Spittin’ Chiclets Episode 648: Featuring Jeff Gorton

Summary

Spittin’ Chiclets Episode 648: Featuring Jeff Gorton

Date: May 21, 2026
Podcast: Spittin’ Chiclets (Barstool Sports)
Length: ~2+ hours
Special Guest: Jeff Gorton—President, Montreal Canadiens

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Episode Overview

This episode covers the start of the NHL Conference Finals, with a deep dive into the Colorado Avalanche-Vegas Golden Knights matchup, the Montreal Canadiens’ surprising playoff run, and the state of several NHL franchises. The crew is joined by Montreal Canadiens president Jeff Gorton for a candid, behind-the-scenes segment about building a contending team. The episode maintains the irreverent, locker-room banter Chiclets is known for, blending insider hockey insight with memorable stories and humor.

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Key Segments & Discussion Points

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1. Conference Finals Start: Colorado vs. Vegas and the Importance of Cale Makar

[00:34–20:00]

• Vegas takes Game 1 in Colorado; Makar’s absence is the central discussion.
• Cale Makar’s Injury:
  • “If there’s no Makar this series, they’re done…that’s a brutal, brutal loss. Way more impactful than Vegas missing Stone.” — Ryan Whitney [02:41]
  • Crew speculates about Makar's injury (shoulder?), comparing the impact to other teams’ key losses.
• Vegas’s strengths: Strong defensive core, sturdy goaltending, “perfect balance,” and role players like Nick Dowd and Smith.
• Colorado’s struggles: Lack of net-front presence, struggling to penetrate Vegas’s defensive structure.
• Quote: “Vegas is not intimidated by Colorado. Their D is protecting the house, lots of blocked shots…If Makar's 30%, you gotta play him.” — Paul Bissonnette [07:31]

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2. Tactical Breakdowns: Power Play, Faceoffs, and Attitude

[20:00–34:00]

• Detailed critique of Colorado’s power play without Makar—Taves doesn’t bring the same mobility.
• Praise for Vegas’s shot-blocking and their role players stepping up.
• Notable segment on faceoffs:
  • “Very underwhelmed with Nelson and Kadri so far…In the dot, they’re getting smoked. Vegas keeps starting with the puck.” — Ryan Whitney [29:32]
• Emotional swings of playoff hockey; confidence that Colorado can bounce back per “EBR rule #5”—“If the home team loses Game 1, hammer them in Game 2.”

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3. Vegas’s Emerging Stars and Key Performers

[16:01–24:00]

• Dylan Coghlan’s game-winning goal—Vegas depth players making an impact (“He hadn’t scored since 2021, now he’s a hero”).
• Marner’s dazzling creativity and “Mitch Magic.”
  • “I just try crazy stuff all summer…and that’s why you’ll see me doing it in games.” — Mitch Marner [17:10, relayed by Bissonnette]
• Vegas’s team speed—could they even be better without Stone?
• Brett Howden’s playoff surge and contract value discussed.

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4. Buffalo vs. Montreal: Habs’ Miracle Run

[35:40–62:00]

• Montreal’s Game 7 win vs. Buffalo:
  • Alex Newhook’s second Game 7 OT winner (“Team of destiny?”)
  • “Montreal is the youngest team to advance to the conference finals since 1993.” — quoting Chris Johnston [36:34]
• Montreal’s “house money” attitude—no pressure, just vibes for the city’s young, energetic squad.
  • “I think being naive to the circumstances is a benefit…they’re just living in the moment.” — Ryan Whitney [38:53]
• The Habs’ structure, Suzuki’s leadership, Dobesh’s goaltending, and St. Louis’ coaching effect examined.
• Sabres: Optimism despite elimination; what’s next for Tuch and Power?

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5. Sabres Post-mortem: Roster Building and Lessons Learned

[41:22–52:11]

• “Buffalo can’t f--- this up. They need to address goaltending.” — Whitney [43:41]
• Discussions of Owen Power’s development arc:
  • “You’d have to be pleased, he’s justified why Kevin Adams gave him that money…you need to give D-men his age time.” — Whitney & Biz [46:56, 48:08]
• Calling for a long-term deal for Zach Benson.
• Sabres’ key moments for the Chiclets crew (“Sabres gave us our three best viral moments this year” — Merl [53:48])

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6. Montreal Canadiens Deep Dive with Jeff Gorton (President)

Interview starts [63:00]

a. Playoff Run & Organizational Vibes

• “The city’s on fire right now…fans are hungry for more.” — Gorton [63:58]
• Montreal has not lost back-to-back games since March—young group shakes off losses quickly.
• “For a young group to shake everything off like that, it’s something we can use going forward.” — Gorton [69:19]

b. Martin St. Louis’ Coaching Impact

• Backstory: How St. Louis became head coach—his first speech “grabbed the whole room.”
  • “The first time I saw him speak, I was like, ‘Whoa, that’s pretty good. The guys are going to like that.’” — Gorton [68:25]
• St. Louis’ experience as an underdog is resonating with the team.

c. Rosters, Moves, and Team Building Philosophy

• Suzuki’s understated leadership and steady growth, now a “star player and true captain.”
• Building with “core age group” — moves for Noah Dobson, Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook cited as key.
• “We wanted to move this thing forward, not just keep drafting endlessly…Noah Dobson was a core player that fit in right away.” — Gorton [79:20]
• Lane Hudson’s rise: “His skill’s off the charts but the ‘secret sauce’—his work ethic—is ridiculous. He never loses battles, always the best player.” — Gorton [93:16]

d. Locker Room Culture and Stories

• Anderson praised as a “weapon,” especially valuable in playoffs.
• Brennan Gallagher’s professionalism while scratched.
  • “The worst part of coaching for Marty is telling a guy like Gally he’s not playing…but he makes it easy, still supporting the group.” [100:43]
• On learning the operational side of hockey from the ground up—“I wasn’t above anything, loved it, and didn’t know where it’d go.” [91:38]
• Hilarious Halloween fan story from Yandle as a master of disguise [98:08]
• “We want players to know they can walk in our door and say anything. We want to be part of the fun too.” — Gorton [104:47]

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7. Quick Hits, NHL Trend Watch & Humor

[108:32–128:52]

• Vancouver coaching changes (Adam Foote out, Manny Malhotra rumors).
• Debate on Vegas blocking Cassidy from interviewing in-division for new jobs; discussion of coaches’ rights and contract clauses.
  • “It’s crazy you can fire a guy, then say he can’t go to a rival. Should be a clause next time.” — Whitney [119:05–124:00]
• Devils coaching frustration—Sheldon Keefe stays, Pasha vents (comedy gold, as always).
• Gavin McKenna Project doc plug—hockey prodigy hype [125:33]
• Montreal’s women win Walter Cup (PWHL title).

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• “If you want to move on and get a new payday, forfeit your $4.5M. Why do you hang onto it while shopping for new jobs?” — Whitney on coach contract politics [120:27]
• “Montreal is the youngest NHL team to advance to the Conference Final since 1993—the year they won the Cup.” — Chris Johnston, cited [36:34]
• “When we got Lane Hudson, we thought, can he really do this? He’s just the best player every time, the secret sauce is motor and battles.” — Gorton [93:16]
• “Martin St. Louis was willing to coach just three months, no big contract. Not many NHL coaches do that. Players want to play for him.” — Gorton [67:01]
• “I like to be the kind of owner who puts himself on the team and gets some power play time.” — Whitney, joking about ECHL ownership [105:45]
• “We want to be part of the fun too. When we won Game 7, the guys were singing like crazy, and that made us up top the happiest.” — Gorton [104:47]
• “Vegas is just villains, pricks…true villains, and we’ll get into the coaching thing with Cassidy…” — Bissonnette [11:52]
• “It’s hard to score on Vegas, man. I look back, when did Anaheim ever score on Vegas?” — Merl [28:20]

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Key Timestamps

• 00:34 – Conference Finals intro, Colorado-Vegas deep dive
• 04:30 – Taves on Colorado PP, Makar discussion
• 13:32 – Makar’s injury, speculation
• 16:00 – Vegas’s depth stars, Marner magic
• 22:07 – Brett Howden contract and playoff impact
• 29:32 – Faceoff dominance and tactical breakdowns
• 35:40 – Montreal vs. Buffalo, Canadiens’ Cinderella run
• 62:57 – Jeff Gorton segment starts
• 69:19 – On Montreal’s composure, not losing B2B games
• 77:35 – Anderson’s playoff value
• 86:52 – Draft, Demidov, scouting stories
• 104:47 – On organizational culture, “part of the fun”
• 108:32 – Quick hits: coaching carousel, Pasha-Devils, NHL rumors
• 125:33 – Gavin McKenna doc, youth pressure

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Overall Tone & Style

The episode is packed with high-level hockey conversation and classic Spittin’ Chiclets chemistry—irreverent, funny, deeply knowledgeable, and full of stories you won’t get anywhere else. The talk with Jeff Gorton offers a rare, thoughtful view inside the Canadiens’ front office, with honesty about rebuilding, development, and management philosophy. The episode alternates between tactical breakdowns, inside jokes, and hockey guy storytelling for die-hard fans and casual listeners alike.

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For more: Find Spittin’ Chiclets on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Netflix, or ad-free on Amazon Music.

Transcript

[Biz Nunez]

Me and Ryan have been officially welcomed to the jungle that is barstool sports.

[Ryan Whitney]

I brought it towards the Coyotes and I asked him if it was okay if I joined the Spit Chickens podcast full time.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Ryan Whitney's got a Pink Whitney out there now. Heath Yandel, the song man is a full time member. Marley just got an assist from Chris Beat. Whoa.

[Biz Nunez]

We're buzzing right now.

[Paul Bissonnette]

What is up, folks? Welcome. We're into the conference finals. Pinkies up. Welcome to episode 648 of the Spitting Chiclets podcast. Biz.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Paul Bissonnette]

In North Carolina. He already told me. Edie Pablo in the. In the lobby with Pink Whitney giving you pinkies up. So I respect that they're attacking you already. That's not really an attack though. That's more just love for Pink Whitney. So Pinky's up. I know it'll be out in the amazing tailgates. The Hurricane going playoff times.

[Ryan Whitney]

I bet you there's a storm.

[Paul Bissonnette]

We're about. We're about two hours, two hours away. Maybe three hours away from that parking lot. Just lighting up. Getting ready for game one. Carolina, Montreal. We got to go over game seven. A legendary game seven. Alex new hook. Just a hero in Montreal. We got game one of the conference finals in Colorado where Vegas

[Jeff Gorton]

something.

[Paul Bissonnette]

A few weeks ago, that Vegas had something cooking. And Merle's abs aren't. They're in one without Makar. And we have Montreal Canadiens president Jeff Gorton joining the show. So this guy's had an amazing run in Boston. We got to go over what he did there. People don't even realize what he did for the Bruins and what he's doing currently for the Canadians.

[Ryan Whitney]

G. Told him it was sportsnet and lied to him. So we got. We got him on. He might sign off after two minutes.

[Paul Bissonnette]

That's okay. That's okay. I don't mind that if. As long as we get him in, we could keep him in. I think. AI. We've got to get him to sign. Sign on. That's. That's the big thing. But I guess we start. We start with last night. The most recent events.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Paul Bissonnette]

And Vegas boys. Mitch Marner.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, baby.

[Paul Bissonnette]

He currently. Just quickly before I throw it over to one of you guys, this is the one I wanted to mention. He leads the playoffs in points plus minus takeaways from a forward. Shorthanded assist. Shorthanded points and wins, obviously. Because, you know, those are the biggest.

[Ryan Whitney]

That's the biggest.

[Paul Bissonnette]

The only ones with nine wins. I. I can't believe McCarr didn't play biz. Where do you kind of want to start it? It's just. Is it. It's not panic time yet, is it? For Colorado? One game, right? That's it.

[Ryan Whitney]

If there's no Makar this series, they're done, first of all. And, like, just watching them and, like, you know, Bluntman's obviously got me on the train, right? Like, he's been so pro Vegas, he's like, look out here.

[Biz Nunez]

Nutty for bloody nutty.

[Ryan Whitney]

That's what you're. That's the new term. Yeah, we're itchy for Mitchie. We're nutty for Bluny. We're tanning for Torts. But, like, the first couple games of playoffs, like, even that first series, like, you could see Carter Hart finally finding his rhythm. Boys, he's fucking locked and loaded right now. He is dialed in. So they got the goaltending, that back end, man, like Hanifin, Anderson, McNabb, Dylan, like Theodore. Yeah, well, they're. They're just. That's a nice back end. They got a perfect balance of everything. And, man, like, all these guys that you don't really hear about, like, the Colton Sizzins, like, the. All these role players they got, they're. They're unbelievable. They're unbelievable. Daud. Look at Dowd's night last night, winning that draw to solidify things. So they got all things clicking, and then obviously the superstars are being the superstars. So I. I think that if there's no Makar on the Avalanche side, boys, I think this could end in six games. I thought the. The first half of the game, I did like Colorado's game, but the. My biggest gripe with Colorado is there's. They're not really getting around the net enough. Like, they're not getting those second cracks. They're not disrupting enough. And it's a credit to. To the D for. For Vegas, man. They're protecting the house quite a bit. And also a ton of block shots for Vegas as well, man. So credit to them. And the way they came out halfway through the game when. When it was 00, you kind of knew, like, oh, no, here come they're. They're going to figure out a way to get a greasy one here in. Which they did, which was a bad goal by Wedgwood. But after that, I just had no confidence in Colorado. I mean, that's.

[Paul Bissonnette]

In the first half, I. I thought, like, the. Obviously the. The third period, Colorado really got cooking. It seemed like they found their game in the third. I mean, they made it three two, but they were way more active in the offensive zone and controlling the pace. I thought in the third, like the first period, I gave that to Vegas.

[Biz Nunez]

The first five minutes, Colorado was all.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, I felt like the best chance they got was the Kolasar breakaway, right. Vegas in the first period. And then aside from that, I didn't see much threat where I felt like, like Hart had to make a few big stops early. Who did. Did he. Was there a breakaway for Colorado in

[Jeff Gorton]

the first as well?

[Ryan Whitney]

I thought that they had one as well.

[Biz Nunez]

O' Connor hit the crossbar.

[Ryan Whitney]

That's what it was. Yeah, that's what it was. So. But overall, I mean, it's not like, it's not like Colorado played bad. I just feel like, like Vegas is. I don't think Vegas is not intimidated by Colorado. And it's just, you know, you got a guy who's the best, one of the best, if not the best 5 on 5 defenseman in the world. I think stats wise so far in these playoffs, Taves is number one and then Makar is number two at what all the analytics show. But as we know, because like Makar hasn't been a burner as far as the offensive output. I think he's got one assist these playoffs, the four goals to go with it. But I mean, it's more about what he can do five on five to prevent things. He's a one man breakout. And I mean, Merles, I think you guys touched it on game notes and the same thing went with Brodine. Being out for Minnesota is all of a sudden you got guys like, like Burns and other defensemen having to carry a little bit more ice that is going to expose them against good teams like Vegas. So it's a brutal, brutal loss. Like to me, way more impactful than Vegas missing Stone, like, I know, like people like comparing the injuries. It's not even close here. So I don't know what you guys saw. Yans.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I mean, I had a former NHL player yesterday tell me an insane hot take and then I thought about it. I disagree with them. He's like, I think I like Vegas's game better when Stone isn't playing.

[Merl]

I was just gonna say that he's

[Paul Bissonnette]

like, they're faster, they're faster. And he was, he. It sounds like that's disrespectful to the captain and an incredible hockey player and

[Ryan Whitney]

what his playoff numbers are and what he does in big games.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I guess he was mainly kind of saying it as just like their team speed different. But Mer, before I go to You. You're our ABS guy. Just want to ask Keith quick. You see Taves running the power play now for. For Colorado. Great player, man. Like, Honestly, like a. A. A number one, number two defenseman on a Stanley cup team. But up top on the umbrella, it's the lateral movement he doesn't have that nobody else has, really, besides Quinn Hughes, that you just. He can't. He really can't get those lanes like McCarl. Take that quick step, right, and just snap one through where Taves is more stationary.

