Spittin’ Chiclets Episode 616: Featuring Gavin McKenna

Summary

Spittin’ Chiclets Episode 616: Featuring Gavin McKenna

Release Date: January 30, 2026
Location: Beaver Stadium, Penn State University
Hosts: Ryan Whitney, Paul “Biz” Bissonnette, Rear Admiral, Mike Grinnell
Special Guest: Gavin McKenna (star freshman, Penn State Nittany Lions)

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Episode Overview

This week’s Spittin’ Chiclets is a special live episode at Penn State’s legendary Beaver Stadium, marking a unique setting and drawing in the excitement of the college hockey atmosphere. The episode features an in-depth, lively conversation with elite hockey prospect Gavin McKenna, discussion of NHL mid-season storylines, Patrick Kane’s legacy, trade rumors, college hockey’s growth, and plenty of classic banter. With their irreverent humor and deep knowledge, the crew navigates hockey’s present and future—both on and off the ice.

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Key Discussion Points & Timestamps

1. Opening Banter at Penn State

[01:41-03:32]

• The hosts set the scene from Beaver Stadium—Whitney reflects on the energy of the venue and the uniqueness of recording during the Penn State outdoor game festivities.
• Multiple fun shout-outs to “Pink Whitney” drink activations on campus.
• Early classic Chiclets banter: college stories, Murrells joining the crew, drinking tales.

2. Patrick Kane Appreciation & Legacy

[03:35-14:34]

• The guys devote serious time to Patrick Kane’s ongoing career, debating whether he’s the greatest American-born player ever.
• Mer: “What a feat…I would have said greatest American born player of all time…when the chips were on the table, he showed up every goddamn time.” [04:20]
• Discussion of Kane’s Chicago legacy, his comeback from hip surgery, and his impact inspiring both American and Canadian players.
• Notable Kane moments: the 2010 Cup-winning overtime goal, “Showtime” swagger, and emotional veteran speeches.
• Yan recalls Kane’s notorious confidence and chirping: “I wasn’t talking to him, I was talking to you!” [10:28]
• Kane’s influence on youth hockey: “Even Canadian kids inspired by him…he’s a huge, enormous part of it.” [09:14–10:03]
• Lists comparable greats: Mike Modano, Austin Matthews, Crosby for Canadian kids.
• Value of peer-voted accolades (Ted Lindsay Award).

3. Hat Trick Record & Current NHL Highlights

[16:15-19:48]

• Darlene and recent defenseman hat-tricks, surging Buffalo Sabres, and the crazy record pace: 29 hat tricks in one month (NHL record).
• Hosts make game-night hat-trick predictions: McAvoy, Pasta, Caulfield, Kachuk.
• Mer notes “Sabres have just went through their best stretch of hockey in the history of their franchise. 19-3-1 over the last 23 games. That's a wagon.” [19:30]
• Brief updates on the Montreal Canadiens and Boston’s home dominance.

4. Trade Rumors, Extensions, and Roster Moves

[20:09-38:00]

• Avalanche’s Malinski’s new deal: analysis of his “team-friendly” contract and the cap situation.
• Discussion of Taves’ and Landeskog’s injuries and how they impact Colorado’s play.
• Toronto Maple Leafs trade/rebuild jokes: Whitney goads Mer about pressing for a rebuild.
• Panarin trade talk: possible trade, extension with San Jose, and other rumored destinations.
• “If I could pick one first round matchup, Detroit-Buffalo…That would be Caner’s going back to where he’s from.” [14:41]

5. College/New Hockey Hotbeds and Youth Development

[36:58–55:00]

• Explores growth of hockey in non-traditional U.S. markets: Texas, Florida, Oklahoma State’s D1 ambitions.
• Celebrini-Will Smith set play breakdown—importance of shoulder checks.
• “If I could say one thing to young kids about hockey—it’s know what you’re gonna do with the puck before you get it.” [39:13]
• Discussion of players from non-traditional markets: “It’s just crazy to see that number grow to that size…250–300 [Americans in the NHL] now.” [100:02]

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Feature Interview: Gavin McKenna

[54:08 - 96:12]

6. Gavin’s Unique Path from Yukon to College Star

• Grew up in Whitehorse, Yukon, population ~35,000. Frozen winters, hunting, rural upbringing.
• Early days of dominating local hockey and moving away at age 12 for higher competition:
  • “I'd have to fly to like Vancouver, Calgary, to play actual teams.” [56:23]
• Strong family tradition of hockey and hunting (learning perseverance from grandfather).
• “It’s the best way to grow up. I’m very fortunate to have what I had.” [60:22]
• Hardships and resilience: leaving home at 12, two broken hands, but driven to reach the next level.

7. Influences, Indigenous Heritage, & Family

• Proud of Indigenous heritage and family history.
  • “Me being Indigenous means a lot to me…I do it for my Grandpa.” [62:56]
• Mentorship from Dylan Cozens (Buffalo/Ottawa) and Jordan Tootoo.
• Idolized Patrick Kane as a kid: “I was a Blackhawks fan. Because of Kaner.” [64:14]

8. Junior & NCAA Jump: Why Penn State?

• Success in WHL with Medicine Hat: won championship, Memorial Cup appearance, 54-game point streak.
• Decision to choose NCAA over juniors after “doing it all” with Med Hat—“College was the next step for me.” [73:13]
• What sold him on Penn State: facilities, coaches, culture, chance to play against bigger, older players.
• “I feel like it'd make that jump to the NHL a little more smooth, like you see with Celebrini…and those guys.” [74:07]

9. On-ice Style & Practice

• Compared to Kucherov and Patrick Kane—loves to “read the ice, slow the game down, speed it up…a very smart player.” [87:43]
• Off-season training with Jim Hughes (father of the Hughes brothers) and Byron Ritchie.

10. Off-Ice—School, Fly Fishing, Team Culture

• Majoring in General Studies, loves unique classes: “I’m in a fly fishing class.” [78:40]
• Describes tight-knit team dynamic and adjusting to living with older players.

11. Handling Expectations & Social Media

• “I’m off Instagram this year. Just deleted it. This year’s been a big change, people picking my game and stuff. So it’s tough at times but…it fires me up.” [86:58]

12. Giving Back & Future Goals

• Plans to help build an indoor rink in Yukon: “Something we want to get done.” [95:17]
• Outlines a typical day, balancing gym, school, hockey, and building up for NHL career.

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Notable Quotes

• On Patrick Kane’s clutchness:
  “When the chips were on the table, he showed up every goddamn time.” — Mer [04:20]

• On youth inspiration:
  “Even Canadian kids inspired by him. So, you know, it’s awesome to where the game’s headed, and he is a huge, enormous part of it.” — Mer [09:14]

• On rookie contracts:
  “He left like a million per, and if you wanted to take it to the off-season…know you’re going to be in a place for four years and you’re like, this team is going to be a fucking wagon.” — Mer [21:22]

• Gavin McKenna:
  “Me being indigenous means a lot to me. Especially I do it for my grandpa…he went through a lot growing up.” [62:56]
  “I’m off Instagram this year. I’ve deleted it. This year’s been a big change…people picking my game and stuff. So it’s tough at times but you know…honestly that stuff fires me up when I see people saying that stuff.” [86:58]
  “I feel like it’d make that jump to the NHL a little more smooth, like you see with Celebrini…and those guys.” [74:07]

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Lighter Moments & Banter

• On life in Yukon:
  “Bears do, like, just walk around our neighborhoods.” — Gavin McKenna [58:48]
• On fly fishing class:
  “I went fly fishing for the first time this summer. I’m addicted.” — Mer [79:03]
• On Penn State traditions:
  “Obviously the whiteout. Pretty sick tradition…just like the roar zone.” — Gavin McKenna [82:26]
• Classic Chiclets chirping:
  On goal celebrations, college pranks, and team house party culture.
  “What a treat to be here at Penn State with star freshman…” — Ryan Whitney [54:08]

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Further NHL & Hockey World Chat

• Ongoing narratives: expected playoff matchups and who is a "wagon."
• Trade deadline drama: Panarin, rumors around goalies, rebuilding debates (Leafs, Sabres).
• Analytics versus “juice” and emotional leadership in coaching.
• Funny stories about earning and losing fandom, retiring mid-game, NHL draft quirks, and even the politics of the Football Hall of Fame's snub of Belichick.

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Closing Segment

[96:12–End]

• Hosts reflect on Gavin’s maturity and drive, and the excitement of seeing hockey's growth at all levels.
• Playful arguments on Norris trophy frontrunners, the importance of positivity from coaches, and developmental trends in the NHL.
• The show ends with typical hilarious off-topic banter about actor promotional tours and the “drama” of red carpet publicity.

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In Summary

Episode 616 of Spittin’ Chiclets shines as a blend of deep hockey insight and entertainment, with a special focus on hockey’s future. The interview with Gavin McKenna is a standout, exploring his unconventional path, Indigenous pride, mature attitude, and thoughtful college decision-making. The crew balances old-school stories, league news, and razor-sharp chirps in a way that only Chiclets can—delivering an episode that's both informative and laugh-out-loud funny, whether you’re a die-hard fan or a new listener.

Transcript

[Biz Nasty]

Hey, Spit and Chiclets listeners.

[Yan Stastny]

You can find every episode on Apple.

[Biz Nasty]

Podcasts and Spotify prime members can listen.

[Yan Stastny]

Ad free on Amazon Music.

[Chris Johnston]

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[Biz Nasty]

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[Ryan Whitney]

TaxAct.

[Biz Nasty]

Let's get them over with.

[Ryan Whitney]

Me and Ryan have been officially welcomed.

[Gavin McKenna]

To the jungle that is barstool sports.

[Chris Johnston]

I brought it towards the coyotes and I asked them if it was okay if I joined the Spit Chickles podcast full time.

[Ryan Whitney]

Ryan Whitney's got a Pink Whitney out there now.

[Biz Nasty]

Sandbagger.

[Ryan Whitney]

Get that on camera. Keith Yandel, the song Commander Kate is a full time member. Marley just got from Chris.

[Yan Stastny]

Whoa. We're buzzing right now.

[Ryan Whitney]

Welcome. Welcome everyone to episode 616 of the Spit and Chicklets podcast. If you're watching on Netflix, you can tell we're in a special place. Beaver stadium, State College, Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania State University. Very special. Just interviewed Gavin McKenna. We now have Mercury. Tough trade off.

[Biz Nasty]

Well, it was my idea to interview Gavin McKenna, if you want to ask G. Back in September, I requested an interview for him on game notes. No, no, he's not ready. Let's wait till mid season and then you, the big boy swooped in, went.

[Yan Stastny]

From first overall to worst overall.

[Ryan Whitney]

Never wrong, just early. Mer invented Gavin McKenna and quickly we got to shout out Pink Whitney. Actually, if you're watching, you could see they. They sell the Pink Whitney punch here at Penn State. Pink Whitney, Pink lemonade and club soda. So that's. That's a mix. You can give it a shot if you've never tried Pink Whitney. If you have, thank you so much and yeah. Shout out Pink Whitney. I mean, I think there's gonna be a lot of that. A lot of that. I think it's gonna be zero degrees here. Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

Over, under, on 5,000 Nips making their way into the stadium. Those are perfect for when you're doing outdoor games. You just keep them in your pocket and you don't need a refrigerator. They stay.

[Ryan Whitney]

It's very true.

[Biz Nasty]

Don't forget the other reason I hear.

[Fishsticks]

Pink Whitney party as well.

[Biz Nasty]

The only reason I got invited on this trip is for the Pink Whitney party tomorrow at 4 o' clock at Champs Bar and GR Grill downtown.

[Chris Johnston]

Was that also your idea?

[Ryan Whitney]

It was.

[Biz Nasty]

Pink Whitney parties were at the very beginning. Yes.

[Ryan Whitney]

Going to the bar. Yeah, that was his idea too. Pink Whitney pars. You guys gonna start meeting up with people and drinking with them? I said, oh, Murray, you want to do that? He said, yeah, that sounds great. So that was one of his first ideas.

[Chris Johnston]

Well, it's great to have Mer on. I mean, you are you. And where are the college guys? Yan's never went to college. Couldn't. Couldn't get in. Me couldn't afford. Yeah.

[Biz Nasty]

Nowadays.

[Yan Stastny]

Oh, yeah. I'd be.

[Ryan Whitney]

They would have. They would have somehow got him in now.

[Yan Stastny]

Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

He would have had a hot cab spinners for sure.

[Yan Stastny]

The Spree Wells.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, you would have owed. You would have owed the government 200 grand. Like, wait, what's taxes. I spent that. We got to get to the hockey News. All right. Because right now it's the part of the season we were talking about. It's. It's the grind, the doldrums, it's the dorum. It's just like. And I think that, that I, I speak for NHL players remembering back to, to 2014. Get me to Olympic break. Like, I have my flights, I have my cabana set. I'm going away and I'm not thinking about hockey for about eight, nine days. But we've had some crazy action. And I think the biggest thing, the one thing I want to start with, us three want to start with you can screw yourself is Patrick Kane. He did it.

[Chris Johnston]

Oh, no, buddy. I. I said that like I wanted him on the Olympic team. Like, I will, I will double risk that guy any day of the week. So, I mean, what a feat. I. I've said even, probably three, four years ago, even if he wouldn't have came back from the hip issue, I would have said greatest American born player of all time. Like, the points thing wasn't necessarily it. It was those clutch years in playoffs and what he was able to do in Chicago, and, I mean, earn the nickname Showtime, like, when. When the chips were on the table, he showed up every goddamn time, brought.

[Yan Stastny]

Chicago back to where they were, because there were dog days there for a while, like your guys's first years. Like, there was 2,000 people in the stands. You couldn't watch them on TV. And then you get Kane or Taves. Like, they changed that, you know, at least brought that organization back to where they should be.

[Chris Johnston]

They probably put a billy in the owner's pocket for crying a lot.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Biz Nasty]

I played a game in Chicago, and it was like youth hockey, where you were in the penalty box and you could yell to the coach, like, where do you want me to go, Coach?

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah.

[Biz Nasty]

Like, into the defensive zone. He's like, no, you're off, Merle. Get right straight, right across. You're off the ice.

[Ryan Whitney]

Another offensive someone. Penalty Murr.

[Yan Stastny]

Adrian. A coin said he used to yell at his kids while he was on the ice.

[Ryan Whitney]

Like, hey, stop screwing around.

[Chris Johnston]

Listen to your mother. The ref thinks he's yelling at him. He dimes him up. He's like, oh, I'm yelling at my kids. Come on.

[Yan Stastny]

Do you think even if Kaner didn't come back. Sorry. Do you think one of his reasons to come back was to break this record?

[Ryan Whitney]

I think he's obsessed with.

[Chris Johnston]

I think he's. Yeah, he's. And. And it goes back to the Brady interview. The greatest. You have to be obsessed. You have to be dialed in. And he's a. He's a master at his craft. And I think that it makes this story that much more compelling. The fact that you've seen so many guys who have had that surgery try to come back, and they're just never the same. I mean, and. And for him to. To get back to the level he's playing at that first year, it was like, oh, man, I don't know how much longer he can keep going. But that following season, I believe, which was last year, he. He found that pep in a step. You could see that he'd caught in that. That. That extra. That extra gear. Right. That he once had. So the fact that he's now there in Detroit, too, providing that leadership and. And with that group, too. So it's. It's kind of. He. He's getting that storybook ending that he deserves, going back to. To last year in Chicago when they did Chelios's jersey retirement, where he ended up scoring the winner. So I feel like that's a guy who deserved an ending like that much like Taves just had with the standing O there. Just a legend of the game.

[Yan Stastny]

I don't think he's close to done, though, do you?

[Ryan Whitney]

I hope not. And it's, it's cool now that you know Chicago. Yeah, they're. They're. They got a chance to get in. Probably not. I think you put them on your dead list and the Bedard injury kind of crushed their chances, but Detroit's in an awesome spot, and so we're going to see him in the playoffs again. We're going to get to see him doing his thing, because you said it, the bigger the game, the better he plays. But for me, it's like remembering when he. I remember with the national program and then he went to London and then that was. And we've said this the past few, few weeks talking about him. I don't think he was a for sure star, like, when he got drafted. It's, like, way too small. Like, and it wasn't just him being smaller. He was 160 pounds, I think. And right away it was like, holy shit, you said it. Showtime. Like, he's scoring goals, yelling, that's showtime, baby. Like, and then. And then what. What I kind of wanted to get back to was, I think even he would admit maybe I'm wrong. He was a. He was a pretty cocky kid. I'm talking on the ice.

[Chris Johnston]

He.

[Ryan Whitney]

He knew he was good. He had no problem telling you he was good, which, which probably made him so good. But seeing him now and seeing the speech, was it after his 500th goal in the locker room, and he got emotional. He's. He's got. He's got a kid now. It's just like, such a different person. You've seen him as a fan or playing against him, like, really grow up in the NHL. And, like, it came with, you know, bumps, and it also came with just these moments that I'll never forget. Like, now, looking at my heroes growing up and Kachuk and Brian Leach and Garon and Doug Wade, it's like he is the ultimate. He is the goat for USA Hockey. So all these Austin Matthews, and you'll hear from Gavin McKenna. It was his favorite player, and that's a Canadian. So I think that the way he went about things and, like, his cockiness on the ice made him even cooler because he never, ever, like, the bigger the game, the better he played. And then he'd have no problem just telling the entire bench. And it made other kids just, like, want to be like him. And I just remember in The Olympics being like, holy shit, that for me, because they won the cup later that year. That was Vancouver. So he'd already had a couple big years, but that's when I was like, oh, my God, this guy in practice and then against Canada, I'm like, he's. He's the best player on the ice right now.

[Chris Johnston]

At times, I think. I think you nailed it with just the fact that, you know, you had Madonna, who was the jersey flapping the wind that all.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, I didn't even say him, but.

[Chris Johnston]

All the kids that were inspired by him and you just touched on it. We had Gavin McKenna. So it's kind of like a first full circle moment where he looked up to him, he emulates his game after him. And you think about the growth of the game in the United States. Like, how much does Patrick Kane have to do with it? Even Canadian kids inspired by him. So, you know, it's awesome to where the game's headed. And he is a huge, enormous part of it. And just going back to, like, how he's also grown as a person. Remember when we beat them out of playoffs? We beat them in six. And I went out and had some. We hadn't partied with Ray Emory and. And a bunch of their guys, and he was there. Like, he ended up bumping into us. And I don't think he was happy that they were hanging out with me. And I won't say what he said, but he was basically like, get this pigeon out of my face to show Hl.

[Biz Nasty]

And, you know, takes him a while to grow up.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah. And. And the fact he's probably. He's so competitive. They'd already won a Stanley Cup. They get knocked by the Coyotes. So he's probably livid and. And rightfully so. He's probably. Why are my teammates hanging around this loser that got kicked out? One second.

[Ryan Whitney]

I got you into this bar. This is my spot. That bottle service girl's mine.

[Chris Johnston]

No, no, one one.

[Yan Stastny]

We were playing them. I think it was that same playoffs. He was chirp and donor. Or it's either donor or Adrian a Corn. It was an older guy, and I was kind of in between them. And he's like, you're a bum. Like, whatever. Just chirping. I'm like, dude, have some respect. He's played a thousand games. He goes, I wasn't talking to him. I was talking to you. Fair enough.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, what are you doing on the ice against me right now? Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

Congrats on the Olympics.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. So shout out Patrick Kane. Like that. It was it was only a matter of time, but it was pretty cool to see.

