Kekäläinen Out and Jack Hughes' Heel Turn

02/16/24 • 87 min

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On this episode of 32 Thoughts, Jeff and Elliotte delve into the Columbus Blue Jackets relieving Jarmo Kekäläinen of his duties as General Manager. Elliotte expands on some of the names that are in contention to be considered by John Davidson as the new GM (8:01). Jeff also asks Elliotte about Elvis Merzļikins, who publicly expressed an interest to leave Columbus (11:29). The fellas then turn their attention to Jack Hughes, his "people pay to see me" comments, and the ensuing aftermath versus the LA Kings (14:59). Elliotte and Jeff ponder whether the Kings will make a move in between the pipes... Juuse Saros maybe (20:40) ? Jeff and Elliotte then discuss whether suspension appeals are the new normal across the NHL, à la Morgan Rielly (29:10) and does Rasmus Ristolainen's injury prevent the Flyers from making any moves at all (33:23)? To wrap the segment, Jeff and Elliotte speculate on which Western Conference teams will buy in the coming weeks (39:00).

The guys answer your questions in the Montana’s Thought Line (43:58) and finish the podcast by sitting down with Canadian Folk Rock musician Alan Doyle, who is embarking on a brand new tour with a brand new album (54:03).

Find Alan Doyle's tour dates & tickets here: https://alandoyle.ca/tour/

Find Alan Doyle's music here: https://alandoyle.ca/music/

Email the podcast at [email protected] or call the Montana's Thought Line at 1-833-311-3232 and leave us a voicemail.

This podcast was produced and mixed by Dominic Sramaty and hosted by Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Find Alan Doyle's tour dates & tickets here: https://alandoyle.ca/tour/

Find Alan Doyle's music here: https://alandoyle.ca/music/

Email the podcast at [email protected] or call the Montana's Thought Line at 1-833-311-3232 and leave us a voicemail.

This podcast was produced and mixed by Dominic Sramaty and hosted by Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Previous Episode

The Battle of Ontario is Back, Baby

Jeff and Elliotte look back at the ending of the Maple Leafs-Senators game on Saturday night that saw Morgan Rielly cross-check Ridly Greig in a fit of rage. They discuss how many games they believe Rielly should be suspended for and the impact it'll have on the Leafs. Plus, the guys get into the reaction from the fans and how this has reignited the Battle of Ontario. Jeff and Elliotte move on to the surging Calgary Flames who now find themselves back in the Western Conference Wild Card race (26:30). Next, could the New Jersey Devils pry Jacob Markstrom out of Calgary (31:59) and Jeff asks Elliotte about the trade buzz around Guentzel, Tanev, Hanifin, and Henrique (38:32). Jeff then ponders whether Boone Jenner could find his way to the Buffalo Sabres (44:48) and Elliotte provides the latest information he's privy to around the Arizona Coyotes (49:040). Finally, will Doug Armstrong lead Canada into the next international best-on-best window (52:56)?

The guys answer your questions in the Montana’s Thought Line (54:29) and finish the podcast by sitting down with New York Rangers bench boss Peter Laviolette (1:03:54).

Email the podcast at [email protected] or call the Montana's Thought Line at 1-833-311-3232 and leave us a voicemail.

This podcast was produced and mixed by Dominic Sramaty and hosted by Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Next Episode

An Almost Perfect Night for Jagr

In this edition of 32 Thoughts, Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman begin with Jaromir Jagr's jersey retirement night in Pittsburgh. They cover everything from his speech, warmups, the ceremony, and Jagr’s (still active) illustrious career. Then, the fellas circle back to the NHL's Stadium Series in New Jersey as they highlight a hugely successful weekend for the league and outdoor games in general. (14:19). Elliotte touches on the Islanders being awarded the 2026 NHL All-Star Game (22:00) and the NHL potentially borrowing an idea from how the NBA hands out their awards (23:30), which turns into a conversation about whether Auston Matthews will win himself the Hart Trophy this year (26:39). Jeff and Elliotte then delve into the "Tanefin" (Tanev + Hanifin) sweepstakes out of Calgary (28:48) and Elliotte gets into just how much of a juggernaut the Florida Panthers have turned into (35:42). The guys continue with their weekly check-in with Sean Walker's future in Philadelphia (39:47) and Elliotte also mentions that the Oilers want to add, but not in net (42:45). Jeff and Elliotte close out the opening segment with a Andrew Brunette story out of Nashville (45:17).

The guys answer your questions in the Montana’s Thought Line (55:23) and sit down with Winnipeg Jets Kyle Connor and Connor Hellebuyck (1:14:13).

Email the podcast at [email protected] or call the Montana's Thought Line at 1-833-311-3232 and leave us a voicemail.

This podcast was produced and mixed by Dominic Sramaty and hosted by Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.