Showing posts with label World Junior Championships. Show all posts
Showing posts with label World Junior Championships. Show all posts

Thursday, 8 January 2026

The Hockey Show - Episode 694

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back tonight to do a full autopsy on the results of the World Junior Championship that recently wrapped up in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. There's a lot to discuss about Canada's finish, the overall attendance at the tournament, and why this tournament seems to be on the decline, but our hosts will take a shot at all of that tonight in a conversation that is sure to stir up some emotions and chatter among listeners. In short, it should be a good show with lively discussion once more tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Despite this lonely fan wearing one of the best jerseys in all of sports, Teebz and Jason will discuss why Canada seems to be falling back into the pack when they were hockey leaders for so long. After that conversation, our hosts look at the attendance problems that are becoming more apparent with every passing tournament, they have some Spengler Cup news, they discuss jerseys and capitalism, there's another outdoor game in 2027, and there was a player who passed away yesterday whose NHL record will likely never be touched. It should be a show filled with discussion and maybe a few fireworks as we dig into Canadian culture 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 UMFM website's 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.

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! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason talk bad systems, bad attendance, improving tournaments, bad jerseys, good jerseys, bad events, unbreakable records, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: January 8, 2026: Episode 694

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Friday, 26 December 2025

Avoiding All The Malls

I've never understood the need to go shopping the day after Christmas. Boxing Day is normally when a lot of stuff, including boxes, makes its way out to the recycle bins and garbage bins, but the idea of going to get more stuff after receiving gifts the day before makes no sense to me. I would hope that there are no sales bigger than Rome considering how large that city is, but there are clearly those who enjoy the rush of getting that deal that my brain just doesn't comprehend. I found it funny when it was suggested that a larger TV might be needed through a Boxing Day sale with all the hockey that will be on this weekend because even that seems ludicrous when it comes the season of giving we just went through. Of course, if you're one of those people who need to engage in Boxing Day shopping, I wish the best, but I'll be at home watching international hockey all day!

The Spegler Cup's opening game between HC Fribourg-Gottéron and HC Sparta Praha was a solid start to the tournament as Fribourg-Gottéron began its title defence with a 5-2 win. Goaltender Rito Berra was sharp while Attilio Biasca was the surprise star of the game with a pair of goals through 38 minutes to stake Fribourg-Gottéron to a 2-0 lead. Biasca has nine goals through 29 games this season, so having him step up is a good sign for the Dragons. It was 4-0 before Praha found a goal with ten minutes to play by Pavel Kousal, but Fribourg-Gottéron earned three points in the 5-2 victory.

The first game at the IIHF World Junior Championship was far more entertaining that I thought it was going to be as Sweden and Slovakia met at the Grand Casino Arena (that's a terrible name, by the way). A scoreless first period where Slovakia started slow and looked better as the period went on led into the second period where Anton Frondell put the Swedes up 1-0 before Victor Eklund made it a 2-0 on the power-play. With five seconds to play in the middle frame, Slovakia would get on the board as Tomas Pobezal scored on the power-play to send it to the third period with Sweden up 2-1!

It seemed like the unlikely may happen when Slovakia tied the game at the 10:55 mark when Tobias Tomik scored, but Sweden would score with 3:57 to play when Ivar Stenberg found twine to make it 3-2 Sweden, and that's how this game would finish. Honestly, Slovakia deserved a better fate than zero points in this game after hanging with the Swedes who, on paper, should have won this game handily, but that's why the games are played. Slovakia showed that teams who are ready for the challenge have a shot in this tournament!

The Spengler Cup version of Team Canada took the ice this afternoon against the US Collegiate Selects, and I don't think anyone knew what to expect from the university-aged kids. I'll fully admit that I was wrong in watching this team because they impressed me despite not scoring enough today. Canada scored three times in 6:41 in the second period to take a 3-0 lead in this game, but everything after the midway point of this game felt like the US Collegiate Selects team was in control of this game as they looked, at times, dominant.

I'll fully admit that I was wrong about this US team not being able to generate enough offence against the professional players because after Jack Musa made it 3-2 with just oer ten minutes to play, it was tense every time the US team came down the ice. Once they settled into the game, their players were flying, attacking with speed and purpose, making good passes and decisions, and defended as tenaciously as any other team in the tournament. Canada would win this game by that 3-2 score, but no one should sleep on this US Collegiate Selects team because they are as deep and talented as the other five teams in the tournament. And they play Davos tomorrow.

Team USA is currently battling Germany at the World Junior Championship and Team Canada has a big challenge ahead of them in Czechia, so I'm going to watch those games. I didn't watch the Finland-Denmark game that Finland won 6-2, but it looked like the Finns were in control in that game. I was invested in Canada's Spengler Cup game at that point, so my allegiance to the flag won out over a Nordic hockey battle. Sorry, Finns and Danes.

It's the most wonderful time of the year, as Andy Williams told us, as hockey is seemingly on TV for more than 12 hours per day! Enjoy the Spengler Cup and the IIHF World Junior Championship, folks!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Thursday, 25 December 2025

The Hockey Show - Episode 692

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back on the biggest day of the Christian calendar as we have a Christmas show! There are two major tournaments starting tomorrow, so there will need to be some discussion on those tournaments and some of the details baked into them. There's also a very good chance that a North American hockey league will pause games tomorrow due to CBA negotiations falling apart, so our hosts have lots to talk about on this Christmas Day. We don't expect you to cut out of family dinner, but if you're waiting for it to hit the table, turn the radio on, tune in, and listen to some hockey chatter tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason kick things off by talking about how focusing on Team Canada's goal song at the World Junior Championship is just dumb. Following that, they focus on the finances of the World Junior Championship when it comes to where the money goes, the Spengler Cup rosters and players you may recognize from the other teams, and they talk about the potential ECHL strike that seems almost certain to begin tomorrow on Boxing Day. For a fun and festive day, there are some serious topics to be discussed, so make sure you settle in around the radio or internet device 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 UMFM website's 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.

