Minnesota Wild PROSPECTS | Alex Goligoski RETIRES | PWHL LOGOS & NAMES | Hockey Canada Case UPDATE

Intro & Podcast Updates from the land of Sky Blue Waters welcome to the soda pod isad dromy here and Seth Topo will be joining us momentarily but I thank you all for joining wherever and whenever you are listening we're back took Labor Day weekend off and this episode's coming to you late on Monday but we are back nonetheless hope you all had a great Labor Day weekend hope you all have been enjoying this first week of September now no hoppy hour here today but we do have a big extended hoppy hour coming to you guys next week especially for everybody who watches these episodes on YouTube it's more of a full-on vlog than it is just an individual beer review I went up North for Labor Day to my friend's cabin we stopped at a few breweries along the way tried an array of different kind of beers and by the way God I should have written this down so my apologies I I'll throw it up on screen here after or when I'm editing this but shout out to our homie who suggested one of the beers at Big axe I commented a couple weeks ago saying that like I am going up that way soon and that I actually very much enjoy big ax but we stopped at big ax that was the last Brewery we stopped at on the way back home and definitely took your suggestion it was awesome the reason why the hoppy hour Vlog is not going to be featured in this video on YouTube and also not featured in the podcast is because over the weekend I lost my voice I streamed 17 hours straight on my second Channel this city life project go check it out and I woke up Sunday morning ready to work on the Vlog I had to do some voiceover on the Vlog CU I didn't like do commentary while I was at all the breweries sometimes just because it was loud also was hanging out with some friends I didn't want to be in like content creator mode the whole time when we're just chilling with the homies so I plan to do it on Sunday I plan to record the intro and outro to the podcast what I'm doing right now on Sunday but I went to bed at 700 a.m. started streaming at 10 a.m. on Saturday ended streaming on Sunday at 7:00 a.m. got a couple hours of sleep woke up 10:00 no voice gone like I walked upstairs said hello to my roommate and you guys can probably hear it's a little bit raspy right now and nothing came out so I didn't speak for the rest of the day and I was just sipping on honey lemon and hot water which is still what I'm drinking right now so anyways I didn't want to I didn't want to a further tax my voice and B sound like a freaking 30-year cigarette smoker on the voiceovers on the hoppy hour Vlog so I'm going to finish editing it I'll finish the voiceovers likely tomorrow the next day I will post it by itself on the city life project YouTube channel but it will be in the next soda Pod episode and then I'll just include a rundown a little bit shorter than some of the voiceovers and detailed rundown that's going to be in the Vlog but I will rund down every single beer as well on the soda pod for audio for all the audio listeners by the way for those who are listening on the podcast hey we appreciate you guys if you want the full experience of the hoppy hour the full beer reviews some of the Vlogs uh check out check out these episodes on YouTube even if you just scroll to the HPP hour portion which is usually after the part with Seth speaking of Seth and I recorded uh late Thursday night so there's a couple things that occurred over the weekend my voice is killing me even right now so I'm just going to dive into two of them quickly and then we'll catch up on everything else when Seth and I catch up later this week that's going to be kind of the Cadence is Seth and I are going to record these episodes on Thursday if I can get them out earlier like on a Friday or Saturday I will likely usually got a busy weekend of streaming on the city life projects so I'm going to keep aiming to drop them on Sunday or Mondays but if I can get them out earlier so that the topics are like as topical and as close to the day of recording as possible then I'm going to do that but just know that sometimes it's not going to happen it is what it is I still appre appreciate you guys supporting the show Seth and I did have a really good conversation though touched on a lot of things and other than yeah other than the two things that I'm going to bring up right now there was nothing really else that is pressing to get into nothing else that can't wait until we link up again this Thursday before we get to the first topic here I just want to give a big shout out to our friends at Northland vodka hockey season's just around the corner football season has started both the college season and NFL and for all the real football fans out there the CFL I mean we're we're balls deep into the CFL already just saying just saying but celebrate football Sundays celebrate with a cocktail or two celebrate with the best an vodka on the planet Northland vodka ladies and gentlemen big shout out to everybody who joined the crew at Northland vodka throughout the summer and met up with them at all of their bottle signings more to come this fall and winter season and we will keep you updated on those we love working with Northland vodka amazing product local product awesome team Mark parish and the crew there are just the best people ladies and gentlemen and it's an honor to be able to work with them here on the podcast you know what's even better a percentage of every sale goes back into the community goes back into local hockey so what are you waiting for go pick you up some Northland today help celebrate the start of hockey season help take the edge off when this high of the Vikings eventually comes back down to earth I'm sorry I'm sorry I had to say it I've lived in Minnesota long enough now to know that it ain't going to last ladies and gentlemen it ain't going to last Northland vodka a proud partner of the soda pod okay I quickly just want to go over and touch on the pwl launching the PWHL Logos & Names names and logos of all the franchises and I have to say I'm impressed I'm impressed with every single one now Seth and I will rate them Seth and I will grade them individually on the next episode but I just wanted to give my thoughts my first thoughts raw reactions I just pulled them up for the first time right now and though though I'll say like two of three of them kind of remind me as Esports logos that's not a bad thing that's not a bad thing at all so we have the boston Fleet Minnesota Frost VTO de Montreal New York Sirens Ottawa charge and Toronto scepter so let's just go through them the Boston one I like it I like it and kind of kind of an Ode to the Whalers with the be Green's my favorite color even though this one's kind of a darker forest green I mean I like it I like the Boston one I like the waves I like the Whalers tribute and I like how it's a B I think that one's tremendous um it's sort of frost this one looks more like a esport logo than any of them I really like this one as well they kept the same colors with the kind of the light purple or dark pink I might be a little bit color blind but that's how I see it there uh the dark purple and the white I like this I like this one as well it's frosty that's the best way to describe it it's a frosty F I like the name I like the logo it's simple I I'm glad they kept the same colors satisfied with that one as well uh vict moral man this one's sick they got the Flur Dee in it cool patch Cool Crest for some reason just because of the colors even though it's not white it's kind of a cream color my my mind just goes to the Washington Capitals but I like it I like this one as well I'm usually not a big fan of the name in the logo but they make it work with this one so I like this one as well I do the Boston one is still my favorite so so far I like the Boston one the most Frost second victar third um the New York siren oh this one's sick now I might be a little biased I come from Vancouver and though I was like really young when the Vancouver Grizzlies were in the NBA I love the color scheme I love the turquoise I love the orange I love the orange white and turquoise together and I just said that like yeah I usually don't like the name in the logo but this one they made it works so well now this one would be kind of harder just to replicate and draw and that's kind of the same with the victoire and Don Taylor a really famous radio and TV personality up in Canada who worked for sportset TSN and now is doing his own thing with Donnie and Dolly he always says that the best logos in sports are ones kids can draw Simplicity memorable this one might be this one especially the victoire might be a little bit harder but I love the color scheme and I think they make it work beautifully anyways incorporating the name Sirens again might be a little bit biased some people might be like it's too simple and it's actually not good but maybe just cuz I love the Vancouver Grizzlies colors that I like this one Ottawa charge I mean the Calgary Flames and the Cleveland Cavaliers had a baby and that baby is the Ottawa charge it's good I mean I like the Calgary Flames logo and I feel like this is like it's simple it's effective I like it I like it Toronto scepter TS in a scepter in the logo I like the blue and yellow it's fine I'm never going to love it because it's tto and I Hate Everything Toronto Sports so to be honest you know what no I [ __ ] this one I hate this one this one sucks uh Boston one's my favorite followed by the frost I would say Sirens Ottawa Victor I like Victor's creativity but I think it's just out of all them it's a little too busy and then just [ __ ] the Toronto one colors are nice but it's [ __ ] a stupid TS scepter here overall though like the names like the logos can't wait for this season of pwl hockey last season their inaugural season was awesome gold min OTA I know that there's some new staff there's a new general manager obviously due to the controversy and all the [ __ ] that happened after they won a championship there was quite a bit of turnover Sethi we'll dive into that on the next episode in detail but I did want to give you guys my raw unfiltered and first reaction to the names and logos of the teams cannot wait for the second season and can't wait for it to expand as well NFL week one is is here and a new season means new ways to get in on all the action at draftking Sportsbook an official sports betting partner of the NFL ready to place your first bet try betting on something simple like picking a player to score a touchdown money lines and more ready to do a touchdown dance of your own score big with draftking sports book the best place to bet touchdowns download the draftking sports book app and use code t H PN that's right use code th hpn that's code th hpn for new