Leafs Hour: Is it Tougher to Play in Toronto?

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The Real Kipper and Boring Show Leaf Hour Edition live on sports at 360, 590 to fan and Toronto,

streaming always on SportsNet Plus, available on Spotify podcast and YouTube, Nick Kipperill's

Justinborn.

Sammy McKee, Jake The Snake Shields, Derek Brandale, game day for the Toronto Maple Leafs,

16 to go.

Is that what we have said?

Who's County?

Who's County?

Everybody's County.

Everybody.

Yeah.

I'm County.

Just seeing all the people, theorize who you had traded Matthew and I's for the other day,

but I'm just online right now.

I am going to just sit back and I'm going to listen to you guys for the next hour.

There's a feat every once in a while.

I like to see the temperature that's out there a little bit and all I've got is like, can

I please find another team to torment?

I just saw Arbor Jacki was in the deal.

I saw Jacob Fowler.

I saw.

Look at all these Canadians names.

Crazy, man.

Hold on.

I gotta ask, like, because the big scary Toronto media is a hot topic.

It is.

It is.

Yes.

Yeah, let's, let's, let's all share.

So let me ask you a question to the person listening right now.

Yeah.

That is, maybe you wouldn't be listening right now if you think the big Toronto scary media isn't beat.

Like, how many positive Toronto Maple Leafs conversations?

Are you having with your friends?

Are you going out to the bar with your buddies and you're going out to watch whatever game or whatever?

Guys are sitting there slugging some Guinness and you're like, boy, just a chance.

They're right there.

Like, you know, I really love all the guys in this team and it really feels like there's a lot of building blocks and their future is bright.

Like, so you're telling me there's a chance.

I just, I don't, so you were supposed to come in here.

I don't know.

I don't know.

You know you're supposed to do.

You're not, you're supposed to just talk and say how you feel.

So every Thursday morning because I go to my morning skate.

So there's a good 15 minutes on what's wrong with the Leafs?

What's good?

What's not good in the dressing room?

Even warming up?

Like, what have they got to do?

How do you fix this short term long term?

Who needs to stay?

Who needs to go?

And everybody is pretty much as passionate as our Sammy.

Yeah.

And I will say every conversation you have off the air and I shouldn't speak for you guys.

But it's always involving the biggest names on the team.

And it's always involving someone saying Matt, you know, you last year's Mariner's got to go.

This year it's Matthew's got to go.

You know, if we can just get away from that for a second.

It's still a wonderful thing for the game, the Leafs in this town.

Like the last thing you want is no one to come to the rink and no one to care enough to put in 10 or 15 minutes.

Whatever your thoughts and ideas are, whatever, however you feel about Matthews or Mariner or retool or rebuild.

It's still there.

Yeah.

Yeah, you're right.

You don't go in there and go, what do you think the Leafs should do?

And people go, I don't know who's on the team.

You know, that doesn't matter.

Or I don't really care.

Let's talk about something else.

So, okay.

So where is that in the grand scheme of things to where the narrative now is like, guys don't want to play here because of that.

Right?

Because that's where it starts.

And then of course, you know, we go on air.

I get that.

There's how many different podcasts out there right now that have an influence now on how people perceive the Toronto Maple Leafs.

I've lost count 50, 60.

I don't know.

Whether they're local, whether they're somewhere in the country or somewhere in the world.

Like you're talking about the Leafs.

Like baseball fans talk about the Yankees, Dallas Cowboys.

It really isn't any different when you talk about those type of franchises.

Montreal locally.

Come on.

Don't tell me like it's not all the same when you talk about those type of

institutions.

It's funny too, because like I think players know that if you were to come here and have success,

they see the way Wendell and Duggy Gilmore are treated and all these guys.

Like they know that you can build up a lifetime by having some success here.

So I think there's always an interest in coming here and trying to be that guy.

You know, it's always the guys you have in play here that are talking about what it's like to play in Toronto.

Yeah.

That's that's what I find.

I don't really feel as though that as you could chuck its pat maroon.

Yeah.

It's it's always people.

It's Jack the the Quinn and Jack Hughes at the press conference talk like it marks stone.

It's just all the guys that have never actually played in this market that come in or like,

yeah, boy, it sucks there.

It's well, you never played here.

So just because you're viewing it from your outside little bubble work to guys asking questions at morning skate.

Doesn't necessarily.

I don't know.

I just.

I find it.

I still think it's.

You played here.

Yeah.

I still think it's an amazing place to play.

Yeah.

And how they get treated and the availability to whatever you need is there.

Okay.

Do you want what you do to matter?

I don't know if that's good grammar.

Do you want what we do here?

No, I'm saying if you're a player, it matters here every day matters.

And I think it's that's inspiring when you come into work.

Yeah.

And for the record, I feel like what we do here matters every day because we get feedback.

And so I love it.

Yeah.

If no one was listening, I wouldn't enjoy doing this.

None of us would be employed.

Yeah.

Right.

But I just.

I find that people expect of the Toronto media.

What?

Like.

It's unrealistic to say come in here and talk about the good things right now.

It's not a positive time.

They're in a real pickle.

A daily of a pickle.

I feel it.

But I do think it takes.

A little bit of a different kind of guy to.

To withstand the bad bad times here in this town.

Right.

You need a guy that.

Few things can bounce off.

I don't know.

He's been a good example.

