Will The Calgary Flames Tank For McKenna? | The Chris Johnston Show

Will The Calgary Flames Tank For McKenna? | The Chris Johnston Show

The Chris Johnston Show. Let’s go. Your number one destination for a behind thescenes look at the game of hockey. Is this thing on? Here’s NHL insider Chris Johnston and host Julian McKenzie. CJ, we start in Washington uh for day for today’s edition of the CJ Show. Uh big news coming out on Sunday. Assistant coach Mitch Love has been fired uh after the NHL suspended him for the 202526 season for accusations of domestic abuse. The Capitals dropped a statement earlier on Sunday. Mitch Love also dropping a statement denying the allegations. How did we get here and what’s next for the Washington Capitals? Well, you know, these allegations were were first brought up um back in the springtime when Mitch Love found himself as a you know, basically a finalist for some multiple head coaching positions. He was interviewing with the Seattle Kraken and the Pittsburgh Penguins among others. And you know, the allegation was raised and we should mention um you know there’s been no charges that I’m aware of related to these allegations and Mitch Love himself maintains his innocence um you know in part as part of the statement he said. So, you know, can’t get into what happened or didn’t happen, but what happened from that point is, you know, obviously the league and these teams became aware of the allegations. There was, you know, a um, you know, process conducted by the NHL’s head office. You know, Mitch Love had a chance to to speak to to people at the head office and and, you know, ultimately the league made its ruling and the Capitals made their decision after his ruling. And you know, we we should also mention that that he had been on uh an administrative leave from the Capitals since before training camp. So Mitch Love hasn’t been with the team throughout camp or or the start of the season. Um but obviously now he’s, you know, been cut loose by the organization. You know, he’s he said in a statement he he’d like to continue his career, the game he loves, as he called it, but you know, not certain where that will go. But, you know, quite a turn of events for you know, a younger coach. You know, the Capitals had a great year last year and he was part of their staff who was, you know, g, you know, garnering consideration for head coaching jobs and and, you know, now finds himself out of work. Uh, any maybe it’s too soon to tell, but any immediate plans on replacing him or adding someone else to their bench? You know, I would think it’s going to come from within the organization. Um, you know, the the Capitals have had, you know, pretty good pipeline um, you know, with Hershey having a lot of success for them in the American Hockey League. And so, you know, I don’t necessarily think this is something where they have to go external. You know, they also have, you know, experienced uh assistant coaches on that staff with Spencer Carrie, including Kirk Mueller, who’s obviously been around the league a long, long time between playing as a head coach, but even as an assistant coach. And so, you know, I don’t know that it necessarily affects anything that way. And while, you know, it’s it’s a story, we’re sitting here talking about it, you know, I suppose to some degree, you know, players or people at the organization may be asked about it. you know, it doesn’t necessarily disrupt much of what’s going on dayto-day because as I mentioned, you know, Mitch Love hasn’t been with the team, you know, going back to to September. So, you know, it it it’s sort of probably for, you know, it brings some finality to the situation cuz it was unclear what was going to happen while while, you know, he was under investigation by the league. Um, but, you know, at this point, I I I don’t think that I don’t think it’s going to be sweeping changes for the Capitals. If anything, maybe they’re they’re making an internal um promotion or or you know, moving someone up to the NHL bench full-time to to take a spot. Okay, we will stay in the metro in the Metropolitin Division as I’d like to go to the New Jersey Devils. A couple games went down on Sunday, possibly none bigger than New Jersey and Colorado to start off the year. Colorado’s looked good, but New Jersey has looked really good. They get a win over the Avalanche in overtime. Eight wins in a row. Jack Hughes uh entering this podcast has a share of the lead in goals in the NHL. The Devils were a very sexy pick for a lot of people entering this year as a dark horse. Could they be for real, CJ? Well, I definitely think they’re for real. Um, you know, so much of last season for them. like you can’t use injuries as an excuse, but when you have the the sort of degree of injuries they have to the players they had for extended periods of time, you know, it’s hard to to not think that that played a role in and their season, you know, certainly not going the way that they had hoped. I mean, they still scraped through it to to the best of their ability, but obviously, you know, didn’t take a step forward from the previous seasons before it where I think they they’d shown some promise. So yeah, to me they’re a team that’s for real and that they’re, you know, with Jack Hughes start right there, right? You’re talking about him being among the the leading scorers in the league. Well, you know, he he missed a huge chunk of time at the end of the year and and you know, they they they got through it to a degree, but you can’t be the same team, right? Like at a certain point, um you know, you have to go it that way. So, I I my conclusion would be that they are for real, that they’re certainly playoff caliber to contending caliber and and the the start they’ve had sort of underlines that. It’s it’s been impressive. You know, they’re they play quick. They’re they’re obviously um you know, already well in the green when it comes to goal differential. Um you know, they they don’t have a lot of apparent holes. I mean, they’ve you know, had you know, Jacob Marstrom be out, but you know, they have a good goalie behind him, right? Jake Allen um with with lots of NHL experience and even Nico Dah has played um you know so I I just see a team up and down that that’s pretty deep that has younger players that I think you can count on getting better and then you know if you can maintain some degree of health. I mean you put that mix together and you got a you got a tasty stew there. nice nice fall chili is brewing uh perhaps in Newark right now because of everything going on and and you know when you start this season too 8 and one I mean that that’s that that’s going to be its own confidence builder and and if nothing else I mean frankly it’s just they put some points in the bank and have a reason to feel good so yeah I think that they’re a team that’s that’s going to make some noise I I think that they’ll be aggressive as the season goes along really got into the trading season just yet but you know there might be signs with you know the the trees, the leaves changing color where we live. Um, you I think I think the trading season could be around the corner and, you know, I think New Jersey will be one of the the the buyers out there when it comes, you know, deeper in the year to really make a go for it. I look, I want trades. I want activity. Just I want something. We’ve had all these months of nothing. Like I shouldn’t say nothing. It’s not as if no trades have happened, but like you know the Lucas Rles didn’t get you get the juices flowing or I’ll get to that later in the run now. CJ, but you’re right. Yeah, like come on. Like I thought the flurry of activity was supposed to be happening. I know it’s early it’s early days in the season. We haven’t even gotten out the first month yet, but like Well, it was a weird summer, right? Like that that’s part of it. It was an unusual summer in terms of just you know there was trades call it to about mid July you know you had like the normal rush of fran signings in the first part of July a couple trades beyond that and then everything went quiet and you know it’s basically until this Lucas Riel deal I mean you know we’ve mentioned it but almost every trade other than that was just sort of a cap related maneuver or you know minor league players you know nothing that that would draw headlines other than unless you you’re a family member or friend of one of the players that were traded. Um, but you know, I I do think we’re we’re going to get closer to that. And you I’m not trying to tie New Jersey specifically to anything. I’m just saying they’re operating they’re going to be operating like a team that, you know, believes it could win and and that’s that’s where they’re supposed