customers to get $250 in bonus bets when you bet just five bucks and get one month of NFL Plus premium on us only on DraftKings the crown is yours gambling problem call 1800 Gambler in New York call 8778 hopy or text Hopey 467 369 in Connecticut help is available for problem Gamble and call 888 78977 77 or visit ccpg do.org please play responsibly on behalf of booill casino and resorting Kansas 21 and over age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction voida New Hampshire Oregon in Ontario bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance for additional terms and responsible gaming resources see dk. CFT ball NFL Plus premium offer available only to new and former NFL plus subscribers additional NFL Plus premium terms at nfl.com terms one more thing More Gaudreau Family News here before we bring on Seth and this one just breaks my heart even more man um Columbus Blue Jackets writer Mark she reported earlier today Monday September 9th on the day of Johnny G and Matthew G's celebration of life that Meredith goodro is actually pregnant with their third child oh man like I and a lot of you have probably already seen this right now I don't even know why I'm bringing it up but it's just oh man it's just so sad dude like could this story get any more tragic honestly [ __ ] man so Not only was Matthew guo's wife pregnant but Johnny guo's wife was too man so not only did Johnny guo leave two children behind there's a third as well I don't really know what to say honestly I'm going to leave this in the podcast but I I I I wrote it in my notes I don't know why like there's there's nothing for me to comment on other than just I guess for you guys to see my reaction to it hear my reaction to it it's [ __ ] devastating man absolutely devastating the clips that I saw from the celebration of life I mean it seems like she's being as strong as she can so love prayers and and props to her men she's she's a strong one wow and by the way I don't know if I like all that all the clips and everything that are coming out in that like bar down and TSN and ESPN and sports that they're like posting all these like clips of like the celebration of life and I guess it's like it it is just that like a celebration of life but I don't know it's like we weren't invited the public wasn't invited it should be the friends family teammates who are part of that intense and intimate setting together I don't know that's just my take on it I I for one I'm not seeking out footage of that and when I saw it on social media I just scrolled past it for me it's like that's not for me to be involved with that's that's their ceremony right so anyways love prayers warm thoughts obviously to Seth Toupal from LockedOn Wild the gjo family men and to the friends and family of Johnny and Matthew goodro and and their loved ones [ __ ] tragic story that's that's all there is to it Seth and I talk a little bit about it as well as him and I hadn't had a chance to talk about it before recording so you guys will hear a little bit more about it in the next segment ladies and gentlemen so let's get to it on the other side it's a hard right turn but we're going to take it Seth toppal from locked on wild and we are back for some Labor Day Weekend more hockey talk here with your friend and mine Seth toppo how's it going buddy how was your Labor Day weekend pretty pretty chill uh college football is back the NFL is back and so Saturdays and Sundays for the most part I'm pretty locked in um how about that Nebraska quarterback dude I was I was talking with a a bu mind about that that they might have something Nebraska might have a little something down there I know they were facing like a to put into fight terms a can a tomato can of a team but still like he looked good he looked good is that the is that the term for like cupcake in uh in fight terms I mean if if cupcake means like a a layup of of an opponent yeah tomato can yeah it's you crush can the hockey equivalent would be empty net yes yes um no I actually watched a ton of college football as I was as I was up at my friend's cabin and they're just big football guys actually they're big Corn Huskers fan so we definitely watch that game and I one of my clients actually is a WVU um podcast WVU Sports podcast uh Steve Slayton is actually one of the co-hosts uh WVU uh Legend and also former NFL and CFL player um I actually have to edit one of their episodes later tonight so I had like some sort of interest in the Penn State and WVU game uh weather [ __ ] aside I mean it just added to the [ __ ] storm there I guess because that game was like delayed H at halftime like two hours but no I got like a ton of college football a big college football fix and like I'm not the biggest football fan but honestly I was more into college football maybe it's cuz that was the only sports that were on and we were kind of all into it but I was more into it than like sitting there watching a whole game or a whole day's worth of NFL personally and again I'm not the biggest football guy but I think I'm going to keep tabs on college football this year college football does it the best and obviously they have just a much wider range of teams to pull from but YouTube TV I think it was two years ago now they introduced the quad box and so they have it so that you know if there are four 11: a.m. games you get them all on the screen it's it's glorious uh because then all you have to do is like you have to just switch to which one is highlighted if you want to listen into a particular game and so I pop that on the TV I have you know Chile or some kind of I like to do soups for watching um football for some reason because it's just it's easy to refill you can just you can leave it on the burner on really low um and then you know I'm getting back into reading quite a bit so I just I have a book with me if I don't feel like you know if the Slate isn't that appealing keep it on in the background and just uh get five 10 chapters done like it's it's the perfect it's the perfect Saturday and then the perfect Sunday I like it so overall good long weekend watched some football hung out chilled out on Monday yeah played some uh played some Apex Legends on Sunday too my God they're not a sponsor by the way folks but we will take their money if they want to be uh it's and you know we I I have a group I have a couple of friends that we like to play Call of Duty quite a bit but those games are getting to where there are like four 500 gigabytes to download for just like everything that the game entails it takes up your entire Xbox so we have looked to other avenues and play Apex I've been wanting to try Counter Strike too I literally have to buy a or build an entire new computer to run it and that's not like it's not fun because then you like you pop it on for the first time in a week and it's like oh we have a 200 gigabyte update and it's like all right well now I can't touch this till Monday so we've we've looked at other avenues and played uh played some Apex won a couple of games it was a fun weekend I like it I like it um so yeah as people know we didn't have a podcast last weekend I was away got back late Monday and then just like the work week slapped me in the face so I've just been go go go since then but we do have we do have a lot to talk about so let's just dive right into it here we'll start with some Minnesota Wild topics then get into some NHL and then just some greater hockey topics as well let's start with the Minnesota Wild let's start with Alex golosi hanging up the skates after 17 years in the National Hockey League 17 Alex Goligoski Retires from Professional Hockey Seasons Seth amazing over a thousand games 1,78 NH games to be exact playing with the Pittsburgh Penguins the Dallas Stars the Arizona Coyotes and the Minnesota Wild he amassed 475 uh points 87 goals I mean and a solid defenseman let's be perfectly honest um I know as a young guy with the Pittsburgh Penguins there was a lot there was a lot of good things there was a lot of positivity around him as a prospect with the Dallas Stars I always considered him a top four defenseman and shoot he was beloved in Arizona as well and I know towards the end as as with every player making some decent money and who refused to be traded activating their no move Clause uh towards the end that that that the last team to have the guy on the decline may not be the biggest fan of him but upon joining the Minnesota Wild he actually had a really good first season with the Minnesota Wild in his last few years here uh he said he had no desire to move the family from Minnesota in order for some team just to give them whatever a little bit of money whether it was a million dollars or just above to play one more year which he figured it would probably just be one more year as he figured this would be the end he said it makes it easier finishing his career in Minnesota he told told that to athletic Rider and host of Fellowship of the rink Joe Smith he said I've had my fun I've done it long enough and that it was time um I think what was really cool as well and his wife even commented on this in Joe Smith's article for the athletic which I'm sure hoppy and Joe will get into it a lot next week was that he played his 10,000th game at home in Minnesota and he says I'm very lucky uh to end my career here don't know how many people get to do that end their career in their home state let alone their home home toown or close to their Hometown anyways because I feel like everybody's everybody's Hometown is the Twin Cities cuz it ain't it ain't the biggest it ain't the biggest state in most hockey hubs are around here anyways um just a just really cool that Alex golosi is content with this that he actually had I don't know if he officially had other offers Seth maybe you can touch more on that but that there were options open and he decid nope I'm good I'm content and I get it now spend the rest of my years here in Minnesota where he loves the place where he grew up the place where his family loves to be and he will likely be you know coaching his kids and you know just living it up in here in retirement well and a few things to keep in mind about his career that I think a lot of players hope to be remembered by um great teammate great great teammate and a guy who I think was really well was really well respected by his peers even though as as you alluded to he he just hit father time you know those final two years years old yeah he he hit father time the final two years with the Minnesota Wild but he took it in stride you know it was a tough situation nobody wants to be the one to sit on the bench every game and yet he he took it in stride he didn't create any sort of a fuss or or make it about him uh he continued to kind of you know I'll do whatever is in the best interest of the team uh he'll always have that