Podcast Summary: Empty Netters Podcast

Episode: The Mammoth Are The COLDEST Team In The NHL And Are Making Playoffs

Date: January 27, 2026
Hosts: Dan Powers, Sean Buffini, Chris Powers
Producer: Almost Friday Media

Episode Overview

This episode takes a deep dive into the insanity of NHL team name histories, the meteoric rise of the Utah Mammoth, playoff race dynamics, spicy jersey talk, rising stars, and why off-ice hockey culture is the best in sports fandom. It’s peppered with hilarious tangents, a lively college hockey roundup, hearty debates on jerseys, and a classic Empty Netters beer league story.

Main Topics & Key Segments

1. Bantering and Team Chemistry

Opening minutes: [00:00 - 03:13]

• Light-hearted brotherly bickering and banter about social media, “realness,” and who gets the best gifts (lots of chirping between Dan, Sean, and Chris).
• Quote [00:07]:
  • Dan Powers: “Sean just is always dropping nuggets of truth and he’s just the best guy in the world.”
• They reflect on how the pod started out of good times at a bar after hockey and introduce the show's laid-back, irreverent tone.

2. Rebranding and Relocating Sports Teams

[03:13 – 08:50]

• Spirited discussion about the oddities of NHL (and pro sports) team names, especially after franchise relocations, e.g., Minnesota North Stars to Dallas, Atlanta Flames to Calgary.
• Sean argues teams should have to change names upon relocation, especially when names lose geographic/cultural relevance ("LA Lakers" in a desert, "Flames" somewhere snowy).
• Memorable moment [07:12]:
  • Sean Buffini: “They were trying to be the Yeti, and then Yeti Cooler sued them. So then it went to Mammoth.”
• Comedic digression: if teams moved to Montana, should they just be unimaginably unrelated (e.g., Montana Palm Trees)?

3. Utah Mammoth: NHL’s Coldest New Team

[08:50 – 19:00]

• Dive into the Utah Mammoth’s branding, “coldness,” and playoff charge:
  • Mammoth have first Wild Card spot, three points clear, and fun branding.
  • Debate if Utah is “colder” than other NHL cities (Winnipeg, Calgary, Colorado).
  • Mammoth's fan-driven brand creation, including near-miss with “Yeti” due to a lawsuit.
  • How loyal will Arizona fans remain after relocation?
  • Interactions with Utah Mammoth's organization and travel plans spark "dream hockey day" tangents—ski all day, Mammoth game at night, and Buffalo Wild Wings culture.
• Quote [15:22]:
  • Sean Buffini (on Utah liquor laws): “Games on Sunday, can we have a drink? They go, nope, no alcohol on Sunday, but enjoy the game. Yeah, it’s going to be so sick.”

4. Playoff Bubble Breakdown & West Race

[19:00 – 22:00]

• Western Conference Wild Card race: Mammoth lock down a spot, but tight margins with Sharks, Kings, Kraken, and Predators.
• Hosts predict which teams are still in the hunt—deads and not-deads for the postseason.
• Anaheim Ducks’ surprising resurgence—back in the playoff mix after a rough slump.

5. Anaheim Ducks Surge & Calder Race

[22:00 – 26:30]

• Ducks bounce back with a seven-game win streak after a slump—props to Beckett and others.
• Ducks nearly top the Pacific, just behind Edmonton and Vegas.
• Leo Carlson’s health and playoff hopes: massive disappointment (or disaster) if they miss.
• Calder Trophy Discussion:
  • Demidoff vs. Beckett vs. Schaefer, Walstead as rookie goalie standout.
  • “This will be a fun one. Usually you’re like, obviously I know the top three... This one I’ll be like, man, making a final, like the top three finals will be something of an announcement.” [25:40]

6. Goalie Stats & Scoring Trends in the NHL

[26:31 – 33:39]

• Save percentages have steadily dropped league-wide since 2016; scoring is up.
• Tangent on goalie tandems, reduced equipment, stick technology, and styles of play (more high-quality vs. volume chances now).
• Quote [28:17]:
  • Sean Buffini: “You can’t be giving a pulse to Connor McDavid.”
• Dream hockey game: how many goals per game are ideal for fan excitement?
• NHL averaging ~6+ goals per game now; hosts lobby for keeping scoring high for fan appeal.

