32 Thoughts: The Podcast - Hallgatás Online

00:00 Before we get started, we wanted to hit pause for a moment for the horrifying situation at CFB Wainwright. We're still learning what all happened over the weekend, but unfortunately, we do know it is a tragedy at the military base there. 00:17 All the love we can share is going out to the Canadian Armed Forces there, their families, the Wainwright community, the first responders, everyone that has dropped everything for the time being to help. We are thinking of you. 00:38 Welcome to 32 Thoughts, the podcast. Dom Sharmati is our producer. Elliot Friedman is our insider. My name is Kyle Bukoska. So, Elliot, this Sunday, we will all be in Winnipeg at Princess Auto Stadium for the Tim Hortons Heritage Classic. Two great uniforms, great traditions between the Jets and the Canadians. Should be a wonderful scene there. But before we get there... 01:03 we should get to the check-in, which is brought to you by Expedia, the one place you go to go places. And that is because the Connor Hellebuck file has not only not yet been settled, but it's almost been reopened in a way. Sounds like there is a path where Hellebuck could return to the team as soon as this Friday, two days before that outdoor clash. But all of it kind of dates back to October the 2nd, the day that the Jets officially began their regular season. 01:36 So why don't you give us a rundown of what you learned over the last few days and where things stand between Hellebuck and the Jets. 01:45 Kyle, I would bet against Hellebuck being there next weekend. 01:54 I kind of do too. 01:56 I felt I talked too much last pod. I listened to Friday's pod and I hated how much I talked. So I'm trying to be... 02:06 I'm trying to have more brevity this week. 02:09 Anyway... 02:12 My belief is that if Winnipeg can't trade him by Friday, they'll just tell him, look, we're going to pay you, but you're not coming in. That's what I expect to happen. I especially don't expect to see him there. Like, that's a big weekend for the Jets. It's a great get for them, the Heritage Classic, the outdoor game. They don't want it completely overshadowed by a hellebuck arrival. So that's number one. 02:41 So this, let's take everybody through this. 02:45 What did we not know? And I'm going to tell you, one of the calls I made on Saturday, when I explained what I was asking about, you know what someone said to me? 02:56 How do you know this? 02:58 What took you so long? 03:00 Oh, that's got to just feel great. 03:05 I have to give credit to the Jets. 03:09 HelloBox representatives, the League and the Players Association, they kept this quiet for two weeks, basically. Now, I will say, initially I reported that he told the Jets that he was ready to end his absence and join the team before the opener. I had some people who disputed that, but it was right around that time. 03:38 But around the time of the opener and the Jets opened on October 2nd, he informed them he was ready to come back and rejoin the team. 03:48 Now, because he had left them and not shown up without permission, the Jets had some added power under the CBA where they could give him a suspension of reasonable length. 04:04 And Kyle, why do CBAs and agreements get written up like that? 04:11 For one reason. 04:12 So lawyers can make more money. 04:17 Because the NHL's lawyers and the Players Association's lawyers... 04:24 worked out an agreement where reasonable was about two and a half to three weeks. It's this coming Friday. 04:33 So they can't suspend him any longer. Basically what it comes down to, if a player who has a contract wants to play for a team, you can't tell him no and not pay him. 04:45 which is why the Jets will have the option to pay him but tell him to stay away. 04:50 And we'll see where this goes. I think there's a couple of teams here that hold the keys to this. 04:59 And the three teams I'm going to put in those positions are Buffalo because they've wanted Hellebuck and he is willing to go to them. 05:12 Number two, the Rangers, not because they want Hellebuck. I don't think that's likely. But whatever Chris Gurry is going to do here with the injury to Shesterkin, it could set a chain reaction around the league. 05:31 You know, people were sending me notes after Dylan Garand had that rough night against the Devils last week. Oh, the Rangers need to make a move. I don't necessarily agree with that. 05:45 Even the best goalies are going to have stinkers, and he's generally played pretty well. 05:52 I just think the overall arch of their season, especially with the Rangers being as competitive as they are, I think they feel they can do better. 06:02 So I think they're going to do something. 06:05 And the third team I'm going to put here, and I think they've kind of been in and out and in and out, is Utah. 06:17 And, you know, the goalie metrics are different depending on which site you use. 06:24 And I always think to remember that teams have more detailed information. Like some of the sites that do the goals saved above or below average, they do really good work. I don't want to discount these sites. Their information is valuable, but the teams have more to access than the public does. 06:43 But Costa's been pretty good. Vemelka, by goal saved above expected, is off to a rough start. 06:51 And this is a big year for them, a very big year for the Mammoth. 06:58 And, you know, the thing about Utah is they grind you in trade talks. They kind of have that reputation, which is fine. 07:09 But if they want something, Like, you look at Vincent Trocek. 07:16 They wanted Trocek for a year, at least, and finally got him. 07:23 They've been in and out on Hellebuck. That says to me they're interested. 07:29 Now that it's real, I just want to see if they're a factor at the end of all this. 07:38 We all know that Carolina's been interested in There was even a picture circulating of the two GMs, Eric Tulsky and Kevin Sheveldayoff, talking. 07:52 on Saturday afternoon after the story broke. I've reported many times I don't think it's an easy deal for those two teams to make, although I do think Carolina is interested. And I always assume there's other teams out there I'm not seeing, but I think it really comes down to Buffalo, Rangers, possibly Utah, possibly Carolina. You know, L.A., Frank reported L.A., The way they're going, I don't know. 08:25 I also find it very hard to see what the trade is there, Kyle. 08:31 I look up and down, and I'm thinking, I don't know if I see the match. 08:43 And when I'm talking about Utah, by the way, if the Rangers go get a Lukanen or the Rangers go get a Vamelka, And I think those are two of the guys they've looked at. I also heard Scott Clemonson. This guy's going to think I have air tags in his bags. 08:59 I heard he was in Calgary last week when Anaheim was there. 09:03 Sumi was maybe looking at Huso, but the Ducks don't have a lot of depth in goals, so I don't know if I see that. 09:11 And I think he also saw an AHL game there. 09:15 But Vimelka and Lukonen are two of the guys they've scouted. 09:21 Let's see where this all goes. Deadlines spur action. 09:24 But as I've said many times, I think the Jets prefer no deal over a bad deal, though it's much more difficult when you actually have to pay somebody not to be there. I don't care how much money you've got. 09:44 Nobody likes that. 09:46 For what it is worth, Karel Vimelka, three more years on his deal after this one at 4.75. As you know, he's played a lot for Utah the last couple of years. Yeah. 09:57 Let the league in games played last year, right? Yeah. 10:01 Even if you saw him as a 1B guy, that's very, that's pretty good value there in terms of what he is owed over the next little bit. So I can understand why a team, whether it's in New York or otherwise, uh, Could be attracted by that. 10:17 And the other thing, too, I mean, you played the clips after the Jets game on Saturday from Adam Lowry and then Scott Arneal. I mean, there's emotions running through them because they just come off a loss. But, I mean, it's quite clear. 10:34 They don't want any part of Hellebuck back in the mix there. They've moved on. 10:40 So, Kyle, it's interesting. I got slightly scolded. Did you see the afternoon panel during the Winnipeg-Carolina game that we had about it? Ron, Kevin, Luke Gazdick, and myself? 10:57 Conversation on this? No, I didn't. Yes. Well, why would you be watching this? 11:01 I had my own game to prepare for. Oh, prepare? 11:05 That is so weak. 11:07 I had 30 seconds that took me hours to iron out. 11:13 Prepare. 11:15 Please. Prepare. That's preposterous. 11:18 We're always preparing. 11:19 Just go. Thanks for the support, Kyle. Well, so Luke said, and I always defer to Luke and Kevin. Those guys played the game. They've been in those rooms. They understand the way players think much better than I do. Wow. 11:34 And Luke said he finds it very hard to believe that the players wouldn't embrace and welcome him back based on his experience. Very legitimate position. 