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Episode 8 – Holiday Headlines & a Blockbuster Trade
28 Plays5 months ago
Leo Ernewien and Landan Semenok break down a massive NHL trade — Quinn Hughes to the Wild plus the Oilers sw.apping Stuart Skinner for Tristan Jarry. They cover Canada’s Rivalry Series sweep by the U.S., preview the World Juniors, and dive into Raptors storylines from the NBA Cup grind to LaMelo Ball trade rumors. Quick mentions include CFL vets Trevor Harris and Bo Levi Mitchell signing new deals, and the Blue Jays landing ace Dylan Cease on a 7‑year, $210M contract.
Packed with holiday sports drama — hockey heartbreak, Raptors intrigue, and Jays optimism
Recommended
Transcript
Holiday Season & Shopping Experiences
00:00:16
Leo Ernewein
Welcome back to the Leo Edlando show. I'm Leo Wernerwein with Landon Semenok. It's episode eight. Holidays are here. Malls are packed. Mariah Carey back on the radio. We got a sleigh full of sports headlines for you. Two blockbuster, well, kind of one blockbuster NHL trade, one other NHL trade that we'll call it we'll talk about as well Canada rivalry series sweep world juniors camp Raptors drama CFL signings and a J's pitching splash and listen Amazon Prime probably that's still the only thing saving me from my Christmas for my Christmas shopping I should say the year Lando how's your holiday prep going
00:00:57
Lando
well i'm Leo, nice to be with you again. Yes, malls are packed and all that stuff, but Amazon Prime, I haven't had to use them this year, to be honest with you. Everything that I got has been all at the store, which is very old school, but...
00:01:15
Lando
honestly the people that we are or at least i'm buying for it's really easy to to just go to the store so i'm not being lazy i'm actually physically going to a store so but otherwise everything is pretty much done so as of today thursday december 18th i have two more gifts to get somebody and then i'm done how's yours going
00:01:40
Leo Ernewein
Yeah, got to get a couple Amazon Prime gift cards here, a couple Amazon Prime gift cards there. Maybe a pair of slippers off Amazon Prime.
00:01:50
Leo Ernewein
No, I'm kidding. it's see Sponsor us, please. No. Do they have podcasts?
00:01:55
Leo Ernewein
I don't even know. I'm just kidding. Probably soon. Probably one day coming. Hey, hire me too. I'm looking for... No, I'm just kidding.
Broadcasting Schedules & Winter in Banff
00:02:05
Lando
I know where you're going with this.
00:02:06
Leo Ernewein
All right, enough with the plugs. yeah
00:02:09
Leo Ernewein
But yeah, no, things... things uh you know i'm almost all set i'm on the tail end of my kind of pre-christmas holiday because i'll be working a bunch over the holidays here being like the newest hire and all that stuff you know i guess the nice part is i'll get off at noon but every day i'll be waking up at like four o'clock five o'clock i think for christmas i'll get to sleep in a little think i'm only on air on air at seven so that is kind of nice seven till
00:02:39
Lando
Oh man, no rest for the wicked a that and for those for those who don't know Leo is on 660 news and what's the channel in Vancouver 1130. yeah. Okay.
00:02:50
Leo Ernewein
eleven 1130 Newsradio Vancouver, sometimes when you sports, which I think will happen probably in January.
00:02:55
Lando
yeah
00:03:01
Lando
okay
00:03:01
Leo Ernewein
But if I do, so yeah, that's only like the afternoon sports. If I do sports in in Calgary, it's usually in the morning.
00:03:12
Leo Ernewein
If I it's weird, it's like they have I shouldn't say weird that you know, they do Calgary and Vancouver sports.
00:03:23
Leo Ernewein
Of course they're separate, but you can listen. They both play at the same time in the afternoon. It's one person. that Nevermind. where I'm not, I shouldn't even be talking about this. Uh,
00:03:36
Lando
Well, I brought it up, so at least you know try to at least give everybody an idea what you actually do.
00:03:42
Lando
that Yes, you you do sports updates every hour on 60 News and sometimes on Vancouver Radio at 1130. So if anybody's confused or wondering about that, that's what he does.
00:03:54
Lando
so and that's why he's a pro And that's why you're a pro at this too.
00:03:55
Leo Ernewein
Yeah.
00:03:59
Leo Ernewein
i appreciate that. And that's why Landon sounds like he should be the one working in the radio based off the list it's a of the intro of this and stuff like that here so far.
00:04:09
Leo Ernewein
It might be just a little bit rusty after a few days off.
00:04:11
Lando
That's all right.
00:04:13
Leo Ernewein
No, Landon, you sound great, man. How are you doing?
00:04:16
Lando
Good. Yeah. You know what? I can't believe that we're, wow. Jeez. Like next week as we're recording this, we're almost at Christmas and then another two weeks, we're talking about 2026. Hard to believe. Got lots of, there's lots been lots going on in the sports world. That's for sure. And It doesn't seem to stop when, especially with a couple of these trades that I think we're going to be talking about. so But otherwise, man, I'm doing really well. I'm gearing up for a busy two weeks at the grocery store here. It's going to be
00:04:52
Lando
very busy here in Banff two weeks and you've got lots of snow out here so if anybody who is listening to us from out of town who want to see a very white everywhere come to Banff and Canmore it's you'll get a white Christmas here.
00:05:09
Leo Ernewein
Yeah, and that clean mountain white, not that slushy city crappy.
00:05:13
Lando
Correct yes.
00:05:14
Leo Ernewein
Oh, this looks, this is, the I'm going to wash my car again, white.
00:05:17
Lando
Yeah
00:05:18
Leo Ernewein
And I said, no, it almost washes your car for you. as Well, sometimes, don't know. mean, it depends.
00:05:22
Lando
yeah
00:05:22
Leo Ernewein
Maybe I'm a little bit exaggerating. We're going back to the olden days when Ken Warren Banff were a little bit more pristine, the Bova. I shouldn't say pristine, but just less busy, right?
00:05:30
Lando
I what you mean.
00:05:32
Leo Ernewein
Less busy, right?
00:05:32
Lando
Yeah.
00:05:34
Leo Ernewein
them's with the the days but this isn't a bow valley podcast speaking of i heard you uh are doing something like that so shout out to them too that's pretty cool this is a sports podcast though so i guess we'll we'll jump into the you know the big the big fish here this uh probably happened almost a week ago well actually what is it is it thursday yet yeah a week ago today
00:05:43
Lando
Yeah.
00:05:47
Lando
Yeah.
00:05:56
Lando
Yeah.
00:05:58
Leo Ernewein
probably a week ago as of the time that we're recording this pretty
00:05:59
Lando
Yup. It is.
NHL Trade: Quinn Hughes Discussion
00:06:01
Leo Ernewein
much.
00:06:02
Leo Ernewein
Quinn Hughes traded to Minnesota Wild for Marco Rossi, Liam Ogren, and Ziv Bium, or Bium, however like to pronounce it, and a 2026 first-round pick.
00:06:15
Leo Ernewein
Landon, do you think, well, first off, the initial reactions to that?
00:06:20
Lando
Well, my my reaction to Vancouver's trade with Quinn Hughes to Minnesota is I was a little surprised that they actually ran i ran with this this early.
00:06:36
Lando
But I'm also excited for him in Minnesota because I think he'll he's going to get out of this early the ring circus of Vancouver, and he's going to go to a contender and he's going to be there for the next two years or a year and a half. And he's going to be playing on a really, really good Minnesota wild team. So my initial reaction was I was, i was a little shocked to see to see him actually go to Minnesota. I thought he would go out East to New Jersey worth his brothers. But I mean, as far as for Americans go,
00:07:12
Lando
When it comes to hockey, if you want to go to a hockey hotbed, I guess Minnesota is definitely it. So good for Quinn Hughes. What was your reaction?
