The Hockey Show: We Love The Olympics

Summary

The Hockey Show: We Love The Olympics

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
February 13, 2026

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Overview

Broadcasted from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, this episode of "The Hockey Show" dives headlong into the fervor and drama of the 2026 Winter Olympic hockey tournaments—men’s and women’s—celebrating the return of NHL talent, standout storylines, and the broader impact of the Games. With Roy Bellamy absent, David Zwerk, Ethan Bedowski, Rose, Gabe, and later ESPN’s Ryan S. Clark lead a lively, funny, and touching roundtable about hockey’s place on the world stage, the dominance of the U.S. and Canadian women, emerging young men’s stars like Macklin Celebrini, the occasionally smelly realities of fandom, and the evolving legacy of inclusivity and change in the sport.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

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1. Olympic Hockey Fever – NHL Players Return

00:30–03:00

• Ethan’s Olympic Enthusiasm:
  • Ethan confesses he's been glued to the Olympic coverage nonstop, overjoyed by the return of NHL players to Olympic competition.
  • “Just seeing NHL players back in the Olympics has been so amazing. I mean, I live for the Olympics personally.” – Ethan Bedowski [01:44]
• Big difference felt between the Summer and Winter Olympics, but both hosts agree that the hockey this year is particularly electric.

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2. U.S. Women’s Hockey: On the Verge of Dominance

03:00–06:30

• American Women’s Impressive Run:
  • The U.S. women have allowed only one goal through four games—drawn immediate comparisons to dominant sports dynasties.
  • Goalie Aaron Frankel has been stellar, while Abby Murphy is “so much fun to watch.” [03:20]
  • “I feel like this might be the U.S. women’s year to really put their skates down and say we are the dominant nation.” – David Zwerk [03:30]
• History & Rivalry with Canada:
  • U.S. Women have won Olympic gold twice (1998, 2018), Canada dominates the rest, with these two nations always clashing in finals.
  • Their most recent head-to-head (a 5-0 U.S. win) is seen as a true shift, though Canada was missing superstar Marie-Philip Poulin (MPP).
  • “Right now, the United States is the dominant hockey country in women’s hockey. But... you have to win the Olympic gold medal.” – Ethan Bedowski [05:44]

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3. Men’s Tournament: Smaller Ice, Bigger Hits, Young Stars

06:36–11:26

• Men’s Tournament Vibes:
  • The switch to smaller “NHL-sized” ice has made the tournament feel like the Stanley Cup playoffs: “A lot more physicality, a lot more checking.” – David Zwerk [06:36]
  • Opening games saw U.S. crush Latvia (5-1) and Canada dominate Czechia (5-0).
  • “The youth movement in the NHL is incredible… Celebrini is amazing.” – Ethan Bedowski [07:59]
• Macklin Celebrini Goes Global:
  • At just 19, Celebrini continues his trend of scoring in his first game at every level — from USHL to the Olympics. [08:51]
  • Panel worries media hype machine could overwhelm him, as with Sidney Crosby.
  • Rose’s Predictions: Canada for gold, Finland for silver, U.S. for bronze. Others think U.S. likely silver, Canada favored for gold, but with high hopes for the Americans.

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4. Dark Horses and European Medals

09:57–11:26

• Eyeing Surprises:
  • Ethan bets on Germany as a dark horse, betting Leon Draisaitl could will them to a medal, supported by fellow NHLers like Stützle, Moritz Seider, and Lucas Reichel.
  • Others keep an eye on Switzerland and Slovakia as teams that could disrupt the “big four.”

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5. The OHL’s ‘Stinky Fans’ Email Scandal

11:46–14:58

• Fan Hygiene Fiasco:
  • Oshawa Generals sent a message to fans urging better hygiene—causing an uproar and a sheepish apology referencing “watching/washing this one off.”
  • “Am I the stinky one? Was I the guy?” – Ethan [13:29]
  • Panel jokes about arena smells and the “trauma” of receiving such an email.

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6. Olympic Ice Time Controversies

15:07–17:50

• Stat of the Week:
  • Canada’s coach John Cooper minimizing ice time for Florida Panthers players; Sam Reinhart on 4th line despite being a league scoring leader.
  • “What are we doing here? Sam Reinhart leads the league in goals over the last three or four seasons.” – Ethan [16:16]
• Some fans are glad their NHL stars get rested, others want to see them shine on the Olympic stage.

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7. Puck Luck & Olympic Bets

17:54–19:05

• Picks for the week include:
  • Canadian women (-5.5) over Germany in quarters
  • U.S. men (-3.5) over Denmark
  • Slovaks (+2.5) vs. Sweden

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8. Rose’s Olympic Recaps in Spanish (Rose Inun Minuto/Rose in a Minute)

19:05–20:59

• Rose delivers a passionate, fast-paced summary of U.S. men’s 5-1 debut over Latvia, underlying the 46-year U.S. men’s gold drought.

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9. Wins & Fails of the Week

21:16–28:14

• Wins:
  • Ethan: U.S. women’s blowout over Canada—highlighting Hannah Bilka’s fiery play.
  • David: The historic moment of three Black women on the ice in one game (Lila Edwards, Sarah Nurse, Sophie Jacques).
    • “On the biggest stage that there is, showing everybody that hockey is in fact, for everybody.” – David [22:18]
  • Rose: A viral Spanish-language video.
  • Gabe: Italian goalie Damien Clara’s remarkable 46 saves in 46 minutes.
• Fails:
  • Ethan: Norwegian biathlete publicly apologizes to ex-girlfriend on TV after medaling.
    • “It’s humiliating. And shout out to her… Strong queen.” – Rose [26:40]
  • David: Canadian hockey players’ priceless, horrified faces during a speed skating crash caught on camera.
  • Rose: Her attempt at a viral trend involving breaking a glass falls flat—“I need a wand. So my wand didn’t work.” [27:31]
  • Gabe: Disallowed U.S. men’s hockey goal, questioning international crease rules.

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10. Interview: Ryan S. Clark, ESPN NHL Writer

32:25–48:29

• Layla Edwards’ Historic Impact:
  • Ryan describes reporting on the first Black woman to play for Team USA, and the significance for fans, players, and future generations.
  • “We had never seen a Black woman play for Team USA before her. Now we see [her] at the Olympics. We could see a Black woman be part of a gold medal-winning team…” – Ryan S. Clark [34:43]
• Women’s Tournament Analysis:
  • U.S. women’s young core (Edwards, Murphy, Bilka, Harvey, etc.) vs. Canada’s aging leaders; Possible generational shift.
  • “Team USA came into this tournament with 13 players that are younger than 25 on the roster.” – Ryan Clark [37:29]
  • Predicts U.S. women could begin a dominant era, with Canada approaching an inflection point.
• On Picking a U.S. Standout:
  • Chooses Abby Murphy for her relentless impact and “waves” of U.S. talent.
• Men’s Tournament & Macklin Celebrini:
  • Celebrini praised by teammates Crosby and McKinnon for elite two-way play, work ethic, and rare maturity. Potential to break records as a 19-year-old.
    • “Everybody has something great to say about Macklin Celebrini.” – Ryan S. Clark [43:07]
• Medal Contenders Outside The Big Four:
  • Switzerland identified as the sleeper given improved NHL core.
    • “Do not be shocked if [Switzerland is] in a medal game or... on the podium outright.” – Ryan S. Clark [48:14]

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11. Olympic Arena Construction – Not Quite Luxurious

48:30–50:28

• Milan’s rink/lodging situations are less than world-class: NHLers changing in trailers, taking golf carts to the arena.
  • “Can we do a little bit better for our players?” – David Zwerk [49:19]
  • Still, Team USA is praised for embracing the full Olympic athlete experience, mingling with others in the village.

