The Sheet with Jeff Marek - Quinn Hughes Status & Flyers Prospects ft. Riley Armstrong & Blake Price

Episode Date: September 22, 2025

On this episode of The Sheet on the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel, host Jeff Marek is joined by Riley Armstrong, the Director of Player Development for the Philadelphia Flyers, for an inside look at the team’s prospects and how they’re performing in training camp. Later, Jeff sits down with Blake Price of Sekeres & Price to break down Quinn Hughes’ recent comments about his contract situation, the buzz surrounding the Canucks’ offseason, and the tough questions the team faces heading into the upcoming season with the giant elephant in the room. Don’t miss this deep dive into player development, team strategy, and the stories shaping the NHL right now.#TheSheet #DailyFaceoff #JeffMarek #RileyArmstrong #BlakePrice #SekeresAndPrice #NHL #HockeyNews #QuinnHughes #Canucks #NHLProspects #TrainingCamp #HockeyAnalysis #NHLContracts #HockeyDiscussionReach 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.

Hello, listeners, meet Lisa. Hey there. Lisa runs an online boutique specializing in sustainable fashion. With ACAST, she found a whole new way to reach eco-conscious shoppers. Yep, I recorded a quick ad targeted listeners interested in fashion and sustainability using ACAST's audience attributes targeting feature and set my budget. Before I knew it, people all over were hearing about my shop. Now that's a smart way to grow your business.

Hey, Lisa, what's trending right now? Shopping sustainably, and my sales, of course. Start reaching your ideal audience through podcast ads with ACAST. Visit go.acast.com slash advertise to get started. Oh, hello again and welcome to the sheet for this Monday, September 22nd. We are back from lovely St. John. New Brunswick. And a big thank you to everybody at the Sea Dogs organization

starting with owner Scott McCain, president of the organization, Trevor Georgie, and everybody all the way down, including Alexei Joseph, who was very generous with his time and his parents as well, who he had the chance Zach to have dinner with

the night before. Really delightful people met his billet family as well. He's in really good hands in St. John and I see you absconded with one of their lids. So good for you for wearing that one. on the show today. Did you have, by the way, did you have a good time in St. John?

It's one of my, like New Brunswick is one of my favorite provinces. Really lovely time there, as always. What did you think of your maiden voyage to St. John, New Brunswick, to see the sea dogs? Well, first of all, that was the first time I've ever been to the East Coast. I loved it. I loved St. John.

It was an interesting thing, too, because, I mean, just honestly, like, I live downtown Toronto, so it's hustle and bustle. It's crazy all the time here. You go there and it's like, It's a city while also feeling like a town. And then we met all the people with the sea dogs and everybody knows each other and stuff. And then I made out with a pretty sick hat.

I mean, I've been home for two days walking around downtown and I've already gotten a few compliments. And everybody's really nice there and friendly and will say hi to you as you walk to a coffee shop and back. It's a great place. Yes. It's a great place. And Alexei Joseph's going to be a star in the QMJHL. The game that we were at, they beat Cape Rat and lost to them the next night. I think they got doubled up.

But you can tell. Like this guy, big frame, 6, 4, 205 pounds, and doesn't look awkward at all, except the one moment in the second period when he had a breakaway and everybody in the whole rink was excited, including him. And I don't know whether it was snipers or a banana peel, but he just kind of fell. I can understand. And mad did he hear on the bench? yeah you could see too it was like that feeling of everybody going oh he's got this and then him kind of feeling like this is my moment oh no everybody thinks i've got this yeah um and again thanks to everyone of the sea dogs organization that is a first run

uh franchise one of the catalogue franchises across the CHL we wish them all uh good luck here uh in this season okay in the meantime for the uh geez for the for the for the third time here. We're starting the show off by mentioning another passing of a legendary goaltender. A couple of weeks ago, it was Ken Dryden. Hello, the Montreal Canadians. Last week we talked about Ed Jockeman, who passed away legendary New York Ranger, one of the most popular, not just goaltenders, but players in the history of that story of organization. And today we offer condolences to the family and the friends and the entire community of the Philadelphia Flyers and the family and friends of Bernie

Perrault. Look at the picture, that beautiful man. Bernie Perrant was one of the first hockey players I ever personally identified with. My first memories of watching hockey were at my cousin's house in Livonia, Michigan, watching the Philadelphia Flyers. It would have been against the Bruins, I'm guessing. I just remember not being able to take my eyes off Bernie Perrants. It might have been the Sabres series. I'm not 100% sure, but it did involve the Philadelphia Flyers and the Stanley Cup final.

For my money, he was the best. angle goalie of all time. And this is in an era where not everybody played that butterfly style that we all see now popularized by Patrick Waugh. There were some. I mean, Glenn Hall kind of did it. Certainly Tony Esposito did. But you were really relying on being a great angle goalie when you played in the 70s. And for my money, there was no one better than Bernie Perrance. He won two Stanley Cups in a row, won the Consmite Trophy in both of those cup finals. He was the reason why the Philadelphia Flyers won those Stanley Cups with all due respect to everybody else from Bobby Clark all the way down.

What you're looking at, if you're watching us on YouTube, that man was the reason the Philadelphia Flyers won those Stanley Cups. As many people have pointed out as well, help along the way playing two years in Toronto platooning with Jacques Plont, who himself was one of the great angle goalies of all time and great stick handling goleys of all time. After that, it was to the Philadelphia Blazers of the WHA, and then to the Philadelphia Flyers,

where, as I mentioned, he won two Stanley Cups and two Kahn-Smith trophies. Was a fixture in Philadelphia, everybody loved him. Even if you never met him, and I had the opportunity to meet Bernie Pront a number of different times, whether it was on TV shows, whether it was on doing radio shows, podcasts,

or just seeing him in Philadelphia. Always a big smile, always a great story. always a big handshake or a bear hug. He was a lovable man who just happened to be the best goaltender of that generation in the NHL. I cannot underscore this for those of you who are a little bit younger and may not know the story of Bernie Perrant and just how good he was, he's one of the best of all time. Like when you run down the greatest goaltenders to ever play the game, and for me, it's Dominicashek, number one. but you get to Bernie Perrant really fast as well.

And that Philadelphia Flyers team was a team that had the accent on violence. Like, they were a really good team too. And they were a good passing and playmaking team. A lot of that was because their head coach, Fred Schiro, studied the systems of, you know, legendary Soviet coach Antoli Tarasov, actually traveled to Russia a number of times to study the Russian system and style of hockey. But they really put the accent. on violence. And the idea was the referees weren't going to call everything. So let's just

have at it. They're not going to fill the box. And that was the, that was the on-ramp for your Mel Bridgmans and your Don Seleskys and certainly your Dave of the Hammer Schultz with his 472 penalty minute season. But it was chaotic. Like it was a very chaotic and violent team, which makes it even that much more impressive how Bernie Perrant was able to stay focused through all of it and make saves and keep the team in games because that Flyers team took a lot of penalties and Bernie Perrant was their number one penalty killer

again I'll come back and say it if there's no Bernie Perraunt there's no two Stanley Cups for the Philadelphia Flyers he was that large of a figure and to keep calm and focused when all around him was chaotic from his own team is just a testament to how great a goaltender he was. Loved by Ed Snyder, the late owner of the Philadelphia Flyers,

loved by Flyers fans, Flyers faithful, not just in Philadelphia, but around North America as well. A respected goaltender, a great ambassador for the sports, someone that did a lot off the ice to help support grassroots hockey in the Philadelphia area. He will be missed as he was treasured. condolences to the friends' family of Bernie Perrance as this is a day where the Philadelphia Flyers organization

and Flyers fans everywhere pause and remember the greatness that was Bernie Perranz. Coming up on the program today, Daily Outline is, as always, powered by Fanduel. Make Every Moment More with North America's number one sports book, Fanduel. And coming up on the program today, speaking of the Philadelphia Flyers,

He is the director. He's the director of player development for the Philadelphia Flyers. He is Riley Armstrong. I've maintained for a while here. And I'm not in a minority on this one that Riley one day is going to be a general manager in the NHL. You'll be able to hear from him in a couple of moments here on the program. As we'll talk about, you know, some of the names we should pay attention to on the Philadelphia Flyers, names that are on the horizon or names that are already there.

