The Hockey Show - Episode 625

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, returns tonight to get Season 13 of this radio broadcast underway! To think that we've been breaking down hockey's biggest stories and interviewing its best and brightest players for thirteen years is pretty awesome, and I'm not sure I would have envisioned it going this long when I first got involved. Again, both The Hockey Show and UMFM thank you for your continued support, and we'll keep bringing you the best stories from around the globe involving hockey. That includes today as we're one day away from the day 13 of this month, so we'll keep that little fact quiet tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Tonight on the show, Teebz and Jason will go over the new PWHL team names, why they don't work well, and how they can be improved. Beyond that discussion, they'll chat about a new Hockey Hall of Game chairman, a young lady making some more hockey history, Poland being fined for its fans, the IIHF looking at adding yet another country to its ranks, a former U SPORTS player who had a good time in Australia, and there's a glaring omission from a local team's roster that probably should be mentioned. In short, it's another fun night of hockey news from around the world on on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The new UMFM website's online streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store. It's a solid app.

If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason talk bad names, new leaders, breaking glass ceilings, bad signs, new members, winning awards, new jobs, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: September 12, 2024: Episode 625

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Slightly Overpriced

I'll admit that I don't often find myself looking through Facebook's online "Marketplace" feature often. If you're unaware, it's a buy-and-sell site where people can sell things they make or unload items they no longer want or need. It's basically Facebook's version of Kijiji in that one can barter for these items with the seller until both parties are happy. Needless to say, there's a lot of stuff that may simply never be bought on there based on condition or price, and today's article falls into that category. The image you see to the left - a Pat Verbeek Pro Set hockey card - is the item in question, and I found it weird that one singular card would be for sale. That required a closer look, and it turns out I had a good chuckle over this posting.

Born in Sarnia, Ontario, Pat Verbeek had an excellent NHL career that saw him log 1424 games in the world's top league. He scored 522 goals and 541 assists in a career that included stops in New Jersey, Hartford, New York, Dallas, and Detroit, and it was in Dallas in 1999 where Verbeek was able to lift the Stanley Cup over his head as a champion. Since his retirement, Verbeek has worked in a few front office roles, but is now the general manager of the Anaheim Ducks. Needless to say, Verbeek has accomplished a lot in his time thus far.

Seeing the card on Facebook Marketplace had me wondering what this ad was going to reveal. Here's the moment where I had my first chuckle as I'm not sure how this individual card, let alone the entire set of cards, is worth $750 CDN. Pat Verbeek was a good player as I indicated above, but there isn't one card in the 1991 Pro Set hockey card lineup that is worth $750, let alone this Pat Verbeek card. Maybe it's autopgraphed by the NHL star? Further investigation was needed in order to determine the insane valuation given to this hockey card.

Clicking the post for the card led me to another chuckle because not only was there very little information given about the card, it would seem the valuation was based entirely on this seller's feeling about Verbeek. It's not autographed, it's isn't some specialty card, it has been shown to be a rare card with an error on it - Pat Verbeek is just this seller's "boy" and he's "worth it". Again, I chuckled.

Escaping this moment of insanity, the actual value of that card based on a number of websites I've visited is between ten cents and fifty cents, so the markup on this buying opportunity may be a little high. Pat Verbeek's career in 1991 had him playing in his ninth NHL season, so one can't even hope to sell this card on the idea that it's a rookie card or some sort of accomplishment or accolade card. This is just a regular hockey card that someone wants to sell with a price that the seller is hoping someone will pay.

Dishonest? Maybe, but the rules of online marketplaces stands true: caveat emptor. After all, it seems that the price for one's man "Patty Verbeek" card is the next Wayne Gretzky rookie card!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

An Icon Lost

There are certain actors and actresses whose performances transcend time. You can make the argument, in my case, that actors like Sean Connery, Harrison Ford, Robin Williams, Ed Harris, Bruce Willis, and Morgan Freeman have played some of the greatest roles in cinema history for my era, and I'd have to include the man to the left as well as James Earl Jones was one of those actors who seemed to steal scenes just by appearing. Yes, the voice he had is unmistakable when heard, but Jones was and is an icon when it comes to who he portrayed on the screen in just a handful of movies. We lost James Earl Jones yesterday at the age of 93, and the world seems a little cloudier today without him.

His list of works where he had a significant impact on me is lengthy. His voice work as Darth Vader in the Star Wars series made Vader that much more imposing. His voice work as Mufasa in The Lion King still resonates today in turning Mafasa from lion into king of the savannah. He'll always be the "CNN voice" to me. He was excellent in the brief appearances he made as Admiral Greer in Patroit Games, The Hunt for Red October, and Clear and Present Danger. His lesson for the boys in The Sandlot as Mr. Mertle keeps that film high on my list. But there is one role that always rings true every summer for me: Terence Mann in Field of Dreams.

His speech as Terence Mann while Timothy Busfield is imploring Kevin Costner to sell the farm to avoid foreclosure might be one of the best scenes in any sports movie ever made. I know everyone associates the "If you build it" quotation as being that film's most famous line, but Jones delivering the following line echoes for eternity.

"America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It's been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game - it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again."

When we hear older folks talking of simpler times, these are the times to which they're referring. When baseball games cost a couple of bucks to attend and hot dogs and a soft drink were fifty cents each, those are the teams to which people harken back, and everything that Mann said about America being erased and rebuilt has happened. The constant in each of those scenarios? It's baseball which is why ballparks like Fenway Park and Wrigley Field are referred to as "cathedrals".

