World Cup of Hockey Sees Prague and Calgary THRUST Into Global Hockey SPOTLIGHT

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On today's episode of Lockdown NHL, the world cup of hockey is starting to get put into

motion.

Will Russia be one of the teams that will be participating plus the best Patrick's on

St. Patrick's Day?

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Hello, I'm Seth Topall.

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On today's episode of Lockdown NHL, we will discuss the news that the world cup of

hockey knows its host cities for 2028 and the news that Russia may be involved.

We'll also take a look at the wild card standings in both the East and the West, the St.

Louis Blues making a push.

Can they repeat what they did in 2019 and make it out of here into the playoffs?

We'll talk about the best Patrick's on, of course, St. Patrick's Day.

My name is Seth Topall, host of Lockdown Wild, joined by JD Young of Lockdown Sharks.

And JD, before we talk about which teams could, which teams won't make it into the wild

card standings, we do have some updates on the world's cup of hockey, which is returning

in 2028 for the first time since 2016, this lines up with the NHL's desire to have essentially

Olympic standings in years in which the Olympics aren't taking place because the All-Star

game, it feels like it's done, it feels like the All-Star game is just gone.

Yeah, I know they're doing something next year because the Isles were supposed to get

it, right?

They want to show off their new barn and all that fun stuff, but I get that.

I think, I mean, the players would rather probably be on vacation than have to go out and

it feels very much like at a circus when you're like, they're doing the animal training

and like the animal tricks.

That's very much what the All-Star game feels like now.

It's like, okay, let's go out and skate through some cones and see if the fastest skater

we know is going to be Conor McDavid and they all got to do all that fun stuff.

Like, we don't care.

And I think especially since the four nations, and it was funny if you rewind the tape,

you and I were both like, I don't know, man, this four nation thing kind of sounds a

little bit weird.

And then we get the first game and we're like, oh my gosh, this is great.

Who could have thought, yeah, best or best hockey would be this great.

And then of course, we get treated with a really great Olympics experience this year.

It makes sense for the NHL to try to kind of go back to that well because these best

on best tournaments, I think are, you know, when the league gets its most-minded attention,

you can make some arguments about the type of attention that it has received after the games

or surrounding the games and stuff.

But the on-ice products has definitely lived up to the hype, right?

And we, you know, the US first Canada gold game was absolutely outstanding, right?

And even the games leading up to that absolutely outstanding.

And the four nations, the same thing, right?

That US Canada gold game was amazing as well.

So, like, 100%, they should do this stuff.

And especially if you want to grow the gaming, I love the idea.

I know it's going to be weird with the, you know, trying to figure it out.

But like, having half the tournament in Prague and having half the tournament in Calgary,

I love that idea because then it gives you a chance to continue to grow the game

and get it out there in front of more and more fans.

So, yeah, I cannot wait super excited to count me in.

Yeah, so my only thing here is

so Prague and Calgary are a ways apart.

Yes.

Pretty far apart.

So, that's the only thing.

And that's kind of, you know, that's splitting hairs at this point.

Honestly, I feel like you go and you give a country a year

and let them be the host for the preliminaries.

If you want to have a different place, host the finals.

Sure, by all means.

But it just, it feels like you put it in one central location and turn it into like a spectacle kind of a thing.

And like, you know, Canada obviously can factor in pretty heavily.

They have the infrastructure to be able to do it.

The United States has the infrastructure to be able to do it.

Europe.

I mean, take your pick.

Yeah.

Pretty much every country over there has the infrastructure to be able to do this.

And so you just, you turn it into its own kind of spin on the Olympics where a different country gets a chance to host.

Provided that the arenas are up to specifically or built from scratch.

So I, I would like to kind of see them try to turn it into a little bit more of like a mini Olympics.

Yeah, as far as the hockey goes, but that's, you know, this much like we saw with the four nations.

You know, these are the, let's get this back and going and let's kind of figure it out on the fly.

Yeah.

So other than that, you know, the other big piece of news that everybody's keeping an eye on because even with the Olympics having happened this year.

