The Athletic Hockey Show

With the Los Angeles Kings making a big splash over the weekend by signing right wing Adrian Kempe to an eight-year, $85 million contract extension, the guys are joined by The Athletic’s Eric Stephens to talk about it, the state of the Pacific Division, and how star players are apparently just not going to make it to free agency anymore. Plus, along with The Athletic’s Shayna Goldman, the guys dis...

When Gavin McKenna opted to play at Penn State, the decision was heralded as one of the biggest commitments in college hockey history. Now, despite 14 points in his first 12 games, there are some concerns about No. 72’s play and his status as the presumptive No. 1 pick in the NHL Draft. Plus, the guys discuss what they saw at the recent U17 World Challenge and the U20 Five Nations tournaments and...

Hailey, Sean and their special guest Michael Russo comment on Shane Pinto's four-year, $30 million contract extension with the Ottawa Senators this morning and if he should be considered for Team USA at the Winter Olympics. They discuss the Canada-USA Women's Rivalry Series, which Mike covered with Hailey, specifically Abbey Murphy's gritty play and 2026 projected first overall pick Caroline Harve...

The Maple Leafs have lost three straight in regulation, and with Auston Matthews and Anthony Stolarz out due to injury, they are playing poor defensive hockey with seemingly no end in sight. Gentille, McIndoe and Frankie dive deep into the Leafs’ dysfunction. They take a look at the Nashville Predators’ nightmare season and discuss if Steven Stamkos might get moved before the deadline. Scott Power...

All you have to do is look at the NHL’s list of leading point scorers to know the future of the league is here. Alongside the Nathan MacKinnon’s, the Jack Eichel’s, and the Connor McDavid’s are a trio of young stars named Connor Bedard, Macklin Celebrini, and Leo Carlsson, who are not only putting up big point totals to start the year, but also putting their skills on display on a nightly basis. O...

Presumptive No. 1 pick in next year’s NHL Draft, Gavin McKenna, sits atop Scott Wheeler’s latest draft rankings, but can guys like Keaton Verhoeff, Ethan Belchetz, and Tynan Lawrence challenge his position before selections are made in June? Plus, the guys discuss Ivar Stenberg’s historic SHL start, the major differences between Scott and Corey’s rankings, and whose World Juniors stock is up or do...

Alex Ovechkin finally scores career goal No. 900, but the historic feat was upstaged by Blues goalie Jordan Binnington trying to hide the prized puck in his pants. Sean Gentille, Max Bultman and Dom Luszczyszyn discuss that and take a look at how parity in the East is helping and hurting teams in that conference. Plus, the guys take a closer look at five players who have leveled-up this year. Host...

Sean, Frank and Sean debate if the correct call was made in Nashville when the WIld were awarded an overtime goal after Predators goalie Justus Annunen knocked the net off its mooring. The guys praise the play of the Anaheim Ducks with Cutter Gauthier now leading the NHL in goals scored, they discuss Team Canada's glaring weakness in goal and Sean and Sean take a look at the Hockey Hall of Fame's...

We’re a month into the NHL season and some clear storylines have begun to emerge. Today, Laz and Jesse talk about the new blood rising, from the Mammoth and Ducks to the Blackhawks and Canadiens, the old guard Wild and Blues stumbling out of the gate, the mushy middle in the East, and individual players who are off to hot starts, like Macklin Celebrini, Sidney Crosby, and Jakub Dobes, and ones, li...

With the Winter Olympics less than 100 days away, Hailey and Sean, along with Shayna Goldman take a look at pressing Olympic roster questions for Canada and the United States before the start of the Milano-Cortina Games. They discuss Shayna's piece about where NHL teams get their best players and Hailey and Sean stick tap Jonathan Toews return to Chicago on Thursday night, and Brad Marchand who to...

The NHL's 32 teams were all in play on Tuesday night, and Frank, Sean and Sean have solutions on how to fix the execution of the frozen frenzy. The guys ask if Connor Bedard is finally levelling up to Macklin Celebrini's stature and we take a closer look at JT Miller's return to Vancouver, the surprising Penguins start, and the massive contracts Logan Cooley and Thomas Harley signed in the past 24...

We’re just about a month into the NHL season, and a few days away from Halloween, and so there’s no better time to identify the tricks and the treats in the hockey world. Can the Devils and Mammoth keep their hot starts going all year? Can Jack Eichel win a scoring title? Are the Lightning and Rangers cooked already? Get the answers to those questions and much more on today’s episode.  Hosts:...

On today’s Prospect Series episode, the guys discuss early season standouts in the NHL, including Isles 2025 No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer, Red Wings 2023 No. 201 pick Emmitt Finnie, as well as Ducks and Blackhawks who have impressed so far. Plus, a look at how some prospects outside the NHL have fared at the start of the year and a bunch of listener questions in the mailbag to close things out. Hos...

