The Pledge Show

As you're likely aware, this blog has never, will never, and is not asking you to ever spend a penny, nickel, dime, or any other monetary amount to access the content of this blog. My belief has always been that information should be shared on the internet, so putting my thoughts and analyses behind a paywall made no sense. Besides, who would pay for some of my rambling, incoherent scrawls on this site? In saying that, HBIC will always be free to read.

However, things are a little different for a business when it comes to major infrastructure projects, and UMFM is currently looking for whatever pocket change, donation, or cash you may have available to help us reach our goal of $32,000! As you may be aware, UMFM is a not-for-profit entity as any advertising monies are re-invested into the station's daily expenses, meaning that major upgrades are almost exclusively funded by your donations during Pledge-O-Rama!

UMFM is nearing three decades on Winnipeg airwaves, and The Hockey Show has been a part of the last thirteen years at 5:30pm CT on Thursday nights. We try to get out into the community whenever we can and we love speaking to guests from all over the planet, but that kind of technology costs some dollars which is where your Pledge-O-Rama donations matter. The mobile units and the Zoom subscriptions and cameras for face-to-face chats used by The Hockey Show are where some of the Pledge-O-Rama money is spent!

Needless to say, we appreciate any and all donations made to the station during this week of fundraising, and we're proud to offer a pile of merchandise with designs created by local artist Kristin McPherson who runs the Happyland Print Shop here in Winnipeg! By donating a specific dollar amount to the station, you can get some of this merchandise as a "thank you" for helping the station reach its goal! Incentive levels start at $25 and we keep adding merchandise as the dollar amount goes up! Donate more and get more!

Of course, it is tax season and everyone likes to beat the taxman. UMFM can assist there, too, as you can claim a tax receipt rather than taking the merchandise. You might have more glassware and t-shirts than you'd like to admit, so maybe you don't need any other glasses, mugs, or t-shirts. That's ok because UMFM can issue the tax receipt in your donation amount so you can outsmart Revenue Canada on next year's tax filing! No one likes paying taxes, so take advantage of this option to get a few extra bucks back on next year's return!

As you know, The Hockey Show likes to reward those who come through for our show as well. Not only will get you the merchandise or tax receipt if you donate, but we're going to give you a chance to win the jersey to the left - a size 58, team-issued Adizero Winnipeg Jets white jersey so you can be part of the Winnipeg Whiteout! This jersey is a beauty, and we want to outfit one of our generous listeners with some new threads! To do that, we will draw a winner from everyone who pledges to our show at the $25 level or above. The more you donate to UMFM, the better your chances will be to win the jersey. Here's how:

• $25 donation = 1 entry.
• $50 donation = 2 entries.
• $75 donation = 3 entries.
• $101.50 donation = 4 entries.
• $150+ donation = 5 entries.

You help the station with your donation, and we'll potentially put you in a Jets jersey. It's that easy, but you have to donate to UMFM and The Hockey Show for you to be entered. If you want to donate to multiple shows because you're a fan of great UMFM content, we certainly won't stop you. What will matter is the amount pledged to The Hockey Show, so divide and conquer wisely!

It all goes down tomorrow on The Hockey Show beginning at 5pm CT as Jason and I will be on the air for 90 minutes tomorrow! We have lots of news to discuss, games to break down, and some prizes to award for our Survivor: NHL Playoffs contest, so we'll get after it tomorrow. We will be giving shout-outs to people who donate before and during the show as well, so make sure you get your donation in by calling the station's Pledge Line at 204−474−6610 or by hitting the "Donate" link and listen for your "thank you" during the show!

Thanks again to everyone who donates this year and who has donated in the past. You've made a difference with your donation, big or small, and we are eternally grateful to have such fantastic listeners and supporters of both The Hockey Show and UMFM!

Until next time, make your donation today!

High-Flying Komets And The Upset Bears

While the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs push on, there is some great hockey being played in the ECHL right now. Two series will end tonight as the final series of the opening round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs, and both results will lead to some fierce rivalries in the Division Finals round. As I wrote on Sunday, the Iowa Heartlanders and Fort Wayne Komets were playing Game Seven in Indiana tonight while the Brabham Cup-winning South Carolina Stingrays were facing the Orlando Solar Bears in North Charleston, South Carolina. Both series were entering into Game Seven tonight as the 55th and 56th Game Sevens in ECHL playoff history, and only two of the four teams would live to play another day! Who would rise to the occasion in Fort Wayne? Would the ECHL's top regular-season team advance or be upset? Let's find out as both series ended tonight!

We'll start in North Charleston where the Stingrays were hosting the Solar Bears as this Game Seven was the earlier game on the schedule. Three of the six games these two teams had played had gone to overtime, so the 25-point difference in the standings seemingly meant nothing as both teams came prepared for the other. The only game that had the losing team down by more than two goals at the end of the game was Game Five when South Carolina defeated Orlando in Orlando by a 6-2 score. As said, these teams played a much closer series than what would have been expected.

With both teams knowing that mistakes could cost them the series, this game was played much more tentatively in the early stages of the game. Both teams put eight pucks on net with no goals scored on either side, and each side was whistled for one infraction in the frame. This differed from the previous six games as the winning team hadn't scored less than three goals in any game. In short, defence ruled through the opening 20 minutes of this pivotal game.

The second period would see the Solar Bears kill off another penalty, but we'd finally get a highlight late in the frame thanks to traffic.
Hudson Thornton's shot eludes legs and South Carolina netminder Seth Eisele to find twine with 4:57 to play in the period as Orlando went up 1-0 in the game. The Solar Bears would hold that lead through the final minutes of the period to go into the second intermission with the one-goal lead provided by Thornton.

What might chap the rear ends of Stingrays fans is that the Winnipeg-born Thornton was signed by the AHL's Hershey Bears on April 10, 2024 after starring with the WHL's Prince George Cougars. He'd spend most of 2024 with the Stingrays in the pressbox, but, on December 5, 2024, the Bears loaned Thornton from the Stingrays to the Solar Bears due to the depth that the Stingrays had on the blue line. He'd play 42 games with the Solar Bears after the transaction, and his first playoff goal came against the team with whom he started the season and whose AHL affiliate is the team that assigned him to Orlando. OUCH.

The final 20 minutes saw both sides engage in a chess match with nine shots total between the two squads, five of which were put on net by South Carolina. None of them would find twine behind Jon Gillies, and Spencer Kersten would ice the game with 11 seconds to play as the Orlando Solar Bears upset the ECHL's best team by a 2-0 score in Game Seven. The last time that South Carolina was shutout in a game was on January 31, 2025 by the Norfolk Admirals, so this was a big effort from Orlando in taking down the ECHL's best team.

What makes this even more fun is that the Orlando Solar Bears will play the ECHL's defending champions and in-state rivals in the Florida Everblades in the Division Final. That series starts on Friday in Estero, Florida, and I doubt both sides will be welcoming as they meet for the sixth time in the last ten years. What may gear both sides up is that Florida is 5-0 in those previous series, so I imagine Orlando wants to snaop that streak and oust the defending champions while Florida will push for a sixth series win. Florida went 8-2-3 against Orlando this season, so the second-seeded team looks like the favourite.

The later game saw the Iowa Heartlanders tangling with the Fort Wayne Komets at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Iowa held a 3-2 series lead before the Komets pummeled them by a 6-1 score in Game Six, and both teams knew the stakes in Game Seven. The Heartlanders were looking to continue to start well as they had scored first in five of the six games - Game Six was the only game they hadn't - while the Komets were looking to defend home ice and send Iowa home disappointed. This series had been defined by both sides capitalizing on mistakes and breakdowns, so would we see both teams settle down into a defensive battle?

