NHL Wraparound Podcast

After a three-day break, plenty going on around the NHL for the final show of 2025. A bunch of items from to hit on for our 165th program of the calendar year. 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/nhlwraparound/ #NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #Sh...

Steve Larmer and Kevin Lowe join Neil and Vic to relive the Rangers' dominant start to the 1994 playoffs. From back-to-back 6-0 shutouts sweeping the Islanders to conquering the problematic Capitals in five games, this episode reveals how championship experience kept the team focused. Hear about the "1940" chants at Nassau Coliseum, Esa Tikkanen's legendary kiss to Keith Jones, Mike Richter's rede...

Neil Smith, Glenn Healy, and John Davidson reunite to relive the 1994 Rangers' legendary Stanley Cup run. From Mike Keenan's controversial hiring to the franchise-altering trade deadline, this is the untold story of how the President's Trophy champions assembled. Hear about Mark Messier's leadership transforming the culture, the Butch Goring comparisons, the expansion draft chess moves that brough...

Chances are, if you have seen a memorable hockey photo over the past half century, it can through the lens of Bruce Bennett. The legendary photographer and recent inductee to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame stopped by to join Neil and Vic sharing memories, his preparation and the inside scoop on getting the perfect shot. In Three Things You Need to Pay Attention to, it's an upside-down world heading...

In a weekend which offered up storylines several different areas, one stood out as one legend passed another in Pittsburgh Sunday with Sidney Crosby tying, then passing Mario Lemieux atop the all-time Penguins points list. Elsewhere, both Toronto and Carolina had lost weekend but the narratives are vastly different. We also have a pair of trades to report while the front office turnover in Buffalo...

Captain Dennis Potvin, left wing John Tonelli, and defenseman Ken Morrow continue their celebration of the Islanders dynasty with Part 2. From the exhaustion of overtime to the relief of Bobby Nystrom's famous goal, the legends share what happened after May 24, 1980. Hear stories about defending four straight championships, the brutal 1982 Pittsburgh comeback, dominating Gretzky's young Oilers wit...

Captain Dennis Potvin, left wing John Tonelli, and defenseman Ken Morrow join Neil and Vic to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the New York Islanders' first Stanley Cup championship. From a 12-win expansion disaster to hockey immortality, these three Hall of Famers share firsthand accounts of the 1980 playoff run that launched a dynasty. Hear stories about the Butch Goring trade, the brutal Bosto...

With a three-day break coming up, some overachieving teams in the early going are clearly leveling out while others with high expectations are still spinning their wheels. Meanwhile, there's a pulse in Buffalo...for now. There's also the continuing brilliance among some star NHL backliners but, not so much in goal, where we have seen the understudies usurp the headliners in many cities. X: https:/...

He is one of the top analysts in hockey and is never shy about voicing his opinion. Neil and Vic welcome ESPN/Sportsnet's Ray Ferraro to the show to discuss the recent trades and other league news. We'll hit our usual Three Things You need to Pay Attention to at the top of the program with a nod to the latest to the 1000 point club and, after speaking with Ray, we'll hit on a couple of offbeat ite...

Wild GM Bill Guerin made a statement with his record extension to Kirill Kaprizov in late September. Friday, he put the rest of the NHL on notice with a blockbuster trade acquired Vancouver captain Quinn Hughes for three players and a draft pick. Vic and Neil have the analysis. Among the other happenings since Friday's show, a big injury, a big return and, if the Pittsburgh Penguins get nudged out...

Pierre Turgeon, 2023 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee and one of only 48 players in NHL history to score 500 goals, joins Neil and Vic for an intimate Hall of Fame Edition conversation. From representing Canada in the Little League World Series alongside Stefan Matteau to scoring 132 points in his best NHL season, Turgeon reflects on his remarkable 19-year career. He shares memories of the Dale Hunter...

Scott Stevens, the greatest open-ice hitter in NHL history and three-time Stanley Cup champion, joins Neil and Vic for an unforgettable Hall of Fame Edition conversation. From his early days as the fifth overall pick in Washington to becoming the first player to have his number retired by the New Jersey Devils, Stevens reflects on his 22-year Hall of Fame career. He shares stories about learning t...

