The Sheet with Jeff Marek - On the Sheet: Jason York on the Senators and Flames

Episode Date: November 1, 2025

Jeff Marek opens with former NHLer and Coming In Hot co-host Jason York, who breaks down how the Ottawa Senators are managing without Brady Tkachuk, why they’re starting to find their footing, and shares insight from his work on the Calgary Flames broadcast team.SHOUTOUT TO OUR SPONSORS!!👍🏼 Fan Duel: https://www.fanduel.com/👍🏼Bauer: https://www.bauer.com/👍🏼Shark Ninja: https://www.sharkninja.ca/ninja-crispi-4-in-1-portable-glass-air-fryer-cooking-system/FN101CGY.html?utm_source=Better+Collective&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=H2+Air+Fryer&utm_content=EN👍🏼Uber Eats: https://www.ubereats.com/ca👍🏼Prime Video: https://primevideo-row.pxf.io/c/5560083/3303015/20020Reach 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.

He is Jason York from coming in hot. Jason York from Flames Broadcasts. We call them the York Chop. How are you, pal? Good to see you. Where are you right now? Hello, Jeff, can you hear me? I can.

Yeah, I got you. Where are you right now? We're inside the CTC Center. I figured I'd get out of the rink because, you know, when you watch Prattis, what you can hear is the little clip, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap. Yeah, I like that. So I'm just going to look. Yeah, but you won't be able to hear me.

Jeffie, so I'm going to go over to the hall. Oh, that's respect. That's respect. By the way, just as an aside, my favorite hockey sound is the puck hitting the crossbar. Do you have a favorite hockey sound? Like, whenever, when I walk into the rink, usually the first thing you hear is the puck hitting the glass. That's a good sound, but I love puck hits crossbar. What is your favorite hockey sound?

Is it blades hitting the ice? Is it puck hitting bar? What is it for you, Yorkie? I'll tell you what, Jeff. I got a good story here. It's kind of like, I know you're kind of like a hockey romantic. 2004 Locker, 2004 Locker. I was kind of at a crossroads.

My father had passed away. I had spent a year in Switzerland that I wasn't sure if I was ever going to National Hockey League. So local arena here called Barbara N. Scott. Ended up skating there by myself. And there's something when you're just on a sheet by yourself. The minute you jump on the ice, and it's just totally clean

and your skate just starts carving in and that's all you hear that's my favorite sound Jeff it's a beautiful sound honestly that that that's the one and you can feel it too now by the way as an NHLer how many strides does it take you to realize

that the ice is good or the ice is crap as soon as you get on you can tell and the only reason I know this is because I played in Anaheim back when it was the Arrowhead Pond, and it was the notoriously worst ice in the national hockey league. It was terrible. Like, you basically needed, you needed a stick like Cadre uses, the massive blades or the puck,

because it was always bouncing. They fixed it since then, but you can tell. It's soft, and it's hot, and, you know, Florida ice and playoffs, which everybody's used to now because they're always in the finals. That kind of ice, that kind of ice. Yeah. Okay, so Halloween theme here today. I want to hop on the Senators in a couple of seconds.

I do want to get your thoughts on the Flames too. And congratulations on that gig. It's great to see you and hear you on Flames games. I really, really love it. The question of the day that we have today on this Halloween, it's not the tricks and treats. It's haunting. So my answer to this was Delaney McDonald's trade.

I was 10 years old, and it jarred me. It floored me. What? Like, it's a moment you realize that, like, your parents could, as you mentioned, your father passing away, I've lost both my parents. and, you know, that moment you realize as a kid, like, well, my parents are probably not going to be here one day.

It's just jarring. My jarring moment or haunting moment was the Lany McDonald trade. I was a kid and like, what? Lany McDonald? I'd like trade and I've talked to Lany about it. I'd have a good laugh. But what moment, Jason York, haunts you the most in your hockey fandom? Let me, let me take, let me throw a dart here.

I think, here's what I think it's going to be. When the bill, when, And the bill came at your rookie dinner. No, that wasn't too bad. That wasn't too bad. As soon as you said, Bill, I thought you're going to get into you and I were going to start talking about Bill La Forge again. Because there's a lot of haunting memories back now.

I still have trauma from that, dude. Like, I'm still messed up. And that's no joke. That's no joke. But that doesn't count. That doesn't count. Because I'll talk about it because I think you want to talk about trades, right? Well, no, no, no, no, no, something on the ice, something off the ice.

If you want to talk about, you know, Bill LaForge, you know, putting body bags and the old Guelph Auditorium in that Guelph Kitchener series, Todd Warner told me about that. You're walking into the golf trust. Get out and there's body bags hanging from the rig. You cannot do that. You cannot do that, Bill, like that. Well, what time? Maybe it's that.

