Toronto Legends

Literary Agent & Published Poet Brian Wood shares stories from representing diverse authors including Peter Mansbridge, Stu [The Grim Reaper] Grimson, Terry David Mulligan, Bob [Bobby Margarita] McKenzie, Tie Domi, Ellen Roseman, Steve Simmons, John Shannon, Colleen Jones, Scott Morrison, Justin Davis and Al Strachan. Brian talks about his three published poetry collections, and how they complemen...

Hey Landsberg!! Ex-TSN’s Michael Landsberg shares stories from his 37 year SportsDesk/Off The Record career [Gene Simmons, Thea Andrews, Mark Tewksbury, Stéphane Richer, Vince McMahon, Meat Loaf, Claude Lemieux, Darren McCarty, Dan Hill, Manny Pacquiao, Rick Vaive, Dikembe Mutombo, Jeff Marek, Caroline Cameron, George Cope] and his ongoing mental health advocacy via SickNotWeak.com! SickNotWeak's...

Strange Advance founder Drew Arnott talks about touring for the 40th anniversary of their debut album Worlds Away, why Steven Tyler did NOT like the band name, bigtime encouragement & friendship from Bryan Adams, having the late Bruce Fairbairn [Loverboy, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Van Halen, AC/DC] produce their first album, Scott Litt mixing their 2nd album before moving on to work with a small band c...

Sports Broadcaster/Author/Podcaster John Shannon talks about 'Team Baby Blue'/Hockey Night in Canada [that themesong, those blazers!], who Dave Hodge telephoned FIRST immediately after his irreverent on-air ‘pen flip’ in 1987, separating Don Cherry ‘the person’ from ‘the performer,’ pivoting from behind the camera to in front of the camera, podcasting with his longtime sidekick Bob McCown, why he...

Professional Guitarist/TCDSB Teacher/Author Sean Kelly shares a lifetime of surreal moments: Inspired by Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider...eventually collaborates with Dee Snider! First concert ever attended growing up in North Bay was Helix + Honeymoon Suite...eventually plays in both bands! Loved Corey Hart...eventually plays Corey Hart’s songs [note for note] live in front of him at his Canadian Wa...

Retiring [not retired] Professor Ken Wong from the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University talks about his early immersion in the family business [Wong Wing grew from egg rolls in 1948 Montreal’s Chinatown to Canada’s largest processor of Chinese food], sharing the mantle of ‘media’s marketing go-to guy’ with Alan Middleton, the ‘friendly rivalry’ between Western and Queen’s [yep, he couldn...

Former Toronto Maple Leafs Captain Rick Vaive talks about being the first Maple Leaf in franchise history to score 50 goals in a season [and doing it 3 seasons in a row], playing his first pro season in the WHA with the Birmingham [Alabama!] Bulls for John Brophy, those horrific Vancouver Canucks 'halloween' uniforms, how he found out he got traded from Vancouver to Toronto, his love for the souvl...

Former Hockey Pro & Author Justin Davis walks us through a hockey journey that involved being drafted by the Washington Capitals, multiple championships at multiple levels of hockey, playing overseas, disturbing accounts of hazing rituals, suffering multiple concussions [one of which saw him hospitalized with brain bleed], and ongoing battles with mental health/depression/anxiety. How did he end u...

Sportsnet anchor/host Jesse Fuchs talks about growing up in Scarborough, playing hockey for Birchmount Park Collegiate [Anthony Stewart made the team...Wayne Simmonds did NOT!], interning at TSN for Michael Landsberg, working on his penmanship & video tape editing skills at The Score with Tim Micallef/Sid Seixeiro/Steve Kouleas/Cabbie Richards/Simon Bennett, transitioning from the family-owned Sco...

Gaming News Canada Editor/Parleh Media Group partner Steve McAllister delivers a primer on the past/present/future of sports gambling in Ontario, speculates on the gambling prospects for niche sports such as table tennis, cricket, jai-alai & pickleball, talks about moving from Prescott to Ryerson/Toronto to Kincardine, following in his Dad’s footsteps [skates?] as a hockey referee, interesting car...

Ex-NHL Goaltender Curtis McElhinney talks about playing in Toronto [lots of Instagram messages] and in Tampa Bay [scootered from the beach to the arena], his TWO Stanley Cup rings, his Save of the Season on Sid the Kid to get the Maple Leafs into the 2017 playoffs, meeting celebrity fans [like rapper Yung Gravy], packing up & moving 35 times over a 16 year professional career, arriving at the back...

Author/Journalist/Wrestling Historian Greg Oliver talks about his memoir on Blue Jays skipper John Gibbons [“tried to watch a video compilation of all his umpire ejections...couldn’t get through them all!”], his biography of Billy Van [Hilarious House of Frightenstein & Bizarre with John Byner...classics!], and his Sports Illustrated online piece about Canadian wrestling icon Rocky Johnson’s unack...