[Biz Nunez]

Yeah. You can just tell to slows Vegas's PK down a little bit where they don't have to chase, get out of sorts like, they can. They can almost give him lanes. They can go with him a lot easier than when it's Makar. You don't know whether he's walking to shoot, walking a pass, walking to come down. Down the lane to shoot. So it's one of those things where they're almost just letting him get the middle and then make a pass out wide to, I mean, Nate. He was giving it to Nate a ton of. And giving it to Nate, and then they were able to set up their PK by that. So I think missing him on the power play, obviously, when you're missing a guy like Makar is huge, but I think for Taves to really, you know, get that power play going, he's just got to bomb some shots, get some shots through because he's not able to walk the line and make plays like Maar is. So I think for him, it's just settling it down and ripping pucks, trying to get rebounds, trying to get Vegas off their game a little bit. Not of their structure, but it's. It's one of those things, man. I think if Makar's 30%, you gotta play him. You gotta find a way to get him in. We saw him skating around. He was shooting some pucks, obviously not very hard, but just his presence, if he's able to get back there, make some breakout passes, five on five, and then on the power play, even just. Just to be able to walk that line and open up lanes, which will ultimately, you know, get them a better power play situation. Because, you know, Taze, obviously he's a power play guy, but he hasn't been that guy on that first unit. He doesn't know when guys want it, where guys want it as much as Makar does.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, timing's important. Going back to the bomb up top, I agree with you. Vegas ability to get in shot lanes and block Shots is, is like, that's top tier. So maybe not as easy as you'd think, but they got a lot of guys willing to sacrifice the body, whether it's up top or even closer to the net, like fronting shots. Mercury, what did you see, brother?

[Merl]

Yeah, to, to stay on tapes. He looked a little hesitant to me too, on the power play because it in his. Isn't his normal group. He got it and he like, ah. And he would give it back to McKinnon kind of in a panic where McCarr takes it and does a lot there. I made my. I watched the game this morning, so I apologize to ABS fans, because when I did watch it this morning, I didn't even wear the jersey. So that's on me.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Could have changed it, honestly.

[Biz Nunez]

Did you know the outcome?

[Merl]

No, I, I, I lock my phone down and I just watched.

[Paul Bissonnette]

That's for you.

[Merl]

It's on me because I told you how I split the game. Putting on the jersey the other night. So I will stay up next game or I will sleep in the jersey.

[Ryan Whitney]

I was gonna say sleep in it.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah, it's going on. Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

Maybe a selfie video.

[Biz Nunez]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

Hey, good night, ABS fans. I got you today, but you can't lose. Next game.

[Biz Nunez]

Do the winning. Just a shirt, no pants.

[Merl]

Oh, yeah, yeah. The wife will. It makes me focus on the game more. It's nice, though, because I'm not checking Twitter, I'm not checking live bets, I'm not texting the group. So I was dialed in on this game. And yes, the first five minutes the ABs were there, but then it, then it switched and I was like, oh, man, this Vegas team. I look back at the D like, you guys talked about Hannifin, Theodore. It was like exhibition to them all season. Now it's time to go. Like, these guys are are men. I used the reference on my tweet. I said, it's like the Omnia nightclub that we went to wit when Vegas got the cup. You can't move around in the D zone, but it almost extends to the neutral zone. There's not nearly the space that you normally see Colorado swirling around. Nature's flying through a thousand miles per hour through the neutral zone that wasn't there. So major, major concerns with that part of the game. Obviously, the Makar things a big, big concern merge.

[Ryan Whitney]

You agree in a sense of like, Colorado even around the net, like, they, they don't penetrate the middle enough. And, and they looked a little timid where it's like, even when the score was out of Hand, like, get in there. And the minute that a Vegas D gets his hands up, start something, you gotta. If you're the Avalanche, you have to establish that you're not afraid of that back end and going to the hard areas. And they got big guys to do it. And I felt like they were shying. Like. Like, yeah, the cadre thing. Remember when he kind of like. Like, yeah, like, you know, got pushed over pretty easy. Maybe he was trying to draw one. But that ain't the play. To me, I don't think.

[Biz Nunez]

Especially him.

[Paul Bissonnette]

This is not. That's not Colorado's game. It hasn't been all year.

[Ryan Whitney]

Well, there's. You got to come outside your comfort zone.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I agree. I agree. But I think that's easier said than done. When they're high flying, they're never out of games. There's not much nonsense to their game. And all of a sudden, I would say Vegas is way more willing to just kind of be pricks. I don't know. Like, I see their fourth line, at least. Yeah. Oh. In this organization, just true villains. And. And we'll get into the coaching thing in a little bit with Cassidy, but Mer. Yeah, it's obviously. And you. I remember you playing through this in Wil. When we were playing together, the shoulder got dis. Dislocated.

[Merl]

It was Pittsburgh.

[Paul Bissonnette]

That has to be Maart. Now. We're playing doctor here. But based on the way he reacted, what was the hit against Minnesota in Game 5? It was. It was. Who hit him? Was it Johansson? It was nothing, though. And he kind of. It looked like the shoulder, the one where it pops out.

[Ryan Whitney]

Does it look like it. It re. Aggravated or. It was like an original injury.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I think that was not the. I think something had happened prior, and that was just another one where it looks.

[Ryan Whitney]

The reason I asked that is because it wasn't like that hard of a hit.

[Paul Bissonnette]

No. And here's the thing that's crazy to me is like, what was it? Was it six days did they have off?

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Paul Bissonnette]

If you're not ready to go six days, like, I. That's where I'm like, is he even gonna play? Now you're skating, so obviously. So it's. It's like, all right, well, let's hold him out. Game one. Hopefully we win. He goes in if we lose. But if he wasn't ready for game one, it's like, all right, well, we're not gonna have him anywhere near full health. And that's. That's the panic now.

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah.

[Merl]

So if it is that injury, if we're gonna speculate on it. Yeah. When my shoulder popped out, it was in the fight with Eager. Pittsburgh versus Philly. Oh, yeah. And I. And I had two weeks off.

[Jeff Gorton]

And.

[Merl]

And we're doing the rehab. You try to. You try to build the muscles up around it so it doesn't. The band work, doesn't pop out as easily, but once it starts popping out, it can just keep popping out. You go in the room, he knocks it back in, and you come back out. You have the Hannibal Lecter brace that keeps it there. There was another brace with a string under here, so you can only raise your arm about that high. I couldn't take, like, a full clapper. It would stop there for a half clapper. It's supposed to keep it in there, but. But maybe that's what they're trying to do is like, all right, we had six days off. If we get 10 days off of rehab, then he'll be stronger for the rest of the run, would be my guess, if it is that injury.

[Paul Bissonnette]

But, I mean, we're just. I'm totally speculating here, but based on the reaction to that hit. Mini. I wish I remember who it was. It was. It just looked like it was.

[Biz Nunez]

It was Hartman.

[Merl]

Wait, wait. It was Ryan Hartman.

[Paul Bissonnette]

But it was nothing. It was nothing. It was a little bump and that, you know, with. If that is the injury, anything can really make it happen.

[Merl]

Yeah. My video is on YouTube. When eager beat me up and you see me going to the penalty box like this, that exact way, that's a

[Ryan Whitney]

tough guy to fight.

[Paul Bissonnette]

This is the best part. Quickly, off topic, Terry and left Merle's line on the ice. As Eager's line went out there, and they'd had a long shift. So Myrn, his mind's like, oh, he wants me to fight. I know this guy. I've had him in Wilkes Bear. I'll go Eager and. And immediately. That was basically the end of the NHL career.

[Merl]

Yep. Yep. That was it. Smart play, Matt.

[Ryan Whitney]

Well, at least you got two, three more weeks of NHL pay, right?

[Merl]

I got the rest of the year because I had to get surgery.

[Ryan Whitney]

Right. Good investment.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Well, not after it wasn't. Before they tried sending you down. You're like, no, no, no, I'm not going down with this. I'm getting surgery. I get my whole paycheck all year.

[Ryan Whitney]

Since we're on the Makar topic, listen, like the. The. Is it a con. Is that how you say his last name?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Jack Aon, the D man that's filling in for the little lefty yeah, he

[Ryan Whitney]

does fly, but like, defensive zone shifts where he's trying to box guys out in front of the net.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I'm like, ah, I don't know if

[Ryan Whitney]

that's gonna work all series long here. Like, you guys don't have a bigger seventh defenseman around. Like, is like, can you get McDermid back just to stand there and box guys out? Like, am I crazy?

[Merl]

Not against Vegas. Vegas, if it was Utah or one of these other Minnesota, some of their smaller guys.

[Paul Bissonnette]

But. So I, I, I, I tweeted out. Well, first the, the Dylan Coggin goal. Pretty cool story.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Paul Bissonnette]

You know, he hadn't scored a goal in the NHL since 2021. He has been kind of like, all over the place. Then Vegas signs him this year. I guess McCrimmon told him, hey, you're gonna be our number one guy in Henderson. And look what happens. It's like all of a sudden you're in the lineup and you score the biggest goal of your career. Get up one nothing. He can move. And mer. Shout out Vegas Insider. Our guy Migs, on game notes with you, he called them out. And I'm sure people listening were like, who? What is this guy talking about right now? Look at Migs right there. Look at that. Look. Look at that fit.

[Ryan Whitney]

He's like a more sober RA.

[Merl]

That D man who's gotten called up.

[Jeff Gorton]

That's an X factor.

[Merl]

That guy is a good skater. Fast. I know they're trying to. My guess is they're trying to lock him up.

[Jeff Gorton]

They don't want him to go to free agency. He's a younger guy.

[Merl]

As they try to reconfigure that D area.

[Jeff Gorton]

But he's going to get a lot of minutes, I think.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I, I love. See, I just love hearing Migs's voice. For anyone who's like, who is that? That's our guy. He owns a limousine company in Vegas. Look, look up Insider. So that's a beaut. I mean, I'm going to say this, though. I think Wedgwood has to save that. It's on the ice five hole. Maybe, Maybe I'm wrong there. I mean, if it's on the ice five hole, no screen, probably one you want back. And then we get the Marner magic and Marner. It's just I don't even know how he sees him, let alone gets it to him. It's way out in front of them. And I think after the game, in the interview, he said, like, I just try crazy stuff all summer. And that's why you'll see me doing crazy things in games. Love that.

[Biz Nunez]

If kids like Oshi said. Oshi said that the other day when we were talking to him. It's like, you try this crazy in the summer and you never know when it's going to work out.

[Ryan Whitney]

And one mixtape. He's like the new. He's hot sauce.

[Biz Nunez]

Yep.

[Ryan Whitney]

From the. And one mixtape.

[Biz Nunez]

White chocolate or white chocolate.

[Merl]

He had to see him so early, like in the play. And then, okay, I'm doing all this. Maybe he's on that route and that's chemistry.

[Jeff Gorton]

Boom.

[Merl]

Yeah, right.

[Biz Nunez]

No, you could kind of. He, he lost the puck for a little bit, but you could see him look to see where Dorothyv was. If he had had it on his stick, he would have made the play earlier. But he had to hustle, get it, make that long play. It was such an unbelievable play. He heads up play. And I'm sure Dorothea was yelling for it. And an unbelievable. The whole entry like Eichel. A lot of the times, like Eichel or some guys would have got the red just rimmed it. He made a play to hurdle, then hurdle makes a little bump play to the middle to Marner. And then it's like, it's just little things that this team does where they're not phased by anything. They're not going to panic and dump pucks in even on the road. Like, they make the plays when they're there. And it's not high risk either. It's plays that they know that their players can go and get.

[Ryan Whitney]

And it, it seemed like he just tried to, like, flick it over because he had a backtracker and then the dman, there was that little gap in between. So he was obviously just trying to flick it over to keep possession, but it got away from him a little bit. But the fact that he just, like, reached for it and like just did the loop de loop around and got it to him. The guy's got eyes in the back of his head and right now, like, along with like, confidence and like I would say playing with the house's money, everybody who is doubting them is clearly like, oh, this guy can actually go in playoffs. He just needed a team around him. I, that's why I'm so confident that this team's gonna roll over, roll over the abs and I don't know, man. I, I, I think that they're gonna end up hoisting it. Yeah.

[Biz Nunez]

Isn't it crazy that, like, every time he tucks, touches the pucks, they're still talking about Toronto it's like, let's end it. The guy's in Vegas. He's not in Toronto anymore.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I actually don't want to end it because, like, I. I see certain tweets, like, we're a couple weeks away from him raising the cup and winning the cons. Mike, in his first year, gone. I. I don't want.

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

I don't think.

[Biz Nunez]

Hey, we're going to his cup part.

[Paul Bissonnette]

By the way, ABS fans are probably losing their goddamn mind right now. They're down one nothing.

[Biz Nunez]

Yeah.

[Paul Bissonnette]

And we're giving Gold Knights to stand.

[Ryan Whitney]

Well, keep in mind, though, to be fair, like, ABS fans were like, oh. Like they were all over me when I said coin toss on. On. On the desk at tnt where I'm like, you guys think you're just gonna roll over this team?

[Biz Nunez]

Well, everyone did. They were minus 260, I think, to win.

[Merl]

That was crazy, right?

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Dude, Biz, great point last night. They were being very, very bitchy to me. Very whiny to witty.

[Ryan Whitney]

Shut up.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Shut up. We had eight days off. Like, I was like, whoa, whoa. You guys said you were gonna run over this team. This was this. And I and certain ABS fans have reached out. Like, that's not. That's not all of us. That's not the main.

[Ryan Whitney]

A lot of them.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yes, that's what I agree. They were like, oh, oh, Vegas Pacific Division. I'm like, I don't know. This team's different. And I was one of those people. I was one of these. Those. Those fools that was like, yeah, this team was pathetic all year. Well, something switched towards comes in hearts. Figured it out. Now the third goal. Brett Howden. This guy makes two and a half million for five more years.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, no.

[Paul Bissonnette]

How the get him to sign that contract?

[Ryan Whitney]

Ra's his agent.

[Biz Nunez]

Oh, that's right.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Paul Bissonnette]

He represents the agents listening. And he's like, my guy is so good. My guy is a gamer. But then I'm probably going to get called out a little bit for this contract. Now, his numbers. He had nine playoff goals in his previous 43 playoff games. He has nine and 13 this year. He leads the playoffs. Or Does Dorothy have 10? Now, are they tied with nine or Dorothy's

[Merl]

leads?

[Paul Bissonnette]

So DorothyV is probably gonna get. God knows I saw Jeff Marek tweeting the Oilers somehow gotta get here we go get their first round from San Jose and offer sheet DorothyV. But he's gone. He's gone.

[Ryan Whitney]

Boys, is wit worse than me bringing things back to the Oilers than I used to bring things back.

[Biz Nunez]

Didn't he say he's done with the Oilers too?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah, I took that back. I'm not exactly a man of my word on this show. I try to be in real life, but this is fake Chiclets life. So I'm just, you know, you guys understand. You guys understand.

[Biz Nunez]

Merle out.

[Paul Bissonnette]

And how did boys to get your stick on that after whacking it with your hand? Like, that's a lot tougher than I think it looks because it's moving pretty quick. You're flying, and you just boop. Banks it in three. Nothing. I said game. And all of a sudden it's three, two. I was like, oh, I almost portnoyed this.

[Biz Nunez]

His body was completely behind the net when he put that in. Like, yeah, it's an empty cage, the wood. Like how he scored it. But the fact that he was able to score that, like, that's a tough goal to score. Like a majority of the time your stick gets hit on the post or whatever. So unbelievable goal by him. But Merles, I got something for you. For the okay road team to win the first game of the conference finals are 57.9% to win the series. So little nugget for you there. And then got a. Got a question for you guys. How many guys on the Vegas team were played last night were drafted by the Vegas Golden Knights?

[Merl]

Two, zero Dora Fev. Maybe one.

[Biz Nunez]

I think one Dora Fev.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Biz Nunez]

Has that ever happened?

[Jeff Gorton]

Those

[Ryan Whitney]

villains. Couple. Couple clicks for Bluny.

[Jeff Gorton]

He.

[Ryan Whitney]

He said he's like, something's coming Mitch in the group chat in the second period and something did. And then Merls, I'll throw it back to you. He said that the best line in playoffs right now. You could argue it's the. The boys over in Carolina, but how. Yeah, Howden Carlson and Marner. Best line in playoffs right now.

[Merl]

I mean. I mean, since this Carlson came back, it's a completely different team. You have him as the number two center. Instead of, you know, making Marner play there or hurdle. The guy couldn't score for 35 games. So he's. He's the. Like the. What do they say? Like the engine of the team. He does it all. When he came back, everything flipped. He's plays power play, penalty kill, carrying that line, letting Mitch just focus on playing his wing. That he's comfortable in the magic. Yeah, that. That line's incredible right now.

[Jeff Gorton]

The.

[Merl]

The scariest part about this whole thing is I had the Vegas last year to win the cup 19 to 1 for. For $19,000. And they obviously Looked like crap. So I didn't bet them at all this year to win it. And I, I think I'm going to take that one to my grave.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I wonder what the highest odds you could have got for them at one point this year. It had to be around there, right? Or maybe.

[Biz Nunez]

Yeah, when they were struggling towards the end.

[Paul Bissonnette]

19 One's a lot though.

[Ryan Whitney]

What is it?