to be. You know, they they’ve had multiple years of, you know, making the playoffs. They’ve gotten sort of progressively better. Last year was a step back in terms of points and things like that, but again, I think that it’s pretty clear, you know, what the main factor was in that. And so now you’re back healthy and you know it looks pretty good. Looks really good and and you know they they don’t have a whole lot they have to kind of address in season. I don’t feel I mean you know still some hope to extend. Jacob Marstrom as it stands now he’s he is a pending UFA and obviously you know there’s there’s been extensive talks with with his agent on you know trying to find the right contract. I think a lot of that’s driven by his age. You know he’s 35 turning 36. you know, finding a finding the right term on that deal could be tricky, but you know, he’s been a top performing goalie and obviously they made a big trade to to get him from Calgary a couple years ago. You know, I think they they fully intend to to keep them. So maybe that that’s a piece of business for the Devils, but you know, really it’s all systems go for them in terms of just the the business at hand is the games on the schedule and they’ve been they’ve been handling those just fine. Thank you. And and you know, playing pretty inspired hockey, you know, to get those those eight wins in their first nine games. And and you and speaking of Marstrom, one thing we haven’t mentioned is the fact that he’s he’s getting himself back to health. He was the backup against the ABS today on Sunday and it looks like he’s going to be able to be on their road trip which actually starts in Colorado on Tuesday. So a team I love when there’s a backtoback with an east team and a west team. Yeah, because it’s always weird, right? I I remember the Leafs I think last year with San Jose had a strange but like a home and home series. Toronto, San Jose, uh this long ass trip but to the west but also just like two teams you’re not used to seeing play each other and then you see them play twice in a week is all you know it’s kind of like anyway scheduling quirks in this case though like no disrespect to San Jose these teams might not see each other at the cup final that you’re getting exactly to what I’m getting at here Colorado New Jersey very early could be like a cup final preview like we’re bring we could bring it all the way back to 2001 with this one. I’m glad you helped me there cuz I was in my head I was like was it 2001 or 2003 they met? I was like I was going 2001 2003 was at Anaheim and New Jersey. So it was New Jersey Anaheim when the Anaheim when Anaheim was still the Mighty Ducks. Yes. When JS Shagar won the Consite trophy in a losing cause. Okay. Yes. Is he the last one to win MVP in that situation? Conor McDavid. Sorry. Conor McDavid. He did. Yes. Conor McDavid. I forgot because he didn’t come out and claim the con smite. So there’s not a there’s not a good photo of him with the consm trophy. I wonder if there’s any photos of him with the consm trophy. I mean, now we’re down a rabbit hole, but it’s a good question because he didn’t, you know, he obviously didn’t formally accept it on the ice, which we understand. They lost 2-1 in game seven in 2024 on the road. You know, I understand why he didn’t come out and and take that trophy, but I wonder if the league ever got like even behind the scenes. Like I doubt it. Like if he doesn’t want to go on the ice to take it, I can’t imagine you’re pulling him aside in the Bousy Arena 20 minutes later and being like, “Hey, will you do this photo op with the trophy? Hey, uh you lost the Stanley Cup in game seven. Uh do you want to take this photo?” Like I wonder if they even brought it home like you know cuz typically what we’re this where my brain is at is typically it goes to a winning player. So when you’re around that winning player in the summertime, like usually the Stanley Cups, you know, they’re at a cup party and the and the consmate is there and it’s sort of a happy thing that the winning player spends some time with it. Um I I wonder if he even like brought it home at any point or or took his own photos with it or if it was just like, you know what, I’m going to win this when we win and and I’ll worry about it then. That might be what happened. I wonder if he even has like a miniature version of the trophy. We’ve seen many versions. He would I’m sure the league would like but like what do you do with it? Like does he is that something he shows prominently? Is that in a closet somewhere? Like if you’re not going to take a photo with the real thing, what are you going to do with the smaller version? Well, wherever he’s got his five mini heart uh scoring to Art Ross trophies, three mini heart trophies, you know, number of um Ted Lindsay awards. He probably has it somewhere wherever that is. But who knows when you’re Conor McDavid like maybe it’s all just like in a basement or he’s let’s face it, he’s probably got a cool trophy room which you should. That would be pretty sick. If you could go to one player’s trophy room. Oh, like just to tour it around. I mean, Wayne, I do I want Wayne? I mean, yeah, Wayne, I guess, but like, you know what? Mario, maybe Mario’s room. He’s probably Mario seems like he does things classy, right? Like, I just Yeah, I feel like it would be done up well. I’d love Mary. You can’t go wrong. This isn’t the spirit of the question, but I’d actually love to go to whatever Tiger Woods has because Oh, wait, wait. Time out. Time out. Time out. I know that wasn’t the spirit of the question, but that’s the that’s the room that’s most in my mind. I thought you were keeping it to NHL players because that’s why I thought Wayne and and Maria, right? Well, I’m I’m going off the board now and I’d love to see like, you know, Tiger was 15 majors and, you know, 82 PJ tour wins plus lots of other things around the world. Like I I bet he’s got I bet he’s got a room that would like blow your mind. If we’re opening it up to every everybody, Lo Messi for me is probably right at the top of the list. Like the Balon Dolls, the World Cup, like Champions League. Like I I need to You could see just about everything in that room. Has he won anything in the MLS? I I I truthfully don’t really watch MLS. He won like a Leagues Cup, I think, but I don’t think he’s won as awards. Okay. Uh, he won a I don’t know why I’m blanking on MLS specific honors and maybe I could specifically find that out, but like he he definitely won something. I think he won like a like an inseason tournament with Inter Miami last year even when they weren’t even able to get to like MLS playoffs. Like he found a way to do that. Like I I I need to double check the the honors trophy part for him and forgive me for not having that right away, but like he’s definitely won something by now, right? Uh with the with his MLS club. Sydney Crosby’s room would probably be pretty good, too, because it’s very it’s varied, right? Like he’s won world juniors, world championship, two Olympic golds, you know, three Stanley Cups, you know, multiple hard trophies and scoring titles and a rocket Rashard. Like he’s won a little bit of everything. like he won everything in the QMJHL and the CHL. Like he he’s won everywhere. A lot of like a lot of team hardware, but you know, you you’d have stuff to recognize that too. So anyway, Sydney, God, Sydney Crosby for sure has to be up there. But also also just to follow up on Leon Messi, he won a league cup trophy in 2023 and a supporter shield uh which I believe is given to the best regular season team. Uh that he won that last year. So he hasn’t won like an MLS cup or anything yet. Gotcha. Yeah. Yeah, sorry. This is this is a total rabbit hole. No, I love this down in the rabbit hole saying, “Hey, maybe New Jersey and Colorado will play in a Stanley Cup final again.” That happened once. Then what happened? You know, we just like open this door, open that door, open that door. And anyway, you know what’s funny, actually, because I wanted to open a rabbit hole. I wanted to ask you a random question of my own because of Colorado, New Jersey. We’ll get to other stuff in the show later, but I want to ask you this. Yeah. What’s the greatest individual cup raise of all time? Like when I think of Colorado, New Jersey, I think of Raymond Bourke lifting the cup to the sound of Gary Thorne like on ESPN. Like I I I think that’s when you tell the story of the National Hockey League and you look at some of the biggest highlights to have ever occurred in the league’s history, that moment of of Joe Sackic handing the cup off to Raymond Bourc and him lifting that cup, that’s one of the greatest moments the league has ever seen. Absolutely. Wow. I I don’t have a good