Talkin' Hockey - The Hockey Talkin' Show

tom westoll

Hello out there, we're on the air! It's your ol' pals co-host Tom and co-host Jared, and it's time to talk some hockey. We don't pretend to be insiders or know-it-all experts, no, we are just two pretty regular dudes who play hockey, watch hockey and talk hockey! Tune in each week to hear the fellas talkin': fun facts about your favourite players from bygone eras; discussion of current events and hot topics; beer league chatter and rinkside banter; the occasional guest (check the archives for when we had lots of guests over the pandemic era) ... and much more! Plus, we always have some great tunes to spin on the show, lots of can-con and bangers galore. Hope you can join us, and remember - keep your stick on the ice!

  1. 4d ago

    Season 9, Episode 4 - 1988-89 MONTREAL CANADIANS

    After a week away, your favourite co-hosts are back, feeling refreshed and ready to talk some hockey! First we head back to 1988-89, when Officer Pat Burns took over behind the Canadiens’ bench and Montreal steamrolled its way to the Stanley Cup Final — only to run into a juggernaut from the West - the Calgary Flames, and remains the only time a visiting team has ever won the Stanley Cup at the Montreal Forum. The Habs finished second overall, won the Adams Division, and collected the Selke, Vezina, Norris, Jack Adams and Jennings trophies. Not a bad first year for ol' Burnsy, who coached a well balanced team featuring the likes of Naslund, Richer, Carboneau, Skrudland, Chelios, Bobby Smith and Claude Lemieux, plus legends Larry Robinson and Bob Gainey and all world 'tendy Patrick Roy! In period two, we catch up on the big news in town, as this past Friday our local nightmare has ended and a Hellebuyck trade has finally happened. We’ll break down Winnipeg’s haul, which ain't half bad, and take a look at life after Helly. Then, after two big rink reports, we'll go coast to coast in rapid fire fashion, checking in with all 7 Canadian teams - the Canucks seem clueless, Devin Cooley might be a media legend, McDavid is running wild again, the Jets can't score, the Sens might be the best team in the nation, and the Leafs and Habs try to figure things out in the wake of some big injuries. See, we told you that there’s a lot to talk about!

  2. Oct 12

    Season 9, Episode 3 - 1988-89 VANCOUVER CANUCKS

    Give thanks friends, Talkin’ Hockey is back and this week we head way out west to Vancouver, circa 1988-89, for the arrival of a guy who was about to become the face of the Canucks. Trevor Linden’s rookie season was pretty damn good. At just 18 years old, Linden played all 80 games and put up 59 points, finishing his rookie year as one of the better players in a loaded 1988 draft class. And while the Canucks weren’t exactly knocking on the door of a Stanley Cup, something important was happening in Vancouver: the rebuild was beginning to take shape. Kirk McLean was just 22 and settling into his second season as Vancouver’s starter, while old-school Canucks like Stan Smyl and Harold Snepsts were still around to bridge the gap between eras. Linden would become the cornerstone of the next great Canucks team — and, as we look back, it’s pretty wild to realize that only four players from this 1988-89 squad would still be around when Vancouver reached the Stanley Cup Final in 1994: Linden, McLean, Greg Adams and José Charbonneau. Fun fact number one, this was also the season the Canucks became the first team to have two players with the exact same name appear in the same game for the same team. Because apparently, one Greg Adams just wasn’t enough. We're all over the map in period two, listener Susan in the West End wants to know if the New York Rangers might come calling for Connor Hellebuyck, now that Igor has been shelved for the season. Co-host Tom gives a rink report from this past Friday night’s Jets-Ducks matchup, and we talk about the league’s botched Heated Rivalry marketing adventure — which leads us down a Halifax musical rabbit hole. Plus, we’ve got all the usual the usual hockey nonsense you know and love!

  3. Oct 5

    Season 9, Episode 2 - 1981-82 WINNIPEG JETS

    This week we jump into the wayback machine and venture all the way to 1981-82 to check in with your Winnipeg Jets! It was the season everything started to come together. The squad made their first NHL playoff appearance, finished the regular season at .500, and, most importantly, an 18-year-old kid named Dale Hawerchuk arrived in Winnipeg and immediately started rewriting the record book. Ducky’s rookie season was one for the ages. He put up 103 points, becoming the first Jet to crack the 100-point mark and setting the NHL record for most points by an 18-year-old — a record that still stands. And he wasn’t doing it alone. The early pieces of the Jets 1.0 core were starting to take shape, with players like Thomas Steen, Morris Lukowich, Paul MacLean, Dave Babych, Doug Smail, Tim Watters and co-host Tom's favourite, Scott Arniel, helping turn Winnipeg into a team that was about to become a whole lot of fun, forming one the most exciting squads in the NHL during the 1980s. Then we fast forward about 44 years to the current Jets, who are off to a 1-0-1 start. There's a new sheriff in town, and Tyrell Bauer is quickly becoming a fan favourite, but does he have enough staying power to survive once silly Salo returns from injury. Speaking of Ducks, we’ll also check in on Anaheim who are off to a solid start after a tumultuous offseason. Plus, are the Panthers are becoming THAT team, we tip our hats to the great 8 as he prepares for his season-long twirl around the ice, pay tribute to a Sasky hockey legend, dig into the Stat Line of the Week, and try out our brand-new blind rankings game.

