Around the NHL with Elliotte Friedman: See You Sunday Morning

·24 min·2 clips

Does Canada's championship experience give them a crucial advantage in Olympic hockey finals?

This episode features hosts Matt Marchese and Mike Futa analyzing the Olympic men's hockey semifinals before a conversation with Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman. They focus on Canada's path to the gold medal game and the remaining tournament matchups. The hosts debate whether Canada's roster of players with extensive championship experience, like multiple Stanley Cup winners, provides a critical advantage in high-pressure games. They examine specific momentum-shifting possibilities, mentioning how physical players like Tom Wilson and Brady Tkachuk could impact a potential Canada-U.S. final under Olympic rules. The discussion highlights Nathan MacKinnon's performance against Finland, noting he appeared hurt after a collision with Roope Hintz but remained in the game. Marchese and Futa contrast the American team's self-perception as favorites with Canada's seasoned roster, pointing out that aside from Sidney Crosby, few Canadians have Olympic gold medal experience. They dedicate significant time to the surprising Slovakian team, praising players like Martin Pospisil, Simon Nemec, and goalie Lukas Hlavaj, who plays in the AHL. A key topic is whether standout Olympic performances, particularly by a goalie like Hlavaj, genuinely alter his NHL evaluation or trade value for scouts and executives. The hosts speculate on NHL teams that might pursue a top goaltender like Jordan Binnington, briefly mentioning the Edmonton Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Montreal Canadiens before dismissing most as unlikely buyers. Elliotte Friedman joins and shares his confident, unwavering belief during Canada's comeback win over Finland, stating he never doubted the outcome even when down 2-0. He analyzes Finland's unsuccessful offside challenge on Canada's tying goal, explaining the IIHF review process differs from the NHL and that the on-ice call stood due to insufficient evidence. Friedman references a perspective from producer Dom Luszczyszyn that some European fans believe officials favor Canada in international play, though he notes Canada also had a non-call go against them earlier. The conversation covers a controversial high-sticking penalty, with Friedman asserting it was a correct call that would be made in any game, including the Stanley Cup Final. He praises Connor McDavid's impact through his speed and playmaking, despite a listener critique about his goal total, and details MacKinnon's pivotal role in generating offensive zone time. Friedman describes the emotional fan reaction, including Marchese's celebration and subsequent anxiety during the video review, and shares a personal story about receiving a Team Canada vomit bag as a birthday gift. He predicts Canada's coaches will not over-rely on a top line of Connor Bedard, MacKinnon, and McDavid, stressing the need for secondary scoring from players like Shea Theodore. Looking ahead to the U.S. versus Slovakia semifinal, Friedman highlights Slovakian players like Adam Kelleman and Samuel Kňažko as potential NHL talents who effectively agitated Dylan Cozens in a previous game. The tone is highly conversational, analytical, and filled with insider hockey jargon, reflecting the hosts' and guest's professional backgrounds. The style is a blend of immediate game reaction, strategic forecasting, and lighthearted personal banter. This episode is ideal for dedicated hockey fans seeking detailed tactical breakdowns of Olympic hockey and insider speculation on NHL implications. Listeners preferring broad sports entertainment or those with no interest in hockey's nuances might find it too specialized.

As heard by us

Blunt hockey talk with enough bite to feel close to the room.

This episode is a quick, loose hockey-room check-in on Canada, replay decisions, and the kind of value talk that only lands if you already live in the weeds.

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Why you'd press play

Want the hockey-room version of Canada's tournament pressure, plus Elliott Friedman?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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