In this one, we talk about the wild finish as Team Canada wins gold in overtime at the World Junior Hockey Tournament. Russ updates us on his trip last week to Costa Rica as his daughter Brooklyn played for Team Canada at the Women's U20 World Cup of Soccer. Russ isn't getting involved with Jim's current cold shoulder from the Great One. The 50th anniversary of Team Canada vs the Soviet Union Hockey series is coming up. We've got some hilarious golf stories. Russ talks about his pal PGA Patrick ...
Aug 24, 2022•1 hr 4 min
We're joined in this one by former Edmonton Oilers defenceman Kevin Lowe. Since we last had Kevin on, he's entered the Hockey Hall of Fame and last week retired from the role of Oilers' Vice Chair and Alternate Governor. Kevin and Jimmy relive some great old NHL memories. We talk to Kevin about his long, stellar career as a player, coach and manager and what full retirement the game now has in store for him. We discuss growing up in Lachute. He chimes in on the Hockey Canada scandal, the excelle...
Aug 17, 2022•1 hr 2 min
After the firing at the University of Michigan, we talk about hockey coaches gone wild. On that note, Russ has some stories about John Brophy and Tom Renney. We discuss how easy it is to choke in golf. We get into the pressures of youth and the frequently asked question, "What are you gonna do with your life?" We get into a little more on the LIV golf tour. Jim has yet another unsuccessful date. And we give away our hockey jersey in our "Roasting Russ" contest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pri...
Aug 10, 2022•47 min
With Russ away this week, Jim unburdens himself in a big way, attempting to get even with Russ for three years of chirping. Today we discuss Kevin Lowe retiring from the NHL; legendary broadcaster Vin Scully passes away; we talk Hlinka/Gretzky Cup and the upcoming world juniors; White Sox manager Tony La Russa briefly falls asleep during a game; and allegations of toxic coaching at Michigan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Aug 04, 2022•47 min•Season 1Ep. 162
In this one, former NHL'er and friend of the show, Bobby Ryan, has a very public relapse and the boys discuss how hard that battle can be; we try to figure out why Charles Barkley may be heading for the LIV Golf Tour to broadcast there: Russ is heading for Gozzer for a couple of weeks then off to Costa Rica to watch his daughter play for Team Canada in the U20 Womens' World Cup of Soccer; Jim encounters some new young listeners on a tourney in Sudbury, accidentally takes out some squirrels and r...
Jul 28, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 161
In this one, the boys wonder about why long time Flames star Johnny Gaudreau would leave a good team in Calgary and as much as $12 million on the table to sign with Columbus. Did Darryl Sutter's style and tactics play a role in the decision? The boys touch on the Hockey Canada scandal and the alleged sexual assault in 2018. They get into free agency and arbitration. They dig into the email bag and answer some savvy listener questions. They swap a couple of great Gretzky stories, talk British Ope...
Jul 20, 2022•51 min•Season 1Ep. 160
In this one, we discuss how minor hockey parents sometimes need a reality check in those early years; some excellent stories about hall of famer Paul Coffey; Montreal throws a curve ball to start the NHL Draft while Shane Wright looked like he wanted to throw a punch; the Leafs get goalie Matt Murray and the Senators acquire Alex DeBrincat. Russ remembers his early days in hockey after being drafted and he has an amazing story about his time with actor James Caan, who passed away this week. Host...
Jul 13, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 159
In this one Russ describes his daughter's grand wedding a few days ago. We look back at the Stanley Cup Final, some diverse hirings in the NHL and we're joined by Craig Styles, the Chairman of the Brick Hockey Tournament in Edmonton, which is on right now. It provokes some good minor hockey discussions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 06, 2022•53 min•Season 1Ep. 158
We're joined in this one by former NHL defenceman Jason York. Yorky talks about owning and coaching a junior hockey team and the difference in today's players. He discusses his own junior OHL career which started out badly due to the toxic environment fostered by former coach Bill LaForge. He talks about getting passed over in the NHL draft twice...and then almost a third time! Yorky chimes in on Colorado's Stanley Cup victory over Tampa. He reacts to his former teammate Daniel Alfredsson who ma...
Jun 29, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 157
In this one, we discuss the Stanley Cup Finals so far. What happened to Tampa in Game 2. We talk about why Jon Cooper's son now has the Honda bike Russ bought for one of his daughters. The Memorial Cup is underway and just like the Stanley Cup, Russ also has some regrets from his Victoria Cougar days about not winning that trophy. Russ says the game today is like pond hockey, at least compared to the old days. We touch on the US Open, get a great email from an amazing listener, and Russ tells us...