I'm posting Mann's speech as delivered by Jones, and I will always stop to listen to his words when I can. Here's that scene.

That movie's cast was an all-star roster of actors: Costner, Jones, Ray Liotta, Burt Lancaster, Amy Madigan, Gaby Hoffman, and Art LaFleur to name the actors you may recognize. Timothy Busfield was excellent in his role as Mark, Frank Whaley hit the role of Archie Graham out of the park, and Dwier Brown as Ray Kinsella is so underappreciated. This was an exceptional cast of acting talent.

Field of Dreams was nominated for Best Picture in 1990, and imagine competing with the likes of Driving Miss Daisy, Dead Poets Society, and Born on the Fourth of July for that award. Driving Miss Daisy won the award that year, but any of those choices could have easily taken home the prize. When they say "they don't make them like they used to", they may be talking about movies!

Rest peacefully, James Earl Jones. You brought happiness and entertainment to many with your incredible cast of characters and the acting range you possessed, and there won't be another quite like you in my time. As Amy Madigan describe Terence Mann, I believe she may have actually been talking about Jones himself, saying, "He helped define an era. And a generation. And he helped us laugh at ourselves." Those are traits every entertainer would want to hear about one's self.

Until next time, raise your sticks high in honour of James Earl Jones!

Are They Even Trying?

I'm trying to be hopeful for the PWHL's success, and it seems like they have enough money to make the league work in the long term. It's very clear that the players are beyond talented and the action on the ice is worth every penny, so the entertainment value is most certainly there. The problem for this league exists entirely in the boardroom, and it's time for those who are sitting at that boardroom table to figure out how to make the teams far more important to their communities and hockey fans in general because this new round of team names is absolutely awful. In fact, almost as bad as the first six names they rolled out last year.

Let's go through these new names and figure out if they could be better. I'm not going to sugarcoat this: all of them can be better, and I'll offer suggestions as to how they can be better. As it stands, here are the six teams, their logos, and how those names were chosen.

Team: Boston Fleet

Meaning: "The Boston Fleet pays homage to the unified spirit of our people, players, and fans, who move together with speed, strength, and a relentless might to add new legacy to Boston's storied history of resilience."

Why It Doesn't Work: Who comes up with this verbal diarrhea of people, players, and fans moving together with speed, strength, and relentless might? None of that is how I see Boston as a hockey town, and I really struggle to understand how some marketing genius sold this idea. Yes, Boston has a harbour, but it's known for the amount of tea dumped into it, not for a fleet of ships.

What Would Be Better: Boston Aviators. Amelia Earhart embraced women's rights as she ascended to become the the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She was an icon through the 1920s and 1930s in Massachusetts where she taught, fought for women's rights, and pursued aviation interests on a number of fronts.

Potential Logo: A Lockheed 10-E Electra-type airplane on the front, Earhart's plane, with an aviator cap and goggles on the shoulder.

Team: Minnesota Frost

Meaning: "Minnesota Frost celebrates hockey's fierceness and beauty, a timeless Minnesota tradition, bridging generations. Come November, this Championship-winning team will once again take the ice, paying tribute to a people born with skates on our feet."

Why It Doesn't Work: How does "Frost" celebrate anything to do with hockey's fierceness, beauty, tradition in Minnesota, or the generations of people who have played it? How does "Frost" pay any sort of tribute? It's frozen condensation! Who writes this garbage and, worse, who actually believes it?

What Would Be Better: Minnesota Explorers. Ann Bancroft grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota where she became an author, a wilderness instructor, and a gym teacher in Minneapolis. The Ann Bancroft Foundation, founded in 1991, helps individuals and families to go on outdoor adventures, and Bancroft became the first woman to reach the North Pole on foot and by sled in 1986. In partnering with the Minnesota Wild, the Explorers would fit into the wilderness imagery for which Minnesota is known.

Potential Logo: A map with a large X on it on the front with a toque on the shoulder.

Team: New York Sirens

Meaning: "Inspired by the exhilarating blare of the goal siren, the New York Sirens are an ode to the hustle, rhythm and swagger of NYC. The goal siren is an urgent call to take to the ice and triumph at the speed of sound and New York itself – the city you can't stop but you can always hear coming."

Why It Doesn't Work: Does anyone in the PWHL boardroom know how hockey is played? The goal siren isn't an urgent call to take the ice; it's the sound after a goal was scored - something the New York team didn't do well last year. How are sirens an ode to "hustle, rhythm and swagger" in any way, shape, or form? Aren't sirens heard when a crime has been committed? That's a weird ode.

What Would Be Better: New York Alliance. New York City is made up of five boroughs, and there 65 bridges connecting the people of New York throughout the city. The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the more famous bridges in New York City, and it was engineer Emily Warren Roebling who committed more than ten years as chief engineer to complete the bridge after her husband fell ill. While New York may have two baseball teams, two hockey teams, and two football teams, the people of the five boroughs are allies to one another thanks to those bridges and through the play of the Alliance.

Potential Logo: A bridge with a big apple silhouette in the background on the front with an interlocking NYC on the shoulder.