Iowa got off to the great start they wanted once again, outshooting the Komets 9-5 with one of those pucks denting twine behind Nathaniel Day. Iowa scored first for the sixth time in seven games as Ryan Miotto found the back of the net 5:36 into the game, but that would be the only ink on the scoresheet as no penalties were called. Iowa took the 1-0 lead into the first intermission.

Whatever Komets head coach Jesse Kallechy said during the break seemed to be what the Komets needed because they came out and dominated the middle frame. Blake Murray scored 1:25 into the frame to tie the game at 1-1, and the Komets would take the lead at the 10:19 mark when Alex Swetlikoff beat William Rousseau. Less than three minutes later, the Komets would extend the lead!
I have watched this goal a dozen times, and I can't believe how open Ethan Keppen is when he one-times this puck into the net. It looks like Zach Dubinsky left Keppen to cut off Matt Murphy who slid that puck to a wide-open Keppen, and no one picked up #92 as he scores a beauty off that incredible pass to make it a 3-1 Fort Wayne lead! That score would hold into the intermission, and the Heartlanders had to find some goals in the final frame to keep their season going.

The Heartlanders brought everything they could in the third period as they outshot the Komets 18-5, but it would be Nathaniel Day and the Komets defence who stood tall in denying all 18 shots! Anthony Petruzzelli would add an empty-netter with 28 seconds to play, and the celebration began in Fort Wayne as the Komets rallied from a 3-2 series deficit to win 4-1 in Game Seven for the 4-3 series win!

That will setup one of the fiercest rivalries in hockey for the Central Division Final as the Fort Wayne Komets will head north to meet the division-leading Toledo Walleye on Friday. As we know from Fiona Quinn's chats on The Hockey Show, there are no friends when it comes to Fort Wayne and Toledo, and we should expect fireworks between these two teams. Toledo has won three of four playoff series between these two teams and they held a 5-3-0 record against the Komets this season. On paper, Toledo is the favourite, but this is one series that might be defined by the bruises more than the scores.

It was a fantastic night for Game Seven games in the ECHL, and we'll see eight teams resume their quests for the Kelly Cup on Friday. Jason will be pleased as the Tahoe Knight Monsters will face the Kansas City Mavericks in the Mountain Division Final, and the lone Canadian team in the Trois-Rivières Lions will battle the Winnipeg Jets' ECHL affiliate in the Norfolk Admirals in the North Division Final.

The ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs have seen eight teams sent home as the second round gets set to begin on Friday. New chapters will be written, heroes will be found, and highlights will be made. Yes, the NHL is the big stage, but the action in the ECHL has been absolutely captivating through the first round of the ECHL playoffs, and it starts again on Friday night as eight teams look to claim the Kelly Cup!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Bigger Than Hockey

There were two NHL Stanley Cup Playoff game being played tonight, but I didn't watch either of them. Neither of the games featured Canadian teams, and that may have been done by design as the entire country of Canada was watching the results of the 2025 Canadian Federal Election. Votes were cast leading up to and during today as Canadians cast their ballots to determine who will represent the 343 ridings across Canada and, ultimately, who will be the next Prime Minister of Canada for the foreseeable future.

I'm not here to endorse or throw my support behind any party or candidate. I'm educated on the political platforms and who is running both in my riding and federally, but my vote is one of many that was cast in this election. Whether or not the party I voted for is elected is irrelevant; rather, I want to make it clear that this election rallied Canadians in a way that hasn't been seen for some time. I'm not saying that polarizing topics should be used to prompt people to vote, but those cards were played in this election.

I'm posting this article before all the votes are counted, so nothing is written in stone at this time. CBC is projecting a specific party as being the ruling party in the country based on trends, but I feel like we won't see anything finalized until the wee hours of the morning. I'm not staying up for that final determination as I have to work tomorrow, but I am here to remind everyone that you, as a voter, should be exercising your right no matter where you live.

According to Elections Canada, the institution says an estimated 7.3 million Canadians cast their ballots during the advance voting period April 18 to 21 - a record for Canadian elections. Comparatively, the 2021 Federal Election saw 5.8 million votes cast at advance voting stations, so the turnout to avoid the lines at ballot boxes today was significant. This is encouraging to see, and it gets even more impressive when you consider that Elections Canada stated that a record number of international electors had applied to vote as well.

It's important that everyone who can vote find a way to vote to ensure proper representation. By not voting, a smaller segment of the population who do vote can determine the direction of the country. Everyone likes to complain about the things we often hear about which policitians wax poetic - healthcare, jobs, minimum wage, and retirement - but voting allows one to participate in helping to shape the future of those discussions. You may feel like your vote doesn't matter, but it certainly does when considering what each of the candidates' platforms present on topics.

My hope is that you went out and voted today. Even if we have different views on how the country should be run, the policies that should be set, and the laws that should be enforced and enacted, having all eligible voters casting a vote makes Canada stronger because the voices from every riding are heard in Ottawa. Canada's individual regions and provinces are better represented, and will give the governing party a better idea on where they may have fallen short in their messaging. Canada is stronger when more of us vote.

It's 11pm Central Time. I need some sleep as I'll be up early for work, so I'll find out if the projected winning party holds a majority or minority government at that time. What I do know is that I'm proud of Canadians tonight for the overwhelming voting numbers shown during this election. We can all look forward and work together to continue making Canada the best country on the planet!

Until next time, thanks for exercising your right!

We've Got A Game Seven!

There's something to be said for teams that find their backs against the wall in the playoffs. We've seen some NHL teams push back after falling behind 2-0 in series, but there is some excellent drama brewing in the ECHL as the Fort Wayne Komets returned home needing a win to keep their playoffs alive after the Iowa Heartlanders had built a 3-2 series lead through five games. The series had featured overtime goals, big hits, phenomenal saves, and highlight-reel goals, but the Komets were facing elimination tonight as they stepped onto home ice.

As the title of this article states, the Komets captured victory with a statement game tonight as they were all over the Heartlanders in this game. Fort Wayne outshot Iowa by a 16-5 count in the first period, and two of those shots found twine including this beauty shorthanded goal by former Alberta Golden Bears forward Nolan Volcan!
How many times did we see Volcan do something like that in Canada West? It's good to see the former Golden Bears sniper finding his game in the playoffs with his first ECHL playoff goal in his fourth game this spring. And he did it shorthanded! Congratulations go out to Nolan for his first professional playoff goal in helping Fort Wayne to victory!

After going up 3-0 midway through the second period, Iowa did break the shutout of Edmonton Oilers prospect Nathaniel Day, but that was the only puck to get by Day on this night. Fort Wayne would add three more goals for a 6-1 win in Game Six, and they'd force a Game Seven on Tuesday night at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. It comes down to one game to advance to the Central Division Final where the Toledo Walleye wait for the winner.

It might have been a bit of an emotional game for the Komets who came out on fire and never let up after losing one of their top players in Odeen Tufto late in Game Five in Iowa to a broken left leg. From all reports, Tufto had successful surgery on Saturday, but he'll be forced to watch rather than participate for what sounds like the remainder of the playoffs. Tufto's absence allowed the Komets to make a few player moves, and Volcan was added to the roster for this pivotal game where his inclusion proved vital.

Coming into this game, though, the Komets had not played well for a full sixty minutes. Iowa had opened the scoring in each of the five previous games, but there were too many mistakes in Games Four and Five that allowed the Heartlanders to swing the series from a 2-1 series deficit to a 3-2 series lead. Komets head coach Jesse Kallechy wasn't impressed by his team's lack of focus when it came to Game Five.

"It's tough because we haven't made some of the mistakes we've made all year and now it’s the difference," Kallechy told James Krause of The Journal Gazette following the game on Thursday. "When we make a mistake, it's big and it's in the back of our net and that's kind of been the series for us."

