Hello hockey fans, welcome to Episode 154 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast, anything goes, topics include-

#1. It’s not a big off season, coming for Kent Hughes. Not even remotely close

#2. The Montreal Canadiens have all the talent they need internally for every single position.

#3. There is no void to fill with David Savard’s retirement. 

#4. Lane Hutson does not belong paired with Kaiden Guhle even remotely.

#5. Lane Hutson should be paired with David Reinbacher.

#6. Logan Mailloux is the ideal pairing partner for Kaiden Guhle.

#7. Davide Savard and Jayden Struble are not having a good playoffs.

#8. Montreal Needs Arber Xhekaj bad in the playoffs.

#9. Alexander Carrier has vanished.

#10. Montreal Canadiens prospect Sam Harris has not turned his back on the Montreal Canadiens.

#11. Does anyone actually care if Juraj Slafkovsky colors his hair blonde, if the Canadiens made the playoffs.

#12. Jacob Fowler needs to be allowed to develop properly.

#13. Don’t sleep on this Montreal Canadiens prospect, RW Tyler Thorpe.

#14. Let’s give Ivan Demidov a chance to develop first and get paired with the proper linemates.

#15. The Seattle Kraken Promote General Manager Ron Francis to team President.

#16. Jason Botterill promoted to G.M. of the Seattle Kraken.

#17. The Seattle Kraken Fire Head Coach Dan Bylsma.

#18. Lou Lamoriello out as Islanders G.M.

#19. The New York Rangers fire Head Coach Peter Laviolette.

#20. Amazingly, Chris Drury signs a new multi-year contract.

#21. Joel Quenneville option for the New York Rangers as their next Head Coach.

#22. The Vancouver Canucks have a mess on their hands.

#23. After only 1-year of existence, players are already leaving Utah, not good.

#24. Pittsburgh Penguins President and General manager Kyle Dubas sends clear organizational message of expectations.

#25. The Philadelphia Flyers have to find a coach and councilor.

#26. Put in Arber Xhekaj or get ready to lose in the playoffs.

#27. The Winnipeg Jets, Colorado Avalanche, Las Vegas Golden Knights, Toronto Maple Leaf’s and Dallas stars look the best so far.

#28. Let’s see an all-Canadian team Final between the Winnipeg Jets and the Toronto Maple Leaf’s.

#29. Trade Patrik Laine to the Vancouver Canucks for the 1st round draft pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.

#30. Too bad Joel Armia wasn’t traded for a 2nd round pick.

#31. Oliver Kapanen has clearly looked out of place.

#32. Emil Heineman doesn’t look right.

#33. The Montreal Canadiens 2025/2026 roster clearly needs Arber Xhekaj, Florian Xhekaj, Owen Beck, Logan Mailloux, David Reinbacher, Jared Davison, Lucas Condotta, Sean Farrell, Luke Tuch and Adam Engstrom all as regulars.

#34. A starting 6 defenseman of David Reinbacher/Lane Hutson, Logan Mailloux/Kaiden Guhle and Adam Engstrom/Arber Xhekaj is must on day 1 of the 2025/2026 season in Montreal.

#35. Martin St. Louis stay’s, replace the rest with.

Hello hockey fans, welcome to Good Friday Episode 153 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast. This week’s Topics Include-

#1. Congratulations to Ivan Demidov for his multi point opening night.

The NHL overreached excessively by fining Ivan Demidov for not wearing a helmet in the pregame, and league officials should be fired for it.

#3. Olivier Kapanen should be sent down to Laval for their playoff run. He’s clearly over his head right now.

#4. How is it Montreal beats teams like the Florida Panthers or The Las Vegas Golden Knights who are elite teams in the NHL but struggles against team like the  Chicago Blackhawks and the San Jose Sharks?

#5. The Montreal Canadiens do not need Erik Karlsson in any way shape or form.

#6. Congratulations to Lane Hutson on passing Chris Chelios for most points by a Montreal Canadien rookie defenseman.

#7. Here’s a trade that actually would make sense. How about sending right wing prospect Filip Mesar straight up to the Carolina Hurricanes for center prospect Ryan Suzuki?

#8. David Reinbacher and Logan Mailloux are you number 1 and 2 right-handed defenseman starting in 2025/2026. Montreal does not need to acquire a right-handed defenseman

#9. Alex Newhook’s game has both improved and changed as the center between Ivan Demidov and Patrik Laine. Alex Newhook can use both his speed and puck distribution skills to both position, and set up, his 2 goal scoring winters, and match them stride for stride, as all 3 of these players are excellent skaters.