[Chris Johnston]

Was it, was it against la? That would probably be my favorite Patty Kane moment where he slid and he drew the heart and then just. He knew it was coming, right. He was just in the moment. And that's one of the best sellies of all time.

[Yan Stastny]

How cool do you think it is for guys like him and Sid that like, you know, they do all these pre drafts or even guys in the NHL, they interview him like, who is your favorite player growing up? And all the. Yeah, every American kid saying Kane or they all try to play like him and then every Canadian kid saying Sid, like that's gonna.

[Ryan Whitney]

I think the problem is with some it's like, yeah, I know you want to play like him, but you're not him. Yeah, like stop trying to dangle. Stop trying to dangle, everyone.

[Yan Stastny]

Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

And dump the puck in a kid who did make the US Olympic team, Clayton Keller, he was obsessed with Patrick Kane and very similar when he stepped in where all he wanted to do was be that cerebral type player where he knew he wasn't going to be, you know, going in there in the crease bullying guys and, and playing that hardcore style but off the rush, always finding those pockets, always finding those seams and incredible playmaker. Had this, had the, the, the, the touch to score goals. Merle's like, what do you remember?

[Biz Nasty]

Yeah, it's like coming down is off wing, like delaying and somehow like pulling it back and then just seeing every lane, just seeing guys slowing it down.

[Ryan Whitney]

He slowed it down. Yeah, because he's never, he's quick, but he's never been like, holy shit. He's the fastest player on the ice.

[Biz Nasty]

Very socks pulled over his skates. I think that makes you look a.

[Ryan Whitney]

Little slow, but he look, but he looks good doing that.

[Chris Johnston]

I know. Dry side. There's very few guys that could do the skate. The sock over the back of the skate.

[Yan Stastny]

He's also too like one of those guys. You know, people might say he's a softer player, but like he took abuse especially like his first few years. Like guys were going out. Like we talked about it with Gavin McKenna. Guys went after him and he never shot. I never remember him shine down. He was always in the mix. Played his game like just an absolute stud and first ballad hall of Fame, unlike Bill Belichick.

[Biz Nasty]

Does he do a little like. Does he do the turtleneck on his blade too that the kids do all do now?

[Ryan Whitney]

No, I don't think he ever did that. He.

[Yan Stastny]

I saw a Video he tapes toe to heel. Is that a new thing he does?

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah.

[Yan Stastny]

I saw a video of it on.

[Ryan Whitney]

Maybe that's the trick, man.

[Chris Johnston]

You guys tape your sticks the. I think so. He had the three cups already. But probably going to be most known for that 15, 16 year where he won the Art Ross the heart and the Ted Lindsay. I don't know how many players outside of Wayne Gretzky, maybe Bobby or Mario.

[Yan Stastny]

Look that up.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

Who David McDavid probably has. That has all three of Art Ross leading score MVP and Ted Lindsay players voted all in one guessing. McDavid has that. Crosby might have that.

[Chris Johnston]

That's got to be a very special.

[Yan Stastny]

Yeah, I'd say under five or five or.

[Ryan Whitney]

Look that up for us over there. Wow. Yeah. Kaner. And then. And then the goal. I mean he's the only one that knew it went in. And of course, like, that's what. That's what they do. Like Crosby gets the golden goal. Kane buries the Stanley cup winner. And then he's the.

[Fishsticks]

Like.

[Ryan Whitney]

It's the only guy. I was. I remember watching that being like, what's he doing? Like, oh, he knows.

[Yan Stastny]

I think it was Nick Boynton. He was like skating back.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Yan Stastny]

Like, dude, like the game's going on two on one.

[Fishsticks]

David's done it three times now. David did it in 17, 21 and 23. Ovechkin did it in 08. Crosby 07. Kucheroff in 19.

[Biz Nasty]

That's AI too cooch.

[Chris Johnston]

So. So what?

[Yan Stastny]

Never did it.

[Chris Johnston]

Maybe they didn't.

[Ryan Whitney]

They didn't have the Ted Lindsay.

[Chris Johnston]

They didn't do the Ted Lindsay. Yeah. Back then. What a great award though.

[Yan Stastny]

Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

So would. That would probably be the. Like if I could pick one to be voted on by your peers. That's the top of the list.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, for sure. No doubt.

[Biz Nasty]

The only thing he hasn't done yet is go home and play for the Buffalo Sabers. He's got to do one year.

[Ryan Whitney]

No, I. I was wondering actually. Because. Is his contract up? Is it a one? But. But I think if I could pick one first round matchup. Detroit Buffalo in the first round would be so electric.

[Chris Johnston]

They.

[Ryan Whitney]

That would be Caners. Caners going back to where he's from. Both teams are back in after nine and 14 years. That would. And I. I've promised Mer I will be at the Buffalo Sabres first playoff game.

[Chris Johnston]

Now.

[Ryan Whitney]

I don't know if I'm welcome there.

[Chris Johnston]

I tread lightly.

[Ryan Whitney]

Well, no, I think people actually appreciated that my 0.000. I think it was 3 zeros after the point percent chance of making playoffs. You're welcome.

[Yan Stastny]

Yeah, well, you did it with Vegas too. Like they should be team.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yep, exactly. Anything I say, the opposite happens. And that would just be a first round matchup. That would be pretty legendary.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah, I'm actually glad you brought that up. I'm. I'm currently scrolling through my. My lights here. No, not my rye, you idiot.

[Biz Nasty]

We get you a saber Ambassador.

[Chris Johnston]

Sabers have just went through their. Their best stretch of hockey in the history of their franchise. I don't know what the. It might be the last 25 games. I mean, she's going to look that up right now. But we talk about the wagon status and last time we gave it to him and we dropped the shirts. How quickly they lost it. They're still a wagon right now.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, it never stopped.

[Chris Johnston]

It hasn't fucking stopped.

[Ryan Whitney]

Even the shirt drop.

[Chris Johnston]

And the other night, I mean they absolutely pumped my Leafs. They went into Toronto, they beat them again. And Darlene, the fifth hat trick by a defenseman this season and fourth this month.

[Ryan Whitney]

That's what I want to get into. This month there's been 29 hat tricks.

[Chris Johnston]

Tied for an NHL record.

[Ryan Whitney]

Like I don't even if you told me like what's the most hat tricks in a month, I would have said 10.

[Yan Stastny]

Oh, I was at 4, I think.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. Yeah. Just the fact 29 been crazy. So we have Darren Radish for defenseman. We got Darlene and then we got two Oilers, Matthias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard.

[Chris Johnston]

And the other one this season was Simone Nemec. We actually had the game on TNT and currently we're recording before these eastern games start on Thursday. So when this drops, there's. There's 15 matchups tonight, so we could easily be beyond the 29. And then there's another. So basically as of right now, there's another 30 games left this month to break that record. I think it's going to get done now. Do you want to have a pick Mir. This seems like your type of game where you would text the group chat and say who do you think is going to set the NHL record?

[Ryan Whitney]

He said last night, palock goal and then didn't bet it got a lot going on.

[Biz Nasty]

Got a lot of odd jobs to do before these Chiclets trips.

[Chris Johnston]

16 television yesterday.

[Biz Nasty]

There's nothing going to happen during these three days while I'm gone. And when I get home, I'm not going to do anything for three days because I'm be so banged up from the pink Whitney. But if I had to think just quick, right now, tonight. Who's going to get one tonight? It's pasta. Pasta at home. Bruins have won eight in a row at home. The flyers got in late. Their flight didn't get in until 3 or 4am because of the weather. So. Pasta tonight.

[Chris Johnston]

How the fuck do you know that?

[Ryan Whitney]

He's got equipment.

[Biz Nasty]

Ebr Army. They're out there.

[Yan Stastny]

Flight tracker.

[Chris Johnston]

Tracker.

[Ryan Whitney]

The equipment manager's Tom. We're still on the tarmac right now.

[Chris Johnston]

We're going to get.

[Yan Stastny]

He's calling in delays.

[Chris Johnston]

They venmo him?

[Yan Stastny]

Yeah, yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

They pay him at the end of the year. Great. Guess I'm going to actually go back to Buffalo. I'm going to say donor. It's just been a crazy year for him. Just signed that contract. I think he's going to set the end. What's your pick, Yance?

[Yan Stastny]

I'm going to stick with a Boston broomer, but I'm going to stick with a demon. And Charlie McAvoy. I think he's going to get one before the end of this month.

[Ryan Whitney]

I think that's today, right?

[Chris Johnston]

It would have to be today.

[Yan Stastny]

Okay.

[Chris Johnston]

Well, there's 30 games up. I just assume that in the 15 matchups tonight that it's going to get broken. We're on a heater right now, boys. It's happening Wit. What's your pick?

[Ryan Whitney]

I just have continually picked Caulfield to score goals for Montreal lately. The guy's on an absolute tear. I think he did. You tell me on the ride, G, in his last six games, he's got nine goals.

[Chris Johnston]

Yep.

[Ryan Whitney]

And he just. It's crazy. He's just not slowing down. I was actually shocked the other night. I was watching Montreal. Vegas was a good game. 4 on 3 OT Lane Hudson wasn't on the ice. I was like, what? What's going on here? They had Suzuki Slavkovsky in front, Demidov and Caulfield, but then he ended up getting out there. But I was very surprised to see that. But Caulfield's been on a complete tear, so. That's my guy. That's my guy. And we're also doing the. I think it's first to score on Thursday nights. That's a good little bit of chop.

[Biz Nasty]

We usually do the icebreakers. I think Dobson just scored again first. Remember he did it a couple weeks ago and only six people had him because it was his birthday. I just checked quick.

[Yan Stastny]

If he did it again, I'm going to take my pick back and I'm going with Matthew Kachuk tonight. I think he gets a hat trick tonight.

[Chris Johnston]

Oh, yeah, Chuck, he's back in the mix. They're, they're, they gotta, they gotta get on a heater here.

[Yan Stastny]

They're not on a heater.

[Chris Johnston]

No, I know, but they, I'm saying is like they got about six or seven points to make up before they're in that last wildcard. Going back to the Sabers, the winningest 23 game stretch in Sabres history. 19, 3 and 1. That's their record over the last 23 games. That, ladies and gentlemen, is a wagon.

[Ryan Whitney]

And Murray, I was, we were talking earlier. It's kind of weird. The abs are not the abs that we were used to at the beginning of the year, but we were saying.

[Biz Nasty]

I think it's just Devin Taves is out.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yep.

[Biz Nasty]

And then Landiscog is out. So I think if you look where Taves dropped out, they're below.500. So that's, that's an important piece. He is underrated because Makar and everything, but that guy is nasty.

[Yan Stastny]

Do you think they signed Malinsky now because Taves is out and Malinsky is going to be playing with Makar and he might get 30 points in 30 games.

[Biz Nasty]

That's next level thinking.

[Chris Johnston]

Well, we, we talked about the.

[Ryan Whitney]

I couldn't believe it.

[Chris Johnston]

You guys thought he left money on the table.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

Let's let you start off.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. So I think it was. Was it four and a half for.

[Yan Stastny]

For G. Look, four years, something around there.

[Fishsticks]

Four years, 4.75.

[Ryan Whitney]

4.75 for four years. And I was just, I was just with the cap going up like, and what he's done, I was surprised. I thought it'd be like a $7 million a year contract, which some people who don't follow the ABS might be like, what do you. Who you know? But this guy, and he's a little older. I think that's part of it. Which, which made me think that he would, you know, get as much money as he could on a long term deal.

[Chris Johnston]

27 years old, 150 games played.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. So it took him a while, but.

[Chris Johnston]

He was drafted last year was his full first full year undrafted.

[Ryan Whitney]

So I do respect what you said though, Biz, that when you love a place. Yeah, that's part of it. Right. He had to have been like, I'm really happy here. This team's unbelievable. I. It's not like I'm putting any pressure on the cap with this. That's kind of what you were thinking.

[Chris Johnston]

I look at it like the Josh Jones thing. Like, why would you even put that, that bad juju out? All of a sudden you're in like a bit of a contract battle with a GM who's like, you're undrafted. This is going to last year. You could consider it a full year. He played 76 games. But this is really his true full, like full first year. You know he's going to be on the team. I mean, now you said he's playing with McCarr like he is a Colorado Avalanche. There's no, there's no if, ands or buts whether he's getting sent to the minors and his play has spoken for itself. Very good skater, has good size to him. I, I also look at it like this. You're a defenseman on that team. You have Manson, you have Burns, you have Taves, you have Makar. So you're, you're not being relied upon in all of these situations. If you're going through a tough 10, 15 game stretch, your team's probably still winning and no one really even notices or talks about you because you have all those other guys playing, right? So that to me is where you relieve a lot of pressure from yourself in just signing what, what we think is a team friendly deal. There's no doubt in my mind he left like donor a million per and if you wanted to take it to the off season, get it over with, fucking know you're going to be in a place for four years and you're like, this team is going to be a fucking wagon. Like I'm, we're, we're a top cup contender in the top five teams in league for this next four years.

[Yan Stastny]

I think too like when a team comes to you during the season, it's like, okay, they, they. Yeah. How do you say no? It's like, you know, let's get this done. I want to keep going. Especially a guy like that who's only played 150 games like during the season. They come to you, you take that.

[Biz Nasty]

Oh, right, Cornell guy. So smart guy. Probably, probably gonna make more money when he's done hockey.

[Chris Johnston]

Oh yeah. You know, he's at home on the like, what do you, what do you call those websites? Fidelity account. He's probably doing his own stock.

[Ryan Whitney]

He's doing his day trading 100.

[Chris Johnston]

He's a trader. You got, look at him. I mean he looks like he's so smart. He went to you said, do you have his play?

[Ryan Whitney]

Four years at Cornell.

[Chris Johnston]

He played three years, probably graduated in three.

[Biz Nasty]

He's probably just some genius.

[Chris Johnston]

No doubt. No doubt he was doing college courses where he was playing for the Bismarck Bobcats in the NHL California Penal League. What is that? Yeah, he's. Yeah, well, yeah, he's 5 11, 190. I guess that's kind of average height for today's NHL, but. But good skater.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, he can move.

[Biz Nasty]

He moves around like Makar. I swear, when he got called up a few years ago, I was like, what are they building these guys in a factory Y. He's like a Makari's cruising around on his edges and it's wild.

[Chris Johnston]

So that's. I didn't even mention Gerard either. So that's another guy where. I don't know if they're going to look to make a move at the deadline. I like Gerard. I thought he was great in that run they had when they won the Cup. I know he went down with that sternum injury when it was a Barbershev who put him through the end wall. Just got freight trained through the end wall and he was out of playoffs. He broke his sternum. But it almost like. Does it make a guy like that, that a little bit more exposable? Do you think they change anything about that decor to strengthen what they got.

[Yan Stastny]

Up front, maybe to get a little bigger?

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. It's hard to say though, that I like Gerard.

[Chris Johnston]

I. I think that sometimes, just given his size, he does have a hard time closing guys off in the D zone and just like pinning guys and killing plays. That would be my only criticism. But we had him on the broadcast a few weeks ago and neutral zone. Like he's got a guy chasing him, fakes left with the. With the head twitch and then boom, he's up the other way. Easy outlet pass, creating his own lane. So that's where he. He can really like impact the game. It's just. Do they need that from a guy who's a little bit. Probably on the bottom pair, right. In a playoff series or if you're.

[Biz Nasty]

Going to really tinfoil hat like Yan's wants over here, what if you sign him for that low money and now you can trade him to a team up near the cap. You're like, wow, I got this guy, I got him signed and now you give me Panari and I got this guy for you. Signed for four points.

[Ryan Whitney]

I wouldn't want to. I wouldn't want of. Because they're D like all healthy. Taves, Makar, and then the next four with Manson, Burns, Gerard and Malinsky. Like, I don't know how you fit who plays with who in the bottom Four or the second and third pair, but I'm not messing with that. And Gerard, with a team like that, those guys need it. Tape to tape. They don't need the puck off the glass, you know, so I, I'll be interested to see maybe also they go back and they look at that Dallas series and you're, you're looking at like, what do we need? What. How did we lose that now, Grant, it was Ronton in the third period.

[Biz Nasty]

So it's like, I don't believe that.

[Ryan Whitney]

I still don't believe that happened. That was legend. I think we did the show right after that. That was incredible.

[Chris Johnston]

So you, you guys would say they're not changing anything about their D core before I deadline.

[Ryan Whitney]

I would, I would say no. I, I think if you're looking at a team like I love rd, maybe you bring in a depth guy like, you know, big body or somebody to be the seventh. If there's. There's going to be injuries. But the other thing I'm watching, speaking of injuries is we're like, what are we, 10 days out? It seems since till they leave. So Logan Thompson just got hurt. I guess it's like day to day. But you're going to see what happens with point. I mean, devontaves is still out and then has his wife given birth yet? That's another story. There's a lot of guys right now who are going to. They're going to need answers. The teams are going to need answers soon.

[Chris Johnston]

So you're saying that if his wife hasn't given birth, he's.

[Ryan Whitney]

He said he's not going to.

[Chris Johnston]

Interesting.

[Ryan Whitney]

And. And then they're like, oh, does Canada know that? He's like, no, we never talked about.

[Yan Stastny]

This seventh kid too.

[Ryan Whitney]

So I think the team can.

[Chris Johnston]

How many kids is he actually beat? The duggers.

[Biz Nasty]

I think this is fourth. Is it something around there? I feel like, wow, wow.

[Chris Johnston]

He's a big family guy.

[Biz Nasty]

I think I heard that on Chickfila. I think I heard that.

[Chris Johnston]

I, I respect him timing it for the Olympics rather than during a Cup run. And I'm sure Daryl Sutter would too.

[Biz Nasty]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

Darryl Sutter did not want kids born during the season.

[Chris Johnston]

Right. Yeah. I don't know how many people who are listening or watching this right now on Netflix, like the backstory. But yeah, Daryl Sutter was known to get a little poopy pants towards players. Like, you know, why are you being selfish and having a child when we have hockey on?

[Ryan Whitney]

So you got condoms?

[Chris Johnston]

You gotta.

[Ryan Whitney]

I've been married for 10 years. So he don't knock up your wife right now.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah. So actually instead of doing fitness testing and training camp, when he was with the Flames, he would get the tur. Yeah, yeah. The turkey basters. Like he was doing it himself. Just to make sure that against the.

[Ryan Whitney]

Cba now for sure, they put it.

[Chris Johnston]

In because of that. Yeah. So Daryl. Daryl. Just continually changing the game. Right.

[Ryan Whitney]

The big news, though, in terms of the trades and the deadline and is Panarin. His career is done as a New York Ranger, so he will not play any games moving forward.

[Chris Johnston]

What'd you say the least?

[Ryan Whitney]

So, yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

I do have to say though, for anybody, including Chris Pronger and Chris Pronger, if you're listening to this, keep my team out of your mouth.

[Ryan Whitney]

Chris Ponger has forgotten more about hockey than you'll ever know. I don't care if Chris stand on TNT with purple jacket after purple jacket and absolutely talk nonsense and light candles. Chris Pronger, chuck you off this balcony.

[Chris Johnston]

If you don't keep my team. If you don't keep my team out of your mouth, I'm gonna. I'm gonna rent some ice and we're gonna go out there, we're gonna play one on one. Keep away in the corner.