11:45 I said, no, they don't want them back, want him back. 11:52 And I will say that somebody reached out to me on Sunday and said, no, you don't speak for the players here. 12:02 And I said, that's fine. That's totally fine. That is my opinion. But they said, you don't speak for the players here. 12:10 And like I said, that's fine. If you've heard me talk about this stuff before, I am careful about stating I don't purport to speak for people. But I wanted to throw that in there. What I had heard is that if... 12:26 Hellebuck came back and he was committed to the Jets and he was staying there, they would make it work. But if he came back just to tide over the days until he gets dealt, they didn't want that. 12:43 And I think even if Hellebuck comes back, it's not to stay. 12:48 It's kind of like the weird limbo that Larkin's in in Detroit. It's waiting until you have a trade. 12:56 And like I said, my opinion, like you said, I don't think the Jets players want that. 13:05 Yeah, I mean, it's human nature. I put whatever you do for a living career-wise and the equivalent of that to what we're seeing here in Winnipeg. Like, why would you? Understandably. And it's not about having any hard feelings or... 13:22 going down a path where you hold a grudge or anything, but you want to be elsewhere? No problem. Okay. 13:31 That's clearly taken some time to get sorted out. But in the meantime, Winnipeg has dealt with enough to through the early part of the season, the summer, all of it coming off a really hard year last year. And it's clear they've dug in. I thought they gave, for the most part, Carolina almost all they could handle on Saturday. They've continued to be the class of the league. They've got good results. And now to have to look at this as a potential stopgap situation, if that were to be the case, yeah, I could totally understand where... 14:07 If the players felt we don't want any part of that, it would make total sense. 14:11 I would feel the same. I'm still really hurt you weren't watching every second of our broadcast. 14:18 I am mortally wounded in my office here. 14:21 Yeah, I could tell. 14:24 Your shoulder's just slunked. 14:28 I also kind of wonder if the Jets gave Clay Stevenson that game for a reason. 14:38 Let's see him against these guys. I am so impressed by the Hurricanes, by the way. No stall, no haul, no Jarvis yet. And Jarvis is in a contact jersey now. So it's any day, any day now he's going to play. Yeah. 14:57 Sudden scoring Sunday morning. 14:59 Yeah. Sudden scoring sensation. Mark Jankowski didn't play Sunday night in Calgary. 15:06 And they keep winning. 15:09 Yes. 15:11 They just keep beating teams. And again, the ice was tilted against the Jets in terms of shots. 15:19 I thought Stevenson was good. Yeah. 15:26 Could he have won? Sure. But there was nothing I saw in that game that said to me, he's incapable. And it wouldn't surprise me in the least if the Jets made a decision, we need to see him against the top opponents. 15:43 I also just have to say, so we're watching this and Carolina's playing Calgary here on Sunday night. We talked about the league encouraging teams to do colored helmets with their white jerseys more. And Carolina was kind of one of the pioneers of it the last few years. So they're actually wearing their white helmets here Sunday night in Calgary with their white jerseys. And it just looks weird. Like I've gotten so used to their red helmets with the whites. 16:08 It doesn't look right. 16:09 Tom Dundon is the kind of guy who would hear us talking about that and say, oh yeah, the league likes this. Well, watch what I'm going to do. 16:17 I'm going to do the opposite. 16:20 Total hipster move. Oh, it's become mainstream. Nah, we're out. 16:24 We're out. We're out. The league wants us to do this? No, no. We're not doing it. That's over. Yeah. 16:31 Although the Flames did get a huge win over these Hurricanes, their first home victory, and the Flames needed that. Reward the home fans. Great night for them. 16:44 Okay. Well, anything else on the Jets here after a story that has yet to be sorted? 16:53 No, I don't think so. It's going to be a big few days. 17:00 Another person said to me, you know what you've doomed us to, Elliot? And I said, no, what's that? 17:05 And they go, six days of insane rumors. And I go, yeah, you're probably right about that. 17:13 You know, the thing about Cheval Dayoff is he has the full backing of his owner. 17:20 Mark Chipman really trusts him. 17:23 He puts a lot of faith in him. 17:26 He believes he will do what is right by the team. 17:29 And there have been situations before where they've had guys they've had to move and he's waited longer. 17:42 than many others would. 17:44 This is the first real deadline here. And in some ways it's not a deadline because we could go past it, but this is the first deadline of any significance in this situation. 17:59 I think actually in a lot of ways, the biggest call is ownership. 18:03 Well, that's what affects here, right? It's not coming out of Cheval Dayoff's pocket if Hellabuck gets paid again. 18:11 And the other thing, too, is I've kind of wondered, what does the Players Association do? 18:19 It's a harmonious time now with the league and the PA. 18:24 I think at the beginning they would say, okay, the Jets have the right to send them home and pay them. But what if Hellebuyck says, no, I want to play? 18:39 Does the Players Association, if this drags on, are they going to have to step in and say, you got to bring our guy back in? 18:46 Another task for the lawyers, Elliot. 18:54 I should have been one. 18:57 Okay, that was the check-in brought to you by Expedia, the one place you go to go places. And so naturally when we talk Hellebuck and a story that continues to drag on further into the month of October, you can't help but think about Detroit and Dylan Larkin and what the Red Wings are thinking. We heard actually from Chris Illich who spoke to some reporters in Detroit this week about everything that's gone on with the organization from Iserman's exit to finding a replacement and of course the former captain that wishes to be traded. 19:28 What do you think they make of what we're seeing in Winnipeg? 19:34 If I was the Red Wings, I'd be looking at this and also knowing that Larkin's already been injured once and saying, how long do I want to let this go on? 19:46 I was thinking about all this. This is now going to move into circus town in Winnipeg, not because anybody wants it, but because eventually we just get there. 20:01 If I'm the Red Wings, I'm looking at this and saying, when does this get that way with us? 20:08 How much longer do we want to risk Larkin until he gets hurt? 20:14 I'll say the other thing tonight. 20:17 I watched a bit of Minnesota, and they played the other game. They dominated Columbus. They beat them 2-1. They outshot them 34-14. 20:27 And you know who I thought was really good was Yurov, who scored their first goal. 20:34 Open the scoring. 20:36 Yep, fourth of the year. 20:38 John Hines postgame. 20:41 He's going to be a top-two center in this league. 20:46 Oh, gassing them up. 20:50 A little polish on there. 20:52 I don't know if you heard of Patrice Bergeron, but just wait till you see this guy. 20:58 That Yurov is a really talented player. Oh, for sure. I think for a lot of young guys, it's just time, right? 21:05 But I don't know. I mean, I'm watching this whole Hellebuck thing unfold, and if I was the Wings, I'd be like... 21:18 I know you have a target and you want to hit it. 21:22 I'd be looking. I said northeast. Sorry. I'm not really good with the compass directions, everybody. 21:30 I would look northwest of me and I would say. 21:35 Those storm clouds. 21:39 We want them coming over us. Larkin has stayed. He hasn't vacated. He stayed, played. But especially with the injury... 21:47 I'd be a bit nervous. I'll tell you, there was something that was really weird in Detroit last week. 21:53 So we drop our pod on Thursday, and we credit Horkov for getting that deal done because it builds him up in credibility. 22:01 And then Chris Illich does an availability the next day with some of the local Detroit reporters, which is perfectly fine. I've got no problem with that. But then he says, we're still looking for a president of hockey operations team on top. 22:19 And it was good in a way because that's been the rumor and he confirmed it. So we don't have to guess anymore, but I just thought the timing was really strange. 22:29 Because you get this deal done and you empower Horkov and you make him look stronger in the eyes of the league. But then the next day you say, oh, we're still going to bring someone in over top of him. I just thought it was weird. Anyway, the other thing I wanted to mention there is Edvinson. So when Bernard Docker got put on waivers on Saturday, there were some Red Wings fans who wondered if that meant that Edvinson was getting close to signing. 23:00 Bernard Docker cleared. They sent him down to Grand Rapids. I don't think one has anything to do with the other. Like, you heard Horkoff. He said they want to sign him. At this point in time, I'm still under the impression that Edmondson has not changed his mind. 23:15 Okay, well, on the topic of defensemen then, another item you had on headlines on Saturday was the situation in Toronto. We know Chris Tanev is still on IR. He did skate by himself after the team on Saturday, so it was encouraging to see that for him. We know how important he is to their blue line, but as a collective team, It is an aging defense core. It is a lot of experience, but a lot of miles too. And what you reported on Saturday, Elliot, that Toronto would be willing to pay a premium asset if they are getting a difference maker in return. 