Transcript
Speaker: I ran Michigan.
Speaker: I don't even know what he's thinking.
Speaker: He's just a complete birdhead.
Speaker: Brady Kachunk.
Speaker: Thomas is my best friend.
Speaker: I got a lot of good luck in Newt on my team.
Speaker: You just got Newt.
Speaker: I've got them.
Speaker: I've got them, O.C.
Speaker: Hi everyone, and welcome at last to episode Eric Branstrom of Elite Sense Brain.
Speaker: My name is Viana, and I am joined by the number one Eric Branstrom fan in the whole world, Twitter user at EricSenseBrenner.
Speaker: How's it going?
Speaker: I'm doing so good.
Speaker: So happy to be with you on this momentous occasion.
Speaker: We will stop after this.
Speaker: We will end with this one.
Speaker: Literally, the whole podcast has been just leading up to this one episode.
Speaker: We have been so excited for it.
Speaker: We actually didn't plan anything special for it.
Speaker: We should have, probably.
Speaker: No, but I will say that when I was pulling up the episode notes, normally they just say, Beata makes all of them, also.
Speaker: Guys, I have a slacker.
Speaker: Like, literally, all that happens is Beata makes all of them, and then I read them, and I'm like, oh my god, yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And I never think of anything to add.
Speaker: But you provide all the best jokes, so, like, it works out well.
Speaker: Okay, that's also not true.
Speaker: But anyway, this time, it usually would say episode 26, but I opened it today, it says episode Branstrom, and put a smile on my face.
Speaker: I was like, oh my gosh, that's awesome.
Speaker: Exactly.
Speaker: I mean, usually it's a surprise when I...
Speaker: introduce the episode which player i'm gonna have right but this time it was like there's no question there is only one number 26 it's true and as i'm saying this i'm like imagining what if he gets traded before this goes up no i'll edit it really fast
Speaker: That would be so sad.
Speaker: But we have full faith that he won't get traded.
Speaker: And if he does get traded, like, this is sort of our final, like, we finally, we got to have one episode named after him, you know?
Speaker: It was right on time.
Speaker: And it can be a tribute to Eric Brandstrom.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Like, this will be our, if he is getting traded, this will be, like, our departure gift.
Speaker: I really hope he doesn't get traded, because
Speaker: Because I already know that whatever the return will be, unless it's another Eric Branstrom that they have cloned, it won't be what I want.
Speaker: I know.
Speaker: I know.
Speaker: It's so sad.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: We can get into some of the trade rumors going around and also some of the one trade that has happened as of the recording.
Speaker: But first, we do have to eulogize one player.
Speaker: It's not a player who has been traded or who might get traded.
Speaker: Unfortunately, we must say RIP Joshua Norris.
Speaker: Your shoulder collapsed too soon.
Speaker: We so wish you could have finished the season with us.
Speaker: It's so sad.
Speaker: I think we jinxed it because in our... Did we jinx it?
Speaker: Okay, in our New Year's Resolution episode...
Speaker: Was Josh Norris injured at that point?
Speaker: Because we were like, good job, Josh Norris, and not injuring your shoulder, I think.
Speaker: Yeah, well, because he almost started the season.
Speaker: He came back pretty early, right?
Speaker: Yeah, because we were saying that the Sens should resolve to maintain healthy shoulders in 2023, and we said they didn't, and we were mad at Josh Norris, but then we said, well, he's keeping it up now.
Speaker: Something like that.
Speaker: Yeah, so...
Speaker: Sorry to him.
Speaker: And you know what's so sad?
Speaker: Is everyone was talking so much shit.
Speaker: Everyone was like, Josh Norris is not good.
Speaker: Trade Josh Norris.
Speaker: He's not worth $8 million.
Speaker: Whatever.
Speaker: If someone offered you $8 million, you'd take it too.
Speaker: So why is that his fault?
Speaker: But anyway, then the shit talking had reached its peak.
Speaker: And then he scored twice, I think, in a game.
Speaker: And it was amazing.
Speaker: Yeah, and he was on a scoring streak too.
Speaker: Yeah, it's very sad.
Speaker: I'm going to be so honest, I haven't been watching any games.
Speaker: I'm just going off based off what the box score says.
Speaker: So I'm just assuming that he was MVP, he was the greatest player in the league, and then someone shot him or something.
Speaker: I have no idea what happened.
Speaker: Yeah, I have been watching and that's exactly what happened.
Speaker: Okay, cool.
Speaker: So stop allowing people to, like, they need a protection squad.
Speaker: I don't know.
Speaker: It's very, very sad.
Speaker: Yeah, it was also a little bit ominous when, like, I think the game right before he injured his shoulder, he got, like, player of the game, he got the fire helmet, and there was tape all over his shoulder.
Speaker: We were like, I think I've seen this film before, and I didn't like the ending.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: You know what?
Speaker: I had a joke the last time.
Speaker: I think it was about Josh Norris.
Speaker: I think it was in our...
Speaker: Who Wants It episode, maybe.
Speaker: I can't remember.
Speaker: But, like, I was talking about that story about the girl whose head is held on by a green ribbon.
Speaker: Yeah, yeah.
Speaker: And then, yeah, so I'm just going to repeat that now.
Speaker: Basically, that's what Josh Norris' thing was.
Speaker: He was being held together by all that tape.
Speaker: And then, finally...
Speaker: he said to his, like, in the story, it's her husband.
Speaker: So, like, I guess he said to, like, Thomas Shabbat or something, like, you can take off the tape, and then his shoulder fell off.
Speaker: Yeah, I have to.
Speaker: Yeah, it's pretty sad.
Speaker: On a serious note, I do genuinely hope that Josh Norris is okay.
Speaker: It's awful to see a guy just struggle with the same injury over and over again.
Speaker: I hope that his career is not over, and I also hope, regardless of the status of his career, that he can live a healthy and normal life after this.
Speaker: Man, that shoulder sure does not seem to be in good shape.
Speaker: yeah I think it's also a thing with like isn't that the thing with like as soon as you injure one shoulder like that your shoulder is just so easy to re-injure it and re-injure it and just like over and over again so yeah that's like I feel like the most important thing is always like forget like oh these guys like need to have like good quality of life and stuff like it's actually so sad the amount of guys who are sometimes just like well I wanted to like be able to play with my kids but like I have chronic pain now
Speaker: It's like, that's actually deeply sad.
Speaker: And I hope that, yeah, like, again, like you said, even if he, like, actually can't, like, come back or anything, like, for a while, hopefully his career isn't over.
Speaker: But, like, I don't know.
Speaker: Like, hopefully, like, he can, like, if he has kids one day, like, pick them up and stuff like that.
Speaker: Like, it's actually so sad the amount of times you see stuff like that.
Speaker: Mm-hmm.
Speaker: Yeah, I know.
Speaker: So, and I mean, like, from his perspective, like, he could just make $8 million for a few more years on LTIR, just sit in the press box, maybe he can hang out with the Wags, you know?
Speaker: Like, I feel like that's a pretty good deal for him.
Speaker: And if we get to see him in the press box all the time, I would consider that a good deal for us, too.
Speaker: Yeah, I agree.
Speaker: Like, if he is down, that's the thing.
Speaker: It's like, he's got to have just no compete.
Speaker: Like, he's got to just be so okay with being like, I'm done.
Speaker: That's the kind of player we want in Ottawa.
Speaker: No compete.
Speaker: Yeah, we want the type of guys who are like, eh, I'm good.
Speaker: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
Speaker: But yeah, I hope you get better soon, Josh Norris.
Speaker: We love you, Josh.
Speaker: We'll miss you so much.
Speaker: We're doing heart hands even if you can't see.
Speaker: I will miss him so much.