[Yan Stastny]

All right?

[Chris Johnston]

We're gonna go.

[Yan Stastny]

Connor McDavid. You're gon. Conor McGregor.

[Chris Johnston]

Oh, yeah, McDavid said that. But I'm sick and tired of people talking about this rebuild.

[Yan Stastny]

Well, we're sick and tired of you talking about the league.

[Ryan Whitney]

How about the fact I tried bringing up Panarin and bringing up like, what's going on? We're talking about the goddamn mat. Awesome team. Want this guy? Your team stinks.

[Chris Johnston]

I just wanted to step in because I wanted to say keep my team out of your mouths.

[Ryan Whitney]

It's not even your team.

[Chris Johnston]

Yes, it is, bro. I'm a ambassador. I got a jacket.

[Ryan Whitney]

It. I will. I. I do think with Panarin, though, I looked. He's ninth all time in Rangers scoring in way less games played than anyone else.

[Chris Johnston]

Their record.

[Ryan Whitney]

He ended up. He was incredible. I know. Their record book ain't great either.

[Chris Johnston]

No, no, no, no, no. I'm not. I'm not. We're not talking about the Leafs anymore. Is like, who's the one who went over? Kreider is cr. What is he second in all time goals. So they have. They don't really have, like a rich history as far as, like, the numbers are concerned. I think of all the original six, they have the lowest for most goals all time for a guy in an organization of the six teams. So probably the. He'll probably go down as top two or three greatest free agency signings that the Rangers have ever had.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. I don't know who they signed on the 94 team, because you got to think if you.

[Chris Johnston]

If you were a big, well, mess would be one.

[Ryan Whitney]

Did he sign there or was he traded there?

[Yan Stastny]

Oh, was he traded?

[Chris Johnston]

Oh, he's.

[Biz Nasty]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure he's dealt.

[Chris Johnston]

No, Mer. That's why we bring in.

[Biz Nasty]

I know. I'll go. I'll go on record. He was dealt.

[Yan Stastny]

I think he was dealt.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, I believe he was. I believe he was.

[Biz Nasty]

He was dealt.

[Chris Johnston]

He was dope.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, I'm right.

[Biz Nasty]

Scott Gomez went there.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Biz Nasty]

Didn't work out too well.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yep.

[Biz Nasty]

Eric Lindros, was that a free agency.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. I don't think that went great either. I don't know.

[Chris Johnston]

Well over a point per game, people. Yeah, he was sick there. He had a couple decent playoff runs, too. One of them, he had, I want to say, 15 or 16 points, and then another one he had close. Maybe he had over 20, maybe 20, 21.

[Biz Nasty]

I mean, he.

[Ryan Whitney]

He had 120 points, I believe, one year right around there. Like, he was so dynamic and good. They just couldn't get over the hump. But I get not playing them. And then I've also seen people say, is that even allowed? Like, are you. I'm like, like, yeah. I. I didn't. I've never heard that he's a healthy scratch.

[Chris Johnston]

There's a chance that he doesn't play until the Olympic break, and then still he could skate whatever, do whatever. But he might not be suiting up an NHL game for another five, six weeks here.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Yan Stastny]

Crazy.

[Ryan Whitney]

So the teams that there's. There's. I've seen 12 teams listed. Right. And then apparently there was a report from a San Jose reporter, G. Changpeng.

[Fishsticks]

Of NBC Sports California.

[Ryan Whitney]

Changpeng of NBC Sports California says that he's willing to sign an extension. I think it's come out he wants to sign an extension before he's traded.

[Chris Johnston]

In the $50 million range with San Jose.

[Yan Stastny]

Thank you, Macklin. Celebrini.

[Ryan Whitney]

I know, because if he wasn't there.

[Yan Stastny]

He wouldn't be signed in San Jose.

[Ryan Whitney]

I know. And what do you think, like, 10, five years? Around 10 a year or maybe a little bit more at four years. But I would love to see him in San Jose. Did you say Carolina last episode. Was that you?

[Chris Johnston]

That was one of the names. There's a lot of. You just said there's a lot of names la's popped up. Carolina, not the Leafs.

[Fishsticks]

Washington.

[Chris Johnston]

Washington was a, was a, was a weird one to me. Detroit was the one that I would want him to see on. Is that. Yeah. Cause then that means he would end up signing an extension there which we talked about. Not this eight year thing, more of like a three, four year deal type number. They got the cap space I want, man. All of a sudden they'd be loaded up front.

[Yan Stastny]

Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

And, and I would assume it would be Casper going back the other way but I, I don't know man. May maybe given the fact that he, it's known that he's not resigning there that it's not going to cost as much as you think.

[Yan Stastny]

That's what I'm saying. Like with him not playing right now, it's kind of hand tying the Rangers a little bit because it's like we got to get this guy off the books but also the other teams are like we'll fucking wait him out.

[Chris Johnston]

I think the, the, the, the contrary to that is just the amount of teams that would be interesting. So all of a sudden you just have like.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, but if he wants an extension it's like he's got to kind of just like is he, is he going.

[Chris Johnston]

For the bag or is he off the book? So LA makes sense if they want to bring back a skilled forward. Carolina has money to spend. Don't we've discussed this. I feel like they have enough of those skill type players. They need a little bit more toughness. So who knows. Detroit definitely has the money. What other San Jose's got the money. So there's all these teams that we're talking about have a ton of cap space.

[Ryan Whitney]

Moving Anaheim who is like you had him. Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

You got to imagine with the shit show that it's been in New York the last couple years. Was he there for the last time they released the letter?

[Ryan Whitney]

No, he, he ended up. No like him wanting to go there and signing there made them kind of.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah, but get not do that. Okay. So given the show which has been this year, they released the letter last year with all the Truba and then Kreider getting moved, you got to imagine that was a little bit unsettling to him. So he probably wants to get the out of this major market and go chill and, and ride off into the sunset.

[Biz Nasty]

I, I heard Minnesota was gonna somehow get involved in it. He's good friends with Tarasenko is what my sources told me. So that's a get out there.

[Chris Johnston]

He's Revived his career there.

[Biz Nasty]

Really? She can pull off anything.

[Chris Johnston]

That's true.

[Yan Stastny]

I said, if he gets Quinn and Panarin GM of the Year and then.

[Biz Nasty]

Wins the gold at the Olympics, I'll.

[Ryan Whitney]

Tell you who might win GM of the Year is your boy Dubas. Because Pittsburgh looks incredible. They've completely, like, revamped everything there. They got Hork son Will Horcuff Lightning up in Michigan. He's their first rounder. The Penguins fans are loving Dubas.

[Chris Johnston]

I bought Duba stock early on, buddy. I'm.

[Ryan Whitney]

So he sold bought soldier on the day trading with.

[Chris Johnston]

No, I said. I threatened. I forget what it was. I said if he did something that I was going to sell my dubious.

[Yan Stastny]

Beat the leaves.

[Chris Johnston]

No, no.

[Ryan Whitney]

You said he doesn't make more content with that mayor in Pittsburgh. I think it was.

[Chris Johnston]

That's what it was.

[Ryan Whitney]

His twin.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

But, yeah, I just. I just thought of that when saying GM of the Year and then quickly.

[Chris Johnston]

No, no, what I said was, is if he doesn't bring back Malkin and he doesn't announce an extension, I'm selling Duba stock, which is probably going to happen.

[Yan Stastny]

The best thing he did this year was make his team dresses. The dealers. Did you see them on Instagram?

[Chris Johnston]

No.

[Yan Stastny]

You got to put up the picture. They have these yellow vests on. They all look like. Like Casino Night. Yeah, they were dressed as dealers, but they looked ridiculous.

[Biz Nasty]

How about that coach there? Is he up for coach of the year?

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

I mean, yeah, he should be. He should be. Dan Muse. Everyone was kind of like, what's this? Who's this guy, Walt? They're the eighth best team in the league right now, somehow. So it's really cool to see. And then all the Penguins fans just met a guy here who was saying, like, one more run with Latang, Gino and Sid. It's like, just give us one more. Not even cup. I don't think he meant just like, give us a run.

[Chris Johnston]

Those. Those three guys just set another milestone together. Was it their thousandth game all together?

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

The same team.

[Gavin McKenna]

Wow.

[Chris Johnston]

Just remarkable. That's. I don't know if. I don't know if that's ever going to be broken with the new rules.

[Yan Stastny]

Not nowadays teams.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, I switch teams, but quickly on the teams with. With Panera. And we had the list here. I don't have my laptop, so I'm kind of a fish out of water. And you'll. You'll hear about business fishing when we talk to McKenna. Anaheim, Seneca. Is it Seneca or Seneca Harps off in his interview. This guy Senate is insane. Like, army actually really put me on to him. Now I'm watching them like, they got all these injuries, and this guy's just out there dominating, scoring big goals. He plays like a prick. So Anaheim, I. I thought they're loaded, right? Q went there. They had the great starts. Like, all right, here we go. And then they went down. It's like, all right, maybe it wasn't their time yet. No, man, they're. They. They're ready to go. And this kid, he's got to be right up there for rookie of the year.

[Yan Stastny]

I heard a great comparison. Nate Thompson. Shout out Nate Thompson. He said he's a mixture of the Worm, Corey Perry and Ryan Getzla. Stuff like the way that he plays, like, I mean, two hall of Famer.

[Ryan Whitney]

But he's got the Ray. He's talking about the rat in him.

[Yan Stastny]

He's saying he's got the rat in him. He's got the slipperiness. He's got, like the. The vision that gets love has. He's got the shot the Perry's got. You know, he. The way that he, like, cuts through defenders is crazy, man.

[Chris Johnston]

They actually. Daryl Sutter got out the turkey baster and took a little bit from Corey Perry and gets love.

[Yan Stastny]

And that's how.

[Chris Johnston]

Hey, you know when he was so shocked that he did. He got that, you know, that he got picked there.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

Nobody else was up there.

[Ryan Whitney]

Gee, is it Seneca Senate? I don't think that's it. I don't draft pick, but I know.

[Biz Nasty]

I know they have her beak, right?

[Chris Johnston]

They haven't missed, right? If all. All those. All their first rounders over the last little bit. Much like when they got get sloth and Perry in the first round of that 8003 draft. Not a big deal.

[Ryan Whitney]

They got McQueen. This kid Roger McQueen's at Providence. Providence work.

[Yan Stastny]

Bu.

[Ryan Whitney]

Last weekend, I was like, oh, this kid's nasty, too.

[Biz Nasty]

He's the Giant. Yeah, right. Yeah, I saw him.

[Ryan Whitney]

So Anaheim is set up. Nice. Oh, and quickly talking about San Jose in terms of the news, saying that Panarin would sign there. If you don't watch the Sharks a lot, you're. You're crazy right now. And RA has been on this train. Shout out. RA gave them moneyline puck line against Vancouver. They won five two on Tuesday. Took that. Thank you. RA doesn't even remember. RA doesn't even remember being on that show.

[Yan Stastny]

He's like, hey, we're gonna do Ra's World this week.

[Ryan Whitney]

But go back and look Friday, last Friday against the Rangers. And it was the first goal of the game celebrity scored. And Tuesday night against Vancouver, same thing. Celebrating Will Smith. It's the exact same goal. And Will Smith picks it up off the wall on his backhand, same way we've talked about. Kucherov is incredible at. And he does this little shoulder check right before getting it it and just fires the thing. Backhand, cross eyes. Celebrini Celebrity in that area now. I. I mean, there's obviously other guys. He's top of the league. It's just ripping the puck past the goalie. No screen in the slot, and it's Will Smith. The shoulder check before, which is all I tell the kids we coach.

[Biz Nasty]

I just say, let's do a little ring shrink segment here. Kids at home, listen. Gotta teach that.

[Ryan Whitney]

It's.

[Chris Johnston]

Oh, yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

It's literally like the. If I could say one thing to young kids about hockey, it's. Know what you're gonna do with the puck before you get it. It's a skill that you don't even really think about game. And this guy, Will Smith just gives this little look.

[Chris Johnston]

Shoulder check.

[Yan Stastny]

This is like, wait, what?

[Ryan Whitney]

He's like, what do you mean?

[Yan Stastny]

You knew what other people were doing.

[Chris Johnston]

So describe it, though. Describe what a shoulder check is.

[Ryan Whitney]

A shoulder checks just going into the buck. Usually. I think that shoulder checks for D, man, right? You're looking, you know, over your shoulder. Where is the guy for check who's open? Just knowing what you're going to do. But Will Smith's doing it on the wall and getting it on the backhand. And then him doing that little shoulder. And then celebrities just, like, just chilling there and just getting ready to go down to one knee. But it's. It's crazy.

[Yan Stastny]

It was.

[Ryan Whitney]

I. Cause I saw Friday nights against the Rangers. It was the exact same thing Tuesday night. So maybe a little bit of a set play.

[Chris Johnston]

It's all. Well, so, like, when you. When you. When you turn your head, you basically just take like a snapshot of what's going on behind you. And then assuming I'm just gonna chuck it to this lane, knowing that that guy's gonna skate into it based on what he. Where he was when I took that photographic memory.

[Ryan Whitney]

How many backhand passes across the zone, like, work in the NHL.

[Chris Johnston]

That. Why it's almost like when he does it, like, the other team's like, oh, he sees that. Like, he's so far away and he's.

[Ryan Whitney]

Not going to do it.

[Chris Johnston]

And he's just like, no, I was looking for that lane.

[Yan Stastny]

Let's. Let's maybe have a guy covering Macklin Celebrini in the slot.

[Biz Nasty]

One of the first players, which is crazy. I never heard about shoulder check until I was playing pro was Duncan Keith. He used to go back for the puck and I thought it was him being scared because he was always going like this. And I'm like, oh, is he just scared because Steve Webb is chasing him down the wall? He was shoulder checking.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, yeah.

[Biz Nasty]

I didn't learn about shoulder checking until I was 10 years in my pro career.

[Yan Stastny]

Even like, you can use the glass to see where guys are coming.

[Ryan Whitney]

I never heard that one.

[Biz Nasty]

I used to do. I do that for offsides in beer league. I'm cruising across. I look into beer league to see if he went. And then I go. I didn't know him pro.

[Chris Johnston]

Remember Tip got mad at Uppie because up he was like on the half wall and he got a breakout pass and he threw like a beautiful saucer pass across the ice. And. And we're going on a rush now. Now and then up. He's like looking in the glass and chips like, get going. What are you looking at yourself for? Like up. He's like.

[Ryan Whitney]

But it was after he made a sick day.

[Chris Johnston]

Looking good. Probably six girls in the. Six girls in the crowd want to give him his number.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, the only thing that. That can hurt is if you get the one shoulder check and it happens to be the wrong shoulder.

[Yan Stastny]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

Then all of a sudden, yeah, you got McGrath on the other shoulder. You forgot to look over your left one. Yeah, you're getting shoulder separated. Chris Neal. Ah, playoffs. Binghamton knocked out four of our six defensemen for seven months. Never seen anything. He literally. I think he popped three shoulders out in the fourth was a concussion. It was like, I can't see Chris Neil anymore in my life ever again.

[Biz Nasty]

He broke his eye socket.

[Yan Stastny]

Scary guy.

[Chris Johnston]

And kneeler was in the AHL in Binghamton, right?

[Biz Nasty]

Yes. Smallest ice surface in the world. Concrete boards smaller than this Olympic one that they're going to.

[Yan Stastny]

It was during the lockout too, right? So it was like all the. Everyone playing, they can.

[Chris Johnston]

They said the ice over there, like. Or the rink is. Is basically ready to go now. I don't know. What do you think?

[Yan Stastny]

Not they're doing it.

[Biz Nasty]

No.

[Ryan Whitney]

I saw a video. It looks great.

[Biz Nasty]

I think the ice will be fine. I think the locker rooms are just.

[Ryan Whitney]

The players look awesome. It's actually crazy how. How much they've done in a short amount of time. The video I saw, it looks really?

[Fishsticks]

Don't underestimate my Italians. You guys were all counting up making the espresso jokes. Don't count up my Italians.

[Chris Johnston]

All I have to do say do all they. They like to cram for the exam. That's how the talent.

[Fishsticks]

We get the job done. That's all that matters. The job's done.

[Yan Stastny]

It's going to be al dente.

[Chris Johnston]

That might be the funniest thing you've ever said. Yeah, you're welcome.

[Ryan Whitney]

B. You can. You can. You can talk now if you want to, about your team.

[Chris Johnston]

I just don't want to hear.

[Ryan Whitney]

And I will say I. Oh, actually.

[Yan Stastny]

You don't want to rebuild.

[Ryan Whitney]

Hey, I. I've been seeing how good Bobby McMahon would look for the Oilers. That's one. That. That's one.

[Chris Johnston]

So I'll give you this. All right.

[Ryan Whitney]

Kind of what they thought Trent Frederick maybe would do if they want to.

[Chris Johnston]

Eventually wave the white flag. I would hope that they would lend and do good deals with our neighboring partners of the Edmonton Oilers. I would want. Let's get Connor his cup. Let's bring it home to Canada. Let's send some good assets over to you guys, make sure you take care of us in return. Maybe those guys eventually come back. Like, Bobby McMahon is a free agent after this year, so he could go there and then in the summertime, you think Bobby McMahon.

[Ryan Whitney]

If Trey rated, which, by the way, he makes 1.2, it's like one of the best deals in the league. Ufa. He's gonna come back to Toronto. Okay. Yeah.

[Biz Nasty]

Especially Mark Recky might be the last to do that. Went back to Pittsburgh.

[Chris Johnston]

You're also laughing at me. And I was just about to say I would hope that if they were sending him, they would. They would lend you one of our goalies, too, because right now, Jari has turned into Skinner.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. Yeah. It doesn't.

[Chris Johnston]

I think they switch bodies.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

I'm.

[Ryan Whitney]

I'm more thinking about. Some Oilers fans were mad at what I was saying about Connor McDavid.

[Chris Johnston]

Oh, you're on the shit list, buddy.

[Ryan Whitney]

You better worry about your worst problem.

[Yan Stastny]

Is the final boss.

[Ryan Whitney]

There's one guy who wants me dead.

[Yan Stastny]

The final boss.

[Gavin McKenna]

The staff.

[Biz Nasty]

Oh, no.

[Ryan Whitney]

Bob texted me.

[Chris Johnston]

I was shocked that you're gonna pump that. You're right. What's weird is now.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. People are like, what are you. He just signed. Like, what are you doing? I. We were just talking about it that night, and I think I misspoke a little bit when I said I think he's leaving after this contract. I Think I meant to say if he were to leave. Right. I don't know what look you're giving.

[Chris Johnston]

I'm giving you your look.

[Ryan Whitney]

That's the witty look. The witty look. Well, there.

[Chris Johnston]

He's trying to do it again.

[Ryan Whitney]

It was. It was a random conversation in an Uber that turned out. Turned into the podcast discussion. We're focused on the here and the now. But to get a text from a man that you look up to, from a man that means a lot to you, that you're a little scared of, we're gonna be honest. Ryan, did you say McDavid would be gone after the two year contract extension? I. Hey, Bob, I said I wouldn't be completely shocked if after the deal ended, he moved on.

[Yan Stastny]

What'd you get back?

[Ryan Whitney]

Which, by the way, I didn't even. I think I did say. I. He's going to leave, so probably take that one back. There's no response to that one. Oh, no.

