Two Man Forecheck

Episode 0254: Kane Contract Terminated; Flames Arena Deal; Coyotes Homeless; Rask is Back; Twitter Polls; Krejci is Puzzled; Standout Freshmen Defensemen and More!

The new year is behind us, the virus is around us and the NHL pushes on, so we will as well.  Evander Kane will have his contract terminated by the San Jose Sharks in another move to get the much maligned winger out of town.  His money will help re-sign Tomas Hertl among others this off-season.  Where could he land?  The Calgary Flames deal for a new arena has died and they will continue to play in the Saddledome, but at least they have a home.  The Arizona Coyotes will be homeless as of June 30th.  To quote the Glendale AZ city manager, Kevin Phelps, "We decided we weren't going to wait until the kids were out of high school to get the divorce."  The NHL could not get the owner of the Phoenix Suns to help out, and a new arena will take as much as 6 years to build.  Where will they be next season?  Tuukka Rask has signed a professional tryout with the Providence Bruins, but may not play for them before joining the big club.  David Krejci, who has multiple times stated that he will not be returning to the B's, is puzzled by the move of Pastrnak to the second line.  We break down 5 freshman defensemen around college hockey and the Twitter Poll from last week.  We also have a new Twitter Poll out for everyone to vote on.  Lots to comment on and interact with us.  Enjoy the Show!

Episode 0253: The Marchand Plan; USA Women’s Team; Evason Extended; Taxi Squads; Sea/Van Get It Right; WJC Cancelled; Oilers Big Blunder; Rangers Deadline Possibles; Sean Day; Metis Roelens and More!

The first show of the new year for the Two Man Forecheck and its full of stories (feel good and otherwise).  We start with the unhappiness of Brad Marchand at the NHL not allowing players to go to the Olympics and his plan.  USA has also released the roster for the women's Olympic team and there are many familiar names on it.  Dean Evason has inked a new 3 year deal with the Minnesota Wild.  We talk about taxi squads and their purpose.  The Kraken and Canucks honor a fan who helped out assistant Red Hamilton by giving her $10,000 toward medical school for pointing out a mole that turned out to be cancerous.  The World Juniors were cancelled for the men after announcing that the women's tournament was cancelled.  Could there have been backlash over cancelling one and not the other?  Dmitri Samorukov played in his first NHL game and only saw 2:28 of ice time before being benched for the remainder.  How much psychological damage have the Oilers done to this player?  There are many possibles on the Rangers for deadline day but we identify a couple of surprises.  Sean Day has finally broken into the NHL and the Maine Mariners have signed a 6'4" center from Belgium.  And some discussion about GMs.  So much to talk about this week...Enjoy the Show.

Episode 0252: IIHF Women Cancelled; IIHF Predictions; Eichel to Ducks?; Former Bruins Succeeding; Family Reunion; Kraken Mascot Reveal; Pause Extended; Twitter Poll and More!

With Christmas behind us, we focus on the new year and hopefully get back to the art of hockey.  The IIHF however has cancelled the women's U18 tourney, to be played in Sweden, and folks aren't happy about it.  There are always predictions regarding who will win the IIHF tournament but McKeens has taken it a bit further and voted on many aspects of the competition.  Before being traded to the Golden Knights, Jack Eichel was offered to the Anaheim Ducks.  The return on the deal was laughable and in need of conversation.  We break down four former Bruins who are succeeding in their new organizations.  The Fujimagari family was reunited after being apart for two years.  The Seattle Kraken will be revealing their new mascot via NFT, with only 32 owners.  A Twitter poll was put out asking what your team needed for the new year.  The results were interesting to say the least. Finally, the NHL has paused the season a little longer, but not yet into the new year.  We will be back with a new show in the new year, so Happy New Year everyone and Enjoy the show!

Episode 0251: NHL Pause; John Gillies; D Scoring; Kraken Swindle; Robby Fabbri; All Star Voting; Winter Classic; Brett Connolly; Jacob Chychrun and More!