Unforgettable uh the night that he was honored in fact by the Minnesota Wild that game-winning overtime goal against the Carolina Hurricanes like that's that's going to be one that will stick with him for a while but the thing that I find interesting Isa is that I don't think his ties to hockey are done because a couple of it might have been last year uh the Minnesota Wilds um social media team did like a you know a survey that I think was brought up in the athletic he was voted as most likely to become an NHL GM oh or front office executive and so if he again as as we've talked about you know he's got a newborn now and is going to be adjusting to life after playing if he wants to get back into the game at some point I don't think he's going to have any issue getting a front office role with somebody whether it be one of the teams that he previously played for whether it be somebody else we we see this happen all the time and I know we're going to talk about another player that is doing this exact same thing you see this happen all the time where players retire they still want to stay around the game they just hop into the front office and if he wants to stay involved with the NHL I don't think he's going going to have any problem finding something uh in a front office role no for sure and I mean won a Stanley Cup early in his career as well with the Pittsburgh Penguins it's crazy uh he spent half the year in in wils bear that year before uh coming up playing 45 games with Pittsburgh Penguins um you know only played two playoff games but still but still still GNA count he played two playoff games with them his name is still on the cup which is super cool um obviously Ina gopher as well I mean what a great career man and like relatively healthy throughout his career too especially um I mean I'm just looking at this stretch right here four straight seasons of 80 plus games I mean 81 81 82 82 with the Dallas Stars in Arizona Coyotes over a thousand games and you said it there still likely going to be involved in hockey yeah and we probably will see him at the pro level uh working in hockey down the road I'm sure he's going to take like a little bit of time it just seems like he wants just to chill for a little bit oh yeah but I I imagine that he'll uh he'll have that itch that he wants to scratch eventually yeah and that's it it's all about just enjoying for a little bit you know it's it's similar to kind of the the situation I'm going through right now where you know you're you're in between gigs you kick your feet up for a little bit to just enjoy an opportunity to kind of unwind after a while then the itch comes back and you're like okay now it's uh now it's time to get something exactly there's only so many days you can sleep in before you gotta wake up with the crack a dong I'm one of these guys who like I feel guilty when I sleep in because I just like I have to do something in the morning even on my day off like I have to do something whether it's just like nerd out on Sports like I have to do something so even when work is slow it's like I still try now there's some days I'm like [ __ ] streaming Japanese MMA till 5:00 a.m. we're like okay I'll go to bed at 5:00 a.m. and then wake up at like 10 or something like that but I'm that kind of guy who just like I have to get up and do something I I've started to actually go running in the morning versus at night now because well the days are getting shorter I used to be able to go run at 9ine and have like an like a half an hour hour still of like the sky light enough whereas now it's like if I'm not out there on the trail at 7:30 it's dark yeah I went I went today about um I went today about 3 nice breeze it was in the it was in the low 70s I was like all right we're back we're back there we go there we go I don't have to put on sun I don't have to put on sunscreen and avoid like noon to eight yeah now we can just go we can just go anytime that is true it was it's been gorgeous the last few days as well it really has it's we get this nice little stretch post Labor Day where it it the the temps stay in like the 70s range and it's just yeah it's just perfect no cool September Breeze yet but Minnesota Wild Prospect Rankings it's coming it's coming it'll be here right um let's get back to getting your thoughts on the soda pod and sound the fog horn Prospect Rings collaboration now the final episode did release um a couple days ago earlier this week on the Juds buds Channel and on the soda pod podcast feed you can find it wherever you get your podcast or if you just want to listen to Juds Buds and none of the other shows that we post on the soda pod feed you can just find the Juds buds podcast feed now as well we launched that this summer also on YouTube we have the full episode as well as individual player profiles but Seth um let's drag this out for another two weeks so let's do let's do one more here and then or let's do this one and then let's do next week one more time so let's go through uh 11-6 here 11 to six here you you got it up as well you can see the power rankings you can see the average rankings and you can see my rankings because for the most part other than other than my boy at uh at 15 which everyone rolled their eyes um but you know I had to do it I had to do it um every I my top 10 was the most polariz izing and if anything my top five was probably more polarizing which obviously trickled down to my top 10 so for the listeners here who haven't gone and listened to that collaboration episode again I highly recommend you guys go do so it was a lot of fun but I have at 11 Rasmus koopal Lan I have at 12 uh Kaden bank here I or sorry yeah 11 sorry uh Rasmus caline and 10 actually I have Reg Loren nine I have hunter hate uh seven I have Damon hunt six I have zeve buam and I think that was the most contentious pick there yeah but my thing was and you know what and I know I know sometimes there's like some crazy comments on YouTube I know there's Sometimes some crazy comments on Twitter and maybe I'm just crazy and that's why I was one of them they all backed me every single one of them backed my logic for placing those guys there and my logic was simply if we're still going to add top prospects to this list and they're already doing well at the highest level in Pro and we have that data on them I have to rank them higher I'm not going to rank them by projections and that's just how I looked at this list where nobody else on the collaboration didn't they [ __ ] on me the whole time but anyways I've talked enough about it on the collaboration show um what are your thoughts on my rankings and what are your 11 to six rankings so I look at this list and it is interesting because you have this nice mix of like recent additions obviously Ryder Richie is a very recent addition to this group uh having been uh drafted this past year who I had a 14 by the way I mean I I really like the potential I think potential is the word for all of the guys in this grouping um I don't think having morat at two as you did in your top 10 uh even though he averaged out at six consensus six from everybody else that did the rankings I don't think that's that crazy because I think what slid under the radar with who naden off this past season because it just really wasn't put in position to use it was his speed like it was to the point that people on Twitter were like openly wondering like is he actually fast and having had the chance to watch him uh in person with the uh the locked on S boys at a late season game uh he does he does have the speed and I just feel like he could turn into a real uh just sneaky good penalty kill guy because he's a center so he can take faceoffs but also his ability to just get out and cover the entirety of the Zone I think is something that the wild are going to start to rely on more and more that can really help them and that leads to you know special teams points leads to potential Breakaway goals things along those line we know how that worked with the uh the dewis when they were both playing on the penalty kill but I think if if you get offense from him if you get consistent offense from who nof that's when he's really going to rise um amongst Wild players uh Damon hunt and Carson Lambos you know we we've told the story about this uh these defensive prospects and how it seemed like everybody just had kind of an inconsistent season with Iowa this past year uh Damon hunt I think is probably the most NHL ready I think he is of them got he is yeah he got the time uh he got a few games last year but you know near the end of the season didn't come back up um but I think he's somebody that is is close to being able to be like at War first a third pairing defenseman for this team Carson Lambos right behind him um hunter hate is is the interesting one of this group for me because you know what he brings that a lot of the guys on this list haven't really been able to do as much is the the winning pedigree like he just everywhere he goes he wins and it's interesting that that's something that uh Brad Bomer talked about at length uh during development camp is the Wilder trying to put these different prospects in positions to where they can bring a ton of winning experience to this roster once they get in here so that you go from having an um a a roster of nhlers that doesn't really have a ton of experience in postseason you know winning postseason series to where now all of your prospects have won not only like series but like champion ship at various levels and so the pedigree that he brings in addition obviously to the scoring is just super appealing well and also and I just want to start to cut up I just want to note that like I I think some people some Minnesota Wild fans were a little bit concerned that he didn't take like a huge step up in point production which he did he I mean I guess by like per game it wasn't too much because he was wasn't o he wasn't over Point per game this year but he did do well in the goal Department 25 goals but what uh Z and hoppy really highlighted and especially and Joe Smith after talking to him as hoppy and Joe Smith did interview him on Fellowship of the rink was that this year he really worked on his two-way game he really worked on his defensive game and and it showed and it helped him be an asset for his team to win that Memorial Cup because his team was absolutely stacked SE was absolutely stacked he didn't have to be the primary Point getter the prim primary offensive guy on that team now he helped them in that regard playing Topline minutes but he could step back and play secondary role when it came to offense and actually help in the two-way game in the defensive side of the puck as well and it was it was evident this year so that's he's coming in as a complete player in his first year Pro which is awesome yeah and the the thing