I don't know if you need to go back to their grade three.

Elementary teacher to say, you know, who said.

It.

Bounce off of me sticks on to you.

Yeah.

Yeah.

You're revered.

I'm glad today.

On your roster.

Oh, yeah.

Right.

But in saying that, yeah, I did play for the Leafs.

And I did.

We were at times.

Picking up a Toronto star.

Social media makes it so much.

Toronto Sun.

A globe and mail.

And we're like, okay, what are they saying?

Yeah.

Oh, this guy's got to go.

Right.

That's that.

That was the extent of it.

He's not playing well, but like.

What they're dealing with today.

Between all these shows and some of them just.

There's no.

There's no guardrails.

You can just say whatever you want.

You can swear as much as you want.

You can curse.

You can.

You can just.

You can be just be as vicious as you want.

And it's okay.

Yeah.

There was a bit more of a journalistic standard once upon a time.

There's three papers of record.

A lot of it.

A lot of it.

A lot of it's gone.

Yeah.

Right.

And that's the, that's the part.

And if it's not the player listening, it'll be a brother or sister, a buddy.

It'll be a, a mum and dad.

It'll be somebody going back to the kid going, oh my God.

Yeah.

Can you believe what they're saying about you?

This is awful.

That's your goal.

And my buddy sends me a YouTube comments.

Like, did you see this?

I'm like, no.

I didn't see this.

And there's times when it's really like not, it's not fair.

Like, who's going to police it?

Who's going to watch it?

Who's going to tell them?

No, you can't say that.

But what's so different now is that social media element where it doesn't even have to be

someone with a podcast.

It can just be anyone.

And, you know, because of algorithms, they're on the leafs.

They get served some leaf stuff on Instagram.

I'm sure they see pictures of themselves photoshopped into.

I don't even want to suggest some of the things I've seen.

Yeah.

You know, and it's like, I get how that could wear on you and it could be grading.

But I think it meant because people care, if you do well, you're going to get the opposite

version of that too.

The good stuff.

And for some years, the leafs did get that.

God, I'd remember seeing Marner and Matthews, Bon Jovi, singing along to that video, 3,000

times.

You know, people couldn't have loved it more until it was no more until you start losing.

Yeah.

Right?

Yeah.

And I know you and I differ on some of the Marner stuff and that's fine.

But like, again, I think because it's cool to be somewhere people care.

That's just the risk.

You're right.

Not it.

It's not for everyone.

Yeah.

I mean, just.

And it does go too far.

Yeah.

And it's, you know, it's the stuff that like he was reported golfing the next day after

they got knocked out.

Right.

Which never happened.

Right.

Right.

So what if it did?

But people picked that up and and whether it's true or not, regardless, we're just going

to start judging you on it, right?

But you say what if he did, what if he didn't though, right?

Like I just photoshopped.

There's pictures of you as like an in I ran a few minutes ago.

You know, like people, you know, but you're okay.

I know.

You're okay.

I think.

Do you think maybe we need to talk?

But like it's, this is just kind of part of the market.

It's like, it's like when you play, like just worry about the things that you can control.

Right.

And don't worry about the rest.

Don't.

That's that in some guy to your point.

Some guys can do it.

Some guys can't.

Yeah.

I mean, it's on a much smaller scale, but I don't know if you guys read my mentions in

the last year and a half.

Like people are very mean online.

Sammy, that's a, that's a thing.

You just want to come over and squeeze your cheeks like who could be who could be mad

at you?

Who could be mad at you?

Well, I'll show you my DMs one day.

It's just, you know, it's, it's tough.

So being the public eye, but you're paid $13 million.

That's what the money is for.

Yeah.

But I guess to the point of Pat Maroon or whoever else it may be, you can also make $13 million

and not have that somewhere else.

So is it a deterrent for people playing here?

I think it's a combination of taxes and it snows here and people are, it can be aggressive.

I think, excuse me.

I think that when it's bad here, it's, it's very likely to drive people away, but because

it can be so good when people see it starting to grow, look, I mean, Patrick Marlow was dying

to come be a part of this.

Joe Thornton was dying to come be a part of this.

When it's going that direction, people see what it can be like in the other, in the

pause.

The other factor too.

And I'll compare it to the parent that is sinking a lot of money in their kid, right?

To go and practice three days a week to get a skills coach to being forced to buy a leather

jacket just to get a hat and like, and then there's a price point that really puts a lot

of pressure on you and the kid.

And let's face it, there's a pressure point too for leaf fans today, maybe more so than

we've ever seen over the course of this franchise history.

You're talking financially.

Yes, I'm saying that also there is, there is a feel out there that we don't mind paying

top dollar, but not for that product, right, not, and it's, it's more stressful today

than it's ever been.

And I don't care whether you own a corporation or you're the president's CEO or you're just

a guy who just buys a season tickets because you, it's because that's where you want your

money to go.

But like everybody's feeling that now, it's like, I'm okay, but I need a better product.

And that also spills into that hole.

Where's the temperature of the city right now for the Toronto Maple Leafs?

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, I mean, it's, I'll say this, it's much more reasonable to get into a leaf scheme

that it's been in a long time right now.

So I mean, that kind of tells you what that's, that's winning and losing.

And it might be new to the Leafs too, because it's not always been like winning and losing,

buddy.