#10. Why is the NHL so star struck and dead set on the Atlanta and Pheonix markets for expansion. It’s been tried and it did not work at all. Houston TX, Quebec City Who already has an NHL ready to go rink, Portland O.R., Hamilton Ont., Kansas City Kansas “who already has a ready to go NHL rink or Kitchener Ont are all exponentially better options, and it seems like Kansas City Kansas and Quebec City are the hands down obvious choices, given they already have (NEW) NHL ready rinks built. Hello, anybody home?

#11. Patrik Laine is a toxic player

#12. If Montreal wants to move up in the draft trade Laine straight up or as part of the package.

#13. Jakob lhl-Wozniak is not what Montreal Needs to draft in 2025.

#14. I bet the Montreal Canadiens go off the draft board slightly in the first round and keep both of the first round draft picks and select Ivan Ryabkin-Center and Jack Nesbitt-Center, with their selection positions.

Hello Hockey fans out there. Take a listen to Episode 152 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast, the Alex Ovechkin and Ivan Demidov all Russian episode.

#1. Alexander Ovechkin has–

Played 20 years in the NHL

Started his career with winning the rookie of the year with a 52 goal, 54 assist and 106 point rookie season.

Has had a 65-goal season

Has had Nine 50 goal plus season’s

Has Had Five 40 goal plus season’s

Tied Wayne Gretzky’s goal scoring record in the exact same amount of seasons and games.

Won the Calder Memorial Trophy in his rookie season

Has won the Art Ross Trophy once

Has won the Hear Memorial Trophy as the MVP of the NHL (3) Times

Has won the Lester B Person Trophy

Has won the Ted Lindsay Award Twice

Won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the Playoffs in the 2017/2018 when the Washington Capitals won the Stanley Cup.

And that’s not enough, has won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy 9 times. That’s right 9 times.

#2. Yet. Somehow there are people questioning his amazing career and achievements.

#3. There was a report saying, left wingers are the least import players of all on a team’s roster.

 #4. Is there anyone who wouldn’t have wanted Steve Shutt, Luc Robitaile, Maurice Richard, Brett Hull, Henri Richard, Jaromir Jagr, Yvan Cournoyer or Guy Lafleur on their team. If wingers are the least important. Explain this please. Can’t wait to hear that reasoning.

#5. Extremely unlikely, that anyone currently in the NHL catches or Breaks  Alexander Ovechkin’s goal total.

#6. Thankfully for Ivan Demidov, he flew into Toronto.

#7. Give Ivan Demidov Space.

#8. Give Ivan Demidov the time to develop.

#9. Give Ivan Demidov the opportunity to get his footing and to adapt to a massive amount of life changes, as he has just left his family, friends and every single thing familiar to him behind, and now finds himself at 19-years of age, in a brand new foreign country, he no one outside of the organization and is looking for a place to live and start his life and career.

#10. At a minimum, until after the completion of the 2024/2025 regular season, after the conclusion of the 2024/2025 playoffs, until after the 2025/2026 rookie camp has completed and after the 2025/2026 training camp and preseason has completed, there is for any expectations on this prospect.

#11. Once Ivan Demidov has regular linemates, knows what line he is playing on, and what the responsibility of his line is, can there even begin to be any kind of expectation.

Hello Hockey Fans. Here is Episode 151 of the Hockey Free For All podcast to get your hockey fix, topics of discussion this week include-

#1. So much for Head Coach John Tortorella’s time in Philadelphia.

#2. The Game, the league and its players have changed, can John Tortorella adapt, or is he done.

#3. Can’t wait to see Alexander Ovechkin break Wayne Gretzky’s scored goal record and set a new record, he deserves it, he’s earned it, and I hope Ovechkin hits 900 plus goals this year.

#4. It’s highly unlikely Joshua Roy returns to Montreal in 2025/2026.

#5. Arber Xhekaj is a top 6 defenseman without question.

#6. Without Arber Xhekaj as a core member of the team, the Montreal Canadiens do not win the Stanley Cup.

#7. The Washington Capitals have signed their number 1 prospect winger Ryan Leonard out of Boston College.

