The Hockey Show: Crosby, Hughes, Kaprizov OH MY!

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: The Hockey Show: Crosby, Hughes, Kaprizov OH MY!

Date: September 12, 2025

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Overview

Recorded from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, this episode of The Hockey Show dives deep into some of the most controversial and intriguing stories in the hockey world as the new NHL season approaches. Hosted by Roy Bellamy, Greg Krasinski, David Druk, and Billy, with special insights from ESPN's Greg Wyshynski, the conversation spans major player contract drama (Kirill Kaprizov and Connor McDavid), issues around player eligibility following legal acquittals, the state of diversity and inclusion efforts in hockey, nostalgic returns (the Mark-Andre Fleury saga), and juicy league rumors. With their trademark mix of irreverence and insider knowledge, the crew demystifies high-stakes contract negotiations, league politics, and upcoming changes in the sport.

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Main Discussion Points

1. Controversy: Acquitted Canadian Juniors Return

• News: Five players (Dylan Dube, Kyle Foot, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart, Michael McLeod)—previously accused and now acquitted of sexual assault charges from the 2018 Team Canada U20 squad—will be eligible to sign and play in the NHL again (eligible to sign: Oct 15; to play: Dec 1).
• Hosts’ perspectives:
  • Mixed reactions in the hockey world: Some decry the message this sends to women and fans advocating for a cleaner sport, while others argue for second chances after the legal process.
  • Billy (03:23): "Suspension to me is an admission that there was wrongdoing here. And if there was wrongdoing here, the suspension shouldn't only be until December 1, considering the circumstances and the allegations."
• Consensus: The hosts see it as an "ugly situation" for the league, predicting teams like the Edmonton Oilers may sign one of these players and that the league hopes public attention will fade by playoff season.

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2. Kirill Kaprizov Contract Standoff

• Story: Star Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov reportedly turned down an 8-year, $128 million deal ($16M AAV), which would be the richest in NHL history. Wild management publicly denied leaking details but did not dispute the offer.
• Team Angle: General Manager Bill Guerin called the report “bullshit” but didn’t deny its substance; ownership claims no one can outbid the Wild.
• Player Motivation Debate:
  • Greg (06:36): "He wants to be traded. He's driving up the price on the Wild because he doesn't want to be there anymore."
  • Billy (05:41): Suggests Kaprizov might be holding out for higher AAV on the open market, possibly using future Connor McDavid numbers as a benchmark.
  • Analysis: If Kaprizov really cared about winning, taking up such a large percentage of the cap seems contradictory. The hosts speculate he either expects even more elsewhere or wants out of Minnesota.
• Notable Moment:
  • Billy (07:58): "This is arguably... the second best player in franchise history behind Miko Koivu. Like, yeah, you can't lose this guy if you're the Wild."
  • Roy (43:07) (on Kaprizov’s motives): "Maybe you don't want to be in Minnesota is the situation."

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3. Wins and Fails of the Week

Wins:

• David Druk (08:45):
  • Calgary Flames locking up goalie Dustin Wolf to a team-friendly 7-year, $7.5M deal.
  • Mark-André Fleury’s surprise preseason comeback with the Penguins, creating buzz in Pittsburgh (even if just a nostalgia play).
• Greg Krasinski (10:17):
  • South Florida’s entry into Major League Pickleball, notably with Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov as a team owner—a crossover between hockey and the new pickleball craze.
• Billy (11:24):
  • Sam Bennett’s philanthropic work: Combining Stanley Cup celebrations with pet adoptions ("Benny’s Buddies" in Broward County).

Fails:

• David Druk (12:16):
  • The Canadian political obsession with hockey: A satirical take on PM Mark Carney’s public concern over Connor McDavid’s unsigned contract.
  • Quote (13:19): "Every time I want to take Canada seriously, they do something like this where the Prime Minister’s up there talking about hockey."
• Greg Krasinski (14:05):
  • Hershey Bears’ new “Screaming Bear” jerseys: panned as ugly, compared (jokingly) to the “Cocaine Bear” movie monster.
• Billy (14:52):
  • Jeopardy! contestants’ lack of basic hockey/geography knowledge.
  • Quote (15:31): "This is not only not knowing sports, this is not knowing geography and not knowing that Edmonton is more north."

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4. In-Depth: Diversity and Inclusion in Hockey

Interview with ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski (18:43+)

• Key Takeaways:
  • The Hockey Diversity Alliance (HDA) shows tangible results after five years, notably by expanding youth outreach in Toronto and other US cities.
  • Roy (19:28): "They had a huge hockey fest in Toronto … trying to get young, diverse communities to try out hockey... Sponsorship faded after the George Floyd moment, but some stuck. Now they're making inroads."
  • The NHL’s own diversity efforts and the HDA are still operating separately, with a fractured relationship.
  • Inclusion and diversity initiatives are often more active at youth levels and in smaller, less-public events than the marquee league pronouncements suggest.

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5. The Sidney Crosby Situation & Mark-Andre Fleury’s Return

• Context: Fleury returns for one preseason game with the Penguins, fueling speculation about Crosby’s future amid Pittsburgh’s struggles.
• Speculation:
  • Greg Wyshynski (24:17): "Sidney Crosby is going to play in the playoffs, no matter if it’s in Pittsburgh or it’s somewhere else this season... There are people in Sid’s life that ... would love to see him move on ... also for the betterment of the NHL."
  • Possible Crosby destinations: Montreal, Detroit, Colorado ("the McKinnon connection"). If Crosby leaves, it will likely be to a real contender.
  • Debate over the propriety of returning for a "last run" and what kind of legacy (Gretzky comparisons) it leaves.
  • Memorable Quote:
    • Roy (28:09): "If Sidney Crosby comes to your team, you acquiesce. It’s like Gretzky going to your team, right?"

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6. The Hughes Brothers and Free Agency

• Story: Jack and Quinn Hughes publicly float their desire to play together in the NHL.
• Fallout: Speculation that Vancouver may have to confront this in trade or free agency, risking fan backlash.
• Quote:
  • Roy (31:27): “[Jack Hughes] was a little surprised [President Jim Rutherford] did that, to be honest with you. … The fan base is now under the understanding that I want to play with my brothers and my brothers are not in Vancouver. ... Things are going to get awkward.”

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7. Upcoming CBA Changes & 84-Game Season

• LTIR Loophole Closing: New rules limit the cap manipulation by requiring cap compliance in the playoffs; "postseason salary cap" introduced.
• Player Reaction: Generally positive, especially from those who see old loopholes as giving big-market teams unfair advantages.
• 84-Game Season: Players largely in favor (less meaningless preseason, more meaningful games); little pushback on extra games.

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8. Expansion: Will Atlanta Get a Third Franchise?

• Expansion Fever: The NHL is considering Atlanta for another team, citing demographic changes that might yield better results than the failed Thrashers experiment.
• Hurdles: No concrete ownership proposals or shovels-ready arena plans yet; huge expansion fees could be a barrier.
• Prediction: Hosts are "shocked" if Atlanta doesn’t get a team in 3–4 years; also speculation about Quebec City, Houston, and others.

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9. What’s the Biggest Story Coming into the Season?