Jun 22, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 156
In this one, Russ tells a hilarious story of last week's member-guest event at Sherwood that went very, very wrong. We discuss the Stanley cup Final matchup between Colorado and Tampa and how this year's playoffs have been fantastic. There are a lot of players putting in Conn Smythe level performances so far. Will Brayden Point and Nazem Kadri be able to play? Russ thinks Kadri might be able to play, even with a bad thumb. Should Joel Quenneville get another NHL head coaching job? Russ has never...
Jun 15, 2022•46 min•Season 1Ep. 155
Jim had a tough week, dealing with insurance after his big car accident. The boys talk abut the Avalanche sweeping the Oilers. They get into some of their experiences with the Stanley Cup, including Russ and his brother Geoff having a day with the Cup in Victoria to celebrate the City's 1925 Stanley Cup title. Yes, the Victoria Cougars actually won it all. Russ thinks the Oilers need to upgrade their goaltending. In the East, Russ says Tampa looked out of sorts in the first two games. But they'r...
Jun 08, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 154
In this one, Jim describes his bad car accident this week. We discuss the Stanley Cup playoffs, with only four teams remaining and the excitement level this time of year. Russ gets into his days in Montreal that included a screaming match with Habs coach Pat Burns. There was definitely no love lost there. He also relays the story of tequila shots with Jyrki Lumme. Minnesota tough guy Shayne Churla was the ultimate "chirping wingman" for his teammates. Russ has a great take on why the retiring Ja...
Jun 01, 2022•42 min•Season 1Ep. 153
We're joined in this one by former NHL goalie Kelly Hrudey, now an analyst on Hockey Night in Canada. Kelly talks about life behind the scenes on the broadcast, his journey to the NHL, how he became a goalie, and how he was cut from every top team until he turned 17. We discuss his scrappy days in the Western Hockey League, he provides some great advice for young goalies, and how he when he knew it was time to retire. We also get into how honoured Kelly was when Patrick Marleau recently gave him...
May 25, 2022•49 min•Season 1Ep. 152
In this one, Jimmy talks about messing up another opportunity for romance. The Leafs messed up another first round Game 7. Regardless, the NHL playoffs are better and more interesting when the Leafs are in it. Russ went 6-2 in his first round predictions. We give our round 2 predictions. We get into the excellence of Jake Oettinger who was elite in a losing cause for Dallas. We preview the Battle of Alberta. How chemistry matters on an NHL team, especially at playoff time. And Russ talks about s...
May 18, 2022•49 min•Season 1Ep. 151
In this one, we discuss what's happening in the Stanley cup Playoffs. Russ says his one big surprise so far has been the New York Rangers falling behind 3-1 to Pittsburgh. The boys discuss their fondness for the NHL on TNT and Darryl Sutter's post game press conferences. They get into officiating so far in the playoffs; a moment of surrender from William Nylander; the NHL draft lottery; whether multiple overtimes are a good idea; what happens in the intermission of NHL playoff games; a great lin...
May 10, 2022•48 min•Season 1Ep. 150
In this one, the boys discuss the Montreal farewell for Guy Lafleur. Russ relays some great advice he received from Hall of Famer Borje Salming, a beloved mentor and Leaf teammate. Russ attended a funeral this week and talks about a tragic story of a young Wisconsin athlete. Russ remembers his first playoff series win, helping the Leafs upset Chicago in the first round of the 1986 NHL playoffs. He talks a little about the present days Leafs who got off to such a great starts vs Tampa Bay. Russ a...
May 03, 2022•47 min•Season 1Ep. 149
In this one, we remember the great Guy Lafleur who recently passed away at age 70. We're joined by hockey historian Liam Maguire who knew Guy and knows absolutely everything about Guy and the Habs of that era. To give you an idea of how big a Habs fan Liam is, he proposed to his wife at the Montreal Forum, the only person ever to do so. Liam and the boys remember the life and times of "The Flower," share some awesome stories and talk about the great ceremony Saturday night at the Bell Centre. Li...
Apr 27, 2022•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 148
We're joined in this one by former NHL defenceman Jamie Macoun, who has some amazing stories from his NHL days, particularly with the Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs. Russ never enjoyed going into the corner to battle with Macoun. Jamie talks about some colourful general managers he had in the past like Doug Risebrough who didn't exactly treat Doug Gilmour fairly. He had zero love for Toronto's associate GM duo of Ken Dryden and Mike Smith. Former teammate Mike Bullard felt a little too w...
Apr 20, 2022•1 hr 23 min•Season 1Ep. 148
Theo Fleury joins us in this episode. He and Russ swap memories of battling in the 1989 Stanley Cup (Theo's Flames beat Russ's Habs) then being teammates two years later in the Canada Cup. Theo talks a little about the Hall of Fame, saying being asked about it is one of his least favourite questions. He discusses how he had to create room for himself on the ice by getting creative. Some opponents would get his stick work, while others would get flattery. Theo and Russ are no fans of former refer...