#8. Montreal Canadiens Goalie prospect Jacob Fowler should return to Boston College.

#9. Finish center Oliver Kapanen’s season has concluded in Sweden and has been added to the Montreal Canadiens roster.

#10. The Canadiens should create a 2nd line of Oliver Kapanen at center with Patrik Laine and Emil Heineman on the wings for the rest of the 2024/2025 season and see what they have and how they gel. Do they discover their 2nd line without making any lop sided trades?

 #11. Can’t wait to see winger Ivan Demidov in uniform, in Montreal in 2025/2026

#12. The New York Rangers sign their top prospect, winger Gabe Perreault.

#13. The Colorado Avalanche have signed Cale Makar’s younger brother Taylor who’s 6’ 04 209 lbs to a 1-year entry level deal of 925.000 thousand dollars

#14. Highly unlikely Montreal Canadiens defensive prospect David Reinbacher makes an appearance in the 2024/2025 season.

#15. Logan Mailloux is exactly what and who Kaiden Guhle needs to be paired up with, starting in 2025/2026

#16. If Kaiden Guhle’s injuries do not come to an end, it’s very easy to see him replaced by Adam Engstrom, who then pairs with Logan Mailloux.

#17. The first pair for the Montreal Canadiens defense looks like David Reinbacher and Lane Hutson.

#18. Speaking of Lane Hutson, is there any question at all, that he wins the Calder Trophy in the 2024/2025 season?

#19. Jayden Struble on the right and Aber Xhekaj on the left are the perfect 3rd pair to offset the top 4, as they bring an entirely different and desperately needed skill set and game style to the defense.

#20.  Montreal Canadiens prospect, center Michael Hage has already announced, he is returning to the University of Michigan.

#21. Keep your eyes on Montreal prospect center Florian Xhekaj who will hit, break and surpass the 20-goal mark in his rookie season in Laval this season.

#22. Connor Bedard is not even remotely worth 17 million per season, he’s at best a 3-million-dollar player in his next contract.

Hello Hockey Fan’s, out there. Take a listen to Episode 150 of the Hockey free For all Podcast to get your hockey fix. This week’s topics include-

#1. Montreal did not need Dylan Cozens!

#2. Montreal Doesn’t need to acquire Trevor Zegras.

#3. Montreal does not need to acquire Matthew Barzal, unless its straight up for Patrik Laine and Kirby Dach, and at the end of Barzals current contract in the 2026/2027 season, that carries a 9.15 annual cap hit, Montreal trades Barzal for multiple 1st round picks.

#4. Montreal is far better off platooning Owen Beck, Oliver Kapanen and Alex Newhook for the remainder of his current contract, rather than acquiring someone over paid and underperforming from another NHL club.

#5. Ivan Demidov, hasn’t even arrived yet, what is wrong with you people?

#6. Yes, Michael Hage has announced that he will be returning to the University of Michigan for his sophomore season, that doesn’t translate to Montreal taking on a bloated contract of an underperforming player to just say they filled a roster spot.#7. There is no player in the NHL worthy of Montreal Trading Michael Hage, David Reinbacher, Logan Mailloux, Adam Engstrom, Owen Beck, Tyler Thorp, Owen Protz, Jacob Fowler, Florian Xhekaj, Jaruj Slafkovsky Jakob Dobes, Cole Caufield, Sean Farrell, Luke Tuch or Jared Davidson for. They are all important pieces to the rebuild, that they will not nearly receive anything remotely in equal value for any of those prospects, from any club in the league, which is why every team would absolutely love to obtain any or all of them.

#8. Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton are doing an exceptional job. Montreal has done exceptional drafting.

#9. Carter Bear and Justin Carbonneau are exactly the types of wingers Montreal to round out their talented prospect pool with.

#10. I hope David Savard retires and takes a defensive coaching or player/prospect developmental position at the NHL/AHL and ECHL levels.

#11. Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia and Michael Pezzetta need to be allowed to walk away the completion of the 2024/2025, or as soon as the season end’s, trade their rights to a team and if that team signs them, Montreal receives agreed to draft compensation.

#12. Patrik Laine, Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook and Joshua Roy, all need to be traded. They do not fit into Montreal’s rebuild and are not the right types of players.