Whatever was said or done at practice and in the days leading up to Game Six seemed to refocus the Komets entirely as they outshot the Komets in all three periods en route to a 36-19 edge in shots. The Komets did run into some penalty problems in the third period, but the penalty-killing units were solid in not giving up a goal, and both sides were sending messages for Game Seven with scraps. Between the score and fisticuffs tonight, Game Seven should be fun!

Despite suffering the 6-1 loss tonight, Heartlanders head coach Derek Damon seemed pretty upbeat for the one-game-takes-all opportunity.

"It's the best two words in hockey: Game 7," Damon told Jeff Johnson of The Gazette. "It's what you live for as a player. It's what you live for, to be a part of it. I've been through quite a few in my day as a player, this is my first as a coach, so I'm excited. It's a big opportunity. This group is a special group, and I know that we are going to be ready to play a big game on Tuesday."

Both teams will likely be ready for a battle on Tuesday night in Fort Wayne, and it might be coincidental that the game is taking place at the War Memorial Coliseum. Expect both teams to bring their best as they play the winner-takes-all game of this series, and may the best team win because a rested Toledo Walleye team lurks on the horizon!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

One Affiliate Is Doing Well

There likely aren't a lot of people paying attention to the Winnipeg Jets' ECHL affiliate, but the Norfolk Admirals have one series in the books after they dispatched the Wheeling Nailers tonight. The third-seeded team in the North Division standings upset the second-seeded team in five games as Norfolk will move on while Wheeling will head home and examine where things went wrong. With the Jets having a handful of prospects with the Admirals, the future may be bright for the Moose and the Jets if a first-round victory is proof of their talents. The Admirals will head north for their next series after winning tonight in Wheeling, Pennsylvania!

Three points separated Wheeling and Norfolk in the standings at the end of the season, so it appeared that the two teams might be in for a long battle. Instead, the Admirals opened the series with back-to-back shutouts and three-straight wins as Wheeling had no answer for Norfolk's stifling defence and goaltending as they took a stranglehold on the series over the week that the first three games were played. With the series clearly in Norfolk's favour, the only question seemed to be whether they would win in Wheeling or in Norfolk.

Before we get to tonight's game, it should be noted that Moose defender Darick Louis-Jean was solid throughout the series as he posted three goals and two helpers while being good at both ends of the ice. Moose goaltender Thomas Milic picked up three wins in four games while posting a 1.25 GAA and a .961 save percentage, and future Moose netminder Domenic DiVincentiis is 1-for-1 in playoff games as he picked up the series-clinching win while posting a 2.00 GAA and a .935 save percentage. While most of the scoring came from players signed by the Admirals, it's pretty clear the goaltending played a large part in helping Norfolk advance.

Game One saw Milic turn in a 29-save shutout while all of Darick Louis-Jean, Brady Fleurent, Grant Hebert, and Jack O'Leary all had tallies for the Admirals in the 4-0 victory. The Admirals would repeat the same performance in Game Two as Darick Louis-Jean, Ben Zloty, Denis Smirnov, and Sean Montgomery found the back of the net while Milic stopped all 33 shots he faced as Norfolk swept the two games at home to start the series. The next three games would be played in Wheeling, so the Admirals had the advantage as they hit the road.

It would be six days after Game Two that the third game got underway in Wheeling, but the Admirals didn't slow down. Denis Smirnov and Sean Montgomery put Norfolk up 2-0 before Milic surrendered his first goal in the series at the 15:56 mark of the second period - 155:56 of shutout hockey! Ryan Chyzowski would add one more goal before the end of the period as Norfolk held a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes. Add in third period goals by Colton Young and Brandon Brodzinski, and Norfolk had a 3-0 series lead thanks to a 5-1 victory in Game Three. It was do-or-die for Wheeling at this point.

Game Four went last night as the Nailers had to win to keep the series going, and they found the back of the net just 2:05 seconds into the first period, but that goal would be erased 42 seconds later by Norfolk's Ryan Chyzowski. Wheeling would add another goal in the frame, and they'd add two more in third period as the Admirals faltered in Game Four by a 4-1 score, but the series was still clearly in their favour at a 3-1 count. However, Game Five would be the third game in three nights, so it was expected that we might see changes.

That brought us to tonight's Game Five contest where Domenic DiVincentiis got the start for the Admirals, and he was sensational in the blue paint. Denis Smirnov and Brandon Osmundson scored 53 seconds apart to put Norfork up 2-0 by the 4:00 mark, but Wheeling would get one back when David Jankowski found room past DiVincentiis as Norfolk took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. Colton Youn restored the two-goal lead early in the third period, Wheeling cut it to a one-goal lead, but Norfolk would close out the series with goals by Young and Darick Louis-Jean for the 5-2 win!

Norfolk was posted some impressive numbers in closing out the series. They were 4-0 in games where they scored first, they only allowed seven goals in five games while posting two shutouts, and they allowed just one power-play goal while being shorthanded 12 times. Norfolk didn't really struggle in scoring goals they outscored Wheeling 7-3 in the first period, 4-1 in the second period, and 8-3 in the third period. They were 3-of-18 on the power-play which isn't great, but they won the special teams battle in this series!

The Admirals will now head north of the border for their next series as the top-seeded Trois-Rivières Lions await. The Lions were dominant in sweeping the Reading Royals, ourscoring them 17-7, but needing double-overtime in Game Three for the win. Alex Beaucage has four goals and seven points, Xavier Cormier has seven helpers, and Nicolas Guay has three goals and five points. Luke Cavallin won all four games in the Trois-Rivières crease, posting a 1.59 GAA and a .945 save percentage. The Lions finished the season with 98 points.

Games One and Two will happen on May 2 and 4 in Trois-Rivières, and I suspect that these games will be a battle as both teams look to grab the lead in the series. Games Three through Five will happen in Norfolk on May 8, May 9, and May 11, respectively. Game Five may not be necessary, and both Games Six and Seven may not be necessary either as the series shifts back to Trois-Rivières on May 13 and 14. Whichever team wins this series will face the winner of the ECHL South Division with a Kelly Cup berth on the line.

With Winnipeg up 2-1 on St. Louis, we'll see if they can follow their ECHL affiliate's lead in taking a stranglehold on their series tomorrow. Thanks to Norfolk's five-game win over Wheeling, they'll have a week off to get ready for their visit to Quebec. I'm hoping they can earn a split in La Belle Province so they come home to Norfolk with a shot to close out the series, but the Lions have been impressive all season. This series should be a beauty beginning next Friday!

Here's hoping the kids can keep the momentum rolling!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Reviews Have To Be Better

I know the final score wouldn't have been less lopsided had the goal been counted, but I'm still baffled how Cole Perfetti's shot that ended up in the glove of Jordan Binnington wasn't ruled a goal. With the Jets trailing 3-0 and on the power-play midway through the second period, Perfetti's one-timer seemingly was saved by Binnington, but reviews showed that the puck may have crossed the goal line while inside Binnington's glove. The long delay upheld the no-goal call on the ice despite several angles seemingly showing Binnington's glove behind the post with the puck in the pocket of the glove. In the end, the no-goal call was upheld by the Situation Room in Toronto and the Jets and Blues resumed play with the 3-0 score in favour of the Blues intact.

Again, I'm not here to debate whether it was a goal or not. That debate can be had on another day, but I am here to discuss the lengthy process it takes for the NHL to determine whether or not the call on the ice was correct. It took the NHL more than four minutes to decide that there wasn't enough evidence to overturn the call on the ice, and that break seemingly took the life out of the building until the call was upheld. Why on earth did it take more than four minutes to make that call? What could possibly be discussed?

The NHL really needs to adopt what the KHL does for its review process. This makes so much more sense in how it's done.
As you can see in the clip above, the referees ask to see the various angles on the play so they make the final call on the play. The two referees work together to determine the correct call, the angles they use to make the call arevisible on the broadcast, and the discussion the two officials have allow you to understand what they're seeing and why they're making the call. Everything is transparent with respect to these decisions at the Spengler Cup. That's how the NHL should be doing reviews so everyone knows why the call was made.