Speaker: Mm-hmm.
Speaker: It's very sad.
Speaker: So the other player that we will miss so much is Vladimir Tarasenko, also known as... Yeah, we're doing more hearts at the camera that only we can see.
Speaker: And she just heart reacts.
Speaker: Oh, yeah, wait, I didn't even do that on... Oh, yeah, if you do heart hands, guys, can I remember?
Speaker: Wait, really?
Speaker: Because I have a Mac, I think.
Speaker: Oh, my God, I love that.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: As a member of the freaking bourgeoisie or whatever.
Speaker: um but wow yeah when you do heart hands it like sends a bunch of hearts up that's so cute i love that um so anyways our heart hands are our little hearts are being sent to uh the the individual sometimes known as terry stinko uh we loved his time in ottawa we'll miss him so much i am like actually so sad that he was traded and also that the return was so bad
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: We were talking about this before recording.
Speaker: I think the return was bad.
Speaker: I think that like probably he was worth more than that.
Speaker: But like, and I will miss him so much.
Speaker: He actually like took to Ottawa very well.
Speaker: Like I remember like him going to the hospital and stuff to like meet the kids and stuff.
Speaker: Like, did he do that?
Speaker: Or did I make this up?
Speaker: I think there was something like that.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: I mean, you know what, even if he didn't, whatever, like such a nice guy, I'm going to make up nice things about him.
Speaker: I feel like he did do that, though.
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Okay, cool.
Speaker: So he was just like a very nice guy, though.
Speaker: I feel like it's hard when you come to Ottawa, if you're used to not losing that much.
Speaker: Like, of course, like the Blues hadn't been like perfect.
Speaker: And like he was also on the Rangers for like a year or whatever.
Speaker: And like they didn't obviously win the cup or anything.
Speaker: Like, I feel like those teams were better than Ottawa.
Speaker: And, you know, some guys don't.
Speaker: Yeah, a little.
Speaker: But hey, some guys like don't take well to it.
Speaker: Like some guys are like, what the hell?
Speaker: Like they don't want to be there.
Speaker: But like, I feel like he took well to it.
Speaker: I feel like he was not okay with the losing.
Speaker: But like, he wasn't like, so upset all the time.
Speaker: Like he was still having fun, you know?
Speaker: Yeah, which is nice.
Speaker: So and also Terry Stinko is such a funny nickname.
Speaker: Do we know who came up with that?
Speaker: Yeah, it was a tweet.
Speaker: I recently retweeted it, but it was because someone was tweeting out texts from, I think, their dad.
Speaker: And the dad was like, is Terry Stinko any good?
Speaker: And they were like, what?
Speaker: Who?
Speaker: It's like, the people on CSN 1200 are saying, the Sens just signed Terry Stinko.
Speaker: Is he any good?
Speaker: That's so funny.
Speaker: Oh my gosh.
Speaker: It's the user at GoSensGoblin.
Speaker: Oh, yes, yes, yes.
Speaker: I know.
Speaker: Yeah, that it was just a great like it stuck immediately.
Speaker: I haven't seen something stick that fast in like, a little while I feel like everyone was immediately on board.
Speaker: Yeah, it was great.
Speaker: We hope that that nickname follows him throughout his career.
Speaker: I can't imagine he's very happy with the nickname, but I think it's a great nickname.
Speaker: I think it's very good.
Speaker: Also, I'm on Blue Sky again.
Speaker: I was on Twitter for like three days and then I was like, this is stressing me out actually.
Speaker: So I went back on Blue Sky.
Speaker: And guys, everyone's posting about Terry Stinko there too.
Speaker: So it's gone international.
Speaker: Mm-hmm.
Speaker: It's pretty exciting.
Speaker: RIT Terry Finkel.
Speaker: Sorry, I just saw your latest tweet.
Speaker: Your latest post on Blue Sky.
Speaker: No!
Speaker: Very on France.
Speaker: Thank you.
Speaker: Do you want to read it out to the crowd?
Speaker: Blue Sky user at Ericsson's burner posts.
Speaker: Terry smells good.
Speaker: And then a broken heart emoji.
Speaker: Thank you for laughing.
Speaker: There's like, at any given point, like three people on Blue Sky.
Speaker: So I never get into that.
Speaker: I'm the second, I'm the seventh like on that one.
Speaker: Oh my god, that's so incredible.
Speaker: Thank you, everyone.
Speaker: I'm going viral.
Speaker: But yeah, we will miss him.
Speaker: Yeah, as we mentioned, the return, not good.
Speaker: But I don't know if it's just because I'm used to expecting nothing.
Speaker: I feel like I expected the return to be not that good.
Speaker: Some people were saying that we could get a first for him.
Speaker: I never quite believed that.
Speaker: But honestly, I was expecting a second.
Speaker: Because he's been playing really well in Ottawa.
Speaker: He's an actual good asset to a playoff team.
Speaker: But I feel like people just don't watch Ottawa enough.
Speaker: And so they think he's bad.
Speaker: Guys, he has 17 goals.
Speaker: That's pretty good.
Speaker: But he is good.
Speaker: I'm the people who hasn't been watching Ottawa.
Speaker: But I feel like...
Speaker: I don't know what it is.
Speaker: You know, they're always like, oh, so-and-so is setting the market, like, for what a deadline acquisition is.
Speaker: Like, I actually don't know what that means, and I actually don't know how trades work, and I actually don't know how to evaluate any player.
Speaker: You know what?
Speaker: I think that's iconic of you as a podcaster, but yeah, and like,
Speaker: I don't know.
Speaker: I feel like he's worth more than that, but also, like, I guess the no trade clause.
Speaker: But also, like, people kept saying, oh, their concerns about his compete level and his defense, and it's like, both of those have been great.
Speaker: Like, okay, yes, we just talked about how he's unbothered by losing, but, like, I don't think that has to do with his compete level.
Speaker: I think he works hard, and his defense, I don't know, it passes my eye test.
Speaker: So, I think he is being underrated.
Speaker: Yeah, I agree, actually.
Speaker: The thing about the compete level is that if that's ever being argued by, like, an actual, like, okay, I know that sometimes cup winners actually do have bad compete level, but I feel like cup winner is like a trump card you can play.
Speaker: When you are like in the hockey man space, you could just be like, oh, he's like, oh, you think a cup winner has bad compete?
Speaker: And then like, I hope they'd just be like, yeah, you're right.
Speaker: I'm stupid.
Speaker: Like, that's how it should go.
Speaker: I'm curious if that's how the negotiation went.
Speaker: It must not have because what did we get?
Speaker: A fourth and a fourth?
Speaker: It was like a fourth and a conditional pick, right?
Speaker: Yeah, the condition is that if Florida wins the cup, it gets made into a third.
Speaker: I love those conditions, yeah.
Speaker: Is it also like, what if he is like the MVP?
Speaker: What if he wins the Conn Smythe and then he was worth a third or whatever?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Okay, so it is a 2025 third and a conditional 2024 fourth that becomes a third if the Panthers win the Cup.
Speaker: So we might, like, you know, the best we can do is two third round picks.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: If Florida wins the Cup.
Speaker: Okay, so we are... I'm not sure I want that to happen.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: It should have been if Florida defeats the Leafs in the first round.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: No, they're not going to play the Leafs.
Speaker: If Florida defeats the Leafs in a playoff series.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I like that.
Speaker: I would like that.
Speaker: Like, the Rangers just had a really weird condition on one of their draft picks where it was like, if some random guy gets this many points, then it, like, becomes more than that.
Speaker: And it's a guy who wasn't even involved in the trade.
Speaker: So, like, I think the Sens can get kind of silly with it, too.
