We're Down to Two in the OHL Playoffs: Episode 189 - The OHL In 60 Podcast - The Armchair GM's Sports Network

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to the Armchair GM Sports Network.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
You're listening to the Ohl and sixty podcast, and we
are getting ready to once again hand out another j
Ross Robertson Cup. Well not another I guess it's the
same cup, but another championship. Another set of rings are
about to be produced or begin the process of being made.

(00:59):
But banners, it's it's the Ohl Championship Series. It's gonna
get underway on Thursday at Canada Life Place in London.
Thanks so much for tuning in, everybody, I'm rest mate.
Along with Colin Ward, we're gonna look at everything Ohl
Championship Series coming up for the last forty minutes or
so of the show, because we do have a few

(01:21):
headlines to discuss, and there's a couple of them that
we're not gonna have an influence on by any means,
but we are interested to see what will happen with
some arena upgrades that are being planned, I guess. So
we'll get into that in the first twenty minutes or so,
we'll take a break and then we'll look at the
Ohl Championship Series. But to kick things off, I mean,

(01:44):
Canada's back on top at the U eighteen World Championships
with a number of Ohlers on the roster taking home
the gold. That includes Jack Ivankovic and includes quinnbo Shane
Ethan Zada, Alice, Andre Diorio, uh Tyler, Hopkins, Lev Katzen,
Brady Martin, Jack Nesbitt and Ryan Robrick and of course

(02:08):
the front office Scottie Walker, Corey Stillman or the gwelf
storm at the Helm. So so team Canada taking home
the gold calling unless you have a good answer for this,
I continue to question why they have this tournament in Texas.
Sounds like nobody was going. I think for you, I
think really surprised. But stars playing too, and the stars

(02:31):
playing too. I think the Texas thing is you can't
put it anywhere in Canada. College seasons done in the States.
I think that's like the World Championships, right, like the
World Championship, the World Championships being in Europe. I mean,
it's never gonna be in North America.

Speaker 3 (02:49):
Stanley Cup playoffs run and and I think, honestly Europe
would be incredible. Sweden had a good team, Sweden would
have been a really cool host. That would have been
incredible for the kids too. I I can't say, I
questioned Texas too. I was taken the state. If the
states are gonna host it, a place like Texas college
seasons done, That's the only thing I can think of.

Speaker 2 (03:12):
But halfway. But like, I don't Minnesota, like northern Michigan
or just Michigan in general, like Boston, Like yeah, but
not why not a market? Yeah? Yeah, wh why Texas?
I don't. It makes no sense to me.

Speaker 3 (03:29):
Yeah, I have no clue why Texas. Like I say,
maybe neutral, maybe a neutral site for the Europeans. But
flying across you're flying over in New York, Michigan, Massachusetts,
like you're flying over all those states, like you're flying
over that's way. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (03:47):
Sorry the way you say Massachusetts, that was awesome. I
love that I say that way I'm Massachusetts or whatever.
Oh yeah for the language, but I'd call it that
sometimes too. But yeah, yeah, I know, I makes no sense.
But Canada one gold again, So I mean that's that's big.

Speaker 3 (04:04):
Ackberg is well from Ottawa, having a good camp, a
good tournament, leading team, leading the tournament scoring. I'm excited
to see what he can do next year. Uh in Ottawa,
I hope back in Ottawa.

Speaker 2 (04:16):
Who knows this year's off season is gonna be so interesting.
He's gonna be the craziest offseason.

Speaker 3 (04:20):
We already saw it on Monday afternoon, Misa going to
Penn State.

Speaker 2 (04:23):
Hey, it's up. That's where I was going next. That
was the next one I was gonna hit on.

Speaker 3 (04:29):
So I to be it's an interesting that's an interesting commitment,
Like maybe it wasn't. I think that that's a commitment
we are gonna see, like similar to the Cole Brown
commitment with order dame those players for their ow way
And we'll get to this. I know we have a
good discussion probably after this one.

Speaker 2 (04:45):
But I was gonna say, it's gonna roll right into it.

Speaker 3 (04:47):
When we see wow segues, Hey where the best roller
coaster there is? Just smooth, just like a good pitching motion.
You gotta love it. I think that, Uh, I think
you're gonna see a lot of these moves. I think
you're gonna see a lot of guys that are going
in their ow a year that are drafting the.

Speaker 2 (05:02):
National Hockey League.

Speaker 3 (05:03):
They're not gonna get signed by their NHL team, so
go to college. I think you're gonna see them roll
the ball a little early. You see this all the
time in other sports, other sports, you see this all
the time, and I and I think it's it's going.
I don't like the move for the CHL, I was
saying before we went on air, And maybe this is
a little harsh, but I was hoping I would if
I'm the CHL and if I'm Hockey Canada, I would

(05:24):
step in and say, hey, I don't want to if
you go to college prematurely or not invited to the
World Junior Team.

Speaker 2 (05:29):
But maybe that might not. But anyways, yeah, that's like
all the Americans that come over to the to the
Ontario Hockey League, Western Hockey League, Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.
But you know, it's the same thing. And now it's
not like they're blacklisted, Like it's not no fless, it's
not like Pete Rose being banned from the Hall of
Fame or Major League Baseball. But the chances of you

(05:53):
going back into the program for a World Junior tournament
but playing outside of the States, it is rare. And
and by rare, I mean you might see three four
guys invited, you might see one or two guys make
the team. Yeah no, but but it's a good point
like we are if you think about it, we're not
the I don't want to say we're the only country

(06:13):
that doesn't have that, because Sweden, Finland, the Czech Slovakia
they kind of have that to a certain extent. Again,
they they do allow guys who play in the Canadian
Hockey League to be a part of those teams. But
we're supposed to be the hockey. Yeah, like I I
I would agree with you if if Hockey Canada did that,

(06:33):
I would be on board. And again, it's not a
blacklist thing. Like if Owen Power goes to the University
of Michigan and you don't let them on Team Canada,
like there there's something wrong with with management and it
probably needs to be explored a little bit deeper. But
like you get those bubble guys who they could make
the team, but I don't know, like if they're playing

(06:56):
in the States, that should be no. Sorry, you decide
to go play in the States to be you. It's
it's it's interesting to think about because it's it's not
something I'm sure a lot of people are thinking of.
They're just we want the best and that's it. We
don't care where they're playing. Well, I think there has
to be a little bit of national pride in playing
in Canada. Again, whether it's in the Canadian Hockey League,

(07:19):
whether it's an EJ, whether it's in ESJ, whether you're
in Alberta or BC, who cares.

Speaker 3 (07:23):
What Why are Mischigan in Youngstown in the OHL this
upcoming season because USHL and US Hockey, yep.

Speaker 2 (07:30):
Big time, Like the program's right there. You get rid
of Myskeigan in Youngstown, enjoy the hotels and uh bus
trips for the US National team development program. Oh your
bills go higher. So that's I never got out of it.

Speaker 3 (07:43):
Hey to get costing fifty almost fifty grand to get
out of the NDP program to come play in the CHL, Like.

Speaker 2 (07:51):
Yeah, I mean my personal opinion, that's that's a little criminal,
Like come on, like yeah, And we were talking about
it there. When you look at the American.

Speaker 3 (07:59):
Scene, your selfswhere than it is in Canada.

Speaker 2 (08:01):
Yeah, yeah it is. Yeah. But like we're going through
the list and I think Trevor Dale and again, hockey
parents have money or else their kids wouldn't be in hockey.
But like, realistically, there's one kid that could probably just
slap down a check here you go, buye we're leaving
and that's Trevor Daly junior. Previous reasons is dad played
in the NHL. Yeah, you got that cash to just

(08:24):
say hey, here you go. Now, families might have that,
but you would expect that'd be something an NHL. It
could just be like, yeah, here you go, we're leaving.
We're gonna we're going.

Speaker 3 (08:32):
To SHL teams. How much is Sue coughing up for that?
Saw their development We saw their development camp roster. They
had some names.

Speaker 2 (08:42):
Yeah, probably half. I would think that would be fair.

Speaker 3 (08:45):
Half be FAIRHL teams have to commit on that, right, like, yeah,
some of these commitments around the league that we saw,
like to get out of those agreements, like you know,
it's a lot of money. I'm on the transfer fees,
that's a lot. And I think that the CHL is
Slovaki Orange program is the Finnish leagues that they have
in the teams, the Swedish programs that they have in

(09:06):
their leagues over there, in the US program, the CHL.

Speaker 2 (09:10):
Here in Canada, we have a whole league. We have
three leagues and.

Speaker 3 (09:12):
One that's that's that's it, sixty two teams. That is
our development program team, like you have sixty teams, Like
that is the program.

Speaker 2 (09:19):
Your club team, I guess we call it nowadays.

Speaker 3 (09:22):
Yeah, like that has to be that has to be
the that has to be the mecca of development and
it is. Yeah, Like I just think that it's you
need to have some pri There needs to be some
sort of thing where where we see a player not
make the World Junior Team or something like that, Like
obviously we came pick guys out of the OHL. Nic

(09:43):
Clardis scores seventy one goals, Hey, but can't play on
the power play. Cole Idron was the most effective player
in the World Junior tournament. Literally played eight minutes a
night and just on the power play that wins, and
that wins and loses the games from the playoffs, your
power play, it does. And I think that in the
World Junior Team, we saw that Nick Clartis back at
the players left off left off that list.

Speaker 2 (10:02):
Like what are we doing here?

Speaker 3 (10:04):
But until we can't even pick within the OHL anyway,
so let alone, what's it gonna be with the n
C double A. I don't know if that margins anyway,
But I just think that you have to have some
sort of pride in the chl Yeah, and it has
to be a little bit of loyalty to where you
come from. And and I mean they go that. Sports
in general now there's not a lot of loyalty. You'll

(10:25):
hear loyalty, but there's no loyalty. It's a business and
there's a lot of business decisions going on, and that's
kind of unfortunate, but it's expected now in the in
the new age sports.

Speaker 2 (10:36):
The only level of loyalty I've seen in the last
five years is Salvador Perez continuing to play and they're
they're decent now, but Salvador stating to play on an
abysmal Kansas City Royal squad a few years and now
he's he's still a big part of the team. I mean,
he wear's a sea. It's freaking stupid for baseball players

(10:57):
to have a sea on their jersey. That's just dumb.
Started with freaking vera tech, what a what a stupid
idea putting your that's dumb too. Yeah, they don't have
a sea. I'll give him credit for that. They don't
have a sea. You can have a captain of the team,
but if you put a seat on your jeers you
look like an idiot, so so I mean other than that,
but sell Perez. That's that's the one piece of loyalty

(11:18):
I've seen, Like z in Cleveland, Yeah, Jose Ramirez, I
mean you can pay cut. Cleveland's not an ideal place
to to be. I've never been to Cleveland, so I
could be completely but I love that are like, yeah,
I mean I wouldn't.

Speaker 3 (11:33):
It's like they've went I went there and got.

Speaker 2 (11:39):
Yeah, that's too bad. But I mean, yeah, it's uh,
it's it's not very common anymore. And like you said, Colin,
you can say it as much as you want, but
you know, until you're there for your entire career? Is
it really like like Sydney Crosby could go wherever he
wanted right now, really could really could. But he's gonna
be Pittsburgh Penguin for the rest of his career and
for his entire career. Same Malkin. Malkin's gonna stay like that.