that I like too is you've got you got the stats on screen here it's um it's these guys you know it's one thing to be part of a team that makes the postseason and kind of be happy to be there for the ride so to speak um nine goals and 17 postseason games for uh for Hunter haate that that's somebody that's stepping up and helping produce and you look at some of these other players you know not necessarily in this 11 to6 group but Riley height denila urov like these guys are big contributors to their team's success in these different levels of of playoffs and championship play so that that's what I like too is like you look at Hunter ha and he's he's contributing like he's he's throwing himself into the mix to help his team get to these you know these upper levels and that sort of pedigree is once you get to the post season either you do the thing that you need to do or you don't like that it it just that's what it comes down to is you either make the play or you don't and often that's the difference between winning and losing games and a lot of these guys have had good success in postseason situations and so I love the pedigree that they bring um of this group I mean you know the other than hunter hate I I still like I still am a huge who nadena fan and uh I think if we do see although it sounding now like we may not necessarily but if we were to see a line of like Marcus Felino morat who nof and Ryan Hartman that's a tough line to play I think that would be I think that'd be a pain in the ass to play against the team's not getting the puck or if they do HOV is going to snatch it right back Felino is gonna create space and Hartman has an opportunity to get to the net yeah like I I think that would be a real I think that would be a real effective combo and it's not harman's quick as well feno's not the fastest guy but we know why he's like he can score goals if he's in front of the net there and his shots okay uh Hartman's still quick and hov's really quick maybe not like straight north south speed but he's [ __ ] yeah he's he's quick man and he's so good at picking guys pockets and getting pucks back in the corner too yeah I I mean he's going to be a huge piece of that and we're talking about a guy who still has a lot of tools that he can add to his Arsenal and the the defense I think is already really good if if he takes any amount of steps forward offensively um look out he proved he could score at the KHL level or at least put points at the KHL level there was that year he got over 40 points and at every level of competition International play he was close to a point per game as well now in the National Hockey League I could see him like you said more as a uh I don't want to say defensive forward but more of a two-way forward who has a ceiling of let's say 55 points all right and a floor of like 35 but effective nonetheless and not an Anor for his team and shoot maybe he does get more maybe he's a 60o player that would be awesome but I'm being realistic from what I've seen right now and shoot if next season it's a ceiling of 55 and a floor of 35 I'm [ __ ] stoked and you know if the if the offense if the offense takes a jump up then all of a sudden you're looking at a guy who can help you on both special teams units and having a middle six center that can win faceoffs and help you on both special teams units there's a lot of value there well he just becomes I guess not a Swiss army knife but a Russian army knife because he can play the [ __ ] Wing he can play the center he can play penalty kill he can play um Power Play that's huge that's huge for a guy that you didn't even get in the first round lot of value there absolutely love it well I'm excited to get into what I believe I don't think it's going to be heated because you and I are like pretty cordial and you and I don't get into [ __ ] boxing matches still waiting for the boxing match hoppy um like hoppy and I do but I do think you know I'm I'm going to I'm going to defend myself like I did on the the other show where my internet actually cut me off as I was going off there about K who's nenov but uh I will give like my full reason of why I made the top five my top five the way I did um and then I'll also allow you to Swoon over Z Bo like everybody El and I and I hate that people think that like I hate zeve now it's not that at all I mean I put him at [ __ ] six out of 33 for God's sakes it's just like I want to see what he does this year and I want to see how he does he comes into the pro before I rank him above guys who have already checked all the boxes and who have seen play pro and who have impressed me but anyways and it's one it's one thing to have a prospect pool where like the difference between six and two is massive where you'd be like okay I don't I don't get that at all these top at least so luy the top 10 for this Minnesota Wilds prospects group um or even like let's just say the top six based off of I've got here on the spreadsheet that's pretty stacked you're talking you're talking about guys that you expect will make not only like make the NHL roster be like top six or top D guys yeah high impact players and you've got six of them right there that you expect are going to do massive things like top four defense number one goalie and like top six players offensively or who Nino and like the best multi-tool player that they have in the system right now as far as young guy yeah that's not that's not a that's not a tiny list like they're pretty stacked up top dude Jud bracket has stacked let's be honest like this this whole list right and it's funny too because the one pick that everybody is not sure about like I'm even I'm even starting to come arounds too on uh Charlie stramel like everybody's eyes are going to be on him this year but that is really the only pick in the first two rounds that you can even mile L question yeah every other pick that Jud bracket has been responsible for has been just a like raved about bro they have so many guys who are knocking on the door or are just there right now that they can't even they don't even have spots for them yet like they're ahead of schedule some of them which is crazy and also Billy Garen resigning Felino and good but anyways yeah and you and Denny got into that on the live stream I won't uh I won't rip off the Band-Aid and then bringing trenin in to do basically what Felino is here for it's like you already you already have a guy here to do that but you know tren's gonna do it better yeah I mean it's I don't get the move at the same time I get the move if that makes any sort of sense you know what I mean well I'm I as I said in the episode that actually was that I recorded before we started recording the hope is that trenin coming in and doing the job kind of puts in Billy's head hey if I need to come get one of these types of guys I can go get them on the free agent market and they're probably going to be just fine like do that and go uh let these prospects help out with that uh with that scoring need y for sure it's just it's unfortunate that the extension for Felino kicks in this year because yeah it's just like they're just not going to trade him this year they're just not right NOP that's the thing even if he now if he puts up 20 goals this year 35 points is range right even even 15 even 15 and 15 15 goals 15 assists sort of thing then he has value and he can potentially be moved next year so we'll see the wild aren't making the playoffs this year doesn't matter no it all with Felino it all comes down to games played yeah cuz he's he's getting banged up more and more these days which is another reason why they probably brought in trenin but again we'll we'll dive into that more of the conversation Lions make up our thoughts on how on deployment and whatnot as we get closer to the season which what less than 30 was it 35 days or so 34 35 days at the time of this recording 35 days until opening nights and I want to say it's 10 so it's 10 days till the Tom curvers nine nine days till the Tom curvers Prospect showcase because that starts the weekend of my birthday don't ask me what age I'm turning because I don't want to say you don't look a day over 24 Seth ah well thank you I uh I needed that little I needed that little pickme up here today I shaved today so I look like I'm still in my 20s to I'm on tomorrow I'll wake up with a full beard and I I think I'm on I think I'm on like a year plus with a like with facial hair it's probably it's probably more like two or three years now yeah you rock it though I feel like I look like Osama Bin Laden When I grow my beard out and in the United States now living here um I I just don't think that's a good idea so I am uh I am just going to do what the Vegas uh dealers do when it's time to reshuffle is I just am going to do this like oh man all right let's turn the there's no segue to go from that to whatever first coming I could have said Saddam Hussein but I mean jez anyways I actually now I I wonder who I look more like I'll have to put that to the test now neither of them are Persian I don't even know why I'm doing that anyways um let's uh let's turn the page here and get serious though for moment and you and Alex did a great job on um on lock on wild talking about this and I know you and I were texting last weekend a little bit as well when we heard the news and by now everyone knows the story ladies and Remembering Matthew & Johnny Gaudreau gentlemen that uh Johnny and Matthew guo had passed away they were struck by a reckless and drunk driver Road biking on County Route uh 551 in their hometown of oldsman Township now the the man who struck them Shan Higgins is facing two charges of death by automobile he failed his sobriety test on site and admitted to having five to six drinks uh to the officers to law enforcement there as well it was reckless driving because he was passing on the right should not even shoulder lane just on the right shoulder there where the two young men were biking and it's just a [ __ ] tragic tragic story especially with I mean obviously would two would two people die especially two guys in the Sports World superstar in the sports world nothing but good things um nothing but good things to be said about both their character as well but just some of the layers to this as they were in their Hometown to celebrate their sister's wedding the following day how Johnny goodro had two young children and he left behind his wife as well his two children were one one years old and six months [ __ ] that post that she made was so heartbreaking Seth with the the picture of his kids there um along with her and his younger brother Matthew good uh his wife was pregnant with um with the with with the boy um it's just it's it's it's gut-wrenching man I had my my heart sank and I had that similar feeling um of when I got news of the humble Broncos