Speaker: Yeah, I feel like they could be like, if
Speaker: If like more than 50% of Florida fans on Twitter call him Terry Stinko after the trade has been completed, then it becomes an unconditional first.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I like that.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I don't know.
Speaker: I'll miss him because actually people were making good points about like he was actually a good player to watch when I do watch.
Speaker: oh it's sad that he's gone now oh I wonder if like Matthew Kachuk will be like fangirl over him I feel like Matthew Kachuk loves like blues I feel like Matthew Kachuk loves every St.
Speaker: Louis blue ever yeah do you think Matthew like asked Brady to get an autograph for him I actually think he did
Speaker: maybe he was campaigning for this but then it's also like why did Tarasenko want to go to Florida like I feel like if Matthew Kachuk was being a fangirl he would have been like not Florida please yeah he would have been like oh the paparazzi and it's just yeah yeah I don't know sorry I like Brady better
Speaker: Yeah, that's the thing is that when you say like, oh, I wonder if Matthew is asking Brady to get him an autograph.
Speaker: I feel like it's like, yes, but not even just because they were teammates, like not even just because Tarasenko and Brady were teammates.
Speaker: It's literally just because like Brady is more likable.
Speaker: It's like, that's the reason why he gets the autographs.
Speaker: Yeah, it's like, you know, Tarasenko blocked my number.
Speaker: Like, can you just work around this here?
Speaker: yeah and brady's like yeah i have some like cousin or whatever who wants your autograph yeah i would believe that i'm also like happy for him though kind of because it's like he gets to be in the in like i think they generally like florida i think he said his family lives in florida
Speaker: Oh, okay, that's nice then.
Speaker: He gets to be with his family.
Speaker: He gets to pay fewer taxes, which, as we know, is always an NHL priority.
Speaker: We won't go on a tangent this time.
Speaker: I'm just going to acknowledge it.
Speaker: That's what NHL players love to do.
Speaker: But yeah, so to date, that's the only...
Speaker: significant trade that's happened because obviously the Sens are the only team in the world it's also weird actually that it happened two days before the trade deadline for it was for it's such an underwhelming return it's like surely you could get better than that right like if you just held out a little bit longer yeah the young would have gotten a better return
Speaker: Yeah, I feel like it's because no one ever believes the bluff of, like... Okay, again, I don't know how inner workings of trades happen.
Speaker: But, like, I feel like you could just be like, well, then I just won't trade.
Speaker: Like, your return is so bad.
Speaker: We'll keep them.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Like, just no one believes that.
Speaker: Like... Mm-hmm.
Speaker: That is a good point.
Speaker: Yeah, so...
Speaker: I don't know.
Speaker: It's sad because now I don't even know who's left who's playing good.
Speaker: Is Tim Stutzler playing good?
Speaker: I keep seeing mixed reviews.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, I think he's playing well.
Speaker: There was a game a while ago where everybody got injured.
Speaker: I think that was the Nashville game where Josh got injured.
Speaker: Everyone, just everyone got hurt all at once.
Speaker: And a few of them have come back, but they're about to go to the West Coast, to California.
Speaker: And I've decided I'm not going to stay up this time.
Speaker: So, like, who knows what's going to happen there.
Speaker: Wait, that means that no one on this podcast will be watching the game.
Speaker: yeah so you guys still like us if we don't want to look forward make sure to tune in to the next episode where we're like what what did happen it's also like you know what it's pretty mean of them to do this like right before daylight savings it's like we're gonna be staying up so late messing up our sleep schedules and then suddenly bam we lose an hour like come on
Speaker: Yeah, it's not nice.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: We should do away with daylight savings.
Speaker: We really should.
Speaker: I'm also mad because daylight savings is on the last day of my reading week this year.
Speaker: What the hell?
Speaker: Right?
Speaker: Like, it happened at the beginning.
Speaker: That's so unfair.
Speaker: Yeah, doxing myself.
Speaker: I'm sorry.
Speaker: I like how knowing you has expanded my definition of doxing so much.
Speaker: Just being like, literally, I genuinely think that if I post or say what I eat sometimes, I'm like, someone will figure out my location based on this.
Speaker: One time I posted about the weather on circles already.
Speaker: And I was like, I had to post very generally about it because I was like, I don't want people to analyze the weather patterns of what I'm posting about and be able to analyze it in that way.
Speaker: It's iconic of you.
Speaker: I can only respect it.
Speaker: Thank you so much.
Speaker: I was going to say we have to keep talking about things that aren't Sons related so I can participate in the conversation.
Speaker: We have to just keep going down this route.
Speaker: We're changing the name of the podcast.
Speaker: It's Elite Brain.
Speaker: Exactly.
Speaker: Also, like, okay, can we talk about why do the Sens always go to California this time of the year?
Speaker: I mean, I guess clearly not always because, like, wasn't Bitegate in Los Angeles?
Speaker: But, like, I'm thinking the Hamburglar run, it was around, like, because it started with a California trip, so it would have been in, like, February.
Speaker: Okay, so maybe not exactly, but, like, last year, I feel like...
Speaker: the California trip was around this time, right after the trade deadline or around the trade deadline, I'm like, Hamburglar run, let's go.
Speaker: Because the Sens are always out of the playoffs.
Speaker: So I'm like, the Hamburglar run starts with the California road trip.
Speaker: So maybe the Hamburglar run will start with this California road trip.
Speaker: Right, because our last episode, we were talking about the Hamburglar.
Speaker: And since then, the Sens have become bad.
Speaker: So...
Speaker: It's not happening anymore.
Speaker: Maybe it will.
Speaker: Get bad immediately.
Speaker: You know what's also annoying?
Speaker: They got bad.
Speaker: Okay, so they went on like a bit of a run.
Speaker: And then I had to say in the episode description, like, guys, I know they lost like two in a row or something after we posted this.
Speaker: After we're like, after we recorded this.
Speaker: And then they were just bad.
Speaker: So like, what was that?
Speaker: Why did they get so good for four games?
Speaker: It's the Sens way.
Speaker: I wish they'd be good for a little bit longer.
Speaker: I feel like it would be fun if they could get within four points of the playoffs.
Speaker: Just keep it going.
Speaker: Have a whole month of being good.
Speaker: And then it would probably hurt more.
Speaker: But at least we'd have some fun.
Speaker: What's this let's be good for a little bit and then just play decent hockey that would have gotten us into the playoffs if we'd been playing this from the start but won't get us into the playoffs now?
Speaker: I hate it.
Speaker: It's so annoying.
Speaker: I just can't believe it keeps happening.
Speaker: It's like, I like, honestly can't believe it.
Speaker: And that's, um, it's like, okay, you know that thing about like, oh, a baby is so crazy because it's like, for the first time, like it looks and discovers its hands, right?
Speaker: So it's like, that's how I feel every time this happens is even though it's like if a baby was dumb, it's like if a baby kept discovering its hand over and over and you were like, okay, it was interesting the first time.
Speaker: Like, every time the Sens are, like, so losing and then, like, get, like, out of playoff spot, I'm shocked.
Speaker: I'm like, again?
Speaker: Like, it happened again?
Speaker: Like, at least switch up the script a little bit.
Speaker: The fact that we even did a coaching change and it didn't even change things.
Speaker: Like, guys.
Speaker: Isn't that like the quintessential, like, you go on a crazy streak after you fire the coach and everyone says, this is not sustainable.
Speaker: This is just like that bump that happens when you fire the coach.
Speaker: Exactly.
Speaker: Everyone has a worse losing streak after the coach got fired.
Speaker: Yeah, and then we finally started winning and I couldn't even sustain that.
Speaker: It's so bad.
Speaker: And you know what?
Speaker: Next year when it happens again, I will again be like, oh my god, what's this thing at the end of my arm?