(12:03):
That's probably the two cases I could see in the
in the National Hockey League, Nathan McKinnon will probably be
there as well. I'm sure he'd love to stay in
Colorado for the rest of his career. He's got his cup.
That's the same with Gino and and Crosby. They've got
their cups, Like there's no reason to leave. So so yeah,
I mean, I'm i'd before that, I would be for
Hockey Canada doing something like that. If you decide to
go play in the us HL. Sorry, it's gonna be

(12:25):
really hard for you to make our world junior team.
So yeah, again, unless it's own power, like that's that's
one I could think of fantilly, like, yeah, don't be
an idiot. They're they're gonna be on the team. But like, yeah,
it's those bubble guys that that you know, could have
had a really good shot, but he decided to go
play in the States. So sorry. Yep, no, absolutely though.

(12:46):
But but this leads us to our next topic of
and we've seen we know what social media is. We
don't believe it all the time, We wait till things
are official. But what's been floating around is potentially not
counting goaltenders, asays if you have an OA goaltender doesn't
go towards your three, which I'm a fan of about

(13:07):
fifty percent and the other fifty percent I'm a little
bit on the fence about it. Because of what we
just talked about, because of Cole Brown going to Notre Dame,
because of Luke Misa going to Penn State. If all
of these always and whether you're drafted or not, I
don't think it makes a difference. If you're not drafted
and you're entering your OA season, but you have an
opportunity to play college, don't really blame them for going.

(13:30):
I think the OA spots, I think it might eventually
become a challenge to get three oays and and then
so two and that's not solely based on NC Double
A opportunities. You're gonna have oays in this league. You're
gonna have guys that maybe maybe it just doesn't make
sense to go to the States and you just want
to stay in Canada play college hockey in Canada, go
to Co's affordability, Yeah, yeah, it's it's more affordable one

(13:53):
hundred percent, even with the scholarship program. But but I
think I think we get to a a day where
three oa's is rare, Which is what which is the
side of me that I'm like, I don't really think
you have to exclude goalies from the OA rule because
I don't think it'll be an issue in a few years.

(14:14):
Where are you on that? Because I think that this
trend is just going to continue where the guys who
are eligible for an O A season, I'd rather start
my post secondary education and play at a top school
in NC double A in a Big ten school, and
you know, in A in a school in Boston, whatever
the case might be. What do you what do you think.

Speaker 3 (14:35):
I think that it I I'm on the fence. I
think that it could be really good. I think it's
gonna help the good teams. I think like the rich
teams are gonna get richer. Obviously, one extra spot for
an A defenseman, you can have two O A d
s instead of.

Speaker 2 (14:51):
It doesn't count as an O A J doesn't count
as an O A.

Speaker 3 (14:54):
Yeah, so you imagine. So I'm thinking Kitchener, London, Oshawa.
As you mentioned those three teams. Can you imagine now
London Nights picking up for instance, I'm gonna for us
hitting close to home with the Bulldogs. You imagine the
London Nights picking up someone like Tommy Budneck or.

Speaker 2 (15:15):
Too much Homer.

Speaker 3 (15:16):
Yeah, putting them on the back end with Austin Elliott.
So they're three always with Austin Elliott or Kitchener or
Oshawa having those guys with parsons as they're not counting
as no way, or Jacob Osher not counting as no way.
Can you imagine that, well, Kitchener had Hamra yep, could
you imagine that?

Speaker 2 (15:35):
Like I, the.

Speaker 3 (15:37):
Good teams are going to stay rich, the poor teams
are gonna stay poor. There's gonna be no middle class.
And that's kind of what it is. I feel. I
feel really bad.

Speaker 2 (15:48):
For the society to be honest with the thing.

Speaker 3 (15:51):
Yeah, legit, it's just modern day living.

Speaker 2 (15:54):
Yeah yeah, but well so so then that that brings
up another topic. And I think you'll you'll have a
comment on this about where you're going, because I think
it kind of includes what you were saying. If you
have two OA goalies and then three A players, Yeah, no, no,
I it's gotta be one. It's got to be I agree.

Speaker 3 (16:14):
You can't have to. You cannot have to that's being
that's that's cheating the system. That's fives.

Speaker 2 (16:18):
Well, and I thought about it because with the Bulldogs
and we know Jay McKee, he doesn't like naming starters
in the regular season, the same London did the same
in the regular season. Obviously, Elliott's their guy now. But
I just thought, I'm like Rice and leanders and and
David Igorov both oays, but they both wouldn't count towards
your oa's. But I'm like, no, that'd be dumb. You'd

(16:39):
have to actually be one.

Speaker 3 (16:41):
Look at the look at the Ottawa sixty seven straight deadline,
right you get rid of Stonehouse, it wouldn't even mattered.

Speaker 2 (16:47):
Yeah, it would not have even mattered. Or you I
guess you could have two AA goalies but one of
them counts as a spot or is it just you
cap yourself at one A. I don't think an O
A goalie would like to be a backup. That would
be an issue right now. That's why that's why I
think the NC double A thing's gonna become a thing.
But but yeah, I think, yeah, if there's a lot
of schools, if this becomes a thing where it's three

(17:08):
oays and your goalie doesn't count, there's no way you
can allow two goalies to be op. It can only
be one. It can only be one. If you go
to that's that's defeating the purpose.

Speaker 3 (17:17):
And then you can just then if I'm a general manager,
I'm trading for every single OA goalie I can trade for,
and also is a trade value gonna go up for
oas what's a trade value for the OA is gonna be?
What's the market gonna be for a future OA this year?
I'm very intrigued to see that because how many are
gonna be around? How many are you going n C
double A or prematurely? How many are you gonna do that?

Speaker 2 (17:35):
Right? Like? What does it be? Is it one of
those things where you sign your commitment and then oh,
you got a trade offer for me from a really
good team. Oh okay, no, I won't go to college,
I'll go I'll accept the trade. Sure, exactly, That's what's
gonna be.

Speaker 3 (17:49):
And that's why I'm worried for the for the teams
that don't do well at free agent players. I guess
now that's the thing with the new landscape of junior
hockey and NC double A agreement all that stuff. What's that?

Speaker 2 (18:01):
You know?

Speaker 3 (18:01):
The teams that don't do well that with getting commitments,
what are they gonna do?

Speaker 2 (18:05):
Yeh?

Speaker 3 (18:05):
What are they going to do with this? There's gonna
be a lot of trade requests. What are the goal
what's the goaltending market gonna be. I'm very I'm very
intrigued on what it's gonna be. I I don't mind
the case because it the situate. I guess I'll say,
like the o A goaltending, I don't mind it just
because personally, everybody, thank you for listening last week. Gavin Bryant,

(18:27):
Greg Bryant Senior and Junior on the show. That was
a great time on last Tuesday. I had a great
time talking with them. But I think about their situation
getting and obviously it turned out to be a great
thing for them. Peterborough was great. But why was Why
was GB moved out of Niagara? The OA incident, the
oas So there's a spot, there's a trade that doesn't

(18:49):
even happen. There's a trade that doesn't even happen. If that,
if this rul is in place, And to see how
much movement we have had in the CHL the OHL
over the from last year at this time to this
year May sixth, You think about the difference that the
hockey landscape, we think about how much it's changed since

(19:12):
then is crazy.

Speaker 2 (19:14):
Yeah, well, hey, I got another bombshell for it.

Speaker 3 (19:17):
Well remember last year, Remember last year when we were
talking about this possibly happening right about Oh, there might
be there might be an agreement, but wow, wouldn't that
be something? And now it's a reality. Now it's something
that we're discussing all this player's drafting the OHL he's here.
Is he gonna be here at nineteen years old? Or
is he gonna be somewhere else? Is he gonna be
in the n Cuba? Where's he gonna be? I just

(19:37):
I my last point. I'll just say I don't mind
the goaltending not counting as no way, but it has
to only be one automatic, only one. It generates less
tough moves for other overages as well. And also the
big thing is, you know what sucks when you see
an overage forward or someone get placed on waivers and

(20:01):
wind up not playing in the major junior hockey or
playing on like six different teams in their last year
of junior hockey. It eliminates that at least, and I
think that's big thing for player health, safety and stuff
like that.

Speaker 2 (20:13):
I think that's big as well.

Speaker 3 (20:14):
So I I I'm okay with it.

Speaker 2 (20:16):
I'm okay with it. The Ottawa Sixties and we're recording
on Monday everybody with a Tuesday release. That's all. We
always do it for any new listeners that are that
are along with us which recording on Monday. Happy single
to Maaya Wardy. Yeah, I'll have to make the liquor
store for some tequila to make a margarita tonight. But

(20:37):
what's that?

Speaker 3 (20:38):
What's that golden beverage? Is it the mellowed? The golden
beverage and the beer? Drawing a blank on the name
of the beer corona? Do Sqi's takate.

Speaker 2 (20:50):
I'm not an alcoholic. I just know a lot of
beer games. There's a Mexican restaurant down the street from
my house that is really good. Yes, like like yeah,
I don't know those are the only but the the
Ottawa sixty seven's have received commitment from tenth rounder Jackson

(21:12):
Williams out of the Carolina Junior Hurricanes program. I just
wanted to mention that, Hey, that's a long way to travel,
but this is another Hey let's go play junior in
Canada because I don't want to play in the States
and then I'm gonna head to college after two or
three years. So I just I thought that's a significant

(21:34):
one for the for the Ottawa sixty seven's just to
just to mention that in the fact that Justin yeah, yeah,
that helps. So, yeah, that's a that kind of adds
to the fuel of the fire that we were just
talking about a little bit. Prob'be it'll be down the
road for this young man, but it won't be immediate,

(21:54):
but kind of the same situation. I congrats to Seven's.
That's a good get.

Speaker 3 (22:00):
Jackson plays hard, son of Justin Williams, mister Game seven.

Speaker 2 (22:05):
Talk about a career with a lot of good Game.

Speaker 3 (22:06):
Sevens, right, and I think that it's a great Congrats
to Ottawa. That's a big move for their front office
and for their hockey club. That's great for the sixty sevens.
That's the beauty of this agreement. That's the best part
about the agreement for us. I just hope you're here
long term finish hit, you know.

Speaker 2 (22:23):
And we're gonna go a little bit over on this
first segment, but long term three years for you.

Speaker 3 (22:31):
M h okay, nineteen years you play your nineteen year
old before you're away year like the Cole Browns A
Luken says, I'm okay with that. Then then before yeah, yeah, yeah,
for four years okay, four, I'm okay with that.

Speaker 2 (22:43):
Henry.

Speaker 3 (22:44):
Henry Muse's situation is a lot different. I believe there's
a lot of tough behind that that makes that move
to Michigan. I uh, I'm not gonna say, like to
whatest extent, but I'm just gonna met like I think
that like with that move, there's a lot more behind
the scenes of why that moved happened. But to be honest,
we knew about that rate when the front they even

(23:05):
made the trade, and we cannot believe that Subbury paid
that much. But he reached his rant two rounds ago
after Yeah left in the first round.

