The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, returns to the studio tonight with a couple of outstanding guests as we continue to shine light on Manitoba's hockey scene! As you may know, we committed to giving Sledge Hockey Manitoba and Team Manitoba parahockey more coverage than they've ever received, and we'll continue that effort tonight by welcoming two players to the studio to talk about recent events with their team and the Sledge Hockey Manitoba teams in general! We'll get the news, info, and results of the tournaments for all the Sledge Hockey Manitoba teams tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!
Tonight, Teebz and Jason are proud, honoured, privileged, humbled, and pleased to welcome two of Team Manitoba's dynamic youth core to the show as Isaac Vint and Henry Bergen will join us! Both players took part in the recent Cross Border Classic that UMFM had the honour of calling, and both Isaac and Henry were in Montreal and Calgary for recent tournaments as Team Manitoba gears up for Nationals! We also have updates about and results from the Manitoba Express junior and intermediate teams in their recent tournaments, and we'll get Isaac's and Henry's thoughts on the Jets battling for their playoff lives, talk about Survivor: NHL Playoffs which starts next week, and more! It's going to be a busy show down at the UMFM studio tonight, so get settled in for some hockey chatter 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 with Isaac Vint and Henry Bergen about Team Manitoba, recent results, going to Nationals, scoring goals, throwing hits, having fun, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!
If anyone wanted a job working in hockey, this might be the year that jobs can be had. We already know the Nashville Predators are hunting for a general manager to replace the outgoing Barry Trotz, the Toronto Maple Leafs need someone for their general manager position, and the New Jersey Devils are looking for someone for their GM office as well. As of today after another somewhat shocking announcement, there's another high-ranking hockey job that will be available at the end of the season, so let's go back to the job board to see who is hiring.
According to the announcement today, Seattle Kraken president Ron Francis has decided to step down from his position after the season concludes next week as the 63 year-old leaves the organization after seven seasons in Seattle. Francis started his Kraken career as the general manager in July 2019, overseeing all of the early franchise decisions including the expansion draft, hiring the first coaches, and helping the Kraken reach the playoffs in their second season.
Francis was promoted to hockey operations president last April after four seasons as the general manager, helping the Kraken to a 142-153-33 record over those five seasons. In just one of the four completed seasons did Seattle post a record better than .500, and they only made the playoffs once. Not surprisingly, both of those happened in 2022-23 when they made the playoffs as the first wild card team, shocking the Colorado Avalanche in seven games before falling to the Dallas Stars in seven games in Round Two.
"Ron and I agreed that this is the right moment to make a thoughtful transition for both Ron and the organization, and move in a new direction," Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke said in a release highlighting Francis' contributions. He added, "We are grateful for his dedication and professionalism, and we wish Ron and his family the very best."
I'm not here to rain on Ron Francis, but he seemed to trade away more talent than he acquired as the GM of the Seattle Kraken. Outside of Kaapo Kaako, every player he traded for between 2021 and 2025 no longer plays for the Kraken. He acquired 21 draft picks in 13 trades, and none of the players selected with those picks have skated in the NHL. Seattle does have seven picks in the first two rounds over the next two drafts, so perhaps there will be better picks and an injection of youth into the Kraken lineup in the future.
The catch on this job vacancy, however, is that it seemingly has been filled as current GM Jason Botterill will remain in his role as general manager while adding the "executive vice president" title as he takes over the hockey operations for the Kraken. if you were prepping the résumé, the Kraken may not have the "Help Wanted" sign out.
I don't know if Francis will land with another franchise, and he may just want to take some time away from the game. He went from the Carolina Hurricanes to the Seattle Kraken in fairly quick fashion, so it might be time to recharge the batteries. Perhaps the Kraken were looking to make a change while seeking Francis's input, but it sounds like both sides determined that him stepping down was the right path for the franchise. The Kraken will move forward without him.
"It has been an honor to help launch and lead the Seattle Kraken over the past seven years," Francis stated in the Kraken press release today. "I am proud of the culture we built, the people we brought together, and the milestones we achieved, including our historic first playoff run. I want to thank our entire ownership group, everyone throughout the organization, and our incredible fans for their unwavering support. This organization has a bright future, and I'm grateful to have been part of its beginning."
That bright future will now be carried forward by someone else as Ron Francis's vision for the Kraken has come to an end. Where he goes after cleaning out his office next week will be up to him, but his future certainly is wide open for anything he wants to do.