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12. Closing & Looking Ahead

• The panel notes that by next week’s show, the women’s gold medal will have been decided, and Roy will return.
• Final “thank yous” to the cast, guest, and even Percy the dog.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Ethan on Olympic Hockey:
  “Just seeing NHL players back in the Olympics has been so amazing. I mean, I live for the Olympics personally.” [01:44]
• David on U.S. Women’s Dominance:
  “I feel like this might be the U.S. women’s year to really, like, put their skates down and say we are the dominant nation.” [03:30]
• Panel on Representation:
  “On the biggest stage that there is, showing everybody that hockey is in fact, for everybody.” – David [22:18]
• Ryan S. Clark on Layla Edwards:
  “We had never seen a black woman play for Team USA before her. Now we see a black woman playing for Team USA at the Olympics.” [34:43]
• Rose on Making Predictions:
  “But talking about that, that’s why I have Canada as the winner of gold medal. That’s my prediction.” [09:18]
• Ethan on Panthers’ Ice Time:
  “Sam Reinhart leads the league in goals… He’s the best power play scorer in the league the last few years as well.” [16:16]
• Gabe on Olympic Goalie Play:
  “There has been some incredible goaltending…” [23:58]
• Ethan on Biathlon Apology:
  “It’s humiliating. And shout out to her for being like, yeah, no, not taking you back. Salute to her. Strong queen.” [26:40]
• Ryan Clark on Switzerland as Dark Horse:
  “Do not be shocked if they are in a medal game or… on the podium outright.” [48:14]

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Important Timestamps

• U.S. Women’s dominance: [03:00–06:30]
• Macklin Celebrini/Olympic stars: [07:21–08:51], [43:07–45:46]
• Dark Horse debate: [09:57–11:26], [46:48–48:14]
• OHL fan hygiene story: [11:46–14:58]
• Stat of the Week—Canadian lines controversy: [15:07–17:50]
• Interview—Ryan S. Clark: [32:25–48:29]
• Wins/Fails of the Week: [21:16–28:14]
• Olympic infrastructure/locker room woes: [48:30–50:28]

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Overall Tone and Takeaways

This episode balances exuberant fan energy, sharp and funny commentary, and thoughtful analysis on hockey’s past, present, and future. The crew’s playful banter—especially around the OHL’s “smelly fans” controversy and various on-air flubs—softens the edges of more pointed critiques, especially on Olympic infrastructure and coaching decisions.

Most importantly, the central theme is pride and excitement over the inclusive, youthful, and dynamic energy radiating from Olympic hockey this year—most notably through the rise of young stars and the historical significance of representation on the game’s biggest stage.

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For Next Week

Look for a full recap of the women’s gold medal game, more Olympic hockey drama, and the return of Roy Bellamy!

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Transcript

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[David Zwerk]

The The NHL is on break and apparently so is Roy. This is the Hockey Show. Welcome to the latest episode of the Hottie Show. I'm David Zwerk of the Hottie News. My co host, Roy Bellamy is. He's not here. He's. I think he's in the air right now with his family flying to California. So thanks, Roy, for leaving us in lurch, but we'll be okay because I got Ethan here next.

[Ethan Bedowski]

You got me, you got Rose, you got Gabe, and Percy's back there. What more do you need? Yeah, who needs Roy?

[David Zwerk]

Yeah, we do need you, Roy.

[Rose]

But don't get angry.

[David Zwerk]

Yes. So you can follow the Hockey show across all of our social media channels and check out the Hockey Show YouTube page at Hockey Show DLS, on TikTok at the Hockey Show 7 and on X Instagram and threads @Hockey Show DLS. The Olympics, Ethan, are here. I know you're excited. You have not shut up about the Olympics for weeks now. You told me before we came on the air that it's all you've had on any TV in any place, whether it's here at the stage, the studio, whether it's at home. Nonstop Olympics. So just off the bat, your thoughts in the first few days of the hockey tournament.

[Ethan Bedowski]

I mean, the hockey has been great. And just seeing NHL players back in the. In the Olympics has been so amazing. I mean, I live for the Olympics personally. It's always been my favorite event, whether it's summer, whether it's winter. Definitely like the summer better than the winter, really. But yeah, but I love the Winter Games. Don't get me wrong.

[David Zwerk]

I agree with you.

[Ethan Bedowski]

I'm not going to say that I don't love the Winter Games. I absolutely love the Winter Olympics. And like I said, I have been watching nothing but the Winter Olympics for the last week now. Just the Summer Games have a lot of the Legacy sports. You got swimming, you got track, you got basketball, whatever. Gymnastics, of course. And there's a lot more variety and a lot more action going on at all times. But I have loved these Winter Games so far. And like I said, like, seeing the NHL back, NHL players back in the games. Canada's game yesterday was amazing to watch. Like, seeing that collection of talent was incredible. The US Played really well yesterday. We'll get into that. But I've been really excited about the women. The US Women have been incredible. They are the team of the tournament so far. We'll talk about their win over Canada a little later, which has been the moment for me of the Olympics. But, I mean, you had, you know, Evan Bates and Madison Chalk going at it. You had Chloe Kim on last night. You've had some amazing stories throughout these games, and it's just been absolute joy to watch. I can't get enough of it.

[David Zwerk]

No. And actually, that's. This is a good time to get into it. I wanted to talk about the US Women. Let's talk about them first. As you said, they've been the talk of the tournament. They've looked so good. They've given up one goal through four games, and that was the Chechnya and the opener. Uh, Abby Frankel, two, five nothing shutouts.

[Ethan Bedowski]

She's incredible.

[David Zwerk]

Stopped 44, 45 shots.

[Ethan Bedowski]

So far, she's been Aaron Frankel. Abby Murphy is.

[David Zwerk]

Oh, God.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Aaron Frankel.

[David Zwerk]

And Abby Murphy is, like, my favorite player. She's so much fun to watch.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Yeah.

[David Zwerk]

Yeah. How can I mess up the goalies name? I got.

[Ethan Bedowski]

I know. You got to be better. That's the goalie fraternity for sure.

[David Zwerk]

Yeah, that's a fail by me. But big picture, the US Women, they play their first quarterfinal game later today. They're playing against the host nation, Italy. So probably going to be a big US Win. I think the spread was like, five and a half or six and a half or something like that. I don't know, man. I feel like this might be the U.S. women's year to really, like, put their skates down and say we are the dominant nation. I know that Canada is dealing with some injuries, but I don't know, man. I just love how consistent and how dominant the US Women have looked. It's almost kind of like the Panthers when they're rolling.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Yeah. Well, go ahead, Rosie.

[Rose]

Take me out of the ignorance. Have they ever won a. Yeah.

[Ethan Bedowski]

So the US has won twice. They won in 2018. Yes. And they won the first tournament in 98 in Nagano.

[Rose]

It's the men's. That is 46 years.

[David Zwerk]

The men have won the one.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Correct. The men have not won since the Miracle on ice in 1980.

[David Zwerk]

Before that, 1960.

[Ethan Bedowski]

So it's.

[David Zwerk]

It's been. It's been a while.

[Gabe]

And.