23:51 I guess I just can't help but wonder how many premium assets do they have left that they are willing to part with at this time if the right opportunity came up? 24:01 Yeah, I think that's a good question. I had a couple people who said the same thing to me, Kyle, especially since they don't seem that interested in trading Cowan. They really seem to believe that he's the real deal. He has come a long way in a short time in the eyes of the organization. But it always comes down to perspective, right? Like what do you perceive as an A asset and what do they perceive as an, or other people perceive as an A asset? I would assume that the Colorado pick is one of those things. 24:34 I would assume that a couple of their prospects are, Are a couple of their top prospects maybe not in the NHL? Would be a couple of those things. I'm not really sure what else. But I think the main reason that got around, and I heard Chayka told several GMs this, was because some people think that with the pressure Toronto faces... 25:00 especially with Matthews has only one year left on his deal, that they'll do something panicky to make everything look better, especially now that their defense is leaking a bit with Tanev out. Although he skated, and I have to tell you, Kyle, you saw him on Saturday morning too. 25:18 He's walking around. He doesn't even look injured. I'm like, he looks perfectly normal to me. Now, I'm not calling him a faker. 25:27 What are you saying? He looks perfectly normal to me. It looks like he's ready to play. 25:32 He's walking around. He's smiling. You never know with him because of some of the injuries he's been to, but he doesn't look like he's in a really bad way, I want to say. But I think that the main reason that got out, Kyle, was because... 25:46 I think teams feel that Toronto's going to panic and they're going to do something. 25:50 You can get them to do something they don't really want to do. And I think it's their way of saying they aren't interested in that. Now, I'll say this. The other thing I said, which I had a couple of people reach out to me about, was they're willing to go older for younger. They said that to them, they interpreted that as some of their older D are available. 26:12 Like if you're a team looking for some of their older defensemen, they'll do that as long as their return is younger. 26:21 Have you heard much on Ben Danford in their system where they see him? Does he still need more time before they want to? 26:28 He's not far away. They like Danford. 26:32 Obviously, I think he'd be one of those guys that everybody's talking about. 26:36 They like Danford. 26:37 I know that. By the way, we don't need to relitigate the whole Gavin McKenna only seeing six and a half minutes in that Buffalo game. I just thought he handled all the questions about that Saturday morning brilliantly. 26:51 Who is it that asked him if he's ever been benched like that before and he laughed and said never? 26:59 I think it was Luke Fox. 27:02 I think it was our colleague Luke Fox. 27:04 Yeah, I haven't had this happen before. 27:07 That was a good question. 27:09 Yes, yeah, but it makes sense. I can imagine as good of teams he would have played on in Whitehorse, I'm sure they could have always used him. 27:20 You know what that said to me quickly was that they wanted to get through the second period with the lead. 27:29 And then it got out of control in the third. 27:32 That they just, they're still learning to trust them with leads. 27:38 And they wanted to get out of that second period with a lead. 27:43 After two in that game, it was 4-2 Toronto. 27:50 And they just said, we're not going to fool around with this. And it got out of control. That's what happened to me there. 27:58 Yeah, and Simmer pointed out on Saturday there was a time in the second period where D-zone draws, so it would have been McKenna's line, but he was on the bench because they had, I don't know if it was Duhame or who they put in his spot there, a little more veteran responsibility just for that time, and then he got stuck out there. And it would have cost McKenna a shift. And Craig's point was, that's the sort of thing when Hiller's going, oh, I just got lost. It wasn't my intention. And it kind of gets away from me. 28:29 He's going, those are the examples where you kind of lose shifts, where you think it's going to be a quick face-off, get-off guy, and you end up getting trapped. And then the whole line changes. And now you're back to the start of that rotation over again. But instead... Hillard put him out with whoever they put out I think it was some fourth line guys may have been Bluger and McEwen for for the next shift just to make sure that there wasn't an extended period that he sat on the bench for on Saturday against the Islanders so the point was there's the adjustments both ways of how a player can get lost and Hillard they're going I'm going to make sure it's not a extended period again where he's not seeing the ice but anyway he's just getting started and has looked so good in moments at 18 years old. 29:13 I think there's, it's all going to be fine there for, for McKenna. I like how he's handling things. 29:18 So if Toronto is willing to make some of their older defensemen available in Pittsburgh, it sounds like some of their older forwards could be had at the right price too, as they still try to prioritize youth. 29:31 Yeah. Pittsburgh has had a rough road trip here and that's where they're going. 29:39 Um, After I mentioned that on Saturday, it was interesting what these things all knock loose. I had some people tell me that they thought that when Montreal was trying to add to a Marchenko deal in Columbus, they think that Raquel was one of the guys they were seeing if they could deliver to the Blue Jackets. 30:03 Obviously, it didn't happen, but he was a guy that they were targeting to see if Columbus would like him and if it made the overall package sweeter, could they deliver him there? But he has really struggled to start the year. 30:22 Rust, I mean, I have always loved Rust. If I was on a team and I needed a winger that I thought could help me put over the top, Brian Rust would be one of those guys. 30:34 And so he's another name out there. But those are the two names. When I mentioned that, those are the two names that everybody was immediately talking about. There's others, but those are the two names that everybody was immediately discussing. Rust and Raquel. And like I said, somebody told me that Raquel was out there and discussed in that whole Marchenko thing. 30:57 Yeah, and it feels like already we're at that point with the Penguins of what do they think they are this year and what do they think is the best course of action moving forward, right? Last year was such a pleasant surprise. They were supposed to be the one team rebuilding. They get into the playoffs, have a home ice advantage, and now this year it's, okay, maybe this is a bit of a different path. 31:26 And how do we adapt to it? That's what I read into when I heard what you said on Saturday about what they were looking at doing. 31:33 Reality has struck. 31:35 Okay, so Elliot, Sunday, pretty quiet night with just two games. It was a busy night on Saturday, and there were a few things worth reliving. I mean, that Utah-Edmonton game was a great one in Edmonton on the Thursday night from an entertainment standpoint. I know it wouldn't have been a fun one to watch if you're a Utah fan on Saturday at the Delta Center, but it certainly was a trait right from the first shift today. the Connor McDavid, the show that he put on there, man, like another five points. He's got 23 in eight games. 32:08 Uh, first guy since Lemieux to have 20 points in the first eight games of a season. And so I'm sitting there watching with, with simmer, you know, I, You mentioned Lemieux. I'll get to that in a sec. But we were laughing on the Kapanen goal. You know, Dreisaitl does the work, hanging on the puck down low, makes the nice pass up to Bouchard at the point. He unloads the shot, and it goes right off of McDavid's knee right to Kapanen, and he just pops it in the net. And McDavid, just for standing there, gets the primary assist. 32:39 Like, we couldn't help but laugh going, just everything's fine in him right now and in the right ways. And Dreisaitl doesn't even get a point on the play. And Simmer was saying, you know, those first couple years of his career when he was in Pittsburgh playing with Lemieux, he would just shake his head on the bench because he goes, not only is that guy one of the greatest players ever going to be of all time, the amount of times where the puck would just find 66. So he's sitting there going like, how does the puck even get to him in that spot? But he had that magic and Connor certainly has that going on early this season. 