answer for you. Like I would just be tossing something out there. Like Rod Brymore has come up as an example when he won in ’06 and he was stomping. I’ve heard people say that remember cuz he refused to shake Gary Bman’s hand, right? He’s he cuz that was at the end of the after that was the first cup after the year-long lockout. Mhm. Um so he just like grabbed it from him basically. Um okay. So, what would I mean you could we could think on this. We could table this for another time, but I’m just curious like what you might think for that. I So, this is this is going to sound like this is going to be like a really jerk answer kind of, but I’ve been at the last like call it 20 cup raises. Yes. And when you’re covering it, you don’t get to see it on TV. Like you’re you’re actually waiting in a pen waiting to come onto the ice. And so I I feel like I haven’t really experienced those moments properly like in my working years. And then so then if I go deeper than that, I’m getting back to being a kid. Um which you know, I could have said Bray Bour. I didn’t cut that was before my time as a journalist. I I don’t know the best one. I mean, I think it’s one of the great moments of every year, which is a bit of a copout, but it’s also the truth. Like it’s pretty cool seeing players lift that thing. Um, but we’re a long ways off of that. We’re nine games into the season. Are we already giving New Jersey the the cup early? I’m not giving them the cup. I’m just saying it’d be pretty sick to see them in the cup final, which I think you’re allowed to do. I mean, I could say that about anyone. I got asked on another podcast today. Are the Montreal Canadians the best team in Canada? It’s a little early, but people are asking questions, CJ. Yeah. Well, I mean, that’s that’s a fair question. You know, what’s great to me about Montreal start is they actually had expectations this year. Um, you know, after making the playoffs last season and having the strong finish to the year and and you know, they’ve went through Western Canada and you know, they’re doing their thing. They’ve had to come back in some of these games. Not that I’m not scorecarding wins at this point, but um, you know, I think you could make the case. You can make the case right now. I still think Edmonton will probably be wearing that crown, whatever you want to call that. Canada’s best chance to win a cup will probably be the Oilers at some point later in the year. But right now, I mean, I, you know, I know Edmonton beat Montreal the other night. It was kind of a little bit of controversy in that game. Um, but yeah, the Habs, the Habs may have a I mean, I don’t even know what that’s worth. That’s like winning the Golden Graefruit or whatever the Jays won this year for spring training. Remember that? like being named the best Canada’s best team on October 27th is not uh it’s not worth too much but I mean it’s it’s good podcast f absolutely it’s not even like you get a trophy at the end of the season for being the best team in Canada I mean we we devalue the president’s trophy could you imagine being the best team in Canada what’s that worth well I mean it hasn’t been worth a Stanley Cup win since 1993 so I mean you start right there um you know it’s insane how many teams have had a chance like there’s been a bunch of Canadian teams in game seven of the cup final. But um anyway, we are all over the map right now. That’s okay. That is fine. I would like We need a GPS here. How do we get back to I would like to keep it to Canadian to a Canadian team if we can. We should bring up Lucas Reichel and the Vancouver Cucks trade. Lucas Reichel going from Chicago uh to Vancouver in exchange for a fourth round pick in 2027. Uh a change of scenery needed for Lucas Reichel. an opportunity for Vancouver to take advantage of of a young talent. Could they be done? And what do you think of the trip? Well, Vancouver’s in trouble, right? And like there’s no way around the fact, you know, with Filipino situation, other injuries they have in their lineup. I mean, they just they have a glaring hole in the middle of their roster and you know, they’re not off to a great start. So, you you you pair those things. I think it’s it’s a critical season for the Canucks. Um, we don’t need to go into the topic, but everyone’s aware that that Quinn Hughes is eligible to sign an extension as of July 1st, 2026. You know, having a fun-winning season is probably the best path to have him in the mood or the frame of mind that you would want him in if you’re in Vancouver to keep him around longer term. you know, if this season goes totally off the rails in a negative way, then you it opens up doors and questions you don’t want to be asking yet about, you know, rebuilds or retools or where, you know, who might you be moving. So, you know, in that context, I think it’s important to recognize where the Canucks are. They they need to win games. And so, I think that’s the beginning of the end of why that that deal happens now for Lucas Reichel. And I I don’t think it’s necessarily the end for them. You know, the the hard part for Vancouver is it’s just no one’s in a mood where they have to trade any player at this stage of the season. You know what I mean? I mean, the Riel conditions were were pretty ripe for it because, you know, he had he had asked for a trade, was working with the Blackhawks uh front office on finding a new home. And so, you know, in that case, I think they were looking to offload the player because, you know, it had gotten to a point where, you know, the sides recognized, you know, he was someone that should be moved. But um you know when you’re looking at the bigger moves and obviously a lot of focus on you know are the the Canucks and the Bruins a fit you know with with Boston having both Pavl Zaka and Casey Middlestat as players that you know I think could could be candidates to be traded this year. You know the Bruins don’t need to make that trade. Um and Vancouver might need it a little more which means if you’re if you’re going to try to size up if that works I mean it might be in a position where you have to be overpaying a little bit. And so we we’ll see how everything materializes, but I certainly don’t believe the Canucks are going to stop there. And I I understand it. I think we can’t we can’t more clearly say that they need to have the best season possible this year because the the the consequences of not, you know, could mean, you know, trading franchise players or or having to reckon with the possibility that they’re they’re leaving and all those types of things. So, you know, they they have to, you know, try to counteract it. And unfortunately for Philip Pedal, I mean, he’s, you know, he’s had a history of a long history of head injuries, right, and long layoffs. And, you know, there’s some people out there that are worried about even just his long-term ability to play after, you know, this latest one with that hit from Tom Wilson. So, you know, it’s it’s a long way back to saying we yes, we’re early in the year and we try to, you know, categorize everything as such, but I do think the urgency for the Canucks is is very much there. And um, you know, I I’m sure they’re going to try to keep adding to that forward group to to give themselves a chance to get back more often in the win column. What did you think of that hit from uh Tom Wilson, by the way? I mean, pretty tough to I mean, it’s Tom Wilson. He he we we we know he toes the line and it feels like almost every hit we see from him we have to overanalyze to see if he has stepped over said line. Well, he’s a big physical player. You know, I didn’t I didn’t have any problem with it in terms of it being illegal, but it was a punishing hit obviously. Um and you know, devastating hit for Heedle and for the Canucks, but I mean Tom Wilson, you know, you watch him in that game against the Senators like he’s he’s he’s out there throwing big hits, right? Uh yeah, big one on Ridley on Ridley Greg. Exactly. Over the weekend. You know, quite frankly, I think Tom Wilson has a very good chance to be at the Olympics for Team Canada, I think, because of that style of play. And while yes, his rap sheet is long. If if you look at the last few years, you know, he is he’s gotten way more on the right side of it than where he was early in his career. You know, it reminds me a little bit of the career evolution of a Brad Marshand. you know, not not not comparing exactly their games otherwise, but you know, Marshian had a pretty long, you know, he he had speed dial to NHL player safety on there. You know, they were on a firstname basis because he was frequently suspended or fined or, you know, even licking players, like doing things that didn’t result in a suspension, but