• Player Moves: Mitch Marner’s return to Toronto (now as a Vegas Golden Knight), and how the crowd reacts.
• Big Names, Big Changes: Crosby’s and McDavid’s potential departures from their longtime franchises.
• Panthers Dynasty?: Can Florida complete a third straight Cup run? Have they made a mistake bringing everyone back for another go?
• Roy (45:14): "We may be in the midst of a dynasty... Have the Panthers made a mistake running it back ... or is this going to be a third straight cup?"
• David Druk’s Perspective (45:17): "They’re about to get $10 million off their cap when Bob is off the books after next season. ... There’s a lot of runway for the Panthers."

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Billy (03:23): “Suspension to me is an admission that there was wrongdoing here.”
• Roy (06:59): “He's not saying the info is inaccurate. I know we didn't leak it. I know they didn't leak. You know what I like, I feel like you've got to kind of read between the lines a little bit there.”
• David Druk (13:19): “Every Time I want to take care of Canada. Seriously. They do something like this where the Prime Minister's up there talking about hockey.”
• Roy (19:28): “After a long time in existence and some stumbles not of their making, [the HDA] have started to get some salient results.”
• Greg Wyshynski (24:17): “Sidney Crosby is going to play in the playoffs, no matter if it's in Pittsburgh or it's somewhere else this season.”
• Roy (28:09): “If Sidney Crosby comes to your team, you acquiesce. It's like Gretzky going to your team, right?”
• Roy (31:27): “Things are going to get awkward because the fan base is now under the understanding that I want to play with my brothers and my brothers are not in Vancouver.”
• Billy (43:07): "If a team feels disrespected in a contract negotiation, it's usually the team that's putting out that news to the world that, hey, we did our best. And sometimes that we-did-our-best messaging comes out before we have to trade him."
• Roy (45:14): "We may be in the midst of a dynasty. ... Is this going to be a third straight cup?"

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Important Timestamps

• 01:00–03:48: Discussion of players returning from suspension after acquittal—public reaction and league’s optics.
• 03:48–08:12: Kaprizov contract saga, GM reactions, speculation on trade/ultimatum.
• 08:45–12:14: Wins of the week—signings, nostalgia, new pickleball team, and pet adoptions.
• 12:14–15:49: Fails of the week—Canadian PM, ugly jerseys, Jeopardy gaffe.
• 18:43–23:36: Greg Wyshynski interview—Hockey Diversity Alliance impact and NHL inclusion optics.
• 24:14–30:05: Crosby’s and Fleury’s Pittsburgh storylines; Gretzky–Crosby legacies.
• 31:06–32:59: Hughes brothers’ free agency intrigue.
• 33:16–34:59: CBA loophole changes and reactions.
• 36:22–39:00: Atlanta expansion—obstacles and league strategy.
• 41:18–43:50: Deep dive into Kaprizov saga—reading between the lines and agent/team motivations.
• 43:56–46:13: What’s the biggest story entering the new season?

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Tone and Style

The show was a lively mix of irreverent banter and sharp analysis, with the crew frequently poking fun at teams, management, and even themselves. They combined deep hockey knowledge with cultural commentary, making the discussion accessible and engaging for die-hard fans and curious outsiders alike.

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For listeners, this episode is a can't-miss window into the sports world's current drama, league machinations, and the irresistible personalities that make hockey so obsessively followed.

Transcript

[Roy Bellamy]

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[Billy]

The winner will walk away the greatest of their era. Watch Canelo Alvarez versus Terence Crawford. Saturday, September 13th at 9pm Eastern, 6pm Pacific Standard Time live only on Netflix.

[David Druk]

When did making plans get this complicated? It's time to streamline with WhatsApp, the secure messaging app that brings the whole group together. Use polls to settle dinner plans, send.

[Roy Bellamy]

Event invites and pin messages so no.

[David Druk]

One forgets mom 60th and never miss a meme or milestone. All protected with end to end encryption. It's time for WhatsApp message privately with everyone.

[Greg Krasinski]

Learn more at WhatsApp.com Kirill Kaprizoff reportedly rejected the richest NHL contract in that sport's history, but the Minnesota Wild says that report is bullshit. We talk about that with Greg Krasinski and more. This is AKI show. All right, we got David Druk over here. The Hockey News. Ethan is in the studio on the ones and twos, not the sticks. Please don't ever say that again. And Rosie, somewhere, somewhere in America, somewhere in the in the backyard brawl in West Virginia. I believe she's covering football with Lucy. This is the Hockey Show. My name is Roy Bellamy. Let's get into the news of this week. The NHL has announced that Dylan Dube, Kyle Foot, Alex Formenton, Koda Hart and Michael McLeod will be officially eligible to sign with any NHL team starting October 15th and will be able to play in the national hockey league starting Dec. 1. The five were acquitted of sexual assault stemming from their time on Team Canada's under 20 junior team in 2018. Now, the league took into account that they haven't played in 20 months. And with that, I expect to see the Edmonton Oilers probably try to sign Connor Hart because they need a goaltender. But I mean, this is probably an insult to women who are trying to get into the game, trying to grow as fans in the sport. I don't think they're probably taken too kindly to this news, David.

[David Druk]

No, it's kind of like a no win situation at this point because you're going to be upsetting somebody, whether you're upsetting people that want to see the game moving forward, whether you're upsetting people or they're going to say, hey, these guys, they went through the legal process, they were found not liable or whatever the term is up there and they should be able to go on with their lives. They're valid arguments to be made on both sides. And you're just not going to make that everyone happy. And you know, as we've seen in the league right now, you got Stan Bowman, you got Joel Quenville, like everybody's coming back, so just kind of follow suit.

[Greg Krasinski]

Yeah. It's just not a good look for this league. And this league's had plenty of situations where they haven't looked good in the decisions that they made. So kind of quickly getting these guys back into the league is kind of off putting.

[David Druk]

I would imagine that they're looking to get into like February, March, where this can all get, you know, swept under the rug and we can move on to Olympics and Stanley cup playoffs and not talk about the blemishes on the league.

[Greg Krasinski]

Yeah. And that's the kind of deal make people forget, I guess. Oh, yeah.

[Billy]

Suspension to me is an admission that there was wrongdoing here.

[Greg Krasinski]

Yeah.

[Billy]

And if there was wrongdoing here, the suspension shouldn't only be until December 1, considering the circumstances and the allegations within this case. So that's really all I have to say about this case. We know what's going to happen from here. Carter Hart's probably going to be the next goaltender of the Edmonton Oilers. And I mean, I just think the whole thing is a mess and really upsetting.

[Greg Krasinski]

All right, let's go on to the other news of the week. According to Frank Savelli, Kirill Kapritsov, his representation has turned down the richest contract in NHL history. Would have been eight years, $128 million, an AAV of $16 million. That would have been the richest contract in NHL history.

[David Druk]

That's how you build a winning team.

[Greg Krasinski]

Yeah. Yeah. You build about a quarter of the cap around one guy. Yeah, that's, that's how that usually works. So that, you know what that tells me? Apparently he's better than Conor McDavid.