The officials shouldn't just stand around while Toronto replay after replay back in the Situation Room. The two referees should be making the call as they see fit on the ice based on the video evidence available to them. All Toronto should be doing is sending the different angles to the monitors or iPads or whatever technology is made available to the officials for review. All interpretation and discussion about the call should be between the two referees on the ice.

If the process was more transparent, Jets fans may have heard why the officials denied the goal. I get that the reasoning would still be "there was not enough conclusive evidence to determine that the puck crossed the line", but at least there would be clear evidence as to which replays the referees were using and the discussion between them about the call. Why is this so hard for the NHL?

The Hubble Telescope is taking pictures of stellar events that are light years away. The Mars Rover is sending high-definition pictures back to NASA. We have developed the electron microscope and we can put cameras virtually anywhere on the planet. The one thing we can't do? Get a definitive answer or a clear picture on whether a puck crossed a goal line or not. It might be time for the NHL to fix that.

If they aren't willing to develop that technology, the least the NHL can do is make the review process more transparent because I still don't know how the Jets weren't awarded a goal when puck was inside Binnington's glove and behind the goal post. That seemed obvious, but I guess the only thing that I do know is there's enough conclusive evidence to prove that NHL video review is terrible.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 657

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back tonight with another busy show as the first week of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs is in the books, teams and leagues aren't slowing down with news, and many thing have happened. You'd think that the NHL would take a day or two off from generating headlines outside of the eight playoff series they're running, but the news came fast and furious this week as eliminated teams began clearing space for new bodies. Lots of people were sent packing which is the result of missing the playoffs, but some of these seemed either premature or completely unwarranted. In any case, our hosts will look at that tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Tonight on the show, Teebz and Jason will chat about the circus known as the New York Rangers as Peter Laviolette was fired, Chris Drury was re-signed, and JT Miller hit the links. They'll also discuss the Seattle Kraken seeing Ron Francis move up, Jason Botterill move in, and Dan Bylsma move out. They'll talk about Lou Lamoriello not having his contract renewed on Long Island, Jim Rutherford making another mess in Vancouver, another team popping up in Vancouver, the court case surrounding the 2018 World Junior team began, and Team USA released the first 18 names of players heading to the IIHF World Championship in Denmark. Oh, and there were some hockey games played too! In short, it's a ridiculously-busy show so settle in and get ready to move fast 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, you 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 firings, more firings, hirings, making messes, getting bigger, keeping quiet, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: April 24, 2025: Episode 657

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Competing Against No One

Congratulations to Vancouver who officially became the seventh city where a PWHL franchise will operate. Vancouver seems like a safe bet for the PWHL when it comes to expansion, and it allows them to potentially establish a more national identity if they honestly had a smart, well-structred expansion plan. But that's where this expansion celebration ends because it seems clear that the PWHL is expanding into Vancouver just to say they're a national brand rather than being contained mostly in the northeast corner of the continent. While I don't have a problem with the choice of Vancouver, I do have an issue with expansion in general in Year Three of the PWHL's existence when there are franchises who clearly are not self-sustainable. If they can't own those markets, expansion seems wholly irresponsible.

I have made it clear on this blog that at least two of the six current PWHL frnachises aren't pulling their weight when it comes to sustainability thanks to their lower attendance numbers than what seems ideal. Expanding into the market that showed up for one game also shouldn't be a game-changer for the PWHL without significant market research. The catch here is that the PWHL has time to ramp up both efforts since they are competing against no one.

This isn't anything against Vancouver who showed up with incredible numbers during their Takeover Tour stop. 19038 people came out to see the PWHL play their one game at Rogers Arena, and now they'll move into the PNE Coliseum where the Vancouver Canucks, Vancouver Blazers, and Vancouver Giants all played in their histories. It currently seats 16,281 people for hockey, and the PWHL will be its primary tenant once the City of Vancouver and the Pacific National Exhibition board approve all the upgrades they've promised to make.

Assuming that all goes well, the Rink on Renfrew will see hockey action for potentially 15 games next season as the PWHL moves in and works to establish a footprint in the city. For as encouraging as it is to see the PWHL bringing U11 teams out to announce the expansion, the great Vancouver area has a multitude of women's hockey teams that don't receive the support that the PWHL is targeting. That's not to say that they won't hit 5000 fans per game, but women's hockey being supported in and around Vancouver doesn't have a long and storied history with the local teams.

The NWHL's Vancouver Griffins were the first professional women's team in the modern era to play in Vancouver, and they boasted players like Nancy Drolet, Cammi Granato, and Shelley Looney on their roster between 2000 and 2003. Former UBC Thunderbirds star Courtney Unrah got her start there as a 15 year-old, and Norwegian scoring sensation Julia Berg was part of the team in their inaugural year. In short, they had some star power, but costs eventually did the Griffins in as attendance numbers were often "friends and family".

The UBC Thunderbirds, the Delta Hockey Academy, and the North Shore Warriors all play in front of sparse crowds all season long. When you consider the success that UBC has had over the last five seasons including sending one player to the PWHL, you'd think they'd get more fans in 2024-25 than 224 people per regular-season game and 240 people per playoff game, yet that number hasn't changed significantly since 2019. In fact, it went down after 2017-18 when it reached its average high of 304 fans per game. Not good numbers.

People will say, "Yeah, but these are the best players in the world so it will be different," so I challenge any casual fan to name two players on the Minnesota Frost not named Taylor Heise or Kendall Coyne Schofield. That's not to say that the Frost won't be a draw in Vancouver when they visit, but star power is what brings the fans out to the rink. Getting 5000 fans to pour into the PNE Coliseum on a Tuesday night when you don't care about the second team makes selling that game a lot harder. With weekends being eaten up with girls' hockey of all ages, PWHL Vancouver is falling into the same trap that the other six teams face: marketing the team and league better.

Cary Kaplan, the president of Cosmos Sports & Entertainment, told CBC News about the CWHL's collapse in 2019,

"There is no obligation for an eight-year-old girl or an eight-year-old boy or a 40-year-old man or woman to go to a hockey game. The responsibility is on the team and the organization, and they haven't invested in themselves," Kaplan says. "I think the good news is it's not about women's sports or women's hockey. It's about the wrong business model."

Show me where the PWHL business model is different than the CWHL business model outside of Mark Walter's immense wealth because I can't see it. Kaplan told CBC that "every successful league in North America is built on a franchise model where corporations or individuals own teams. He says teams need ownership groups that are committed to women's hockey and are willing to maybe lose some money," and yet we now have a seventh team owned by Walter. Again, show me the differences between these two leagues.

What I'm getting at is that the PWHL is now juggling seven balls at once with no focus on any of them. Selling professional women's hockey was never the problem, but marketing it properly has been the downfall of the original NWHL, the WWHL, the CWHL, the PHF, and it's now bleeding into the PWHL. Kaplan's comments from 2019 stand as a stark reminder of why the CWHL fell and why the PWHL seems to be working itself into another unsustainable business model.

"People look for things to do on a Friday or Saturday, but if you don't know there's a women's hockey game you're not going to go. And then once you go what's the effort on the league side to make sure it's an amazing event?" Kaplan says. "You can say it, 'But it's great hockey.' That's not enough."

He's entirely right. When the Winnipeg Jets were lamenting season ticket numbers falling last season, they spoke to their market and heard that the games weren't fun. The hockey was awesome, but there wasn't enough fun stuff to see and do at games for people to justify spending NHL money to see the Jets when the games could seen on TV. Why would fans spend money for a poor experience?

