The Sheet with Jeff Marek - Friday Chat Day

Episode Date: March 21, 2025

Chat day on The Sheet! Jeff Marek and Zack Phillips answer all your questions and emails about everything going on in the world of hockey, as well as a little Sabres talk...Shout out to our sponsors!����🏼 Fan Duel: https://www.fanduel.com/👍🏼 Tim Hortons: https://www.timhortons.ca/rollupReach out to [e-mail] to connect with our Sales Team and discuss opportunities to partner with us!If you liked this, check out:🚨 OTT - Coming in Hot Sens | https://www.youtube.com/c/thewallyandmethotshow🚨 TOR - LeafsNation | https://www.youtube.com/@theleafsnation401🚨 EDM - OilersNation | https://www.youtube.com/@Oilersnationdotcom🚨 VAN - CanucksArmy | https://www.youtube.com/@Canucks_Army🚨 CGY - FlamesNation | https://www.youtube.com/@Flames_Nation🚨 Daily Faceoff Fantasy & Betting | www.youtube.com/@DFOFantasyandBetting____________________________________________________________________________________________Connect with us on ⬇️Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/daily_faceoff💻 Website: https://www.dailyfaceoff.com🐦 Follow on twitter: https://x.com/DailyFaceoff💻 Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailyfaceoffDaily Faceoff Merch:https://nationgear.ca/collections/daily-faceoff Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every now and again, every now and again, every now and again, I get a DM or a tweet or a text. What's that song that kicks off your show? It's called Through on a Record by Small Town Strip Club. I think they're playing in Guelph tonight. Hey Philly and Nashville, are they playing in Guelph tonight? Do you have the tour dates? Do you know? Or was that last night?

Did I have all my dates messed up? I can pull that up. I'll find it for us. All right. Turn your volume up too, man. Get your microphone. You're going to be a big part of the show today. You know why? My bad. It's put it in the fuck it bucket Friday. It's just chat day.

You know, we never get a chance really. As much as I big up how much the chat is fun to follow, and it is, like I'm sure you've seen me a million times doing a show, talking to someone, and I'm just looking down, laughing, having a look. Oh yeah, it's funny. That's good. That's good. That's good We never really dedicated enough time really to talking to people now normally Fridays are reserved for Brian Burke this week Burke he couldn't make it until much later. So we said Hit pause Burke he cool your thumbs Burke he come back next Friday and we're all good

So Brian's gonna join us next week in the meantime, we have a lot to get to today. Tommy T, Mr. Merrick, yes, I know, I know, I know. Salty tongue, but it's the weekend and look where Philly is. And it's tastefully decorated hotel bedroom. Pillows aren't even made. I won't even ask the question. Look at that.

Did you get service to make your bed? Did you make it yourself? No, made it ourself, made it myself. Yeah, I told them, I put the thing on the door, do not come in here. If you can see the setup I have sitting in front of me right now, to be able to do this show and some of the Leaf stuff that I had to do, yeah, it's a mess. That's okay, that's good though, that's okay. That's good though. That's part of being a professional.

So Philly's in Nashville right now for a Leafs Nation vacation. Want to get into some Maple Leaf stuff here in a couple of moments. Want to talk about the Rangers with you in a couple of moments here as well. But we've got a lot to go over. And before we get to the daily outlines here,

presented by our friends at FanDuel, let me read something off to you. Oh boy, who said this last night? Maybe after a loss to Anaheim at home. I know it's going to be a challenge. We've just got to find a way to find a little bit of joy in what we're doing. I think if we can do that through this stretch and find a piece of our identity, I know it's too late to find out exactly who we are, but just a little piece is kind of all I'm asking for, begging for from that group. It's challenging. We've got a lot of guys that haven't been in this situation, our veteran guys, for a while. I think mentally it's a drain, it's hard. But

they're going to be here a long time. Or they have a long time on their contracts. They're supposed to be our leaders. They have to set an example going down a certain way so our young guys see that we never want to be here again. But when we are here we have to handle ourselves with a little bit more professionalism than we are right now. Andrew Burnett, head coach, National Predators, taking shots at his veteran group, including, but not exclusive to, your Steven Stamkosas, your Brady Shays, your Jonathan Marchesos. That Philly is what we refer to in the industry as a dagger from the coach last

night. I know things have not gone well for Nashville. I get it. I think we're all wondering the same thing. Whose timeline is Nashville going to do this on? Like it's going to be a while for the Camelots and the Edstroms, et cetera, and the Molendikes to get to the NHL and establish themselves as that next group that's going to take Nashville hopefully to the playoffs. In the meantime, the timeline they're doing this on right now didn't work and come next season, Philly, all these guys are one year older. It's not gonna get any better soon, is it?

Anyway, thoughts on that one from Andrew Burnett. Bullets. Well, I did not see this until you read it to me right before we went on air. It's like kind of one of those ones where you can only laugh. Like it's not funny, but it's... I don't know. It's funny.

I'm not invested in any NHL team. I find all of this kind of funny. I find sports funny. Toys R Us. Look, I mean, I told you like Ryan O'Reilly last night also had to come comment along the lines of him paraphrasing, but it was, you know, I can't be mad at anything. I'm not good enough. Like, I'm not good enough to be mad. Yeah.

Like, it's a tough situation. I can't be mad at anyone else. Yeah, I get it. I get it. Yeah. And, I mean, look, we were here in Nashville. We were going to see if we could get some prebs on the show today, because we're doing a live one. You think anyone's willing to go on and do a show today? Don't think so. This is a tough one. This is a tough one.

Oh, small town strip town in the, in the, in the chat, by the way, small town in the chat, uh, in British Columbia next weekend. Uh, what else do we have? Where they are. Art Barcia there, I guess that's tonight. Anyway, in Guelph tomorrow night. There we go. In Guelph, home of the best university in Canada. The only one that would have me. University of Guelph. Yeah, well Ryan D'Souza, your buddy went there. Come on. D'Souza, yeah, yeah. Yes, he did. Yeah. Your buddy Liam went there. Your buddy Liam went there. Give him some love. Yes he did. I mean I'm not I'm not gonna get in the argument but Western

University. That's a your friend Elliot Friedman went there. I mean come on. Weak. Weak. Weak. I went there. Get purple, get naked, ghost things, go really creative. Really, really good. Yeah, did you hang out at Sogging Maitland too? Oh, here we go, all the frosh. Gonna go to the seeps this weekend, gonna crush a few tins. The seeps, maybe hit up Joe Cools.

Yeah. Real great. Yeah, it's a good spot. Alright, let's get to our... This is like gonna be the show today. It's gonna be like so sloppy, I swear. Like I apologize in advance if it just goes careening off the cliff. But here we go!

I got Robert Thomas and mailed it in, that was it. No, you did. You did a great job getting Robert Thomas down the St. Louis Blues man did that was that a fun game last night well a fun third period really but we'll get to that in a couple of seconds we got a lot to get McDavid and Drysaddle not playing tomorrow out for a week for the Edmonton Oilers chicken little the sky is falling there and I want to talk about Nick Suzuki's offside oh my god really that's where we're at okay I'll explain why if I mention what I did last night on Twitter.

In the meantime, here's what's allegedly coming up on this really loose program today. This really sloppy eff it bucket. There you go. To be nice Friday here on the program. Daily Outline presented and powered by Fandual. Our friends and presenters there. Make every moment more with North America's number one sports book. Don't forget FanDuel, North America's number one sports book app provider. And coming up on the program today, Philly, we got a lot of things to get to get taken care of and a lot of

it's gonna involve talking to people that are in the chat and take a ton of emails because we never get a chance to do this. And yes, we will talk about the Nashville Predators. Did I mention that Young Zach is in Nashville for the first time? And last night, Young Zach went on the town with J. Rose Hill and Carter Hutton and we'll talk about the Preds and everything Nashville. I think I mentioned on the program the other day, some of the best people in the NHL work for that organization. Oh boy. Are we going to talk about the Sabres? We're going to talk about the Sabres again. Now

they're putting the puck in their own net right under the nose of their owner and Kevin Adams. Maybe you've seen the picture. Could not be farther away from each other at that game. I only wonder what's going through Matt Ellis' mind. In that box yesterday, Matt Ellis is the eye in the sky coach for the Buffalo Sabres. And to balance out the hockey universe, we'll turn it into the Roch pod. The Rochester Americans pod.