No, no, no, but when you've lost in the past, there was less worry about, about that

price point that I'm talking about.

And now you could probably get into tonight's game in the building for 70 bucks.

No, I think it's more in the 90 range.

Okay.

Under 100 for at least games on her to Florida Panthers, two time Stanley Cup champions.

They're not in it right now.

Four or eight bucks.

I talked, I talked to a guy who got lower bowls for 50 bucks, but they don't, they've never

cared.

So it's still, but, but no, no, no, no, but now, now in 2026, now you can compare.

This is what happens when the product isn't up to snuff.

It's the hardest ticket wasn't $50, two years ago.

Last year, yeah.

No, no.

And now for the first time, the Leafs are now in that scenario where, hey, you miss the

playoffs.

You're not successful.

You're like the rest of the team, you're, you're, it's less in demand.

Okay.

Okay.

I understand that.

But I'm just going to say like, it is much more newsworthy than a ticket to at least

game is 90 bucks than a ticket to a Florida Panthers games 40.

Yeah.

I mean, they've been 40 bucks for their whole, like, unless for the last two years,

they were a little more, but it's still way less than it would ever be here.

My point is just what, what losing does now in 2026.

And I think the way you are losing is different too, where it's a team that had a high, high

expectation.

That's a part of it.

It's not.

And it's versus expectation.

And a complicated relationship between the team and the fan base, where I, I do think

that there's a lot of people that were dying for any reason to quit on this core.

That like they were just chomping at the bit where they've seen all these playoff failures

and at the first sign of trouble.

I mean, it's, you know, this market begged for my whole life.

Yeah, but this isn't the first sign of trouble.

No, but I mean, they've been good.

They've been in the playoffs.

They've been a playoff team.

They've been accumulating points.

Yeah.

But like my entire childhood, you know, into my 20s, it's like, oh man, only if the

police could get a number one center, only get at least, could get a number one center.

And the first sign of them, you know, not being any good for the future, they want to trade

their number one center at age 28, like people just have a very complicated relationship

with this core.

And they just are, we're dying for a reason to quit on them.

It's crazy to have so little goodwill.

Their last four seasons, they've had a hundred and fifteen points.

It's no good.

Well, 150 points, 111 points, 102 points, 108 points.

That's their last year was 108, 108 last year.

The last four seasons, great numbers.

I mean, incredible.

Great numbers.

And, you know, you think you fall off for one season and you prime to try to run back

next year.

You'd have some goodwill from that, but the post seasons the way they've gone, the expectations

were so high.

But they did a lot of bad losses, but it doesn't, it doesn't feel like Florida's goodwill,

right?

Because they got a lot of their guys coming back and there's Florida next year.

Yes.

There's cups behind them, but there seems to be a good base.

There's still that you can ride out for another year or two or three.

I don't know how long they go and here it's, okay, we're the, we're the real assets

now in this organization compared to Florida's.

They called up Michael Pazetta.

Sammy, you've been calling, you've been calling for this.

I don't know whether I should be honored or terrified that Bradgel living listens to

at least talk, but Michael Pazetta called up from the Toronto Marlies.

And this will be shockingly, I learned today, he hasn't played one game yet for the

least.

I thought they snuck him in somewhere.

This is it.

This is his leafs debut.

He's thrilled to be a part of it.

What's strangers?

Because of the veteran limit rule in the American Lee, he's played 37 American Lee games

all season.

27, 28 years old.

We want, I mean, we do the least games every night.

You thought he played for the least.

I don't know.

I thought at some point he didn't get a player who knows, but yeah, no, he, he, he is not

snuck in a game.

There's 27.

I'm telling you if he shoots left or right.

Which way is he shoot?

Left.

That's okay.

I guess.

Good guess.

No, it's not a good guess.

I know he shoots left.

He, uh, you know, the craziest part of this to me is that he didn't know.

He didn't get signed to a two way contract.

It's a what two year one way NHL deal for 812,000.

So 1.6, whatever million they gave him.

I, I had him in game one opening night.

I did too.

I just thought they wanted discount Ryan Reeves, a guy who you could put in the press box

who would give you what he could on the forecheck and energy, you know, there's a little

pace.

I don't know how bad he's been in the American League for him to get no looks at all.

But anyway, he's got 200 NHL games under his belt already in the American League.

He's got four goals, 10 assists and 75 pims and 57 or sorry, and whatever I said, 40 games,

something like that.

So I don't know, he's, by the way, lifelong Leafs fan.

I know.

He's super excited.

I know.

I know.

To be a league.

We want to play his clip about playing for the Leafs.

Yes.

Uh, let's play.

Yeah.

I think it's just like pure excitement.

Like even just being out there in morning skate, like, uh, just so excited.

Like I said, a few extra sleep last night just, um, excited.

Do you know any time you get the opportunity to be back on NHL ice is exciting.

And then just be able to put this Leafs sweater on for the first time, uh, sure, it's

going to come with a lot of emotions and I'm just excited about it.

Five back.

Five.

I would have him rub up against every player on the team tonight because I need some of

that passed on.

So that's 100% wise in tonight.

They're like, this guy is jazzed up.

He says, uh, Luke Fox wrote about him today.

It's not hard to cheer for the Leafs being from Toronto.

I can't even explain how stoked I am.

And then he adds insanely fired up before the Leafs.

Just watching him tonight will be worth it.

This is what I thought was going to happen.

