NHL Wraparound Podcast

The NHL season has entered the second quarter having delivered on a grand scale over the first 330 games played. The past couple of nights have encapsulated what the first quarter was about: Legendary greatness, a new age of greatness, surprises, disappointments and a late-breaking significant injury. In short, never a dull moment in the NHL. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https:...

The NHL regular season will hit the quarter pole Thursday with all but a very few right in the mix. One of those teams is the Utah Mammoth, who have hung right in despite a very heavy road schedule. Team GM Bill Armstrong will stop by to update a unit more comfortable at home in their second season in Salt Lake City. In Three Things You Need to Pay Attention To, we have three hat tricks, a wild fi...

Some NHL history was made in Friday's quartet of games while we also saw a quartet of happy returns of some sort. The Florida rivals got re-acquainted while some key injury news makes the show among our divisional updates. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/ NHL Wraparound Instagram:https://www.ins...

Another couple of nights rife with storylines. From Brad Marchand to home struggles to a few surging teams, Vic and Neil have it covered. We'll also have the latest personnel news and the passing of a Hall of Fame journralist. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/ NHL Wraparound Instagram:https://www...

It's the most over-hyped title in the NHL: The Generational Player. Every high-profile player projected to be a number one overall pick seems to get the label. In 2023, it was Connor Bedard. In '24, Macklin Celebrini. And be ready for Gavin McKenna to be anointed in advance of the 2026 Entry Draft. Let's now take a step back. What truly defines a generational talent and who are those that are wort...

While unpredictability can always be counted on in the NHL, it's how those storylines take shape that provides the most intrigue. We're still over a week or so from the quarter pole of the 2025-26 but what takes place on a nightly basis never leaves a shortage of talk points. Some good. Some not so good. And some outright ugly. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/N...

At one time, it was difficult to fathom anyone reaching 500 goals, then 600, 700 and 800. And now, the 900 mark has been breached with ALex Ovechkin having reached the mark Wednesday and, he eventually got hold a hold of the puck. Heading into the weekend, other vets left their marks over the past couple of evenings as have the first overall picks from 2023 and 2024. We'll also touch on team-relat...

A season after surprising many with their first-ever Presidents' Trophy, the Winnipeg Jets are around the top of the NHL standings once again despite losing some key components from a season ago. Executive VP/GM Kevin Cheveldayoff joins Neil and Vic to discuss his team, the challenges of remaining competitive in the league's smallest market and the inspiration by the return to play of native son J...

The calendar has flipped to November as we begin to settle in for the long winter months ahead. The flip side is the Eastern Conference is showing signs of a true dogfight that might have everybody in the playoff hunt come April while in the West...not so much. Vic and Neil catch you up on the weekend highlighting some key games including the latest stunning performance from the first overall pick...

In this Halloween edition, Vic and Neil don't trick-or-treat but, instead theme on good news and bad news around the league. They add in some other notable items and injury news before wrapping up with a great gesture by a Florida Panther and an honor for a Lightning superstar. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-...

Professional sports was rocked October 23rd when a prominent NBA head coach and a Miami Heat player were arrested as part of two separate illegal gambling investigations, one allegedly connected to organized crime. The ripple effect of these cases underscores that sports betting is not only a concern for the NBA, but extends to other major sports as well as the college ranks. While betting scandal...

The first month of the season always yields some surprises. It's just hard to predict where they'll be originating from. This season, it happens it be coming from the NHL's newest market as the Utah Mammoth have used a seven-game winning streak to vault themselves to the top of the Central, above three other division powerhouses. Plenty of other news coming out of a 25-game weekend...some good, so...

In a night that saw 90 goals, scored, we're beginning to witness some of the NHL's former lesser teams show some genuine progress. That includes the league's lone winless team finally breaking into the win column. Vic and Neil also note at a couple wild contests in the West, the latest injury updates and look ahead to a 25-game weekend. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twit...

His voice has boomed across the airwaves of Canada for almost four-and-a-half decades. After the 2025-26 season, Joe Bowen will retire from behind the Maple Leafs microphone but not before hoping to make the one call Leafs fans have waited for since 1967. Bowen joins Neil and Vic for an enlightening conversation covering his career, his famous moniker and his memories from a Hall-of-Fame career. I...

A day later than planned but then again, who wasn't affected in some way by Monday's AWS outage? Speaking of which, while the Rangers did manage to score a goal at home for the first time in four games, but their offense continues to fizzle at MSG. Also, the NHL is an unforgiving league so there's little doubt 30 teams aren't feeling sorry for both the Panthers and Oilers - the frustration manifes...

Three struggling clubs in the East get much needed wins while the ghosts of the Montreal Forum appear to have taken residence in the Bell Centre. Vic and Neil have the updates plus Carter Hart's new home headlines several goalie items heading into the weekend. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/ NH...

14 years ago, the Buffalo Sabres qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs with Lindy Ruff behind their bench. Fourteen years and six head coaches later, Ruff was tabbed again last year to try to recapture some post-season magic in Buffalo. Unfortunately, it hasn't gone exactly to plan. Another slow start punctuated by lack of offense has quickly tested the patience of the fans in Western New York. B...

The first week of the 2025-26 season is complete. Teams have played an average of three games apiece. Entering Tuesday only Buffalo, the N.Y. Islanders and San Jose are winless but each has a very different feel to it. We bounce around to some other league happenings, some major injury news in Ottawa and a nice, new contract for last year's Calder Trophy winner. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparoun...

Professional hockey has a long lineage of families who have had a prominent impact on the game. From the Staal's and Sutter's to the Hull's and Bentley's and beyond, each has left it's mark. However, if one is looking for the true first family of hockey, you'd have to go back well over a century to the name Patrick...one which continues to influence hockey today. IN THIS EPISODE: [01:53] - Neil's...

Twenty-one games in the books as the new season is underway. Plenty of coverage including contract extensions, debuts in new places and observations as all 32 teams have emerged from the starting blocks. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/ NHL Wraparound Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/nhlwrapa...

After some shenanigans in Ottawa and the Sunshine State to wrap up the pre-season, the Tuesday openers can't get here fast enough. Vic and Neil look at those three games, coaches debuting with new teams and dates major free agents kick off their respective seasons. And, it's never too late to look ahead to the 2026 Entry Draft where the projected number one pick is already making an impression...a...

Ready for another round? The new season is at our doorstep and, with it, comes our season preview show with long-time Canadian commentator and host of The Sheet Podcast, Jeff Marek. We'll be talking the new era of money as it pertains to player contacts and free agency, new faces behind the bench and who may be on the hot seat, plus players and teams to look out for as the Florida Panthers look to...

The NHL has a long history of players who have made their mark as open-ice hitters, perhaps none who delivered more punishment than Scott Stevens. The 2007 Hall of Fame inductee joins Neil and Vic to talk playing style, leadership and captaincy and winning three Stanley Cups in New Jersey under three different head coaches. IN THIS EPISODE: [01:44] - Neil opens about one of his pet peeves: a playe...

A major contract extension and it's potential ripple effect. Some major injury updates starting with the defending Stanley Cup champions and while one goalie says says farewell, another veteran netminder is looking to hook on with his original team. The 2025-26 regular season is just a week away and we have the latest. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vi...

The third installment of the Hall of Fame Edition is a man synonymous with the Winged Wheel logo. Steve Yzerman's entire playing career was spent in the Motor City with the transition to management taking place nearly two decades ago. Steve stops by for a chat with Vic and Neil and we cover the entire spectrum for youth to his playing career to the rivalry with the Colorado Avalanche to life as a...