Takes

Wisconsin women's ice hockey winning 5 out of 7 national titles is a dynasty

Women's ice hockey because the Wisconsin Badgers won another national title, five in seven years. Dynasty. Five and seven years is crazy. That's a dynasty.

Jack and Quinn Hughes are the two best three-on-three players in the NHL

I think that Jack and Quinn, honest to God are maybe at their positions the best three on three player. I'll throw Mc David in there too, obviously, but like for a forward and for a defenseman, like they have to be the two best in three on three, like in the NHL.

The 2026 US Olympic Hockey team will be remembered for generations

I'm sure in 40, 50 years they'll, they'll, they'll love for us to, to come talk to that, that group of players. But it, it really was a life-changing tournament. ... they'll be talking about our team for, for generations.

The US should lobby to cancel Olympic hockey so we can remain the permanent gold medalists

Let's try to, if we win again, let's just try to get hockey canceled in the Olympics. So it just stays ours from now on. Like honestly, it's not good for the health and safety of the NHL players. It should go back to just being amateurs.

Hockey is only America's fourth most important sport and we still beat Canada

I choose to win with class. Does it hurt for Canada that I graciously said hockey is our fourth like the fourth sport we're best at? We're football, baseball, basketball... and then hockey. I love hockey, but it's our fourth most important sport. And Canada, Canada's everything. And we fucking beat you. And we have the gold.

Three-on-three overtime is better than five-on-five because it guarantees a sick goal

Three-on-three is beautiful because you know you're gonna get an awesome goal. When you get to overtime and playoff hockey [five-on-five], it could be the bounce off of a stick or a deflected pass from 40 feet out. Three-on-three hockey, you're gonna get a sick, sick goal.

Connor Hellebuyck is the best goalie in the world

Connor Hellebuyck just saying, 'Hey boys, hop on my back. I got this for you. Just jump on in and ride me to this fucking gold medal.' It's incredible. We had the best goalie in the world and our defense is way better than Canada... I don't care if he gave up 50 goals before that game, the way he played that game, he should have won MVP.

The US won the gold because they chose to stay in the Olympic Village while Canada stayed at a Four Seasons

Those guys went over to Milan on their PJs and absolutely lit it up... They didn't go stay at a Four Seasons like the Canadians did. They stayed in the village because we're village people. We go in there and we muck it up. You might not get the best food, but you're gonna have the best plane ride home smashing beers over your head.

The 7:10 AM start for the Olympic gold medal hockey game is a 'non-starter' and prevents half of North America from watching

Seven ten is... that's too early. Half half of North America's gonna be asleep... Why did they, can they not move it? This is gonna be the biggest fucking thing.

I will be genuinely disappointed if Team USA doesn't win the gold medal in hockey

I'm gonna give a good honest, like I'm, I'm gonna be disappointed if we, we don't win the gold medal. And I will, I will not. I will not skate out of it by saying it wasn't real and all that stuff.

Connor McDavid is playing the best hockey of his career in this Olympic tournament

I don't know if McDavid's ever been this good... It's incredible. Like I think he gave guys maybe six or seven grade A scoring chances. He had seven shots on his own. Then the Finnish coach today said, yeah, McDavid is the best player in this tournament by a mile.

The NHL should move to a longer 3-on-3 overtime to avoid shootouts

I actually think that they should move to a longer three on three. Even if you added two extra minutes... I think would, would make a lot more games end in in in overtime as opposed to going to a shootout.

Team USA has a better defensive corps than Canada, but Canada has significantly better forwards

The D's better overall. I believe their forwards are significantly better than ours... Crosby being out, it's scary. And if he's out, that's a big difference... On D our D's better, their forwards are better.

Quinn Hughes is the second best defenseman in the world

Quinn Hughes is the second best defenseman in the world. He just got traded to the Wild from Vancouver. Shocking trade. So now you've got those three teams [Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota] and one of them is gonna be out in the first round.

Tom Wilson is unfairly targeted by NHL officials and the league

I would say Tom Wilson... I die on several hills for him every year. I do think that he is targeted by the NHL. I think he's targeted by refs.

Hockey is on the rise and the Four Nations tournament will be a high-stakes precursor to the Olympics

Hockey's on the rise man. On the rise. Hockey's on a heater as we always say on the podcast, the last two years. And on top of that, boys we're heading into an Olympic year. With all that Four Nations... precursor to the Olympics coming up. It ain't the Olympics. We all know that. But don't act like they weren't playing for something. They were playing for pride.