Big three games and three nights for Rochester. Well, uh, and they're really good. We got to keep trying to balance out the Buffalo Sabres situation. Rochester, good. Buffalo, eh, not so much. We should talk about expansion, talk about Houston as well. You know it's funny I can remember even going back to when the Minnesota nurse stars moved to Dallas to become the stars that there was some talk about eventually Dallas getting their own

state rival and it looks feels as if it is on the horizon. We'll get into expansion talk. We know Atlanta's out there certainly and a couple of different groups vying there and looks like there's one according to Emily Kaplan that's very much in the hunt here in Houston. And chat! If you're watching live on YouTube you're part of the chat. So ask away, ask away. A couple of things before we get there though, Philly. First of all, how much hockey did you watch last night? I know you went out and around Nashville for the first time last night.

I'm guessing you had a good time. It's impossible not to in Nashville. But did you watch anything other than the Maple Leafs Rangers game? No, I'm just gonna be honest now. I've watched clips and stuff but last night was very much get here, get to the bar

set everything up because we did a show live there last night watch the Leafs game, meet and mingle everybody who came here on the trip with us and then out on the town. Okay. So, it was not much consumed outside of just standings watching and

clips and highlights. Did you see the Nick Suzuki offside in that Allenders game? Yes, I did. So the spirit of offside, again and please don't tell me oh does it only just have to be close to count when the puck goes over the goal line? Is that right? Offsides and goal lines are two completely different things. The spirit of the offside is just to keep players honest. Originally the intention wasn't for it to be an exact science, kind of like line changes or dump-ins around center. Like that's the one that I always keep coming back to here.

Like we're going through the off sides pixel by pixel. Yeah. Dump ins get a free pass. How many of them actually are from center or past center? Yeah. You played. No, it's not a lot, honestly. Like watch if people watch that closely, there's more icing that could be called a lot.

Yeah. So anyhow, so the, the, the spirit of it here is just kind of keep guys honest around the line, just so it's not egregious and 99 times out of a hundred, the line's been get it bang on. This one last night is the closest offside I have ever seen for a video review. I can't think of one that is this close. This is like half the width of a dime. Maybe if that. And even then the video is kind of blurry on it. Are we really prepared and willing to stop the game for that long to have a

look at this when the spirit of the offside rule isn't violated in any way shape or form? Are we really willing? I get that like the toothpaste is out and it's not going back. I understand that I'm the salmon here and this is upstream and I'm not going to win this argument because once it begins, you know Colin Campbell used to always talk about this and still does, the you know the the law of unforeseen circumstances and what comes out of what you think is going to be an altruistic rule that's going to make everything better can make the argument that offside review has made everything worse.

And I don't wanna get to a place where we're just completely fed up with offside reviews or video reviews, but man, I'm there. And to me, like the Nick Suzuki offside, and this isn't like a partisan thing, I don't have a dog in the fight, I don't care who wins between the Allenders and the Montreal Canadiens, I really don't have a dog in the fight I don't care who wins between the Allenders and the Montreal Canadiens I

really don't I just hated watching that like look at that if you're watching this on YouTube like look how close that is you're telling me that work that work we're cool with that in the NHL that we're cool taking that in the NHL. That we're cool taking that one back. I hate this, Jeff. I hate that this gets reviewed the way that it does. It's the thing, like, the only pushback on it that I would have is if it was like a VAR, where it's called right away,

like you know how in tennis they have the Hawkeye? I think that's what it's called. If there was some way for it to be instantaneous and like a light goes on, kind of tells you to stop playing. But there's times where we're going back a minute 45 after this has happened to review that. What's the point of this? Don't we want the product to be fast-paced, entertaining? Like that's part of what the game is. And then some new person turns on the TV and you see the refs over there with the headset looking at an iPad talking to the guys in Toronto for 10 minutes like, this is Matt Duchenne's fault.

Do you want that? Well, that was the play, but as, we should do an entire show on that one actually, because it was actually the official that thought that the defender brought the puck in, which actually caused all of this in the first place. But it wasn't just Matt Duchenne, there was also an Alec Martinez event as well. So I think it was the two, I think it was Duchenne and it was also a Martinez Los Angeles Kings incident that prompted everybody to throw their hands up in the air and say, we've got to do something about this. Well, way to go dummies,

because this is where we're at now. This is what we get. We get like this little tiny sliver of white between the back of Nick Suzuki's skate and the blue line, which is getting goals called back. No thanks, man. Like honestly, I've really had it with this one. Let's get to a couple of chat questions and then just sort of flow for the entire show here.

And we do have something we want to play by the way from Johnny Lazarus who I talked to this afternoon and said hey what are you doing this afternoon? He said well I can come on but I'll be like boozy in the pool he's at a bachelor weekend. I'm like no Laz I'm not gonna drag you into that but just stay in the pool stay all boozy for the weekend we're not to drag you into that, but just stay in the pool, stay all boozy for the weekend. We're not going to, we're not going to drag you into this one. Um, do you have, oh, here's one, Richard Chung, Jeff, who is your favorite hockey personality that you've interviewed?

Who that's a, that's a, that's a whopper. I really enjoyed back on six40 talking to Marcel Dion. I really enjoyed talking to... you know what? You know who might be my favorite? It's Peter Stastny. Really? Peter Stastny, long been a fan of. and he told an incredible story about 1976 and the Canada Cup and how the dressing room was split down the middle between the Czechs and the Slovaks which I had grown up never considering for for for one second yeah probably Peter Stasny I remember having I remember having a really good interview or a fun

interview at least, doing 32 with Bill Foley, the owner of the Vegas Golden Knights. And you want a hint for what to do with an owner now, if you ever talked to an owner on any of your shows, Philly? Yeah. So I asked Bill Foley, I kind of know what I'm doing when I'm doing this. Of course he's gonna give you an exaggerated answer, or he's gonna give you an honest answer that the NHL is going to hate. I said if there weren't a salary cap, how much would you spend on players? And he said like $150 million. All of it? I would spend all of it. Spend all of it.

Anything is good. All of it. Yeah, keep spending. That's a good answer. That's a good one. Anything from emails or anything you want to go over here from the chat? I'm just going to sort of surrender this one to you and let you drive as hungover as you might be today. But I'll just throw in, by the way, one, my favorite person that I've got to interview hockey

personality, I think might've been Philip Pritchard, by the way, the keeper of the cup. Oh, Phil is great. I got to interview him one time. It was amazing. Great historian. Great historian as well. Although my favorite, the favorite, my favorite

interview that I've ever done was with Dan Carlin, who I still can set from hardcore history, who I still consider the best podcaster period. I got to do a live event with him,lin, who I still can say from hardcore history, who I still consider the best podcaster period. I got to do a live event with him to host one in Toronto before his book came out. It was a book launch interview. That was hands down my favourite. Rick Hanson as well.

I can recall a moment where Rick Hanson, who rode his wheelchair across Canada and completely such an inspiration, I think he rode it around the world. I remember asking him, I said, you know, he's such an upbeat, lively person, really happy, and I said, does anything like make you angry? Does anything piss you off? And he said something along the lines of, because he's in a wheelchair, and he said, yeah, when I see people like you taking the escalator, because I'd give anything

to get up out of this wheelchair right now and walk up that flight of stairs. And ever since then, the only time I've ever taken an escalator or an elevator is when there's no stair option. I always think of that moment with Rick Hanson saying, I wish I could get out of this chair and walk up those stairs. That was it for me.

Never, unless there's no other option, I'll always take stairs, just because of that. That's, I, it's a cool story. Rick Hansen, baby. That's, yeah. Great guy. Here's a question for you from chat, Randy Workman. Jeff, have you ever thought about allowing the chat visitors on the show? Yeah, of course. In the chat.