accident a few years back right it's just something that I didn't believe at first and that just shocked me and shook up the the hockey world right um I mean I I [ __ ] hate drunk drivers um I I have a friend actually a really dear friend of mine who was by a drunk driver a few years back as well and he was T-boned at an intersection by a drunk driver who then fled the scene [ __ ] was caught though eventually which justice has been served but but my friend Seth was was struck T-boned and it was the one part off the highway that didn't have a medium that uh separated just a basically like farm field that had a dip in it and his car was submerged and he was submerged underwater for it was over I think it was over third or over 12 minutes or something like that um and by The Graces of if you want to call it higher power luck whatever you whatever you want to call it an off-duty officer noticed something like notice the record noticed the car and actually then bless his soul dove in and saved him but because my friend was submerged for so long um he was in a coma for over a month um over 15 broken bones when I saw him he was but I went and visit him in the hospital uh a few days after the crash um he'd gone through some surgeries I mean he was puffed up and swollen like the Michelin men um and you know being basically kept Alive by machines my friend is one of the most resilient people on the planet he has since made a full recovery uh no brain damage and is actually a professional dancer and choreographer uh hip-hop dancer and choreographer where again he's made a full recovery and his actually two years after Seth has gone back to being able to work work dance move think operate normally again and obviously that's not the case for the the gujo brothers which is just horrendous but um yeah so I I just wanted to share that cuz it's near and dear to my heart and I'm so blessed and and and my friend Gabriel his his family is so blessed that that he survived that but man there were there were moments especially when I saw him that I was like he's never going to be the same again or when I heard the news I I I didn't think he was going to make it sort of thing so and he's like a brother to me right so this really hits close to home um I think it's so [ __ ] selfish not only to recklessly drive like an idiot um everyone like you're going to get to your [ __ ] destination when you get there right like there's there's no need for that and and furthermore there's no need to get behind the wheel um a few drinks in especially in this day and age with Uber and everything like that um being in a city or even smaller towns these days so yeah like you said my my my heart sank when I heard about their deaths um it rocked kind of my mental state just like the humble Broncos accident where I now remember the moment I heard this story just like when I heard the humble Broncos story actually it happened on my birthday I was at a hockey game celebrating it with two my um two my friends who played in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League one of them actually played for nipawan the team that the humble Broncos were playing in that playoff series and I I will never forget they both of their phones rang at the same time and they both answered and they didn't know the severity of it yet but I mean Saskatchewan it's a small Province especially in the hockey world everyone knows everybody so um we all kind of were just sitting there silent and over over the weekend I was up like I said at my friend's cabin when we all we're talking about this we kind of just sat there in silence disbelief and we're kind of just mourning as well um anyways that that's just kind of my thoughts on it I know everyone's heard the story um you and Alex did a great I had a great episode talking about it but I'd love for you to share um a few words as well yeah and it's you know the the thing that I take away from this which is a real um it's really unfortunate but I wanted to like I wanted to be really thought out in how I reacted because we all like the reaction that we all should be having to this event is the sadness for the good dros and the families Left Behind the children left behind but the thing that I keep going back to is just the anger as to why this happened and you talk about you know not only reckless driving but drunk driving too it's a choice it's 100% a choice it's a choice that every single person makes that does it and it is maybe the single most preventable thing that can be just 100% um avoided in literally every situation and the the other frustrating part about it too is it's not like you roll the dice after it happens and you figure out what the consequences are at that moment you know him full well like full well going to the bar you know what could happen if you have too many and you get behind the wheel but this dude who the video is out there his reaction to learning that he was going to spend the entirety of Labor Day weekend Behind Bars and not drinking at that same bar most likely um was a you mean I have to be here till Thursday yeah you just killed two people you piece of [ __ ] just kill two people because here's the other part of this too there was a car in front of this guy on that road that was doing the courteous driver thing and moving over to the left to allow them proper room yeah and this dude thought that the driver was trying to prevent him from passing because also with reckless driving he was going at a high rate of speed and so he pulls up on this situation and says oh this jackass in front of me is just trying to prevent me from passing him so I'm gonna go into the right side oh oh whoops couple of bikers and his biggest worry is that then he won't be able to go back to that bar for Labor Day weekends yeah D [ __ ] that guy man and like this this is like this is what I'm talking about though is it's not only this but there's the other aspect of this that really makes me upset is the fact that it's most likely that the good found out about this on social media as opposed to from the authorities because it was floated that there was potential that this happened according to a source and then all of a sudden that got deleted because it wasn't corroborated the authorities do their job and report this to the families as opposed to trying to for the reporter that put it out there first and then retracted it got let go from the publication he worked at because he was trying to get clout by breaking this news it's not a [ __ ] trade it's not an injury situation it's a life it's two lives let the authorities do their jobs don't chase social media clout as a journalist it sickens me like and this is why this is why I get frustrated is because it should be about the loss of the G dros but the reason that it happened and then the way in which the news was broken on social media are the two big headlines yeah yeah man well said it's the whole Situation's [ __ ] up right Uber exists Uber the app exists all you all you have to do and I know the big the big inconvenience is having to go back and get your car the next day or to park in a spot where you maybe have a two hour limit or you're going to get towed well guess what if having to go back and get your car the next day is that big of an inconvenience that you're just going to drive home from the bar drunk don't go yeah yeah yeah it's as simple as that it's as simple as that it's as simple as that dude so I do want to shout out um the GoFundMe for the G dros uh at last update had received over $500,000 and for Matthew's wife and and his uh unborn child yeah I don't want to slide I don't want to slight any other Wild players if they have also contributed but I know for I know from what I saw on social media Ryan Hartman and Jer Spurgeon both did and so I gave yeah there was a few there's a few others and again I I don't I don't have it up in front of me so I won't even drop names but I'm pretty I'm pretty certain I saw a few others with the list as well and who knows sometimes people make big donations and they just priv they do it anonymously which is perfect it that is perfectly fine um I just I love to see the hockey Community come together in times like this I just again I go back to the fact that the reason that this happened could have been entirely vented and if if I if I lose a family member I I don't want to because the moment it got put out there their phone started blowing up yeah and you then make as as the person that leaks that you make the grieving process about you you put it on your schedule it's called the grieving process for a reason because everybody handles it at a different pace and being allowed to do so at your own pace is the only thing that matters in those situations no I I agree well said it's tragic [ __ ] news and as divisive as the hockey world is as divisive as hockey fans are I mean everyone everyone's coming together in support here um I saw the Gathering in front of uh the Columbus Arena the outpouring of love in Calgary in front of the Saddle Dome like you mentioned um Pro players donating to this GoFundMe as well um yeah I don't really I don't really know what what else to say and you know our our next story it's it's a hard right turn we're going to we're going to take it and the next story is not really even not even much better here as another death in the hockey world occurred a few days after um just want to give a condolences and rest in peace to the father of pavl and Valerie buray um Vladimir bur who spent years with the New Jersey Devils organization uh he passed a few days ago and spent over a decade with the organization um the New Jersey Devils made a statement saying a former Olympic medalist in swimming became a Pioneer in the field of athletic training for 30 years he served as Fitness consultant for the New Jersey Devils from 1999 to 2010 and he had his name engraved on the Stanley Cup in 20 2003 um so just wanted to didn't want to overlook that as well obviously I wanted to talk about uh the good with with you and just share a little bit of how I felt when I first heard that story but didn't want to overlook and not give our condolences also to uh Vladimir bur who passed away uh this week as well um okay now we'll take the hard right turn we'll take the hard right turn here but uh let's dive into some NHL news and then we'll cap off the show Marc Staal Retires from NHL & Joins New York Rangers Management talking about just some hockey news and we won't we won't uh we won't drag these tidbits out too long ladies and gentlemen but Seth teased this early in the show when he was talking about how golosi might actually move into a management role now that his career is done and how there was another player who played also for 17 seasons in veteran defenseman Mark St I mean defenseman 17 Seasons March stall immediately