[Billy]

I was going to say, sorry, David. This is a fascinating situation to me because McDavid hasn't even signed his deal yet. And if you're caprize off, you're probably saying, I want to see what McDavid signs for and then maybe ask for a little bit less than that. Right. Because maybe McDavid gets 19 or 20 and then you can ask for 17 or 18, but what happens if McDavid takes 16 and a half because he wants a team friendly deal? And if you're caprize off, you have to go back now and say, oh, about that, 16.

[Greg Krasinski]

Hey, how about that?

[Billy]

That's what I think I deserve and then the Wild are going to be saying, should you only be making $500,000 less than Conor McDavid in average annual value? I don't know about that.

[Greg Krasinski]

Or, or follow me down this rabbit hole. He wants to be traded. He's driving up the price on the Wild because he doesn't want to be there anymore. And they're forcing his hand, forcing their hand to have him traded to another team. What do you think about that, Dave?

[David Druk]

I mean, he's going to be UFA next season, so there would have to be some kind of back channel talking. You would think because they're not. A team's not going to pay whatever price you'd have to pay to get a career. Caprisov, even at a UFA year without knowing that there's some future involved. Like, that'd be one hell of a rental for the playoff run this year. I don't know, man. It's pretty crazy to think that like, like Minnesota is a good hockey town. Yeah, they got some good players there. You know, Matt Boldy, Marco Rossi. Like they got some good young, good young talent there. Yeah, well, it's. Where's he going to go?

[Billy]

Yeah. So a couple of things to add on here. First of all, Elliot Freeman on 32 Thoughts Report. His, his kind of suspicion was that if Caprizov is saying no to this deal, there's somebody out there that's telling his camp, we will offer him 17 million, 18 million, 19 million on the open market. Because again, once he hits the open market, he's only going to be able to be offered seven years by any team. So they would be able to give him a higher average annual value. Now, Joe Smith and Michael Russo of the Athletic did say in their article about this, about this, you know, the deal being turned down, that he's told Caprizov, has told them he loves the area, but he's also said that winning is the most important thing to him. Now, if winning is the most important thing, turning down $16 million is a tough way to sell that to any franchise because that's going to be a huge chunk of a salary cap that you're going to be taking up. If you're going to be. You're going to want more than $16 million average annual value.

[Greg Krasinski]

Well, according to local Minnesota blog, 10,000 takes. Get it, get that pun. That's a good pun there. While general manager Bill Guerin is vehemently denying the report, claiming that it's bullshit, I know two things. That info didn't come from us and it didn't come from Kirill's agent. I don't know where it came from. So basically. Well, Bill Garrett's calling bullshit.

[Roy Bellamy]

Well, he.

[David Druk]

But listen to what he said. He's not exactly denying he said that info didn't come from us and it didn't come from them. He's not saying the info is inaccurate. I know we didn't leak it. I know they didn't leak. You know what I like, I feel like you've got to kind of read between the lines a little bit there.

[Billy]

Yeah. And in this article from Smith and Russo in the Athletic, they talked to Bill Guerin and he's basically admitting this happened. And we kind of have to reassess the situation. And they still want to sign Caprizov, obviously. Their owner, Craig Leopold has said nobody can pay him more money than we can. Nobody's going to offer him more money than we can. Where do they go from here? I doubt they expected him to turn down 8 by 16. So will that continue? Will they be the team that offers him the most money?

[David Druk]

That's a shitty feeling, isn't it? Yeah, that's not good to offer somebody that kind of money.

[Greg Krasinski]

Like, you're gonna get turned down.

[David Druk]

Like, we are doing such an awesome thing. He's gonna love, like, you know, it's. Yet Claire the best birthday present ever. You're so excited to give it to her. She rips off the paper and she's.

[Greg Krasinski]

Like, no, she likes the paper.

[Billy]

This is arguably. This is also arguably the second best player in franchise history behind Miko Koivu. Like, yeah, you can't lose this guy if you're the Wild. And so I think you have to be a little bit embarrassed if you're the Wild of.

[David Druk]

Kind of a bold statement we just.

[Roy Bellamy]

Got there, isn't it?

[Billy]

I mean, he could. He could. Let's say he could go down as the second. He could even go down as the best player in franchise history. So it's fascinating and it's going to be fascinating to follow for the rest of the off season and regular season.

[Greg Krasinski]

We will talk about this more with ESPN.com NHL writer Greg Rashinski in a moment. But let's get to our wins and fails of the week, presented by Jagermeister. Serve a code or don't serve it at all. Jagermeister. Damn, that's code. For more, visit jagermeister.com Drink responsibly. David, what is your win?

[David Druk]

Well, I actually have two wins this week.

[Greg Krasinski]

You got two of them.

[David Druk]

We got a late arriving Win right before we came on the show. But my first win of the week. Win his Calgary Flames. You win. You know why? Because he just locked up an excellent, excellent young goaltender Dustin Wolfe to a very team friendly deal. I think seven years, 7.5 million for a starting quality high end goaltender. I think Dustin Wolfe was a big reason why Calgary was even in the playoff race for as much of last season as they were. He's definitely a battler. He's so athletic, he's got a great attitude. I'm very excited to see what the future holds for for Mr. Wolf and Calgary there. And my second win which we just found out like right before we came on to record the show today. One of my favorite goalies of all time, Mark Andre Fleury.

[Greg Krasinski]

The flower.

[David Druk]

The flower. The second flower.

[Greg Krasinski]

Yeah.

[David Druk]

Coming out of retirement. He's coming back to Pittsburgh on a pto. He's in a play in their preseason game. I think it's the 28th. The 27th.

[Billy]

29Th.

[Greg Krasinski]

The.

[David Druk]

The 29th at. Okay. I think it's the home game on the 27th against Columbus. Ethan. That they're doing it.

[Greg Krasinski]

It's one of them.

[David Druk]

Well, because they're doing it in Pittsburgh.

[Greg Krasinski]

Yeah.

[David Druk]

Of course it's going to be probably the most watched three season preseason game of all time. Like it's standing room only for a preseason game. But I mean could you could. Is that so cool though? Like I'm tempted to go. I'm not going to go. But like the thought crossed my mind. So it's really cool. I mean he's not coming out of retirement or anything. He's just going to do this.

[Greg Krasinski]

But how even a one day contract for.

[David Druk]

Yeah. Go out as a. He never should have left Pittsburgh. Like what were you thinking sending him to Vegas and then he did all that amazing stuff there.

[Greg Krasinski]

Yeah.

[David Druk]

So. But cool. Double wins. Goaltender. Yay.

[Greg Krasinski]

My win of the week is the fact that South Florida now has a major league pickleball team.

[David Druk]

Oh God.

[Greg Krasinski]

The Paul Meech Royals have launched and there's some big names who have joined the ownership.

[David Druk]

Sipping the Kool Aid, Roy.

[Greg Krasinski]

The former North Carolina Tar Heel basketball players Tyler Hansborough and Marvin Williams.

[David Druk]

Okay.

[Greg Krasinski]

Coach. Cornerback Kenny Moore.

[David Druk]

I hated Marvin Williams when he was on the high.

[Mike Ryan]

Dude.

[Billy]

Tyler Hansboro to me is the worst. That guy. His fights with ud.

[Greg Krasinski]

This is a hell of a group tennis player. Bianca Andreescu. And the reason why I'm bringing this up is because Florida Panthers captain Alexander Barkov is also an owner. He's a team owner. Folks. In his Second favorite sport, technically, pickleball, which is an offshoot of tennis, so good for him. Congratulations, Bark. You are now a team owner.