00:07:21
Leo Ernewein
Yeah. I mean, we, we just recorded a podcast like two days before talking about how we thought Quinn Hughes was going to Yeah. To the devils, what the trade package might even look like that sort of stuff, reading all these sorts of other reports and Minnesota said, hold our beer, man. Like we're going to, we're make the central division interesting this year.
00:07:47
Leo Ernewein
So obviously you think that, well, yeah, he'll be there for the next two years. Do you think he's going stay longer? It's kind of too early related to tell. It depends on what happens, right?
00:07:58
Lando
Yeah, i think he'll I think he'll stay there long-term. I think there's interest. But, you know, one of the things...
00:08:02
Leo Ernewein
Yeah.
00:08:03
Lando
Yeah, one of the things that i I kind of want to bring up, you know, on top of the Quinn Hughes thing in Vancouver, what's sad for Canuck fans is... And you did mention beforehand about how we were going We talked about this in another recording we were going to do, but we decided we're going to do this one because it's new news.
00:08:25
Lando
But one of the things that I... want to say about Quinn Hughes in Vancouver and for Vancouver fans that are disappointed is the last six years that they've had Quinn Hughes,
00:08:37
Lando
They've done absolutely nothing with him. And and it's it's too bad for fans because I think you can't find defensemen like this very often. Like, you know, Colorado, my favorite team. We've got Kael McCarr.
00:08:51
Lando
You know, you don't see defensemen like this that you're able to draft, develop and become a superstar.
00:08:58
Leo Ernewein
didn't the flames Didn't the Flames have and Adam Fox?
00:09:03
Lando
Yep, and they'd let him go. that was a stupid mistake. But also, I mean, i correct, yes.
00:09:06
Leo Ernewein
Yeah, i but he wasn't playing like Quinn Hughes was while he was on the Flames, right?
00:09:11
Lando
Yeah, yeah.
00:09:11
Leo Ernewein
He kind of developed that. He took that next step down in New York.
00:09:13
Lando
Yeah. Yeah.
00:09:15
Leo Ernewein
Sorry to interrupt, though, but...
00:09:16
Lando
It's all good, man. So, I mean, speaking with Adam Fox, he also didn't want to be there too. So, and now every time he goes to, every time he goes to Calgary, he gets booed, right?
00:09:21
Leo Ernewein
Yeah. Yeah.
00:09:25
Lando
So, but anyways, back to, back to Quinn Hughes.
00:09:26
Leo Ernewein
Yeah.
00:09:29
Lando
It's just a six years of failure as far as I'm concerned. And, you know, I, I was talking with my my my friend Kyle, who all of you have listened to a couple podcasts ago. We were chatting about this a few days ago.
00:09:43
Lando
And he was giving me you know some pretty big context when it comes to Vancouver as the Canucks as a whole. And you know this I would say this debacle of roster between is...
00:09:58
Lando
Dates back probably when they were in the Stanley Cup final and how they, I would say the ownership and management seems to be, there seems to be a disconnect between what direction they want to go as it as an organization.
00:10:13
Lando
And, you know, the ownership are saying we want to win now. the management team is, i think is, is saying, well, we, we, we can't necessarily win now because we don't have the pieces to win now. So, but the ownership is basically saying, well, you got to, you got to find us players so we can win now. Well, so management's been doing that, but what they've been doing over the years is been trading away all their assets and now they're paying for it. Now, I mean, obviously they got, you know, a whole bunch of first round picks and players, right. But,
00:10:45
Lando
you know It's just a colossal of mistakes over the years. you know The amount of coaches they've gone through from Alan Vigneault to John Totorella to you know Willie Desjardins. It just goes on and on and on. It's just colossal mistakes that the Canucks have done.
00:11:04
Lando
you know and They've also wasted you know their you know quite a few good years on Brock Besser as well. You know, they're wasting a number of years on, on Elias Pettersson as well. So it's just, to me, to me, I don't blame Quinn Hughes for saying to the Canucks, I don't want to be here because it's, it's been a full ring circus. It really has. I mean, it goes from, you know, I explained the coaches now I've taught, you know, all the general managers, that have gone through that through the organization as well. It's just, it's been a full ring circus. I don't blame Quinn Hughes for not being wanting be there.
00:11:37
Lando
I don't think personally on the outside looking in, I would want to be there. But I think hopefully in the future with these four players that they can to build around these guys. And I think Zeev William is going to be a lot better of a player than I think Quinn Hughes was in a couple years from now. So I think Vancouver definitely won the trade.
00:11:59
Lando
But as far as, you know, the whole four-ring circus thing, like I said, i think I don't, like I said, I don't blame Quinn Hughes for wanting to leave the way he wanted to. And and good for the Canucks, they got some pretty good returns. So hopefully they don't mess this up.
00:12:20
Leo Ernewein
Yeah, I mean, I like that you you pointed out the organizational kind of dysfunction, even though despite that, they you know weren't they like one game away from the Stanley Cup final against edmund there with Edmonton, where they lost like two years ago?
00:12:34
Lando
Yeah, or the Western Conference Final. Yeah, yeah.
00:12:38
Leo Ernewein
And, you know, so it's it's hard to blame management for wanting to push, but at the same time, that roster is a far cry from what it is now. especially with guys like JT Miller and, you know, and, and it seems like also that Quinn Hughes has been on the out for a while now. And he probably told Rick Talkett, who was there last year, that he was on the out. And, you know, when they tried to get Talkett back, he was like, no, thank you. And so now they got Adam Foote and stuff. it doesn It doesn't help when you're, you're going through different systems and stuff like that too, trying to develop as as players,
00:13:16
Leo Ernewein
So that is interesting. I like that you mentioned, I want to talk a little bit about the return to Zeef Bouillon. He did have a pretty good first game in the, in a Canucks uniform, right?
00:13:28
Leo Ernewein
Like I'm just going to get the, do you have the stats here?
00:13:28
Lando
Yes, he did.
00:13:32
Lando
Yeah, he got a goal and assist. And how I know that has been yeah how how i know that is because I looked him up on, because we have a, I met with a group of us, there's 11 of us in on an ESPN a hockey pool.
00:13:34
Leo Ernewein
Perfect. Yeah. i thought it was two points.
00:13:46
Lando
And I looked him up one time just to see what what he did in his first game. He got in a goal and assist. And I'm like, wow, good for him.
00:13:56
Leo Ernewein
Yeah. Yeah, I mean, it's it's nice to see. and and mean, Quinn Hughes scored on his debut as well. I think it was against the Bruins, and I'm sure the Canucks lost.
00:14:06
Leo Ernewein
i don't even know the score, but it probably wasn't.
00:14:09
Lando
actually they didn't lose they won they won three nothing oh oh minnesota minnesota smoked boston six to that game so yeah yeah
00:14:11
Leo Ernewein
Or not Wilds. Sorry, Wilds. Yeah, because he's not playing for the Canucks anymore. like Yeah, right. That's what it was. You're right. I'm just so used to losing in Vancouver.
00:14:25
Lando
oh i know yeah
00:14:26
Leo Ernewein
How dangerous does this make the wild though? And the central man, like is, is the NHL a three horse race in that division?
00:14:34
Lando
Yes, it is. think that you know as an Avalanche fan, I look at Dallas and Minnesota, and i if i'm an as an Avalanche fan, I want Colorado to be in first place as much as possible.
