The Sheet with Jeff Marek - Andlauer Speaks on Tkachuk, What's Next in OTT, & Wild Predictions ft. Brent Wallace & Carter Meyer

Episode Date: September 23, 2026

On today’s episode of The Sheet, Jeff Marek is joined by Brent Wallace to break down a massive summer of change for the Ottawa Senators following the departure of Brady Tkachuk. Wallace gives his assessment of how the Senators look without their former captain, what he expects from Ottawa this weekend, how the team moves forward after losing one of the faces of the franchise, and Michael Andlauer’s recent comments surrounding Tkachuk’s departure. After Brent leaves, Jeff turns things over to the chat for some wild NHL predictions, reacting to bold calls for the upcoming season, debating which ones could actually happen, and sharing his thoughts on some of the biggest storylines around the league. Later, Carter Meyer joins the show after leaving the U.S. National Team Development Program to join the Quebec Remparts before eventually heading to Boston College. Meyer discusses his decision to make the jump to the QMJHL, why Quebec was the right destination, what he hopes to gain from playing for the Remparts, and how the move fits into the next stage of his hockey career.SHOUTOUT TO OUR SPONSORS!! 👍🏼Coca Cola: https://www.coca-cola.com/ca/en/offerings/coca-cola/hockey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So there's a number of things, and welcome to the program here, the sheet for this Wednesday, September the 23rd. There's a few things that I always remind myself that I really love about hockey. One of them is Martin Saint-Louis, screaming French epithets to Quebec officials on the ice. I really do love that. And I do love outspoken owners. And I don't know what it is about Ottawa, whether it's now Michael And Lauer or the previous owner, Eugene Melnick. But there's something about owning the Ottawa. Senators that gets the tape off your mouth if you own the squad.

I'm going to talk to Brent Wallace here about And Lauer v. Kachuk coming up in a couple of seconds. One of the things, as I age that I don't like about hockey is reminding myself that I am indeed aging as a little bit later on. Carter Meyer. Yes, Freddie Myers Kid is going to be stopping by today, named to Team CHL for the CHLUSA Prospects Challenge, December 1st and 2nd in Chakutumee and Quebec City. And that is a name you will be hearing very early in the 27 NHL draft. Remember it. Carter Meyer, you will hear from him coming up in about 40 minutes.

There's a couple of quotes from Michael Ann Lauer yesterday that were absolute bangers. My favorite one involved Sanderson, Notka Chuck, and we'll get there. Brent Wallace is the host of Coming in Hot Heard right here on the Nation Network. He joins me now from the nation's capital. Brent, first of all, thanks so much for stopping by today. How is the new ride? I see videos and pictures of you around Ottawa. I know you're getting requests to personal deliveries and personal drop-offs.

What can you tell us before we get into the serious business of Ann Lauer versus Kachuk? You're poor listeners. So we have a partner in the show, Jason York, former Ottawa senator, who we sell coffee mugs. They've become a signature of the show. I deliver them. One day he called it the Mugmobile. We recently got it wrapped. It's got flames on.

It's called the Mugmobile. I now get emails daily of just people want me to show up with the car to their location just so they can take pictures. Did you ever think this was going? You know what? We'll get a fleet going. I love it. Listen, do you deliver to like the Snowville-Uxbridge area just outside of Toronto?

I'm not sure like how deep you get into Ontario, southwestern Ontario, but do you have like a cutoff point? Well, Yorkie keeps making it longer, but it's about 90 minutes. Okay. So that's your pain tolerance is 90 minutes. I got it. We put a limit. If you sell 10 mugs, if you buy 10 mugs, we'll make it a little longer. So it's probably a two-hour limit. You see, I like the media price, free 99. I still haven't spent my communion money. You know, like the change burns a hole in my pocket. I mentioned I mentioned off the top. There's something maybe there's something in the water at Rideau Canal. I don't know, but there's something about being an owner of the Ottawa senators and being. being outspoken. I was saying this as Zach before the program. I'll take what we hear out of

Ottawa in the owner's box over the majority of NHL teams on the regular. And the one thing that I got to know about Michael Ann Lauer when he owned the Bulldogs in the OHL is he's not shy about expressing himself. And if he has something that he wants to say, he's not the best person to censor himself. He seems to need to unburden himself with whatever he feels. put the board up. This is a sort of shot at mention of, explanation of the situation with Brady Kachuk. And like, let's face it, this is going to be a story all season long. But here's the quote from Anlaw. Blood is thicker than water. And let's just say his father and his brother got in his kitchen talking about Brady Kachuk and the trade request. I remember when Matthew Kach was going

through a contract situation. No, sorry, when Brady was going through his contract situation coming out of his entry-level deal and talking to Matthew Kachuk at the Players Tour. And Matthew said, one of the things you need to understand is when you negotiate with one Kachuk, you negotiate with all Kachucks. Did that, to Ann Lauer's point, play itself out here in Ottawa. Yeah, like you could almost go back. There's lots of different points, I guess, throughout and you can see certain interference. But if you go to the podcast where they did in Florida, where it was Keith and Matthew and Brady and in it there was a couple of times but one that really stood out to me and it didn't seem to get as much attention as I thought it should. It's Keith going, how many years do you have left

in your deal Brady? And Brady's like two and he's like, yeah, yeah, we'll talk about that after. And I'm like, I'm like, there's no chance he's coming back after you hear this. Like they could have edited that out of the podcast. They didn't. That was a big one for me. And so you knew that there was a lot of conversation taking place of we're going to get you to be in Florida, the brand of the Kachuk brand and put it out there. Like they are building the biggest brand in USA hockey without question. Do you think this still would have happened with or without the Olympics? Or did the Olympics just hasten things?

I think it just sped it up, right? I really think that this was going to be the last deal. And if you've been around this team and there was just always whispers over the last two years that he wasn't going to resign. And so, like, I just think that this just quickly picked things. up a little. And then Keith, I think, got more involved. I know that Ottawa Senators fans were always sensitive about the conversation. I totally get it. I understand it. And I think sense fans were fed up with it,

whether it was the reports about the New York Rangers. Listen, the Dallas Stars were in on Matthew originally. Dallas Stars were in on Brady Kachuk, big interest there in either of the Kachuk brothers, like other teams as well. How do Ottawa Senators fans, you're plugged into that community, obviously. How do Ottawa Senators fans now look back at those conversations? And again, rightfully so, I understand. You're a fan. They were pretty defensive

about it. Do they look back on it now with different lens? The biggest thing is they just want to move on. That's number one. Without question. They're just, we don't want to talk about it anymore. Brady's gone. We're going to move on. But the reality is like, yeah, they're upset

that somebody and the captain and the leader who they were building around, like he was revered in Ottawa. If he had probably played his career here, would have seen his number retired, at least put in the Ring of Honor. And he did a lot of good things in this community. I don't want to ever take that away from Brady. Not only was he really good on the ice in the first five years of his deal, but he was also really good in the community. He did a lot of good things. So there was just some disappointment like, man, you know, like you were one of us. We thought you were one of us. And it turned out that you just wanted to be somewhere else. And that's the broken

spouse, right? You break up with your girlfriend. You're like, man, You're not leaving me. I'm leaving you. It's, listen, it's going to make for dynamic games. Certainly. I think we all have the 21st circled.

I have no idea what is actually going to be like. I know what it feels like here now on September 23rd, but have you let your sort of brain go to October 21st? I think it's the 24th, October 21st of what that date is going to actually be like, and what that game is going to be like, what the city is going to be like as well. Like this is all eyes on Ottawa.

that day. Everybody's watching that. So it gets, it gets talked about a lot because for a lot of reasons. One is, what will the video look like? Will it just be him in the community doing community work? How long would it be? Would they do one? There's fans obviously that don't want one. But then there's that, so Lars Eller sign with Florida in the off season.