And I know it's preseason. but, man, Trevor Zegrois looked really good. We'll talk to Blake Price as well from this Karrison Price podcast. We'll talk about the Vancouver Canucks and the Quinn Hughes drama, which continues. And if you're like me, you're probably saying the same thing. Man, it's going to be a season where every couple of weeks, another log on the drama fire just gets thrown on the fire.

That's the way it feels. They've sort of replaced the Pedersen Miller drama with the Quinn Hughes drama. This is not the land that drama forgot. This is the land, and that is Vancouver. that has drama following it wherever it goes. Also talk today about the NHL preseason. We'll talk about the farewell tour for Anzei Kopitar. Not sure how you feel about this one.

There are some people that genuinely don't like the fact that he's announced that this is going to be his final season. I will tell some Denny Pot fan stories along the way who famously did this going back to 1988 and what that was like. We'll talk about Gabriel Landisog, your truly's favorite hockey player in the NHL, already mentioned Bernie Perrant. would imagine. I'll probably see a couple of more things here about the late

Philadelphia Flyers goaltender before today's program is over. So a couple of things here as we wait for Riley to stop by. Let me just jump in with the Kopitar situation. So Los Angeles Kings Forward, Angeo Kopatar announcing that this will be his final season. I think he has the heft and the place in the game and the Stanley Cups and the individual awards that it's wise to make an announcement like this. Otherwise, people all season long will be wondering, where's the extension and what's happening? And I don't think Kopitar wants to drag the Los Angeles Kings through that.

So I don't mind this. There are some fans that aren't big fans of it, and I want to get into that here with Zach Phillips in a couple of seconds. But one of the conversations that I had over the weekend was with a coach. and we were comparing the careers of, because I think you can legitimately link them, Angey Kopitar and Patrice Bergeron. I've always maintained that Patrice Bergeron

is the closest thing as a forward as we have had in the NHL to what Nick Liddstrom was as a defenseman. And that sort of led into this text exchange with me and this coach who was maintaining, you can make a stronger case for Ange Coppitar over Patrice Popatier. Bergeron, to which I said, poppycock, prove it.

And so this is what he came back with. Copatar, more games, more points per game. 0.88 for Copacar versus 0.8 for Bergeron. More Stanley Cups, 2 to 1. Three lady bings for Copacar, zero for Bergeron. I know how everybody feels about the lady bang, but folks, it's an award they hand out. Bergeron obviously wins with six Selkies to two, but Copart still has two selki trophies. I do wonder if he had played in the eastern time zone how we would feel.

Like if he played on the Boston Bruins and Patrice Bergeron played on the Los Angeles Kings, how would we feel about both of those careers? And would it flip? Like I think that I still defer to Bergeron in that argument, but I think it's a stronger case than I think you might sort of take for granted. I think you can make a strong case about Kopitz are having a better career than Patrice Bergeron. Yeah. Yeah. It's one of those ones, too, where every single season, I always go into it and you know the pillars of, you know, your responsible, reliable centerman that you're going to get every single season, Anjikopatar, Patrice Bergeron, Cynie Crosby.

Like, it's just like you mix those guys in the same conversation. Yeah. Calibers across, whatever, but it's the same. I mean, you know every single season what you're going to get. The Selky Lady Bing is kind of funny because how many of those years did Patrice Bergeron win? that Hansa Kopitar got the lady bit. Like how many of those did that come up where that was the case where one guy got one and then the other guy got the other.

But yeah, that is an interesting argument. I don't get, by the way, why people would be mad about this. You know why? Because like there will be an obligation for it. And again, like I saw this in 88. When Denny Podfan retired, he did this tour. This is giving me my final season. And everywhere he went, there was like a little mini ceremony for him.

and like a presentation before every game and oh no here comes another bouquet of flowers for denny pot and it kind of got tedious and i'd like to remind teams you don't have to do this i know everyone will kind of seem like sort of psychologically pressured to do something for copatara and his in his final twirl in edmonton or vancouver or san jose or anaheim or wherever but you don't have to you really don't have to do this but i have a feeling that it'll have happen. I really do. Yeah. Okay, that's fair, but I think it can be more of a farewell for the fans. It's the last time they get to see him potentially here, like in that city or from that fan base. Let them know that this is the last time. I don't know, man. Like them the opportunity to say goodbye. Gretzky retired in like with like, he made it official, like with two games left, like one

in Canada, one in the United States. There was no like sign our, anyway. It's, it's for a different conversation. I want to get to our first guest here on the program. But I have no problem with it. I think he has this sort of heft in the league that he can do that. And we would be asking, hey, like, where's the contract extension here for Kopitar? And it would become essentially an empty calorie story, knowing that in the back of his head, he's checked out and he's done after this season. Anyhow, let's get to our first guest.

He's something that we've wanted to have on the show here for a while. He's someone who's named you're going to hear a lot about in the coming years. He is Riley Armstrong, the Philadelphia Flyers, Director of Player Development, joins me on the sheet. Now, Riley, how are you? You look very serious today. Now, there we go. I'm always serious.

Thanks for doing this. And let's read way too much into one exhibition game. Let's read way too much into one preseason game. How many players last night in that game against the Islanders are going to the Hockey Hall of Fame? There were a lot of guys that look good for the Philadelphia Flyers last night. And listen, Trevor Zegris looks fantastic. early on again i know the caveat it's early um he looks good playing with you know passing the biscuit back and forth with jamie drysdale but did you take any like from your position how much if

anything do you take out of that one game with the islanders um i think the one thing that you can look at it from a whole is um i think for z z egris to come out there and play the way that he did play um you showed a lot of poise and confidence with the puck and um you know i think something that stood out to me during the game was the compete level that Mitchcov, Grubankin and Zegris had controlling the puck down low a ton. I think they had a shift in the start of the second period there where they controlled the play for about a minute and a half where they just had the puck the whole time. I think Mitchcove even tried a Michigan there right off early in the second too.

So, you know, it's definitely something that's really exciting, I think, for the flyers. I think the skill level through our group last night is much higher than it has been in the past couple of years. So I think games are going to be a lot more exciting. You know, I think it's going to put the Flyers back on the map. It's, listen, there's a lot of interesting stories around the Philadelphia Flyers this season. Zegras is a major story. The further maturation of Michikoff is a story. I think, you know, can Jamie Drysdale take that next step?

Can Cam York take that next step? But here's a name that fans may, casual fans may not be familiar with. Hardcore Flyers fans certainly are. How good is Alex Bump? Like flat out, how good is Alex Bump? I honestly said this just the other day. I said, I hope my son plays like Alex Bump.

He is so good. And I think there's going to be a learning curve for him going into the pro game, playing against some heavier guys in that night-to-night grind, you know, whether wherever he starts. It's in the American League or the NHL. But he is so smooth with the puck. It almost looks like he's going to get hit every single time he has it,

and he slips by guys. His second effort on pucks is second to none. He always seems to come out with the puck. And I think the last little bit for him is his hockey IQ, the way he sees the game, the way that he processes it, it's pretty incredible to watch him from up top. and then his, I guess his sense on going to areas on where he's going to score goals. I wouldn't necessarily say you can teach that sort of thing,

but he definitely has that knack on where to go, the timing of it all, how to get the puck, and then he does score big goals at big times. Pat Fershweiler did some outstanding work with him over the past couple of years, and that's probably a name you're going to hear as a head coach, in the NHL probably sooner than later as well. One of the things that I found, I think a lot of us found, really interesting. And then we stood back and we looked at and we said, oh, man, that's like old flyers. And that was the draft this year where everybody is like six foot four.

