Episode 50 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast 06-16-2023

Episode 50 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast discussion topics include-

#1. Calgary names Ryan Huska head coach. Sounds like the roster players love the hiring, my only question is what took so long to name an in-house candidate that Calgary could have named the day after the dispatching of Darrell Sutter?

#2. Best of luck to both Craig Conroy and Ryan Huska in their new positions, reviving the career of Jonathan Huberdeau, has to be at the top of their to do list?

#3. Not a surprising at all that the N.Y. Rangers have selected Peter Laviolette as the club’s new head coach, he is the right coach for the N.Y. Rangers.

#4. In other coaching related news, it would seem to be a very big day and time of change in Patrick Roy’s life, as not only has he officially stepped down as general manager and head Coach of the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL, but that there was not even the sound of a single cricket regarding any opportunity within the NHL of any kind, anywhere. It seems as though the only possible way that Patrick Roy ever gets back into the NHL in a management, or coaching role, is if the NHL puts a future expansion team back in Quebec City.

#5. After a very long, exhaustive, grueling, and thorough process Toronto Businessman Michael Andlauer has come out on top and is the new owner of the Ottawa Senators. Michael Andlauer will now have to sell his 10% ownership of the Montreal Canadiens which should contribute a sizable dollar amount to his purchase of the Ottawa Senators.  The big question now is where does leave Pierre Dorian and everyone else moving forward? One has to wonder if changes are on the way after the draft completes or after the initial free agent frenzy ends?

#6. Regarding the playoffs. Let me begin by saying, I have no skin in the game as they say. I am not a fan of either team in the cup final. However, someone please try to convince me that the hit on Matthew Tkachuck wasn’t a targeted, calculated and most of all excessively over the top hit with intent to have the exact outcome that it did. Please, I’m begging for anyone to attempt to even remotely justify or explain that hit with even a drop of ethics, integrity, professionalism, or sportsmanship attached to the argument. Make no mistake it was a calculated targeted hit 100% without question.  Anyone and everyone has clearly seen the effects of the hit on Matthew Tkachuk’s game, even if there are some who have chosen to turn a blind eye to it, the effects have been that obvious. Come on, his own brother Brady had to help him out of bed prior to games 3 and 4. His own teammates had to dress him for games 3 and 4, because of the level of pain he was in!

It doesn’t require anyone with an IQ higher than plant life to have taken note of the effects and obvious laboring of every shift Tkachuck has taken since. Though Las Vegas has won the Cup, they will never know if they were capable of beating Florida’s best. One can’t help but wonder what type of tone there might be in future games between these 2 teams, once the injured have recovered. So much for integrity, ethics, professionalism and sportsmanship, it would seem that these things in reality just fall into the 100% B.S. category and are nothing more than that.

If this strikes anyone as overreaching or over dramatic, consider this in your uncaring thoughts for a moment. If Matthew Tkachuck was your brother, friend of the family, or a friend of yours specifically, what would be your reaction then? Just the fact that he’s another human being should be enough for a society who claims to supposedly care such much with all of the social issues that are now front and center. Society is now on trial, let’s find out if there is even the tiniest remote amount of truth, ethics or integrity, or if it’s all for show, me, me, me, I just want my way, and nothing or no one else matters in the least. Let’s find out, for real, once and for all.

This speaks to words that used to mean something, and now are nothing more than buzz words. Accountability, Responsibility, Respect, Ethics, Integrity, Honor and Professionalism. So much for progress. I am willing to bet that absolutely nothing is even addressed regarding this, which speaks volumes. If it had to be summed up in a single word, that word is DISCRACE.

#7 Adam Boqvist to Montreal rumors. I would be willing to send prospects Jacob Olofsson and Ty Smilanic to acquire him or fellow Swedish defensemen Mattias Norlinder straight up, Boqvist, but absolutely nothing more than that.

#8. The 2023 draft.