32 Thoughts: The Podcast

Meet Juraj Slafkovsky

He’s 17 years old, scored 7 goals at the Winter Games, and was voted the 2022 men's Olympic hockey MVP. Juraj Slafkovsky is a forward for TPS of the Finnish Liiga and is expected to be a top pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. He joined Jeff and Elliotte to talk about his Olympic journey, winning bronze with the Slovakian national team, building confidence throughout the tournament, his favourite moment from the Olympics, messages he received following their medal performance, players he looked up t...

IIHF Rules On Russia

Sports leagues and federations around the world are taking action. Jeff and Elliotte discuss the decision by the IIHF (00:01) to suspend “all Russian and Belarusian national and club teams” until further notice as well as withdrawing Russia’s hosting rights of the 2023 World Junior Championship. The guys also talk about the NHLs statement as it relates to Russia, how Russian and Ukrainian players in North America are responding to the invasion of Ukraine, and what their leagues are doing to ...

Forsberg, Jets, Hawks & Leafs

A week filled with surprises. Jeff and Elliotte start the podcast off by discussing the situation in Ukraine (00:01), how North American players in the KHL are handling the conflict, and what events in Russia we’ll see cancelled as the country continues their invasion of Ukraine. The guys also provide an update on the Chicago’s GM search (6:00), Elliotte gushes over Zdeno Chára (11:30), they wonder what Nashville will do with Filip Forsberg (15:40), how the Winnipeg Jets could approach the ...

Leafs Get A Lyub Job

Moves are being made! Jeff and Elliotte fire things up with a trade that saw Toronto send Nick Ritchie to Arizona with a conditional second-round pick for Ryan Dzingel and Ilya Lyubushkin (00:20). The guys break the deal down from both sides and wonder if the Maple Leafs have more moves in the works. They also discuss Montreal’s mini win streak (9:00) and their interest in Marie-Philip Poulin (32:30), Edmonton making a push under Jay Woodcroft (15:20), Eichel starting to find his touch (18:0...

Carcast From The Rink

Take a ride with Elliotte! Jeff is joined by Elliotte who is on his way home from the Scotiabank Arena after covering the Penguins-Maple Leafs game. They recap the game (2:00), discuss the Claude Giroux press conference and where he might land (7:30), touch on Jack Eichel’s first game in almost a year (15:25), what Vancouver might be looking to do with some of their stars (18:45), a new name in the Blackhawks GM search (27:20), and Martin St. Louis gets his first win as the head coach of the...

Alex Pietrangelo on Jack Eichel’s Return and Life After Hockey

His resume speaks for itself! He’s won a gold medal at the World Junior Championship, the World Cup of Hockey and at the Olympics; he’s a three-time All-Star and a Stanley Cup Champion. Alex Pietrangelo joins Jeff and Elliotte to talk about his All-Star game experience in his backyard, the return of Jack Eichel, his friendship with Jay Bouwmeester and David Backes, playing minor hockey with John Tavares and Steven Stamkos, why he leaves his work at the rink, the importance of preparing for ...

Toffoli Traded & Eichel Returns

The news never stops! Jeff and Elliotte kick off the podcast discussing the Tyler Toffoli trade to Calgary (1:00), the pursuit of 500 goals for Sidney Crosby (5:30), the Oilers under Jay Woodcroft (17:50), the return of Jack Eichel this Wednesday (21:15), what Colorado might have up their sleeve (26:00), Tomas Hertl and the San Jose Sharks (28:00), and the Jets play as of late (34:40). They also touch on Rosie DiManno’s opinion piece in the Toronto Star on “Why women’s hockey doesn’t belong...

What A Week!

It was a crazy busy week in hockey! Jeff and Elliotte kick things off with an apology (00:15) before getting into some rapid-fire thoughts from Elliotte’s latest blog -- Tyler Toffoli (3:25), Christian Dvorak (4:15), Rick Bowness (4:50), Jack Eichel’s return (7:00), Gina Kingsbury and Theresa Feaster (10:20), Tomas Hertl (11:10), Pavel Zacha (13:20), Nick Paul (14:40), and Vitali Kravtsov (16:10). They also get into the changes in Edmonton (18:00) and Montreal (31:50), discuss the hiring of...

