Russo in for Bump! John Vanbiesbrouck, Harman Dayal! - Bumper to Bumper 12/23/25 Hour One

Bumper to Bumper with Dan Barreiro!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Call this laughing behind the glass at me already. This
is Michael Russo from the Athletic Bretton Blake Moore's laughing
back at the studio or coming to you from the
bowels of Grand Casino Arena. Be filling in here for Berrero.
This fine three hours and fifteen minutes. Kevin here holding
my hand across the glass.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
I'm not literally or figuratively, in no way are we
holding hands. It's the Bob Kurtz Radio Center. It's at
the Hob Kurtz Radio Center. In case you need any
type of reminder.

Speaker 1 (00:31):
Yes, exactly, really fun show, jam packed with guests.

Speaker 3 (00:36):
Just got a late addition as well.

Speaker 1 (00:38):
Dave Jackson, one of my favorite referees ever that worked
this fi in sport in the National Hockey League, now
the greatest rules analyst on television for ESPN. He's actually
in town with Bob was Shuzen and aj Maletsko Molesco
tonight doing the ESPN plus Hulu telecast. So he's going
to swing by the last hour and maybe join Joe
o'donnelld and Joe Smith and myself in the studio as well.

(01:00):
John Van Bisbrook, who I covered him. You discovered him.
I discovered him back in the day with the Florida Panthers.
I think he played for the Rangers before that. Ninety
eight Olympics with Bill Garan, by the way, pretty much
runs USA Hockey right now. He's going to join talk
a little World Junior Championships, Olympics, and maybe we'll take
a trip down memory lane when I covered him about

(01:20):
thirty years ago. Kevin, I'm sure you're going to join that.
Nico Sturm joining as well. Herman Dile from the Athletic,
our Vancouver Canucks writer. We're going to talk a lot
of Quinn Hughes, Marco Rossi, Liam Ogrin, and Zee Boyam
Alec Lewis from the Athletic. We're going to talk about
the big Vikings news today with JJ McCarthy out with
a hand injury and assistant general manager Matt Sells, and

(01:42):
maybe Matt Matt is one of the is the person
that Bill Garan has credited with throwing the idea in
is in his head for the first place of getting
Quinn Hughes. So we're going to talk about how that
all came about and man, what a turnaround since October
thirty one, Kevin. This team nineteen four and two in
that stretch has climbed from thirteenth in the West to

(02:05):
third in the National Hockey League. Obviously, they lost the
other night against the Colorado Avalanche. The while that was
their sixth game and nine nights seventh and eleven in
that span, the six and nine Colorado played three times,
so I think we saw why they might have had
a little more energy for that game.

Speaker 2 (02:20):
The schedule has been unbelievable and it's not an excuse.
I mean, Colorado was the better team that night. It
would be fun to see them on an even playing field,
because I.

Speaker 3 (02:28):
Don't feel like that game was.

Speaker 2 (02:30):
There was such an emotional game against Edmonton, and everyone
talked to said the right things going into that game
against the Avalanche, but unfortunately, it just didn't feel like
they had that extra that we've seen since November.

Speaker 3 (02:40):
First. Yeah, they've been playing a ton of hockey.

Speaker 1 (02:43):
And you know, I said this on X to a
couple fans yesterday, and I'm not trying to make excuses
for this team, but look, this is not a video game.
You just don't throw lineups into a computer and spit
it out. These are real human beings. And sometimes you're
just fatigued. And this I mean, I said this on
my podcast with the Panty yesterday. If you think about it,
Game forty one of this season is New Year's even

(03:03):
San Jose, When have they played half a season in
two and a half months, Like usually the midway mark
of a season is a couple weeks into January, and
here it just shows you how much hockey they've played
in this condensed schedule. And sometimes teams just come in fresher,
and that was clearly the case with the Colorado Avalanche

(03:24):
the other night. And you'd love to see them in
a situation where maybe both teams were equally as rested
and what could happen. But I just think that was
a game where just the wild they tried to come
out the first five minutes and take control of the game.
They still had a chance to steal a point if
they could just do something on that power play in
the third period, and it just didn't happen.

Speaker 2 (03:43):
To me, it's unbelievable that we're talking about the same
season and when it was so thick around here coming
out of that loss to Pittsburgh at the end of October,
the ninth loss out of twelve games. Think about how
bad it was at the end of October and how
thick the atmosphere was around here, And now we're talking
about a team that's right there in the conversation from
all the NHL walks, as Barero would call him, across

(04:06):
the nationalgy They're talking about the Avalanche, the Stars, and
the Wild in the same conversation in the Western Conference,
and then put them right up there with the elite
teams in the Eastern Conference. It's hard to believe that
we're talking about the same team now that we were
talking about at the end of October, because it really
it felt like the end of the Everson era when
those games were going on and they just couldn't buy

(04:28):
a win, they couldn't do anything right. And yet here
we are, we're talking about one of the elite teams. Yeah,
they looked old, they look slow.

Speaker 1 (04:34):
And now I look back at some of the things
I wrote back that month, some of the columns, and
I wish we could scrub them right off. Our instigator,
Jared Spurgeon had a team meeting. We've written about it
to death in the Athletic But the big thing is,
normally you after a loss like Pittsburgh, where you've lost
nine of your first twelve games, you're going to close
the door and go crazy as a team. And what

(04:57):
he decided to do is, let's go home sleep on it.
He gathered some thoughts together, got in touch with the
leaders like Marcus Felino and Curl Caprisov, corresponded back and
forth with John Hines, and actually had a really substantive,
healthy conversation the next day where they closed the door
before practice and he sent a text every race a
team meeting players only, and they aired it out and

(05:19):
they've been a totally different team since. I know.