Like, what is it for you? Well, what time, and this wasn't hot thing, this was funny. It was a funny Bill of Ford story. We're playing in the old Windsor Arena, and I'm with the Hamilton Steelhoff. and it's a rough game. Windsor back then. They got Adam Graves. They have the Shannon brothers.

They got big Glenn Feathers. We have a pretty tough team, too. We got Denny VL. Kirk Tomlinson. And it's rough. And after the second period, Bill comes in. He's like, all right.

Everybody take off your shoulder pads. We're going into the stands. I'm like, pardon? I'm like, are we doing this? So all of a sudden, I haven't heard this one, haven't heard of it?

So all of a sudden, we start taking off, we start taking off our shoulders. shoulder pads because you don't want the fans grabbing your shoulder pads if you're going to fight them, I guess. So like, and don't forget, this is the OHL. Like, you've got a range from like, like Keith Primo was on that team. He was 16. I was 17 to 20.

16 to 20. Yes. Yes. And you got your lunatic coach telling you you're going into the stands to fight the fans. So we had a couple guys start walking up into the stands to go start fighting. And thankfully, security is like and our assistant coach, somebody, somebody with a with some, sanity said no this isn't happening but i thought it was i thought it was going down and i was like all right i guess we're doing this but uh yeah that that's a haunt there's no coming back when you

attack fans there's just there's just no coming back when you attack but i would say it happened well yeah well the legendary mike milbury with the shoe just hammering the guy said that's uh that's good comedy though um but okay haunting i got about i got a i got a i got a i got a I get another story for you. I'll never forget this. This is when you know you're getting traded. It's trade deadline day. I'm playing in Detroit.

Back then, this was 1994. Detroit was one of the only teams that flew private charter. We had a plane called the Redbird 1. This plane was awesome. We had our own. Fantastic. So Redberg 1 takes off for California. We're going on the California trip.

I'm super excited. It was 1994. The Locket was over. Good times were ahead. All of a sudden, the plane decides to take a pit stop on the way to California, and it stops in New Jersey. And all of a sudden, Fetisov comes on the plane. So we're all doing the math, and we're like, mm-hmm, when this plane lands, somebody is

getting traded. So we got to San Jose. We're playing the Ducks. First game was San Jose. Scotty Bowman calls me, and of course, Mike, Syllinger, of course I got to get traded with some silly, my good buddy, who's been traded more times than anybody. More than anyone, yeah.

Oh, yeah. But that was, that was his, that was his first trade. The first time Mike Solinger was traded, him and I got traded to the Ducks. And we basically just got on a Southwest Airlines flight flight and went to San Jose and Anaheim and joined the Ducks. But that was funny. Not funny at the time, but when you think about it, Fetisov comes on. It's like, it's like someone's got to leave when the plane, when the plane, when the plane

Lane Lans and so you knew it was him. I just didn't know it was me because he had rumors about him and then all of a sudden I get called in too. Yeah, you're going on the trade too. I'm like, all right. But that was tough. That was a really good Red Wings team. That was back when they had a young Lidsstrom, Federoff, Eisenman, Dino's sister.

All right. That was a good, good team. Hall of Fame. Hall of Fame. Hall of Fame. Hall of Fame. Oh, yeah, you back there. Yeah, you're Hall of Fame too.

That was, you know, it's funny. I was telling the other day about Scotty Bowman and St. Louis calling Barkley Plager. after a game I think it was either Barclay or Bob one of the Plager boys and he told him to

he was like so pissed off at him and I got to get Scottie on to tell the story he calls him up and he says I've had it with you I've done with these mistakes pack your bags go to the airport

I'm going to call you when you get there I'll call you and I'll tell you call me and I'll tell you where you're going pack your bags and go to the airport and so like oh geez I don't even know where I'm going

but Scotty's told me to go to say packs his bags and he goes to he goes to Scott his guy and he goes ah I change my mind come back made a drive all the way to the airport thinking he was going to get come on back

I was just kidding I was just kidding oh that's good there's um you know there's one of my one of my favorite Scotty stories too is how he would catch guys a curfew when he was coaching the Montreal Canadian

so what he would do is he would leave a hockey stick at the front for the uh for the guy doing security and so when the players would come back late the players would be like shh don't say a thing and the guy be like oh yeah sure but can you sign the stick for me? And so sure enough, all the guys coming in and, you know, two bells or one bell or whatever,

they're signing sticks. And Scotty shows up the next morning for breakfast. So who broke curfew last night? Not a single hand comes up and he pulls out the hockey stick. These are autographs of all the guys that came in fast curfew. Oh, man. Everyone's got a great kerf. I've heard that one, by the way.

