The Bush League Hockey Podcast

The Hurricanes are Stanley Cup Champions, and we're breaking it all down on this week's episode of The Bush League Hockey Podcast. We recap Carolina's victory over the Vegas Golden Knights, discuss Jordan Staal as our Conn Smythe winner, and hand out the final Big 8 Player of the Week award of the season. We also dive into the news that John Tortorella won't be staying in Vegas, react to the Josep...

Who earns this week's Big 8 Player of the Week? The guys recap the latest playoff action, talk way too much about Mitch Marner, and get into the coaching rumours making the rounds—including Mike Babcock potentially ending up in Edmonton. They also discuss the surprising departure of Colorado's GM, the ongoing questions surrounding the Leafs' coaching situation, and whatever other hockey rabbit hol...

The NHL playoffs continue to deliver absolute chaos and we’re breaking it all down on this episode of The Bush League Hockey Podcast. We talk about Mitch Marner’s unbelievable highlight-reel goal, Vegas taking down Anaheim, and Colorado making quick work of Minnesota. Plus, Nathan MacKinnon comes through clutch with a massive snipe to tie Game 5. We also discuss how Carolina somehow feels like the...

The Toronto Maple Leafs held one of the weirdest press conferences we’ve ever seen—introducing John Chayka as GM and Mats Sundin as a new executive, while the media somehow made things even more awkward with… truly awkward questions. Then the next day? 💥 THE LEAFS WIN THE DRAFT LOTTERY. Yep. Number ONE overall. We break down the Leafs’ unbelievable luck, debate our Big 8 Player of the Week (Fredd...

The NHL Playoffs refuse to calm down — and neither do we. In this episode of The Bush League Hockey Podcast, we break down every Round 2 playoff matchup, react in real time to Montreal knocking out Tampa Bay in Game 7 while we’re recording, and dig into where each series could swing, stall, or completely explode. We also spend serious time on the biggest off‑ice news of the week: The Toronto Maple...

With half the squad mysteriously missing (last seen… somewhere?), Matt returns from assignment to break down everything happening in Round 1 of the NHL Playoffs—and it’s already chaos. From tight-checking battles to unexpected blowouts, this week’s Bush League duo dives into every series as they stand right now. Who’s in control? Who’s on the ropes? And which teams are already proving the regular...

Twas the eve before playoffs and all through the house… not a creature was stirring — not even a Rat. With the Stanley Cup Playoffs officially here, Gary and Jeremy go duo and break down all 8 Round 1 matchups, just hours before puck drop. No guests. No safety rails. No adult supervision. Who’s primed for a deep run? Which series is screaming upset? And whose playoff dreams are about to be over ve...

The East is pure chaos, and we are absolutely here for it. This week on The Bush League Hockey Podcast, we debate who really deserves the Big 8 Player of the Week — is it Cole Caufield again, Connor McDavid doing Connor McDavid things, or Clayton Keller quietly wrecking defenses? Then it’s full playoff madness. Detroit misses the postseason for the 10th straight year, Ottawa punches its ticket, an...

The NHL hit the panic button. The New York Islanders fired Patrick Roy with just four games left in the regular season, replacing him with Pete DeBoer in one of the strangest coaching moves of the season. We break down why it happened, why the timing makes zero sense, and what it means heading into the playoffs. In Toronto, the Leafs moved on from Brad Treliving — but the bigger question is why no...

A wild episode of The Bush League Hockey Podcast as we dive into one of the most shocking coaching scenarios imaginable. We discuss the possibility of Vegas moving on from Bruce Cassidy and turning to John Tortorella, and what that would mean for the Golden Knights and the NHL landscape as a whole. We also name this week’s Big 8 Player of the Week, break down early NHL playoff matchups, and debate...

Leafs chaos before the puck even drops. A Nylander warmup shot hits Anthony Stolarz in the throat, sending him to the hospital — and Joseph Woll has to step into the game with almost no notice. We break down how the night unraveled, why the Leafs didn’t protect Woll, and how Ottawa outshot Toronto 43–14. Then we zoom out to the league: playoff matchups if the postseason started today, Bettman’s mo...

In Episode 19 of The Bush League Hockey Podcast, we dive into a week full of controversy around NHL hits, suspensions, and puzzling league decisions. We start with the Nathan MacKinnon hit on Connor Ingram, the aftermath, and the intensifying debate around video replay and consistency in player safety rulings. We then tackle the Radko Gudas hit on Auston Matthews, including the injury, the surpris...