There's a lot of joking like they should do a welcome back Lars Eller and not for Brady. That is funny. There is that kind of. That is really, I got to say, that's good. that's right that would be the best and the other one is do you boo him but he likes to be booed and of course booing is the sign of how much you respect the player do you sit in silence and watch them like there's a lot that fans aren't sure what to do just yet there's an over under and how new jerseys go on the ice i if i can interrupt the the one because i've thought about

this too like if you're an ottawa senator's fan like how do you react to that knowing that if anyone wants to hear booze and reacts positively and it charges them it's one of the Chuck Brothers. I had a conversation with this about someone that they had and said, do you think there's any chance that Ottawa Senators fans all stand up and turn their back?

And it's just silence. That's been brought up too, but that's so weird a dynamic to do to your own, like to your own team kind of. Do you, so you have to keep peeking back to see if he's off the ice.

Like there's a lot of, that stuff just doesn't work, right? You're going to have to, I think the booing is the only acceptable thing. But here's the, all the Florida Panthers be like, well, who are they booing exactly?

be any one of us. We're all just like, listen, it was already a great rivalry to begin with. Right. Now, the Florida Panthers seem to have a rivalry with everybody. And I think Carolina is slowly moving themselves up the top of the list as well if you saw last night's exhibition game too.

But like, this rivalry did not need any more spice to it. But now, this is like the spiciest burrito in the NHL with all of this. I don't know, I don't know what it's going to be I really don't. So you and I have been around the game a long time.

I'm like, we've seen a lot of games. You're like, okay, this game, I am super excited just to see the reaction and how this plays out, even on the ice. Like what happens on the ice? Does Ottawa at all dress a little more meaty or lineup? So you know Paul Maurice. Do you think they dress Brady Kachuk for the opening face off? You think he's in like, do you think he starts?

Really? I would, why wouldn't you? just get it over you think that you're the better team first of all right you think you're going to come in and punch Ottawa in the face anyway so right off the hop if you've got Brady Kachuk bearing down on

Jake Sanderson or Thomas Shabbat is they dump it into the corner you don't think he's coming head hunting I think 100% I addressed Brady so that then winks at you know the point that you're making a second ago do they go out and essentially go to find

go to the zoo and find the biggest gorilla put the gorilla in an Ottawa senator's jersey and teach him out of skate. So I said, and they've got Curtis McDermott available. I know he's battling through an injury right now, but I think he's available. They're going to have a few other guys in the minors. Maybe you just make a little bit different lineup and just go, you know what? Nobody's pushing around anybody. And if there's an opportunity, we'll take it.

But Brady's going to answer all those questions. Anyway, like if he's ever challenged, you know he's not back and down. 100%. Maybe that's the way to get out of the tribute video. Get him out of the game, really, right off the opening face off. It'll be the only video tribute. It's a whole line brawl. The player's not in the rink.

Remember? It's a door to be found. The Calgary, Vancouver, remember when the, oh, who switched on D? Like BX or whatever it was to take the face off? Yeah, with the kid. Was it Lane Kellan? was that his name? Yeah, he was, and he was like, kid, you're not, you're not ready for this one.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We got this. So that's, yeah, that would be the best. Then you settle it down, then you just play. I know that you remove Brady Kachuk from a lineup. You remove some showbiz. I, maybe I'm in the minority here. I think Ottawa is a much more interesting team, at least for me, but I'm not in the market.

A much more interesting team for me without Brady Kachuk. And here's why. sometimes I would look at the Brady Kachuk show and say he's sending a message to the team too many passengers too many passengers and I'm going to do something about it and then there are other times where I say this is just for a spotlight and you can see the eyes rolling back on the bench from some of the guys I think it's a more interesting team without Brady Kachuk on this squad do you agree I don't know or better. 100. But I think

they're a really interesting team. A hundred percent agree with you. And that actually had that conversation I think just two days ago about this was always the questions to Tim Stutzla or to Claude Jure or whatever. Like, what about Brady? What about Brady? Brady?

Brady could Chuck did this tonight. Brady, what about it was never like he just took all the oxygen of the Ottawa senators for the most part. And he's a dynamic player and he's the captain. Like, obviously he's going to get questions. There's questions asked about him. The opening face-off fights, they're performative. There were players in the team that weren't happy or didn't find the benefit of him fighting Jordan Stahl and the opening game one.

The fans love it. A, he lost to a 38-year-old and he did it in their barn. That didn't work the way they wanted it to. So it is a completely different team that I think people have to wrap their head around. They're not the same kind with him on the roster, but they can't compare William. William Eklund, who is 5'10 and 180 pounds to Brady Kachuk. They've got to figure out that this is a group that should be offensively better, perhaps. They're deeper than they've been in a decade, at least, how that all plays out.

Okay, let me give you one more quote here. You've heard that I just want to get your thoughts on it. The other one from Michael Ann Lauer, and if I'm an Ottawa Senator's fan, I'm like, yeah, I'm doing like the pumper nickels on this one. Quote, talking about Jake Sanderson. Don't compare Jake to Brady. What a privilege to have Jake Sanderson on our hockey club. Michael Ann Lauer.

Great headline. So I've been saying this since the Brady stuff came out. And by the way, Jake Sanderson was the only player of the Ottawa senators to say thank you or good luck to Brady on social media after he got traded. Now, I know they're teammates from Team USA that may play a part of it and they're friends. But Jake Sanderson is not cut from the same club. as Brady or like either Shane Pinto that just because you are an American doesn't mean you all want to play in the U.S. Like I just wish people would understand that they are separate individuals.

Jake Sanderson is not the same player. He's never asked. He's never looked that way to go, I need to play in the U.S. And it's not fair to him, I don't think, a lot of the times. And there's a real issue or a real possibility that he's going to be named the next captain of the Ottawa Senators. And I don't think anybody has a issue with that, only people that think that he wants to leave. And it's just not reality. It's not based in any fact. What's up with Jake Sanderson, by the way? So just got off the ice. Travis just got off the ice, Travis Green, that is. Jake Sanderson, Jordan Spence, battling minor, as Paul McLean used to say, Bobos. He says it's not an injury,

but they're just keeping them off the ice. So they're not playing tonight any game. And also, So Artem Zub, he just said today, he's not likely going to be ready to start the season. So that's already an injury prone blue line that we saw was decimated last year at the end of the year. Did I see the Thomas Shabbat is playing despite the fact that his wife may be giving birth. Like, I'll just pause here. He knows he's on the team, right? Like he made the team. I think he's aware.

Pretty good chance of Shabbat's made the Ottawa senators. But this is how he's wired. Like, don't forget, he came back. What was it? Six weeks later from a broken arm. There was lots of things that I might, actually, it's less than that. But he wants to play. Didn't play the other day in Tuar Rivier.

He wants to get in a game. I can't remember how many days past due she is, but they're expecting if he gets the call, he's going to go. And your buddy, I know you've interviewed him a couple of times. Matt Anandinovsky is going to be the emergency demon. man. I don't know. He's not like the e-bug, but he's the emergency D man if Thomas Shabod gets pulled. Any chance to get to talk about Matthew Andanovsky, I certainly will. Like, that's a hard-nosed, old-school, Sends fans are going to love this young man. So yeah,

give me Matt Andanovsky on, have you heard anything about him, by the way, from camp at all? No. So, you know what? So camp is so short now. You already know who's going to be on the team that you don't really see too much else outside of that. His camp has been fine. You just know he's not making the team, so you're kind of not noticing them a lot. I'm excited to see where he plays this year and how he does. He is going to be one of those guys that sticks up for, as you know, every teammate, and he is going to be a fun player to watch.

