The Athletic Hockey Show

The Vegas Golden Knights-Colorado Avalanche Western Conference Final matchup is set, but there is still one game left to play in the East, as the guys preview tonight’s Game 7 between the Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres. Plus, which goalie left in the playoffs is the most trustworthy in net, thoughts on Mitch Marner’s Conn Smythe case, and his potential goal of the year in Game 6 against the...

With the NHL Draft quickly approaching, the guys break down Corey’s latest ranking and mock and discuss defense as the strength of this year’s draft class, rating the six blueliners projected to go in the top ten. Plus, they answer listener questions in a long-awaited mailbag to close things out.  Hosts: Max Bultman, Corey Pronman, and Scott Wheeler With: FloHockey’s Chris Peters Executive Pr...

The Edmonton Oilers have fired Kris Knoblauch after three seasons on the job, and Sean and Shayna discuss how roster construction played a big role in the Oilers' disappointing season. Eric Tulsky, the General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, stops by to discuss his team as they await an opponent in the Eastern Conference Final and Hailey Salvian previews the PWHL final between the Ottawa Charg...

Pavel Dorofeyev leads the Golden Knights to a game 5 overtime win over Anaheim. The Sabres beat the Habs in a penalty filled game 4 in Montreal. Sean, Frankie and Sean discuss the goal scoring machine Dorofeyev, the lengthy double coaches challenge in Montreal and the breaking news during the pod, that the Maple Leafs fired Craig Berube and who should replace him behind the Leafs bench? Host: Sean...

The Carolina Hurricanes are the first team to advance to the third round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, dispatching the Philadelphia Flyers in four games and becoming just the fifth team in NHL history to start a postseason with eight straight wins. Today, the guys discuss if the Canes have become the favorite to win the Stanley Cup, Mitch Marner leading the league in playoff scoring, and if Gavin M...

We’re a couple of days removed from the NHL Draft Lottery, with the Toronto Maple Leafs jumping up to grab the No. 1 pick, and today the guys discuss why the Leafs should and should not take Gavin McKenna first overall. Before that, the crew breaks down Scott’s latest full first round mock draft. Plus, the optimistic and pessimistic cases for top players in this summer’s draft to close things out....

The Sabres beat the Habs in Game 1 of their second round series led by the dominant performances of Josh Doan and Zach Benson. Sean and Shayna discuss the Sabres’ shutdown of the Canadiens and they preview Game 2 of the Canes-Flyers series, as well as thoughts on the PWHL expanding to Detroit. Plus, they welcome Peter Baugh from Denver to take a look at the Wild-Avs series and ask, “Will the Avala...

The Toronto Maple Leafs won the NHL Draft Lottery Tuesday night and the hockey world is buzzing. Sean, Frank and Sean share their thoughts on what the organization should do with the pick and if it helps the Leafs keep Auston Matthews longterm. They discuss the Canucks’ bad luck at the draft and the rumour that Pierre Dorion will become the next GM in Vancouver. Plus, they look back on the Avalanc...

The Toronto Maple Leafs entered Tuesday night’s NHL Draft Lottery with the No. 5 pick, and the possibility of losing their first round pick altogether, and ended up with the No. 1 pick and their choice of top-rated prospects Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, and Chase Reid. The guys discuss the Leafs’ options at first overall, what the San Jose Sharks could do after jumping up to No. 2, the Vancouver...

The Montreal Canadiens went 27 minutes without a shot on goal in last night’s Game 7, including the entire second period, but they still found a way to score twice to move on to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and send the Tampa Bay Lightning to their fourth consecutive first-round exit. The guys break it all down and discuss the 15-goal Game 1 between the Minnesota Wild and Colorado...

With the NHL Draft Lottery set for next Tuesday night, the guys talk about some of the most interesting scenarios that could play out when the ping pong balls are revealed. Before that, they break down a chaotic start to U18 worlds in Slovakia with early exits for Canada, Finland, and the US, and discuss some of the standout prospects at the tournament. Hosts: Max Bultman, Corey Pronman, and Scott...

Did the Penguins have their last dance with Malkin, Letang and Sid? The young gun Flyers eliminated Pittsburgh in overtime and Max and Shayna dissect the future of the Pens and the Flyers. They discuss the Golden Knights huge overtime win over Utah, and the Habs putting the Bolts on the brink in Game 5. Plus, Sean Gentille joins from Anaheim to tell us if McDavid and Draisaitl can force a Game 7 f...

The Oilers played their best game of the playoffs to stave off elimination. Sean, Frankie and Sean dissect a pivotal game 5 led by Connor Ingram and Vasily Podkolzin, they discuss the nasty OT winner by David Pasternak to spoil the party in Buffalo, and the Wild's impressive win over the Stars to take a 3-2 series lead, plus they look ahead to the three games tonight in the Stanley Cup Playoffs an...