7. Weekly College Hockey Round-Up

[34:51 – 46:29]

• “Netters College Puck Drop" covers the most exciting NCAA matchups and upsets of the week:
  • Western Michigan sweeps Duluth; proves doubters wrong.
  • Quinnipiac, BC, Maine, Providence, Dartmouth—analyze major wins/losses and shakeups in national rankings.
  • Penn State’s Gavin McKenna explodes with seven goals vs. Wisconsin, silencing critics.
• Updated Top Ten Rankings (with debate over Providence, Duluth, Quinnipiac, Cornell positions).

8. Hockey Jerseys: The Ultimate Blind Ranking Segment

[73:44 – 83:23]

• Hilarious, heated segment where Dan and Sean blindly rank NHL Stadium Series jerseys.
  • Agreed love for 2024 Rangers ("classic diagonal"), big disagreements on Kings and Leafs, brutal takedowns of Tampa and Toronto’s “whiteout” looks.
  • Name classic favorites (Columbus Blue Jackets, 2016 Detroit, 2019 Penguins).
  • Quote [74:23]:
    • Dan Powers: “I think this jersey is fucking awesome...It’s hard to get a white specialty jersey looking great.”
  • Sean’s verdict on Toronto: “It's one of the worst things I’ve ever seen a professional athlete wear.”

9. Beer League Hotline: Locker Room Proposal

[66:58 – 73:44]

• Listener story: teammate proposes to his girlfriend in the locker room post–9–1 loss, still in half gear.
• The Empty Netters enthusiastically approve, debate logistics (never leave the ring in the locker room!), and salute any partner who comes to beer league games.
• Quote [68:44], Sean Buffini:
  • “You can’t have the nerves...the ring was in his bag or something....You can’t not go through with it because of the result of the game.”

10. Tangents & Pop Culture: Football, Friendships, and Movie Debriefs

[49:44 – 66:54]

• Tangent extravaganza:
  • American football as TV spectacle (“60 mins clock, 13 mins actual play”), compared to soccer and baseball.
  • Why the “gathering” is the real fun of football—food, dips, and low-stakes socializing > game itself.
  • Movie theater etiquette and after-movie bar chat (“Why isn’t movie and dinner the norm instead of dinner and a movie?”).
  • Goofing on plot-holes in Harry Potter and the economics of the wizarding world.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Team Relocation:
  • Sean Buffini [06:09]: “You need to change your name. But then they didn’t, and now everyone’s like, no, it's LA Lakers. And I’m like, no, it’s very strange.”
• On NHL's Rising Scoring:
  • Dan Powers [32:40]: “So this is the first time it’s been in the threes...since Crosby joined the league.”
• On Locker Room Proposal:
  • Chris Powers [72:24]: “It’s a good test because the fact that she said yes, despite the fact that he got destroyed, she's not in it for the winner, she's in it for him.”
• On Jersey Fashion:
  • Sean Buffini [76:04]: “There are some so much worse than this.”
  • Dan Powers [81:01]: “The Lightning jersey this year confuses me... it’s very ChatGPT.”

Timestamps by Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamps (MM:SS) | |-------------------------------------|--------------------------| | Opening Banter | 00:00 – 03:13 | | Team Name History/Rants | 03:13 – 08:50 | | Utah Mammoth Playoff Discussion | 08:50 – 19:00 | | Playoff Bubble, Ducks’ Surge | 19:00 – 22:00 | | Calder & Rookie Race | 22:00 – 26:30 | | Goalie Stats & Scoring Trends | 26:31 – 33:39 | | College Hockey Puck Drop | 34:51 – 46:29 | | NHL Jersey Blind Ranking | 73:44 – 83:23 | | Beer League Proposal Story | 66:58 – 73:44 | | Football/Movie/Miscellaneous Tangents| 49:44 – 66:54 |

Tone & Style

The Empty Netters episode is irreverent, frenetic, and packed with witty hockey insight, sharp roasts, and the kind of camaraderie only siblings and lifelong hockey players can conjure. The hosts’ genuine love for the game, paired with their skepticism of its weirder traditions, makes the episode feel like talking shop after a late-night game at the rink.

TL;DR Takeaways

• The Utah Mammoth are fun, legit, and embody “ice cold.”
• “Cold” branding is powerful; “Flames” branding in Canada, less so.
• NHL team relocations need more thoughtful rebranding.
• The West playoff race is a minefield—Ducks, Sharks, Kings, Kraken all in the hunt.
• Rookie race (Calder) is wide open; scoring is up, goalies are under the gun.
• Jersey design is divisive. Rangers get the nod, Toronto gets roasted.
• After a blowout loss, a locker-room beer league proposal is 10/10 legendary.
• This show is as much about hockey culture as hockey itself: the bars, the jokes, and the wild tangents.