It was just like, oh, yeah, the flyers are back. Like, you're like, this guy's six foot four. Here's part of Marathon. Here's Jack Nesbitt. Like, everyone's six three, six four. Like, is that from your chair? Is that like a team mandate now? Certainly you have to be able to play and skate and all.

those, the difference, but like, is size back for the Philadelphia Flyers? Because if you look at last year's draft, you say to yourself, this is old orange man. This is old orange. Yeah, I think it was something that they wanted to focus on, you know, besides the couple of guys that are around that 6 foot 511 mark. But myself being at the draft, as these kids are getting called and coming up on the stage and doing all that, I was staring up quite a bit. So it definitely, I think it definitely sets that standard of what we're looking for, not only the size,

but when you look at the size that we have and the positions that I think they covered is we've built a lot down the middle of the rink. That's even dating back to other drafts with Jack Bergland as well, Hikey Rahunen, some good size centermen, and then you put Nesbit into the fold there as well. I think there's like a lot to go from right now. I remember I first got this job and I felt our prospect pool or cupboard was pretty empty. And Danny and Brent Flaher has done a great job at restocking it and keeping me on the road quite a bit during the year. So they definitely keep me busy. It's gotten good really fast.

I do want to park a little bit of time to talk about Porter-Martone. But let me break a little bit on Jack Nesbitt. First of all, how does he look? He looks great. During our rookie series against the Rangers, he had the puck on a string a couple of times. He surprised me. The way, like how Comey is being put into these situations.

You're 18 years old coming in to play against these rookie series against the Rangers, and he definitely stood out in both games. Not only a size, the way he controlled the face-off dot, the way that he carried the puck through the neutral. zone, made plays, made plays with guys on his back, and then watching them last night in the first preseason game going out against some NHLers from the aisle, and he looked good. And I think a lot of times when you get put into that game when you're 18 and you're nervous and you're a little unsure and you just want to play it safe, he definitely didn't do that.

It was pretty cool for me to watch up top and see how he just kind of took control of his situation. And I think he made the most of it. He's going to be one guy where I think he probably goes back to junior hockey, but he's definitely going to push to stay here as long as he can. It's on a really good winters Spitfire team, too. That team has Memorial Cup aspirations this year. Say hello to Mia. Hey there.

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Visit go.acast.com slash advertise to get started. Porter Martone. I think raised a lot of eyebrows making the decision to, to leave the OHL and go play for Michigan State. Again, like he's one of these players that you look at and you say he looks like a Philadelphia flyer. When you see Porter Martone Riley, what does Riley Armstrong see?

I see another young Tyson Forrester. I think Tyson's burst onto the scene the last couple years. But when you look at their body away from the rink, they remind me of like the exact same of how they're, like body is. There's like when I had Tyson with the phantoms, he looked like a little teenager. Now I look at Porter. He has that same look. He still looks like a baby. And I think for him, the maturity level that he has, he can walk into a room. He walks into that NHL room with all, all of our main guys. And he fits right in. He's not afraid of the big,

uh, the big scene or anything like that. So his confidence level just like he like wants that. And I think for him to go to college hockey, a very mature decision on himself and his family and his agent on taking that step. But I think it allows him to spend more time in the gym, which then in, you know, a year or two years, it allows him to step more and be NHL ready at that time. If he came in right now, there would be a lot of uncertainties in that area. But at the same time, what does he have to prove going back to junior hockey for another year? So I think it's a great step. It's a pretty cool rule that they've now put in with Canada and college hockey and major junior.

And I think it kind of gives guys a longer time to develop, the longer runway, I guess, is what a lot of people are saying or calling it. I kind of look at it, right. Like, it's an important step to get to the NHL. Like, you're an old Western hockey league guy yourself. Like, you know how hard that jump is, not just from. you know, junior hockey to the NHL, even the jump from junior hockey to the American League, like that's a jump, man. You know this.

You did this. Yeah. It's almost like college is like another step to get to pro hockey. Like I'm with you. Like there are some players that just sort of, you know, they, they skill out of junior hockey. And what's next? Man, the HL jump is huge. The NHL jump is huge.

You can play college hockey for one or maybe two years. And like, listen, this is your bailiwick. development, I think it can only benefit. I really do. Yeah. And, you know, we just touched on Nesbit being in Windsor and Michigan State's right there. So pretty sure I'm going to be spending a lot of time in the Detroit area this summer going out and seeing them. And we also have Shane Van Sagi at Michigan State as well, who's another big body power forward winger. So, you know, I really like what Danny did. He put, has all of our prospects and like little pods. Um, across the U.S. and Canada.

So I think he was trying to help out with my schedule. He did that. Just trying to save some money on the travel budget. That's a veteran move. You know that, trying to keep the cost down. Let me ask you about one of the highlight machines around the NHL, and that's Motfei Michkoff from, and you were right there when he joined and started. You've seen all of it.

How different is he one year later? How different is Mitchcoff? I would say he, his, like, desire and his compete level to win and want to win is through the roof. And I think maybe with the change of the coaching staff, a little fresh breath of air for him and kind of the way talks approached his style that he wants to play, fits well with Madvei. And when he's on the ice, this guy just loves to score. He sits out on the ice for a half hour after every single time.

He's on the ice and he's doing shootout moves. And I think probably his move from last night's already going around social media, I would imagine. But he makes it look so easy. And I think that just kind of like goes through the whole entire group of guys, whether you've been in the NHL for 14 years or you're a rookie coming in and you just see how hard that he works. And he works at his craft to score to make plays. And he absolutely just loves the game. He loves being at the rank.

And I think that says a lot about him. Let me ask about you. As I mentioned, you played in the Western Hockey League. I think a lot of us have wondered, you know, is Riley going to be more on the coaching side? Because we know you're like, you're a hockey life for guy. Like, is he going to be more on the coaching side, on the development side, on the management side? Like what was, I remember when you were coaching in the, in the ECHL as well with Maine for a couple of years. And, you know, like from your perch, I mean, everybody has a path.

Where do you see yours leading? I think being put into this role and kind of leaving the coaching scene, I wouldn't say I necessarily left. I'm still involved with the coaching staff, with the Flyers and also with the Phantoms. So I still get that little bit of coaching. And I also coach my son's hockey team too. So I'm, you know, I'm well versed behind the bench. Hang on, hang on.

Hang on. Hang on. Hang on. Give us, honestly, not the father's scouting report, but give us the coach's scouting report. Skilled, skilled crafty player. Tends to get lazy at times. Hey, hang on, how old is he?

How old the child are we talking about? Okay, keep it in mind here, folks, we're talking about a 10-year-old. Give us the full scout report on the 10-year-old. Okay, so show his promise. He shows promise. He shows promise, Danny, but he lacks focus. Well, yeah, Riles, he's 10 years old. But finish the scouting report for us.

He is a very, very skilled player. Definitely, I don't know where he got that from. Must have been hanging out with Danny a little bit at the rank when he pops down to the training center. Tends to get lazy, has a little bit of a short temper. And I kind of like that part of him. Yeah, I wonder where he gets that. I wonder where he gets that one. I think it's from Uncle Colby, to be honest, not so much myself.

But I think he loves the game. And Kelly Chase told me one time, if you love the game, the game will love you back. And I think that's something that, you know, hopefully for him in, you know, five, ten years that that helps him out as well with how much he loves the game. He loves being around the rank, being around the boys. He thinks he's best friends with all the flyers. and phantoms, and I'm pretty sure he'll probably venture into the coaching GM world one day, too. Wow. I already got him as a lifer.

You know, there's a, there's a, there's a, there's a, there's a, there's a, there's a, there's a, there's a, there's a, there's a, there's a, I'm curious about, you know, what you've learned along the way. There's a great saying about teaching. And it goes like this. When one teaches to learn, when one teaches to learn, what have you learned by being a teacher at the last however many years? I've learned to never stop learning, even when I'm on the ice with guys and I'm trying to teach them and they come back and it's definitely an open door with me. I want the feedback from the player or from coaches and the other management personnel that we have and I might have an idea and I think it's good to come with an open mind and being

able to accept other ideas and take them as well and kind of put them all together. So I think that's the one thing I've probably learned the most is just that open line of communication, always being willing to take advice, you know, or jump on other people's backs a little bit and kind of work more as a team and not just have it your way or the highway. And I think that's something that Danny's put into me over the years of us working together with the main mariners and then joining here with the flyers as well as everybody's working for the same goal. And I think that's kind of what Jonesy, Dan Hilfordy and Danny have had through throughout this

whole thing, this whole process that they're developing is it runs right through the staff. Do you understand goalies? Well, I do spend a lot of time with Kim Dillibaw and Brady Robinson here. And I'm trying to learn more and more about them. they are they are different but the way that they move and the way that they play the game I'm always picking their brains again learning I'm not a goalie guy I love scoring on goalies I loved it and that's what I try and teach our guys how to score more how to be more creative and then at the same time looking at it on the other side always trying to learn how they work

what they think you know how a goalie reads the game and stuff like that you know that's a really interesting point too um I mean that's the constant cat and mouse right now it seems as if shooters have an advantage before that there was a long stretch where goalies had the advantage it was always like and you were part of this when you played like in the off season goalies would go and work on goaltending they'd go work on on their craft and the guys would go lift and then would come back and crack their knuckles and here we go and guys now are like no i got to like work on you know i got to work on my shot pre-shot movement all these different types of things that people in your line of work talk about.