Solid, steady D, who has the nerve to work hard in his own zone, right? Yeah. Like Ottawa won't be a pushover with him on the blue line in any roster, whether it's Belleville or whatever. For sure. How do you feel about the net mining this year? And by the way, you brought up, sorry, you brought up what I meant to get to this earlier. You go ownership like Melnick and Lauer. You could go to Rod Bryden, by the way.

Rod Briden too, yes. Ottawa was right during bankruptcy, he was holding press conference left or right. Bruce Firestone wasn't shy. Firestone wasn't shy either. Like, it's something about owning the senators, like muzzles off. It's a speed down from Gary Betman. It certainly is. And sometimes you had to catch them before noon

because if you caught them after, you never knew what you were going to get. How do you feel about the net mining this year? Well, a couple more here, quickies for you. So we've all seen the statistics about Sam Erson, how he struggled analytically. But yet, he does have a winning record. And he was, I think, 6.1 and 1 down the stretch.

He's good at the World Championships. He looked really good. is I know it's preseason, but people are excited to see what he can do. He looks fine right now. And people all expect Elinus Olmark to be the Linus Olmark that ended the season, who was one of the best goalies in the league in the last 22 games or whatever it was. So goaltending right now is always a question mark, but people are cautiously optimistic that they will be very good. The thing about Allmark, too, you me and Yorkie, like we talked about this a couple different times on coming in hot as well. you're always waiting for that moment where he did the bite down on the mouth guard and we're going to win this game and I'm going to be the best player on the ice

hadn't seen that his entire career until those games against Carolina right that was impressive and I totally agree with you like you just watch the game you're like he's there and he's making saves he just it's that fiery I will get back up and make the next save if I saves my life so I we saw that in Carolina we now like and he's come into camp he seems great uh There's just a different vibe compared to last year. There's high expectations for him to be better than he was last year. Who are you most curious about? I mean, it's always interesting like, okay, the kids like, what Yakim Chuck going to bring this year? Who are you most curious about this year? I would say Linus Olmark, but I'm going to go William Eklund.

And what can he do? Can he provide a big scoring punch for Ottawa? There's a lot of question marks. One of the things is because people don't watch San Jose so much is when they're in the east. Right. We don't know a lot about William Ecklin. But there's, if the more you talk to players and people who follow the Westmore,

they rave about the kid, I want to see what he can do as an NHL player with the auto ascenders and Tim Stutzler as his center. Sorry, it's right now, it's Dylan Cousins, I apologize. Yeah. You know, I wonder to, just mentioning Dylan Cousins, so we're all wondering, like, okay, so if Brady dresses opening face off October 21st, do you think it would be Dylan Cousins? because I don't even think in a situation like that you have to win a fight,

but you just have to show. Man, I would say Tyler Cleven. Cleven? Cleven? The address him forward? I don't, I just don't want Dylan. I don't think you want Dylan Cousins trying to go against Brady Kuchuk. Like, Dylan Cousins is not shy. He's had plenty of throwdowns.

I know what you mean, though. That's not his. I think they've actually gone together once, if I'm not mistaken, he and Brady did fight. But, man, I don't. I don't want my number two center who I think is a great offensive talent to be taken on Brady could check. But I see your point.

All right. As we wrap, quick thought on the summer. This was one of the most drama-filled, bizarre summers full of offer sheets and the financial cascade coming off. Leo Carlson to say nothing of trade requests and players not showing up to camp. And Dylan Larkin, as we should mention, is on the ice today. It was on the ice today. to try Red Wings. Like what's your, as the season approaches here, Wally, what's the, what's your

takeaway from the summer? So funny. Like, because Brady, Cichuk and the trade dominated the beginning of the summer without question. But in Ottawa, and I will say just before I get back to your overreaching question, if you will, is in Ottawa, he calmed, it calmed down after. There was no more drama. It was one of the rare times you came into camp. It just seemed like everything was calm. This group is drama free at the moment. but for the season you're like or the off season you're like man like I just remember the leo carlson thing going holy like how does this settle everybody else and with drake batherson waited and waited because he got more money because of it um the like the kale mccard dealer

like 20 million dollars a year um when you and i were covering teams when they were being paid in canadian a long time ago like yeah it's an interesting summer of uh and i don't know the right answer about trade requests. Like if we if your GMs are allowed to trade players, then our players are allowed to do the same as well despite the fact they have a no move clause. It's that one I'd like to see dealt with. I'd like to see that if you're going to request a trade, you have to have a 15 team minimum or something that you go to. If you want out that bad, you're going to have to maybe go to a place that you don't want to go. The only thing that I come, I understand that. I understand fans frustration at Dylan Larkin, for example. Like you've given whoever going to be the general

manager there. You've given Detroit a very narrow amount of teams to work with. I understand that. If I'm a Red Wings fan, I'm completely frustrated by that and it's something that he's requested. But this is something that's collectively bargained. And I keep asking the same thing. What is the NHL prepared to give up to the players association to make that change? Because that's a significant one for players.

And sometimes that comes with taking less money. So what do you again And if the fans ran the NHL Yeah there'd be no no trades And be trades every day And deadline will be massive July 1st would be crazy And it'd be like the NBA

But what are you prepared to surrender To the players association And is it worth it? Is it less games? I think there's two games No you know why you know why it won't be The minute they signed off on linkage salary linkage 50%.

The minute they signed off on that, the idea of ever going backwards on games, which means less revenue, that vanished. And it's only going the other way now because players are never going to say, yeah, you know, let's go to 76 games

because that means less money and maybe higher escrow. It's like the minute that I get the financials. It was gone. But listen, I agree with you. Less regular season games. Maybe a playoff round. I don't know.

But I keep coming back to that. what would the NHL have to give back to the players? Just start scrubbing no trades and no moves or change. More percentage? You think they'd go 51-49? You think the owners it go for that? No, because everybody wants the money, right? That's right.

We saw how it first played out. It didn't go well. I know. Like, you just tied up. I do the same thing that you do. Like, I talk myself into the corner on it. Listen, this is a Gordian knot for, you know, taller foreheads than mine to try to figure out. But I do know that that was Wally, the most exciting offseason we've ever seen.

Right? How does the Detroit Red Wings not have a GM? Like, I know they have an interim, but how do they, like, how'd they go the whole summer without it? This is an Detroit Red Wings. That stuff just blows my, right? It blows my mind that, that just seemed to be a rudderless ship and I didn't get it. There's lots of things that this summer. I felt like we all knew Connor Hullabuck wanted out at the beginning of the summer and it didn't come to light till the end and I just there was lots of stuff that was going on fascinating offseason and it'll be a fascinating you know what we and none of it we discussed with the Vancouver Canucks who always seemed to be a little bit dramaish lately well it's funny too because like the biggest I mean one of the things that we

saw coming out of Vancouver was the contract to Zeve bollium and what does that huge number mean for You just mentioned Detroit. What does that mean for Simon Edvinson's number? What does that mean for Neketian's number in Carolina? Where all of a sudden, because now, when we saw this with the Ryan Leonard number with the Washington Capitals, under 100 games, and you ring the bell coming off your entry-level deal, like significantly.

Right. It's a wild time. The kid in Pittsburgh, I forget it. I apologize, I forget his name. The monster deal. The kid in Pittsburgh. Yeah, there was a guy in Pittsburgh. Oh, Coivin.