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! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason chat song importance, big money, shared profits, European hockey, familiar names, failing negotiations, potential strikes, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: December 25, 2025: Episode 692

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Thursday, 18 December 2025

The Hockey Show - Episode 691

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, was all set and ready for a night of laughs and hockey action while being live at a local rink, but Mother Nature had other ideas as Winnipeg was walloped by a snowstorm last night. Since then, it feels like I've been chasing my tail in trying to ensure plans are still on, coming up with contingency plans, and figuring out whether traveling to anywhere is worth the effort. The good news is that we figured it all out by 3pm CT today - yes, we cut it close! - but we'll be talking hockey tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

We'll start with the live broadcast being cancelled due to traveling anywhere in the city or coming into the city was treacherous to say the least. With Teebz and Jason settled at their humble abodes, they discuss the 2028 World Junior Championship location that was named this week, the ridiculous saga into which the EIHL's Fife Flyers have gotten themselves, a similar situation with the EIHL's Sheffield Steelers, an interesting study was done on youth hockey helmets, and there was a massive trade in the NHL. All of these topics are examined 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 UMFM website's 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.

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! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason chat tournament locations, bad signings, smart releases, terrible decisions, protecting brains, saving money, trading a superstar, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: December 18, 2025: Episode 691

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Thursday, 4 September 2025

The Hockey Show - Episode 676

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back with a pile of stuff to discuss thanks to several teams and franchises jumping into the fashion world with new designs and branding. I have no idea who is green-lighting some of these rather terrible ideas when it comes to how teams want to look on the ice, but people smarter than me must know fashion a lot better despite their final designs being totally unnecessary for the overall fit of their brand. In any case, expect some discussions on Back to School looks on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason get down to business by looking at the new branding and logo introduced by the Manitoba Bisons while discussing their thoughts on the rebrand. They'll also look at the Carolina Hurricanes' new road jersey, the Seattle Kraken's new alternate jersey, the official unveiling of the Ottawa Senators' alternate jersey, Quebec City being the place for international tournaments, the new NHL Stanley Cup salary cap, and there was a winner crowned in the AIHL. There's lots to go over as we summon our Mr. Blackwell-like fashion senses for some chatter and laughter 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 UMFM website's 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! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason chat new jerseys, new logos, bad ideas, big tournaments, new rules, new champions, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: September 4, 2025: Episode 676

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Tuesday, 13 May 2025

Summer Concert Nights - Part Two

We're back for the second day of the concert series featuring musicians in jerseys after seeing Tate McRae, Max Kerman of the Arkells, and Noah Kahan headline the images yesterday. I've always wondered if these musicians put their jerseys into storage somewhere for a future charity auction or potentially as something to sell to fans when their careers slow down, but no musicians have ever come forward to comment on that. I'm still holding out hope that Taylor Swift will want to talk hockey jerseys on The Hockey Show at some point, but I feel like this topic isn't high on her list of interview subjects. In any case, here are the next musicians, and the full list of musicians in jerseys can be seen here!

We'll start with a Canadian-fronted band as we have to go back a few years, but Neil Young and Crazy Horse have been making music since 1968 when they first got together. Neil Young has been on the full list a few times, but we can add Crazy Horse bassist Billy Talbot to the list as he played a gig in a Minnesota North Stars jersey! After suffering a stroke in 2014, the good news is that Talbot is back to his rocking ways with Crazy Horse once more.

Breaking Benjamin has been producing rock songs since 1999 when the formed in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, but they've gone through a pile of changes when it comes to band members over the years. Since 2014, guitarists Jasen Rauch and Keith Wallen have been part of the band's lineup, and they were in Nashville to catch a Predators game where they received their own personalized jerseys! Another person who got a personalized jersey from the Predators? That would be Lauren Alaina who was the runner-up on the tenth season of American Idol! The 30 year-old singer-songwriter also appeared on Dancing with the Stars where she finished in fourth-place, and is the youngest member of the Grand Ole Opry! American country band Shenandoah also got to sing the anthem at a game, but they've been making music since 1984!

Shinedown isn't a Pittsburgh-based band as they were formed in Jacksonville, Florida, but Shinedown front man Brent Smith got a Penguins jersey when the band came to town! In February 2024, Smith announced that the band was working on its eighth studio album, so we could more Shinedown on these lists in the future if they do a tour to promote this new album. Joining Smith on the Penguins' musician fans list is *NSYNC's Chris Kirkpatrick who is a self-professed Penguins fan after growing up near the city. I'm surprised we haven't seen him in a Predators jersey considering he lives there.

The defending champs have a few musical fans this time. The Florida Panthers welcomed pop and country artist Cassadee Pope to their arena as the 35 year-old was the first female winner of The Voice in 2012. Older music fans will know our next artists's mom from her work with the Miami Sound Machine, but Gloria Estefan's daughter, Emily Estefan, produced and released her own album entitled "Take Whatever You Want" in 2017! Pop singer-songwriter Gina Miles also is a Panthers fan after showing her talents by winning Season 23 of The Voice, and VËR - short for "Vered" meaning "Rose" in Hebrew - is a Montreal-born singer based in Miami where she's sang for the Panthers while entertaining folks with her sultry, intimate jazz-inspired renditions of classic songs. The Panthers were singing "This Is How We Do It" after winning the Stanley Cup last season, and they had Montell Jordan in their colours earlier in the season!

The New Jersey Devils are back in the music game as Gina Teschke sang the anthem for the Devils while establishing her music theatre and acting career. 1990s adolescent rap duo Kriss Kross, fronted by Chris Kelly and Chris Smith, were also known to rock the Devils' colours in their time among the various jersey they wore.

Darren "Buff Love" Robinson was part of the rap group known as "The Fat Boys" before his passing in 1995, but he was one of the early adopters of hockey jerseys as part of the rap culture, seen here sporting the Edmonton Oilers logo! Canadian rockers Our Lady Peace also came through Edmonton, and they received their own personalized jerseys. Singer Raine Maida needs to turn his around!

Glass Animals' frontman Dave Bayley was caught giving the thumbs-up in his Detroit Red Wings 2014 Winter Classic jersey. OneRepublic drummer Eddie Fisher was supporting the Detroit Red Wings at Bud Light NHL All Star Concert at The Tabernacle on January 24, 2008 in Atlanta during their performance! Good ol' Thrashers days!