Speaker 2 (23:11):
Yeah, we've discussed that at length. Yeah, I feel like
it wouldn't be healthy for me to do that again.
I'm shocked they haven't made a change to the front
office yet. But anyway, left that one be map. I
am leaving that one alone. Next up, the Aushawa General
City of Oshawa and Oakview Group have secured a thirty
year partnership, which means whether it's called the Tribute Community

(23:32):
Center or not, that will be their home for the
next thirty years, and that is until two thousand and
fifty five. One fifty million dollars uh in investments to
modernize the Tribute Community Center, which I don't know, it
looks pretty modern to me. Yeah, you know. It includes

(23:55):
enhancements including a new prime location for the Ottawa Sport
Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame, Ottawa. We were talking about
the sixty seven's, so so there is that. But something
that wasn't mentioned and and they kind of went through
it a little bit on television during the game after
this was announced that some of the stuff and we're like,

(24:17):
what about we were waiting for the press box, like
press box and outside box now, like what like what?
And they didn't mention that's the first thing that came
to our minds. For sure. I'm sure there are other upgrades.
They need to upgrade the practice facility. That rink looks tough. Yeah,
we'll give a shout out to our boy, our boy
Matt the video coach for the AUSTWA Generals for for

(24:39):
that one. But uh what yeah, what about a new
press box because you forgot to put one in the
first down press box?

Speaker 3 (24:46):
Absolutely, fifty million dollars a lot of money. That's a ton, Yeah,
that's a ton, And I mean we'll give our opinion,
right now, I mean we go there.

Speaker 2 (24:54):
I mean, was it four times with the Bulldogs? Eight times?
You had so four times this year? Like I feel
the free in the playoffs?

Speaker 3 (25:01):
Yeah yeah, wow seven times? So seven times this year.
And I think that the arena. I love the arena,
to be honest. I think it's a really nice arena.
I really like Oshwa's arena. There's a lot that can change.
I wish that the press box. I wish they actually
had a press box to extend to where their broadcast
booth is right now somewhere. And I and I hope

(25:23):
that they can do like a catwalk instead of going
over the ice. I mean, I don't mind going over
the ice, but that make it work, you're gonna have
to go length. I'm thinking more like how Branford looks
a civic center that's in that's short term though, at
civic center. And I mean I think there's gonna be
a lot of upgrades announced here to the next month too.
That could be happening to the media at a civic
center in Branford.

Speaker 2 (25:42):
But I, oh yeah, I.

Speaker 3 (25:45):
Think that looking at looking at Oshwa, I would like
to see where you come out to this sweet level
instead of you know, you walk around, you go up
to that little closet, through that back door to the
all a sudden you're on the catwalk. Instead of doing that,
you come right out of the elevator, goes straight and
you run right into a capal that takes you up both.
That takes you up, ye, take it left. It takes
you up just a couple stairs and then boom.

Speaker 2 (26:07):
That's fore all the boxes that lead to the radio.
I would do something like that.

Speaker 3 (26:09):
I think you have to add a media an actual
good media thing similar to how Hamilton ran it in
a First Ontario Center. Oshawa is one of those arenas
that could have a booth similar to how Hamilton was
at First Ontario Center.

Speaker 2 (26:22):
Where you're high.

Speaker 3 (26:23):
You have a great vantage point, one of the best
views of a game for calling a game there, like
I think that they have a really good vantage point.
So you add a couple you add a couple of
boxes there. It's a big difference. Video visiting team box.
You can put a visiting media video in front office
and scratches and there scratches, I mean they could they're
finding them ball.

Speaker 2 (26:41):
But put a door on the visiting radio booth. Every
other booth has one, but the visiting radio. Yeah, it
makes sense out of that one. That's my that's my
two cents.

Speaker 3 (26:52):
But that would be nice to have a like something
like that. My but honestly, my biggest point, My biggest
point is and in Oshawa, fifty million dollars is a
lot of money for that arena. I don't know how
much a fifty million dollars are gonna go into the
arena where I think the outside of the arena needs
the attention. The outside of the arena is really nice

(27:13):
on the property of the arena, but downtown Oshawa, now
that they've marked, they've signed their least there there, they
need to make that area more of an area to
be more of a place to be. There is not
much you can do before a game in Oshawa. And
I know Oshawa fans, I know you guys have hated
me for the last two weeks as the Bulldogs played
you guys in the playoffs, and I know you probably

(27:34):
don't like me still, but I hope we can come
to an agreement on here because.

Speaker 2 (27:38):
You did pick them. I picked them in six Yeah,
probably they picked them to beat Barry.

Speaker 3 (27:43):
Yeah, I've I've rode Oshawa We'll see in another half
hour what I say about them. But in the moment
I think that Oshawa, I think that I like, I say,
my girlfriend's family's from the area in Oshawa. Yeah, obviously
they came over to the good side. Now, Oh, no
fun intended. Now all of a sudden, I'm turning into

(28:04):
Matthew to chuck with the leafs with Oshawa again. But anyway,
I think with that area, you need to really upgrade
the outside of the arena.

Speaker 2 (28:16):
You have to.

Speaker 3 (28:16):
I'd love to see a restaurant outside across the road
or somewhere like a sports bar, a local established.

Speaker 2 (28:23):
Have people like us stop calling it the dirty schwah,
yeah exactly.

Speaker 3 (28:27):
Like I would love to see some of this fifty
million dollars, which is a ton of money.

Speaker 2 (28:31):
Branford Civic Center was thirty yeah or ten? Ten thirty
I don't know, nine from Anlauer and I think a
million from the city so ten yeah.

Speaker 3 (28:41):
I don't know why I thought thirty, but like you
look at how much like you look how much that
I did for a building that isn't even close to
Oshawa standard.

Speaker 2 (28:49):
Yeah, like, and doun'ld think that had no business being
an HL rink. Let's be honest, were there was terrible,
horrible ten million. We look at the odd in Kitchener
with they did it their renovation. That's incredible kitchen in
the outside, there's not much to do. It's a sports complex.

Speaker 3 (29:04):
Yeah, I mean in the press Bucks you're in Waterloo
watching the game and Kitchener. But I thought for what
the building is and the iconic building that the odd
is that I love the I love it there. But Oshawa,
the outside I think is most important. The area that
the arena is in the outside of the arena is incredible.

(29:25):
I love the look of Oshawa's arena for the outside.
Like anyone that hasn't been to Oshawa, just go on
Google Maps, even look at the outside on street View.
It's a nice arena. I love the looks of it.
I love the inside. I love the arena. I just
think that the area around the arena does not make
it a place to be. I think it is a
place to be when the generals are playing, but there's

(29:48):
no concert, there's no concert kind of appeal to it.
Make his Toronto so close and I think now with
the casino going in and pickering, with all the concerts
going on in pickering and everything they have outside of pickering.
It's all to pickering, right the new age all the
play Look where the billets are in Oshawa. There's no
billets in Oshawa. You know, you're looking at Brooklyn, Whitby.
You know, the players aren't going downtown Oshawa after a game.

(30:10):
They're not going out on team functions in downtown Oshawa.
You know, they're on the outskirts of Oshwah. They're out
by the mall, they're out in Whitby, they're out in Ajax.
You know, they're out in Pickering. They're out in Brooklyn.
They're not in They're not in Osawa. So my big,
my big point is I want to see the the
area around the arena get expanded the best it can
be expanded. I want to see new businesses come in.

(30:31):
I want and that generates more economy flow for the city.
You generate more healthy money. I'll say. Where you get
people into the arena, you get you get more.

Speaker 2 (30:41):
Back into the community. You're spending a lot.

Speaker 3 (30:44):
So you get a little bit more back.

Speaker 2 (30:45):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (30:46):
We talk about this every weekend with the Bulldogs. Every
single day we're talking about this with the Bulldogs, and
I think that that's kind of what you need in
uh Oshawa. I think I really wish they could clean
up that area around the arena. That would you imagine
if like what London had around it, that would be
the place to be, That'd be the place to be.
Like I'm even looking at Gwelf.

Speaker 2 (31:08):
Look at Gwelf, Gwelf.

Speaker 3 (31:09):
Downtown, Gwelf Downtown on the other side of Sleem and Center.

Speaker 2 (31:13):
Through the mall.

Speaker 3 (31:14):
You have restaurants, you have Downtown ranked there. Yeah, you
have something, you have some Uh.

Speaker 2 (31:20):
I wish there was more in the mall. I wish
there was too. I I was I had a sports bar.

Speaker 3 (31:25):
I wish they had a sports bar are there?

Speaker 2 (31:27):
That would be sick. It'd be cool the games, that'd
be really cool.

Speaker 3 (31:30):
But like outside of the mall where they have like
a couple of restaurants, you can walk into and you know,
you have some things at least there's stuff for fans
to do, you know, and you go there, you can
get a bite to eat before the game. You know,
you can you can contribute to more businesses in the
area instead of just a game, which is which is key,
which is so cool for teams to take advantage of that,

(31:50):
Like I'm and then as it would be so nice
to have that. It would be so nice if they
could generate that. I want to know, like what the
average Generals fan does downtown oshawall before game other than park, Yeah,
like you do anything. They're playing Sunday at six oh five. Man,
I hate the six oh five start, but you know
how much potential you know, how much potential you have

(32:11):
for local businesses around the arena with those six oh
five starts. Okay, no, like what happens on a sunde Man,
you know what you should do? So football games from
the from the from the sports bar that they build
across the road.

Speaker 2 (32:25):
Yeah, you know what, you know what they should do.
They should take a page out of what Hamilton did.
And you have your four o'clock games on Saturdays, and
I know Wendell Clark's is a big sponsor inside the
Tribute Community Center. It's close ish it is, it is
walking distance. But you play your four o'clock game, head
over to Wendell Clark's. Get ready. And we're not Leaf

(32:47):
fans by any means, but but you walk over watch
a Leaf game. Yeah, you know, it's it's as much
as you can take a go train downtown to Toronto,
grab a bar there and and drink and watch the game.
It's not ideal because you're the furthest station on Lakes
or East Line. So so I mean you get your
four o'clock General's game, seven o'clock Leaf game. You can
walk with plenty of time over to Wendell Clarks And

(33:09):
and like you said, if they if they make it
a little bit better around around the arena. More restaurants. Okay,
so you have more options than Wendell Clarks I mean
more sponsors place, but.

Speaker 3 (33:18):
More business, more revenue forever for the city, for the team,
for the new business.

Speaker 2 (33:22):
Like if somebody was the answer to the six oh
five starts, I'd love to hear it. I don't understand
the point of it. If somebody has that answer, please
let me know. I would love to know. It's one
of those mysteries that I've always wondered why Oshwa starts
at six oh five on a Sunday when everyone else
is at two, although we started to see more four
o'clocks on Sundays too, But yeah, you have six oh five.

(33:43):
I mean it's I I really don't get it. So
if somebody can provide that answer that I'd love that
especially make zero sense during football season. So so yeah,
but uh, I would see that cleaned up.

Speaker 3 (33:57):
I would just love to see that downtown cleaned up,
man like by the arena.

Speaker 2 (34:03):
It sounds like this will begin twenty twenty seven and
be phased over two years to minimize disruption for the
general's concerts and other stuff. So I got await a
couple of years before everything gets started. But it looks like, yeah,
fifty million dollars is a lot of money.

Speaker 3 (34:20):
At least you have a lot of time for planning. Yeah,
we have a lot of time to have a plan.
Get it right now where not where Opening night happens
in Hamilton and no, we're gonna close the arena. Yeah
next year you better kick everybody play Bulldogs rock and
uh that honey Honey Badgers.