00:14:51
Lando
i don't want to see I don't want to see those other two teams because one one of those three teams is going to get knocked out first round, which is absolutely insane because I don't believe that the way this the way the and NHL has this set up and in playoffs, there's no way Minnesota, Dallas, and Colorado should be facing each other in the first round. Not a not a chance in the world. They should be, right? And so, yeah, it is a three-man, three-race, three-pony race, I think you'd call it. uh with those three teams because they're they're the best in the whole league i mean they're the depth they have the the you know the scoring the defenseman the goaltending they have it it's like they all three teams are really good and i for as far as minnesota goes i think i think they could probably surpass dallas and be second but i mean this is going to be an interesting race between these three teams because they're all phenomenally good really really good so
00:15:55
Lando
That's just my take on Minnesota. I don't like the Wild personally. like I've never liked the Wild, and that's because of the robbery between the Avalanche and the Wild.
00:16:06
Lando
I'll explain a little bit more on another podcast why that is. But, yeah, I don't like the Minnesota Wild there personally. But, I mean, I applaud them for what they just did for getting Quinn Hughes because now they are that much better with him.
00:16:22
Leo Ernewein
Yeah, I mean, it was they had the assets to make the move, and they pulled the trigger. and now Now he's a wild playing in the state of many. It's not far from, I think he grew up in Michigan, right?
00:16:33
Leo Ernewein
Didn't the Hughes brothers grow up in Michigan? and I know he played for
00:16:36
Lando
Uh, yes, yes. That area in that area. Yeah, I think New Jersey, Michigan. Yeah, somewhere out east. I know. yeah
00:16:45
Leo Ernewein
Gotcha. I know he played for the University of Michigan, the Wolverines, and you know they kind of have a head coaching scandal that I might mention at the end here. We'll we maybe talk about it, but yeah real quick before I jump into the the next trade here, you mentioned the NHL probably having the Wild and the Stars or the Wild and the Avalanche or the Avalanche and the Stars.
00:17:11
Leo Ernewein
one of those matchups happening in the first round, which is just a crying shame. We should definitely go back to the, you know, you win your, one of the three divisions, you get the top three seats and then the rest is, uh, you know, four through eight.
00:17:25
Leo Ernewein
Uh, that would be so much nicer to just have that kind of format back.
00:17:29
Lando
Mm-hmm.
00:17:30
Leo Ernewein
I think every, I think everybody's kind of craving for it and they'll probably bring it back eventually. I, I, Don't and see any reason why they wouldn't, but we'll we'll jump into the next one here.
00:17:43
Leo Ernewein
The Oilers made a big move in net. Tristan Jari and Samuel Poulain to the Oilers. Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak, and a 20-29 second rounder to Pittsburgh.
Oilers & Penguins Goalie Trade Analysis
00:17:53
Leo Ernewein
Landon, initial reaction to that one?
00:17:56
Lando
I was like everybody else. I hated this trade. I didn't like this trade. I think i think as far as... i think Pittsburgh won this one massively. They got a good defenseman.
00:18:09
Lando
And I think they got the better goaltender.
00:18:12
Leo Ernewein
And they got a second rounder.
00:18:12
Lando
you know And they got a second rounder. They won this trade by far.
00:18:17
Leo Ernewein
And I mean, Stewart's yeah, sorry, go ahead.
00:18:17
Lando
But... Yeah, but Stuart Skinner didn't start off very good in his first – he hasn't played as well as Jari has. Jari's won two games in row, and I think Skinner's like 1-1 or oh and two I think. i don't But anyways, my my my my initial reaction to this is i think I think Edmonton, the management team, was pressured to do something because of what, you know, the McDavid thing.
00:18:46
Lando
But at the same time, I get why – They did what they did is i think the team in front of them before they traded Stuart Skinner, I don't think the team had a lot of faith in and Skinner anymore.
00:18:59
Lando
i think And I think that weighed not only on Skinner, but I think that weighed on the team. But, you know, like like i think I think Skinner needed to get out of Edmonton.
00:19:06
Leo Ernewein
Amen.
00:19:11
Lando
I think he needed a new start. I think he needed somewhere to go with fresh. But, I mean, it just shows you, though, you know, your goaltender is only as good as your defense in front of them.
00:19:24
Lando
And the Oilers don't have very good defensemen. and and they they left him high And they left Skinner high and dry a lot.
00:19:29
Leo Ernewein
<unk>
00:19:33
Lando
over the last number of games. I mean, the amount of giveaways Bouchard did, the amount of stupid stupid things that Nurse did, it just... there it just Your goaltender is only as good as is your defense as your defense, but at the same time, Skinner, when the Oilers needed a save...
00:19:56
Lando
Skinner couldn't give it to them. And right now, the last couple games, when the Oilers needed a save, Tristan Jari's been there. so i think I think it's been a win-win for both for both players. I think they need to get out of their respective teams. I think jarry i think for Jari, the writing was on the wall for him as well in Pittsburgh. I mean, they put him on waivers last year to get try to get his game back. and They sent him down to the American Hockey League to try to get his game back. just i think I think the writing was on the wall last year. And then also his injury-prone thing, I think Pittsburgh just had enough. And that's the other thing that scares me with the Oilers, too, is they're putting a lot of faith in a guy who's been very injury prone and has not been a proven winner compared to Skinner. So like I said at the top, I think the Pittsburgh Penguins got a pretty darn good deal out of out of getting Skinner and Kulak as far as I'm concerned.
00:20:54
Leo Ernewein
Yeah, i i think you're I think you hit the nail on the head here, man. like you know I'm concerned about Jari's playoff record. He's 9-11-1. you know Just over 900 is a safe percentage in the playoffs. No series wins. And he signed through 2028 at an average of just over so they The Oilers are going it all in. they it has to work for them because that's kind of – that's a middling contract for goalie. That's not really a back – if you're going to have to – if it doesn't work out with Tristan Jari, you're going to have to swing for somebody else.
00:21:33
Leo Ernewein
And I'm not sure they're going to have the contract room to do that, whereas Pittsburgh gets a decent defenseman, a 20-29 second rounder, and Skinner that they can let go at the end of the season if they don't want him.
00:21:45
Leo Ernewein
i You know, it just seems like Edmonton called them, served them up and said, hey, if you're trading with a Canadian team in the NHL right now, are you hanging up the phone at all right now? Are you trying to make anything you can work? Because it seems like it'll just work out in your favor.
00:22:05
Lando
I, I, yeah, I know. I think I'd be hanging my phone up right now, I think. Or I think you'd be chomping at the bit depending on what it is.
00:22:15
Leo Ernewein
Yeah, yeah. No, like if you're an American team, you'd be chomping at the bit. If you're a Canadian team, you just just don't just don't do it, man.
00:22:19
Lando
Yes.
00:22:22
Leo Ernewein
Just hang up the phone.
00:22:23
Lando
Yeah, or. Yeah.
00:22:25
Leo Ernewein
Don't even wait for the trade deadline.
00:22:25
Lando
Yeah. or
00:22:26
Leo Ernewein
Wait till the... Well, I guess some some assets you kind of have to move before the deadline if you want to move at all.
00:22:30
Lando
yeah
00:22:31
Leo Ernewein
But, you know, Jari's statistically not great in, you know... some moments too. There's, there's moments where I think I read it somewhere that he gave up the first goal on the first shot nine times last season.
00:22:47
Leo Ernewein
So I can't wait to see that in the playoffs. If the oiler, they had to do something.
00:22:52
Lando
No kidding. Yeah. Well, they did.
00:22:55
Leo Ernewein
You're right.
00:22:55
Lando
and
00:22:56
Leo Ernewein
They had to do something because it's time to hit the panic button.