The Jets invested a pile of money and effort into making the game experience that much better, and fans began to return to games this season. Hockey is a form of entertainment, so people have to enjoy their time at the game for them to re-invest in that entertainment. This is what the PWHL keeps missing: while the hockey is excellent on most nights, the experience simply isn't there for casual fans.

No one can juggle seven balls and focus on each one exclusively. Or, in the PWHL's case, juggle seven teams and focus on the individual markets for each of the teams. At some point, the PWHL needs to realize that they're making all the same mistakes they made before, and it's costing Mark Walter money as they rush to expand into cities without owning their current markets first. Start selling the franchise rights to these seven teams so the teams can focus on their local markets and sponsors while the league focuses on league business.

Again, it's hard to take this league seriously when PWHL's executive vice president of business operations Amy Scheer tells reporters, "We want to build a long-term sustainable league, and part of that is having more than six teams based on a region. We need to be past [being] a regional league."

The problem with that statement is you're always going to be a regional league if the marketing is centralized and not market-specific. Five of your six franchises play in the same timezone, there's nothing west or south of St. Paul, Minnesota until Vancouver makes its debut, none of the Takeover Tour games were remotely close to me and a handful of other major centers, and the marketing for all games was abysmal at best. Local reporters did a good job talking to players from those Takeover Tour cities to try and build hype, but the PWHL seemingly did as little as they could to build excitement in those cities. That's New York-based marketing, I guess.

Congratulations to Vancouver on getting a PWHL franchise as that city seems like they're ready for the opportuity, but it honestly wouldn't have mattered if this expansion opportunity had gone to Detroit, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Los Angeles, or Calgary. With the PWHL owning the franchise and not being immersed in the seventh market they operate a franchise, the marketing for this team will be mediocre at best. I wish that wasn't the case, but the league will rely on fans and local media to build the hype for this new team.

Assuming there's an eighth team coming this summer, the PWHL would be wise to get out of its own way by selling the franchise rights to the eighth team to a local investor. This would allow the league to build a little capital so it can explore how to divest itself of the other seven franchises in order to make the league run much more smoothly. They can make the claim that they're looking out for the best interest of professional women's hockey, but the first two years seem to be indicating otherwise with the same steps taken as before.

Expansion should be exciting in most tales, but this one might be cautionary if Vancouver is being brought into the PWHL in an effort to boost revenues for the league to offset losses experienced in current markets. Obviously, I don't have any access to the league's books or accounting, but I think it's safe to say that both the Sirens and Fleet may be operating in the red as opposed to the black. If the league is expanding to minimize losses, expanding is a mistake.

This league needs to figure out what it wants to be: a professional league with franchisees who operate with far more knowledge and skill within their local markets or a glorified community center league who pays all the bills while trying to generate enough revenue to cover those costs. Right now, it's the latter on a much more macro scale which only makes the problems bigger when they arise. That's why trying to add revenue via two new expansion teams to cover losses doesn't make sense - the losses still exist, and there's certainly potential for further losses if those expansion franchises start slowly.

The PWHL had a blueprint they could have followed as the NHL owned the "Original Six" markets they played in from 1942 until 1967. Time allowed them to stablize the franchise, market the stars, and build a fanbase in those six cities as the individual franchises marketed players and games in their own unique ways. Like the NHL during that era, there is no competition for the PWHL in this era. They are the only professional league on the map in North America, yet they're rushing expansion to justify some weird perception of being a national league rather than a regional league.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the PWHL is competing with someone. It's not competing for talent or markets or fans, but it's competing against itself because it continues to make the same mistakes that the CWHL has made previously. Having some of the same people in charge of the PWHL who ran the CWHL into the ground means that there aren't new ideas for how to make it work better, so, for better or worse, the PWHL will either figure this out soon or potentially face disaster if Mark Walter decides to stop funding the league.

As stated above, the best thing this league can do for its own longevity and success is to get out of its own way.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Best Russian In The Game?

Officially, I am proposing that the helmet to the left becomes the new logo for the Vegas Golden Knights if they show up in Game Three with the same effort they showed tonight. I can't recall a playoff game in recent memory where the Vegas Golden Knights have had the game taken to them in T-Mobile Arena like the Minnesota Wild did tonight. Outside of a handful of chances early, the Wild legitimately disarmed and dismantled the Golden Knights from the nine-minute mark through to the end of the first period. When the carnage finally stopped for an intermission, the score was 3-0 for the Wild and the Vegas fans were silent and stunned as Minnesota erased any "sweep" talk in showing they could skate with Vegas!

I don't know what it will cost Minnesota to keep Kirill Kaprizov in Minneapolis/St. Paul, but an eight-figure average annual value on the next contract seems appropriate considering how he's raised his game in the first two games of this series. Tonight was another masterclass in Kaprizov showing he distributes the puck, but consider the following highlight from Game One. This pass is ridiculous.
Kaprizov spots Matt Boldy on the left side and changes his slapshot into a slap-pass while his stick is in the air, setting up Boldy for the Wild goal. That kind of vision and skill where he can make a perfect tape-to-tape pass after winding up for a slapshot is why Kaprizov will get big money on his next contract with whatever team can afford it.

Fast-forward to tonight, and Kaprizov and Boldy deliver again with Kaprizov saucering a pass that may be illegal in several countries.
That pass went virtually went from the Minnesota blue line to the Vegas blue line without even a wobble, and Boldy picked it up as it landed flat against his blade. That kind of pass is only made as perfect as it was by a handful of people in the world, and it got the Wild started on this night as they went up 1-0 on Boldy's goal.

"That might have been the best pass I've ever seen," Boldy told reporters after the game. "Like, I didn't have to do much. He's a special player, obviously. You see all the plays he makes, how hard he works, but for him to have the poise and to make that pass right on my tape, it was unbelievable."

I'm taking nothing away from the likes of Artemi Panarin and Nikita Kucherov who have their own bag of tricks when it comes to scoring, and they score often enough that players have to be aware of them when they're on the ice. The difference is those two Russian players play in more offensive systems than what Minnesota employs, and yet Kaprizov has hit the 40-goal plateau three times in four seasons. He had 96 points last season when no other player on the Wild hit 70 points. It seems clear that Kaprizov is an offensive talent.

What people seem to forget is that Kirill Kaprizov was the fifth fastest active player to reach 300 points, reaching that mark faster than both Nathan MacKinnon and Leon Draisaitl. He was the Calder Trophy winner in 2020-21 when he entered the league at age 23, and all he's done since that time is spill ink on scoresheets. Staying healthy has been a challenge for Kaprizov, but if this is what he looks like when he's playing at 100%, every team should be on notice.

As Minnesota comes home for Game Three, he should see some better matchups away from Vegas's more defensively-minded players. That could allow him to improve on his five points in a big way, but it should be noted that Kaprizov also has seven blocked shots through the opening two games of the series. If anyone thinks he's just floating near a blue line or avoiding the defensive side of the game, the Wild would disagree wholeheartedly. As it stands after tonight's game, Kaprizov is tops among all NHL forwards when it comes to blocked shots, and he trails leader Devon Toews by three.

It's not out of the question to say that the Wild will go as far as Kirill Kaprizov takes them, but I'm sure they'd proclaim that it's a team-first mentality in the locker room. Regardless of what is said, Kaprizov is making statements on the ice with his skill as shown in the highlights above, and it's hard not to be impressed with how good he's been on both sides of the puck. No one is saying he's in line for the Conn Smythe Trophy at this point by any means, but he's starting to make a case if the Wild can get that far in these playoffs.