Speaker 3 (05:21):
It's not even close. And that's what's so funny about that.

Speaker 2 (05:24):
It's not a small like over a weekend or a
week or even even a month. They've out of those
twenty five games since November first, they've pulled in forty
out of a possible fifty points, the same team that
lost nine to twelve to open the year. And that's
why it's so incredible, the complete one eighty that they've
done in that short amount of time. And I know
that the addition to Quinn Hughes is going to mean

(05:44):
a big things for this team going forward, But this
body of work that they've done. Only four or five
of those games I've had Quinn Hughes in the lineup.
It's just it's unbelievable what John Hines, the leadership and
everyone else inside that wild locker room is enable to
cobble together for a good reason. You look at what
they've got with the goaltending. I think their defensive course
is just as good as anyone in the National Hockey League.

(06:06):
And then you throw on top of that Caprice Haveving
Boldie playing like the superstars that they are and can be.
All of it is culminated into just a wonderful twenty
five games.

Speaker 1 (06:15):
And we'll talk to Matt Sells about this, the Wilds
system general manager. But and maybe he can confirm, but
other than Damon Haunts, who you know when they're healthy,
is not a regular on this team. I think this
is the first time all season that they've had their
entire healthy lineup because the Brodein started this season not playing,
soa Zucarillo yeah so like to me, and then Sturm

(06:36):
was out. So this has got to be the first
game tonight where they've had their entire lineup with Zach
pegoshin back in.

Speaker 2 (06:41):
And that's the other thing that's so weird about this
this stretch is that they've done those numbers that I
talked about.

Speaker 3 (06:46):
In those twenty five games.

Speaker 2 (06:47):
They've pulled in forty out of a possible fifty points
with never a full lineup and missing significant pieces. And
the good thing is you haven't been missing Boldie Caprice
or you're goaltending.

Speaker 3 (06:59):
But you at one point last week, I think the
trip to Columbus.

Speaker 2 (07:02):
Columbus, you're missing half of your defensive course crazy, You're
missing two of your top six in Zuccarello and Johansson.
I mean, and yet here they are. They're still pulling
and wins on a pretty regular basis. Again, it didn't
work out for him against the Colorado Avalanche, but still
you're one and one on the season against them.

Speaker 1 (07:18):
Let's see where it goes. Yeah, in that game in Columbus,
it was impressive. I mean, guys like Hube Cabel in
the lineup, that Matt Kirstad, who I thought was great
that night. Carson Lambos makes his NHL debut, is great
that night. And to your point, I mean, they are
playing shorthanded and they're somehow cobbling together points, you know,
which is just crazy throughout that stretch. And now they're
healthy and we'll see if they can continue to play well.

Speaker 3 (07:39):
Can I ask you a question?

Speaker 2 (07:40):
So I know you've documented it quite a bit in
the Athletic and at the Athletic dot com, but the
addition of Quinn Hills you can get into a mat
cells and all that. A quick story the one weekend
I chose to take off in twenty five years, I
don't take that many games off. But my kid had
a hockey tournament in Coleraine. Do you know where Coleraine is. No,
it's north of g and rapid, so it's a three

(08:01):
hour drive. We're up there, and we took the weekend
off and I went up to He had two games
on Friday, and I'm sitting there on Friday night in
Cole Raine it's called the Snake Pit, watching my band
and play hockey, and all of a sudden, I'm talking
to my son. He's babysitting our eighty four dogs at home,
and I asked him how things are going at home.
He says, it's fine, you know, all the dogs are this,
and then he goes, hey, by the way, did you

(08:22):
see this news that the Wild got Queen Hughes. I said, yeah, okay,
and what else the easter bunny is driving my car around?
He says, no, the Wild got Queen Hughes. I said,
that absolutely did not happen. And as I'm talking to him,
Hockey Dad start coming up to me from a left
and right. The buzz inside the snake pit in Coleraine,
it starts going out of its mind.

Speaker 3 (08:42):
It's incredible, the buzz.

Speaker 2 (08:44):
As that news started to filter out, I still didn't
believe it until I read it on the athletic ineathletic
dot com that in fact, Queenn Hughes had joined the
Minnesota Wild. How did it happen from your van? Yeah,
I mean, first of all, I was more Narth than Coleraine.
I was in Edmonton time. And here's even more embarrassing.
So that morning, besides the fact that I talked to

(09:04):
Bill Gharran twice that day and had no idea. I'm like,
I remember I said to him at one point, I'm
like anything going on? He was absolutely nothing.

Speaker 1 (09:13):
And then I said to him after the trade, I'm like,
you know, you could have hinted something goes No. I
figured we'd have a good chuckle about it after I'm like, great, Well,
here's the more embarrassing thing is, I'm up there and
I'm working on a feature on Ellen Hughes. Ellen Hughes
is Quinn, Jack and Luke's mom, and I'm up there
doing this feature for the Olympics on her role for
USA Women's hockey, and she's late coming on the ice

(09:35):
and I was supposed to sit down with her today
that day, and all of a sudden, she's like, hey.

Speaker 3 (09:40):
Can we meet maybe in Minnesota.

Speaker 1 (09:42):
I'm going to comfort Jack and Luke's game there on
January twelfth.

Speaker 3 (09:44):
I'm like, yeah, no problem. And next thing I know,
I'm I'm.