Speaker 2 (34:36):
Oh yeah, hockey Badgers. That's yeah, like you better.

Speaker 3 (34:39):
Find a place to play. Like at least at least
that happened, which is good for Oshawa. But I hope
that I hope that they get that a little bit
of that money downtown and benefit the core there because
I think with the arena, I don't have a problem
with the arena than the press box and getting hackled
by their fans.

Speaker 2 (34:56):
But that happens. That happens everywhere one one certain staff
member in the Zamboni area. Oh man, But I won't
get you fired up on that too much, even though
I probably just did. You're not You're not the only one.
You're not the only man that has issues with him.
So shot clocked. Yeah, it's weird. No one ever threw

(35:17):
a bottle on me. Yea, like they all throw bottles
on the ice.

Speaker 3 (35:22):
Yeah, it's pretty lively.

Speaker 2 (35:25):
In Yeah, after they lost to the ice docks. We
won't get on that. The Barry Colts also announcing a
new new lease agreement for the arena. Sad Loan Arena
is a fifteen year lease agreement. So, I mean, I
don't think I can't think of a better location for
an HL rink than Saddle Arena. It's right at the

(35:47):
beginning of Barry, so it's not like the bay Cats
Stadium where you got to drive through Berry and then
outside of Barry to get to the halfway. Yeah pretty much. Yeah, so,
so it's it's right there. Fifteen year lise will include
the Colts will have to contribute over eight million dollars
to help underwrite the operating costs of sad Lot Arena,
which I thought teams already did. That a number of

(36:08):
charitable donations at the Colts organization will have to have
to do. And then it also includes investing over one
point five million dollars in improvements to sad Lone Arena,
in addition to the over one million dollars that the
Colts had invested in improvements and updates during the current
least term. So I guess let's fix sad Lone Arena now.

(36:30):
We just did the Tribute Community Center. There are restaurants
around Barry around the sad Lot Arena. Yeah, there's the
bar in the arena, which I wish more teams had.
If it looks good and you can you can sell that,
I think that's a really cool idea.

Speaker 3 (36:44):
Yeah, you can actually watch the game from the bar
to which is nice.

Speaker 2 (36:47):
There's a there's a couple arenas in the league that
have restaurants that don't look very good in the arena,
but I'll just leave it at that. It's the sole
part of the arena. It looks like they're just doing it. Yeah,
and I'll be I'll be blunt, Sara, I mean, restaurant
is just strange. I don't really understand the point of
it as it looks like a luxury.

Speaker 3 (37:08):
Restaurant that you can't go into unless you have as
Yeah that makes yeah.

Speaker 2 (37:16):
Anyways, Yeah, so the so the Barry colts with the
with the new lease agreement. We could talk about the
press box again about how tiny it is, but we
might just be a little bit of a broken record there.
I'm not media. Yeah, I'm not sold that the the
arena needs more seats. I think that's a perfect number
of seats for for the Barry area. I'm curious if

(37:41):
and I mean a few teams would have to do this,
but like to have the benches on the other side,
like switch the benches in the penalty. The only issue
is obviously the team facilities are on that side. But
from oh yeah, from the camera standpoint, I mean as
a viewer, like you want to see the bench across
the ice just it's a little bit better, it looks better.

(38:03):
But I mean the scoreboard, I'm pretty sure the scoreboard's
fairly new. I think it is, or they announced they're
getting new on one or the other. I'd have to
double check but what would you like to see in
in Barry calling. I mean, one point five is not
fifty million, but it can still get uh still get
a few jobs done.

Speaker 3 (38:22):
Player facilities got to be better for visiting and home
home facilities. Obviously you want your home for your recruitment
everything like that. It's so important to have a have
a knock your shoes off facility for the home side,
but roadside too. Can't this be a stationary bike on
the home side, And you know, in a couple of
weeks it's gotta be you know, like, look what I'm

(38:44):
not saying like what Oshawa did, Look what some of
these teams have, but you gotta you gotta create something
there for the home side. I remember during the Prospects
game talking taking in Branford this season and taking someone
in from the Colts into the facility and showing them
around in Branford and it's like, oh my gosh, like
all this in this arena, like couldn't believe it. Yeah,

(39:04):
And I just hope that, you know, that's I hope
that the player facilities you a little better there. And
I think that's and that's a big one not to
make Blue Jay fans mad. But like look at look
at dunn Eden, Like look what they did to the
spring training facility, Like yeah, like you know you have
to you have to do that now in player development,

(39:26):
your facilities have to be second to none in the league.
But honestly, when you look at the league, when you
look at what Oshawa did, that's a standard. That's a
gold standard in Oshawa. That's that's incredible. That's why probably
fifty million. Did anyone see their facility for their off ice, Like, holy,
you need to go to school. They have a school there,
like you know, they have a turf, like, they have
everything there. Like I think that, Like I'm not thinking

(39:47):
about that with Barry, but I I really want them
to have a better facility for the players, for the
development of the players in that And yeah.

Speaker 2 (39:54):
They like.

Speaker 1 (39:57):
It.

Speaker 2 (39:57):
I don't mind the Barry Arena.

Speaker 3 (40:00):
I think there are some things to work on for sure,
and a million dollars is definitely gonna help.

Speaker 2 (40:05):
I don't mind it.

Speaker 3 (40:06):
Like I like, I don't mind sad one like I
like I like the I like.

Speaker 2 (40:13):
The way they're arenas.

Speaker 3 (40:13):
I like the restaurant. It's right there. It's like it's
mind seeing Peterborough a little bit where it's like right there, Yeah,
it's a go advantage point. But I really, I really
hope that the player facilities get the upgrade. Fan engagement too,
obviously it's huge because that's how you get your money
back for your organization, and you got to keep the
fans happy. But I really want to see, uh, I
really want to see the player uh facilities get the upgrade.

Speaker 2 (40:37):
Flint. Look what Flint did. Yeah, yeah, yeah, good call.
And I mean I was just reading through the article
one more time and and wanted to make sure I
mentioned this that the the cults have a direct and
this was done based on a study by Destinations International
Tourism Economics. That's a really long name, that's an important title,

(40:57):
my name, but uh oh, they have a direct economic
impact of over forty three million dollars a year fifteen year,
least six hundred and forty million dollars approximately. It's a lot.
That's that's quite a bit of money. So so it's
pretty important to keep the colts in town. And and
it's not a thirty year lease, but but fifteen does
the job. And yeah, it's a it's a good spot

(41:20):
right off the highway. It works so well for an
arena spot, and they kind of debated that with Branford
as well, hearing if they wanted to keep it near
the four oh three, but they're gonna put it right
next to the Civic Center and keep the Civic Center
for some reason. That's a conversation for another day. But yeah,
I think I think that's pretty well. And I think
we've got a couple of awards that were that were

(41:42):
handed out while we were witnessing the conference finals. I mean,
Jackson Parsons named OHL Goaltender of the Year. Not really
surprised by that kind of yeah, I saw that coming.
Sam Dickinson was the OHL Defenseman of the Year, so
again something that we were shocked about by any means.
He has just gone to New Heights in the OHL

(42:04):
playoffs as well, so he's getting ready for the OHL
Championship Series. And Colin, I think we're ready to get
there as well, unless you've got anything else to bring up.
If not, we'll hit the brake. Yeah, no, I'm good.

Speaker 3 (42:17):
I think weich on Kitchener and Barry after the break
Kitchener and Barry elimination teams.

Speaker 2 (42:24):
Right, Yeah, yeah, we can touch on that in the
next break. Yeah, yeah kay, yeah yeah so that so
that's coming up. Next, we'll look at Kitchener, We'll look
at Barry what their off seasons look like and going
into next year, and then the Ohl Championship Series will
get underway on Thursday. We'll look at that next here
on the Ohl and sixty Podcast. Welcome back to the

(43:01):
Ohl and sixty Podcast. Emerices Domani along with Colin Ward.
Two teams have gone home. Two teams are fighting for
the Jay Ross. We will get to those two in
just a second. But first eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals,
the Barry Colts. They are swept by the Oshawa Generals.

(43:22):
Everybody had that on their bingo card, just kidding, I
don't think anybody did. First. First off, I guess we'll
go reactions on the series call it what what do
you make of this? How? How did Barry get swept?
Because they have a ton of talent on their team?
What the heck happened? Man? I know this might be.

Speaker 3 (43:41):
Might be a little aggressive, but I don't think they're ready.
I don't think they're ready for it. I I don't know.
I watched them play the ah Man Rush as they
gave up Oshwa's a really good team. Oshawa's playing really
good hockey right now, and this OHL final is gonna
be really good. But I watched the games, I'm thinking,

(44:03):
are you not ready for it? Like I wish they
would have expected, would have set a standard with a goaltender.
And I just think there was a lot of decisions
that were made. I don't think we're the right decisions.
That's why they got swept. I don't think they were
ready for it. I didn't see a lot of adjustments made,
and I was honestly surprised by that.

Speaker 2 (44:18):
I really was.

Speaker 3 (44:19):
I was shocked that I didn't see the adjustments. And
that's kind of I could say Oshwa's good, they're deep,
they're a good team, but so's Barry.

Speaker 2 (44:28):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (44:28):
And to get in yeah, to get and to get swept,
Like I couldn't believe that. So that's why I think
the adjustments weren't there, and I don't And like I said,
Barry's playoff run might have not have been the best
playoff run to get to the third round. I know
that's a little aggressive to say as well, but let's
be honest.

Speaker 2 (44:47):
What they did. You go five with Niagara? Yeah, yeah,
which yeah, the way the way the series started to unfold,
in the way Niagara albeit it going down. Nothing doesn't
help anybody.

Speaker 3 (44:59):
But if if it wasn't for movie theater game, all
the things they had off the ice, Like if it
wasn't for if it wasn't for that.

Speaker 2 (45:08):
Like I wonder if they win game too, I think
they do. Man, Like it was a one goal game.

Speaker 3 (45:12):
Think about how down they were, Like you imagine every
player gets suspended for a period, where the heck does.

Speaker 2 (45:19):
It any come back? Yeah?

Speaker 3 (45:22):
Like heck man, That's why if I'm on the coaching
staff in Niagara, I'm so mad because if it wasn't
for the for the selfish, for the undisciplined decision off
the ice, and the uncharacter decision off the ice, you
probably win that game. So you're going six at least
at home, you never know what can happen. You force
the game seven. I don't think Barry's playoffs was great

(45:44):
at all Niagara series. With a Niagara series, like we
just mentioned what could have been Kingston series. They didn't
win a road game. You don't win a road game.
That's you know, that's a recipe for disaster. Like and
I went and like then, uh then the uh oshawuah series.

(46:05):
I don't think they were ready. I really don't. I
didn't see a lot of good adjustments. Was game two
the telling factor for you?

Speaker 2 (46:11):
Yeah? Game two wasn't close.

Speaker 3 (46:13):
Yeah, and I wish they had a goalie. I wish
they had a goalie. Going back to Oshawa, man down
to nothing after getting smoked on at home and then
probably should have won.

Speaker 2 (46:22):
Yeah. Yeah, Marty Williams said at post game, he said, like,
you score six goals, you should win that game.

Speaker 3 (46:27):
But they never got a big r and man. But
you watch that OT winner, You watch that OT winner
the odd man rushes. Yeah, if this is where the
series with London Oshwa is gonna be incredible to watch
because London doesn't give up the odd man rushes like that.
They're Sam Dickinson out there is gonna be incredible to watch.