[Ethan Bedowski]

And the US And Canada dominate the women's game. They are the only two countries that have ever won a gold medal. And the only time that the final was not the US And Canada was when Sweden upset the United States in Torino in 2000. So pretty much every year, it's the US and Canada. And you've seen so far this tournament, David, that these two teams, these two countries are on a different level when it comes to the women's game. They're playing a different sport than some of these other countries. Even a team like Finland, who is, I believe, the third favorite in this tournament, the United States blew them out, and then they blew out Czechia, who was in their group, and the Swiss team that was in their group as well. And so it came down to this game against Canada, which was the last game of the prelims for both of these teams. Well, Canada had an extra game after because they had a game delayed, but it was the last game in the prelims for the United States. And you're saying, all right, like, here's a true test to see how do they measure up against Canada. And granted, Marie Philippe, pull on who is. I mean, I guess you could call her, like the Crosby of. She's their best women's of women's hockey. Like, she has been the greatest player for a very long time now. Missed that game. Probably precautionary reasons to get her ready for the medal rounds.

[David Zwerk]

She was practicing today, I saw earlier, so hopefully that, you know, because, look, if you're the US you want to be Canada, but you want to be.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Canada with MPP 100. So MPP was not on the ice for this game, but it did. It did. It didn't matter. Like, the United States blew them out in every single way. And it was just a dominant performance from this team. And it was a statement. Remember, the United States won the last world championships in the women's game. So right now, the United States is the dominant hockey country in women's hockey. But you have to make that statement if you really want that title. You have to win the Olympic gold medal. And so in order to finish this off and in order to stake their claim as right now the dominant team in women's hockey, they've got to win this gold. And it all comes down to that final. Thank you, Rose. It all comes down to that gold medal match that these two teams seem to be on a collision course for.

[David Zwerk]

Assumedly, the US And Canada will be there. As I said before, the US Play Italy later today, Friday afternoon in the quarterfinals.

[Ethan Bedowski]

No women.

[David Zwerk]

Women's now. Rose, thank you. We'll get to the men because as fun as the women's tournament has been, the men's tournament, also a lot of action. I think the smaller ice has given us more of a big Stanley cup playoff type feel. It's not wide open. There's a lot more physicality, a lot more checking. The US look good in their 5 to 1 win over Latvia in the opener. Canada also looked very good in their five nothing win over Chechnya.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Czechia, don't forget, was the world champion two years ago. So this is a very good Czechia team. Like this is not a pushover Czechia team. You've got David Posternak. Bunch of NHL. Canada dominated in every way.

[David Zwerk]

Yeah. And. And we'll get into this more with our guest Ryan Clark from ESPN will be Ryan S. Clark from espn, the Hockey Writer.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Obviously it would be fun to talk puck with Ryan Clark, but I'm very exc. Ryan S. As well.

[David Zwerk]

But we'll get into this with him as well. But I wanted to bring it up with you. How impressive. Unbelievable. Ridiculous. Is Macklin Celebrini. He's 19 years old.

[Rose]

My God.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Yeah, he's amazing. He really is an incredible player, Dave. And I'm worried. I think I've said this on the show before. I'm worried that the NHL media is going to do to Macklin Celebrini what they've done with Sidney Crosby, which is just make him insufferable because he is the golden child of Canadian hockey.

[David Zwerk]

But listen, when they did it with Crosby, there wasn't really anybody else that they were taking that mantle from. So maybe they got Crosby, you got.

[Ethan Bedowski]

McNeil moving it over to.

[David Zwerk]

Maybe he's got some buffer room before they, you know, take a fool out of him.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Whatever the case may be, the kid's incredible. And I mean, he scores the opening goal of the tournament for Team Canada. There was no doubt he deserved to be on Team Canada. The only argument I would make is that Connor Bedard deserved to be on Team Canada as well, and likely would have been, I believe, had he not gotten hurt and missed a bunch of time. I think we all kind of forgot how good Connor Bedard was playing at the beginning of the season before he got Hurt. Hopefully he comes back. Yeah. The youth movement in the NHL is incredible, but celebrating is amazing. And just seeing that power play. There was one power play goal. That was Crosby to McDavid to McKinnon. And it's just like.

[David Zwerk]

And Reinhardt's just watching.

[Ethan Bedowski]

And Reinhardt. Reinhardt and Makara are out there, too. Like, do not forget about those two guys. That team is an unbelievable collection of talent, Dave. And as much as I'm excited about the United States and they played great in their opener, it was a really, really good start to the tournament for them. You have to look at what Canada did and be very fearful.

[David Zwerk]

So here's a fun fact about Macklin Celebrini that I read last night and then I want to toss it to Rose for her thoughts. He is now scored in his first game at five different levels of hockey. He scored his first goal in his first game at the ushl, ncaa, college hockey, the World Juniors, the NHL and now the Olympics. His first game and he's still just 19 years old. Rose, you've been watching a lot of hockey over the last few years. What are your thoughts on a teenager having that much dominance on so many levels?

[Rose]

I'm telling you, I did not know hockey. And then when I saw those guys play him and Connor Bedard, I'm like, I know their names now because they're everywhere and he's amazing. But talking about that, that's why I have Canada as the winner of gold medal. That's my prediction. And I want to know you guys, prediction. Who do you think is going to have gold? Who do you think is silver and who is bronze? Because for me, it's Canada. Finland. Usa.

[David Zwerk]

I hate to say it, and I've been thinking this, you know, since I like, I want it to be the U.S. obviously, I think the U.S. is probably going to end up silver again. I feel like Canada's in a window. I don't want it to happen. But, yeah, they're just so good.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Yeah, yeah, I agree. Can I give you a dark horse for a medal? Since I think we're all going to kind of agree it's going to be the US And Canada and then like maybe Sweden or Finland. You said one of the big four, dark horse for a medal. I like the Swiss team.

[David Zwerk]

Really?

[Ethan Bedowski]

I like the Slovaks. You know, I like a lot of these teams. Honestly, like, a lot of these teams have really solid cores. The Swiss team has a nice little core of NHL players. The Slovaks played great. They dominated Finland in their opening match of the tournament. But watch out for Germany as well because I have this feeling that Leon Draisaitl can just like put that team on his back. He is German. Yes. And I have a feeling he can put and will put that team on his back and will them in the middle.

[David Zwerk]

You know they got Tim Stutzla's on that. Philadelphia, they have a great Ciders on that team.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Tim Stutzler, Draisaitl and I believe Ricardo Kel is the other guy in their first line. And then you have Maurice Cider on the back end as well. And Grubauer and NHL goalie and net. Like I think that team Draisaitl, he wants to play for Germany. He wants to make a statement. Or I think it's Ricardo.

[David Zwerk]

No, it's.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Well, Lucas.

[Mike Ryan]

Lucas.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Lucas. Rachel.

[Rose]

He looks. That's why I think he's not very graciable because he's.

[David Zwerk]

Yeah, Lucas. Right.

[Rose]

That explains it at all.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Lucas Reigel is also on this team. Sorry. They also have JJ Paterka on this team as well. And Nico Sturm is down on it. Like they have some NHL players.

[David Zwerk]

There's assistant coach Jamie Compens behind the bench.

[Ethan Bedowski]

I'm telling you man, I would watch out for Draisaitl. Just really.

[David Zwerk]

So Team Germany is your dark horse team?

[Ethan Bedowski]

Yeah. Just because I think Draisaitl could just go nuclear and like beat a couple teams by himself. And all you have to do to get into the medal rounds is win one is win the quarterfinal and then you've got a shot at a medal.

