The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

The Hockey Show: “Shutdown City is BACK”

Date: November 7, 2025
Hosts: Roy Bellamy (main lead), David Amber, Ethan, Mike, Lucy Rodin (& cameo by Julian McKenzie)

Episode Overview

Broadcasting from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, the Hockey Show crew returns with a lively, comedic, and informative take on the latest hockey storylines, mixing sharp insights and irreverent banter. This week, Shutdown City is “Back,” as the panel dissects NHL hijinks, mascot madness, strange in-game distractions, goaltending surprises, and a powerful interview with Julian McKenzie about Black trailblazers in hockey.

Key Discussion Points & Segments

1. Hockey vs. Baseball: Blue Jays’ Wild Distraction

(00:35–06:00)

• Canadian Split Attention: During an Edmonton Blackhawks game, Game 7 of the World Series (Dodgers v. Blue Jays) was played on the Jumbotron, sound included, creating a uniquely Canadian sports atmosphere.
• Commentator Chaos: The hockey announcer got confused, almost announcing a Blue Jays victory during the hockey call. “He’s calling two games at once. Right. He’s calling the hockey game. And then also all the people that are watching the hockey game…” (Ethan, 02:57)
• Player Perspective: Even players like Connor McDavid were distracted; one unnamed hockey player called it, “Strange to have it on during the game. Listening to the crowd was distracting, for sure… but strange. Strange…” (03:53)
• Hosts’ Take: The panel jokes about whether Florida Panthers fans would ever get distracted from hockey, poking fun at Canadian priorities.

2. Ovechkin’s 900th Goal – And “The Great Puck Heist”

(06:19–09:50)

• Roy Celebrates Ovechkin: “Nobody’s ever done that before. Nobody probably will ever do that ever again.” (06:31)
• Goalie Antics: Blues goalie Jordan Binnington tried to keep Ovi’s milestone puck by hiding it in his pants, only to be caught by a linesman.
• Debate: Was Binnington being playful, selfish, or just “an idiot”? “Bullshit. We always wonder, if the linesman never went up to him, what would have happened? Oh, he would have kept that puck for himself.” (Roy & Mike, 09:35–09:39)
• Quote: “Just let the linesman get the puck out of the net […] How simple is that? That’s just selfish on Jordan Bennington’s part.” (Roy, 08:48)

3. Mascot Mayhem: The Legend of Gritty

(12:38–14:18)

• Gritty the Champion: The Flyers mascot impresses with his skills—throwing Nerf balls with sniper-like accuracy at the Wells Fargo Center.
• Discussion: What are the qualifications to be Gritty? Panel agrees: “Chaos” is necessary.
  • “Whoever’s in there is really good at a lot of shit. I would say chaos.” (Mike, Roy, Ethan, 13:48–13:50)
• Mascot Rankings: Comparisons with the Fanatic; musings on whether Philly has the best mascots in hockey.

4. PuckLuck – This Week’s Parlay

(14:31–16:34)

• Mike’s Call: His “four-leg parlay” bets:
  • Blackhawks moneyline vs. Calgary
  • Connor Bedard over 2.5 shots
  • Kyle Connor over 2.5 shots
  • Jets moneyline over Sharks
• Odds: “Plus 610 odds. Always subject to change…” (Mike, 15:50)

5. Goaltending Surprises – Early Standouts

(16:34–18:19)

• Breakout Goalies:
  • Logan Thompson: Called out for “playing out of his mind” (Mike, 16:56).
  • Lucas Dostal (Anaheim) & Spencer Knight (Florida): Analytical shoutouts for their stats and contributions.
• Anaheim’s Surge: “That Anaheim team is so much fun. And it’s not just that they’re scoring. They’re getting really good goaltending on the back end as well.” (Ethan, 17:27)

6. Rose in a Minute—Flames Rollercoaster Recap

(19:21–20:37)

• Stand-In Recap: Michael Ferrante gives a “Rose in a Minute” segment. Calgary’s wild week: “The gas in Calgary’s got an attitude. Turns on, turns off, and nobody knows when it’s gonna blow up.” (Michael Ferrante, 20:11)

7. Wins and Fails: Weekly Highlights & Flops

(21:14–30:19)

Wins:

• Joey Daccord (Kraken Goalie): Took TWO shots at the empty net in a single game. “Shooters shoot!” (Mike, 21:55)
• Dodgers’ Kike Hernández: Mimicked Panthers’ Cup parade speech at Dodgers’ parade: “I want to apologize to absolutely nobody. The trouble champ does what the f— he wants.” (22:46)
• Beer League Joy: Ethan’s “Rubber Puckies” beer league shoutout, complete with custom jersey (misspelled name!). (24:32)
• Hockey Fights Cancer: Special recognition for Bobrovsky’s mask and personal stories connecting to cancer awareness.

Fails:

• Islanders Fans Roasted: Nikita Zadorov tells hating Islanders fans, “Get out of my DMs and get to the rink.” (27:37)
• Penguins-Jets Goalie Gaffe: Arthur Silovs misplays the puck, throws his stick, gives up a penalty shot and a goal. “Keep your ass in the crease.” (Roy, 28:07)
• Canada’s Olympic Jerseys: “It looks like the gimp suit… garbage bag.” (Roy & Ethan, 29:25–29:31) Panel splits on “black on black” jersey’s merits.