It's a legendary. It's a legendary. Get the bell man or whoever to do. I remember Paul. playing in. And I think these guys could possibly write one of the best books of all times. Pan Pacific Hotel in Vancouver. Great

hotel. A lot of teams, a lot of teams stayed there. Leaves were banned from there once. Leaves were banned there for a while for an incident. Why? Not for error. Not for honor. It's it may have been with one of our mutual friends, but that's for an offer. But the guys,

I always love that hotel. Number one, great sushi. Great bids. But they had guys if you can remember, that opened the doors for you and they had these giant top hats. They were the top hat guys. And the top hat guys, not only were there when you arrived, they were there late in the morning, too. So when players rolled into the hotel, like whatever time, one, two, three, who knows, maybe later, the top hat guys were there. Could you imagine the stories that the top hat guys from the Pan Pacific could write?

Like, they've got dirt on everybody, on everybody. Everybody. The top hat files. that's the top hat hockey files holy smokes that is an amazing book waiting to be hidden I'll tell you when you talk about hotels though one of my favorite

and this I don't want to say who the person is you can probably figure out who it is pretty quickly so when I was working Hockey Night and Canada rinkside for CBC this would have been jeez Yorkie 2007 maybe 2008 I'm doing I would do Montreal games and so we get to the Sheraton

and I check in and one of the person, one of the people on the broadcast crew sort of weighs me over, hey, come on, have a beer. I'm like, oh, let me get my bag upstairs and I'll come down and have supper with you. And so we start talking and have a beer and he says, we start talking about suits and ties somehow. And he says, ask me how many ties I have?

And I said, how many ties do you have? And he said, about, close to 600. And I went, you have 600 ties? He goes, yeah, give or take. And he says, ask me how many I paid for. I said, how much do you pay for? He says, zero. He goes, you should come tie shopping with me sometime.

I said, for those prices, I'd love to. Ha, ha, ha. He says, okay, put your beer down. So put my beer down and we go walk up to the, he needs me to the front, all right, to where you check in. And he goes up and he says, listen, I stayed here about a month ago. We left a couple of ties up in the hotel room. Do you have like a lost and found?

Sure enough, there's always ties in the lost and found basket. He's like, oh, yeah, these two pops them up on his shoulder and back to the bar. He goes, 552. ties now. That's how you go tie shopping. That is my tip for all young broadcasters. You're looking for free ties. Just I stayed here. There's

always times because they're always leaving behind ties. That's how you get ties. Okay, 20 minutes into our conversation. What's up with the Ottawa Senators? Oh, well, it's kind of a weird. It was kind of a, I would say a mediocre start for them. Here's what happened the Ottawa Senators.

Last year, Jeff, they didn't score a lot five on five. He stole all, by the way? I'm here. Okay. I said, I couldn't see you for a second. Anyhow, I thought my Wi-Fi gunner. So, you know, last year, they were one of the worst five-on-five teams in the league. So it was all about defense, all about playing the right way. Travis Green got the guys to buy in. They make the playoffs. They wanted to take a step this year, score more five-on-five.

I just think they stopped doing the things that you are necessary to win in the league, and that's take care of the puck at the blue lines. Don't turn the puck over. Like, it's almost like they got away from what they were. And they're starting to find it again. Allmark got off to, you know, he didn't get off to a great start. He was busy, like, Maryland had a tough training camp, so they kind of lost a little bit of faith of him.

But he's come back since then. I just think it's a slow start. Last night, they were really good. It was a good hockey game last night with Calgary and Ottawa. The poor flames, boy, oh, boy, they're just, we can't catch a break right now. They played very well. It was a good hockey game.

At the end of the day, it went down to a shootout. I think Jake Sanderson scored a goal that bounced off three guys late in the third. But, yeah, it's penball. But Ottawa, I think when it's all said and done, Ottawa will be there as a playoff team this year. If you watch Stutzla play, like, he's a star. Like, he can elevate to take over games. Sanderson, the kids are stud back there. And they've got other good pieces.

Like, I think they'll be fine with the Kachuk. I think they've got enough depth. I think they'll be there when it's all said and done. The question is, will they be a top three or a wild card? I don't know, but I do think there'll be a playoff team. I want to circle to Calgary here in a second, but one follow-up on Jake Sanderson. He's more than okay. Like, Jake, Jake Sanderson is so special.

Like, so special. Here's my question. Jeff, Jeff, Jeff. Yeah. Sorry, go ahead. Ask your question. You know, I was going to say, like, if they could do it again, who would they have taken third and who would they have taken fifth?