[Merl]

They look awesome. That the goalie Carter Hart looks so safe and calm and. And he's reading the play. The one pass came across, he's right there. I remember when he came in, when they got drafted, there were scouts telling me that he has the same like leadership and mentality as Sidney Crosby. Those were exact words from different scouts. That's the way he prepares and what he plans on having is for his career. Yeah, of course it took, took some detours along the way, we should say, but that guy is dialing. He's getting better every single game as we go along this playoffs.

[Ryan Whitney]

Do people compare him to Carrie Price and the way he moves, is that, Is that the comparison?

[Biz Nunez]

Yeah, maybe a little smaller, but I agree with that. He makes everything look really easy. But to Merle's point, I play with him in Philly. I actually sat right next to him in the locker room. He was like, from the time he got to the rink till the game was over, he was preparing, getting ready in between periods, doing his stretch and doing his eye routine like he is a dialed in goalie. But he's also not just a guy who's worried about making saves. Like you see it on the save that he made on Kadri the back door. Like he reads plays like he's got a hockey player's mind, where it's not just like, okay, I'm standing here to make a save. If you watch him, he's scanning the ice, looking to where other players are. He unders, understands the game really well, which I think helps him make those reads.

[Ryan Whitney]

Does he have a notepad like Wedgie that does all that?

[Biz Nunez]

No.

[Ryan Whitney]

I know, right? Does he write it down?

[Biz Nunez]

No, I never saw him. He's a Western Leaguer, so I don't know how good his writing is.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, I gotta credit Torch though, boys, because in that Utah series there was a few games where like there was a few bad goals. I think like back to back games. I think he let up four, maybe one game there was five goals.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Oh, you were saying torts. What did Aiden Hill do to you?

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, was I the only one saying that?

[Paul Bissonnette]

No, I was just.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, okay, yeah, yeah. No, that's what I mean. I'm like that. Well, I'm, I'm saying is you have a guy who's won a Stanley cup as a goaltender in Aiden Hill with that team who had a great run and things were looking a little shaky early. That's why I'm giving torts credit where it's like, hey, he didn't, he didn't defer. Like, he, he, he knew exactly what his game plan was. He knew it was heart, Heart's net, and, and, and he stuck with him. And now look what he's doing. It's incredible.

[Paul Bissonnette]

So shut up.

[Ryan Whitney]

Tanning for torts.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I want tanning for torts. I do want to shout out like, McCrimmon, like to go out and get Nick Dowd and Cole Smith, right? And that play Nick Dowd made, I saw a pretty cool tweet mentioning how

[Ryan Whitney]

was it Mike Kelly?

[Paul Bissonnette]

No, I think it was the guy told for Scott talking about Dowd played like all these different juniors, right? I think nahl ushl he goes four years, St. Cloud, spends times in the minors. And then at the end of that game, game one, Western Conference finals, he's taken the draw with Jack Geichel on the wing, Marner on his wing, wins the face off against Brock Nelson, an Olympian, and then goes down and I'm like, oh, icing. All right, they got a chance. All of a sudden, he comes flying out of nowhere. And I think the end of the tweet basically said, like, you wonder why coaches love this guy? And they went and added him and they added smith and that fourth line. Like they. McCrimmon knew exactly what he needed to round out this team. And Dowd's awesome, man. He is a hell of a player. And he, you could tell he's like, loved by the teammates, but that was, that was all effort to get that because I was, I didn't even consider him. And all of. He flies into the screen and boom, game over. So I do wonder for, for Colorado, Nelson and Kadri, I, I think there's more there. Murray, you've, you've watched these guys a lot.

[Merl]

Like, especially Nelson is gonna have to do something. I was giving him the benefit of the doubt the first two series because he was, you know, probably playing a more defensive role, shutting down stuff. But there's no chance they're, they're winning this series. If he's, if he's not on the score, she's the second line center. He's gonna have to produce. As I'm watching that game the first two periods, I'm like, how did Anaheim. How did, how did. Who they play Utah in the first round? How did they score on Vegas? I'm like, you can't score on this team. But that being said, EBR rule number five is if the home team loses game one, you hammer them in game two. This is the Colorado Avalanche. The, the real number 29, Nate Dog. By the next time, like we're, we're handing Vegas the Cup. We're so in love with them. By the next time we get together on Monday, it might be two one abs and we're going to be going, ah, the cup's going back to Denver. That's nuts.

[Paul Bissonnette]

The playoffs is the emotional swings and the highs and lows. And you can imagine playing like I remember playing. You're like, oh my God, we're looking great.

[Ryan Whitney]

You lose end of the world.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I think they're way better at staying level headed. But us idiots, we're, you know, one game and everything changes.

[Ryan Whitney]

But do some pool exercises just to kind of expose ourselves. I'm gonna get the water wings out. You, you, you mentioned the doubter Face off, though, and, and all we touched on this before the series started. Like, very underwhelmed with Nelson and Kadri so far. Natushkin finally kind of made his presence felt a little bit last game. But in the DOT, they're getting smoked. I think it was over maybe 60%, maybe a little bit over. Vegas was in the Face off thought so if they keep smoking them and starting with the puck, I don't know if that's something that they're used to either. So this is a whole different beast that Colorado's going up against boys and seemed like Drury.

[Biz Nunez]

It seemed like Drury was the only one who could win a draw.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah, Sean McDonough was talking about that before the draw that Dowd won to seal the game. On the broadcast, he was mentioning Drury's like a top 20 all time face off guy in the history of the league. Like his percentage. And then he's like, he was out on the ice then, oh, he's getting back on the bench and Nelson's going out. And then Nelson loses it. I was like, it's pretty good for him to bring up. Like, it was a nice little tidbit to hear. Like, wow, like kind of you can't get him out there and note and then change though, it's different than a defensive zone draw, right? Like you're not going to all of a sudden leave it 5 on 5 with the goalie pulled for him to change. So I do want to mention I was.

[Ryan Whitney]

You're saying, you're saying as in like, it's like. It's like sending Jury out for a D zone draw as a repair man is different than having him with the goalie pulled and like. Yes, you win it and then all of a sudden it's five on five because he's got a race back to the bench and it's a long change in the ozone. Okay.

[Biz Nunez]

Yeah, but it's six on five. He. You have to win that face off. He can go and stand in front

[Merl]

of the net like Nelson's not producing anyway. So, yeah, win it. Go stand in front. If it gets dumped out, then change.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, it's worth it.

[Biz Nunez]

And.

[Ryan Whitney]

And Vegas seems to be able to trust their fourth liners and role players. So maybe that's a. Maybe that's a change they make.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Rasmus, Anderson, that is an all time dive. We've seen a bunch of them. I understand AB fans being bullshit at that penalty on Ross Colton. I mean, that's just a little flick of the chin with his fingers on his gloves. And that's. That's hockey God. Watch out for hockey God. Monkey karma. There's. That was one. I was like, that's, that's. I think, I think it was somebody on the group chat was like, that's truly pathetic. Maybe it was army as the Western League guy. I mean, it looked like he got shot and he ends up drawn once. So that. And they scored. Correct. They scored on that one. Right?

[Ryan Whitney]

They got. There were one for two or. Yeah, I think they were one for two or last night.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Either way. That's the hockey karma. Heads up, heads up, heads up. Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

You didn't, you didn't like the one on the one. I think it was. It wasn't doubter. I think it was on Barbershev when he kind of crossed the pants on Malinsky. After watching it again, did you change your mind on it?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Not really.

[Biz Nunez]

Because it wasn't what they call. What did they call it? They didn't call it cross check.

[Ryan Whitney]

They called like interference holding or something.

[Biz Nunez]

Yes. So I didn't agree with it being a holding because like he kind of turned into him and the way he was cross checking, like they kind of fell together. I didn't love as much as like, I'll usually have the defenseman's back, especially going back for a pot. But yeah, I didn't love that call. But I mean, at the end of the day they got the win. It doesn't matter. But going back to Jack Jury and Nelson Drac. Jack Jury has two goals, two assists in this playoffs and Nelson has two goals, one assist. So it's not like you're putting.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yep.

[Biz Nunez]

You know, one guy out. Yeah. So I would have stuck with him, but you. Because you have to win that draw.

[Ryan Whitney]

All right, let's see it.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Nelson, my last thing on this game. And it doesn't matter because they got the win. But would you rather have me rollerblading or Aiden McNabb defensively on McKinnon on that second call? I, I, yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

Put in the blender.

[Paul Bissonnette]

And that is a guy that's a Western league hard nosed. But that was, that was like, I, I couldn't even really describe it. It was like Datsuko and Logan Couture. When his ankle snapped in half, I was like, oh my God. Like I felt, I felt for McNabb basically like you're going.

[Ryan Whitney]

Didn't process the fact that Nate went back the other way for like a full second and then he finally stopped. Yeah. Yeah.

[Paul Bissonnette]

He was looking at fans with his back facing the play as it was put.

[Ryan Whitney]

They're like, get back.

[Biz Nunez]

Hey. And then he fell behind the net when it was 3:2. And I thought they were gonna score. I'm like, oh, man, this is going to be a tough third period for McNabb. But luckily they pulled out because they, I mean, he's been a dog for them all playoffs. You're gonna get beat. Bye, guys. Especially when it's the real 29.

[Paul Bissonnette]

So as much as I've glazed over the, the Golden Knights and it makes me sick, but I, I am on EBR rule number five and I am hammering the apps for game two and McKinnon's post game press conference. I think he snapped on a reporter a little bit. What did he say?

[Merl]

We didn't execute.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I've said it, I've said we didn't execute five times. So I was like, oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. Grumpy Nate. Grumpy Nate. So he's gonna come out looking to kill and we'll see if my car's in.

[Merl]

But I know why he's so grumpy, actually, because in my, in my Twitter mentions, when I did check it around 12:30, once the game ended, I had at least 15 guys sending me a clip of one of his shots on net that the NHL didn't count and it costed him the fourth shot on net. So I think maybe he's keeping track of his shots on goal too.

[Biz Nunez]

Definitely. Yeah.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Army bro.

[Ryan Whitney]

You think he gives a about your bankroll? That's what's upsetting him in the post game press conference. It all makes sense.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Army brought up that now they're basically doing. I know you've talked about this Mur that if the puck's gonna miss the net, it doesn't count for a shot or a save. Which is, that's kind of tough because,

[Ryan Whitney]

because you're talking about one. The one that Carter Hart, like saved with his glove. And like from the side angle, like the one that we watch from. I'm like, oh, that was a great glove save. And they didn't count that.

[Merl]

They didn't. I guess they didn't count it. I had, I had 15 different things videos. Merl's fixed this. Fix this.

[Jeff Gorton]

This.

[Ryan Whitney]

So that's why, that's why now you see like top end goalies, like if you're around the.900 save percentage, you're, you're good. Like, that's the, that's the baseline now. Because they, I mean, they're not getting these phantom saves anymore no more.

[Paul Bissonnette]

The Montreal Canadiens boys. And I want to shout out anyone who joined us for our live stream on, on Monday night for game seven. Thank you so much. That was a blast. A great game to watch and to be on together. Watching. Biz called it even at 2 nothing. He said, this is going overtime. And Buffalo took over that game, boys. I, they had chances even after it was 2:2 to win that game in regulation. Jacob Dobish, he's got, he's got some magic going. And Alex Newhook. Two game winners, two game sevens. I keep tweeting out like team of destiny and people are all over me and listen, I think Carolina's an even bigger favorite than Colorado was before their series started. But there's something going on in Montreal. I, I, I don't really know how to describe it, but I'll say this. Where is this tweet that I saved?

[Merl]

I got a. Carolina is minus 275 to win the series.

[Paul Bissonnette]

That's.

[Biz Nunez]

Yeah.

[Paul Bissonnette]

And that's big. But here it is. Chris Johnson. This is the one I was like. The Montreal Canadiens are the youngest NHL team to advance to the conference finals since 1993, when the Habs also did it. They won the cup. Average age 25.8. So enormous underdogs. Merles then hit us with the stat of teams who have gone to seven game series then playing teams who swept are 7:1 in the next wild stat.

[Ryan Whitney]

Has one of them happened this year when was the last time like that, that was a matchup. And I was actually surprised to see that that's only eight times of of playoff history in the NHL.

[Merl]

It had something to do with one of the Rangers teams is the one team. I don't know which Rangers team because I was on morning cup of Hockey with Johnny and Colby and we first started discussing it and Johnny, the psycho range Rangers fan knew it was the Rangers one year. So they, they swept somebody and then they, they did beat the seven game series.

[Ryan Whitney]

Well, I mean, would you guys say that there is a little bit of an advantage to. I don't want to say being naive, but maybe like. No, not as much pressure of being in this moment that they're in right now. Like right now going against Carolina. Carolina is looking at this series like this is our chance, boys. If we this up, we never, we might never win a cup with this group of guys. And by the time we get back, it'll be a whole new, whole new look. Whereas Montreal saying, holy man, we have the. We have this average age of 25 and it's a lot of our guys first ever playoff experience, including our goaltender. And we're just going out there having a good time. And your recovery as a young player, like you're not feeling the toll of the playoffs as much. You're just living in the moment and living off the energy of, of not only winning, but that fucking city in general. So I think that, that being naive to how big the circumstances are could sometimes be a benefit to your group. And I think that that's a good thing for Montreal. Going into this one, a lot of people I'm talking to said canes and five. Keynes and five. Canes and five. I said canes in six. I think that I would bet that there's a split going down in Carolina. That would be my bet.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I don't know how much chance is probably tonight just, just looking at like you're fresh and Carolina. I mean it's 12 days or this is the 12th day. So even with those tough practices, you have to think that if the first period is complete Carolina domination, which is their calling card in the first period of home games.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh yeah.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Then the Canadiens could be in one. Like let's see now. New Hook has another stat. He's the. What is it right here. The fourth player in Canadiens hit. Oh no. Where it is. I'm sorry, I'm reading the Wrong One. The second player in NHL history to score multiple Game 7 series clinching goals in a single postseason. The other Nathan Horton in 2011 with the Charlotte Bruins. They won the Stanley Cup. Canadians. Was it the Canadiens first round and then the Lightning in the, in the conference final in that amazing one nothing game. The Canadiens one was when PK tied it up late, which was an awesome game and Horton got that one.

[Jeff Gorton]

So.

[Paul Bissonnette]

New hook. I, I think he went through a lot this year. He was injured and obviously like he's worked his way up the lineup and it's pretty cool story, but I felt for Buffalo boys. I felt bad and, and they, they, they just, I would say deserve to win that game. You know, they do the deserve a meter. I didn't see that one after the game. I imagine they had a higher 60, 65 probably. Is that what you. Yeah, yeah. As the Sabers guy, what did, what did you think you were on with us? It was five in the morning when, when it ended for you. But yeah,

[Merl]

six, because I was so upset. I was laying there thinking about all the chances. I think it was really bad. That first goal. They weren't ready to play. Anderson comes in, bounces Byram away. Just a terrible start. Not ready to play. But then they came back and all over them just they, they needed to get it done in regulation when they had all the momentum. But Dovish was better. You're not going to win a series when Tuck doesn't get a point. He's your. Probably your, your second best forward usually throughout the year. He had 33 goals. He dominated the Bruins series. So for him, he played great in game seven. But for him not to get anything. That's why you lost the series. You lost the series before that. The goaltending was clearly not good enough to win. And, and that's what happens. Like after seven games. The right team does win. Even though they did deserve to win game seven. The right team won the series.

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah.

[Biz Nunez]

And I think if you're a Buffalo fan too, right, like, you got to be so happy with this group. What they accomplished getting into playoffs from when, you know, firing your GM down at one point, you know, such a. Like, they seem like a team that really came together. You hear the interviews of Darlene calling a, you know, a leadership meeting. They go out to dinner. They kind of rewrite the ship. So they're a team that no one expected to make playoffs. They did a lot of good things. And the biggest thing I'm taking out of it is like it, it looks like a place that these guys all want to be, right. Like none of them are like, oh yeah, like this is a one and done type thing like they love each other there. That's only going to attract other guys to want to go play there. So if you're a Buffalo Sabres fan, you got to be really proud of this group, really happy with what they accomplished and I think you got bigger and better things. They're going to retool. Right. They just signed Lindy again, right?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yep.

[Biz Nunez]

Yeah yeah. So it's like they're, everything's going in the right direction for them and hopefully they can you know come out next year and prove that it just wasn't a fluke year.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah.

[Merl]

And the big story is Tuck because Tuck is the free agent and after that Bruin series he was probably going to get 15 million a year from somebody. After that series it's obviously dropped a couple million but I, I believe, I truly believe I've been on record now a couple of times. I believe he wants to stay in Buffalo and I believe he's going to take an extremely team friendly deal to stay there.

[Ryan Whitney]

What does that look like?

