The Hockey Writers Podcast Network

It's still early in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and every team has only played a handful of games. That said, there are some storylines, players, and teams standing out from the First Round. Marc Sautter joins Mike Fink to discuss all the action so far. Let us know what you think in the comment section below!!Follow Mike Fink's writing - https://thehockeywriters.com/author/mfink/And our...

The 2025 NHL Playoffs are underway and only five games are in the rearview mirror. It's usually a perfect Monday to have some overreactions but here, cooler heads (for the most part) prevailed. Justin Giampietro and Matthew Buhrmann join Mike Fink to discuss what some Game 1 overreactions are and what might not be an overreaction. Plus, we take a look at the week ahead and which teams have the...

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are around the corner, and the excitement is palpable. It's why this week's episode is a double one, as Mike Fink is joined by Brian Swane and Zach Martin to talk all about the playoffs, from the burning questions to overlooked stars to fun predictions. Make sure to like, share, and review Ice Time wherever you get your podcasts!! Follow The Hockey Writers:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

In this episode of The Hockey Writers Ice Time, Mike Fink gets together with Matthew Zator and Jacob Billington to predict who will win the NHL Awards this season. They also discuss Alex Ovechkin breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record and who might break the mark in the future. Follow The Hockey Writers:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ Twitter ⁠⁠⁠ - https://twitter.com/TheHockeyWriter ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

The season has entered the home stretch. It's a good time to look back at the 2024-25 season and think about what lessons and takeaways it's provided. Justin Giampietro joins Mike Fink to take a look at some takeaways from the season, as well as the John Tortorella firing and the Norris Trophy race. It's a longer episode but one with plenty to discuss to sit bank and enjoy (and give us...

It's a tight three-person race for the Norris Trophy and it's too close to tell whether Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, or Zach Werenski should win the award. So we debate it! Mark Scheig who covers the Columbus Blue Jackets makes the case for Werenski, Matthew Zator who covers the Vancouver Canucks makes the argument for Hughes, and Stefano Rubino who covers the Colorado Avalanche makes the case for Ma...

The rebuilding teams are often overlooked but there are a lot of them in the NHL at the moment. Which ones are successful? Which are concerning? What makes a rebuild successful? Jacob Strozyk joins Mike Fink to dive into the rebuilding teams and which are intriguing in one way or another. Check out the latest rebuild rankings - https://thehockeywriters.com/nhl-rebuild-rankings-post-trade-deadline-...

The NHL has gone through a lot of changes over the years. What's hit, and what do we miss about the game from the past? Alex Chauvancy joins Mike Fink to discuss some of the hits and misses, plus, some quick takeaways from the trade deadline. If you like this episode, make sure to rate and review! Follow The Hockey Writers:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ Twitter ⁠⁠⁠ - https://twitter.com/TheHockeyWriter ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inst...

The trade deadline is around the corner, and all the focus is on the teams that will make the moves to set themselves up for a Cup run. What about the sellers? Which teams can set themselves up for success in the long run by making a few big moves? Mike Fink is joined by Jess Amato and Sylvie McCarthy to dive into the seller's side of the trade deadline. Follow The Hockey Writers:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ T...

With the 4 Nations Face-Off in the rearview mirror and the dust settled from the big event, it's time to look at what the NHL can and should take from the games. Jim Bay joins Mike Fink to dive into everything from how the league must broadcast the nations, the star players, and how to navigate the obstacles in the future. It's a longer one but a fun one so check it out!! Follow The Hockey...

In this episode of The Hockey Writers Roundtable, Matthew Zator and Jacob Billington get together to discuss their takeaways from the 4 Nations Face-Off so far, whether the NHL should extend 3-on-3 overtime to 10 minutes, change the standings to the 3-2-1 points system, and more. Follow The Hockey Writers:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ Twitter ⁠⁠⁠ - https://twitter.com/TheHockeyWriter ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ht...

The NHL season has reached a lull with the 4 Nations Face-Off break so we take a look back and ask the simple question. What If? What if the Canucks didn't have a rift derail their season? What if the injury bug didn't decimate half the league's rosters? What if Leon Draisaitl didn't sign his extension in the summer!?!? Matthew Zator and Harrison Smajovits join Mike Fink for a longer episode where...