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But you know what? But the thing about that one is it's reasonable and it's still two thirds buyout. Vili Coivinen is the one two three, four five, yeah, five years

four million dollars per. And how many games have they played though? Philly Covenin. Not many. That's why it was just a surprise, I think. Vili Coivinen, that's what everybody loves to hear, has played 47 games.

Yeah. But like Zeeve Williams, like at 70. Ryan Leonard is like 78. Right. These guys are all ringing the bell. And you know what? It's because every general manager right now is scared to be Pat for Beak. Every general manager, look at what Pat for Beak summer was like and said, not me.

I can't go through that. I can't go to my owner and say, we just got offer sheeted for this guy and this is what we're going to have to pay to keep him. I would like to go. Imagine now if we had the Sergey Federer offer sheet. sheet now compared to when it was. Oh, man. Like, that offer sheet was one of the greatest seven days ever. Like, what is going to happen with Anaheim and Philly?

Oh, it was much CTV. It was, I mean, that offer sheet was drama and the Joe Sackick offer sheet was drama too. And here we are. And you know what? I wonder about two. Now with the salary cap going up as significantly as it is, do they need to recalibrate the compensation? Because right now, the highest threshold is four first round picks.

but with the salary cap maybe getting to like 150 in five years, did they need to like recalibrate what the compensation is? I think so. Probably. I agree. Yeah. Here we are trying to open to the CBA and it's like five days old. You wouldn't be already want to tear the whole thing up.

I got Bill Daly on line one. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, PA and NHL, it's a new CBA time. Thanks, pal. You'd be great. Have a great season. We'll check in soon. Appreciate you.

Take care, my friend. There he is. A great print. Wallace host of Coming in Hots, Ottawa Senators podcast, heard right here on the Nation Network. You ever thought on any of that, Zach? Carter Meyer is going to be joining us here in about 10 minutes time. You have a thought on any of the Ottawa draft? I find them a more interesting team now without Brady Kuchak.

I might be in the minority, but I really do. Well, okay, first of all, I think you've got to dress him on the opening faceoff. Yeah. And I think Paul Maurice does. He's a showman. I think he dresses them. I think you do that. I think he does, too.

I think he just push to shove. I think he just says, okay, if we're going to do it, get it over with. Yeah, I think it happens right away. I think he does. Yeah, I would agree with you. I think that they are a more interesting team. I think he just takes up so much of the oxygen, or has taken up so much of the oxygen over the last little while,

that it's always the story. And now there's actual a little bit more dynamic to what goes on there. And then there's also just that curiosity about how they replace what he does because he does bring in a, a valuable component to a team to a team that pretty much every other team is looking for. And now the senators lose a big chunk of that in him. Now, mind you, I mean, I would love Brady Kachuk on my team. But there is a large part of, to be quite frank, idiocy in some of the things that he does,

i.e. fighting Jordan Stahl on that opening draw, like some of those things you can go without. So that helps them. But I would agree with you. They are a very intriguing story this season. Totally. I want to get to some of our interactive, like some of the tweets that came in. You put out a great question about, you know, send us here most.

What was it? The wildest prediction of the year. So this fan moment is a presentation of Coca-Cola. Being a hockey fan is a commitment, the superstitions, the chance, the pacing, the standing through overtime because sitting somehow feels wrong. Whether you're making the climb to the nosebleeds, rallying your section to start the wave or keeping one eye on your game,

and the other on the out-of-town scores, True Fandom puts in the work and every shift deserves an ice cold Coca-Cola. Fan work is thirsty work. All right, Zach, what do we have here? So the QOD that you threw out today on the sheet Twitter slash X feed was what? Yeah, so we put out here earlier today. Let's get wild. Drop your wildest predictions of the 2026, 2027 NHL season.

So let's start with maybe my favorite one here, Jeff. the first reply. This one comes in from NHL trade alerts. Minnesota trades Quinn Hughes 2. Dot, dot, dot, Vancouver for Zeeboyam, Liam Ogren, Marco Rossi, and a 2027 first round pick. We'll call this one.

What do you think? We'll call this one. Nothing ever happened. Nothing to see you here or look away. Yeah, no kidding. We'll just send back the exact same compensation to try to get the. Funny. Great one.

I very much enjoy it. By the way, as Emily Kaplan broke yesterday, Bill Garan with the contract extension. So we are guaranteed more Bill Garan hijinks. And how quickly, you know, it's funny. I was thinking about this the summer as the Quinn Hughes story started to play itself out. When he made that trade, what did we all say about Bill Garron? Look at this. Big balls.

Look at that big boisterous trade. Well, I think Quinn Hughes even said something along that. Yeah. Yeah. Right. And now, if Garan can't resign him, they either go through the season with him to try to win the Stanley Cup or have to trade him and probably get less than that amount that they ended up giving up for him. How quickly it goes from, you know, look at, you know, big brave Bill Garan to look how reckless he was. Look at reckless Bill Garan.

Like, just like that. Like, we're the worst. are the worst just to get that out there right away to be like oh reckless and sloppy look at frivolous with the franchise look all no futures and what are they going to do now in the middle and they like oh rossi and what are you going to get for quin hues and it's pennies on the dollar if you try to do it at a deadline blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah I don't want to butcher exactly what it was that he said but i almost like prep like getting ahead of it was that uh radio broadcaster in minnesota remember at the minnesota state fair yeah and he said you can't

trade him. You can't train him. The fans don't. It would be a failure. And then he basically says you're going to have to resign from your job if he doesn't restart. No, I think he said, what was it? If you can't resign him, will you resign? Yes. Like, Jesus. We're already getting ahead of it. It hasn't even happened yet. Okay. Let me get to the next one here that we've got. This one comes in from Jackson Smith on Twitter. Jackson says, his wildest prediction, Buffalo starts out poorly, panics in trades unprotected first plus others to Winnipeg for Hellebuck. Buffalo misses the playoffs

and Winnipeg wins first overall with the traded pick. Wild. Tough one last night for the Buffalo Sabres. Losing Zellwiger. Zelliger of the concussion. Samuelson blocked a shot as well. So that's not great

to start the season off. trades unprotected first plus others to Winnipeg for Halibuck. I still look at Buffalo and Winnipeg and say there's a deal there. And Winnipeg wants players. You know, I could see Buffalo moving Josh Norris. I could see, you know, Noah Oslin just re-up so I don't see them trading him. That was, uh, I, I'm sorry. I forgot who put out the report, but there was a report that, uh, Winnipeg was

weary of a injury-prone center from the Buffalo Sabres. Now, who could that be? I forgot who put out of the report. I apologize to them, but I was like reading that. Name rhymes with Josh Norris. Yeah, no kidding. Although, Yuri Kaleech as well. So there's something that I am interested in that gets me thinking from this wild prediction.

Yeah. And I have a lot of faith in Yarmo's ability to stand strong in a negotiation and say, I'm not going to get strong armed, even though I want this player really badly. If I really want Connor Hellbuck, there's somebody else who's there that I think would be very, very interested in this player because, A, they are very, very good and would help their team. And B, they are an American player. And that's Terry Pagula. and I wonder at what point he starts to get restless and say,

you know what, fuck it. Get this guy. You know, because if they start to see him better, Jeff, then yes, it delays it. And I don't think he feels that, that antsiness.

But if there's a slow start, an average start, I am going to be keeping an eye on that. But the thing is, like, what if it's a start that you can't blame on the goaltending? Like, Ukebacka Lugan and Snow Trade just kicked in on July 1st. I don't know. know if he has Winnipeg on the no-fly zone.