8. Interview: Julian McKenzie – ‘Black Aces’ & Diversity in Hockey

(31:52–56:05)

a. Book Background

• ‘Black Aces: Essential Stories from Hockey’s Black Trailblazers’ coming Feb 2026.
• Inspiration: “I just thought it’d be really cool to write a series of profiles on important black hockey players…” (Julian, 36:01)
• Featured Interviews: Jarome Iginla, Grant Fuhr, Sarah Nurse, P.K. Subban, Anson Carter, more.

b. Eye-Opening Stories

• Herb Carnegie: “Arguably the best Black hockey player to never make it to the NHL…” Denied an opportunity by Conn Smythe insisting the Leafs would sign him “if they could turn him white.” (Julian, 38:08–40:49)

c. Evolution of Black Representation

• Recent Progress: Younger players (ex: PK Subban) had role models in the league to look up to, an improvement over previous generations.
• Women’s Hockey: Inclusion of leaders like Angela James, Sarah Nurse.

d. Hockey’s Barriers & How to Change Them

• Accessibility & Cost: “You look at other sports like basketball and soccer, you don’t need nearly as much to get into those sports…” (Julian, 45:34)
• Visibility Matters: On-air, behind-bench, and executive representation in hockey all play a role.
• Representation’s Impact: “If you see it, you can believe it, right? … that stuff matters.” (Julian, 54:57)

e. Is Hockey Truly For Everyone?

• Optimism & Work Ahead: “There are moments, small moments… but I think there’s still so much to go.” (Julian, 53:20)

f. Julian’s Path:

• Growing up in Montreal, hockey as “religion,” learning French through RDS broadcasts, family connections and NHL video games shaped his passion.

Memorable Moment:

• “That to me is a hockey moment that I will remember forever… one of the most vivid things I remember is Anson Carter celebrating and his dreads just, like, flowing. Like, stuff like that matters, I think, to a lot of people…” (Julian, 54:57)

9. Panthers, ‘Shutdown City,’ and Postgame Rundown

(60:50–67:14)

• Panthers Road Trip: Florida’s struggles on the road (2-5-1), excelling at home, and the upcoming schedule.
• Brad Marchand’s Surge: At 37, Marchand is leading the offense, impressing the panel as one half of the best “senior duo” alongside Bobrovsky.
• Rebuilding Identity: “Last night was prime shutdown City. …it feels like they haven’t gone to shutdown City at all this year. But last night was prime shutdown City.” (Ethan, 64:30)
• Penalty Kill Woes: Noted as a weak spot, needing significant improvement.
• Concerns with Defensive Production: Only one goal from a defenseman, possibly linked to Barkov’s absence.
• Crosby Fatigue (Recurring Theme): Ongoing banter/ribbing regarding Sidney Crosby’s media overexposure.

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• “He’s calling two games at once. …that is so difficult.” – Ethan (02:57)
• “Nobody’s ever done that before. Nobody probably will ever do that ever again.” – Roy Bellamy, on Ovechkin’s 900th (06:31)
• “If you’re not first, you’re last, Roy.” – Ethan, taunting about finals losses (06:11)
• “Home run ball that’s caught by a fan… bait and switch.” – Roy & Mike, on the puck heist story (07:55)
• “Whoever’s in [the Gritty suit] is really good at a lot of shit. Chaos.” – Mike & Roy (13:48–13:50)
• “The gas in Calgary’s got an attitude. Turns on, turns off, and nobody knows when it’s gonna blow up.” – Michael Ferrante (19:51)
• “Get out of my DMs and get to the rink.” – Zadorov’s takedown of Islanders fans (27:37)
• “It looks like the gimp suit from Pulp Fiction.” – Roy, roasting Canada’s Olympic jerseys (29:25)
• “It was in the shower… and the idea just happened.” – Julian McKenzie, on the inspiration for his book (36:01)
• “If the Leafs could turn Herb Carnegie white, they’d find a way to put him on the team tomorrow.” – Quoting a devastating anecdote from Black Aces (38:08)
• “If you see it, you can believe it, right?” – Julian on why representation matters (54:57)
• “Last night was prime shutdown City.” – Ethan (64:30)

Episode Structure / Key Timestamps

• 00:35–06:00 Hockey/baseball overlap; Canadian sports culture
• 06:19–09:50 Ovechkin’s milestone and Binnington’s puck escapades
• 12:38–14:18 Mascot legends (Gritty and more)
• 14:31–16:34 PuckLuck gambling segment
• 16:34–18:19 Early season goalie surprises
• 19:21–20:37 Rose in a Minute—Calgary Flames
• 21:14–30:19 Wins (Daccord, Kike, Cancer Month), Fails (Islanders, Canadian jerseys)
• 31:52–56:05 Julian McKenzie interview: Black Aces, diversity in hockey
• 60:50–67:14 Panthers, “shutdown City,” Marchand, state of the team
• 67:14–end Logistics, farewells, and outro

Tone & Style

The Hockey Show balances sharp analysis with familiar “insider” banter, often veering into comedic tangents and running jokes (like Canada’s obsessions, mascot antics, or Crosby overload).
The Julian McKenzie interview carries a more serious and thoughtful tone, engaging deeply with issues of race, accessibility, and representation in hockey culture.

For New Listeners

This episode encapsulates the Hockey Show’s signature blend: breaking news, stats, irreverent group chat energy, and real talk about the evolving face of hockey. If you want to catch up on current hockey storylines, pop-culture crossovers, and why Gritty might be the sport’s greatest performance artist—all while learning about the fight for diversity in the NHL—this is essential listening.