I will fully admit that I don't watch enough Bob's Burgers to be an subject matter expert about the show, but I have seen episodes here and there that had some funny moments. One of those episodes is titled "An Incon-wheelie-ent Truth" from Season Eleven of the Fox Television animated series where the character to the left, known as "Wheelie Mammoth", was introduced. In the episode, the Belcher family visits a flea market where Bob and Linda are haunted by a lie they told the kids about what happened to their beloved stuffed animal, Wheelie Mammoth, as the comedy ensues. Again, the episode had its moments where there were chuckles, but I admit that I didn't expect to see a mammoth on wheels today. This is where Utah emerges from the shadows.
The Utah Mammoth are always looking for ways to draw new fans to their form of entertainment, and it appears they're going to be a popular ticket in April as they seem poised to make the playoffs for the first time since arriving in Salt Lake City. Winning hockey usually is the best way to draw a crowd, but the Mammoth went ahead and did something that I'm not sure had to be done, unveiling this today.
Ladies and gentleman, that is the their new Zammoth ice resurfacing machine! Yes, I already hate the name when Mamboni would have been infinitely better, but I get there are trademarks to respect despite the trademark conflicts the Mammoth have had thus far.
If you're wondering, the Zammoth is built from the same Zamboni that was used in the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. You may be thinking about how the team plans to resurface the ice with those massive tusks sticking out of the front of the Zammoth, but you needn't worry as the Zammoth is there for fun only, taking up to eight fans on a lap before each home game and at the beginning of every intermission. The ice resurfacing will then be done by the new, modern ice resurfacing machines once the Zammoth gets off the ice.
"It's an opportunity for our fans to engage with the crowd," Chris Barney, president of revenue and commercial strategy for Smith Entertainment Group, said to Brogan Houston of Deseret News. "It puts them down on the ice where their heroes are playing. A lot of people don't get the opportunity to be down there on the ice. It's one more example of us trying to do that."
At the time of publishing, the Mammoth had yet to release information on how fans can sign up to ride the Zammoth, but those details will reportedly come shortly. The Zammoth joins the ice resurfacers in Florida and Columbus as those who drive fans around the ice, but those two machines actually resurface the ice. The Zammoth is just for fun, so we'll have to see how big the hit to the pocketbook will be if one wants to climb aboard the prehistoric pachyderm on wheels. For now, the Zammoth will be on display on the plaza at the Delta Center for fans to see it up close at no cost.
"I don't think it’s something that somebody shows up to a hockey game expecting (to see), but our goal has been to continue to surprise and delight our fans and give them ways to interact with the brand and the team," Barney said to Houston.
Count me in as not expecting to see that. Ever. Anywhere. But at least the Zammoth isn't on roller skates like the Wheelie Mammoth.
I spent the weekend looking for some fun stories after a couple of newsworthy firings last week, and it seems that the whole hockey world is now either terminating people or having people step away from the game. Four significant hockey people over the last two days will be absent for the future, and it's hard to understand why the terminations had to happen as they did. I get there are likely reasons for the two men being fired, but the loss of the man and woman who have decided to take a step back are, in my view, bigger losses for the game. Let's get into hockey employment news tonight!
We'll start on Long Island where a four-game losing streak might have been the catalyst for the change that GM Mathieu Darche made as he fired head coach Patrick Roy, replacing him with Pete DeBoer. Roy has two years left on his contract, so it seems like this move was made out of necessity, and DeBoer signed a three-year deal that will also include the rest of this season as he and Darche will see their contracts expire at the same time. With the Islanders falling out of a playoff spot this weekend during this losing skid, it appears that Darche had seen enough to know that a change was needed.
Will DeBoer make the Islanders better? In the long-term, there's a chance that he can. I'm not sure they're going to reach third-place in the Atlantic as they likely need to win three of their four games while getting help to overtake Philadelphia, but they can jump into a wild card spot by Saturday if they beat both Toronto and Ottawa. From there, they'll have to play well to beat Montreal and Carolina, but an improved focus on the defensive side of the game - something DeBoer can bring - would go a long way for the Islanders' playoff hopes.