Speaker 1 (09:48):
Back at the hotel and I get a call from
somebody saying that this thing is going down, and right
away he doesn't know who it's for. All I know
is it's boyam Ogrin and ROSSI to Vancouver. Now, it's
like twenty five minutes that I'm waiting. I know it's
got to be Quinn or Elias, because that's the only
thing that makes sense there. I'm thinking it's Quinn. They
have the same agent. I'm texting him. I'm texting people

(10:10):
in the organization. You don't think that's what it would
have taken.

Speaker 3 (10:12):
A get key for sure, Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 1 (10:14):
And then finally I get the confirmation to go with it,
so we throw it out there and then it's just
pedal to metal. Joe Smith and I working on story
after story after story, and it was just it was
It was truly exhilarating. And you know a lot of
times when you're you're doing a story like that, you're
really not You're not thinking, digesting how franchise altering, this
is how big it is. You're just letting whatever comes

(10:35):
out of your fingertips is what's essentially to plan. Then
we finally get done that night, I get Rossi on
the phone, we write a roster projection and then it's
like take a deep breath and then figure it out
and then now come back with actually stories that makes
sense the next couple of days. But it was truly
an unbelievable moment. What a franchise altering trade. Unfortunately, it
costs them three great players at a first round pick,

(10:56):
but look, that's to get a player like Quinn Hughes,
you have to give up players like that. And man,
I think Vancouver did a tremendous job and We'll talk
to Harman Dail from The Athletic about this later in
the hour, but man, what a what a run for
the while to get them.

Speaker 2 (11:10):
So you've been here the better part of two decades
and you've seen the vast majority of the big moves
within this franchise. The free agency signing of a suitor
and Preeze of course right at the top of the
list of big moves that have altered the shape of
this franchise, and those were monster. But in terms of trades,
I was thinking about some of the ones that would
even come close to me this is number one with

(11:31):
a bullet but burns for Coil and Savucci, that was
a big one.

Speaker 3 (11:35):
Bringing Devin Dubnik in.

Speaker 2 (11:37):
Was a pretty big one that changed that entire season
Minnesota Wild and what he did for them between the pipes,
need a rider for Clutterbuck. I mean, there's not very
much that comes even close to what this is in
terms of what the impact is now.

Speaker 1 (11:52):
I mean, this is this is one of the biggest
trades that I've ever covered in the NHL, and I
think that I can't think of too many NHL trades
that are bigger. I mean, obviously Sky Gretskio in La.

Speaker 3 (12:01):
But you know I.

Speaker 1 (12:02):
Covered an eight eight piece trade Pavlo Barrego into Florida
once from Vancouver as well. Isn't it interesting that like
the two biggest trades in Canucks history, I was I
was the beat writer for only one down there in
one here. So it's just it really is just an
exciting moment in team history. We've already seen how good
he could be on the ice as he gains more
and more chemistry with these guys. I mean the other

(12:23):
night against Colorado, he could have had three or four
points of if players are catching the stretch passes, if
they had more you know, chemistry on the power play.
You know, I'd love to see him on the ice
a lot more with Caprice Off, I think, or Boldie.
I think that would create a lot of magic. And
it's just a huge, huge thing. And as long as
they can resign them, I think that wild fans will

(12:44):
realize how much of a game changer this is and
get them on part. When you got to beat Colorado
in Dallas every year and they've got guys like high
Schin in the car and it puts you on the
plateau here and Quinn is as good as it gets
in the league. When we come back, we will have
John van Bisburg, one of those players that ied in
the Florida Panthers back in the day, took them to
the Stanley Cup Final in nineteen ninety six, a cast

(13:05):
off team in just their third year of existence. But
he also is the head honcho for USA Hockey, or
one of them, and part of the group that has
brought World Juniors here to Minnesota, but is also going
to be here on December twenty eighth to meet with
Bill Garan and the rest of Bill Garran's staff to
pick the Olympic team. We'll be right back with Beezer
here on the fan. This is Michael Russo Park, Michael

(13:43):
Russo from the Athletic back here on the fans only
in for Dan Burrero in this beautiful What day is today?

Speaker 3 (13:48):
Tuesday day before New Year's or Christmas Eve?

Speaker 1 (13:52):
In the while the last home game until January twelfth,
I believe, isn't that crazy as they hit on the
road here for a seven game road trip because the
World Juniors are taking over Grand Casino, and one of
the men that it brought the World Juniors here is
the massive part of USA Hockey. He is a United
States Hockey Hall of Famer and one of the best

(14:14):
goaltenders in NHL history, third most wins amongst American born goaltenders.
And I had the pleasure of covering him many many
eons ago down in Florida when he took the Florida
Panthers to the Stanley Cup Final in only the third
year of his exist since John Van Bisburg.

Speaker 4 (14:29):
How are you, Michael?

Speaker 5 (14:31):
Good to be with you, How are you?

Speaker 3 (14:33):
Isn't it crazy? I'm doing great? Isn't it crazy? Actually?
How long we've known each other.

Speaker 1 (14:37):
You knew me when I was just a young know
it all and now today I'm just an old know
it all.

Speaker 3 (14:44):
Kid.

Speaker 5 (14:44):
Goes goes by fast in this game, There's no doubt about.

Speaker 3 (14:47):
It, Isn't it crazy?

Speaker 1 (14:48):
Like when you think about how many players from that
team are still in the game, I mean you and
Melanbie and Lindsay and Jovo and Jody Hall and Stu
Barnes and Garpenl goes on and on, and then you
think of the kids of those players that are still like,
you know, Connor Murphy and Adam Lowry, and there's so
many huge tie ins of those Florida Panther teams.