And here's my point.

I was like, who's he going to fight tonight?

It's poor Ross Johnson.

Who says that?

Johnson's a murderer.

He's got to have the worst case scenario for, you know, Ross Johnson just jump him.

But like, that's common.

He's got to jump.

I mean, to your point about business and giving the fans something to cheer for or whatever,

like, yes, this is what, I mean, they know Michael Pizzetta's game.

Like, I think this is the reason he's in the lineup tonight because there's potentially

be a little energy and some chaos for a fan base that's seen nothing.

If he four checks well and plays five minutes and doesn't fight or something like, he's

just, it'll be disappointing.

I expect him to yell at someone.

100% right.

Yeah.

I would bet Ross Johnson reading the call up today was like, God, here we just, we're

going to get something.

We're going to get a different feel for sure than what we see in the last eight or nine

games.

So it's, it's good enough for me.

Jansen Harkins fight.

If I'm Pizzetta, I'm looking for Intruba might go to smile.

I go fight.

Go to fight.

No, but you can make him look silly by not.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Cowan.

How many minutes?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Let's hear from head coach Bruby on, on Pizzetta.

You want that?

Yes, I do.

Okay.

Clip one.

Like I said, we're going to look at guys down there and he's one of the guys that we

wanted to see.

I'd say for a little while now, we want to try to get him up here and, yeah, so he's

a guy that's going to bring in lots of energy and, you know, it's good skater, strong

skaters.

So we'll see how it goes.

Maybe wanted to get him in for a while.

I don't understand.

You want.

So what happened?

Like, we're all looking for a guy who did it.

So if you wanted it, I'm like, so it doesn't anybody follow up with what, oh, hold on

for a second.

So what we kept it from happening and what?

Who was playing so well that you couldn't fit him in and, but I don't know.

Yarni was undeniable.

Yeah, couldn't get the broken.

I don't know.

I mean, yeah.

I think tonight, it looks like Lorentz and Dakota Joshua may be scratched.

Yeah.

Tough to be scratching Joshua.

You just gave him three-year deal.

Well, he's been injured.

You didn't give it.

You traded for it.

Right.

Yeah.

You traded for it.

Gave him a three-year deal.

Yeah.

And then he's been injured.

And now he's back.

Like, he can't give him some runway to get going.

Got to have a line of, oh, stand by.

I know he was out.

I know he was out, but there was plenty of opportunity to show runway.

Okay.

Tonight, the third line is Michele Grue Robertson.

He can't get in.

Michele Grue Robertson?

I know, but Michele Grue, I got to tell you, I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay with new

look, new energy, new feel with, with guys.

I gotta tell you, a fourth line of Pizzetta, Quill and Yarnkroke is awesome and I'm not

being facetious.

That is, they are going to be flying.

Flying.

Yarni, you say what you will, but Yarni, he can move.

Yeah.

You sure it looks like he's got the water bug stems anyway.

That line is going to be on the four-check.

Not going to have a clue what to do when they get it, but they won't put in the dog

catches a car.

Where do you want to go?

Cowan.

Sure.

Let's do Cowan.

All right.

Cowan.

How many minutes?

Okay.

Hold on for a second.

How many minutes of Michele was in over 18?

18, 20.

She's a big number.

Big number.

Tonight, he finds himself playing on a line with Austin and Willie.

Let's have a listen.

That's some good stretches at times, you know, I think early on in the season, they were

together for a bit and did some good things.

So good opportunity for Cowan.

I thought he did a good job in Montreal and that's why I made that switch.

He had, you know, the last couple of months he averaged 11.35 in the month of Alexei

February and January, 14, 10.

So to jump up to 18, 20 is a big one, but yeah, he could make plays like he's definitely

the brightest young guy they got.

No question that you could see the upside and you could see why he was successful as a

top junior.

The only thing missing is just size, like getting stronger, right?

And the, the empty net goal where he kind of got bounced off a little bit, Evans.

Yeah.

I mean, that's just.

Yeah.

I'm stronger wins the race at that age too.

I don't know about you at that age.

I pretty typically put on 10, 12 pounds and then you come to camp and you lose five and

you're up seven for the year.

Yeah.

That's kind of coming in.

It still won't be there by next October, but he'll, but he'll be stronger.

He'll be stronger.

Yes.

But he, to me, he still needs a couple of years now to put some, some serious weight and

strength on.

He needs to do squats and I know a lot of fast twitch stuff too, but it's all lower.

But you look at like the, the good, like, Crosby and the low base that these, I don't

say it's smaller.

He's not small, but smaller, maybe is what I should have said.

Yeah.

To get that good lower base going into next year.

I think, you know, as a leaf fan watching these games, you know, in Kipper, I think you've

kind of been alluding to the fact that maybe a little bit too much to soon you as well,

Borney, like, you want him to earn it.

You talk about a product that's watchable or whatever, like, I think having him on the

top line, that's, that's something that you can at least, I'd rather watch him make plays

and turn it over.

Yeah.

I'd rather watch him do both.

And I do, I think at least when you go into the, look ahead to the future of this

team, he's shown enough in his rookie year that he'll be part of it when they're good

again.

Like when he, when the leaves are good again, he can, he can contribute.

He can be a contributing factor to this.

I don't know if he'll ever be a superstar, per se, but he will be a top six, good

supplier.

Right.