100%. 100% I would. How would we do it? You want to have like a Brady Bunch screen? Like, or just like one at a time. I'm happy to do that towards the end of the season. Want to do that after Stanley Cup? Yeah I think that would be fun. We could find a way to do that. I mean I think one of the things which I don't want to reveal too much but we had talked with Wish about doing some stuff. Oh yeah. We'll circle back on that. Maybe there's a way that we could get that. I get that involved. I do want people to keep sending questions here in the chat I'm gonna read through them and I'll ask

Big Willie here has asked a few times so he wants to know Jeff Do you have a favorite moment so far from doing the sheet a favorite moment? Quote something that's happened here just in a short period of time. We can do this favorite moment from the sheet Yeah, I do. I think it might be yours as well. Yeah. I'm going to say it's also probably Willie's. Brian Burke civilians, some civilian that's been the, that's been the

highlight of the show so far. Brian Burke referring to some civilian who walked it just like the Brian Burke death stare, seeing Brian Burke stare that guy down as he opened the door to his office at the madame athletic center and then brookie saying That's some civilian And that is a common like that's a that's a that's a common saying from brookie That's how brickie refers to a lot of people. I was talking to some civilian last night. It's awesome I love it. So probably the the civilian for Big Willy Styles. Yeah, I think that's mine too. If you want another one that is kind of underrated, very funny for me at least, not in the moment. And I don't know if it

was funny for you in the moment either. But when we did Biz and Tulski and Tulski joined the waiting room and Biz saw him in the waiting room. That was awesome. That was great. I almost shit my pants. Why? Oh, there's Tulski and pointed at the screen and I was like, oh no. Because I forgot that he could see him join the waiting room. And you said, you were like, what do you mean? Because I know that you don't see that. I couldn't see it. I couldn't see the waiting room and Pizz is like he's right there and he's

pointing at the screen I'm like oh my god now in hindsight hilarious that's awesome now looking back on it is funny and I've had people message me about that speaking of speaking of Tulski eight in a row for the Carolina Hurricanes I know like eight in a row Jankowski'sricanes. I know like eight in a row Jankowski's got like four goals in five games and don't look now but like Doesn't Taylor Hall have like six points in six games? I'll sell him like Taylor Hall's totally heated up Sneaky just part that got added into that trade that has just not been talked about too It was all ranting and r Rannton and Rannton, he took up all the oxygen, understandably.

But like they got a really good player in Taylor Hall. He's fitting in nicely there. Teams doing well. I mean, again, we don't have to rehash the whole thing, but Jeff, like, Miko Rannton comes in, never seemed to work. I don't know if the fit of the way they play and the way he wants to play works. Whatever, we can debate all that.

Maybe just didn't want to be there. They got Stankov in back. They basically went to on par with where they were at before acquiring Ranzenen. Like we can debate however we'd like on that. But basically on par. They were already a really good team. I know. Here's another one for you. Here's another one just to like take you into the weekend and think about this one. What do you think of a Colorado-Carolina Stanley Cup final? The Rantunen Cup.

I would love that because that would also probably mean Colorado has defeated ranting in and the stars in the first round. Right. Good point. Which would be just another box to tick along the way there. And then we would all sit there and go, I can't believe he played

on both of those teams. Tell me the ranting and cup Carolina versus now. I mean, I don't think anyone's gonna say this publicly But I would imagine there's some people that are that are in the Carolina Hurricanes organization That would be like you know what we can do better with Hall and Stan Kovan than we can with natures and Drury Sounds bold agree sounds bold but Carolina's won eight games in a row. I'm just saying by the way You booked Robert Thomas probably one day too early

St. Louis look good again against Vancouver man, St. Louis is so hot right now There's a lot of weird things in that game to Justin folks is firing into the end into the bench To just like kill the play and momentum, mixing you know Brock Buster is scoring on a really cool goal. Elias Pedersen with a pair of assists and it's become really really obvious that if the Vancouver Canucks are going to make it into the playoffs, I don't want to see what Quinn Hughes is looking like. Like it's really really obvious that they're just going to have to like wildly overplay him every single game. And again, like last night, like there's a couple of like non Quinn Hughes moments that we saw because he's out there nonstop. Like every time you look at this,

oh, there's Quinn Hughes, oh, there's Quinn Hughes, oh, there's Quinn Hughes. If Vancouver's gonna do this, what is gonna be left of Quinn Hughes is my question. Because the only way they're gonna do is just keep this guy on the ice. Anyhow, Robert Thomas should have had a couple in the first period. Kai Rue did. Lankanen was fantastic. And keeping the Vancouver Canucks in this thing. And all of a sudden, St. Louis Blues now, playoff spot.

Here we go. Not only anyone's saying Gloria, I don't think anyone's talking about those days again here, but St. Louis Blues are in a playoff spot. Big win last night. There's a lot of cool stuff from last night. Like a lot of interesting stuff from last night. Rangers looked bad again,

that game that you watched with the Toronto Maple Leafs. That was interesting. Winnipeg, Edmonton with players leaving the ice. Conor McDavid leaving on injury. Concussion spotters taking Skinner out of the game. And Dry Cytl not playing. I don't know.

Don't know, man. I know. Imagine what the Oilers Nation guys are up to today. It's what I was doing on Saturday night. I think for 90 minutes probably just yelling and screaming. There's probably some panic going on. Oh by the way, you mentioned Bissonette a second ago. So an email. Matt from Brooklyn. I want to make sure we get in this one. This is interesting. Hey Jeff and Zach, the other week you were talking to Paul Bissonnette about Adam Foote

and defensive defenseman that deserved to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame. It reminded me, that's a lot of words. Wow. Yeah, that's a lot. That's a lot. Okay, drop that one. Okay, so defensive defense that deserved to be in the Hall of Fame reminded me of an interview John Cooper did after one of Tampa's cups where he was talking about

how great and underrated Ryan McDonough was in their playoff run. True. The thing that he pointed out about McDonough that made him so special was that he was the guy as a coach you put out there to end the game. To me, that idea is a useful criteria for defensive defensemen getting into the Hall of Fame. Was this guy a closer? Did you put him out there to end the game? McDonough is another great example. Huge success, great player, unheralded, buried behind stars, certainly in Tampa with the Cups. But if you ask all of those players

who are the guys that really held it all together for some of those Stanley Cups, there's a pair of the underrated guys. One is Andre Pallat and the other is Ryan McDonough. Not exactly a surprise that when Ryan McDonough left, Tampa had a more difficult time with Mikhail Sergeyev in that spot. And when he comes back, all of a sudden now we're talking about the Tampa Bay Lightning in contention for the Stanley Cup, comma, again. I think McDonough is a great example as well. I love him. I've had people tell me before like he's no one recovers faster than Ryan McDonough. Guys love him. You've played with guys me before like he's no one recovers faster than Ryan McDonough guys love him

You've played with guys have been like strong defensive defenseman And how much that means for a team Ryan McDonough is an excellent example a tremendous example He's a different type of defensive defenseman than Adam foot Foot was a more let's say aggressive and robust defenseman Then then Ryan McDonough but I'll take Ryan McDonough on my team like you win cups with guys like that because what's the one common denominator that we see amongst teams every year that win the Stanley Cup they can defend they can defend like how did

Vegas win the Stanley Cup they defended defended Tampa. They defended go right down the line speaking of Vegas Can I make a prediction? Yeah, go for it. I mean March mark this March 21st Someone offer sheets in the keg You think so hey, yep Yep. Is there a team you have in mind that would do it? I'm just throwing, I'm just, St. Louis. St. Louis is going to offer sheet everybody now. Doug Aron's wrong, he just don't care, offer sheet everybody.