#13. Definitely hold onto Left Defensive Prospect Adam Engstrom. If Kaiden Guhle’s history of injuries does not stop with the conclusion of the 2024/2025 season, it’s time to trade Kaiden Guhle and replace him with Adam Engstrom. Nearly identical height and weight. At the moment Guhle is better defensively, Engstrom is better offensively, both are excellent skaters, and excellent in the transition game.

https://Hockeyfreeforall.podbean.com/e/episode-150-of-the-hockey-for-all-podcast-03-28-2025/

Hello Hockey fan’s out there. Here is Episode 149 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast to listen to and get your hockey fix, topics of discussion include-

#1. Sean Farrell has arrived and is having a tremendous 2nd half in Laval.

#2. Joshua Roy is on his way out, unless he does a complete180.

#3. Lucas Conndotta signs a new 2-year contract extension with the Montreal Canadiens.

#4. Josh Andersson has found the right spot this season.

#5. Josh Anderson chose the perfect time to wear the new cut protections clothing.

#6. Montreal Does not need to resign David Savard.

#7. Montreal Does not need to resign Christian Dvorak, with only exception being?

#8. Montreal Does not need to resign Joel Armia.

#9. Montreal can let Michael Pezzetta go.

#10. Nick Suzuki is Patrice Bergeron 2.0

#11. Nick Suzuki is an Elite NHL center.

#12. Who are the 24 NHL centers supposedly in front or/better than Nick Suzuki?

#13. Are there 24 Mario Lemieux’s in the NHL, I think not!

#14. There’s no better team captain in the NHL better, than Nick Suzuki!

#15. I wouldn’t trade Michael Hage, Ivan Demidov, David Reinbacher, Logan Mailloux, Owen Beck, Arber Xhekaj, Florian Xhekaj, Jacob Fowler or Jakub Dobes straight up for Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl!

#16. Before calling me clueless, take a deep look into the mirror.

#17. Yes, Connor McDavid is one of the fastest, purest gifted skaters and puck handlers in the entire world.

#18. Yes, Leon Draisaitl one of the best goal scorers and there’s room for the argument of he is one of the best 2-way center in the NHL. Yes, that argument can certainly be made.

#19. Michael Hage, Ivan Demidov, David Reinbacher, Logan Mailloux, Owen Beck, Arber Xhekaj, Florian Xhekaj, Jacob Fowler or Jakub Dobes are all future top level/elite NHL players.

#20. Want proof? Patrik Laine is the perfect current example.

#21. It’s a locust market that invades and infringes on alone time, family time, get away time, recovery time, rejuvenation time or any other kind of time of players or their families.

#22. Family members of a player on social media platforms even get trolled!

#23. Connor McDavid is extremely private and is not particularly fond of the media. Want proof, recall his response to the media member of 2-years ago

#24. Not so long ago the Montreal Canadiens entered a season with 5 rookie defenseman and nearly everyone blew a gasket. Opps, it thrived.

#25. Why can’t Alex Newhook fill in as the number 2 center for the 2025/2026 season?

#26. Why can’t Alex Newhook, Owen beck or Oliver Kapanen platoon in the 2nd center roll in the 2025/2026 season, If Michael Hage was to return to the University of Michigan?

#27. Montreal has no need for unproven, underachieving players like Trevor Zegras, Dylon Cozens and countless others with bloated contracts.

#28. Too bad the KHL doesn’t like the fact that Ivan Demidov doesn’t want to sign another KHL contract.

Hello hockey fans. Take a listen to Episode 148 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast and get your hockey fix this week. Topics include-

#1. Why would anyone think Mitch Marner should have waved his no trade clause for the Toronto Maple Leaf’s?

#2. Mitch Marner has more than earned the privilege to determine where he wants to go.

#3. Mitch Marner is the Number one player on the Toronto Maple Leaf’s Roster.

#4. Mitch Marner is the Swiss army knife of the Toronto Maple Leaf’s and bring more to the table than any other player on the Toronto Maple Leaf’s Roster by far.

#5. William Nylander is the number 2 and 2nd most important player on the Toronto Maple Leaf’s roster.

#6. Austin Matthews is the number 3 player of importance on the Toronto maple Leaf’s roster, has a concerning injury history and is a one trick pony.

#7. Hockey is a business. Organizations understand that, and the players understand that.

#8. What is wrong with those in Montreal, that want the Canadiens Organization to mortgage away all of its prospects for overpaid, underperforming, overrated and yet to do anything at the NHL level players with bloated long-term contracts, that will negatively saddle the club financially for the better part of a decade?