Deadmau5 is a Canadian artist, and he was invited to the Air Canada Centre in 2016 where he took part in the opening ceremony for the Toronto Maple Leafs 100th season! Dinah Jane is probably better known as a member of the popular girl group, Fifth Harmony, but she was invited to sing the anthems in Toronto before the 2024 NHL All-Star Skills competition! Canadian Juno award-winning rapper Haviah Mighty performed during a November 2024 game at the Scotiabank Arena. James Hetfield of Metallica was gifted a Wendel Clark jersey by Wendel Clark himself! Toronto can also add Sabrina Carpenter to their list of fans after she sported the jersey while in the city!

I know nothing about her music, but Emei is an alternative/indie pop artist who apparently appreciates the Tampa Bay Lightning! She competed on Chinese Idol where she placed third, Dancing with the Stars in China, and was a member of the a cappella group Mixed Company while attending Yale! SHe released third album, "RABBITHOLE", in November 2024. English pop band The 1975 have been making music since 2002, and they got the jersey treatment when they stopped at Amalie Arena. How cool is it that they used the same number font for The 1975 name on the back? Well done, Lightning, but only one jersey for four guys? What the heck?

Another artists with whose wore I'm not familiar is Josh Waters, but the young man is a St. Louis Blues fan! He has worn other sports' colours, but his chosen hockey team comes from Missouri! One artist who grew up with the Blues is SZA, and she sported a Brett Hull Blues jersey in Drake's "Rich Baby Daddy" music video.

Kevin Oliver is a "skilled vocalist as well as the consummate guitar player and session musician" who has worked with a number of bands, artists, and companies on projects and commercials, and he lent his talents to the Pre-Game Party at the 2015 NHL All-Star Game in Columbus, Ohio where he sported a Blue Jackets jersey!

I know nothing of his music or his scene, but King Boss LA is an Anaheim Ducks fan based on his jersey choice!

Linkin park has recently started making new music and touring again after adding Emily Armstrong as a vocalist, and they were in Raleigh where they got Carolina Hurricanes jerseys for their appearance! Carolina also likes to invite celebrities to ring their storm alarm, and American country singer Scott McCreery was one of the celebrities they invited! I expect more musicians in the future.

Canadian country singer Madeline Merlo met with her fans while in Nashville where she sported her Vancouver Canucks jersey! Considering she's from Maple Ridge, BC, she was supporting her hometown team! Sideone, a Canadian band that prides themselves on being a cover band, was invited to perform at the 2014 Tim Hortons Heritage Classic where they sported the throwback Vancouver jerseys! Check out their awesome YouTube video that explains who they are and what they do. I can see why they're successful!

Germany has produced a number of well-known artists in their time, and Sarah Connor is a pop singer who has been on the radio and on stages in Germany since 2000. The fun part? She appeared on a German game show called "Who steals my show?", according to Reddit. Redditor Grizzly-Berry posted a shot of Connor on the show wearing a Boston Bruins Pastrnak jersey! Speaking of international additions, Chinese singer and actress Juke Junyi was at the 2018 NHL game held in China between Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames where she wore Bruins colours. The 37 year-old was the third-place finisher on the very first edition of The Voice in China!

I feel like this is almost blasphemy, but it might fit the 1970s rock scene of rebellion. Triumph's Rik Emmett is boldly wearing a Montreal Canadiens jersey shirt despite him being born in Toronto. Mike Levine, guitarist for Triumph, has been pictured in both Calgary and Toronto jerseys, so maybe that balances it out?

Australian singer, songwriter, and rapper The Kid Laroi was on tour with Tate McRae at points, and their paths crossed in Washington where he got his own personalized Capitals jersey. He also picked up a Panthers jersey when he performed in Sunrise prior to Game One of last year's Stanley Cup Final, but his jersey collection is significantly smaller than his on-again/off-again partner Tate McRae's collection.

Speaking of McRae, let's add another one to her collection as she was a celebrity captain for the 2024 NHL All-Star Game. That game saw her, Michael Bublé, Chxrry22, the aforementioned The Kid Laroi, Owen Riegling, Loud Luxury, and Justin Bieber all get NHL All-Star jerseys. Garth Brooks was on-hand for the 2008 NHL All-Star Game where he got a jersey as well.

Before we end this look at a pile of musicians with new threads, we need to stop in the international jersey department. I mentioned Raine Maida above, but his wife was invited to sing at the Four Nations Face-Off as Chantal Kreviazuk wore her Canadian jersey. Sofia Camara is a 23 year-old pop star born in Portugal, but who has lived nearly her whole life in Toronto. She's sang anthems, she's signed by Universal Music, and she wore a Team Canada jersey in a publicity photo as her version of of Nickelback's "What Are You Waiting For?" became the official 2025 IIHF World Junior championship song! How cool is that for the young lady?

And in one of the coolest jerseys you'll see, Canadian singer Jugpreet Bajwa sang the anthems at the Vancouver Canucks game in a Team Canada Blind Hockey jersey in 2021! For those asking, Bajwa is multilingual Indo-Canadian classical, folk and rock singer who is visually-impaired, and he crushed the Canadian anthem at the game!