Is he the best Russian-born player in the game right now? It's hard to argue against that assertion, but it's clear that he'd be in the conversation. With magic hands like he's shown in the first two games of this series, Las Vegas may want to ban him from casinos because he's heloing the Minnesota Wild beat the odds in this series!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Game Two Thoughts

I'm not saying that St. Louis Blues goaltender Joel Hofer poked the bear by remaining on the ice to prevent Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele from being the last player off the ice in warm-up, but when Scheifele barked at Hofer to get off the ice you had to wonder if that fired up Scheifele. Neither player will admit to this being a factor in the Jets' 2-1 victory over St. Louis tonight, but Scheifele scored and had an assist while playing gritty and hard-nosed all game. The edge he showed made him effective every time he was on the ice, and the thought of Hofer annoying Scheifele in warm-up suddenly seemed like it could have been a catalyst to Scheifele's performance tonight. In any case, Winnipeg is up 2-0 in the series.

I get that tonight's game may have been the best game of the season by a large margin for Logan Stanley, but we need to temper the enthusiasm for Stanley's physical presence. Yes, he was very good at picking his spots tonight, but it was one game. Did Logan Stanley earn a shot to play in Game Three? Absolutely. But let's tone down the building of statues for #64 until tonight's play becomes more regular. One game does not make him a Conn Smythe Trophy winner.

Stanley's play was definitely part of the larger effort shown by the Jets defenders who had an outstanding game. I liked Josh Morrissey's spicy play where he was good offensively, threw a few big hits, and showed great defensive responsibility. Dylan DeMelo and Dylan Samberg were their usual steady selves, keeping the Blues to the outside and limiting chances. Neal Pionk had a strong game as he was jumping into plays and into passing lanes to break up plays, and Luke Schenn was a mountain of a man for the Blues to get around, climb over, or make their way past. That was solid Winnipeg defence.

There seems to be a lot of chatter on social media about Connor Hellebuyck's game and how he hasn't looked sharp in the first two games, and I'd like to say that those opinions are wrong. Has he stolen a game from the Blues at this point? No, but he hasn't had to yet either. Yes, his .897 save percentage is 28 points lower than what he posted in the regular season, but you know that Hellebuyck will see that number and immediately want to improve upon it. Giving him motivation to be better won't be an issue. He'll find it.

The stars have been very good for Winnipeg as well. Scheifele, Connor, Perfetti, and Lowry have done some excellent work in generating chances and putting pucks on net. Iafallo, Niederreiter, Tanev, Barron, and Anderson-Dolan have been the nose-to-the-grindstone, "Charlie Hustle" players that the Jets have been adding who can play 200-foot games, add some physicality, and contribute a little offence. Vladislav Namestnikov has shown the ability to stick-handle in a phone booth, but I'm waiting for that offensive flair of his to appear. He and David Gustafsson have had their chances at the offensive end, but neither has been able to dent twine yet.

The one player who has concerned me up front is Mason Appleton as he looks lost on some shifts. I know that he was supposed to be doing what Brandon Tanev is currently doing on that line - hard forechecks, physical play, and causing chaos - but he has not looked comfortable since Nino Niederreiter was moved to the second line and Tanev was bumped up to the third line. He did give a puck away tonight that forced him to make a great recovery to prevent a goal, but something is off with Appleton's game right now.

While the Jets' power-play numbers are decent and certainly can be improved, it's the penalty-killing that needed some focus. It did bounce back with a good effort tonight, but a 57.1% efficiency is nowhere close to where the Jets want or expect to be. There were some positives seen as the Jets killed three of four penalties in this game, but this is one area where the Jets needs to shut down the Blues. Giving up power-play goals in a tightly-checked series is how the Blues can find their way back into the series.

The difference, if one takes away the empty-net goal in Game One, is one goal in each of the games. Winnipeg will tell everyone they don't mind winning those one-goal games as that's their type of hockey, but opening up a two- or three-goal lead at times would be nice. St. Louis hasn't looked out of any game, though, and a bounce here or a deflection there could have them tied 1-1 heading home.

The series will shift to the Gateway to the West on Thursday as St. Louis looks to continue their winning ways at home. The Blues boast a 24-14-3 regular-season home record, including 12 consecutive victories as the Enterprise Center has been unfriendly to visiting teams. Both sides will tell you that no one worries in the playoffs until they lose a home game, but Winnipeg will look to take a stranglehold with a third-straight win in this series after winning both games in St. Louis in the regular season this year.

St. Louis may be singing the blues if this series continues in Missouri in the same way that it played out in the Manitoba capital. The Jets have looked solid in opening up a two-game lead, but it seems clear that both sides know that this series is far from being over.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Joyeuses Pâques

I know that Easter has deeply religious overtones for some people, but I'm not one of those people. I respect those who go to services today, but that scene just isn't for me. What is for me is a good day of rest, and that's what I plan on doing for the majority of this day as I prepare for what should be another busy week. I do have plans to get some spring cleaning out of the way as there are a few things I need clear out of HBIC Headquarters, but I spent the morning with a coffee and some Pixar short films that truly are excellent. One such film is shown to the left in Presto, but it's the small bunny named Alec who steals the show with his refusal to assist in Presto's magic until he's fed a carrot. The 2008 Pixar short was released with Wall-E, and it was nominated for an Academy Award! Let the comedy ensue!

The reason I bring up rabbits on this day is, of course, due to the Easter Bunny. Rabbits weren't mentioned anywhere in any religious texts when it came to Easter, but the history of rabbits and Easter came about due to a pagan festival honouring the goddess, Eostre. She was represented by a rabbit as she was seen as symbol of the goddess of fertility and spring because, according to some, bunnies "reproduce like rabbits". There's no mention of bringing eggs to children at this festival, but that tradition began elsewhere.

According to reports, the legend of the Easter Bunny being associated with eggs comes from German immigrants who landed in Pennsylvania in the 1700s. They spoke of an egg-laying hare named "Osterhase" or "Oschter Haws" who would leave colorful eggs as gifts to children who built nests where this legendary bunny could leave his eggs. Those same kids would often leave carrots in case the rabbit got hungry!

Of course, the egg imagery is also a sign of new life and fertility as we see in spring from a lot of animal life, so this "Osterhase" wasn't some distant relative of the platypus or echidna. Decorating eggs possibly is derived from eggs being a forbidden food during Lent, and cooking and eating a decorated egg left by the Easter Bunny represented a treat for those who weren't permitted to eat them.

The idea of an Easter marsupial like the platypus or echidna may seem far-fetched, but Australians celebrate Easter with the arrival of the Easter Bilby. Bilbies, or raccoon-bandicoots, are desert-dwelling marsupial omnivores from Australia that has long ears like a rabbit and grows to the size of a domestic cat. They are noctural with good hearing and an excellent sense of smell, but they, like the Easter Bunny, do not lay eggs. The young, instead, remain in the mother's pouch for up to three months before beginning their own adventure!

Ok, I have to get started on the cleaning routine if I want to feel somewhat productive today. Enjoy your Easter Sunday however you celebrate it if you celebrate it, and here's hoping you have a great day no matter where the day takes you! And if the Easter Bunny showed up with sweets and gifts? Be grateful that the Germans brought that legend with them to North America!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Whiteout Blog

The Whiteout Party has started in downtown Winnipeg as the opening game of the 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs gets underway in moments between the visiting St. Louis Blues and the host Winnipeg Jets. Tom Petty's "Love is a Long Road" kicked off the Sportsnet broadcast as Ron MacLean, Elliott Friedman, Kevin Bieksa, and Kelly Hrudey set up the game, and Scott Oake is back home as he took us inside Canada Life Centre. If you don't think Winnipeg is ready for this battle tonight, I'm not sure what to tell you because the electricity in the city is certainly evident! It's a Whiteout Live Blog tonight on HBIC as I have cleared my evening for this incredible night!

First Period Action

Puck drop happens in moments as the two teams take the ice!