was getting the not the kind of attention you want from the league, right? But to be fair to Marian, he’s mostly left that behind. Now, I know he had the incident in Buffalo with Rosalene’s helmet earlier, you know, in the last couple weeks. So, I’m not saying he he isn’t still playing on the line at times, but you know, he compared to where he was, he’s got it way more in line. I think that’s exactly what you’ve seen with Tom Wilson. And what’s the other common denominator there, Brad Marshian, if you talk to anyone in 2013, just to name a random year when obviously Boston had a good, you know, great run, they went to the cup final that year, they lost to Chicago. But if you had said to someone in 2013, Brad Marshian’s going to play for team Canada, I think most people would have said, are you nuts? Like, you can’t even trust this guy not to lowbridge someone or, you know, what have you. And then lo and behold, by 2016 at the World Cup of Hockey, he was, you know, not only playing with team Canada, scored a massive goal at that that tournament, played with Sydney Crosby, you know, really by that point became the kind of guy he is now where I think he’s very much going to get to the Hall of Fame one way or another. if he’s not quite there yet based on certain statistical bars you might look at he you know he’s still got 5 years after this one on his contract. So he’s got some time to pat out those stats and I think when when all is said and done he’s going to be a Hall of Fame player because he made that transition. Not predicting the Hall of Fame for Tom Wilson but certainly I can see a path to team Canada for him. And I know with the Four Nations last year he was one of the players that was very seriously considered that didn’t end up getting selected for the roster. But, you know, there’s a few probably a little too soon for us to deep dive on, you know, who’s improving their case and who’s falling. But there there’s a few players that were either on that team or were what you would call on the bubble um who may not, you know, be might not be locked based on the starts of their season. I mean, there’s even a situation Robert Thomas got injured in St. Louis over the weekend. I don’t have an update on exactly what you’re looking at timelines there, but that’s a player that would be on the bubble. Obviously, Nick Suzuki’s off to a fantastic start for Montreal. I think he’s in a position to make the team. Mark Shley is the same. Anyway, it’s uh we we we’ll things will coalesce here pretty shortly cuz the other thing is the Olympic um management group is going to meet uh in early November to to have a meeting where they really start to to focus in on the the battles and things like that. So, I think it’s going to start to take shape here. But long story short, Tom Wilson uh might look good in a team Canada jersey. We’ll see how it goes. uh come to come in a future episode of the CJ Show. Uh CJ’s projected roster for Team Canada at the 2020. I’m all in for that. I like doing that stuff. Also, uh without looking, how many points is Brad Marshand away from 1,000? 12. You’re close. Nine. He’s nine away from 1,00. That’s not bad. Not bad. Just wanted to Exactly. So, I mean, you start getting to thousand point milestones, you know, he he might not be a Surefire Hall of Famer just yet, but he’s pretty darn close. Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Most players that hit that threshold and again, he’s in a position to get 200 more points beyond that at least. We’ll see how hopefully is healthy and we’ll see what goes on. But he’s going to he’s got a chance to get into that rare air. Plus, he’s maybe going to get a chance to do something like win an Olympic gold if he gets ch, you know, like he’s he’s adding the sorts of things that are written in like the first sentence or the second sentence of those Hall of Fame plaques. Uh, and you know, winning another cup, obviously in Florida, was a big one uh to to check off the list, too. This episode of the Chris Johnston Show is brought to you by DraftKings Sportsbook. Hockey is back and this season, DraftKings Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the NHL, brings you all the speed, skill, and non-stop action you love. DraftKings Sportsbook delivers the unmatched intensity of the NHL right to your fingertips. From player props to the thrill of live in-game betting, every drop of the puck is your shot to win big. If you’re looking at the lines for Monday’s games, the Senators open at minus 180 favorites against Boston. 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Minimum odds required. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, visit dkng.co/audio. Limited time offer. Copyright NHL 2025. All rights reserved. I don’t know if what I’m about to say has any merit or meaning for Brad Marshian’s uh Brad Marshian’s candidacy for the Hall of Fame, but considering how the game has evolved from goons and enforcers who are purely just on the ice to fight versus now where teams are going out of their way to try to find functional toughness in the sense where you get a player who is able to be an agitator, be tough on the ice while trying to produce at a high level. I think if you’re looking for a player who fits the definition of functional toughness on the ice, you could make an argument there’s no better player who fits that than Brad Marshian in this. You bring up the example of of him in 2013 where there’s clearly a pest, but the idea of him playing for team Canada was a non-starter, but he has turned himself into a player who can pot you 25, 30 goals in a year while being an absolute prick to play against. He transformed his career and has now turned himself into an enduring character, an enduring personality for this sport. Like I I think in terms of functional toughness, you know, Brady Kachchuck obviously comes up there. Tom Wilson comes up there too, but Brad Marshian might be the definition. You open up the dictionary of hockey verbiage, you might find him there. Yeah. And look, he was in his prime like the pre-minent left winger in the league. Like if you look at his point totals and I don’t have the years right in front of me, but there was a stretch there where he was producing the most points like year in year out at that position or really close to that. And so, you know, it check it checks a lot of boxes and and you know, he’s he’s started to add those other things, you know, cuz it isn’t just the NHL Hall of Fame. I always want to remind everyone of that cuz we we look largely at NHL statistics or benchmarks, but you know, he’s starting to add those other things and and you know, I know he’s just aching to get to Milan, you know, and so if he can get to the Olympics and, you know, win a gold medal there, you know, something like that goes a long way for him. So, yeah, he’s uh very interesting career arc. I’d say one of the more, you know, one of the one of really the the bigger ranges I’ve seen in the years I was around covering the league, which basically my career spans his career in terms of timelines. Um, from, you know, how how he’s been viewed has just run the gamut. And if anything, he’s almost like this lovable character now, which again would have been, you know, if this it’s like it’s you didn’t see that for him early on cuz he kind of embraced being the the pest or the the villain or whatever what you want to call it. whereas now I think a lot of what he does is kind of tongue and cheek if you know what I mean. Like it’s like he’s in on the joke with you when he’s doing stuff. Um and you know he’s still playing for a team that’s got designs on winning more championships. So he’s he’s not necessarily done at the two he’s got already. Love the fact that uh this conversation about Brad Marshian is a result of another rabbit hole that we’ve fallen down. We started talking about the Vancouver Conucks and then it turned into a conversation about Tom Wilson. His biggest individual game might be scoring two goals in game seven of the 2011 final against the Vancouver Conucks. So, and now Canucks fans hate us. Great. Well, awesome. I mean, oh, great. Awesome. I I get it. It’s time has passed. Um, I did want to ask one more Canadian team question. Well, actually, we’re going to bring up the SS in a second, but you talking about the Vancouver Conucks and their situation potentially making a move made me think of another team in the Pacific Division who I’m wondering if there’s just as much if not more pressure for them to do something. And also, I just want your general evaluation of of the Calgary Flames start where they’re at 171 as of the podcast. Uh, this is before they played against the New York Rangers. They scratched Matthew Coronado before