[DraftKings Announcer]

So get in.

[David Zwerk]

It'll be fun to keep track. We will certainly be watching as it gets into it next week we'll get into the medal round. So yay. Fun stuff.

[Ryan S. Clark]

Woo hoo.

[David Zwerk]

Next topic. Kind of a stinky.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Oh this is funny.

[David Zwerk]

This is hilarious.

[Ethan Bedowski]

This is really funny.

[David Zwerk]

So there's a team in the ohl, the Ontario Hockey League that's a very.

[Rose]

What's ohl?

[David Zwerk]

The Ontario Hockey League. Oh, it's. It's one of the junior leagues in Canada. It's one of the biggest junior leagues in Canada and the Oshawa Generals are one of the oldest, greatest teams in that league with a very loyal fan following. So earlier this week. It's okay, Rose. Earlier this week they sent an email to their season ticket holders with an interesting request. In the email the team asked for fans to take better care of themselves hygienically before coming to the rink because apparently there have been a lot of complaints about the smell of their fellow fans. The email asked Fans to, quote, be mindful of personal cleanliness while sharing our space with fellow fans. End quote. Now, I'll let that marinate for a second.

[Rose]

We marinated.

[Ethan Bedowski]

I see what you did there.

[David Zwerk]

But. So that lasted about a day after. Obviously, fans put up a stink about the email.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Did you write these all out?

[David Zwerk]

No. This is actually off the dome. The team put out a statement on social media, basically apologizing and saying, we bleeped up.

[Ethan Bedowski]

I like the last line here.

[David Zwerk]

Yeah, we're sorry. We hope we can watch it. Well, because you've got to have fun with it, too. But they said, quote, it's not our place to overstep like we did. We are sorry and hopeful that we can wash this one off. I don't think I've ever seen anything where they've asked fans to shower deodorant. I mean, maybe more subtle, like, giveaway deodorant as, like, a giveaway.

[Ethan Bedowski]

That's a good idea.

[David Zwerk]

You know, like, get Johnson and Johnson or Old Spice. Like, you know. Yeah, but this is pretty ridiculous, guys.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Yeah, I would. I would really hate to receive that email because then it puts in your head, like, am I the stinky one? Like, was I the guy? I would know I'm not the stinky.

[Rose]

One because I know I have.

[Ethan Bedowski]

I don't smell.

[Rose]

I. I even smell good fume when I go to sleep.

[Ethan Bedowski]

So when I. When I go to a hockey game, I always put cologne on, so I always smell good.

[Rose]

I sleep with perfume. Gabe.

[Gabe (continued)]

I was going to say, is it an apology if you add the joke at the end to wash it off?

[David Zwerk]

I mean, I think that's a good point. So you're saying it's disingenuous because of the joke?

[Gabe (continued)]

A little bit. You know, they kind of put the joke in there.

[Ethan Bedowski]

I think they kind of were just like, we know this is ridiculous, and the fact that we have to put out a statement about this is ridiculous. So we're going to kind of lean into it, I think.

[David Zwerk]

So.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Like, Gabe makes a good point.

[David Zwerk]

I think that they were kind of saying, yeah, we messed up, but you should still maybe clean up a little. Like, it's still. It's still an issue.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Let's be clear. Put the camera on me for a second. Take a shower. If you're going to a hockey game, take a shower.

[David Zwerk]

Just some Axe body spray or. I mean, it's not that hard to. Like, not every pothead out there knows it's not that hard to disguise the smell. So I don't know what they're doing in Oshawa, loyal hockey fans notwithstanding. But I don't know, like, what. What's going on?

[Ethan Bedowski]

Maybe the arena just stinks.

[David Zwerk]

Maybe it's just the arena.

[Ethan Bedowski]

It's probably. It's the ohl. It's got to be an old arena. Let's just chalk it up to that and kind of take the blame off.

[David Zwerk]

Of the Tribute Community center opened in 2006.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Okay, not that then it's not that.

[David Zwerk]

Then.

[Ryan S. Clark]

It's not that.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Maybe there's just some stinky people up in Oshawa.

[David Zwerk]

Yes. Thanks for. Maybe it was like a collaboration.

[Rose]

I think so. Yeah.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Should we go to the stat of the week?

[David Zwerk]

You know what? Let's go to the stat of week, Rosie.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Stat of the week, the hockey set of the week.

[Rose]

Hi, Ethan.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Hey, guys. Oh, Rosie beat me to it. Hey, guys. I'm in the big chair today. Well, not quite the big chair. The second big chair.

[Ryan S. Clark]

All right.

[David Zwerk]

Don't diminish being in this side of the glass.

[Ethan Bedowski]

No, I'm very happy for you, Dave. You deserve it. You earned it. I'm very happy to be over here as well.

[David Zwerk]

I'm over here shitting my pants. You're like, it's out of flash.

[Ethan Bedowski]

You're killing it. You're killing it, brother. All right, before we keep yanking each other's chain, let's get to the stat of the week. The stat of the week. This week, guys, we talked about Canada's win and their dominance, but I'm not very happy with John Cooper and I'm going to tell you why. This is our stat of the week. Of all the skaters that played and finished yesterday's game, I make that moniker because Josh Morrissey left yesterday's game with an injury for Canada. Three of the four players with the least ice time were Florida Panthers. Sam Rinehart played only 10.01. Bo Horvat, the only non Panther on this list, played 954, scored a goal. Brad Marchand, 929, had an assist. And Sam Bennett, who was listed as the 13th forward for Team Canada despite scoring in the Four nations final, had to be an injury replacement to even get to Milan in the first place and played only 719. I get it. A lot of Panthers fans will say I'm happy our guys are resting. They're getting some time off. They're not playing as much. They're not as at risk of a big injury. Reinhardt's on Power Play 1. On that loaded Power Play 1. I understand what people are saying, but Sam Reinhart on the fourth line. Like, what are we doing here? Sam Reinhart leads the league in goals over the last three or four seasons. I think it is. He's the best power play scorer in the league the last few years as well. So of course he should be on PP1. Brad Marchand on the fourth line. I get it. You want him to be down there doing the dirty work, banging around a little bit. He had a point. But Sam Reinhardt on the fourth line and Sam Bennett as the 13th forward when he was placed into the game against the United States in the second game of the four nations and kind of brought a spark to Team Canada that they needed. Of course, he fought Brady Tkachuk. He scores in the final. Like John Cooper. I'm looking at you, bud. I get it. Brandon Hagel's out there playing. Hold on, let me look at the.

[David Zwerk]

Type of the 17.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Nice time. 1433 for Brandon Hagel. Nick Suzuki playing 1333. Tom Wilson playing 1606. Like Tom Wilson is a first liner over Sam Reinhardt. What are we doing here?

[David Zwerk]

Panthers fans got to be kind of happy, though. I know that you want to see your team, your guys playing over there, but I mean, big picture, Panthers got a lot of work to do when they get back after the Olympics if they want to try to make the playoffs. So John Cooper wants to keep the Panthers fresher. Hey, you know, not going to complain.

[Ethan Bedowski]

I get it, but I'm the guy that they're there and our season's basically kind of over. I want to see them showing out and I want to see them getting love and the respect that they deserve as some of the greatest players in the NHL.

[David Zwerk]

Valid, valid point. Valid point. Moving on, it's time for puck luck.

[Rose]

Are you going to make us money?