Speaker: Like, it's a hand?
Speaker: This is my first time ever experiencing this.
Speaker: I feel like that's me at the very start of the season when they start winning, when they win their first few games or like, you know, they go like three and one writer.
Speaker: I don't know what their record was, but like they win a bunch of games early in the season and I'm like, let's fucking go.
Speaker: This is a new version of the sense I'm writing my articles.
Speaker: Like things are so different now.
Speaker: And then like...
Speaker: They lose again.
Speaker: Yeah, I also love, even in our scenarios, like, they went on a crazy run.
Speaker: Three and one.
Speaker: I know.
Speaker: It's not that good, actually.
Speaker: We just had a brief moment of hope, and that's what matters.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: If you can't have a hope, what do you have?
Speaker: Exactly.
Speaker: I guess, no.
Speaker: What's the Pandora's box thing?
Speaker: of hope was the only thing left in the box.
Speaker: Yeah, because it's like all the bad things leave the box, but then there's also hope that leaves it, you know?
Speaker: Oh, okay, so it's like that.
Speaker: Sure, I believe it, I don't know.
Speaker: I got my knowledge of Greek mythology from the same place you did, which is Percy Jackson, so who knows how accurate this is.
Speaker: Yeah, so it's something about that.
Speaker: It's something about, like, you need to have hope, or else
Speaker: You're so sad.
Speaker: Yeah, that sounds about right.
Speaker: So that's how it is right now.
Speaker: But I would like to amend that and say you don't have to have hope if you just actually give up and don't care.
Speaker: Because it's like I'm not bad.
Speaker: What's been replaced is just nothing.
Speaker: Now there is nothing.
Speaker: There is a Sparta cat shaped nothing in my heart.
Speaker: Yeah, but you know what's really sad is that in a few months we'll be in the offseason going, even if the hockey is bad, I just want the Sens back.
Speaker: And then we'll look back and be like, why did I just like not watch so many of those games?
Speaker: Why did I check out?
Speaker: But also it's like, I've mentioned before, I genuinely feel pain every time I watch them lose.
Speaker: And if I watch with other people, I don't know if I've said this on the podcast before, I feel like I have.
Speaker: If I'm watching with other people, if they get scored on and trail at any point, I say, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off.
Speaker: And then if the person is like, wait, can we keep watching them?
Speaker: What if they come back?
Speaker: I go, fine, then I'm leaving.
Speaker: And then I like leave the room.
Speaker: I mean, that's completely understandable as far as I'm concerned.
Speaker: Yeah, one time I was...
Speaker: at like a sports bar watching a Sens game and they got scored on and I said let's leave and it was like five minutes in and we hadn't gotten our food yet and I was like we're leaving let's leave wow I'm so glad the game that we attended together was a blowout win because apparently you would have just like I would have had us out of the CTC like out of the bus stop right away we're going home literally like five minutes in I'd be like well let's beat the traffic like we're leaving
Speaker: And then, oh my god, I think one... I was like, someone was like, no, we have to keep watching because they were only trailing by one or something.
Speaker: And I went, fine then, I'll close my eyes.
Speaker: And I just closed my eyes.
Speaker: So I can't watch.
Speaker: I've become annoying when I watch.
Speaker: I become annoying.
Speaker: Can you guys imagine that?
Speaker: I watched the, um, I can't imagine that.
Speaker: You're never annoying.
Speaker: I watched the Flyers game from, like, a sports bar with the Sun's Twitter friends.
Speaker: And, um, what I remember, so this was, like, right after the PWHL game, which they lost.
Speaker: And so we, like, went to the PWHL game, walked over to the bar, and we sat down.
Speaker: And, like, okay, I'm not gonna say which
Speaker: Okay, well, I can, because I'm saying I walked over from the PWHL game.
Speaker: I was at the Senate Tavern, which is, like, Senate Tavern.
Speaker: Sen's themed, right?
Speaker: Like...
Speaker: you would think that they would play the Sens game, but we walk in and they're not playing the Sens game.
Speaker: And we're like, okay, well, it's not, it hasn't started yet, whatever.
Speaker: 30 minutes later, it's 7.30.
Speaker: They still have not started the Sens game.
Speaker: And we're like, oh my God, are the Sens this bad that the Senate Tavern is not playing the Sens game?
Speaker: But we were also just like, you know what?
Speaker: It's fine.
Speaker: We just experienced a loss.
Speaker: Like I say that like somebody died.
Speaker: Like we just experienced a loss.
Speaker: Um,
Speaker: We were just, we just attended a hockey team that was a bad loss to a rival.
Speaker: It was very sad.
Speaker: So like, it's okay.
Speaker: We don't need to watch the Sens.
Speaker: I was checking the score and I was like, they're already losing.
Speaker: It's fine.
Speaker: The waitress comes over and she's like, would it upset anyone if I put the Sens game on?
Speaker: And we were like, would it upset anyone?
Speaker: That's a really good question.
Speaker: That's so funny.
Speaker: It's meant to be a fun pastime is the thing.
Speaker: It's meant to be a fun thing to watch.
Speaker: Imagine if any time you turned on your favorite show, it gave you a stomach ache.
Speaker: This is what sports fans have to deal with.
Speaker: It's so sad.
Speaker: That's why, guys, stop watching.
Speaker: I know I said in my PWHL recap for last week, when I...
Speaker: imagined all of these double headers, right?
Speaker: Because there are a bunch of games this season where PWHL Ottawa plays in the beginning in, like, the afternoon, and then, you know, the Sens play in the evening or whatever.
Speaker: And I was like, when I pictured all of those games, I was picturing, like, a day of just great vibes, like, so much fun, having a great time watching these teams.
Speaker: And I don't know why I thought that would happen.
Speaker: That's like, I'm telling you, that's like a baby discovering a pan for the first time.
Speaker: It's like, I should have, why did I not know that it was going to be one crushing loss followed by another crushing loss?
Speaker: Yeah, honestly, I don't even know now what to do.
Speaker: It's just sad.
Speaker: And maybe that's a segue to something that would make us even sadder.
Speaker: Because people are talking about trading Sens defensemen.
Speaker: And we already talked about the rumors about Eric Branstrom, which are false and inappropriate and extremely upsetting.
Speaker: But also people want to trade Jacob Chikrin.
Speaker: That's dumb, in my opinion.
Speaker: Because, like, I don't know.
Speaker: Don't do that.
Speaker: Okay, first of all, it's because he and Thomas Chabot are best.
Speaker: First you trade Colin White.
Speaker: Or whatever.
Speaker: You don't sign him.
Speaker: I don't remember what they did.
Speaker: They terminated his contract.
Speaker: That's what they did to Colin White.
Speaker: Then... Yeah.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: Then you make amends by getting Matthew Joseph.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: That's fine.
Speaker: But like... So that's like friendship.
Speaker: But it's like you need... You need a friend.
Speaker: You need another friend.
Speaker: Thomas Chabot can't just have one friend.
Speaker: That's the narrative I'm constructing right now.
Speaker: So his second ever friend, you want to send him away?
Speaker: And this is after Josh Norris got taken out by a sniper in the Nashville game.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So.
Speaker: Like, what's Thomas Shabbat gonna do?
Speaker: Because everyone's always like, oh, like, hockey, like, you have to care about, like,
Speaker: like not just your physical health but like your mental health and then like you don't care about support systems that you have constructed it's like imagine if all your friends
Speaker: They just left because you're okay.
Speaker: Wait, I was gonna say like, imagine all your friends left.
Speaker: But then I was like, well, why would they?
Speaker: And I was like, because your boss told them to.
Speaker: And it doesn't actually make that much sense.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: But that's like what trading would be.
Speaker: It makes no sense.
