Kool Button Hockey Podcast

Welcome to our 110th edition of the pod! Big news coming next week stay tuned!!!

In our 1st half we go trophy tracking or really presenting! As we talk about Erik Karlsson (00:38) who continues to dominate and should win the Norris! And Connor McDavid (10:55) really being the only choice for the Hart!

• EK65 numbers + Norris convo (3:16)

We continue the conversation about league trophies and NHL major awards as Craig shares a story about the East watching the West and the West watching the East (6:46).

And to close out the 1st half of the pod we also talk about NHL superstars and teams promoting the game (13:22)

Our Sports Interaction (17:27) features our inside look at the NHL's 13 games Thursday as we focus in on two big matchups in Toronto and New York!

In the 2nd half of the pod (18:55) our big conversation focus is hockey entertainment and how the game is presented on tv.

• Is TNT already leading the way?
• Intermission shows
• Changes needed and what?

And in our Final Thoughts (30:10) it's all about Tampa Bay Lightning Captain Steven Stamkos, who joined the 500-goal club Wednesday with his 11th career hat trick!

* Stamkos became the 8th player in NHL history to score a hat trick and reach the 500-goal mark in the same game, joining Mats Sundin (Oct. 14, 2006 w/ TOR), Jaromir Jagr (Feb. 4, 2003 w/ WSH), Brett Hull (Dec. 22, 1996 w/ STL), Mark Messier (Nov. 6, 1995 w/ NYR), Mario Lemieux (Oct. 26, 1995 w/ PIT), Wayne Gretzky (Nov. 22, 1986 w/ EDM) and Jean Beliveau (Feb. 11, 1971 w/ MTL)

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The Vancouver Canucks soap opera continues thanks to a rollercoaster season and a very confusing Monday media availability with President Jim Rutherford.

In the 1st half of the pod it’s all about the Canucks drama.

• What is going on? (1:45)
• Problems with build/on D
• Bo Horvat future? (4:09)
• Why Miller before Bo? (6:30)
• What are the Canucks? (9:12)
• What happens next?

Our Sports Interaction (12:18) features our inside look at the NHL Wednesday night with a few prop plays and Kouls offers up an upset parlay! Sign up today at: sportsinteraction.com/koolbuttonpod

Our focus in the 2nd half the team at the very top of the NHL standings: the big bad Boston Bruins (13:34).

• Saturday's game vs Toronto (14:41)
• Reasons for the B's great season (17:35)
• Boston's build + depth (19:00)

And in our Final Thoughts: Button shares some thoughts on Tampa and the price to pay to win (24:20) and Kouleas shares (26:03) some very exciting news about the NHL and Siriusxm!

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Welcome to our 108th edition of the pod as the 2022-23 NHL season officially hits the halfway mark Wednesday!

Our focus in the 1st half a BIG question: what would happen if the Edmonton Oilers miss the playoffs? (00:21)

• Coaching/Management
• Blueline improvements (2:51)
• What are they waiting for? (4:55)
• Get help on the blueline!
• Coaching Strategies (7:41)
• McDavid/Draisaitl plan/future

Our Sports Interaction (14:14) features our inside look at a great NHL schedule Thursday with so many options! Kouleas look at the Calgary at St. Louis rematch and Button Tampa vs Vancouver.

Our 2nd half of the pod we play a fun game of Daydreamer or Believer hitting on a number of topics and teams.

• Seattle Kraken (16:52)
• 1st in Pac Vegas or LA? (17:51)
• New Jersey Devils (23:30)
• Washington Capitals (24:42)

And in our Final Thoughts (27:26) we say goodbye to episode 108 with a nod to Travis Konecny's season with Philadelphia and wonder if teams in the hunt like Calgary could target the Flyers forward for a trade.

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The World Junior Final is set after a couple wild semifinal games and with so much to talk about from Canada vs USA that's exactly where we start with our Craig Button covering the tournament for TSN!

Two USA goals overturned (00:38). Jackson Blake in the 2nd period challenged for goaltender interference (3:42). The 2nd USA goal overturned 38 seconds into the 3rd, Rutger McGroarty called for goaltender interference.

Goalie interference + judgment calls (10:09).

How Canada beat USA (14:20) others besides Bedard and the big 43 save performance by Thomas Milic!

Sports Interaction (18:46) features our inside look at the NHL Thursday, Friday and Saturday!

In the 2nd half of our pod we again focus in on Connor Bedard and his NHL future:

• Bedard's best NHL fit? (20:12)
• Low Draft pick builds
• Tanking hard for Bedard
• Draft build examples (26:27)
• Button on Bedard (32:35)

And in our Final Thoughts:

Koul (33:51) teases the World Junior gold-medal game Thursday where Canada vs Czechia!

Button (36:18) continues to share his concerns for the Vancouver Canucks and wonders what happens next?

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With our Craig Button covering the tournament for TSN we start with Quarter Final Monday at the World Junior Hockey Championship! What could the final four look like? USA vs Canada in the semis? (1:36)

The Connor Bedard show continues but we also talk about other draft eligible players at the tournament that are putting scouts on notice (2:53).

Our Bedard topics continue as we start to wonder what NHL market would be best for the top prize at this year's draft? What NHL team should get Bedard? (5:20). That leads us to the NHL Draft Lottery (11:00) teams in play for the 1st and other teams that have traded away bad draft picks.

Our Sports Interaction (15:13) features our inside look at the Winter Classic and the NHL at the start of this week!

We start the 2nd half of the pod talking some Carolina Hurricanes (17:00). A solid team and Cup fav who earned their 11th straight win Sunday!