Speaker 5 (15:09):
Yeah, that's awesome. You know Tommy Fitz general manager in
New Jersey, I mean, and seeing his kids too grow
up and become you know, pro hockey players. And it's
just a fun piece to look back on the early
days of the Florida Panthers and now look at them now,
you know, the past two Stanley Cups. So very proud
of the organization for sure.

Speaker 2 (15:30):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (15:30):
Ben, you and your name, number and likenesses all over
that arena, which is still absolutely awesome. And John, you
were a huge part of the Olympics nineteen ninety eight.
I still remember you going into Ghano and you obviously
a couple of World Juniors in there as well.

Speaker 3 (15:47):
And now here you are pretty much running the show
at USA Hockey.

Speaker 1 (15:51):
How did how did did you get back into USA
Hockey after your career ended in the early two thousands.

Speaker 5 (15:59):
Yeah, I started just by being asked to volunteer. You know,
one of the great things about USA Hockey is it
is its board and volunteerism. And you know, the game
would had given me so much that I was thinking, boy,
what can I do? But it wasn't until basically two
thousand and seven and lou Verarrow asked me, hey, you know,

(16:22):
why don't you come to some meetings and you might
be able to help us out. So I started to
attend and got involved in you know, prior to doing
this ten for ten years, I was a volunteer, more
on the junior side, but I got to know the structure,
how it works, the open forum and you know, how
the whole body works. So it was it was really

(16:46):
a great time of learning for me, and it was
a way of giving back.

Speaker 1 (16:50):
Yeah, and we're talking with John Van Biesbrook and the
US Hockey All fame pretty much the head honcho with
USA Hockey or one of them, and John, I just
still remember that, you know, one when I was a
kid being a huge, huge fan of yours and you
win the Vesna. And but the other thing that I
always loved about you is how scrappy you were. You know,

(17:11):
you look back at your day at three hundred and
ten penalty minutes.

Speaker 3 (17:15):
Uh, that's pretty unreal for a goaltender.

Speaker 5 (17:20):
Yeah, don't tell my grandkids that. I don't know if
they've look that up yet, But you know, I just
I competed hard. There's no doubt about it. I did
some foolish things, and you know it is a part
of the DNA of a hockey player. But I mean,
undersize the bit for a goalie, and I just wanted
to compete hard. I had my compete on a lot,

(17:41):
no doubt about it. And but you learn how to
control your emotions, especially now in this position, you really
have to be under control.

Speaker 1 (17:50):
Weird question, John, but do you think you know, you
talked about being undersized as a goalie in today's day
and age, it doesn't it doesn't feel like that there
were a lot of goaltenders of your stature. I mean,
do you think in today's day that you would have
been as accepted and gotten the chance that you did back.

Speaker 3 (18:04):
In the in the in the eighties and the nineties.

Speaker 5 (18:08):
Probably not. And that's based on the fact that the
style is so much different, the equipment so much different
in the way that it's coached. You know, it's a
position that really wasn't coached back in the early eighties.
And you know, as we got through the Miracle on
ice and you watch Jim Craig, you know, and that
style of goaltender into you know, National Hockey League and

(18:30):
you can start name and there was only a few
guys that were Ken Dryden. You know, Burkie was a
tall goalie, and you start going through a John Davidson
who had the pleasure of playing with in New York.
But the tall goalies weren't there was It wasn't a
lot of them. And and it's just that phase in
that time of the game where you had to kind of,

(18:53):
you know, create your own style, you know, follow Tony
Esposito and some of those types of guys that were
kind of trail blazers for the position. But I, to
answer your question directly, probably not a chance for a
five to nine guy to get a shot.

Speaker 1 (19:06):
Now, what was it like working with Billy Smith and
Florida one of the scrappiest goaltenders there ever was.

Speaker 5 (19:13):
Billy was very calm, he was very, very cool and understanding.
You know, he wanted to do some video work. It
wasn't heavy in video at that time and video coaching.
But I totally liked working with Billy. I respected him
obviously for his success. And you know, for a guy

(19:37):
that was known as battling Billy, he was a very
mild manner guy off the ice, and you know, we
got along real well.

Speaker 1 (19:45):
We are talking with John van Buswick, the assistant executive
director of Hockey Apps for USA Hockey and in town
for the World Juniors.

Speaker 3 (19:52):
Are gonna be starting that.

Speaker 1 (19:53):
Everybody's up into luth I've heard you taken over Scott
Sandalin's office up there, and you'll be soon coming down
here to the Twins Cities to start the tournament right
after Christmas. John uh and and Wild fans by the way,
a couple of really good players that the Wild. Uh
that if you're a fan of Finland Keevy Rard you
and also Adam Bennick for Team Checchia.

Speaker 3 (20:14):
What what do you think?

Speaker 6 (20:15):
You know?

Speaker 1 (20:16):
I got to go to some of the games over
at at Ritter Arena this summer to watch some of
the teams. Obviously Bob Motsko is coaching the team. How
have you guys looked so far? And who are some
of the players that uh that, uh, hockey fans here
in the Twin Cities will get to really appreciate in
the in the coming weeks.

Speaker 6 (20:34):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (20:34):
I mean, you know, from the summer forward, we didn't
have a great summer and so we were a little
concerned coming out of this summer. But I think we're Unfortunately,
I was going to mention the name Trevor Connelly, but
he got hurt recently and is not going to play
in the tournament. So that's a big loss for us,

(20:55):
as he was playing for the Vegas Golden Knights, a
minor league team in Henderson, So that's a loss and
so we but we have depth and other guys to
fill the roles there, and I think that our returners.
You know, Cole Hudson is one name that everybody knows.
His brother Lane, but Cole led the tournament scoring last year.