33:15 Utah beats them. They become the first team to beat them in regulation this year. And Edmonton went... 33:22 into that game in Salt Lake City in a lousy mood. They were out there to pummel them. They got three guys back. They were healthier. But they were out there to send a message. And I think that's what great teams do. I've always been a big Michael Jordan guy. And one of the reasons that I think Michael Jordan was as great as he is was that in a meaningless game in the regular season, he would find a reason to kill you. Like he would invent maybe some way that you would slighted him or some bad thing that you had done. 33:54 And it was probably a tiny thing, but he would kill you for it. 33:58 And that attitude that I saw them go into Utah was... 34:04 we're here to destroy these guys. And I think Utah is a really good team and their best days are obviously very much in front of them. And I think they're going to be one of the league's top teams for a long time, but they're not on Edmonton's level yet. 34:20 And Edmonton showed that like they, and the other thing too, was the way that Utah beat them, on Thursday night was kind of the way they lost to Anaheim in the playoffs last year. They got scared around. They looked a bit slow. 34:38 When they lost the momentum, they couldn't get it back. 34:41 And I wouldn't be surprised if on some level Edmonton was thinking that too. Like, no, we're not letting what happened last year happen again. They were a team on a mission there to clobber them. 34:55 And, you know, the thing about McDavid is, So the most points in a season in the cap era is McDavid, 153. 35:06 I think he's going to beat that this year. 35:11 Do you think he can get 200? 35:14 So I looked. 35:16 Gretzky did it four times. I mean, that's basically two and a half points a game you're averaging over the course of the year. Records, 215. 35:31 If there's any guy in the league right now that can do it, that's where I'm putting my money behind. 35:40 Lemieux, 199. Lemieux just missed it. He got to 199. 35:45 I want to say yes, just for the hell of it. 35:50 I don't care if I'm wrong. 35:53 I want to say he can do it. 35:56 I say he smashes his previous best. I'm thinking he's in that 180 zone this year. 36:06 It's kind of what I'm feeling. 36:08 That's like you're driving on Calgary's freeways, the 180 zone. Yes. 36:13 Yeah. 36:15 Me and Yvonne Demidov. 36:18 You know, he's not into personal goals, McDavid. That stuff doesn't interest him. 36:25 But... 36:26 To me, it's almost like, would he not be tempted by the idea of you can do that? Like if I had that kind of skill, I wouldn't care how many points I could get as long as we won. I think we'd be wired the same way. 36:43 But if you told me I could get to 200 points, I would want that just for the challenge of it. Could you actually do it? Like, I wouldn't even care if I broke Gretzky's record. I would just want to know that I got there. 36:59 But Elliot, the thing is, this is supposed to be the year where the Oilers are dialed in defensively, where they're not leaning on McDavid and Dreisaitl for everything. 37:08 Babcock's already admitted that he's forgetting, right? What did he say the other day? Oh, I did a bad job. I played him 25 and a half minutes. You know what? This is the thing, okay? Maybe they will dial him back. Maybe we'll turn out to be truly wrong about this. But I just think that it's like a magnet, right? 37:26 It's like, You can't deprogram yourself of that. 37:34 You can't. 37:37 I know. 37:38 And that's the thing. 37:39 We're losing. McDavid's over there. I shouldn't send him out, but I'm going to. You can't stop yourself. 37:50 The devil on your shoulder. 37:52 It's not even the devil on your shoulder. It's human nature. 38:00 And the amazing part of it is his first goal Saturday was beautiful, of course. It was ridiculous. 38:07 The second one. Elliot, this is the NHL. This is the best league in the world with the best players, the best goalies in the world. And he came blitzing down Main Street there, and you could just tell. There probably wasn't even thinking. 38:25 It's the great instinct just takes over. 38:29 But there was zero—as soon as he crossed the blue line, I'm sure you thought the same thing. You're like, there's no way he's not scoring here. Of course he's going to score. 38:38 Of course he's scoring. Now, I do think generally teams will layer themselves better than that. Yeah, it was a bad night for Utah. It was a bad night for Utah. But you're right. The moment he got in there, he was scoring. And the other thing, too, is Edmonton's power play the last six years— not counting so far this season, it's 28%. 39:06 This year, it's at 25%. Now, that's still really good, but it shows you there's more room there. 39:17 It's just, yeah, I would love to see it. It would be so cool to follow that journey if he got to really push close to 200. It's... 39:28 It'd be incredibly hard to sustain that for 84 games. 39:34 I hope you're right, Elliot. That's all I can say. I hope you're right. 39:38 Most people don't normally say that. 39:41 I know. This is an exception. 39:43 How are you feeling about your Kings playoff pick? 39:47 Yeah. Not looking so hot right now, I'll admit. That... 39:55 That's a team that, again, has to decide what direction they're going. 40:00 But the problem is they've got a lot of veterans on there signed a term, and it can become challenging to do that. 40:06 I remember at the beginning, you talked about the Kings, and you said you liked the Laviolette push. 40:14 And that's true. 40:16 Whenever he gets to a team, they always have a big jump. 40:20 But if you look at his history... 40:25 He's always had a D that could really move the puck. 40:34 When you look at him at his peak in Philadelphia, you know, obviously they had Pronger and they had that year they went to the final. They also had Kimo Timonen and they had Matt Carl. 40:54 Like, they had a bunch of guys. All three of those guys had double-digit points in the playoffs. Okay? When he was in Nashville and they lost the finals, you know what defense they had. They had Yossi. They had Subban. They had Ellis. And they had Ekholm. And all of those guys were multi-point guys in the playoffs, double digits. Okay? 41:19 Yeah. 41:22 I just think the Rangers team that lost in the third round that he had, they had Adam Fox. They didn't have as many guys who scored, but Fox at the time was obviously like a Norris Trophy guy. 41:43 Brant Clark is a really skilled guy, but I just don't know if they have the D that he needs to be successful here. 41:55 That's a good point because, yeah, they are still searching for answers still without a win and the latest defeat coming at the hands of the Boston Bruins on Saturday. 42:06 Who look really good early. Don't they ever. Don't they ever. 42:09 Like, Fraser Minton, that was not a one-off last year. He looks another year older, another year wiser, and he's not the only one that's taken a step here. But bring that up because it's kind of a weird situation with the Bruins. Like, you say they're going well. They've ripped through California, swept everybody there, and they got one more stop on their road trip. So Nikita Zdorov. 42:32 That'll be a good game. I'm going to be there on Tuesday night for Dallas-Boston. Oh, good. That's right. 42:36 Looking forward to that one. Yeah, you've got a busy week. 42:41 Yeah, I'll be checking Expedia a lot because I'll be traveling quite a bit this week. I'm looking forward to it. 42:49 I'm always here to pump the sponsors. Yes. Funny, you're talking about that Fraser Mitten deal with Boston and Toronto. I guess as that one got close to the deadline, the call, you know, we talked about last year with Toronto and Montreal and the one that didn't get over in time. 43:06 I heard the last few minutes of that Boston, Toronto one, because that one also came down right near the deadline. 43:15 I heard the last few minutes of those calls were a doozy. 43:20 over the first round pick protection. 43:23 Bit of a shouting match. Yeah, but Boston hit that out of the park. I remember with Minton, there were people in and around Toronto who were like, I don't know if he'll ever be more than the third liner. 43:35 That guy's really talented, and Boston hit that one out of the park. 43:40 So Zdorov Elliott, he, the Anaheim game the night before, takes a penalty, not happy about it. I forget who the Anaheim guy was that he went after and got another penalty because of it. 43:54 Marco Sturman's up scratching him for the Kings game because of that, the undisciplined shown there. 44:00 And what was interesting online, I'm sure you caught this, is that there was a Twitter user that responded to that and tagged Dan Milstein, who is Zdorov's agent. Yeah, and said, this is not, this stuff, you know, paraphrasing, but he wouldn't be treated like this in Toronto. 44:19 And Milstein responded and said, no, he would not. 44:24 Now, Milstein is not one to shy away from engaging online. He's very active in that sense, so that's not new, but couldn't help but the eyebrows raised a little bit when you saw that. What did you think? 44:39 I tend to shake these things off because, number one, it's a one-off, and... 44:48 Like, the thing I look at it, too, is Boston's going really well, right? Like, as we said, they're off to a great start. 