• Robert Thomas is in the Blues lineup tonight after leaving the last regular-season game with an injury. He looks ready to go.
• The "M-V-P" chant for Hellebuyck will likely be heard a lot tonight. Expect this crowd to be all over the Blues.
• SoulBear has anthem duty, and he's killing it. Great renditions of both songs with the Winnipeg crowd singing along!
• The RCAF fighter jets just flew over HBIC headquarters. You know it's a big game if they're lending their support!
• First stoppage in play comes 42 seconds into the frame. St. Louis defender Justin Faulk sends a puck into the crowd.
• St. Louis is the more aggressive team through the opening three minutes. The Jets need to settle into their game here.
• Adam Lowry with a thunderous hit on Ryan Suter revitalizes the crowd at the 5:28 mark. Atta boy, Captain!
• The less Logan Stanley handles the puck in the defensive zone is better for the Jets. It's the hot potato puck.
• First penalty of the playoffs goes to Winnipeg's Luke Schenn. St. Louis' 16th-overall power-play gets a shot.
• For reference, St. Louis's PP was at 22.1% efficiency while Winnipeg's PK was at 79.4% efficiency (13th-overall).
• ROBERT THOMAS GOES HIGH GLOVE-SIDE ON HELLEBUYCK FOR THE PPG. 1-0 ST. LOUIS LEADS AT 9:31.
• I repeat what I said about Logan Stanley. He handles the puck like a live grenade. He should be on "boards-and-out" duty.
• The Moose, during their IHL days, had a pile of great players. I don't recall Jim Montgomery being one of them.
• St. Louis's Jake Neigbours goes to the box for slashing. The Jets will get their first crack at a power-play.
• Winnipeg finished the season with the top-ranked PP at 28.9%. St. Louis's PK was 28th-overall at 74.2%.
• MARK SCHEIFELE SCORES ON PP AS WINNIPEG TIES THE GAME AT 1-1 AT 13:38! WHITEOUT GOES NUTS WITH THE GOAL!
• HOLY COW! MORGAN BARRON SCORES ON A DEFLECTION OF A LUKE SCHENN SHOT! WINNIPEG LEADS 2-1 AT 15:02!
• The fourth-line is pinned in the Jets' zone right now, and they look gassed. This doesn't have a good feel.
• OSKAR SUNDQVIST IS IN THE RIGHT PLACE AND HE ZIPS ONE HOME AS ST. LOUIS TIES THE GAME AT 2-2 AT 18:10.
• I feel like both coaches are going to ask their teams if they remember how to defend when the intermission hits.
• A scrum near Hellebuyck sees Winnipeg going back on the penalty-kill. Neal Pionk sits as St. Louis goes back to the PP.
• That will do it for an entertaining first period with St. Louis and Winnipeg tied at 2-2. Did anyone expect that?

I'm taking a break during the first intermission to have some dinner, but I'll be back for more in the second period. I'll pull a Linda Richman from SNL's Coffee Talk, and ask you to talk amongst yourselves while I chow down on some dinner. I'll even give you a topic: would the St. Louis Blues have succeeded had they moved to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan? Discuss amongst yourselves! I'll be back with some food and a beverage in a couple of minutes. Second period action coming up!

Second Period Action

Winnipeg starts the period down a player as St. Louis has 1:42 left on the power-play. As you know, St. Louis is 1-for-1 so far tonight.

• How come none of the Sportsnet stats are the same? Everyone has different numbers depending on who you ask.
• JORDAN KYROU GOES HIGH ON THE BLOCKER SIDE FOR THE PPG. ST. LOUIS LEADS 3-2 JUST 73 SECONDS IN.
• I guess Scott Arniel didn't talk to the Jets about better defence in the middle period. Sundqvist stood untouched there.
• St. Louis is now whistled for a penalty as Colton Parayko is called for tripping Mark Scheifele. Jets to the power-play!
• Jets are unsuccessful on the power-play. They move to 1-for-2 on the night with the man-advantage.
• I'm not even qualified to be a waterboy, but it seems like Binnington is struggling to find the puck through traffic.
• Winnipeg's fourth line can be so effective when they get moving. Barron and Anderson-Dolan could be keys.
• They iffy penalties early on seem to be making net-front scrums far less intense. That may be a factor later.
• I'm not sure how he does it, but Mason Appleton is a complete enigma on the ice. Like be effective in some way.
• Kyle Connor with a good chance, but Binnington keeps it out of the net. Might this be the Jets' period?
• Holy moly did Kyle Connor come close. The collective Blues defensive unit kept that puck out the net.
• Wow. That hand-pass call at the St. Louis blue line was creative by the officials. As in they made it up.
• As Sportsnet's commentators wax poetic about Binnington, I feel my dinner coming up. I dislike him.
• I'd like to see Binington become unhinged tonight. See Appleton to the crease since he does nothing else.
• A rare mistake by Samberg leads to a Jordan Kyrou partial breakaway. Connor Hellebuyck says "I got it, boys."
• With 13.8 seconds remaining, some pressure sees Vladislav Namestnikov draw a penalty!
• Blues defender Nick Leddy is sitting in the box. The Jets need their power-play to gear up again!
• Time will expire on the second period as the St. Louis Blues take the one-goal lead into the intermission.

Third period action is coming up, and I was reviewing some trade history between these two teams. I'll ask the question of which trade was bigger when it comes to the Jets: the 2018 deadline deal that saw the Jets acquire Paul Stastny for Erik Foley, a 2018 1st round pick, and a 2020 4th round pick... OR... the trade that sent Phil Housley to the Blues for Nelson Emerson and Stephane Quintal? Obviously, one trade helped the Jets immensely while the other removed a key weapon the Jets had in their lineup. Which one do you feel was bigger in terms of the impact it had on the team?

Third Period Action

Third period action will get underway with the Jets holding 1:45 of power-play time to begin the frame. They are 1-for-2 with the man-advantage, and need to get that top-ranked power-play rolling.

• I have no idea how Jordan Binnington stopped Kyle Connor. Like that's just throw-anything-in-the-way netminding.
• Jets can't convert on the power-play despite getting a few chances. They'll need to keep pushing in this period.
• Mason Appleton. Enigma. Not sure what he's doing out there. Lowry can't be the only "scorer" on that line.
• Jordan Kyrou had a step on Dylan Samberg, and Samberg put his stick into Kyrou's hands. That's a penalty.
• The penalty is erased as Zack Bolduc cross-checks Alex Iafallo to end the power-play. 35 seconds of 4-on-4 hockey.
• Jets move to 1-for-4 on the power-play after failing to convert on another opportunity. These may be regrets soon.
• I'm not one to lament over who isn't playing, but the Jets could really use Ehlers' speed and creativity right now.
• ALEX IAFALLO FROM HIS OFFICE THREE FEET OUTSIDE THE CREASE BANGS ONE HOME! GAME IS TIED 3-3 AT 9:18!
• Jets seem to have a little life now, but the Blues are still holding strong. Might we get free hockey tonight?
• I'd normally say something about Walker's late hit, but Canada Life Centre is loud. That whistle wasn't heard.
• I like when Morrissey is feeling spicy. Jumping into the offence, throwing a hit... gimme more of that, #44.
• I'm not predicting anything, but I feel like Cole Perfetti or Kyle Connor are on the verge of something big.
• Seeing Steve Ott on the St. Louis bench reminds me why I don't like St. Louis. It's because of Steve Ott.
• Like I'm sure he's a great dude, but I just generally disliked him as a player. And yet he played forever.
• KYLE CONNOR ONE-TIMER FROM SCHEIFELE! WINNIPEG LEADS 4-3 WITH 1:36 TO PLAY! DID I CALL THAT?
• Binnington heads to the bench. Extra skater on for the Blues. They need a goal late to keep this one going.
• ADAM LOWRY SCORES ON THE MASON APPLETON MISS! JETS LEAD 5-3 WITH 53 SECONDS TO PLAY! PUT THIS ONE TO BED!
• Binnington remains on the bench as the Blues are going with the "we got nothing to lose" strategy.
• The scuffles begin with 20 seconds to play. Dance partners for everyone will send those lines to the rooms.
• More scuffles with seconds remain, and the officials will escort more players to their benches to close out this one.
• THE FINAL HORN SOUNDS ON A 5-3 WINNIPEG WIN AS THEY GO UP 1-0 IN THE SERIES AGAINST ST. LOUIS!