I would suspect so. A lot of players do, and that could scotch that deal. But I really do think that even if Buffalo because I think they probably had the conversation internally. Well, I shouldn't say it. I'm positive they had the conversation internally because this is a team that, you know, dance

with Winnipeg at the draft. I think that they, I think Winnipeg really looks at, or Buffalo looks at their goaltending and says, I don't know that we can make our minds up about someone like Lukinen, considering even though as frustrated he may

have been in the goalies look leaky and all, that was Luchin's first time in the playoffs. So Conor Halibuck deal or not, I think that the Buffalo Sabres are fine with their goaltending. I do understand the USA Hockey Association and the love of it from the owner Terry Pagula,

but I think even if they don't and if Hellebuck goes to Utah, Carolina take your pick, I think Buffalo is fine with their goaltending. I really, really do. I also think they're fine. to be clear. I'm just wondering about somebody who might look at name. Yeah.

And think that is more important. Forget where I'm coming from. You're not the first to note how much of an affinity Terry Pagula does have for USA hockey. That is, that is well told. Okay. Turning our attention now quickly to someone that I mentioned out at the top of the program, Carter Meyer is a name.

You're going to hear a lot of you probably know his dad, Freddie Meyer, former NHLer, just to make us feel old. He's a second generation hockey player again. And this one, you're going to hear his name called very early, the 2027 NHL draft. He plays with Quebec Ramparts, and today named one of the first four playing for Team CHL against the USA,

the National Team Development Program, at the Prospect Challenge, December 1st and 2nd, the first in Chakouta and the second in Quebec City, where Carter plays for the ramparts. Carter Meyer joins the other program, pleased to have him aboard. First of all, Carter, congratulations on getting named. Did you have a feeling this would happen?

Because the minute you announce it's like, oh, yeah, he's going for sure. I mean, I was kind of, we were doing like the captains. Like, they were announcing the captains. And then, you know, Dash and it was on the team last year. And he told the whole group. And, you know, I didn't know when it came out. But, you know, it was very good to hear. And, you know, it being in Quebec, too, it's like, at this rink, it's crazy.

Like, I have to ask because you came over to the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League from the program as well. Is it going to be weird playing against essentially playing against your old team and old teammates? And some kids grew up playing with. Yeah, I mean, definitely, especially like just me still being, you know, close with some of the guys on the team. And obviously in the summer training with a couple of them. But, you know, I can't wait. I'm super excited to play against them. Obviously, me being there last year, but, you know, just, you know, moving forward with it and again, again, like playing against them at, at our rank, it's going to be a lot of fun.

Hopefully all the fans show out for it. It's one of the best ranks in the CHL. I mean, the old one was, you know, certainly legendary, but Videotron Center is absolutely gorgeous. The bowl is massive. If you haven't been, like when it's full, as you know, it's absolutely rocking and it's really loud. How has your experience been so far with the ramparts? It's been so much fun. I mean, just whether it's, you know,

Sean to rink at 8 a.m. every day or, you know, playing golf with the guys, whatever it's been, like, everyone's been so welcoming, the coaching staff, like, we get treated like it's, you know, like it's an NHL team. I mean, I'm very grateful to be here, especially here with my brother, too. I think just, you know, I'm just trying to take it day by day

and soak it all in and have the most fun with it. and, you know, try and develop the most I can. I think so far, you know, it's been a lot of fun. We've done that, so. You know, it's interesting, Carter. We've talked so much on this program and elsewhere. I'm sure you've followed it, whether it's, you know, talking about, you know,

the Hughes boys want to play together and the Kchucks want to play together. You're getting that chance now with your brother. He's got a season under his belt. Freddie playing defense with the ramparts. What's it been like? What's that phenomenon like playing with your sibling? Yeah, I mean, obviously, like, we've been together, like, every day since, you know, I went away last year.

But I think you don't even realize what it's like until, you know, you actually do it, especially at kind of this high of a level. Like, you always, you know, want to, you grow up and imagine, like, playing with your brother. But, you know, getting to do it here at this organization, like, it's something that, you know, we couldn't have dreamed of. And so far since we've been here, like, it's been so much fun. And, you know, like I said, like, we both just take it day by day. like you don't know where you know we're going to be next year the year after so i think it's kind of just you know appreciating those moments that we have together and just it just makes it more feel more at home just you know coming back from the rink every day and seeing him at the house so

okay it's september 23rd i know it's still early but do you look at draft lists do you let yourself like look at you know who's got you where and oh look and i'm in this place in this list and i'm that place and that list and where does elite prospects have me and like do you let your brain go there now? Do you try to zone it out? And like for a lot of kids in their draft, you're like their teammates will just like put up lists in their locker and their stall.

So like they can't avoid it. Like do your teammates do that to you? No, I haven't gone any of that yet. But I think it's kind of just, you know, obviously the draft will come. But, you know, there's so much time that you still have. And the season just started, but there's still so much time to, you know, get better.

And as you see every year, like those lists can change just like that. So I think it's kind of just, you know, focusing on yourself and helping the team win. And I think that's going to give you the best chance to get drafted as high as you can. But, you know, that day will come and super excited for it. But it's still a lot of work to be done and stuff like that. Tell me about the line, Pandolfo, Sears, and Meyer. It's like a campfire story, you know? It's just people talk.

We haven't played together in a while. But when we did play together, I mean, it was a lot of fun just, Sam's a big kid. He would cycle pox in the corner and then obviously Finn's skill would come out. I just thought it was like we'd all work together so well. I mean, obviously I miss playing with them

but can't wait to play against them. You're too young to have watched Sam's dad, Jay, Pandolfo, play, but like one of the best two-way players of his generation as well. What can you tell us about Sam as a player? I think he's definitely kind of coming like that.

Obviously, he's a lot, he's a bigger kid, so, you know, he uses his body well and protects Pucks well, but I think he's playing center this year. I've talked to him. You know, he's liking it, but he's a good 200-foot player, kind of just like his dad, but, you know, he's not afraid to, you know, get on the score sheet. He's been scoring, so hopefully that continues for him. Tell me about your dad. I watched him play, covered him.

You know, there's a great story of. of the New York Islanders, PR director, Master of Communications, driving your dad to the hospital for when you were brought. I think you had to leave a game as well. Legendary story in those circles. But what can you tell me about, you know,

again, like you're involved in it, so it might be difficult to explain. But growing up with a dad who played in the NHL, what was that like for you? Yeah, I mean, honestly, it's kind of probably the reason why I'm here, to be honest, having his, you know, guidance and, you know, he understands the game.

Like, he's played for a while or he did play for a while. But, you know, he gets it as a player too. And he knows, you know, whether it's in the summer, whatever it is, like, what I should be doing, all that stuff. Like, so just kind of having someone that's, you know, already been through it, it's, that's, it's been so helpful. And, you know, I can't be, you know, I'm just so grateful to have him and, you know, how much he's done for me, even my mom too, just, you know, how much both of them done for me and my brother. It's, you know, something we can't ever repay them for. But I think that's definitely been, you know, something that's helped me so much,

just having someone that's been through it. As your dad ever told you, the person I'm referring to is Kimber Auerberg, who's the media relations director, a long time for the New York Islanders, one of the great guys of the game who drove your dad from a game to see you born. Is your dad ever told you that story? No, he's never told me that story. I'm surprised he did that, but... Speaking to mom and dad, I know when dad was playing in Sweden,

I believe him and your mom would tour you and your brother around various countries in Europe. What do you remember from that? I kind of just remember, like, it's so weird, but, like, I remember just, like, there's one moment just, like, me, like, getting food on a tray at school. I mean, like, it's the worst. weirdest thing ever, but that's literally like the only thing I remember. But there's like photos of

us like skating on like the pawns and stuff in Sweden with like Jofa Bucky's on. It's, it's, but I don't really remember too much, but I'm, I'm pretty sure we kind of, me and my brother like used to speak Swedish, but I have nothing, nothing of, can't do that. No, you got the blonde hair like a sweet, like go for a man. Like can you, can you, can you, you can't remember anything? There's nothing. Yeah. How's your French coming along? I know some of the swear words, but I'm like, bonjour and stuff. Besides that, it's...