44:57 I think when the team is going well, I'm sure there's people in the organization who didn't like that very much. But when things are going well, you're like, whatever. Yeah. 45:09 Wins matter. 45:11 I worry more about those kinds of, now, maybe what you do is you put it, you file it away and you say, okay, I remember that this happened. I also think if you're a player and the coach says, look, you're scratched for one game because of that, And we'll see how it goes in the future. Sometimes you just got to take it right. Like it wasn't like if I was in Zadorov's position after what happened that game and Marco Shurm was pissed at me, I would probably be like, all right, I got to eat that one. That was that was bad timing and I got to eat it. 45:44 Now, if things continue and they devolve, then you've got a problem. But when you're winning, I think when you're the player in that situation, you have to say my bad and I'll live with the consequences. And as long as it's like just like a short term thing, someday you're saying we're going to look back at this and laugh at it. If it turns into more and it shouldn't because you're winning right now, then you're you have a problem to deal with. But if I were the Bruins, I'd be like, eh, Tempest in a teapot, we're good now. 46:19 We're not letting anything get in the way of our early season momentum. 46:26 Also, just on the Florida Panthers front, Elliott, so they've got first team ever, natural hat trick, three straight games. Brady Kachuk did it twice, Carter Verhage. Sam Bennett got a hat trick for good measure also on Saturday night. I feel like this is just the pendulum swinging back the other way for the Panthers. Brady Kachuk wasn't going to go 84 games without a goal. 46:49 Yeah. And the team in general just scoring, right? Yes. Because it was not a plenty early on in the year. I don't see it continuing this way where there's a hat trick every game from somebody. 47:02 I just think this is the early season balancing out and going forward it'll be a lot more of what we anticipated they would be going into the season. 47:11 They're going to be just fine. They're like the last team I worry about. The last one. 47:16 If I was to rank the teams 1 to 32 in terms of what I'm worried about, they would be 32nd. 47:26 Yeah, that's fair. 47:28 Them or Carolina? 47:31 Stanley Cup pedigree still matters. So, Elliot, I will tell you, not that I would ever be in this position. However, if I was ever... 47:43 in the UFC, I would love to walk to the Octagon to Fat Lip by Sum 41. Mike Mallott did just that. That's your song, yes. Yes, yes. NHL 2002, it was part of the soundtrack. Anyway, great memories. Mike Mallott walked out to that song in Edmonton, won by Knockout, but it was really cool. So, of course, his brother Jeff plays for the Ducks, but the reaction of him and his teammates... 48:09 watching that fight and everybody going nuts afterwards. And I thought Mike Malott gave a phenomenal interview in the ring there after the fact, shouting out his brother Jeff because they played the video for him of them all celebrating his victory. It was a neat moment that kind of crossed between hockey and mixed martial arts and two brothers that continue to look out for each other. That was really cool. 48:37 So earlier this summer, I played in a golf tournament with, um, a guy by the name of Cody Chovancic and Cody Chovancic made his UFC debut in, in the preliminary card in the bantam weight. 49:02 And I was actually reminded about this by, uh, Dave McCarthy, great guy from NHL.com and Sirius XM hosts the show. 49:16 And, uh, he reminded me of this, that he sat at the same table as we did. Now, Cody, uh, lost to Sue young, you in a bantam weight match on the preliminary card. But, uh, I really enjoyed meeting him and he was super excited about the possibility of debuting in the UFC on that card. 49:46 So, you know what? He lost. It happens. But I wanted to shout out Cody because he worked a long way to get there and he Look, as a guy who's never going to be in the octagon and wouldn't last three-plus rounds like Cody did, I just want to say tip of the cap, Cody, that you got there and you made it. That's awesome. There will be a lot of people who will want to do what you do that won't get that far. 50:18 I'm happy for you that you got there. 50:21 Awesome. That's really cool you got to meet him. That's super cool. 50:24 Yeah, good guy. 50:25 Good guy. So a couple of other things we wanted to get to before the final thought. The Flyers, as we know, pick up their first win over the weekend. It had been a very rough go for them. They beat the Ottawa Senators at home and a wonderful bit of good karma. So that morning they bring into the dressing room Jason Martinez, who we have shouted out on this podcast before, but a popular voice in that Philadelphia market. He continues to battle cancer. He's been very public in sharing his fight that he continues on there. But anyway, I had some wonderful things to say in the dressing room to the players Saturday morning that put some things into perspective for an otherwise frustrating start for them to their season. 51:05 They go out, they win. He gets, Mertidis does the boxing gloves after the fact in the dressing room, the game puck from Rick Tockett. Yeah, not much had gone right for Philadelphia from the jump this year, but that was something they certainly knocked out of the park. 51:24 Yeah, when you're going really badly and you find time to do that, both in terms of inviting him to talk and giving him the game puck for your first win, those are big-time karma points. That was excellent. And Matthew Schaefer inviting Lila to the game on Saturday, that kid knocks it out of the park, too. 51:47 He was he's so much more mature at 19 years old than I was at 19 years old. It's like, we're not even the same species. 51:56 Yeah, well, that very much is true. 52:00 But you're right. That guy stands alone. I don't know how he has enough room in his heart for all the things that he does. It was beautiful how he handled that interview just after warm-up minutes before playing in an NHL game. Didn't matter to him. He was so present there. Very cool. Yeah. And also, too, I'm glad you guys showed the visuals there later on on Saturday night, but the Barry Melrose banner that went up in Adirondack, of course, he's got a number of times. 52:26 So it was good to see you were actually watching. 52:28 I was watching there, yes. That one I watched. I couldn't hear it, which helped. No, I'm kidding. But it was cool to see the visuals. 52:37 No, you're not. 52:39 So that was Cooper Melrose's grandson, Steve Levy, of course. John Bucci Gross was there. 52:45 Bucci actually sent me four of his Barry Melrose t-shirts from his website, which unfortunately didn't make it in time, but they did a great job there. Adirondack won. They beat Trenton five to two in that game as they put up the Melrose banner. That was an awesome night. 53:05 All right, so let's get to the final thought. One of the topics that's been going on and is getting a little more traction around the league, particularly over the last week, is attendance in certain markets. I know not every building throughout the 32 teams is sold out every single night, but some in particular raised some question marks. There was Vegas, that game against Toronto just over a week ago, ended their sellout streak, not counting, of course, the COVID-shortened seasons. We know that's something to do with how the team is no longer prioritizing selling tickets to brokers. 53:41 So that's a bit of a different subject on that front. But then you're seeing like Edmonton, noticeably a couple thousand empty seats earlier this week in that Utah game. That's a place that's normally filled. There was a number of empty seats in Chicago. We know they've been going through a rebuild for the last number of years. But still in a market like that, when you see Those amount of seats unfilled, you can't help but take notice. Elliot, do you have a thought on what we have seen the last little bit? 54:12 Is this something the league should be concerned about? Is this a blip? Is this more so just a snapshot of where we are economically? Why don't you take a first crack at this? 54:26 Well, when you have a gate-driven league like the NHL is, and the NHL depends on gate probably more than anybody else, then you have to be concerned about it. And if I was ever a commissioner in a position of power, I'm just naturally paranoid to begin with. So I would always be worried about what does this mean, what could happen, and how do I fix it? And I think attendance matters. You know, number one, you hit it, Kyle. The cost of living has gone up. 54:54 in North America. Gas, everything, housing, rent, it's gone up. So whenever the cost of living goes up, discretionary income goes down. 55:05 And hockey is not averse to that. And I think we have to recognize that there's a lot of people out there who really love hockey, who are battling and can't spend as much money as they'd like to or would hope to on tickets. And you should never forget that. I also wonder sometimes if it's early in the year. 55:28 There have been times where hockey sales have been soft early in the season. Look, football is still being played right now. 55:38 A lot of fans out there, I'm sure, they're going to football games. They don't have as much to spend on hockey. And I have seen some situations where... As the season goes on and football goes away, hockey attendance increases. So you can't forget that. But the number one thing I always think about is do your fans feel valued? Like I did a hit last week on the hockey show with Marquesi and Futa where I talked about Vegas. 