[Billy]

Ethan, just to add something, our buddy Dave Damshek from Football America messaged me just before the show and was like, the Pens are bringing back Mark Andre Flory. Oh, it's only for a preseason game.

[Roy Bellamy]

Dang.

[Billy]

So I guess the nostalgia tour is really revving up in Pittsburgh this year, especially if Sidney Crosby is going to be for Dave Damsh.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah, fair enough.

[Billy]

Dave's the man.

[Roy Bellamy]

All right.

[Billy]

My win of the week. Sam Bennett.

[Greg Krasinski]

What a.

[Billy]

What a year for Sam Bennett. Bennett married cup. Conn Smythe. New contract. Benny's buddies. What a year for Sam Bennett. And he brought the cup with him to the humane Society in Broward county, where he has Benny's buddy set up, of course, his adoption program for every time he scores a goal. And he got to the. Some of the pups got to hang out with the Stanley cup. And I just love looking at puppies in the Stanley cup background on my computer. Dorky's background. Yeah, it's show Dorky. His background is Benny with a. With a cat in a Stanley Cup.

[Greg Krasinski]

It's not even a cat. It's a kitten. It's a baby cat. The kitten in it.

[David Druk]

And scoop from our friend Jess Blaylock, she said both of the cats that were in the cup for Benny's picture, they've already been adopted.

[Billy]

Yeah, Benny's the.

[Greg Krasinski]

Even at the school goal for that one.

[Billy]

What a year for Sam Bennett.

[Greg Krasinski]

David, what's your fail of the week?

[David Druk]

My fail of the week? We're going back north of the border. The Connor McDavid obsession is real, and it goes all the way up to the top of the political food chain in Canada.

[Greg Krasinski]

We are in a crisis. The global trading system has been upended. Supply chains have been destroyed. McDavid is unsigned.

[Mike Ryan]

This is not a transition.

[Roy Bellamy]

This is a rupture.

[David Druk]

So that's Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addressing the nation apparently, on the importance of global trading. Supply trains, Connor McDavid's extension at Edmonton. And we know Roy and I have been privy to. To just how big of an Oilers fan Mark Carney is. Yeah, it. It runs very deep. So, yeah, this is a. This is like red level in Canada. This is code red. McDavid. Let's.

[Greg Krasinski]

If Conor McDavid leaves Edmonton and signs with an American team, it's going to be. It's going to be a mess.

[David Druk]

That's going to be the civil war that every.

[Billy]

Every Time I want to take care of Canada. Seriously. They do something like this where the Prime Minister's up there talking about hockey.

[Greg Krasinski]

No, that's a. No, that's a Barack Obama level joke there, where he just mixes sports in refus. Good. Good for him. Good for him. My fellow week, the Hershey Bears. Now, I realize that the Hershey Bears are the affiliate of the Washington Capitals. They've been the affiliate of the American Hockey League affiliate for Washington for the past 20 years. And they're celebrating for four games this season. They are hosting Capitals night. And the fail is the jersey. Jersey is terrible. Oh, my God, they are. This is a 90s 2000s era inspired jersey. You know, uniform. You know, the. The teal black, gold and white jerseys.

[David Druk]

Yes, the.

[Greg Krasinski]

The Screaming Eagle.

[David Druk]

The Olaf Kozigs.

[Greg Krasinski]

Yeah, the Kozik era. Yeah, yeah. This one is a beige, brown, black, and they call it the Screaming Bear. It's as bad as you think.

[Billy]

I like it.

[David Druk]

It reminds me of a movie that.

[Greg Krasinski]

You like it?

[David Druk]

Yeah, recently called Cocaine Bear. That. That looks like that bear.

[Billy]

Oh, like the Bruins Cocaine Bear.

[David Druk]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, those big bloodshot eyes. But no, like, the Screaming Eagle works because eagles fly. You come swooping in.

[Greg Krasinski]

Well, this one is a growling bear with one paw swiping on the front of jersey with a kind of a modified chevron on the bottom that says Bears on it on the stripe.

[David Druk]

So bears.

[Billy]

Unique, good colors, cool logo. I like it.

[David Druk]

Yeah.

[Billy]

Nothing to dislike. You know, I don't like Roy.

[Greg Krasinski]

Your fail.

[Billy]

My fail of the week. Yes.

[Greg Krasinski]

That's not a transition.

[Billy]

One of my great. One of the things I love most on television is nerds on Jeopardy. That don't know sports.

[Greg Krasinski]

Oh, Jesus.

[Billy]

And we had another great instance of this. Roll the tape. Canadian girlfriends for 600.

[Roy Bellamy]

Leon Draisaitl stars for this northernmost NHL team, but went to warmer Spain to propose to Celeste Desjardins. Ian, we're the Winnipeg Jets. Oh, you know what?

[David Druk]

Not a bad swing, though.

[Roy Bellamy]

Edmonton is further north. Ian, back to you.

[David Druk]

That's not a bad swing because I.

[Greg Krasinski]

Feel like it's not even the same province.

[David Druk]

Yeah, more about Edmonton generally than you do about Winnipeg. Like, I feel like Winnipeg just feels like it's a more remote place. This is.

[Billy]

This is not only not knowing sports, this is not knowing geography and not knowing that Edmonton is more north. It says Northern Most.

[David Druk]

Yeah, but at least he named a team. You think the other one, they're pulling up the LA Kings. Like they don't know.

[Greg Krasinski]

Well, at least Ken Jennings said Dry Saddle correctly.

[David Druk]

Right? I was thinking the same thing.

[Greg Krasinski]

Yeah.

[David Druk]

Was like the master of pronunciation though.

[Greg Krasinski]

Well, he's Canadian. DSBN.com senior NHL writer Greg Brasinski is coming up next.

[Mike Ryan]

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[Roy Bellamy]

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[Dan]

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[Roy Bellamy]

Glass, by the way.

[Greg Krasinski]

Don't get me started on late food.

[Dan]

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[Greg Krasinski]

Greg Krasinski is a good person who deserves better than being on this show, but he's here anyway and we appreciate you joining us there.

[David Druk]

Greg, keep saying yes. So yeah, keep having him on.

[Greg Krasinski]

I don't know why. A month ago you wrote about the Hockey Diversity alliance is their fifth anniversary in June of 2020. They started as a, it started as a group text between current and former NHL players and it turned into a full fledged coalition within that, within the time of civil unrest. This was the time of COVID This was the time that George Floyd was murdered. So you wrote about the HDA five years later. Tell us how the group is doing and what it's been going through since their beginning.