It seems if right now, more so than in the last 15 years, it's advantage shooter. Would you agree with that? Oh, I think in a way it could be. I also think defending has become such a big part, and you see how many guys are blocking shots, how many guys are in shot lanes. And that's one skill that we constantly work on

is, you know, how to shoot through a screen, how to pull the puck into an area and shoot from different spots off of your body. And it's a hard skill. A lot of guys just want to grab the puck and shoot it. And definitely that change in the angle part. You look at guys like Austin Matthews, I think, kind of reinvented the changing of the angle

of your shot a little bit and guys like that. So definitely something that a lot of skill work goes into. But I think definitely when you look at the skill that, you know, we're talking about the flyers have. We're definitely, I think we're on the safe side. I'd take our shooters over the goalies for sure. Yeah, it very much. I remember, I mean, Elaine Vino was asked about it once and he said, you know,

because I, you know, Riley, I can't tell you the last time because I don't remember it and you're probably the same. The last time I was ever part of a conversation that revolved around, we need to make the goalie equipment smaller. Like that conversation is gone now because everybody's, realize that, to your point, you can teach goal scoring. You can teach guys how to do this. And the conversation about, oh, we need to make the nets bigger and the goalie's

equipment needs to shrink, that's gone. Like that conversation, when's the last time you had a conversation about the goalie's equipment is too big? It doesn't happen anymore. They used to dominate every show that I did, every conversation that you probably had. Riley, that conversation is completely vanished. It's gone. It has.

It has. And I think the technology of the sticks, too. You know, these companies are coming out. The sticks are lighter. They bend at different locations. And every player shoots the puck different. Some players have their hands closer together. Some people like it down.

You have mid-kick, low-kick, high-kick, all these different things. And players are way more in-tuned with their stick and, like, their tool of what they're using to make them the best player possible. The way that they're curved, the way the blade sits on the ice. it's pretty cool when you're talking to a player and you start talking about their stick and their stick is like part of their body like yeah like those those good players like they absolutely love like how their sticks sits on the ice how it looks the curve the flex um and all that type of stuff so i we have a lot of banter in the room about that and uh guys are always talking about their sticks what was yours when you uh when you played in the western league

what was um it was a ccm wooden stick and know, I'm like dating my, like, I don't even think I'm that old, but I had a wooden and, uh, you didn't get to pick your own curve, Jeff. You just said, yeah, oh, way, here's this. But we, hang on, were you one of those guys that like, you know, got into the, got into the workshop early and, like, you were the, the master of, like, working on the heel to change the lie. Were you that guy that was, like, in the room for hours working on his stick? Oh, my, my dad would always go. We had, like, some wooden sticks, whatever. My dad would get the, the Coho or the Christian or whatever stick he would get at the $5 bin out of Canadian

tire and Colby would always just get the stick tape it and it was good and I'd be down there and have the blow the blow torch going fiberglass would be cracking everywhere I'd try and bend my blades yeah it was pretty good I was I was always doing that I'd always tape my stick retake my stick my dad would always get mad about little balls of tape always all over the house and now flip it whatever years later and And my son, I'm finding tape ball all over the house here. So, you know, definitely runs in the family. Is he making one of those giant tape balls that he lugs around in the bag?

Is he that kid? Yeah, he is that kid until I threw it out. Oh, you're breaking hard. It's weighing the bag down. You got to carry this thing. Dad doesn't carry the bag. Yeah. So.

One rule, your dad, like Wayne is one of the great people of the game and one of the nice or something. Is he still scouting in the Western League? Is your dad still scouting? He's still scouting for the Moostrow Warriors. I think he's in his third, third or fourth year now with them. So he has a Memorial Cup ring, two WHL championship rings, one back when we played with Red Deer. And he just absolutely loves being at the rink.

Around the city of Saskatoon, I think every single night I call my dad during the winter and there's a hockey game in the background. And he's at a local youth rink watching Vantam. Hockey, major AAA, and, you know, he definitely gets those players out there and gets them down to those guys in Moose Jaw. You're part of a great hockey family, Raleigh. Listen, thanks for parking time. I know it's a busy time for your organization and for you.

Thanks so much for parking some time for me today. Much appreciated. Good luck to the team in Orange this year. We'll check back soon. Awesome. Thanks, Jeff. And I appreciate the ties that you gave me. I've added them to the tie collection.

So I wear them from time to time. Hang on. We got it. Hang on, we're going to, we're going to tell this story real quick. So when, so when Riley used to coach in, in Maine, this is the ECHL, and whenever he would come visit me at SportsNet, I would always give him, oh, we'd go to the dressing room and say, Riley, grab some, grab some ties. And you still have those, you're telling me? I still have them. You used to give me Maine Mariners dry fits for the gym and I would give you ties.

I think you win in that in that part. Great trade off. Great trade off. And I don't know if you still wear those Maine Mariners shirts, but I definitely. I do. I do. All right. That's a hand-in-love relationship. Awesome. Riley, thanks, man. You're the best. Congratulations on all the success, and we wish you nothing but more success in the future. Thanks, Bell. Thanks, Jeff. There he is. Riley Armstrong is the Director of Player Development for the Philadelphia Flyers,

and that is a name that you will hear much more of in the coming years, as his career is probably taking him to more of the management than coaching direction, and it's only a matter of time, as they say, before the big chair finds Riley Armstrong sitting in it. Zacharoo, if you are still there, quick thought on the flyers with that conversation with Riley, anything jump out at you? I love the way he talks about Alex Bump. Like, I know he's not a household name yet, but I'm telling you, like I watch him at Western Mish as well. um that's a guy that flyers fans are absolutely going to love and is there a bigger compliment that that a hockey dad can pay a player than i hope my son plays like him that's a pretty big compliment

it's a pretty big compliment yeah that is a pretty big compliment no kidding i'll explain i'm excited to see this year i thought it was one of my big takeaways from that conversation was something that's kind of been topical for us here on the show and then especially having gone to St. John over the weekend was the discussion about Martone going to the states to play in college. And just kind of the statement he made about the longer runway for development. Because I think that's the right way to look at it. Like, how many times do you watch a player who's too good for the OHL? He can't play in the AHA, but he's not good enough to play in the NHL.

And then they kind of get stuck in maybe the best way to call it, put it is no man's land. Well, now there's a path. and even St. John, like, we saw a different approach from the Seedogs. We saw a different approach from Trevor Georgie there, where it's like they're openly talking about their players who were committed to go to NCAA schools. Oh, yeah. Here's Duhamel, who's committed to Clarkson next, for whatever, next year, the year after that. Like, welcome it.

Take it on as a different path for this. And it's like, it's a more greater opportunity for player development. I thought that that was kind of interesting for someone who is a director of player development. and openly saying, yeah, this is a better path. There were, so Charlie Marada is a name that I don't think a lot of people will know yet. Charlie Marada was a OHL draft pick last year, played Domino's Flyers, AAA, Bain Pettinger, the agent. So he made a commitment after he was drafted by Flint in the OHL draft.