Hmm. Like that defense, like that. Should do an offer sheet show. Like that, that blue line is excellent. You know, I was on with Jason Gregory yesterday and one of the questions we were talking about, one of the conversations we were having was, one of the conversations we're having was, you know, where does the oil, where does the oilers blue line fit in now with Jake

Wallman kind of came around to the idea. As I was thinking about it and talking about it at the same time that they're probably top five or six, right? Like you'd throw Florida in there when healthy and off, um, steroid suspensions, you'd throw Tampa in there, you'd put Carolina in there, you'd put Colorado in there, you'd put Vegas in there,

and I think with Wallman, you'd have to put Edmonton in that mix. Dallas would probably be there with Heiskenen healthy. I think Washington has a really sneaky good blue line, like really sneaky good That nobody talks about because everyone's like always seven games seven goals away and for good reason It's a huge story right and they're you know first to a hundred points Last to make the playoffs last year first to make the playoffs this year like it's been a great story

And it's gonna be a lot of hardware at the end of the year individual hardware for these guys But Washington's got a really sneaky good D, but do you not put the Oilers in like great story and there's gonna be a lot of hardware at the end of the year, individual hardware for these guys. But Washington's got a really sneaky good D. But do you not put the Oilers in like, top five or top six in the NHL for the blue line now that Jake Wallman's there? Now that Wallman's there, everything just sort of settles and everything's in its right place.

Yeah, I'm not as high on Edmontons, but now kind of adding Wallmen, everybody kind of settling themselves in. It's looking a lot better. I think one of the things that helped them a lot was Darnell Nurse kind of finding his game here again. Really good season. We talked to Tyler about it, right?

And it was like him playing simple hockey. Like that's a big, big thing there. It's like you pay a guy a lot of money. You need him to be at least Not I don't even know how to kind of really say it you need him to not do what he did last year, right? Like that decision is it try to do too much? right Simplify hey, you know get yourself back to the basics and it starts to help things out there But yeah, I don't know top five. I mean, I guess I would have to really start to dig in around.

Top five or top six, but like, is there a team that I'm missing out on here? Like Carolina, Colorado, Vegas, Florida, Tampa, a little bit on the outside, Dallas and Washington, but like Edmonton's right in that mix though. Econ, Bouchard, Nurse, Wallman, Kulak, Emerson, like, that's a good defense, man. That's a good blue line. I don't know am I too high on Jake Wallman? I think he's really good.

No, I think he's really good. Still don't know what Iseman is doing like Wallman and a second? I think he had just bought a house too. Like yeah, you're not going anywhere. Okay, I'm buying a house. Oh yeah, you're off to San Jose. And we're sending a pic to get rid of you. And a second. Okay. Yeah, all right. Carry on chat.

Adam Kerr wants to know, Jeff, why does Milwaukee never get consideration for expansion? I think the market is too small. It's always been seen as an American Hockey League market. There have been times historically in the NHL, I think there was some noise around Milwaukee in the 70s as a potential expansion or relocation market. I don't know that market size is what the NHL is looking for at all. It's always, I'm sorry I shouldn't say, I mean, Bepman always talks about you need an owner and a rank. Right? And I don't think either have ever appeared for Milwaukee at the same time.

Although that name has been out there, nothing in the last 20 years for Milwaukee. Good American League, good American League market though. Really good American League market. That's what I was going to say. Yeah, the American League market there seems pretty good. Can I just give you quick thoughts? Sure. And I want to know if you disagree because I feel like you might. Okay.

I am very much opposed to going beyond 32 teams. Why? I get it with revenue. I get it with all like trying to get to new markets and stuff. Not enough talent? Not enough talent to fill two more rosters? Yeah. Not enough talent. Honestly, Philly, I think that's a concern. I've heard that before, that the NHL is sensitive to expanding too fast and is a talent base there to keep the

quality of play still high. I think there is something there to that. I won't disagree with you on about that one. Here's the problem You know expansion teams are gonna cost now You're much money. They're gonna get it like between 1.5 to 2 billion dollars I mean that's not a amount you can scoff at right if you're Gary bad man, that's off on your table You're Vegas is Vegas has been here for five minutes Okay, fine. You're like, oh. Vegas has been here for five minutes. Okay. You remember what their expansion fee was? No, actually I don't.

500 million. Now we're talking about $2 billion. That's how fast, and think about it. Like that raises, again, I'm always reminded of a conversation that I had with someone like a million years ago about the NHL and Gary Bettman, the commissioner. This person said to me, you always have to remember one thing. Gary Bettman has one job. One job.

And I said, no, no, no. He's got a lot of different jobs. He said, that's all in service of the one job. And the one job that he has is franchise value. And all of a sudden you start welcoming in Atlanta and now maybe Houston and they're paying between 1.5 and 2 billion dollars for an expansion fee. Guess what? Everybody's franchise value just went up because of that. And again, I'm always reminded Gary Betman has one job, franchise value. That's the job. So I and I know this at

the NHL is sensitive to it like are there enough quote-unquote NHL players that can fill two more rosters? I think they probably think there's one. I don't know about two right now which is why I think that the next round of expansion isn't going to be, like I think it's going to be the same as like Vegas and Seattle. That it's not going to be, here comes two teams, this isn't like Columbus, Minnesota. This is going to be like one team, bam, and then a few years later, here comes another one. But man, it's tough to walk away from $2 billion.

I get it. I get it. I get it. I just, my problem is you're going to get to that point where we're looking around and it's like, I don't know that the talent is there to fill it out. Over time, maybe it builds up and you can get there but there could be periods here where it's real rough I asked the chat by the way, that's the poll question. I put up should the NHL continue expanding? No, please don't is in the lead 47% don't care if they do or don't 15% One to two more max is second place 28% and give me as many teams as possible is 10% there at the end

But yeah, I just I'm opposed of it. I am. I get it from Gary's perspective. I get making money. I just personally, no interest there. Jeff, there is a question for you. If you could buy one franchise in any sport, who would you buy? Money is no object in this question. This comes from J-Rock. A franchise in any sport? Yeah. Man, I really have to buy the Blue Jays.

Yeah. I love to buy the Blue Jays. I would probably... it would probably be a junior team. Probably be a junior hockey team. It would probably be a junior team, probably be a junior hockey team. I went to university at Guelph and like never missed any Guelph Storm home games. It might be the Guelph Storm. It might be like when I was at university that was the era where it was Jeff O'Neill and Todd Bertuzzi and Jeff Bass. Really some really, really good teams. Yeah, it might be the Guelph Storm.

What about you? I mean there's an obvious answer for me right? Oh you say Toronto Maple Leafs right? Yeah yeah yeah so I'm trying to think like outside the box here. You want to have that headache? I know like your accountant wants you to buy the Toronto Maple Leafs. Do you want like the headache of like trying to justify the 20% increase in ticket prices? No, I don't. Oh my god, we've done enough discussion on that. That is uh, no, I don't want that headache. Is that a reflection of the Canadian dollar or is it a reflection of they're doing it because they can? I think that's they're doing that because they can. I think that's they're doing that because they can because guess what they're gonna sell them you know will be

full. There was there were conversations years and years ago I want to say this would have been like maybe 2013 or 2014 I think. Yeah, it was right around then. Conversations between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Chicago Blackhawks. The Maple Leafs organization had a concern that, and this is a legitimate concern when you have an older fan base. One of the issues is you need to have a certain amount of bluntly kids at the rink. So because one day when these kids grow up they will be your season ticket holder base but they need to have that experience when they're younger. Like when I was a kid going to games

at Maple Leaf Gardens with my dad, we would buy tickets and they were like 10 bucks, like the blues or the greens or grays would be like five bucks. The golds were always more expensive and the reds were more expensive. Center ice reds were always the best seats. But there was always like a really healthy amount of like young people at games. And then you know eventually when they grow up and start their careers and all that have some disposable income

they become your next season ticket holder base. But if you've not opened up any on ramps for kids to get in the building, at a certain point no one's had that experience when they're young, so they're not gonna have that same emotional attachment to one day, I wanna be a season ticket holder, or one day, I wanna go to all of these games if they're shut out when they're kids.

Like, as far as branding goes, like you need to grab people by the time they're 12. I think that's when brand identity is, I mean, I don't work in marketing, but from what I've always read or understood, brand marketing is strongest and you attach yourself strongly to brands when you're 12 years old. And that's why you need to have kids in the building or at the ballpark or at the football soccer stadium or at wherever. Otherwise, to be blunt, that fan base is just going to get older and die off.