[Roy Bellamy]

Well, the exciting part is there's now like palpable results from the group's work. Like they had a huge hockey fest in Toronto. They had one in the summer, they had one in the winter. They're doing a bunch of trying to get young, you know, diverse communities to try out hockey in the greater Toronto area. They've worked with some groups, I want to say Detroit, maybe Chicago, maybe it was Chicago as well in trying to develop more youth hockey. And I think that's really been the HDA's biggest influence in their time is working with these youth groups. I mean, Anthony Duclair obviously has done some stuff, did some stuff when he was with the Panthers and continues to do stuff in other stops around the NHL. And you know, I think Akeem Aliu and the folks at the HDA are finally kind of, you know, after, after a long time in existence and some stumbles not of their making have started to get some salient results. And the stumbles, by the way, are you mentioned George Floyd, like when the HDA started, they had a flood of sponsors come and be like throwing money at them and we're going to, you know, sponsor this and sponsor that. And then as we all know, like the, the public front facing statements about diversity and inclusion in the years that, that after the George Floyd Incident, you know, kind of went by the wayside. And so the funding. So they have a few sponsors that stuck with them. They're obviously looking for more, but they kind of overcame that and are now, you know, really, really making some, some, some important inroads in, in trying to create more opportunities in youth hockey.

[Greg Krasinski]

Well, you mentioned Akeem Aliyu and how he was treated in Calgary and how that career went and the banana that was thrown on the ice because Wayne Simmons played a preseason game. These and many other incidents, as has happened in the National Hockey League in the past, we've gone from that to 2020 when Matt Domba took a knee at center ice in an empty arena because of COVID and the NHL themselves creating a coalition, the Player Inclusion Coalition. Has there really been any progress within the league to make the sport more inclusive? Even after the aftermath of players bucking against wearing Pride jerseys, has there been any progress made?

[Roy Bellamy]

Well, let's not forget the NHL putting their own end racism signage in the arenas during the COVID games in Toronto and Edmonton. Like, they were also kind of leaning into this too. And then, you know, if you could look back at those, at those games and those moments in the league, you also had, you know, games that were postponed because of other incidents that happened and the players kind of banding together and saying, we're not comfortable playing a game under these circumstances as far as the, the, the things that they've done. And you're right, they do have their own diversity committee and initiatives within the league and, and they don't work with the hda. In fact, one of the things that I wrote about in that story when I talked to Akeem recently was, you know, maybe a willingness from the HTA to, to try to find a way to partner with the NHL at some point, because that relationship is, is fractured and frankly, it's nonexistent at this point. So we'll see where that goes. But as far as what they do, like, I've looked into it, I will fully admit that I check in now and again just to see if that webpage is still there for their diversity committee. Considering the way that things have gone with other leagues and other. Other corporations in the U.S. it is there. And if you check out their social feed, they do promote and mention some of the events that they've done. Again, a lot of focus on youth hockey, a lot of focus on opportunity and things like, and it's, you know, they don't really blast it out there, and it's not really front of mind, but There are events that go on throughout the year that they're a part of, and you can kind of like, find that when you go on their website.

[David Druk]

Craig, we got some pretty cool news this morning that Mark Andre Fleury was coming out of retirement to rejoin his good buddy Sidney Crosby in Pittsburgh for one last hurrah. It's going to be probably the most attended preseason game in NHL history. I would imagine they're going to have standing room, and they're going to bring in extra seats like they would at the Orange bowl down here. So, casting aside how cool it is that Mark Andre Fleury is making this comeback, you know, how long do you think his buddy Sidney Crosby is going to keep that Penguin sweater on? Because I personally think Montreal, Roy, maybe Detroit, but certainly.

[Greg Krasinski]

I'm not saying anything, man.

[Roy Bellamy]

You know, the.

[David Druk]

The writing's on the wall. He's on his way out, right?

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah. Flory coming back to Pittsburgh, it's got real Steve Carell coming back before the office is canceled energy. Yeah. I mean, listen, I. My. My take on Sid is this. I. I had someone tell me in. In the. In the off season that Sidney Crosby is going to play in the playoffs, no matter if it's in Pittsburgh or it's somewhere else this season. I asked Sid about that at the. He didn't quite go as far as to say that. I think he's trying to really keep an open mind about Pittsburgh, trying to pull a Washington Capitals and surround the veteran corps with younger players and different players and seeing if they can maybe squeeze one last drop of juice out of this thing before the team gets blown up. But I don't think it's going to happen. And, you know, Sid himself said, you know, most of the punditry is going to pick us to finish last in the division. So I think within the first two or three months of the season, I definitely think it could happen before the Olympics that we could see Crosby go to the Penguins and say it's time. I do think, though, it should be noted there. There are people in Sid's life that I think would love to see him move on, not only for the betterment of him, but also for the betterment of the NHL. I mean, he is one of the most legendary players of the last 50 years in this league, and he is Persona non grata at the most important time of the year, three years running. And even before that, the Penguins weren't really a contender. But then you have Sid, who, you know, clearly has incredible affinity for the Penguins. I think has always fancied the idea of playing for one franchise, and, you know, there is always the possibility that they could get good by the very, very end of his career. But overall, I have to imagine that the, The. The time spent losing has really weighed on this guy and that he might, you know, go to them and say, I'm ready for another opportunity.

[David Druk]

Is it crazy to think that Mark Andre Fleury is going to be the savior in all of this and he's going to fall re in love with Pittsburgh. It's going to go beyond a preseason game. He's going to take over for Christian Jarri and Archer Silavs, and he's going to lead Crosby and the Penguins back to the playoffs. It's going to be the most amazing Cinderella story that everybody but Roy loves. Is that what's going to happen?

[Roy Bellamy]

No, but he's better than the goalies they had right now. It's like, at the very least, maybe he does play another year. Who knows? But, you know, if he plays another year, does he have to give back all the gifts from last.

[David Druk]

No.

[Roy Bellamy]

Last season?

[David Druk]

No.

[Roy Bellamy]

No, no, no, no.

[Billy]

In my eyes, yes. If you do the. If you do the retirement tour and you get a rocking chair and this and that.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah.

[Billy]

Retire. You got it.

[Greg Krasinski]

Yeah.

[Roy Bellamy]

Like, if you're. If you're. If you're a cop and you get a gold watch for your retirement and you decide to still be a security guard somewhere.

[Billy]

Yeah.

[Roy Bellamy]

No, you.

[Greg Krasinski]

Yeah. You put on a bus. You turn in a Dennis Hopper.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yes, exactly right. That's how you knew he was a cop, because that's the watch that they give you. I love that movie.

[Greg Krasinski]

What do you do?

[David Druk]

Tell that wildcat.

[Roy Bellamy]

That wildcat. That's right. That's right.

[Greg Krasinski]

Pop quiz.

[Roy Bellamy]

Drive around the airport. That's the only way you drive, because there's no. The copters can't go above the airport because of the air traffic control rules. So. You mentioned Detroit, you mentioned Montreal. I think both of those teams have something in common, which is a lack of any guarantee they will be in the playoffs. And I think wherever Sid goes, it's not going to be on the bubble. It is going to be on a team that can contend where he can, you know, feel comfortable that he might have multiple rounds in the playoffs. I mean, we've all know the McKinnon connection from Cole harbor and what have you. And. And so the Avalanche can't be ignored. One thing somebody told me once about said that stuck with me as though, if he goes to Colorado, is he taking A cut in minutes. Yeah.

[Greg Krasinski]

He's gonna be on the dirt. Yeah.

[Roy Bellamy]

Is he not playing his spot on the power play anymore like, you imagine? If Sidney Crosby comes to your team, you acquiesce. It's like Gretzky going to your team, right?

[Greg Krasinski]

No.