With Christmas on the horizon and a new year set to begin soon, we delve deep into what's going on around the league.  The big news which we expected is that the NHL is going to pause until after Christmas at the earliest.  How long will this continue?  The Devils have utilized 6, yes 6 goaltenders this season, and we haven't reached Christmas yet.  The bigger surprise may be that this ties a team record.  Mike takes a deep dive into D scoring in the league and relates it to the Boston defense. Have the Kraken swindled their fans and the hockey community?  We attempt to answer this question.  Robby Fabbri has inked a new deal in Detroit.  Is he a 4 million dollar player?  The All Star Voting has begun and there are no surprises.  Will the Winter Classic be played?  We make our picks anyway.  The Office of Player Safety got it right (Mike admits this) with regards to Brett Connolly's hit on Tanner Kero.  Joe Haggerty writes that Jacob Chychrun will solve the B's biggest issue and we break down a deal posited by a commenter on an Athletic article about Boston's goaltending.  Merry Christmas to all, this is our gift to you!  Enjoy the Show!

Episode 0250: NHL Power Rankings; Gaudreau & Tkachuk; Benning/Green Out; Milestones; Jenny Potter; Vigneault Sacked; Bishop Done; Eichel Updates; Matvei Michkov and More!

Christmas is coming and for some teams that is a good thing as we point out in this week's episode.  There have been no major player moves to this point but we have seen Jim Benning fired.  Joining him are Travis Green and Alain Vigneault.  Bruce Boudreau is in for Vancouver and Mike Yeo for Philly.  We break down the NHL power rankings and identify a couple of surprises on the list.  Johnny Hockey will be a UFA at the end of the season and Matthew Tkachuk an RFA.  Can Calgary afford both?  Can they afford to lose either player?  A few milestones were hit and we talk about them.  Jenny Potter will be inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame and it is much deserved.  Ben Bishop may be calling it a career as he has a degenerative knee injury.  Jack Eichel brings the good cheer to the Golden Knights and the U.S. Olympic teams as he has been seen back on skates and we talk about the young Russian, Matvei Michkov, who at 16 years and 11 months is one year younger than another famous player named Ovechkin when he made his first appearance on the Russian National Team.  The holidays are nearing so sit back and enjoy our gift to you...Episode 250!  Enjoy the Show!

Episode 0249: Racism Rears Up Again; NHL‘s Marketing Problem; Mikyla Grant-Mentis; Northeastern Hockey; Dean Evason; The DeBrusk Saga; Colleen Murphy, Brady Tkachuk and More!

We are into December and things are heating up around hockey in many ways and fashions.  This week we start with another issue with racism against a 16 year old, Mark Connors in P.E.I.  We identify the NHL's marketing problem and we talk about Mikyla Grant-Mentis who has made the Forbes 30 under 30 list of sports figures.  Northeastern University hockey is successful, but not just for the men.  Dean Evason should be getting an extension, so we break down why.  Jake DeBrusk has asked to be traded out of Boston and we talk about why.  Colleen Murphy has re-signed with the Metropolitan Riveters, the first time in her career that she will be staying with the same team.  Finally, we talk about the ludicrous behavior of yet another member of the Lemieux family.  This time it's Brandon, biting Brady Tkachuk.  All this and the Arizona Coyotes moving (not) and Evander Kane going to the minors.  Lots to form opinions about so give a listen, tell us what you think and Enjoy the Show!

Episode 0248: Black Friday Standings; Marchand Hearing; Bergevin Fired; Canucks Changes; Trade Block; Kane Clears Waivers and More!