[Chris Johnston]

He didn't even write you.

[Ryan Whitney]

And he's never written a text to start Ryan, period.

[Chris Johnston]

It was.

[Ryan Whitney]

That was the sentence.

[Yan Stastny]

Oh, that's a son.

[Biz Nasty]

That's like your father yells at you.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. So Ryan, you've also.

[Chris Johnston]

You've also quit on this team before and then.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, I quit on that team before. If you didn't quit on the team, you're crazy. And then what happened after I quit on the team?

[Chris Johnston]

So.

[Ryan Whitney]

So you can try to like deflect this to me being a bad fan, which I've been a horrible fan. Horrible fan at times, but I've seen true winners and true teams that care about each other and go on to the Stanley Confines. Did we raise the trophy?

[Yan Stastny]

No.

[Ryan Whitney]

Have you been out of the first round twice in what, 30 years? Yeah. And did you even make the conference round? No. So you can call me a bad fan, but when the times get tough, tough one time I quit. Most of the time I'm there. By the way, these games are starting at 9:30 Eastern. You're in bed with your kale salad, stretching, texting some girl. I'm just starting the first period, buddy, and then I'm up early with kids, so you can call my fandom all you want. I should have never said, he's leaving after. After the.

[Chris Johnston]

I actually. What did you make of his. His theory? I thought it was great.

[Yan Stastny]

I believed it.

[Biz Nasty]

I. I believe it. I do believe it.

[Ryan Whitney]

Okay, well, I do. I don't. I take it all back. I. I think it's like RA on the last episode. It never even happened.

[Chris Johnston]

Well, you. Hey, you got yourself out of that one. That was pretty.

[Ryan Whitney]

I don't know about that. Or there's fans. They were. What are you talking about? Why you're the one bringing this up. I know. I don't know what I was doing. It was, it was kind of a conversation, like I said in Uber, that just was never meant for air. So I didn't mean it. I apologize. We're going.

[Chris Johnston]

I think, I also think.

[Biz Nasty]

But before we get to that, go back to the original thing like goaltending. Am I going to see Pickard in the net in the finals again? I can't do it.

[Ryan Whitney]

No, no, no, no. I, I, I, I really believe in Jari. I really do. And, and also Skinner has been awesome. But like if you look, I saw a tweet about Skinner save percentage month to month. Like in his, in his career. It's crazy. Certain months he's like 9:20. And then there's months that are 8:70. And then April was always an ugly month. And then that's when Picker would come in. What are you winking at?

[Chris Johnston]

I think the algorithm's got you.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. Oh, the algorithm definitely has.

[Biz Nasty]

I remember hearing from many sources that as soon as Skinner was gone from there, he's going to go back to how he was. Like he was getting bombarded there. His, his wife was getting bombarded his.

[Ryan Whitney]

His d. But he was unbelievable. So that doesn't even.

[Biz Nasty]

Edmonton fans destroyed him and his family.

[Chris Johnston]

Let's go around the horn here. Do you think they're crazy if they don't try to make a change?

[Biz Nasty]

Not.

[Chris Johnston]

I'm not saying Jari is. Do you think they need to add a goaltender before the deadline?

[Biz Nasty]

Yes.

[Chris Johnston]

Yes.

[Biz Nasty]

100%.

[Yan Stastny]

Yeah, but how, how can you do that again?

[Biz Nasty]

Yeah, I don't know.

[Yan Stastny]

It's a tough ass.

[Biz Nasty]

I can't have Calvin Picker coming in and try to save the day again.

[Ryan Whitney]

I would love McMahon.

[Biz Nasty]

It's like Andy Kyota coming in to save the day every year in Wilson.

[Chris Johnston]

I'll make you a deal. I'll make you a deal.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, can't wait to hear this one.

[Chris Johnston]

You. No, you be positive towards me and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

[Yan Stastny]

No, don't take the deal.

[Chris Johnston]

And no, I was, I was just going to give you Bobby McMahon. Your chance at a Stanley cup relies on you being nice to my team and you refuse to do it.

[Ryan Whitney]

No, I just want you to rebalance. Rebuild. I want you to rebuild because I think it'd be okay.

[Chris Johnston]

So when you, when you say that.

[Ryan Whitney]

What is trade one of Nylander, Matthews. Whoa.

[Chris Johnston]

I don't think you do that.

[Ryan Whitney]

Okay, well, you never traded Marner when you could have traded him. And now how's it looking? Right? It's a disaster. Okay, that should have happened before. Not necessarily. Marner one of them. And now you could still probably do it and rebuild and just start over. Because what you have, you're not going to win a Stanley cup with it. You couldn't win the Stanley cup when you had all four of them at the height of their power. Tavares is getting older. Start over, dude. Start over. Your D's old. Your D's not good. You got two good goalies. They can't really stay healthy. You got two unbelievable forwards up front. Trade one of them, start over, you're done. You're not winning anything. Prong said it. Look at these teams that have. And the Chicago, they got Bedard, they're on their way back. Celebrini, this guy's once in every 20 years. Pittsburgh did it. Being having Merles on their first line.

[Chris Johnston]

You.

[Ryan Whitney]

You to get a true superstar, which you kind of had or have, you got to be bad. And the Leafs are mushy middle now. You weren't. You had a couple great years. Great teams, not great years. That was a misspoke. Misspeaking. And right now it's just. You're. What are you doing? What are you going to do next year?

[Chris Johnston]

I would just like to see them get healthy and give it a chance.

[Ryan Whitney]

The health thing is bullshit.

[Chris Johnston]

What do you mean?

[Ryan Whitney]

Because you have to have a deep enough roster to deal with injuries. Like the Toronto's, like, oh, we. We got hurt this year. It's like, well, that's not an excuse. Every team gets hurt. Every team has injuries.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah, but. But I think that, like I said, if they just get. If they're healthy and they get inside of a playoff, like, I, I don't think there's anyone in the east that, like I said, truly scares me. So I don't. It's. It's more about a chip and a chair situation where all of a sudden everyone's like all rebuild. Where it's like, I feel like they have a good enough team and, you know, they could make some signings in the off season.

[Yan Stastny]

So if you think any team in the east is scared of Toronto.

[Ryan Whitney]

No. And.

[Chris Johnston]

But I don't. Because when Toronto two times a season, when they were going through, when they were playing at their best, and I'm like, okay, that. That's the team that I thought we were going to see that's when Carlo first came back. Tan of I think played a few games and then boom, he was right back on the ir Like I truly believe. And if I don't think Tan's going to be back before the deadline, they're saying it's like, it's pretty bad, right? Yeah, he might be the whole regular season. So that's, that, that's a tough loss. I'm more like, hey man, like, let's just get in the playoffs and see how things shake out.

[Ryan Whitney]

Like, so you wouldn't be afraid of floor Florida.

[Chris Johnston]

I think Florida would suck just because of like Tampa.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, I beat them once. That was their, that was the first first round series they wanted.

[Chris Johnston]

It's, it's, it's not like it's a series that I'm going into being like, oh, I'm a, I'm a, oh, this is for sure it's going to be over in five games. Like to me a dream scenario would be meeting Detroit, Detroit and all their fans are like, oh, we swept you. We swept you. They, they fucking Ottawa swept them last year. Ottawa swept them the entire regular season. Then they go to the first round and fucking Toronto worked them. I know it got to six games. It shouldn't have. They should have ended it in five. But I just want them to prove everybody wrong, stay the course, get healthy, slide inside of a playoff spot. And if they win around, I just want to hear everybody shut the fuck up.

[Ryan Whitney]

That would be a tough show for me if Toronto got in the playoffs this year and won a first round, that, that show after. That would be a real tough one.

[Chris Johnston]

So self admittedly my ego is saying, I just want to be able to give the marble barrel and win a first round series against Detroit to everybody online. And then if we get swept the next round, like, it's like, okay, that sucks. We didn't do the rebuild because it was like a, a lot of sacrifice for my, my, my, you know, that'll.

[Biz Nasty]

Cost you ten grand. The double bird. Just like your boy Nylander.

[Chris Johnston]

And going back, I think Nylander was. We keep talking about the. He wasn't wrong. He was just early. I think he was giving the finger to all the people out there saying, rebuild, rebuild, it's over, you guys.

[Ryan Whitney]

Were they saying it then at that point?

[Chris Johnston]

Oh yeah. Think they've been saying it all year. The way they started the season. Then they started playing good again. Then they took another. Then they were saying, blow it all up again. He was saying you to all the.

[Ryan Whitney]

Haters, okay, okay, that's.

[Chris Johnston]

I'm team Willie. Willie, you hear me? You're right.

[Yan Stastny]

It's fine.

[Biz Nasty]

Them all this took a turn here at one point, you know, you guys were like ending the argument. I thought it was going to be.

[Chris Johnston]

The offering to be nice to my team and me.

[Ryan Whitney]

And you said no holding up half.

[Biz Nasty]

Oilers, half leash jersey. You guys holding it up together, making trades for each other. That's the picture.

[Ryan Whitney]

Reds right now.

[Chris Johnston]

That's the new Peter Shirelli right there.

[Ryan Whitney]

Night. My dream would be that they missed the playoffs and they get the sixth overall pick and then it goes right to Grinnell in Boston. Because that. That would be a great episode right after that. That'd be an episode that I'm very excited for.

[Chris Johnston]

For.

[Ryan Whitney]

And you'd be sitting there like, oh, no, what am I going to do? We're not going to rebuild, though. I'm going to give with the double. Double. What do you call it? The double barrel wrist or something like that.

[Chris Johnston]

I'm going to tell you this right now. If we don't make playoffs, I'm going to be handing Gavin McKenna a jersey come July.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh. Oh, you think you get okay? Yeah, that. That would be great. You get to keep that draft pick. You get to keep that one. And that's a good. That's a good little.

[Biz Nasty]

That would be nice.

[Ryan Whitney]

Segue into our guy that just sat down with us.

[Chris Johnston]

Us, Toronto Maple leaf Gavin McKenna.

[Ryan Whitney]

What a treat it is to be here at Penn State with star freshman leading score of the Penn State Nittany Lines. Gavin McKenna, thanks so much for joining, buddy.

[Gavin McKenna]

Thanks for having me. Boys.

[Ryan Whitney]

Can't believe how this looks. Obviously if you're watching on Netflix, you could see behind you. I think this place seats close to 100,000, but in the middle of the redo, it's already ready to go and it's going to be jumping tomorrow. Have you played in a outdoor game?

[Gavin McKenna]

I've not just odrs at home. Other than that. No.

[Chris Johnston]

Way colder than here.

[Gavin McKenna]

Oh, yeah, I heard.

[Chris Johnston]

I heard back home it can get like minus 50 where you can only be outside like 30 seconds and you got to get back.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, I think this year was minus 70 with the wind chill at some point.

[Ryan Whitney]

What?

[Chris Johnston]

I didn't even know that was possible.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, it's not.

[Chris Johnston]

So what do they do? There's a whole town shut down or I.

[Gavin McKenna]

When I grew up, I had to go to school still in that weather.

[Ryan Whitney]

But uphill both ways.

[Yan Stastny]

Last time you went.

[Chris Johnston]

Last time you went. Yeah, yeah. Not. Not much expectation of doing that here, but. So you must have been doing that a ton, like when you were growing up.

[Gavin McKenna]

Oh, yeah, Just old.

[Chris Johnston]

Like who? Like, just look, with all your buddies back home, do they have like a town rink? Do you have to make your own?

[Gavin McKenna]

I had my own and there was rinks, like at parks. Like pretty much every park had a rink. So go out with the buddies or just go on my own.

[Ryan Whitney]

And for people who don't know. Where are you from? Is it Yukon?

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah. White Horse.

[Ryan Whitney]

Okay.

[Chris Johnston]

Which is about a town of. I read about 35 to 40,000.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

And then the whole territory is 45,000. So basically everybody who lives in the province or territory. Excuse me, Lives in Whitehorse.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, that's right.

[Chris Johnston]

I mean, it's just a lot. Do you ever go. I know you're big into the outdoors. Would you just drive and go explore throughout the rest of the territory?

[Gavin McKenna]

Well, I have a cabin four hours north.

[Biz Nasty]

North.

[Ryan Whitney]

So.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, I go there.

[Ryan Whitney]

The other way.

[Chris Johnston]

It's the other way, you idiot.

[Yan Stastny]

The northern equator.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Gavin McKenna]

So I got the cabin up there. Yeah, I've been. I've been all over the Yukon pretty much. I go. Go fishing and stuff like that with my buddies. And yeah, it's. It's beautiful land up there.

[Yan Stastny]

So when you were growing up playing, were there towns close to you or was it kind of just like in your own town, different team set up?

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah. In your own town, you play like guys two years older than you. And then weekends you'd have to fly to like Vancouver, Calgary, to. To go play actual teams.

[Ryan Whitney]

Wow. So until you were. But so when you're real young, you're just playing kids in the town, in the city?

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, pretty much.

[Ryan Whitney]

And then we were. We were reading. You left when you were 12? Is that what it was?

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

Okay. So it's just kind of like. All right, I'm. I'm kind of like not to. Not to be cocky or anything. Like, too good for here.

[Chris Johnston]

Oh, apparently he was just you dominating back home. And when you go to these tournaments, when you would travel to Vancouver, Hoover, you'd put up like five points a game to where it got to the point where I'm sure your parents were like. And they were probably getting approached by agents and other people to. To poach you. No.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, that. Well, that's how it started was going down to those tournaments. That's how I got scouted. And yeah, I. I just had to go away. My buddy Dylan Cousins, he broke his leg playing against older guys. So it. I kind of wanted to Start getting into my own age group. And yeah, I moved away at 12. Luckily, I had a billet family who I knew beforehand, so it was nice to go. Go with them and stuff like that.

[Ryan Whitney]

That's hard, though.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah. So. So Dylan Cousins, who was with the Buffalo Sabers, got traded to Ottawa. He's, what, a few years older than you, obviously. And so that experience kind of like, I guess, like, scared you in a sense, like.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, like, he. He was, I don't know, 13 years old playing against grown men. So it's.

[Chris Johnston]

It's just like playing in senior.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, that's exactly going to work. After just going on the equator.

[Chris Johnston]

And then I'm sure Alaska was a pretty quick shot. So you'd be going like Fairbanks and maybe Juneau for some games.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, we play those guys.

[Chris Johnston]

Wow. That. I mean, just.

[Ryan Whitney]

What's the closest major city? Vancouver?

[Chris Johnston]

No, I think it's Fairbanks.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

This guy's a idiot, dude.

[Gavin McKenna]

I mean, Juneau, Alaska is really. It's not a big city at all, but it's like an hour and a half drive.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, no.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah, I'm a big hiker. I do a show called Peak and so I would love going up there and doing that. We should do one together.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. Drag you into one of those.

[Yan Stastny]

They'll take. He'll take his.

[Chris Johnston]

Gavin McKenna can't get drafted. He got attacked by a bear is on the ir.

[Yan Stastny]

What's like, did you ever see any bears or.

[Chris Johnston]

You got a pet bear?

[Ryan Whitney]

There's a polar bear.

[Fishsticks]

No.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, bears do, like, just walk around our neighborhoods and like. Yeah, you'll catch bears. Really? Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

Wow. Have you ever, like, hunted?

[Ryan Whitney]

Yep.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, I hunt for moose.

[Yan Stastny]

How do you think they ate?

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah, there's no grub.

[Yan Stastny]

Was there grocery stores and all that, like, got everything.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Yan Stastny]

I mean, I'm intrigued by this.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah.

[Guest Player]

Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

You never even played hockey. We just tagged. We tagged along.

[Yan Stastny]

I'm a geography major.

[Chris Johnston]

But keep going. We want to hear about you. So you hunted moose?

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah. Hunt moose. Yeah, pretty much. My grandpa, he grew up hunting to eat and, yeah, just carried along through my family. So I haven't been home for hunting season for a long time now, but hopefully I get to go back one day and shoot my first moose.

[Chris Johnston]

Wow. So he would bring you along. He'd wake you up early in the morning, you'd pack the car, you'd drive to wherever and then just poach out. Wait.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, that's where we'd do it at our cabin four hours north, so. So hop on the quads. We've got like a. A trail to get to, like our lookout, which is like a big mountain pretty much. And yeah, sit there, call for like two hours or however long it takes. And yeah, my grandpa would shoot it and then load up the four wheeler with all the meats and skin. It usually takes about like three to five hours. So it's. It's a long process.

[Chris Johnston]

And you would help with the process.

[Ryan Whitney]

With a hockey stick. That's how his hands got so good.

[Yan Stastny]

Stick him. Oh.

[Chris Johnston]

Toe dragon is in the mason jar for a little snack.

[Yan Stastny]

For how young you are, like, the way that other kids are growing up, you know, whether it's in u. S. Canada, it must have been cool to. Oh, yeah, you know, be on your own. You're on your dirt bike, buzzing around, like, just freedom, right?

[Gavin McKenna]

Oh, yeah. It's the best way to grow up. I'm very fortunate to have what I had.

[Ryan Whitney]

When you look back now in the summers, I'm like, matt, it was probably late all. All day. Did it get dark?

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, you get like three hours of. Of darkness.

[Ryan Whitney]

And then the winter comes and it's just the opposite.

[Gavin McKenna]

Depressing. Like no light.

[Ryan Whitney]

Light.

[Gavin McKenna]

Well, not no light, but like, yeah, you wake up at 11 and it's still dark out.

[Chris Johnston]

Oh, that's bad.

[Ryan Whitney]

But so going back to leaving at 12, like, I think it's. It's more common now at 14, 15, it was always 16, say when Junior, like, did you love hockey so much that you were willing to go and wanted to go, or was it actually kind of depressing at the beginning? Like, I'm leaving all my buddies. I'm so young still.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, it was for sure sad. Funny story. I left home with two broken hands.

[Ryan Whitney]

So we fought a bear.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, I left with. With two. Two casts on my own.

[Yan Stastny]

It was.

[Gavin McKenna]

My family was like, man, like, do you want to come home? And I said no. Like, I obviously wanted to stay. Luckily it was Covid, so I didn't miss many games. But yeah, I obviously wanted to move away. Like, seeing Dylan move away, I knew I had to at a young age, so. So it was something I was willing to do.

[Chris Johnston]

Pat Brisson sent me this picture today. I think your mom sent it over to him. This is him sleeping as a kid with his hockey glove.

[Ryan Whitney]

He's like, one.

[Yan Stastny]

All the hockey gloves on?

[Chris Johnston]

No, I. Maybe one's on, then one's just over there with a puck. So you were, you just were what, hockey obsessed from a very young age. Like, what drew you into it?

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, I don't. I was Just always in my family, I loved. Loved hockey. Yeah. Like that photo. My, my. My mom would. I'd have to. To try and wear gloves to bed, and she'd put mittens on me because I couldn't wear them to bed, and I'd try to wear my helmet to bed and she'd have to put a toque on me instead. And I just always, like, I don't know, like, I always loved hockey. My family grew up into the sport. Everyone in my family, like grandpa, uncles, they all played hockey, so I had a backyard rink when I was like three. So I just grew up into the sport.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah. Your whole family. Your mom played, I believe you have two sisters. And one of them played. Plays.

[Gavin McKenna]

One of them plays. They both have played. Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah. Pat said the other one's more interested in the arts now at this point. Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

Are your parents both from Whitehorse?