begins a new role in front office with the New York Rangers upon retiring from the National Hockey League and he's going to be working in Player Development now Mark stall spent 13 years with the New York Rangers two years with the Detroit Red Wings and one year with the uh Philadelphia Flyers mostly well he was a defensive defenseman um who played a ton of minutes even on his ELC and I I actually remember that in his uh three rookie years with the New York Rangers he basically after halfway through his first season played his way into a top four role um he played over a th000 games 1,136 games he had 53 goals and 223 points averaged 22 minutes a night again during his ELC run and he had 11 Seasons where he appeared in the playoffs overall at a plus 52 rating and an overall average ice time of 19 minutes and 56 minutes he played 128 playoff games where he averaged 21 minutes and 46 seconds now I know towards the end especially in uh in New York a lot of I have some friends who who are Rangers fans and some friends who actually live in New York they couldn't stand them towards the the end of his career they were you know calling him pylon and what whatnot and look he just he lost a lot of that Mobility that he had early um kind of that quickness and you know was was burned by some of these faster players as the game evolved but he was still able to have decent success in Detroit and I mean the Philadelphia Flyers were confident giving him over a million dollars last year to play with them as well now I know he only played 35 games with them last season um oh my apology he played one year with the Florida Panthers as well totally forgot about that where he played 82 games with them so yeah uh 13 years with the New York Rangers two years with the Detroit Red Wings one year with the Florida Panthers and one year with the Flyers um also fa some injuries towards the end of his career as well but a long career uh he was 12th overall in 2005 had a great run with the Sudbury Wolves in the OHL and it's cool to see that you know he's going kind of back to where it all started in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers um to help in Player Development well these are the types of players that make the like perfect Player Development leaders because it's one thing to make it to the NHL level but it's another thing to stay there right and I mean you go back to the mid 2000s like think about how much the game has changed from then to now and all the things that Mark has seen throughout the uh throughout the years especially with these playoff runs with the Rangers here from like 2011 to like 2016 17 where they were like contenders almost every year going into going into the playoffs yeah he's like he's going to be able to take all of that knowledge that he's learned and impart that on every uh Rangers Prospect as they make their way up and it's just you know to be like a sounding board for these guys if they have questions about hey I'm going through such and such like how do I how do I move past that or I feel like this just isn't like it's just not working out for me like how do I how do I move past it like he's he's literally seen it all and so he's going to be able to come in and help this next few generations of Rangers prospects make it and uh you know it's just it's it's similar to like Brad Bomer with the the Minnesota Wild is yeah These Guys these guys know exactly what it took for them to get up to the NHL level and so then they can tailor a program to be able to help all of the uh different prospects at various levels like that's the other part of it too is you've got guys at all these different levels of skill and you can go through and relate to just about every one of those and uh and try to help them all out for the same goal no absolutely um as we pivot here Matt Rempe Off-Season Fight Training and that's it's kind of a it's it's an inter interesting segue because we're going to talk about another another New York Rangers player here not a defenseman and not a guy who really took the normal or even best path to the NHL but we're going to talk a little bit about Matt rempe Matt rempe W um was recently interviewed by a journalist from the New York Post and a lot of blogs a lot of social media Avenues and media Avenues have jumped on this interview to give their opinions and to talk about this as well because though there was a lot of push back both from the hockey world um casuals and Rangers fans there was a lot of love for this player as well but there a lot of people were concerned at how much Matt rampe was fighting upon entering the league now he was a sixth round pick in 2020 uh played a little bit of AJ hockey but mostly spent um his time with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL where again he wasn't a point getter he was a fighter and he has been quoted saying yeah I do want to hone hone my and polish my hockey skills but I know my role I know why I'm here I know why I'm in this Sport and that is to fight and he loves it he played two years of the Harford wolf pack surprise surprise he fought a lot in those games playing 53 games in 2022 2023 and 43 three games in 2023 2024 but last year he also played 17 games with the New York Rangers where and 11 playoff games I should mention where he amassed 71 penalty minutes in 17 games he did score two points scoring a goal and an assist now he was quoted saying that he does not plan to stop fighting anytime soon many people thought that he fought too much in the NHL last season he had three fights in first five games and he didn't shy away from fighting the big boys now he is a big guy he's 20 he's young he's babyfaced out there but he's over six feet tall 24 what 67 241 pounds like he is massive he's absolutely huge but he's not like jacked yet right he's going up against these massive men out there season fighters in the National Hockey League and that's that was I think the concern from a lot of the Hockey World was we just don't see kids like this anymore um I mean we don't see a lot of kids built like him anymore playing in the NHL but we don't see kids coming into the National Hockey League and just fighting all the heavyweights right off the bat um he has was quoted saying he wants to continue to fight while he's still young and he should take advantage of fighting the NHL's best he said Legends like Matt Martin nick uh Nick delorier Ryan Reeves if they want to fight I'm in no position to say no they're giving me an opportunity and he loves fighting it's part of the game and he thrives in that part of the game that's how he's making his money that's how he's going to make his millions of dollars who are we to tell this guy who's an adult making the choice to do this to find another job right this is his job he wants to do it right and it's not like the Rangers are saying like go out and do it every night the if anything have tried to reel him back a little bit and told him to to pick his spots a little bit more um and he says he really enjoys it and he understands the Rangers concern but he wants to fight smart both technically and in better situations this season versus just coming in to prove something like he did last season now he actually has been training Muay Thai in one of the top Muay Thai gyms in Canada in Calgary where he's from and he trains with local one Championship which is one of the top fight promotions in the world at one point it was like the number two number three MMA promotion now it's kind of moved more towards Muay Thai in kickboxing but he trains with active muay thai fighters in who are signed to one Championship who train out of Calgary and former WHL fighters who have now who who are now training Muay Tha and kickboxing as well in that gym he also spent the summer and he said and was quoted it wasn't a gimmick I didn't do this for clout he didn't care if the media reported on this or not but he trained with George Lorac this offseason in summer to really get more opinions extra eyes watching his fights both at the WHL level and the NHL level to get advice on ways to polish his fight skills to do more damage and to take less damage sort of thing he says I want to be a big time enforcer in the National Hockey League but first and foremost I want to protect my teammates he says he's not a fan of stage fights he wants to stand up for himself and his teammates that is key um he though has learned that he has to do it at the most advantageous time possible for himself so he's not Maxim or so he's maximizing the value of the fight for the team not just himself kind of like he did last year um to just make a name for himself and come in like a wrecking ball I love fighting in hockey I'm old school I grew up in smalltown Canada where especially the WHL it was a very very rough League when I was growing up and as far as the junior leagues go today it's still the rough rougher leagues um the NHL is far from what it was if I'm going to watch hockey fights these days I'm going to watch the UK league and the lnh or the ECHL but uh I mean what are your thoughts on this this kid uh just mindset here and his path to the National Hockey League as he truly is a unicorn these days where back in the day and especially you being a Minnesotan watching you know bugard going through everything that he did coming from the WHL as well you know it's interesting because he truly is like a throwback he is a guy that would have been you know you'd have teams clamoring for rampe to be part of their roster even back in the 90s but it's just it's just become less and less of a focal point for teams as we prioritize speed and skill more and more but I I think the thing to really take away from this is you know the the main thing that his teammates are going to be worried about is if he like if he says he's got their back and he does like that's all that's all they really want is somebody that is in a position to with his size be able to do something if somebody on the other team tries to start anything you know if he if he comes in to defend that's that's a guy that uh that's a guy that I want on my team as opposed to somebody who just isn't going to do anything um once those situations arise and so I I applaud him for going out of his way to try to reinforce the aspect of his game that he thinks he can make the biggest impact with and um you know I I say this mostly tongue and cheek but uh you know if there was an opportunity to get a guy like this Billy would uh Billy would come calling dude they did they drafted that guy this year year that's right and lovar has more skill than Matt rempe I'm I'm just gonna say it he does he just chooses not to use it because he likes being more of a wrecking ball in the fighter whereas Matt rampe recognized that like I'm bigger than everybody and I like fighting and I train fighting in the offseason