The NHL Trade Deadline is over, and we break down the biggest winners and losers from deadline day, including the Colorado Avalanche making major moves and the fallout across the league. We also discuss Evgeni Malkin’s suspension after hacking down Rasmus Dahlin, what it means for Pittsburgh, and which teams truly improved heading into the playoff race. Instead of our usual Big 8 Player of the Wee...

This week we break down one of the wildest goalie moments of the season as Gustavsson delivers a stellar performance… and then literally throws up in his crease. Hockey is not for the weak. With the trade deadline looming, we dive deep into the latest trade bait board, debate the biggest names generating buzz, and try to make sense of the chaos. Buyers, sellers, and everything in between — we’ve g...

Canada brought the shots. USA brought Connor Hellebuyck. Gold goes south. This week we break down the Olympic gold medal game in Italy as the United States wins despite being heavily outshot, thanks to an all-time performance from Hellebuyck. Credit to the Americans — but Canada still looked strong, and we’re talking about it all. We also touch on the emotional Johnny Gaudreau tribute that had eve...

On this episode of The Bush League Hockey Podcast, the guys react to an awkward Team USA practice moment after a photo of the Tkachuk and Hughes brothers somehow gets posted… with Quinn Hughes cropped out. We reveal this week’s Big 8 Player of the Week, then jump into a full Olympic preview, breaking down the rosters and projected lines for Canada, USA, Sweden, Finland, and Czechia. Who has the be...

Roster changes and big headlines across the hockey world this week. We discuss Sam Bennett stepping in for the injured Anthony Cirelli and what that means moving forward. We also react to the major trade sending Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings, followed by a 2-year extension — and whether it’s a win for both sides. To wrap things up, we look ahead to the upcoming Olympics and why internati...

We start with a scary situation involving Craig Berube, who suffered a nasty head injury. Was it a freak gym accident? What do we actually know — and what don’t we? Then things get weird. William Nylander appears to flip the bird toward a camera — and somehow that leads to a $5,000 fine from George Parros and the Department of Player Safety. Off-ice gesture. On-ice discipline. Make it make sense....

Toronto wrapped up a strong road trip in a big way — including handing the Colorado Avalanche their first home loss of the season — but not without some eyebrow-raising scheduling along the way. Back-to-back games at altitude in Colorado and Utah? Yeah… we talk about that. We also dig into the Winnipeg Jets and what suddenly looks very off the rails, Toronto battling back from a two-goal deficit t...

This week on The Bush League Podcast, a simple retweet turns into a reminder for everyone to slow down on social media, as Elliotte Friedman’s viral blooper gives us a good laugh. We then carefully discuss the situation surrounding the Ottawa Senators, following Linus Ullmark’s leave from the team and the public response that unintentionally brought more attention to an issue that should have rema...

The NHL standings couldn’t look more different. The Eastern Conference is packed tight, with teams battling every night for position, while the Western Conference has far more separation between contenders and the rest of the field. We break down Nathan MacKinnon’s intensity and leadership, and how Colorado has somehow lost just three games in regulation so far this season — an incredible start. W...

Olympic hockey roster season is officially underway — and the snubs are already causing chaos. On Episode 9 of The Bush League Hockey Podcast, we react to the early 2026 Olympic roster announcements from Canada, USA, Sweden, and Finland, with a heavy focus on the surprising names left off the list. No Connor Bedard. No Sam Bennett. No Jason Robertson. No Adam Fox. No Cole Caufield. Are these bold...

Things get heated in Episode 8 of The Bush League Hockey Podcast. We break down the Jarry for Skinner trade and what it means moving forward, then dive deep into the ongoing Quinn Hughes trade discussion and whether a deal like that even makes sense. But the episode takes a wild turn when a listener calls in and unloads an angry 30-minute rant about the Toronto Maple Leafs. What is actually wrong...

In S2E7 of The Bush League Hockey Podcast, the boys react to the bizarre rink fiasco in Milan — a surface that literally came up short. How does something like that even happen at an international level? We also dive into the big question everyone’s debating: Who are the real locks for Team Canada? Is Bedard a sure thing? Celebrini? Does Wilson make sense? Has Suzuki earned his spot? Around the le...

In Episode 6 of The Bush League Hockey Podcast, the boys dig into everything happening around the NHL right now: 🔥 What’s actually wrong with the Toronto Maple Leafs? – Are the injuries too much to overcome? – Will Craig Berube survive the slide, or is a firing incoming? – Where do they go from here? 🚨 Young teams cooling off Teams that started hot are now crashing back to Earth — we break down...