(21:15):
Returning to US a left shot, very dynamic point guy.
You know, he and Ze Boom have led the way
for us last year on the D side. But we
have some really good young right shot defenseman. One of
the guys to watch out for is a draft eligible
and Chase Reid, who I think is going to turn

(21:37):
a lot of heads in this tournament. So you know,
as a draft eligible and a young guy, it's it's
hard to do in the tournament, but he is really
playing well. And so as we moved to the forwards,
I think everybody knows Brody Zemer from the U real
captain type player. He's gonna be on line with James

(21:58):
Hagen's first round pick, the Boss and who's really fun
to watch, great edges, great playmaking ability. But the guy
that has really stepped up in college hockey this year
is a former players son as we were talking about
is Will Horcoff. And Will playing at the University of
Michigan eighteen goals coming into the season, has just looked

(22:20):
great and six' five left shot plays the left, side
great power play. Guy his season has just been. Fantastic
but we do want to get a shout out to
to our another former players son In Max. Plant max
is probably the leading candidate this year for The Hobe
baker playing at The. Louth you, know his emergence this

(22:45):
year is probably not a surprise, everybody but a great,
playmaking great head for the. Party he's just an overall hockey.
Player so those are some of the.

Speaker 1 (22:53):
Names and Obviously Bob motsko at The helm led The
United states to coach to get The United states To
Old medal in twenty, seventeen and it just made the
perfect Sense john to tab him as the coach in
his right in the shadows Of.

Speaker 5 (23:09):
Mariucci, yeah it was just a great, fit you, Know
bob's a. Winner he's a proven winner at every level
he's coached. At but you, know the fit for us
going To minnesota and Having bob at the helm and you,
know hopefully having everybody behind, us not only from The
university Of, minnesota but from the state Of minnesota and.

(23:31):
BEYOND i know that for the first time Since i've
been doing, this my family's gonna come and they're all
talking about. IT i, mean the vibe of what's happening
from The Minnesota wild and obviously Obtaining Quinn hughes has
created a huge. Impact and you, know someone we know really,
well And Bill, garren who you, know we all Alloted

(23:53):
debt a gratitude for not only for at the facility
and the room and allowing us to do, things but
just being A Usa hockey guy first and leading Our
olympic movement too with being THE gm of that. Team
so we have some really good tides going on and
that helps. Us it helps us with everything that we
have to, do and it makes our flow of work really.

Speaker 1 (24:14):
Professional And, billy your former teammate at the ninety Eight,
olympics by the, way does he does your Son ian
still live?

Speaker 5 (24:20):
HERE i lives down with his, family his Wife kristen
and two, Kids elliott And. Hannah they live In, Rochester.

Speaker 1 (24:28):
MINNESOTA i don't know if you, remember many many years,
AGO i actually was helping a buddy of mine move
into an apartment and like it In, roseville AND i
all of a, Sudden i'm looking at the, list the
directory of people that lived, there and it SAID I
Van beswork AND i took a. Picture i'm, like this
has got to be your. Son so many he.

Speaker 3 (24:47):
Was going To.

Speaker 5 (24:47):
Bethel he was going To bethel at the, time AND
i remember. That, yeah that's pretty.

Speaker 1 (24:53):
Cool last, Question, john you KNOW i mentioned at the
top of the show before you were on that That
december twenty, Eight Stan, Bowman Tom, Fitzgerald Chris, drury Bil
zito will be coming to.

Speaker 3 (25:05):
Town you'll be, Here Pat. Kellerher i'm Sure Chris kellerher.

Speaker 1 (25:08):
To meet With Bill garon and have a zoom probably
with the coaches to maybe make the final selection before
The olympic team is. Named On january tewod on The Today.
SHOW i might, add these are really tough, Decisions. JOHN
i can't even imagine what you guys are going to
and when you have such a huge crop of players
that you all. Have obviously they're gonna be some good

(25:30):
names left. Off but how excited are you about putting
this team together that can maybe bring a second gold
medal in the last forty five years To.

Speaker 5 (25:39):
Milan, yeah we're super excited about the. TEAM i think
those that watch The Four nations got a glimpse at
our group and probably going to be very similar to that.
Group but it is it's hard decisions and the other
factor in this, mic and for everybody, listen the injury.

(26:00):
Factor right. Now there's just so many things going on
right now and as we get to you, know naming
our team and then managing our team in is really
going to be a hard piece because everybody's nicked up an.
Injury it's it's some of the long, term fluky things
that have been. Happening you, know we just have to

(26:21):
stay on top of. It but our, staff you, know
led By billy and the other gms you've, mentioned are
doing a great. Job they communicate a, lot they're all,
winners and we have total trust in them to you,
know make the right decisions for the right.

Speaker 1 (26:35):
Reasons, well and great goaltending is you, Know john potential
on this team With hellabuck And swamen And, otinger and
you have other couple of nominees as, Well SO i,
Mean i'm sure you're can have backup plans for all
the potential. Injuries BUT i can't wait to see who
is named to that team On january two at eight a.
M eastern that that time slot on The Today.

Speaker 5 (26:57):
Show, yeah tune into The Today show to get that.
Information hopefully it doesn't come out sooner than, that but
seems like the team's been picked every week for the
LAST us. Anyway so, yeah, actually, see it's fun actually
seeing people name our team and then actually sitting back
and saying you're wrong about, that and you're wrong about.