 #9. Kent Hughs and Jeff Gorton are doing it right.

#10. If I had been offered a 2nd round draft pick for Joel Armia, I don’t know if I could have passed that up, but Kent Hugh’s stood his ground and has given his players a chance to prove it and made no additions or deletions to his roster.

#11. It’s going to be very interesting to see where the Montreal Canadiens finish in the standing and to see if they can make and take a playoff spot?

#12. At a minimum, the players have to know that Joel Armia, Christian Dvorak, Michael Pezzetta and David Savard won’t return next season and that there is a better than average chance that Patrik Laine, Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook and Josh Anderson could not return as well, in 2025/2026 season.

#13. No one has drafted better than the Montreal Canadiens for the last 5-years and the 2025 NHL entry could be extremely interesting as Joel Armia, Christian Dvorak, Michael Pezzetta and David Savard could just end up walking away. But, what if Patrik Laine, Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook, Filip Mesar and Logan Mailloux were moved for 1st round picks, and Josh Anderson and Joshua Roy were moved for 2nd round picks in the 2025 NHL entry draft?

Hello Hockey Fans out there, take a listen to Episode 147 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast to get your hockey fix, and catch up the annual NHL trade deadline that expired at 3pm eastern time today.

#1. The Kirby Dach experiment in Montreal is over.

#2. Moving forward at best, Dack is the 1st or 2nd line right winger or will be no longer be with the organization at the end of his current contract.

 #3. The Montreal Canadiens do not need to acquire a 2nd line center. They already have the 1st, 2nd & 3rd lines centers in Nick Suzuki, Michael Hage and Owen Beck moving forward, and Can finish the 2024/2025 season with Nick Suzuki, Alex Newhook, Jake Evans and Christian Dvorak.

#4. It’s time for Alex Newhook to prove to the organization he belongs there or its time to move on.

#5. Jake Evans signs a new 4-year contract with an annual cap hit of 2.85 million dollars per season, rather than the insane numbers of 4 or 5 million dollars that were being thrown around.

#6. The Montreal Canadiens have so many centers, that Oliver Kapanen, Florian Xhekaj and Jared Davidson will be vying for 4th line center minutes, that is stiff roster competition right there.

#7. The Montreal Canadiens do not need to and have no need to acquire Simon Nemec, Trevor Zegras, Casey Mittelstadt, Mavrik Bourque or Dylan Cozens and give away far more talented prospects in Logan Mailloux, Joshua Roy or Future 1st round draft picks for unproven severely over paid players, who have all done absolutely nothing to this point of their careers.

#8. How did the Ryan McDonagh trade work out?

#9. How did the Mikhail Sergachev trade work out?

#10. Jonathan Kovocevic for the first day he landed in New Jersey, has been the lock down, lights out number one defenseman for the New Jersey Devils all season long.

                                                          Trade deadline Highlights

#11. Thankfully, the Ottawa Senators have acquired Center Dylan Cozen from the Buffalo Sabres.

#12. The Philadelphia Flyers traded forward Scott Laughton along with 4th and 6th round 2025 draft picks to the Toronto Maple Leaf’s for forward Nikkita Grebenkin and a 2027 top 10 protected 1st round draft pick.

#13. Carolina Hurricanes Trade RW Mikko Rantanen to The Dallas Stars for Center Logan Stankoven, and 2 first round picks.

#14. The Dallas stars have signed the newly acquired RW Mikko Rantanen to a new 8-year 96-million-dollar contract, with an annual cap hit of 12-million per season.

#15. The New Jersey Devils have signed defenseman Jonathan Kovacevic to a new 5-year, 20-million-dollar extension with a 4 million per season annual cap hit.

#16. The Boston Bruins have sent their team Captain Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers for pending Compensation, TDB.

#17. It looks like the Boston Bruins are in full reload mode.

It’s time for Episode 146 pf the Hockey Free For All Podcast, Topics include-

#1. Whinny Patrik Laine is back. The honeymoon in Montreal Canadiens is over.

#2. Montreal needs to trade Patrik Laine to the Vancouver Canucks, so Laine can line up with Elias Pettersson. The Vancouver Canuck can then concentrate on acquiring Mikko Rantanen to complete the line.

#3. What is up with the continued and relentless trade rumors with every possible trade that the Montreal Canadiens could will start with or include Logan Mailloux?