[Roy Bellamy]

Who knows? I mean, like, maybe he's going someplace. Maybe Montreal is a cleaner place for him to go, because you can go to Nick Suzuki and be like, hey, buddy, Sidney Crosby's over here, and. And all of a sudden, you know, you're Nick Suzuki and you're playing second line minutes for a couple years until Sidney Crosby retires. But if he goes. If he goes to Colorado, I mean, it is an interesting conversation to be had. Like, does McKinnon move to the wing on Sid's line? Who knows? But that's such a different conversation to be had than, say, like, Montreal or Detroit.

[Greg Krasinski]

How dare you compare Sidney Crosby to Wayne Gretzky.

[David Druk]

No, Brad, I'm giving up, Marshall.

[Roy Bellamy]

From a prestige standpoint, it is absolutely the right comparison to make a generation of players treat Crosby with the same. Like a hockey deity, like all the people in Gretzky's era treated Gretzky. I know he doesn't have the same grandiose stats because he didn't have the pleasure of playing in the 1980s where goalies didn't know what the hell they were doing. But. But he's a pretty good hockey player. And. And I think. I think he would be treated with the same reverence as Gretzky when he, you know, bestowed his glory on the St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers.

[David Druk]

Why didn't Gretzky go home at the end? If we're talking, you know, if this is what Cross.

[Greg Krasinski]

Go back to Edmonton, Canada.

[David Druk]

Just go back somewhere in Canada from Alberta.

[Billy]

Kritzky.

[Greg Krasinski]

No, he's back to Edmonton.

[Billy]

Like.

[Greg Krasinski]

Yeah. Going back to his original. Yeah.

[Roy Bellamy]

Anyway, why. Why did he go back. Why didn't he go back to Edmonton instead of spending the rest of his career in Los Angeles, in New York?

[Greg Krasinski]

Well, St. Louis.

[Billy]

St. Louis.

[Roy Bellamy]

I don't. I still. I still can't figure out that St. Louis thing. That was, you know, a strange anomaly in the. In the. Gretzky. It's like when my boy Brodeur entered his career in St. Louis.

[David Druk]

Like, how did that not work, though? Brett Hull, Grant Fiore.

[Billy]

All I know is it's going to be great when Roy has to root for Sidney Crosby to bring home the Panthers third straight title this year in. In the Brad Marchand role, and he has to do What Mike Ryan did with Brad Marchand this year, it's gonna be so awesome. How.

[Roy Bellamy]

Like, how do they have the money to do this?

[Billy]

They'll figure it out.

[Roy Bellamy]

They give it. Give them a no show job or something down there to make the money work for Sid.

[David Druk]

Crosby's going to take 870k instead of 8.7 million. That's. That'll be what it is.

[Roy Bellamy]

Let's just hope there's. Let's hope Billy's eater knows a tree planting company down there that he can hook him up with.

[David Druk]

We'll figure it out.

[Billy]

Yeah, wish your. You mentioned the loss, the player tour in Las Vegas that you were just at. And interestingly enough, hockey players actually said interesting stuff this week. I cannot believe it. There were a few interesting storylines that have come out this week in the lead up to training camp. I'm going to tee up two for you here. And we can attack both, but you can pick which one to go first. The Hughes brothers, who you talk to in terms of them both kind of saying, hey, I'd really love to play with my brother, which we all kind of knew, but now it's out there. And there was the Jim Rutherford comments earlier this off season. So that kind of revs everything up. And then Kirill Kaprizoff turning down the biggest contract offer in NHL history. So you've got both of those options. Which one do you want to go with first?

[Roy Bellamy]

Well, I'll go with the Hughes's first. I was happy my colleagues in the media that were there at the player media tour got the most suddenly obvious question out of the way so I didn't have to have to ask it, which is, would you like to play with your brother? Would you like to play with someone you're quite fond with, that you grew up with, that you share a life with? I don't know, maybe.

[David Druk]

That guy sucks.

[Roy Bellamy]

With that off the table, asked the question that I, I was, I was interested in, which is like, what do these guys think when all of a sudden the president of the Vancouver Canucks is putting Quinn Hughes's business out on Maine like he did. And. And Jack is like, I was a little surprised he did that, to be honest with you. And, you know, he's like, I got no control over this thing whatsoever. But if Jim Rutherford wants to keep on talking about my brother, you know, wanted to play with, with me and Luke, by all means, continue to do it. And, you know, Quinn was a lot more political about it. Like he said, look, you know, I got all the respect in the world for Jim Rutherford, you know, I'm sure he's got a reason for having said what he said. And he said, I'll leave it at that. So I don't know. The, the interesting thing I, I talked with Quinn about with regard to the Canucks kind of putting out you want to play with your brothers is, you know, when, when we've seen teams get ahead of free agency and make trades, I mean, that is the reason Matthew Tkachuk became a Panther was he communicated, I'm not going to, I'm not going to resign with Calgary. Calgary's like, let's just get ahead of this thing. Boom, the Hubert O Uyghur trade happens. So if, if like it's been established that Quinn's going to walk, one, do they get ahead of it and just trade them? And then two, like, what does that do for him in the market? What is the reaction from the fans? And Quinn Hughes told me, hey, like, it's entirely possible that things are going to get awkward because the fan base is now under the understanding that I want to play with my brothers and my brothers are not in Vancouver. So that, that was an interesting conversation to have.

[Greg Krasinski]

Let's, let's go into the CBA really quickly here because they're trying to roll things out this season. What are the immediate impacts that's going to be instituted with this section of the CBA going into the season and who is it going to affect the most?

[Roy Bellamy]

Well, it is. They're rolling out the long term injured reserve rule changes this year. So basically, you know, if you put a player on long term injured reserve, there's limitations on how much of that salary cap space you can use to replace them. And more importantly, you know, in order to open up all of that salary cap space, you have to declare that that player is not going to be playing for you for the rest of the season and the postseason. So the, the whole sort of like being able to use all that salary cap space to overload your team with, with contracts and oh my God, Jesus has risen. He's playing game one of the playoffs. He's no longer injured. That's, that's not going to be happening anymore. And then on top of that, more another, you know, reason other way they're trying to clamp down on this is they have created a postseason salary cap for the first time. So the, the team that you put on the ice has to be cap compliant. As an agent told me, you could have a team that's like $130 million payroll, but the team that you actually put on the ice, the roster that's playing that night has to be cap compliant. And, you know, I'm still waiting. These guys are real smart in these front offices to see if there's ways that you could find loopholes for this thing. But I do think that it's the most intelligent way to try to attack what is perceived to be a problem. I happen not to think it's a problem. I think it's, it's a genius way to get around the salary cap. And you do suffer not having that player in your lineup in the regular season, by the way. So there is a level of sacrifice. But I've talked to a few players, Nazem Kadri being one of them, a few players to play on media tour who are happy to see those loopholes close because they feel like it does give certain franchises that know how to utilize that loophole a competitive advantage.

[Greg Krasinski]

With a 84 game season coming next season and you know, they're losing a couple of preseason games and adding two in the regular season, are we going to start to look at teams going half speed knowing that they have a playoff spot? A lot, a lot more teams doing that option going into the playoffs when they know they have a spot clinched?