Speaker 2 (46:46):
But in Oliver Bonk. But I just think that like.

Speaker 3 (46:51):
Every time Oshwa get an odd man rush it, if
they get ten odd man rushes in a series, you're
gonna score on seven out of ten.

Speaker 2 (46:57):
That's how get the humming. They have guys that can
shoot the puck off the rush.

Speaker 3 (47:00):
Oh, well, better than a lot of other players in
the league. You have Kobe Barlow off their rush on
a one time spot, that's dangerous. You saw the trans
goal in Game three in the in the overtime game
like that, they couldn't get a big save to save
their lives.

Speaker 2 (47:12):
They couldn't get a save.

Speaker 3 (47:13):
Like, and that's not that's not on coaching, that's on you.
Gotta make a save, you got to dig deep, you
got to give it here. And obviously guess that does
that have.

Speaker 2 (47:22):
To do with a goalie not being allowed to get
on a roll? Does that go on Marty for not
picking his guy because we talked about it. We're like, man,
they picked their guy. It's worked so far. But to
be honest with you, the Niagara series, I mean, the
every puck seemed like it was going in and then
like yeah, on the road, you want it home. So

(47:43):
I'm like, you know, sure it was working. Was it
really working? Like I wouldn't say the goaltending was stellar
in those series, So like I kind of look back
at it, I you know, me saying that it kind
of sound like an idiot because at work they won
those series, but not necessarily the greatest goal tending performances
of all time. So like, does that go back to

(48:03):
not picking a guy and letting him get on a
roll or or is that something else? Does the Dean
not d in their correct spots like the odd Man
rush is Like you said, Forward's a number of factors there.
I'll I'll say this last year, when we look at
the NHL playoffs, I don't think the Boston Bruins win
Round one against the Toronto may be leiefs if it

(48:24):
wasn't for Swayman coming in and getting hot.

Speaker 3 (48:26):
We saw how bad Olmark was in the in game
two I think it was against Toronto. Whenever you got
Olmark played, we saw how bad that was. And that's
when Boston all season. Montgomery mentioned that we're gonna ride
two goalies even in the playoffs. In the playoffs, you
gotta pick a guy. You gotta get a guy get hot,
and you gotta pick a guy. I thought that was
Herabic and in the playoffs, in the playoffs, you gotta

(48:51):
go with your best guy.

Speaker 2 (48:52):
There's no tomorrow.

Speaker 3 (48:54):
If Barry went and we mentioned this on we mentioned
this on the last show that if Bear whoever plays,
we said, Hillary Brandt will start. Okay, if he falters,
Horrabic gets Game two, Yeah, that was bad. Game three,
Hilly Brant goes. It's back and forth. Then Herabic can
game me too. I would have stuck with Herrabic rate

(49:18):
in that moment going into game three. I would have
And I think that when you get in that opportunity,
and like I said, even the goaltending, the Barry Colts
were not ready in this series. They didn't make an adjustment,
they did not make an adjustment, and all of a
sudden JAB one JAB two against JAB three, you're limping
JAB four, you get knocked out in four. That's what

(49:39):
happens in the boxing match. And I wish that. And
I know, looking back at it, every time you lose
a series you have regrets. Every sport, every time you
lose a series, you have regrets. And I wonder if
there's regrets there from coaching standpoints, like how the how
that was managed, how the adjustments were in the series,

(50:02):
and maybe there was adjustments, so we just never really
saw them. We never saw positive adjustments. And I just
wish that looking back at it, you could clean stuff
up there.

Speaker 2 (50:12):
Name a guy, ride a.

Speaker 3 (50:13):
Hot hand, get a hot hand at first off, but
I was expecting to see more. I was shocked for
them to get swept. I was, And when you get swept,
when you don't win a road game, and if it
wasn't for fun night at the movie theater in Niagara Falls,
you probably you probably have a lot more adversity in
the playoffs already. To get to the third round was
a dream come true for them, in my opinion, I

(50:36):
didn't think that the way they played in the playoffs
was a great playoffs. I didn't think the way they
played down the stretch and the regular season was a
great regular season. Their deadline was their deadline. I thought
they had a kid deadline. Even though guys couldn't play
at first. It felt like guys were in the lineup
at first, and they came in. They won some games
they got in the playoffs. You played the Niagara team,
then you play Kingston. You can't win a road game.

(50:58):
Then what happened to Nashawa with a hot osh General's.

Speaker 2 (51:00):
Team happened And somethings you gotta tip your cap to Oshawa.
They're humming.

Speaker 3 (51:06):
When you see a team playing on the next level,
you can you can really see it, and you see
that right now with watching with watching Oshawa play. That's
why legit the two best teams right now in the
entire hockey that are playing in the finals. And there's
no there's no there's no two teams that you could
argue to be to be there more than these two teams.
So I can't wait to see the finals. But I
just wish Barry the would have been more adjustments, and

(51:27):
I wish they would have had a guy. They just
never had a guy. They just never had a guy
step up in that they didn't.

Speaker 2 (51:33):
So that brings us to the kitchen Rangers who were
were swept away as well. The London Night's winning in
four games. Calling you had them winning in five, I
had London winning in six. I thought I thought for
sure Kitchener would be able to grab a game or two,
but they were unable to h and it kind of
feels like it's a year where nobody's gonna beat London

(51:55):
and they're just gonna roll to It feels like you're
destined championship. I'm not saying this is a two thousand
and five London Nights team repeat, but I think he
could say it's pretty close the way they're playing right
now the way Elliott's playing in goal, He's only lost
one game all season, at least in the London Knight's uniform. Yeah.
But for the Kitchener Rangers, you know, I'd love that

(52:17):
Parsons said that, you know, we went out in front
of our home crowd. We got to say a final
goodbye to our home crowd. I love that that he
mentioned the home fans at the Kitchener momoral Aauditorium. But
it just wasn't meant to be for the Kitchener Rangers.
I mean, albeit, probably a seven game series against the
windsor Spitfires isn't ideal heading into a matchup against the
London Knights, but the Knights rolled in four games. And

(52:41):
what do you make of this one? For the Rangers?

Speaker 3 (52:43):
Coling different than the Barry situation in terms of next
year is the year for Kitchener. Next year's always been
the year for them. I mean, they traded Carson Raykov,
a fifty goal scorer, and they got better. That rarely
happens in the OHL. To see what Kitchener did, I
think they overachieved. I think that they had a really
good season. I think there's nothing to be upset. You
ran into a buzz. So in London nights you're down
three to oh to wins your luck. A lot of

(53:05):
times you lose that series and said they're very sweep. Yeah,
more often than not. So you had a lot of pounds.
You played some character hockey, your battle tested. Your young
guys learned a lot, the Romanos, the Lambs, those guys
learned a ton, I think, and you have your coach
locked up, which is one of the biggest things about
the end of the season for them as well. For
another couple of seasons. We'll see a couple of seasons.

(53:27):
I mean, if kitchen and Rangers win next year, I
don't think he's back to year after that. But anyway,
that's that's that's a show for next year down the road.
But we mentioned it on last show. They're a lock
for the conference final. If they don't make the conference
final next year, that's a failed season. They have all
the peace in the world to move to add this
summer at the August trade deadline. No pun intended, but
I think that Kitchener has all the piece in the world.

Speaker 2 (53:48):
To make some move. Next year is a year the
great experience for some of.

Speaker 3 (53:50):
Those guys and all I could think about is when
they're losing to London in Game four, right in London's
you know, Kitchener's getting chances, but you just can't fight that.
You just can't find one to beat Elliott. But all
I can think about is this might be one of
those cases where next year is the year Kitchener beats
London and it's It's one of those things where Okay,

(54:11):
we had our pains, like what London's going through losing
to Peterborough, and then all of a sudden last year,
this season, what it is gonna be?

Speaker 2 (54:18):
Right?

Speaker 3 (54:18):
Like then you lose to Sagana last season in the
mem Cup final and we see what London London. It
feels like they're playing to win the mem Cup that
last game that they did not. They didn't play good
in that game. But the London Nights you're thinking, Okay,
we're here to win a mem Cup. We have unfinished business.
I think that's the kitchen Rangers next season, gainst London
Night's in the second third round. Possibly, I don't. I
can see Kitchener picking up someone like Carter George. I

(54:40):
can see that happening and going all in next season.
Next year's a year they had a great experience, or
they're learning for the younger players, but they have like
eighteen guys coming back next season.

Speaker 2 (54:50):
That's a ton.

Speaker 3 (54:51):
That's a contending team already for next season in the
Western Conference. Them winsor you win around right this year,
you win two rounds this year in a battle tested
series with a team that you're gonna be competing with
next year and wins her You learned a ton this up,
You learned a ton. It sucks for your overagers. You're
gonna lose a lot of character, which is a tough one,
right Swick Swick, he created so many big goals of
the Kitchen Rangers over the last two three seasons, the

(55:14):
big body in front of net and obviously the studd
in net, Jackson Parsons. Jackson Parsons, I mean he's gonna win.
He can win the MVP this year. There's a legit
reason for him to win the MVP this year. Most
valuable player. Jackson Parsons to the Kitchen Rangers is the
most valuable player and that's why you have a legit
case you're him to be the most valuable player in
the in the league because to their team, absolutely he

(55:35):
is and what he's brought into the table throughout his career.
I mean, it'd be nice to talk to Jackson, And
I said, no, we say this all the time, but
when you talk about Jackson Parsons, So it would be
so cool to be able to have a conversation with
him because you think about his first year, right COVID Draft.
Then he comes into the odd tabl chai on. Then
he gets a couple of starts in the postseason, like
and then Gion comes in like he had opportunity. Then

(55:58):
then Costantini comes in, then Mal comes in just split time.
Then he's the guy right then he's the stud. And
he really took the three steps up this year instead
of one to two steps, he took that jump. And
my like, this s guy's limit for his career. He's
gonna be really good. And I think that it sucks
for Kitchen and not getting done this year because of
that and every team, every team that went in this year,

(56:21):
the Barry culture saying the exact same thing for guys
like bo Jelsma. It sucks that those guys can't be
a part of the future like it even his next season.
It sucks because oh, losing oa's is always the worst.
Losing Oay's is the worst. And that's and that's where,
that's where it sucks. But the Kitchen Rangers in a

(56:43):
really get spot. They're in a really good spot and
I can't wait to see what they can do. I
hope they can pick up a goalie and they can
pick up a goalie. Man, why not Kitchen in the West,
Why not Kitchen in the OHL? Why not them in
the CHL.

Speaker 2 (56:56):
Which gets us two our championship hip series. It is
a rematch from last year the Oshawa Generals against the
London Knights. Of course, uh TSN comes in and takes
over for the championship matchups, both in the or in
every league, I should say, the w h L, o

(57:17):
h L and the q M j HL. There are
sides that are with that, there are sides that are
against it. We're not gonna share our opinions because we
have one and we're just gonna leave it at that.
I think both of us can proudly say that we
were on one side before the playoffs started, and we
have dramatically swapped sides as the playoffs have gone on.

(57:42):
Come much cheerleading, yep.

Speaker 3 (57:45):
That gives away out.