There was a lot of talk about like, well, what would the roster look like if Russia were able to participate?

They got a few, they get a few good hockey players that would, would make up that roster.

And Gary Batman was, now he didn't give a firm answer.

He didn't outright say no.

His exact response was that there was no immediate need for a decision.

So that is, that's interesting.

Obviously a lot of that is out of his hands, but the fact that, you know, this would be something that would not be.

This would not be like an Olympic sanctioned event.

Yeah.

It's not the IAAHF.

So, which has, has banned Russia from all competitions since 2012.

It's actually, it's kind of crazy.

It's been that long.

Like you kind of forget how long it's been, but right, because they haven't played well juniors and all those times.

Like, you know, of course, they weren't at the Olympics this year.

So it will be interesting, because I know there's going to be, again, inside there's going to have, you know.

Yes, they should play it.

They're just pro athletes.

No, of course, right, with, with the war with Ukraine.

But yeah, it's going to be very interesting.

If they do this, and then if this is maybe that door that opens it up for the IAAHF to, again, allow Russia to start, you know, participating in some events, right?

Like, well juniors, which, again, they haven't been able to participate in.

That's big for, like, the world juniors, especially big for, you know, a lot of Russian players who, you know, maybe scout someone to watch them as much.

And it's harder to watch KSL tape or MHL tape or VHL tape, getting to see these kids play best on best type of competition.

You know, for some of it, this is their big opportunity, right?

And, you know, like, think of a guy like, not Russian player, but guy like Albert Smith, who, you know, playing over in Europe, comes over for world juniors, makes the statement.

And then he goes to the Olympics and right now he's potentially a top five, five to seven pick of the draft, because he's an 18 year old kid who is playing, you know, playing big time minutes on a profession.

It's on a profession, you know, on the Olympic team there.

So, yeah, I'm very curious to see if this starts to kind of open the door for some of these Russian players, right?

When you keep saying best on best on best.

Russia, I think it's pretty fair to say that you've got, like you said, they have some good players here, and you'd probably want to just for the sake of the competition, not trying to keep everything outside of hockey, outside of hockey right now.

That's for the sake of competition, right? You want to see Kutrov, and you want to see some of these other great Russian players, or Ovechkin maybe get that last final run, maybe not with this World Cup, but like, you want to see these, these, these great Russian players also get a chance to play, you know, in a true best on best competition.

The NHLPA assistant executive director Ron Hanzi said, it'll be 18, it'll be eight teams that will be participating in the World Cup of hockey.

I think we can safely guess US and Canada will be part of it.

They did say it will be the top eight nations, so it feels like, feels like the four right off the bat, US, Canada, Sweden, Finland.

Yep.

Czechia.

Czechia.

Yep.

And beyond that, you know, there's, there's, there are spots to be had.

Yeah.

I mean, Slovakia, like, Slovakia at an amazing Olympics there.

I think you probably count them pretty safely in there.

Yeah, I, I, but yeah, you, Russia, you do wonder, like, kind of what other teams could maybe kind of make in Germany.

I would assume it would probably be in the mix as well too.

It'll be interesting if it'll just be NHL players, because like, I don't think you can make up a full team of German NHL players.

You know, like, you can with USA or Russia or Sweden or Finland, right?

But I assume for those World Cup hockey, you're probably going to have to maybe draw for teams like Slovakia and Germany.

And some of these other guys to try to kind of fill out your roster a little bit as we just saw with the Olympics.

So the semi final and the final will not be decided by three on three over time, either.

Cowards, two on two.

It will be settled.

Shootouts, but it's the goalie taking the shot.

And then you have a regular skater in that.

Shootouts, it's the entire roster skating at once.

Whichever team, whichever, whichever team gets more goals ends up winning.

I think it's a red rover situation where they start at the blue, each team starts at the blue line.

Or like the old XFL kickoffs, and then there's one puck in the middle, and they all just rush towards the puck.

Player safety, though.

Yeah, George, George Parris is actually, he's jotting those notes down.

He's trying to get that. He's trying to get that.