The Anaheim Ducks pushed the Edmonton Oilers to the brink of elimination on a controversial overtime goal to end Game 4, taking a commanding 3-1 series lead. The guys wonder about Connor McDavid’s future in Edmonton and discuss the poise shown by the Ducks so far. Plus, The Athletic’s own Arpon Basu joins the show to talk about the razor-close Montreal Canadiens-Tampa Bay Lightning series and the...

The Senators, Penguins and Kings are trending towards being swept in the first round. Hailey and Max discuss disappointing series for Ottawa, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles. Shayna Goldman stops by to discuss the Sabres dominating game three win over Boston, and she shares her eight too early takes from the first round. Sean Gentille joins us from Disneyland to talk about Connor McDavid stil...

Brandon Hagel led the charge for the Lightning with a Gordie Howe hat trick and Nikita Kucherov snapped a 16-game playoff goal drought as the Lightning tied their series with the Habs. Sean and Sean recap night four of the Stanley Cup playoffs, including Morgan Geekie’s center ice goal vs. the Sabres, a historic win for the Mammoth, and a glass-breaking overtime win for the Avs over the Kings. The...

The Stanley Cup playoffs are back after a weekend packed with series-opening games. The guys give their thoughts on every Game 1 from both conferences, including a thrilling Sabres win in Buffalo, a huge night for Juraj Slafkovsky and the Habs in Tampa Bay, and a statement by the Wild in a rout of the Dallas Stars. Plus, a quick lookahead to tonight’s Ducks-Oilers matchup and what this postseason...

On a special edition of The Athletic Hockey Show, the guys preview all four Western Conference Stanley Cup playoff matchups, discuss what to expect when the postseason begins on Saturday, and make their first round picks to close out the show. This episode was recorded live at 11:30am ET on April 17, 2026. Hosts: Jesse Granger and Sean McIndoe With: Mark Lazerus, Michael Russo, Thomas Drance, and...

The Eastern Conference matchups are set! Hailey, Sean and Max preview all four East first round Stanley Cup playoff series, and are joined by Matt Fairburn from the Sabres beat, to preview the feel good Buffalo Sabres who went from worst to first in the Atlantic Division with the postseason beginning on Saturday. Plus, Hailey, Sean and Max make their first round picks. This episode was recorded li...

The Columbus Blue Jackets lost 6 straight home games to end their season and Rick Bowness unloaded on the character and commitment of the team in his season ending press conference. Sean and Sean react to that, they discuss the yet to be determined Western Conference playoff matchups, and former NHL'er Cameron Gaunce from TSN stops by to share a coaching rant story of his own, they discusses...

On a special edition of The Athletic Hockey Show Prospect Series, Max and Scott break down Scott’s top 100 drafted NHL prospects ranking, discussing Michael Misa and Porter Martone in a tier of their own at the very top, some of the biggest risers from last year’s ranking, as well as some of Scott’s favorites, the hardest guys to slot, and the goalies to close things out.  Hosts: Max Bultman...

Alex Ovechkin very well may have played his final home game in a Washington Capitals uniform Sunday afternoon, but The Great 8 isn’t letting us know one way or another… at least not yet. And so, Max, Laz, and Sean Gentille discuss if we are in fact witnessing the end of Ovi’s storied NHL career. Plus, The Athletic’s own Kevin Kurz joins the show to talk about the surging Philadelphia Flyers and, t...

On today’s episode, the guys deep dive into Scott’s 2026 NHL prospect pool rankings, an annual list that includes evaluations of roughly 500 prospects and sorts the league’s farm systems from No. 32 to No. 1, and discuss why there were only two teams in the conversation at the top of the list, the rest of the top 10, and some of the biggest risers and fallers this season. Hosts: Max Bultman and Sc...

Connor McDavid was a one man wrecking crew against the Sharks on Wednesday night. Hailey Salvian and Shayna Goldman praise the unstoppable McDavid, dissect the injury to Connor Ingram and how it affects the Oilers wonky goaltending. They debate Alex Ovechkin's future in the NHL, they stick tap the PWHL's record setting night at Madison Square Garden and welcome Eric Stephens for an in-depth conver...

The Detroit Red Wings freefall from first in the Atlantic to missing the postseason cut for a tenth straight season is almost complete. Max Bultman, Sean McIndoe and Frank Corrado discuss what went wrong in the Motor City, the Anaheim Ducks six-game losing streak, and what went wrong for Tom Fitzgerald and the New Jersey Devils. Plus, former NHL'er Cameron Gaunce joins to discuss the red-hot Flyer...