00:22:57
Lando
and and And you could just... Exactly. and And, you know, and and i you could just you could just see it in the Oilers' play that they just did not they did not have a lot of faith in Skinner. And I think, you know, I agree with a lot of the analysts that talked about Skinner, too, that I think the writing was on the wall when they polled him a number of times in the Stanley Cup final last year. That...
00:23:23
Lando
The writing was on the wall with him that I just I don't think they were getting. They just didn't have the faith in him to lead the team anymore. and And then he also got a pulled number of times at the start of the season. He just yeah, he just I think it was just time for him to for him to get out of there. But the same time, though.
00:23:44
Lando
I mean, I could see this happening a long time ago with with Skinner in the first place when they when he replaced Jack Campbell a couple years ago. I'm thinking to myself, you're giving the ropes to an unproven goaltender, and you watch him, and it's just like, I mean, nothing against Skinner. I mean, he's in the and NHL. He's good enough to be there. But I'm thinking to myself, you're putting a lot of faith in a young goaltender but just because he's playing really well at the time. What's he going to be like in the future? And sure enough, he struggled in the future, right? So...
00:24:18
Leo Ernewein
Yeah, that I don't know, I think it'll be a career backup situation if then for Skinner and stuff like that. So you know, but we're anything else you want to touch on that?
Cultural Issues in Vancouver Canucks
00:24:32
Leo Ernewein
Or you want to jump to the next topic here, but
00:24:35
Lando
Well, really quick, I want to jump back to Vancouver. I wanted to ask you a question because a reporter a reporter brought this up.
00:24:41
Leo Ernewein
Sure.
00:24:45
Lando
That he asked Patrick Alvin, do you have a culture problem in Vancouver and he he didn't really he kind of answered said no we don't but Leo do you think they have a culture problem in Vancouver and before you answer it I mean you look at Rick Talkett he's gone he didn't want to resign there Quinn Hughes is gone j t Miller is gone who else did they trade they traded somebody else away that didn't want to be there anymore i think that was that was the three
00:25:18
Lando
with since since a couple years ago when they went to the Bull Horvat.
00:25:21
Leo Ernewein
Oh, Horvat.
00:25:23
Lando
Yeah, that's the other one.
00:25:25
Leo Ernewein
Who dealt crap about their fan.
00:25:25
Lando
and and
00:25:27
Leo Ernewein
Actually, he said one thing about their fan base and then apologized. It wasn't that big of a deal.
00:25:31
Lando
Yes.
00:25:32
Leo Ernewein
But Vancouver media loves to run with it.
00:25:34
Lando
Yes. but So to answer my quite answer my question, do you do you think they have a culture problem in Vancouver?
00:25:41
Leo Ernewein
I know. i think I think what you said earlier exactly describes it. And it's just a lack a sense of direction from... from the top down. and And when that happens, the ship doesn't sail in the proper, I guess, for lack of better words, direction, but you know, and, and that stagnates a lot of things and people get frustrated with that. And I can see why other people are just like, you know, I'm, I don't want to be part of it a, a 10 year rebuild or a 10 year retool, I should say, because you guys haven't been, or maybe they, well, they kind of did pull the trigger on the rebuild when they got Patterson and stuff like that, but it's still,
00:26:19
Leo Ernewein
You know, it hasn't kind of flourished like we thought it would. Or at least they thought it would. i Myself included. I thought they were going to be a little bit more in the up and ups. And it's it's a very streaky team, right? Because they had that incredible start. Like, what was it?
00:26:38
Leo Ernewein
No, they had a terrible start like three years ago. Incredible start two years ago. Worst start. Last year, i it's so hard to keep track of because the team is just one year, they're up.
00:26:50
Leo Ernewein
The next year, yeah they're down. They seem to like they they need to be on some sort of medication or something like that to level them up.
00:26:56
Lando
Ha ha ha.
00:26:56
Leo Ernewein
I don't think it's a culture thing, though. I think it's a lack of commitment and a direction that, you know, some some people think that, a bandaid will fix it. And sometimes that's not, you need a complete tear down. And if that didn't work, you still need to tear it down and continue to build on the foundation. And they just haven't been doing that nay recently. So yeah, I do want to say though, that when they, when they heard the trade from the wild for Bill Guerin, they just jumped right away. they That was the first, they didn't rebut at all. They didn't do a followup and try to ask for more, no, nothing.
00:27:36
Leo Ernewein
not Jim Rutherford just said, yeah, give me that. and And I don't blame him. Zev Beom was a first-rounder, and he's not he's not bad. he's He's projecting to be a pretty good two-way defender.
00:27:47
Leo Ernewein
He's already playing at half the way, right? like he's I like him a lot. It's just going to be so hard to replace Quinn Hughes. So... But, you know, they move forward and so do we. So we'll jump to canadian or the segment
Canadian Women's Hockey & World Juniors
00:28:04
Leo Ernewein
number three here. Canadian women's national team rivalry series. The U.S. swept Canada 4-0, outscoring them 27-4 overall in the process.
00:28:14
Leo Ernewein
The finale was 4-1, losing in Edmonton. This was, what was it, last Saturday. It was just days after a ten four like a worst ever 10-4 defeat where they, you know, Canada's never allowed 10 goals and in a women's game against America.
00:28:33
Leo Ernewein
Never mind anybody else, but to allow 10 goals. Lando, is this just a rough patch as the tide turned with the U.S. as the powerhouse now, man?
00:28:41
Lando
I think the tide has definitely turned. i'm a I'm a little worried about our Canadian women's hockey team because I think i think Canada years ago set the bar for for and the standard for winning gold medals in world championships and the Olympics.
00:29:03
Lando
And I think because of the programs that the Americans have in their system in the United States with the number of pro leagues and the number of, you know, their colleges with NCAA, the developing hockey players in the United States is definitely showing compared to here in Canada. And I think the other problem that I think Canada has too is the players that they keep bringing back.
00:29:33
Lando
which are really good hockey players. Like we're talking about, you know, Marie-Philippe Lynn, we're talking about Natalie Spooner, Sarah Fillier, also Laura Stacy.
00:29:47
Lando
We're talking about Blair Turnbull, Emily Clark, Brianne Jenner. i said Natalie Spooner. I mean, they're all, they're all,
00:29:59
Lando
aging, right? And they're still very good hockey players, but the the the what's coming underneath them is not isn't really all that great right so i think i think as far as the tide is trained turned for the americans because like i said at the top i i just think i think the development of young women's hot with young women hockey players they're playing the united states it's just it's phenomenal and it worries me because i just i don't think canada has the horses to beat the americans anymore
00:30:33
Lando
I really don't. and And I guess the positive that I could take out of this when they go into the Olympics is that all it takes is one game and you win it all, right? So it doesn't matter what you've done in the past. It comes down to one game. So I think i think the Americans are definitely heavily favored to win the gold medal in in the Olympics this coming up next year.
00:30:59
Leo Ernewein
Yeah, I think, I think you ought to be right on that too. The Americans like Hillary Knight, who scored like two goals in the game there and the four one win, they got Brianna Decker. They got last year's first over, I think it was last year's first overall pick in the PWHL Taylor Heise, who's just, just a beast of a power forward.
00:31:19
Leo Ernewein
you know, Jocelyne Lamoureux, they got so much depth too.
00:31:22
Lando
yep
00:31:24
Leo Ernewein
You look at the recent drafts coming through to PWHL and it's a lot of Americans in the top half of multiple rounds, right? So it's it's it's tough for Canada right now and we'll see if they can turn it around in the Olympics because I think that was their final tune-up before the Olympics.