[Merl]

I, I, I got him at 8 times 8. I think he's super, super team friendly. Not I mean somebody else will give him probably 10 or 12 one of

[Ryan Whitney]

these, these teams but I think you're

[Merl]

crazy knows where you're going to be living. You'll be living up in Calgary or

[Paul Bissonnette]

not seeing it won't be, it won't be a good team.

[Ryan Whitney]

No.

[Merl]

Right.

[Paul Bissonnette]

And that's no Vancouver.

[Ryan Whitney]

If I, I, I think if he would have had the series of his life and they would have lost, I would have been okay and you could justify giving him 10. But if you're a player and you didn't bring it in that situation where if you would have you're probably advancing. I think if you really want to be a part of that group you need to allow them to have a little bit of money to address other areas. And my biggest takeaway for Buffalo aside from everything you guys mentioned and like the future is bright and they got a lot of good things going. They, they, they, they can't this thing up as far as how they approach it moving forward. Right. Like who are they gonna maybe move to get some money off the books? Are they gonna address goaltending? Like is that something that you know you need to go spend some money on or try to bring someone in or make a, a trade? Obviously Benson's like the, the most obvious guy. You now need to lock up people keep throwing the don't contract out there. I would hand them that in two seconds. I'd Say the exact same deal as Donor.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Give me even a little more and it's gonna age well dude, if Donor

[Biz Nunez]

signed after the playoffs, he would have got sure probably a million and a half more. Right way.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah, I just think I, I think Benson, I re. Marshon's a crazy comp because I mean he's a hall of fame player, but I think this kid's gonna get better and better and then all of a sudden if you give him a deal that's like, whoa, it's a little high right now. And you give him as long of as a term is as he'll take because in three, four years it's going to be one of those deals you're like, holy, I can't believe he's. He's only making this as the cap goes up.

[Ryan Whitney]

So I, I seems like another guy. I mean he's a Carney. So like 8 million feels like a billion to him. Right? So you would imagine. You imagine 8 times 8 gets a. Gets it done done tomorrow. Right.

[Merl]

That's a lot of coin toss games.

[Ryan Whitney]

Balloon pop and I'll tell you that squirting in the, in the. And the clown's mouth. What are some other fun one the little duckies when you throw the ball,

[Biz Nunez]

the one that's the one that you're goaded at. Yeah, the ball off the wall crates.

[Ryan Whitney]

Well, apparently that's not a hard one that you said.

[Biz Nunez]

Right?

[Ryan Whitney]

Because you said you could do that with your eyes closed.

[Merl]

The basketball shot with the crooked rim so you can't. So you don't make it.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, it's like 20ft farther away and 5ft taller.

[Biz Nunez]

You know the, you know the squirt

[Ryan Whitney]

gun game that you're throwing a medicine ball instead of a basketball.

[Biz Nunez]

The squirt gun game that you race up. I always wanted to put those in a urinal. So you pee on the thing. Oh yeah, race the guy next to you.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Great idea.

[Ryan Whitney]

But I would just do the. I would just do the piss bomb and win two in two seconds.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah, but you're not accurate with the piss bomb. That's a tiny little hole, that piss bomb that could be all over the people next, buddy.

[Ryan Whitney]

This thing's a heat seeking missile.

[Paul Bissonnette]

The goaltending question is, is a big one too because I mean you're going back and forth through two rounds. It's like you don't have a guy and, and you know, upl to. I don't think he was bad. Now the third goal, is that a bad goal? Yeah, but that knuckle puck and you look right as New Hook releases it, it goes on edge and you can actually see it like drop a little bit.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, it's. Yeah, that was a cur. That was a knuckler.

[Paul Bissonnette]

But I still think Sabres fans have the right to say that's got to be saved.

[Ryan Whitney]

Well, Merle stinks. That darling makes the needs to make himself bigger and have a better stick.

[Merl]

Kids at home listening, junior players on the bus listening. If you're a D man skating backwards, never have two hands on your stick. That makes yourself smaller. Always make yourself bigger with one hand on your stick. His stick would have been on that puck. It's deflected up into the high net.

[Biz Nunez]

Yeah, I think it's one of those things where a guy's taking a wrist shot from that far out, the goalie should probably have it. Obviously it's an unfortunate. The way it dipped on Wakefield. Yeah, the Timmy Wakefield special. Rest in paradise. But yeah, that's one of those things like in playoff, in. In overtime. That's why you just shoot everything. You get pucks to the net. And especially when you're a guy like New Hook who's feeling it. He's already got an overtime winner. Shoot everything.

[Ryan Whitney]

I got one last one and I'm going to get ahead of this Owen Power. So I know at the beginning of the season and throughout the course of his early career here, I've. There's been a lot left to be desired. And as far as maybe physicality, what he's brought to the lineup, about halfway through the year, as they started winning and progressing, his play turned the corner. And in playoffs once again, if you're a Sabres fan, you might say, I want him to be a little bit more physical and stronger Netflix. But everything else that he provided in these playoffs, he is now playing to what they handed over to him. And that is obvious. You hear sometimes people are like, oh, get rid of Power and use that money to. I think that now he's kind of turned into defenseman at that. As to why Kevin Adams handed over that money, is there still a little bit of growth that needs to happen? Absolutely. But I think that you would have to be more than, than pleased with how he performed the second half of the season and playoffs. And looking forward, you're thinking, wow, our top four with Byram, him, Samuelson and Darlene, that is. Is probably as good as it gets in the east now and maybe even the league.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I mean, he's 23 years old too, right?

[Ryan Whitney]

Young player.

[Paul Bissonnette]

It's like that's tough to give up if. And I've seen a lot of tradeo and power, imagine what you could get back. I get you got three really solid defensemen even without him.

[Ryan Whitney]

But I think, wait, is it fair though, anytime you have a defenseman of that size, when you're not seeing them be as physical, it's, it's kind of, it's just naturally frustrating.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah, I think that's why I frustrated a lot of fans, buddy. And I'm not even close to the skater, the player Owen Power was, but I get it. But it's not in some people's DNA. In his postseason press conference, he mentioned when he's moving his feet, it's so much easier for him to be physical and engaged. And maybe at times that's him saying, like, there's games, I gotta be like moving better. I mean, you see it with everyone but 23 years old until November. And it's like, like how many times you see defenseman at 25, really figure things out. Now I know this is his fifth season, so you, that's where fans are probably like, all right, you've had enough time. But it's just if you look at his age, he's still so young. I just think if you have that top four that you just mentioned, you're going to be a problem for a long time defensively and, and all guys who can move the puck too.

[Biz Nunez]

And not to mention Buffalo's got into trouble moving away from top picks. Guys get going to other teams. So I think this is one of those guys, especially as a demon, you got to give him his time. You got to get him like Whit said, to that 25 year old age where it's like, okay, now he, now he knows the league inside it out. I mean, look at the play that he made to Darlene on that goal. Like he's got it in him. He's got, he's got the offensive ability, he's got the defensive ability. Maybe he needs to be a little harder on, on guys. But I, I don't think he's a guy you give up on. I think he's a guy you build around. I'm sure Byram loves playing with him because he's a big body, gets the puck, makes good passes over to his D partner and stuff. So I think this is a guy that, you know, even though it is his fifth year, like, he, he's got a lot more to give and I think he's gonna have a big summer and come back ready to go.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I'm sorry it was his fourth season because he played right after his second year at Michigan. So it was his fourth full year. He's missed 12 games in four years, too. That's another thing you don't really think about a lot. Like, that's reliable. He's going to be in the lineup. But Merc, one more on Headman, like,

[Merl]

all right, everybody hated Hedman in the beginning. They wanted to send him back and that's a perfect comparison for him. And yeah, I, I always, I always wanted to be a little angrier too. But yeah,

[Biz Nunez]

boys, I remember guys when I was in Phoenix, chirping Headman, like, when are you gonna do something? When are you like, you're six?

[Ryan Whitney]

You that on the.

[Biz Nunez]

No, not me, not me. Other guys, like, more established guys, they were like, when are you going to do something? Like, look at you. You should be dominating this league. And then four years later, he was dominating the league.

[Paul Bissonnette]

It's actually a great comp. I know that's been brought up before, but, you know, Headman was not the guy that he was even four years in.

[Ryan Whitney]

No.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah, you know what? His fourth year he had 20 points at 44 games was the lockout. The next year he popped off for 55 and really kind of started taking over in terms of like production offensively.

[Ryan Whitney]

I think they also used him a lot better this year. Like, the way that, like he was. He wasn't relied upon as much offensively, although his numbers might have been decent. Like, they took him off the power play there so he didn't have to focus on that as much. Like, he was able to like to hide on the offensive side where he could just kind of play his game, maybe focus a little bit more defensively. And I think it rounded him out. And I think they're all. I think they. I think basically the coaching staff figured out how to use their back end and use them all in appropriate situations. Now, I know we're still talking about Buffalo, that Kesselring, is he just constantly injured? Like, what's, what's up? What's going on there?

[Paul Bissonnette]

We ever get an answer?

[Merl]

No, I never found out. I think he was just scratched by the end. Like, that's what I don't. I still haven't gotten a straight answer from anybody on what happened with him, because I thought that was going to be the perfect partner for like power, like, or Darlene, that right handed, big defenseman. So I don't know what the story is there.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah, that was part of the deal where you're like, oh, my God. It's not just Doan. You got a solid defenseman, too, to play 15, 20 minutes. The goaltending thing. This is last thing. And Canadians fans, we have Gorton coming on. We're going to talk a lot of habs. You guys deserve some love, but we just wanted to round wrap up Buffalo. I saw Devon Levy, right. Levy. Levi at North. Levi, sorry, at Northeastern. And I think everyone's like, holy. Like, this is a future star goalie. And then he's traded in. Was that the Reinhardt. The Reinhardt deal? Now, then there were rumors that they could have had Spencer Knight. I don't know if that's true, but they make the deal, and it's just. I don't know. It's. And. And by the way, with the goaltending position, I am not counting this kid out at all.

[Ryan Whitney]

No.

[Paul Bissonnette]

But I don't know if it's gonna happen with Buffalo. He was in Rochester all year, and I just think a lot of Sabers fans were like, all right, we got our guy, and it just hasn't worked out. Now maybe he goes somewhere else. I think he would have to go through waivers next year. So an interesting storyline there because it seemed as though they had a goalie for the future, and it just. It just hasn't worked out there. And I really wouldn't be surprised if he goes somewhere else and figures out. I know he's a smaller goalie.

[Ryan Whitney]

He's undersized.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah, yeah, I know, but you've seen some smaller undersized guys.

[Ryan Whitney]

No, I'm just. I'm just saying, like, just mention it.

[Merl]

I've been told is his time with the organization is coming to an end here. He spent the whole season in Rochester, and I think he needs a new start. And I think the organization feels the same way here.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Hey, not to do it again, but, like, calling Edmonton, you never know.

[Merl]

One more thing. Before we say goodbye to the Sabers, we have to thank them. They. They gave us probably our three best moments as a podcast this season. Started with the first Blade Gang viral video.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Merl]

Then we made our own rollerblading on the highway. And then. We'll never, ever let you live down the beer Saber Chuck. So thank you, Buffalo.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Well, I don't think if I sold like this.

[Biz Nunez]

Yeah.

[Paul Bissonnette]

One I was holding in the worst.

[Ryan Whitney]

Should get the whole team to sign that.

[Paul Bissonnette]

All right. Anyone including. Tell me what they're willing to pay for this. I'll. I'll give it to charity. This is the actual one that I.

[Biz Nunez]

I'll start the bidding off at 500.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Okay, fair enough. All right, Murphy,

[Merl]

also, pick up this hockey dad T shirt barstool store I got here today. That's why it looks so good. Father's Day is coming up.

[Ryan Whitney]

Hey, Vegas. If Vegas makes it to the final and we somehow end up there for a game, will Migsy send the. The limos for us?

[Merl]

Oh, yeah.

[Biz Nunez]

Imagine how grimy his limos are.

[Merl]

No, did you see the. Yeah, he sent army and G1 for the frozen four class.

[Biz Nunez]

They didn't even have tickets to the game. No,

[Merl]

I mean, that's the only way we're gonna outdo these Buffalo videos. We're gonna have to go to Vegas for the finals.

[Ryan Whitney]

What's the name of the limo company?

[Merl]

Oh, man.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, no.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Oh, no.

[Merl]

This is the plug. It used to be All In. What's it called now?

[Biz Nunez]

All Out.

[Merl]

All In. Oh, my God, Migs. He's gonna kill me.

[Biz Nunez]

You gotta find this. You gotta give him his plug, dude.

[Merl]

Oh, my God.

[Biz Nunez]

Because they are beautiful.

[Merl]

I was just there. I was just at the place. He's got limos, he's got the shuttle buses right at terminal. The baggage terminal. Transportation. Bell Transport. Bell Transport. You go baggage claim eight, you go right out the door. They got limos, they got buses, they got it all.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Bell center and the Bell Center.

[Biz Nunez]

Wow. We have Montreal Aus. Montreal.

[Ryan Whitney]

That would be such a weird final, Chick.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah, that would also be a. A rematch of when Montreal shocked them. What year was that? The coveted year covet.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Paul Bissonnette]

We all had our plans and our flights to Vegas, and then Montreal ruined it. So. Shout out. Shout out. Bell transportation.

[Merl]

Shout out. He had Coughlin last night, but I'll be on Carolina tonight. I know we went through all those stats, but I put that pick out before we talked to Talbot. And I learned all about Montreal, but I have. For the record, I have canes in seven. But I don't love it. I don't love it.

[Ryan Whitney]

As in, like, you think Montreal is going to win or as in, like, Talbot?

[Merl]

Talbot had me talked into Montreal.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I know. I saw that clip. And the. In the French magic he was talking about.

[Biz Nunez]

It did.

[Paul Bissonnette]

That did get me going a little bit. I have. I'll tell. My brain is telling me that, like, the Kings could sweep them. Not even kidding.

[Ryan Whitney]

I think everybody here has a feeling of Kane's four or five. And I'm saying you're talking about the

[Paul Bissonnette]

guys you work with or people in Carolina.

[Ryan Whitney]

No comment.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Hey, people.

[Merl]

These Montreal people are going to talk you around it, though. That's what Talbot. I had Canes in five till I talked to him.

[Ryan Whitney]

What was the. Give us the biggest selling point. Like give us like one or two where you're like, oh wow, magic. That's it?

[Merl]

No, that just the stats, how they were 30 against them during the season.

[Ryan Whitney]

I mean I don't give a. About regular season.

[Merl]

The top line's been terrible. Five on five and they're somehow already in the third round. Imagine if they get going.

[Ryan Whitney]

I think they're being outscored ten to three. The top line at five on five.

[Merl]

Yeah.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Okay, well let's. Let's get going or biz. What's your worry? Like what. What would have to happen with Carolina for. For Montreal to win?

[Ryan Whitney]

Well, I think that basically if you look at Suzuki and Ajo and those two lines, I would say that they cancel each other out. Right. And then. Yeah, as far as that second line, I mean the only. This. I'm curious to know how this layoff is going to affect that second line for Carolina. They had so much chemistry and momentum and all of a sudden you don't play a game for almost two weeks. What is that? What does that do to you? If that. And then as far as the. I mean the bottom six for Montreal has been unbelievable too. They were. I think they're outscoring the top line for Montreal. Five on five.

[Merl]

Yeah, that's when he started talking about Dana and. And Anderson.

[Biz Nunez]

Anderson.

[Merl]

These guys are just playoff guys.

[Biz Nunez]

That's going to be the. That's going to be the series because you got Martin Stall then and Anderson and Deno. Like this is going to be a bottom six. Whoever can win the bottom six is going to win this series because I think.

[Paul Bissonnette]

You think Suzuki.

[Biz Nunez]

Suzuki is probably going to get matched up against the Stankhoven line, right? Like they might cancel each other out. If a ho's line can turn it up, then you know that's going to be an issue. But man, I think. I think Montreal matches up so good against this team and I think people are really taking Montreal lightly and you know, obviously I think I've been right in two series this playoffs but I, I got a. I got a really good feeling about Montreal, like the way they've proven they can play anyway. They played the muck against Tampa, they played hard. They played FU hockey for seven games and then against Buffalo it's a little more running gun, but there is some after whistles and stuff. That's a big heavy team in Buffalo. So I think they're proven this year that they can play any type of game. And I don't think Marty, like the biggest trouble you can get against playing Carolina is trying to play their game. Once you play their game, you're done. Like you got to just know how to play your game. Not, not overextend shifts, not get too high, too low when they do hem you in in their zone for, you know, their shifts where they're getting five or six shots a shift shooting from the bench. So I think it's one of those things that Montreal like their matchup against I really, really like their D can skate unbelievably well. It's going to be fun as man. This is going to be one of the, you know, best series I think of the whole play.