Speaker: It's completely nonsensical as a metaphor.
Speaker: Like, Shabbat and Chikrin, they have it all figured out.
Speaker: They have this plan.
Speaker: They decided last offseason that they would become a defense pairing.
Speaker: They gave themselves a ship name.
Speaker: Like, they are committed to this.
Speaker: They, I mean, okay, the pairing was, like, a little bit all over the place, but I think it worked well enough.
Speaker: It had potential.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And, like, you needed to give them more time.
Speaker: And also, I don't know.
Speaker: Like, who are you going to get that's better?
Speaker: Like, who is... Like, then what will the Sen's defense be?
Speaker: Like, I'm just confused.
Speaker: Because I don't think anyone else is available.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Even if Chikrin's contract was ending soon, which it's not, like, he still has at least another year, I think another two, even then, you cannot convince me that Chikrin is not committed to this team long term, you know?
Speaker: Like, there's no reason to want to trade him.
Speaker: Yeah, like, there were rumors, I remember, like, I think these were, like, about a month ago now at this point or something, but, like, oh, like, Chikrin's unhappy, like, Chikrin wants out, or whatever, because
Speaker: And then he had to be like, that's not true.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: He doesn't want out.
Speaker: Like, he's as happy.
Speaker: He's literally the most go-sens-go guy ever.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And his grandfather comes to the game.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: You would make his grandfather unhappy?
Speaker: And his sister works for the federal government.
Speaker: Exactly.
Speaker: You can't get more Ottawa than that.
Speaker: It's so Ottawa-ish.
Speaker: He is a send for life.
Speaker: And there's a picture of him as a kid with a send jersey on.
Speaker: There aren't many players that that describes.
Speaker: I mean, okay, people have been floating around the idea of potentially Oliver Bonk for Jacob Chikren, which I think is just straight up mean.
Speaker: Because you can't, like, start to make me okay with a Chikren trade by dangling Oliver Bonk in front of me.
Speaker: Like, no.
Speaker: No, we are getting Oliver Bonk by different means here.
Speaker: We are finding another way to trade for him.
Speaker: We will trade... Um...
Speaker: I don't know.
Speaker: We will trade someone else.
Speaker: We'll trade future considerations for Oliver Bond.
Speaker: Yeah, yeah.
Speaker: Or, like, I don't know.
Speaker: Just wait for him to be a free agent to sign here.
Speaker: I don't know.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Has he already signed with Philadelphia?
Speaker: I think so.
Speaker: Oh my god, I was going to say just, like, refuse to sign.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Refuse to report Oliver Bonk.
Speaker: Oliver Bonk, if you're listening.
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: Here's how you can become an Ottawa senator.
Speaker: And it's like, okay, it would be one thing if you had to trade Jacob Chikrin and that was the best you could do.
Speaker: Obviously, that would be fine.
Speaker: But you don't have to.
Speaker: As we said, he's happy here.
Speaker: He's great.
Speaker: And I don't understand why Sens fans still think that we have too many good defensemen.
Speaker: You watch this team play.
Speaker: What about this team tells you that we have too many good defensemen?
Speaker: It's just funny because it's like... I don't know.
Speaker: I don't know what the issue is with this team.
Speaker: Again, I haven't watched in a while.
Speaker: But like...
Speaker: Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's not, like, too much talent going around.
Speaker: And it's also, like, I said this on Twitter a while ago, but, like, you know, I feel like there's a lot of recency bias here because early in the season, like, Shabbat was struggling a bit and Chikrin was absolutely on fire and everyone was like, Chikrin is, like, better than Shabbat.
Speaker: And then now, Shabbat is on fire.
Speaker: He's killing it.
Speaker: And Chikrin is struggling and people are like, Shabbat's better.
Speaker: Get rid of Chikrin.
Speaker: And it's like, guys...
Speaker: maybe players go through ups and downs in an 82-game season, and you know what's good about having multiple good players?
Speaker: The team can survive one player not doing that well.
Speaker: This team can't, but, like, you know, a hypothetical good team could survive one of their players having, like, a bad game, right?
Speaker: And I think, like, if you get rid of Jacob Chikrin, then...
Speaker: I mean, I guess Jake Sanderson is pretty consistently good throughout the season, but, like, then you just get Shabbat's ups and downs, and you don't have the other, like, counterbalance to that, you know?
Speaker: Yeah, that's the thing, is that, again, it's just, like, you need multiple good players, so I don't know why the move is always, like, we should just trade our good players, and...
Speaker: Like, that's the thing, is that it also feels bad, because it feels like whenever, then, anyone is playing well, this is the issue with the Suns always being out of a playoff spot, it feels like whenever a player is playing well, no one can enjoy it, and they're just like, oh, like, good, like, let's drive up the trade value.
Speaker: And it's like, you sound awful, you sound like a evil person.
Speaker: I know.
Speaker: It also just like, yeah, it's so depressing to think, to realize that we're always thinking like that, you know?
Speaker: It really is.
Speaker: All this to say, don't ever trade Jacob Chikarin.
Speaker: It takes so much for us to even love him despite his raw meat.
Speaker: And we still do.
Speaker: Exactly.
Speaker: And it's so hard to find a good defenseman who just loves it in Ottawa and wants to play here.
Speaker: And like, don't split up him and Shabbat.
Speaker: It's so evil to do that.
Speaker: It's just like, it's been so beautiful to see this like love at first sight, like instant best friend situation, like whatever they have going on.
Speaker: I'm so happy for them.
Speaker: And I just need it to continue.
Speaker: Like it would be so cruel to split them up after a year.
Speaker: I agree.
Speaker: It would be so cruel.
Speaker: So, don't do it.
Speaker: This is your final warning.
Speaker: Exactly.
Speaker: And, yeah, okay, other people are like, some people want to trade both Chikrin and Brandstrom, and other people are like, no, don't trade Chikrin, just trade Brandstrom.
Speaker: And it's like, no, just don't.
Speaker: Just, like, why do you want to trade away all the guys that I like?
Speaker: You know?
Speaker: Yeah, it's starting to feel so personal.
Speaker: Like, no one's ever advocating for the trade of players that I don't like.
Speaker: So I don't understand why it's only players I do like.
Speaker: I know, it's so mean.
Speaker: Like, can I name many players that I don't like?
Speaker: Not really.
Speaker: Are any of those players good?
Speaker: I mean, one of them.
Speaker: But, like, for the most part, it's like, I like all of these players.
Speaker: And why are you trying to trade them?
Speaker: Sorry, the sentence makes no sense.
Speaker: Guys, I have COVID right now.
Speaker: My brain isn't working.
Speaker: I think it made sense.
Speaker: It's just like, why do you always want to trade the players that I like?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, and again, not naming names about players we don't like.
Speaker: Because we don't, we're not going to do that right now.
Speaker: Yeah, because I can think of like two players who are bad and one player who is good that I don't like.
Speaker: So, like, why don't you trade those
Speaker: Why is it always the players that I like?
Speaker: Yeah, it makes no sense.
Speaker: They don't like, like, people are such fair weather Brandstrom fans, it's actually nuts.
Speaker: When Brandstrom is, like, being sick, they're like, oh my god, like, whoa, like, Brainy has arrived.
Speaker: And it's like, he's been here.
Speaker: He's been here the entire time.
Speaker: Like, what's that thing?
Speaker: Like, there are cathedrals everywhere for those with eyes to see.
Speaker: Like, that's Aaron Grant's joke.
Speaker: You know what I learned today?
Speaker: I literally did not realize that.
Speaker: I did not realize that I came for that tweet.
Speaker: Kind of makes it funnier, I won't lie.
Speaker: And sadly, like, he did come up with a killer quote.