[Roy Bellamy]

I don't know, man. Like we, we've all talked about load management in the NHL in light of what we see in the NBA and we've never really seen it manifest. Like, the only time you really see players leave the lineup is in the very, very last part of the season when you've got a playoff spot locked up and then the, you know, the last maybe two games of the year, you're, you're icing an AHL team instead of the guys that, you know, usually play. But I mean, you know, the 84 game season's a really interesting twist. The players I've spoken to love it, mostly because they love not having to have a grandiose preseason, which they don't think they really need and don't want to play games that are completely meaningless. I do find it interesting. There wasn't like a whole hell of a lot of, hey, where's the bonus that comes our way for playing two extra games on the regular season schedule. The entire CBA negotiation was pretty much we're all fat and happy and we're not going to really fight the league on a lot of stuff. So I'm not surprised there wasn't pushback. But, but overall, I mean, I think the players are pretty happy to have A shorter preseason, longer regular season.

[David Druk]

So I don't know about you, Greg, I personally have a hankering for something that hasn't been satisfied in like 20 some odd years. And I really could use some more hockey in Atlanta. I don't think.

[Greg Krasinski]

Oh, for crying out loud, I don't do it.

[Billy]

Are we going to do this again?

[David Druk]

I don't think that two times was. It was enough of a try to let it stick. Personally, I miss going to games at Phillips arena and how one side of it just kind of comes up straight. Like there's just so much that I liked about Atlanta. Visiting the CNN situation there and this.

[Greg Krasinski]

All sounds like sarcastic Georgia Tech.

[Billy]

And I do miss the Thrashers jerseys.

[David Druk]

Yeah.

[Greg Krasinski]

Oh, God, they're not gonna do that.

[David Druk]

Remember that one time they made the playoffs and they had those baby blue powder jerseys and said Atlanta on the sleeve? Yeah, those were. So anyway, sarcasm aside, Greg just built.

[Greg Krasinski]

The entire room with it. Man.

[David Druk]

How close are we to getting a third hockey franchise in Atlanta?

[Roy Bellamy]

I liked the blue jerseys. The third jerseys they came out with right before they moved where it looked like someone like melted a box of crayons. Those were terrible. But the rest of the jerseys were fine. First of all, you know, keep in mind the winner in all of this is Canada because they're going to get another team eventually. If we put another team in Atlanta, Quebec, they got Calgary, they got Winnipeg, Quebec City, you're on the clock. It's going to happen. The NHL believes a couple of things. One, they believe that the demographic and business community changes that have happened in the state of Georgia and specifically around the city of Atlanta since they tried the thrashers, what, like 20 years ago? I guess it is now. They believe all those changes mean that that area is much more favorable to the kind of demographics they need for hockey.

[Greg Krasinski]

They're not going to build an arena in the same spot they built that ballpark for the Braves. Right. Just out of downtown.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah, they're looking at the suburbs, they're looking at Forsyth county are. And they're looking at. I forget where the other one is, but it's like a former mall, I think it is. So, you know, the Forsyth county one is the one that has the, the juice right now because it's like a $3 billion project that's been approved by the county. It's a mixed use community with a hockey arena and a whole bunch of other stuff going on. We don't know if either of these ownership groups really have the scratch to pay for an expansion team. The fee could be upwards of $1 billion this time based on what franchise values are looking at right now. And neither of them have presented a formal plan to the NHL. And that's the takeaway from my conversation with Bill Daly at the player media tour in Vegas is like, until the NHL has something concrete from these guys, and it doesn't have to be shovels in the ground, concrete, just concrete. Xyz here's how it's going to happen.

[Greg Krasinski]

They.

[Roy Bellamy]

They can't go to the board of Governors and open an expansion process. So you have two groups from Atlanta they're waiting for proposals on, one group in Houston they're waiting for a proposal on, and then other places that have tried to make noise about hockey, New Orleans being one of them, and we'll see how it shakes out. But I'd be shocked if there's not a team in Atlanta within the next three to four years.

[David Druk]

Is it surprising, though, that at this point of the process that there aren't, like, firm plans and like, these things aren't haven't already, like, all the I's dotted and t's crossed, like, well ahead so they can go to the league and say, hey, we've got all this straightened out. We just need your go ahead.

[Roy Bellamy]

So I've thought about that and I wonder if the. This is just my speculation. I wonder if the experience in Tempe, Arizona has made the NHL be a bit more.

[Greg Krasinski]

Yeah, yeah.

[Roy Bellamy]

Skittish and wanting to, like, don't even. You're not crossing T's and dot nies. You are using the Sharpie, the big fat Sharpie to dot the eyes and cross.

[David Druk]

Presidential Sharpie.

[Roy Bellamy]

Right? Yeah. Because of what happened in, in, in, in. In temp Coyotes and in that arena situation and that ownership situation. So I think they're doing their due diligence. And again, like, the money they're asking for is going to be enormous. And I think that's also part of it, too.

[Greg Krasinski]

Well, at least it's not like the New York Islander situation in the mid-90s where they just got a guy who just did not have the money. Remember that 30 for 30 that Kevin Collins?

[Roy Bellamy]

Yep. Oh, yeah, absolutely. There's been. I mean, listen, listen, the guy in Arizona was a throwback because there was a time in the NHL where you'd have these stories every, like, once every five years of guys looking to own teams, and all of a sudden it becomes just a giant mess.

[David Druk]

John.

[Roy Bellamy]

So it was, it was nostalgic to have that situation play out.

[David Druk]

Oh, my God.

[Billy]

Wish I want to go back to the Kirill Caprizov signing that we mentioned earlier or the non signing, I should say to me, this is the attempt. To me this is fascinating. He's one of the best players in the league in my opinion. And he just turned down an 8 by $16 million deal. I think it could end up up with him making a lot more money. It could also end up with him screwing himself based off what Connor McDavid takes if he takes a team friendly deal. And it could also end up with him not in Minnesota at all. So where do you see this playing out? Because I think it's going to be one of the most fascinating stories to follow for the next, you know, year if he ends up going to free agency next year.

[Roy Bellamy]

Well, your last point I think is the most important one, which is that maybe he just doesn't want to be in Minnesota, which is kind of my takeaway from, from the whole thing. I mean, if you go by the reporting on this, he turns down a contract that would have been the richest in NHL history. Richer than the contract Alex Ovechkin signed with the Capitals back I think in 2008. Okay, so he turns that down. Well, maybe he doesn't want to go eight years. That was one of the theories from Minnesota fans. Maybe it was the years and not the money that was the problem. Well, Michael Russo from the Athletic is like, actually, they've never talked about a shorter contract than eight years. Okay, so it's not the years and it's not the money. I mean, I ain't no math major, but putting two and two together. Maybe you don't want to be in Minnesota is the situation. If that's.

[Billy]

I told you, I'm not, I'm not saying you're wrong. I just, I'm very interested because you know, they're supporting that he loves it there and that he. They've been working on a deal, they're going to continue working on a deal. But I mean, well, it turns down to 8 by 16.