Winnipeg rallies in the third period to down the St. Louis Blues who, despite the loss, looked just as hungry as the Jets did all night. Both teams have things they need to improve for Game Two - Winnipeg's penalty-killing has to be better while St. Louis can't take their foot off the gas pedal - but the Jets break the ice with the 5-3 win.

Game Two is scheduled for Monday night at Canada Life Centre, and the Winnipeg Whiteout will be back. Can the Jets go up 2-0 before leaving for St. Louis or will the Blues even the series as they head home for Games Three and Four? We'll know Monday night, and here's hoping that Game Two is just as entertaining as tonight's game was!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Contest Begins

Last night on The Hockey Show, Jason and I were looking for sixteen people who wanted in on the unofficial "Greatest Hockey Contest In Radio History", and we filled all sixteen spots in the hour! With the NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs beginning tomorrow, the chances of these sixteen people winning prizes looks very good as each person who entered has a team for whom they be cheering. Who got which team? Let's find out!

The bracket is as follows in terms of Survivor contestants.

There are some intriguing matchups outside of the NHL matchups here as we'll see family members going head-to-head for bragging rights, co-workers teeing off on one another for those same bragging rights, and we even have a team who chose a team as Norm and Sammy become the first family-based entry into the Survivor contest!

I'll say this out loud right here so everyone can see it: it doesn't matter where Washington finishes in this postseason because Sammy's getting herself something from The Hockey Show. You can call me a softie or whatever, but having a young lady in the contest is awesome so we'll take care of Sammy when it comes to prizing. She's awesome!

With every team having someone assigned, we'll see if Tom, Ethan, Elliot, or Kristine can win some of the challenge prizes tomorrow as the Central Division kicks off the playoff schedule. Again, I don't make the schedule so I can't control when the NHL is scheduling games, so prizing will be awarded as the prizes are won. If your team hasn't played yet when the first challenge prizes are won, that's out of my hands. Please don't hate-mail Jason or I because we have zero pull with Gary Bettman or NHL scheduler-makers.

Congratulations to the sixteen people above who are now part of the 2025 edition of Survivor: NHL Playoffs! Hopefully, your team will carry you deep into the playoffs and win you some prizes! At the very least, my hope is you'll watch a game or two that your team plays so you can be ready for a potential exit interview. If nothing else, maybe you'll find a new team to cheer for in these playoffs?

While neither Jason nor I can affect the outcomes of these teams, we want to wish you the best of luck and may the odds be ever in your favour as Survivor: NHL Playoffs gets underway tomorrow!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 656

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back on the air from the UMFM studios for one reason only tonight: the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. You may have heard that the brackets were filled out last night thanks to the Montreal Canadiens being the last team to get into the playoffs, and that means that we're one step closer to the Greatest Hockey Radio Contest - unverified, for now - in the history of all broadcast sound! If you're wondering what I'm talking about, it sounds like you need to tune into the fun tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason take calls from interested parties who want to take part in the 2025 edition of Survivor: NHL Playoffs! I had written about the contest here when it comes to rules for the contest, and tonight is when we get sixteen people to choose numbers to find out which team is assigned to each entrant! As numbers start to be removed from the board, the chances of landing a top-seeded team may increase or decrease depending on which teams remain so you're going to have to weigh the odds if you want one of the superpowers. What I can tell you is that if you call between 5:30pm and 6:30 CT at (204) 269-8636, your chances of getting into the Survivor: NHL Playoffs contest will never be better! Settle in, tune into the show, get your phone out tonight for Survivor: NHL Playoffs 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 participate, you're still welcome to enter the contest! 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 get sixteen people registered for the 2025 edition of Survivor: NHL Playoffs heard on The Hockey Show exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: April 17, 2025: Episode 656

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Last One In

You were warned, and the NHL Guardian Project images are continuing today as we have our sixteenth and final team who has clinched an NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs berth. The Montreal Canadiens secured the second wild card spot tonight, leaving the Columbus Blue Jackets on the outside of the playoff picture. While Montreal may have surprised a lot of people as they flirted with a playoff spot for a while, the Blue Jackets' push for a playoff spot was impressive. It did come up short, though, and that leaves the Canadiens to face the Washington Capitals in their series. The playoff picture is complete!

The Canadiens needed at least one point against the Carolina Hurricanes tonight, but they took no chances as they swiped both points with a 4-2 win over the Hurricanes. Kaiden Guhle had a pair of goals while Sam Montembeault made 28 saves as the Habs completed their home schedule with a 10-0-2 run over their final 12 home games. The last time that the Capitals and Canadiens met in the playoffs was in the 2010 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals when the Canadiens upset the Capitals in seven games. Could it happen again?

The Capitals were 2-0-1 against the Canadiens this year, so things don't look good if we look at recent results. However, it should be noted that the three games against Washington came before the Four Nations Face-Off, and the Habs went on a bit of a heater since that break, posting a 15-5-6 record through to the end of the season. I'm not saying that streak helps, but confidence can go a long way for a team looking to upset the favourite in a series.

It should be noted that the Montreal Canadiens last made the playoffs in 2021 when they went on a tear through the brackets, eliminating the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Winnipeg Jets, and the Vegas Golden Knights before losing to the Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final in five games. Because that playoff year was played in the bubble, there were no games played in front of the Montreal faithful. In fact, there hasn't been a full Bell Centre for a playoff game since April 20, 2017 where they lost 3-2 in overtime to the New York Rangers in Game Five of their first-round series. The Rangers won that series in six games.

With no recent history outside of the three regular-season games they played this year, the pressure is squarely on the Capitals, especially if Logan Thompson is unable to recover from his upper-body injury for the start of the series. If Thompson can't go, it seems like Charlie Lindgren will get the start, and his .866 save percentage hasn't looked good as the Capitals have been sloppy in their defensive zone. The Capitals will also be looking for forward Aliaksei Protas to return at some point, but it seems he will likely miss the start of the series as well after he had his foot cut against Chicago on April 4.

The Canadiens are metaphorically playing with house money as they enter the playoffs. They were 32nd-overall in the NHL of 32 teams on November 15 and they were in last place in the Eastern Conference with an 11-16-3 record on December 16. If you watch Hockey Night in Canada, you know how often Elliotte Friedman talks about teams that are out of the playoff on American Thanksgiving have a very low chance of making the playoffs. This Montreal team just beat those odds, and I feel like they may scare the Capitals in this series.

Will they win? Probably not, and it only gets harder with both Thompson and Protas back in the Capitals' lineup. The Canadiens need Suzuki, Caufield, Laine, Demidov, Hutson, and Montembeault to play like Lafleur, Mahovlich, Shutt, Cournoyer, Robinson, and Dryden. Juraj Slafkovsky needs to find ways to be effective, Mike Matheson has to be good defensively, and Jake Evans has to be a premiere shutdown forward. In short, it's going to take every player on the Canadiens' roster to slow the Capitals down and win four games.

The Canadiens started the season as the NHL's second-youngest team, but they have matured nicely. I'm not sure it's enough to get them by a veteran Capitals team, but there's a reason they play the games. If the Canadiens can look as good as they did tonight against the Hurricanes when the series against Washington opens, they have a shot at upsetting the Capitals just like they did in 2010.

If the Canadiens continue to play good hockey as they have over the last six weeks, the improbable could be possible this spring!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!