As the Edmonton Oilers continue to emerge from their first quarter slumber, the team swung a pair of deals heading into the weekend with Pittsburgh and Nashville. Vic and Neil have the latest. Coming off Tuesday's last second thrillers, more comebacks were in store on Wednesday and Thursday but, not to be outdone, two notable goalie performances and and handful of four-point games, including the s...

Anyone have the Anaheim Ducks in first place at this point of the season with the likes of Vegas, Los Angeles and Edmonton residing with them in the Pacific Division? If you said no, you're not alone but there they sit. Long-time Ducks TV analyst Brian Hayward join Neil and Vic to discuss the "whys" to their first-half success. In Three Things You Need to Pay Attention To, the Toronto Maple Leafs...

The first weekend of December continued to roll out strong storylines as the two-time defending champs won in a pair of games in very different ways, with controversy surrounding one of them. Their opponent for those two Cup wins hung another big score on Saturday and appear to have regained so mojo. Elsewhere, a pre-season favorite is in the midst of a five-game slide with rumblings they may be s...

Pat Verbeek, General Manager of the Anaheim Ducks and Hall of Fame player, joins Neil and Vic to discuss the franchise's exciting transformation. Fresh off a 21-point improvement in the standings and the blockbuster hiring of three-time Stanley Cup champion Joel Quenneville as head coach, Verbeek shares his vision for building a playoff contender. From his playing days alongside Quenneville in Har...

The legendary Scotty Bowman, the winningest coach in NHL history, joins Neil and Vic for the inaugural episode of NHL Wraparound Hall of Fame Edition. At 91 years old, Bowman shares remarkable stories from his seven-decade journey through hockey, from his childhood in Verdun to building dynasties in Montreal, Pittsburgh, and Detroit. He discusses his mentorship under Sam Pollock, the evolution of...

How often do you hear "on any given night, any team can beat any other team?" Let's just say if you were siding with heavy favorites Thursday, you didn't sleep well. And the misery wasn't limited to the top teams a couple of rising clubs in California got taken to school on Wednesday. Vic and Neil break it down and get set for the first weekend in December which includes an update on the status of...

Though scored upon early and victimized by his own turnover, Carter Hart's return to the NHL was a successful one. Vic and Neil discuss that plus a myriad of other storylines from the brilliance of Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini to other highs and lows in the goaltending world to a special night for two youngsters in Nashville. By the way, can the Avalanche clinch a playoff berth next week? X...

45 Games worth of action in a brief window since the last show. Vic and Neil offer up their thoughts on whether they believe a greater or lesser percentage of teams in playoff position on American Thanksgiving will qualify by the time we reach mid-April. Also, some significant injury news and an upcoming season debut for a player who's been out of the NHL for almost two years. X: https://twitter.c...

Jeff Blashill, head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks, joins the show to discuss his mission to rebuild one of hockey's most storied franchises. After proving his ability to develop young talent during his tenure with the Detroit Red Wings, Blashill shares his vision for turning around a Blackhawks team that has missed the playoffs five straight seasons. From his philosophy on building a winning cul...

Ken Holland, the legendary hockey executive, joins the show to discuss his surprising move to become Vice President and General Manager of the Los Angeles Kings. After a distinguished career that included building championship teams in Detroit and Edmonton, Holland shares insights on his transition to LA, his philosophy on team building, and what it takes to construct a Stanley Cup contender in th...

After missing the playoffs a season ago, the expectations for the New York Islanders was a bit lower in the eyes of many coming into 2025-26. Though they struggled at the outset of the new season, things have reversed course to the positive highlighted by a recent 6-1-0 road trip. Former Islander and current TV analyst Cal Clutterbuck joins Neil and Vic to look at what's different thus far as well...

In the third of the NHL Wraparound Celebrity Series, Neil and Vic welcome three-time Super Bowl champion placekicker with the New England Patriots Stephen Gostkowski to the show. The four-time Pro Bowler and Patriots all-time scoring leader covers a range of topics from his early days or an athlete, to playing under Bill Belichick and with Tom Brady to life after football. Gostkowski even mixes in...

There's the Colorado Avalanche. And then there's everyone else as the NHL's top team has a seven point lead on the field just past the quarter pole. Vic and Neil will talk about the Avs but also a weekend which saw some other good (calling the Wild, Flames, Sabres, Flyers and Morgan Geeking)... and some bad (Calling the Maple Leafs, Rangers and Mikko Rantanen.) We'll have some key injury updates a...