And how do you rejuvenate that fan base? Chicago was able to do it. And I know that Toronto was really sensitive about it or worried about it to the point where there were conversations with John McDonough in Chicago about how the Blackhawks had done it. Don't know where it went, but I know the conversations, the conversations did take place. Yes, absolutely. And that's when whenever I see like ticket price increases like that, I always say to myself, how are kids getting into the building? It's so expensive you can maybe go to like one game. Like dude I used to go to, and it wasn't like, my family wasn't well off. Like we were very very middle class. Like not a well-off family

whatsoever. I went to so many hockey games. Like the Maple Leafs used to run these promotions where if you bought a Maple Leafs ticket for Saturday night, you could also see a Marlies game in the afternoon for free. Yeah. I saw so, and that's why I fell in love with junior hockey. Now I was in a very privileged time because I could go watch WHA games, go watch junior hockey games, could watch NHL games, and none of it was really expensive at all. Like so we're talking like, we're talking like like like mid to late 70s. But I'm wondering like how do you get, like if you're a kid, like how many Maple Leaf games do you get to go see? One? Maybe two? I would

go to like 20 a year. Like we would just be able to go on a whim and just like hop on the subway and go to the Maple Leaf Gardens and then like walk up walk up the stairs at college slash Carlton and smell the peanuts and buy tickets for like 15 bucks. Not great tickets but you get into the building. Just so often with my dad. Go buy standing rooms. That's fine, go get blues. Those are great seats. I'd go like 20 games a year, minimum. And we were not well off. Now, man, it's an investment.

Total investment. Look, it's kind of funny you say that too. I remember when I was a kid, I used to get to go do a lot of Leafs games. My mom actually this morning out of nowhere sent me a picture of me, my grandpa and Bobby Orr at a Leafs game. So I was pretty cool. But like, yeah, I got to go a lot.

And I mean, my parents tell it all the time. Like, by the time I think I was like three or four years old, I can name every single player on the Maple Leafs. So it's kind of what you're saying, like building that, you know, identity with them and kind of buying in. Like by the time I was a kid, like I was hook line and sinker. I was a Maple Leafs fan.

That was it. And I mean, led to me doing this year now pretty much basically. But it was like, I think about that on the one side and then also thinking about the other side of like, you know, I imagine just being a parent and being like, I'd like to take my kid to a hockey game, but maybe it's an insane price to take your kid because you've got to buy the $300 seats to sit, you know, at Scotiabank Arena in the last rows of the building against the Habs on a Saturday night. Like, you don't get to experience that stuff.

You don't have that. And then maybe you don't justify it if you're a parent because you've got a three four year old kid who's gonna like going to the hockey game But they get restless by the end of the third period and they want to they want to leave they want to get out of there Like that's the reality This is to see your human beings like people these kids may just want to leave and then the parents like I'm not gonna spend That money to go and do that Thank you get it is so frustrating to have the other part by the way as well Just strictly on like a leaf side of the ticket prices.

Tickets are already really fucking expensive. The crowd is so quiet in there. We have an issue. Why are we making them more expensive? This is what we've talked about for so long about how this is a thing. Sorry, I don't want to go on for that forever but if I would answer by the way if I would buy a team a lacrosse team maybe the Toronto Rock I love lacrosse another one I love lacrosse I think more people should

watch it more people should be involved in it I played it my whole life like anytime I get a chance I just I love lacrosse another one that I was gonna say it's kind of funny that you end up saying the Gulf Storm. Why? The London Knights I would buy the London Knights there Why London Knights? Because they're like in my mind the London Knights are like the like the evil empire of Junior hockey. Yeah, I think it would be so cool to be like the owner of like this The Cologne Rockets in the western league the Quebec Ram Parts in the queue, right?

Halifax, yeah, the evil empire. I like that, I think that's sick. And I mean, I got to go to games when I was there. It's like an NHL team to the people of London. It's awesome, like it's so cool. I love junior hockey as well, but that'll go to my next question here for you. This is from Colton Davies Who is your all-time?

Favorite junior hockey team so I don't know necessarily if Colton meant this as like who's your favorite franchise or like Most fun team well, I mean I have in a well those Marley's teams like any I remember There's a couple of years the first good question Colton The first T junior team that I fell in love with were the Toronto Marlboros with a guy by the name of Bruce Dowey who was the goaltender. Dowey that later went on to become a Toronto Maple Leafs prospect, played in the American Hockey League a bit. You know, Philly whenever I'm asked like, you know, who's the person that you want to like meet in hockey and talk to It's gonna sound so weird Bruce Dowie

I've never had a chance to meet Bruce Dowie But as a kid now as a goaltender I mentioned I would go to all these Marlies games because you buy a make-believe ticket you go to see junior hockey And I just ended up going like tons of Marlies games I thought that Bruce Dowie was the best goaltender I ever saw I was so in love with the way He played the equipment he wore like everything about Bruce Dowie. I loved. Never had a chance to meet him. I've never met Bruce Dowie. Always wanted to meet Bruce Dowie. Never had it. Never had a chance to. So probably one of those, one of those Marlies teams. I'll tell you what, there are a couple of new Westminster Bruins teams that would

terrify everybody. Coached by by Ernie McLean. I remember these two for the Memorial Cup they would always run over Hamilton. You know Hamilton Fin Cups of the then OHA now OHL. So maybe a couple of those Ernie McLean teams but favorite junior hockey team. Oh, you know what? I'll tell you what that's that Niagara team with Brian Fogarty Brian Fogarty is a name that many of you have probably never heard of his story is Not a very good one and his passing was not not great and very premature. Brian Fogarty had a lot of a lot of issues that if he were around now we would understand and would have had an easier time treating or at least recognizing but I never as

the long-winded dancer here for Colton I never saw another player in junior hockey with my own eyes. Now mind you I never saw Mario play in the queue or Pat LaFontaine. Like I never I never saw Mario play in the Quebec League but I never saw a player take over a game the way that Brian Fogarty did. There's a first round draft pick in the NHL. Brian Fogarty, the late Brian Fogarty, that Niagara team, that that Thunder team. Yeah, maybe that one. Just because I loved watching Brian Fogarty so much.

The defenseman who grabbed the puck. Like, just do whatever you like. You know the guys, Philly, you must have played with them. Every time they touched the puck, they could do whatever they wanted and no one could stop them. That was Brian Fogarty. Yeah, so that Thunder team.

Yeah, that Fogarty team for sure. Okay, there you go. I Unfortunately did not get to watch too much like OHL hockey and stuff when I was a kid or I just didn't but I watched a lot of OJHL hockey. Oh, yeah One of my favorites was and I watched that team the Aurora Tigers team that won What's it called? The RBC Cup Cup that's what it is right the junior yeah I think it was Jerome Dupont was the coach I sat behind the Tigers net or not net bench or in the vicinity of the bench you would hear swear words you never thought you would hear in your life and I was like a kid and I was

sitting there and like this is the best thing I've ever heard in my life so I watched a lot of that I just remember Tigers games, the new market hurricanes. Geez, man, blanking on me there. The right rate, right? They played a rate 20. Yep. The battle of young street between rate 20 there when the Tigers and the hurricanes and then at the ACC, Aurora Community Center here. Watching that was like just the best as a little kid. I remember going, packed, packed stands. It's not quite the same now, but.

Is that the rink that has like that weird drop when you walk on the rink, there's like a drop that's like two feet. Off the bench, yes. Yeah, like that was the arena, right? Yes. And did you play there? Yes. I remember you used to watch it. My kids have played there.

I'm like, good Lord, like all these kids like falling all over, like fix the rink, man. There's a drop. You know what I'm talking about. Three or four feet. Yeah. The old school wooden benches in there, they're like black and yellow. Yeah. The bowl and then the bench. I think that they did fix them by the way I think that they did but the bench was nuts you would have to step up and by the way too like the bench when you sat on the actual bench yeah was I and I can't really like show it but like it was like you sat and it was like I hear the top of your knees basically because it's so high up in here

So you're sitting behind the bench. You're just so high up on the thing I remember well if you watch like old Tigers games and you see them on TV or the video footage of them, too You see the players like you can see them all kind of sitting there elevated just because of the way the bench is but so My favorite Aurora Tiger goaltender of all time is My favorite Aurora Tiger goaltender of all time is... John Bartlett. Play-by-play boys, hockey night in Canada. Bartz was a goaltender for the Aurora Tigers. I think it might have been the Marty Williamson days.