News Breaks & Vegas Recap

Las Vegas knows how to throw a party! Jeff and Elliotte recap the Skill Competition and the All-Star Game (00:01), and mentioned a few things that stood out to them from the weekend. During our recording session, news broke out of Chicago that the team had fired their AHL athletic trainer for sexual harassment. The guys discuss this story (16:15) and give a few of their thoughts. They also provide an update on the teams' GM search as the club has shown interest in a Chicago Cubs executive. ...

Succession

The Chicago Blackhawks held a town hall on Wednesday. Jeff and Elliotte discuss the comments made by Rocky Wirtz, how this might change the Blackhawks approach when it comes to their GM search, and what the NHL might do as the league gets ready for All-Star weekend in Las Vegas, The guys also chat about Pat Verbeek and what his first move might be as the new general manager of the Anaheim Ducks (22:30), and Elliotte tells us about his conversations with David Poile (34:15), Bill Guerin (37:...

Shutting Down The Las Vegas Strip

Steve Mayer is the Chief Content Officer at the NHL. He’s responsible for organizing all the big league events including outdoor games, the draft and All-Star weekend. Steve joins Jeff and Elliotte to talk about some of the challenges with organizing an event in Las Vegas, how they are using the Bellagio Fountain and why they are shutting down the strip, adding ball hockey to the festivities, future outdoor games (including Florida), and what it will take to get backwards skating into the s...

Price Speaks and Is ‘The Michigan’ Boring

Carey Price held a press conference in Montreal on Sunday. Jeff and Elliotte discuss the goaltenders' comments regarding his health as well as his desire to stay in Montreal (3:00). They also give credit to Craig Anderson (0:10), touch on Montreal’s potential off-season moves (7:00) along with Vancouver’s (11:30), provide an update on Anaheim's GM search (18:20), discuss some names that are linked to Toronto (25:30) and Florida (28:30), tell us why they love jersey retirement ceremonies (30...

Edmonton’s Gamble, Arizona’s Downsize

Evander Kane finds himself a new home. Jeff and Elliotte explain how Kane became an Edmonton Oiler (00:01) and provide an update on the grievance that was filed by the NHLPA. They also discuss the arena situation in Arizona (9:30) as well as the press conference in Philadelphia (21:20), take a closer look at the Nathan MacKinnon hit (28:45), add some details to the GM search in both Chicago and Anaheim (33:00), and they take a few of your questions to wrap up the podcast (36:00). Full trans...

Meet the new Executive Director of the PHF Players’ Association

Alex Sinatra is a Texas-barred attorney who has been around sports her entire life except for hockey. She tells Jeff and Elliotte why she was interested in the position of executive director of the PHFPA and the interesting path she took to get there. She also talks about things that are important to the players, if they'll work with the PWHPA to grow the game, why communication will be one of her top priorities, how she's approaching the $25 million investment into the league by the Board o...

A Hard Look Back, And Then A Look Ahead

It was a very difficult week around the hockey world. Jeff and Elliotte kick off the podcast by discussing a pair of incidents that took place in the AHL as well as the ECHL, and they express their frustration as racist behaviour continues to be seen and heard in the game of hockey (00:10). They then touch on Keith Yandle’s ironman streak (17:15), the struggling Flyers and what they might do next (25:00), some trade talk around Ben Chiarot (30:00) plus where we're with the Jakob Chychrun tr...

Barkov Breaks The Oilers & Ryan Getzlaf Joins The Podcast

Where do the Oilers go from here? After a 6-0 loss to the Florida Panthers, Jeff and Elliotte really begin to question what management is thinking in Edmonton and if the team needs to make a desperation move to save their season (00:01). They then touch on Sheldon Keefe’s comments following the team's loss to the New York Rangers (9:55), arena capacity for Ontario teams (23:00), more updates on Vancouver’s GM search (25:10), Victor Hedman’s dominance (29:10), more teams are added to the Jako...