Team: Montreal Victoire

Meaning: "Whether we win or lose, 'Victory' is a state of mind, our primary motivation. The name Victoire will inspire us to reach new heights – for the glory of the team, our sport and for all of Montreal!" By the way, having the meaning of your team name's page go to a 404 page isn't how you want to start your legacy. Maybe they'll fix that?

Why It Doesn't Work: No offence to Montreal, but "victory" is the goal of every team when they take the ice. If Montreal wins, does the Victory earn a victory? How does one earn itself? While I appreciate the effort on the name and logo, it fails in practice.

What Would Be Better: L'Esprit de Montreal. Montreal is its own unique city with a culture unlike any other in North America. That includes the people, the food, the events, the joie de vivre, and history of the city. Because of these traits, the spirit of Montreal lives on through its people and the fans of the Montreal PWHL franchise, and the players embody that spirit every time they take the ice!

Potential Logo: Admittedly, this logo is harder to conceptualize, but I would suggest figuring out a way to incorporate the "E" from Esprit and "M" from Montreal into a working logo. Toss the fleur-de-lis on the shoulders, and we're ready to go.

Team: Ottawa Charge

Meaning: "Inspired by the city's motto "Advance – Ottawa – En Avant", 'Charge' speaks to an electrifying force that pulses through Ottawa's river and streets, through the stands of the arena and on the ice, driving us all only in one direction: forever forward."

Why It Doesn't Work: Who is the ad wizard that came up with "electrifying force that pulses through Ottawa's river and streets"? Ottawa isn't known for how fast it moves, specifically when it comes to government. They're still battling over a downtown arena, and that's been going on for years now. If anything, "Charge" seems to relate to static electricity considering how static the city is. And how does that logo even comes close to relating to "electricifying" in any way? This is a complete failure.

What Would Be Better: Ottawa Conductors. Ottawa's railway system started in 1850, and by 1882 there were connections that reached Montreal and beyond. Bringing the country together was something that Ottawa's rail system did as it expanded quickly after Queen Victoria named the city as the capital of Canada. There's also a legend of an abandoned rail tunnel, complete with a lost train, in LeBreton Flats. Needless to say, there's some history in Ottawa when it comes to railroads. How cool would that angle be at hockey games?

Potential Logo: It wouldn't be hard to create something like the old North Bay Centennials' logo with a conductor's hat hanging off the "C". Throw the a steam train silhouette on the shoulder, and this design works well!

Team: Toronto Sceptres

Meaning: "The Sceptre has forever been a symbol of strength and power, found in courts and palaces, held by Queens and Kings in ceremony. Today, it will be wielded on the ice by Toronto's hockey royalty. The Sceptres embody Toronto's regal history, commanding presence and rich heritage from Queens Quay to Queen Street."

Why It Doesn't Work: It's literally a prop for monarchs and rulers. It would be like the LA Kings changing their name to the LA Crowns or the London Knights changing their name to the London Broad Swords. It doesn't mean anything, it has no tie to the city of Toronto, and Toronto has never had a regal history. This might be the worst name of the six proposed.

What Would Be Better: Toronto Cosmos. Whether the team name evokes memories of Roberta Bondar, Canada's first female astronaut and neurologist in space, being a cosmopolitan city for the vast number of women who have found success there from all backgrounds, or because we can cheekily joke that Toronto is the "Centre of the Universe", the Cosmos bring a new identity to the city when one is attempting to reach for the stars. How's that for marketing wizardry?

Potential Logo: Have some fun with some stellar imagery in this one, but there are dozens of different ways this logo could be conceived. Add the space helmet to the shoulder and this jersey would be out of this world!

All of these new names and logos have a much deeper tie to each of the communities in which they're used, and they all represent something or someone from each city's respective history. Each would allow for incredible mascot and imagery opportunities, and they don't sound like they were generated by some AI program who was just being fed "cool hockey team names". Give me something that ties the team to the community when it comes to team names because that has real meaning!

Thoughts? I know you have them after reading this, and I feel like you want to express them. Throw them in the comments and we'll discuss. Maybe you have better names or ideas that should be used - that's entirely possible! Unless you put them in the comments, though, it's hard to know what they are! Start writing, and we'll discuss as the second season of utterly terrible team names gets underway in the PWHL!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

An AIHL Winner!

Do you recognize the goalie to the left? If you've followed U SPORTS men's hockey for the last few seasons, the pads he's wearing are a major giveaway. The Saskatoon native played one game with the Abbotsford Canucks and was an EBUG with the Vancouver Canucks before attending a number of ECHL camps over the last few years, but nothing seemed to stick for the former UBC Thunderbirds netminder. Well, he found his place this season in Australia when the Adelaide Adrenaline inked Rylan Toth to a contract, and he had himself another award-winning campaign as Toth was named as the 2024 Goalie of the Year in the AIHL!

Toth played in 24 games for the Adrenaline this season, finishing with a 6-12-5 record, a 2.92 GAA, a .906 save percentage, and two shutouts. Those numbers may not sound like "Goaltender of the Year" numbers when you look at them, but we need a deeper look here because the numbers at face value admittedly aren't that great. Let's look at those other numbers.

The Adelaide Adrenaline finished this season with a 5-17-2-6 record, so Toth was involved in a lot of those decisions. He was the goalie of record in six of seven games that the Adrenaline won and he helped them earn at least one additional point in five of six extra time losses. Yes, he was in the net for 12 of 17 losses, but considering that goaltending partner Matus Trnka was 0-3-0 with a 2.94 GAA and an .882 save percentage. Clearly, the Adrenaline weren't scoring a lot of goals when one considering both netminders had sub-3.00 GAA, but only won seven games all season long.