I'm not sure. Anyhow, what other obscure questions do we have? Oh, NY Boost. Jeff, when will we get updated photo of you on the sheet loading screen? Yeah, no kidding. When's the last time I wore a freaking suit? Yeah, you wear a suit to work? No.

You get my coffee shop look here, man. Look at me. Jeff's gonna wear a suit sitting next to me looking like this, come on. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What else we got? What else we got here? There was a question about, we need a sheet dictionary.

What was the question? Not really a question, more of a comment. But it was from earlier on, there's a question about that. About a sheet dictionary because of all the terms that you use and what they mean. I think the one that was referenced was a pink balloon. Oh yeah, that's just like, I always refer to myself as a pink balloon? Oh yeah, like, that's just like, I've always referred to myself with like a pink balloon in a suit on television. I just like, I just look like really plain. Really plain, boring look.

I just look like a pink balloon. No? Nothing really distinctive. Like, throw glasses on me and put me in front of books maybe. Like, okay, well. Nickel and dime academic academic I suppose I don't know I can never have like any like great luck I just say like yeah a freaking pink balloon in a suit welcome to the program

Space cakes and J-Rock says Oh yeah that's a good one like that one yeah when you're out like fuck, Zach, you're fucking eating space cake with that idea, buddy. By the way, John Benkert, who I'm meeting up with tonight in Nashville here, regular in the SheChat. Yes. Nice. Where are you guys going? Not determined yet. We're gonna do the show, we're gonna have dinner, and then probably head out to Broadway. I know the boys are there right now getting ready for the show. about that they're on Broadway

are they are they are they priming before they paint tonight is that what you're saying yeah exactly can't can't tell you prime can't paint till you prime but John says they're doing a Phil Kessel bobblehead night tonight in Pittsburgh tickets for that on a Friday are $55 That's good. That's good stuff. That's all you should be doing Yeah, get people in the building like by the way one night I don't know if I've told it on the show one time. I went to a Red Wings sends game in Detroit The Red Wings did a Daniel Alfredson bobblehead night of an Alfie in the Red Wings uniform.

In the Red Wings uniform? Oh man, I remember that time too, man. Alfredson was just hella pissed at the old owner. Oh, that was nasty. Can imagine. One day someone's got to do an entire story on the Alfie saga with with Ottawa. Oh that was that was hopefully we could do it. Well I mean like the thing about Alfredson was like Alfredson always came in way under market. Like if you look at the money that Daniel Alfredson made with the Ottawa Senators versus how much he meant to the organization, how much money he should have been making. Like he's one of those players in that

era that left so much money on the table. And then by the end when it was like okay I've done all these solids for you here and Alfredson wanted to get paid, Sen's like no we're not gonna. You're not that player anymore. He's like, oh. Yeah. That one got real nasty. That one got really, really, really nasty. Daniel Alfredson did so much for that organization. On the ice, off the ice, with his contract, everything.

Alfredson was like, and first of all, he's one of my favorite players. I'm sure you could tell. One of my favorite players I'm sure you could tell. One of my favorite players just an all-round 100% team guy did so much for that SENS organization from them to turn around do what they did to him man. That was that was that was tough one. I don't want you to keep telling me how good of a guy he is and how much good stuff he did because I used to hate Daniel Alfredson.

I hated that guy as a Leafsman. Oh man, that was one of the worst. Throwing sticks into the crowd? You didn't like that one? He was so good. He was roasting. How am I going to hate this guy? In his prime, like find me, he was like one of the elite in the world. God, whatever he wanted to do.

God, Alfredson was so good. Just tremendous. Didn't like Scott Niedermeyer in game three. No, game four. That Anaheim series. Yeah, that's right. Shot the fuck at him. Yeah, I forgot about that.

Just wired it at him. I'm like, Alfredson? That was shocker. And then Brad Maitz, well, I him. I'm like, that was shocker. And then, uh, Brad Mates told me, I was like, like, what did Niedermeyer say in the room afterwards? And he said, he said, Scott was great. Scott said, guys, don't get distracted. Look at that.

We got him exactly where they want it. Like, we're going to kill him out there. He's like, no, you're not. You're going to go out there and we're going to beat this team and we're going to win the Stanley cup. Everybody calm down I'll take a slap shot in the knees To win the Stanley Cup leave it. They're frustrated leave them

Leave them Looking at chat here where we're at. Yeah, good point by NY boost. Let's get those likes up I'm gonna I'm gonna do this one. It's being asked probably every show since you brought it up. What's that? Can you tell the Tye Dome? I forget the guy's name. So I'm sorry, but on that but the Tye Dome. Oh, Chris Falcone. Oh, Chris Falcone. You know, it's not really like a huge story. So I was working at 640 doing Leafs lunch, me and Bill Waters, my

producer was Jeff Domette, who's now with The Athletic producing podcasts. And we went down to Philly, was it games one and two or just two? I can't really recall. It was the game where Aki Berg scored, I think the first goal of the game and then Philly came back and won like four to one. But it was after the Domey incident in the penalty box my producer tracked him down and we had him on the radio show on Leafs lunch and a wonderful conversation kept in touch exchanged phone numbers and he said you ever get to Philadelphia you know like look me up. So his family I don don't know if he still does, his family owned a construction company. Chris Falcone. I can't remember the name of the company though, but he could not have been a nicer guy. First of all knew everything about the Philadelphia Flyers. By his own admission was it a huge NHL fan?

But knew everything about the Philadelphia Flyers and like could not have been a better tour guide. I know when you think Chris Falcone, oh there's the guy that filmed the penalty ball trying to fight Domi. Honestly, one of the nicest hockey fans I've ever met took me everywhere in Philadelphia. There was one night that we went out

and he took me every single place from the seedy underbelly of Philadelphia to the rocky steps. It was one of like glorious nights where Liberty Bell like everything you can think about like all the things you have to do when in Philadelphia Chris Falk and I didn't touch my wallet once. He was like leave your wallet at the hotel paid for everything and then next morning took us

all out for breakfast before the game. Like honestly, Philly Chris Falcone, I don't have his number anymore. I have to give them out a call and get it back. But now that you mentioned his name, should send him a quick note and say, hey man, remember he took me out? Like you're a great guy. Honestly, I don't even know what happened to him afterwards, but like one of the best, one of the best nights I've ever had in Philadelphia outside of my time covering wrestling and going to see ECW in Philadelphia. Some of those nights and there was that one night in Philadelphia where oh god what was it Taz wanted to beat me up in the ECW dressing room.

I got some beef, I said something on the air about him and then we worked it out, but everyone was like, Taz is gonna beat you up, man, Taz is gonna beat you up. I'm like, okay, I'm gonna go in there and just take my lumps, I suppose. Man, I saw a lot of drugs in that dressing room. I got to tell some wrestling stories one day. Like there was like more drugs in that dressing room

than I've ever seen like anywhere in my life at the ECW dressing room. Anyhow, what was the question again? Oh yeah, Chris Falcone, great guy. Awesome dude. I've had a weird life, it's been strange. Chad's gonna be happy about that one. Chad's gonna be happy about that.

It's not that much of a story other than just like, honestly, the best guy you will ever meet. The best guy you will ever meet. Alright, I'm gonna get one more from you here. It was an email that was sent in. I just want to thank the chat quickly. They have been very kind to me here today talking about how I look in the lighting and the setting and stuff. So last night on the post game show I was getting eviscerated by my chat and I come here today and so I was sitting next to Rosie and they were these guys were asking if like I'm like these they're like oh wow look Rosie

looks amazing look Zach's like the little child here beside like yeah you put me between Alberga who's over six feet and Rosie who is still still built and just like wearing a tight shirt. I'm like, yeah, this was brutal. Yeah, and I got eviscerated. Now the chat's nice and here today. Is Rosie the guy that wears like the shirt two sizes, too small, like still does like a lot of upper body and wears a shirt like two sizes smaller than he should?