Antti Raanta is looking good for the Canes but we wonder if he is being showcased for a trade? And a team that could use him the sleepless in Seattle Kraken (22:42). Could there be a goalie trade between Seattle and Carolina?

Other other main topic in our 2nd half is the Great 8 Alex Ovechkin (25:08) who scored his 30th career hat trick on the last day of 2022 and became just the sixth player in NHL history to do so, joining Wayne Gretzky (50), Mario Lemieux (40), Mike Bossy (39), Brett Hull (33) and Phil Esposito (32).

And in our Final Thoughts talk about 2nd half story lines and present you with a few BOLD predictions (33:03)

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With our Craig Button on location covering the World Juniors in Atlantic Canada we start this edition out East talking about the Connor Bedard show (00:25)!

From one amazing Connor to another we talk about the best player in the world right now and his team as we share some McDavid + Edmonton Oilers thoughts (5:30).

Also as part of our 1st half of the pod we look at the evolution of the game when it comes to responding to plays with a fight (9:30). Old school vs new school mentality (14:37). The changing game(18:21).

Our Sports Interaction (21:53) features our inside look a few games in the NHL this weekend!

In the 2nd half of the pod we take a look at playoff races already heating up in the NHL and start with interesting teams in the East:

• Florida Panthers (23:32)
• Sabres + ATL (27:19)
• Capitals + MET (29:48)

The West playoff picture (32:41)

• Seattle Kraken
• Oilers + Flames
• Preds, Vegas

And in our Final Thoughts (36:17) Kool highlights the great play from Tampa's Brayden Point and Button shares his Colorado concerns heading into the New Year!

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We're all over the World Juniors and Team Canada with our Craig Button on location covering the tournament for TSN! 

• Start of tournament (00:28)
• Canada skill plays (1:00)
• Canada upset by Czechia (2:15)
• Canada area to improve (4:49)
• Tournament play + overall (6:33)

Also in the 1st half of the pod we discuss head hits in hockey (10:49), a conversation many are having after Canada’s Zach Dean received a five-minute match penalty and a game misconduct for a hit to the head.

• IIHF head contact rules vs NHL
• Will this come to NHL?
• Evolution of hits
• Speed bumps
• Result vs actions

Our Sports Interaction (20:16) feature our inside look at the NHL Wednesday and Thursday!

In the 2nd half of the pod we check in on some of the biggest 2nd half NHL storylines to follow (22:01).

• Tampa, Colorado, Boston
• Florida Panthers (28:00)
• Team needs at deadline time (29:32)
• Exciting NHL Trade Deadline (32:17)

And in our Final Thoughts (36:52) we once again look at the numbers this season and wonder what the final tally's could be for the best hockey player in world 97 Connor McDavid!!! 

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Welcome to our special 103rd edition of pod where we celebrate Frank Costanza's favorite holiday Festivus!

Some of our main topics in the 1st half of pod include what took place and didn't at the recent NHL BOG meetings and some of the recent league news. The Schedule and thoughts about more games (4:30). The playoff format, the cap and more discussed!

Also in the 1st half we get into two teams from the offseason still trying figure it out: the Florida Panthers and Calgary Flames (12:29).

Our Sports Interaction (18:08) features our inside look at the NHL Festivus eve the final night before the holiday break Friday!

In the half of the pod we start by airing our grievances!

• Button: NHL nets off + goalies (20:55)
• Kool: The NHL Rules refresher (22:19)

 Feats of of strength

• Kool: Crosby + McDavid (33:19)
• Button: Erik Karlsson (35:00)

And in our Final Thoughts (36:33) we think of teams that are in the most trouble and potentially have a great present under the June Draft tree!

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It's the most wonderful time of the year and with that our Craig Button is on location at the World Junior Hockey Championship in Halifax and Moncton! 

The Headliner: Connor Bedard (4:15)

• Bedard career outlook/comparable (7:49)
• Bedard's skills + magic (10:30)
• The deep 2023 NHL Draft on display
• Tanking hard for Bedard: ANA, CHI, ARI
• International hockey +best players(15:33)

Our Sports Interaction (18:59) features our inside look at the NHL Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday!

The honesty from Cale Makar (20:26) as he convinced an NHL Official to rescind a penalty against the other team.

• Lady Byng + Makar greatness (23:17)

The Boston Bruins Stanley Cup favs? (27:43) We talk more Bs and look at reason for the success this season and putting good players in good situations.

A question from twitter (34:30) with both contract situations: Would you take Auston Matthews or Tage Thompson?

And in our Final Thoughts we check in on the The New Jersey Devils and hope for the best with a tough stretch coming up (39:10).

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Welcome to our 101st edition of the pod where we start and go heavy on the hockey history made Tuesday! Mr. Hockey, The Great One, and now, The Great Eight has joined the exclusive 800-goal club!

• Doing the math passing Howe + Gretzky (1:01)
• A great era of hockey Crosby + Ovechkin(4:29)
• Unbreakable records (7:44)
• When did we start to love Ovi? (12:00)

Our Sports Interaction (14:59) features our inside look at the NHL Wednesday Calgary vs Vancouver/Ottawa vs Montreal and Thursday a look at Ovechkin's next chance to pass Howe.

In the 2nd half of the pod we take a look at the NHL BOG meetings this week (16:34) and talk about how the game of hockey changed when the NHL hired Gary Bettman on Dec. 11, 1992.

• a deeper dive into the economics of the league and where the game and franchise values are at thanks to the Commissioner and the last 30 years (27:37).

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