[Roy Bellamy]

I mean, that's maybe, maybe it still happens. Who knows? But I mean, the bottom line for me is that you turn down that level of money, you're not looking for anything shorter term. What do you want? You don't want more money or you've already gotten all the money. Right? You know, I've read reports of like. Well, his agent maybe knows that there's an even richer contract out there for Capri Soft. Maybe there is. I mean, he's a fabulous player. He's multiple 40 goal scorer over multiple seasons. He's also a guy that, that has some health issues, you know, in the regular season. But ultimately it could just be that he wants to move on and that's why he's not taking that money. And you know, again, to put on Johnny Journalism hat for a second. I've been trying to like, tell people, just think logically where this news comes from. Is, is it. Is it the agent or the player being like, if I'm here, I turned down more money than anyone's ever made in the NHL before.

[Greg Krasinski]

It wasn't either of them.

[Roy Bellamy]

Teammates, teammates. It's me, Krill. How do you feel about me turning down more money than you'll ever make in your lives? He was like captain alienated me.

[Billy]

He was at a captain skate when they. When that report came out. How do you think that went when he back?

[Roy Bellamy]

So I would. When you. Again, I'm not saying I know this for sure, but I am saying that like, we've seen it before where if a team feels disrespected in a contract negotiation, it's usually the team that's putting out that news to the world that, hey, we did our best. And sometimes that we did our best messaging comes out before we. We have to trade him because we did our best and it wasn't good enough.

[Greg Krasinski]

Oh, boy. Finally, what is the biggest story coming into the season?

[Roy Bellamy]

Oh, that's a really good question. I mean, part. I mean, from a player perspective, it's Marner in Vegas. And when that return happens to Toronto, just because he's now ratcheted up the rancor since leaving and playing this victim card, I didn't feel safe there. All this other stuff and the debates that about his legacy and what the Leafs are going to be without him. It could be on the level of the John Tavares return to Long island, which is still one of my favorite games I've ever covered in my life, where they were putting his jersey in the middle of the parking lot and running it over with cars, throwing rubber, throwing rubber snakes on the ice during the game because he left the Islanders. So from that perspective, it's probably that I think obviously the Crosby situation and the McDavid situation, which we didn't really talk about, are, Are both going to play out in interesting ways. Like, does McDavid enter the season without a contract for next year? Where does Crosby end up? And then, you know, from a team perspective, we. And this is obviously salient to the folks I'm talking to now, we may be in the Midst of a dynasty. And. And. And what is that going to manifest as? Have the Panthers made a mistake running it back with everybody on the roster and not trying to maybe turn it over a little bit more? Or is this going to be a third straight cup and a. A fourth trip to the cup final in four years for this team?

[David Druk]

Scary.

[Greg Krasinski]

That's it. Scary.

[David Druk]

I mean, not for me. For everyone else.

[Greg Krasinski]

Oh, okay.

[David Druk]

It's the. The cap stowing up like they've got everybody locked up and they're. And they're about to get $10 million off their cap when Bob is off the blitz after next season. So I feel like there's a lot of Runway for the Panthers.

[Billy]

Yeah. But also then you have to replace Sergei Bobrovsky.

[David Druk]

Yeah. And you can do that for less than 10 million, probably.

[Billy]

No, for sure.

[Roy Bellamy]

But I'll tell you, that kid they got from. From Columbus, I'm. I'm bullish on that kid. Yeah. Bill Zito once told me that he thought he was the most talented goalie that Columbus had in their system when Zito was an executive there. And, you know, Columbus, for what it's worth, does not have a department of goaltending excellence like the Panthers. I'm intrigued to see if anybody can maybe. Yeah. If they can unlock whatever has been locked up in this guy of talent wise, because he's. I think he's. He's really talented.

[Greg Krasinski]

Greg Rashinski from espn, he's writing about hockey, and we're getting back into it, folks. It's. What. What? Next week? Next weekend we're back. Preseason training camp. Thanks, Greg.

[Roy Bellamy]

Anytime.

[Greg Krasinski]

Thank you. To Greg. Versus. That was. That was excellent. That was. That was. That was real good.

[David Druk]

He knows his stuff.

[Greg Krasinski]

Yeah, he does.

[Billy]

You think he likes us better than Merrick?

[David Druk]

No.

[Greg Krasinski]

I mean, when we're not professionals, like, I mean, he tolerates us when the people get there, when the Professional Hockey Riders association, just like Jeff Merrick. But we. We just aren't professional like him.

[David Druk]

We're professional like us.

[Greg Krasinski]

Well, that's true. All right. I don't know who's in the video room. I know.

[Roy Bellamy]

It's.

[Greg Krasinski]

Oh, you know what? It's Gino.

[David Druk]

And Danny's back there.

[Greg Krasinski]

Yeah, Danny's back there. So we like to thank them for doing what they do. Ethan, thank you. I didn't say thank you, and I say thank you.

[Billy]

I'm thanking you, Roy.

[Greg Krasinski]

All right. I appreciate you.

[David Druk]

In the backseat of a car in West Virginia. Is she still logged on or.

[Greg Krasinski]

No, no, she left. Good luck, Rose. That Steven George My name is Roy Bellamy. We will see you next week. Training camp starts and we're almost there, man.

[Mike Ryan]

Hey, listeners, it's Mike.

[Billy]

Hey, Billy.

[Roy Bellamy]

Gil.

[Greg Krasinski]

Hey.

[David Druk]

Hey, Billy.

[Mike Ryan]

As a proud member of your inner circle, remember when we were hanging out last weekend?

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah. Fishtail palms.

[Mike Ryan]

Fishtail Palms. Great memories we made. Kids playing in the pool and in our hands, a nice ice cold can of Miller. It was so hot out.

[Roy Bellamy]

I know, but it was so cold in my hand.

[Mike Ryan]

We took that first sip. It was crazy crisp. It was refreshing. Oh, man, there is nothing like cracking open a Miller Light with your crew and your inner circle bones.

[Roy Bellamy]

Hell yeah, we fist bumped.

[Mike Ryan]

Whether it's we. We actually really did. Whether it's that touchdown make a sound.

[Greg Krasinski]

But I just thought bam, boom.

[Mike Ryan]

Whether it's that touchdown you didn't see coming, or just arguing about fantasy lineups. You and I did plenty of that. Miller Light has been the taste that you can depend on for 50 years. Brute for flavor with simple ingredients, rich toffee notes and that icon iconic golden color. And here's a kicker.

[Greg Krasinski]

Billy. What?

[Mike Ryan]

It's just 96 calories.

[Roy Bellamy]

What?

[Mike Ryan]

3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. The original light beer since 1975 and still hitting different five decades later. Miller Lite Grape Taste. 96 calories. Go to millerlight.com dan to find delivery options near you. Or you can pick up some Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. It's Miller time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces.

[Roy Bellamy]

And Doug Limu and I always tell.

[Greg Krasinski]

You to customize your car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual.

[Billy]

But now we want you to feel it.

[Roy Bellamy]

Cue the emu music.

[Greg Krasinski]

Limu.

[Roy Bellamy]

Save yourself money today.

[Greg Krasinski]

Increase your wealth.

[Roy Bellamy]

Customize and save.

[Greg Krasinski]

We save. That may have been too much feeling.

[David Druk]

Only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty Liberty.

[Roy Bellamy]

Liberty.

[David Druk]

Liberty Savings. Very unwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. Elliott excludes Massachusetts.