Two Man Forecheck

Episode 0047: Injuries Pile Up, Penguins Win 3...A Good Thing?, The Mailbag, Ottawa's Owner and GM Sound Off, Trade Talk and Add One!

Just in time for the final week before Christmas, The Forecheckers come at you with another jam packed episode.  Speaking of jam packed, the injured lists around the NHL are filling up like children's gift lists.  We talk about the possible reasons why the current rash has taken place.  One thing on Jim Rutherford and the Pittsburgh Penguins' wish list is another Stanley Cup, but would this be a good thing for the NHL?  Mike offers his three-prong answer while Chris just says "no", but who's right?  Listen and decide for yourself, maybe even drop a comment or question like Dallas Johnson.  Dallas, we thank you for the question, and hopefully we answered it to your liking.  Keep those questions coming.  Last week we talked about expansion and relocation, and it continues this week as Eugene Melnyk, in a round about way, threw his own team into the mix.  That and Kyle Turris blames him for his move to Nashville.  We close out with some trade talk around the league, but mainly focused on James Neal, and finally we have the Zarley Zalapski inspired Add One!  Come on in and warm up with some great hockey conversation!!  Welcome to the Two Man Forecheck.

Episode 0046: Dirty Joe Thornton and Others, Rivalries in the NHL, The Sale of Carolina, The Expansion in Seattle, Americans on the Bruins and Add One!

With one of the Forecheckers down due to illness, the podcast got a late start this week, but is as exciting as ever.  We start out with a discussion on the dirtiness (is that a word) of Joe Thornton.  He's been suspended before, but was his hit on T.J. Oshie dirty?  And what of other "dirty" players in the NHL?  Are there ways of reducing the number of dirty hits and tactics in the NHL?  Hint...don't eliminate fighting.  We then transition to the sale of the Carolina Hurricanes.  One of the stipulations is that they stay in Carolina, but is that feasible?  We chew the fat on this and other sites where there could be potential expansion.  Seattle appears to be the frontrunner, but are there better options?  Houston, San Antonio, Quebec City?  And with a franchise fee north of 600 million dollars, how can a new franchise make this work.  To lighten the discussion, we finish with the Bruins, with 10 of their 18 skaters being from the United States.  How USA Hockey has improved over the last ten or so years...and finally...ADD ONE!  Come on in, sit down, give us a listen!  Then give us some feedback!  Questions and comments are always answered and appreciated!

Episode 0045: The Latest NHL Trade, Fixing the Red Wings, All Star Captains, Ovechkin Keepin' On, Evander Kane, NHL Expansion and the Houston Franchise, The Future Salary Cap and 7 Bruins Defensemen

 The Forecheckers discuss the latest trade in the NHL, one that most believe to be a win for both teams, but do we think this is the case?  We transition to the Detroit Red Wings and their current situation.  Could either of the players involved in the trade help here.  Chris and Mike discuss possible solutions to the problem.  From here we delve deep into the pool of All Star Captains.  Who are the usual suspects?  Could some well deserving players get the fat end of the goalie stick?  And is it possible that we could see a goaltender as a captain?  How is it that the Great * just keeps going?  Weren't the pundits and talking heads predicting that Ovechkin couldn't possibly keep up this pace and not break down.  Yet here he is, on pace for another stellar season.  We bring other power forwards into the conversation for comparison and discover that Jason Botteril has no idea what to do with Evander Kane.  Except maybe drive the price up.  We include break out sessions for the business side of things such as expansion, relocation and the possibility of Houston being the locale.  We close with some frank discussion of salary cap and the Boston Bruins throwing seven defensemen on the ice.  Dive in to all the action this week and leave us a question or comment!

Episode 0044: Biggest Surprises at the Quarter Pole, Iginla and the Spengler Cup, A Big Trade in the WHL, Boston Prospects and Add One!

Hello everyone!  We've reached the quarter pole around the league and there are quite a few surprises that, we would guess, not many people predicted.  The Forecheckers talk about their 3 biggest surprises thus far this season.  It also appears that Jarome Iginla may be playing in the Spengler Cup, an ice hockey tournament held in Davos, Switzerland and believed to be the oldest ice hockey tournament in the world.  Could he possibly use this tournament as a stepping stone back into the NHL for the final two months of the season?  We discuss.  There was also a fairly large trade in the WHL involving 7 players and a couple draft picks.  Two of those players are NHL prospects.  Could there have been pressure from the big clubs to get their respective properties more experience?  We talk about two Bruins prospects, Jack Studnicka and Trent Frederic, and their respective teammates that are draft eligible at the upcoming 2018 entry draft.  Finally, as always, we finish with another fun round of Add One and quickly touch on a minor league tradition called the "Teddy Bear Toss" which has taken place at various arenas since 1993.  One place you won't find it is in the NHL.  But you can find us all over the internet, so stop by and give us a listen!  And if the mood strikes...send a question or comment.  Enjoy the Hockey!  

0043: The Upside Down...League, Where Are the Division Leaders We Were Expecting, A Couple of Goalie Prospects, BT's Smokehouse and Add One!

The Forecheckers lead off with a frank discussion regarding the standings and the possibility of the Devils, Lightning, Kings and Blues finishing at the top of their respective divisions.  The focus is then narrowed to the Winnipeg Jets and their goaltending prospect, Christoffer Hernberg.  We added the undrafted UNH goaltender Danny Tirone for discussion purposes.  BT's Smokehouse re-tweeted a map of the United States originally tweeted by the Boston Globe, indicating the most popular NHL franchise in each one...and the results are interesting and in some cases eye-opening.  We close the show, as always, with another exciting episode of Add One!  Come along and give it a listen...then give us your thoughts!