tonight’s game. just a bit of an interesting situation there. It seems like it’s just like a way for I would think for him just he’s not off to a really great start. My understanding with it is just like an opportunity for him to get a break and then he’ll get back into the next game. But there are Flames fans who obviously might see that and they’re like, “What the hell’s going on?” At the same time, this might be the closest they’ve ever been to a proper tank and what a year for them to potentially have that with Gavin McKenna. uh mission for McKenna is apparently the uh the hashtag going around in Calgary. So anyway, long-winded question, but I would love to know your assessment of the flame situation as it is. Well, it’s bleak. I mean, there’s no way to to to paint the current picture just looking at their season. I mean, can’t score goals. You know, you even heard Dustin Wolf mention that in an interview here in recent days, but you know, it doesn’t have to be bleak long term. they they have some interesting veteran players if they get into a mode where, you know, they want to sell, which it, you know, I don’t think is where they are today, but it, you know, it doesn’t take a doesn’t take a genius to to figure out that that that could be where you’re headed when you’ve won one of nine games to start the season. Um, you know, I think that Craig Conra, of course, would like to keep adding sort of a certain age to his team. you know, they they’ve resisted, as you know, from your time covering that that team up close and personal in the city. They’ve resisted kind of the full tear down. And I and I think it’s largely sort of worked. I I realize, you know, fans might get frustrated with this sort of idea that they’re mid or what, you know, like they they never got truly bad. They were never truly good. But, you know, last season there was a lot of reason for hope there. You know, they played right down the last weekend of the season with a chance to make the playoffs. Obviously, Dustin Wolf was a great story for them. um coming in playing more games than you usually see a rookie goalender, you know, getting a lot of attention for the the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year, finishing second in the voting. So, you know, I think that there’s there’s hope on the horizon and they have other prospects and such as Zim Perk who’s on the team now, but you know, other players coming. So, in the short term, it’s a tough watch, but I I I do actually think they can look at the makings of a plan for longer term. And then the question just becomes how how does Craig Conroy navigate the season? I mean, you and I have debated a couple times the Rasmus Anderson situation, you know, I always landed on the idea that unless unless they were like firmly in playoff position, I just think it’s going to get to a point where they’re trading them. Now, I believe that point is much closer to March 6th than April or sorry, April. Where’s my brain? October 27th. But yes, um, you know, and then there’s other players. Obviously, Nazam Kadri is approaching a thousand games, so nothing imminent on him. But, you know, I think that there’s a world after that thousand game mark that, you know, that becomes a little bit more of a real conversation. You know, there’s other things they could do. So, I think it’s it’s a bit of a nuanced one to look at, but on the ice right now is it’s difficult. You know, it’s hard to find positives, right? They didn’t score enough last year even though they won a lot more games than they’ve been winning so far, but you know, it’s it’s gotten even worse to start this season. And it’s just it’s just hard in this league if you don’t produce offense. Like it kind of goes without saying. Like in theory, you could win every night 2-1 or one- nothing, but in reality, that’s not it’s not the way the league goes, especially in the regular season. There just it’s not as tight as the playoffs, right? And and you know, you need you need some game breakers. You need a power play that punishes opponents when, you know, you need all those things to to kind of keep other teams honest. And Flames are missing that that high end, right? That that the top tier of those kind of guys. They have really they still have really useful NHL players like this. I I would say 17 and one. They’re not actually as bad as that record, but I don’t think that they’re anywhere near good enough to be a playoff team. Um, and so, you know, I I do believe that’ll be a team that’s worth talking about as a seller. I just don’t think we’re quite The store is not open yet. I think the bottom’s going to fall out. I think just the fact How does it get any worse than 17 and one? Well, I is it going to be 112 and one? Like, what do you I don’t know if it’s going to be 112 and one, but I don’t see this team digging themselves out to do like what they did last year. They didn’t improve in terms of scoring or anything like that in the off seasonason. They’re basically hoping that their young players take that next step. And I mean, Matthew Coronado’s not off to a great start. Connor Zary is not off to a great start. Dustin Wolf’s numbers, it’s not his fault. They haven’t been that amazing either. I think this is a team that I’ll put it like this. like these teams that, you know, maybe resist the tank. Sometimes it it they just have a season where nothing goes right and you’re kind of forced into it. I I think we’re leading towards something like that with this group, but there’s opportunity in that, I would argue, for them. Yes, absolutely. And I’m not I’m not saying that as like a oh no, like nothing could go right from this. like this could be the best thing that could happen to their efforts of getting better and getting high-end players to be in a situation where they end up in the bottom of the league and then when it comes time for the draft lottery they have a genuine chance of getting Gavin McKenna or whoever else could be in that draft. Exactly. And you know, the trade market has been so sort of bunged up around a league. Like it’s been so stuck that, you know, they could be a team like I think there’s there’s an ability to win some of those trades or to to you know, get veteran players to situations that where the veterans will probably be happier. Um, you know, trade is a difficult thing obviously and it’s stressful for players when their names are out there and all those things. But, you know, we just talked about Brad Marian. It’s a pretty stressful year for him last year and then he got to Florida and had a whole lot of fun, made money, won a cup, made memories that last a lifetime as he mentioned when he just went back to Boston. I mean I all that could be out there for Flames players, right? Whether it’s something like Cadra at some point maybe or Raspus Anderson, what have you. So um you know I I think that you’re right. They didn’t necessarily choose this, might have chose them, but there’s opportunity sitting there in front of them. And, you know, adding another high draft pick, but plus adding other futures in these deals is probably the best path towards having a winning team when they open that new building. And, you know, as we’re seeing around the league, like it’s really it’s powerful when teams that have had a long sort of slumber get good again. Like, those markets come alive. I mean, the Canadians could be an example. I mean, I know it wasn’t that long, but you know, it’s there’s a buzz around the the Habs now. Um, I could see that for Calgary. Opening a new building, getting some young players, you know, getting back there can be can be pretty exciting. You know, I think Utah, we’re going to see that this year. I know, I’ve talked with them a bit on the pod. To me, they’re the best stories so far the season. like the the team that’s taken the biggest step that I can see that maybe a lot of people didn’t you know I think people have been looking for that organization because you know the Coyotes did trade away a bunch of players they had they stockpiled picks like like they’ve been trending in this direction they’ve but you know if you the early returns are really strong there and so the Mammoth look like a team that um could be taking that step and like how’s that going to that’s going to energize a brand new fan base um in Salt Lake City. So anyway, the point is is it it might feel a little dismal down at the dome these these nights, but we’re not necessarily as far away from better days if if they navigate these next few months specifically and maybe a couple years uh the right way. And uh we’re not that far off from Scotia Place being a thing in 2027 either in Calgary going from the dome to the place. So one more year of the Saddle Dome