This week's episode starts with another big trade with J.T. Miller going from the Vancouver Canucks to the New York Rangers. What are the big-picture implications of this deal? Then it's looking ahead to the Final. It's early but what are some Stanley Cup matchups that would be fun to watch and how can they happen? Is a rematch in the works? What about an All-Canada Final? Zach Berta joins Mike Fi...

The Mikko Rantanen blockbuster trade deserves a deep dive and we give it that. Zach Martin, who covers the Carolina Hurricanes, and Justin Giampietro, who covers the NHL at large join Mike Fink to talk about the trade for both sides before diving into the big topic this week. With the trade deadline approaching, we look at what the contenders will target to move the needle and set themselves up fo...

There's no All-Star Game this season but it's still worth discussing how to fix something that is unwatchable. How can the All-Star Game become an entertaining game and event? Is the 4 Nations Face-Off a possible fix for the NHL? Jim Bay joins Mike Fink to talk about the ideas the league should consider. Follow The Hockey Writers:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ Twitter ⁠⁠⁠ - https://twitter.com/TheHockeyWrite...

The Trade Deadline is still multiple weeks away and a lot can change from now until then. That said, we're doing an early forecast on some of the teams, players, and storylines to anticipate as the deadline approaches. Jacob Billington joins Mike Fink to dive into it all!! Follow The Hockey Writers:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ Twitter ⁠⁠⁠ - https://twitter.com/TheHockeyWriter ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - https://w...

It's the dog days of the NHL season and some teams are sting to realize it's a lost season. The question is what happens next? Kristy Flannery of The Hockey News joins Mike Fink to talk about the rebuilding teams like the Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks and their next steps as well as the Cup or Bust teams like the Nashville Predators and New York Rangers and what they might do to turn a pa...

A few weeks back, we talked about scoring and goals being up so this week, it's all about the defenses. Donnah Campbell joins Mike Fink to talk all about some of the best defenses in the NHL and how they are combatting the best offenses. What are the defensive units doing that stands out? How are they built differently? How are they dictating games? Make sure to listen as we dive in! Follow The Ho...

The NHL season has reached the holiday break. So we talk about what we know, what we think we know, and what we don't know about the 2024-25 so far. Mike Fink is joined by Edgar Chaput and Spencer Lazary as the three provide insights on the season so far. If you like this episode, make sure to listen to THW Ice Time - Home Ice Edition which can be found exclusively on The Hockey Writers Substack....

Everyone knows about Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, and Nathan MacKinnon but what about the elite talents like Kirill Kaprizov and Brock Faber? Mike Fink is joined by Mariah Stark Holland to talk about the star players that fly under the radar but are elite talents that you must be paying attention to. And yes, a few Wild players are mentioned early on. If you like this episode, make sure you ch...

Scoring has been up not just this season but for a few seasons. Why have offenses been dominant in the NHL, what have been the primary factors for the goal uptick, and what does the future hold for the evolving NHL? Alex Chauvancy joins Mike Fink to dive into both the data side of things but also the on-ice factors and how both coaches and front offices think. It's a jam-packed episode so make sur...

The head coaching carousel is already in motion this season with a few teams already replacing their coaches. It makes you wonder what makes a successful head coach and some of the traits of the best ones. Mike Fink is joined by Matthew Zator to discuss all things coaching and some of the tendencies of the best. Follow The Hockey Writers:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ Twitter ⁠⁠⁠ - https://twitter.com/TheHockeyWrite...

The list of injuries seems endless. It's been a theme since the preseason with stars like Drew Doughty going down to recent weeks with Auston Matthews and Alexander Ovechkin suffering long-term injuries. Is this an outlier or not? How will it alter the rest of the season? Raz Devraj joins Mike Fink to discuss all facets of the injury bug that has bitten the NHL this season. Follow The Hockey Write...

In this episode of The Hockey Writers Roundtable, Jacob Billington and Raz Devraj get together to discuss several hot topics around the NHL including Jim Montgomery being fired by the Boston Bruins and hired shortly after by the St. Louis Blues, Sidney Crosby hitting 600 goals, whether Alex Ovechkin can still break Wayne Gretzky's goal record this season after he returns from injury, biggest surpr...

The NHL is constantly evolving and goaltending is in a unique spot. Should teams value the position? How should teams build in the net? What will goaltending look like moving forward? Zach Martin joins Mike Fink to talk about the state of position early on this season. Follow The Hockey Writers:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ Twitter ⁠⁠⁠ - https://twitter.com/TheHockeyWriter ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - https://www.i...