[Paul Bissonnette]

It's gonna be fast.

[Ryan Whitney]

I think if you look at the rosters and you compare position by position, like I think it's dead even. And we also can't forget like Carolina hasn't like Montreal's played harder competition right like this. Like it's been a bit of a cakewalk for Carolina. So I might change my pick to to Keynes and seven. I think it might go to you

[Merl]

even get to Montreal. Montreal people yet you're going to be talked flipped a whole other way.

[Biz Nunez]

No, I think everybody wants him on Carolina.

[Merl]

So they were saying the way Montreal plays to the quick attack that that the transition is it gives Carolina. That's why they had the regular season success.

[Paul Bissonnette]

That's why I think for for Dobson, Goulet and Matheson, you know Hudson's going to break the puck out. Well like I, I he will be money on the breakout zone exits. He's incredible. So those three defensemen who play a lot of on that against that forecheck, like how good can they move the puck? And that's if they can get out of the zone easily, then they're in a great spot that what is Carolina's game. It's just hemming you in and can you break the puck out so mur. We appreciate it. We're gonna get we love you buddy jersey on tomorrow.

[Merl]

Colorado fans.

[Ryan Whitney]

Don't worry the mer.

[Paul Bissonnette]

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[Jeff Gorton]

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[Paul Bissonnette]

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[Ryan Whitney]

more of a couple shifts in the first and then take out the rest of the game.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah, we know.

[Ryan Whitney]

I don't know anything overtime here,

[Paul Bissonnette]

but I don't know if he would have been down. Let's bring him in right now. President of the Montreal Canadian, Jeff Gor. Couple clicks. Gortz, how are you? Thanks for joining the show.

[Jeff Gorton]

Thanks for having me, guys. It's my pleasure.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Is it true that you were told this is Sportsnet and that's how we dragged you on here?

[Jeff Gorton]

No, no, no, no, not at all. Not at all. Listen, if Yan's asked me to do something, I'm gonna do it.

[Biz Nunez]

Oh, you're the best.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I love it.

[Ryan Whitney]

What's your history with Yance?

[Jeff Gorton]

Yance played for me. He's New York all the time. Like who was. Who are some of Your favorite players of all time. Time. The ends is definitely top five.

[Biz Nunez]

Hell, yeah.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Big compliment for how long you've been in the game, Gorts. I love it.

[Jeff Gorton]

I can't. I can't remember the first 25 years. So.

[Paul Bissonnette]

So are you in Carolina right now?

[Jeff Gorton]

I'm in Carolina right now, yep. All right.

[Paul Bissonnette]

So what. What a run. Exciting. Just, like, crazy. Two rounds, Game seven, both of them. What's your feeling on everything so far? How alive is the city? And I can't imagine when you came to Montreal, you thought it would all happen this quick for this group.

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah, no, it's. It's definitely a little bit on fire right now. The fans are into it and hungry for more, and it's been interesting, right? We've. We've been really good on the road. We haven't been able to finish it at home, so they're kind of ready for those parties for us to clinch it and win those games at home, and we haven't been able to do it, so hopefully we can keep extending and give them that. That feeling. But it's a, it's been a good run and, and really happy for the guys, and they played really well, and it's exciting, you know, Here we are. Let's see what's. Let's see what's next, I guess.

[Ryan Whitney]

How are you at staying composed during these games, especially when some of them are heading to overtime? Like, are you a nervous wreck in the box?

[Jeff Gorton]

Not as good as I thought. You know, I always promised myself going into every game, I'm gonna be good, and then I'm never good. You know, it's like, I, I, I'm like, I'm gonna be tonight. I'm not gonna say a word. And then the game starts, and I'm like. And I started losing it. You know, my buddies all text me, go, like, you can't keep wearing the same suit. It's going to be a disaster. But, but, you know, we hang in there. Like, I should probably not sit so close to Kent because we're not good for each other at all during the game.

[Biz Nunez]

You know, just getting each other's blood pressure. Yeah.

[Jeff Gorton]

You just turn to the guy next to you like, what the hell was that? You know, but, you know, 10 floors up, it's very easy to watch and think that we can all go out there and have some success. But I know better than that.

[Biz Nunez]

Yeah. Going into this series, obviously you guys gone the distance in your first two with the seven games, you know, is this one of those things where you're using the momentum where, you know, team like Carolina, who's been waiting for. I think it's the longest wait in NHL history. Like, where for you guys, it's like, hey, listen, you know, especially nowadays, like, all these kids want to do is play hockey, right? And to go out there and just play and have fun.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah.

[Jeff Gorton]

It'll be interesting to see tonight what, you know, I guess it's the. The rest versus playing all the time. What's gonna. What's gonna, you know, play itself out and, you know, will they be rusty? I guess rest versus rust, I guess, is what I'm trying to say. But, yeah, I don't know what's gonna happen. I. I know that, you know, these guys are really good and, you know, I've seen some footage of them practicing a lot, and I'm sure Rod will have them ready and so. But our guys are. I think they're. I think they're in a good spot and. And ready to roll. So we'll see. Those first 10 minutes, you know, might feel like there's eight guys on the ice for Carolina. You know, we'll see. It gets pretty loud in there when

[Paul Bissonnette]

you look at, like, your team. There's just so many different storylines, but with how guys talk about Martin St. Louis, and I think it was the first round when Dobush might have said his pregame speech is just something I'll never forget. Like, take us through when he came in, right? Like, it was hall of Fame player. He's coaching mid Fairfield, I believe in Connecticut, and all of a sudden he's the NHL. He's a head coach of the Montreal Canadiens. Like, what did you know about him before? Obviously you. You've been around him a lot. But what was that decision to bring him in and how well has it gone overall?

[Jeff Gorton]

Well, he's. I had him as a player, kind of like Yance and obviously unique and. And you just had this way about him that you. That you felt like there was always going to be a chance to coach. And actually, when I was in New York, I actually offered them job in Hartford, but, you know, Greenwich to Hartford didn't seem that appealing to him, I guess. So I guess it had to. We had to wait to get to Montreal, but, you know, Kent has a lot of history with them, too. Their kids play together at the program. You know, he played for us in New York, so. So there was that. And then, you know, had. Going into Montreal, we were pretty bad when we first got there and kind of promised we wouldn't change coaches. And then just being there for a while, I could see the players faces. They were dying and we had to change something. So we just started talking and saying if we just tried this, you know, and Marty was willing to come for just the end of the season, which, you know, there's not a lot of NHL coaches just saying, hey, I'll come for three months. Let me show you. You know, usually it's a four or five year deal. So that was appealing. And honestly, the first time I ever saw him speak to the team, I was like, whoa, that's pretty good. The guys are gonna like that. So you can see through his speeches, and he's very well thought out. And, you know, you guys are all former players. I'm sure you can envision yourself in the room thinking, I'd really like to play for this guy. And that's kind of how it's.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah, I like this one.

[Jeff Gorton]

Oh,

[Paul Bissonnette]

that's the one that's really got me after these wins.

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah, he's got a lot. He spends a lot of time trying to figure out kind of what his next thing for those guys is, you know, you guys know, I'm sure you get bored sometimes with the same old, same old. And I think he's, he's probably had coaches that were like that for him. And he goes out of his way not to, not to make it so boring.

[Ryan Whitney]

No, he's, he's hitting all the right buttons. And before you hopped on, Whit talked about how, how the correlation of how young this, this group is just over the average age of 25. And I mean, I guess when you and Hughes put this team together, how proud are you, this group? And the fact that not only is Martin hitting the right buttons, but they haven't lost back to back games since like March at this point. And for a young group not to let, like, things fester and snowball and get out of control, like, to me, that's one of the most impressive stats I've seen in a long time.

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah, it is. It's. You know, I saw that stat the other day. It's, it is pretty wild, you know, because it feels like we're in the playoffs, we're in the third round, we won. We basically have won. Loss, one loss. One loss, one loss. Right. So it's a little crazy, but for a young group to just kind of shake everything off, you know. Game six against Buffalo, we're up three to one. And then we got, we got run out of our own building there, so that was tough. And then for Those guys to respond to dobrush, to respond like that, to the players, to respond like that. So it means a lot. And it's, you know, I think as we go forward, something obviously we can, we can use a lot, you know, But I will say biz. I felt pretty good when you put that Buffalo jersey on. I knew we had a chance. That's.

[Biz Nunez]

I don't know if you heard him. He, he took Carolina and seven before you came on. I heard, I thought, I thought that was perfect.

[Ryan Whitney]

No, I, Yeah, what I said, what I said to the group is I said, hey, boys, we might have a hard time if we go to Montreal. I don't think tickets are easy to come by. And Yans is like, oh, no, Gortz has got us. And then he, and then he said, as long as, like, you're rooting for Carolina, he knew we were going to take it down. I said, we better have a box with the seafood tow ready to go. I'll have my change jersey on.

[Jeff Gorton]

I'm gonna, I'm gonna put fizz. You're gonna sit right behind Rod. The other guys will get treated really well.

[Ryan Whitney]

I'll have a fake set of tits on too.

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah, you'll be down, you'll be down there and the fans will be just giving it to you.

[Ryan Whitney]

Hey, I'm, I'm used to it. I've been taking a lot of Ls these days. The one other thing too, you mentioned dollar too. And one of the coolest viral videos I saw happen these playoffs were when he came out. I believe he was first star and he was getting interviewed and the fans wouldn't even let him speak. They just gave him the Olay treatment. Like, are you there, like in the box still watching that, or are you already heading down the elevator to go to the room?

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah, no, I try to watch, especially him. We're trying to media train him. I got my eyes on him. But yeah, no, right after the game, I, I do because it is such a unique place and it's one of the rare rinks where when the game's over, the whole building waits to see who's the first star. And it's, it's, you know, usually by then everyone's in the, in the, in traffic. And so I'm watching because we're always interviewing a player and seeing who the stars are, and it's kind of crazy there the first 10 minutes, so you kind of wait it out. So I always watch that. And yeah, I saw him. He's. It was sort of interesting. They asked him a question. It was like, there's a pause, and all of a sudden he's like, Sava. It was almost like, you know, he's a unique guy, but obviously he's the goalie. He likes the moment, right? Yeah, yeah. But, like, I don't know if every goalie likes the moment as, like, as much as he seems to really like the moment. You know, he's. He's busy's your kind of guy, I think.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Jeff Gorton]

If you come to Montreal, you're not allowed to come meet him.

[Ryan Whitney]

Okay.

[Paul Bissonnette]

All right.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, I'll stay away. I love this guy. Yeah. But after. After he said that, then. And then the crowd erupted, and then he goes, obviously you don't want me to talk. Yeah, he just. He gets it, man. He was getting him going. Sorry, Ants.

[Biz Nunez]

Yeah, no, I was just gonna. Going back to the. You know, not having lost back to back games since March 16th, 17th or whatever it is. I look at your captain, Nick Suzuki, and we talked to Knuckles Nyland the other day, and he said, you just see him even keel, he's never high, never low. Like, what is he bringing to that group, especially a younger group, where, if you're never seeing your captain, especially in a place like Montreal where the media can get, you know, the noise can come into your locker room, but for him, it just seems like. Like every day is like this for him, and I'm sure he's a huge, huge factor. Why. Why? That is a stat for you guys.

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah, no, he's. You're right, it is. Every day is this kind of the same for him, and, boy, he's. He's quite a player. He's. He's really emerged as a star player in this league, and he's definitely our leader. And it's interesting that we do all these things for the NHL and the. They're Mike and guys, and. And he was Mike the other day. So I got to look at it, and you see him on the bench and you hear that he could be quiet sometimes, but during the. During game seven, boy was he. He was talking and pumping guys up, and I was really impressed with some of the things he was saying. But you're right, like, it's. It's. It's nice to have a guy that's so good, but yet never rattled. Nothing ever bothers him. You know, you're down a goal, you're up a goal. It's always the same. He's got the same attitude. I'm going to take this game over. And, you know, he's it's pretty special. Since I've been here, this. This guy's got better every year. And it's. It's hard to say that when you get 100 points, you're like, what's he going to do next? But he. He hasn't. He hasn't really hit a ceiling, which is crazy.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah, his stats have gone up, I think, every season.

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Like. Yeah, the improvement you can have even at the highest levels, it's. It's pretty incredible to watch. But I wanted to ask you. I don't think a lot of people are aware of your fingerprints and what you did for the Bruins, right, when you were acting as GM in 06.1 draft. You got Kessel, you got Lucic, you got Marshawn. You were behind the Tuka trade. And there were so many different things that you built in Boston that you must see similarities now, right? Like building through the draft and getting guys like Lane Hudson in the second round. Marshawn was third round. And are you seeing similarities to what you were doing in Boston even though you weren't there by the time they did win the Cup?

[Merl]

Greatest signing in NHL history. Two signings of Daniel Charles.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I didn't even bring that up.

[Merl]

Yes, to Vard, too.

[Jeff Gorton]

Thanks, guys. There's definitely similarities. It's, you know, you go back to, like, Patrice. You know, we had Patrice and we had, you know, David Cratchie to kind of started out down the middle, and then, yet, you know, we're lucky to do all those things, as you guys just mentioned. So it's. It's very similar, you know, in Montreal. I do feel pretty lucky that when we got here, a lot of these guys, you know, they were here, they were young, maybe they hadn't been here, but they were coming, and they drafted pretty well. And like, even Dovish, now you look at him, he's drafted pretty well, you know, several years ago, even before I got here. So you have to have that. But there's similarities. The similarities to New York, too, right? You think back, we. We were able to add, like, Fox, and now here we're able to get, you know, Lane Hudson. You know, you have to have that, and you need that number one center. And Suzuki's emerges that now we have a goal scorer. So there's. There's a lot of similarities. You know, you learn from some of your mistakes over time, and. And hopefully it takes over. But in all three places, there is definitely similarities. And, you know, we're kind of seeing

[Biz Nunez]

it now, even going out and signing a Guy like Dobson this summer, like even outside looking in, you're like, ah, this guy Dobson, he's a number one power play guy. You already have your Lane Hudson, but Dobson's been great and just like solidifies your decor even more. So it's like for you guys not being afraid to go out and get that guy and because you can, I would imagine you come into that locker room in the buy in. It seems like it's there guys with, with Marty running the ship in the locker room and obviously you guys up top.

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah, no, I got to give no credit because there's probably not and you yens would know this better. There's probably not a lot of number one power play guys that you bring in and put them on your second power play and they're happy, you know. So I think we might even tried that with you in New York. Actually it was my choice. I would say to you, like Noah's come in and completely bought in and, and been part of it and a huge part of it and kind of under the radar like how good he's really been for us. You know, he got hurt obviously in the Tampa series, came in game seven. It's played well. But you know somebody that can get the puck out of your zone right away, that's. He's a little like what you mentioned with Suzuki, even kill guy that just, you know what you're getting every night. And he's been a real good addition in the room too.

[Biz Nunez]

And even Matheson, he, I think he had 60 points last year playing power play and then he kind of gets dropped down a little bit too. But you never see him bitching and complaining like he just goes out and does his job.

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah, no question. We, you know, like you said before we had lane, he had 60 something points. He's on the first power play. So you know to, to go to him and say listen, this is going to be a role now. And he's embraced that. He's been great and you know, fortunately able to sign him and keep him around for a while but. But he's pretty consistent what he does under the radar guy.

[Ryan Whitney]

I think too, I was going to ask you about Anderson. Probably a tough guy to appreciate during an 82 game season, but when you get the playoffs and the games matter and you know, physicality matters and size. I played against him when he was in the American Hockey League and the way that he would burn up the up and down the wing, he, he's a piece of shit to play against. He's been Just so valuable to you guys and on your fore check and what he's brought so far this playoff. So just like what are you seeing from him and what do you love about him?

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah, I think it's, it's like you said, it's, you know, it's the Tom Wilson type of player that, that the teams don't have. So you have a weapon that this guy's going to go up and down and he's going to come out in the defense. The other defenders are like, like this guy's coming, he's coming, he's going to keep coming. It's annoying. And he plays more right like in the playoffs. Marty's going to him all the time. Sometimes every other shift you put him up there with Susie's line for a little while and it's just, it's just, you know, it just keeps coming and coming and coming and he's never going to stop. So you're 82 games is tough to do that and, but the playoffs, his history of his career in the playoffs has been very, very good. So he's a, he's a, he's a weapon and I think Marty's using him really well right now. He's, he's, he's, he's a huge part of where we're at.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Back to Dobson because you trade two first rounders for him this year. How, what's your discussion like with Kent? Where. All right, we made the playoffs last year and you know, we get bounced early. Washington was a good team. Do we keep stockpiling these picks and prospects like, or all right, no, let's, let's give the 15th and 16th pick and bring Dobson and like how do you decide when it's time to move on from future pieces to what you need right now?