What's his, can he, can he, can he, can he, can he be haggle?

That's the exact name that was on the tip of my tongue.

Oh, can he be a 90 point Olympian who fights?

I don't, so is the answer no?

I don't think that's a huge ceiling, buddy.

I know, I know, but he was also considered the number one junior prospect in the world,

right?

Okay.

Okay.

So, I don't know.

You know what I will say?

I think when he gets stronger, he'll have scrapped to him.

I think he's got scrappiness in him.

Right now it's, how do you mouth off when everyone can donk you into the, like, like donk

you call him.

Yeah.

But I think there's just overall, he just needs time to mature physically.

Mentally, mentally, emotionally.

Sometimes you can see him too a little bit where he's just, he's just not ready to calm

himself down yet.

The hardest thing I think is a lot of these guys who come up awesome, the way Kowen has,

just everything goes great and you're told you're awesome and it's easy and you're awesome

and it's awesome.

And then all of a sudden it's hard and it's not awesome and you're not doing great.

And you have to go through adversity.

I don't know why for three weeks they didn't send him to the Marley's and just play,

play, play, play, play, play on the power play, do whatever you need to do, but do not

let that guy just go somewhere for three weeks and hang like, hey, you went, I think he

skated with London a little bit, but you know, you don't need to go there and feel like

a big wheel.

You know what I mean?

No.

Right.

You need to still have to work and earn it.

Then they come out of the Olympics and he scratched twice in a row, which now I, you

know, I recognize that they thought they were trying to win then and make playoff, which

is so absurd to think about.

Yeah.

It's crazy to think.

All right.

Tell me what else do you like here?

You got Matthew's not scoring or Riley off the power play.

Riley off the power.

Let's do that.

All right.

Craig Bruce.

Just last game I didn't like how it was going.

I made that switch.

So that's why I was there.

I've done it a few times this year, right?

Sometimes, you know, you a little switch like that.

I'll spark it again and get it going in the right direction.

Right now it's a little drive for us.

So that's why I made the switch.

I'm assuming it's OEL.

Yeah.

It's OEL.

Okay.

Morgan Riley.

I think it's really important that he shows some stability here for the next 16 games.

I don't think he's done as a pro, as a guy that could interest other teams.

I think he's far from done, but he needs these next 16 games.

I think to remind people around this city in other markets, management teams that he

could still skate.

He could still shoot it in the net.

He can skate a puck out of his own zone.

Easy.

The point he's trying to revalidate himself to the lead.

I think it's important that he does because it'll make it a lot easier to make decisions

in the off season for himself.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, he'll have options at that point as opposed to you got to invite, you got to invite

people to, you got to remind people still like, I know I've struggled and I know it's

been tough here.

But all I need is a fresh change or a new coat of paint.

If I had to guess for Morgan, he's not like, let's go chase a cop next season.

It's like, let's find somewhere we can raise a family's a long contract, have stability,

like he'll be looking for something and he has a 16 team or is it a full no move entirely?

I think it's full.

Yeah, it's full.

So they're not going to get anything.

Well, probably.

Yeah, they're going to work with them.

They respect them.

He is a well-respected player around the league, like just focus on having a good finish

here.

Yeah.

Agreed.

We should go.

Scott and Peter Meyer.

Oh, Hall of Famer.

Yeah.

Box talk.

I got to tell you, I took a cross eyed pass in the boot today.

Right.

We forgot to discuss it.

And I'm wearing, I was wearing my old grass because I was just thick as those Nike's

you on.

And it was fine for a while, but if you, if you're watching on YouTube or on sports

and you see me wins, like I am in deathly pain, like he's gotten 10 times worse last

year.

You're ready for the meds here.

I got.

I'm taking a beating.

It's a leave.

I've taken a beating this winter.

You have.

I've broken ribs, Vertigo stitches back the other day.

And my back went out last week for legitimate physical injury and showed up every day.

I broke my mind.

Violin.

Sally.

I'm like, can I ask you something really painful?

The guy that gave you the pass.

No, I put my foot up to block a cross eyed pass.

All you did, okay, I wasn't a teammate that, no, it was just like an instinctive thing

that I immediately regretted.

It's killing me.

So we'll see never to find spine bone, Bruce, it's, it's hard to break something down

there.

Have you seen my feet?

No, I got a alien feet brother.

Do you?

Oh, yeah.

I got the arches like wooden rakes.

You got the arches of a dancer, bro.

Did you peel an orange with your toes?

That would be me if we're talking about it.

Absolutely gross toes.

No question.

All right.

Get off feet.

Would you?

Scott need a Meyer hockey Hall of Famer, special advisor to the ducks.

They go tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

We'll have them next.

After these words.

Hey, it's a list for a far and I'm just in comfort.

Join us as we discuss the most important sports stories of the day and tee up the biggest

games of the night.

It's the fan pregame 6 p.m. weekdays on sports that sports set 590 to fan and wherever

you get your podcasts.

Welcome back to our leaf hour edition of the real kipper and born show in the kipper

reals.

Justin Boren, Sammy McKee, Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Anaheim Ducks tonight at

Scoti Bank arena where boys like who who saw the ducks atop the Pacific division.

Not me.

Maybe a little bit of a sexy pick this year.

You know, young team.

Quenville taken over.

Like I think they had a bit of buzz, maybe not this good though.