Four-time Canadian Screen Award winning Producer Stuart Coxe talks about cutting his teeth at CBC’s The National & The Journal, Peter Mansbridge’s calm & consistent presence during 9/11, launching Dragons’ Den and Shark Tank, why Mark Burnett’s track record proves he is the ‘Wizard of Oz,’ working on the late Gord Downie’s ‘Secret Path’ project, first meeting Gord while giving a tour of Robert Scu...

700+ NHL game enforcer The Grim Reaper Stu Grimson talks about catching a scout’s eye in a Kamloops street brawl, being ‘a player so NICE that I got drafted TWICE’ [first by Detroit and then by Calgary], the liberation he ironically felt after suffering a horrible beatdown at the hands of the Oilers’ Dave Brown, his appearance on The Simpsons as an Instructor at Top Goon Academy, the Disneyland be...

Legendary heavy metal bassist Rudy Sarzo talks about rejoining Quiet Riot [his 3rd stint!], playing with Ozzy Osbourne/Whitesnake/Dio, and his friendships with the late Randy Rhodes/Kevin DuBrow/Frankie Banali. Rudy shares memories of the stellar ping pong table & overwhelming portrait of Queen Elizabeth at Maple Leaf Gardens, the controversy behind the scenes of the 1990 KISS/Whitesnake concert a...

Comedy hypnotist/motivational speaker/author The Incredible Boris Cherniak talks about his journey from Moscow to Toronto, running out of material early in his first professional show [at age 17!], being Facebook Friends with The Amazing Kreskin, enjoying conversations with a surprisingly chatty Teller backstage after a Penn & Teller show in Las Vegas, appearing on The Howie Mandel Show on the exa...

Former Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Travis Snider joins the podcast from Kirkland WA [home of Costco!] to talk about the life of a [baseball] retiree at 35, learning perseverance over adversity, his love for Cito Gaston & Alex Anthopolous, literally being pulled off the field mid-game in Seattle and being traded to Pittsburgh [‘that was awkward!’], the difference between 4A vs Triple A ballplayers...

Ed the Sock Creator Steven Kerzner remembers North York’s Newton Cable, shares Ed’s origin story [involves the Crafts Closet] and namesake [think Lou Grant/Carl from UP], talks about Ed’s Night Party transitioning from community cable to CityTV to a national MuchMusic audience, why he thinks Moses Znaimer is responsible for the greatest phase of creativity in Canadian TV history [people love to wa...

HC Davos Coach/Ex-NHLer Glen Metropolit talks about going from Cabbagetown/Regent Park to playing pro hockey literally around the world, getting training inspiration from ‘The Killer’ Doug Gilmour running the hills of Christie Pits, lining up for his first NHL faceoff against Pavel Bure [flanked by Adam Oates & Peter Bondra], utilizing ‘The Metro Method,’ doing his morning skate with the Philadelp...

Gibby!! Former Toronto Blue Jays Manager John Gibbons talks about why he loves Toronto [and why Toronto loves him back], the story behind writing his new autobiography, why Josh Donaldson wrote the foreword, his back to back ALCS appearances in 2015/2016, the Jose Bautista bat flip [“whole stadium was shaking!”], the Jose Bautista punch up [“he got rocked but never went down!”], the Shea Hillenbra...

Degrassi Co-creator Linda Schuyler talks about producing over 500 episodes of the iconic franchise, why Drake will always be Aubrey Graham to her, sets the record straight on the urban legend that Drake threatened legal action to get Jimmy Brooks OUT of his wheelchair, gives HER side of the Aubrey Graham audition story [in contrast to Drake’s version as delivered to Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Sho...

OverActive Media Group’s Bob Hunter updates the E-Sports venue project at Exhibition Place and shares stories from the ORIGINAL Ontario Place, BC Place Stadium, Expo 86 Worlds Fair, SkyDome [now Rogers Centre], Air Canada Centre [now Scotiabank Place], BMO Field, Lamport Stadium, the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, the 2016 NBA All-Star Game, putting together the ‘puzzles’ involved in venue conversions...

Stand-up Comedian & Podcaster Ben Bankas talks about taking his ‘Permission 2 Laugh’ tour across Canada, the strength of Mark Breslin’s Yuk Yuk’s brand, launching his ‘Please, Wear a Mask’ stand-up special on YouTube, travelling from Kingston to Toronto for his very first set [5 minutes!] at P.J. O'Briens Irish Pub, his creative process of using journal entries to create new material, the post-scr...

Toronto FC & 2017 MLS Cup Champion Justin Morrow talks about playing against David Beckham, the bitter feelings/lessons learned from the 2016 MLS Cup loss directly fueling Toronto FC’s amazing successes in 2017, Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s memorable karate-kick goal, growing up in a 'sports town' [Cleveland] with both parents as collegiate athletes, getting his education and NCAA D1 playing experience at...

Actor/Writer/Author/Musician/Comedian Paul Reiser talks about stand up comedy being his first love, creating Mad About You & casting Helen Hunt with his wife’s approval, stumbling into his breakout role in Barry Levinson’s ‘Diner,’ seeing George Carlin/Robert Klein/David Brenner/Robin Williams/Billy Crystal/Rodney Dangerfield LIVE in the local NYC clubs, sharing the set with Carol O’Connor/Carol B...