[David Zwerk]

God, you know, I was kind of thinking with Roy not here, I wouldn't have to take this. It's time for PuckLuck. Sponsored by DraftKings. DraftKings. The Crown is yours. Another Olympic themed Puckluck this week. First, we're going to take the Canadian women in their quarterfinal Game over Germany. Yes, it's a huge line, minus five and a half, but a motivated Canada squad can and will cover it. I think MPP might play, which is just going to be that much bigger for Canada. They've got four nothing, five one five nothing wins over Switzerland, Czechia and Finland. Germany is not at the level of any of those teams and I expect the Canadian women to roll their way into the semis. So Canada minus five and a half we're going to take the US Men puck line minus three and a half over Denmark. They're going to build on their opening win. The US Men look great. I have no issue taking this in the US Covering the spread. And then give me the Slovaks. Ethan's not quite dark horse, but almost at plus 2 and A against Sweden. The Swedes are probably going to win this game, but it should be a tight game. I think the Slovaks are going to keep it close. The Slovaks are actually trying to win group B, so they've got a lot to play for. Parlay odds on this three legger are plus 554. So let's make ourselves some money now. I'm very excited for this week's Rose in a minute because Rose is talking Olympics. So Rose, take it away with Rosa Inun minuto.

[Rose]

Ok, let's go, kids. So, hola Yico. Tsuminuto de hojikon. Rose in no.

[David Zwerk]

Excellent job, Rose. That was awesome.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Fantastic, Rose.

[David Zwerk]

All right, now it's time for Rose in a minute.

[Mike Ryan]

Let's go.

[David Zwerk]

Take it away.

[Ryan S. Clark]

Learning.

[Rose]

Learn Spanish. Okay.

[David Zwerk]

No, let's do this.

[Rose]

Hey, kids. This is one minute of hockey with Rose and we are heading to Milan for the Olympics games where the United States made its debut like a issuing an unofficial statement. A 51 win over Latvia. Yes, 5 1. But it started weird. They had two goals overturning in the first period. And for a moment it felt like Olympic drama. But then they say, okay, this is enough. Broke Nelson scored twice. Matthew Brady to shock. And Tank Thompson also showed up. And the power play did his job. Final shots. 38, 18. That's not a close game. That's total control. And let's not forget that important detail. The United States men hockey. Let me put this again. Haven't won a gold in 46 years. The team didn't come to participate. They came to win. Because this Team USA is in ranting for history. They're writing it. This is one minute of hockey with Rose. Your weekly recap of puck passion and a little bit of chaos.

[David Zwerk]

All right.

[Ethan Bedowski]

That was tired.

[Rose]

That was difficult.

[Ethan Bedowski]

I danced a lot.

[David Zwerk]

That was fun.

[Ethan Bedowski]

All right.

[David Zwerk]

Thank you, Rose, for that special. Glasses away.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Percy, come here.

[David Zwerk]

Percy's in the house. You didn't introduce Percy, did you? No.

[Ethan Bedowski]

She's laying down. She needs a nap. Dylan was chasing her around all morning.

[David Zwerk]

All right, a couple things to get to here. Let's go to our wins and fails. Is that cool with everybody? I like seeing wins and fails.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Absolutely.

[Rose]

You're gonna Love my win.

[David Zwerk]

Okay, well, let's start. I'm not gonna start with me. Roy usually starts with me, but I'm not gonna start with myself. So, Ethan, what's your win of the week?

[Ethan Bedowski]

My win of the week? Let's go back to that U.S. win over Canada. That was the win of the week in the entire world, in my opinion. A 5 nothing win over Canada. The first time the Canadians have ever been shut out in Olympic competition. But this moment in particular was the best. After scoring the fourth goal, I believe it was Hannah Bilka, who is an absolute superstar, has been one of the breakout stars of this Olympic Winter Games. Put that image back up for a second. I'm not sure exactly who the player is here for Canada, but she laid out Bilka as Bilka scored. And Bilka retaliated by talking some smack right to her as she after scoring the goal. That got me fired up. And it also got me a Tweet with like 25, 25,000 likes. So that was really cool. So, yeah, that was my one week shout out to Hannah Bilka. She's been amazing. Her and Abby Murphy, the stars of the game so far.

[David Zwerk]

Shout out to Ethan's X account at Ethan Bedowski. Go follow him and like his tweets. My win of the week is from that same game. Something very significant happened on the ice. It was the first time ever that three black women competed in an Olympic hockey game. It was really cool. It was us, it was Lila Edwards, and it was Sarah Nurse and Sophie Jock for Canada. I just think it's really amazing. I think it's cool how the game is evolving. I think it's opening up doors and windows for everybody to come join. And on the biggest stage that there is, showing everybody that hockey is in fact, for everybody. So just an awesome, awesome win. Rose, you're very excited. What's your win?

[Ethan Bedowski]

Roy would be so proud.

[Rose]

I'm not even gonna explain my win of the week. I just want you guys to to see it.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Oh, boy, He's back. Montoya's back. Sequeira. That means stay.

[Rose]

That is so popular. People, you are missing out if you don't speak Spanish. So that is my win of the week. Domenica Montero. Exactly.

[Ethan Bedowski]

That was fantastic.

[Rose]

That was my win of the week.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Just like the Bad Bunny halftime show. You don't have to enjoy it.

[Rose]

And you enjoyed it.

[Ethan Bedowski]

I had a great time.

[David Zwerk]

Gabe, what's your win of the week? Welcome to the show.

[Gabe (continued)]

Thank you. My win of the week is Italian goaltender Damien clara, who saved 46 saves in 46 minutes. So he averaged a save in a minute? Yeah, he was standing on his head.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Incredible.

[Gabe (continued)]

It's unfortunate he went down with an injury. I guess he overextended himself.

[David Zwerk]

Poor bastard. Tried to stay in the game, too.

[Gabe (continued)]

But that is my win.

[Ethan Bedowski]

There has been some incredible goaltending and performance.

[David Zwerk]

Usually what happens at the Olympics.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Shout out to the Swiss goaltender on the women's side. She's had two incredible games against Canada and the United States to even keep those close. She's been fantastic. The Slovak goalie was great and he stopped 38 to 39. And as well, the Italian goalie.

[David Zwerk]

Amazing fails. We've talked positive, now let's talk about the negative. Ethan, what's your fail of the week?

[Ethan Bedowski]

All right. My fail of the week is the fail of the Olympics so far. Did you see the Norwegian biathlete? I don't have the video of it because it's in Norwegian, but there was a Norwegian biathlete who. Biathlon or whatever you want to call.

[David Zwerk]

I think you had it right.

[Ethan Bedowski]

I think biathlete is right. Right. So that's the one where you cross country ski and then you get down and you shoot. One of my favorite Winter Olympic sports. Anyway, after winning, I believe, a bronze medal.

[David Zwerk]

Yes.

[Ethan Bedowski]

He went on Norwegian television and apologized to his ex girlfriend who he cheated on and basically begged for her forgiveness. And I just think, you know what.

[David Zwerk]

There'S some nuance to that though, because in. I watched what he said in like. Yeah, he said that he. She's the love of his life for six months and then three months ago he cheated on her. Like, I'm sorry, can you have the. Is there a trolley car coming? What's happening?

[Ethan Bedowski]

I don't want to make any distinctions here on. I don't want to make any comments on their relationship. Everybody falls in love at different paces. Everybody falls in love with different people at different places.