So, you know, bonjour swears and some chirps in French? Yeah, basically. All right. That's all you need, man. Really quick, before I let you go, tell us a couple of things about Simon Gagne. What's your relationship with him like? I mean, even just since the first time I've met him,

I think it's, you know, obviously you know what he did in the NHL and everything he accomplished. I think that's another, like, kind of guy you look up to and guy that, you know, if you ever need something, if you need to talk to him or anything, like he's definitely going to be there for you. But, you know, just what he's done with, like, bringing in, like, me and James and having Maddox, Quinn, all these guys here, like, I think he's done a very good job. And he's, I don't think you could ask for a better GM, honestly. And, you know, the way we get treated here, it's first class. So nothing but great things to say about him. Like, your team's really good. Like, you've got a really good team.

How much, like, I'm curious. Just like how much already would Gagne be talking to about Memorial Cup in Guelph, if at all? I mean, obviously, we got to have a good start and stuff like that. But, you know, I think so far we definitely have the. like the foundation and the start for it. So, you know, hopefully, hopefully we can go for that. Well, a lot of hockey until then.

And we'll look forward to seeing you on the first and second of December in Chakotomy and Quebec City, the CHLUSA prospects challenge. The game on the second, like bluntly is going to be a banger in Quebec City, man. Like I can't like, you always like circle dates. We're like, I got to get to that game. That one got circled early, man. That one got circled really early. Carter, it's been a delight.

Good luck with the ramparts. Good luck at the challenge on the first and second. And good luck the rest of the way this season. We'll be following you for the draft. Good luck. Thanks for having me. Pleasure was all. Ours here.

That is Carter Meyer. Is Freddie Meyer's son. You'll remember a former NHLer. And Zach, it happens every year. Maybe it's starting to happen to you too as you start to age, hopefully more gracefully than I do, that you start to see like, oh yeah, you know what? I covered your dad.

And now I'm starting to cover your dad. career as well. I wish the kid the best. This has nothing to do with Carter. You're going to hate this. I'm really sorry ahead of time. I had one of my first, whoa, like I'm getting older,

older, let me clarify. I'm not old. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Wait a little frosted tips come. Wait a little great start popping through it. Salt and pepper time for you soon.

I got a highlight package that came up on my Twitter feed yesterday. Okay. So 10 years ago today as of yesterday. the three-on-three overtime finals between Team North America and Sweden. I was at that game. Yeah. I was watching all the names going, oh, my God, that was the team North America because they were, they weren't, but they were like too young to play for Team Canada or Team USA.

You know what I mean? And I'm looking, I'm like, Pariko, McKinnon, you know, Guadro was on there, McDavid. Matthews, I'm like, Oh, my. My God, like these were all the guys on the young team. None of them look like they're even old enough to shave. You know, they're barely old enough to piss straight. And they're these kids that like the whole tournament is totally behind.

You know, I remember, I'll tell you story. I remember John, in an interview I did with John Cooper, he said that was the best team he ever coached. He said, like, you go like 20 years from now and you go look back at that team and count how many guys are in the Hall of Fame or how many guys like made significant contributions to hockey during their career. He said it was nuts.

I remember, so I was at that game. Actually, you know what? You know who I sat with? Because that was an afternoon game. And like I never missed a team North America game because they were so exciting. I sat with Tyler Delo. This is before Delo was with a team.

Now it was, of course, assistant general manager with the Carolina Hurricanes. When he was blogging. Stanley Cup champion, the MC 79 hockey. Yeah. And we just sat there. And at the same time, the game was amazing. Like, it's one of the best games I've ever been at.

And it was like an afternoon game. And I think it's, and we were saying like each other, like, can you imagine just like only spending, because I get tickets for like 10 bucks for that game? Imagine just spending 10 bucks to watch this, to watch how incredible this game is and was. Like, that's one game that I'm never going to forget. Yeah.

And that move that McKinnon pulled online. Unquest. Just an all-timer. Yep. That was a great game. I was at university with my buddies. I was my first year of university. Yeah. And I remember like we all went out to dinner and got beers and stuff to watch that

game. So I remember vividly watching that game. You remember how popular that team was. Yes. Right? And I remember I did a couple of years after that. I did a, it's actually this is during COVID. Did a video where we brought back.

for NHL.com brought back a bunch of players from Team North America, like the biggest cult team that the NHL has ever had. And Eichol was on, was in one of the boxes. And what Eichol kept coming back to was, I don't know why you're so fascinated with this team or why people are so fascinated with this team. We didn't do anything. We didn't win anything.

Nothing. And I just remember thinking it was like, they captured the imagination of everybody in this tournament to the point where, like, I legitimately wondered, Philly, if it would have come down to Team North America

versus Team Canada, who would the crowd have cheered for? Because you remember how much everybody was behind Team North America and just loved Team North America? That would have been an interesting crowd at the then-Air Canada center. No, it would have been Scotia Bank then too. Or was it Air Canada? I can't remember.

Anyway, Therank in Toronto. Yeah. It was Scotia Bank at that time. Was it Scotiabank at that point? So what would the fans have done with that one? That is a very interesting hypothetical. I don't. I have no clue.

That's one of those ones where, you know, I'm just, I just hope everyone has fun. I'm just here for hockey. Who would you have cheered for? But the thing is like, you're a young guy. You probably would have cheered for Team North America. Probably. Older people still would have cheered for the logo and the Maple Leaf. They still would have?

Yeah. I think I would have to cheer for Team. Team North America. Yeah. I could see my dad being just salty, being like, I don't give a shit about this, Team North America. There's punk's kids. What do they think they are?

You're right, though. You know what? I probably would have cheered for Team North America. I would have. And I'm technically one of like the olds. I'm closer to that demographic. But I love that team because that was like the peak into the future, right? This is where hockey is going.

That's what made that team so fascinating. Here we are sitting, you're talking about Team North America's September 23rd before the season starts. But the like the merchandise was great, the look was great, the way they played was fantastic. True. And like how many times do you ever?

I thought about this a lot. How many times do you ever get a peek into the future? We do with players, but when do you get a peek into the future with a team? And that's what that team was. Like that team was like, okay, in 10 years, this is what the whole league is going to play like. And that's what it is now. Like you go back and you watch Team Ruth America and you're like, oh yeah, that's like hockey now. Yeah.

That's what made that team so fantastic. And even though, to Eichols' point, they didn't do anything, they didn't win anything, but they captured everybody's imagination. Yep. Yeah. That was just what made me feel really, like, weird watching it. I'm just seeing all the names and thinking that you look at those guys as veterans and a lot of, you know, captains and leaders and cup champs and stuff on those teams that we all bookmarked

into the Hall of Fame already. I'm like, yeah. That was the U23 team. I know, man. I was like, oh, no. 10 years ago today, I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah, all right. They were so much fun, dude. I loved it.

I loved the best cult team of all. I don't have any merch from it. I got tons from Sweden. Do you? Yeah, you know why? Because you know who I was there with? Who got me some stuff? Who's that?

Ufeuede Bodine. The legend. Oofi. Our guy. Yeah. Yeah. So seldom you get a chance to catch up with Ufei. I'm like, oh, buddy, this is awesome.