Hailey and Sean welcome Kevin Kurz to discuss the Flyers opening two weeks under Rick Tocchet and the slow sophomore start for Matvei Michkov.  They talk about the red hot start for the New Jersey Devils, the Flames slow burn and who Calgary should put on the trade block, the Islanders firing their goalie coach already, Matthew Schaefer's ridiculous speed bursts per game and pe...

Gentille, McIndoe and Corrado dissect The Athletic's front-office rankings, with Florida, Dallas, Tampa, Winnipeg and Vegas rounding out the top five, the surprise ranking of the Oilers at No. 11, and no votes at all for Steve Yzerman and his staff, once regarded as one of the top front-offices in the NHL. The guys get Frankie's perspective on the Sens without Brady Tkachuk, the Oilers snapping th...

The theme of this week’s episode is “returns”. Joel Quenneville made his return to Chicago last night as the head coach of the Anaheim Ducks. ESPN’s NHL insider Emily Kaplan joins the show to talk about Brad Marchand making his return to TD Garden when his Florida Panthers take on the Boston Bruins tomorrow night. And, Jesse Granger helps close out the show discussing the goalies who have returned...

With Carter Hart signing a contract in Vegas, Hailey Salvian and Sean Gentille welcomed Jesse Granger, hours before the deal became official to discuss why the Golden Knights are taking a chance on Hart, Adin Hill's injury, and the inexperience of Akira Schmid in net. Arpon Basu joins from Montreal to talk about the Habs' tidy bit of business, locking up Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson and the fr...

In possibly the earliest 'tankathon' debate in NHL history, Gentille, McIndoe and Corrado discuss the never ending rebuild in Buffalo, the winless Sabres early season defensive and offensive struggles and if there will ever be light at the end of the tunnel. The guys take a trek around New York state, and talk about the Rangers goaless record to start the year at home, the promising upside of Isla...

On a special edition of The Athletic Hockey Show, the guys discuss Jesse’s 2025-26 NHL Goalie Tiers, a comprehensive ranking based on an anonymous poll of some of the brightest minds in goaltending in an attempt to sort the league’s netminders by true talent. Hosts: Max Bultman and Jesse Granger Executive Producer: Chris Flannery Producer: Chris Flannery Watch full episodes on YouTube: https://www...

We’re just about a week into the 2025-26 NHL season and there’s really no better time to overreact to what we’ve seen so far, which is exactly what the guys do on today’s episode. Matt Boldy’s a Hart candidate. The Bruins rebuild is complete. McDavid messed up staying with the Oilers. Plus, Todd McLellan’s pointed message to his Red Wings and Frank Nazar piling up points early on for the Blackhawk...

The 2026 Olympics are still months away, but the work to build gold medal caliber teams has already begun, with the final roster deadline set for New Year’s Eve. And so, on today’s episode, the guys have a mock preliminary roster meeting, gaming out the locks, the frontrunners, bubble players, dark horses, and long shots for both Canada and the United States. Got a question? Ask it here: t.co/fYie...

Hailey Salvian and Sean Gentille, along with Dom Luszczyszyn, discuss Jack Eichel's long-term, bargain extension with Vegas, how new teammate Mitch Marner looked on his wing, the maturation of Quinton Byfield and Brandt Clarke for the Los Angeles Kings, and Morgan Rielly's statement performance for the Maple Leafs in their first post Marner era game. Plus Hailey, Sean and Dom give their picks for...

Kyle Connor has signed a multi-year extension with the Winnipeg Jets. Sean Gentille, Sean McIndoe and Frankie Corrado wonder if the Jets paid too much, and how the Connor and McDavid extensions might affect Jack Eichel’s negotiations with Vegas. Plus, the guys discuss the Rangers’ poor effort on opening night against the upstart Penguins, the Florida Panthers continuing to play the NHL’s villain,...

Connor McDavid is staying with the Edmonton Oilers for the foreseeable future as he’s signed a two-year contract extension with the club worth an annual average value of $12.5 million. The guys react to the news and discuss what it means for No. 97, the Oilers, and the NHL. Hosts: Max Bultman and Mark Lazerus With: Daniel Nugent-Bowman Executive Producer: Chris Flannery Producer: Chris Flannery Wa...

We are officially one day away from the beginning of a brand new NHL season, and with that comes a lot of questions. On the first episode of The Athletic Hockey Show this season, the guys attempt to answer a bunch of those questions. How will the Panthers fare without their captain, Sasha Barkov? Will Sidney Crosby finish this season as a Penguin? Will Connor McDavid actually reach free agency? An...