Speaker 2 (57:50):
Yeah, so so t s N will have it. It
sounds like Victor Finley will be on the play by play.
It sounds like he'll be joined by Frankie Carado, who
does the color. So it's the Knights in Generals. The
Knights have won twelve in a row. They have not
lost in the OHL playoffs. The Joshua Generals have won
eight in a row and have not lost since Game
number two at the Brantford Civic Center. It's hard to

(58:15):
say we're going to see the same thing we saw
last year. I'm also one that thought that the London
Knights were gonna drop two to the Kitchener Rangers, and
they really didn't budge at all. It wasn't a I'm
not gonna say it was a hard series to predict.
But in terms of games, you really have no idea
what's going to happen. You have no clue. It's almost

(58:36):
like you just pick your team and don't even say
the games because there's no reason for Ashwood to Sweepberry,
no reason at all. You know, It's to be honest,
there's no reason for London to sweep Kitchener. I thought
Kitchener was a good enough team to take a couple
of games. So that's why it's a little bit harder
this time. We both got our picks, of course, but

(58:57):
in terms of the games, it was hard. It was
hard for me to decide because it's been that kind
of playoffs. You have no idea what's gonna happen. Yeah, Colin,
we'll have this brief discussion now because I think it's
more relevant than any other show will be. I'd brought
this up to you maybe a week ago or so,

(59:17):
where the four or five matchup in round number one
of the Eastern Conference playoffs is the Oshawa Generals and
the Brampton Steelheads. And a lot of people had Brampton
in the OHL Championship Series this year against the London Knights.
At least I did. I had Brampton in London. I'm
not saying this is the case, but it's an interesting
conversation because this was the closest matchup by far on

(59:39):
paper heading into the playoffs. Yeah. Like I said, by far,
I don't think it was close. But the winner of
that series obviously was the Oshawa Generals. If the Brampton
Steelheads win that series, are they in Oshawa's position? Right? Now,
because that was one team you were and while we

(01:00:00):
were covering the Bulldogs with the team throughout their playoffs,
that was the one team that yourself, even Brian Smiley
had mentioned it that you were scared of the Brampton
Steelheads of the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (01:00:12):
Big strong team playoff like defensive court for share with
Smith and with Escova.

Speaker 2 (01:00:16):
Are is Brampton in this spot if they win the series?
Is that the series where the Eastern Conference representative was
for sure gonna come out of that series?

Speaker 3 (01:00:25):
I don't think Oshawa's in this spot if it's not
for Nick Claren's getting hurt though the first two games,
the first two games in that series, the first two
games in that series and Game five in Branford. If
Nick clarens in that game on the power play, the
way the power play looked, the Bulldogs.

Speaker 2 (01:00:41):
Win that game.

Speaker 3 (01:00:42):
There's three wins, Okay, can they get one more? Maybe
it goes seven. I don't know, but I it would
have been interesting because I think I don't. I hope
I'm not being portrayed as bias here because with the
Bulldog situation, but I think that with the way the
Bulldogs played down the stretch, I think those were the
three teams whoever won, whoever won that second round series,

(01:01:04):
So it would have been interesting that Branmpton would have
be Branford or not.

Speaker 2 (01:01:07):
Like I said, all along throughout the season.

Speaker 3 (01:01:09):
From a Bulldocks perspective, I was the team I respected
the most to play the I didn't want to play against.

Speaker 2 (01:01:14):
The bull Box.

Speaker 3 (01:01:14):
Standpoint was the Brampton Steelheads the win. The defense was,
they were big, they match up and I thought Branford's
forwards were too small for playoff hockey.

Speaker 2 (01:01:23):
That's kind in that.

Speaker 3 (01:01:24):
I mean obviously, hey, with the largest injury it happened,
I thought it was the hit was what it was.
I'm not gonna get into that, but anyway, I I
don't know, Like like I say, it's hard to say
when it doesn't happen. Yeah, I think that the winner
of that Brantford, Oshawa or Brampton series though what was
in that spot. I think those three teams are the

(01:01:45):
best teams by far and the most consistent teams through
out the stretch. Oshawa had their problems, but we saw
how good they looked at moments when they had to
be throughout the season.

Speaker 2 (01:01:54):
Yeah, and they've been there before. Their battle tested.

Speaker 3 (01:01:56):
I think whatever those one of those three teams, who
ever won that series would have I don't know if
Ivan Covid would have been able to lead a team
to to win three four rounds at this time in
his career, at his development. We saw what he did
at the U eighteen level this past weekend with the
UA teams had a great tournament. But I don't know
if you know, we saw the injury that happened. Glasspie

(01:02:19):
was a great ad. I wish the Sudbury Wolves would
have been all over that, but I think that with
their situation, I don't see Ivankovic winning a U twenty league.

Speaker 2 (01:02:30):
Three rounds like that. I don't.

Speaker 3 (01:02:32):
I think with Jacob Asti, the way he's played, when
he has to be good, it's weird. He'll give up
a lot of goals, but it's like Grant Fear. But
when he has to be good, he's unbelievable. It's like
Chris Osgod. But we saw with the Red Wings Osgod
would give up three four goals in a game, but
all of a sudden, it's the third period. It feels
like the other teams all over the Red Wings and

(01:02:53):
Chris Osgy will make ten ten big saves in the
last five minutes and the Red Wins would win five four.
That's what we're seeing in Oshawa now, overtime against Barry.
I think that the winner of that Barry Branford series,
and it happened with Oshawa. So I say Oshawa, but
Brampton would it would Honestly. It's one of those things
that I wish we could have set up because a
lot of times you win the first round. A lot

(01:03:14):
of times you win the first round. That's the hardest round. Yeah,
that's the hardest round. You win the first round, it
gets easier, I was saying. I was saying on Sunday
night watching the Winnipeg Saint Louis game in Winnipeg playing
Saint Louis, a Tina had to battle to get in
the playoffs. In Saint Louis, Winnipeg's the easy favorite. And
then you see around social media it's a big upset
of Winnipeg.

Speaker 2 (01:03:33):
Loses a lot of times. It's the hardest round. The
first round is the hardest round. You see a team
like you've never done before, Like, yeah, and obviously has,
but if you've never done it before, it's it's hard
as hell. Yeah, especially the four or five.

Speaker 3 (01:03:46):
I just think with and we saw Tampa Bay get
meat out by Columbus like he because winning the President's Trophy.
I think I wouldn't be surprised to see the Winnipeg
Jets make the Cup final.

Speaker 2 (01:03:55):
Now if Holla Buck get taught, why not? Yeah, great point.

Speaker 3 (01:03:58):
So I just think I just think that with Branpton
getting beat out, maybe maybe that's a blessing in the
Skies to Branford to Barry because maybe both those teams
would have been swept. To Barry gets or Branton gets through,
it would have been I wish. I wish we could
have saw that, because on paper they were built to
be in this series that we're about to talk about.

(01:04:18):
They were sat generals, but they were built. It just
sucks when it when you run into it like that,
it does. I wish we could have saw it. I
don't really have an answer for it because I don't know,
like it's hard to see like what it would be.

Speaker 2 (01:04:32):
Yeah, and I know we're gonna get to our matchup
here as we as we look ahead to Oshua and
and London like our two players to look at. But
I think one really intriguing one would have been Easton
Cowen skating up ice and and big Connor Smith standing
in his way like that, that's something that I want
to see Ken And it was twice a year with
with Branton in London, but that that's kind of the Matchum,

(01:04:54):
it's similar to the one you're gonna be And I'm
kinda yeah, yeah, I'm kind of foreshadowing here about the matchup.
You're gonna pick Colin, But like that's something that would
have intrigued me for a Brampton London series is seeing
Easton Cowan or you know whoever. It was streaking down
the ice small forwards, if Barky was healthy and Connor
Smith is standing in your way and you gotta get

(01:05:14):
by Connor Smith to get to the net. It's like,
that's hard, that's hard. It's kind of the Sam Dickinson situation.
Right now you're skating down the ice, but Sam Dickinson's
in the way. It's like, oh, okay, well this is
a different challenge we haven't seen before, so let's let's
let's see what we can do. Right.

Speaker 3 (01:05:30):
Give give Beckett Seneca a lot of credit, Like I
know he's playing on the line. Like if you're a
general supporter or anyone with the Osawa generals. You love
the way he's playing right now, paying the butt to
play against. But you think about how gidd he's playing
right now in this postseason, Like he looks so good,
Like he's going to the net every single time with

(01:05:51):
the puck, like with authority, Like it's like old school
of basketball, like the bad Boy Piston days, where like
he's going he's going.

Speaker 2 (01:05:59):
To the rim like the uh the Branford series. You
saw it a lot.

Speaker 3 (01:06:04):
You saw him go up against Smith in the first
round with Brampton right and look what he did Ivan
Covid glass By, Like you see what he like when
Oshwa's humming, Like, man, they're going to the net. Like
I just I really like the looks of Seneca right
now in this postseason.

Speaker 2 (01:06:20):
I really do. There's no reason he should not be
an Anaheim Duck next year. Well yeah, we'll see how
they play that. But uh third overall, pick, I feel
like you should be on your roster within two years
of of you drafting him. But uh so, so let's
get to this years and we'll start with with players
to watch con Let's start there. Like I said, I
kind of foreshadowed with that Cowen and uh and and

(01:06:41):
Smith reference. But uh, who are you two your two
guys And we've mentioned their names numerous times within the
last couple of minutes, But who are you? Who are
your two guys that you're really looking forward to watching back.

Speaker 3 (01:06:52):
At Seneca For Sam Dickinson, that's the matchup. That is
the matchup that every single person should be tuned into.
It's gonna be the difference maker in the series. It's
going to be with the way the playoffs have gone
for Oustenwall theirs success when their top six, yes, their
depth in Nostrilla and London are playing really good. But
at the end of the day, when you look at

(01:07:13):
Sam Dickinson against Kitchener, all the minutes he's los he
logged in that series, and you look at all the
mints he logged in the postseason. Oliver Bonk is well
for that matter, But Sam Dickinson, beck at Seneca, those
two guys, when they play great games, their teams win
and they haven't played a bad game. Those two guys
all postseason like Beckett Seneca since coming back from injury.

(01:07:34):
And remember he is hurting that Brampton series in the
first round. Like since coming back, he has been a
difference maker, hard on the fore check, hard with the puck,
hard downhill game, and Dickinson so powerful as well. And
like we said last year, being red Wing fans, he
reminds us of the less physicals, more outsider, the way

(01:07:54):
he controls the puck at that age, saw a lot
of that sider with with what you do with Dickinson,
and I think that that's gonna be an intriguing matchup
just to see what happens. I think Jacob Aster is
gonna be really good in the series as well, But
I think that Beckett Seneca, the way he's playing with
Callum Richie Durrant's, the way those guys are playing, I mean, Powell.

Speaker 2 (01:08:18):
Barlow, Griffin, like, the way they're all like.

Speaker 3 (01:08:22):
I don't like it's gonna be a series, But Becket Seneca,
Sam Dickinson is a matchup to watch for me.