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah, I think it's a good question. I think the biggest thing for us was to move forward and it's, you know, to keep, to keep taking first round picks that maybe aren't going to be there for three or four years and tell our team that we wanted to take another step. But you know, those are hard things to do. So what we wanted to do is find somebody that Noah's age that was a core type player that fit in, that could be an impact right away. So you know, obviously we're not going to hum, you know, two first round picks out the window for, you know, something less an older player, something like that, but, but somebody that could fit in and, and help us right away and our core could see all right these Guys, they want to move this thing forward. They're not just drafting first round picks for the rest of our lives that they want to move this thing forward too. So that was a big part of it. And I think as we go forward, you know, we'll always look for those type of things that just keep, you know, keep adding. Trying not to get 35 year old players but, but people that, you know, fit in with our core and Noah's done that.

[Ryan Whitney]

I was, I thought one of the coolest stories of the playoffs, even though like regardless if it was with you guys and I got a soft spot for the bottom six was after game two. Kirby Doc had that icing.

[Pasha]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

And the play at the blue line, their defenseman ended up scoring. You guys lose that game. But Marty didn't sit him. He went with him the next game and played him a ton. And since then I feel like that line, although broken up partly, has contributed so much. Especially in times where the offense is maybe dried up on the top line. Like from the outside looking in like just how cool is that to see where like things like that go down? And also the response from the fans because they were chanting his name the next game at home when he ended up scoring that goal and they were

[Paul Bissonnette]

calling for his head before they were

[Jeff Gorton]

right, they were calling for his head and, and you know, you get on the plane after and you get beat like that and you're having conversation with your coach like we got to change the lineup and he's, he was pretty adamant.

[Merl]

No.

[Jeff Gorton]

And I again, I think it goes back to he's a guy that people want to play for and they want to play for him because you're going to make a mistake and he's going to put you back out there and, and that's all guys can ask for, you know. Now if Kirby does it, he comes out the next game and does it again. I think he's going to probably have to respond Marty. But he gave him his chance and he delivered and it was a, it was a hell of a thing, right? It's you know, 5:30 or 5:45 before the game and he's getting the standing O and our fans are rallying around him and he scores in the game, has a great game. He's, you know, one of the three stars. So good on Marty. Like I, I have to say I, I probably, you know, I was thinking might not have to change it here but, but, but Marty's, Marty's pretty good like that. I, I do think it's, it Goes back to what we talk about all the time with him is he was, you know, he was struggling to make the NHL. Marty at one time in his life, right? He was up and down. He was a scratch. You know, he did go in waivers. He passed through waivers one time, and then he became this, you know, hall of Fame player. So he does have that unique thing where he can stand in front of our team and say, I've done everything all of you have done. There's nobody's. Nobody. I'm not asking anybody to do anything that I didn't do. And I think he has that unique bond that maybe not a lot of people. People could have.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah. Not even anyone I could think of that had a Hall of Fame career like him. That's a great point. But another guy Biz has been raving about, and all of us really is Jake Evans. And the discussion last year leading up to the deadline was like, this is a valuable piece. What could we get for him? A lot of playoff teams would want a guy like this, and you guys decide to resign him. And now it's, it's a phenomenal contract with his production and what he means to the team. So take us through, like, the thought process. Was there ever even a thought process of trading him?

[Jeff Gorton]

Yes, you know, I, I think we had to. When the spot we were in, like, when we signed him, we were, if you remember, we had gone on the run after, but we were out of the playoffs and not necessarily trending in the right direction. And when we started talking to him in December, so we were, we were pretty far out. And then we went on the run to make the playoffs. But no, I mean, he's. He's pretty unique guy. Like, he doesn't, he doesn't get a lot of accolades, but he has a guy that can go up and down your lineup. You know, he's, he can skate. You know, he wins face offs. He's a great penalty killer. He's, you know, another guy that's quiet in the room, just goes about his business, real professional guy. So he's, you know, Marty's playing him up right now in the second line and, and he's having a lot of success, so those guys are hard to find. I think that, that can go up and down your lineup. That can do a little bit of everything. That could play wing, play center, win draws. You know, we're seeing it with him and, and Deno right now and Susie, right. They're winning a lot of draws. We have the puck a little bit more than we used to. And you know, like I said, you put out a young kid out there and ask him to win draws and they're winning draws at 35%. It's a little tough, you know, as skilled as they are and you see it a lot, right? We all, we all try to force our young guys in too soon. And Jake's got a lot of experience. He was here when they went to the finals. So he's a guy that, you know, quite frankly, guys like Susie and those guys had come to us and said, you know, he'd be a big, he'd be a big miss if we traded him another guy.

[Biz Nunez]

I can't believe we haven't talked about yet is, is new hook, obviously getting two overtime winners for you guys to move you guys on. But is that one of when you make that trade? Like he's a younger guy, he has winning pedigree. I think he's the only guy on your roster that's won a cup, but he's also in that age group of, you know, where you guys are wanting to go. Was that part of the, the deal when you made that trade is we want a guy in the, you know, perfect age group but has also had some winning pedigree?

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah, I think so. You know, we kind of fit into what we're talking about, right? He plays center, plays wing, can score, can kill, has some experience winning. His age was pretty good when we got him. Like it's kind of like when we traded for Doc, right? We, we moved some picks, we did some things just because, you know, if you're like we said about earlier, we talked about earlier, you draft an 18 year old kids all the time. It's hard to like move this along. So you get a guy like Newey that maybe is not quite top six yet in Colorado. They've got a lot of good players. You get a player like him, you get Kirby. So you're just trying to get Noah, you're just trying to advance it with those type of players and hopefully hit, you know, that they, they're as good as you think they are. You know, Kent was his agent, so it's a, it's, it's a pretty good, you have history with him. Their kids played together in Victoria. So there's always those little things where you know, you know those, you know a little bit more about players when you have that kind of access. But it's good for him. Like this guy's been hurt for two years, right? He's had a couple nasty injuries with his ankles. And to see him healthy now and doing what he's doing, like, everyone's. This guy's a great guy. Everyone's happy for him. And. And, you know, goal scoring is so hard in the playoffs. And to get it, like, we're getting it, you know, from. From secondary guys and other guys, it's been huge.

[Ryan Whitney]

I got some questions, but away from the team, did you have. Did you have any more, like, team questions?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah, just when I first saw Demidov, I was like, oh, yeah. And I'm wondering, your guys sitting at. You're sitting at the draft. 20, 24. Columbus has fourth. If they take Kaden Lindstrom, like, the feeling of joy you must have had. Like, I don't know how he dropped the five. And my question basically is, were there questions about if he'd be able to get out of the contract with St. Petersburg? Like, how did that all come about, where he did drop to where. Where you got him?

[Jeff Gorton]

Great question. Yeah, definitely at five, you. You know, you don't know, and you think you're hearing things all the time when you lead up to a draft that this guy might go. Here in New Anaheim, we had heard, like, Seneca, things like that. So you're just trying to put the pieces together. But, you know, the scouts room's like. It's like a. It's like a high school cafeteria. Like, there's a lot of gossip in there. These guys, you know, they all have their buddies that tell them, and it's like, ironclad. This is gonna happen. You know, I got guys I work with forever. They've said that so many times. I mean, like, you've never been, right? Like, what are you talking about?

[Ryan Whitney]

You have eight Merles in there.

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah, you have guys like Merles in there. Exactly. Sam, this is definitely the order of the draft.

[Ryan Whitney]

I said it. I said to take that guy.

[Merl]

I should.

[Ryan Whitney]

We should have taken him. We don't have one pick, buddy. We have one pick.

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah. After the draft is another showbiz. But before the draft is like, they all know what's going to happen because they've talked to their buddies that work for other teams. Right. Or agents or something. So everybody's got a theory on what's going to happen, but in the end, we didn't know that Demonov was going to be there. We. We had hoped he had heard that he might, you know, his agent was talking to everybody and didn't.

[Merl]

And.

[Jeff Gorton]

And felt like he might go five. So, you know, we were obviously. We were hoping and. But we Had a good feel, right? We, we have Nick, Bob Roth, who's, who's, who's basically, he's Russian, he's been in the US forever. You guys probably know him. He's scouted with me forever. He was with me in Boston, he's in New York. So he's got a, he's got a long history over there and with the same team, St. Petersburg he's with. So we had, we had, we knew, we knew that he was going to come over. We knew his contract was ending. We knew how bad he wanted to, to come over. And when we met with him, is, is just a different guy. He's just a different guy. He's, he's already learning English. He was driven. He wanted to be over here. And the thought of playing in Montreal did not scare the guy. So we were excited that if he was going to be there, he was going to be our guy. So you just sit there and you wait for those picks to go and you, you know, you're hitting each other's knees under the table, like, let's do this right. So it was, it's good, that's good. It's one that worked out for us.

[Ryan Whitney]

So I was, I was reading that your, your first job in hockey, at least like on the, on this side of it, was you were a pro scout, is that true?

[Jeff Gorton]

Actually, no. I actually interned for the Bruins. Right. And for my graduate degree. And then they hired me. They kept me on as a PR guy for a year.

[Biz Nunez]

He was blades.

[Jeff Gorton]

I was a PR guy for a year. Yeah. And then, and then I came over to hockey with Michael Connell and guys like that. So, no, that was my, I can't even call it a job really. But that was what I, that's how I started.

[Ryan Whitney]

Did you, did you like that side of it or was it like a one year?

[Jeff Gorton]

No, no, like, listen, I'm, I'm not like you guys. I had to, I went to school, you know, Yan's trying to go to school.

[Ryan Whitney]

I went to Davenport. Yeah, yeah, Davenport University. That's a school.

[Jeff Gorton]

Try to go to Maine, you know, But I, I, I went to school, I went to grad school and I interned with the Bruins. Listen, my whole idea was, I'm gonna get in hockey, they're gonna love me. But I didn't, I was kidding. I thought I was kidding myself, but that was my way in. I, I played until I was 18 years old, so I was realistic. So that's how I, I got in. I, I didn't. But I once I got in, I was like, you know, my dad was a plumber. He said, go there at 6am don't leave until everybody leaves. And that's what I did. And then I just made it so they couldn't get rid of me. You know what I mean?

[Ryan Whitney]

And then after that.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, well, that's, that's kind of what I was alluding to is like, then after that you, you were technically a pro scout for a few years.

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah, yeah, yep. Yeah, a little bit of everything. Like I said, Michael Connell was a forward thinking guy and I did a lot of like stats video. I'd come in late at night just off the satellite dish, pull all these junior games and then cut them and give them all to all the scouts and get ready for the draft, do all those kind of things. And then during the games, I was doing stats, stats. I'd go down like Brian Sutter was the coach. I'd go in between the periods and be like, how many? How many? Show me all the checks. Guys finish. I bring the sheet in. The players probably hated me, right? This guy's not finishing checks, Brian. Here's the sheet.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh no.

[Jeff Gorton]

Who the hell's this guy?

[Biz Nunez]

Especially back then.

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah, yeah. So it's a different world back then, but those are the kind of things I did. And, and you know, I look back, it's, it's. I laugh at it now, but. So that's, that's what you had to do back then. There was, you know, 11, 15, 20 people working in the offices. Now I walk through the office and I, it's like spring break in there.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, but, but like going back, I mean, you kind of just mentioned all these things that you were doing to like kind of learn the, the business and the ropes. Like, how valuable was it to do all those things at the bottom, to kind of be aware of it where you are now? Like you, Would you recommend like any guy have to go through the ranks like that?

[Jeff Gorton]

Oh, absolutely. Like if you, if you're not a, if you're not playing the NHL, you got to find your way. Right? And that's the way I, that's my, that was my way. You know, it's, it's sort of unique and kind of fun to talk about now, but absolutely bottom up. Like, there wasn't anything in that office happening that I didn't know about. It was all, it was great. So like from tickets to marketing to scouting to anything you do, anything. Listen, I, I joke about it now, but they used to call me and say, harry, Simmons coming in on a flight from the GM meeting to. And his dry. We can't find his driver. I was like, I got it. I would get this guy's caddy, I'd get over there, pick him up, and seriously, we'd talk hockey. And that's how I, you know, sort of got in there with him and, and got to know him really well like that. But I wasn't, you know, because I've heard some of your stories. I wasn't above anything. I just, I loved it and, and I didn't know where it would go. And, you know, obviously I, I've been pretty lucky in hockey. And it's been fun, you know, working, working for three original six teams. Kind of crazy, but from a kid from, you know, Boston, so.

[Ryan Whitney]

To being in control.

[Merl]

Right?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah. Well, that's why. So it's so well deserved, you know, having been at every level of, of running a team and where a team is at. But another guy I have a question about, Sorry, I forgot is I was at. I was over at BU a lot when Lane Hudson was, was a freshman and you know, he played two years. And I was telling these guys, I'm like, I don't know if it's going to translate the way it is now, but he's going to be in the NHL. And wait till you see the motor. What did you think, like, watching him? Because it was, it was such domination in college. But did you even see this, like this quick?

[Jeff Gorton]

No. No way.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I know.

[Jeff Gorton]

You know, obviously seeing him at the, at the national team, you know, they brought him up when he was younger to the 18s, and you saw him and he was small and you know, we all go through these phases. We're like, I don't know, that's. That's pretty small for what he's gonna have to do. But geez, you watch everything he does. And it's like we always talk about Kent and I talk about it all the time. It's like his skill, his thinking, it's all off the charts, it's all great. But he had the secret sauce is the work ethic is ridiculous. This guy, like in a battle for a puck, it's not like it's not going to be denied. You know, he's going against Thompson, he's going against all these big players, and he's always coming out with pucks. And you, you keep going back to it going. The guy has the puck all the time, he never loses battles. When he does, he's gonna go get it back. You Know, he's like one of those annoying players where when you beat him, you're not gonna beat him once. You got to beat him a second time, a third time. You know, he's never gonna go away. So he has that special ingredient that. That even. Even. Even more skilled players than him you wish they would have. But it just. Over time, the more and more and more you watch, and you're like, jeez, just. Is he always the best player? And he was always the best player. You're at bu. He was playing with celebrity. They were both great. But to be the best player sometime with Macklin on the ice out. That says a lot.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Like, yeah, sometimes he was.

[Ryan Whitney]

Doesn't he. Doesn't he go out there when nobody's on the ice and he doesn't tie his skates and he's just out there doing the 10 and 2?

[Jeff Gorton]

Probably. He's probably out there right now because he's. He's. He's like that.

[Paul Bissonnette]

And.

[Jeff Gorton]

And so is Demidoff. You know, they were good for each other, but sometimes you got to try

[Ryan Whitney]

to, you know, pull the reins back.

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah.

[Merl]

Yeah.

[Jeff Gorton]

They're looking for the bus. You tell the bus driver to leave so they can't get over there, you know, so you just got to get them to relax because I don't know how many. 30 minutes he played the other night in game seven. Right. So right back at it.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah. There's a passion for the game there.

[Jeff Gorton]

It's crazy.

[Paul Bissonnette]

And I remember the assistant Coach Kimmer at BU.

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Told me so. He said he's getting 50 points next year.

[Biz Nunez]

I was like, huh?

[Paul Bissonnette]

He called it. He was. He was one guy that was like, no, there's just no chance, like, nothing stopping him. And it's. It's just. He's a lot of fun to watch, and I think the motor is. Is the number one factor. He's like. Like, you call somebody a savage, right? You're thinking of an Anderson, a Tom Wilson. But he is in a different way where it's. It's. It's incredible. And. And I don't think anyone saw it coming, or else he wouldn't have gone where. Where you guys picked him.

[Biz Nunez]

And his cap hits nice for you, too.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah, that was.

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah, yeah, he's nice. He played ball with us.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, he did. That was a nice.

[Biz Nunez]

Yeah, but that's what it takes to win, right? We always talk about Pittsburgh.

[Ryan Whitney]

Matheson did.

[Jeff Gorton]

Yep, yep, yep. I think, you know, Tampa had that going on, Right. Boston had it going on. Where guys, you know, maybe they took a little less for the winning part. You know, if you have guys when they're losing and you make them, you make them remember that losing part. They'll do anything to win. Right? So I think, you know a guy like Susie that wasn't around when it wasn't great for a while, you know, those guys, I think they'll give up anything to be in this kind of situation now. Right.

[Ryan Whitney]

So you've, you've been a part of two original six organizations, like, for a, like a big period of time. Oh, three. Excuse me.

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

What is the craziest thing you've been approached by a fan about? Like what? Like, they're just insane in those original six fan bases.