That will do it for the second part of the summer concert updates as the summer concert season will surely get underway as we get closer to June. Of course, if you find any images or want to submit your own pictures, please email me here and you'll get credit! Everyone on this list has been added to the full list of musicians in jerseys, so make sure you check out that list before emailing!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Thursday, 2 January 2025

The Hockey Show - Episode 641

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back in the confines of UMFM's studio where we'll chat some hockey for another hour as the school remains closed for the holiday season. The first show of 2025 is always fun as we break into the new calendar, and the two hosts will certainly get into some business that may ruffle feathers tonight. Of course, you're welcome to join us with your tweets and calls as we open 2025 with some hearty discussion tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Tonight on the program, Teebz and Jason jump directly into why upsets at the World Junior Championship are good for the game and why Canadians better get used to suffering more losses at future tournaments. After that dose of reality, they discuss the Spengler Cup results, the Chicago Blackhawks failing to impress at a Winter Classic once again which should disqualify them from future Winter Classics, how the Jets are the top team to start 2025 and what can be improved, and we look at what the Jets are doing tonight for Ukrainian Heritage Night as traditional Ukrainian Christmas festivities last until January 6! It's a busy show to kick off 2025, so make sure you're settled down by the radio tonight for 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! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason talk upsets, losses, mistakes, disappointments, winners, losers, holidays, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: January 2, 2025: Episode 641

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Thursday, 26 December 2024

The Hockey Show - Episode 640

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back for the final show of 2024! With the calendar flipping to 2025 between shows, our hosts will look at the stories that hit the news this week during the holiday break while looking forward to 2025. Of course, our hosts don't have any way of seeing into the future, so don't expect many predictions outside of things to which they're already committed! It's going to be a relaxed show on this amazing day where Kwanzaa is celebrated, so settle in and have a laugh tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

It is an official holiday in Canada, and Teebz and Jason will be in the studio to discuss the first day of the Spengler Cup competition in Davos, the first day of World Junior Championship competition in Ottawa, why there's nothing "classic" about the Winter Classic, Wayne Gretzky and hockey players in politics, and an upcoming tournament to which UMFM is committed! In short, it's a good day for watching hockey and talking about hockey, and we'll be doing both on this great day where people are celebrating Kwanzaa as we get you set for the next week of hockey 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! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason chat Spengler Cup, World Junior Championship, skipping the outdoor game, politicking, big events, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: December 26, 2024: Episode 640

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Wednesday, 25 December 2024

Two Celebrations Today

Good afternoon, good evening, or even good morning if you're reading this somewhere across the world! December 25, 2024 marks a special day as it is traditionally Christmas for Christian folks, but Jewish people are also celebrating today as Hanukkah begins today. While the gift-giving happened today for those celebrating Christmas, those who are celebrating Hanukkah will have eight nights of peace, light, and happiness to celebrate. For all those celebrating either or both holidays depending on family situations, I hope you find happiness at all points in your life and good health among friends and family!

No post today as I am spending time with family which, in my view, is far more important than some hockey chatter. There will be hockey tomorrow as Canada squares off against HC Davos at the Spengler Cup at 2pm ET/1pm CT on TSN3 while the Canadian junior team gets their tournament started at 7:30pm ET/6:30pm ET against Finland on TSN 1, 4, and 5. If you're cheering for Canada, you get two opportunities!

It should be noted that the early Spengler Cup game sees Fribourg-Gottéron and Dynamo Pardubice meet at 9am ET/8am CT on TSN 3 and 4 while the World Juniors will have Slovakia and Sweden at 12pm ET/11am CT on TSN 1 and 5, USA and Germany at 2:30pm ET/1:30pm ET on TSN 1 and 4, and Czechia and Switzerland meet at 5pm ET/4pm CT on TSN 1 and 5. The full broadcast schedule for both tournaments can be found here. Adjust your calendars accordingly.

I do want to add that there was a comment made on a post from three years ago about the Prince Albert Raiders today on HBIC . This comment had some langauge and accusations thrown at me that would come off as non-festive considering what today represents, and it is rather laughable in terms of the character examination this person did in labelling me with a few terms. Let me state again: this was a comment about my person regarding a post written three years ago about something the team and the WHL did.

Clearly, this person isn't a regular reader, but that's his or her choice to read or not read. What I do want to do is wish this person a happier 2025 because whoever wrote the comment seems quite unhappy. May the season and the new year bring you happier times, commenter. It seems like you could use a bigger dose of smiles.

That being said, I'm off to enjoy a joyous feast, so I hope your day went well and that the celebration around you is merry and loving!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Thursday, 5 December 2024

The Hockey Show - Episode 637

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, finally makes it back into the studio tonight as Teebz is back in snowy Winnipeg, Jason is set for another night of hockey chatter, and the sport gets ready for another set of thoughts and discussion about what happened over the last week. Honestly, with almost every league in the northern hemisphere running at maximum overdrive before the holiday break kicks in, there's a lot to discuss as we'll take a look across the oceans at some of the news there too. In short, get settled in with your radio or internet-connected device tonight for The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Tonight on the program, Teebz and Jason will look at the Four Nations rosters briefly and discuss why this tournament likely will miss the mark when it comes to being "must-watch hockey", the World Junior Championship roster was released by Canada and there were some surprises and omissions, the PWHL is back and Sarah Fillier is living up to her hype, and there was a suspension for a teddy bear toss that needs to be mentioned. Beyond that, Teebz and Jason will update everyone on what's happening in Europe with a focus on former U SPORTS players, and we'll squeeze in anything else we can within the hour we're given! It's another busy show as we jump across the globe, so make sure you're ready to travel 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! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason chat about international rosters, women's hockey, weird suspensions, European hockey, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: December 5, 2024: Episode 637

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Friday, 27 September 2024

Little Retires As A Jet

Rare are the players who spend an entire career with one team, let alone one franchise any longer. There will be some from this era who will wear that honour - Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, and Connor McDavid all seem like locks - but finding guys further down the depth charts who fit that rare situation becomes harder and harder. Bryan Little technically fits the bill despite the Jets trading his contract late in his career, but he wasn't slated to play any games after his eardrum injury. Whatever your thoughts are on Bryan Little's status as a one-franchise guy, Little will now close the book on his successful NHL career by signing a one-day contract in Winnipeg to retire as a Winnipeg Jets forward, correcting the contract trade made by the Jets.

The Jets announced today that they'll celebrate Little's career as both a Thrashers and Jets forward on October 20 when the Pittsburgh Penguins visit Canada Life Centre. The 12th-overall pick in 2006 retires with 217 goals scored and 304 assists added in 843 NHL games. He also added four goals and eight assists in 27 playoff games, all of which came with the Winnipeg Jets.

"It's a great honour that I can retire as a member of the Winnipeg Jets and end my playing career with the organization where I was drafted and played my entire NHL career," Little stated.