00:31:48
Leo Ernewein
You know, it's their PK, at least the bright spot in that 4-1 loss. Their PK held out the U.S. s to over for four in that game four, but overall the Americans were 6-17. So their their power play is still pretty good in the...
00:32:05
Leo Ernewein
in that series and Canada will name its Olympic roster, uh, in January here coming up. So we'll, we'll keep our eyes on that one. World junior camps are set after back-to-back disappointments.
00:32:17
Leo Ernewein
You think Canada can rebound there, Landon, against the United States?
00:32:22
Lando
Well, we're talking about the world juniors. Yeah. i think, yeah.
00:32:25
Leo Ernewein
Yeah, men's. Sorry, I didn't make enough clear of a transition here.
00:32:28
Lando
Yeah.
00:32:28
Leo Ernewein
Men's world juniors now.
00:32:30
Lando
Men's world juniors.
00:32:31
Leo Ernewein
Yeah. Yeah.
00:32:31
Lando
I think, I think this year is going to be a lot better of a year than in the last two years. i think they have, you know, Dale Hunter is a really good coach. I think, you know, he, he's developed a pretty good program with the London Knights.
00:32:46
Lando
i just The thing that I think we've got to remember, too, is that these guys are just kids, and they're teenagers, and they're yes, they're up-and-coming NHLers, but we've got to remember how young they are, and they're going to make mistakes out there.
00:33:03
Lando
The part of the problem that i that I had with the team last year is that politics came into play massively last year And i don't think they picked the best roster they could. i think they did. They picked it based on, on politics and it killed them last year. Absolutely killed them.
00:33:25
Lando
You know, some of the best players that they had or should have had, they were sitting at home. And i I don't think, I think, you know, Dave Cameron was,
00:33:36
Lando
is a dinosaur of a coach. I don't think, I think his coaching style was just horrendous. Like, you know, some of the things that he decided to do with some of his roster, it was just mind boggling. And, you know, and and the other thing too is I'm not hearing, you know, people complaining about the roster as much this year as they did last year. And that, that weighed on, on the Canadian players too, when everybody's posting articles about how, you know, this player's not is here and this player didn't make it. And why is this player not? It just, it started off bad right off the bat last year. And it, and it just,
00:34:16
Lando
their Their play was horrendous last year. And you got to give credit to the rest of the world. I mean, the rest of the world has definitely caught up to Canada, right? they could And that's something I think we as Canadians need to realize is that even though hockey is our one of our number our number one sports,
00:34:39
Lando
that the world is definitely going to catch up to us. And we got to realize that we may not win the gold medal every year. So I think we should just enjoy watching our, our, you know, our Canadian athletes play.
00:34:52
Lando
And hopefully that it's good enough to get them to the gold medal because last year, as you recall, Leo, the, you know they They did play pretty good against Finland, even though they only beat them, I think it was like 3 or 4-1. And then they just... Denmark... I couldn't believe we lost to Denmark last year. that that just That just... When when they couldn't beat Denmark last year, I thought, no, this team's not going to do it. And then they they beat they barely could beat Germany, which is another kind of, if you want to call it a quote-unquote...
00:35:29
Lando
not a powerhouse, but they barely could beat Germany. And then they got just absolutely killed by the Americans. And I thought, no, they're not, they're not going to win that. And sure enough, they've lost to the, they lost to the Czech Republic last year. And I think they lost him like four, two or or three, forget forgot what it was, but it was just, it was a debacle last year. And I, and I think this year, this will be a lot better of a team. I don't think the pressure of,
00:35:56
Lando
you know them playing in front of a home crowd is going to be there as much, even though I think there will still be lots of Canadians that will go down and watch them in Minnesota and St. Paul.
00:36:08
Lando
But yeah, I don't think the pressure of the of of Canada weighing on them as the home team, I think that's going to help them this year too.
00:36:18
Leo Ernewein
Yeah, i think I think you're right. And I think there will also be lots of support, particularly from the prairies and a little bit of Southern Ontario for people heading down to to Minnesota, to St. Paul, to to see the to support our Canadians and represent the red and white, even though the jersey will be a black maple leaf, which is... I don't know. i kind of like it, though, man. Don't you?
00:36:42
Leo Ernewein
What are your thoughts?
00:36:42
Lando
I do. Yep. I do.
00:36:43
Lando
I like the black jersey. Yeah.
00:36:43
Leo Ernewein
i think it looks...
00:36:45
Leo Ernewein
I've seen a little bit of backlash on people being like, heck, it wasn't even backlash. It was one random Facebook friend of a friend who was complaining about it. And it seems like they wanted to complain about anything on Facebook kind of thing. And I was just like, really? You're complaining about the national team's jerseys?
00:37:03
Leo Ernewein
And their argument was, yeah, exactly.
00:37:03
Lando
And they've always worn black. they're They've always had, like, you you look that you look back at you look back at at they've they've you look back at all the jerseys that they've had, even back in when in Salt Lake City, they had a black jersey.
00:37:10
Leo Ernewein
Exactly.
00:37:19
Leo Ernewein
The O two Olympics. Yeah.
00:37:20
Lando
Yeah, the O2 Olympics, the World 2004 World Cup, they had a black jersey. It's not necessarily, I would say, their number one go-to jersey. But I think it's cool. There's still red in it.
00:37:35
Leo Ernewein
Exactly.
00:37:36
Lando
And there's a maple leaf in front.
00:37:37
Leo Ernewein
And, and this complaint was like, since when are we the red and black or the red and white, yada, yada, yada.
00:37:38
Lando
so
00:37:42
Leo Ernewein
And I'm like, oh, come on, man, like give it a rest.
00:37:46
Lando
There's too many people.
00:37:46
Leo Ernewein
But anyways,
00:37:47
Lando
Too many people have too much time on their hands. so Let's put it that way.
00:37:51
Leo Ernewein
Yeah, that's for sure. I do like the roster, though, that the Team Canada selected. A few calgary Calgary guys that I wanted to shout out. Jackson Smith and Harrison Brunicki.
00:38:04
Leo Ernewein
Kashawn Aitchison was a first-rounder, I believe, last year. Cole Rejney plays for the Flames. He's pretty good. Porter Martone, we all know. Gavin McKenna, Michael Misa. Those guys...
00:38:15
Leo Ernewein
a Well, Gavin, not McKenna, sorry. Mises played in the NHL. Jett Lukashenko's played a little bit of NHL action. Tisha Ginlet hasn't cracked the and NHL yet, I don't think, but will be soon, I'm sure.
00:38:28
Leo Ernewein
Braden Kutz for the Canucks, he's played a little bit in the NHL.
00:38:31
Lando
Yep.
00:38:31
Leo Ernewein
Cole Baudouin was...
00:38:32
Lando
Zane correct.
00:38:34
Leo Ernewein
Yeah, Zane Perak, yeah, exactly. Carter Bear. i think he's... Is Carter Bear related to Ethan?
00:38:39
Lando
Yes.
00:38:40
Leo Ernewein
Tell me he's related. I thought so. Good.
00:38:42
Lando
I don't, I don't know if it's a cousin or a brother, but I think, yeah, they are related. Yeah.
00:38:46
Leo Ernewein
And Keaton Verhoff projected probably number two just behind Gavin McKenna in this year's draft. And Carter George there from last year's. He so kindly pointed out in the last podcast that we recorded last last week without getting posted. But yeah, a big fan of this year's roster.
00:39:07
Leo Ernewein
You know, fans and myself included, and I'm sure you do, Landon, want redemption from last year's abysmal showing. So I'm excited to watch some World Junior Hockey over the holidays here.