Speaker 1 (27:18):
That but, yeah even the other NIGHT i was watching,
him like like Brock, nelson you could see why you
guys love him and and but even, TODAY, i like you,
SAID i picked my team, today AND i apparently ticked
off the entire state Of texas BECAUSE i didn't Have
jason ROBERTSON i know on, There SO i know that
it's these are hard, decisions but these are really appreciated

(27:40):
AND i have a great time during The World juniors
and good luck to The United.

Speaker 5 (27:42):
States, yeah thanks for having me on and let's GO
usa yeap.

Speaker 1 (27:48):
That is A Usa Hockey hall Of famer and one
of the Great american goalies of our. Time john Van.
Biesbrooke This Mike russo from The athletic filling in For Dan.
Burrero when we come, Back we're going to turn our
attention To Quinn hughes in the big trade that happened
To Vancouver canucks On december, Twelfth harmondle Whenever canucks writers
at The.

Speaker 3 (28:05):
Athletic he'll be joining me next on the. Fan thanks.

Speaker 7 (28:11):
Memories this winner the twenty twenty six I Jef World
juniors In. Minnesota see the bright young hockey, players the
best in the, world compete for. Gold bring your family
and experience the. Excited make at your tickets Today mnsports
And events dot, ORG Mn sports at events dot.

Speaker 6 (28:26):
Org hockey Quit News.

Speaker 1 (28:38):
Minnesota Michael ruser from The athletic back here on the.

Speaker 3 (28:44):
Fan lots of shows still to.

Speaker 1 (28:46):
Come thanks To John Van, biesbrook we Got Matt sells
The wild assistant general, Manager Alex lewis from The athletic
Or vikings beat, Writer Nico sturm from The Minnesota, wild
and Then Dave jackson FROM espn The Rules analyst will
be coming into. Studio he's in town for THE Espn plus.
Game while In nashville tonight we Got Joe, Smith joe
o'donald coming on as, well and my next. Guest there

(29:07):
are diner serves like Me Michael, russo by the, way
that have been doing this for a long long. Time
we're in the twilight of our. Careers we don't know
anything about analytics all that. Stuff and then we got
young up and coming writers that are just the smart
people at The athletic and this is one of, them
one of Our canucks. Writers but you see him do
so many great national stories for us that combine video

(29:29):
and analytics and all that. Stuff Harmon, dyle how are?

Speaker 4 (29:32):
You i'm doing, great Russ, So you're seriously underselling yourself
though you're an absolute legend AND i look up to
you as one of the best writers in our. Industry
so don't tell yourself showed. IT i feel a little
bit embarrassed with an introl like.

Speaker 1 (29:46):
That, WELL i appreciate, it and you could definitely Follow
harmon as well ON x and read his fine work
at The. ATHLETIC i, mean there are just so many
great stories that you have every, day and we're a
huge part of so many of our great. Stuff the
last couple of weeks here on this Unbelievable Quinn hughes
trade that SHOCKED i think a lot of. Us you,

(30:08):
know you have been you And Thomas, rants who are
both In, vancouver and you do a lot of radio
and podcasts In vancouver as. Well we've all been talking
About Quinn hughes potentially being on the. Move at some
point in the last three four, weeks it really became
looking at him on the ice apparent that he was
no longer happy, there and so it started to come
out that they were already starting to talk. Trades but

(30:30):
did you have any idea that this would come as
quick as it did with a trade On december, twelfth
and To, minnesota of all.

Speaker 4 (30:36):
Teams, YEAH i certainly didn't Imagine minnesota being in the.
Picture they didn't stand out to me as one of
the obvious. CANDIDATES i was looking out east to teams Like,
carolina To New, jersey To, detroit totet with. DESTINATIONS i
THINK i had a feeling just looking At quinn's body

(30:57):
language and even just going back to the way last
season ended disappointment of missing the playoffs and how much
of a weight it was just The Peterson miller, feud
and how much that would have waited Up quinn as
a captain trying to play peacemaker in that WHERE i
wasn't confident That quinn was going to stay long. Term
AND i think the turning point was When elliott came

(31:17):
out with that report that The devils had, called BECAUSE
i immediately, got you, know texts from managers from different
teams sort of taking that as a sign, That, okay
the auction has. Started AND i think the moment that
that report came out and became so public and the
rumor mill started, ACCELERATING i of course didn't know when

(31:39):
exactly it was going to get, done but it didn't
come as a shocker that he was. Traded the surprise
really was that it Was minnesota at the end of
the day that ended up winning.

Speaker 1 (31:47):
The auction, Absolutely AND i remember about fifteen minutes before
or twenty minutes BEFORE i tweeted it. Out first of,
ALL i got this call that the while they traded
Zev liam And Rob see To, vancouver AND i immediately
Alerted Joe smith and my. Editor but then you just
know that It's elias Or, quinn, right it's got to
be one of the. TWO i remember writing the tweet

(32:09):
and having it sitting there and my hands were like
shaking because it's LIKE i wanted to just tweet. It
but and even THOUGH i was convinced THAT i was,
right if you're, wrong even about one of the, names,
man do you look? Stupid like what if you tweet
out that Ze boyam's been in this deal and then
it turns out that he's. Not you're just never going
to live that down as long as your. Career but
then when it became apparent That vancouver did so well

(32:30):
before we get talking About, quinn were you surprised that
they were able to get such a really quality price
back and three really good players and another first round
pick that makes it the equivalent of.

Speaker 8 (32:42):
Four i'm not entirely surprised that they were able to
get a lucrative, hall because in the aftermath of some
of the rumors, STARTING i actually wrote a piece where
a lot of the buzz was Around hughes and The,
devils with the obvious connection that he has with his.