He made a commitment to join Michigan State in two years. And there was a lot of like, oh, poor Flint. only going to get him for two years and then he's going to split like how unfair is this they should have known before et cetera et cetera to which i say if there wasn't this situation right now and this agreement between the two sides you wouldn't get charlie marada to begin with right because there's there's there's no way he'd be playing in in the o hl and again we'll come back to the same refrain this is the new model this is a new development model you can you can you can stop your feet as much as you want, you can complain about it as much as you want and say, like, oh, the Charlie

Marada situation is so horrible for Flint. This is just the way it is. This is just a new reality. Like, grab a bathing suit because this is where you're swimming. This is where you're swimming now. This is, this is where it's going to be unless you're a player that signs an NHL contract and then gets sent back to your junior team. But this is the way it is, man. Yeah. Well, there's that too. Yeah. Nothing. That's fair. Look, there's a conversation. station for another time. There's probably other leagues who have a gripe with it, like the OJ or USHL. They may have something

to say when it comes to players going through the CHL to the NCAA, but I mean, if you're the CHL, personally, I think the best way to approach it is embrace this. If you're the CHL, right now, you have arguably the highest quality of

athletes 16 to 18 that you've ever had. Just because of the reality of this situation, whether it's players going from the U.S.HL or a lot of Europeans going into junior Canadian major junior hockey. There is definitely a trickle down that's felt by everybody. And top, like we said from day one, top of the development pyramid right now is Division I hockey. That's where this has all taken us to for another day. In the meantime, the Quinn Hugh story will not go away.

and it's not just because the media doesn't want it to go away because it's a juicy story. And it's got, you know, it features one of the best players in the NHL. It features a family, two other brothers, a father who works at CAA, who is a legendary hockey man himself. This one's not going anywhere. Here for comments, one half of Secarus and Price. He is Blake Price, who joins me here on the sheet to comment on the situation involving the captain. So what is it about captains in Canada, whether it's Connor McDavid and his contract drama or whether it's Quinn Hughes and what's next for Vancouver's captain?

I don't know what it is about captains in Canada, but here we go. How did you greet the latest, the Friedman interview with Quinn Hughes? How did that information get between your ears and what did you think? You know, it's just more of the same. and, you know, I think we're parsing tense, which is dangerous. You know, I have loved my time in Vancouver. That's like a qualified past participle, I think. I don't know.

You know, it's being dissected. We all have like our Quinn Hughes, we're doing the same thing with McDavid. It's like, okay, I've got to put on my Connor McDavid decoder ring to try to figure out what he's. Now I've got to put on my Quinn Hughes, what is he? trying to tell us here? Listen, like Freud said, hey, listen, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Doesn't have to be a metaphor for something else. It can just be a cigar.

Are you a decoder ring person or are you a sometimes a cigar is just a cigar person? I think with this guy, he's so laid back. He is so, I don't know, he's just a really relaxed guy. I don't know that there's a whole lot of messaging. See, I would suggest, and I don't cover McDavid as closely as I cover Hughes, so, you know, take that into consideration here. I feel like McDavid is far more deliberate in what he says. I think he probably works with, you know, his side of the story, maybe whether that's his agent or a publicist or some sort. I think he might choose his words more carefully.

I don't know that Quinn Hughes is in that position right now. I think Quinn Hughes, especially because he has the extra year in his contract over on McDavid right now. I don't think he's quite drilling down tenses the way that the recipients of these words are right now. So I don't think there's a Dakota ring there. I think he just sort of speaking from the cuff and what comes out comes out. I'm of a couple of minds here about the origin story of this story. I really enjoy Jim Rutherford press conferences.

I really enjoy, you know, listening to Jim Mutherford. We always, you know, want people to speak as honestly and as openly as possible. But, man, this one just sort of kicked over a hornet's nest and we're still, you know, dining out on this conversation. As awkward as it may be for Quinn Hughes, as fun as it may be for Jack Hughes to weigh in. when asked about it as well. I get the feeling, Blake, that, and maybe it's just an oversimplification. Just lately, this team really looks for drama,

and last year it was J.T. Miller and Elias Pedersen. And this year, it's still more drama, but it's not Pedersen and Miller. It's Quinn Hughes, Jack Hughes, and Luke Hughes. I don't want to say it's like a team that can't get out of its own way, but sometimes it feels that way, because this is really a self-inflicted way. I keep going back.

If Jim Rutherford didn't make that comment, how different is everything right now? Yeah, I mean, we're talking about it, but it doesn't feel front burner as much, probably. It would still be on a ramping up curve, but I don't think that we're at the same point in the curve as we currently are. I mean, Jim Rutherford, to me, is a quote machine.

I agree. And I mean, I, I, there is a school of thought. And I've been talking with a bunch of people about this. And there is a school of thought. He played this down in the most recent press conference last Wednesday. That that was strategic, that what he said had purpose. So we were talking about Hughes and McDavid and whether or not they're actually choosing words carefully

and meaning what they say. Apparently that was not him just barfing that up. Again, that's Dakota Ring stuff versus speaking from the cuff. But there is a school of thought. Jim meant to do that, that there is method to that madness that we cannot see just yet and he'll say he's not going to give up the ghost

just yet. If he's got a plan, he's going to stick to it. So if you're a Canucks fan looking for some semblance of hope here, it's that Jim has a plan. Now, whether or not that plan works, we will soon see. It's a very complicated picture to paint here. I've said that the best case scenario for a

Canucks fan right now is maybe that they are and D, and people have made this comment that Luke Hughes wants to link up his contract length to Jacks. Well, if Quinn wants to do that too, and he's willing to sign a three-year extension with the Canucks next summer, which means from this date, you get five more years of Quinn Hughes.

That might be the best case scenario. I don't know if that's the case, but that might be the best that Connucks fans can wish for. You know, one of the things, and somehow McDavid hasn't had this issue at the forefront of his situation yet. Everything changes when the game starts, as you well know. But I wonder about this from Quinn's point of view.

Complicating all of this is, and I'm curious how much concert this gets in Vancouver, he's the captain who's not saying 100% plant the flag, I am here, I can't wait to do another deal with this team. How much of a factor is that in all of it that he wears the sea? I think it's a good factor for Kinex fans in that he, as we know, comes from a hockey family and, you know, it was drilled down early on, this is what you do, this is what you don't do, this is how hard you work.

You know, I think the C is heavier on a guy like that than it is, and I mean that in a good way, like it means it has gravitas for a guy like that versus somebody that maybe didn't come from that kind of a family, whether or not that's enough of a difference to sway a guy's opinion that I don't know but I think the sea means something to him and obviously too if he switches teams probably not wearing the sea in his new arrival you know he's if he does go to New Jersey in two years time he's not going to be coordinated the captain when he first arrives there maybe it's down the road but you know you're willingly walking away from a captaincy I think that's you know that's something

it might just be a sliver but you're trying to to put more weight on that side of the scales, and it's something for it connects me. Okay, so let's go, let's go Alicard here. You choose what you think the, the, the juicier, more interesting story is. Is it Philippeal Second Line Center? Is it Elias Pedersen and can he return to the greatness that we saw previous? Is it the health of Thatcher Demko? Your choice, which is the most intriguing story to Blake Price right now?

Yeah, there are all good ones. I think we have to assume that Thatcher Dempco is competitive and is average at worst. I think that's just a safe assumption. I mean, even at the end of last year, was he his normal self? No, but he was very capable at H.L. Goaltender. So, you know, him, that to where he was, that's still significant. And I think Kennecht fans want to see him do that. But I don't think it's a leap and the worst case scenario.

I guess I'm saying the floor on that story is still pretty high. the Elias Pedersen story, who knows? Because there's a lot of room to cover from where he was playing last year to where he can be. So that is the biggest story. And the lack of a true second line center, and that goes back to your Heidel story, I think Heel can be a good patch in the second line center position. But he's not a true certified with a bullet second line center. And so without that, the performance of your top line center,

Center is all the more important. And so really, I think the season hangs on Elias Pedersen's attempted redemption arc here. And if he is stronger, healthier, pain and injury-free, then that's huge for Kinnock's fans. But we need to see the hunger. We need to see the muscle between the years working in perfect harmony with the rest. So there's so many factors to why Elias Pedersen hasn't been great in the last year and a half and most of those have to be okay for this team to be okay. So that's a big ask.