Is he that guy? No, no, no. In all honesty, it's not that tight. I guess it's more so just if you're like that jacked, then it's going to look tighter. It fills it out more. But yeah, I'm like, this is the final one here that I've got. We'll wrap this on this here, Jeff, if you want. But it's about the playoff structure. Yeah, this is from Wyatt. Glad you're back. But he says no part of the argument about the playoff structure was due to the increased division rivalries. But I would at this point. The game is in such a great place, but when a conference final battle of the top two teams pull way more money than a first round battle of the two. Thank you, Wyatt.

I wanted to read this one specifically. Okay. Because I kind of wanted to hear you and maybe debate on this. You've said a few times, like you like the best hockey at the beginning and having those teams go ahead to head at the beginning so would you just be like very much opposed to that idea like yeah having it be

solely in conference finals? I am. By the time, it doesn't matter which team it is, by the time the Stanley Cup rolls around we all love it because it means that much more and every shift is that much more emotionally charged because we know what's on the line and you're right there. But if you saw, like I've always said this, if you looked at a Stanley Cup final game, took the crowd out of it, okay, and didn't know that it was a Stanley Cup final and watched the quality of that game versus the game in the opening round Which one do you think would be better if you had no context for it? Which actual game? Do you think would be better?

Say yeah, I mean I say it You're right. You're right. You're right. You're right, you're right, you're right, you're right, you're right, you're right, you're right, I can get that. These guys are healthy by the time you get to late June, by the time you get to like mid to late June and you're playing in the Stanley Cup final. How many guys are going on fumes? How many guys have to have the trainers cut their shoulder pads to get them off because they can't lift up their arms?

Like we know about War of Attrition, all the cliches and all this stuff. That's why I don't mind Dallas and Colorado in the opening round. I don't care. All I care is because again like I don't have a dog in it so I just want a great hockey game and I know the best hockey games, the actual best hockey games that I'm going to see are probably gonna be in the first round. So I don't mind Dallas and Colorado in the first round. I'll take it. I'm fine with it. I just want to see great hockey games and that is my best chance at watching great hockey games. Two healthy teams. As healthy as they can be that late in the season. Yeah. We also did the playoff restructuring the other day on the show.

I think that was on Monday, right? And we talked about what it would be one versus eight versus what it is now. It's pretty much the same. Yeah. So it's not like there's too much change. I think year after year, if you kind of look at some of that stuff, there's really not, it really wouldn't be that different. My only thing would be... Having said that, having said that, would you not like to see the Battle of Ontario

every year? Would you not like to see the Battle of Alberta every year? Yeah. Like, honestly, like so spoiled growing up, knowing like, you know what, we got a chance the Battle of Ontario every year? Would you not like to see the Battle of Alberta every year? Honestly, so spoiled growing up knowing like, you know what, we got a chance of watching Montreal, Quebec, and I want to watch that every single year. We got a chance of watching Boston, Hartford. I want to see that every single year. We got a chance of watching the Allenders, Rangers. Yeah, I'll take that. I want to see that every single year. I I think one of the one of the issues is one and this is one of the problems that the NHL has here is the NHL has a problem where the season is too long it's never gonna get it's never gonna get shortened it's only gonna get longer and there are too many games that don't mean anything

right like there's nothing that has like an emotional charge to it because like you can lose like the Detroit Red Wings just went through a spell, Philly, where they lost, what was it, losing six games? Lost six games in a row, won a game and they're back in it. I know. Man, nothing. Yeah.

It was like the Leafs went on their skit and then all of a sudden they win these couple of games. They're tied with Florida again in the top. You're measuring bridges, Philly. You got your tape measure out for bridges. I know, bridges and floats. Where's Philly? Oh, you got the tape measure.

He's out looking at bridges. Well I mean, I'm in Nashville right now so I had to send some of my buddies down to Lakeshore so they could bolt my chair to the street so that it's there. Yes, yes. I want to make sure I have my spot, yeah. It's important, it's important. Yes.

I want to get some more chat questions in, but one thing that I do want to mention and highlight, our good friend Johnny Lazarus, who, mark my words, one day will be the face of this company. Johnny Lazarus from Morning Cup of Hockey sat down with the captain of the BU Terriers hockey team, Shane LaChance. For all you olds, that's Scott LaChance's kit.

Ooh, was that 1991 draft, 1990 draft, fourth overall? At Razor's Barberhop in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This is presented by Paraso and the feature is live now on the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel. You can listen in as Johnny and Shane get lined up by the team at Razors while talking Beanpot, NHL draft, and his hockey lineage as well. Shave and a haircut. Alright at Razors. This is Johnny Lazarus and BU Terriers captain Shane Lachance, now the New

Jersey Devils, part of the Trent Frederick trade. More on that in a moment. Have a look. You know last question to wrap it up favorite NHL player. It's gotta be Brady Kachuk. BU guy? Makes sense. Uh-huh. Mm-hmm. Ever since he was at BU ever since he like kind of got into the NHL I just watched him play the way he plays. I mean he's obviously plays I aspire to play the same way that he does. So I mean yeah, he's awesome. Our dads are we're roommates at BU actually. No way. How many years? Just one. Just one? Yeah, my dad was there for one. one. I think they were both there for one year. That's sick.

So he was, so I asked Colby Cohen about him. I was like, you want to know anything about BU? Colby Cohen's your guy, anything. So he was voted captain, sophomore season, got a vote from every single player on the team. He is big body guys, you can tell his dad was a large guy, defenseman. He thinks that he plays in the NHL, Colby does. Skating probably needs some work, but everything else like the hockey IQ, off the charts, second generation guy, and yes I'm old enough to remember watching his dad Not only play but get drafted

Scala chance fourth overall Islanders. I Picked that clip for two reasons. Okay. Why I don't know if you I don't know if you know, do you have a guess of why? Because you mentioned Brady Kachuck and the Kachuck family Well part of it. I thought it was really interesting that he said I aspire to play like him. Just because we've talked about that, right? Like how there's going to be this new wave of players watching Matthew and Brady and you know, these guys and being like, I want to play like that. The other reason was a much more simple minded reason. Okay. was a much more simple minded reason. I started laughing when Laz said, last question. And I'm pretty sure he asked him another question in the video.

There's only one person worse than me in the world for doing the last question bit and that's Johnny Lazarus. I think the worst I ever had was like five times I said last question on the old 32 pod to someone and after Elliot's like He you might want to stop saying like okay last question. Okay, one more. Oh, you know what last but no This is the real last question Just talk just keep asking. Yeah, just keep just just keep asking Speaking of which anything more from the the chat today before we get to the the game

game of the night the chat today before we get to the game of the night. No, I think that we're good on that. I was pretty, that was pretty good from the chat here today. I honestly, oh wait, there's one more here. I want to make sure, I'll ask this. Hang on, someone asked me about a golf, Captain THC, elbows up, Oive, who's your favorite mini golf player?

You know I can't stand in golf. Do you know this about me? Yeah we've briefly discussed that. You know how bad I am at golf? I'm awful, I'm miserable out there. I don't enjoy it. All my friends who say that they love it, I go out and golf with them and they're miserable and they don't like it. It's just an excuse for them to get drunk and I always say the same thing like you don't want me out with you. You don't't you do not want me golfing with you. I assure you the best two balls I hit will be when I step on a rake That's it

I'm telling you do not want me golfing with you you to know Well, that's a very special shot right there. Got it. Anything else from the chat? No, I was just going to ask, there's a question here from Tommy T. He says, without naming specific players, will you please share details behind the scenes of bumps and bruises and quote, upper slash lower body injuries we civilians don't know about.