Speaker 2 (01:08:27):
Yeah, for for me, I'm I'm going to net. The
two over agers, Jacob Boster and Austin Elliott, both are
undefeated in their last eight. Austin Elliott's won twelve in
a row in in the OHL playoffs. He's only lost
once in his entire London Night's career, I think and
and part of me is picking this matchup because of

(01:08:49):
what we saw in Branford in game six or game
five between the Generals and Bulldogs where bull Duc shud
won that game. There's no bias if you watched the game,
the bull Duc should won that game. If you think
otherwise than I know there's one person that will and
and yeah, we know hit my thoughts on him, but
I think when you look at a performance like that Jacobostar,

(01:09:11):
I wouldn't say what spectacular. Before that game he was good.
He got wins for the Generals, he beat the Brampton Steelheads.
Obviously he got even in the series against the Bulldogs.
But once he they hit game five, it seemed like
he went from and I know we're on audio, but
he went from like down here to up here, you know,

(01:09:32):
and yeah, it's it's he's gone to it. And Austin
Elliott's been consistently good. There's really no game that I'm like, wow,
he looked bad that game and I don't even think
his loss, he looked bad. But I think with Jacob Bosster,
that Game five in Branford where he made those like three,
four to ten bells saves that are goals on nine

(01:09:54):
other goaltenders, but he's the one that makes the save.
I think that'll make a huge difference for for the generals,
especially when you think of the the London power play,
how they move the puck around like us are so
good side to side, and he's there like he's he's
one of the more flexible goaltenders in the Ontario Hockey League.
He's not afraid to dive, he's not afraid to go
spread eagle, full out like he's he is very good

(01:10:16):
side to side. So I'm I'm really excited about that.
And and for Elliott, I think this is a challenge
he has yet to see in the postseason. Yeah, Kitchener
has their strengths, Eeries got their strengths, Owen Sounds got
their strengths. But but Oshawa, I think the way they
operate on the power play is a lot different than
a lot of other teams. And it's like yeah, it's

(01:10:38):
like yeah, that's great point like and and honestly yeah,
yeah yeah playing in the league and rich like obviously
like London is the best team in the I'm still
on that train. Runs best team in the Ontario Hockey League.
But the way they're able to limit odd man rushes,
if Oshawa can find a way to generate those, that's

(01:11:00):
that's a test that Elliott is not used to in
the playoffs that he that he hasn't seen a ton of.
So so that's why I'm going with those two is
because A they're ow A. So I think this is
a nice you know, storybook ending to one's junior career.
Albeit whoever loses, if it's Elliott or if it's if
it's Austar, I mean tip your cap to both of them.
They've been very good this season and in their and

(01:11:21):
in their careers. But I'm just really intrigued because these
teams are the same, but they're different because it's coaching.
Yeah well yeah, yeah, that that's a big part of it.
But they've got so many stars that I think this
is one of the most anticipated OHL Championship matchups that

(01:11:42):
we've seen in a while. You know, when when you
head into a series, Yeah, last year you had your
your guys London and Ashwa right, and and the year
before you had the Peterborough London, all of those guys,
you know, bulldogs on both sides, after winning a championship
in twenty twenty two. But like in terms of I
think NHL drafted talent, this has to be the most

(01:12:06):
anticipated OHL Championship series in a while. And I'm so
excited for Thursday. I can't wait for it to get started.
I think it's gonna be so good and I love
that they've done on the Thursday. I think that it's
gonna be a really good series, this series. And like
I say, twenty twenty two and he had why Johnson
Versemason McTavish, that was incredible. Yeah, well Cooley Arbor Jack guy, Like, you.

Speaker 3 (01:12:29):
Know how many players we're gonna see in the NHL
next season in this series? Like this is this is
an NHL series. This is an NHL series. Callum Richie
possibly probably gonna be on the Islanders next season, Beckett Seneca.

Speaker 2 (01:12:40):
For sure on the Ducks.

Speaker 3 (01:12:42):
I would bet money on Beckett Seneca being on the
nheind Ducks next year for a lot of reasons, even
the political reasons of that factor as well, and even
not just even because of that, just because he's good.
Like I think that those dude Eastern Callen Leaf fans
are saying he's gonna make the least two years ago,
Like what's Oliver Bong?

Speaker 2 (01:13:02):
Sam Dickinson, is he gonna play games with San Jose
next year?

Speaker 3 (01:13:05):
Like Casper Halton, and like you look at this series, man,
it's going to be incredible. Oshawa has their guys like
de Motto, who can hit heck, oh Toolver's Bolton? Want yeah, yeah,
everywhere in this series. Everywhere in this series there's excitement like,

(01:13:27):
oh Toolver's Bolton.

Speaker 2 (01:13:28):
You have you have De Motto, who's a tough guy.
You had the big hit on it.

Speaker 3 (01:13:32):
I think you had the big hit on Cowen this year,
Like you have that matchup. But then you look at you,
then you look at Willie, you look at the you
look at their second lines. Okay, Oshawa gets Powell, who
does Lennon get Montgomery? Like the list goes on. I
wish Denver Barkie could be in the series. I wish
because that would be a big difference in the series.
I think, like literally, I would probably say five games

(01:13:55):
in the series. Maybe if it wasn't for Barking, You're
still might go that way. I don't know, but I
think this series is going to be I electric, I
really do it. Reminds me a lot of the twenty
twenty two finals with Winsor and Hamilton at the time,
but it reminds me where the Bulldogs don't lose a
game until Game one of the finals. It reminds me

(01:14:15):
of that with the exactly it reminds me a ton
of that series with Winsor Hamilton at the time Bulldogs.
That reminds me a ton of that series where Windsor
was a damn good team that year. They had the
best player in the league and why Johnson Will Cooley.
You saw their lineup that they had, they were really good.

(01:14:37):
You look at the Osha and that Winsor perspective. I
think this Oshawa team's better than that Winsor team that year.

Speaker 2 (01:14:45):
I take over.

Speaker 3 (01:14:49):
Yeah, like aust like you look at that lineup, Okay,
I think it's better London. They just swept on one
hundred point team. Yeah, obviously no Missile Jebic, but no
Barkie for albeit a couple of game a game.

Speaker 2 (01:15:04):
But you look at you look at the series. You
look at that.

Speaker 3 (01:15:08):
Usually when team loses their their captain or an elite
important player on their roster, they lose that series. They
didn't really fall. They didn't fall.

Speaker 2 (01:15:19):
So I think that this.

Speaker 3 (01:15:20):
Series is going to be very interesting. I'm very excited.
I think you got a fire, you got two powerhouses.
I think that OSTAWAA. I have a feel like it's
this series to me could go either way. And you
kind of mentioned it, Reaes about how it could be
a quick series, it could be a long series. I
think it's gonna be a long series. That's because I'm
hoping it's a long series.

Speaker 2 (01:15:40):
I really do.

Speaker 1 (01:15:40):
I think.

Speaker 3 (01:15:41):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:15:41):
I was gonna say, like, we make these predictions and
we've picked the amount of games not only because we
think it could go that distance, but we also want
it to like sweets or a boring my last boring.
But they're not as fun, I guess is the best
way to put it. They're just they're not they're met. Yeah,

(01:16:03):
well you swept the team, yay.

Speaker 3 (01:16:05):
My first round, My first round was a struggle, My
second round other I got one wrong with Kingston, and
then my last round, I I I think it sitting
on the show, I wouldn't be surprised.

Speaker 2 (01:16:14):
You want to win four but I picked five. Yeah, but.

Speaker 3 (01:16:18):
Man, this series it's tough to pick. It's really tough
to pick. And I've had five different picks on this series,
which is like yesterday, yesterday I said that one team
was gonna win.

Speaker 2 (01:16:28):
Today I say another. We we got into a little
bit of a non argument. I'm not gonna say that,
but we started going back and forth like why why,
like no, what and you start coming back at each
other like, well, this is why I think they're gonna win.
This is why I love it, and we'll say, we'll
say I wish the recording. I was on the train
arguing London. You were on the train arguing Oshawa. You

(01:16:49):
started to bring up points. When I started to bring
up a point, well, then you brought up another point
that and then I started to come I'm like, what,
that's the beauty? Are we gonna do? Like we gotta
record tomorrow, we gotta pick one, like that's.

Speaker 3 (01:16:59):
The of the series. That is the beauty of the series.
I think that is the best part about this series.
And I think, honestly that's the best thing for the league.
We need this, Like it's great to have a discussion
on it. Like I said, I changed as a five
minutes ago. I changed my pick.

Speaker 2 (01:17:14):
I'll send it come on again.

Speaker 3 (01:17:17):
I've changed it. Five times over the last week.

Speaker 2 (01:17:20):
I oh, I knew about it twice two times. But
it's it's in. It's in.

Speaker 3 (01:17:25):
I'm gonna send.

Speaker 2 (01:17:26):
It, send music or something like that or whatever.

Speaker 3 (01:17:31):
I'll send it when we pick.

Speaker 2 (01:17:32):
But it's going.

Speaker 3 (01:17:33):
It's it's I think. I don't think it's a surprise.
I don't think it's a surprise.

Speaker 2 (01:17:39):
All right, I'm going London Nights in six games. I
think they win another championship at the Tribute Community Center. Again,
part of me is a hockey fan, like, please don't
be another sweep. Like again, it's nice to see teams
dominate and really put together a good structured game. But
I don't I really don't want it to be a wee.

(01:18:00):
I want this to be a little bit more of
a competitive series than what we saw in the in
the conference finals. And not to say those games weren't
competitive between London and Kitchener and Oshawa and Barry, but
the result kind of tells a different story. And we
saw how the games played out. Yeah, one team was
way better than the other in each matchup. So you know, again,
part of me it's a fan. I wanted to go

(01:18:21):
six games just for the enjoyment of the sport. But
but also too, you know, as good as I thought
Kitchener was and how much they could have taken one
or two against the against the London Knights, the Generals
have as good an opportunity to do so as well.
You know, I'm I'm still gonna live on the hill
that the best team the Knights were gonna play was
in the Western Conference finals and the Spitfires Rangers. I'll

(01:18:43):
die with that. It doesn't bother me. And that's no
knock at the Oshawa Generals. They're a really good team.
I think the London Knights are gonna win this series,
but I think it's I think it's gonna be in
six games. Again, part of me because I wanted to
go six games as a hockey fan, but but I
also think the Generals do have the have the capabilities
to win a couple of games against the Night. So
give me London and six, all right, I.

Speaker 3 (01:19:05):
Just sent it to be cap It's a big moment.
London and seven. Oh okay, London and seven. And that's
why I said, I don't think you'd be against the pick.
I think, like I said, I think that this series
is going to be intense dramatic. It's a it's a
type of it's a type of show where your spouse

(01:19:28):
isn't watching the soap opera at night because it's gonna
be a dramatic series and instead of watching the soap opera,
you're gonna watch the hockey games together and have some
little have some fun watching soap operas on it, right,
I don't know, figuer speech, Okay, instead of the bat
instead of the Bachelor, batcher at whatever, you're gonna you're
gonna be watching the.

Speaker 2 (01:19:46):
Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa.
Let's let's let's hold up there for a second. If
there is anybody out there, and this is not just
in the Ontario Hockey League, this is in the hockey world.
If there is anybody out there that has ever chosen
the Bachelor or the Bachelorette over hockey, especially in the

(01:20:09):
playoffs finals, start watching soccer. You're not a hockey.

Speaker 3 (01:20:14):
Like, come on, hey, that's why I'm saying. That's what
I'm saying. Spouses, loved ones, they're gonna be sharing the
couch watching the.

Speaker 2 (01:20:23):
Hockey game, and it's gonna be.