to stay in shape like I do Muay Thai for fun and Muay is a brutal sport guys Muay Thai is the the art of eight limbs right Muay Thai is elbows knees punches kicks like it's it's it's the real deal right and and again forther the guys that who's he's training with they fight Muay Thai with small gloves with 4 ounce gloves not eight ounce gloves because that's one championships Muay Thai is 4 ounce gloves versus the traditional tie boxing in the 8 ounce or 12 ounce gloves so like it's it's CRA like he he Spar and again morai is is way different than a hockey fight but as far as like building toughness and just like no fear he's training with absolute Killers as as as for sparring and work and and workout and I'm not I'm not saying these guys are getting elbowed in the [ __ ] face in the in the gym but um but he's training with high level guys in in a realm that and in a realm that's going to help his mindset for what he has to do on the ice right and this guy's not going to play 50 or 40 games in the National Hockey League every year they're going to selectively use him right um but I hope eventually he signs a a uh a one-way ticket even if he sits in the Press Box for a lot of it I'm sure he'll know what games he has to go out there and play for and in the playoffs that's when he's going to be their biggest asset oh yeah yeah in the playoffs he he will become an asset for them for sure cuz in the playoffs nobody's going to [ __ ] around with the Rangers Top Line if they know that he's just waiting there like a freaking lunatic to jump over the boards right all he needs all he needs is to be told where to uh where to lower his head and to charge to and I think that is and for bringing it back to Minnesota Wild perspective that's the biggest difference between him and bouard bugard didn't necessarily love to fight he recognized that that's what not only got into the National Hockey League but got him into the WHL yeah whereas rampe loves it like I I swear if rampe wasn't fighting in hockey he he would be boxing he would be kickboxing he he would be in a fighting sport right whereas goard didn't necessarily loved it he knew he had to do it yeah he he recognized it as a necessary part of the game yeah Olympic Qualifier Hockey Games & Teams That Made It absolutely um let's switch gears into some quick hockey news here and then we'll wrap up this portion of the show Seth uh quickly I don't know if you kept tabs on any of the Olympic qualifiers that occurred last weekend um but the final men's teams for the 2026 uh o uh Olympic winter games have been set and in over the last weekend Lavia Denmark and Slovakia earned the final spots Now France played well enough where they are the next team up and will replace Russia or should I say the Olympic athletes of Russia if the ioc doesn't allow the Russian athletes to compete and doesn't allow a Russian team to play France will be the ones that replace them they actually played better than the the C which I was I was surprised but happy to see um so the teams that are going to be competing in Milano quantina in 2026 are Canada Czech Republic Denmark Finland Germany Italy funny enough lvia Slovakia Sweden Switzerland USA and Russia or France and we get [ __ ] NHL players back which I'm so excited for Germany you ain't [ __ ] this time around [ __ ] off um those groups are intriguing too like you've obviously you got USA with either Russia or um I if Russia is not suspended then it'll be Russia us Slovakia and lvia um if not it'll be the US Germany laia and Denmark yeah um and then Canada Switzerland and either Sweden and Italy or CIA and France it's it's going to be this is going to be interesting because we had this conversation uh about just like expectations for us and for Canada and I think it's pretty much the same thing here like you go in expecting to win the gold and if you don't you go away disappointed but you know you look at the uh the road for Slovakia to get in they don't have any NHL players on their roster they still got it done and so it's all about how well you play in Olympic competition but those especially with NHL players on the roster like us and Canada they're they're out to win this thing well Seth I already have like half of our locked on wild and soda pod offseason material for next summer we're literally just going to make our Olympic roster with NHL players and mixed with some of the domestic players as well because obviously teams like Switzerland and and even Sweden even Sweden you're not going to be able to fill the entire team now actually you know what maybe maybe maybe Sweden you can Finland I'll say you or or Slovakia and Czech Republic those three Finland close Sweden you probably could fill the entire team with NHL players to be perfectly honest but those other ones you're going to have to look domestically as well and um and yeah so I'm I'm very I love International Hockey World Juniors is my my favorite hockey competition um yes even more than the high school state tournament but it's getting close the turn is getting close but I'm I'm an absolute junkie when it comes to the World Juniors I'm excited to cover it and host a bunch of watch parties for it on the channel like I did a couple years ago we're going to basically be covering every single game this year every well except for obviously ones that are going on at the same time but every back-to-back game this year it's going to be awesome and I love Olympic hockey as well and I just it just sucked without NHL players it just it just really did and I know it's Olympics are for amateur athletes not not in [ __ ] hockey if NBA players were allowed to go compete in basketball NHL players should be allowed to compete as well glad that the ioc NHL and IHF were finally able to settle their differences um get insurance for these players get their familes tickets and room and board paid for and all and all that jazz the only two things that sucked from this is Vancouver Canucks uh backup goalie was injured for Lavia and Oliver bjorkstrand was injured playing for Denmark as well in these qualifier matchups which again so close to the National Hockey League season especially for Canucks who have an injured Demco I mean they don't they don't have any goalies going into Camp right now knock on wood they'll both be there by regular season but Oliver Boran is a big hit as Wells um so I think those are the only two notable names but still NHL teams can't be happy they're like all right here we already going with this Olympic [ __ ] yeah that's I mean that's that's exactly it is like the NHL is always looking at the injury situations in these instances and the fact that there are already a couple that have happened they're like oh God okay yeah uh last thing I want to get into here Seth before we hang up the skates is we have uh an update and and we're going to be talking about this Hockey Canada S*xual Assault Case UPDATE quite a bit as we move into 2025 this year too because it's just a big mind you gross [ __ ] story in the world of hockey but it's a it's a story that again going back to like World Juniors for me I watched all of these guys develop and get their and basically work their way into the National Hockey League team and the fact that this incident of alleged gang sexual assault happened at a world Junior's banquet with a world Junior's team one of the best world juniors teams that I've seen in the last decade just makes me sick as both a hockey fan but also a Canadian hockey fan who obviously rooted for this team and and celebrated this team in their Victory now I know I like I don't feel like guilt or anything like that but it just it's just still [ __ ] gross so I want to I want to stay a breast with this story I want to stay uh informed and we're going to talk about it here because there's not a lot of hockey podcasts quite frankly who are talking about it so latest update here Seth was a judge Superior Court Justice Bruce Thomas let five let five you know the former NHL players and World Junior Team Canada players skip a pre- or skip pre-trial arguments um earlier this week in the sexual uh assault case all the world junior players former World Junior players expect to plead not guilty at the 2025 trial this proceeding was for their lawyers to discuss what evidence will and won't be presented to the jury and the reason for granting the permission here was that the and I'm just going to quote this from an article from the CBC the applicants have each provided an affidavit wherein they acknowledge the importance of the proceedings and wave the necessity of attending the hearings it is clear each of the applicants has uh has a need to work or find work not only to sustain themselves but to pay the expense their legal expenses which at this point Point include uh big legal fees um in his reasons for allowing the players not to appear in court for pre-trial arguments uh Judge Thomas wrote all five were skilled junior hockey players who stopped playing after being charg with the sexual assault earlier this year they are unable to play in the National Hockey League at this point the judge wrote that uh Cody McLoud and Dylan dub have signed contracts in the KHL in Kazakhstan and Belarus uh the judge said the travel required by the league and the time zone differences make it extremely difficult to participate in these pre-trial applications um who was the other one Alex Alex Forton lives in Barry Ontario and he has moved on from a hockey career the court docman state but is working full-time in construction and getting ongoing training in the operations of heavy equipment as well as the uh Administration aspects of the new trade and Cal foot uh and Carter Hart aren't playing but have indicated that their training must continue at a high level if they're going to have some hope of continuing uh to play professional hockey uh foot lives in Denver and Hart lives in Alberta but wants to move to Nashville Tennessee the crown did not argue against granting the players their applications but noted it is a significant accommodation of course the KHL assigned to them Jake fanan got a job now Jake fanan was proven to be innocent in his case with the van that stemed in Vancouver um separate case not involved in this one um but obviously NHL teams didn't and it could have also been part that he's just not very good but no NHL team wanted to to touch that during the during his case but the KL swooped him up right away yeah this is this is is interesting because I can see with the travel for the KHL why that would be a hindrance to be able to attend but like if you're if you're training like aren't you able to just find a spot to train within reasonable distance of these proceedings and ultimately I mean it's London Ontario like you're going to be like there's there's straight up facilities there I've lived in