Hockey Press Pass

After Chris and Pat discuss the state of the Islanders, Adrian Aucoin joins the show and shares stories of his time with the early-2000s teams that revitalized the franchise – including ones about starting 11-1-1-1, his funniest teammates, the frat house shared by a quartet of his teammates near him in Garden City, and a contract extension with Mike Milbury that was overruled by ownership. Adrian also provides his view of Barry Trotz and the current Islanders, and, of course, personal memories of the great Clark Gillies.

Host: Chris Botta

Executive Producer: Dani Rylan Kearney

Producer: Pat Boyle

Presented by: InStat Hockey, Main Street Board Game Cafe

With every article she writes, every tweet she posts, every broadcast appearance she makes, Sara Civian displays a distinctive style, immense talent, and unmatched work ethic. It’s no surprise she’s become a star in hockey media in quick fashion. Over this 30-minute conversation, Sara shares her career story and advice, and discusses Twitter etiquette, what it’s like covering the Carolina Hurricanes, and a whole lot more.

Host: Chris Botta

Executive Producer: Dani Rylan Kearney

Producer: Pat Boyle

Presented by: InStat Hockey, Main Street Board Game Cafe

Stick-Taps: Ksenia Selemon

Former Islanders goaltender and current TVA analyst Eric Fichaud joins the show and gives his perspective on the current squad and their goalies after their home-and-home series with the Flyers. Eric also shares memories of his time with the Isles, including the fisherman jersey, visiting John Spano’s house, some of his teammates, and living on Long Island.

Host: Chris Botta

Executive Producer: Dani Rylan Kearney

Producer: Pat Boyle

Presented by: InStat Hockey, Main Street Board Game Cafe

From his work on the Thrashers, Islanders and Bruins to his appearances on NHL Network, Billy Jaffe has become one of the most popular commentators in the NHL. His knowledge, work ethic and rare ability to be clear, precise and passionate in his analysis are matched by few in the business. In this episode, Billy and Chris have a loose and fun talk about every stop in Billy’s career, including the odd and unfortunate end to his time on Long Island. There’s a lot here that you’ll find compelling and entertaining.

Host: Chris Botta

Executive Producer: Dani Rylan Kearney

Producer: Pat Boyle

Presented by: InStat Hockey, Main Street Board Game Cafe

Pat Boyle and Chris share their reactions to the Islanders' victory over the Devils, give credit where it's due, and talk about what's next in the NYI's long, (unrealistic?) road to return to contention for a playoff spot. The guys also answer your questions about Adam Pelech, Billy Jaffe, and UBS Arena, and share a clip from an upcoming Hockey Press Pass interview with Jiggs McDonald where the legendary Islanders play-by-play announcer tells us what he thinks of the work of the current one, Brendan Burke.

Hosts: Pat Boyle and Chris Botta

Executive Producer: Dani Rylan Kearney

Producer: Pat Boyle

Sponsor: Main Street Board Game Café – www.mainstboardgamecafe.com

In a raw interview, former NHL defenseman Aaron Ward shares the complete details of the depths of his gambling addiction and how it led to his arrest after a domestic incident (later expunged) and enrollment in the NHL/NHLPA Behavioral Health Program. You’ve likely never heard anything like this before from a hockey player about gambling — including placing bets on football in the middle of playing games in the NHL. There wasn’t a question the former commentator for TSN and current radio analyst refused to answer.

Host: Chris Botta

Executive Producer: Dani Rylan Kearney

Producer: Pat Boyle

Presented by: InStat Hockey, Main Street Board Game Cafe

As NHL teams begin making trade proposals to the Coyotes, Chris checked in with several scouts, coaches and analysts to ask 1) Should the Islanders consider trading a first-round pick, a current player, and two prospects for Jakob Chychrun? 2) What would the defender’s ceiling be on Barry Trotz’s Islanders? Chris shares what he heard, and later on, he and Pat Boyle discuss underrated forwards in Islanders history and favorite hockey writers, and take a look at the opportunity in front of the team as they begin a run of 11 games (10 at UBS Arena) between Jan. 13 – Feb. 1.

Hosts: Chris Botta and Pat Boyle

Executive Producer: Dani Rylan Kearney

Producer: Pat Boyle

Sponsor: Main Street Board Game Café – www.mainstboardgamecafe.com

When ESPN got the NHL back, Arda Öcal was one of the hockey advocates at the network (along with Linda Cohn, John Buccigross and others) yearning to step up as a lead voice. After all, going back to his years calling games in Canadian juniors, he has been preparing for this moment. In this episode, Arda takes us behind the curtain at ESPN’s “Sportscenter” and “In The Crease,” details how his experiences with the OHL (and WWE, under the name Kyle Edwards) made him a better broadcaster, and shares his pride in his faith and heritage.

Host: Chris Botta

Executive Producer: Dani Rylan Kearney

Producer: Pat Boyle

Presented by: InStat Hockey, Main Street Board Game Cafe

Over his ten years at Sportsnet, Jeff Marek has emerged as one of the most popular and respected broadcasters in the game. For his work on Hockey Night in Canada, “The Jeff Marek Show,” “32 Thoughts” and other programs, Marek says he tries to “outwork everybody” in order to be at his best. We thank Jeff for these 45 minutes on the state of the NHL, his work with Elliotte Friedman and Greg Wyshynski, the league/network rightsholder relationship, his love for junior and women’s hockey, family background, and so much more.

Host: Chris Botta

Executive Producer: Dani Rylan Kearney

Producer: Pat Boyle

Presented by: InStat Hockey, Main Street Board Game Cafe

On the day when Bob McKenzie arrived in Calgary to cover Team Canada’s camp for World Juniors AND launched his Bobby Margarita beverage brand, he still graciously found time for Hockey Press Pass. In this episode, Bob looks back on his Hall of Fame career as the game’s top newsbreaker and shares a personal and impassioned view on where he’d like to see the NHL improve.

Highlights include…

· Bob names his three all-time favorite NHL players

· His dream of becoming a beat writer, but turning into the ultimate insider

· One of his greatest innovations: the NHL Draft Issue

· Why he made the strategic decision to join Twitter, and how it radically altered his career – for better and worse

· Bob’s decision to stay at TSN when Sportsnet acquired all of the NHL’s national rights, and his determination to do his strongest work yet

· How Bobby Margarita was born, and how his drink was created

· We ask Bob where the NHL needs to get better, and he provided a very detailed, no-holds-barred response

Host: Chris Botta

Executive Producer: Dani Rylan Kearney

Producer: Pat Boyle

Presented by: InStat Hockey, Main Street Board Game Cafe