[Gavin McKenna]

My mom's from Dawson City, which is like five hours north.

[Ryan Whitney]

Okay.

[Gavin McKenna]

Whitehorse. But she grew up in Whitehorse. Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

And. And you know, you're very, very proud indigenous, right? That's one thing that you love talking about and stuff like that. So you mentioned your grandpa and hunting with him. Like, like, what makes you so proud to be indigenous?

[Gavin McKenna]

Like, would just like hearing some of my grandpa's stories. He went through a lot growing up, so to see how far he's come and like, getting to actually, like, have someone experience those stories in your family, like, like, it hits home, obviously. So me being indigenous means a lot to me. Especially like, I, I do it for my grandpa. I think, like, he's. He never even says the stories just because it's how. How crazy some of them are and don't know if he ever will, so I do it for him.

[Chris Johnston]

Have you, have you reached out to maybe Jordan Tutu at all? I know that he's like, extremely proud. They've done documentaries on where he's from and how he grew up and maybe just like to kind of just talk to him as you. As you continue in progress through hockey.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, we, we text a little bit. Not much about, like, being indigenous and stuff like that, but like, I've read his book, some. Some crazy stories in there. I. I saw him at the airport once and we had a, like two hour conversation together. And yeah, we text and stuff like that. And obviously he was kind of like the staple for indigenous hockey players, so obviously very cool to talk to him and stuff.

[Chris Johnston]

Similar styles of play too.

[Yan Stastny]

Yeah, exactly.

[Chris Johnston]

Tomorrow in the game.

[Yan Stastny]

Oh, my God.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

Who was your team girl growing up?

[Gavin McKenna]

I was a Blackhawks fan.

[Ryan Whitney]

No, because of Kaner. Okay. That's pretty sick. I was gonna say who. Who are your favorite players? But that makes sense. So, like, now, looking forward to this summer, right? The drafts coming up and everything. Will you get to go home for a while, though?

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, I think I'll get to go home for a week or so. Not. Yeah, I think I actually might have some of the boys come up.

[Ryan Whitney]

I was gonna say, if they've been here maybe.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, we might go for, like, a fishing trip, bring some of them up, show them what it's like up there. And I don't usually get much time at home, but when I do, I like to get out and do the things I usually do.

[Chris Johnston]

You mentioned when you. You moved to Vancouver, you did it with two broken wrists. You got the cast on. Was it. Was it Byron Richie who. Who brought you there?

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

Did you live with him when you first got there?

[Gavin McKenna]

Not when I first got there. My second year, I lived with him. And, yeah, I had a great time with him. He's pretty intense, and he's always pushing us, me and Ryder. So he was fun to live with.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. So that's when I signed in Moto. He was there, and I played four periods and retired in the middle of the game.

[Chris Johnston]

Tell the story. Tell it, because we got a new audience for now.

[Ryan Whitney]

Well, yeah, the story is that I had played in Russia the year before, and my ankles were all a mess. And I was like, I got one more year in me. And I went to Sweden. And then I told him in the middle of camp, I said, listen, listen, I got a big wedding I had to get back for. I've been, it's my buddy's wedding. I'm the best man. I gotta go home for eight days. And he's like, okay, I understand. He wasn't thrilled. It was a golf tournament. Then I went back, and when I was like, all right, I don't think I got this anymore, but I started first game in Murr. What was the team up north? Shala maybe or something. I was minus three, Lulia. Yeah, Lulia, I was minus three, and I was the disaster. Byron Richie was actually disgusted. He's great guy, but I could tell. He's like, dude, come on, I need more from you.

[Yan Stastny]

You're one of the imp.

[Ryan Whitney]

And then the next game, the home opener, I was minus 3 in the third period with the worst PTRC. And I retired at intermission.

[Chris Johnston]

Wow.

[Ryan Whitney]

But. But I brought up Byron Richard because I remember the times I was at Training camp. He was an animal.

[Gavin McKenna]

Oh.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. And so I guess I'm not surprised to hear that he's now a trained physical trainer. You know physical.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

Okay.

[Guest Player]

Yeah.

[Gavin McKenna]

Like he'd have us running. Running mountains with the dogs and stuff like that.

[Ryan Whitney]

Really? And his son would be you. That's. That's Ryder.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

The dogs would be on the sled and he would be pulling the sled.

[Ryan Whitney]

Reverse mush.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah. Re. That's crazy. And. And you're somehow related to Connor Bedard. Is that true? Is that a rumor?

[Gavin McKenna]

It's like sick rumor.

[Ryan Whitney]

People love that like to be. I hear that this will be talking about that in five years.

[Yan Stastny]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

They're brothers.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah. Yeah, exactly.

[Gavin McKenna]

It involves eighth cousins, like through marriage.

[Chris Johnston]

Okay.

[Gavin McKenna]

Like hardly.

[Chris Johnston]

So. But I mean that's probably a good in. In a sense where you're probably texting with him all the time and picking his brain. I mean he was a prodigy coming up up in the same area. So that. That's pretty cool.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, I do text him a lot. Obviously we're in similar situations, so whenever you get a guy like him to talk to, he's. He's obviously very willing to open up to me and help me out. So he's. He's been good for me.

[Ryan Whitney]

I was reading that you were granted exceptional status for like BC hockey.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

But then not for the whl.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, I didn't apply.

[Ryan Whitney]

Okay, well then that. They didn't include that in the article.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, it was late draft so I didn't want to. I didn't know the rule change was going to happen so I didn't want to be in the league for four.

[Yan Stastny]

Four years.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, you would have been there. Oh, cuz your late birth year. Yeah, exactly. Of 07.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah. There's no really point for me to.

[Ryan Whitney]

Okay.

[Gavin McKenna]

I was still getting my three years.

[Ryan Whitney]

And then Medicine Hat picked you. Like had you talked to them before? Did you know? Like did you have a place you wanted to go maybe? Or was it more. I'll go wherever.

[Gavin McKenna]

Well, I knew I was going to be. It was going to be slim pickings. Like I had talked to Medhat like the top teams quite a bit and yeah, I actually signed with Med Hat before the draft. Like they came and saw me at a tournament so I knew I was going there before the draft.

[Ryan Whitney]

So what if somebody else had drafted you?

[Chris Johnston]

Well, they had first pick.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, they had first pick.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, I see what you're saying. Okay. Okay. So it was in that same article, through the equator.

[Yan Stastny]

Did you just read the headline?

[Ryan Whitney]

No. Yeah, I guess. I guess I fucked that up.

[Chris Johnston]

No, no, you're good.

[Ryan Whitney]

Biz is acting like a professor over there.

[Chris Johnston]

Some shrooms before we started. Legit. Legit. Oh, man. So what, what a jump though, from like going from where you were playing to. To the whl? Probably not as crazy and as tough as it used to be where each team had a warm up separately, cuz kind of teeing off at each other. But like, what, what was that jump like? And like was med had a good team at the time when you stepped in.

[Gavin McKenna]

They had like 11 wins the year previous, but it was a young team. And then when I came In, I was 14. I think we got to like, we made playoffs that year. So. Yeah, I remember my first, I think shift, it was preseason and I was playing against Lethbridge, going up against a guy who was like six, three, like £230, and I got the puck on the wall, opened up. He came right at me, blew me up, did the exact same thing. I opened up again, blew me up again, and then I had a guy chase him around the whole game.

[Chris Johnston]

Oh, you must have.

[Gavin McKenna]

Welcome to the league.

[Yan Stastny]

Yeah, yeah. But you must have been getting targeted like that from a young age because I, I even remember the best players growing up. And you always wanted to show who you were, right? So I'm sure you were used to it.

[Gavin McKenna]

I was, yeah, for sure.

[Chris Johnston]

A lot more chirping towards you in the, in that first year. Like guys like, oh yeah, you're the prodigy. I'm gonna run you through the wall, that type of stuff.

[Gavin McKenna]

Not that year, actually. I think because I had my cage on, guys were like, they didn't want to like be known as a guy going after the young guy. But the year after there was a little bit more.

[Chris Johnston]

More Nice.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

So you guys improved pretty quickly to where last year you won the whl.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

And then went to the Memorial Cup. That must have been an incredible season, like just to go through that with all your buddies. You've been there a few years.

[Gavin McKenna]

It was a crazy year. Like our, our goalie, he right before playoffs lost his dad in the stands, which was like, no, our team was like, man, like, it was tough. He got to go home and see his family and stuff. We had some guys go out with and, and first game back in playoffs, he got a shutout. So it was like, it was crazy year. Like, our team was obviously so fired up doing it for him and his family. And then our captain, Oasis Wiseblatt, when we. He decided not to lift the Trophy and let him do it first. So it was just a tight group and, like, gives me chills thinking about it. Like, it was a fun round.

[Ryan Whitney]

Were any of the series like game seven or anything or did you take care of them pretty early?

[Biz Nasty]

No, we were.

[Gavin McKenna]

We went 16 and 2 in playoffs, so it was. There was obviously tight games, like some overtimes and stuff like that, but we did a good job.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Yan Stastny]

Didn't you have like a 54 point game point streak or something?

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah.

[Yan Stastny]

That's got to be insane going through that.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, it was fun. There was a couple times where I was out there with an empty netter and.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, it took a couple of those to keep it going.

[Gavin McKenna]

I think I had one or two of those at like game 30 and I was. Was kind of gripping my stick pretty tight and. But yeah, it was a fun ride. Like, the boys all knew I was on a streak and they wanted to give me the puck and stuff like that, so it was fun.

[Ryan Whitney]

Do you remember any of the chances you had when. When it ended in the one game it ended?

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, it was actually against Spokane in the finals. I think we lost, like.

[Chris Johnston]

Oh, wow. So it went from into the regular season in the playoffs?

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

Oh, man, that's unbelievable. Yeah, that's wild.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, I think it'd be like. Lost like 6:1 or something that game, and I was actually. I had a knee injury that game, so it was tough.

[Guest Player]

I should.

[Gavin McKenna]

I shouldn't have played that game too, but I don't think I had many chances that game. It was an off night.

[Yan Stastny]

Coach comes in, he's like, where the were you?

[Ryan Whitney]

How was that?

[Chris Johnston]

We're gonna send you to our junior B team.

[Ryan Whitney]

So in. In the final of a Memorial Cup. You lost to London, right?

[Gavin McKenna]

Yep.

[Ryan Whitney]

Was that like. Was it a good game? What was it?

[Gavin McKenna]

It was not our best game. I think we were down then going third and then scored two, but couldn't crawl back.

[Yan Stastny]

Where was the MEM cup that year?

[Gavin McKenna]

Ramouski.

[Yan Stastny]

Oh, nice.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah. Where Sid played.

[Chris Johnston]

People often talk about the bus rides in the Western League. Just an absolute grind. But maybe you were used to it because of where you grew up.

[Ryan Whitney]

I was just a fishing trip.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah.

[Yan Stastny]

It's like going to the grocery store. Portland. Portland still have the.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah, yeah. Did you guys have the sleeper, though?

[Gavin McKenna]

No, we. We didn't. We just had the old tractor bus.

[Chris Johnston]

I remember those days, hosing in bottles and just.

[Ryan Whitney]

You still do that?

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah.

[Yan Stastny]

On the podcast.

[Chris Johnston]

Well, no, no body armor, the wide nozzle. Let's keep that in Mind. But yeah, eating the soggy subs on there. We should talk about your decision to come here. That like, I mean you must have like with, with the transition of junior hockey and this opening up like you. You probably saw a lot of buddies doing it. Like what sparked the decision to even consider. Consider it.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, I think I was not like mid season. I thought there was no chance I was coming to college, but as the year went on I started to look into it a bit more and when we won the championship I was like not much more to do. So I thought college was the next step for me. And yeah, I had some zoom calls, called here and a couple other schools and kind of slimmed it down to two schools and came and visited here and like it's hard to say no to, to what you got here. You know, I think I met the coaches and stuff, met some players and there's just people I wanted to surround myself with and seeing the facilities and stuff, it's like you don't get much better than this.

[Yan Stastny]

So I mean even for you personally, you have so many points. Like the leagues, I mean, no, I know you're not going to say it about yourself, but the league's easy for you to come to college. You're playing against older kids, you know, bigger, stronger guys. Like to even to make that next step, I'm sure was kind of a no brainer for you.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, that's why, that's why I did it. Just to. I feel like it'd make that jump to the NHL a little bit more smooth. Like you see with Celebrini and those guys like just hopping right into the league and dominating. So I think college has, I think that's why like coming to college here, like it's. You're playing against guys who, who are older and faster and stuff. So I think it makes it a little bit easier.

[Ryan Whitney]

First kid to do it was a WHL kid to Arizona State.

[Gavin McKenna]

Right.

[Ryan Whitney]

Because I remember that news broke and it was like I'm sure for you you were probably what the. Like nobody knew about an.

[Chris Johnston]

No, he did do it. But he'd also played coast games too, didn't he? And that's why it became a little bit more of a, of a story. Because he'd played pro, which a junior was the old rule. But pro it's like for sure you were done. But yeah, because that the, the rule hadn't really been finalized. They gave a grace period for like a year or two to some of these kids who had made the leap to Go play in the coast or the A.

[Ryan Whitney]

The question is though like so your medicine at like you said, you did it all you guys won it. But to lose you, it's. It's a tough, tough hit to the organization. Right? Like was that a hard conversation? Were they upset because we'd heard Keaton Verhoff was taking a little heat for going to North Dakota from his team. I think it was Victoria.

[Chris Johnston]

Was it Victoria? Yeah, they were actually saying that they were maybe sat him out the few first few games of, of world juniors, not as a punishment, but that, that was like something that was floating online where they weren't happy that he made that decision decision.

[Ryan Whitney]

So was your. Was medicine hat upset?

[Gavin McKenna]

Like they weren't like excited obviously, but like yes.

[Chris Johnston]

See everybody here's a Louis Vuitton duffel. Maybe we'll change your mind or no.

[Yan Stastny]

Maybe if they got him a sleeper bus, he would have stayed.

[Gavin McKenna]

No, but they were really good about it. Like Willie, he's been with a lot of good hockey players so he was great about it. Obviously. I, I was really close with my coaching group so shed some tears. But they understood and having a great year this year. I think they were on like a 20 game win stream.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh really nice.

[Chris Johnston]

Having also delivered the western championship. Like you feel like, hey, like I provided, I did fucking 54 game points. Where you figured out boys, we're good here times.

[Yan Stastny]

It must be cool too though because we played junior, he played college, but like junior, like the thing that you're worried about is the next step. Going to the NHL or hl, whatever it is. Unhl, but biz AHL east coast, but you know, you're in college. Like these guys, like this is. You guys are a family. I would imagine like you're going to have friends for life. You get, you know, donors, your supporters around. Like it's a family here, I would imagine. As opposed to junior hockey.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, it's, it's a totally different experience like going to class with your buddies and stuff and like just being on campus with, you know, the people here and it's amazing. I think obviously junior, I think our team was very close because of all the stuff we went through together and, and here it's like, yeah, we're so tight and even with the age gap, like some of these guys are, I don't know, seven, six years older than me.

[Chris Johnston]

So families. He's watching four kids in the wives lounge.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah but like they all like it's, it's such a tight group and I don't think there's anyone who's like an.

[Yan Stastny]

Outsider in this team, even like Michael Parsons I saw was hanging around with you guys.

[Fishsticks]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

Where was.

[Gavin McKenna]

Was that? Wisconsin.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, okay.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

You guys just swept them, right?

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, we did. That was big.

[Ryan Whitney]

So things have really started going here since. I know for you personally, since World Juniors have really taken off. Do you think playing against kids more your own age and just not having to deal with like men, grown men in college maybe got, I don't know, a little confidence back made you feel a little better coming into the second half?

[Gavin McKenna]

I think so, yeah. Just playing with those guys at World Juniors are obviously, obviously like, they're amazing players. So it was a fun time and had a little bit more time and space at World Juniors, which is where I think I can. That's my game. So I kind of had more confidence just coming back here. And yeah, the team's been buzzing, so obviously that helps. And yeah, I think I got a finker back on my line. He's obviously a great player. He was hurt for most of the year, so having him back has been fun. And I think the team's just clicking right now.

[Biz Nasty]

Nice.

[Chris Johnston]

What, like go through like what your normal day is here maybe as even as opposed to junior. Like, what's, what's different about your everyday routine?

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, wake up. We go to the gym pretty early and then I've got a 905 class after. And then.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah. What are you doing? What are you taking?

[Gavin McKenna]

I mean, so I actually. I'm in a fly fishing class.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, really?

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

That's unreal.

[Ryan Whitney]

Just got a couple more recruits.

[Yan Stastny]

Skinning class.

[Chris Johnston]

How do you think they made these jerseys?

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, and I have stick handling class. This school's awesome lunch class.

[Chris Johnston]

I went fly fishing for the first time this summer. I'm addicted. That's un.

[Gavin McKenna]

Oh, yeah. Nothing better.

[Ryan Whitney]

Are you addicted?

[Yan Stastny]

How many times have you been since.

[Ryan Whitney]

You been as an addiction?

[Chris Johnston]

Thought about it 100%.

[Ryan Whitney]

He mentioned it to us.

[Yan Stastny]

If you're addicted, that means you do we go with women. It's a little different.

[Chris Johnston]

That's. Hey, that's why I do it. So I tee them up and then they just get going. The fans at home are happy. Hey, quit laughing.

[Ryan Whitney]

He's a fly fisher. The guy's never like. Like we were see him on his phone on fly fishing website.

[Yan Stastny]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

Girls in fishnet costumes. But.

[Chris Johnston]

I went, Gavin, you. You can't laugh at that. This is like a draft meeting right now. You can't laugh.

[Yan Stastny]

Yeah, I'm thinking him first over.

[Ryan Whitney]

Okay. Fly, fish rest. What did you catch?

[Chris Johnston]

Sorry, I. I caught a few. Even one of them had. I think it was a tro. Maybe I was in land.

[Yan Stastny]

Tro?

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah.

[Yan Stastny]

At the bar.

[Chris Johnston]

I got this. Snapping photos, right?

[Ryan Whitney]

Addicted to that. That was the one.

[Yan Stastny]

One time.

[Chris Johnston]

I'll tell you there. There are a few. Like, there aren't many natural highs that compare to going out on the water. So we weren't. We weren't like stagnant. We were on a boat doing it. And then one of the ones I caught actually had like a. There was a bunch of bald eagles around. It's one of the most condensed area that has bald eagles. And one of them obviously tried to swoop down and grab it. So it had the scar on the back of the fish that we'd caught. So it's pretty. Pretty cool.

[Ryan Whitney]

That's.

[Chris Johnston]

Buddy, we had a. I'm not.

[Ryan Whitney]

I'm not even joking. That is sick.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah, I know. I got. I see that smirk on your face too, you little. Jimmy Kimmel owns a lodge.

[Yan Stastny]

I gotta go fly. I gotta go. Is there any pawns around here?

[Chris Johnston]

Where do you go to fly fish around here?

[Gavin McKenna]

I haven't been yet. Class just started the semester, so. No, no water frozen.

[Chris Johnston]

So. Yeah, but you can. I think you get pretty. No, you can't do fly fishing. So what, like in the class, do you learn about doing it before you actually do it?

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, we. Right now we've been like tying knots and like tying our own flies and stuff.