Apr 13, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 147
We're joined in this one by former NHL'er Chris Nilan, one of the most feared fighters of the 1980s. "Knuckles" (or Knux" for short) has a million great stories of his life in the NHL. He talks about the Montreal Canadiens only drafting him out of Northeastern as a favour to some guy. In his rookie AHL season, Nilan remembers the one fight in the American Hockey League that won him an NHL contract the next day. He also gets into having to hold down a construction job in his first two years in th...
Apr 06, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 146
In this one, the boys get into the Will Smith slap at the Oscars. They talk about the passing this week of Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk. Russ is asked about the toughest part about being an NHL owner. Leafs GM Kyle Dubas talks about NHL officiating and how Auston Matthews draws almost five times fewer penalties than Connor McDavid. The boys admire the work that Sheldon Kennedy is doing; Russ shares a story of his son being called the "N" word and how he regrets not doing more after it hap...
Mar 30, 2022•59 min•Season 1Ep. 145
We're joined in this one by Edmonton broadcaster Bob Stauffer. We discuss the NHL trade deadline. We get into fighting in the NHL and how the game cannot be policed by the referees alone. The boys swap some junior hockey stories from Russ' time in Victoria. Bob is adamant about not offering commentary on NHL players OFF the ice. What are the biggest changes Bob has seen in the game over the past 30 years? The time Wendel Clark took the wind out of Russ' sails. Cale Makar reminds Bob of Paul Coff...
Mar 23, 2022•47 min•Season 1Ep. 144
Russ meets his match in this one as he and PJ Stock get some serious chirping going. So many great stories and laughs in this one, like the hilarious story of PJ being told not to celebrate is annual NHL goal. He also tells the story of his first shift with Wayne Gretzky and the funny way that he signs off on his texts with Gretzky. They touch on the trade deadline; competing with each other in the Battle of the Blades; coaches they liked and didn't like; and PJ's hilarious stories about making ...
Mar 16, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 143
Who knew that former NFL head coach Sean Payton was such a big hockey fan? He talks about his love of the Broadstreet Bullies - the Philadelphia Flyers of the mid-1970s – and even fondly remembers their exhibition game against the Soviet Red Army. He tells a tale about his friend, Tampa Bay Lightning Head Coach Jon Cooper, and how the the student surpassed the master. He talks about the decision to step away as head coach of the New Orleans Saints and what's next for him. More coaching or a spot...
Mar 09, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 142
This week, at Michael Jordan's super exclusive golf course, you won't believe what Jim did. He did something that Gretzky specifically asked him not to do and...it didn't go very well for our boy. They also talk about Martin St. Louis taking over as head coach of the Montreal Canadiens. They get into what life is like heading into the annual NHL trade deadline. We touch on the awful situation with Russia invading Ukraine. Russ's daughter is off to a fine start with Team Canada's U20 Soccer team ...
Mar 02, 2022•46 min•Season 1Ep. 141
In this episode, we're joined by renowned Canadian actor Chris Potter, who plays the role of Tim Fleming on the CBC TV series "Heartland." Chris is a massive sports and has a ton of great stories in this one. He talks about his childhood, trying to decide between hockey and theatre. He remembers the conversation with his dad – a former Toronto Argonaut – that helped push him toward a career in acting. Chris talks about some of the former NHL players and actors he's played charity hockey with. He...
Feb 16, 2022•56 min•Season 1Ep. 140
With the Winter Olympics and NHL all-star weekend in full swing, Russ shares his experiences and how special it was to be chosen for both events. Postmedia's Doni Brennan joins us again this week. While he loved being an all-star, he can't remember the last time he watched all-star weekend. Meanwhile, his youngest daughter has been chosen for Team Canada's U20 Soccer club. Russ identifies the NHL superstar who took out Russ's front two teeth out and took him down for 18 stitches. Who's the most ...
Feb 09, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 139
We're joined by longtime sportswriter Doni Brennan from Postmedia, based in Ottawa. We discuss how the Evander Kane signing hasn't been a hit with every Oiler fan. We get a sports writer view of Leon's Draisatil heated exchange with an Edmonton media guy. Connor McDavid is the best player in the world, but is he truly Edmonton's best choice for captain? We ask Doni about not seeing eye to eye with the NHL team and some of the fans in his market. We discuss a little Team Canada soccer. The LA Ram...
Feb 02, 2022•57 min•Season 1Ep. 138
This week, the guys discuss the awkwardness in Edmonton between Leon Draisaitl and a reporter who accused the superstar of being "Pissy" toward him. They talk a little about last week's guest, Mark Messier. They address the racism accusations over the weekend during a game in the East Coast Hockey League involving P.K. Subban's brother Jordan, a teammate of Russ's son Laughton. In fact, Laughton was on the ice when it happened. They get into the future of Evander Kane as the NHL looks into his c...
Jan 26, 2022•50 min•Season 1Ep. 137