after this season. Yes. So, they would start uh I believe in 2027. That is when it’s projected uh to be open. It’s supposed to be open in time for that season. I I’ll miss the Saddle Dome when it’s gone. I like that place. Do you have any like Did you ever do the catwalk while you were there? I did the catwalk obviously many years ago. I told the story of going with my friends to a game and having interesting experience in the stands there. But anyway, it’s an older building, but I kind of I have a fondness for it. It’s they don’t make them like that anymore. There’s a reason for that, but some it’s not all bad is what I’m getting at. Did I ever tell you the story of uh a time I was on the catwalk and a former NHL player? Yes, you just wouldn’t name the player. Yeah, I just could. Yeah, I won’t I won’t do it. Maybe maybe maybe when I scared to go across, right, and you had to help. Yeah, maybe if I ever get to write about the dome or something, I’ll I’ll find the player. Uh we should just very briefly before we get to the Senators, like shouting out the Utah Mammoth. Pretty cool. uh as we’re recording this, second best goal differential in the league. They’re also undefeated at home at 4-0. Uh winners of their last six consecutive games in seven uh won seven of the last 10 games like well seven of the last nine essentially. They’ve played nine games, but like Utah’s you’re right, they’re they are looking good and the J they are for me like they’re the biggest surprise. Like people like asking that question and you know like like props to Pittsburgh for having a better start than anyone would have predicted or the Detroit Red Wings have had a great start. Um, you know, there’s other teams you can spotlight, but to me, what Utah’s done looks the most sustainable of the again, it’s early date. Like, there’s but it’s it looks pro it looks very promising, not just in the wind column, but in a lot of other measurables in the game that you’d be looking for. And, you know, they’re they’ve been waiting a long time cuz I still see it as an extension of the Coyotes organization. I know that the colors have changed, the name has changed, but a lot of the people that have been there in the front office or even Andre Trigney behind the the bench as a head coach, you know, was coached a couple seasons in Arizona, like a lot of those people live through the Mullet Arena experience. And you know, the point is they seen some [ __ ] man. And and so in a weird way if if this happens like it it just does remind you that around the corner from difficult times can be something really special and cool. And I I think I think a season like if they if this team like rips on and is among the better teams in what could still be the best division hockey potentially makes the playoffs like think how think how they’ll get fans they they’ll put roots down in that city in a real meaningful way pretty quickly. That’s how the season plays out. Uh, if it’s not used as the title of this episode, uh, they’ve seen some [ __ ] would be really good for this one. Well, you you use the first swear word on this pod, so you already made sure we were going to have that little E beside us. So, I just figured it was safe for me to know. It’s not the first time we’ve swarred on this. No, on this episode, though, cuz it only adds the E with episodes where there’s a swear word, and since you you you cracked the seal for us, so I figured it was safe for me to say [ __ ] I guess it’s fair. I said ass. No, you said that prick is e. Prick is explicit. Oh, yeah. I didn’t know that. Would you say prick at your dinner table? No, but I wouldn’t say a lot of words at my dinner table. I’m just saying like it doesn’t mean I would not do that. Like right now, someone is playing this podcast in the car with their kid and they’re ready to strangle us for just saying that word about seven times. So, oh my god. It might even be my might even be my nephew cuz I know sometimes he listens to us with his dad. No, I don’t want to poison the youth. No, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Let’s face it, they’re probably hearing it somewhere else at school, too, or wherever. But we don’t we don’t need to be we don’t need to make it any worse. I’m so sorry. I I didn’t realize I didn’t realize that word. Definitely that that gets us an E. Okay. All right. Well, I apologize for the explicit rating we’ll get on this first. Well, then I I made sure afterwards just in case, you know, like when a guy like taps the puck in after it’s already got in cuz he’s not sure. Like that was me. I just slammed it back into the empty net just in case. I appreciate that, CJ. You got the puck over the line. Clean up your garbage here. I get your rebound in front. Whoops. Hey, that that’s the skill set that made you famous uh in your youth hockey days in Cobra. Yeah, something. Okay, before we get to ask CJ, uh do you miss goalie fights? What did you think of Fleet Solar uh entering that scrum against the Washington Capitals on Saturday? First of all, I loved it. I’m a barbarian, I guess, and at heart. And who doesn’t get excited when one goalie skates the whole length of the ice? The anticipation in that 10 seconds or whatever it takes, 7 seconds is huge. Lenus comes down the ice, he’s throwing his glove out like, and then afterwards, some people were trying to say he wasn’t trying to fight. Like I’m not saying he was going to have a full-on I said it was going to be like Rodon Hexaw Felix Popman redux from back in the day where they were throwing haymakers but you know and I don’t blame him. He saw Charlie Lingren like the opposite goalie pushing some of his players. What was Travis Green’s words Julian? Did he say something like he wanted to even up the numbers or something like that? Like that was Yeah I’m paraphrasing a bit. I I thought more of Lena say like oh I love Charlie but like seeing that develop that made him want to to get in. Yeah. Yeah. Well, lots of players love each other and then in the heat of battle, you know, we’ve seen brothers fight in this league. Like anyway, I think Lenus was going in there ready to fight if that if that if it came to that. It didn’t come to that. Yeah. It instead it was just kind of, you know, he threw off his gloves and got got kind of tangled up and it was no, you know, no punches thrown. But I think he was ready to fight if he had to. Even if no matter what anyone said, like to me it’s a bit of semantics to say like, “Oh, he he wasn’t going down there to fight.” It’s like dude came down about as fast as he could skate and was throwing off his gear so that he you know he was ready to throw hands if necessary. I like he did say after the fact that like that’s not his game to instigate like sure fine but like yeah if if if it’s getting crazy down there like you got the blocker off like Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You’re ready. You absolutely are ready. I think if you kept it on then you’re like all right you’re not trying to fight. But if you have that off, yeah, you’re trying to Well, I’m not saying I’m not saying you’re definitely like you’re you have it at the ready, right? If he threw a punch with the blocker off, it’s kind of a fair punch in the weird way that hockey fights work anyway. Yes. Versus if he kept the blocker on, he was hitting someone with that, then then you’re going to have a bigger problem. But anyway, it was amusing. Nothing really became of it. But to say that wasn’t an I think he he knew what he was doing. what’s the word? I like using that saying like you can’t go on the battlefield and say you’re not in the war. Like he was he was in the war there. It just didn’t end up escalating to that level. But he was ready if if it was needed. What’s your favorite or most memorable uh NHL fight involving a goalender? Well, Pod Van Hex probably cuz that was when I was a kid and it was like literally guys wailing on each other. Ray Eorry had a pretty famous one in Buffalo. That is my pick for me. Like I have this weird thing with fighting, but I always I I’ve gone back to that fight more than once in the last few years. Like that is an alltimer for me, seeing him go against Marty Bro and then Andrew Peters. That is one of the most iconic moments I’ve ever seen. Yeah. Rest in peace, Ray Emry. That was that was pretty memorable, too. Absolutely. Um Yeah. Well, goalie fights if if we get one this year. If we get one this year, I don’t know what we’ll do. That’s that 20 minutes on that. Let’s face it. I know, but like if we But that’s why if we do, we’re gonna spend like 20 minutes on it cuz it just Oh, it’s going to lead the show. I’m probably going to be We’re going to have so many explicit ratings on it. We’ll just be I mean, we might. Who