First he does give me a toke. weren't you doing some he was sweeted to I was so this was this you were doing some like side broadcast so we were doing we were doing post games

it was me and Ryan Whitney and Colby Armstrong yeah and I remember specifically um talking to Witt

we're going back we're walking I think we're gonna go like go for a drink or something and he's like yeah you know I'm thinking of doing a podcast

I met this guy RA at a bar and He writes for Bartstool. We're thinking about, I want to get biz involved. And I was like, you look back now and that was the beginning of chicklets. He was just like, yeah, I think I'll do it. Maybe I'm not sure.

You ever heard of this podcasting thing? Is there anything to it? Yeah, that was the Witt days, man. That was fun. Those were good times. Those were good times. I got a, somebody submitted this during the show here. It's a wild prediction.

If you want to circle back to this. Yeah, of course. Let's go. It's another Kinnux related one. Oh, geez. I'm going to fire away with this one. This one comes in. Okay.

From Talkett's Tie on Twitter. Okay. I like it already. Canucks accidentally make the playoffs. Accidentally. I liked how it started. Backed into the playoffs. Oops.

Sorry, boss. Elias Pedersen gets his groove back. Besser scores 35 plus and Boyam lights it up. It would be the most Vancouver thing. When you plan to lose, you make it into the playoffs. Okay. Okay, everybody, let's understand here. We all saw Land and Dube.

DuPont last year and ever, right? Okay, so this year he's playing in Michigan. Okay, so eyes on the prize here, everybody. Mani, mani, get over here. Eyes on the prize. This is what, you see that guy. You see that guy in Michigan. That's the guy we want.

We see him playing with Eve William for 15 years. That's what we need. And then Pedersen goes off and wins a rocket Richard. And Bessor, and they're like, yeah, accelerated rebuilds. Yeah, exactly. Accelerated rebuild. We rebuilt over the summer. That was our rebuild.

And now it's back off to the races. And now let's go sign guys. Don't you remember we got the fourth overall pick? Does everybody not remember that? Caleb Melhotra. We went there. We did it. We're done.

Yep. We're done. Here we go. Let's get Caleb in the lineup. Braden Coots. Yeah, you get full-time service. Here we go. Adam Novotny right this way.

Everybody hurry up. Our rebuild is done. There we go. That was painless. It's not going to happen. I like that one, though. It's not going to happen. I mean, that is one of the questions, too.

Like, who's going to be the worst team in the NHL? I think we're all expecting Vancouver, but that's by design. Not that you can never tell players or a coaching staff to lose, but you can design a team around it. Okay, hold on. You got another one? I got one here because it's very specific. Uh-oh.

And I want to be able to hold onto this one and come back to it. Just in case this happens so that we can at least say that, you know what, we showed it on the sheet before it happened. So this comes in from RV DNSX. Okay. The New York Rangers will surprise everyone and finish second in the Metro and make a run to the Eastern Conference finals where they will lose to the Montreal Canadian. So I like that tie in the Chris Crieder against. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I know that's a great one. He wipes out your stricken now. Yeah. Well, Rangers fans ever forgive him. The Canadians will end up winning the Stanley Cup by defeating the Avalanche. inch in six games. So the Canadians beat the Quebec Nordiques. Crider wipes out Schisturkin.

There's a whole sort of subtext to this one as well. I don't think, first of all, I kind of like the Rangers. I like Dersie and Pedersen as a pair. Like the blue line's better. Shishirkin is still going to be Shishdurkin. Dora Fiev may have the best one-timer in the game. Like when you talk about like one-timers,

like you've seen like guys that just look like so smooth with one timers like on the back end like Dougie Hamilton's that guy but up front find me a smoother one-timer than Pavel Dorifaev I don't know that it exists in the NHL having said that people are going to tweet in like 50 guys they think I have better one-timers than Dorofaev like I don't know man I do I do like the Rangers better could I also see it all falling apart absolutely totally I can see it falling apart. But they don't exactly play in the division of death. They play in the Metropolitan Division.

Having said that, that's what the Stanley Cup resides. So, you know, take it down a notch, Merrick. I don't mind them, but that would be a wild one. That would be a wild one. And at the end of all of it, Montreal played against the Nordeaux of the avalanche. I do wonder if, like, if it goes to a game seven and it's in Montreal,

Would the avalanche wear the Nordic's jerseys? I would love to say that. No, because there's like certain dates. No, I know. There's certain dates, but could you make like, I don't know, for the olds in the audience? If like Montreal took Colorado to a game seven at the Bell Center, could they wear the nerds jerseys?

Who put in the request this year? There was a team that requested to wear different jerseys in the playoffs. Who was it? Oh, was it Pittsburgh? No. No, it wasn't Pittsburgh. Who was it? You're right. Damn. That's what the chats. Yeah, it's what the chats for. Like, just filibuster until someone in the chat goes, hey, dummy, this is who it was.

Yeah, and it got rejected. Because it's all sort of pre-planned through it. And Carolina has their heart for day. And the avalanche does have their Nordic special days. Could you be able to call that on the fly? Yeah, because they, I'm just loading. I'm trying to find who it was this year. but it happened this year and I believe.

Oh, it was the Maple Leafs. Sorry, Philly. So funny. So happy the seasons back. Okay, it looks like it was the Penguins. Was it the Penn? I thought it was somebody more. But what did the Penns want?

I love the old blues. They were asking to wear their gold alternate jerseys. Oh, really? But for some reason in my head it was something, not to diminish the Penguins here in this sense, but something more significant than that. Like, I thought that there was like a bigger purpose behind why the team wanted to use their jerseys. But I guess not.

Hmm. I like the old, like the original Pittsburgh Penguins, like those blues with the penguins. Buffalo. Buffalo. Oh, is Sabers? Because they wanted to wear a certain, a Tage fan reminding me is Buffalo. They wanted to win. Sabers fan.

Yeah, a boy coming through. Yes. Great dude. Reminding, it was because they were wearing a certain color when they were winning games, I believe is one of us. so they wanted to wear a certain color at home and change something up. I think that's what the situation was. I'll try to confirm that, but yes.

Okay. So they tried to change it on the fly. Yeah, and you can't. Yes. I mean, you can. Just got to get the NHL to sign off on it. But tell me that wouldn't be really cool. Game 7 in Montreal, Bell Center,

Avalanche where the Nordicues? I guess now it's a little different, but like would it be would it I don't think avalanche fans would like it because they win the Stanley Cup they don't want to be wearing anything other than an avalanche shirt exactly I get it again like but again like

it's like a faux pa I there's a phrase coined by Terrence McKenna decades ago you know how there's paranoia there's another term pro noia you know paranoia you're suspicious of everyone's out to get you that's paranoia

pro noia and i agree with this this is a great way to live is the assumption that the world is conspiring and everybody is conspiring to amuse you that's pro noia that's what i favor a lot more than paranoia i like pro that the world exists just to amuse me to tickle me under the chin and make me laugh that's why i like the idea of the avalanche wearing in nordic jersey for a game seven against montraulton canes at the bell center checks out Proenoia. Pronoia. Live that way.

My PSA to everybody today. Live that way. Not paranoid, but proenoid. Just so we can make sure we straighten out that sabres thing before I leave with people here. And I took myself later for like bad information. Was it the sabers? It was the sabers. Okay.

They requested to wear the goat head jerseys. But they were the third jersey. I'm in the minority. I'm in the minority on the goat head. I don't like it. Really? No. I don't.