The Adrenaline never averaged more than 2.5 goals-per-game this season at any point past April 27, so unless the Adrenaline goalies were allowing one goal or less, the chances of them winning were low. From May 11 forward to the end of the season, the Adrenaline never averaged less than 3.0 goals-against-per-game, but that average never exceeded 4.0 goals-against-per-game all season long. The goaltending was good for the Adrenaline, but they just needed more goal-scoring to back up that puck-stopping.

Where things make a little more sense is when you look at the goalie stats leaderboard. Toth was third-overall in the AIHL for goals-against-average, putting him ahead of 18-game winner Leo Bertein of the Perth Thunder and 11-game winner James Downie of the league-leading Sydney Bears. He finished just 0.11 behind 17-game winner Tatsunoshin Ishida of the Melbourne Ice. It's hard to argue that Toth didn't deserve the award when he faced so much more rubber than Ishida and Bertein yet kept a ton of those pucks out of the net, but we'll continue building the case.

Toth's .906 save percentage puts him fourth-overall in the AIHL behind the men mentioned above - Ishida at .920, Bertein at .914, and Melbourne Mustangs' Logan Flodell at .908. He was one of four goalies who played more than 22 games who finished with a save percentage above .900, and one of six goalies to finish the season with a save percentage above .900. His team finished second-last in points in the AIHL this season, yet Toth being one of the top netminders statistically, again, makes it hard to argue against his case as being the top goaltender.

Of course, if you had watched any Canada West men's hockey a few years ago, you already know how much Toth's goaltending affects a game. Twice, he backstopped the Thunderbirds to a berth at the U Cup National Championship. In 2021-22, he was named as the Canada West Goaltender of the Year and the U SPORTS Goaltender of the Year. His five-year university career saw him finish with a 30-29-7 record, a 2.82 GAA, and a .906 save percentage, but it was his growth as a player that saw him improve from a 2-7-0 rookie campaign in 2017-18 to an 11-5-1 record in 2021-22. In each of his five seasons, he lowered his goals-against average each season as he got better each and every season.

Look, I've thrown a lot of numbers at you to justify Rylan Toth's award this season, but there's one thing that's clear: Rylan makes not-so-good teams much better when he's in the crease. It's hard not to argue how important he was for the Thunderbirds in their successes, and it's pretty clear that the Adelaide Adrenaline may have been much worse off this season without Toth stopping pucks for them. That alone puts him in the conversation for AIHL Goaltender of the Year, and it's pretty clear that his numbers carried him to the top of that discussion.

Congratulations to Rylan Toth on another major accolade in his illustrious career, and here's hoping that a few North American teams come calling this season when they need a goalie. Signing Rylan Toth should be a no-brainer considering his body of work, and it's my hope that we'll see those blue-and-yellow pads in a North American professional league this winter!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Saucy Autumn Posts

If there's one thing of which I use a lot in my kitchen, it's tomato sauce. Whether it be made into a pasta sauce or put on pizza dough or as a dipping option for finger foods, I use a lot of the red sauce. The key for me is that I never buy it; instead, I have containers frozen with homemade sauce in them that are in the freezer awaitng their moment of glory. Some people roll their eyes at me when I tell them I spend the time making tomato sauce because it's quite easy to buy at most grocery stores, but there's something about making the sauce that fills the house with the smell of spices and tomatoes while it cooks. I also think it tastes infinitely better, but that's why I make the sauce out of the Roma tomatoes I grow in my garden every summer! È magnifico!

As I do every year, I bring the tomatoes inside once a good bunch has been picked from the plants, and the process begins. Being that it's September, the autumn haul of garden veggies will pick up soon, but I've been pretty happy with the returns on the tomatoes, rhubarb, peppers, and onions. The beets are looking strong, the potatoes should be a good size as well, and I'm hoping to squeeze a handful of cucumbers off that line after they got a late start to the summer growing season. In the end, I should be set up well for winter once again!

Without further adieu, I present to you Marcella Hazan's recipe from the New York Times as her amazing way to make tomato sauce has just four simple ingredients, yet it tastes so good!

Ingredients

• 2 cups of tomatoes with juice, peeled
• 5 tablespoons of butter
• 1 onion, cut in half and peeled
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Combine the tomatoes, their juices, the butter, and the onion halves in a saucepan. Add a pinch or two of salt. DON'T OVER-SALT!
2. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, mashing any large pieces of tomato with a spoon. Add salt as needed.
3. In Marcella's recipe, she recommends discarding the onion, but I like it in there. Wait until the onion becomes translucent and, as above, use a spoon to cut the onion pieces into smaller chunks. When all is said and done, this recipe makes enough sauce for a pound of pasta.

In today's day and age, I use an immersion blender to get rid of any larger chunks, but the key to this sauce is allowing it to simmer off the water content to make a nice, thick tomato sauce. Once cooled, it can be transferred to a container and frozen, or stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. If it separates, just heat it a little and give it a stir, but anything requiring a tomato-based sauce will have an exquisite base upon which you can build.