"I had the privilege to play in Winnipeg and in front of the amazing fans for nine seasons, so I'm grateful for the opportunity to thank the Jets, their fans and the city of Winnipeg. It will truly be a full-circle moment for my family and I to celebrate my retirement in the building where I have so many special memories."

We shouldn't forget that Little was a key member of the 2007-08 AHL Chicago Wolves team that captured the Calder Cup. While he only played 34 regular season games with the Wolves, he did score nine goals and 16 assists. It was in the playoffs, though, where the 19 year-old Little showed he was ready for a bigger stage after scoring eight goals and four assists in 24 playoff games en route to hoisting the Calder Cup.

2007 also saw Bryan Little hoisting a gold medal as a member of Team Canada's World Junior Championship squad. The team was stacked with talent that year - Jonathan Toews, Brad Marchand, and Sam Gagner - but Little showed his mettle by skating in six games, scoring one goal and one assist in Leksand, Sweden as Canada downed Russia by a 4-2 score in the gold medal game. Little's assist came in a 3-0 win against Slovakia on a Steve Downie power-play goal, and he scored Canada's second goal in the gold medal game, beating Semyon Varlamov with 2:31 to play in the first period.

This followed a very successful junior career with the Barrie Colts where the Edmonton-born Little showed all sorts of promise as a playmaking center. In his four seasons in the OHL with the Colts, Little recorded 153 goals and 189 assists in 247 games, finishing his final two seasons with the sixth-highest scoring totals in the OHL. While Barrie never reached the Memorial Cup in his time there, it was pretty clear that the Colts had a special player among their talent.

Little's career came to a sudden halt, though, on November 5, 2019 when a high slapshot from Jets teammate Nikolaj Ehlers missed the New Jersey net and caught Little on the side of the helmet in the ear. It took some 25-30 stitches to close the cut from the puck, and he was diagnosed with a perforated eardrum once doctors had finished their examination. Despite him trying to skate and continue his career, concussion symptoms continued to plague Little, keeping him from returning to the lineup.

"Bryan Little is a crucial part of the history of this franchise and was a key contributor to the Winnipeg Jets throughout his time in the NHL," Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said. "He was a humble, hardworking player that cared about his teammates and was a quiet, but important leader in the dressing room. Bryan demonstrated tremendous professionalism throughout his time here and it is a true shame that his career was cut short due to injury."

For those who want to trot out the technicalities, Little's contract was traded for salary cap relief along with Nathan Smith to the Arizona Coyotes for their fourth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, but Little never once dressed for the Coyotes. While his contract was moved to the Utah Hockey Club on April 18 this year, it was pretty clear that Little's NHL career as a player was over.

Little will officially retire for the only franchise for which he played, and while he technically lined up down center ice for two teams in the NHL - the Atlanta Thrashers and Winnipeg Jets - he'll always be one of those players who brought his lunchbox to work, put his hard hat on, and gave a full effort every time he stepped on the ice. He wasn't the flashiest guy nor did he cover the scoresheet in ink, but Bryan Little retiring as a Winnipeg Jet feels right.

I don't know what the next steps are for Bryan Little, but he's found another outlet since leaving hockey. Little is now a triathlete who has competed in a number of triathlons, and has fared very well! No one wants to see a pro athlete sidelined, so seeing Little embracing triathlons as his new passion is pretty awesome!

He embodied what it meant to be a Winnipegger on the ice, and he's humble off the ice despite being one of the better players to have worn the jersey. Bryan Little retiring as a Winnipeg Jet closes a chapter for one of the most beloved members of the team, and I look forward to the franchise honouring #18 on October 20 for the countless hours he spent scoring goals, signing autographs, and bringing smiles to faces.

Until next time, raise your sticks high to honour Bryan Little!

Saturday, 25 May 2024

A Non-Neutral Stance

I'm a big fan of the IIHF World Championship tournaments in any format. Whether it's men or women on the ice, seeing nations clash on the ice is always fun for hockey fans when it comes to bragging rights about which country has the best team. The major problem that I have with the IIHF, however, reared its ugly head again today at the end of the Canada-Switzerland contest in Prague, Czechia. There was nothing wrong with the game as the two countries went toe-to-toe in regualtion time for sixty minutes before heading to overtime as neither Canada nor Switzerland could break the 2-2 tie. To solve the problem, the IIHF mandates that team play be suspended with a berth to the gold medal game on the line, and we're treated the dumbest way to break ties: the shootout.

I'm not going to complain that Canada lost and Switzerland won because it's irrelevant in this discussion. Switzerland deserves to play in the gold medal game based on the results of the game, and I'm absolutely content with that. They earned it, so they'll get a shot at bringing home the gold medal. What I struggle with, though, is why the shootout even needs to be a thing at these tournaments. It's not like there are other games scheduled or a time limit on this tournament, yet they opt to decide games in the most anti-team way.

I completely understand the usage of shootouts in the round-robin part of the tournament because it does determine a winner and loser in a three-point game where there are time limits. Having a result that keeps the two-point, extra-time win intact means that the standings get a little crazier in how they look based on how those games end, so having a shootout to end those games is entirely palatable even if I despise everything about the skill competition.

The IIHF oversees country-vs-country competitions, yet they reduce the games to a simple one-on-one when nothing is solved through 70 minutes of play. If we're emphasizing one country's best players versus another's best, shouldn't we embrace the team game more than a breakaway competition? And shouldn't this team concept be emphasized in the medal round where the country with the best team wins the gold medal? I can't remember the last time someone said, "Jonathan Toews won the 2007 World Junior Championship" despite all his shootout goals. Instead, Canada won the championship despite that shootout victory, but the US still should have been able to decide that semifinal game as a team, not as individuals.

When it comes to determining medal colours for countries, the shootout should NOT be used for any reason. Let the teams play, I beg you. There is more than enough time to reset for a second medal-round game that happens, and the results are far more true than having a handful of players determine what medal for which a country will play. You can't ask 20 players to band together and get to a semifinal only to reduce the "team" to six players. That makes no sense, especially when one considers how important depth players become in a high stakes game.