I don't think there's any really during the season that really goes on. I mean, it's all the stuff in the playoffs that we end up finding out about that's always crazy where it's like, oh, this guy's banged up. Oh yeah, he's broken ribs and punctured lung, Patrice Bergeron. That's the big one to me. Like how that guy played through that. It was ribs and puncture

lung. It was a series against Philadelphia. It was Randy Jones. It was the Randy Jones hit on Patrice Bergeron and God just gutted it out after. Was it Randy Jones? I think it was Randy Jones. Randy Jones who got Bergeron and I have no idea. I'm kind of split on it sometimes because I think that glorifying injuries can lead to people really, really hurting themselves and doing things just for the sort of the glory. Have a look at me. I'm so tough.

I'm playing through all these injuries. But then part of it is just so remarkable too. And I think it should really be applauded in some ways. So I am talking out of both sides of my mouth because I'm split on it. One, I think it's a super cool thing. Two, I don't know that we should really be bragging so much about how we play through injuries like that in hockey.

Because I don't know how wise that is, but it's so cool. I understand. But honestly, it's so cool I understand but honestly it's so cool like I'm sorry like I'm like we're all like 98 percent chimp at the end of it like and I know like oh you got scabs on your knuckles did you walk over here Merrick like I understand it but like still part of the attraction of hockey still to this day is just how freaking tough these guys are and how much they play through things and I'll tell you what like in in some ways playing through all that is

actually tougher than just being like a fighter like this there's two different types of toughness right there's like exerting your own toughness on someone else being like physically stronger and then there's like the toughness where you can play through things and not change. Like I've always maintained the two of the toughest players in their era when they played were the Sedenes. And it's like, how are they tough? It's like they never changed the way they played.

They got slashed and cross-checked and punched and mugged every single time they're out there. They never changed their game. A lot of guys would wilt, pack it in, too tough for me. They never changed their game. A lot of guys at Wilt, pack it in, too tough for me. They never changed. Maybe it's just a sign of me getting older. I find that tougher. I find that to be one of the toughest things you can do in sports. Endure that and never change your game.

Older I get, the more respect I have for those guys. For never changing their game whatsoever. How about you, Philly? Yeah, I respect that as well. We've talked about that on the show. I mean, you see some of those guys who just take beatings like that and just continue to find their way through it. It's impressive. I mean, on the whole injury thing. I mean, I'm the chimp brain. That's me. I'm the guy who loves hearing about those things. You don't want them to have to deal with it.

And you'd rather, again, that kind of goes to your point about the competition. As a hockey fan that's baked in the pie, you have to understand. Like this is going to sound really, really harsh, but as a hockey fan, you have to be settled with the fact that you enjoy a concussion sport. It is! It's a concussion sport. And that football, yeah, you just kind of go to the... MMA, go right down the list. Like I'm still convinced.

It's not going to happen in our generation, but somewhere like in our kids, kids generation, we're going to look back on sports like hockey and we're going to go, where are you people thinking? Like, what's wrong with you? I look at football and like, what are you, what are you thinking? Or look at boxing and MMA and like, what were you thinking? What was the thought process behind getting on skates and skating as fast as you can and slamming into one another?

What were you thinking? What's wrong with you people? It's gonna happen. All right, a couple of things before I wrap up here. And thanks everybody in the chat. Tim Hortons, another successful run. Canada, your favorite contest is back. Roll Up to Win is back at Tim Hortons.

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You know what, Philly, you know what should be a really good rivalry in the NHL? The game we're going to watch tonight at PPG Paints Arena between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Pittsburgh Penguins. This right now geographically should be a great rivalry. The problem is neither of these two teams have been good at the same time. Mostly, it's Columbus's fault. We'll be blunt. Come on on Columbus.

And this year, everybody safe to say is at least in some respects, a Columbus Blue Jackets fan. When this team is good and good for a long time, I just hope the Pittsburgh Penguins are right there for them because this is a rivalry that should happen in the NHL Columbus versus Pittsburgh. That is tonight, the lone game on the schedule enjoy it Crosby by the way just passing

Gretzky for fourth place all-time with points with a single franchise and that 4-2 loss against the suddenly can they do this New York Islanders number three is Mario Lemieux and the last man what on. Just when he thought he was out, all of a sudden like Bo Horvat is like making sure Johnny gets a tattoo. Unbelievable. Unbelievable. Just when he thought you were clear. Every time too.

Colby tweets. Colby puts the tweet out and I love it. Last night all you did was tweet the standings Rangers lose in rank Islanders win oh my god so good number one on that list by the way is is Gordie Howe one day we'll do a show on Gordie Howe that's for the for the offseason we'll do the the stories and myths around Gordie Howe history has been very kind. Not that he wasn't a great player, he was.

But there are just some things that have been fluffed up by time. How about that? Okay. Let's do that one, somewhere down the road. Anything last from you here? I thought this was gonna be a quick show, and whenever I say that, it turns into 90 minutes.

Anything from you, and thanks to everybody in the chat. That was a lot of fun. We just kind of let it fly here on a Friday. Anything left from you? Big plans for the weekend. Anything you want to plug? I know you guys are off to the Maple Leafs facing off against the Milwaukee Predators

or Nashville Predators or wherever we're gonna see. It, put it this way, after the comments by Andrew Burnett, like that team better show up. Like that team's gotta show up on Saturday. Anyway, what do you got going on this weekend? Yeah, just quickly on that as well, you know that that means Nashville's gonna show up, Toronto's gonna come in here, we're gonna run into them on Broadway somehow here tonight, and then we're gonna go to this game, and the one game I get to see of the Leafs in person this season,

they're gonna get their teeth kicked. that's just how it's gonna go but anyways no I don't have anything really other than just make sure to subscribe to the Leafs nation as well I do the After Dark show on there I'll be doing it tomorrow after the game as well and literally I can see it right there Jeff Love and Exile bar it's Carter Hutton's bar. We're gonna be going there I'm gonna wrap this up post the podcast run over to love and exile We're gonna do the podcast from there with Rosie Alperga and huts on the show today So I'll be hanging out with producer Vic watch the show

Meet up with John Benkert from the sheet chat here a little bit later if people are in Nashville if you're around Send me a message come say hi. We'll be around here all weekend. That's all I gotta say. You know what my wife said to me yesterday? Cause we had to blow up the show because of travel. She goes, oh yeah, sorry. So you got Vacation Vic,

and now you're gonna start calling him Slack Zach. Oh. You know? You shouldn't have said that. This chat is gonna Vacation Vic is slack Zach. I Felt so bad about that yesterday too so bad. I'm like happens You know that we sat on the plane Jeff. We sat on the plane

So first of all the gate was closed and I want to make the show longer that needs to be the gate was closed to get to our gate So we had to wait at another gate to get to the gate 45 minutes late they let us through we board the plane sit down. I sit down put my bag under the thing Hi, everyone. We're sorry. There's a leak in the nose. We have to get off the plane. Yep Thanks a couple of things one people love hearing media people complain about travel. And two, there's an old saying I like to remember. I have a lot of old sayings for you young man. Here's one about air travel. Always remember this Zach. Always remember this young man. We'll close the show on this one. I would rather be down here wishing I was up there than being up there wishing I was

down here. If there's something wrong, it's okay. I'd rather be down here wishing I was up there than up there wishing I was down here. That's very fair. Sage! Dennis Bayak told me that one years ago. My flight was late on a little Toronto, New Jersey, New Year's Eve and I was complaining about it. He's like, dude, dude, listen to this old saying from Weizen Dennis Bayak.

All right. Thanks for joining me in SlackZack. Well, that's gonna stick. On the show today, the program returns Monday, three o'clock Eastern. Don't forget morning cup of hockey. Monday morning, nine o'clock Eastern with our man, Johnny Lazarus,

fresh off a bachelor weekend. I don't even know where he is. And Colby Cohen, who's being responsive when he's with his hockey team. Thank you very much. On behalf of Zach and his team. I'm sorry, and his team, as always, we're back on Monday, great weekend. We'll talk hockey all about it on Monday. Got it? Have a great weekend. I went to the dark man, he tried to give me a little medicine I'm like, nah man, that's fine

I'm not against those methods, but you It's me, myself and Alex gonna be fixing my mind I do wanna break it I turned on the music I do wanna break it I turned on the music I do wanna break it I turned on the music It's turned out they're bad But you're sometimes losing

Helping on the days that went wrong