  4. Sep 28

    SEASON 9, EPISODE 1 - 2006-07 ANAHEIM DUCKS

    And apparently, once wasn’t enough. Talkin’ Hockey is back to kick off Season 9 with another trip to Anaheim — except this time, they’re just the Ducks. 2006-07 was the first season they dropped the “Mighty,” and it turned out to be a pretty good year to rebrand: 110 points, first in the Pacific, and just five playoff losses on the way to the Stanley Cup. We’ve got the Kid Line of Perry, Getzlaf and Penner, Ol' Kitty Carlyle behind the bench, Scotty Niedermayer wearing the C, and Jiggy and Bryzzy between the pipes. And then there’s Teemu Selänne, who at 36 led the team with 82 points and finally got to sip from Lord Stanley. We'll shift gears and talk the 2026/27 season - lots of new players wearing the C for the squads, while 4 teams still go without.  Some Jets chatter about the new 'tendy in town, and we'll talk about a massive Buds/Jackets trade that went down just before the show went to air. Finally, we'll do some rapid fire predictions and give you our hot takes on award winners for the upcoming year! And yes, we know that we already talked about the Ducks, and no, we’re not sorry...

  5. Sep 1

    Season 8.5, Episode 00 - Emergency Pod - What the F**k, Hellebuyck!

    So here's the thing, we're on hiatus.  We're enjoying the dog days and waiting for the kids to go back to school.  And then the #1 (?!?) goalie in the world requests a trade from the hometown squad and like Voltron we form and talk a little hockey! So back in June, the 15th to be precise, some of our esteemed Jet's roundtable called this.  At that point it was clear that a divorce between Connor Hellebuyck and the Winnipeg Jets was at a when, not if situation. We talk about our feelings, and we'll about the hockey side of it, the business side of it, and the very real possibility that the Jets are suddenly facing one of the biggest decisions in recent franchise history. There’s plenty of speculation, plenty of questions, and — because this is Winnipeg hockey — probably a healthy amount of panic. What happens if he sits out?  Who are our best trade prospects?  Why aren't we calling the shots by now? It's all here kids, sometimes an emergency pod is what's needed - and we all know that bonus hockey is the best hockey!

  6. Aug 17

    Season 8, Episode 40 - 1993-94 NEW YORK RANGERS

    Well folks, Season 8 is officially in the books! We put in a little time at the office to bring you episode 40 and put a bow on another great season - once hockey returns in the fall, we'll be back for Season 9. You can set your watch to that. Our Team of the Week is the 1993-94 New York Rangers, who finally ended a 54-year Stanley Cup drought with an epic seven-game Final against the Vancouver Canucks. Messier, Leetch, Richter, Graves and the Russian Foursome all got their names on the Cup as the Rangers finally brought Lord Stanley back to Broadway and the bleacher creatures at MSG! We also gripe about the state of hockey media in the year of our lord 2026. More games behind more subscriptions, more stations disappearing, familiar voices getting the boot, and, for the first time ever, Hockey Night in Canada not airing on CBC. Canada's game is being bought and sold, and the fans are paying the price. And finally, after a season-long battle, the Vintage Wax Pack Attack has a champion! Tune in to hear how it all went down. Music this week comes from 54-40, Soul Asylum and Propagandhi, although podcast listeners will once again get the arena organ treatment. Copyright reasons and all. Thanks for listening to season 8 and be sure to keep your stick on the ice - we'll see you for season 9!

  7. Jul 27

    Season 8, Episode 39 - 1992-93 WINNIPEG JETS

    This week we're staying close to home and looking back at the 1992-93 Winnipeg Jets. Teemu Selanne's unforgettable rookie season was truly one for the ages as the Finnish Flash lit the league on fire with 76 goals and rewrote the record book. Unfortunately, the rest of the roster . . . wasn't quite as electric. We dig into a team with plenty of scoring, not much defence, some suspect goaltending, and draft that will leave you scratching yer noggin'. In the second period, we catch up on the latest NHL news, including Patrick Kane heading back to Chicago and Ryan Getzlaf making his coaching debut behind Canada's World Junior bench, plus we talk about some legendary villains on the ice! And finally, it's time for the finale of our season long hockey card odyssey - we bring you the O-Pee-Chee Six Wax Pack Attack!  That's right six packs apiece to assemble the final roster before we seed our squads and start our tourney!

  8. Jul 20

    Season 8, Episode 38 - 2007-08 DETROIT RED WINGS

    This week we head to Hockeytown to take a look at the 2007-08 Detroit Red Wings, a team that may have been the last great dynasty of the salary cap era. With Lidstrom, Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Holmstrom, Rafalski, Kronwall, Franzen, Cleary and Osgood, plus the sage leadership of Chelios, Hasek, Draper and Maltby - the Wings sipped from Lord Stanley once again, defeating a young Sid The Kid! Next, we ask why Stevie Y, why?  The Red Wings legend stepped away as Red Wings GM seemingly out of the blue and we wonder why now, and what's next? We also get into Cole Perfetti's new deal, a bunch of other RFA signings, debate the rise of the NHL schedule reveal, and congratulate Uncle Fester on landing in Montreal as an assistant coach. In the third, we answer a great question from listener Justin in Nanaimo, and rip into the final Parkhurst Pack Attack - plus we talk Wax Pack Tournament plans, which all goes down next week!

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About

Hello out there, we're on the air! It's your ol' pals co-host Tom and co-host Jared, and it's time to talk some hockey. We don't pretend to be insiders or know-it-all experts, no, we are just two pretty regular dudes who play hockey, watch hockey and talk hockey! Tune in each week to hear the fellas talkin': fun facts about your favourite players from bygone eras; discussion of current events and hot topics; beer league chatter and rinkside banter; the occasional guest (check the archives for when we had lots of guests over the pandemic era) ... and much more! Plus, we always have some great tunes to spin on the show, lots of can-con and bangers galore. Hope you can join us, and remember - keep your stick on the ice!

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