Speaker: He cooked there, I can't lie.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So anyway, yeah, like, I just get very upset when people are like,
Speaker: Oh, that's the other thing.
Speaker: I see people do it.
Speaker: I don't know so much this season, but in the past, people have been like, oh, Branny's playing good.
Speaker: Oh, good trade value now.
Speaker: Is that all players are to you?
Speaker: Trade value?
Speaker: And, like, yeah, first of all, that's terrible.
Speaker: Second of all, like, again, no one is paying attention to the Sens, let alone Eric Brandstrom, I'm sorry to say.
Speaker: It's like, no, it's not going to be a good return, even if we do trade him.
Speaker: Like, I can promise you that.
Speaker: I can promise you we will never get the true value of Eric Brandstrom.
Speaker: Because, again, the true value of Eric Brandstrom is just Eric Brandstrom again.
Speaker: But there's only one.
Speaker: Yeah, like...
Speaker: Why are you always thinking about trade value?
Speaker: You should cherish the players that you have.
Speaker: You should love them while they're here.
Speaker: You should just appreciate them for who they are.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: It's like the movie, Adam Sandler movie, Click.
Speaker: I didn't see that.
Speaker: Okay, essentially the premise is that he's gifted a magical remote that will allow him to pause, rewind, or fast forward his life, but then it malfunctions when he fast forwards some of the stuff that he doesn't like, and it fast forwards too far, and then he misses his entire life, and his dad dies, but he wasn't there for it.
Speaker: And so it's like,
Speaker: You are all doing the Adam Sandler movie click with the Ottawa Senators, where you're just thinking ahead.
Speaker: You're just thinking, oh, click, like, oh, I want to trade Branstrom now.
Speaker: And you're not enjoying when he goes end-to-end whenever he does that.
Speaker: You're not enjoying his silky smooth skating.
Speaker: You're not enjoying his one goal a year.
Speaker: He's been scoring more than that recently, though.
Speaker: Oh, my God.
Speaker: So good.
Speaker: You're not enjoying his beautiful hair.
Speaker: You're not enjoying...
Speaker: Just everything about him.
Speaker: It's not right.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Cherish the players on your team.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And, like, they'll win eventually.
Speaker: Like, it'll all work out, you know?
Speaker: Yeah, one day.
Speaker: Like, I think if we just have the exact same personnel every year and we just keep doing the same thing, eventually they'll win the cup.
Speaker: Like, it's fine.
Speaker: Yeah, isn't that saying, like, oh, hockey's so random.
Speaker: So, actually, we just need to run it back again and again and again.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And just trade the players I don't like.
Speaker: Keep all the players I like, which is most of the team.
Speaker: And then we're good.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Exactly.
Speaker: This is the plan.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: You know what I am appreciating and cherishing?
Speaker: Sen's social media content, specifically the tour we just got of Parker Kelly and Mark Castellick's house.
Speaker: It was very entertaining to me.
Speaker: I liked it a lot.
Speaker: A few highlights that stuck out to me was when Parker Kelly, one of his dogs, because he has only like small, I don't remember how you pronounce it, but they're like wiener dogs and they're very, very small.
Speaker: And then one of them was misbehaving.
Speaker: And he said, now you go on an air timeout.
Speaker: And that's just, he picked the dog up.
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: I loved the dog content.
Speaker: Yeah, the dog content was so good.
Speaker: I loved it.
Speaker: They were playing ping pong too and Mark Castlek's dog, who's a golden retriever, was just always watching the ball go back and forth and then like drop it out of the air.
Speaker: Yeah, it was like extra hard ping pong where as soon as it goes off the table, the dog, you have to get it back from the dog all of a sudden.
Speaker: Yeah, it's very fun.
Speaker: Yeah, I don't want to take all the highlights.
Speaker: So what were some of yours?
Speaker: Mine?
Speaker: Well, I did like in the ping pong thing when they were talking about how they're not good enough to play Kuo Ji-Hu's right hand.
Speaker: They gotta beat his left hand first.
Speaker: I think Alfie did that too.
Speaker: Oh no, I think it was more the opposite where he was so good that players started insisting that he use his left hand or something like that.
Speaker: So, I mean, clearly you have to have a specific vibe to do that.
Speaker: I wonder if Kuo Ji-Hu has beaten Alfie.
Speaker: That's
Speaker: That's an excellent question.
Speaker: Yeah, but I love that part so much because why does, like, you haven't earned his right hand feel like an ancient proverb?
Speaker: Like, it feels like something older than this video.
Speaker: Mm-hmm.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Also, it was just very, like, as someone who has been apartment hunting recently, it was wild to, like, watch, to see the layout of their house and just be like, these people are my age.
Speaker: Like...
Speaker: I, like, I literally know someone who, like, grew up with Parker Kelly.
Speaker: Like, you know, like, I, these people, like, are my peers in so many ways.
Speaker: And yet, like, hockey players live in a different universe.
Speaker: Like, how do they have an entire, like, was it like a theater, basically, like a whole sports room and
Speaker: in a rental place yeah they're like 24 or whatever i was like oh my god it was just like the whole hockey room downstairs i was like okay is this place like does this do these landlords just like only rent to ottawa senators players because like who else is renting this place like maybe people with like kids who love hockey or something but i was like yeah surely this is just where all the ottawa senators go
Speaker: Yeah, well, because also it has to cost a fortune to rent.
Speaker: And, like, at that price, you might as well just buy a house.
Speaker: Exactly.
Speaker: And, yeah, it was just really funny.
Speaker: I was like, I'll bet this just, like, gets passed on between the Red Sense players.
Speaker: I don't know.
Speaker: If anybody is well-connected with the Sens and wants to give insight into how this might work, I'm all ears.
Speaker: It was just very fascinating to me.
Speaker: It was.
Speaker: Yeah, the other thing that was funny...
Speaker: It's like, it's still about the video, but it's kind of a change of subject.
Speaker: I liked when they were like, we actually fought in Junior.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And then it's like, now we live together.
Speaker: And it's like, oh, that's really nice.
Speaker: That's such a hockey moment.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: It's like always so funny.
Speaker: I feel like when a guy gets traded or whatever, and then it's like, I feel like, oh, yeah, we've met before.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: It's a beautiful, like, enemies to lovers story.
Speaker: You know?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: It was a good video, though.
Speaker: I loved, again, yeah, like you said, all the dog content.
Speaker: Just great content.
Speaker: All the Lego and stuff.
Speaker: Just a fascinating look into hockey player lives.
Speaker: I want them to all do, like, an architectural diet.
Speaker: I can't say that word.
Speaker: You know what I'm saying.
Speaker: Diet.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Video.
Speaker: Like, okay, yeah.
Speaker: I want them to, like, have their home staged.
Speaker: Like, that Dakota Johnson has all those lines.
Speaker: Like, I actually love seeing people's homes.
Speaker: Like, I actually love HGTV and stuff like that.
Speaker: So I feel like this could be, like, an amazingly profitable and, like, I'd watch.
Speaker: There was that famous article about McDavid's mansion, right?
Speaker: Like, people were dunking on it so much.
Speaker: Oh my god, it was so incredible.
Speaker: The no-color mansion with the, um...
Speaker: Oh, with the heated driveway and also the view that looks out onto nothing.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I will say that Parker Kelly and Mark Kostelik's house looked much more lived in and inviting and fun to hang around in.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: No offense to Lauren Kyle.
Speaker: I'm sorry.
Speaker: I just don't really vibe with your decorating eye.
Speaker: But...
Speaker: Yeah, I also love that they were like, yeah, like obviously as hockey players, they have to leave their dogs all the time.
Speaker: So I think they were saying one of the like players' girlfriends like, you know, took care of the dogs during that time.
Speaker: I don't know if it was them or no, it might have been other players who said that.
