Going Deep with Donnovan Bennett

With Vince Carter's no. 15 now hanging in the rafters at Scotiabank Arena, Donnovan brings on his old pal Joseph Casciaro, writer and podcaster at The Score, to re-examine the legacy of one of the Raptors' most famous (and infamous) players. They discuss the ceremony itself, including shoutouts from Carter's former teammates, the waterworks, the speech, and also get into some other off-court comments, including Drake and DeMar DeRozan having a disagreement about who goes up next. Plus, they also take a look around the world of basketball, including the recent locker-room conduct discourse involving Joel Embiid.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Donnovan sits down with hockey legend Jarome Iginla (1:50) for a conversation inspired by a new content series called 'Skipped Exits', in partnership with Lincoln Canada. It’s a series about unconventional paths to success, about the exits we take and the exits we skip on the road to sometimes-unexpected destinations in life - Donnovan and Jarome speak about his own unique and unexpected experiences, including his path as a multi-sport athlete early in life, his son Tij getting drafted into the NHL this past year, and reminisces about assisting Sidney Crosby on the golden goal back in 2010.  

Afterwards, Donnovan chats with Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman (27:58), as the guys discuss the recent retirement of Vince Carter's jersey at Scotiabank Arena, how it compared to the return of Mats Sundin, and get into the idea of the growth of sport at the grassroots level when it comes to multi-sport athletes. Plus, they discuss the coming Four Nations Cup and the return of best-on-best international hockey - who's the team to beat?

This episode of Going Deep is brought to you by the all-new 2025 Lincoln Aviator.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

With trades flying left and right, Donnovan chats with famed NFL agent Leigh Steinberg on how agents help players navigate the world of getting traded, and what the relationship is with front offices at this time of year (2:34). Afterwards, Donnovan is joined by former CFL kicker and Grey Cup champion Dan Giancola, who is the author of 'Be That One: Why Does It Have To Be Someone Else, Why Not Me?', detailing the triumphs of his own life and tells people that they can be anything they want, no matter how big the obstacle (20:42). Plus, Donnovan chats with Olympic gold medallist and now-television host Jon Montgomery, who has partnered with Movember to raise awareness around men's health issues (38:07).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

The 2024-25 Toronto Raptors season has officially tipped off on Sportsnet, and with it has come a partnership with a number of Canadian artists from around the country. Before it all began, Donnovan travelled to the network recording to chat with three of them: Choclair (3:23), Rochester AKA Juice (21:08), and Paris (34:33). He spoke with all three of them on their NBA and Raptors fandom, the evolution of their music, and what it means to collaborate with a major sports network in Sportsnet.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

With the release of the PWHL schedule, Donnovan chats with The Hockey News' Ian Kennedy (2:05) on the storylines that await the league's second season. Ian also gets into the recent release of his latest book, 'Ice in Their Veins: Women’s Relentless Pursuit of the Puck', available wherever books are sold. Afterwards, Donnovan is joined by the CEO of Canadian Women & Sport Allison Sandmeyer-Graves (40:40) to discuss a recent collaboration and efforts to build a sustainable pro women's sport industry in Canada - how does growth continue to happen at all levels?

PWHL 2024-25 Schedule: https://www.thepwhl.com/en/stats/schedule/all-teams/5/all-months

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Donnovan chats with former Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman and Quebec native Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, as he uses his platform to raise awareness of HPV among men - he wants men to tackle important health issues, including the human papillomavirus (HPV) and HPV-related cancers, as directly as possible. Plus, he also discusses his career in football, including what it's like to play with Andy Reid, Alex Smith, and Patrick Mahomes.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

The 2024-25 NHL season has finally arrived, and with it, comes the latest sports docuseries onto streaming services everywhere: Faceoff: Inside the NHL, which peels back the curtain on the lives of the athletes behind the goals, assists and saves. With the series out on Prime Video, Donnovan chats with NHL Chief Content Officer Steve Mayer (4:23) on why this was the right time for the league to venture into such a project, and also chats with showrunner Daniel Amigone (29:17) on the challenges of getting the best out of notoriously-reserved hockey athletes. Afterwards, Donnovan speaks with Charlie Lyons (53:07), former Colorado Avalanche owner, on the Prime Video documentary Saving Sakic. Plus, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman (1:07:50) stops by for his annual chat, as they get into a wide-ranging discussion including the Prime docuseries, NHL labour negotiations, what it means to be an insider, and his summer of calling Olympic rowing at Paris 2024.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

It's another medallists-only edition of Going Deep, as Donnovan chats with Olympic champion sprinter Aaron Brown (2:23), fresh off his return from Paris. They discuss the training that goes into such a competition, how you prepare mentally, being a role model for young athletes all over Canada, and even get into some much publicized smack talk from before the race from the Americans. Afterwards, Donnovan chats with two-time Olympic medallist & Toronto Sceptres forward Sarah Nurse (35:25), as she spent some of her time this summer continuing to give back to young women who aspire to be hockey players themselves - she gets into why that's so important, and also discusses what's important to her in both life and career going forward.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Drafted by the Raptors in the first round of the 2009 NBA Draft, six-time NBA All-Star DeMar DeRozan is back in Toronto to discuss his new book, Above the Noise: My Story of Chasing Calm. Donnovan sits down with DeRozan (2:39), who reflects on what it took to make a name for himself in a new country after getting drafted by the Raptors, the pressure of playing with veteran athletes as a twenty-year-old rookie, and the pain of losing role models. Donnovan also had the chance to moderate a live event with DeRozan with hundreds of fans in attendance (41:24) - they share some laughs, take audience questions, and even get a brief visit from a surprise guest.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

With the 49th Toronto International Film Festival winding down, Donnovan chats about the world premieres of two sports films: Rez Ball & Unstoppable. He also chats with the director of Rez Ball, Sydney Freeland, alongside the two principal actors Jessica Matten and Kauchani Bratt, as they discuss the making of the movie and why it was important to get the small details right (4:52). To wrap up on the films, Donnovan is joined by Sho (10:19) for a review, and chat about TIFF as a whole. Afterwards, Aurélie Rivard (37:10), a 13-time Paralympic medalist - which includes three medals won at the 2024 Paralympics, one of each colour - stops by to chat about her experience in France, her journey to this point in her career, and what has shaped her as an athlete.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.