[Jeff Gorton]

You know, I always, My kids get on me about this. You walk home with your kids after the game or something. My fans, the guys that recognize me are not necessarily the ones that you'd want to hear stories about. I don't, I don't have the. They're all guys and it's.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, yeah, no, same here.

[Jeff Gorton]

Fun for you.

[Ryan Whitney]

You should see our dms.

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah, yeah. But no, I. Listen, I, I have just the other day, like this guy, he's like, can I have your business card? And you sign it. I'm like, my business card has my cell phone number on it. Why would I, you know, can you imagine giving it to somebody like that? But I, no, there's nothing crazy with the fans. I laugh. You know, we get off the bus and you see the players, what sometimes they have to go through and how these people find us. You know, it's an amazing thing, right? If somebody should write a book on it. I, I always. Alex Case, our travel guy, I always say to him, I said, did you. You getting paid by some people, tell you where we're going? You know, like, what's going on here? We have a security guard now. Same thing. I'm like, these guys are calling you by your first name, Mitch, when we're leaving. What are you doing with these guys? You know, so they're, they're, they're there. It's three in the morning, there's people there. We change hotels last minute, they're there. You know, it's, it's a, it's. I mean, Jan's knows Jens pretended to be one for Halloween one time. Time.

[Biz Nunez]

Yeah, exactly.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, you went outside and the guys were getting on the bus and you're with them.

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah, that. I mean, that's, that's probably the greatest fan story of all time. Right?

[Ryan Whitney]

Did you have a mask on, like, what were you dressed as?

[Biz Nunez]

Yeah, we got, like, professionally done makeup. It was me, Kristen, and Hazy. And we stood outside. It was, you know, like, in New York, everything top secret, where the party, Halloween party was going to be. So we had the place set up, like, the red. The ropes with the red carpet. And we stood there, we made booklets for everyone. We had pucks we were dressed up to. No one knew who we were.

[Paul Bissonnette]

And everyone would walk by the.

[Biz Nunez]

You'd hear them getting out of their limos or Ubers, being like, how the. Did they find us? How do they know we're here?

[Ryan Whitney]

It was just you three?

[Biz Nunez]

Just us three.

[Paul Bissonnette]

We got three. I need a picture that. I've never heard that.

[Biz Nunez]

Okay. We got every single guy's autograph before they knew. The one person who knew it was us was Kaylee McDonough. She. She saw. I don't know what made her recognize us, but we, like, don't tell anyone. They were one of the last. But we got every single person. It was amazing. I still have all the autographs. I'm gonna. I'm gonna sell them at some point.

[Jeff Gorton]

And then you went in. Then you went in and told everybody. And then they're like, no way. Right?

[Biz Nunez]

Yeah. We went into the party, and everyone's

[Paul Bissonnette]

like, whoa, whoa, whoa.

[Biz Nunez]

They can't be in here. Security, they tried to, like, get us kicked out. You know, whatever. I had, like, a fake nose on.

[Jeff Gorton]

Can you imagine what Hank's face was like when you walked in there?

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh,

[Jeff Gorton]

he was calling security going, get this guy.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Those jeans are $10.

[Jeff Gorton]

Oh, yeah, yeah, exactly. Do you know that? Yeah, it's based on that story. I use it all the time. But we had a team building event, and there was five teams, and all of us had to be on a team. And Kent was on the team that lost, and on the team that lost, they had to dress up for our opening party. And so I used the. I used the Yan's Rule, and I. They all had to do that. So we made him do you. So he dressed up as a fan, and he was outside getting autographs from, like, Saposki and all these guys. He wasn't as made up as you, so it was kind of a giveaway. And he's not a great actor, but it was pretty good. And when he came in, a couple guys, European guys are like, no way. That was you. So it's pretty good to have your general manager embarrass himself like that.

[Biz Nunez]

That's amazing.

[Ryan Whitney]

Unreal.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Gortz. I got another kind of final question on the current team, Brennan Gallagher, he's played over 900 games, right. And what he's going through now, it definitely isn't easy. But for, from everything we hear, he's just, you know, he's, he's, he's a great teammate and he's done a good job of being around and being positive. And even though he wishes he was playing, that's not the case right now. Like for someone like you and Kent. That has to mean a lot in Marty to not have poopy pants and to still be like a part of the group.

[Jeff Gorton]

No question. I mean this guy's heart and soul guy, you guys have all played against him and been around guys like that. I mean, he's, he means a lot to Montreal, to our guys. So it's, it's, we all, we're all sensitive to what he's going through. It was great to get him in there and he scores a huge goal for us.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah.

[Jeff Gorton]

So that was huge. And you know, I think we look at it like he's going to get in there again and do it again and, and, but he's been good. He's, his teammates love him and, and appreciate everything he's doing and I know it's so hard for Marty. Like the worst part of the job for a coach, for a guy like Marty is to tell a guy like Galley he's not playing. You know, I, I, I imagine it's, it's like, I don't know, it's like telling, it's like breaking up with your high school girlfriend and then having to do it again and again and again. You know, just wanna, you wanna never.

[Ryan Whitney]

As long she doesn't take the dog.

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah. You want to do it and be done with it. And it's so hard for this guy. He's such a special guy. It means so much. So you don't want to tell people. So it's been hard. But he makes it easy for everybody. He does. He's a, he's a special guy. And, and you can see why he's been so successful.

[Biz Nunez]

Well, awesome. Yeah, I had one. Just going back to what, you know, Biz was talking about you working your way up and I remember for me going to New York and I had Eddie Mio and Don, Don Maloney in Phoenix and not really guys that you'd talk to that much. You kind of just walk by them and then I remember you. Like, I think it was like my second or third day there. You're asking me my kids names, my My wife's name. And still to this day, you asked me, how's Kristen doing? How are the kids? Like, one of the biggest things I think you did was bring Jim Ramsey over. Rammer, like a guy that understands the locker room, like. Like is for you. Did you have a guy that was, you know, a GM or a coach that, you know, told you, hey, you got to be personable with these people. You can't be, you know, above them. You got to be, you know that. You got to realize that they're in the fight with you.

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah. I mean, in. In some ways. Well, it is funny you say that story, because I do remember after we traded you, I traded you for, you know, you got too expensive, so we traded you to Florida, you know, got some draft picks at the draft, right? So you called me and says, I'm going to the draft. I'm going to announce Florida's pick. Do you remember this? Yeah, man. And you came to our after party and you came in and you gave me a hug and. And Chris Drury, at the time, he looks at me, goes gorge. Has the league changed that much? The players are hugging general managers. Well, this is a special player.

[Ryan Whitney]

But.

[Jeff Gorton]

But no. I mean, when I was in Boston, Harry Sinden was hard. Was hard, right? He was hard on players, hard on agents, and fought for every dollar. And that's how I was taught, right? And Michael Connell was less than that and more. More of a people person. But then when I got to New York, Glenn say, there was like, you know, you have to remember that we're making deals with people, and if you win every deal and you rub it in their face, it's going to come back on you. So let's. Let's worry about the next deal. So you start thinking like that. So that's kind of how you get your approach. But. But you're right. Like, trainers like Jim Ramsey, I joke with them all the time. I go, ram, you're not that great of a trainer. You're just a good guy in the room. So be careful here, right? So, you know, you tell us two weeks, four weeks, six weeks ago. Just be a good guy in the room. You know, stay. But he's very positive. You have to have those kind of people. People, you know, I think it's the way to go. You know, we're in a partnership with the players, and we want our players to know they can walk in our door, they can say anything, anytime. We're okay with it. And I think that's. That's the way that's gonna. That's. It's just the way it's gonna work from now on. And I think the successful teams, they have those kind of relationships and, you know, guys like you and Hazy and all those guys, you have to have those guys around that have fun and. And, you know, we want to be part of the fun, too. You know, when we. One game seven the other night, the guys were singing like crazy and singing a new hook and. And that nothing made, you know, us more happy up front just to listen to those guys singing and joking and having fun. You know, winning's great. That's why we do it.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Well, of course.

[Ryan Whitney]

This is awesome.

[Paul Bissonnette]

To a great series. We appreciate it, and good luck.

[Jeff Gorton]

I appreciate it. Biz, you promise me you're going Carolina, right?

[Ryan Whitney]

I got Carolina. We're part owner of the team.

[Paul Bissonnette]

No way.

[Ryan Whitney]

I don't know if you heard our ECHL team. We're. We're affiliated with Carolina. We own, like, 0.01%. We finished dead last in the league. Our head coach got fired. The players.

[Biz Nunez]

It was a great year.

[Ryan Whitney]

It was a great year.

[Pasha]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

We got a hell of a mascot, though.

[Jeff Gorton]

Before I go, who do you model yourself as after. As an owner? Like, who's your. Who's a. You're more like.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I just want to be like Dolan. He's gonna kick fans out.

[Ryan Whitney]

What do you mean? Dude, I was hanging out with. With the play. I went. First of all, I was the only owner of either of us that went back to hang out with the players

[Biz Nunez]

and go, you're like Kros, the guy in Chicago. The Chicago.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Jerry Jones.

[Jeff Gorton]

A little grumpy. Yeah.

[Biz Nunez]

Jones.

[Ryan Whitney]

I just wanna. I'm gonna be the owner that, like, puts himself on the team and gets some power play time. That's the kind of owner I am. I like it.

[Jeff Gorton]

I like it.

[Ryan Whitney]

The six defenseman. Maybe we. We'll work it in there.

[Paul Bissonnette]

That's pretty. That's awesome.

[Jeff Gorton]

As long as you do it for a team that's playing against us.

[Merl]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

You know. You know when the players go on the ice and, like, the smoke goes. It's not even. That's not. I just hit the bong and I just blow it to save money. Come out of the tunnel.

[Jeff Gorton]

I. I probably should have left when you told me.

[Biz Nunez]

Yeah.

[Paul Bissonnette]

All right.

[Jeff Gorton]

I'll see you guys. Thanks for having me.

[Biz Nunez]

Thank you.

[Ryan Whitney]

Thank you so much. That was awesome.

[Paul Bissonnette]

What a guy. We appreciate that very much.

[Ryan Whitney]

That was so good.

[Paul Bissonnette]

He's done a lot in the game.

[Ryan Whitney]

Holy.

[Paul Bissonnette]

He's been around Turned around very quick. I mean five years and all of a sudden they're in the conference final. So thanks to him. Quickly, we want to talk about boys. Very special new sponsor, Pin Golf.

[Jeff Gorton]

Oh boy.

[Ryan Whitney]

Just got my package.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Got my package too.

[Biz Nunez]

I haven't got mine.

[Paul Bissonnette]

It's a Boston based golf tech company that makes products to help you play better golf and have more fun on the course. Their motto is better vibes, better golf. They're the only company to win back to back best new product awards at the PGA show, which is an awesome event every year and a Orlando. Their rangefinders are on the bags of PGA Tour winners. They're beautiful. They come in 10 different colors, has a rechargeable battery that lasts 70 rounds. And the caddy, the first ever portable GPS golf tablet. 45,000 courses loaded into it and you can see an overview of every hole on the course. One of the best features is the different game types and wager tracking. Just enter how much you're betting and what game you're playing. And the caddy automatically keeps track of the scores throughout the round and does all the math at the end. Quality golf products that don't break the bank that anyone can use on the course, whether you're a beginner or a professional golfer. You can shop pin golf, use code Chiclets for 15 off. Check out pins award winning products and if you want to play better golf, check them out now at Pinned Golf and use code chicklets. 15 off. And also Stella Blue. Stella Blue coffee is more than just great coffee. It's coffee with a purpose. That's why we started We Brew to Rescue a nationwide campaign using proceeds from our new Ready to drink cans to fund 1000 pet adoptions this year. Every can you crack open helps a real pet find a real home. Simple as that. Made with 100 Colombian coffee, each 11 ounce can delivers smooth drinkable energy with a boost of protein. Available in Espresso Cafe Mocha. That's my favorite. And Espresso Sweet cream. They're the best canned lattes out there, period. Drink Stella Blue, fuel your day and help save a pet's life. Go to stellabluecoffee.com Amazon and select realtors across the country.

[Ryan Whitney]

A couple clicks for Stella and I gotta when I get back, I'm gonna open up that ping package.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I opened it up. It's phenomenal.

[Biz Nunez]

Yeah, I haven't got mine yet. I'm so jealous.

[Ryan Whitney]

What does this tablet do?

[Paul Bissonnette]

What?

[Ryan Whitney]

What is that?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Dude, you can it like so you'll go on right and then you can click on 45, 000 courses. You'll click on the whole that you're on. Say you're on the T. You've never played the hole. And it gives you a flyover of where the bunkers are, where the water is, where you know it's. You can pick where you want to hit to to have a certain distance in. It's sick.

[Ryan Whitney]

It's really sick because you're normally driving up to go see like exactly. Okay. So you don't have to drive.

[Biz Nunez]

Yeah.

[Paul Bissonnette]

If you don't know the course. When I'm like biz, let's go up and see what's up there now. We don't need to now. And all our sandbaggers will have the tablet. We'll be able to just check it out. And it's great stuff. And I'm not trying to be a

[Ryan Whitney]

smart ass here too. With the range finder. Does it also have like the slow button and it tells you all that stuff?

[Paul Bissonnette]

God, yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

Okay. Yeah.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Probably not that and everything. There's some things you can't use that.

[Ryan Whitney]

Okay. I. I know. I'm just asking. I wasn't trying to bring up.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Open up your package. Open up your package.

[Ryan Whitney]

I know why you're the fly home. I'm getting. I'm just gonna go between.

[Paul Bissonnette]

You could actually tell tnt. Sorry. I have to go home and check out my pin golf package. Package. I. I won't be.

[Biz Nunez]

Have. Have Mincy ship it to you. He's staying there right now. No.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. Yeah. Mincy's there. Yeah.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I think that thing's for like cooking or something. What's this? He'll be like trying to.

[Biz Nunez]

I'm hoping. I hope.

[Ryan Whitney]

And I think it's 198 degrees.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Quick Hits before we wrap this thing up. Adam Foote let go. In Vancouver, it seems like all signs are pointed toward Manny Matt Holtra getting the job there. And then there's also rumors that they would be drafting his son Caleb, who is apparently. It's Caleb, right? Caleb Malholter.

[Ryan Whitney]

You know he's snapping back every draw.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

So Wasn't he like 65 in the dot? He was one of those sick puppies. Right.

[Merl]

Well, your son's going to be you next season. He's gonna.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I know.

[Biz Nunez]

Really?

[Ryan Whitney]

No. You help recruit him.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I did not. I did not that probably why he's going. Probably would have somewhere else, but.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I feel bad for Adam Ford a little bit. I mean.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh yeah. I mean had a better team than them.

[Biz Nunez]

He's got to go to Philly. Go back with talk.

[Ryan Whitney]

I 100 agree. Go, go meet up with Talk, be an assistant, learn a little bit more. It's not easy to just hop in as a head coach either, man. So many more responsibilities rather than like you worrying about a few things in, in like delegation and like running the decor. But I would, yeah, I would love to see him link back up with Top Talk. I mean, he was there. He was there when Talk won. The jock Jack Adams.

[Biz Nunez]

Right.

[Ryan Whitney]

When they went to the second round against Edmonton, Game seven. So, yeah, I mean, yeah, that would be awesome. And then so is, is that just rumblings that Malhotra will be the coach?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah, I think it seems like a lot of familiarity. He won. He was the coach of the team who won the Calder Cup, I believe, this year.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, Abbotsford.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah. And then they were waiting for their rings for like a year and a half, but apparently it's going to be a rebuild. They're. They're open to the rebuild. I think everyone's already always said Aquilini doesn't want a full rebuild, but I think that word was used in a press conference. So it's time to strip it down. They got the Sadie's there. They got Ryan Johnston.

[Ryan Whitney]

If you're doing that, you might as well just eat half of Pedersen's salary.

[Biz Nunez]

That's.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, somebody like somebody. If, if you ate half that salary, I'm sure somebody would send back something decent as far as like draft package. And like, man, I think with a

[Paul Bissonnette]

new 7 million a year for seven more years, I'd take that.

[Biz Nunez]

In Boston, it's only 6 million with. That's like league minimum.

[Ryan Whitney]

Easily 6 million is where like a number four defenseman is going to be making in two, three years.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Oh, but that's a long time. They could be like really good in five years.

[Biz Nunez]

Oh, so you're saying. Yeah, well, he.

[Ryan Whitney]

Then he's making 11 and a half.

[Biz Nunez]

Will he want to stick around for that?

[Paul Bissonnette]

I don't know that there's going to be some big questions there with, with what goes on with Pedersen.