Hockey players are the best athletes to hang out with because they are the most chill

Hockey players are my, some of my favorite athletes especially to hang out with and to play golf. ... they're the funnest people to hang out with because they're the most chill. They're so fun Canadian hockey players... they're just sweet people. Kind people until they're not.

The Panthers mocking the Oilers is weird because they've already beaten them twice

Do you guys think it's a little weird that the Panthers are like mocking the Oilers to such a crazy extent? I'm just asking if it's weird? They beat 'em twice. It does feel like they're going a little extra hard. ... Why are they so obsessed with the Oilers?

Jonathan Toews signing with the Winnipeg Jets is the perfect way for him to end his career

Jonathan Toews. He's back, he signed with the Winnipeg Jets, his hometown team. ... I'm happy he's able to now play again. Hopefully end his career the right way. 'cause it really sucked the way it ended in Chicago.

Oilers fans will not blame Connor McDavid if he leaves Edmonton

Conor McDavid is such a special talent. I'm wondering if there's maybe parts of the Oiler fan base... If he did leave, I bet you there'd be some Oilers fans who'd be like, we don't blame you. You've done everything you can for the Oilers and they just aren't able to put the full team around him.

Connor McDavid is currently incapable of winning the big one

I feel bad for [Connor McDavid]. He's an incredible player, but as of right now, I'm just going on the facts that I see — has not won the big one. And we're being a little tongue in cheek, but obviously this will be the, the, the prevailing story of can he win the big one.

The Florida Panthers are the 'David Goggins' of the business world

He [Vinny Viola] went to West Point. They're like the, they're like the David Goggins of the business world. They're fucking up at 6:00 AM... they're machines, these guys.

Hockey has tricked fans into loving overtime by simply taking away the fourth quarter

I have a question for you... has hockey tricked us into saying free hockey just by taking away the fourth quarter. And then whenever it gets to the fourth quarter, we're so grateful to have a fourth quarter.

Connor McDavid is the greatest hockey player of all time

I just started running around the room... running around greatest hockey player of all time. I just started tweeting that like, it's just, it's incredible to watch him.

Any average person could score an NHL goal if they played on a line with Connor McDavid.

I actually think any person could. If you started July 1st skating with a skating instructor... two to three times per week. You go to camp mid-September and then you were in camp and then you played on his line by every shift he was out there. You play with him by game 10, you're scoring.

The Florida Panthers are a better and deeper team than they were during their 2024 championship run.

In my opinion, I would say Florida got, you know, obviously they were really good last year and won it all, but I think they got even better and even deeper.

Coaches should always be involved in the post-series handshake line.

I just think that, you know, maybe [Paul Maurice] is downplaying how much that the coaches mean to a team... I think they deserve to be in there and, you know, whether you're winning a series or losing a series, going through that handshake line, you know, just what it means to shake every guy's hand... I think it's one of the best traditions in hockey and it shouldn't be taken away.

Jamie Benn is the player who deserves a Stanley Cup more than anyone else in the league

Number one, Jamie Benn. That's kind, that's kind of my, my player right now. Who doesn't have one that, that I feel like, God, that guy deserves one. He's, I mean, I think, 16 years in 17... a warrior, a beast, a true captain, a leader, and he is done it like teammates love him. He's done it for so long that if Dallas were to get one, that's kind of my guy.

Dallas is the best warm-weather hockey town in North America

I think Dallas... those playoff games. It's crazy that arena gets loud, sneaky La Kings are, are awesome... but LA and Dallas kind of stick out and the, the, the Panthers fans have come on here. They, they've made these games a complete party.

Montreal's Bell Centre is the loudest sports building in the world, louder than LSU's Death Valley

That is the loudest building I've ever been in in my life. That is, that's louder than Death Valley. LSU on a Saturday night... I was amazed from, from the time I walked in until the time that I left. Like, they're pissed off. They're loud, they're super knowledgeable. It's crazy.

International hockey tournaments like the Olympics are not legitimate without Russia involved

The worst part about four nations and the Olympics next year. Do you guys know? No, it's no Russia. Oh. So nothing is really that legit because best on, best on best hockey? Like you need Russia involved. It's just, you know what I mean?