Good luck to Switzerland who will face Czechia in the gold medal game tomorrow. Canada and Sweden will battle for the bronze medal as the 2024 IIHF Men's World Championship wraps up tomorrow. For a tournament that has seen some remarkable plays from a number of teams, reducing teams to a handful of breakaways to determine medals is idiotic.

It's time to retire the shootout in pivotal games.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Tuesday, 2 January 2024

How Successful Were You?

If you missed the news, Canada's run at the World Junior Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden is over. With 11 seconds remaining in the game, an unlucky deflection off a Canadian stick saw the puck end up behind Mathis Rousseau as Canadian hearts sunk and heads were buried in chests. Czechia would win the game, and Canada's hopes of defending their gold medal ended with heartbreak. Of course, people who know this tournament know that hitching the country's wagon to teenagers and 20 year-olds is never wise, but it seems that a number of people decided to take to social media to express their disappointment in this team in ways that are neither healthy or supportive. That's where I stop and have to ask this important question: how successful were you at that age?

It seems like a simple question, but the answer is much more complex when you remember that these young men are often the best scorers on their teams, often the top players in their leagues, often have been drafted by NHL teams or are trying to be drafted by NHL teams, and then have to win a two-week tournament against the best players from the rest of the planet who are facing the same challenges in most cases. These kids have no summers as they're in the gym, working on skills, and meeting with coaches and agents in order to plan their futures. They're eating specific foods and on diets designed for their physical success. Was that your life at age 20?

Not all of these men playing on the Canadian roster will be full-time NHL players either. For every Eric Lindros, there's an Anthony Esposito whose promise in junior makes teams salivate, but who can't quite put it together at the NHL level. That's not to say that neither Lindros nor Esposito didn't have good careers at the levels they reached, but it's impossible to know what an 18 year-old, third-line winger will become when it comes to the NHL. Is what you're doing today the same thing you were doing at 18?

Does losing suck? Absolutely. None of these young men planned on making the quarterfinals before going home empty-handed, but there has to be a winner and a loser and it was one bounce that separated Canada and Czechia today. We've seen other "upsets" happen, and that's the beauty of tournaments like this - anyone can rise to the occasion. Germany beat Finland. Finland beat Sweden. Latvia beat Germany. Czechia beat Canada. The gaps between the countries are closing, and we see that every year. This year was no exception.

Some have made the wild suggestion of re-examining how Hockey Canada chooses this team, and I think we're overreacting if it comes to that. No matter what criteria one wants to use, there will always be questions as to whether the right players went or the best players went or whatever adjective you want to use in front of "players went". All that matters is that 23 of the best players this country has to offer went over to Sweden, competed hard, and did their best. If that result wasn't enough for a medal, I have some news for you: one of USA, Sweden, Finland, and Czechia will come home with nothing to show for their efforts as well.

We need to remember that this is still just a game. The sun will rise in the east tomorrow, you and I will head to work for most of the year, and these kids will return to their junior teams and college teams in the hopes of ascending to that next level of their careers. One tournament where Canada fell short might bother people looking at over medal counts, but try being Norway whose hockey federation isn't funding hockey any longer and the likelihood of Norwegian teams returning to the top division gets much harder. There are things that are bigger than losing a quartefinal game, and keeping things in perspective helps one realize that a group of young men lost a hockey game. Nothing more.

I get being a fan means we live and die vicariously through our favorite teams, and there's a bigger sense of pride when the country's colours are worn on the ice. This isn't lost on me, but the final horn is where we bring things back into perspective, realize that a good group of kids lost a hard-fought game, tip our caps to the opposition, and carry on with life. It's a game, and 23 young men don't need the vitriol spewed by some people who feel they're better hockey experts than the people wearing the red-and-white jerseys. Again, where were you when you were 19?

Look, we can be disappointed that Canada didn't win a medal, but we need to abandon this gold-or-die mentality that we've developed. We're not the only country who produces superstars at various hockey levels any longer. There's a Russian leading the NHL in scoring. There's an American leading the NHL in goals. There's an American defender leading all defenders in scoring. The top-ten in NHL scoring features just two Canadians along with two Russians, two Swedes, two Americans, a Czech, and a Finn. it's not 1970 any longer where the top-20 scorers were 19 Canadians and someone else, and we have to begin to accept this reality.

At age 20, I can tell you that I was working in a gas station as a cashier. For anyone currently doing that, you're an important member of society and I'd never look down on you, but I wanted to be more and to do more. Judding me at where I was at age 20 wouldn't even begin to scratch the surface of where I've reached, but those moments in being a gas station attendant taught me some valuable lessons. I'm quite certain that the young men returning home from Gothenburg have learned lessons, and it would also be very premature to judge them at this stage of their careers because they lost a game.

Social media has removed that element of "living in a glass house" when it comes to throwing stones, but let's put things into perspective for those who want to rip on these young men: where were you at age 19 or 20 that allows you to judge these players? Unless you're buffing your World Junior Championship gold medal while criticizing these young men, it might be time to find a little perspective.

After all, it was a game decided by one bad bounce.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Thursday, 28 December 2023

The Hockey Show - Episode 588

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back for one final time in 2023 as the new calendar will be started next week and things get a lot busier for our hosts! Before we get into 2024, there's a pile of stuff happening in the hockey world this week that needs some examining, and we'll jump into a few topics that should resonate with hockey fans. Whether it be international tournaments, preparations for a new league starting, the NHL getting back into the swing of things, or general hockey craziness, we'll try to squeeze it in tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Teebz and Jason will dive into the World Junior Championship by discussing Canada's 2-0 start at the event, Germany's upset of Finland and why that's good for the game, and why people need to stop complaining about blowouts at these events. They also look at Canada's progress at the Spengler Cup, some of the players who have stood out from that team, and some surprises from the other teams. They'll chat about developments in the PWHL with the season set to start for the first time ever on January 1, the ticket sales in the Canadian markets, and a new partner that may make eyebrows raise. They'll close the show with their weekly Melbourne Moment and announcements, and they'll bid adieu to 2023! It's all goes down 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 is pretty awesome 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. If you use the TuneIn app, you won't be disappointed. 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 chat about good starts, big wins, understanding scores, showing up, walking away, fan support, corporate support, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: December 28, 2023: Episode 588

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Thursday, 16 November 2023

The Hockey Show - Episode 582

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back tonight with all sorts of stories and news that needs to be discussed, dissected, and disseminated - how's that for alliteration? - from the world of hockey! Being a weekly show often means we have more stories than we can cover in a given hour, but we'll do our best to work through all of the major news from the past week as well as tossing in a few announcements and some laughs! It's a busy show tonight, so make sure you're tuned into The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!