Speaker 3 (01:20:26):
I this might be a series, man, where you don't
need the drama shows. You can watch the hockey game.
There's enough drama. Like, I think this might be the series.
I think that I'm gonna echo your statement from round
two where you mentioned in the Branford USA series at
the home game is gonna win every game.

Speaker 2 (01:20:45):
The home teams are gonna win every game. Why not
this series? You know?

Speaker 3 (01:20:50):
Like I could also see I could also see it
split on the home and away. I could see Oshwa
winning game one, London winning game two convincingly, and then
London went. Whoever wins game three, whoever loses Game three
wins game four, and then so on and so then
no teams lose a road game, so London.

Speaker 2 (01:21:10):
Game five, Oshawa takes game six, London takes game seven.

Speaker 3 (01:21:14):
Yeah, I can see that happening, like you know, like
twenty twenty two, where the first game Oshawa comes out,
they're flying high. They probably steal game one. Then London
wins game two, then game three, I don't know, coin
flip game four, the team that loses wins, and then
five London wins, six, Oshawa wins seven, London wins.

Speaker 2 (01:21:36):
Like I know, this is a big science. But I
don't know, no, man, because like, if the City of
London is listening to this and you don't set up
a big screen at the market for a Game seven,
that is a huge missed opportunity. I'm just gonna put
that out there. If the City of London is listening

(01:21:56):
and we have a Game seven at Canada Life Place
and there is no screen for people to watch outside,
that can't get tickets to the game because it's already
sold out. Uh man, fifty three bucks a ticket fee,
Like fifty three bucks a ticket. That's all right.

Speaker 3 (01:22:12):
I've seen a lot of one hundred and ten to
get in the building for two tickets.

Speaker 2 (01:22:16):
Yeah. So so City of London do that, because if
you don't, then you're not really in the business of
balancing the budget making money.

Speaker 3 (01:22:24):
So the market will be there, The market will be packed.
I remember as a kid, I used to love that.
Oh my I hope, I hope the picture doesn't get
out there. Myself and Dale Hunter at uh at a
White Oaks small on March Break. But uh, I'm on
I'm on the side again the bad guys.

Speaker 2 (01:22:45):
Uh. But I can't wait, I can't wait.

Speaker 3 (01:22:48):
I hope you know what The best part is about
these two about these two cities. And that's why when
we go back to about an hour ago now talking
about Oshawa, that's where I wish man that like, say,
this money goes into Oshawa like what London has to
Where could you imagine downtown Oshawa having a square out
there and London with what they do at the market.
How cool this would be? Like man growing up a kid.

(01:23:11):
And this was before all London was a crap shoot
to drive in. Don't drive in London, Ontario. Uh, clip
that one to be cap for for your reels because London,
London is such a tough place to drive in. But Dad,
you that was like, it's incredible to go down at
the time the Bud John the Bat Center. I'm still

(01:23:32):
gonna call it the Bud. It's hard not to. But
when you go down there and like you got all
the market and you have the people out there playing
the drums and stuff, and like the go nights goes
like that's that's playoff hockey. You know when you're trying
when you gotta change into jeans to go to a
hockey game, gotta get out of the shorts or you go.
I can go for for me, going right from baseball
practice to UH to London, Like did that a lot?

(01:23:56):
And I think that I wish that and I hope
that this series is like that, because I there's nothing
better man than these two markets in dramatic games. I'm
very excited to see this. We're gonna have ten thousand
a the but we're gonna have almost sit at almost
seven at UH.

Speaker 2 (01:24:14):
You know Oshawa like with standing room, Like it's gonna
be crazy. Yeah, well, this is probably the biggest building
and maybe the third or fourth biggest. I would say
London's for sure one o Ottawa Windsor's up there too.

Speaker 3 (01:24:31):
Yeah, I think this is gonna I think is gonna
be like how wins are.

Speaker 2 (01:24:35):
But yeah, just don't stop believing at the start of
the third that's still the best. Nothing will beat it.
That was iconic, especially in the finals.

Speaker 3 (01:24:44):
They still got it regular every game. I know they
do it every game, but let alone when it was
the finals like that, and it was when it was
a packed house and everyone's in their seats. That was like,
that's in the like everyone has their phone at lights
on like that was cool. Like when the time, like
the timing of the season that it was too like
that's I can't. I can't wait for this series, Like

(01:25:06):
I really can't. I hope London gets the good opera singer.

Speaker 2 (01:25:13):
About the harmonicas. I think we could find a harmonica group. No, I.

Speaker 3 (01:25:23):
Man, I remember as a kid. I remember as a
kid going to the bud and uh the anthem when
they had the good uh, when they had the good
opera singer, and the building would shake. And I'm thinking
male or female opera singer? Male it was a male,
But I think that that was so cool. The building
would shake and.

Speaker 2 (01:25:43):
Was it a goosebumps type of feel?

Speaker 3 (01:25:45):
Oh yeah, all right, yeah that's how. That's how I
hit puberty and grew hair on the back of my neck.

Speaker 2 (01:25:51):
But thank you for finishing that sentence with on the
back of my neck. Oh yeah, that's it was. It was.

Speaker 3 (01:25:58):
That was incredible. I really, I really I missed that
as a kid.

Speaker 2 (01:26:03):
That was so cool.

Speaker 3 (01:26:04):
And I think that that this is everything the league wants.
We want a seven game series. I can't wait. I
hope it's a war. I hope, guy, I hope you know,
and I know guys are gonna be going as hard
as they can on both sides, and I cannot wait
for that.

Speaker 2 (01:26:20):
I'm pumped.

Speaker 3 (01:26:21):
I wish I wish it was Thursday already because it's
gonna be a great time and I can't wait for it.

Speaker 2 (01:26:28):
I cannot wait for this series. Yeah, yeah, it's it's
gonna be fun. We we can't wait to see it.
And shout out to the OHL this one hundred and
thirteenth anniversary logo kind of yeah, I like that different look.
It looks good.

Speaker 3 (01:26:42):
I was about to mention that the logo, Yeah, how
cool that looks on the ice? Yeah, different but cool,
I didn't. It looks sweet like it looks sharpe.

Speaker 2 (01:26:51):
Yeah. Clean.

Speaker 3 (01:26:54):
Also the opportunity for TSN to film Jacob Austri's ritual
for every period it has to be done. TSN don't
cut away either on that right away, the whole thing.
There's no reason to cut away. Well, there probably is, but.

Speaker 2 (01:27:09):
That has to be a trend.

Speaker 3 (01:27:10):
That has to be a trend that has to be
all over the TSN Top ten rituals.

Speaker 2 (01:27:16):
That last come on. I'll give a deeper dive into
y Colin pick seven games is because he wants to
see Auscar's ritual seven more times. Well, I hope the
Red Wings one more time sign three periods, but yeah,
that'd bet.

Speaker 3 (01:27:30):
But I mean we did meet Stevie Why a couple
of times this year, so maybe uh maybe he'll sign
him and then uh hey, and then we get to
see any Detroit. Yeah, I would love to see. That's
my favorite ritual. I don't know why, but I just
think there's a lot Like I think he knows what
he's doing. I think he loves the camera, and I think,
like I remember last season in Branford when he's looking

(01:27:51):
right at us, like with the water, he knew you
were filming it, and like, I think he loves it
and I love it too, So that's sweet.

Speaker 2 (01:27:59):
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (01:28:00):
We were joking with Maddie Video in Oshawa about the
ritual and stuff, and like, I know, we heard nothing
but great things about Jacob. I would love to get
him on the show too, to talk about him. I'd
love to get him and Jackson Parsons on just talk
about oh Man rituals. It'd be awesome, that'd be incredible.
But Jacob Austri seems like a stand up gentleman. I

(01:28:20):
cannot wait to see what he can do in the playoffs.
But that ritual is second to none, and I hope
it goes seven so we can see so many periods
every overtime it'd be incredible. This is fitting to go
like triple overtime Game seven, so we can see the
ritual six times and maybe last game and then possibly
go to mem Cup.

Speaker 2 (01:28:41):
This is fitting to go like triple ot Oh geez. Yeah.
So Thursday night at Canada Life Place, it all gets started.
It is a seven o'clock start in London. Will just
give you a quick rundown of the schedule. So Thursday
May eighth, this game one. Saturday May tenth is Game two,
both in London. Series then moves to Oshawa Monday May

(01:29:03):
twelfth and Tuesday May thirteenth, before returning to London on
Thursday May fifteenth. Of course, these next three, including Game
five on the fifteenth or if necessary, Game six is
Saturday May seventeenth, the Generals get their home playoff game
on the weekend, and then Game seven would be Monday

(01:29:24):
May nineteenth at Canada Life Place. All of these are
seven o'clock starts, except for May nineteenth. It is TBA.
I'm gonna assume that'll say seven o'clock suiter rather than later,
but everybody enjoy it. We're pumped to get things started
in the Ohl Championship Series with the Men Cup to follow,
so we'll be with you along the way throughout the

(01:29:47):
entire Ohl Championship Series. Our next episode will drop once
the j Ross Robertson has been handed out, and also
stay tuned on the Armchair Gmsports Network the Ohl Championship Series.
Real roundtable with more than two people will be after
every Ohl Championship game. Whether it features us too and Brandon,

(01:30:08):
whether it features us to Brandon and Joel, whether it
features other people too, whatever the case might be, can
be fireing. It'll be a real roundtable and it'll be awesome.
So we're we're pumped for that. And I guess enjoy.
That's all I can say. That's all I have left
to say. So enjoy the finals. It's London and Oshawa.

(01:30:29):
Colin Ward one last word.

Speaker 3 (01:30:31):
Man, These roundtables are gonna be awesome post game. But
I really hope we can get the pitch that we
were talking about though the other day. I guess last
week what we were talking about about hopefully doing like
not like a Manning cast, but like some like live
stream maybe for the mem Cup, watch a game on
the couch on YouTube or whatever.

Speaker 2 (01:30:52):
Yeah, I'd have to take a rain check on that.
I'll be in Halifax. Yeah true.

Speaker 3 (01:30:56):
But like some like you know, are in the finals,
like one game, like videos Game seven, Like I feel
like that would be so cool to like just shoot
the breeze with you the listeners. I mean, if we'll
have fans even join us and talk about what they see,
will answer questions, maybe get some guests from other teams
on talk about what they see, and a lot of
media personality as well in the series from both sides, and.

Speaker 2 (01:31:17):
We could maybe we'll hook up a live stream to
Mike Stubbs phone. Yeah, that'd be cool. Yeah, I'll go.

Speaker 3 (01:31:24):
Man, it's like the show Mike calling from Dallai listening
from Della on the couch. But no, that would be
really cool. That would be really cool to do. So,
uh maybe that's some little teaser. Hopefully we can do
that down the road. It's nothing to do with the broadcast, right,
it's just having fun watching the game.

Speaker 2 (01:31:43):
Yeah. Yeah, so we'll see Stay tuned to our social media,
stay tuned to the Armchair GM Sports Network as well. Again,
enjoy it. It starts Thursday, so we will talk after
the trophy is handed out. Enjoy it.

Speaker 1 (01:31:58):
You're listening to the Armchair GM Sports Network.

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We're Down to Two in the OHL Playoffs: Episode 189 - The OHL In 60 Podcast

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}We're Down to Two in the OHL Playoffs: Episode 189 - The OHL In 60 Podcast