Speaker 4 (32:58):
Brothers but the point THAT I i made was is
that The canucks are more power and leverage than people
realize and more options Because quinn didn't have trade production
and while he at the end of the day was
really involved in the process of the trade getting done
and The conchs wanted to do right by him and
send it to destination that he was actually excited to go,
to the fact of the matter is that The canuck

(33:21):
didn't owe it To quinn to send him To New jersey,
specifically and also just some of the other dynamics at,
play where the point that other execs made to me
was if any team Acquires quinn, now they'll have a
unique opportunity to extend him in the summer where they'll
be able to offer him the at under the, term

(33:42):
under the terms of the CURRENT cba and all the
front loaded, structure the the signing, bonuses and the kicker
is that even if worst case you aren't able to
Get quinn, extended you can still flip him to another
team for an absolute. Haul and the point there was
as as a buying, team even if you don't one
hundred percent know That quinn is going to, extend you're

(34:05):
going to feel pretty confident about a being able to
financially offer him more than any team can this, summer
and then be course case you still have an insurance
in terms of being able to let him to another
team and recoup a ton of. Assets So i'm not
entirely surprised that The canucks were able to get a significant.

Speaker 5 (34:22):
Halt but the.

Speaker 4 (34:25):
Package, SPECIFICALLY i Mean cannocks fans have rightfully been excited about.
IT i Mean Zeeve wulliam specifically the potential that he
has to be a star defenseman one. DAY i don't
think any team could have realistically topped that, package and
just around the league canvassing people's, opinions they all thought
that that while it's a home run For minnesota to

(34:47):
land of superstar used as, caliber how The canucks made
out very well at the end of.

Speaker 7 (34:52):
The day as.

Speaker 1 (34:52):
Well, Absolutely Marco rossie is going to BE i think
a top two center in this. League, obviously we've Seen
Liam ogeren play great so far for The, canucks and
then they get the first rounder as. Well everything you said,
There harmon made absolute, sense especially on the fact that
The wild could maybe recruit some of those assets If
quinn doesn't want to sign. Here and WHAT i loved

(35:14):
About quinn is that he Gave vancouver much notice that
he was essentially not resigning. There so you know that
if it ever came to the point that he just,
decided you know, WHAT i want to test free, agency
that he's going to give the wild plenty of notice
as well where they're going to be able to be
able to.

Speaker 3 (35:31):
React and SO i think that is a huge.

Speaker 1 (35:33):
Thing we're talking With Harmon dyle from The athletic covers
The canucks and a bunch of national stories for us as.

Speaker 3 (35:39):
Well what happened With quinn?

Speaker 1 (35:41):
There why did it not work out where he just
couldn't take the losses? Anymore obviously we heard all the
noise behind the scenes of just you, know controversies there
with you, Know elias AND. Jt miller and now stories
out that Maybe elias And quinn grew, apart you know what.

Speaker 4 (35:58):
Happened, Yeah, Ultimately quinn is as competitive as of a
player As i've seen and at the privilege of, covering
and to, me it's really about lack of faith he
had in the team's not not just where they were
today where they started the season and were thirty second

(36:20):
place in THE nhl by the time they pulled the
tror on that, deal but also just having a lack
of confidence that it was going to change anytime, soon
where The canucks had some up and coming young, talent
but they didn't have any franchise changing. Pieces and, ultimately
the way you have to think about is this two
years ago when The canucks won The Pacific, division made

(36:42):
that run to the second round of the, Playoffs game
seven Against, edmonton that team had six players that made
The All Star. Team so it wasn't Just, quinn it WAS.
Jt miller And Brock besser was a forty goal, Scorers
peterson was it was still at that point producing at
a legit elite Level Thatcher demko was the runner up

(37:04):
for The Vesno conversation that. Season and then you look
at what's transpired since WHERE. Jt, miller because of the
few he had between him And, peterson he's. Gone Elias
patterson mysteriously from the twenty twenty Four All star break
onward has been unable to be like he's mysteriously fallen
off a cliff where even though he's modestly bounced back this,

(37:25):
season we're not talking about the one hundred point two
way stud that we were three years, ago for, Example
so you've lost a legit co star, there and then
Thatcher demko as brilliant and sensational as he can play
when he's, healthy the fact of the matter is he's
become an injury prone player where there's no guarantee that

(37:45):
he is going to be able to play a consistent
starting goaltenders workoude over a course of the. Season so
you just look at the nucleus Round quinn and he
was essentially left on an island where not just this,
season but the year before or it was If quinn
isn't able to carry the carry the team all by

(38:05):
himself on the, back no one else is going to
be able to realistically step. Off and it just got
to a point WHERE i don't think he saw the
vision for how the organization was going to be able
to contend for A Stanley cup in the.

Speaker 1 (38:18):
Future, yeah it makes, sense AND i know this was
a tough decision for, him LIKE I. I, COINCIDENTALLY i
was taught telling earlier in the Show harmon THAT i
was In edmonton WITH Usa Women's hockey a couple of
weeks ago during the rivalry, series and SO i got
to spend a lot of time With quinn's, Mom, ellen
and after the, trade she told me it was bittersweet
that she that it was unbelievable the way The canucks

(38:40):
treated her, son especially the, owner WHO i know he
gets a lot of flat there as. Well and, this,
this this had to be. TOUGH i talked To Brock
besser for a story THAT i wrote last, week and
he kind of painted the picture of what it was
like on that bus when All quinn's teammates found out
that he was, traded and how angry and sad he
was even and he and the final meal that they,

(39:00):
Had SO i, Mean quinn was absolutely love. There turning
your attention to The Wild, harmon you have your fear
of the pulse of all. Teams how do you think
when you look at The wild's lineup That quinn fits
in and how much better does he make?