With the New Jersey Devils on the verge of missing the playoffs as they sit seven point back of the second wild card with five games to play, the architect of the Devils' roster was fired today. Tom Fitzgerald had held the general manager's position since 2020, but Devils managing partner David Blitzer felt that "it was time to move in a new direction". Twice in Fitzgerald's six seasons at the helm have the Devils made the playoffs, losing both appearances to the Carolina Hurricanes. While both sides agreed to part ways, the Devils will begin their GM search immediately to begin preparing for the NHL Entry Draft. Fitzgerald, meanwhile, could be a likely candidate for the GM role in Nashville if he wants other immediate options.
After losing Vic Rauter earlier in the week, I'm not sure sports broadcasting was prepared for Scott Oake's announcement yesterday. The longtime Hockey Night in Canada interviewer and broadcaster made the announcement that he would be retiring from broadcasting following the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year, and it's hard to deny that the 74 year-old hasn't earned the right to walk away. Scott Oake is one of the people I tried to emulate with my interviews as he was factual, fair, and funny no matter who he was speaking with during his few minutes of questions. I don't know if Sportsnet will be able to replace him because he was so good at what he did. On top of that, he was simply an incredibly generous man both with his time and his graciousness. Scott Oake will be missed for his interviews, but he absolutely deserves a happy retirement!
And if there weren't enough hits taken by the hockey world today, the Ottawa Charge announced that head coach Carla MacLeod would be stepping away from the team to continue her medical treatments as she looks to emerge victorious against breast cancer. Assistant coach Haley Irwin will assume the role of interim head coach effective immediately, but it's pretty clear that everyone's thoughts will be with Carla as she undergoes another round of treatments. I have zero doubt that she's going to overcome this, so I want to wish her all the best as she continues to kick cancer's butt! If you know Carla, that's her attitude in this fight!
This is a woman whose presence in and around the game is second-to-none with her knowledge, her quips, and her smile. I'd go to the ends of the earth if she asked just because of how much fun I had in speaking with her on The Hockey Show, so I'm hoping that she's back sooner than later after these treatments. She's a gem, and hockey needs more people like her. We're all pulling for you, Carla!
Obviously, the last 36 hours have seen a whirlwind of change in the hockey world, and that's not even counting what happened on the ice. We saw a head coach fired, a head coach hired, a general manager and a team part ways, a broadcasting icon retire, and a head coach take a leave so she can be stronger. With seasons coming to a close, you expect these changes in the summer, not two weeks before the end of the season. However, that's hockey this year.
I'm not here to celebrate the two men who lost their jobs. That sucks, and there's no other way to say it. I am happy for Scott Oake, and my thoughts are with Carla MacLeod. These four people will likely find their way either back into the game or into a new chapter of life where they can be just as effective. I doubt this is the last we'll hear from any of them, but it's certainly been a crazy 36 hours of changes to say the least with all the announcements from teams.
As a person who follows Canada West women's hockey very closely, it's always great to see a player get rewarded for the hard work she puts in playing the game. Earning a professional contract somewhere across the planet is a big accomplishment for any player, but keeping a roster spot year after year takes dedication and hard work to continue to be an asset to a team. The player pictured with the Montreal Victoire has done that since she decided to make the jump into the professional ranks, and Friday night may saw the culmination of a lot of hard work finally pay off for her. Having watched forward Kailtin Willoughby score a pile of goals for the Saskatchewan Huskies, she finally got one with the Victoire after years of hard work!
I really wanted to see Kaitlin score during the Victoire's stop in Winnipeg after all the big goals she scored in Winnipeg while playing against the Manitoba Bisons, but the Victoire could only light the lamp once last weekend. On Friday night, though, Willoughby broke out of her goal drought with two goals against the Ottawa Charge at Canadian Tire Centre, removing any doubt as to whether she belongs among the world's best. However, it's all the hard work that you don't know about that made this moment even better for what it means.
Before we go any further, let's get Willoughby's goal posted from TSN.
What you didn't see when Willoughby scored for the first time in 75 PWHL games were all the overnight shifts at hospitals and early morning training sessions after a long night of work as a nurse. In her final year at the University of Saskatchewan where she was earning her degree, Willoughby shuttled between Calgary and Saskatoon often as she was playing for the CWHL's Calgary Inferno, working at Calgary Foothills hospital, and attending classes in Saskatchewan!
"I was living in Saskatchewan, living in Calgary, finishing my nursing degree and flying back and forth," she told Kerry Gillespie of the Toronto Star in 2024. That was the reality for players in the CWHL.