Okay, so let's get ahead of ourselves then. How's he looked? Is he back? Well, our men on the street have seen him with at least his underarmor on, if not bare-chested. Let's see him more round. Let's go.

He's got a body. He's got a body. So, you know, apparently he, to the naked, an eye, pardon the pun, he does look more sculpted than he has in the past. He hasn't played in the one exhibition game just yet, but the pace in training camp has looked pretty good. And a little bit more shot happy. We've seen a reticence, some of late, not lingering injury or pain necessarily in his wrist from his wrist injury. but there might have been a flexibility issue or mobility issue that, you know, breaking through the scar tissue that needed to happen,

which seemed to have prevented him from using that fabulous wrist shot on a more regular basis next year, or last year. So if that has limbered up and he's going to be a little bit more shot-happy, which people want to see, that's good news. And that seemed he was whipping pucks off the iron hole training camp, you know. Good signs. But until you've seen it in live action, it's just, speculation at this point, but

you'd rather see that than not see that, I guess. How did how did Kinex fans greet the J.T. Miller News in New York with the, uh, the see on the sweater? Like I, you, me and Maddie were talking about like, that's a, to me, that's a power move by Chris Drury. That's like, this is my guy from the

outside, you know, I know many of you thought this might be Vinny Trochak here getting this one, but this is, this is going to be my way and this is my guy and this is New Ranger. How was that greeted in Vancouver? I'm sure there were more than one or two stunned people considering how we did a lot of polling on this yes we did we did a lot of polling and you know i forget where it landed but there was you know a

pretty significant group that were like you know i have emotions it's stirring up emotions in me and then there was another equally significant group that were like it's in the past don't care and those people are liars jeff those people are liars i yeah they everybody i think has an opinion on that. Now, whether it's going to keep you up at night, whether you're going to think about it, you know, three weeks from now, okay, there is a spectrum. But everybody had an opinion on that. Don't tell me that it didn't, you know, catch your attention and make you say something

out loud as you were scrolling Twitter or whatever it is, you know. You said something you had feelings, otherwise you're lying to me. Will these two names, rightly or wrongly, be forever linked now? in the NHL? These two, Miller and the Canucksian? No, Miller and Pedersen specifically. Miller and Pedersen? I think if Pedersen returns to his former self,

while that will obviously harken back to cause and effect, I guess, to why he wasn't himself, I think we will eventually move past the story. If there's a redemption there, because then he'll just move on, he'll have 10 more years of playing in the league, and all will be fine. If we never see the same

Elias Pedersen again, I don't know. Maybe people will feel like J.T. Miller ruined Elias Pedersen. You know, I don't know. We'll have to see, I think, if Pedersen can be that former self. I think J.T. Bill, I mean, already his stats

since he became a ranger, pretty good. Like, they're akin to what he was doing with the Vancouver Canucks. So J.T. Miller's carrying on, but Elizabeth Patterson hasn't. You know, and he's one of those guys. I've always said this. You've heard me bark on about this.

I don't cheer for teams. I cheer for players. And that's, I'm cheering for Elias Pedersen. Like, I just don't want that last season to be, like, the defining season. Like, I want, to your point, that redemption arc, and I want to see that Elias Pedersen. Again, I want good things for good people. I'm really, he's one of the guys at the beginning of the year. He sort of make predictions and you have hope and you cross your fingers and your head

knows one thing and your heart feels another. I really want Elias Pedersen to have a great season. Is that, is like, is that the vibe in Vancouver right now that the, the, the, the city is behind this guy? Or is it still? Sideways glance. We've seen this movie last year and we don't know whether the same Elias Pedersen is coming back.

I mean, J.T. Miller had his fans. So there are still, it's a non-zero faction that, you know, we made the wrong choice because they had to deal with with somebody. But he was the older guy. And so that was the obvious choice for Jim Rutherford and company to make, to make sure that Pedersen is the guy that they ended up keeping But I think everybody agrees that they can't have the future where Elias Pedersen doesn't make his comeback.

Like the future of the Vancouver Canucks becomes so muddled if Elias Pedersen with his massive contract does not perform at least to 80% of that contract, you know, at least to 80% of the player that you thought it was. If he's not a 100-point player going forward, but he's an 80-point player, okay, that's fine. I think people can live with that. Right.

But if he's a 55-point player at best, oh boy, it changes the trajectory. It actually has a reflection on the Quinn Hughes story because if they're not going to be a competitive team, my goodness. What are the chances they get to hold on the Quinn Hughes? Is it just that we'll finish where we started? Is it just that simple, Blake, that if this team is competitive like they were two seasons ago,

there's a much better chance that Quinn Hughes resigns and stays a member of the Vancouver Canucks. But if the wheels come off the wagon, you might as well start, you know, taking calls on everybody. I think the second part is true. I mean, if the wheels fall off, yes, I think that is a death now.

But here's the problem. Jim Rutherford addressed this on Wednesday. We can pull out all the stops here. We can be a playoff team. I can make a stupid trade overpay for player X over here and give us a second line center. I can do everything in my power to keep him here and he still gets to walk.

So does it help to be a winning team? Yep. But I can't quantify how much it helps in Quinn Hughes's mind because if he is dead set on playing with Bros. ASAP, it's going to be what it's going to be. He's got the power. Yeah, great point. Thanks for stopping by.

Really appreciate it. I have your own show to get to. So thanks for parking some time with us today, Blake Price, and we will check back soon. Thanks for sharing the expertise. Did you, Jeff. Thanks. There he is. Blake Price won half of Secarus and Price,

Hernan Seen, right here at Daily Faceoff, if you're a Vancouver Canucks fan, or if you just like a fan that wants to know because you're like me and just want to pop in on places and get a time and temp and know what's going on, that should be one of your stops as you try to get the vibe check from the Vancouver Canucks. That is a great show.

Although I'd avoid it when I'm on, which is weekly. Zach, what do you make of the Hughes situation right now? I kind of look at it and say like, again, and I just referenced this with Blake, if they don't think that there's enough money under the salary cap to keep Quinn Hughes, then how are you not listening on everybody? Everybody. and because all of a sudden, timelines have changed. Like, you're not doing it on Quinn Hughes's timeline anymore.

Yeah, exactly. I also think there's a, look, not to make it the Toronto conversation again, but I will speak to it from experience of having just covered it for a year. Tell us about Marner. Tell us about Marner. It's the verbiage is what I'm going to refer to here, Jeff. Every time he went on camera and he talked about it, I have loved playing in Toronto. Okay, well, it's not like the biggest deal.

Maybe I'm looking into things too much, but you didn't just say you love playing in Toronto. You didn't say you love playing in Vancouver. I loved. I loved. And then to throw in there at the end, the clip specifically that kind of made its way around social media the other day was we'll see based on my actions in the summer.

What the hell? If I'm a Canucks fan and I see that interview, I'm like, hold the hell on here. What did you just say? I don't think it necessarily means I'm gone, I'm out the door, trade me now. But to your point, this changes timelines, changes timelines for things in Edmonton, which shouldn't necessarily be the case with Connor, but they should be pushing as hard as they possibly can on things there to win and get a goalie.

But it's putting pressure on teams in ways that is kind of, you know, the same that they do in the NBA. How many years does LeBron James sign a one, two-year contract, and basically says, if we don't win, I will leave. If we don't win, I'm on my way out the door. It kind of feels like you're seeing that with Quinn and Connor in their respective situations where, hey, give us an opportunity to win and I'll consider staying.

But otherwise, I'm laying the groundwork by going in social media and going on podcasts and saying, I've loved playing in Vancouver and Edmonton. And all options are on the table. favorite Jeff of the summer was long term short term no term you didn't have to say no term Connor this just throwing it out there they're laying the groundwork for it but it puts everybody on notice hey if this doesn't work out I could be on my way out the door and it puts some pressure on the GMs in the front office which I kind of appreciate because it's like I'm a superstar

player i want to win if you're not going to win it doesn't you know what it the thing about like i i'm with you it seems very um very basketball but i think that we're edging towards that vibe with athletes in the nchel anyhow it's just taken a long time to get there when like look like you can't offer me enough money i'm going to go play with my brothers yeah how many and how many NBA trades have you seen based on oh i played pick up with this guy and now we want to play on the same team and we're going to go join Team X and you're going to pay us this amount of money and the trade's going to be massive. Just based on this is what I want to do.