That's what I've spent my day doing, so make good use of those tomatoes before the temperatures start cooling off! I'm hoping for one more round of tomatoes for another batch of sauce, but we'll see what the garden harvest looks like in the coming weeks. For now, I have enough sauce for a few delicious meals once again!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Clear Your Schedules

The boys aren't back in town just yet, but that doesn't mean that Winnipeg Jets fans can't start planning their nights at Canada Life Centre. The Jets released their promotional schedule today, and it seems that there might be a number of nights that Jets fans will flock downtown for some free shwag, some good times, and a few hockey games! Make no mistake that the man to the left will be honoured this season as Connor Hellebuyck is one of the top players in the league - something Jets fans see often - and the Winnipeg Jets will put something in those fans' hands this season to remember Hellebuyck's great season last year. However, there will be a pile of additional nights where fans will go home with something more than (hopefully) a win and a pile of memories from the game!

The full schedule of promotions and theme games can be found here, but there are already a handful I have circled on the calendar based on who is in town and what's being celebrated on those nights. Some of those nights include:

• October 11: home opener vs. Chicago Blackhawks – Canada Life toque giveaway!
• October 18: Hellebuyck Night vs. San Jose Sharks – pennant giveaway to the first 5000 fans!
• January 7: Beat the Winter Blues Night vs. Nashville Predators – Jets cooler bag giveaway to the first 5000 fans!
• March 11: Celebrating Women in Sport vs. New York Rangers

Aside from the fact that "Beat the Winter Blues" Night doesn't feature a game against the St. Louis Blues, these are the games I'd want to attend this season. Make no mistake that there are other nights that I'd be willing to attend as well, but this blogger doesn't have that kind of disposable income to splash across this city. For those who want to see the full schedule graphically, take a peek at the schedule below!

For those wondering, Minnesota gets three promotional nights - Season Ticket Member Appreciation Night on September 21, Child Advocacy Night on October 13, and the annual Holiday Game on December 21. All of Calgary, San Jose, Vancouver, Anaheim, and St. Louis get two promotional game nights each while both Florida-based teams, Columbus, and the New York Rangers are the only Eastern Conference teams visiting on promotional nights. I guess all the divisional games will focus more on hockey and not on promotions this season? We need some sort of noise maker or distraction we can use to get under the opposition's skin!

Whatever the case may be, tickets went on sale today for all games this season, so start planning your winter nights accordingly. Not every game will appeal to all fans, but that's why the promotional schedule helps when trying to decide on which games to see. Maybe your favorite team is in town one night but there's a really fun promotion or giveaway on another night, or maybe there are too many good nights to watch hockey - tough decisions have to be made!

No matter what you decide, get your tickets quickly and we'll see you at Canada Life Centre this season!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 624

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, hits another milestone today as we wrap up Season 12 of the show! It's hard to believe that we've done this for twelve years, through a pandemic, through two NHL lockouts, and through various building shutdowns, but twelve years will be in the books tonight when the lads sign off. Obviously, we can't thank UMFM and its loyal listeners enough for welcoming us onto their radios and internet streams, so we'll take some time to thank various people tonight. In short, though, it's been a fun ride as we get set for Season 13 of The Hockey Show tonight at 5:30pm CT! And if this is your first time listening, there's no better time to get in on the fun!

Teebz and Jason will break into the hockey stories by offering their thoughts on the Gaudreau tragedy before getting into Edmonton's dump truck of money for Draisaitl, two PWHL teams get new homes, two more Memorial Cup bids were made, the Ottawa Senators will be on the golf course all year, a European team makes a big ask of their fans, and we'll give our own thanks and show appreciation for everyone who has tuned in at some point over the last twelve years. It's another busy show with lots to discuss, so join Teebz and Jason for Season 12's final show tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The new UMFM website's online streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store. It's a solid app.

If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason discuss senseless losses, ludicrous money, new homes, new options, sponsorship money, fans' hard-earned money, twelve seasons of madness, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: September 5, 2024: Episode 624

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Senators On The Links

I'm not one who would normally say that the Ottawa Senators logo looks good, but it's hard deny that it doesn't look good when golfer Brooke Henderson is wearing it. As much as it's a common joke in Canada to mention that you can find the Senators on the golf course in April and May, it seems that logo will be seen a lot more on the golf course after Henderson and the Senators announced a multi-year partnership today that will see Henderson using the Senators logo and branding on her golf towels and water bottles during LPGA tournaments. Frankly, that's a pretty cool partnership between Canada's best female golfer and the team for which she cheers, and I'm excited to see Brooke take the course with the red-and-black colours of the Senators!

The agreement also sees the 26 year-old golfer and her caddie, sister Brittany, wear the Senators' colours for one day during each tournament, so the Ottawa Senators will have their branding everywhere during LPGA tour stops if Henderson continues to play as well as she has in the past. She's a two-time major tournament winner, has 13 LPGA Tour wins, and has been named as the Canadian Press' female athlete of the year three times. Clearly, the Senators are partnering with one of the best on the links.

Henderson, who is from Smiths Falls, Ontario, told reporters, "I'm super excited to team up and partner with the Senators. It's such a cool opportunity. Growing up, I played hockey, I loved hockey, and I always cheered for the Senators, so it feels like a perfect fit. Just being involved with an organization that has world class athletes who, every day, are pursuing their dreams and pushing themselves, I think it's really neat to partner up with them, and I'm excited to see where it goes."