56:10 And Vegas has stopped selling tickets to people they identify as ticket brokers. And that's one of the reasons that their attendance has dropped. It's not the only one, but it's a major factor. 56:24 And I got a DM from a Golden Knights fan who said, You're not wrong, but I'll tell you, he said, I don't feel as someone who's been a Golden Knights fan since day one that I don't feel as appreciated as I used to be. 56:42 And that's important. I'll tell you a story, Kyle. Your fans have to feel that they matter. I know a couple, elderly couple, they've got season tickets to the Raptors here in Toronto, and they've been Raptors season ticket holders since day one. And about 10 years in, they were at a game, and there were two courtside seats that either they didn't sell or whoever they'd given them to hadn't shown up. So they're... 57:13 The person they deal with in the ticket office walked over to them just before tip-off and said, look, we've got two extra seats courtside tonight. You're day one-ers. We know you love the Raptors because we know you're always here. We always see you. How would you guys like to sit in these courtside seats tonight? 57:32 And they were like, what, really? And they said, absolutely. Like, you've been some of our most loyal customers. If you want them, they're yours. And for one night, they got to sit courtside. And they told me this story later about probably about a year after it happened. And they said it just, you know, sometimes you feel that when you've been around, does your relationship get stale? Do you still feel appreciated? 57:57 And I think that is so important. Like sometimes it's just a phone call. Sometimes maybe it's like a team sweatshirt. 58:07 Sometimes it's like a note on a birthday or something like that. Sometimes it's moving them up to the best seats in the house. But yeah, Whenever it's like this, Kyle, I always think if I was in charge, I would want to know that my fans feel appreciated. And George Gillette, who passed away a few days ago, when he owned the Canadians, one of the things he did was grade five students got tickets to Canadians games in the highest level. 58:39 He just got them in the building and they have the biggest building or one of the biggest buildings at 21,000. It was a bit easier for them to do it than others. 58:48 Um, that's the other thing I would do if I had empty seats. Now I had a big argument with Lou Lamorello about this once and he, you'll be surprised to know that he refused to concede the argument to me, Kyle, um, Like he his belief is that if you're paying full price for a ticket, you should never turn to someone next to you and have them say they got in free. He was like, nope, you cannot allow that because or severely discounted because then a person sits there and says, why am I paying full price for this ticket? 59:26 Fair. Let me concede the point. However, when your attendance is down, I would be getting kids in the building because that's not only an investment in your fan today, you get a kid into a building and they're your fan forever. That's the other thing I'd be doing. 59:45 So Elliot, I go back to the Board of Governors last month and, you know, Ted Leonsis was announced as the new chairman of the executive committee. And what was one of the things that he said along the lines of, you know, the NHL is an $11 billion industry, whatever number he used, somewhere around there. And his goal is to double that. Now that's That's great. 60:07 The idea of that, I love this sport. I want it to continue to grow and to prosper at all levels to get to become a better version of its previous self. But you also are going, okay, how are you doing that? Where are you doubling that money? As you said off the top, this remains a gate-driven league. I think it's quite clear if one of the plans is to double ticket prices, for example, that is going to be a non-starter. I mean, The situation up at Edmonton, Elliott, they have had such a group of loyal fans that lived through that decade of darkness and now enjoying the fruits of a team that's been to two Stanley Cup finals that have been in the playoffs the last number of years in a row. 60:54 And we've heard... 60:56 The fans up there, whether they're season ticket holders or just fans trying to get tickets to games or that went to games in the playoffs over those last, especially the two runs to the final, they very well know the leaps and bounds that the average ticket price at face value, that they went from round to round, of course, is one thing, but year over year, from 2024 to 2025, that city spent so much money on tickets to go home. 61:26 watch the Oilers play. 61:28 And it gets to the point where you're going, I've maxed out how much I have in my budget for spending. So I think that's why you see a scene like we had Thursday night with all those empty seats. Because I'd be thinking the same thing if I'm an Oilers fan where I'm going, look, I think the Oilers are pretty good this year. 61:48 I think they've got a chance to be in the playoffs again, to possibly go deep in the playoffs again. So if I'm going to map it out, maybe instead of spending $300 three times during the regular season, I'll maybe spend $900 and get a chance to go to a big playoff game in the spring. 62:09 I think there's that sort of thinking that goes on too. And you mentioned about making fans feel important. So Craig Simpson goes on our pregame show on Saturday, and this was under the context of the whole Gavin McKenna benching situation. I thought it made one of... 62:24 the greatest analogies I've ever heard that man make when he talked about when you're a player and you show up in the NHL, you have a bank account at zero and he's not talking about money. It's talking about a bank account of trust that you are trying to build up with your head coach. I think that exact same theory applies to ownership with their fans. I know they are in the business of making money and And every decision can't be simply about what's right emotionally or what's right morally. 62:56 The bottom line does matter. I'm not going to be naive in thinking that. But you cannot completely neglect the bank account of trust you have with your fan base. You cannot let that run empty because then you start to get into some trouble. No matter how good your team is on the ice, eventually your most loyal of fans will say, I'm I'm not doing this anymore or I'm backing off for a bit until things change. And they've got every right to do that. And I think regardless of where this all goes, if this is just a blip or if it becomes a further issue, I think it's just a great reminder around the league. 63:33 Do not let that bank account of trust with your fan base run empty. 63:38 Well said, young Kyle. 63:40 Thanks, buddy. All right. That was the final thoughts. Why don't we take our first break? Good block. We'll come back with the thought line. You're listening to 32 thoughts, the podcast. It continues after this. 64:02 All right, winding back up for another edition of The Thought Line presented by BetMGM Make It Legendary. Elliot, we have another layer to the colored versus whites jersey topic to add. Really? Yes. 64:18 Something I was not aware of. 64:21 In the 1956-57 season, we talked about, of course, the importance of having a white and dark distinction back then, the early days of television, because it was black and white. That season was also when referees went from orange sweaters to black and white stripes for the purposes of television, to be able to tell them apart differently. from everybody else, along with the fact they weren't wearing equipment. But that was how the black and white striped zebra look we're all accustomed to now. 64:52 That is where it started. 64:56 I had no idea. Me neither. Also, the earliest... 65:02 known white sweater to be used regularly in the NHL, because the Montreal Canadiens brought in a white sweater somewhere in the 40s, and I have been told one of the few things that the Hockey Hall of Fame does not have is is a game-used Montreal Canadiens white sweater from that 1940s era. So if there is anybody out there somewhere in their closet, in their most prized possessions, locked away safely in their homes, have one of those, and would be interested at all in donating it to the Hall of Fame, they would be more than happy to hear from you. 65:45 Somebody's got one. Somebody out there has one. 65:49 We're putting it to the test. 65:52 What else you got? All right. I got a bunch of things. I got a lot today. I had none last time. So I'm making up for it this time. 66:02 So you'll remember in season cup, Of which I have no idea who competes in it. Who's in that, by the way? As we learned last pod. Boy, did I get ripped mercilessly for getting Luke scored on his first shift. 