Speaker: I can't remember, but I love that that's like a part of the job as like a hockey flag that you have to like take care of all the animals.
Speaker: Honestly, like, man, not a bad job.
Speaker: I mean, I could do that without dating a hockey player, you know?
Speaker: Like, I would gladly just, like, take care of the dogs while they're away.
Speaker: And it's like the other thing about being like a wag is that I'm pretty sure at any given point, if you want to start a clothing line, you just do that.
Speaker: Like, I think there's just like money tucked away somewhere for anyone who wants to start a clothing line if they're dating an NHLer.
Speaker: Because like, there's quite a few, I feel like.
Speaker: Maybe they're all collabing.
Speaker: Yeah, possibly.
Speaker: I'm not really familiar with those clothing lines.
Speaker: I really hope that in the coming years, there's a competitor to Line Change Apparel.
Speaker: Because I would like an alternative to them.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I'm still salty about their PWHL stuff.
Speaker: Literally.
Speaker: I think I might just be thinking about actually line change.
Speaker: And also I think a lot of people just model for line change.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Are you thinking of Ryan Jigou?
Speaker: Yeah, oh my god.
Speaker: And how she's constantly dressing her kids in line change stuff.
Speaker: So only one wag gets a clothing line.
Speaker: We have kind of a monopoly here.
Speaker: Yeah, well maybe it would be like kind of, there would be drama if somebody started a competing line, you know?
Speaker: So they have to support each other.
Speaker: Even though, like, Ryan Juhu, why are you trying to be on good terms with a bunch of Habs wags?
Speaker: I agree.
Speaker: What are you doing?
Speaker: You should be rivals.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I wonder if it's like an MLM situation.
Speaker: You get X number of ugly shirts.
Speaker: And then like if you sell them.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Every one of those pictures of the jungle kids.
Speaker: And their line change.
Speaker: Is like she's actually trying to sell.
Speaker: Desperately trying to sell all these things she's bought.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Anyway.
Speaker: It was a great video though.
Speaker: I really enjoyed.
Speaker: I had to watch it for this episode.
Speaker: because they had to put it in the thing, in the episode outline.
Speaker: And I was like, shoot, I need to watch this.
Speaker: I hadn't seen it.
Speaker: yeah and so the last thing that we wanted to talk about was less fun unfortunately because we gotta discuss whatever the hell is going on with Michaela Grant-Mentis in PWHL Ottawa like it's been a little while now but I think this happened after our last episode right like I think right after and yeah because we were talking about how she's been scratched a bunch I think we did right yeah
Speaker: I don't know if we mentioned that, but it happened after our last episode.
Speaker: I can't remember if we talked about it.
Speaker: I think we, like, I think us two talked about it.
Speaker: I can't remember if it was in the episode or before recording, though.
Speaker: Yeah, because as we've said before, like, we, before recording, I don't know if we've said this, but before recording, we just, like, gossip for, like, an hour.
Speaker: So, um... So if you've done anything on Twitter, we've talked about it.
Speaker: We just...
Speaker: No, we just like to shoot the shit before we record.
Speaker: So who knows what we have talked about while recording and what we haven't.
Speaker: But yeah, so basically, Michaela Grant-Mentis was scratched for several games and it was really suspicious because it's like...
Speaker: why like she's been playing well she's really good like what's going on and then they just randomly dropped her and didn't even trade her like just let her go which is extra weird because it's like why didn't any other teams want her like it's not even that she was playing badly like she was like the team wasn't doing well but she was one of the better players on the team
Speaker: Makes no sense.
Speaker: I'm very, very confused, actually.
Speaker: And, like, I feel like we've not actually, because, like, whoever could comment on it, like, didn't comment.
Speaker: Like, they were just like, I, no comment type thing.
Speaker: I think some reporters said something about, like, she just wasn't a good fit.
Speaker: Or I think there was some rumor about, like...
Speaker: compete or something yeah that's what I saw too but it's like I don't know like where that came from and it also seems deeply untrue so I'm just like it also seems I'm sorry it seems racist yeah that's the thing is that like we've talked about before how okay obviously like
Speaker: hockey in general, not just men's hockey, like, women's hockey too has big issues with, like, diversity and especially, like, the way it treats, like, people of color and stuff.
Speaker: Michaela Grant-Mentis is one of pretty few, like, people of color, especially, like, black women in the PWHL.
Speaker: Even among the black women in the PWHL, like, most of them are biracial.
Speaker: Like, she's the... I don't think there are that many, like...
Speaker: dark-skinned black women right like it was really just her I don't know it's just like yeah and even though like there's so few like people of color black women in the league it's terrible it's like very very like the other thing is that like yeah it's so like shrouded in mystery that it's like okay if it's anything else and just say what happened type thing unless it's a thing where like
Speaker: it's privacy for her sake but I honestly like I feel like that's not the case I can't tell though because it's like of course like caveat being like if the player would prefer like information not be public and stuff and like obviously don't talk about it but like I don't know it just seems like really really weird and yeah again very like it seems very racist like the dialogue going on and like
Speaker: I mean, yeah, I'll feel terrible if it is, like, you know, a personal situation that Grant Mentis really didn't want to talk about.
Speaker: But, like, this is what happens when you have a league in a sport that is deeply racist and a league that, like, you know, they started doing a little bit more for Black History Month toward the end of the month.
Speaker: But, like, definitely at that point, like, they hadn't done anything.
Speaker: Like, a league that seems to just, like, ignore race issues completely.
Speaker: Like, we're going to be suspicious when you have so few black women in the league and then one of the only black women, like...
Speaker: just gets let go really randomly like sorry we're gonna ask the question yeah and it's like again like the like way that it's been talked about being like she just wasn't a good fit like her compete was low like okay like
Speaker: Again, like, that is red flag.
Speaker: Yeah, like, that's... That just sounds like a lot of dog whistles there.
Speaker: Yeah, exactly, that's the word.
Speaker: Like, we know for a fact that it was not her on-ice play.
Speaker: Like, it could not have been her on-ice play unless they're just evaluating things completely differently.
Speaker: So, like, there must have been something off the ice going on, and it's just very hard to, like, trust...
Speaker: their judgment in that regard with a Black player, you know?
Speaker: I agree.
Speaker: Like, the other thing is that, like, because she was a PHF player and not... Like, I still don't know if, like, the dynamic is weird because, like, I think that, like, largely, like...
Speaker: it's been uh like pwhpa players who have been like promoted and stuff and like obviously like there's more that goes into that like those are the like national team players and stuff like that but it's like i don't like it just all feels like a very like weird like thing where it's like you also have this player who like by and large was like a fan favorite i feel like i feel like a lot of people really like
Speaker: liked her, like, PWHL Ottawa fans really, really enjoyed watching her.
Speaker: And it's, like, I just, it's very confusing to me.
Speaker: And again, why didn't other teams want her?
Speaker: Yeah, that's the, like, I'm, like, maybe it's because, like, I, again, don't really know or remember the way that contracts, like, the number of contracts you can carry, so it's, like, does that mean that they would have to give up a contract or something?
Speaker: Like, I don't actually know how that works.
Speaker: Mm-hmm.
Speaker: Yeah, well, there was something about it.
Speaker: I don't think they can trade picks.
Speaker: Like, I think they can only trade other players, so it's been tricky.
Speaker: But, like, I don't know.
Speaker: Still, like, yeah, really weird.
Speaker: Like, the healthy scratching, too, is just, like, I just am so confused.
Speaker: And, like, at the very least, like, if you're trying to make us just change up the lineup, like, why aren't you...
Speaker: switching up who you're healthy scratching, right?
Speaker: Like, it's not like the team got a lot better once they got Gret Mentes out of the lineup.
