The Ray & Dregs Hockey Podcast

Former NHL coach Dallas Eakins steps in for Ray, as he and Dregs tip their caps to the David Branch & Bob Pulford who both passed away over the weekend. Pulford, the Hall-of-Famer who was a four-time Cup champ with Toronto and veteran of 800-plus NHL games behind the bench, and Branch, the OHL Commissioner who genuinely cared about shaping players into better young men. Then, we discuss Sweden's huge gold medal win at the World Juniors and support for Team Canada despite their much-discussed semifinal loss to Czechia. Eakins feeling that Canada always gets every opponent’s best, so no Hockey Canada summit needed. Discussion on how the NHL's current parity keeps fans invested, practice versus visualization, and how MacKinnon, McDavid, and Celebrini's elite seasons have the game is in great hands with stars who make everyone around them better.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brandon Hagel returns to the Lightning lineup. Mat Barzal gets 5 + a game for his slash on Marchment in defence of Schaefer. Canada captain Porter Martone earns unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after scoring an empty netter against Czechia. We're two days away from the Olympic Roster announcement. NHL standing parity. Sharks' Celebrini continues to produce. Oilers' Connor Ingram earns 3-straight starts. Leafs PP finds success - How much is credit to Steve Sullivan? Plus, Tim's Hockey Challenge updates and much more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An abbreviated Headlines looks at the Maple Leafs 4-0 loss to the Washington Capitals on Thursday night. Head Coach Craig Berube held very little back post game as the team looks for answers on the powerplay, but also in the compete and consistency categories. Then, Ray and Dregs unveil their choices for the men's Olympic hockey rosters for both Team Canada and Team USA. Each team boasts an embarrassment of riches and yet, sometimes the answers seem so clear. Where will the differences lie?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A rough Monday night raised player-safety and Olympic concerns, starting with Brandon Hagel’s injury from a forearm to the head by Seth Jones—a play that drew no supplemental discipline, frustrating Tampa Bay and leaving Ray concerned about the message it sends and future tensions. In Dallas, Team Canada hopeful Darcy Kuemper exited after being clipped by Mikko Rantanen in what most saw as a hockey play with an unfortunate result. Vancouver stunned the league by trading Quinn Hughes to Minnesota in a rare in-season blockbuster, choosing the youngest package—effectively four first-round assets—signalling a clear youth-driven re-tool and prompting a subtle jab from Hughes toward New Jersey. Edmonton also made waves, moving Stuart Skinner and Brett Kulak to Pittsburgh for Tristan Jarry, change for change sake perhaps, as Ray doesn't feel this provides real stability in goal, though Jarry has improved since time in the minors. Finally, Toronto remains a puzzle: sloppy play and an inability to handle pace—exposed again against an all-world Connor McDavid—highlight the Leafs’ need for a scoring winger amid tight cap constraints and asset management. Plus, in Ask Ray & Dregs Anything: the Hughes haul, Central Division predictions and more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A string of missed hand-pass calls leading directly to goals has the rule under the microscope, raising questions about why hand passes are legal in the defensive zone but not the offensive one. In Winnipeg, Connor Hellebuyck is back on the ice and facing shots earlier than expected, though Ray cautions that practice movements aren’t the same as game movements—and the Jets still need scoring help. Chicago’s Spencer Knight bounced back from a rough outing with a shutout and even said he liked his previous game, while Colorado and Nashville’s shootout chaos saw Mackenzie Blackwood pulled by a concussion spotter after a Forsberg collision, forcing Scott Wedgwood in cold for a potential do-or-die attempt. Patrick Kane continues his climb toward becoming the highest-scoring American ever and also sits three goals shy of 500—remarkably doing it without a single shorthanded goal. And NBC's Jon Hamm Olympic promo has fans laughing, even as the gold-medal game’s 5:10 a.m. Pacific puck drop poses a challenge for western viewers. In Ask Ray & Dregs Anything... How do they Jets play this season out? Which player has the most "punchable" face? And family getting chirped at school or on the streets.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.