knows? We might, depending on which teams are involved, depending on how it looks, how it goes or how it looks, it might be insane. it might be worth the explicit rating. Um, yeah. Anyway, I figured it was still worthy enough to to mention that was one that was like Royal Rumble. I don’t know if you’re a wrestling fan, but like the first thing I thought of when I saw Lita Smallark making his way over, I was like this is this is bordering on like WWE like the buzzer sounded and then you hear like Lita Smark’s entrance music. Oh, I don’t know what it would be, but like I thought I had wrestling vibes with that. There you And I should say I like when goalies score goals. Like I like when goalies do things that obviously goalies don’t normally do cuz they have such a unique position in the game. They do like they wear different equipment. They view things differently. They literally have their own coaches. They have their own work at practice. Like it’s like it’s almost in a it’s a completely separate thing than every other positional player on the team. And so when they do this when when like worlds blend and they’re all of a sudden doing something you’re used to a skater doing, I I find it amusing slashexiting. Um, so it’s not just violence. I’m saying like I get pretty excited to see goalie goals, too. Me, too. And Lena’s always funny enough. We’re more likely to see a goalie goal this year than a goalie fight. Yes. Yes. I’m in agreement with that. But if we get a goalie fight, uh, it will lead CJ show. I promise. Could you imagine? Could you Could you imagine like a goalie fight happens and then like a big trade? It’s just like, well [ __ ] No, we we made the rule right now. It’s got to be the goalie fight. Who cares if Sydney Crosby got traded? Second. Second item. Second item, guys. Uh Audrey Vasileleski, step right up. I mean, I think our second item tonight was talking about whose trophy closet we’d like to tour. So, I mean, you never know anyway. Like, we make a plan for the show and then rarely follow it as it is. Yeah. But, I mean, sometimes the show’s better that way to be quite honest with you. It’s it’s it’s a it’s a weird GPS. I will say I got a fair bit of love and I appreciate it if you’re listening anyone out there for starting with the Blue Jays last episode. So that was kind of against my instincts, but a lot of people said they like the story and got a few DMs from people. So yeah, told you like I’m I’m telling you, man. Like especially now considering what’s go I mean I I guess after ask CJ we should probably ask you about your experience watching games of the World Series but like I think now is like the great the best time we could ever have to talk about the Blue Jays and even lead with them when it comes time. We have to in that moment right maybe Thursday again. We’ll see. We’ll see. Let’s see what happens this week in LA. We might not want to talk about it either by Thursday. I mean we got to talk about it a little bit. Uh but yeah, anyway, let’s guide us into let’s uh let’s do Ask CJ uh before uh we wrap up here. Uh thank you to everyone who sent in questions over X Blue Sky uh Discord, what have you. Uh we appreciate it. Uh first question here and uh I I don’t know why in my notes I forgot to add the name. I’ll make sure to credit the name after I ask the question. Hi CJ, what’s your relationship like with other insiders in the NHL? also like Freriedman, LeBron, Sarah Volali, like like what’s the what’s the move with you guys? Like you guys friends, you guys have a group chat like what’s going on? Yes, it’s I would say it’s like it’s positive honestly. It’s a hard one to sort of like think of, but basically I’ve worked with all those people at one point or another because it’s a pretty small collection of folks that do it and you know if you work at a couple different places over the years as I have um I’ve kind of I’ve been in it with them all. So, I’d say everyone more or less gets along. It’s probably way more boring than you might imagine if you if you’re imagining that there’s like some spicy rivalries and can’t even be in the same room together. You know, it’s not so much like that. Um, you know, obviously everyone is trying to to do their best to be the best. Um, but I think it’s it’s sort of a relationship with a lot of respect. And then you know obviously at TSN I work directly Darren Drager and Pierre LeBron and Pier and I are with you at the athletics. So you know in in that circle it’s we we obviously talk a lot and you know work together on on stories when when it makes sense to. So, it’s uh I think there’s sort of like an honor to it might be the best way to put it that that we all understand and we don’t cross certain lines, but we’ve also been known to have a drink together or a meal together. I mean, once upon a time at the cup final, there was a Sportsnet and TSN dinner combined and then we played the credit card game at the end. So, um you know, that’s even been known to happen. That was in Vegas. I think it was the Vegas Washington final. So, you know, it even it even gets to that sometimes. I don’t remember if you’ve told this story. I might have. I can’t. You know, I told I talk so much I can’t remember where I’ve told every story. Is it worth it for you to at least explain uh to the uninitiated what the credit card game is? Everyone throws the credit card in the hat and will you pull them out one by one and if you’re the first credit card out, you don’t have to pay anything. and the last credit card standing um you know has to cover the check. I hope you and I never play that game. And I I was down to the last couple cards that night. Uh I didn’t I didn’t ultimately have to pay, but I was I was in the mix. I I got close enough to having to pay that it, you know, I was like, “Oh, no.” Oh, good. What was What was the bill? What was the check? It wouldn’t have been cheap. What we actually did in the end is the wine got split off onto a second check. So that it was split into two losses so to speak. So the last two people split the you know someone got the food and someone got but you know I there was there was probably 12 people at a nice dinner in Vegas with with wine. So I mean use your imagination uh and then maybe add another zero just cuz you don’t know how the hockey writers can go sometimes. But um you know it wasn’t it wasn’t cheap but it it got split between two people and I’m not going to out them here cuz I don’t know what they told their significant others or what what was going on. But I will say this, I didn’t have to pay any either of those bills. I would have cuz that’s the spirit of the game. Can’t go on the battlefield and say you’re not in the war, Julian. I was in the war, but I uh didn’t didn’t get picked. Okay. Uh again, I never play that game. NHL people play that game all the time, right? like players go to dinner. It’s common. And what’s I will say what’s is common too is obviously within a team and everything’s all relative, but there’s there’s players that are making 10 times less than the person dining beside them, right? Like and and so the difference between picking up a big check for one or the other is vastly different anyway. That’s the that’s the spirit and the fun of the game. Yeah, for sure. Again, just I mean I don’t know if I’d even do that with like my own friends if we had like a certain amount if we all made the same amount of money. Every like Yeah, let’s just mess around and do it. just I don’t have enough skin in the game yet. All right, I got you. I next contract next contract. Maybe the next two contract. It’s good. Keep keep hustling, bud. You’re doing awesome. Yeah, we’ll see. Uh Sam wants to know how real were trade discussions for Nazam Kadri to come back to Toronto this off season. I don’t know that they were that real. You know, I think that there’s, you know, a lot of people want to connect them because of his history with the city. I think, you know, certainly if he had to move on from Calgary, I do believe Toronto is a place NASM Cadri would be very open to playing again, but I it wasn’t like there was a deal and it fell through or anything like that. I mean, you know, look, there’s a lot of conversations. I don’t think anything has ever gotten close with Kadri moving on from the Flames, but I do, you know, as I sort of mentioned previously, I I do think it could get to that stage. Um, you know, especially once we get through the next few weeks of the season, we’ll see where the Flames are at. We’ll see what the market’s like. like I mean there’s so many teams looking for center help. You know, one of the problems with Kadri and we’ll see if it’s a problem or not, but he’s got a few more years left on that deal and and he’s getting