[Yan Stastny]

He's gonna show up Monday. Business in class with a notebook.

[Ryan Whitney]

No, he go in class. You learn how to do it before you do it. No, dude, they just send you out. Everyone's standing there, drop you in the.

[Yan Stastny]

Middle of a white horse.

[Chris Johnston]

I'm on the frozen pond. I haven't got.

[Ryan Whitney]

What other classes do you have?

[Gavin McKenna]

I've got Rex and Park Management.

[Yan Stastny]

Dick. I'm addicted to that show Rex and Parks.

[Ryan Whitney]

I saw it once.

[Biz Nasty]

Oh.

[Chris Johnston]

When I say that, it means I want to go do it again quickly. I want to go. I want to go with Gavin. We're going to go to Yellowknife. You coming?

[Ryan Whitney]

Do you have a major?

[Gavin McKenna]

General studies.

[Ryan Whitney]

Okay.

[Yan Stastny]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

That's a good one.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

Everything you've said. I feel like I can get a diploma.

[Ryan Whitney]

I think. I think you could if you were as good as him. Davenport University.

[Chris Johnston]

Well, I feel like any age can come here. He's playing with guys who have fan families. Is it too late? Is it too late for me?

[Ryan Whitney]

What are some what? What are some what? Are some things that Penn State does like some traditions maybe like at the football game you get to go a couple games, I'm guessing.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

Okay. So is there anything your team has or the students have at games that you appreciated that you like?

[Gavin McKenna]

Obviously the white out.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Gavin McKenna]

Pretty sick tradition. Just like the roar zone. They got their chance. Which is our students have section after. Like we sweep. If. If we sweep we go jump into the glass with them and. But I think the whiteout's the coolest tradition. I haven't played in one yet, but I came to the football game and it's pretty epic.

[Ryan Whitney]

Is it going to be a white out here Saturday? Okay, that's going to be awesome.

[Chris Johnston]

We used to do it in Phoenix when we made the playoffs. So you're saying the hockey team doesn't do the whiteout thing?

[Gavin McKenna]

No, we do. We just haven't done it yet.

[Chris Johnston]

Oh, okay. So it's more of a one off type thing.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah. Once a year.

[Chris Johnston]

Okay.

[Ryan Whitney]

Actually I forgot about. You're. One of your coolest moments this year was doing what is the. What did the symbol forks down. Did you know you were doing that?

[Chris Johnston]

What the up with that?

[Ryan Whitney]

Knew you knew going in. If I snipe one, I'm doing this.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, well the boys were talking about it a bit in the room and Yeah, I actually didn't think I was going to do it but I thought it was the right time to do it.

[Chris Johnston]

So I would do the shocker in junior. I was the one that I did.

[Ryan Whitney]

Is there a hockey house here where some of the older guys live?

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, Bone, he lives in the hockey house.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, shocker. Yeah, he's always over there laughing and then. And then. How many guys live in there?

[Gavin McKenna]

Three. We got Dane. Well actually there's two hockey houses but the main one we go hang out with is three guys. Dane, Fink and Bone.

[Ryan Whitney]

That's where you guys will have like maybe a party here and there.

[Yan Stastny]

So do you have to live in the dorms because you're a freshman?

[Gavin McKenna]

I get to live in. I got dorms.

[Chris Johnston]

We're getting them in trouble.

[Ryan Whitney]

Well no, that is where you're saying baby. Most freshmen do. This is not. Not most freshmen.

[Yan Stastny]

Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

Remember that mansion that we drove by on that main drag there? That's you kick the coach out. The coach in the 80. You guys are in the dorms.

[Ryan Whitney]

He's living in the locker room.

[Chris Johnston]

Thanks for the Escalade too. You here. I got you an Uber gift card. Is my school now.

[Ryan Whitney]

Who's teach how to fly fish Though.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah, yeah. World Juniors. I mean, we did touch on a little bit, like, your overall experience. That must have been a blast, right?

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, it was. It was a lot of fun, especially in Canada. My first year, obviously, didn't get the result, but, like, seeing the crowds and stuff, man, it was. It was insane. And then this year, it was fun. My family got to come and stuff. Crowds weren't great, but, like, just going far with the boys, it was a lot of fun.

[Yan Stastny]

We talked about it. Don't you think World Junior should be in Canada every year? Just have it anywhere in Canada or.

[Chris Johnston]

Along the borderline, like.

[Ryan Whitney]

Well, we just did that.

[Yan Stastny]

Minnesota's.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah, yeah. Buffalo had a pretty good showing when they did their years back. I was. Yeah, I was. Were you a little bit disappointed in the crowds in mini.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, we all were. We were expecting, like, every game to be sold out because, you know, Minnesota is a hockey city and close to Canada. But it was. It was still good turnouts.

[Ryan Whitney]

But what's the best arena you've played in on the road in college hockey so far?

[Gavin McKenna]

ASU was fun.

[Ryan Whitney]

Good atmosphere there.

[Gavin McKenna]

Good atmosphere. Michigan State was. Was fun. Both those teams were giving it to me the whole game, like their students.

[Ryan Whitney]

Really?

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah. They were booing me every time I touched the puck, so that's awesome. Those have been fun games to play.

[Yan Stastny]

I remember, like, Northeastern back in the day, they'd have, like, guys, girlfriends, phone numbers on the glass. Like, there was some, like. College crowds are ruthless.

[Gavin McKenna]

Oh, yeah.

[Fishsticks]

A lot of the college crowds now have barcodes. So as you walk up into the crowd, you scan a barcode. They'll have, like, a piece of paper taped right before the student section. You scan the barcode and then it's got everything, like defenseman sisters, girlfriends, cousins.

[Ryan Whitney]

What names and stuff.

[Fishsticks]

Oh, everything. Instagram links, they got it all. They're savages now. Savages.

[Yan Stastny]

Repeat, send me that link.

[Chris Johnston]

I. One summer, I, like, had this picture that we, like, I posted to Facebook. It was me and a Speedo, and we played in the coast in Reading, Pennsylvania. And the guy, like, one of the paints of. Of glass, it was that size, he printed it out and boom, and warm up. I come out, it's just me and a Speedo like this. Their whole section just giving from the sauce.

[Ryan Whitney]

Hockey. That one.

[Chris Johnston]

No, this was like.

[Ryan Whitney]

This is prior.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah. This was like me on a beach in the summer, partying with my buddies. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah. With a little peanut hanging out. Yeah. Tough. Tough sledding.

[Ryan Whitney]

I gotta ask. So, I mean, I heard about you I think it must have been four years ago, five years ago. And with that, like, there comes a lot of pressure. And you love the game, but obviously it's. It's impossible not to be maybe like, reading and hearing things about you. Like, how do you do in terms of staying away from that? Like, do you. Do you read, like, comments on your social media, anything like that? Because I can't imagine how hard it would be.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, I'm. I'm off Instagram this year.

[Ryan Whitney]

Good.

[Gavin McKenna]

I've deleted it. Yeah, this year's been a big change. Grew up like you said. Like, my tires were pretty much getting pumped every. Every single post. And then this year, obviously I expected it to. To be a lot different. And it has been with just people picking my game and stuff. So it's tough at times, but, you know, I think I've got a lot of resources to help me out with that. Like my agency, Penn State here, if I ever need anything, they're all here to help me. And honestly, that stuff fires me up when I see people saying that stuff. But yeah, I was just gonna.

[Chris Johnston]

How would you describe your game? How would you. How do you. Who do you want to emulate? You mentioned Patrick Kane. That's a guy that you looked up to. Is that kind of the same style you like?

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, I think I play similar to Cooch in a way. I've been compared to him a few times and I can see it. I think we both kind of play like we like to read the ice and, you know, I think he can slow the game down, speed it up when he wants, and just a very smart player and you can put the buck in the back of the net too.

[Chris Johnston]

Do you do. Do you work on that, like picking it up off the wall like he does?

[Gavin McKenna]

I've heard that obviously games played on the wall nowadays, but I. I don't.

[Ryan Whitney]

Do what he does in the summers. How often are you skating?

[Gavin McKenna]

Like five days a week, four days a week. Like last summer was a little bit different just with how far we went in playoffs. So it was a short summer and I was injured, so trying to just recover. But in summers previous, it's grinding. I was. I've been with Byron and live with Jim Hughes and stuff like that, so. Oh, really pushing us. Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, okay. I didn't know that.

[Chris Johnston]

Who's that? The huge father?

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, wow. How did you get to know him?

[Gavin McKenna]

Through my agency. One summer I went up there for a summer camp and stayed at his house for a week. It was actually a Pretty sick group we had. Like me, Celebrini, Cat, and we all stayed at the Hughes house there, so. And obviously Luke Hughes was there, so it was fun being there. And then the next summer just got close with them and lived there for the summer.

[Ryan Whitney]

Where will this summer be, Van?

[Gavin McKenna]

I don't know yet. I was in Calgary last summer, so.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, okay.

[Gavin McKenna]

Might go back there. I might go to Kelowna with Byron. I'm usually all over the map.

[Yan Stastny]

Especially this summer too. It's going to be a whirlwind draft. Everything going on, on like for you. Just, I'm sure, you know, like just getting your work in. You got to do that as well, right?

[Biz Nasty]

Yeah.

[Gavin McKenna]

It's going to be a busy summer and not a lot of time to do all that stuff, so got to make sure I'm dialed in when I get the opportunity.

[Ryan Whitney]

What's one test at the combine that.

[Yan Stastny]

You'Re like, ah, don't even do it.

[Ryan Whitney]

Like my, for example, my vertical leap, I think it was like nine inches.

[Gavin McKenna]

Maybe.

[Ryan Whitney]

I'm not kidding.

[Yan Stastny]

I puked in the VO two man mask.

[Ryan Whitney]

You did?

[Yan Stastny]

Yeah, puked. But I had never worked out one time before.

[Ryan Whitney]

You went fly fishing the day before.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, I, probably the V2.

[Ryan Whitney]

Okay.

[Gavin McKenna]

I, I, I, they might have got rid of it though. I don't know if that's.

[Ryan Whitney]

It might just be the Wingate one now, like.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

Test the power of the legs.

[Guest Player]

Yeah.

[Yan Stastny]

Second.

[Gavin McKenna]

I hope so.

[Yan Stastny]

I'd rather that than.

[Ryan Whitney]

And the draft's in Buffalo, right?

[Gavin McKenna]

Yep.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, that'll be pretty cool.

[Yan Stastny]

But it's, it's, it's virtual, right?

[Chris Johnston]

No, I think they changed it back.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, they went back crazy about.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

One thing that I think a lot of people said, I remember saying on the. You committed here was that with all the games in junior college, gives you a chance. You're lifting hard all week. Have you noticed? Have you put on. I mean, it's hard putting on wave. You feel stronger, though.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, I've actually, I came here at like 162 pounds and I think I'm at like 172 now, so.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, in the middle of the season too.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah. Which is. Usually you're just trying to. Yeah, usually you're just trying to maintain weight. And here we got Greenberg, which is like our, our cafeteria. You get free meals whenever you want pretty much. So we got a lot of stuff here. And in the gym we're grinding every day, one Monday through Thursday. So getting those hours in it, it helps a lot.

[Chris Johnston]

Is there one thing that your. Your guys team, like, as far as, like, off the ice, like, that you guys bond around, whether it's a TV show, just like. Like what. What are the things that you guys are into off the ice? You want to hop in here too?

[Guest Player]

I mean, I would just say on, like, weekends, we just. Just like to have all the boys over at the hockey house.

[Ryan Whitney]

So when you guys found out he was coming, right, like, everyone, it's excitement, but you're also like, oh, what's he gonna be like? Like, what was your first impression of him and him getting along with the team?

[Guest Player]

Yeah, I mean, obviously he's a big name, so we were all really excited when we found out he was committed here, but a lot of pressure for sure. And I thought he's handled it really well.

[Yan Stastny]

He doesn't seem like a kid that takes himself too serious where, you know, the guy or the guy's messing around with the. Them screwing with them all day because you gotta. It's never gonna end, right?

[Ryan Whitney]

Have you been pranked? Any pranks?

[Chris Johnston]

You can't really initiate now. It's more. No, no, no, no.

[Ryan Whitney]

No more of the elephant walks.

[Chris Johnston]

What's that?

[Ryan Whitney]

I think uvm, like, lost a season for that, so.

[Chris Johnston]

All right. Swaggy P. What? So what? So what do they do now? What's the.

[Ryan Whitney]

I don't know.

[Chris Johnston]

What's the ranking?

[Gavin McKenna]

Just, like, nothing too crazy, I think. Our freshman group, we were talking about it earlier today. We had a game against the club team, and it's just like, no fans, no nothing. It's just, like, to kind of get a feel for the game again because we haven't played for months, so they all told us we were wearing suits to the game, and we knew we weren't wearing suits, but we did anyways. And just little stuff like that. Like, we have to wear our suits to stuff like that. And shoe checks here and there and.

[Chris Johnston]

Oh, yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

What's the biggest snapshot show that. That coach Guy Godowski's had this year?

[Chris Johnston]

Probably at the Spangler Cup.

[Guest Player]

Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah. He wasn't even with you guys.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, yeah, that locker room video, you're right. I forgot about that.

[Chris Johnston]

That was great. Does he. Does he come in and get you guys motivated and fired up like that a lot?

[Guest Player]

No, not ever. That was, like, rare for him. That was the first time because we were all watching it at home in the locker room. We were like, whoa.

[Yan Stastny]

What's it like having a guy making as much money as him? It must be nice to have that.

[Guest Player]

Yeah. Gavs always helps out with the Bills and the Venmos for sure.

[Yan Stastny]

Class.

[Chris Johnston]

That's very nice.

[Gavin McKenna]

Of course.

[Ryan Whitney]

Classic.

[Fishsticks]

Guys.

[Biz Nasty]

Ben's.

[Fishsticks]

Actually, I feel like we gotta ask.

[Chris Johnston]

It's.

[Fishsticks]

I'd be remiss if we didn't. He was told his freshman year he broke his leg, and he was told he was probably never gonna play hockey again. He's back. He's assistant captain of the team this year. He's playing. So it's a pretty crazy story.

[Chris Johnston]

Femur. What? What. What'd you break?

[Guest Player]

I shattered my talus bone and my ankle. Didn't walk on my foot for nine months.

[Ryan Whitney]

No way. And the doctor told you, like, prob. Like, don't plan on playing anymore?

[Guest Player]

Yeah, they said I was doing. Done. Yeah, it was 16 pieces. It broke. It shattered completely. And just. What, like falling into the wall on a breakaway? Got hit into the boards. Just went in full speed and just buckled on me.

[Chris Johnston]

The bl. Sometimes a blade can get stuck in that, like, the boards, right. And then, like, all of a sudden, with the momentum, you.

[Guest Player]

I was going, so I think Luke Hughes was chasing me, so I was going 100 miles an hour. And just.

[Ryan Whitney]

So the. The staff here, like, the train, they must have been a big part of you, you being able to get back and play. Play again.

[Guest Player]

Oh, unbelievable. Like, I've had three doctors. I just saw Dr. Talusin, the guy that did my surgery at Michigan, when we played there for the first time, like, he was crying just seeing me on the.

[Ryan Whitney]

No way.

[Guest Player]

Yeah, so it was.

[Ryan Whitney]

Man. You must appreciate, you know, what you're doing right now a lot, having gone.

[Guest Player]

Through that, just to be able to do stuff like this, too, like playing this weekend, it's just such a blessing.

[Ryan Whitney]

That's awesome.

[Chris Johnston]

Were you guys as far as excitement on this game in general, like, around the locker room, like, when you guys heard. It was announced like, that probably the pinnacle of your career at this point.

[Guest Player]

To be doing this, and they're saying it's going to be 70,000 plus. Like, we played at Wrigley last year, and that was 35,000. This is going to be the coolest game I ever played. For sure.

[Chris Johnston]

You.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, I remember when they told us that we were sitting in our meeting room and, like, it was insane. I got chills when they said it. And, like, the boys were obviously so far up and. Yeah, we've been talking about this game since the start of the year, so it's pretty crazy that it's here now.

[Chris Johnston]

I had one more. I. I read that you are trying to Build a rink back home in your hometown. Is that true with your family? Just, I just talk about that. I mean, that would be such a cool gift to give back to your community that started it all.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah, well, they take the ice out in the summer, so that's part of the reason I don't really get to go home because in the summers, obviously got to train and stuff, but I can't when there's no ice. So, yeah, me, my family and some people have been trying to find some funding to build it so, you know, I can have some buddies come up and, like, we can skate and stuff. I know Dylan, he wants some guys up from the NHL to come up there, and they can't because of no ice. So if we got that done, it'd be pretty amazing and we'd have a gym in there and have the ice rink. So that's something we want to get done.

[Chris Johnston]

We should do like a fly fishing, you know, charity something, you know, if you guys want to come up, raise some money and get her going. Get my addiction figured out.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, for sure.

[Chris Johnston]

This has been a blast.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

Thanks on my expense, but thanks a lot, boys. Thanks for joining us.

[Gavin McKenna]

Thank you.

[Ryan Whitney]

Thank you very much. Gavin McKenna. Thank you very much to Gavin McKenna, who Nice kid, head on his shoulders. And I, I, I, it's funny you mentioned, like, just have a little more time and space at world juniors, get a little confidence back, I guess. Oh, for sure, because he's been lighting it up. So very excited to watch these guys play, see his, see him play in.

[Chris Johnston]

Person, and mad respect for, like, you know, he could have stayed in junior and put up 200 points. Right. He's clearly trying to get better to, to prepare himself to, to go dominate the NHL.

[Ryan Whitney]

So.

[Chris Johnston]

What a fascinating kid. Smart move deleting the social media. Yeah, that's just, it's clearly he's got the right people around him saying, hey, if you want to get to where you want to get to, this is the path. And, and he's taking it. And just the fact that we're here and we got to interview him, we're going to send it over to G. Like, how did this all come about? Clearly, you, you have a big passion for college hockey with the Chiclets. You, you and Fishy have been crushing that, that, so this was a great trip for, for me to come experience this, the setting and everything. So how did this come about?

[Fishsticks]

This is unbelievable. And I was, it's funny you said that, because I was just thinking about it. Dave Portnoy I don't know if you guys remember, but Dave Portnoy put me. Us three in a group text and he was like, you guys want to interview Gavin McKenna at Beaver Stadium? And we're like, what the no brainer? 100%. So as much as I'd like to sit here and take credit for it, you got to give credit to Dave. It's. Dave said it all.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah, I forgot about that text. Oh, God. My God. I don't want to. I don't want to admit that he's.

[Biz Nasty]

Now Dave's trying to steal my idea.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah, he's the guy. He's the idea guy.

[Biz Nasty]

I got to check.

[Fishsticks]

Kind of got to let him take that idea.

[Biz Nasty]

And actually, right now, you're the Penn State guy. You got the hooks with the coach.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oklahoma. Oklahoma State University club team is up five to four on the Penn State club team at Beaver Stadium. There's four minutes left. Been a pretty. We've been actually here in the crowd. It's pretty sick. And G said there's a chance some that there is a plan in place that Oklahoma State is a D1 program by 2030. So we've been saying, like we mentioned all the SEC teams and their clubs and I know your nephew, little B Brian Yandel, he'll be playing club hockey somewhere. And just the amount of teams that have such great fan support that could possibly someday go D1, it's pretty exciting.