Could Be A Newsy Week

It might be a busy week around the NHL. Jeff and Elliotte kick the podcast off by focusing on the Montreal Canadiens and their search for a general manager as they close in on their preferred candidate (00:10), they give some background on player agent Kent Hughes who is in the running for the job as well as Daniel Briere and Mathieu Darche. They also provide some updates on Vancouver's search (12:00) along with Anaheim and Chicago (14:15). The guys then get into the situation in Edmonton a...

Like An Old Married Couple

The conversation around Evander Kane is still top of mind for many hockey fans. Elliotte tells Jeff why he contacted the Canadian Border Services Agency and how they are involved in the Evander Kane investigation (2:00). The guys also touch on the Ken Holland press conference, his interest in Kane and if they should make a trade to save their season (4:30), Bobby Clarke’s comments on Ron Hextall as heard on the Cam & Sticks Podcast (21:00), the Panthers and Kodak Black (36:00), All-Star snub...

Devan Dubnyk on the Olympics, Burning Rubber & Goalie Fights

The Canadian Olympic men’s hockey team roster will be announced soon and Devan Dubnyk is one of the names on the long list. Jeff and Elliotte chat with Devan about this desire to play on the Olympic team, finding a place to play to get back in game shape, returning to the AHL after 15-years, the smell of burning rubber, the hardest shot he ever faced, the art of catching a puck, almost fighting Jordan Binnington, his favourite goalie growing up, and playing an intense Dean Evason in practice...

A Wild Weekend Of Surprises

Evander Kane clears unconditional waivers. Jeff and Elliotte discuss the news of the weekend as the San Jose Sharks look to terminate Kane’s contract (00:30), how we got here and how the NHLPA will handle the situation, and wonder where the Sharks go from here. The guys also touch Rob Blake’s contract extension with the Kings and the club hiring Marc Bergevin as a senior advisor to the GM (9:30), trade talks around Jakob Chychrun begin to heat up (13:20), where we might see Lawson Crouse en...

Elliotte’s DMs Are Open

The Winnipeg Jets surveyed their season seat holders to see if they’d be open to hosting home games in Saskatoon; Saskatchewan currently has no attendance restrictions. Jeff and Elliotte kick off the podcast discussing this news (00:10), how the fans voted, the logistics required to execute such a move, and where the team might go from here. They guys also touch on the struggling Flyers (3:45), the return of Tuukka Rask (9:40), the Maple Leafs placing Nick Ritchie on waivers (15:40), how Ed...

What To Watch For In 2022

After a bit of a break, Jeff and Elliotte kick things off by explaining what the league might do with the schedule going forward (2:00). They then give their top stories to look out for in 2022 including job openings around the league (11:45), the return of Jack Eichel (15:50), if we’ll see changes in Edmonton -- on the ice and behind the bench (18:50), the future of the Arizona Coyotes (23:00), big moves and big names (26:00), the leadership at the NHLPA (36:00), the future of women’s hock...

Mark Messier on Winning (and Losing), Costumes & Commercials

In their final episode of the year, Jeff and Elliotte chat with six-time Stanley Cup champion Mark Messier on his new book. No One Wins Alone. The guys chat with Mark about his younger days hanging out with the Portland Buckaroos and Connie Madigan, if he had a certain way of winning, the type of player he’d be in today's game, how Wayne Gretzky was always thinking about the team before himself, why Halloween parties were so important to him, what losing taught him, and they talk about some ...

2nd Annual 32 Thoughts Holiday Party

As say goodbye to 2021, Jeff and Elliotte invite some of their favourite people from around Sportsnet to their second annual 32 Thoughts holiday party. They are joined by Ken Reid (3:00), Kyle Bukauskas (18:45), Jennifer Botterill (31:00), Brain Spear of Hockey Night (40:20), Satiar Shah of Sportsnet 650 (53:40), Sean Reynolds (1:04:20), Alish Forfar of Sportsnet 590 The FAN (1:19:10), legendary broadcaster Brian William (1:33:00), Calgary Flames play-by-play broadcaster Rick Ball (2:01:13),...