So we'll keep an eye on the World Cup of hockey as it gets closer, but some major tractionist news.

Yeah, I said tractionists.

Major tractionist news, gaining some steam here this week.

And of course, we will keep an eye on it.

Just like we're keeping an eye on the wild card standings, because guess what?

Some movement has occurred.

So we'll take a look at who's in, who's out, who hopes to be in, but we'll definitely be out.

Bob, that's all coming up as we continue today's episode of locked on NHL right after this.

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All right JD let's take a look at the wild card standings let's start in the west start in the one that is the most interesting.

The Utah mammoth who I have been claiming for weeks are probably the fourth best team in the western conference.

It does a very fair assessment given the state of the money Pacific yeah it's it's not great it's not great in the Pacific the Seattle Kraken Seattle Kraken have the wild card spot with 71 points

tied with the Los Angeles Kings the sharks are one point out Nashville somehow is four points out of a playoff spot at this point the Winnipeg Jets who were left for dead on the side of the road are five points out of a playoff spot and the St. Louis Blues trying to recapture their 2019 Stanley Cup magic they are seven points out of a playoff spot right now stop it.

That's yeah but they got to jump like five teams to get back in a playoff spot there yeah true so which okay so let the crossofts and yes I know right it's a weird year but like the blues are making it I will like eat my hat if they somehow climb all those teams to make it yes they run a nice run here at seven two and one they also have like the third worst goal differential in the league at my heart.

Yeah not great not great not great Bob and then you have the Jets like okay maybe but I think that's again you still have to jump four teams if you're the Jets right and they sold at the deadline yeah even the predators who are four points back

and they've gone three five and two in their last ten here so they're they're running clearly running out of steam they sold at the dead like they were big time sellers at the deadline like I I don't yeah I don't have faith in the predators I think the team is there's going to be some changes there especially this off season with the new GM potentially coming in place so I think you could draw the line there between those teams right and then I do think it comes down to basically Seattle LA

in San Jose where then are all kind of fighting for that spot and you do have the oilers who like they do have 75 points but all the other teams have games in hand on the oilers yeah the oilers have 68 point or have 68 games played in 75 points and they just lost the undribe title for a quote-quote short amount of time here so that is a team that could tumble down here a little bit so I'll say those four teams are kind of fighting for the those two spots the last but the

Pacific because you feel like Utah like Utah feels pretty safe I think you'd have to do something yeah and they just like that the teams been very good I think they they also they won in Dallas they beat Dallas saying to handle it by the way that's a very nice win for that team yeah I know there's schedules a little tough here but you have the oilers to crack in I think the kings and the sharks all fighting for the like that specific three and then that final like wild card two spot here so who do you like

I'll tell you who I don't like the Los Angeles Kings have the same amount of regulation wins is the Chicago Blackhawks this year and five five more regulation wins than Vancouver one fewer regulation win than the New York Rangers have that season that's a tough type raker right there for them they have

feasted on the overtime points there 15 overtime losses for them feasted on that loser point this season I'm gonna say it I think the sharks will leapfrog the kings and the Crackin and take the second wild card spot I can see the especially the Crackin schedules brutal down the stretch here too like they have especially the end of the month here they have a very tough

tough schedule at the end of the month so the Crackin play they play Tuesday they play Tampa then they play Nashville which I know I just pooped on Nashville but then they're on the road versus Columbus at Florida at Tampa at Buffalo at Edmonton to end the month right there

yeah that's not a great schedule and I know the Panthers are out of it but still like that's a that's a brutal schedule and that Tampa like yeah Tampa Florida

the out of not a fun trip there no no it isn't so I will say the sharks uh in Crackin kings predators out okay and the oilers you got the oilers still in

uh yeah I I think I think Conor McDaniel is good enough he's good enough to keep them like oh well

not cool maybe I mean you never know um I think he gave him like six months he'd be really

gonna go yeah just six months he could he could do it in an off season yeah um but I I think he's

good enough to keep them in the playoffs and I mean Seattle like who who is going to who among us

is going to hop them for that spot the kings no the Crackin no the shark should be the only team

they could but I I think they'll just settle in as that wild card too I think they do it too uh I

think I think celebrate I believe you gotta believe and then if he does it uh that's your that's your

heart trophy right there in Celebrity right if if Celebrity drags this team to the playoffs that's

your heart trophy so why not let's go to the east let's go to the east yeah and the uh the Buffalo