Blackhawks owner Jerry Reinsdorf is a piece of shit

I've been watching all the games illegally this year. Good for you. I have a workaround that I'm, I will not tell, but I have a workaround that I've been watching the games illegally because [Jerry Reinsdorf] is such a piece of shit. Yeah. I don't wanna give him money. He sucks.

Alex Ovechkin's mom is terrifying and could definitely beat me up

His mom, I'm terrified of Ovie's mom by the way. I think she could beat the fuck outta me. Probably, yeah.

I can definitely beat up my brother Matthew Tkachuk in a fight

Oh yeah. Oh yeah. [Big Cat: You could beat the fuck out of him?] I'll say and he'll see it and be like, yeah, he can. Oh, he knows. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Alexander Ovechkin is not on the Mount Rushmore of hockey

I don't think that anybody would have him in the Mount Rushmore of hockey. ... Once he passes Gretzky for goals, I would say he's probably yes, gonna be coming in around like sixth or seventh all time. I think still a lot of people put Stevie Y ahead of him.

Connor Hellebuyck is unproven in elimination games

Hellebuyck has been on this incredible run... not so much in playoffs or in big money games. ... In an elimination situation when all the chips are on the table, he is unproven.

The Maple Leafs current roster is the best they have had in 20 years

I would say this is the best lineup the [Maple Leafs] have had in the last 15, 20 years. Very solid backend. They're getting incredible goaltending... Their Core Four, all the guys making all the big dough [Matthews, Marner, Tavares, Nylander] are buzzing.

Alex Ovechkin being ranked 54th on ESPN's Top 100 Athletes list is disrespectful to hockey

That Ovy [Alex Ovechkin] is so far down. Like Hank said, it's disrespectful to hockey, it's disrespectful to the entire country of Russia. The man is about to surpass Wayne Gretzky for the top goal scorer of all time in the NHL.

The San Jose Sharks are not a real franchise

The San Jose Sharks... they had a picture of [Macklin Celebrini] in the Sharks jersey. And I was like, this isn't a real franchise. It's like, let's make a franchise. I don't know. You just put on the [jersey].

Connor McDavid cannot win the big one

[Connor McDavid] cannot win the big one. That part is unfortunately true unless you count the Conn Smythe trophy as the big one.

NHL goalies should be pulled from the ice with at least four minutes remaining

I think the goalie should have been pulled with like six minutes left in the period... no, I think they just like four and a half... I think you pull the goalie super early... it should definitely be more than one minute 45 seconds.

The Conn Smythe Trophy is the cruelest gift you can give a player who just lost the Stanley Cup

Fuck off on giving me that trophy after I just had my guts ripped out and was on the brink of a historical, historical comeback... why would you want to accept it? It's cool that he won it. He was the best player in these playoffs. He broke all these records, but fuck off on giving me that trophy... I would say it's probably the meanest gift you can give to somebody.

If the Oilers win Game 7, it will be the most iconic moment in Stanley Cup Finals history

This would be, I think, the most iconic moment in Stanley Cup finals history. If they're able to pull [off the comeback].

Connor McDavid is the greatest athlete in the world right now

Connor McDavid and him being the greatest athlete in the world right now, better at his sport than any other person is at their sport.

Connor McDavid needs a Stanley Cup to be considered an all-time great

In order to be considered a great in the hockey world, you have to get a Stanley Cup that is non-negotiable. And this is his first crack at it. So I think that that interest is more impactful in my mind than Edmonton itself winning.

Matt Cooke was a dirty player

I ended up knocking him [Matt Cooke] out... the very next time I have an opportunity 'cause it can't go any worse for you. But he was a, he was a dirty, dirty player.

Atlanta deserves to have an NHL team again

I loved Atlanta. I loved my time there. I had an incredible two years. The fans in Atlanta I think were awesome. I think it's a great city to live... I'm all for getting hockey back in Atlanta. I think that's a great idea.

The 2023-24 season was likely the Rangers' best chance to win a Stanley Cup for a long time

This year was probably their best year. [The New York Rangers].

Connor McDavid is the most talented player to ever play hockey

I will say this guy's the best player that maybe we've ever seen play the game skill wise. Stuff that he can do out there... there's no one even close that can do the things at top speed that he does night in and night out.

Sidney Crosby is still the best all-around hockey player in the world today

I've seen [Sidney Crosby's] career, his game changed like three different times. Man. He reinvented himself and added things to his game. That's why I still believe he's the best all around player in the game today.