From Failing Hands

The boys are back with some Habs talk that will certainly be topics of conversation over the next few weeks. They started the show off talking about Carey Price’s recent comments on the 2020 playoffs, COVID-19 and weighed in Price’a future on and off the ice on which the three hosts had rare conflicting opinions. In a week of “anniversaries” they decided to revisit the Weber-Subban blockbuster and given the July 1 bonus payouts, the Aho offer sheet. They ended things off with some even more important topics and Mo and John go down memory lane after seeing each other for the first time in over five years this week.

This week, the boys were a trio once again as they invited their producer Mourad back on the show. Mourad is in town visiting family and did the entire show from the comfort of his car in downtown Montreal. It doesn’t get more dedicated than that. The boys talked at length about a variety of issues, most stemming from questions submitted by you, the listeners. They discussed the 2020 Hall of Fame inductees, who they think will be a standout player against Pittsburgh, what it will take to win the series, what they think Drouin is capable of, the strengths Lehkonen brings to the team and what they think will happen with the NHL’s plan to bring hockey back this summer. Just three die hard fans shooting the breeze. Don’t forget to download and subscribe! 

On this week’s episode, the guys took issue with some of a recent editorial of Geoff Molson’s recent press conference. They addressed the criticism thrown at Molson and tried to put his comments and responses in perspective. They questioned why some feel the need to be somewhat controversial and why many seem to gobble it up more often than not. They also revisited the idea of Molson appointing a hockey president and debated whether Habs management should bring in someone new. They discussed Drouin’s newfound confidence and gusto and what that could mean for the "COVID Cup." They ended things with a discussion on whether national anthems still have a place in sports coming off MLS's decision to get rid of them all together. Don’t forget to download and subscribe! 

On this week’s episode the guys were really feeling it. Maybe it was the summer air, the fact that Mike is golfing again or the memories of '93 but the guys had lots to say. They broke down Geoff Molson’s conference call, in particular his comments about Bergevin, the reopening of the Brossard complex, his position on the protests and where he thinks his team is at in their reset. The guys also discussed a question posed to them from a loyal listener about the apparent disparity between the notion of parity and the fact that three teams have dominated over the last ten years. They mused about whether a former Habs goalie might have a career in management with the club and then they covered the 1993 Cup win to honour the 27th anniversary. Don’t forget to download and subscribe! 

This week, the guys had the honour of welcoming Brent Sopel to the show. [41:00] Brent is a Stanley Cup winner with a storied 18-year career in hockey and has done amazing things in the his current phase of life. Brent talks about his work and being an advocate for dyslexia through The Brent Sopel Foundation. He also shares some great stories from his hockey career and what having a dyslexia meant for him throughout his career and personal life. The boys also took a moment to discuss recent events that have gripped society in a profound way before getting started. They then dove into Habs news by discussing the recent layoffs by the organization, Dominick Saillant and François Marchand and addressed the Vincent Damphousse rumours. To end things, they discussed the mental battle the Habs seemed to experience this season and whether it was a sign of a deeper issue that needed to be addressed. https://www.brentsopelfoundation.org

This week, the guys had the pleasure of welcoming their very own silent producer, Mourad. Mourad talked about why he’s a Habs fan and his childhood memories surrounding the team. He discussed the importance of understanding the history of the team and what the Habs mean to the culture of Quebec and hockey globally. The three talked about the dynamic surrounding our history of success and this new age of parity.  They then discussed the NHL’s proposal to restart the season and whether it’s a good idea for hockey generally but also what the fallout would be of the Habs winning or losing. Finally, Mourad shared the story of his reaction and how he found out about the Weber-Subban trade and even shared his superstitious ways. Don’t forget to download and subscribe!

This week, the guys dove head first into uncharted waters; they actually debated whether it would be a bad thing if the Habs were to win the Cup in the event the season resumes. On the heels of a poll issued on the podcast Twitter account, Habs fans had their say and you’ll be surprised to hear the results. The guys also discussed the latest Carey Price narrative making the rounds on social media and ended up paying homage to their MVP goalie. Listeners will be in for a particular treat as loyal listener and silent producer Mourad made an indirect appearance as his dissertation on Jeff Petry was shared for all to hear. The guys ended the episode with a recap of the latest headlines and antics by league executives and shared a particularly heart warming story. Don’t forget to download and subscribe! 

Self-isolation? No hockey? No problem. The guys had their second consecutive week of loaded Habs talk as they covered a range of topics. They discussed Romanov and Hillis’ entry level contracts and whether Kovalchuk should come back to help the former settle in Montreal. They also covered Bettman’s plan to restart the season and what that could mean for the Habs. They discussed Joel Bouchard’s phone-in interview and were thrilled to hear about how he feels about the prospect base. Alex Kovalev gave a rare interview as well and the guys discussed his comments about honouring Markov and what is plaguing the Habs. The ended the episode with an overview of the Michael Jordan documentary and their dream of watching something similar about one of their favorite players. Don’t forget to download and subscribe and stay safe! 

Coming off a phenomenal interview with Nate Thompson last week, the guys got back into Habs talk in a big way. They covered the latest rumours swirling around who the team may be interested in acquiring, the latest news on Romanov, what implications a potential draft in June would have on Bergevin’s plans for the team, whether it’s time for him to make substantial changes to the roster, whether the prospect pool is as strong and exciting as everyone seems to think and whether Habs fans should be comparing the team’s progress to any other team. They also covered the results of a few polls they put out on social media and what it all means with respect to judging where our collective headspace is at with the Habs. Don’t forget to download and subscribe! 

On this special episode, Mike goes one-on-one with Nate Thompson. Nate discusses his new Flyers team, his first impressions of the city of Philadelphia along with some fun stories with his past and current teammates. We also dive into life in quarantine, how he's been staying in game shape, the status of the 2019-20 season and get into some personal topics such as fly fishing, the Queen of the Thompson household and some listener questions.