00:39:18
Lando
Me too, man. And, you know, and the other thing too is like, you know, I i think Dale Hunter is definitely going to put players where they're going to be successful. And I just, I like the roster that they set. they They basically did not, they picked the best of the best finally. And I think that's the flack that they've taken, you know, since maybe even back when Don Cherry called them out too, right? yeah I mean, Leo, you probably remember Don Cherry calling them out saying,
00:39:46
Lando
if I forget his exact words, but it was I'm going to paraphrase. Basically saying it doesn't matter if they're from the WHO, the NCAA, the Ontario Hockey League, or the Quebec Major, and Atlantic Junior Hockey League.
00:40:03
Lando
The best of the best should be there. And there shouldn't be any politics of, or we want representation. We want representation. No, the best of the best goes. That's what the Americans do.
00:40:16
Lando
That's what you know all the rest of the country is.
00:40:18
Leo Ernewein
Everybody else.
00:40:19
Lando
That's what everybody else does.
00:40:19
Leo Ernewein
Yeah.
00:40:20
Lando
They send the best of the best. The best of the best goes. and That's what happens. And and if if your league doesn't have the best of the best, then you as a league need to figure out Okay, what do we need to do to get to develop players to come into our league?
00:40:36
Lando
That's and i mean that's an internal thing, right?
00:40:36
Leo Ernewein
Yep.
00:40:38
Lando
So that's not Hockey Canada.
00:40:38
Leo Ernewein
Exactly. Step your game up.
00:40:40
Lando
Yeah, that's not Hockey Canada's job to fix that problem.
00:40:41
Leo Ernewein
No.
00:40:45
Leo Ernewein
to cater to the WHL or to cater to the queue or yeah.
00:40:48
Lando
Exactly. Obviously, you want some some rep your rapid you know representation from those leagues, right?
00:40:56
Leo Ernewein
I wouldn't care the slightest. If every player played for the Kingston front and X, I wouldn't care if they were the best to be there.
00:41:03
Lando
That's very true.
00:41:03
Leo Ernewein
Then they're the best to be there.
00:41:04
Lando
Yeah. I mean, yeah. and And like I said, like you want, they are.
00:41:08
Leo Ernewein
i don't even know if Kingston still a team man. Did they move?
00:41:11
Lando
Yeah, they are.
00:41:12
Leo Ernewein
Okay.
00:41:12
Lando
But, but I know.
00:41:13
Leo Ernewein
Cause teams move all the time in that damn league.
00:41:15
Lando
Yeah. Or they change names or whatever, but I,
00:41:17
Leo Ernewein
Yeah.
00:41:18
Lando
But I mean, yeah, I get you want to have, you know, like I said, I'd like to see some represent representation, but it shouldn't be the main focal point.
00:41:29
Lando
You know, like, you know, Tij again, he's playing from the Clone Rockets. He's going be on the team. And that was missing last year too. He wasn't on the roster last year too, right?
00:41:39
Lando
So yeah, this is, I'm excited for this team.
00:41:40
Leo Ernewein
yeah
00:41:43
Lando
I think, you know, I don't know, Leo, if you've seen on your end with your connections with with Rogers and some of the writers that work for your company that you work with.
00:41:54
Lando
But from my from what I'm seeing, I don't see disappointment i don't see the disappointment of the roster that's gonna be put in going to be put into place.
00:42:06
Lando
I think there's a lot more excitement.
00:42:07
Leo Ernewein
I don't see as many surprises either.
00:42:09
Lando
No, neither do I.
00:42:11
Leo Ernewein
So that's a good sign for us.
00:42:12
Lando
Yeah.
00:42:14
Lando
So.
00:42:15
Leo Ernewein
should be, yeah, should be some exciting hockey to watch over the holidays.
00:42:18
Leo Ernewein
We'll, uh, we'll jump over to basketball here.
NBA Cup & Toronto Raptors Challenges
00:42:20
Leo Ernewein
the Raptors bounced in the NBA cup quarterfinal by the Knicks. I think the Raptors now lost, what was it? Nine in a row, maybe 10 in a row to the Knicks.
00:42:29
Leo Ernewein
they were playing seven games in 11 days. So that's a lot of basketball, man. Uh, Does the NBA cup help the league there Lando, or does it kind of compacted does the compacted schedule hurt teams like Toronto?
00:42:44
Lando
I think it hurts teams like Toronto.
00:42:47
Lando
i don't know what you're I don't know what you're... I think you'll get your take on it at some point, but or it in a couple minutes here. But i think i think it hurts i think it hurts teams, but i get what...
00:42:47
Leo Ernewein
Yeah.
00:43:02
Lando
I get what the and NBA is trying to do. They're trying to boost TV ratings. They're trying to you know get bring back some bring some excitement to the to the league.
00:43:14
Lando
I think it's a great idea, but I think it's too much of a condensed schedule. i just i It's not helping teams because now we're running into injury problems in the league too.
00:43:24
Lando
right There's a lot of injuries happening.
00:43:26
Leo Ernewein
Oh, for sure, it seems like.
00:43:27
Lando
Right? yeah Right? So, and it's really astounding how the New York Knicks seem to have the Raptors number. And the Knicks used to be so horrendously bad.
00:43:40
Lando
It was kind of like the the other way around where Toronto would always have the, you know, the advantage on the Knicks, right? But, I mean...
00:43:47
Leo Ernewein
Going back to Andrea Bargnani, pretty much, yeah.
00:43:49
Lando
Exactly. yeah exactly. Right. So I like I didn't watch enough of the NBA Cup because i mean, obviously, basketball is not my number one sport, even though I do ref it and I do like basketball.
00:44:05
Lando
But there's just, you know, there's lots of other things going on.
00:44:08
Lando
to watch as well that but i did watch and keep track of who lost who advanced and and all that so i mean good for the new york knicks they haven't had too many opportunities to win things over the years and now they finally got they got an nba cup to you know move forward to try to make a clinch a playoff spot and, you know, push for the push for an Eastern representation for the NBA finals. So I, I, I don't, I don't, you know, personally, i don't really like this NBA cup, but it's, it's, you know, it's their dime that they, that that they have to choose. So,
00:44:08
Leo Ernewein
Mm-hmm.
00:44:53
Leo Ernewein
Yeah, I get why, like earlier you mentioned, you know, I get why they do it. Try to you know, install some more hype early in the league because it seems like a lot of people don't really care about early season, especially with this load management kind of era that we're in where a lot of players are getting hurt or they're sitting out days or whatever. And, you know, you go buy tickets and three of your favorite stars are in the game. It's just a huge. Yeah.
00:45:18
Leo Ernewein
buzzkill, right? So that does happen a lot.
00:45:19
Lando
Yeah.
00:45:20
Leo Ernewein
And I get, you know, they're trying to instill a little bit of a playoff atmosphere. And I think the NBA cup is important for certain teams. It's probably important for the next being that they haven't won a championship in like 50 plus years or something like that.
00:45:33
Leo Ernewein
think it was 80, 85. No, that's when they drafted Ewing.
00:45:35
Lando
Yeah.
00:45:36
Leo Ernewein
I don't even know if they went one before that. I don't think they won in like 50 plus years.
00:45:41
Lando
No, they have not.
00:45:41
Leo Ernewein
Anyways. So, you know, they didn't they didn't raise a banner on this because they're saying, hey, we're going for the big one. But I like the idea that it sort of creates like in soccer when you can i'll compare this to soccer in Europe.
00:45:59
Leo Ernewein
When you qualify for the Champions League and you qualify while everybody qualifies for the FA Cup. but you know you win the fa If you're in England and you win the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup and the Champions League and the Premier League, that's considered a quadruple because you won four trophies in one year.
