return to Real Kipper and Born. Hey, it's Blake Murphy. It'll Matt Bonner. Join us weekday mornings at 11 as we break down All things Toronto Raptors. It's the Raptor show on SportsNet 590 The Fan. And wherever you get your podcasts.

As a reminder, this hour of Real Kipper and Bourne brought you by Bet365. Nick Kipriels, Justin Bourne, Sammy McKee. As they check their phones. Very important stuff going on on the internet. Oliver Ekman-Larson, name is Baby Yet? Not yet. Stand by. Hearing it, maybe Nicholas. Is that true?

No, honestly. Where's our buddy, Jason York? I think he's there. We got him. Oh, my good. Co-host coming in, hot, the podcast. Does a terrific job on SportsNet Flames games as well. All season long, former NHLer,

and a good friend of the show, Jason York. How are you, pal? I'm good. I'm good, boys, yeah. Totally. You're busy. You're busy. You're right in the thick of things again right now, traveling, eh?

actually I am but I got a little bit of a break right now I'm not doing a flames game I've got this weekend off and I'm back in Calgary next weekend so I'm actually in Naples right now Kipper a little mini I don't want to hear it with I don't want to hear it little mini little vacate it's just a six six days that's it Sam's always shocked when it comes on you could have said no Yarkie 82 sunny little rainy today Kipper it's okay though I just got here today and It's sons. It's all sons for the next five days.

So looking forward to it, yeah. Okay. Yorkie, you are younger than me, okay? Not by much. Not by much. So I'm really hoping you're going to help me here, okay? Because there's a pretty hot story right now with Jack Hughes and the puck that he scored during the Olympics. And while I'm not a big fan of Jack going public, you know, trying to get his puck back.

There is a part of me that is a traditionalist, and most often than not, if there's a milestone goal for any one of us over our days, either we go and get the puck or a teammate goes to get the puck and we get to keep it. Is it unreasonable now to suggest that, you know, that should still happen? So, Rachel, how did the story come out? Is he the one that came public?

Was he just got interviewed? He was asked where the puck is, and he found out in the whole game said his BS. So, so I've got my first puck. I've got my first puck.

That's mine. That's my first goal I've ever scored in the NHL. I got that first goal. The thing with that my, that puck is nobody else wants that puck but me.

Right. So, like that puck's not in high demand. Like, the only thing cool about it, that's the only thing. cool about my first goal. I am from Nipian, Ontario. I scored the goal. It was assisted by Steve Eiserman, who's not technically from Nipian, but he grew up in Nipian, played the Nipian

Raiders, and it was scored on Fred Brathaway, who's also from Nipian. Very cool. Really cool. He should be in the Nipian Hall of Fame. Let's get a movement going. Right? But the guy that screwed it up was Slava Kozlov, who got a secondary... Is he not from Nipi? No, not from Nipan, eh? No, he's a good Ottawa guy, you know? It's an old Slava and I used to hang out now. But anyhow, the point is, like, you get a goal like this, like the puck, the puck belongs to, it's not his puck. Like, he scored the goal.

I just think those kinds of pucks, they've got such a place in history. I think it needs to be enjoyed by everybody. That's like, that's for the Americans. Like, I'm more of where should the puck go? Is it going to hockey Hall of Fame? Does it go somewhere in the U.S.? Then you get in that whole thing? but the hockey Hall of Fame for all of hockey.

And we all know this. It used to be just about the NHL, but now the hockey Hall of Fame is very inclusive. So it involves like your criteria to get in now. Like you've got to have some good international experience. You've got to have, it's not just about the NHL. So this puck's a really important puck. So I do understand that.

I do understand wanting to have the puck too. But I think this puck for me, it belongs to for everybody in hockey to see it because it's it's a huge treasure it's not your first call that nobody else wants to see do people know that there's multiple stanley cups is that a thing people are aware of you know what's that sorry like there's a different stanley cup that sometimes will sit in the hockey hall of fan do you know that yes of course yes okay yeah like we can't throw a second puck up there and be like yeah it's the used puck what do you know or care right you know nobody knows nobody knows who's puck it is. No one knows. Let's

just move along and run a roo. I think there's actually three cups, by the way. The one that is presented on the ice is really the replica. But because it's been celebrated so often, it's actually earned the right to say, I'm the real Stanley Cup. It has become

the Stanley Cup. So guys, just like for me, it's like, it would be more important for me. Like, yeah, sure, I loved that the puck if I'm Jack. He is absolutely. But nobody's getting my stick that I scored that goal with. That's not going on the hockey elephant.