Speaker 4 (39:13):
Them? Oh he. Is he's a game, changer especially from
the back. END i think The wild. NEEDED i Love Rock,
FABER i Love Spurgeon, brodein BUT i think what could
have really and and is really going to take This
Wild blue into the next level is somebody that is
just a natural powerplay quarterback somebody that can create offense

(39:35):
in their, sleep but just another elite play driver to
have on the on the. Ice and For, Quinn i'm
really excited to see what this also looks like when
the while they're, healthier right when they get fully healthy
on the back, end because right now you're having to
Use quinn in A quinn in favor together in a
tough matchups roll where But quinn defends well enough THAT

(39:56):
i have full confidence that he can absolutely crush those
minute as. Well and we saw just how dynamite he
was against The Big david the other. Night but what
does that look like when let's when let's Say minnesota
second pair can take on some of those tougher matchups
and then you absolutely free Up quinn in favor to
to Play hill sixth. COMPETITION i mean like that's going

(40:19):
to be something that makes The wild and, unguardable especially
when you look at now the talent they have up
front two where With capriza you've got you've got a game, Breaker,
boldie you've got a game, Breaker Quinn use you've got
a game. Breaker and Then walstad And gusta center are
one of the league's best goaltending. Tandems it's certainly closed
the gap between them and The Dallas. Stars and, look

(40:43):
there's still some distance we had with The Colorado, avalanche
but that's true for every team in THE. NHL i
don't think anyone's close To colorado right. Now BUT i
think this is the kind of move where when you
add a superstar Of quinn's, caliber who isn't just going
to make an impact on the power, play not just,
offensively but it's going to be one of the league's
best play drivers on a night, in night out, BASIS

(41:05):
i think that takes The wild from a spot where
previous to the, TRADE i didn't view them as a
Realistic cup contender. Too All, right they've got a legit
chance to go on a deep. Run and, look it's
unfortunate with the way the divisional platformat is that you
could profile as a Legit cup contender and still end
up bounced In round one if you end up playing
The Dallas stars In round. One BUT i don't think

(41:28):
there's a huge gap right now between The Dallas stars
in The Minnesota. Wild AND i think unless If garin
hadn't made a trade like, THIS i just don't see
how The wild within the next few years would have
even had an opportunity to break through and being an
actual formidable team that could go in a deepost.

Speaker 1 (41:45):
Season, yeah AND i don't think he's done last one for, You,
harmon BECAUSE i know you got your own radio show to.

Speaker 3 (41:50):
Do let me ask. You has the sting worn off
with the fans?

Speaker 1 (41:56):
There Obviously quinn was incredibly, beloved but now you know
all you all have to move, on and then you
see how Good Marko rossi can, be how Good Ze
boyam can, be how Good Liam ogrin can. Be do
you think now that That canucks fans are starting to
get excited that whatever you want to call, it a
hybrid retool or a rebuild has been accelerated by adding
three really good young.

Speaker 4 (42:16):
PLAYERS i think everybody's excited by the package without a,
doubt especially seeing the way That ogren played on the
weekend and he was viewed viewed by many as the
sort of afterthought After william And. Rossi BUT i think
for this fan, base the more important question is whether
this organization actually commits the kind of rebuild that will

(42:40):
allow this team to build up more than what they already,
have WHICH i think the way a lot of people
are looking at it is all, right this is a
great starting point for the next phase that The canucks
are entering, in but they want to see this organization
continue to, sell continue to accumulate draft, picks hopefully land

(43:02):
a top five or even a top three pick this
year so you land up potentially elite. PLAYER i think
more than just The quinn trade, return which everybody is
on board, with it's about what comes next and actually
having a plan that is future. Oriented WHERE i think
over the last, decade this franchise has been. Impatient it's

(43:25):
chased shortcuts to pursue short term. Competitiveness they've traded away
a lot of draft, picks and they haven't shown a
lot of. Patience AND i think that's going to be
key where if they do build the right, way THEN
i think the pain of Losing quinn is going to be.
Minimized but if they end up end up making missteps

(43:46):
along the, way and they end, up let's, say Trading
minnesota's first round pick for when now help and they
have an Aggressive july one free, agency and you can tell, That,
okay they're not actually rebuilding a proper. Way BUT i
think that's where the pessimism is going to grow grow
again in the.

Speaker 1 (44:03):
Market makes absolute. Sense, well take care Of, Rossy boyom
And ogre and There. Harmon i'm telling, you these are
three great, kids great, pros and you'll absolutely love covering
those three their.

Speaker 4 (44:15):
Gems thanks for So.

Speaker 3 (44:18):
Yep that Is Harmon diyle of The.

Speaker 1 (44:19):
Athletic you could follow him ON x as well At
Harmon dile. Two that's D a y A. L by the,
way D a y A. L That's Harmon, dyle one
of the greats at The. Athletic just an absolute star
on our. Staff when we come, back we're going to
talk really the nitty gritty of how This Quinn hughes
trade came. About When matt, sells who is the original
person that put the seed In Bill ghren's mind to

(44:42):
actually go and swing for the. Fences, Here Matt, sells
The wild's, Assistant Cheneral, measure will be coming up next
with me on the.

Speaker 3 (44:48):
Fan we'll be right back