Stutzelah or Sanderson? Because, like, you know what it's like, and I know you're like me. Like, I have a bias towards defenseman just because I'm such a premium position that it is. Like, just looking where Jake Sanderson is now and where he is headed to becoming one of the best defensemen in the NHL, the guy's phenomenal.

And if they could do it all over again, would you do Sanderson third or Stutzelah third? Well, you know you're getting Sanderson where, the only question back then was, which defenseman you were taking were you taking it was it was him or dry it was and a lot of people were pissed off that auto didn't go with the right shot d because not a lot of people knew about jake sanderson so that was the big debate back then and they obviously chose right in that one of dris i'll still a good player but he's not sanderson um it's a great question

ah i don't know like i i i'm a big they ask this question too is the best player on the team is who's most important is it kitch or is the sanderson yeah i'm a defense guy so i seem to i lean to towards a defenseman, but I also know, Jeff, you win in this league down the middle, too. Like you, if you look at teams now in the NHL, you have to have a star down the middle if you want to win. You do. Look at Nashville.

You got to have. Look at Nashville. Yeah. Yeah. No sense. Well, they've got, yeah, I know. Well, that's, and then look at the teams that win. Barkoff down the middle.

When Tampa was winning, they were at a point, Stamp Coast when he was in his prime, Pittsburgh, Crosby, Taves, when Chicago. you need centers. So I'm still taking Stutzel as much as I love Sanderson. That's fair. Quick thought on Calgary and we'll give your armor break here. This is like a workout for you.

I'm really impressed. I missed my workout. I missed my workout this morning, Jeff. I don't know where the time went. I'm getting ready to fly to Nashville. I knew I had to do this. I don't know. I'm bad with time, man.

Your right shoulder is going to be so yoked after this interview. You're just holding it up. You're just holding that camera up there. It's awesome. I'm switching, I'm switching, I'm switching, arms. Oh, man. How, what would Bill La Forge think of that move, Jason York? Oh, you would not approve for that.

Um, quick thought on the Calgary Flames here. Like, last week to me was the one that sort of wiped out the flames. Like the two losses against Winnipeg and the loss against Montreal, it seemed like that was the last gap. You're right. Like, they still play hard. Codry still playing hard. Um, there's just, there's just not, there's not there. And I think we all understand where this is going.

What do you see? with the Calgary Flames right now. Not from lack of effort, but like, what do you see there? It's definitely not from lack of effort. They're very well coach. I think Ryan Husk is a terrific coach. He's got a great staff. Dave Lowry's now on the bench.

Trent Cole, defense coach, my old teammate in the Windsor Spitfires. It was funny. I hadn't seen Trent, I hadn't seen Trent since like 1990. And I finally got to catch up with him. Amazing guy. Very good defense coach. I love their staff. I think they got great people.

Dustin Wolf, now that I've got to watch him every game, Jeff, he is a talented, talented goaltender. I'll say number one, I do believe in bounces. I do believe in bounces, and they're getting none. They are getting none. They very easily could have won this last game against Ottawa. Rickshade goal, shoot it, and you're up to the shootout God. So I think bounces have been an issue.

Past special teams weren't good to start the season. they're getting better at those and it's just perhaps last year is like they almost made it but did they overachieve that is is that the question do you raise the raise the expectations for this year but it just i just think with them if this continues i'll have to do something for sure absolutely um but cadry's been really good uh do you know who i really like on this team and i i didn't know a lot because in the west and i predominantly watch the east of bit more last year. I'm a big Blake Coleman fan. Oh, yeah. I think this

this guy, man, he gets up and down the ice. Great penalty killer, good leadership guy, brings it every night. So they're not, I'll tell you this, they're not what their record says. They're not what their record says, but they still have to be better. For sure. We'll let you get to the airport. You're a busy guy. Enjoy Nashville. Jason York, make good decisions while you're in Nashville. Always remind everybody, make good decisions.

We're in and out, Jeff. We're in and out. Actually, you know what? It's an afternoon broadcast tomorrow, but we got Halloween tonight, so it'll be interesting to see your Broadway's like on Halloween. I guess everybody's dressing up, right? You're going to get, they dress up when it's not Halloween.

You're going to get a full eyeball tonight. You have fun, pal. We'll catch up soon. Have a safe flight. Thanks, Jeff. Good chat with you. hours last night every day this week every day this month I can't get out my head, lost all ambitions day to day

because you can call her right I went to the dark man and tried to give me a little medicine I'm like now and that's fine I'm not against those methods but new it's me and myself and how this is going to be fixed in my mind I turned on the bracket, I turned on the music. I do want to break you, I turn on the music. It's an up there, I don't get you sometimes losing.

Have been on the days that we're wrong.