I like the originals Yeah Like I think It's so The original is so beautiful And the colors are great And the logo is fantastic

And the swords And the like Don't touch it But I know everyone loves a go ahead I know I just think it's a cool Thing to do every now and then That's one of those ones

It's like nice every now and then Fine It's fine Yeah It's okay I just think the Sabors Have the best look Like the OG look

Is the best Don't mess with it. Well, not to go Hollywood on everybody here today. Oh, here we go. The last thing I'll ask you here is on that note then, what do you think about the flames wearing the O-4 jerseys a couple of times in their final season at Saddle Dome? They put out that announcement yesterday.

I think they're wearing four times. I love it. And I will forever scratch my head why Calgary didn't call a timeout after the Martin Jellina goal. That should have been a goal that didn't count. I'm going, let's just go to the face off. but then I'm also the guy that says the Buffalo Sabres shouldn't have left the ice in 99.

They should just stayed on the ice and protest the foot in the crease. But nonetheless, I digress. I like those. Listen, that one is for the arena and the fans. Yeah. And that was like the last great hurrah, the trip to the Stanley Cup final, so no problem with it.

What about you? Yeah, I think it's cool. I think it's a good final send-off. This is one of those ones, though, Jeff, where, like, I wish the NHL wasn't so clamped down on some of these things, Because why not wear it more than four? It doesn't have to be for 40.

It doesn't even have to be for, you know, 15. Like, could you find an opportunity to wear it eight times? Like, could you wear it when you play against, like, a team of significance from that season? And then maybe a couple of your rivals from now. Tampa. Well, yes. Yeah. But like maybe some teams that you played along the way.

Maybe some teams that you beat through the Western Conference on the way there. Like that, that kind of stuff. Could you find a way to mix it in a couple more times? Just it is a one-off, right? You're doing it the one year. Could you find a way to do it a couple more rather than having a limit on how many times you could wear it? I know the NHL's sensitive about it because at the one, on the one hand, like you and I have, and I would argue the majority, if not everybody watching slash listening to this,

has followed hockey for a long, long time. Right? And long, I would say, is anything more than five years. Okay? So you get a lot of the references and you understand it. You're familiar with the logos, the brand identification and all that. I understand why the NHL is sensitive about always playing around with different jerseys, different logos, different looks. Because as you attract new fans, brand association and brand identification really only happens when it's that same look every single time. and you want that for the majority of the time.

And that's why I understand like a couple of times a year, cool. But there's a certain point where it's like just, you know, I used to actually say this about even, you know, Carolina wearing Hartford throwbacks. Like just establish your own look and your own brand for your fans and for everybody else. But then I catch myself and I always say, people want to do it and if people like it, let them do it.

But for a brand association point of view, you want the majority of time to be in the regular jerseys. And I think that's fair. But I would say that's like applicable to the Maple Leafs wearing the same Pat's jerseys. I love that look. Oh, I love it too. But I'm saying from the brand association perspective where it's that something very different, the Flames one is it's still the Flames uniform. We're not going out there dressed like a completely different team.

It's, it's an alteration of the jersey. And I think that's, that's cool. If you want a tribute to the city, go WHA Calgary Cowboys style. I love that logo. With the hat, the skate, the stick. Oh, yeah. Go Calgary Cowboys. One night only.

Come on, NHL. Let the Flames do it. You're looking for the Calgary Cowboys logo? Yeah. You're going to fire it up here for the people. WHA had the best logos, man. They really did. WHA had the finest logos.

The Screaming Eagles were dynamic. Blazers were great. Look at that. Come on. on. That's good. Yeah, I like that.

It's fun. Everybody wants to be like mean and tough now and all this. We talk about the penguins. Like they have like the CrossFit aggressive penguin now.

Like I want the portly one that they launched with with the scarf and the beer belly. Like a real real penguin. Look at that cowboys. Like the Hershey bear. Don't get me. That was what we talked about.

Don't get me. Two weeks ago. Don't get me started on Coco. Caps were playing in Monday and Hershey as well and they had Coco's on the set. It was just like that. Ozempic Coco. That ain't my.

Yeah, that ain't my. That ain't my cocoa, man. My cocoa's like a real bear. Just ate like 35 salmon, needs a nap. That's my bear. Yeah. That's my bear.

Well, and I think that's it for me here, Jeff. I think got everything there. All right. Fooled him again. Oh, actually, I do have one thing. What do you got? There are two things, I guess. So things starting back up again in that nature.

So one thing that took place today, the Sean Avery show, first episode happened. Bingo. Check that out on the hockey fights. dot com YouTube channel. Excellent. And the other thing, selfish plug here. After Dark, Leafs, After Dark returns tonight.

Oh, Ottawa. Yeah, Leafs Sends. You got the smelling salts out or you got a new gimmick for us this year. Back with the salts? If it ain't broke, don't fix it. So I got the salts kicking around for tonight. So I'll have the post game show for tonight following Leafs sends. Probably going to be a lot of preview stuff because let's be honest.

I don't really care what happens in the final preseason game. Nobody does. A lot of preview stuff. Just get back in the mix here before the regular season starts up next week. That's fantastic. That's great. Another thing before we close, one last offseason move for you, Nation Gear is having an end of offseason sale, 15% off the entire offseason

social club collection for a limited time. This isn't just your average fan gear either. The collection is made with premium athletic wear built for wherever you. your season takes you, whether that's a round of golf, a patio beer, a weekend away or anywhere you feel like being comfortable and looking good. The offseason is almost over. Grab yours while you can. 15% off the entire offseason social club collection for a limited time at nationgear.

com. Tomorrow on the program. Greg Wasinski will stop by from ESPN and ESPN.com. Our special guests, both of them, Halbro, Halford and Brough, right here on the program. back on the air. That starts Monday, right, Zach? I got my timetable right here for Halloween. September 28th.

That's fantastic. So Halford and Brough on the program tomorrow right here on the sheet. In the meantime, enjoy you preseason action. And if you get a chance, check in Philly tonight after the Ottawa Senators and the Toronto Maple Leafs. How long are you going to take the show tonight? No, no. We'll keep it reasonable. You're going on Broadway tonight?

You're going on. No, but I am laughing at this puck battle in the chat just says, Does Hiller get fired tonight on Zach's show? Not that early. Come on, guys. I'm not that nuts. Oh, by the way, congrats to everybody here at Nation Network.

And yourself included, how late did you go last night with this new studio? Well, I was here wrapping everything up until about four. And then I think that was when the final show was concluded. And then I hung around until about 5 o'clock before I had it home. It's fantastic. Everybody here from our international headquarters as well,

a better collective. We're here. Thanks to them for stopping by for the big official launch here of the new studio in downtown Toronto. And everybody that flew in, whether it was Ryan Pinder and Talley Remchuk

and Jay Rosehill and Johnny Lazarus, a lot of the all-stars here for the launch. And I could just tell because Jay had a smile after the ribbon cutting just before the sheet yesterday,

Jay, our boss, had this smile on his face the entire time. He recorded a video touring around. I don't know if that's going to be released anywhere, but he was like Proud Papa. So that was fantastic yesterday. Congratulations on everybody. Nick Carolli, specifically in Amel Delich for putting this all together, all while keeping the network afloat and keeping shows on the air, crafted together this outstanding studio and this entire studio space.

Take a bow, gentleman. Well done to everybody involved. On behalf of everyone here at the Nation Network, Daily Faceoff and the sheet, thanks so much for joining us. We are back to Tomorrow, 1 o'clock Eastern for the sheet. Greg Wasinski, along with Halford and Brough, right here tomorrow, one Eastern on a daily faceoff YouTube channel or wherever you get your podcasts. Tip the Zamboni driver on your way out, although we should show this tomorrow, the driverless Zamboni in Colorado. We'll get to that tomorrow.

One o'clock right here on the sheet.