London Ontario spent a year there like you're yeah there ultimately all the pre-trial stuff is that's for the lawyers anyway so I guess in the grand scheme of things it's not a huge deal but um you know it does it does serve as a good reminder for these players that when these proceedings get going this is going to take a long time it's going to it's going to cost them a lot in legal fees and so this might long trial might have been the judge too just trying to kind of put that in all of their heads of like yeah we'll we'll give you the opportunity now to get all of your Affairs in order because once this gets going it's it's just going to be full bore until until the trial concludes it'd be a different it'd be a different um reaction entirely I think if the legal team was trying to you know delay the proceedings things like that but the fact that the trial is move but the fact that it's moving forward um you know at the end of the day this is this is more for the uh for the lawyers than it is for anybody else yeah no for sure so we'll keep tabs on this and again I mean Cody mccloud's lawyer has has not shied away from giving his quotes on the matter saying that uh Cody McLoud will be very vigorously defending his case uh has always taken the position that he is not guilty of any wrong doing uh the judge also said that he was content that the applicants understand the seriousness of the allegations they face and the right they are giving up um Thomas wrote I've exercised my discretion to allow each of the applicants to be absent from the upcoming pre-trial applications with the exception of those where oral testimony will be heard interested to see if like there's like maybe like a zoom call or a phone call even with with one or two of them if they they are going to give a yeah it's they're not going to be there in person but are going to give an oral test yeah and if I mean if if any of that gets missed then all bets are off because you you can really only ask for favor and leniency with judges so many times before they just are like you uh you have exercised all of the uh all the patience you're going to get yeah this is gonna be a big one dude um and shout out to Rick weste head of TSN investigative journalist he is on this case as he is all the I'll I'll use the word severe cases uh in the hockey world so big shout out to him um I get all my info and my updates from him both the TSN and the CBC so so there you go we uh we crammed a lot for missing a whole week even in the summer we crammed a lot into this episode Seth there's never any shortage of things to uh to talk about because the thing that I like about our crossovers is that often times they leave to tents that you don't for that end up being like the Highlight portion of the episode 100% those are my favorite Parts absolutely and as we get closer to the season and start to really dive into like roster battles and stuff that's only going to continue oh I'm I'm excited because what we we did the end of the season last year when we started collaborating right like mid towards the end of the season we get we got a full season ahead of collaboration so it's going to be fun can't wait freaking yeah what do you got coming up on lockdown wild uh we got uh Joe Smith joining the show to yeah to get us a little a little closer and you know we're keeping an eye on pwl this year too um was yes new new general manager yeah I don't want to say I don't want to say I was surprised because again state of hockey but we had a strong contingent of fans that were asking for some pwl coverage and so we'll uh we'll be checking in with Alexis Pearson quite often throughout the season and uh we're going to get her on next week to break down the release of the name of the team which is going on on Monday and you have a logo yet uh not yet but that's all that's all coming on Monday and so gonna get a logo before this team I swear to God know so we'll talk about all that we'll talk about the new GM as well with Alexis next week so awesome yeah Alexis do great great work covering the pwhl A+ A+ A+ I listened to her um on KFAN as I saved a bunch of the initials games for my drive up to the cabin she did pretty good she did pretty good it's a hard game which by the way and again this was pre-recorded and this will be the last thing I say I got to start calling into that show because I could have been $772,000 richer I got and this again this was two weeks back so it doesn't matter because it was pre-recorded but as we were driving up me and my friend friends we were giving our like you know initial predictions and things like that GES yeah dude HL I got it right I got one right on not just one initial both of them in the right order I got to start calling in I could use that 70 grand even it's gonna be taxed like crazy here in the states I don't care I I'll walk away with 40 I don't give a [ __ ] where would uh where would the Minnesota Wild podcaster party have been had you had you won I would have just bought a place for us to live and party and podcast oh my Seth move to the cities I got uh I bought a house I'll honestly probably buy this house I'm living in right now could you imagine like a a Content house for the Minnesota Wild podcasts we got to start calling in you and I Seth this is these are my initials they haven't used SS in four months let one of us try one of those like we're going to win that money you tell me what you go with and I'll do it let's [ __ ] go all right so thanks again I will see you on uh locked on Wild on Friday this episode of the soda pod is brought to you by better help and look ladies and gentlemen everyone goes through ups and downs everyone goes through R rough patches in life and it's important to identify and stay true to your self-care routine whether that's leg day at the gym or therapy day is your schedule packed with Summer activities for the kids work that's keeping you inside versus enjoying 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hpn to get 10% off your first month that's betterhelp hp.com slpn again to get 10% off your first month here today we're looking out for you guys betterhelp.com tpn take advantage of our deal and start feeling better today with better help big shout out to Seth again for joining us each and every week as always check out his Friday installment of locked on wild to see my appearance as I'm on the show every single Friday and we always have a lot of fun we're breaking down the I guess all the divisions in the NHL for this pre-season series that we're doing I did like 2 hours of freaking I don't want to say research cuz like I'm not to I'm patting myself on the back I was saying not to Pat myself on the back but I am like I I am versed in the divisions in the league at this point as we're The Season's just around the corner but took a lot of notes and approached our breakdown in I think a more detailed fashion than what a lot of PE or how a lot of people are doing it on their podcast and things like that and Seth really appreciated the research had like two pages of notes and he's like gez dude I only have one but anyways uh big shout out to Seth it's always great bringing him on the show and I look forward to jumping on the next lock on wild segment on Friday um before we wrap up the show here just want to remind you guys to check out 7th Avenue Pizza they are the best pizza on the planet ladies and gentlemen you don't need dominoes you don't need delissio you don't need Papa Johns you don't need any high-end Pizza gonos throw that [ __ ] in the Gard garbage you don't need it all you need is 7th Avenue Pizza is the best pizza in the state it's the best pizza in the country it's the best pizza on the planet I don't even need to go to Italy to try their hipster ass Pizza we have the best pizza at Hive at BOGO at londen bely and pretty much everywhere now in Minnesota be sure to follow them on social media as they are totally interactive be sure to to ask them if you're unsure of where you can find 7th Avenue Pizza in your area in the state Andor in the cities and go support them today guys they are like I said the best pizza they're the best people an awesome Local Company Matt and the crew are just amazing and they are going to continue to be at gopher's football tailgate party so be sure to tell them what's up and that the soda pod crew sent you or just say hello heard you guys on the soda pod give me a pizza pie 7th Avenue Pizza awesome Local Company my favorite pizza on the planet and they're soon to be yours as well and they're a proud partner of the soda pod reminder no hoppy hour on the audio side no hoppy hour on the video side I'm putting together a bigger Vlog of multiple breweries that I hit on my way to my friend's cabin and on the way back home from my Bud's cabin Labor Day weekend as you can hear my voice ain't ain't the best I talked about in the opening segment I will do my voice over likely tonight or tomorrow Monday night or or early Tuesday and that will be on next week's episode and on the audio side of things I will give a rundown on all the beers as well but if you're listening via the podcast as always even if you just want to check out the video for the beer review or beer Vlogs that we post in the video that's cool too but just a reminder if you want to get the full experience of the soda pod The Full Experience of the podcast check us out on YouTube at the soda pod and we don't only just post soda pod episodes WE Post clips from Juds buds Fellowship of the rink full podcast episodes and soon to be mcaa as well as Juds buds live streams every single Monday so content posting every single day on that channel as well as yours truly the soda pod last but not least big shout out to our friends at better Edge guys better Edge is a free platform with legal betting in the state of Minnesota among 44 other states and we have a gift for you that's right NFL season is in full effect college football season is in 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of more eyes on YouTube as we grow the soda pod Channel and I will be back streaming multiple watch parties and watch alongs throughout the Minnesota Wild season I will post the schedule a month ahead of time so you know which games I will be covering so don't forget to join me in the live chat for those it's going to be a lot of fun hopia back next week Seth back NE next week as always and appreciate every single one of you who continue to support us here season just around the corner preseason starts next week ladies and Gentlemen let's freaking go less than 30 days less than a month until the National Hockey leag League starts so excited for that signing off I'm Isa dry alongside Seth topal this has been the soda pod presented by better Edge 7th Avenue Pizza Northland vodka and wagle golf don't fear just drink some beer and stay Wild