#4. Is there just an abysmal lack of understanding in talent level and excellence of this Montreal Canadiens prospect?

#5. Unless Montreal Canadiens obtains Cale Makar straight up for Logan Mailloux, by the Colorado Avalanche, no one else is worthy of trading for!

#6. Its time to move Patrik Laine’s, Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook, Josh Andersson, Christian Dvorak, Jake Evan, Michael Pezzetta, David Savard, Joel Armia and Cayden Primeau to move on, the organization has the replacements on hand

#7. This just in, Kirby Dach will miss the remainder of yet another regular season. This is ala Jonathan Drouin all over again.

#8. Kirby Dach is far too fragile.

#9. Florian Xhekaj was a 4th round steel in the 2023 draft, hab’s fans will love him.

#10. Tyler Thorp and Luke Tuch will make excellent linemates for Florian Xhekaj.

#11. The Montreal Canadiens have their top 3 centers  for the next decade plus.

#12. Samual Montembeau returned from the 4-nations tournament a very different player

#13. The Montreal Canadiens do not need to focus on the QMJHL in the 2025 draft, they need to focus on the best player/players for the organization.

#14. The Montreal Canadiens finally started drafting the organization needs in 2019 after decades of bad drafting.

#15. Kaidin Guhle’s injury though not a Knee or Shoulder injury, should be extremely concerning.

#16. Kaiden Guhle needs to spend the rest of his recovery time, and all of the off season focused on protecting himself.

#17. Arber Xhekaj’s greatest skill above all else is to be told he can’t succeed at something.

#18. A line consisting of Brendan Gallagher, Sean Farrell and Raphael Harvey-Pinard for the rest of the 2024/2025 season would be great to watch.

#19. Can’t wait to see Alexander Ovechkin break Wayne Gretzky’s all time most goals scored record.

#20. I want to see Alexander Ovechkin notch 900 career goals by the end of the 2024/2025 regular season.

#21. What’s with these morons that keep calling into question Martin St. Louis coaching?

#22. The Montreal Canadiens do not need to trade Brendan Gallagher to the New Jersey Devils and the Montreal Canadiens do not need to acquire any more players on the smaller side.

#23. The Montreal Canadiens need to net a 1st round draft pick for Jake Evans.

Hello Hockey Fans out there. Here is Episode 145 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast to take a listen to and get your hockey fix, topics this week include-

#1. The fights at the beginning of the game were an unexceptionable disgrace.

#2. Matthew Tkachuk and Brady Tkachuk should have been ejected from the game

#3. Canada had injuries too, Cale Makar, Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo.

#4. Cale Makar is the undisputed best defensemen in the NHL

#5. Fighting is not part of the game, it’s been allowed. There’s an enormous difference and distinction there.

#6. Policing, protecting and retaliation to intent to hurt a player on purpose dose justify the permanent elimination of the offender, and sends a message, it will not be tolerated in any way, shape or form, or at any time.

#7. Canada looked old in the first game against the United States

#8. Canada looked flat in the first game against the United States

#9. Canada was clearly relying on its history and past reputation, and didn't show up in the first game against the United States

#10. Sidney Crosby was a non-factor in the first game against the United States

#11. Connor McDavid was taken out of the remainder of the first game against the United States after scoring. 

#12. Team Finland and Sweden clearly outmatched in the 4 nations tournament by the United States and Canada, it wasn’t even close.

#13. The 4 Nations Tournament was an enormous success for the NHL and far better than any traditional all-star game format.

#14. Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid showed up and were engaged in the 4 Nation’s final game, there was a clear difference in their level of intensity, and everyone else fed off of it.

#15. NHL All-star games should be replaced with tournaments like the 4 nations tournament, Rendezvous 87 where the best of the NHL lined up in a 2-game contest with the Soviet Selects or go to a different international city, every year and play that countries top team/teams. It would be far more interesting, result in far more viewership, and would be the best possible marketing for the NHL.

#16. The 4 Nations Tournament would have been even better if Czechoslovakia, Russia, Slovenia and Germany were part of it.

#17. It’s time to stop punishing Russian athletes. They are responsible in any way for the Ukraine war against Russia. The Athletes are being used as Pawns in a geo-political game. The athletes have dedicated their lives to and trained for tournaments, the Olympics and international contests, they have nothing to do with the war, and yet are being punished for it.