Some Other Things to Talk About

More COVID-19 challenges for the NHL. Jeff and Elliotte break down (00:01) what was a difficult weekend around the league as more teams were shut down, case numbers hit an all-time high, and how the NHL's participation in the Olympics looks to be at its breaking point. They also discuss the much-expected debut of Alex Tuch with the Buffalo Sabres (17:20), the return of Robin Lehner to Long Island (21:10), take a quick look back at the Eichel Anaheim trade package (24:00), what team isn’t in...

Emergency Podcast! Paul Maurice and the Jets

Jeff and Elliotte break down Paul Maurice’s resignation (00:01) and Dave Lowry being named interim head coach. They also discuss why a number of teams are shut down until Christmas (11:30) and how much money Montreal lost by not allowing fans in the arena (15:45). Full transcript for the episode can be found here by Medha Monjaury Outro Music: Frank Motley & The Bridge Crossings - Walkin’ The Dog Listen to their full album “Canada’s Message To The Meters” here This podcast is produced an...

Everyone’s Favourite Discussion

Restrictions and protocols are taking over the league. Jeff and Elliotte discuss how different leagues are adjusting their COVID-19 protocol as players, coaches and support staff begin to miss games, if attendance restrictions will impact the salary cap, and what players are saying about the Olympics and the current COVID-19 situation. They also touch on trade talks around Jakob Chychrun (19:30), Vancouver finding their stride as they begin to make hires (23:00), Pittsburgh’s surprising run...

Olympic-Sized Headache

Jeff and Elliotte are back from the NHL Board of Governors meeting in Florida. The guys discuss some of the main takeaways including the Olympics (2:00), the presentation by Kim Davis (14:00), the most recent situation with the Coyotes (16:30), salary cap update (19:45), franchise values and private equity sales (21:45). They also go around the league touching on the GM search in Vancouver (24:00), the future of the Boston Bruins (29:30), Ben Bishop and the Dallas Stars (35:40), how the Oil...

Hunka Hunka Burning Glove

Elvis Merzlikins joins the podcast! But before that, Jeff and Elliotte discuss the Jason Spezza suspension (00:01), player safety, changes in Philadelphia (12:00) and the Zegras to Milano goal (18:45). Then, Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins joins the guys (26:00) to chat about one of his career goals, how he became a goalie, some of the goaltenders he looked up to growing up, where he got his style when it comes to his equipment, why he doesn’t mind playing a bit of physicality, and...

Time Has Come For The Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks fired their head coach and general manager on Sunday. Jeff and Elliotte discuss the changes (00:01), the timing of them, the hiring of Bruce Boudreau and the impact he may have on the players, and why it was time to move on from Jim Benning. Outro Music: Aaron Frazer - Bad News Catch Aaron on tour right now and listen to his debut album “Introducing …” here Full transcript for the episode can be found here by Medha Monjaury This podcast is produced and mixed by Amil...

Houston, We Have a Problem

Are the Coyotes on the move? Jeff and Elliotte discuss the report that Arizona might be for sale (1:00), the challenges that face the team in the area, they try to provide some short-term solutions and wonder if relocation is an option. They also touch on the situation in Ottawa (11:30), the Calder race (17:30), Buffalo trading for Malcolm Subban (25:45), the year of the EBUG (23:00), the success Dallas is seeing (26:50), trade request by Jake DeBrusk (30:20), the $25,000 fine handed down b...

Manic Monday Montreal

Major shake-up in Montreal! Jeff and Elliotte discuss how everything unravelled this weekend in Montreal (2:30), when Jeff Gorton entered the picture, what’s next for the Canadiens hockey operation department, and possible locations for Marc Bergevin as well as Scott Mellanby as they exit the organization after almost a decade. They also touch on the struggling Flyers (21:30), wonder if this is the week Vancouver make a move (24:00), Ottawa placing Matt Murray on waivers and what this says ...

Canucks, Islanders and Stuff(ing)

Can Vancouver and the New York Islanders bounce back after a tough start to the season? Jeff and Elliotte wonder if we’ll see changes in Vancouver and if so, where that might be (00:01), how the Islanders are managing their roster around COVID protocol (8:00), why the All-Star game in Las Vegas might look a bit different this season to limit the exposure to COVID-19 leading into the Olympics (17:00), the two-year extension of Jared Bednar in Colorado (27:15), hot starts for Alexander Ovechki...