[David Zwerk]

This whole thing just sound weird to.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Me, you know, it's just, buddy, you screwed up, buddy, let it go. Go with that and don't do it next time.

[David Zwerk]

Yeah, no, that's it.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Don't do it next time.

[Rose]

No. Worldwide. What the heck? It's just humiliating.

[Ethan Bedowski]

It's humiliating. And shout out to her for being like, yeah, no, not taking you back. Salute to her. Strong queen.

[David Zwerk]

All right, my fail of the week. Before the men's hockey tournament got started, many of the players got the opportunity to take in some of the Olympic action happening around Milan. That included a speed skating short track event in which Team Canada had Front row seats. Really good. Awesome for them. They were front and center for a crash between US skater Corinne Stoddard and Korean star skater Kim Gill. Kim Gilly. Excuse me. The photos of the Canadian players reacting to the crash are spectacularly awful. Sam Reinhart looks absolutely horrified. Cale McCarr is having just the time of his life. Sam Bennett looks really intrigued. Sidney Crosby is making a massive cringe face. There's just so much to like about this moment. I'm so glad that there was a photographer to capture that. But, yeah, not so much fun.

[Ethan Bedowski]

I love that. Sam Bennett was intrigued by chaos.

[David Zwerk]

Yes.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Perfectly on brand for him.

[David Zwerk]

Rose, your fail.

[Rose]

Okay, for this one, I'm gonna do a little bit of explanation. I tried this trend and it failed a little bit. But for me it was a win because the reaction I had, it was great. But I should have had a real one. So just show it to them.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Why did you break a glass? I like that people call you Rosario. That's fun.

[Rose]

So the thing is, I told her, hey, look what I learned. Which. So I dropped the thing. I was like. But they didn't understand. They were just, like, focusing in the glasses.

[David Zwerk]

You don't have magic powers.

[Rose]

Yeah, that wasn't fair.

[Ethan Bedowski]

I hate to break this to you. You're not a wizard, Rosie.

[Rose]

I'm a wizard, Rosie.

[Ethan Bedowski]

You're not a wizard, Rosie.

[Rose]

I was gonna fail because they didn't get it and I was like, I need a wand. So my wand didn't work.

[David Zwerk]

Nicely tried.

[Rose]

Yeah, it was a pen pencil.

[David Zwerk]

Gabe, I don't know how you're gonna top that, but it's your fail of the week.

[Gabe (continued)]

I really can. Was that Jurassic park in the background?

[David Zwerk]

I heard yes.

[Gabe (continued)]

My fail of the week is not really much of a fail. What I could find was that no goal because of the J.T. miller's goalie interference.

[David Zwerk]

Credit to the Latvian video coach, though, Certainly earned his.

[Ethan Bedowski]

He went two for two.

[David Zwerk]

Yeah, not bad.

[Ethan Bedowski]

He went through too.

[Gabe (continued)]

I don't know if the crease rule is different in international.

[David Zwerk]

They're much richer.

[Ethan Bedowski]

They're going with a no. A, a no tolerance policy on contact.

[David Zwerk]

Kind of like the late 90s. In the end, that's what I was.

[Gabe (continued)]

Going to bring it up.

[David Zwerk]

Yeah, that's good. Thank you for that, Gabe. Thank you for everybody watching. For those of you who are watching on the DraftKings network, check out our YouTube channel because we have coming up today, NHL senior writer for ESPN, Ryan S. Clark, joining us to talk about the league, the Olympic Games. A lot of Fun stuff with Ryan, Ethan, Panthers, then.

[Rose]

We suck. But we talked a lot about Panthers. So Panthers are off.

[Ethan Bedowski]

It's nice to have a break from the Panthers, too.

[Rose]

We have a break. Beautiful.

[David Zwerk]

Yeah. The Panthers are having fun at the Olympics, though, and we're having fun keeping it together.

[Ethan Bedowski]

They're having a great time. And Lousty. And Lundy, I should mention this really quickly. Have eight seconds. Lusty, Lundy and Meeksy combined for a goal today. That was beautiful to see.

[David Zwerk]

Ryan S. Clark from espn coming up.

[Mike Ryan]

Howdy, folks. Mike Ryan here.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Quick break to talk to you about.

[Mike Ryan]

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[Ethan Bedowski]

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[Mike Ryan]

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[Gabe]

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[David Zwerk]

Ryan S. Clark is the national NHL writer for espn. He has been doing a great job talking about the Olympics and everything that's been happening over there. Ryan joins us today. Ryan, first off, thank you so much for coming on and talking a little hockey with us today.

[Ryan S. Clark]

Hey, no problem at all. Thank you so much for having me and for that nice intro. I might have to put you guys on payroll, but we'll see how it goes.

[David Zwerk]

Oh, man, if you're talking pay, well, I can do way better than that. We'll talk when we're done. The first Thing I wanted to ask you about was last week. It may have been earlier this week. I have no time reference anymore. But you wrote about Lila Edwards and just what it means for her to be on this team. Earlier this week, we saw when USA and Canada played that it was the first time ever that three black women were on the ice at the same time in the Olympics. But Lila has just been so great on the ice, off the ice. What was your experience just talking to her and how cool has it been after having that interview, seeing how much success she's having so far over in Milan?

[Ryan S. Clark]

Well, the thing about that story with Layla Edwards is it's something that we've talked about. When you do for a while now, it's just a matter of what was sort of the right moment. And the Olympics, there's really no bigger moment at all. And so getting the opportunity to go to Cleveland, where I was able to spend a Saturday afternoon with Layla and her family, was just a lot of fun because you're not only learning about who they are as people, but, like, why this game? Why the success in this game? How has it mattered? And you learn all these different things. But then the cool part of reporting is it's all the phone calls you make afterwards, even until like, maybe 12 hours before we publish. Like, I was talking to someone who they were on their way to Milan to go watch Layla Edwards play Team USA as a whole, but especially Layla. And they made the time to talk because that's how many people really care about what she's doing. And when you talk about the impact of, like, what it means, like, it is immense. Just because, like, we had never seen a black woman play for Team USA before her. Now we see a black woman playing for Team USA at the Olympics. We could see a black woman be part of a gold medal winning team for Team USA at the Olympics. And there is a pipeline that is coming of more black women who are playing this sport. But when you look at the success that she's had, but this goes kind of part and parcel with what everybody's talked about, where every level she's been, she's been able to have an impact in a way that, like, at her best, she can control games. And that's what we've seen with her and Team USA so far, is the ability to control Games and control them in a way to where? Why? Well, that's why right now they're looking like the gold medal favorite.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Yeah. Every time I watch Team usa, it feels like Layla Edwards is constantly on the ice. Like she's like Quinn Hughes or Kale McCarra, where when you watch their team, she is literally already always out there. But Ryan, in terms of this being the Olympics, right, it feels like the Olympics are where icons are made and, and you know, superheroes in sports are made. So how important is it to finally have a black superstar at the Olympic Games that not only black people in general, but especially black girls, young black girls in the United States looking to get into hockey can look up to?