That's my stick. That's the stick I use. Hold on for a second, no. If we're all going to be in an agreement that, you know, there's paperwork, the stick's no different than the puck. Yes, it is. He brought the stick.

The Kipper, his name's on this. His name's on the stick for goodness. The puck was never getting on a stick. That stick belongs to him. Contrarianism is hard. contrarianism is hard to say. I don't know. Where do you guys?

I haven't been listening. Where do you stand? I just love the tradition of a guy going to get a puck. That's all. I just don't want it to die. I do too. I do too, but I do understand the historical thing with these pucks that are scored. And if we started taking everything away, like everything in the hockey hall of fame is pretty well historical.

We wouldn't have a hockey hall of fame because everybody would be keeping their stuff. I started. Lou Lamarillo essentially took everything away though I heard for the New Jersey Devils. Is that right? Oh, but he collected everything and put it up in the farm somewhere. Is that right?

A lot of it. That's a nice insurance policy if you ever go bankrupt, eh? Oh, hey, totally off topic, but. What's that? It's our whole show. I know. I love it. That's why I love your guys show.

I'm in Long Island last week, and I got first set eyeballs. I got to see live of Marlowe's. Matthew Schaefer. My God, this kid, I can't say enough good things about him. I just, and even more impressive about him, guys, the reason I'm talking about him is because I'm like, would he be talking like this, acting like that, and being such a great, charismatic guy?

And nothing against Lou, because he's a very successful guy in the league and did his things this way. But would he be acting this way if it was the way things used to be run in New York? So I don't know. I don't know. But I love the kid, though. He's so good for the game. game. I absolutely love them.

Yorkie, I've made, I've said the same thing many times when Nealander and Caputin and Hyman and Brown, those guys were at the Marleys, they weren't allowed to do interviews with media, zero interviews. So 18-year-old Matthew Schaefer, I'm sure there'd have been guardrails about what he was allowed to do. In the first few days, he was on the bench talking of the entire UBS arena and Shannon Hogan. He's, he went right for it.

He, I don't know if you guys caught it. He did an interview. It was, I did the hockey night game. was on doing an interview with prongs and biexa and ron um lea i'm not sure else but prongs was doing chris pronger was doing most of the talking and the way he was answering the questions it's like this isn't usually how an 18 year old talks like an 18 year old is usually saying we got to get pucks deep and you know got to have a big 60 and tonight he's talking to chris like they're just two guys having a beer like it was awesome it was it was refreshing and then

he goes out and he plays like a million bucks too which helps but But he's just, I was so impressed watching him and seeing how he conducted himself with his interview. And that's why I always wondered, would he be acting like that if he would run the way? I don't think so. You know, you're probably right, but I think even Lou would have been smart enough to go that there's other 18-year-olds that needed me and he's not one of them. You know, I mean, it was crystal clear. Even from his interviews, the day he got drafted was like, this guy's different. This guy is special.

All right. Can we talk about the Ottawa Senators yet? No, we haven't. What do you guys want to know? The Ottawa, yeah, I want to know how frustrating it is that the senators are this good and not in a playoff spot and what the likelihood is that they get into the playoffs.

I think, so I was doing some numbers. I know Borny, you love numbers. Is it going to take 100 points to get in as a wildcard team? 99, 98, yeah, yeah, it's going to be around there. York. Yeah. Probably right, because you watch the game the other night. I'm sitting there watching Boston play Montreal.

Sure enough, three-point games. So I think Ottawa, they've lost maybe one or two games in their last 10. Like, they are stacking up points playing great hockey. Allmark is hot again. Everything's going right. But they can't seem to get any traction because it's that dreaded three-point game. Right? Can't make up ground.

Especially with the Bruins. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, and Kipper throw in the fact, Columbus, since Bones came in, they're not losing. I think Columbus is going to get in. I just, I love the way they play. I'm not sold on their goaltending, but Rick Bonas has the Midas touch and whatever he's done there.

It's worked, but they play hard. So that I think they're getting in and Ottawa is going to have to catch one of either Boston or Detroit. But we'll see some of these teams are going to start to play each other. But I think you can't really do more. Like they lost a tough one the other night against Montreal. That was a huge letdown. They lost that in regulation. But even when they lose, they're always in it.