Exactly. And you know what it is? There's a fine line, I will say, because the NBA has kind of gone a little bit too far where it's like you're basically turning it on and watching Love Island USA like reality drama shows if you're watching the NBA at points. But I will say it's unbelievable. That's what it feels interest, man. And what else does that bring in?

A whole lot of money, which could go to the player's pockets. So, why not? Like, why not? It's a bulletproof win-win. Let's, I want to, I want to, a couple moments we have left here on the program. I want to air a quick clip to direct people's attention to our On the Road series, and there are more features coming. There's the one with Sam Gagne that's already out.

The one that we just released not too long ago is our interview with Jeff Jackson, the CEO of Hockey Operations for the Edmonton Oilers. Which clip are we seeing here, Zacharoo? And this was a long interview with Jacks, too. What clip are we seeing here with Jacks? This is the one talking about his favorite roommate, which is kind of funny, too, because it always slips my mind that there was a long period, not a period, a long period, that even the veterans and the,

older guys had roommates on the road. Oh yeah. Like you just kind of think about like pro hockey professional sports like they wouldn't share a room with somebody. No, no, no. Oh, yes they would. There's a lot of stories to come about it. So this is Jack's talking about his favorite roommate. You played in the era where you had roommates

on the road. Who are your favorites? My favorite was Michelle Goulet for sure. Really? Yeah. We were roommates with the Nordiques for and I had a lot of good roommates so like you know anybody who was my roommate I'm not mentioned I love being but goo is the best because he he was a superstar in the league yeah at the time and he really took care of teammates so like you know we would fly into boston and we would go to dinner and he would have prearranged to pay the bill like he would do that all the time

and the one thing that I was sort of like at the end of being his roommate I didn't love or it was that he's he loved to sleep in the afternoon for like three and a half hours so he would like put the dark blinds on yeah so you're if you're not somebody who sleeps like what do you do it in the room you're you can't watch tv you can't read because he wanted it dark so i i started like leaving the room in the afternoon because i would have a little nap then i would go sit somewhere in the hotel and read a book or whatever but like but he was such a great guy and so he was my favorite roommate and what an epic goal scorer to Michelle Goulet was.

The two names that we forget from that 80s era, as far as being elite, elite players and superstars, Peter Stasney and Michelle Goulet. Now, I love the Quebec Nordiques. I love the Nordiques. Like nobody else. I love that team. I love the vibe.

I love the college, like all of it. And Michelle Goulet goes down as, for me, one of the more underrated superstars to ever play the game. God, was he good. I was happy to hear Jack said that he was a great roommate as well and a good guy off the ice. Yeah.

That episode, by the way, for anybody looking available on the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel right here, as well on podcast platforms, it's on our feed, the sheet hockey. You can find it there,

so you can listen to that. And the next one coming out this week, Jeff. What we got? Well, I don't want to... Oh, it's Robert Thomas of the St. Louisville. This was a fun one, too. This was probably the newsiest one, And it was cool.

That's your old teammate from a million years ago in minor hockey. Oh, by the way, just as a quick aside, I should have mentioned this off the top. Even though we didn't think to take a picture to document it, Zach Phillips met Zach Phillips. Yes. I want to tell the story about Zach Phillips meeting Zach Phillips. And here's the even better part, how Zach Phillips stole Zach Phillips's room at the Hilton.

Want to do that one? Yeah. Ready to go, Zach. That's how it started. So just so everyone else, Zach Phillips was a player he's played for the St. John C. Dogs, drafted by the Minnesota Wilde. I want to say second round.

And that's the person that you're always, you've always been confused with. Like, are you like Zach Phillips? Like the old NHL draft pick? You got to play St. John's Died? No, another Zach Phillips. Yeah, not quite that prestige. No, no Memorial Cup under my belt, no NHTRAft.

Yeah, later in the day on Friday, actually, after we finished the show in TD Station, went back to the hotel, getting the podcast up, and I get a call from the front desk. I answer it, and the lady's like, hello, and she's Zach Phillips, and I'm like, yep. And immediately, you could tell there's confusion. She's like, there's someone here at the front desk trying to do. check in with your name and I'm like what what are you talking about and then it hits me and I'm like oh yeah there's two of us and she goes oh yeah he's got like Zach Phillips ideas well I'm like yeah that's for sure what's happening she's like of the sea dogs whatever well we were both checked

in thanks to the sea dogs they set us up they got accommodations course and everything so when I got to the front desk i was also zach phillips of the sea dogs and he was zach phillips of the sea dogs and so uh yeah i took his room and then we went uh we went out for uh some dinner and food and stuff before the game on friday night and that happened to be where everybody was meeting he walks in and one of the guys of the sea dogs goes oh this is zach phillips says that to him points at me and he just turns and looks at me and goes so you stole my room yes i did i apologize But yes, I did. What was it like finally meeting?

And by the way, Zach Phillips, as I just checked here, it was a first round pick, not a second round pick. Was it like meeting Zach Phillips, who you've heard so much about over the years and been confused with over the years? It was pretty cool. He's a pretty cool guy. I guess he just finished playing pro hockey.

So he's moving back now and kind of starting his life after hockey. But it was funny. Like I was explaining to him how I've known who he was, whole like his whole junior life basically just explaining you know my buddies when we would play the NHL video game you'd go into the be a pro and you start in the memorial cup they would play with the sea dogs just because he was on it and make jokes about it and stuff and we wore the same number so we were talking about that he thought it was pretty funny i think there was a period there where it made him feel a little bit old given that i was explaining this was through me being in

grade eight through 10 that he was experienced or I was experiencing this so I think that that may not have been his favorite part but otherwise it was pretty cool you know what you're going to get and I still get to this day and it's like it's meant as a compliment but oh it's just like oh it's just such a dig I used to watch you or I used to listen to you when I was a kid yeah I can imagine that's always a good one yeah That's always a good one. Really quick, Gabe Landisog. So Gabe Landisg, my favorite player in the NHL, looks good.

We're going to get a full season of Gabe. This is outstanding. So yesterday, a couple of games, Utah and Colorado, and in one of them, Sam Lipkin, who's a draft pick out of Quinn a quinnippiac a few years ago, catches Cal McCar with an elbow, and the response. I think we have both things here. There's the elbow, there it is, to kale McCar.

And then there is the subsequent response from Gabriel Landisg to the captain. Oh, man, that's just having a look at it here. Yeah, it's a reverse bump. It's the elbow high. It's DeKale McCar's face. And then it's Gabe Landiscaug in preseason. fighting Sam Lipkin and

just like grabs them and fills them up. Like that's like, all right, kid, you're not going to do that to our superstar defenseman. And this is why this is why a lot of vets just flat out don't like preseason games. Right? Like you do that against,

you do that against a veteran. Like, Kail McCar is a superstar in the league. And then Gabe Landis Gogh has, of all people, has to go out and fight. there's a there's a story that I heard a number of years ago so Kevin Deneen this would have been when he was playing with the Hartford Whalers and Deney could score Deneen was tough too playing an exhibition game against the Buffalo Savers and there's a kid I got to try to

remember what the kid's name was to add a little more credibility to the story but I can't remember the kid's name so he gets on the ice and he lines up next to Kevin Deneen and the right beside the Sabres bench. And the kid is like, Mr. Deneen would be a real honor if we could have one. You know, I'm trying to get noticed. And I want John Muckler to notice me here. And I'd really be honored if you would, if you would fight me. And Deneen's like, ah, kid, it's preseason.

And I don't do that in preseason. Like, oh, Mr. Deneen, I'd really appreciate it. And Deneen goes, well, okay, you know what? Yeah, we'll do it. But you know what? Let's, let's have fun. Let's just throw lefts. We're only going to throw lefts in this fight.

He goes, okay, Mr. Dean, okay, Mr. Deney, you see what this is going. Drop the puck. They dropped their gloves, and Kevin Dene just, like, lights them up. Christmas tree. The kids staggers back into the penalty box, ice pack on the head, the whole deal, skates back to the bench, and John Muckler walks down and says to him because he overheard the whole thing is by the Sabres bench. He goes, you know Kevin Deneen's a lefty, right?