The biggest thing about this team is the size and talent of their young forwards.

Gochie, Seneca, Carlson, they're all 6263 210 and just talented.

Mason McCavish isn't small, got craters of monster up front like they're a big forward

group.

Is this the perfect team to come in here and force the Leafs to force the Leafs to

come up with a big game here like they got boys.

They got a win one here.

We don't expect them to lose every game here from from here on in.

No, come on, no, no, there's a lot of losses.

So the win a few games, but like the ducks are good in competing.

These are big games for the ducks, they're not going to be sleeping.

And Seneca, local kid played for the generals coming in here, they're going to be all horned

up for him.

He's going to put money on the board.

He's going to be good.

He'll score a goal.

They are going to beat the brakes off the Leafs.

No, this will be high scoring.

The ducks defensive numbers are wolf.

I'm OK.

I'm OK.

The Leafs if they lose 8, 7, 6, 5 game coming.

Right.

I just put some pucks in the net, get Austin going here, but find a way to put the

puck in the net a couple of times.

I was going to say play the goal song a bunch, but I don't know what it is.

I don't know anymore.

I used to know.

But then it was six things because they were indecisive, indecisiveness, defining word

of the era.

We're just momentarily away from Scott Neetamire, four times down like I'm champion.

We're having some internet issues with him, so we may be calling him here boys.

Give me a second.

All right.

He's a special advisor to the hockey operations for the Dutch is the most perfect job you can

have in hockey.

Well, he is Scott Neetamire.

And so they're like, we want your opinion on things, will you be around and just pick

a title?

So clearly, if Scott wanted to, maybe we'll bring this up with him.

I mean, if I wanted to run a team, much like we've seen Hall of Famers out there, I mean,

he could do it.

Yeah.

He's just, that's a lot of work.

All right.

So ask him.

Derek, do we have Scott?

We do.

Yeah.

Let's welcome him in.

Four times down like I'm champion, Hall of Famers, special advisor to hockey ops for the

Anaheim ducks.

So I'm looking at the standings, Scott and the ducks are, I don't know, comfortable is

the right word, but they have a gap between the oilers and the nights that no one saw

coming.

Is this all because of the great advising you've given them all season long hockey?

No, that's about as good as my internet right now.

No, you know, it's, it's been a lot of things and it hasn't been overnight.

You know, there's been some difficult years down in Anaheim and our young guys have

definitely taken a step.

I think Joel Quinnville coming in was very helpful.

You know, the addition of a guy like Criter to go out and sort of play a certain role.

Troop is having a good year.

We've had a lot of things go right this year, which has been good.

And as on top of that, I guess you just talked about Vegas and Edmonton, maybe not having

their best of years.

So we're kind of in the mix with, with those teams, which is great.

There's an interesting, almost like, I don't know, two tiers of ages on your team.

You kind of got a bunch of young guys and a bunch of old guys.

Have you been on teams like that?

How does that dynamic work?

Is someone have to bridge the gap to connect the two?

Yeah, I'm not in the room enough to really make a comment.

I don't think I have.

You're right.

It's a pretty unique situation where, you know, we've got some guys with some good experience.

They've been in a league a long time and that was by design.

I mean, it's a tough league.

There's a lot to learn for young guys and we're hoping that we've got guys in there.

We know we have guys in there that know what the NHL's about that have had success and

our young guys can learn things from.

So that's why it's sort of structured that way.

Probably traded away a few of our middle guys a few years ago to sort of really start the rebuild.

And this is what you're end up, you end up with.

You mentioned some of the young guns here.

And you also mentioned Chris Criter, Jacob Trubas, another one that I certainly can look at and

say, great leadership.

You know, it was good enough for the Rangers to name him Captain once upon a time.

But, you know, how influential have they been for your young players?

Well, I think the big thing is just the consistency, you know, stabilizing our team,

our approach to long season, the ups and downs and they just keep coming to work doing their job.

They know what it is.

And I just think that's a great example for young guys to see.

It is tough to be consistent over 82 games, you know, and then shooting for the playoffs.

So those guys kind of demonstrate that to our young guys.

I think obviously Joel Quindle as well, obviously the amount of experience he has just one is a thousandth game, regular season game,

which was a heck of an accomplishment.

And, you know, having him behind the bench is sort of doing the same thing for young guys.

And hopefully they are learning, you know, quicker than the average young guy.

And we can get more competitive as time goes on.

Scott, for the Leafs fans, we have even Leafs hour here.

So for Leafs fans trying to understand the young players that you guys have there.

I wonder if you can help us tell us the differences between, you know, particularly Carlson, Goche and Seneca,

because I look for years here in Toronto, it was like people talked about the core.

Like they were one person, but Willie Neilander played nothing like John DeVara's played, nothing like Matthews.

So those three players, how are they different in the way they're having success?

Yeah, I think I guess start with with cutter Goche is a shooter, really good skater as well, has played a lot with Leo Carlson,

who kind of, you know, loves to transport the puck, moves the puck as well as love has a good shot as well.

But those two guys together, both can skate extremely well, have a high end level of skill.

And back at Seneca coming in this year is a 19 year old.

You know, he maybe had us a little bit of a slow start in rookie camp and the early part of training camp,

but he's just continued to improve and get better.

And obviously as a high level of skill as well, he loves to control the puck.

He doesn't mind protecting it in difficult areas, and he's a real competitive kid.