Partnering with the Ontario-born Henderson seems like a no-brainer for the Senators, but the Senators are wise to bring in a local sports star to help sell their brand. While everyone knows Tkachuk, Stützle, and Giroux, it helps to reach into other sports and markets to attract fans back to the team. Brooke's appeal can't be denied as she's a champion, a local Canadian, and a well-known name in Canada.

"We are so happy to collaborate with Brooke on this partnership," said Ottawa Senators owner Michael Andlauer. "Brooke's spirit, values and determination embody what our Ottawa-Gatineau community is all about."

This seems like a pretty good win-win for both sides in this partnership, and it's already been reported that the Senators will honour Henderson this season during their "Women in Sport" night. There were no other collaborations mentioned at this time, but I can't imagine the Senators will pass up on any opportunity to have Brooke Henderson at the Canadian Tire Centre for any reason. After all, she's a fan of the Senators, so why not make her a part of any and all marketing opportunities where possible?

In the end, this is one of those partnerships where both sides will benefit. How much remains to be seen, but there's absolutely nothing that I can see going wrong considering how Brooke lives her life and plays the game of golf while the Senators continue to show a youth movement that should have a lot of fans salivating. Wins on both sides will help elevate each other, so I consider this deal between Henderson and the Senators the first win in what appears to be a long partnership if everything goes right.

It isn't often that an NHL team can boast the signing of one of the best golfers on the planet, but the Senators can do that today with this easy tap-in of a deal. The best part is that they didn't even have to miss the playoffs to have their team on the golf course!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Two More Enter The Fray

It's still a long way off, but 2026 will likely be here before we know it. As English poet and author Geoffrey Chaucer said, "Time waits for no man," and that holds true for the WHL teams who want to bid on hosting the 2026 Memorial Cup as well. Three teams threw their names into the mix earlier this summer, and it seems two more teams will test those three bids as the Medicine Hat Tigers and the Spokane Chiefs have made it official that they will bid to host the 2026 Memorial Cup as well! Are these bids better than any of the others we've seen? Let's take a look and find out!

The five-time WHL champions and two-time Memorial Cup champions in the Medicine Hat Tigers threw their name into the mix on July 31 in an effort to host the Memorial Cup tournament. The Tigers always seem to have a solid teams as they've missed the playoffs only twice since winning the Memorial Cup in 2004. However, that success is tempered as they've only advanced past the second round of the WHL Playoffs four times in the last twenty years. Medicine Hat has never hosted a Memorial Cup tournament in their history, but they have won the trophy twice - 1987 and 1988 - while playing in five total Memorial Cup tournaments, including 1973, 1987, 1988, 2004, and 2007. If they are successful, they would be the sixth Alberta-based team to host the event and the first since Red Deer in 2016.

As we know, hosting a tournament of this magnitude comes with costs, and the city of Medicine Hat is backing the Tigers in their bid to the tune of $1.25 million in cash and $655,000 through "in kind" services. That amount of money puts them ahead of Lethbridge in the spending, but it's not just money that makes a tournament happen. Medicine Hat has some experience with big tournaments as they were one of the cities that hosted the 2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, and they certainly have a bigger population than Brandon when it comes to recruiting volunteers and filling the arena. That arena is Co-op Place, and the 7100-seat venue opened in 2015 so it's still relatively new compared to a few other venues.

"Hosting a tournament of this magnitude has the potential to have an enormous economic impact for both the City of Medicine Hat and the South Eastern Alberta Region," stated Tigers President Darrell Maser. "Being able to host the 2026 Memorial Cup on home ice would be a great experience for all Tigers' fans."

One day before Medicine Hat made their bid intention known, we got a US city in the WHL to enter the picture! The Spokane Chiefs made their announcement on July 30, and they're looking to host the tournament for the second time in their history after welcoming the CHL and its fans to Spokane in 1998. The Chiefs have had success as they're two-time Memorial Cup champions in 1991 and 2008, and they've played in three tournaments including 1991, 1998, and 2008. Ironically, the Chiefs were sold to two men in 1990 who had significant ties to the 1987 Medicine Hat Tigers' Memorial Cup win in Bryan Maxwell and Tim Speltz, and the Chiefs, under their leadership and vision, became the second US-based team in CHL history to win the Memorial Cup in 1991.

A lot has changed since 1998 when Spokane last hosted the tournament, but they do have the support of Spokane County, the Spokane Public Facilities District, and the city of Spokane in their quest to host the 2026 tournament. There has yet to be any financial commitments or pledging of funds of any kind for the Chiefs' bid, but it seems the entire Spokane community is in favour of this bid. Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, run by the Spokane Public Facilities District, was opened in 1995 so the building is older, but the arena seats 10,366 for hockey, making it one of the bigger venues in the WHL. It also has a state-of-the-art audio and video system and a 350° color LED ribbon board, so it's among the tops in the WHL when it comes to technology which is exactly what the CHL looks for in a host venue. Might that put them ahead of other venues?

"This is a very exciting time for our players, staff, fans, organization, and the city of Spokane," Chiefs General Manager Matt Bardsley said. "We strongly believe that we have a team that will consist of elite level players, strong depth throughout the lineup and a coaching and training/equipment staff that will maximize our ability to be a top team not only in the WHL but in the CHL. With the combination of our team, arena, organization, and community support, I know that as 2026 Memorial Cup hosts, we can provide a world class event with one of the top teams in the WHL and CHL."