66:16 And his first shot, too. But you'll remember that a previous time it came up about how rugby does that. Right? Right. 66:29 Rugby has an in-season cup for both the men and the women. 66:34 Yes, I know we were going with this. Yes, the Rayburn for the men and the Utrecht for the women. 66:41 And I'd like to thank a listener named Mike Tripp, who sent me an Insta DM that Canada won the Utrecht Shield today. by beating England 24-21 Friday night at BMO Field. And not only did Canada win 24-21, they ended England's 41-game unbeaten streak. 67:07 dating back to 2022. So, Mike, thank you for bringing this to my attention, and congratulations to the Canadian women for beating England and taking current possession of the Utrecht Shield. 67:23 I also wanted to point out that... 67:28 There was a listener, and now I can't find who it was, who added to our list of players who scored on their first shift and first shot. 67:44 And it is an individual, Kyle, that we should recognize because if we don't, he could beat us both senseless at the same time and quite possibly with one hand tied behind his back. 68:01 That would be Buffalo Sabres broadcaster Rob Ray. Yes. October 21st, 1989. 68:13 And I am happy to add that to the record before I next see him. 68:21 I don't know if you heard him on Kipper and Bourne last week talking about the art of intimidation. I have no doubt that he has not lost the ability to intimidate. 68:30 Oh, you know, I'll remember one thing with Rob Ray. You know, like those, when Buffalo and Toronto were good, those games are incredible. Yeah. Like the hate is real. 68:42 And there was a time that Shane Corson and Darcy Tucker charged at him down the hallway. All three of them got kicked out of a game. 68:52 in the last minute in Toronto and at the newer rink, Scotiabank Arena, and the dressing rooms are pretty close and the hallway is open and Corson and Tucker had to be stopped by security to get to Ray. And Ray actually, someone who was there witnessed it, told me, that you could tell that rob way at ray was actually hoping security would not be able to stop them uh that he was more than happy to get his piece of that and in the dressing room when you know they they said he said something that was really out of line and he did not deny it uh he was He was clearly relishing that he had gotten under their skin so badly. 69:38 Anyway, Rob Ray, Adam to the first goal and first shift. 69:45 and first shot group. I also wanted to mention Terry Koshin, who rides for the Toronto Sun. He was disappointed that May 13th was not added to the pantheon of outstanding birthdays. Not only is that his birthday, but it also includes P.K. Subban, Dennis Rodman, Travis Zajac, Michael Amadio, Jim Ralph, and the biggest star of all of them, Bea Arthur. 70:24 Wow. That's a lineup. Yes. My wife is, Steph is big into the Golden Girls. If I didn't say that Bea Arthur was the biggest star of all of them, I would be in partner jail. So I have to mention that. 70:42 That's good. 70:42 There's something else I'm working on for the next pod that someone made a suggestion to me. Okay. Now, shout outs. 70:49 I wanted to shout out our hairstylist. 70:52 Gus Athanasopoulos, his birthday was Saturday, turned 47. 70:59 Thank you, Gus. He's 47? Yeah, he looks much younger than that. Wow, yeah. He's 47, but he looks younger than some people I know who are 30. 71:10 Um, I also wanted to, Kyle, I wanted to shout you out too, because you met someone who works out at my gym, David. Yes. At the game the other night. And he said you were a super nice guy. 71:28 And he actually said to me, I saw him Sunday when I went to the gym, and he said that you were so friendly to everybody that came up to you during the game. And I said, Kyle's a really friendly guy. And I got a DM from someone who clearly purchased a bot to do this. 71:49 And they also said they were at the game on Saturday night between the Maple Leafs and the Islanders. And they also said, give you a compliment for how friendly you were to people like people were going up to you all game long and you were super nice to them again not a surprise and then this individual added at the end the other thing i noticed is that kyle worked for about 30 seconds of combined television and did nothing else and they wrote where can i get a job where i do 30 seconds of work and gets paid like kyle gets paid And I said, there are not a lot of those available and Kyle will not be unseated. 72:36 That's why you hold on to that job with the fiercest grip imaginable. 72:42 Yes. 72:44 One of the great pieces of advice I got doing broadcasting school was every word you say is like a dollar out of your pocket. So I try to be selective. 72:54 By the way, I got a good laugh listening to the last pod, the end of the pod, when you were complaining about daylight savings time and how much trouble it's causing you. 73:04 Yeah. Ridiculous. 73:06 I do not like that here in AB, we're not changing a thing. 73:13 It's not for me. 73:15 It's going to be dark until 10 a.m. here. 73:17 What was your line? Once daylight saving time starts, I'm not giving the times. Is that what you said? 73:23 It's too confusing now. 73:25 Some parts of Ontario is changing, other parts not. 73:30 I don't know. I know I'm going to start missing flights. 73:33 The times are going to be all off for me. 73:35 Anyway. 73:37 I digress. Anyway, I have to say you scored major points with how nice you were to people at that game the other night. And some shout-outs, some fans I met, Shale and Lori at Starbucks. 73:49 Uh, Aiden and Elias, I was at a family event and they were there on Thursday helping run the show. 73:57 A gentleman named Peter Flattery. Um, we were at Morton's for dinner on Friday night with some friends, Stephen. There was a couple getting married, Bruce and Shirley. There was the Fusco family. One of their sons works at dome production and And then on Saturday, Kyle, you and I were at the Maple Leafs practice facility. There was the Toronto Marathon going on here. So the Leafs moved their morning skate to their practice facility. And there was a huge girls hockey tournament there. 74:29 What do they call it? Pink the Rink? Pink in the Rink, yeah. Pink in the Rink, okay. And I met a few of the players. There were two young women from the under-13 AA Sudbury Wolves, Ellie Bouchard and Emily Thompson, and there was Isabel Fanning of the Durham West Lightning. So it was really packed in there and really enthusiastic young fans, so I wanted to shout out those players who I met. 74:57 That's awesome. 74:59 David and I were your workout buddy commenting on your summer glow up. He's like, he's putting in the work. 75:06 So it has not gone unnoticed, my friend. 75:11 Thank you. That's a good list, Elliot. Thank you very much. That's a very good list. 75:15 Okay. A few other things to get to here. And on the topic of... 75:20 First goal, first shift, first shot. Jordan from Victoria, BC writes in. Hey, Kyle, Dom and the Raccoon Whisperer. Yes. Last episode, you talked about the fastest first goals by NHLers. I am from Victoria. And while sneaking in nine holes of golf on one of my lunch breaks a few years ago, I ran into a man named Bob Barlow. We got to talking hockey and he mentioned how he had the record for fastest first goal, which was his first shot, first shift after six seconds on the ice back on October 11th, 1969. 75:56 According to Wikipedia, this is still true. Bob's a local legend who carries his hockey card around and gives it out like it's his business card. Just thought I would email in as this came to mind when listening to your last episode. Fun fact, he also had the record for the oldest rookie to play a game in the NHL at age 34, but that was eventually broken by Connie Madigan in 1972 at age 38. Love the pod. Go Ducks. 76:23 Yeah, so Connie Mad Dog Madigan, we've talked about him, I think, briefly on the pod before. In the last game they play in Slapshot, the movie, where the other team brings out all the killers from all the various leagues, one of those is based on Connie Mad Dog Madigan, and he's actually in the movie. 76:44 So that's, that's who that is. 76:48 And the other thing I wanted to mention about that is that I once golfed in a golf tournament with Gus Bodner for a long time. He had the record. for the fastest goal by a player in his first NHL game, which was 15 seconds. But as Jordan mentioned, that's since been beaten by 15 seconds. He was lounging around for an extra nine seconds there. Gus had to get to work earlier because that one eventually got beat. 77:19 Yeah, Bob Barlow with the Minnesota North Stars back in 69, six seconds in. 77:26 And I guess he came back to the bench afterwards, had the puck with him, and said to Ren Blair, who was the coach at the time, why didn't you bring me up sooner? 77:39 Good question. Tough to beat that one. Yes, that's a heck of a start. Okay, Mike from Tilsonburg, Ontario. Hello, gentlemen. Just had a question about goalie masks. Watching the Jets versus Hurricanes game, and I got to thinking about Clay Stevenson's mask. Who pays for the goalie masks? Because I'm sure they're a pretty penny with the amazing artwork that is on them. And I also want to know a rough estimate of how long it takes to get the mask from the painter because it seems as though... 