[Ryan S. Clark]

Well, I mean, it's massive for a variety of reasons. Just because. Let's look at the impact that we've seen of black women in gymnastics, figure skating, going back to Debbie Thomas, Ciara Bonnell. I mean, we look at, yes, there had been Althea Gibson, but really how the Williams sisters got things going. And you're now seeing more and more where like Coco Gauff is sort of that person carrying the man along with Naomi Osaka. And to see it in a sport like hockey, where there's this natural thought that like black people, people of color whole don't really play hockey in numbers like that. To see a black woman, especially from like Cleveland, Ohio, because like, that's the other thing is like Ohio has a hockey history, but it's not Michigan or Minnesota or Massachusetts or New York. It's not known as a hotbed, but like it does matter there. And so it's all these intersecting points that really help people understand. Like it can happen everywhere. Because there's a young woman we spoke to for this story, her quote ended up making in it. But her name is China Taylor, where she plays prep school hockey in Massachusetts and she's a six year old black girl who is from Louisville, Kentucky. He's going to go play at Wisconsin and like she's the sports kid of the year. And that's immense because who would have thought that 5, 10, 15 years ago? And so to see that and to see that success, it's not only about, okay, it's achievable, but also what else could it do going forward? Like, it may not necessarily equate to more players, but it could equate to more fans. And who's to say what leads off from fandom, whether that's people who have a long standing interest in the game or maybe they get their daughters playing or their sons playing or whatever. Like, it's so hard to measure the impact because it seems like it's the kind of thing that we may not be able to fully understand until decades later.

[David Zwerk]

One of the things That I think will help. Obviously, I'm coming from a South Florida fan standpoint, so it's very profound down here. But winning, winning does a lot to help that along. And the US Women look absolutely dynamic at this Olympics. I don't know if I've ever felt this good about the US Women's chances at gold in any international tournament that I've seen over the years. They just look downright dominant. Ryan, what's been your take so far in the US women? And I know that they beat Canada 5 nothing without MPP. And I know that that's a significant person to not play there, but I don't know, I just feel very bullish about the US Right now.

[Ryan S. Clark]

So you're saying winning matters in a place like South Florida? Miami Central High School agrees with that status as the St. Thomas Aquinas and American Heritage, too. Let's not forget them. We can talk about High school football day. Hey, I was down there. I was born in that part of the world. But that's not the point. The point is it's a fascinating discussion when it comes to Team USA in Canada and that game at the moment, doing radio in Vancouver yesterday, there is this discussion of are we at a turning point? Where is the US about to take the lead? And what's been this long standing rivalry where, yes, they've exchanged gold medals, whether it be in the Olympics or the World championships. But when you think about where things are at with hockey in America, like, it's interesting when we talk about Layla Edwards, of course, but Caroline Harvey, those are two college players that have been among the best going. I mean, you're seeing this young core where it's like you've got what you've got. Adam Murphy, you've got Hannah Bilka, you've got Joy Dunn. We're waiting Tessa Janicki, who's been one of the best players in women's college hockey, to find her footing offensively. To where, like with Team usa, it's nice to have the Alex Carpenters and the Hillary Knights contribute, but you've been able to get a lot from your young core. Whereas if you look at Canada, yes, you're out with arguably one of the greatest players women's hockey has ever seen. But also you have some young players like Sarah Philly, Sophie Jake's, Julian Gosling, Jennifer Gardner that like, yes, they're going to be the future of the team. But it's not as many as Team USA has, because Team USA came into this tournament with 13 players that are younger than 25 on the roster. Whereas if with Canada, believe the numbers like five or six, and when you look at that course, Sarah Nurse, Renata Fast, and you're Ambrose Andre, Davion, Blair Turnbull, Natalie Spooner, Justin Laroque and Marie Philippe, they're all north of 30. And when you think about those numbers, it's interesting because it's a little bit of a chicken or the end. So if Canada loses, is then. Is it was age a factor? But if Canada wins, then it's, well, how much did experience play a role in that victory? And like, that's the funny thing about the Olympics is right now we're thinking about this going, could it be this. When in reality it could be something totally different.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Yeah. I have a Canadian friend who's very upset in terms of they're not letting the new generation take over enough. She feels like the team has kind of of past its glory days and they feel like the US has an advantage right now because of their young core and how dynamic they are, and that the US could kind of take over here because these young players are getting the experience that some of these older veterans for Canada are taking away from younger players. But to talk about that young core, I'm going to give you three names that have been the standout players of the tournament so far. One of them is Layla Edwards. The other two are Abby Murphy and Hannah Bilka. In my mind, pick one of them to really hype up for me and tell me why they have been the most impactful player for the United States.

[Ryan S. Clark]

It's easy to say Layla Edwards.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Yeah, it is. She's been fantastic.

[David Zwerk]

Abby Murphy.

[Ryan S. Clark]

We'll tell you what, because someone say Abby Murphy, we will do Abby Murphy because, like, listen, it's. It's this reality, like, she represents a lot of different things in terms of talent, the ability to impact the game, and not only just the ability to impact the game, but knowing, like, while there is her, there is are so many other options that may not be able to do exactly what she does, but they can provide sort of like that similar feeling of knowing, like, it just comes in waves with Team usa. And when you think about Canada, for example, because that's what we just talked about, like, right now, what would be the equivalent of that, like, what would be the equivalent of that kind of player that they have on the roster, Maybe that exists, but it's also something else too, where when we look at these young players, we have to remind ourselves, like, some of them are still in college, some of them are still going into their first or second year professional hockey, like, that's a very, very different dynamic compared to what you see with Canada's players, where they have been at this and have gone through these things a little bit differently. And so the fact that you can even ask this question and you name those three and there are others that you could add, like Carolyn Harvey to that conversation, it really just does speak to how, if you're the US you look. Aaron Frankel's another one, Alex Carpenter does speak to how. Again, just more and more and more and more. But, like, it really speaks to how with Team USA and how young it is, how it looks like you're going into a window that could be really, really common for them, whether it be with the Olympics or the World Championships. And if you're Canada, look, you have talent, but at the same time, you might have to use this Olympics to kind of figure out where are you going next, because it is an inflection point, whether you win gold or you don't. Because what's happening with the US Isn't going away and not being funny. But if you look at what Chucky has done in the last few at the World Championships and what they could still do at this Olympics, that's a nation that's only getting stronger and stronger.

[Ethan Bedowski]

I want to move to the men's tournament, but before I do, real quick, 15 words or less. US or Canada, who wins the gold?

[Ryan S. Clark]

Let's go with Team USA for now. For all the reasons we've mentioned with the idea that Canada could still make it work, because it has the experience.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Perfect answer. I think that might have been 15 words or less.

[David Zwerk]

Beautiful. Ryan's a pro.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Yeah.

[David Zwerk]

So, Ryan, you wrote today about maybe the best teenage hockey player in the world right now, and that's Macklin Celebrini. He. I mean, he looked great for Team Canada in their opening win. He's looked great everywhere he's gone. We talked earlier about how he scored a goal in his first game at five different levels as a young adult hockey player, which is pretty remarkable. It's scary how good he is as a teenager, considering he's only going to keep getting better for the next several years. But how much respect is he gaining, not just among hockey fans in general, but amongst these elite hockey teammates that he's playing with at the Olympics right now?

