The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: The Hockey Show – Brad Williams' Saucy Passes

Date: August 29, 2025
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami
Participants: Roy Bellamy (Host), David Dwark, Ethan Badowski, Guest: Brad Williams (Comedian)

Episode Overview

This episode of “The Hockey Show” blends spirited hockey talk with comedian Brad Williams’s unique humor and personal sports stories. The crew covers major NHL headlines, touching tributes, wins and fails of the week, and dives into quirky tales from Brad Williams’s roller and ice hockey past. The episode balances hockey analysis, memory-lane moments, and offbeat comedy, capturing the character of both the sport and show.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. NHL Community and Memorials

[01:36–02:58]

• Tribute to Johnny and Matthew Goudreau:
  One year after their tragic passing, the NHL and teams like Columbus Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames are donating significant funds to the John and Matthew Goudreau Foundation to support youth hockey.
  • “Hopefully a lot more teams will chip in and help out youth hockey in memory of Matthew and Johnny.” – Roy Bellamy (02:36)
• Reflects on how quickly a year can pass and the ongoing impact of tragedy in the hockey community.

2. Panthers’ Injury Management & Salary Cap

[02:58–04:45]

• Matthew Tkachuk’s Surgery & Olympic Hopes:
  Tkachuk underwent surgery due to injuries at Four Nations. He’s expected to return by January 2026, possibly playing in the Winter Olympics.
  • “They are planning and expecting him to be available…that he should be playing hockey already.” – Roy Bellamy (03:36)
• Cap Crunch Concerns:
  The Panthers’ use of LTIR for cap relief sparks discussion on managing the roster with Tkachuk’s return.
  • “Are they banking on somebody else getting hurt and being able to keep Erod, you know, on the roster then?” – Ethan Badowski (04:32)

3. Roster Moves & Player Dynamics

[04:47–05:00]

• Interest in Jeff Petry’s Fit:
  Hosts are intrigued by how Petry, a recent acquisition, will mesh with the Panthers’ system.
  • “If they targeted him, he's probably going to fit in.” – David Druck (04:56)

4. Mitch Marner’s Exit from Toronto

[05:00–07:57]

• Marner’s Account of Fan Harassment & Safety Fears:
  Marner describes being doxxed, receiving death threats, and needing security for weeks – a sobering look at fan toxicity.
  • "When your family safety comes into question…having full-time security…just to make sure no one's coming to the house." – Mitch Marner (05:15)
• Panel laments how passion can turn ugly, forcing stars out.
  • "It's just sports, man... What are we doing?" – Roy Bellamy (06:51)
  • "He should have gone down as the greatest Toronto born Maple Leaf of all time...it’s really ugly." – Ethan Badowski (07:15)

5. Wins & Fails of the Week

[07:57–14:34]

Wins:

• Throwback Brawl – Ducks vs Flames (2001):
  A wild game with 309 penalty minutes; fondly remembered for its pure hockey chaos.
  • “The final minute 25 saw 200 something penalty minutes.” – David Druck (08:52)
• Evan Rodriguez’s Cup Trip:
  The Panthers’ Erod took his family and the Stanley Cup to Disney World. Filled the Cup with Remy the Rat plush dolls, delighting his kids.
  • “Imagine how great this cup day was for his kids…To have a Cup day that’s more about your kids than you.” – Ethan Badowski (10:31)

Fails:

• Kachuk Family – Video Game Ratings:
  Keith Kachuk ranking his sons in NHL 26 (with some brutal honesty); playful family ribbing.
  • “Trying to hedge his bet real quick. But he’s slippery with the puck.” – Brad Williams (11:46)
• NHL TV Schedule Snafus:
  Panthers (two-time defending champs) have zero ABC games; some playoff teams and several Canadian teams shut out of U.S. national broadcasts.
  • “The defending back-to-back Stanley Cup champions have zero games on network television.” – Roy Bellamy (13:44)

Feature Interview: Brad Williams – Comedy and Hockey Collide

Starts [19:04]

Comedy Roots in Roller Hockey

• Brad’s Roller Hockey Tales:
  Playing defense as a little person, Brad relished surprising overconfident hockey dads.
  • “There’s definitely some dads that…were like, ‘My kid’s gonna go to the league.’ And then they saw me steal the puck…they’re like, ‘Well, if they can’t get around the dwarf, I really have no hope.’” – Brad Williams (19:15)
• Describes unspoken rules about hitting him, and the time those rules were broken (and avenged by a teammate).