There's A Lot Going On

Canucks lose again. Penguins for sale. New arena on the Island. Jeff and Elliotte cover off a lot of stories including another tough loss for Vancouver (00:01), if there’s something going between Kevin Fiala and the Wild (6:30), they provide an update on the Omaha Lancers situation (10:00), Fenway Sports Group showing interest in purchasing the Pittsburgh Penguins and how they inquired about a possible merger with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (16:00), if the talks of a second team in Qu...

Canucks on the Clock

Vancouver is having a hard time finding its groove. Jeff and Elliotte discuss the struggling Canucks (1:30), what might be going wrong, possible changes, and how the market is reacting to the slow start. The guys also touch on Montreal (29:00), the Islanders coming home last place in the Metro (35:15), feedback from the Mike Forde interview (19:30), protecting the stars and how it might increase attendance (38:30), the situation with the Omaha Lancers (45:30) and they take some emails and yo...

Reorganizing Your Organization

Jeff and Elliotte are joined by Mike Forde, Executive Chairman at Sportsology — a company that advises sports franchises on talent management and the creation of high-performance cultures. They discuss his scope of work in world sport (particularly in hockey, soccer and basketball), understanding the needs of an ownership group, their process in finding inefficiencies within an organizational structure, and some of the challenges that come with managing expectations in multilingual environme...

32 Goalie Thoughts - Part 2

Kevin Woodley of In Goal Magazine & NHL.com is back to talk …. goalies! Jeff and Kevin discuss active goalie pads (1;30), goaltenders taking their training off the ice using virtual reality (8:00), pad design (17:00), the reverse-VH (20:30) and they take a voicemail question about the Boston Bruins goaltending situation (22:30). PLUS, THE THOUGHT LINE IS HERE! Call the podcast and leave your thoughts, comments and questions. Toll-Free: 1-833-311-3232 Email the podcast 32thoughts@sportsnet...

32 Goalie Thoughts – Part 1

If you like goalies, this episode is for you! Jeff is joined by “The Goalie Whisperer” from In Goal Magazine, Kevin Woodley. They cover off a lot from between the pipes like how goaltenders have had to adapt to new shooting styles (44:00) to the rise of elite Russian goaltenders (11:15) over the last few years. The guys also discuss different goaltending styles around the league and highlight some amazing performances so far this season — Igor Shesterkin (19:30), Andrei Vasilevskiy (7:30),...

Weekend Update

Chicago fires head coach Jeremy Colliton and assistant coaches Tomas Mitell and Sheldon Brookbank. Jeff and Elliotte discuss the promotion of Rockford head coach Derek King (2:10), the level of freedom interim GM Kyle Davidson has within the organization, and if this is a lost season for the Blackhawks. They also touch on Jack Eichel’s arrival in Las Vegas (17:00), Ottawa recalling Erik Brannstrom from Belleville (17:45), the Maple Leafs finding their groove (25:00), St. Louis requesting (an...

The Eich-stravaganza

The Buffalo Sabres have traded Jack Eichel! Elliotte tells us about his exclusive sit-down with the newest member of the Vegas Golden Knights (00:01) and when he plans to make his return to play. The guys then break down the Jack Eichel saga from every perspective including Eichel’s (8:45), Terry and Kim Pegula (15:00), Kevyn Adams (19:00), Pat Brisson (23:45), Vegas Golden Knights (27:30), Calgary Flames (32:00), Carolina Hurricanes (38:30) and the NHL (43:30). Watch Elliotte’s interview...

Should They Do It Again?

The League has spoken. The NHLPA is speaking. Kevin Cheveldayoff will speak soon. Jeff and Elliotte discuss the press conference held by commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly on Monday and provide some details around the executive board meeting held by the NHLPA. Music Outro: Michael Wilford – Rattle My Bones (ft. Sail Cassady) Listen to the full track by Michael Wilford here This podcast is produced and mixed by Amil Delic, and hosted by Jeff Marek and Elliotte Frie...

Where Are We Going?