They're always in it. If they do get in, Barney, I wouldn't want to play them in the first round. No kidding. I would not want to play that team in the first round because they are, they're playing playoff hockey right now. So, Yorkie, I got to ask you this with your 750 games plus in the National Hockey League. And we just had Rick Bonas on. And just the,

the effect of change from either Kevin Adams in Buffalo or Rick Bonas in Columbus. How do you go from that before to that after, in your opinion, with just one simple move of a guy going out and a new guy coming in? Give me something here. Explain it. Okay, I understand the coach bump in Columbus. I don't understand what's going on in Buffalo because the GM doesn't really come down and really he's not giving motivational speeches.

It's basically the same team that he kind of put together that's doing well. That one always bewildered me because Buffalo, to me, was great on paper. And I never understood why they were playing so poorly. They didn't change the coach. So Kipper, I have no idea. I have maybe just, I don't know, because players don't really feel threatened anymore about getting moved or getting traded because everyone's making money.

Everybody's pretty secure. So Buffalo, I don't understand. Columbus, I do. it's just a different voice. And I listen to how Bones talks. Like when he speaks, and I find the mark of a good coach, if you can get your players

to think that you want their best interests and you want them to do well, like you're pushing, you're pushing, you're pushing, you're still hard, but you know that coach has your back. You know he wants you to do well. I just think Bones has that where, you know, he's not a pushover by any means,

but you just know he's in it with you. You know those coaches, Kippert Boy? Yeah. They're in the fight. They're in the fight with you. They're not here. You're side by side. And I just think he's great at delivering his message.

Good person, good coach. And that's how I explained Columbus. They needed a new set of eyes. They needed a new message. They got it. But Buffalo, you got me on that one. They changed the GM. I don't know why they're winning because it's the same team.

Yeah, yes, everyone's like, ah, new guy might want to make some changes. I don't want to be part of the changes. Maybe I'll step it up a bit. I don't know. But with Rosie for me, it's just like the B-T, tough but fair thing. You know, he's tough and fair.

Yeah. That's all you want. That's all you want. Like there's nothing worse. Remember Kipper? Like back when you're playing, like so many coaches used to play mind games with you. Like, ah, what's the guy thinking of me? I'm not sure.

There used to be guys that would go by coaches offices and afraid to go by the office. And coach would walk by. He wouldn't say hi. And you're like, I was mad at me? I wish you just, and you just, it was just that level of mischief. Now, like there's so many guys.

You know where you stand in today's league with most of these coaches. And I think Bones has old. school in him, but he also understands the new players, and that's what makes them be able to get the most out of these guys. We were just talking earlier about just, you know, how all of a sudden now, you know,

there's an example, Brad Tree Living called a few players after the incident with Austin Matthews, and it's now you could text players, they exchange, you know, messages between each other. I'm like, oh my God, if,

I would never have lasted five minutes in this world with with the message for a coach i mean i'll tell you a funny story beside myself so i'm i'm playing as a rookie in detroit under scotty bowman like every day is just i have i'm not i've never spoke to scotty the entire time i played for him and one day i'm at practice and we're doing line rushes you know the old suicides where you go blue line back red line back far blue line other end and back, and we're going in four groups. So you got to rest between your lightning drill. Bowman calls my number with every group.

So I got to do, I don't get a rest. I don't get a rest. Everyone's watching. Media's there. They're wondering what's wrong. I'm a keeled over. You know when you're skating, too, the guys of the team. Come on, kid.

Come on, kid. You can get through this, get through it. Guys are cheering for me. I get off the ice. I'm exhausted. I'm like falling over. Media is waiting for me. They're like, why did you get skated?

I'm like, I don't know. and I'll never know. And I still don't know. And I still don't know. And I have no idea, but that's how it was then. And this is how it is now. You got guys text chains with the coach going. You've got like coaches and you call the coach by his nickname.

Like it's just totally different. I love it. Like I wish I played in this area. It'd be a lot more relaxing. But definitely wasn't relaxing when we were playing guys. Just on. Ottawa. No Jake Sanderson, you really thought that

that may may really hold Ottawa back for a legitimate push to a playoff, but it's been anything but Dorky. You know what? I watch you from from my vantage point, I thought

they were going to be in big trouble. I know I know Bornear a huge fan of Sanderson. His underlying numbers, I test is great. Underlying numbers are great. he's a fantastic player. And how do you replace a guy like that? You kind of got to do it by committee.

You know who's really stepped up for them and played really well? It's Thomas Shabbat. Yeah. Back-to-back wins when they beat Anaheim in San Jose. He was 27, 20 to one game and up over 28 minutes. He's been terrific. And Spence has been pretty good too. Like he started the year off kind of in and out of the lineup.