I won't lie that I'm still pulling for Brandon to win the honour of hosting the 2026 Memorial Cup, but both Medicine Hat and Spokane present very good options when it comes to putting the tournament there. While no one is counting out either of Lethbridge or Kelowna yet, having the large population of Spokane and their impressive venue jump into the bidding process makes things tougher while Medicine Hat has shown it has the capabilities of hosting international hockey while having one of the best young teams with star player Gavin McKenna being draft eligible in 2026. Clearly, things just got a lot more complicated for the selection committee!

With these five teams all in the mix, there are pros and cons to each one of their hosting bids. As we know, the winning bid will be announced by the CHL in late November, and the next stages of the bidding process are already underway as these teams prepare to impress the CHL and its selection committee. Of these five teams, one will stand alone in November after impressing the judges and standing apart from the other bids as the 2026 Memorial Cup host!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

HBIC Music Festival: Day Three

With it being Labour Day today in Canada, I plan on taking it easy and doing very little. There is definitely some stuff I want to get done, but I don't want to spend all day in front of a computer screen. That being said, I will also have the latest episode of The Hockey Show posted after I took this weekend for mostly myself, so check that page from last Thursday out as Jason and I had some good discussions once again. On this day, though, we take a peek at the non-NHL jerseys worn by musicians that I found over the last few months as the make-believe HBIC Music Festival wraps up for another season!

Once more, the full list of musicians holding or wearing a hockey jersey can be found here, and the list just keeps getting more and more impressive with the additions being made. If you have photos of a musician wearing or holding a jersey, send them through to me and I'll get them posted with you getting credit! I'm always open to more submissions than less, so let's make this "Musicians in Jerseys" list as comprehensive as we can!

We'll go international first as I discovered this photo recently thanks to a user named Knipil. Gil Moore from Triumph is pictured wearing a Team Sweden jersey as Triumph played in Sweden in 2008, and Knipil used it for Gil Moore's Wikipedia page! Speaking of Canadian rock bands, I had mentioned Monster Truck in this series, and they make a return with their visit to the United Kingdom as they were given jerseys from the EIHL's Glasgow Clan and the Nottingham Panthers! Those are pretty sweet jerseys!

We move to the AHL where we get some old, some news, and four new musicians who have AHL devotion now! We'll start with Season 22's winner of American Idol in Abi Carter who was honoured at a Coachella Valley Firebirds game where she got her own jersey! Chris Stapleton toured through Winnipeg, and he got to meet Manitoba Moose defenceman Jimmy Oligny and family who presented him with his own Moose jersey! Morgan Wallen's latest tour took him to many places, and one of those places was Abbotsford, BC where the AHL Canucks gave him a jersey! Monster Truck has been touring for a while, and one of their stops took them to Hamilton, Ontario where the AHL Bulldogs outfitted them AND they met Don Cherry! Finally, we'll go back a few years for this one, but Nickelback must have played Houston, Texas at some point when the Aeros were still in town because they all got jerseys!

Canadian major junior hockey picked up some new musical fans as well. Nickelback was back on the scene in Quebec City where the QMJHL's Remparts set them up with jerseys. Heather Rankin, who is part of The Rankin Family musical group, is well-known on the east coast for her work as a musician and actress, but she donned her QMJHL Cape Breton Screaming Eagles jersey as she calls Cape Breton home!

A couple of universities had their jerseys on musicians as well. Jessica Meuse, who came in fourth-place on the 13th season of American Idol, is originally from Alabama, and she has an Alabama Crimson Tide hockey jersey! The late Toby Keith was a huge Oklahoma Sooners football fan, but he also came out to support the hockey team when he could! How cool is that?

Finally, there are a few jerseys that don't fit into the categories above, so let's take a look at who wore what team. I just mentioned that Jessica Meuse was from Alabama and likes hockey, so of course she owns an SPHL Birmingham Bulls jersey with them calling Pelham, Alabama home! We'll stay in the SPHL as country music artist Hardy toured through Huntsville, and he got himself a Havoc jersey! Joey Braxton is a country music artist who is from Florida, and he showed his devotion to the three-time ECHL champion Florida Everblades by donning their colours and writing them a hype song! Finally, you know Drake has a closet full of jerseys, but I wasn't expecting to see him in a John Purves' IHL San Francisco Spiders jersey! If I'm not mistaken, that might be a game-worn jersey too!

With the end of this weekend series of posts, that's every photo I've found, been sent, and stumbled across in the last few months where a musician is wearing or holding a hockey jersey. I'll do another one of these when I have a collection that needs to be cleared out like the one this weekend, but hoopefully that's a fun crossover of hockey and music for you to peruse.

Now, I'm taking the rest of the day off. Enjoy your Labour Day, folks!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

HBIC Music Festival: Day Two

We'll continue on this Sunday of the September long weekend in looking at all the musicians who were wearing jerseys of various hockey teams once again. I always find it fascinating to see how many artists have accepted jerseys in order to pump up civic pride when they're on stage, and it amazes me that some artists have so many jerseys in their collections. What do Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, and Snoop Dogg do with all their jerseys? We know Snoop Dogg wears his jerseys occasionally, but Bieber and Swift seem to put them in the back of their respective closets. Anyway, let's get into the second day of this make-believe music festival here on HBIC!