And that that's the part I love about him is he loves to go to the net.

He doesn't mind mixing it up a little bit.

Someone gives him a bit of a shot.

You know, he'll keep an eye out for them.

The next couple of shifts, that that's important.

If you want to compete and try and win, you have to have some of that in your lineup and in your team.

And I'm kind of excited to see that element of his game for sure.

You're watching and listening to Scott need a my four time Stanley Cup champion,

a special advisor to the Anaheim docs.

You mentioned Joel Quinnville here.

If you look over the course of this season, what is stood out the most for you about Joel,

who is often still regarded as one of the best coaches in the league?

Yeah, I didn't really know Joel before.

I'd maybe met him briefly, but didn't know a lot about him.

Obviously, you see his reputation talk to a lot of people that had nothing,

but great things to say about how he coached and approached the game.

And the thing that does stand out, I think he just has such a great feel for not only the team,

but the individual players on where they're at, you know, what they need.

If you know, sometimes we do, as players need to kick in the batter,

we need to be challenged.

He's not afraid to do that, but at the same time as players,

sometimes we need a pad on the back and some encouragement.

And I think he just has a real good sense of how to sort of manage that individual

players and the whole team and our guys have responded, you know, so far this year.

And it's been fun.

It's when you're in the depths of trying to rebuild the team.

Sometimes you wonder if, you know, the days are going to come

when you can start competing and winning games or expect to win games.

And I'm glad that at least now we're winning more than we're losing.

And that's a step forward for us.

So do you have a hand in that process in being patient when it wasn't going well

and saying we need to, you know, either rebuild or hold on here or what was your input

as you guys tried to get back to this?

Well, it kind of, you know, happened when Pat Rubik was hired.

You know, Bob Murray, you know, was let go where he stepped down.

They were looking for a new general manager.

I think at that point we might have missed the playoffs already for three years.

Maybe something like that.

And there really was no rebuild happening because continue to try to compete.

We had some older, really good players and just hadn't had the success.

But when the change was made, I think it was in some sense easier for Pat to come in.

Look at our team from a distance and kind of recognize what needed to happen.

And he kind of got to work within a couple months.

The deadline was next and he made some trades of some older players to get some prospects

and picks and he went to work over the next few years, you know,

watching a lot of junior hockey and trying to rebuild the talent in the organization.

And we still have a ways to go.

It's still be great to get more, more talent, more young talent.

But at least feels we're headed in the right direction for the moment, which is good.

Scott Justin Moore and just mentioned we are in our leaf hour edition of our show.

So I'm going to bring it back to the blue and white a little bit.

There is a connection between you, Tom Kervers and the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1991.

Lots of talk about the Leafs giving up a pick.

This draft, you know, to the Boston Bruins.

My question to you is, do you ever look back and wonder what could have been

or do people bring it up or am I the only idiot here that does it now?

No, I think whenever I'm in Toronto or talking to somebody in Toronto, it gets brought up.

You know, it's interesting.

Like I don't even know if I knew that, that's how the pick got to New Jersey when they drafted me.

You know, I just knew they had the third pick.

They went to the draft and Buffalo ended up being picked by them and, you know, a way to go.

So I didn't really think too much about it.

I think probably until, you know, maybe I showed up in Toronto for my first game there

and they started talking about it or asking a question about it.

So I do, I don't know, maybe about seven years ago, I was at a game in Chicago

and I'd never met Tom Kervers and he came up to me and introduced himself with a big smile.

And he kind of, you know, talked about the connection we had and introduced himself,

which is really cool for him to do that.

I'm sure a lot of the talk maybe wasn't always in the best light for him in that situation,

but he's such a great guy, came up and introduced himself, like I said, so it's kind of neat.

Wonderful person.

I didn't grow up in Toronto.

What happened here?

What do I meant?

What I meant?

The Leafs traded for a defenseman and gave up their first pick that ended up being Scott Needemire.

Oh, Jesus.

Well, in that year, Clint Dress was the first overall pick and, you know,

there was probably even more concerned at the time about, you know, maybe losing that player

with the pick as well.

So yeah, probably interesting times there in Toronto.

Very interesting.

Yeah, Sam, not happy that other guy on the team, I wanted to ask you about Lucas Dostol.

He's just been absolutely lights out.

Was it clear early on in this guy's career that he was going to be the number one there?

Because right now it's just he's one of the Leafs best already.

Yeah, I think what really stands out with him, obviously he's talented, but he's a real pro.

I mean, he's been around now for a bit, but still relatively young and just the way he approaches the game,

he's a real competitor, you know, his preparation, everything is as good as you'd see in pro hockey.

And I think that's, you need guys like that too in your organization.

And I think if it's your goalie, you know, that just gives everybody confidence knowing that,

you know, they got a guy back there doing everything he can to help our team and stop Pucks.

And yeah, he's been good for us.

Been good for the Czech Republic had success with them as well.

Last year in one of World Championships, I think one or two years ago.

So he's proven he can sort of handle some pressure.

And, you know, he loves being a net.

He loves the challenge of trying to stop Pucks.

It's going to be a great finish here, Scott.

We really appreciate your time.

Best of luck, the rest of the way.

Thanks for doing this.

No problem, guys.

Good talking to you.

Thanks.

Thanks for your time.

Appreciate it.

Scott, need a Meyer.