[Ryan Whitney]

I just think he could thrive as like a second guy, a second line center. And even at 6 million, man, maybe he'll end up being a third line center. But I just feel like if he's hidden in a better situation in a place where it's not a Canadian market, where it's going to be a storyline for the next few years.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I'm not saying I wouldn't take him at 6 million. I'm saying would Van Hoover want to be eating that?

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh. If you want draft stock and to work on the rebuild, I think that you.

[Biz Nunez]

You should, like, look at Minnesota. They're dying for a center. Right.

[Ryan Whitney]

I would just not send out those rings and then put it towards the budget of paying a salary and. And eating that money.

[Paul Bissonnette]

So I got a kick out of this one. Oh, Actually, first off, Pasha was just fuming because he wanted Sheldon Keefe fired. And Sunny came into Jersey, and he said, we're keeping Sheldon Keef, so he will remain the head coach of the Devil.

[Ryan Whitney]

Should we have him chime in for, like, a minute?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah.

[Biz Nunez]

Start the clock, 60 seconds, guy.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Sunny has. Has said Sheldon's our guy.

[Ryan Whitney]

We're gonna run the disclaimer first. I can't hear this guy speak unless we get the disclaimer. Oh, maybe we can't. Oh, never mind. We can't get the disclaimer right now because it's live. All right. Warning.

[Biz Nunez]

Warning. This is deranged Devils fan.

[Ryan Whitney]

Warning. This is offspring from the general manager himself speaking now.

[Pasha]

Hey, Pasha, am I on screen?

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, you are.

[Pasha]

There we go.

[Ryan Whitney]

Now I'm on screen. You're on screen.

[Jeff Gorton]

Yeah.

[Pasha]

As you know, I'm not happy with this decision. I was banging the fire Fitzy. Banging the fire Keef drum. One of those two things happened. You know, I'm.

[Jeff Gorton]

I'm.

[Pasha]

I'm a little bit surprised just based on what I've heard. I think that there's a big disconnect in that room there, and I think it was clear with On Ice product that Keef had lost the room. So I'm a little bit surprised that Sonny made it. Wouldn't want to come in and just start fresh with all of his own guys. Dave Rogowski, the goalie coach, was let go. That's something Devils fans have been screaming about for years. They feel like every goalie that comes in their. Their play just falls off a cliff. Some assistant coaches have been let go. So it's interesting that there's an acknowledgment of some. Some coaching issues, but Sheldon keeps his job. This is one of those ones, boys. I hope that I'm wrong. I hope I'm dead wrong. I hope they go 82 0. Keith wins the Jack Adams. I just don't see it happening. I don't see it happening. Based on. On what I've heard, I think it's one of those things you guys always talk about. New GMs. They only have so many bullets in the chamber. Why does he want to save that because it's win win in the sense of if Keith comes in and they're winning, great, he looks smart. And if they're not, then he can use that bullet in the chamber. So I hope I'm wrong and I hope, I hope they have success under him. But I, I genuinely. Not to be negative, I just think it's a matter of when and not if. Sonny made a fire. Sheldon Keith.

[Paul Bissonnette]

But overall your vibes are still high for the team. Yes.

[Pasha]

There needs to be a major shake up this summer, which I think there will be. Yeah, definitely.

[Ryan Whitney]

As far as personnel, like players.

[Pasha]

Roster. Roster shake up? Yeah, for sure.

[Biz Nunez]

What's your biggest need right now?

[Pasha]

Biggest need is a top six scoring winger. Jordan Cairo, one of those type of elite.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Dora Feev.

[Pasha]

Dora Feev? Yeah. Like a someone to play with Jack that can fill the net because I'm tired of, you know, like I said, no disrespect, Andre Palat, but now how many years in a row do I see Jack Daniel dancing, putting on Palat's stick just to put in the goalie's chest. So he needs an elite finisher alongside him.

[Biz Nunez]

And the Nemet. The Nemet. Rumors of him wanting to ask.

[Pasha]

Okay, second, I've done my homework. I. I was in, you know, fishing hard and this is the second summer in a row there's been whispers out of Slovakia about that. And I can confirm that he has not asked for a trade. Hey, does that, does that mean he won't get. Get traded? I don't know. I think it's very interesting to see what will happen with him. I could definitely see him getting traded. I know that the Leafs, their previous regime had interest and a Nemet's Niles nice deal. Obviously other pieces in that I could see them moving Nemet's for a scoring winger. So we'll see. I think, I think Nemes will be very interesting how that plays out if they.

[Ryan Whitney]

If they miss playoffs again next year. What do you think your punishments should be? Why are you laughing like that?

[Pasha]

It's not happening.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Here we go. Biz. You can't. You can't. He doesn't do.

[Biz Nunez]

Really Not a rational human.

[Paul Bissonnette]

He's not.

[Pasha]

What is that a crazy take to say the Devils aren't.

[Ryan Whitney]

So we were talking. Yeah, we think that. We think that you should have to cook dinner for Ra and Justine on a date. They get to go on a date together. Like a romantic date.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I don't want to pimp her out,

[Pasha]

but if she's down, I'm down. I think that'd be hilarious.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Oh, I get this guy off the screen. I think he's worried about the doc.

[Ryan Whitney]

So I think that. I think that's a good segue into, like. I know we've talked about this already with the Cassidy stuff going on, but since we last recorded, I believe that, like, the coaches union has. Has came out with a letter and it's a good topic of conversation about the fact that Vegas is now blocked Cassidy from talking to the LA Kings and also the Edmonton Oilers. And is there anybody else that they've blocked?

[Paul Bissonnette]

I don't. I don't think so. It's not out there.

[Biz Nunez]

Devils.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Can I quickly say that the NHL was it. So was the NHL coaches union released? I didn't know that existed.

[Biz Nunez]

I don't think they did either.

[Paul Bissonnette]

The first thing I thought of was, was Gruden's football fired football coaches around America union. I was like, oh, my God, this is this, like, real. They got coaches union coming.

[Ryan Whitney]

Was actually just established last.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Coming out with a statement like, we stand behind Bruce Cassidy. Now, here's the thing. This is unheard of. Now, maybe I'm wrong. And there are other instances of teams being like, no, you're. But yeah, I have a strong As. I hate it because I. Because Cassidy and Edmonton seems like just the perfect fit for the Oilers. And getting a guy who's. He's gonna. You know, he's great X's and O's. He's gonna be a. The guy. It's probably what they need.

[Ryan Whitney]

He's got cash.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Kind of get Vegas doing this. Like, I understand Vegas is. There's such dirt bags. They're such villains, and they're like, he is not going to a division rival. I think it's. I think it's for Cassidy. It sucks, right? You're stopping him from what if he really wants to coach Joyers? Who knows if that's the case? But Vegas is like, no. It is crazy, though, that you can fire a guy and then be like, no, you're not going there. I.

[Ryan Whitney]

So. So I think that this should be a lesson for coaches moving forward who, when they eventually sign these deals that these teams are handing over. Especially in your. If you're the top five, 10 coaches in the NHL where there should be a clause where if you. If you are the one who's fired, that you should have the ability to go and talk to other teams in that little like that cushion area. Now they owe him whatever four and a half, $5 million for one more year remaining on his contract. Now I don't know if this is the case, if he's able to do this, but it's clear that he's got teams by the balls where he could go sign a 5 times 5 deal tomorrow. Like Edmonton would hand that over. I'm sure Toronto would hand that over. And I bet you if he was available, the Devils would probably give that to him, right? There's probably five teams looking for coaches right now that would hand over that deal. So does he have the ability to say, nope, I'm here, I'm ripping up this contract, keep your four and a half million, I'm gonna go negotiate and get a new job? I don't think as much as this sucks, I don't think Cassidy or other coaches should get to have their cake and eat it too. If you want to move on and go get another payday, which you will get, forfeit your four and a half million. Why do you. Why, why are you. Why are you hanging on the fact that like, oh, if I go to these meetings and I don't get the job, then I still get to get paid for the year? If you're. That.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Is that even allowed? I don't even know if that's allowed.

[Ryan Whitney]

I don't know how many people would. It's like the, the PA when if you have a contract in place, they typically don't want players saying, no, I want to rip up and give up my contract of my guaranteed money because I want to go play somewhere else and be happy. We've seen this before with a player recently where he ripped up his contract and he ended up going signs. Who is it?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Didn't Texier do it?

[Ryan Whitney]

I believe, I believe it was okay. I know a player did it. I don't know if it was him, but that might be the case.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I did it.

[Ryan Whitney]

Brandon saw. Where was he? In, in Chicago or St. Louis?

[Biz Nunez]

Where was Jonathan Quick do it too?

[Paul Bissonnette]

I don't remember.

[Biz Nunez]

In Columbus.

[Ryan Whitney]

I don't know.

[Biz Nunez]

So Biz, you're saying just to even go talk to a team he's got a forfeit or rip up the contract?

[Ryan Whitney]

Yes. Because yes, he's gonna get a job. Like, like, only obviously I would not recommend this to a guy like for instance, like Knobloch. I think Knobloch has three years left on his deal and he might be making whatever 4 million bucks. Right? I don't know if he's going to go get that type of job offer right away, but. And maybe Edmonton doesn't care if he goes and talks to Toronto, but in this case it's evident that they don't. Vegas does not want him back in the division.

[Jeff Gorton]

Right.

[Ryan Whitney]

This is the vision. They won by two points. He knows all their secrets. He's an incredible coach. Why would you be paying a guy to go then talk to team that you're going to be competing against and then he's potentially hired by them. I don't even know if Cassidy has this option because it might be in the contract where no, you're, you're our property even though we fired you to the end of that deal. And if you want to rip it up, you still don't have the ability to go talk to other teams. But my assumption would be he has the ability to say I don't want your four and a half million. Keep it. I'm gonna go get not only that four and a half but more and in a longer term deal to compensate me for, for what I deserve as a, as a top 10 coach in the National Hockey League. So if Cassidy's sitting there and he does have that ability and the coach is using, is putting out these letters, it's like no. Like if you want to go get a job with somebody else, forfeit your money. Like Cassidy's made how much coaching in the NHL? 30, $40 million. You don't need, you don't need that guaranteed money while you're going to talk to other teams especially individual forfeit the

[Paul Bissonnette]

money because you know you're getting it. That's the main thing.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, I wouldn't, I wouldn't recommend it for. Who is the. I would if I was Woodcraft and I had two years remaining at three and a half million bucks. Woodcross not the, the guy who's gonna be guaranteed a coaching job getting out of that after getting fired out of Edmonton.

[Paul Bissonnette]

But he and Coop, guy like Coop,

[Ryan Whitney]

like hey Coop is yes five teams slobbing his knob to give him and get handing over 6,7 million a year for a four or five year team. Whatever he wanted. Not many coaches have that ability. So if you're Cassidy and you do have that ability, if you're so confident and you want to go coach again, forfeit your four and a half million bucks. If, if, if that is in the contract where if he does that he does, he can move on. I don't know. I don't know how much Vegas has him by the balls because you know they probably signed a deal where they basically own his family until the end of that contract is up.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I, I wonder if this will ever affect Vegas hiring Guys, moving forward, I

[Ryan Whitney]

think what it should do is it should smarten up agents and the top end coaches to having clauses that prevent against this stuff.

[Biz Nunez]

That's what it is. Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

That's a learning experience.

[Paul Bissonnette]

It is like, it is kind of, like I said, I get it, division rivals, but it is kind of bullshit. Like, hey, you're fired. See you later. Thanks for, thanks for that Stanley Cup. Eight games left, done. And then you can't even go where you might want to go. It's like it is kind of bullshit in terms of like if I want to work for them in the future, what are they going to do to me when they fire me?

[Ryan Whitney]

I think that what Vegas is going to do, say, give me that second round or we just lost and you can talk to him.

[Biz Nunez]

That's a good idea.

[Ryan Whitney]

And pay my fine.

[Paul Bissonnette]

And there, there are rumors that, that David Carl is possibly talking to the Maple Leafs. I think he's crazy. Crazy if he goes there.

[Biz Nunez]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

I mean, what if they offer him? I mean army and murals. I think they threw out like eight times eight. Like, I mean if you get offered eight times ten.

[Biz Nunez]

Well, they gave back. It wasn't Babcock making seven there.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, I know, but.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah, which I know, but to be able to literally whenever you decide you're. You want or are willing to leave Denver, he's pretty much gonna have his choice of his job. Yeah, I guess if the money's completely ridiculous. How do you say no? It just seems like, oh my, I don't know, how is Toronto gonna be

[Ryan Whitney]

like, just do the worst job possible for a year and a half and then go back to Denver after. Sheets just don't even like show up late every day.

[Paul Bissonnette]

They don't let him go back to Denver.

[Biz Nunez]

Hey, he's wearing a tank top, walking in, giving a finger.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Paul Bissonnette]

And final thing, biz. I think you were a part of this, the McKenna Project. It's tonight after the game on TNT. It followed Gavin McKenna all year at Penn State leading into the season. And I think you, you, you were you a part of this filming?

[Biz Nunez]

He was too.

[Ryan Whitney]

All right, well, they asked me. Yeah, G was in it. I, I think the, the, the home by three guys were in it too. They said they wanted to get paid for it. I didn't get paid for it, but. Oh, there's G right there with the Chiclets.

[Paul Bissonnette]

You had.

[Ryan Whitney]

Now keep in mind, like, I, I would not have agreed to do this unless we went there and met him and watched him play. Like, because I would have been like oh, like, I haven't really, you know, paid attention up until that point. But after getting to meet him and shout out to. I think it was Portnoy who set up that whole outdoor game, right? He did, yeah. So. And obviously Yan's basically being a Penn State booster at this point. Yeah, man.

[Merl]

Did they show you the documentary though? I. I had the chance to watch it.

[Jeff Gorton]

It was.

[Merl]

It's incredible. Like we've talked about Gavin and his, you know, history being from you. The Yukon, like they go up to the Yukon and they film with him a lot and it's.

[Jeff Gorton]

It's really good.

[Merl]

Like they get into like his, his first nations heritage and it's. It's a really, really good cool hockey documentary. And hockey documentaries are such like, they don't make cool hockey documentaries, I feel like that much anymore. So something like this, tnt, Matt Chase, hbo, they did an incredible job with this.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I, I appreciate it in the trailer how it. Part of it, it is brought up of, you know, this guy's not that good bust and all the social media aspect of really carving him the first time, first part of the year and that, you know, that shows. It's not just like a fluff piece. Like, obviously it's about what he went through this year and how things switched after world juniors. And I think one of the quotes in the trailer is him saying like, I was just gripping the stick so tight, so I'm looking forward to watching it, but good job you two guys getting. Getting in on that.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, I actually we. I sat down. I have not seen it yet. I sat down with them when I was in St. Louis at. Chasers Puck cancer event. But I'll just say that like you talk about Bedard and what he dealt with as far as like scrutiny and pressure and it being a whole new tick tock Instagram social media era there. He will be the most scrutinized first overall pick like that the hockey world's ever seen. Right. Especially after that incident at Penn State. Like, this is. He's the guy right now.

[Biz Nunez]

And Toronto being the. Having the number one.

[Ryan Whitney]

Gonna be insane. It's gonna be insane.

[Paul Bissonnette]

So check that out. Congratulations to the. Is it Montreal victor?

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Pulin got her first championship the. The Walter cup and the first Canadian team to win the Walter Cup. So nice little sign from maybe the Canadiens. So that's pretty cool. They got it done. They swept Ottawa. They won game for four nothing. So that's pretty sick.

[Ryan Whitney]

And I thought that Ottawa won one game in that series.

[Jeff Gorton]

Series.

[Ryan Whitney]

It was.

[Biz Nunez]

Yeah, it was three one.

[Ryan Whitney]

Three one.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Oh, it's three out of five. Sorry, I'm just pissed I couldn't see the score on ESPN.com.

[Biz Nunez]

yeah,

[Paul Bissonnette]

but shout out Montreal and the PWHL champs right there. And Biz can't wait to see you tonight. You're in the house in Carolina to see the madness. Montreal, Carolina. Get it going and we'll be back to you guys Monday.

[Biz Nunez]

Happy Memorial Day weekend, boys.

[Ryan Whitney]

Memorial Day weekend.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I'll be in Puerto Rico.

[Jeff Gorton]

Oh, I know.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I'll talk to you guys.

[Biz Nunez]

You're gonna come back all tan.

[Paul Bissonnette]

No, I won't. I'll be okay. I'll be pink, red, pink.

[Biz Nunez]

Witty.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Sunburned. Love. You all have a great weekend.

[Biz Nunez]

Love.

[Jeff Gorton]

Won't happen. Won't happen again. A bad habit worth breaking. But it's taking time.

[Ryan Whitney]

I don't know.

[Jeff Gorton]

It don't matter. It's going to happen. It's going to happen again. Wanna come again?