Just as a reminder, the full list of musicians holding or wearing a hockey jersey can be found here, and the list just keeps getting more and more impressive with the additions being made. If you have photos of a musician wearing or holding a jersey, send them through to me and I'll get them posted with you getting credit! I'm always open to more submissions than less, so let's make this "Musicians in Jerseys" list as comprehensive as we can!

The New Jersey Devils have some younger artists wearing their gear who may appeal to a younger generation, and it seems that trend will continue as the Jonas Brothers were gifted a set of Devils jerseys while Joe Jonas was spotted wearing a Stadium Series jersey under his jacket! Drummer Max Weinberg is a longtime member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, and he was wearing the 2024 Stadium Series jersey as well! You may not know them, but The Gaslight Anthem is a rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, and they showed their devotion to the in-state NHL team as guitarist Alex Rosamilia donned the Devils' colours!

I know nothing about Detroit-born rapper WB Nutty other than his lyrics likely mean his album should have a warning label on it, but here he is in a New York Islanders jersey. Country musician Thomas Rhett seems pretty pumped to wear the Islanders' colours! I've never heard of Bobby Shmudra either, but the American rapper seems pretty excited about being at an Islanders game! I first thought Madison Beer was a social media influencer only to find out she's a platinum-selling artist, but she's also a New York Islanders fan! Maria Clifton seems to wear many hats as she's a former professional basketball player, a model, an actress, and an on-air personality, but she often spends evenings as DJ Ria where she spins records when she's not cheering on the Islanders in her jerseys!

The New York Rangers get a lot of artists wearing their gear as well as Madison Square Garden is the busiest venue in the world. Two of those people who were seen wearing NYR colours include RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan and, once again, Daniel Bjornson in his jersey collage photo.

Nicholas Durocher grew up in Ottawa, Ontario where the young man honed his skills, eventually becoming the artist known as Talk. The indie rocker is a huge fan of his hometown team as he wore his Daniel Alfredsson Ottawa Senators jersey in concert, and it appears the entire Senators team signed his jersey at some point as well! How cool is that?

We have a couple of entries in San Jose where Tara Sloan is doing some fine work for the Sharks. The Joydrop frontwoman was wearing the Sharks' alternate jersey in this photo! Joining Tara is the Daniel Bjornson jersey collage!

Country music strikes again as Chris Lane played a show in St. Louis where he wore the Blues' note! American rock band OAR - standing for Of A Revolution - has played shows all over the continent, but frontman Marc Roberge took to the stage wearing the Blues' colours while in St. Louis!

Tampa Bay even gets an appearance in this post thanks to Daniel Bjornson sporting the Lightning jersey in his jersey collage photo!

The Toronto Maple Leafs have a long list of musicians who have worn their threads, and we'll get one new artist today while another opted for a variation on the jersey. American country musician Morgan Wallen went with the Maple Leafs' blue when he was in town, and Snoop Dogg went for the variation on a jersey as he donned the Bieber-designed black Leafs jersey! This may have lowered Snoop Dogg's credibility as a hockey fan (I'm kidding!).

The Vancouver Canucks get a couple of new additions to their list. Charlton Kenneth Jeffrey Howard grew up in Waterloo, Australia before adopting the name The Kid Laroi where the rapper broke onto the music scene. His stop in Vancouver resulted in him receiving a personalized Canucks jersey! And, because he hasn't been mentioned in a paragraph, Daniel Bjornson is back with his jersey collage!

There's something about Canadian crooners and Las Vegas that goes hand-in-hand, it seems, as Celine Dion had a long stay in Vegas where she got a jersey, and we can now add Ottawa-born Paul Anka to the list after the Golden Knights gifted him a personalized jersey!

I had to jump into the time machine for this next image, but Jimmy Buffett has been on one of these lists. We can add a much younger Jimmy Buffett to a second time now as he appeared in Washington Capitals jersey in concert at some point in his career!

We get to the busiest section of the last two days as the Winnipeg Jets were spreading their logo around by handing out jerseys to everyone! American country singer Bailey Zimmerman got himself a 2022-23 Reverse Retro jersey. His touring partner on that concert circuit was Morgan Wallen who also came away with some Jets' home threads during a stop here. Noah Kahan visited the Jets for a game and a concert and ended up with a cap and a jersey. Hip hop Indigenous group Winnipeg's Most showed up to the Indigenous Music Awards wearing 1980s and 1990s Jets jerseys! I believe this is RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan in the Jets' RCAF Centennial jersey (thanks, Chris M.!). Punjabi musician Diljit Dosanjh already has a home Jets jersey, but the Jets went one step further in giving him a South Asian Heritage jersey! Daniel Greaves is the frontman for The Watchmen, and he's a huge Jets fan whether he's singing anthems at the games or watching while he's bartending at his bar, Motel, in Toronto! And because he needs to be mentioned again, Winnipeg-born Daniel Bjornson finally gets a place where he can show off his home jersey, his 2016 Heritage Classic jersey, his 2021 Reverse Retro jersey, his Aviator alternate jersey, and his 1990s Jets jersey with current road jersey hanging on the wall!

Ok, that's all the NHL teams I have in the folder of images of musicians wearing jerseys. That doesn't mean we're done, though, as we'll break into all the minor league and international jerseys tomorrow! Join me here for Day Three of the HBIC Music Festival as we wrap up this look at all the musicians who have hockey jerseys as well as closing the book on the long weekend!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!