Just hold on.

There's a bit of a follow-up to that story in 1991 that

once the Leafs found out that they were flirting with the basement,

they went and made another trade with the Quebec Nordiques.

And they pulled veterans to veterans.

I can't remember who and sent them draft picks.

So they wouldn't bottom out.

So they, so they wouldn't bottom out and have the first overall pick

go to New Jersey, which was Eric Lindros.

They couldn't be seen as having given away Eric Lindros.

Yes.

So probably the Eric, if they don't make the curvish trade for the first round.

They bottom out and get Eric.

They get Eric Lindros.

Did you know that, Sammy?

I did.

I like barely knew it, but I did kind of know that.

Like, if you had to give Boston the pick this year,

if you're the Leafs, maybe you should have added at the deadline just to give them a worst

pick, but obviously there's different stipulations.

Yeah.

Hey, fun fact with the, with the clauses on the Leafs pick thing this year.

Did you know clauses?

Like, so this year, their pick is top five protected.

Yes, they finished the top five.

Yeah, keep it.

Why not guarantee because there's, well, you could bump them out.

It could bump them out.

So, but let's say they get their pick in the top five this year.

Next year, Boston's pick gets bumped to the next year.

Yes.

If Toronto were to then finish in the bottom 10 again.

Yes.

So like a really bad, whatever they would actually get to pick,

whether they want to give the pick to Boston or Philly.

So then Boston could, if you gave it to Philly,

Boston would get bumped to 2028, I'm protected.

I didn't know that.

Yeah, I just learned it this morning from Rory Boylin, our editor.

Yeah, Rory Boylin broke that name to me today.

Yeah.

So there's a way, there's some flexibility then.

Yes.

So I'm not saying that is a plus.

I'm just saying that they are, it's the way it's all going to shake out

if they're bad for some years.

By the way, there's a world where 2028 is the year, they're the worst.

For sure.

As they hang on here and try to make it work for another year.

They trade every one away.

There's a year where this is a nightmare.

The whole thing.

Yeah.

This is my nightmare.

And you get Eric Lindrod's first overall.

I promised this yesterday, and this is the new segment

that I promised you, Kipper, that you were going to be.

It's called Kipper's Tank Watch.

OK?

Because I knew you were going to be really fired up with the segments.

But I want to name it after you, brother.

That's OK.

I appreciate it.

So these are the games we need tonight.

Yeah.

Need the devils over the flames.

OK?

Flames are uncatchable in terms of, in terms of awfulness.

And the devils are right around the bush.

Oh, one point difference to the least you need.

So need the devils over the flames.

Which is doable.

Need St. Louis over Carolina.

Feels a little bit more, a little tougher.

I didn't have it.

It's in Carolina too, I think.

So it's a tougher one.

Need jets over Rangers tonight.

That's doable.

Because jets are, I think, two points ahead of the Leafs

are right there in terms of flirting around with the Leafs.

Need Chicago over Utah tonight.

In Utah.

OK.

And you need Nashville over Vancouver tonight in Vancouver.

A lot of bad teams playing tonight.

Give me a chance.

So there we go.

That's what we need tonight.

And Kipper's Tank Watch will get the sounder for tomorrow.

I guess like a gun.

Let's do the drivers who love that.

I'm adding to this.

OK.

Kipper's tank standings.

Oh, OK.

OK.

Devils over flames.

Who's taking?

Devils.

All right.

Devils.

OK, that's three of us.

OK.

St. Louis over Carolina.

And let's get a point for St. Louis and overtime.

OK.

Sammy takes St. Louis.

No, take Carolina and overtime.

Look at a point.

All right.

Jets, Rangers.

Jets.

You just hope that's not a three-point game.

Yeah.

I'll take Rangers.

OK.

You hope it's a three-point game.

Oh, you're right.

You do.

You're hoping for a three-point game.

Yeah, there's the opposite.

All right.

Utah over Chicago for me.

I'm going to Utah for Chicago, too.

Chicago's pretty un-catchy.

Yeah, they're pretty off.

Oh, they're right there.

So we're all in Nashville over Vancouver.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So that's what we need tonight, boys.

OK, here we go.

Let's get this.

Get first take, everybody.

Label the board.

Thanks, Jakey, boy.

Wow.

Sammy, you really thought about this?

I wish I could take credit for this, but this is all Jake.

Look how doable this is.

It's so doable, boys.

It's so, so doable.

When the peg's only three-point, it's fine.

It's going against every fiber in my body.

Listen, you're telling me there's a chance.

Then why is your name on the stage?

Yeah.

Because I...

All right, come on.

Can they keep it close?

I'm happy if they keep it close tonight.

I think there's one that's a fun to see tonight.

It's, you know, high scoring game.

Riley finds it a bit.

Pazetta creates some excitement.

Seven, two, ducks.

Go, Groo gets a...

No.

Not seven, two.

Seven, two, ducks.

I'm going to run him off.

Six, five.

Yeah, I'm okay with that.

Let's get 10, 11 goals in.

Right?

All right.

OK.

Coming up, national.

Eddie O'Chuck.

Oh, we're good.

Give it a shot.

Give it a shot.

And Ken Bulkey to talk a little vagus, Abby.

Yeah, they stink, so we should probably find out what's going on.

All right, we will.

Plenty more.

Don't go away.

It's a real Kipper and Braun Show.