78:09 Clay got his pretty quickly. Thanks, guys, and keep up the great work. 78:14 Want to hazard a guess of who foots the bill? 78:17 So I know the teams pay for the masks. Yes. I have heard that the paint job could depend on what the quote is. 78:31 Am I right or wrong about... Basically, the more elaborate... 78:38 you want the design, the more expensive it can be. And I've heard there's been some debates over, I don't know if a team is required to pay all of it or just cover a certain amount. I assume you looked this up. 78:55 Yeah, I was told the teams foot the bill. 78:58 Oh, they do, eh? Okay. 79:00 And the line I was telling, which was pretty good, it was the richer you get, the less you pay for things. 79:05 Yeah. 79:05 Because I kind of thought that that was... That's true in a lot of things, I have to tell you. 79:10 Because it's the goalies that, in most cases, they're the ones that seek out the artists. And they're in communication over their vision of kind of what they want their masks to look like. So I thought maybe that was one thing that the goalies are on their own for what they want it to look like. 79:28 I knew years ago, it must have changed because... 79:33 I heard a story a few years ago, I got to remember who it was, where a goalie submitted like a number for the paint job and the team said, come on. 79:43 You can't be serious. 79:45 Now, maybe that like I know just like helmet sticks, all that stuff. The team pays the cost of the mask. That's not even negotiable. But the paint job, it must have changed because I do remember years ago being told a story about a team balking at the cost, the quoted cost of a paint job. Maybe it's changed. Yeah. 80:06 Yeah. And now, I mean, goalies, it's not unusual to have, what, two or three different versions of masks per season. And it's usually always something fresh. You think back, like Martin Burner, for example, had basically the same design his entire career. Yeah. Very similar. Or, you know, like J.S. Chiguerre in Anaheim. Like, you just picture that and you know what his mask looks like. And he wasn't the only one that would go for years. Kiprasov in Calgary. 80:33 with the same design. But now, so often, it gets refreshed. Now, it has to be approved by the league, of course. That's one stipulation. Yeah. But... 80:42 It is the bill goes to the team. And when it comes to timing, if it's just before the season, there could be a bit of a backlog, understandably, because that's when everyone's getting it done. But in the case where, let's say Clay Stevenson, for example, as Mike pointed out, you know, he comes to Winnipeg fairly early on in the year. 81:02 And usually something like that, where there's not a backlog with the artist, it can be turned around in about a week or so because they understand the urgency of getting one done. 81:14 So David Arrigo is one of the painters and often he'll do sort of like these time-lapse videos of what he paints. 81:24 I love those things. I think those things are fantastic. 81:28 All right. One final one. Paul, an exhausted Canucks fan. 81:35 Are you sure this isn't Dom under a pseudonym? 81:38 Yes. Well, just wait. Wait, you can decide for yourself. Hi, Elliot. I have a son named Elliot, but different spelling. 81:46 The kid's probably a genius. 81:48 Hi, Kyle. I, too, am from Campbell River and can lay claim to having been a linesman for a game featuring a very young Rod Brindamore. 81:58 Hmm. 82:00 And hi, Dom. I have no connection to Dom. 82:07 Except that he's also a suffering Canucks fan. So you do have a connection. 82:14 I was incredibly pleased to see Michael DiPietro get the win Friday against Anaheim. According to my calculations, DiPietro went 2,804 days between his first NHL appearance to gaining his first win. in the NHL. So my question is this. Is this a record for most days between a goalie's first NHL appearance and their first win? Love hearing you guys during my walks down here in southern Spain. Just a stone's throw from Gibraltar. 82:45 All the best. 82:46 Oh, wow. 82:48 Mm-hmm. 82:51 Do you remember who the oldest goalie is to win in his NHL debut? 82:58 Ah. Famous game that you covered. 83:02 Not David Ayers. Yes. Right. 83:06 Very good, Kyle. 83:09 Wow, that's right. Well, I should have just known that. 83:12 Sometimes you forget. You've done a lot of games. The fact that you nailed it, that's good enough for me. 83:20 I will never forget that one. That's a great poll. 83:24 So that one I always remember because if you ask who's the oldest to win their first game, it's... 83:32 It's David Ayers. I'm trying to think, like, I'm trying to think who would be if there's anyone that's beaten DPS. Okay, let me ask this first. Has anyone waited longer? 83:50 Nope. So he's the record holder? 83:52 He's got the record. Yep. 2,804 days. 83:56 That's a great one. Great. Well, congratulations to Michael. And that's a fantastic accomplishment. 84:06 It's amazing. Like, he's not unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, too. So we'll see where this... We'll see where the... Cleared waivers a couple times. 84:17 Boston... 84:19 Made a move to get him a job, make sure that he had a job this year, that he wasn't going to have to go do waivers again. They weren't taking that risk. 84:29 Great victory for DiPietro. Great victory. 84:33 Yeah. So he's top of the list. Second, Frederick Shabbat. 84:38 Really? Yeah. 2,455 days. From first appearance to first win. 84:50 Wow. That's who he beat by almost 400 days. 84:55 That's like that Tampa Bay Rays pitcher who came back at age 35 after the kids at school told him to do it. 85:03 Oh, I thought you were talking about Dennis Quaid and the rookie. 85:07 That's exactly who that's based on. 85:10 Right. There you go. 85:11 That's right. Yes. So I was. Backdoor my way into that one. 85:18 People are going to listen to this and go, what's with these two idiots? 85:22 Exactly. Yeah. They're idiots, but they somehow end up with the right answer in the end. 85:28 It's like that old sketch from SNL where Gretzky's going up against Wayne and Garth. 85:34 And like through just the sheer luck, they end up beating him in hockey. Like Garth just happens to drop his goalie stick out of fear and he stops it. And anyway. 85:49 That's what we've done here. Yes, that's pretty much what we have done here. 85:54 All right. Time to take another break. 1-833-311-3232 is the phone number to call if you'd like to leave a voicemail here at the thought line or you can email us at 32thoughts at sportsnet.ca. Some Canadian music and our goodbyes on the other side. 86:29 All right, before we go, we should mention Sportsnet Monday Night Hockey tonight involves Macklin Celebrini and the San Jose Sharks, who love playing overtime early on this season, in Toronto to face the Maple Leafs, who have lost three straight. The urgency ramping up already there in Leafland to get things turned around. On the air at 7ET, David Amber, Luke Gaznik, Justin Williams have you covered from our studio. Puck drop a little after 7.30 Eastern, 4.30 Pacific Time. That game streaming exclusively. 87:00 on Sportsnet Plus. And another reminder about that, if you have any questions about whether you have that already in your television cable package or it's something you need to add on, you can go to sportsnetplus.ca slash mondaynighthockey. Hopefully, the answer you were looking for is there. Taking us out today, a track from Love, who's a rising Cree singer-songwriter from Poundmaker Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, blending UK-inspired soul, alternative R&B, and indie pop with powerful storytelling rooted in identity, resilience, and and Indigenous womanhood. 87:36 Her debut album, Iskwayu, produced by Connor Seidel, has helped propel her career to over 2 million streams and more than 300,000 social media followers. Her breakout single, Mama, reached number one on the Indigenous Music Countdown, while her music has earned editorial support from Spotify and Apple Music alongside national media recognition. Currently an artist in residence at Toronto's Allied Music Centre, Love continues to establish herself as one of Canada's exciting emerging Indigenous voices, bringing contemporary Cree storytelling to audiences around the world. 88:11 You can see her at the National Music Centre in Calgary. next month on november the 19th this song along with all the others we have featured here can be found on the spotify playlist 32 thoughts the music here is love and g o s on 32 thoughts the podcast have a great week i pray for this energy to pass through to me 88:45 And he told me not to give up, yeah. So I pray for this energy to get through to you. Every woman of color, sister, Cause this one is for my girlies, going through a hard time Lessons you've been blessed with, your troubles will melt away Oh, you had generations of strangers Speak it to existence Lessons you've been blessed with. 90:34 Your troubles will melt away. 90:39 All you had generations astray.