[Yan Stastny]

And we've heard one of our friends, Jerry Cahill, his son, plays at Oklahoma State out there. He's been telling us stories of, you know, how they treat them and all that stuff. So sec, they're going to be getting some school.

[Fishsticks]

They flew here in a private charter.

[Gavin McKenna]

Really?

[Fishsticks]

I mean, that's pretty crazy for a club hockey team to it. I mean, that's pretty nuts to do.

[Biz Nasty]

Only way in here.

[Yan Stastny]

I know I didn't want to bust.

[Biz Nasty]

Can I reiterate though, with the.

[Yan Stastny]

Okay.

[Fishsticks]

The Oklahoma State plans, like, it's just plans right now. There's a long way to go. A lot of things need to happen. But they have stadium renderings, they have dominant owners. They have plans in place. That's the most important thing. Because once you have plans in place, that's when things start.

[Yan Stastny]

The Cowboys, us four on the bench. That'd be sick.

[Chris Johnston]

Wheels are in motion. It's. Man, We. I mean, we talking about Patty Kane at the start of the podcast. The game is just growing at an ex. What's the word I'm looking for an exceptional.

[Ryan Whitney]

Right.

[Chris Johnston]

Exuberant amount no exuberance. Like I should just happy.

[Yan Stastny]

No.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah. I think it's getting late.

[Ryan Whitney]

Even Ryder the other day was asking me. I think he asked where Fowler was from. I'm like, Florida. And then I was telling him, I'm like, yeah, like when I was growing up, there weren't really kids from Florida and there's players from Texas and. And he was. He was so confused. I was like, yeah, that's all been in the last 20, 30 years where these youth programs. So even kids now probably even get it what it was like when it was felt like four states had hockey players.

[Chris Johnston]

Chickren was. Was raised in Boca Raton around there.

[Biz Nasty]

Godosphere in Florida.

[Chris Johnston]

Blake Coleman is. Is a. Is a Texas kid.

[Ryan Whitney]

No, I think he's. I think he's Florida. Oh, no, I'm sorry. Gossip spares. Florida.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah.

[Yan Stastny]

Coleman's from Texas.

[Chris Johnston]

Texas. Yeah. Yeah.

[Biz Nasty]

We go to those USA camps and it was Massachusetts, New York, Michigan, Minnesota.

[Yan Stastny]

Not even that many. New York. It was only like a couple. No offense.

[Ryan Whitney]

We just blew him up.

[Chris Johnston]

You know, younger. Probably one of the dumber things I said on the broadcast. I assumed that there was like, between like 50 and 100 players in the NHL that were born in the US recently. I said that.

[Yan Stastny]

50 to 100.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah. Because.

[Ryan Whitney]

Because Slovakia.

[Chris Johnston]

No, it's. I. I want to say it's around 250 to 300 now.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

Give or take a guy's going up or down. But it was because Chelios originated the conversation. When Chelios was coming up there, there might have been like 15 guys who were American. Who's playing in the NHL, if that. So that's just crazy to see that. That number grow to that. That size. I know, more teams, more opportunities, more jobs. But to go from.

[Yan Stastny]

From, you know, Canadian League, and it was. The Americans were blackballed by them.

[Biz Nasty]

Well, what I was just talking to G about is that's why part of the problem in youth hockey now is how crazy these parents are getting because they're seeing NHLers around their rinks now all the time. When we grew up, we didn't. There wasn't a single NHL around. We had one NHL from New York. It was Guy Hebert. You guys all know him as He Bear changed his name when he went to the NHL.

[Ryan Whitney]

French goalie.

[Biz Nasty]

Yeah, he did. He's from Troy, New York.

[Ryan Whitney]

I would have been to Guy Herbert.

[Biz Nasty]

Yeah, is. No, his name's Guy Hebert.

[Chris Johnston]

His.

[Biz Nasty]

His brother is. Is Jay Hebert. He's in my beer league. I used to play in but when he was gay, he bear like Ge. He bear. One announcer turned him into. He's from Troy, New York. He's not French at all.

[Chris Johnston]

Oh, the opposite.

[Ryan Whitney]

Okay, I love that.

[Chris Johnston]

I love that.

[Biz Nasty]

So.

[Chris Johnston]

But if you say. And he was a goalie.

[Biz Nasty]

Goalie. Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

When you say the. At the French way. I want to pay him twice the amount just from how it comes up.

[Ryan Whitney]

But that used to be. Be the case at least.

[Biz Nasty]

But now that's what these parents are seeing. All these guys around the ranks. When I was in Rochester, see Conley, Clark, MacArthur, the Gianta brothers. Oh, oh, NHL must be so easy to get to my kids going, you're gonna.

[Yan Stastny]

You're gonna see all these kids changing their names to French. French Canadian.

[Chris Johnston]

Oh, yeah. That kid who I remember I went to my Borelli, my friend Tyler Bilby. That game I went to where they outshot the other team 50 to 15. The other goalie's name was Tremblay.

[Yan Stastny]

Oh.

[Ryan Whitney]

I was like, oh, man.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah.

[Biz Nasty]

French goalies are back. Just gonna change everybod.

[Chris Johnston]

Oh, hey. And you doing this pod. No. Laptop. Couple clicks.

[Ryan Whitney]

No. Yeah. That's why I'm so bad. I. I don't know what I was thinking. Biz, you got to do Columbus. Philly.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

Columbus is six and one under Bones. And we got to hear an official. Hey, Bones, it's ace. That was. That was an awesome moment. What are you seeing from the Blue Jackets? What was Bones saying?

[Chris Johnston]

Well, he. Welly was nuts. Again, we mentioned Charlie Coyle's thousand game. He had a great game last night. Great in the face off circle. They had two goals just off of one draws, one to start the game. The starts were something that he. Bones was bitching about. He made some comments in the paper, basically being like, you know, some of their young guys a little sleepy off the starts. And he's saying, you're signing these NHL contracts boys. I don't give a fuck how old you are, man. If you. When you're signing that contract, you're showing up to work on time to play. And that has been a. Obviously a big thing. They were, I want to say, top five worst teams as far as giving up third period leads. They had 14 third period leads that they. They'd squandered. That was bad. And really just. I think the main emphasis coming in. He said we need to be tougher around our net. And their goals against was horrendous when he came in. I think they've already improved about a goal per game better. But any defensive analytic category you look at, they're maybe not huge jumps in improvement, but they're improved and they're starting to pile up those wins based on closing out games properly. Although they were up 3:1 and Philly ended up coming back to tie it off. That connect me Hatrick. But they ended up getting the win 5 3. And he's just really proud of that leadership group because they do have some young guys in that locker room. And he just said that guys are showing up to the rink and you could tell that they're all invested and they all care. And he says that's, that's part of the battle. Like if you don't have that, you're not going to have a winning team. You're not going to have success in the NHL. So I just think that his, his spirit and, and his, his energy that he's bringing into the rink is, is being reciprocated by the guys and I think that they appreciate it. I also reached out to, to, to one of our guys, Jody Shelley.

[Ryan Whitney]

Boone Jenner's underrated as like a leader. Great leader from guys who've played with them. They speak, they love them.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah, he's one of the best guys in the league. Extremely well liked. I said to Jody Shelley, I go any Nuggets tonight? Anything to look for. He goes biz. Marchenko battles to get pucks back. Team toughness in front of our own net has improved. Gabranson has a good impact on that. Who I think think he scored the the goal off that one face off by Coil. PP Warensky is one of the best at chances below the circle and they were actually rolling his highlights. I I mentioned when I was in Arizona they would put chicken on the power play in the bumper position which is essentially a forward position because the needer Meyer move. Yeah, because of how lethal his shot is. If you watch a lot of the power play goals weren't he scores them with like, like snapshots wrist from below the. The top of the circle. So if he gets a look and even if the goalie could see it clean, he doesn't telegraph it. He can pick and fucking beat goalies clean. That's how good a shot it is. And that's why he's I believe in the lead league league lead for goals by a defenseman if not tied with Jacob Chickren. So a lot of similarities there and that's why I mentioned him.

[Ryan Whitney]

The crazy part is they're still eight points out. They are the Eastern Conference because it is.

[Chris Johnston]

And then let me finish this fantill centering Marchenko kind of. Kind of saying as a young center, it not catering to just Marchenko and driving the line. So that was just a other little nugget. And then mate Chuk, fearless as a. As a a player and making plays. So a lot of great things and he goes keep an eye on Bones on the bench. Always giving players pats on the back and that goes a long way.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh dude. What I would have done for some more just a. I think it's a.

[Chris Johnston]

Little rub like this.

[Ryan Whitney]

Granted, like I. There wasn't a ton going on there where I was going to be getting a great job. But it never happened when we were younger, when we played. It just wasn't. That's not how coaches went about their business for the most part. And if you think back to how many times how much better you felt when you did get the occasional hey, great game, great shift. It's like can carry you through a game. And him doing that's awesome.

[Chris Johnston]

I think sometimes we get so lost in the numbers and, and this and that. I think it A lot of time just has to do with energy and positivity and what you're bring bring in that. That positive juju. And then once again I think that these players, you can't fake it. They see it and they'll reciprocate it and that's what's happening and they're getting some stops when they need it. So shout out to Bones. Pretty cool. Like every single coach that's came and did it. Chief was, you know, after the St. Louis gig, he gets hired by 20 Toronto bones Columbus and then talk has obviously gone and had success in Vancouver and then Philly is ace is going.

[Yan Stastny]

To be coaching somewhere. Is that what you're saying?

[Chris Johnston]

No. Coaches, coaches, former coaches go on to have success. So chew on that one. Yeah.

[Biz Nasty]

I might actually be in Columbus next Wednesday. Goals there. There's rumblings on the streets. Him and pj.

[Yan Stastny]

I heard you and Elio have a dozen team going.

[Biz Nasty]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

[Ryan Whitney]

I'm not.

[Biz Nasty]

Elio is.

[Ryan Whitney]

You'd be a good trivia guy.

[Biz Nasty]

I did the trivia the one year I think me and G were on a team. We didn't do very well though.

[Fishsticks]

No, I think we lost our first game.

[Biz Nasty]

Yeah, we weren't very well. But Chase chasing goals versus Chicago and he's. He's looking at that game.

[Yan Stastny]

So keep your eyes going back to Columbus.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Yan Stastny]

Zach Warinski needs to win the Norris if he's. If he's within 15, 20 points of Kel McCarr.

[Chris Johnston]

Well, right now they're tied.

[Yan Stastny]

Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

And he's got more goals and he ain't playing with nearly as much. And I think you guys guys were, were beating that drum and that's why last broadcast I started beating it. I agree with you guys.

[Yan Stastny]

For what?

[Ryan Whitney]

He doesn't mean slap shots.

[Yan Stastny]

No. And he doesn't have.

[Biz Nasty]

I just looked up the odds on DraftKings McCarr minus 2. 50. Warrenski plus 200.

[Yan Stastny]

All right, book that.

[Ryan Whitney]

Wow, that's great value right now.

[Yan Stastny]

That's, that's a no brainer. And we are going to continue to beat that drum. Not because we just like him, but he deserves it. He. What he means to that team. Him and Bones now are just insane.

[Ryan Whitney]

Look up, has a defenseman ever won the Norris if the team doesn't make the playoffs, that's probably where those odds are.

[Yan Stastny]

Yeah, but that, but that Carlson in San Jose, didn't he. Yeah, but that when he had the hundred points.

[Chris Johnston]

That shouldn't factor into that award. I don't think so.

[Ryan Whitney]

Right? No, no, but it does for every other award. Not Rookie of the Year.

[Chris Johnston]

So right now there's a bunch of Colorado fans beating their stealing wear saying like, do you. You're watching the Colorado Avalanche play every night and every time you turn on the TV, it's no doubt Carol McCarr is taking the puck from his own end to the offensive zone. He, he, he, he is. Overall, the like, if you're picking the number one defenseman, you're picking him. But I think if you're looking at this season and what Rensky's doing through the struggles that they've had a coaching change nowhere near the, the, the, the, the cast of play players that McCarr has to play with. Yeah, it might not look as shiny and as, as appealing to you, but the numbers speak for themselves. And you, you have to in my opinion, at least say they're neck and neck right now till the end of the season. They are in a tie at first and it's a, it's Quinn. Quinn Hughes. I would put Quinn Hugh. I would put Marit Cider ahead of Bush.

[Ryan Whitney]

Okay, okay. Okay.

[Chris Johnston]

Right now.

[Ryan Whitney]

Okay. No Booshes.

[Yan Stastny]

I think he was 30 to onesky.

[Ryan Whitney]

Who's 30 to 1.

[Biz Nasty]

I think so.

[Fishsticks]

Adam Fox won the Norris when the Rangers didn't make the playoffs in 2021.

[Biz Nasty]

Oh, that's a guy exponentially.

[Chris Johnston]

Exponentially.

[Biz Nasty]

That's the word you were earlier.

[Ryan Whitney]

That word.

[Yan Stastny]

Exuberant.

[Ryan Whitney]

That's sick.

[Chris Johnston]

That's Way too many syllables.

[Ryan Whitney]

When I look at the standings right now, this is the East. It's just oh, Pasha making that bet with me. And Yan's another five. He might owe me nine grand at this point. It, it's. It just keeps going up and up. The Devils are. They're sitting second to last place in the Eastern Conference. But they move pot. That was one of the guys. They had it. They had to trade. We got to get rid of Pa. We got to get rid of Dougie. And what did Pa do in the aisle Bumper? He sniped a first shot to make it one. Not that against the Rangers. And I said God, if I could watch the Devils miss the playoffs only because of you, Pasha. And have Palat get. Get like 12 goals the rest of the season. I mean that, that is. That would just be incredible. So it was. Can you read the whole trade? G. He's a playoff. I don't have my laptop.

[Chris Johnston]

He's having the worst year. Bar Leafs can finish dead last and he would still have a worse year.

[Ryan Whitney]

I think he's at like a. He's at like a yoga retreat in Turkey with his girlfriend right now too. Yeah, this guy.

[Chris Johnston]

Stop.

[Ryan Whitney]

He's got to figure it out.

[Fishsticks]

So Palat was traded for a 20 PA a 2026 third round pick and a 2027 six round round pick was traded to the Islanders for Maxim Tai.

[Ryan Whitney]

Spake off that, that pronunciation.

[Biz Nasty]

He looked pretty good when he first came over. Yeah, you never know. He might pop.

[Ryan Whitney]

Pasha loved the trade. Shocking. He loved the trade. But you know the Islanders if Palakku. What was surprising I think for people is there was no money retention and, and he signed for next year I believe as well.

[Yan Stastny]

So.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah, but. But I, I don't mind that. He's a great filling guy. A guy if you do make it playoffs. He always seems to elevate his game. He just needed a change of scenery. And. And what I like it from Darsh is I think that that's telling your team, hey, I'm proud of you guys for the way you've played all year. You're in a playoff spot right now. We've had a couple. Couple tough losses. We. We lost Romanov and we lost Paul Mary. So let's bring in a guy like Paat who we think can help out. And then they ended up picking up that.

[Ryan Whitney]

That juicy.

[Chris Johnston]

Juicy. So good for them, man. Patch a few holes and. And that the guys in that locker room have deserved it. Declare incredible second half this season since being healthy. Scratch just Went on a crazy rip. Crazy rip. So far so good for him. Good for getting out of that.

[Ryan Whitney]

Dar saying as well. It was some interviews doing like I worked under Breezeball in Tampa. Not afraid to trade draft picks and Tampa. So who knows? I mean it's not exactly the same thing where you're competing for the Cup. You've already won Cups. You willing to mortgage all these draft picks. But if he really believes in that team, you could see him trade maybe a first rounder. We don't know what they're doing.

[Chris Johnston]

Oh boys. I was looking like I was just getting in a. What do you call it?

[Ryan Whitney]

A wormhole.

[Chris Johnston]

Is that what you call it? Yeah.

[Biz Nasty]

If you're on like YouTube going through a wormhole.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah, yeah.

[Fishsticks]

A rabbit hole.

[Chris Johnston]

Rabbit hole of Leaf's pecks and fucking fuck draft picks.

[Ryan Whitney]

I know, I know.

[Chris Johnston]

It's like a tough. I didn't even. First rounder. Like who the fuck is this guy? I didn't even know somebody in the last like 10 years.

[Yan Stastny]

We talked about all the Vegas trades and who they've traded out. You've never heard of any of these guys besides Suzuki?

[Chris Johnston]

No.

[Yan Stastny]

That they trade out? No trade everyone. Unless he's a top five.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. The one kid Branstrom was supposed to be real good. That D man that went to Ottawa with. But I don't. He didn't really pan out.

[Fishsticks]

Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

Like I was. I was actually because Philly was on the other day and obviously the whole Mitchkoff conversation. We don't need to dive into that. But it's like who could they have grabbed in the first round that's noticeable right now. Who went past them? I think Ryan Leonard might have been the next pick if not two after him to Washington. And then beyond that, I believe that year there's not one other guy making an impact.

[Ryan Whitney]

That was quick though. That was. That was two years.

[Chris Johnston]

I understand but it's. It's like you're looking for that three easy answer and it's really not there. Not only. Not ever, but not in a lot of cases.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, I wish they would. They would move the draft back again year. We've talked about that before. 18 is just so young.

[Chris Johnston]

I think go. We were. We were worried about that but I actually think it would make it better because then you would have that draft be so stacked that it feels like every team would get a good player in the first round because you would have two years.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, because of the one. Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

I. I actually have. Have grown on that idea and agree with you. Where they should allow Them one more year to, to, to scope them.

[Biz Nasty]

And they should have done it that Covid year when none of them played. It was the perfect chance.

[Chris Johnston]

That's a hell of a calmer.

[Ryan Whitney]

The Canucks, they, they gave Evander Kane's agent permission to try to work on a trade. Which pretty much means that like we don't have any. We, we can't trade you right now. That's kind of what that means. If they end up saying hey agent, you can do whatever you want, they, that means they've been trying. So I still think he ends ends up somewhere a team that's looking to get in the playoffs or in the playoffs.

[Chris Johnston]

I'll give you the horse that kick Barube and the head for Evander Kane. Bring him to Leafs. Let's go full, full fledged.

[Gavin McKenna]

Let's go.

[Yan Stastny]

All right.

[Ryan Whitney]

Clydesdale.

[Biz Nasty]

I don't mind that.

[Yan Stastny]

Must have some big feet.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, he'd come into Toronto.

[Chris Johnston]

I'll give you Dallas.

[Fishsticks]

Dallas is a team that's been mentioned with Evander Kane.

[Ryan Whitney]

Okay.

[Chris Johnston]

I'll give you Ed the horse and, and, and you get a can just tell you about the time the out of any reporter coming at Willie for that finger.

[Biz Nasty]

Every time you time my buddy Migs he got traded and usually it's like oh, you got trade it for a bag of pucks. He was down in like the Central League, one of these Oklahoma's or something. He had to bring a bottle of booze and him for the trade.

[Yan Stastny]

You know, did he have to buy the booze or the old.

[Biz Nasty]

The coach goes hey, you got traded to wherever it was Memphis. He's like here, bring this special bottle of pink Whitney with you.

[Yan Stastny]

Was it a top shelf bottle or.

[Biz Nasty]

For the big boy?