That’s the question. Jeff and Elliotte take an in-depth look at the Kyle Beach story and where it might be headed following the findings from the Chicago Blackhawks internal investigation. They address the news of Kevin Cheveldayoff not facing discipline (5:00), Joel Quenneville resigning (11:00), Donald Fehr and the NHLPA (15:45), players from the 2010 Blackhawks roster (20:40), Gary Bettman and the NHL (27:50), and where Chicago as a club goes from here (44:00). Watch the full Sheldon Ken...

A Brief Statement

Early Season Panic

A pair of Orginal Six teams are really struggling out of the gates. Jeff and Elliotte discuss why the Leafs (00:01) aren’t playing to their potential, if changes are needed in Chicago (23:00) and list off some coaching candidates that are currently on the market (27:00). They also talk about the Red Wings and their rookies (39:00), provide more news regarding Jack Eichel (42:00), the price for Vitali Kravtsov (47:00), interest in Barrett Hayton (48:00), Seattle’s home opener (50:00) and the...

“It’s Not Revenge?”

And the Carolina Hurricanes continue to haunt the Montreal Canadiens. Jeff and Elliotte recap Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s return to the Bell Centre (00:01), chuckle at what they saw post-game on social media and discuss Montreal’s early struggles. They also chat about Brady Tkachuk’s return to the Senators (17:00), the goaltending situation in Calgary (20:00), Winnipeg getting it done shorthanded (23:00), Quinn Hughes continues to impress (27:00), the early season challenges (on and off the ice) ...

ZEE-RO CHANCE! (stay till the end of the podcast)

Jeff and Elliotte debut their new segment on Hockey Night in Canada! They talk about the experience (00:01) and some of the topics from the segment including extension talks for John Klingberg (4:30), more Eichel updates (14:30), shortened rosters (42:00) and the new standards for officials (50:00). They also touch on Colorado being in on almost every big-name player (23:00), Montreal losing some of their identity (10:45 & 28:45), injuries in Vegas (25:45), the Jack Hughes goal and celebrat...

And Then There Were None. Everyone is Signed!

The season is underway and the 32 Thoughts podcast is back for its fifth season! Jeff and Elliotte give their thoughts on the first few days of action (37:00), break down the Nick Suzuki contract (10:15) along with Ryan Pulock’s deal with the Islanders (31:20), Senators signing Brady Tkachuk (00:01), chat about Alexander Ovechkin’s season opener (23:30), the Bruins and Charlie McAvoy (13:30) and the Predators signing Mattias Ekholm to a 4-year contract (27:30). The guys also chat about the ...

Western Conference Preview

Jeff and Elliotte preview the NHL’s Western Conference by division in alphabetical order. Pacific Division Anaheim (1:20), Calgary (2:50), Oilers (4:50), Los Angles (7:35), San Jose (10:10), Seattle (13:25), Vancouver (15:15) and Vegas (17:50) Central Division Arizona (20:45), Chicago (24:10), Colorado (26:20), Dallas (27:30), Minnesota (29:10), Nashville (32:00), St. Louis (35:50) and Winnipeg (39:00) Music Outro: The Magnolia – Stormy Weather Listen to more tracks from The Magnolia ...

Eastern Conference Preview

Jeff and Elliotte preview the NHL’s Eastern Conference by division in alphabetical order. Metropolitan Division Carolina (3:30), Columbus (4:45), New Jersey (8:15), New York Islanders (12:10), New York Rangers (12:50), Philadelphia (20:20), Pittsburg (25:40) and Washington (28:20) Atlantic Division Boston (31:10), Buffalo (34:00), Detroit (39:00), Florida (42:10), Montreal (45:50). Ottawa (51:00), Tampa Bay (54:50) and Toronto (56:50) Music Outro: Delicate Steve – Peaches Listen to mo...

Seth Jones, Anders Lee & Tim Stützle

Seth Jones of the Chicago Blackhawks joins Jeff and Elliotte (7:00) to talk about his eventful off-season, playing with his brother this season, knowing your worth, the new additions to the Blackhawks and what went down in Columbus last season. The guys then chat with Anders Lee (19:00) about his love of dogs and Gordie Howe, resigning with the Islanders, his announcement tweet, playing without Jordan Eberle this season, his relationship with Lou Lamoriello and his recovery. Finally, Tim ...