Speaker: Like, and also just the fact that they started scratching her at the start of Black History Month, like, it was so weird.
Speaker: It was just, it was especially like weird.
Speaker: I was at their Black History Month game
Speaker: And it was just so uncomfortable in a way, like, seeing them play these videos that are, like, talking about the underrepresentation of black women in hockey and all of that.
Speaker: And it's like, this is great, but, like, there's just this elephant in the room of you might have been expecting to have exactly one black player here.
Speaker: And like she just randomly got let go.
Speaker: Like there's this weird situation that just happened with your one black player.
Speaker: And now you have zero black players on your team.
Speaker: Like it's just very strange.
Speaker: Yeah very weird.
Speaker: And again it's like.
Speaker: On ice play.
Speaker: I don't think was an issue.
Speaker: Like unless it's just like I don't know how to like watch hockey.
Speaker: Anymore.
Speaker: But like you know what I mean.
Speaker: It's like I feel like.
Speaker: no one really on that team sticks out or stuck out as being like, oh, like you've got to get rid of so-and-so unless like you're asking Sash and then it's like, you know what I mean?
Speaker: It's like, I, I'm just like very confused about, yeah, like why aren't you switching up who you're healthy scratching?
Speaker: Like, again, it's not like the team is like lights out now.
Speaker: Like it's not like, it's like, oh, like, yeah, we really turned it around and we're fixing it now.
Speaker: There have been a few moments where I was like, this team could really use Michele Grant-Mentes.
Speaker: Like, they cannot score.
Speaker: They can't finish their chances.
Speaker: And, like, she hadn't scored a goal yet.
Speaker: But, like, I felt like she was better at, like, creating chances, like, in close to the net and stuff.
Speaker: I don't know.
Speaker: Yeah, I don't know.
Speaker: It also is just, like, so many things.
Speaker: Like, okay, like, the league and team is still, like, quite new.
Speaker: So it feels weird even if it's, like, oh, like,
Speaker: Or if her play style didn't like match well or whatever, which I again don't think is even true.
Speaker: But like, you're still not even like giving much of a chance then because it's like, I've been what?
Speaker: How many games has it even been?
Speaker: It's been like, I just looked up 15 games.
Speaker: So I don't know.
Speaker: It's just it only played like six or something like it was ridiculous.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And it's like the thing of like, okay, she wasn't drafted.
Speaker: Like, she signed with PWHL Ottawa.
Speaker: And everyone was so excited.
Speaker: And I was like, oh...
Speaker: Well, because the thing is, like, when she wasn't drafted, everyone thought there was something going on here.
Speaker: Like, this makes zero sense.
Speaker: Like, and I wrote this, when I wrote about this whole situation in Five Thoughts, I pointed out that, like, several of Grant Mantis' teammates were selected in the draft.
Speaker: And, like, in that, those are situations where, like,
Speaker: you can tell that she is better than them.
Speaker: Like, she plays on the same team.
Speaker: She is ahead of them in the depth chart.
Speaker: She scores more points than them on the exact same team.
Speaker: Like, you can directly compare her to those players, and they got drafted and she didn't.
Speaker: And I said in Five Thoughts, like, that's like if you're drafting a fantasy team and you grab a bunch of, like, random Sens players, but you just decide not to draft Tim Stutz them, right?
Speaker: Like, why would you do that?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Because if you're not picking any Suns players, like, that's one thing.
Speaker: But, yeah.
Speaker: So, that was weird.
Speaker: But then we thought, like, oh, maybe she just, like, you know, wanted to... Maybe there were some circumstances, right?
Speaker: Like, she had the waiver that made her, like, stay in one place.
Speaker: It would be weird for it to be Ottawa, but still, like, maybe there was something like that.
Speaker: when she got the training camp invite and the contract.
Speaker: But then, yeah, she got randomly let go, so we're back to going, what's up with her?
Speaker: And, like, you know, it could be the case that, like, she's an awful person and everybody hates her and she's impossible to work with.
Speaker: But, like, again, while hockey is like this and the PWHL is like this, we're gonna be suspicious.
Speaker: We're gonna assume there's some kind of racial element to this.
Speaker: Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Speaker: Like, I don't know.
Speaker: And it's like, again, it's so hard to even be like, like, oh, we should know because like, on the off chance, like, I don't even know if it's an off chance, like on the chance that like, it's actually like Grant Mentis who doesn't want things to be public.
Speaker: It's like, I don't want to be like, well, I demand that the team reveal whatever because it's like, that's not very fair.
Speaker: But like, I don't know.
Speaker: It's also like this kind of, again, like you said, like this comes with like,
Speaker: being a league with these like with issues of like not having a lot of like racial diversity and also just being like racist like straight up racist in some aspects and it's also like this is kind of just like what comes with being a league in general right it's like yeah it's like it's imagine like obviously you can't always compare to men's hockey but like imagine if like it was just like oh a player has been let go for absolutely no really like no reason given like
Speaker: everyone move on.
Speaker: I feel like people rightfully be like, what the hell?
Speaker: Yeah, exactly.
Speaker: Well, I mean, people said that about the Shane Pinto thing.
Speaker: They were like, it was gambling related.
Speaker: We need to know more information.
Speaker: Like, every time that there's a weird situation like this in the NHL, people demand more information.
Speaker: And, you know, sometimes, like, yeah, there is a bit of an ethical dilemma there, but, like, it's standard for fans to get information about that kind of thing.
Speaker: And, yeah, we need more, like, we need more of that in the PWHL, I think.
Speaker: Because I don't even think we're going to get information unless it comes out way down the line.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And yeah, it's also just really sad to see Michaela Grant-Mentis potentially out of hockey.
Speaker: I really liked watching her play.
Speaker: I think she could have really been something in the PWHL.
Speaker: She's a really talented player.
Speaker: She's very young, early in her career.
Speaker: yeah just feel sad some of like one of the literal most iconic moments of pwhl ottawa i can actually think of right now off the top of my head is michaela grant mentis's almost goal yeah she didn't actually score like that's just like that is a very like even already like iconic franchise moment it's just like sad that like
Speaker: She already felt like, even though the team's so new and everything, like, she felt like a very big part, at least to the fans, you know?
Speaker: So, like, it feels bad that it's, like, well, we feel like we've, like... Obviously, like, it's not always about the fans, but, like, yeah, it feels like we've lost a big part of, like, the team that a lot of people enjoyed with, like, no reason.
Speaker: And, like, their reasons that seem likely are, like, racist.
Speaker: Yeah, and I mean...
Speaker: maybe it'll come out that it was her decision, right?
Speaker: And she just wasn't feeling it.
Speaker: And I doubt it was, but like, even if it was like she was unhappy here or something, then you got to ask the question why, right?
Speaker: Like, and what did you do potentially, if anything, to mitigate any factors that may be like contributing to that?
Speaker: Like, yeah, I don't know.
Speaker: Hopefully we get answers if like,
Speaker: like obviously again if she's okay with it and stuff like it just for now feels very like like um so I think that's the depressing note we're ending with a very very sad note um yeah in conclusion um that was really shady please don't trade any players we like
Speaker: unfortunately the Sens and PWHL Ottawa are bad so we don't want to watch them anymore and that's about it go Sens go I guess I guess bye
Speaker: No, we gotta do the intro.
Speaker: We almost did it again.
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Speaker: Go, Suns, go.
Speaker: And so on.
Speaker: Bye.
Speaker: Bye.
Speaker: No one's advocating.
Speaker: Okay, wait, let me think a second.
Speaker: I'm trying to think like who I don't like.
Speaker: I don't want to say someone's name.
Speaker: I'm trying to think.
Speaker: This could be a blooper for the end of the episode.