[Chris Johnston]

For their GM or for him to drink?

[Biz Nasty]

No, for their gm.

[Chris Johnston]

Like if you showed up with an.

[Yan Stastny]

Empty bottle, he's take them off my books.

[Biz Nasty]

You can have a giant bottle of pink Whitney gold label.

[Chris Johnston]

I'm going to Corpus Christi. Show up. You're fine.

[Ryan Whitney]

I, I, I am obsessed with watching Quinn Hughes play on Minnesota. I think he's over right around 45 assists for the season. Now not obviously all of them with Mini, but every time I look it looks like he gets two, three points. It's crazy.

[Chris Johnston]

He's already tied the, the franchise record for four, four assist game by defenseman. He's had three or four four assist games so far and that's the, the franchise record for a D man. So he's been there for six weeks.

[Ryan Whitney]

He might not even, he doesn't even need to shoulder.

[Biz Nasty]

Surprised me though is when they started it was Jock Lemaire's there. They were scoring two goals a game. But yeah, I mean Caprisov on there, Boldy, he's back. They're awesome.

[Yan Stastny]

Playing well.

[Biz Nasty]

That's a great team. Panera will probably be there by then. On the other side you got D man. Madov, Caulfield, Suzuki, Hudson.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, that's two fun games to watch by. And usually those games are in Canada, but this one's in mini, right?

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah. Is Schaefer the lock for the Calder or is this still a. A very close.

[Ryan Whitney]

He kind. He kind of is. Based on the story coming in, the.

[Chris Johnston]

Amount of goals he scored, how young.

[Ryan Whitney]

But this is a pretty good race, man. The demigod, he just continues to just pile up points.

[Chris Johnston]

Points.

[Ryan Whitney]

He'll probably end up leading rookie score. But Schaefer could hit 20 goals.

[Biz Nasty]

You guys want some live odds? Live odds here.

[Ryan Whitney]

Let me guess.

[Biz Nasty]

Sportsbook.

[Ryan Whitney]

Schaefer minus three twenty.

[Yan Stastny]

Minus.

[Biz Nasty]

Higher. Higher. Minus six hundred.

[Ryan Whitney]

What?

[Biz Nasty]

Dima Dov plus six fifty. Your boy who just blew up Senake plus seven hundred. And then the wall from St. Paul who will be playing in that? Maybe in that Monday night game.

[Ryan Whitney]

I was hearing rumors that they might trade him.

[Chris Johnston]

I heard the same.

[Ryan Whitney]

I thought it was a joke.

[Fishsticks]

I mean Elliot said it on 32 thoughts.

[Yan Stastny]

Okay, so they passed up on him. Right.

[Ryan Whitney]

Wouldn't you. Wouldn't you look to trade Gustafson?

[Chris Johnston]

I. Well, one if during the course of a run especially you need to. You need two guys. So they better but they need.

[Ryan Whitney]

You need to get something. You got to give something.

[Chris Johnston]

Maybe Edmonton because they missed him in the draft. They go get him now.

[Yan Stastny]

The wall of St. Paul.

[Ryan Whitney]

What are they going to give for him? The wall of St. Paul is too good of a nick.

[Yan Stastny]

Can't trade it. I feel like. I know. I agree with that. I feel like Demon have a. They get more. Not leeway. What's the word I'm looking for? They. They have better odds of winning. Like when they can dominate. If you can dominate as X men. Yeah. Your first year. Even if another forwards closer, they're going to give it to the D man because it's so hard because of ice time.

[Chris Johnston]

And yeah. As the position goes out the goalie, hardest D man, second hardest forward.

[Yan Stastny]

Easy.

[Gavin McKenna]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

And this guy's on the ice.

[Guest Player]

I'm down with that.

[Ryan Whitney]

And Sean Schaefer. It's just changed. Like we've talked though. The whole team's different. They're fun to watch now. And the story. Coming in first overall. He also is very close to not even being draft eligible last year.

[Chris Johnston]

He's that young and there's nowhere for him to hide. We talked about Malinsky. There's. He's there. He's their guy. Playing 24 minutes a night. So just a lot more responsibility to bear. Unless demigod goes on an absolute. But I would. Given the fact that he's plus 6, 50. That's a nice little sprinkle.

[Biz Nasty]

Little sprinkle. Little sprinkle.

[Ryan Whitney]

Our listeners in Canada, that Minnesota Montreal game can watch Monday night's game on Prime Video. If you're already a Prime member, you're all set. If not, sign up for the free trial. Prime video.com Prime Monday Night Hockey. It's on Monday. It's on Prime. Last thing. Brutal news. Thatcher Demco. It's crazy that it's. There's so much luck that goes involved to playing in the NHL for a long time. Time. And he's out for the year. Hip surgery. I think he's had this before. I don't know if it's the same hip, but it sucks. And it's just been such a disaster year for Vancouver. But that was one guy. You're like, all right, this year he's finally healthy and he. And he's down again. So you've mentioned a million times how Busetti's too athletic. What?

[Biz Nasty]

No, that's it.

[Yan Stastny]

I was. I was waiting for him to say what I don't know.

[Ryan Whitney]

But it's legit.

[Chris Johnston]

I don't talk all about goaltending, so I just asked the goalies. Right, Right.

[Ryan Whitney]

That's a curse if you're actually too athletic. That's why you're getting hurt.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah. He's just too explosive.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yep.

[Biz Nasty]

So as we're talking injuries. I was listening to you guys. I'm working hard on the treadmill listening. You guys are talking about all the injuries, all these guys. Everyone's blaming the Olympics. How come nobody's talking about number one? The equipment differences. I can show you my shoulder pads I used to wear. It's why my shoulders didn't break once I wore those shoulder pads. They broke when I wore the small little shoulder pads.

[Ryan Whitney]

Light, gearless ones when we came in.

[Biz Nasty]

Hot hockey, you wanted a body fat between 9 and 11%. All these guys now are playing at 6 and 7%. You need that little.

[Chris Johnston]

You know who never got injured? Steven Dixon. He was about 20% body fat.

[Biz Nasty]

Less muscles you can pull.

[Yan Stastny]

Yeah. I always.

[Ryan Whitney]

I like that.

[Biz Nasty]

I remember weight on these Guys, come hang out with us. Have some beer and wings.

[Yan Stastny]

Someone said, like, we had. Remember Mike Zigamanis? He was ripped out of his mind. 0% body fat, but he was hurt all the time.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. Both shoulders. His. Remember his shoulders, bones and just pop it off.

[Yan Stastny]

Guys are like, yeah, he's too skinny. And I'm like, all right, I'll start.

[Biz Nasty]

Eating more Face off guy ever.

[Yan Stastny]

Yeah, he was good.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. The Belichick story. I mean, at this point, like, Mer even.

[Biz Nasty]

I'm down with this one. I'm down with this one. I don't like the Pats, but I'm a total agreement.

[Ryan Whitney]

And this Bill Polian guy, this Bill Colts guy. That's the Colts guy. And he was part of the Bills. And then Belichick, when he was on the Giants, they embarrassed the Bills in the super bowl when he's a defensive corner coordinator. But forget polio. And this has been said. It's like we're repeating everything. It's whoever listened to him and the other guys who didn't vote for him. The own. The main takeaway I had is if you're in the hall of Fame, that's. This is the worst thing that could have happened. It makes it look completely ridiculous. All these. All these hall of Famers are like, whoa, this is. And who. Who's voting on this?

[Yan Stastny]

The hall of Fame?

[Ryan Whitney]

Why other media members voting.

[Biz Nasty]

That's writers.

[Chris Johnston]

The.

[Ryan Whitney]

I can it not be former players.

[Yan Stastny]

That's what it should be.

[Chris Johnston]

So the guy. This guy you're talking about, who I guess initiated it, I'm just shocked that these. These smart guys who were in these positions weren't like, ah, buddy, if we do this, like, we're going to be made of.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, there was nine or 10 people.

[Chris Johnston]

So they never thought of, like, how big of a story this would end up becoming. That to me is just like, I don't understand how they didn't think that this would end up happening. Happening. And for Bill Belichick, I think that I. I'm happy it happened because to get the validation and have everybody come out and speak the way they have on his behalf, that to me, is cooler than getting the jacket.

[Yan Stastny]

There was like, getting the Ted Lindsay.

[Chris Johnston]

That's the. Getting the Ted.

[Ryan Whitney]

There was one tweet, like, when he had the cut off hoodie, just look like a complete slob. And it was the picture of that. It was like, this is the man that's brought the sports world together on Twitter. In agreement of one thing on PMT today.

[Biz Nasty]

I listened to it Our friends over there are our co workers. They said they read off a tweet that Polian said that's it's totally wrong.

[Yan Stastny]

That was a different guy.

[Ryan Whitney]

No, Polian first said. He said I voted for him. This is. This is an incorrect report. And then in another interview, like eight hours later was like, I don't remember.

[Chris Johnston]

If I voted for him.

[Ryan Whitney]

So Pollian, I heard.

[Yan Stastny]

I don't know, it could be fake, but that all the stuff that Bill Belichick had lent to the hall of Fame, like playbooks and stuff like that, apparently rings or whatever, he lent that he took it back.

[Chris Johnston]

That's awesome.

[Yan Stastny]

Which is so petty. And I hope it's true. And if it's not true, don't.

[Ryan Whitney]

It was just one of the. I. I think it was Shefter who broke it or whatever. And it was just like, are you kidding me? Like, if I'm in the hall of Fame, I'm disgusted at that.

[Chris Johnston]

We just talked to your buddy Yan Andrews, and we. If there's one sport where a coach is so heavily relied upon, it's football. And for him to win eight rings and then not be first ballot is. I feel like I'm living in a simulation.

[Yan Stastny]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

So.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah. What.

[Yan Stastny]

What was his reasoning? Just because, like the whole deflate or that wasn't even him.

[Ryan Whitney]

Well, and then. And then the best follow throughout all this was Jimmy Johnson, the old coach of the Miami Hurricanes and Dallas Cowboys. He was flipping out to the point where I think him and Portnoy. I think Dave said he's going to buy an old strip club on the Keys and they're gonna make their own home.

[Yan Stastny]

Yeah. Woody's. Woody's. It's called for sale. Seven million bucks.

[Ryan Whitney]

Jimmy said he's in. Like, they're gonna right now board it up. I think so.

[Yan Stastny]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

I don't know.

[Yan Stastny]

Woody's. It's like on the way down. Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

So just. Just so. So funny though, that, like. Yeah. Belichick brought everyone.

[Chris Johnston]

Are they looking for investors?

[Ryan Whitney]

It's not a strip club anymore.

[Biz Nasty]

Wait.

[Chris Johnston]

No.

[Yan Stastny]

But it's going to be a Hall of fame.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, it's not a strip club.

[Chris Johnston]

Yeah.

[Yan Stastny]

But there's no one in there.

[Ryan Whitney]

We're going to be at dinner in an hour. Like, what? Name that place again?

[Yan Stastny]

He's like, you know, the Realtor, he's.

[Chris Johnston]

Like, looking on Zillow. Yeah.

[Yan Stastny]

Dubus stock for that.

[Chris Johnston]

But that would be a hell of a segue. I know. I would just diversify and I would take out a little bit. You know what do they call that just a hedge?

[Biz Nasty]

Hedge. Hedge, yeah.

[Chris Johnston]

Emotional hedge.

[Ryan Whitney]

There were. There were, like, rumors. Not rumors. There were theories that. That Kraft and Belichick obviously, obviously didn't end on a great note. And Craft's probably going to get in this year. He's not in, which I think this is his 11th Super Bowl. Jimmy was his name. Jerry Jones is in and Belichick isn't.

[Yan Stastny]

Even though they're not retired, they're still in.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, I guess I. Maybe as GMs or. And then people were like, no, well, maybe he did this. He didn't have to go in with Belichick, but he came out. I voted for him. That's nonsense. Greatest coach of all time.

[Chris Johnston]

Time.

[Ryan Whitney]

But, yeah, a very funny storyline. A real embarrassment for the hall of Fame to a point where they had to release a statement. I think they had to release a statement saying that, like, if they find out, basically, that people didn't follow the bylaws or some shit went down, like, you'll lose your vote. But it is a conversation. And I think the NHL is the same. I don't know if you can just do all former players voting, have hall.

[Yan Stastny]

Of Fame guys do it. They know what it takes to get in there. They're in there. They know the excellence that it. What comes with it. Have the guys that are in it that did it, whether it's a couple coaches, couple GMs and a couple players, and boom, you're going to have the right answers every year.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Biz Nasty]

As a guy in two hall of.

[Ryan Whitney]

Fames, what are they?

[Biz Nasty]

Rpi Athletics hall of Fame and New York State Hockey hall of Fame.

[Ryan Whitney]

That's a nice rpi. And he said, no, guys from New York Polytechnic Institute. Yeah, shout out rpi.

[Biz Nasty]

I like to bring everybody in. That's all I got.

[Ryan Whitney]

That's biz. That's biz. A good deal.

[Yan Stastny]

Bring him in.

[Chris Johnston]

They put me. They put. They put my jersey up at Handlebar Hanks and Welland. So that's kind of like.

[Yan Stastny]

That's all.

[Ryan Whitney]

Where were you a bouncer at the strip club?

[Chris Johnston]

Oh, that was the Sundowner, which is. Oh, yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

That's why he wants. At Woody's.

[Chris Johnston]

So. Oh, yeah, I'll do it. I. I know the ropes. It was owned by a bunch of Serbians when I was there, and it was a crazy place because, like, normally in Canada, they, you know. You know, it's like, you're very respectful that you go to the room if you want to see any tits, but for whatever reason, at the sundowner no, like, you know, if.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, they weren't completely.

[Chris Johnston]

They had these horseshoe tables right in the front row, and you could pay 50 bucks a song where you could have two girls and they'd be mucking each other's bins, basically doing the scissor kicks, doing the scissors next to 50 bucks a song where. And then, like, I. I wouldn't be paying. I'd be, you know, checking it out at the other table.

[Yan Stastny]

You were bouncing 25.

[Chris Johnston]

No, but I would go there as a customer before I started bouncing.

[Ryan Whitney]

That's actually what McKenna is going to do this summer. Getting ready for the.

[Yan Stastny]

Yeah.

[Biz Nasty]

I had a guy tell me once that Canada was not respectful in this. That they used to. They don't have dollar bills. They had loonies. So they would get a stack of loonies and the guy would take them and he would. He would light them. He would heat them up with his lighter and then throw them at a girl.

[Chris Johnston]

Like. Yeah, that's.

[Biz Nasty]

Yeah, that's urban legend.

[Chris Johnston]

No, no, no, Dale. No, I was just.

[Biz Nasty]

I was just telling Granali before he.

[Chris Johnston]

Told it, I was like, they burned the teenies.

[Biz Nasty]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

What a way to end this show. Yeah, that's really.

[Chris Johnston]

Well the case.

[Yan Stastny]

You didn't think we were tired?

[Chris Johnston]

There was one last topic I was going to bring up. I was going to try to bring it up at the start, but I'm glad I waited. So there's this movie that just came out, and who's the hottest female actress?

[Yan Stastny]

Sydney Sweeney.

[Chris Johnston]

No, not her.

[Biz Nasty]

Margo Rob.

[Chris Johnston]

Margot Robbie. And she's with. This is a Jason Elordi guy, Jacob Alordi, and she's married. And they did this Withering Heights or Wuthering Heights movie, and it's like a love story. And they've been on this promotion campaign where they've been all over each other.

[Yan Stastny]

Sell on the game. You got to sell the movie.

[Ryan Whitney]

I think if you're marrying her, you gotta know, like, hey, listen, like, I can't get mad at anything. Like, she's an actress. Need anything? Hey, I'm not saying. I'm not saying I'd be okay with it or I could deal with it, but the guy had to know what he was getting into. She's an actress.

[Yan Stastny]

I always said, don't. That's not too hot.

[Chris Johnston]

Because there's a difference between having, like, a role like you did with Leonardo DiCaprio in.

[Yan Stastny]

You did.

[Chris Johnston]

No, in Wolves of Wall Street. I'm saying. You're saying that's what you're signing up For.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, you're saying the off.

[Yan Stastny]

No, but they're, they're doing it on like the tour.

[Chris Johnston]

The prom red carpet. They might as well be back at the Sundowner doing the scissor kicks. 50 bucks song, bro.

[Biz Nasty]

Canadians.

[Chris Johnston]

It's insane.

[Ryan Whitney]

Broken movie and then Pete it. But yeah, yeah, okay, so that's, yeah, that's. So you're saying in real life.

[Chris Johnston]

So at first I kind of see that. You see. Yeah, I see the, the, the post about it and you're like, ah, people are just trying to make a big deal of it, right? Because they were getting all lovey dovey in the movie and she's got a husband. And then you start seeing the, the press tour stuff and then like more of the red carpet and more of the red carpet and different thing. She started, she was saying that, like.

[Yan Stastny]

Is he a good looking guy?

[Chris Johnston]

Oh, I think he's. Yeah, he's like one of the biggest man man missiles on the planet.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, that's tough.

[Chris Johnston]

That's tough.

[Ryan Whitney]

That's tough to be the guy at home. You're vacuuming the living room, you turn on, turn on the TV and they got matching rings and he's like fingering her on the red carpet. That's not. I don't know if you can handle that.

[Chris Johnston]

He was not finger blasting her on the red carpet. I'm not confirming that, that.

[Ryan Whitney]

Okay, okay. I was just, I just, I remember the actor. What's the actor? Who says he has like crazy anxiety.

[Yan Stastny]

You see?

[Chris Johnston]

Oh, yeah, he's touching.

[Ryan Whitney]

He's more liberal than R.A. too. He's nuts. And he's. And he's, he's. Yeah, and he says, like, my anxiety. And all of a sudden, like, he'd be like, basically like, like sucking on his co star's nipple to get rid of his anxiety. I'm like, whoa, that's the guy. I remember being like, if that's my, my wife working with this guy that needs to have like, dick rubbed to be able to get through a press tour, that's where I'm not.

[Chris Johnston]

Okay.

[Yan Stastny]

The fakest anxiety I've ever heard of.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I remember watching. I'm like, oh. He could just be saying like, oh, I'm very anxious from the shoot. I need you to blow me. Like, it was crazy. What's the guy's name?

[Fishsticks]

Pedro Pascal.

[Ryan Whitney]

Pedro Pascal.

[Chris Johnston]

This guy, I'm taking a page out of his, but I'm a gift your girls off.

[Yan Stastny]

All right.

[Ryan Whitney]

Okay, great.

[Yan Stastny]

That's a wrap.

[Ryan Whitney]

Thank you.

[Biz Nasty]

Thank you, Penn State.

[Ryan Whitney]

Won't happen, won't happen, won't happen again it won't happen, won't happen, won't happen again Our bad habits won't worth breaking but it's taking time I don't know it don't let it it's going to happen it's going to happen again. Out on the course, they're the PGA Tour's best players. But in the arena, they're prime time. And season two of TGL presented by SoFi is back with lights, cameras, action. We're talking big moments, big personalities, big names in the stands all on the big screen. Big time matchups with shot clocks. Hammer drops timeouts over the and playoffs. It's city versus city, squad versus squad. This sport just hits different under the lights.

[Chris Johnston]

It's TGL presented by SoFi.

[Ryan Whitney]

Keep up, it's golf. Tune in to every match only on ESPN.