He's really picked it up. Tyler Clevin, the young defenseman there, big body. He's been really good. Zub's been good. They brought up a Gilbert who's kind of been a journeyman. He's filled in nicely because now Nick Jensen's going to be out for the rest of the season. So another guy's out. But for me, it's Shabbat.

Shabbat has elevated his game. He's took those minutes that Sanderson was taken. And he's played some of his best hockey I'd ever seen. Yorkie, if there was a puck involved in this segment, I'd let you keep it, my friend. I don't think anybody wants that. Kippertz. Just like my first goal. Great stuff, my friend.

Thanks for joining us. Thanks, Yorkie. It is coming in Hot the Sense podcast. That was awesome. I was. We didn't even get a single Flames question in there. I went on with my boy Russick and Maddie Rose. Oh, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, it's, there's having a lot of the same kind of conversations we are right now. Is that right? Yeah. The team just wreaks. I was actually, the question I was going to ask is, is anyone on the flames today who's on the team? when they're good again. Anyone. I'm looking at their draft picks.

Well, Coronado. Yeah? Yeah. Have you seen their draft picks? I can't believe Blake Coleman is still there. I know. They have six first rounders in the next three years. They have eight second rounders in the next three years.

Four third rounders. Just wait four or five years. It'll be New Utah. Before we go, boys. It's game time presented by Bet365. An official partner of the NHL must be 19 plus. Ontario only please play responsibly. Six games on tap tonight.

Big one tonight for the Sends on Scotia Bank Wednesday night hockey. They're in Washington to take on the Capitals. That is a big one. We're getting into, you know, it feels like every game's a must win for them. They're pretty big favorites, actually, on the road there. Minus 135 on the money line plus 115 for the Washington Capitals. This might be the end of the caps. They're...

Oh, they're done. They're toast. You think... Toast. This could be the end of Ovi? Is it the end of... Carberry, probably not. No, Carberry.

He's good. It's kind of leaning towards OV shutting it down. You think so? I know we talked about it, but like, I just, it's one of those things I will not believe until I see it. Hey, anybody can change your mind.

And you think he has a mind made up in one direction then? No, I don't know for sure. And we're looking in Carolina tonight, Pittsburgh Penguins. I think the return of Sid. He was taking line rush. is today. So it looks like he's back.

The penguins plus 125 in the money line. Carolina coming off getting pumped by Bones' Columbus Blue Jackets last night, 5 to 1. They're- Carolina's winning. They're probably hungry. Don't mind them at a minus 1.5 plus 170. And that was game time. Presented by Bet365.

An official partner of the NHL must be 19 plus. Ontario only. Please play responsibly. You know, everyone's like, yeah, penguins, they can't stop winning. These guys just keep winning. They're walking into. Carolina, Winnipeg, then Carolina, Colorado, Ottawa,

Ottawa, Senators, Dallas Stars, Islanders, Detroit Red Wings, Tampa Bay Lightning. Yep, that's your season. Like, they're... Right there. In tough. They got a little rested Malkin and Crosby right now. I mean, I... Come on.

I'm rooting for them to get in. I want to see Sid get in. I absolutely want them to get it. That's a tough stretch. Do we ever talk about Malking getting to get a five-game suspension for a tomahawk to someone's head? We just didn't mention it. I think we just like Malcolm

Love Malcon Yeah, I think that's it I actually wrote today And then deleted the line That's how Matthew should be They gotta bring him back I don't want to Well, I don't know if they don't want to

Well like one year, why not? Yeah I think he's proven he's not Kyle's like I just want to rebuild Well yeah It's just like at some point You gotta clear the forest

I know I get it I get it but Right now It's hard to It's hard to give up on them just yet. He's been one of my favorite players to watch forever. I bet you they'll have him back for a year.

But yes, the Malkin chop to the head, I thought was perfect Malkin, where it's like, he didn't have to fight anyone, but don't get near him when he's angry. Like he's a point of game guy still. Is he really? I think so. Yeah, he's really, really, really great. He is a first ballot hall of famer that's 47 games.

Like, come on. Who saw that? Garon on Brett Draney, chop. Except he didn't get suspended because it was impracted. No, ever loved it. I sometimes still watch one of the most violent sports acts of all time. All right.

Managed to have a little fun today. We always do. Our thanks to Rick Bonas, head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Jason York. Also, Sammy McKee's midweek mailbag. Nice job, Sammy.

Thanks, buddy. Enjoy your game tonight.