up there into the age where you just have a little concern if you’re a team bringing on that kind of commitment. Now, I think in a surging cap environment, maybe some of that perceived risk is is mitigated a little bit um because, you know, a $7 million player isn’t the same as it was when even when he signed that deal. But, you know, that being said, there’s a lot of teams looking for centers. Every team that wants to win a Stanley Cup wants players who play the way Kadri does at his best, who, you know, to borrow Julian’s phrase from earlier in the podcast, a functional, tough player who, oh, he’s up, you know what I mean, who’s competitive as hell, who scored big goals, who obviously finishes checks and defends teammates. I mean, um, you know, a hungry Nazam Cadri is going to be playing playoff games again in his career. That much I’m certain. I don’t know where he’s gonna be playing him yet, but um you know, I think that the Toronto thing is not impossible, but it’s it’s not I also don’t want to be make it sound like that’s inevitable either. I think there’s a lot of teams that make sense for for Kadri. Yeah, I should have mentioned him as an example for functional toughness. That’s that’s a guy if I was a GM, I’d want him on my team tomorrow. This is a guy who’s coming off a careerh high in goals, speaking of where he’s at in his age in his mid-30s, he’s coming off a career high in goals last year. It remains to be seen if he’ll do that again, but he still has juice in the tank. And a good team’s bringing him in. A top team, less for the offense, I think, and more for the competitiveness and and frankly to to be someone that they can play in defensive situations. I think that’s potentially one of his biggest uses to not to say he won’t score you a big goal, but I think, you know, if we’re talking about teams that have a chance to win a cup, obviously this isn’t a first-line center on those teams. He’s he’s someone who’ll be slotting in below that. Um, and we’ll see where that is. I don’t I don’t think anything’s close. I think that there’s still some still some tread on that tire yet. Thank you, Sam, for that question. And I forgot to mention, but thank you, Paul, for that first question. Uh, I think we got time for one more. Uh, the beard man wants to know, with Arizona being an inactive franchise, could a prospective owner buy the rights to the Coyotes and move it to a different city, or would the NHL block that because of wanting to stay in Arizona? Well, the actual franchise itself moved to Utah. So, there is no franchise related to the Coyotes. What at the time, um, Alex Mel did carve out was he kept the trademarks to the team. And the idea there, of course, is that if they got a team back in Arizona in the future, he would be able to call them the Coyotes, you know, use the the jersey designs, use the name, and you know, I don’t I actually don’t know what they would do with team history in that case. It’s kind of a muddy team history because they were the Winnipeg Jets 1.0 originally, too. So, um I don’t even know who who holds like the the goalcoring record book is kind of there’s a lot of asterisk in that one. Anyway, point is that the franchise itself is already in Utah. So, if if Arizona were to get another team, it’s going to have to be an expansion team or I suppose someone else moving there, but probably more likely needs to be an expansion team. Okay, that’s a but they could probably be known as the Coyotes as long I think there’s a world where maybe they’d have to buy those rights or something, but I think there’s a path to having an Arizona Coyotes 2.0 just as we had Winnipeg Jets 2.0. Yeah, there’s there is that path. Uh before we get out of here, CJ, uh do you have a prediction for game three of the World Series, which has moved to Los Angeles? Uh Max Scherzer gets the ball for the Toronto Blue Jays for game three. Mad Max is going to do it, bud. I think uh I see the Jays pushing back, getting that 2-1 lead in that game, uh in that series through that game. And I will say it was I had an awesome experience to put a book end on what we talked about last show. Um was so cool to be there with my dad. really felt like a bucket list kind of day. That’s so cool. Being downtown even was neat just cuz they had moved the the Leaf Sabres game up to 5:00 p.m. So, you know, anyone who knows that that sort of spot in Toronto, I mean that the two stadiums are close together. It was just a collision of sports fans, great energy. Um, you know, really well played baseball game. obviously would have preferred the Blue Jays won, but as I said to my dad, if we only, you know, if we were only going to be dieh hard sports fans when our teams won, we probably would have been done with being die hard sports fans in about 1987. So, uh, we we’ve both lived through some team losses and and the sun came up today. So, you know, hats off to Yamamoto for the pitching performance, but it wasn’t a game that actually planted doubt in my mind yet about the series because I just don’t see even when Yamamoto pitches later in the series, I don’t see the Dodgers getting that elite of a start again. So, I think it’s a bit of an outlier game. The the test is real, but you know, that was a 1-1 ball game into the seventh in game two, and the Jays had a nine-run inning in game one. So, I’m just saying you can I this is very much an open series. As I said earlier, I’m sticking to Jays and seven. It’s always been Jays and seven. I’ve been saying Jays and seven. So, you got to lose three to get to game seven. Um, but the Jays aren’t losing game three. That’s going to be a Max Scherzer performance. Love the confidence. I definitely think this series is going either 6,7 like I think this is going the distance. Like, we are getting quality baseball from both teams. I don’t think the Jays have any reason to be scared of the Dodgers. I get they have the pieces that they have. They showed in that first game that that bullpen particularly they can get to them. I People were looking at this series. It’s like, “Oh, the Dodgers are going to sweep them in four.” There there was no way that was going to happen. I think the Jays have everything you need to win a World Series, but so do but so do the Dodgers. So, let’s see how it goes in game three. I share your optimism. I think the Jays can find a way to win games. Okay. I think this I don’t know if you’re going to hit me with realism after my optimism. So, nah, I I I just think Tyler Glass now, by the way, pitched for Tampa for years and the Jays did have success against them, too. So, you know, I’m not I’m not saying that’s a predictor. He’s obviously a great pitcher in his own right, but let’s I just don’t think the Jay’s bats are going to be that quiet again. And we’ll see. That was the first complete game, by the way, in the World Series since 2015. And I saw that that isn’t just cuz the Dodgers, I mean, it was a fantastic performance. I’m not even taking one little thing away from Yamamoto. You know, retired 20 straight batters to finish a game. It was absurd. But that was only done because the Dodgers know their own bullpen is a weakness and they didn’t want to go there. They they were they were willing to let him throw his arm off um rather than going to that bullpen and opening the game back up. So, let’s see if the Jays can get the bats busy in Chavez Ravine. All right. Uh we’ll be back later this week with a brand new episode of CJ’s show. We’ll uh of course talk about the Toronto Blue Jays. Uh depending I mean we’ll see where they’re at in the series, but uh we’re definitely going to talk about the Toronto Blue Jays and everything else you need to know about the National Hockey League. CJ, great work. As always, subscribe to the podcast if you haven’t done so already. We’ll talk to you all later this week. The Chris Johnston Show. Follow Chris on Twitter at reporter Chris and follow Julian JK McKenzie. The Chris Johnston Show.

On this episode of The Chris Johnston show, Julian McKenzie and Chris Johnston go over a variety of topics including:

(00:00) The Mitch Love situation
(4:00) Devils hot streak, if they’re for real & the guys end up in a rabbit hole
(15:30) The greatest individual cup raise of all time
(17:30) Is Montreal the best Canadian team so far this season?
(19:30) Lukas Reichel trade & a critical season for Vancouver
(22:30) Tom Wilson hit that leads into him potentially playing for Team Canada at the Olympics?
(29:30) Brad Marchand’s candidacy for the Hall of Fame
(58:45) Stick Taps
(32:30) What will the Flames do this season and if it’s leading to a mission for McKenna
(45:15) Linus Ullmark trying to get into a goalie fight
(51:45) AskCJ

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