She'd continue to work as a nurse as the CWHL folded into history while training alongside the players from the Inferno. That would turn into an opportunity to play in the PWHPA where she couldn't play every weekend, but she squeezed in as many games as she could to keep her professional hockey dreams alive. After all, paying the bills that come with life and hockey means she had to keep working.
"Life is definitely expensive... so just trying to be financially in a good spot once hockey's done," she told Gillespie.
A new path opened up for women's hockey, though, and it has changed how Willoughby has approached the game. No longer does she need to work to play, but she can now focus on working on her play as her full-time career. Finding a roster spot with the Toronto Sceptres in 2023 allowed her to move into a more casual nursing role in the offseason while she continues to chase a Walter Cup.
"Looking back, it was some crazy long days and hard work and sacrifice, but I wouldn't have it any other way to get to where I am right now," she said to Gillespie about playing with the Sceptres in 2024. "Living this dream life, like, it's still a job, but it doesn’t feel like it because it's the best job in the world."
Being a professional hockey player doesn't come without some hardships, though, as Willoughby would need to pack up her life and head east on March 13, 2025 when the Sceptres traded her to the Montreal Victoire at the PWHL trade deadline for defender Anna Kjellbin. After 43 games in Toronto with one assist to her name, she was on the move as Montreal added her as forward depth.
In seven games with the Victoire, she doubled her assist and point total with another assist, and she was an addition that Victoire general manager Danièle Sauvageau was happy to have made as the Victoire re-signed Willoughby in the offseason to a new deal.
"Upon her arrival last season, Kaitlin quickly developed chemistry with our existing players, both on and off the ice. She played valuable minutes with us at the end of the season and during the playoffs," Sauvageau told The Canadian Press.
Without having to work overnights at the hospital or squeeze in shifts between games thanks to her PWHL contract, Willoughby circled back and began to put the work in to focus on improving her game.
"You're now pouring all of your energy into the sport and the training, so you can give 100 per cent every day," she told Gillespie in 2024. "I'm turning 30 next year and I still feel like I haven't reached a plateau. I'm still seeing myself get better."
Clearly, she knows what she's talking about as Willoughby had three assists this season before Friday night to eclipse her career total in one season. Her play alongside Catherine Dubois and Alexandra Labelle on Montreal's "U SPORTS line" has been excellent as a checking unit, but these three women have been showing some jump in recent weeks as they push the offensive side of their talents.
Of course, Friday night saw Willoughby toss the 800-pound gorilla off her back as she scored her first PWHL goal against Ottawa before doubling her output with an empty-netter late in the game! That night saw Ottawa play in front of its largest crowd at 17,114 fans while the win marked Montreal's 50th PWHL win in franchise history and the 39-save shutout for Sandra Abstreiter was also the first of her career on what was a big night for the Victoire in Ottawa!
Upon returning to the bench, Willoughby got hugs from both head coach Kori Cheverie and assistant coach Caroline Ouellette as they've been witness to just how hard Willoughby works everyday at practice.
"It's not for lack of chances I've had throughout the years; but my teammates, my coaching staff, everyone has just continued to believe in me and keep my confidence up," Willoughby said to habseyesontheprize.com's Jared Book about her big night after the game. "The support I've had from my teammates just keeps me going. They're like – 'it's going to come Willow'. And eventually it did, and now the floodgates might be open for me."
My hope is that it does exactly that - open the floodgates for a woman whose U SPORTS career saw her dent twine 50 times in 132 games. She's an incredible player to watch, and seeing that smile after she scored her first PWHL goal felt like the old Kaitlin Willoughby that terrorized Canada West goalies was back again.
I've heard from several professional hockey players that making the roster isn't where the hard work ends, but that the hardest work comes in keeping that roster spot. Kaitlin Willoughby has travelled between cities to practice and play hockey, work as a nurse, and take classes, so it was clear that she knew how to work hard before ever being signed by the Sceptres and re-signed by the Victoire.
It may have taken 75 PWHL games, but the hours put into reaching that pinnacle for Kailtin Willoughby are countless. Her ear-to-ear smile during the celebration says that all of the hard work, hours away from family, and sacrifices that she made were worth it. It may have been the hardest goal she's ever had to work for, but that's the effort that Kaitlin Willloughby brings to the rink everyday.
Congratulations, Kaitlin, on your first and second PWHL goals!
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