Sabers uh second most points in the Eastern Conference like we all expected there I know and they

can uh like would you be surprised at the Sabers were the one seed like I wouldn't be surprised

the way that that team is playing I just saw that team and I get to see him again this week that

team is a freaking juggernaut right now like uh they are peaking at the right time uh that is a

very very good team that's very deep they can defend they got great gold tending right now uh that's

I yeah I think they're the ones I think they come out as the one seed uh even other behind

their arcane right now uh that team is playing with like yeah I think that game against the lightning

gave them some life give them some juice um that like we like enforce that confidence of like oh yeah

this isn't a mirage like we're the real deal beaten the break just beating the breaks off each

other for a full game and that uh that just gave them some life uh wild cards as of right now

the Detroit Red Wings uh occupy the top spot 82 points the Boston Bruins are in the wild card

two uh Columbus is two points out auto is four points out yep Philly and Washington are seven

points out no you can draw the line right there just draw yeah I you also you have the Canadians

who are 82 points so they're tied with the Red Wings you have the Islanders who are also at 81

points who are tied with the Bruins uh and there so this is a little bit more and then even the

Penguins are 83 uh I think they're I think the penguins are going to be safe here soon because

Malkin's back you assume cries he's going to be back they had a very impressive win tonight

against the abs here so you feel like they're going to be safe to to to make it here but um

the Red Wings man that they're like losing larkin and losing cop right now this team cannot score

uh you do worry like because it's right it felt like this was the year they're finally going to

break it and get back on the playoffs and I know it's a lot but man the SENS that SENS team is really good

I know it's they got they got a lot of points uh to catch up in there their goal ten he has been

horrific this season but it looks like they finally are turning around here I don't know if it's too

little too late but that SENS team is is very good yeah and they that's the you don't want to play

him in the first round team like that isn't that team correct although saber sends would be so much

fun sick uh the senators are the senators have done exactly what they needed to do over their last

couple of of series uh particularly on the road they they did exactly what they needed to do

uh on the road but you know I I think I would tend to lean uh towards the senators amongst

that grouping kind of that Columbus area look Rick Cohn has done an amazing job with that team

but ultimately I just I think there are some roster things that need to be figured out with

that blue jackets team before they're ready to truly compete for a playoff spot uh the Boston

Bruins I think you know we're we're getting to the point now where you look at and you kind of

wonder like how are they doing it yes and it it's just it it doesn't matter at this point

necessarily how they're doing it it's the fact that they continue to get it done um you know the

interesting one for me is Pittsburgh like it feels like Pittsburgh has been trying to get the car

to the gas station with the low fuel light on for the last like six weeks and just hoping that they

can coax enough magic out of it to uh to get them to the promised land they got

ten shootout losses on the season one shootout win they're one and ten in shootouts this year

points of point baby they don't ask how they just yeah they just ask how many so but yeah I think

go better I think though like with Crosby and Malkin back like I think they're going to get it done

so yeah I I for some reason man this sends to you I just I think the sends get in I think the

Bruins get knocked out I like the islanders too like that they have like the goal ten you with

the islanders I think the Canadians get in I think the Red Wings get in as well I think yeah for

me I think the sends jump the Bruins and get into that last spot and we get a we get treated to an

absolute glorious saber sends first round which would be um met one for the ages right there one

for the AC see I think Detroit falls out ooh with larke with that larke and yeah I I think that's

exactly why is I think it's just too big of an injury at this point in the year and their margins have

been too like they they have been razor thin on their margins every point that they can possibly

grab and I think the magic just runs out at some point here uh poor Red Wings too bad to the

sharks get back in the playoffs before the Red Wings and it's just sharks get back into the playoffs