After a rather busy morning that had me in a number of locations for actual work, Teebz and Jason will do a little radio work tonight as they look at the NHL venturing into NFTs and why this might be one of the dumbest ideas the league has ever had. Other chatter tonight will include the PWHL's uniform reveal, the Hurricanes going back to 1982, the first Global Series game played earlier this afternoon, another update on the Western Mustangs saga, an update on the Hockey Canada 2018 World Junior team saga, and a pile of coaches doing repugnant things. There are some announcements to be heard, the Melbourne Moment returns, and we'll see if we can squeeze anything else into the hour! Grab a seat, turn on the radio, and get into some hockey talk tonight heard 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 is pretty awesome 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. If you use the TuneIn app, you won't be disappointed. 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 chat bad investments, bad jerseys, bad marketing, games in Sweden, played behaving badly, coaches behaving badly, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: November 16, 2023: Episode 582

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Tuesday, 25 July 2023

Bergeron's Other Jerseys

Patrice Bergeron announced his retirement today, and it goes without saying that we're seeing one of the best players of any era hang up his skates after 19 seasons of touring NHL cities. While people will point to how the likes of Gretzky, Orr, Howe, and Lemieux changed how the game was played in some regards, I don't know if we'll ever see another forward who is so good at both ends of the ice like Bergeron was. He won every tournament in which he played internationally, he is a Stanley Cup champion, and he's been recognized for his commitment to defensive play with six Selke trophies on his mantle. He'll be a first-ballot Hall of Fame player when he becomes eligible for inclusion into the Hall, but it got me thinking about all the different jerseys Bergeron has worn over the years. For a player who played for one team over two decades, the number of jerseys he wore is quite impressive.

I'm less concerned with his junior career, but it should be noted that he skated for the QMJHL's Acadia-Bathurst Titan before hitting the professional ranks. He played just 74 games in the QMJHL, but he was impressive in his short stint there as he scored 23 goals and 51 assists in those games before the Boston Bruins drafted him 45th-overall in the second round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. The only players who played more games than him in the 44 picks before him were Dustin Brown, Ryan Suter, and Eric Staal, and only Staal has more points. Needless to say, Boston got themselves a gem with their second pick in the 2003 draft after they chose Mark Stuart.

Bergeron didn't start in the AHL, but he did play there during the 2004-05 season while the NHL lockout was on. Bergeron had himself a solid season with the Providence Bruins as he scored 21 goals and 40 assists in the 68 AHL games he played in his career. He was named to the AHL All-Star Game, and helped the Bruins reach the AHL Eastern Conference Final before falling to the Philadelphia Phantoms. In 16 AHL playoff games, he scored five goals and 12 points.

Bergeron was also around for the 2012-13 lockout, but he took his skills to the Swiss Alps where he suited up with Lugano for 21 games! I'm not saying that Bergeron was too good for the Swiss League, but his 11 goals and 18 assists were proof that he was one of the better players in the league for his short time in Switzerland. Despite playing in less than half the games, Bergeron still finished fifth in scoring for Lugano, eight points back of second-place and former NHLer Brett McLean who played 50 games!

I don't think anyone ever questioned the leadership that Bergeron showed over his career in Bruins' colours, but he did wear both letters in his time with the black-and-gold. With Zdeno Chara in the lineup, Bergeron was awarded the alternate captaincy in 2006-07 for the first time, and he sported the "A" until 2020-21 when he was awarded the captaincy. For those who may be wondering, Joe Thornton was the captain of the Bruins when Bergeron broke into the league in 2003-04, so Bergeron has only played alongside two captains in his career before assuming the role! The various players with whom he shared the alternate captaincy role included Glen Murray, Aaron Ward, Mark Recchi, Andrew Ference, Chris Kelly, David Krejci, David Backes, and Brad Marchand. That's a solid list of co-captains!

Of course, he was a regular representative in Canada's colours as well, and he still holds the distinction of being the only player to have won an IIHF World Championship gold medal, won in 2004, before winning a IIHF World Junior Championship gold medal which he won in 2005! The only colour of medal he knows from international play is gold - he has never brought home a silver or a bronze medal in any international event. That includes a 2010 Olympic gold medal, a 2012 Spengler Cup, a 2014 Olympic gold medal, and a 2016 World Cup of Hockey gold medal.

He's a member of the Triple Gold club with the Stanley Cup championship that the Bruins won in 2011, but he's also so much more. How many other players can claim a Stanley Cup, a Spengler Cup, an Olympic gold medal, a World Championship gold medal, and a World Junior Championship gold medal on their resumés? That answer is none as the opportunity to play for a Spengler Cup and Olympic medals hasn't been an option for NHL players of today's era.

When I say that there won't be another player like Bergeron possibly ever, it would seem that seeing another playr do what he's done would require elite skill and a touch of poor management. The elite skill is easy to define: six Selke Trophy wins, a record 12-straight finalist nominations, an armful of international medals and championships, and a Stanley Cup championship. Great players get the opportunity to do those things, but there have only been a select few to win a Spengler Cup in the modern era which makes any player's chances of equalling Bergeron's success much harder to do. Let's not forget that it took a lockout for Bergeron to accomplish that feat, and the hope is that the NHL won't need to shut down in the future if there are labour negotiations to be had.

Based on how Bergeron redefined the defensive forward aspect of the game, I'd be willing to table a discussion on him getting the three-year period before induction waived, but I don't sit on the Hall of Fame committee. His body of work is literally unlike any other player's, though, and that's why he'll be a first-ballot Hall of Fame player when he is inducted.