I knew that was where that was going. Oh, I didn't, but I know now. Yeah. But, like, that's why, like, some of the vats are, like, really, in an exhibition game? I know you're trying to, like, make a name for yourself and impress bear and get your butt, like, on Kiel McCar. But good on, good on, Gabe Landisog for straightening everything out, the sheriff, the Colorado Avalanche, Gabe Landiscaug. We'll be interesting to see him in the lineup for the first time in a regular season. I can't wait.

I can't wait. I can't wait. I can't wait. I can't wait. Oh, by the way. I'm so looking forward to that. Just a brief side note on training camp fighting stories. Al Berga brought it up on social media yesterday. Just because fights were going on. He quote tweeted something. Jay Rose Hill of Leif's Morning Take, Leaves Nation, he fought seven times in one preseason. Those were the days when you did it.

Who was on his card? Does Albrega say who was on his card? No, I'll ask. Rosie, but I just remember that while we're talking about these bites. Dude, man, that used to be training camp. I know it's a bygone era, but that was in a lot of cases, the only attraction about exhibition games.

Because you knew there'd be a lot of kids that all they would do is like, there'd be like five or six fights every exhibition game. There's been a lot this year. There have been more this year. Hey, do you see that Noah Jolson hit on Kashan Acheson yesterday? Yeah, I did. I actually just

watched it like two minutes before we started the show today but yeah and then tony d'angelo tried to uh jump in on on jolson but like holy and thankfully it sounds like koshan acheson is going to be fine but you know how everybody has their welcome to the n hl moment kashon acheson got his in a preseason game courtesy of noah jolson that was thunderous um also what did you make of the matthew shaffer back check do you have that do you got that clip yeah i do i do yeah um It starts with him getting a chance net front, too, right in the slot. Yeah, this is what he did with the Erie Otters on the regular.

He'd be like deep in the zone and first guy back to break up a breakaway. By who? Matt Fane Mitchcoff. Mitchcoff. Look how good a skater he is, man. Oh, scan, scan, scan, gets a rip. Look how deep he is. He's hash marks again.

He just had to back check like a dog to. Chase Mitchkoff on a breakaway, and he's going hash marks again. I'm on the bench getting an oxygen tank after. Islanders fans, man, you got a special one. You feel good about yourself. I know it's, again, it's only preseason, but you got yourself a really good one here, man. You got yourself a really good player. He carries himself very big.

what I mean by that is like he he looks like when he skates and he conducts the ice with or without the puck he just has a big presence he doesn't look like that slender kid that like we met him at the CHL award it's like I'm not saying he's a bean pole but he's also not you know I don't know name your massive player he's just not there yet but he conducts himself like he's big and mature like very physically mature like he look he just skate around that way. It was a pleasant surprise to tune in and watch him have that much confidence on the ace in a preseason game like that.

Awesome player. Awesome player. Okay, let's finish off the program here. And thanks for joining us here on this Monday. The sheet is powered, as we all know, by Fanduel. That is the home of the same game parlay. Make every moment more on Fandual. Fan Duel, proud to connect fans with the major sports moments that matter to them.

What are we serving up today? Zach. All right. A wise man once told me, low-hanging fruit is still nutritious. What has been one of the big topics for today? Vancouver Canucks, Blake Price, Quinn Hughes, the future. So I went to the make-miss playoff market to see where the Vancouver Canucks were because I feel like there's more to it than just do they make, do they miss?

It's kind of like what happens after the fact. So right now, the Vancouver Canucks are favored minus 135 on FanDul. to miss the playoffs in the 2025-20206 season, which in that case, Jeff, would mean to me, Quinn Hughes, hypothetically, theoretically, whatever, would be favored to leave the Canucks. The Vancouver Canucks are going to make the playoffs this year. It has to be like two years ago where everything goes right, obviously,

and the most important thing there is health. and they're walking a real tight rope here with Philippeitel as their second line center because health is always a question mark there. You know, Jim Rutherford, the beginning of the summer, said it's going to be expensive to get a second line center, but it's going to be more expensive not to. And I believe that. They need health from Philippeitel. They need Elias Pedersen to return to that form that we,

We saw not too long ago, and they need Thatcher Demco, bless Kevin Lankin who was fantastic for them last year, but if they're going to, if they're going to make the playoffs, Thatcher Demko has got to stay healthy. Thatcher Demko has got to stay healthy. Philippaeta has to stay healthy as a second line center, and we need a return to greatness for Elias Pedersen. That is a pretty thin, tightrope that they're walking on right now. I do wonder if, because I think a lot of us are looking at the division and saying,

I don't think Calgary is going to get close this year. This is going to be the year they move Rasmus Anderson. This is going to be the year they most likely move Nazim Kodry as well. They're looking to probably give their rebuild, a shot in the arm, and fill the cupboards with more prospects and picks. Has Anaheim done enough to jump up and grab the L.A. King's spot? How much has the L.A. Kings now taken a step backwards, having, you know, losing Gavikov and losing Spence and most notably replacing them with players like Cody Cici? Have the Los Angeles Kings come back to the pack enough to allow the Vancouver Canucks to take that spot?

or suddenly do we see a team like the Anaheim Ducks lurch forward and ahead of the Vancouver Canucks or dare I say, and I don't think the answer is yes, the Seattle Cracken. And again, I don't think the answer is yes on Seattle. I think it's going to be another year of pain for the Seattle Cracken. I'd agree.

Calgary is going to take a step back, we assume. I still think, like many of us do, that the L.A. Kings take a step back. does that leave enough of an opening for either Vancouver or Anaheim to jump in? And if Vancouver is going to make it, they have to have all these things working in their favor. It's going to be tough, man. No, like, make no mistake about it. It's going to be a tough slide for the Vancouver Canucks.

It really is. Okay, I'll ask you one last question before we get to the end of the show here. I'm of the belief that effectively it's, if we don't win, I'm out for Quinn Hughes. You know, there could be some things that change in there. But that's the thought I have, and especially we'll see with my actions in the summer. That comment kind of led me to that belief there more so. So I'm going to ask you this hypothetically. Okay.

Let's remember this is hypothetical. Hypothetically. Not. Just two guys shooting the breeze, September 22nd. We're just having a conversation. They're just talking. They're just talking. If the Vancouver Canucks do not make the playoffs, but they show signs of growth.

We're getting better. We're on the right track. We're bringing in players. Is that enough? Do you think that that's enough for Quinn Hughes? No. I don't think so either. I think he has to see, like, we are winning.

We are in the playoffs and we are competing. Like, I don't think it's enough for him. Close as a miss. I believe in us here. Close as a miss. Yeah, close is a miss. We really took some strides this year. No, close is a miss.

Yeah, I don't think so. Like, I wonder, like, how many other players? players as well. Like Jack Eichael hit this frustration level with the Buffalo Sabres as well. Like how many years am I going to give here? And I think that's a realistic thing to ask. Like how many years can a player be expected to give to the team

that drafted, developed, and paid him before the players is quote unquote allowed to say, I need to do something for me now? And it feels like Quinn Hughes is at that spot. And if the Vancouver Canucks aren't going to be at that spot where he is at in his career at his age, he's going to go somewhere else. And I don't think close is enough.

Close is a miss. Close as a miss. I would agree. I think that's fair. Like, on that happy note, on that lovely happy note, cheer up. The games haven't even started yet. We'll be back tomorrow.

Greg Wischinski will be aboard. He's with us a couple of times a week now here on the program. Thanks to everyone watching us on YouTube listening on your favorite podcast platform do us

the favor of the like and subscribe all of it helps thanks for dropping by the chat thanks for dropping by the

program tip your zamboni driver on the way out and we will talk to you on the show tomorrow tomorrow

and we'll say I said 16 hours last night every day this week every day this month

I can't get out my lost all ambitions day to day because I can call it all 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 fixing my mind I do want to break I turned on the music I do want to be I turn on the music That's enough

They're sometimes losing I've been on the days that we're wrong In the dead dark night