00:46:18
Leo Ernewein
And it's it's just cool to see because that's obviously better than winning just the Premier League or just the Champions League, even though those are spectacular achievements on their own. It just goes goes to show you know a bit more dominance, at least on paper, when it's hard to tell who...
00:46:35
Leo Ernewein
who exactly how dominant they were or whatever. So the NBA, it would be cool to see like the Knicks win a championship this year and Jalen Brunson and them, Kat and all them celebrate and Josh Hart and the village, basically the old Villanova team, because there's a lot of Villanova players, but yeah, you know,
00:46:51
Lando
Yeah, yeah.
00:46:58
Leo Ernewein
it's It's still, i think it's I think it's just as important for the Raptors, not necessarily to win, but to get that time off after they, I think they got five days after being eliminated. So they were probably, you know, being like, all right, we've shown we can compete in a playoff atmosphere.
00:47:14
Leo Ernewein
i don't think they necessarily dialed it in, but I don't think they were too cheesed losing against the Knicks and going, all right, man, let's let's rest up here. and get a little bit more healthy. i also read today, Lando, I'll jump to the part B of this here. I just kind of put this in this morning.
00:47:29
Leo Ernewein
Reports are checking in on Raptors saying they're checking in on Lomelo Ball's availability. He's averaging near 20 points a game this year and a career-high eight and a half assists, but he's also constantly out with ankle issues. Do you think the Raptors should seriously pursue Lomelo Ball, given his injury history there, bud?
00:47:46
Lando
No, I don't. I don't think they should.
00:47:48
Lando
I think they, yeah, they there there's there's other players out there that they could go after if they want to make a playoff push.
00:47:48
Leo Ernewein
Good.
00:47:49
Leo Ernewein
Meaning, right?
00:47:54
Lando
it i Yeah, he's he's, they have a good culture. They have a good culture with the Raptors right now, the Raptors, the players that they have. Don't wreck it because of something stupid like that.
00:48:07
Lando
but yeah Just don't don't even bother. let Let another team grab them. There's other players that are going to be willing to be available for you to trade and to help your team. yeah you don't you don't You don't want to you don't want a guy who's prone like that
00:48:24
Leo Ernewein
No, yeah, I kind of agree. And I think, you know, I like Ball a lot because he's a good player and he can he can score almost at will. And his he's he's good at selling tickets. Like there's a lot that fits...
00:48:38
Leo Ernewein
LaMelo Ball, but it probably fits him better in Atlanta or follow probably fits him better on the Clippers than it would in Toronto's kind of... To me, like there was a report of an NBA exec described him as, quote, so unserious, unquote.
00:48:53
Leo Ernewein
I'm like, yeah, that's that's him. I've seen videos of him like driving a go-kart on a rooftop on like downtown this rooftop apartment or something. You know, just...
00:49:05
Leo Ernewein
I'm not saying anything's wrong with that. He's just wild and reckless and kind of just doesn't care. And to me, he went almost like, to me, that kind of player would have a problem buying into Toronto's system that Darko and them have been kind of curating since Darko's been there. They've had a team kind of defense. Nobody's bigger than the team mentality.
00:49:27
Leo Ernewein
almost since Dwayne Casey was there, i i would argue, and then passed on to Nick Nurse and then passed on to Darko.
00:49:31
Lando
Mm-hmm.
00:49:34
Leo Ernewein
And, you know credit to the execs like Masai Jiri, who was there now, Bobby Webster, who's kind of filling the shoes and Bobby learned a lot from Masai. He was the assistant GM for a long time as well.
00:49:46
Leo Ernewein
So one of the, one of the best in the league to do it. So yeah. Anything else here, Landon, before you want to move on to these quick mentions?
00:49:54
Lando
Well, you know what? one of the One of the things that I want to say is it's funny how the Raptors are kind of the least talked about team in Canada right now. And they're being quietly, sneakily good, right? Like they're, what are they, third or fourth in the division or in the Eastern Conference?
00:50:11
Lando
And, you know, they're they're not a bad basketball team. Like I've watched them a little bit and we've got a pretty good team here in Canada. And I hope I hope people take note of, of how good of a basketball team this is.
00:50:25
Lando
And, and I think the Raptors have, you know, they've drafted well, they, you know, they've re reorganized their organization to the point where now I think they can compete against the, you know, the, the big boys in the East. Right. So I think they've also taken the blood of the you know the Blue Jays' success too. so you know it's there It's funny. There's two teams in the toronto right there two teams in Toronto right now that are exciting, and then the rest of them are a little sad at the moment. so but i mean i hope i hope people who are somewhat basketball fans will watch the Raptors because this is a pretty good basketball team that they've they've assembled.
00:51:09
Leo Ernewein
I agree, man. I like the roster this year when they saw when they brought in Brandon Ingram. I didn't really think it was going to work with Scotty Barnes and and what's his name? The former Knicks player that's Canadian.
00:51:24
Lando
Oh, RJ Barrett.
00:51:26
Leo Ernewein
Thank you, RJ Barrett. and And then I wanted Grady Dick to kind of crack the starting rotation. So I didn't think that they they had room for Brandon Ingram, but It seems like everybody kind of buys into the system that, you know, Grady's not, not, and people get hurt all the time too. So it's, it helps to have depth and he's not too pressed on starting right away. So that's kind of nice. And yeah, it's, it's a good basketball kind of style. Basketball reminds me of the early day Spurs without, well, they still had Tim Duncan and he was always a star, but they kind of played like they didn't have a star, you know?
00:52:05
Lando
yeah but one Yeah, and and you know and that this that's a good that's a good comparison because i mean the Spurs had three players that nobody heard of at at all.
00:52:05
Leo Ernewein
And the Raptors to me were kind of playing like that. And I love seeing basketball like that.
00:52:20
Lando
i mean Tim Duncan was becoming a you know he was a pretty big you know star coming out of the NCAA, but you know Tony Parker came out of nowhere and Manu Ginobili.
00:52:29
Leo Ernewein
don't know.
00:52:42
Leo Ernewein
Yeah, yeah
00:52:45
Lando
So, I mean, the Spurs definitely had had a little bit of a dynasty going on with them with those three guys, right? So, no, good good comparison. I like it.
00:52:54
Leo Ernewein
yeah and Tony Parker is probably the reason why we're seeing Victor Wimbignana and all these French players today, right?
00:53:01
Lando
From France, yeah, yeah, from France, yeah.
00:53:03
Leo Ernewein
because Tony Parker, you selected late in the first round and pretty much put French basketball on
CFL Quarterback Extensions
00:53:09
Leo Ernewein
his back for a while. He was dating Yvonne Longoria like this man was a superstar.
00:53:13
Leo Ernewein
think he cheated on her eventually, but and we all do stupid things, I guess.
00:53:13
Lando
Yep.
00:53:17
Lando
Yeah, we do.
00:53:19
Leo Ernewein
Yeah, I'll jump into some quick mentions here. Speaking of cheating, there was quick, I just wanted to bring this up because this is kind of transitional. Michigan head coach, Sharon Moore, got fired like after the head coaching cycle, after National Signing Day when everybody already signed their recruits and all this stuff because he was having an affair with a staffer. He went from making like $7 million dollars a year to to get nothing and it was pretty messy. and I'm going to try to keep it PG here because I realize now that it it wasn't very PG, but
00:53:53
Leo Ernewein
not a great situation for Michigan football. We'll jump onto another couple of things here in football. this time in Canadian football, a couple of quarterbacks, uh, landing some extensions, Trevor Harris staying in Saskatchewan, uh, one year rough riders extension with about 450, uh, worth about $450,000 after his great cup MVP run.