The Bruins lost a player today that they may never find again, but hockey lost the same thing. While it was truly an honour to witness Patrice Bergeron's exceptional career, he will be missed on the ice. His retirement is well-earned after two decades of wowing us with his skills and abilities, though, so enjoy retirement, Patrice, and we'll see you at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony when, not if, they call your name as that honour has been earned!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Thursday, 13 July 2023

The Hockey Show - Episode 564

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, will be talking about a pile of hockey stories on the ol' squawk box tonight. There's been a number of things happening on a number of different fronts in the hockey world, and our hosts will run down the major news stories that caught their attention this week. There's some ECHL news, some U SPORTS news, some former NHL player news, some current NHL jersey number news, and a pile of other stuff that will be discussed. It all starts at 5:30pm CT on The Hockey Show!

On tonight's edition of the program, Teebz and Jason will take a look at the ECHL's announcement of expansion into the southern Lake Tahoe region and how it may allow the ECHL to expand into other markets on the west side of the continent. Beyond that, there have been a pile of former U SPORTS players who have inked deals in the ECHL and the hosts will run down those deals before looking at the sites for the US-based 2026 World Junior Championship that are starting to come into focus, whether expansion is on the horizon for Canada West, the emerging story of a former NHL player seeking citizenship elsewhere, the NHL missing the technology boat by a couple of years, and there are a couple of good jersey stories that need to be told before they wrap up the show. The phones will be open for your thoughts on these matters as it should be another fun show with lots of discussion 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 is pretty awesome 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. If you use the TuneIn app, you won't be disappointed. 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 new teams and opportunities, new players on new teams, potential championship sites, being a turncoat, the speed of technology, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: July 13, 2023: Episode 564

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Monday, 27 March 2023

Call The Eight Men Out

Back in 1988, John Sayles took Eliot Asinof's 1963 book about the Chicago Black Sox's 1919 scandal and converted into a screenplay. Eight Men Out, directed by Sayles, starred John Cusack, Charlie Sheen, David Strathairn, and DB Sweeney in thre all-star cast, and Sayles did a great job in capturing the essence of Asinof's writing. Being that I find the books on which movies are based to be better, that's a pretty lofty amount of praise from me, but the story of how the underpaid 1919 Black Sox accepted bribes to deliberately lose the 1919 World Series shouldn't be lost. Without giving too much away for those who haven't read Asinof's book or seen Sayles' film, eight members of the Black Sox team were ultimately banned for life from baseball over the allegations made despite being acquitted of the crimes in 1921. "Shoeless" Joe Jackson was one of those players.

I bring this up today because of the tagline on the movie's poster seen above. It reads, "The Inside Story of How the National Pastime Became a National Scandal". While baseball is America's "national pastime", hockey certainly would be regarded in the same way as Canada. Being that as it is, Hockey Canada's announcement today that all members of the 2018 Canadian World Junior team will be banned from representing Canada until the 2018 investigation into the sexual assaults that happened in London, Ontario are complete is the right move by the organization.

It's believed that as many as eight of the players on that 2018 team were involved in the alleged sexual misconduct that went on in London. There has yet to be any player who has owned up to the incident, and none of the team have pointed a finger at others who may have been involved. As it stands, 22 players currently will be prevented from wearing Team Canada jerseys until the investigation runs its course.

Honestly, good on Hockey Canada for possibly forcing players to re-evalute their futures. We've seen this kind of pressure placed on groups before where the innocent eventually break their silence to escape the punishment, and that's what needs to happen here. If eight Canadian men on this team were responsible for the sexual assault that took place in London, this will hopefully force players who weren't involved to call those eight men out.

It should be noted that it was suggested when Hockey Canada sat before the Canadian parliamentary committee that the eight men may not all have been part of Team Canada's roster that year. I fully recognize this fact, but the reality of the situation is that the 22 men who made up Team Canada that year have kept silent about who really was involved. That can't be overlooked, and all 22 men should be painted with the same brush until those men who committed the crimes are identified.

As for those players who claim they knew nothing of the crimes, it's on them to start asking questions among their teammates in order to clear their own names. I don't care if this ruins friendships, destroys teams, or creates friction of any kind. There were crimes committed where your silence has and will cost you chances at representing your country, so be the good that people seek in this story by flushing out the bad by forcing those who were involved to step forward.

The names of the 22 banned players are as follows: Maxime Comtois (ANA), Kale Clague (BUF), Dillon Dubé (CGY), Jake Bean (CAR), Boris Katchouk and Taylor Raddysh (CHI), Cale Makar (COL), Sam Steel (MIN), Cal Foote and Dante Fabbro (NAS), Michael McLeod (NJD), Drake Batherson (OTT), Carter Hart (PHI), Jonah Gadjovich (SJS), Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas (STL), Conor Timmins and Victor Mete (TOR), Brett Howden (VGK), Alex Formenton (OTT/Ambrì-Piotta - Switzerland), Tyler Steenbergen (TPS - Finland), and Colton Point (retired). Outside of Point, there are 21 players who could, potentially, wear a Team Canada jersey at some point in their future.

You don't think Team Canada has Cale Makar on their radar for future Olympic Games? We know Canada will consider some or all of Comtois, Dubé, Kyrou, and Thomas for their World Championship team this year. Even the guys playing in Europe - Formenton and Steenbergen - could be asked to play in the Spengler Cup with Canada. All of those opportunities are officially cancelled as long as the eight alleged players remain hidden from the investigation and 22 players continue to hold their silence.

I'm not a religious man by any definition, but I feel that the line in John 8:32 that states "the truth shall make you free" is an apt reminder for a number of the players listed above that they can be free to pursue their hockey passions once more if they tell the truth about what happened in London. In even simpler terms, this is about right-vs-wrong, and the silence - either through not knowing or not asking - is damning when it comes to representing the country on whose watch these crimes were committed.

Some will say Hockey Canada's punishment goes over the line, but I think it will have its intended effect as someone will want more for themselves when it comes to opportunities to play internationally. While that shouldn't be the carrot dangled, it will likely prompt someone to step forward out of the silence to name names, and we might finally put this national scandal to rest. A young woman is still wanting justice, and she may finally get it thanks to the very organization that paid to keep her quiet.

All we need now is for someone to call the eight men out.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!