[Ryan S. Clark]

Everybody has something great to say about Maclin Celebrini. And, like, let's start with Sidney Crosby. Got a chance to speak with him about it for that story. But just sitting down and talking to him, he's like, look, this is someone that I'd heard about for quite some time. And then he's like. You see him in the way he operates. And Crosby was. It was fascinating because Ryan Warsovski, the head coach of the San Jose Sharks, who said, I get why people talk about the points, but we really need to be talking about how good he is defensively. And so you asked Crosby about that, and Crosby just talked about how good he is down low and the strength, and. And just like, the way Crosby spoke, it was like, no, this guy's for real. Whereas if you go to the conversation of, like, Nathan McKinnon and, like, Nathan McKinnon has been pretty good about talking about other star players. But it's funny because covering him in Colorado, the way he talks about Kale Makar, you would think that he carried Kale for nine months in his womb. And he talks about Macklin Celebrini the exact same way, where he's just like, I get why you're asking me, what advice could I give him? I don't think he needs any advice. He knows what he is doing. Like, I mean, it's almost that joke of, like, he knows a lot about cameras. For people who get that, if they don't, I can't help you about Kanye and Lady Gaga. That's been out there for forever. But the point is, he has been left very impressed by Maclin celebrity, because this is what it comes back to for people. It's these three things. The first is he works just as hard on defense as he does on offense. Offense. The second thing is he already has come into the league with a built body. Like, he had those physical features in college. You saw it last year in San Jose. He's put in the work. The other thing, and this is the third and maybe the most important is it's. It's that willingness to learn and get better. Like, it's one of those. Like, yes, he's his own player, but it's like, he talked about for that story. He watched crosby, he watched McKinnon, he watched Ryan O'Reilly. But those are three centers, two of which are going to get into the hall of fame. Ryan O'Reilly is going to be an interesting case, but they've been three of the best centers in the league for a while, and it's learning from them, but it's also learning just because this is what works for them. It may not work for me, but you find the version of that that works for you. And when you're hearing someone at 18, 19 years old understand that to the point they can be trusted in every sequence of the game, that is a massive step forward toward becoming a superstar. Because the other thing, and we get into this with the story is yes, he is on pace for 121 points that would break Joe Thornton single season record by seven points. But let's say he finishes with 121 points as a 19 year old. Only Wayne Gretzky had a better age. 19, he has been that good. And that is another reason people respect him. Because it's.

[David Zwerk]

You keep.

[Ryan S. Clark]

Yeah, like it's the thing. It's like you see the talent but to see the talent be so strong that in a year we've gone from okay, the San Jose Sharks are building to yoke. If the San Jose Sharks make the playoffs, like that's going to get attention. But there's so much about Macklin Celebrini that makes other star players throughout the league respect what he's done. Because in some ways we have seen this before, but in other ways we necessarily haven't. And that's what's going to make the rest of the season more compelling. Because if you can get the Sharks into the playoffs and break Joe Thornton's record and let's say finish with 121, which is what more than what Crosby had in his age 19 season, it's going to be an interesting discussion about just how high his ceiling can be going forward.

[David Zwerk]

Ryan, before we let you go, I want to ask you a similar question. What Ethan asked you about the women a little slightly different though, because I'd say in the men we know that there's the Big four, the four nations, yada, yada, yada, Canada and Unes. We all think they're going to be in the gold medal game. Who outside of the Big four, and we know Finland's a little battered without Barkov, but who outside the Big Four do you think has the best shot at a medal in the men's tournament?

[Ryan S. Clark]

It's easy to say Sweden just because the NHL talent, Sweden's consistency, the fact they have a lot of forwards with two way ability. But the team that you just keep looking at and thinking king, don't sleep on them is Switzerland. Switzerland has looked good in the last couple men's world championships with metal finishes. Like Switzerland has got dudes. So you think about what Switzerland was the last time you had NHL players at the Olympics in 2014 he had Robin Yossi Niederwriter, like they were good but they're not the players that they are now. Whereas if now this year's group has 10 players but and yes Yossi Niedermeyer part of that but they didn't have an Eco he sure they didn't have a Kevin Fiala or a Timo Meyer. JJ Moser like these are players that are playing in top six, top top nine, top four sort of roles for very good teams. Like the Tampa Bay Lightning threw a ton of money at JJ Moser because they understand how good he is. And like when you look at what Switzerland can do in this tournament along with the experience they have with goes at Janome, like you just sort of look at them and wonder like is this the team that people may be sleeping on? Because like they've had other guys who've played in the NHL before, like Andre Guitar, a Kubalik or or someone like that. But the way that excuse me Andrew Kettle Kubernetes check you Sorry. But point being is like when he plays in Switzerland, that's it. But when you look at what Switzerland has like that is a team that again, do not be shocked if they are in a metal game or if not on the podium outright.

[David Zwerk]

Ryan S. Clark is the national NHL writer for espn. He was kind enough to take some time out of his busy day and share with us his knowledge on hockey in the Olympics. Ryan, thank you so much for joining us today and we will be reading your work as you consider continue to cover the Olympic Games. Thank you.

[Ryan S. Clark]

Thanks for having me.

[David Zwerk]

Thank you to Ryan Clark, NHL National Writer for espn, for joining us. One thing left to talk about today before we wrap up the show, Ethan, and it's the We've talked a lot about the building of the arenas in Milan, how long it took them to get them together, how, you know, we weren't sure if they're going to be done in time. Everything seems to be to be cool up until this point. However, during the US Latvia game, they had a shot of Mike Sullivan talking to the US Players in the locker room. And if you look really closely, you'll notice no locker stalls, a bench that most of the players are sitting at, a couple players including Matthew Tachuk, sitting on folding chairs in the middle of this locker room that rivals men's league locker rooms that I've had to get dressed in most of my adult life. I get it. It's the Olympics. It's awesome, it's gravitas. It's a lifetime. But can we do a little bit better for our players?

[Ethan Bedowski]

Man, One thing you have also haven't mentioned is that the locker rooms are like a trailer that's away that they have to put the guys on golf carts to get to the arena from. So, yeah, it definitely not the greatest situation. But you know what I love about Team usa? And you know why I feel pretty good about Team USA's chances and the vibes around Team USA?

[David Zwerk]

Because you're peeing your dog right now.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Well, I mean, everything feels better when.

[David Zwerk]

People not watching are gonna really wonder what the hell I was just talking about.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Yeah, Percy's the best. Anyway, I love the vibes that the US Is setting right now in terms of they're leaning into the Olympic experience. They're staying in the athletes village. They're not acting like a bunch of spoiled brats and staying at some really nice hotel in Milan or anything like that. They're living the Olympic life. They're going to events. They took in a women's game before the tournament started. They're leaning into the Olympic experience. And I think it's so great when you see these athletes come together and want to watch each other compete at the highest level.

[Rose]

Penalty for time.

[David Zwerk]

I was just about to ask if you guys had anything to add, but do you have anything to add, Gabe?

[Gabe (continued)]

No, no. It was a. It was a nice picture.

[David Zwerk]

Dynamite dropping money. His broadcast classes are really playing off. Rose, you good? Anything to add before we wrap up the show?

[Rose]

No, I'm good. Thank you, everybody.

[David Zwerk]

Okay. Okay. Well, thank you for everybody watching the hockey show this week. Once again, you can find us on YouTube. You can find us on TikTok. You can find us on Threads, you can find us on Instagram. You can find us on X. Thank you to Ryan Clark once again, for joining the show. Thank you to Rose and Gabe and Ethan and. And Percy. Percy, thank you very much.

[Ethan Bedowski]

Of course.

[David Zwerk]

Is it Jason and Geno in the back, boys? I didn't see who was dancing this week. Yes. Hi, G. Next week.

[Ethan Bedowski]

This time next week, we'll have a gold medal awarded in the women's tournament.

[David Zwerk]

Yes, that gold medal will be back.

[Ethan Bedowski]

And Roy will be back.

[David Zwerk]

So, yay.

[Rose]

See you next week.

[David Zwerk]

Thank you, guys for watch.