the Minnesota wild win around in the postseason for the first time in the stavars go deep in the

playoffs yeah the Detroit on the altar again this yeah the playoffs of yeah I just wipe

it away all the like bad juju and stuff like that like all all the storylines but anyway

they say all the goodwill yeah all the goodwill except for the Red Wings the eyes are

planned you're 50 to the eyes are playing baby that's our year that's our year well we'll try to

lift Red Wings spirits by a little St. Patrick's theming to finish off the show because we're

going to talk about the most patty Patrick's there are in NHL history that is coming up as we

finished modern history post lockout that's all coming up as we finished today's locked on NHL

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final segment of today's edition of locked on NHL once again we thank you for making locked on NHL

your first list in each and every day finishing with a little bit of a Saint Patrick's feel as we're

talking about post lockout the best Patrick's to ever do it greatest of all time the greatest

Patrick's on Saint Patrick's Day and so I will let you start with your list JD and we'll

fill in the rest after that so this one count Sydney Patrick Crosby middle name Patrick

uh because he's pretty good if you want to count him Sydney Patrick Crosby I think it's pretty

good uh I think you also have to uh I'll do my amount rush more I guess uh Sydney Patrick Crosby

you have one Patrick Kane who's arguably the best US player to ever uh lay some up uh the Ironman

himself Patrick Marlow who's played the most games in NHL history I have to throw him in there

as a uh you know uh you know very much a hometown there and then I'm gonna go with one of the best

looking men on TV Patrick Sharp also playing for the Black Hawks uh I think that's that's a pretty

good four Patrick's right there the four Patrick Patrick yeah oh my gosh um I will add to the list

a player who has been pivotal in several Stanley Cups post line out uh and a player who

I think just embodies um veteran grit and presence I'm of course talking about

another key fixture on the 2019 St. Louis Blues Stanley Cup team and also a member of uh

of a couple of Tampa Bay Lightning Patrick Fowler I think I think he prefers uh patty

as his uh his middle name and uh lots of gold uh Pat Maroon um it was by Pat but this that has to

count because uh I mean what did he finish with three Stanley Cups yeah three more than uh you and I

have unfortunately uh well you know never played the game uh fair that's that's very fair I guess um

so that's you know that's the most notable obviously you you had the good ones uh yeah I you know

I think some other ones I think who kind of missed the mark here you're just missed right uh you have

Nolan Patrick who was of course a very high pick by the Philadelphia Flyers uh he was the second

overall pick in the 2017 draft but unfortunately concussions derailed his entire career there uh so

you you always like always one of those one if what if type of players right if if he kind of

were able to keep it going but I think the the best player for today only has to be Patrick

Sullivan who played for the Phoenix Coyotes among other teams he also played uh for the Hurricanes

the Oilers the Kings and your Minnesota Wild uh as well like Patrick Sullivan uh the the player

of the day today right it's his day uh we just you know we're all just lucky to be here right

I uh I would like to nominate a coach okay and I think he had I think he had a decent playing

career too um currently has the uh the title of uh three letter last name uh Patrick Wa

yes yes uh just missed the cutoff from our playing as we tired it right before but yeah

Patrick Wa coaching oh that's your yeah with a line you have you could have

Cindy Patrick Crosby in the center Patrick Marlow on one side uh with Patrick Kane on the other

side of your way that's a pretty solid uh for decent and then you said you've got Pat Maroon to

be the enforcer on the ice yeah lay the lumber yeah uh and Patrick Wa on the bench yelling at

the opposing head coach yeah I I like it so yeah it's pretty good it's a short it it's a

shortage list but honestly you know there it there's got to be a little bit of a St. Patrick's

feel to it and um we we just finished talking about which teams we think will find the pot of

gold at the end of the rainbow that is the uh the regular season and the grueling long journey

that that is so St. Patrick's theme all throughout sure it's me sure it's me yeah all throughout

that will wrap it up for today's locked on NHL once again if you have not already make sure

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got new episodes for you every Monday through Friday as part of the locked on podcast network we are

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