Welcome Back!  We hope everyone had a very good Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and that all are filled to the brim with food and hockey.  This episode we talk about the standings as of Black Friday.  As they say, come U.S. Thanksgiving, you know where you stand in the NHL.  There isn't much change.  We break down the Panthers and discuss Nasem Kadri (fourth in scoring).  Brad Marchand will have a hearing regarding a possible slew foot on O.E.L., but should he?  Marc Bergevin, GM of the Canadiens, was fired, but the timing appears to be off.  We shake the trees and show that maybe now was not the time to do it.  The Vancouver Canucks are ready and expecting changes to come, but what is the real reason for the calamity in the northwest?  We discuss six players that may be on the trade block.  Evander Kane has cleared waivers and it is rumored that the Sharks are willing to swallow half his salary to make him go away.  Who are the potential suitors and should Boston get involved?  Finally, Mikku Koivu was a fixture in the face-off circle for the Wild for 15 years.  His number will be retired in March and it is well deserved.  Happy start to the silly holiday season, and Enjoy the Show!

Episode 0247: NHL Standings Conundrum; Colliton Out; Vancouver Issues; Eichel Trade; Ovi Catching Up; Tweet of the Week and More!

After a two week hiatus, the Forecheck is back and in action!  We start with the conundrum that is the NHL standings.  Confusing and frustrating, we attempt to make sense of it.  Jeremy Colliton has been fired by the Blackhawks and replaced by Derek King.  We get into the issues regarding the Vancouver Canucks.  Jack Eichel has been traded and we disseminate whether he would be centering a line better than the top lines of the Bruins and Avs.  Ovi is the first player in the league this season to reach double digit goals, and that isn't all he's accomplished.  We get into the numbers.  We discuss what Mike calls the Tweet of the Week and pick our two teams (one from each conference) currently in the playoffs who will fall out.  All this and so much more in an extended version of the Two Man Forecheck!  Next week should see us back to a normal time length so...Enjoy the Show!

Episode 0246: The Eichel Saga; Aldrich/Skalde Fallout; Hot Seat GMs; Leafs All Time Game Winners; Danton Heinen; Marchand/B‘s Issues; Messier; Red Wings and More!

With every team approaching 10 games completed, we are starting to see the cream rise to the top of their respective divisions.  There are a couple surprises but most are where they should be.  We start with the possible end in sight for the Eichel saga.  We also discuss the beginning of the fall out for the Aldrich and Skalde stories.  A brief touch on a couple GM's that may be on the hot seat and some teams that are racing for 32.  We thought it was just Arizona, but there may be one or two more.  The Maple Leafs history of players who have scored the most game winning goals includes 3 current roster players.  How is it possible with this talent to not have a deep playoff run in recent memory?  Danton Heinen is leading the Pens in scoring.  Brad Marchand has stated that he isn't playing his best at the moment, so we talk about this and the Bruins issues.  Mark Messier has a new book coming out and has taken part in an interview where he was asked about the guarantee he made.  Crosby is back however Oshie is now out week to week.  Finally, the Red Wings are winning and there is a video displaying why they are not the basement dwellers they have been the past couple seasons.  Happy Halloween everyone, this is our treat to you!  Enjoy the Show! 

Episode 0245: Kovi New GM; Shasby New Head Coach; Doughty Injured; USHL Fall Classic; NAHL Showcase; Brad 2 From 400; Kraken Retire 32; Eichel Grievance and More!

Now with 10 days of the 2021-22 season in the books, we take a look at what is going on around the league and the world.  Kavalchuk, who has not officially retired from hockey, has been named new GM of the Russian National Team.  We delve into this and the coaches that have been named as well.  Matt Shasby has been dubbed the new head coach of the University of Alaska at Anchorage ice hockey team, which will start up next season after much fundraising garnered enough money to bring it back.  Drew Doughty has been injured after a knee to knee hit with Jani Hakanpaa.  Is this another Samuelsson on Neely situation?  The USHL held their Fall Classic and the NAHL held their Showcase this past week.  There was a turnout, reportedly, of over 300 scouts at the Showcase which indicates that teams, professional and otherwise, are leaving no stone unturned for talent.  Brad Marchand is 2 assists away from 400.  The Kraken have already retired a number...32.  Eichel could file a grievance with the NHL and Bill Guerin could be in hot water from his time with the Pens.  So much to discuss so let us know what you think and Enjoy the Show!