00:54:13
Leo Ernewein
Bo Levi Mitchell locked down with Hamilton two year deal. I can't really remember what that one's worth. And then, uh, Before I jump in the next one, I'm just going to get your thoughts on these couple ones here too. What do you think of the two quarterback signings there, Landon?
00:54:28
Lando
I like it. i I think, you know, like a we talked about this before, that i you know there's not too many good veteran quarterbacks that you can find as good as they are.
00:54:41
Lando
And, you know, Trevor Harris got the Grey Cup win. Bo Levi Mitchell, you know, broke you know CFL passing records this year and almost got Hamilton to the Grey Cup. So, I mean, these were no-brainers as far as I'm concerned. And, you know, think,
00:54:57
Lando
you know, they're around my age and they're looking better now than they did 10 years ago. Right. So it's, I think it's a no brainer for both teams. Good for both of them for, you know sticking to their their respective clubs and not wanting to move their families because they got young families, both of them. So, no, good good for them. I'm happy for both organizations that they got their guys locked up for at least for another year, for sure for one and a couple more years for the other.
00:55:30
Leo Ernewein
Yeah, you know, and Bo Levi Mitchell was no slouch, like you said. He broke a couple records last year. He led the league in passing and threw for 36 TDs, you know. So pretty good pretty good overall season for Bo Levi, even though he's approaching the twilight of his career. And we'll jump over to a little bit of baseball here. Blue Jays signed probably one of the best, maybe the top pitching starting pitcher, at least on the market, Dylan Cease, seven years, 210 mil, the 29-year-old Lennie will be
Toronto Blue Jays' World Series Aspirations
00:56:01
Leo Ernewein
in strikeouts in 2022 with nearly 230, giving Toronto the ace that they might desperately need behind guys like, well, you could be a co-ace behind, I'd say, Kevin Gosman, right? So
00:56:17
Leo Ernewein
what are your thoughts on Dylan Cease there, bud?
00:56:21
Lando
I am excited for him to be pitching with the Toronto Blue Jays, with the guys that they have there. I think they've made their starting rotation a lot better. And, you know, this Dylan Cease, if people really want to get to know him and and find out a little bit more about him, watch how he pitched against the Helly Dodgers when he was with the San Diego Padres. I mean, he made Sholeo, he struck out Sholeo Tani, I think,
00:56:50
Lando
I can't remember last year. I think because the Padres play the Dodgers quite a bit and because of division. But I think he struck him out at least 30 times and last year.
00:57:01
Lando
I could be wrong. i could be way off on that. But I do know it was quite a bit. And and and so this guy's a really good young pitcher. he you know Like I said, he's young.
00:57:13
Lando
i'm I'm looking forward to him pitching for the Blue Jays. And it just shows you that the commitment that the Blue Jays have of trying to get back to the World Series And I think it just shows you that, you know, the Blue Jays put themselves on the map for players to want to go there, that, you know, they want to be part of that that amazing culture that they they started there. And I think the the World Series showed the United States and American players that, you know what, Canada is not a bad place to go play baseball in.
00:57:48
Leo Ernewein
Amen to that. We can get the big free agents.
00:57:50
Lando
Right? Yeah.
00:57:51
Leo Ernewein
Like that's the big, the biggest free agent signing in Jay's history. So it's nice to see them pull the trigger on something like that after a world series run.
00:57:58
Lando
Yeah.
00:58:00
Leo Ernewein
Right. Cause you know, I was saying after last year's free agent cycle period that I was like, Oh man, we're in for another rough Jay season, I guess. But You know, they re-upped on Vladi this year with that $500 million deal. They're dropping $210 million on Dylan C. So I think it's worth the money. I mean, he obviously will probably fade out by the time he's 34, 35, but somebody was going to give him that. And, uh, and I'm happy that he chose our team because of the contention window and that the Jays, you know, are here to compete. It's, it's a fantastic sign to see,
00:58:37
Leo Ernewein
you know, the Jays try to build off last year season and, and stuff. So I agree with you, man.
00:58:43
Leo Ernewein
Anything else you want to add?
00:58:43
Lando
yeah and Yeah, and I was just going to say that, yeah, it's it's just neat it's just neat to see how you know the Blue Jays were having such trouble getting getting players to come play for them, and now I don't think they're having that problem.
00:58:44
Leo Ernewein
but Oh, sorry.
00:58:59
Lando
So, yeah, it's it's really neat to see. I'm excited for the Blue Jays next year. Hopefully they can continue the winning ways into next year and they can build off of what they built from last year and and keep moving forward. So hopefully, I just, hopefully that this wasn't just one of those years where, you know, they, it was one of those one-ups and the, you know, the pressure and the expectations get to them. Cause I, I mean, obviously now the goal is to get back there, but
00:59:32
Lando
i just hope Hopefully they have a decent year that they can get put themselves back into the back into the World Series.
00:59:41
Leo Ernewein
Hopefully they keep making the Yankees lose too, because I'd love to see that.
00:59:44
Lando
Yes. Yes. Yeah.
00:59:47
Leo Ernewein
I think they're come back with a little bit of a chip on their shoulder towards us next year if they don't have one over any great.
00:59:51
Lando
Yeah, well i think i think I think all those teams, including the Red Sox, the Rays, and the Orioles, I think one thing that I think, you know, all of us need to realize is that the division that the Blue Jays are playing, there's a reason why it's one of the best in baseball is because, you know, it's funny how you, you see all five teams compete against one another that they tried there. They're competing against themselves because, you know, they're trying to all try to get better. And, you know, the Rays and the Orioles and the Blue Jays, I think as far as,
01:00:27
Lando
Developing goals, I think they're definitely showing that they can can compete finally against the Yankees and the Red Sox, that both those teams aren't running away with things anymore.
01:00:38
Leo Ernewein
I agree, man. AL East, the the best division in baseball, the, uh, What is it? The central division, the best division in the NHL. That's going to do it here episode eight of the Leo and Lando show.
01:00:47
Lando
Yep.
01:00:50
Leo Ernewein
We covered it all from blockbuster and NHL trades, Canada struggles in, the in women's hockey Raptors drama, us some quick CFL quick hits here in a J splash holiday season or not sports never slow down.
01:01:03
Leo Ernewein
Thanks for tuning in Lando. I'll let you take it from here. What are your final words for the fans?
01:01:10
Lando
So my shout out is to my mom and dad for being such amazing parents. And also I just want to say thank you for them for being such big fans of ours and listeners of ours that it's, it's just words can't, I just, I'm lost for words for what they've, what they've done for me over the years. And so I just want to say, give them a big shout out to them for being such amazing parents. Like I said, and, uh,
01:01:40
Lando
for being fans of ours, Leo, because they, they talk about us all the time, man, about how, how good of a show wheel that we've got going on. And yeah, it's just, it's neat to see. So anyways, I'm going a little longer than I should have, but yeah, I, it's nice to, nice to see such good, good, nice to see fans. That's for sure.
01:02:03
Leo Ernewein
Nice, man. Yeah. Shout out to your, to, you know, the seminars or seminars. what's your, uh, Irv and what's your mother's name? Sorry.
01:02:11
Lando
Chairs.
01:02:12
Leo Ernewein
Cheris. Right. Like Paris with the C.
01:02:15
Lando
Correct. Yeah.
01:02:15
Leo Ernewein
Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Cheris and Irv. Shout out to you guys. You raised a fine young man and he's a pleasure to work with. and thanks for tuning in folks. We appreciate you listening.
01:02:28
Leo Ernewein
It's always a good time on Lee when Lando show anything else, Lando?
01:02:32
Lando
That's about it, man. Have a good night, guys. Take care. of Merry Christmas.
01:02:39
Leo Ernewein
Nice.