Transition to Ice Hockey & LA Comedian League

• Playing with Comics & Celebs:
  Brad participates in a comedian ice hockey league with Bill Burr, Steve Byrne, and even Vince Vaughn (who, he jokes, is not as skilled as “Swingers” might suggest).
  • “Vince Vaughn played one week…I thought Vince was going to be like, an amazing player. Kind of sucks.” – Brad Williams (23:20)
• Praises Ian Bagg as the league’s best player and tells stories about the unique style of this pick-up league.

Locker Room Smells and Childhood Rivalries

• On Hockey Nostalgia:
  The distinct (and disgusting) smell of gear and locker rooms reminds Brad of childhood.
  • “The smell of a sweaty hockey locker room is very distinct…That is the smell of my childhood.” – Brad Williams (25:32)
• Saucy Passes:
  Brad’s pride in his airborne (“saucy”) passes and storytelling about childhood nemesis Evan Moore (later an NFL tight end).
  • “I flip the puck in the air…But I always managed to land it flat…it just landed flat. So I was really proud of that.” – Brad Williams (26:38)
  • “The a-hole in my league…Evan Moore…ended up playing tight end for the Cleveland Browns.” – Brad Williams (27:50)

Athletes and Comedy

• Roasting Athletes:
  Brad details his experiences doing comedy for pro sports teams – including John Elway and the Broncos.
  • “They like it and they go with it…Athletes in general, they can take jokes, in my opinion.” – Brad Williams (29:32)

Sidney Crosby vs. Alex Ovechkin

[32:35–33:54]

• On which superstar he picks:
  • “If you want excitement…Obi’s gonna do things that we’re just like, holy crap…But if you gotta start a franchise with prime either one, I go Sid.” – Brad Williams (33:33)

What Would He Do With the Stanley Cup?

[34:12–37:14]

• Jokes about driving the Cup to his old rival Evan Moore’s house out of “pettiness.”
  • “I would drive it up to Evan Moore’s house…say, look what your boy got…That’s what I would do.” – Brad Williams (36:45)
• Mentions the unique things players have done (like Scott Niedermayer’s helicopter mountain moment).

Parenting Hacks

• Brad shares his newfound trick for styling his daughter’s hair using a vacuum cleaner and the “scrunchie-on-tube” method.
  • “Warn your daughter first…The noise is gonna come up on my scrunchie…You suck all the hair into the vacuum and then you just throw the scrunchie up onto the hair. Perfect.” – Brad Williams (37:27)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Brad Williams on empathy in sports:
  “It was great to be a little person in a sport where typically you don’t find…dwarves in a lot of sports, but definitely not hockey.” (19:15)
• On locker room aromas:
  “That like the, the same way certain smells like just bring you back to your childhood. That's the one that works for me. A smelly hockey locker room.” – Brad Williams (25:32)
• On family trash talk and video game stats:
  “You'd think that he'd be a little bit kinder to his kids, but I love the way that they razz each other in this family. It's very. It feels very hockey.” – David Druck (12:22)
• On toxicity in fandom:
  “It's just sports, man…Why are we putting his address out there and why are we threatening him and his family for a game?” – Roy Bellamy (06:51)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:36 – Show intro and Goudreau tribute
• 02:58 – Tkachuk injury & Olympic hopes
• 05:00 – Mitch Marner discusses threats after leaving Toronto
• 07:57 – Wins and Fails of the Week
• 19:04 – Brad Williams joins: childhood hockey stories
• 21:46 – Team dynamics, comedy league, celebrity players
• 25:32 – Smells & nostalgia of the hockey locker room
• 26:38 – Brad’s “saucy” pass and rivalry with Evan Moore
• 29:32 – Roasting athletes; comedy & sports crossover
• 32:35 – “Crosby or Ovechkin?” discussion
• 34:12 – What Brad would do with his day with the Stanley Cup
• 37:27 – Parenting hack: vacuum scrunchie technique

Tone and Style

The tone is lively, irreverent, and personal. The hosts and Brad Williams mix affectionate teasing, deep sports knowledge, and self-deprecating humor. They oscillate between serious topics (like fan harassment) and lighter, often absurd moments (like gear that smells like Cool Ranch Doritos or vacuum-based hair styling).

Summary

This episode delivers a blend of heartfelt hockey commentary, raucous retro recaps, and Brad Williams’s comic storytelling, both poking fun at and paying tribute to the culture of hockey. From navigating the NHL’s tragedies and triumphs to sharing the inside smells of the locker room, it’s an episode for fans who love both the game and the personalities surrounding it.