The Continentals & NHL Chaos

A championship, some late-season drama, and headlines across the sports world — Episode 9 has it all.

We open this week’s episode by celebrating a historic moment for Hamilton College Continentals as the men’s hockey team captures its first-ever Division III NCAA National Championship. For Guy Hebert, this one hits close to home. As a proud alumnus, Guy shares what it meant to watch the game unfold — made even more special as a true family affair, with both he and his wife attending Hamilton, and his daughter representing Hobart College Statesmen, the very team Hamilton defeated in the final.

From there, we shift to the rapidly approaching end of the NHL regular season — and the headlines are heating up.

The Vegas Golden Knights make a surprising move, parting ways with head coach Bruce Cassidy and bringing in veteran coach John Tortorella. Meanwhile, the Toronto Maple Leafs shake up their front office, moving on from general manager Brad Treliving as the postseason looms.

We also head to Major League Baseball, where the Seattle Mariners make waves by signing 20-year-old prospect Colt Emerson to a massive $95 million contract extension — the largest ever for a player yet to make his MLB debut. What does this mean for the future of the game?

All that and more on this week’s episode of The Mask & The Mic — where we break down the stories, the moments, and everything in between.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hi, this is G A Bear, former NHL goaltender, and I am the mask.

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Yes, and I'm Ken French. Uh yeah. Current, current broadcaster, former NHL broadcaster. Uh I am the Mike in this equation, and this is a podcast we like to call the Mask and the Mike. And Gibo, we're kicking things off with a team that is near and dear to your heart.

SPEAKER_01 0:22

That's right. Yeah, I am rocking some swag. It's not the championship swag yet, but Hamilton College Continentals, men's Division III Ice Hockey National Champions in a thrilling 2-1 OT victory. We'll talk more about that when you listen to the podcast, but that's the teaser.

SPEAKER_00 0:40

Also, some uh drama happening in the National Hockey League with just about a week left in the regular season. We'll touch on that. And how about a 20-year-old getting a guaranteed$95 million deal in baseball without playing a big league game? That and much more coming up on a show we like to call the Mask and the Mike and Gebo. And good for us. Hello, everyone, and welcome to another edition of The Mask and the Mike. Of course, uh, the Mask and the Mike are back with you. That being Guy A Bear and Kent Franch. Uh, Gibo. Um, uh there's no question where we're jumping off here in this podcast today, based on what you're wearing and what's hanging behind you. The Hamilton Continentals Division III men's NCAA Ice Hockey Champions. Congratulations on the first ever championship for your alma mater.

SPEAKER_01 1:32

Uh it's really an incredible moment for the school. Uh, you know, hockey has existed at the college for a hundred years. Uh, when I went there, we weren't actually able to compete in the NCAA uh bracket because of the um commitment to excellence in education. So part of the Nesca, you say that the commitment to excellence in education, therefore we aren't winning hockey games. Yeah, so you you could compete, which is the ECAC, which is the Eastern uh Collegiate Athletic Conference. So you could compete in that level, but even if uh we had won that back when I played, you couldn't advance because of the NESCAC, um, which is the New England Small College Athletic Conference. Oh God, you told us what that was, NESCAC. What the heck? Oh my god. So, but now it in modern times they're able to compete in the NCAAs and yeah, I mean, in absolute thrilling fashion. Um, I mean, the whole season was great. Uh, they had a tremendous season. Playoffs for the Nescaq were great. Um and then NCAA ride was uh thrilling and nothing better than and I know I've told a lot of people if you follow me on Instagram, you've seen tons of posts about the fact that it was a dream matchup for me and and my family. Not only did my daughter go to Hobart and William Smith, Hobart was the reigning champion, three-time reigning national champions, three Pete. They were looking for a four-peat, and of course, uh my wife and I both went to Hamilton. So as Hamilton alum, it was a little bit of a house divided, and Hamilton came out uh thrilling two to one OT with about three minutes and sixteen seconds left. Frenchie, I know you've seen the highlight goal, but uh Luke Chore creates a two-on-one bad pinch by the Hobart defenseman, comes down two on one, slides a beautiful pass under the sliding defenseman, and a rookie, a freshman, Curtis Sturgeon, freshman, one goal on the season, collects the pass and beats the goaltender, Damon Beaver, the Sid Watson Award winner, which is the award for the best college hockey player in Division III, really beats him for the game winner. And uh, I mean, it's something like you know, you think about team USA beating Canada in the golden goal with um, you know, USA being able to come out on top in the thrilling overtime. It was just like that, Frenchie. I mean, I was jumping up, my wife's screaming uh here at our house, and it it was it was a tremendous moment. I mean, I always say, you know, the effort and hard work and determination and the commitment at Division III college hockey or division three sports uh in general is is really no different than division one. And you know, you think about trying to balance your academics and your athletics, and uh, you know, the kids play for the love of the game. And it was just uh an incredible moment. Rob Haberbusch, the Hamilton coach, uh I mean, he's been building this program for over a decade, and you know, they've they've gotten to a place where now they can compete at the national level. So it's um tremendously proud from an alumni standpoint, uh former hockey player, just to see them have that uh moment where they could, you know, really enjoy, celebrate together, and a lot of texts and messages going throughout the uh the Hamilton alumni community. It's been uh it's been a special moment. It really has. Listen, I I I listen, I I keep forgetting, how do I forget about the goaltending? And and you know, you're so excited about the game-winning goal because it was so fabulous. But listen, Axel Reed. What a name. Uh is it? I mean, it's it's it's fantastic. Yes. 40 shots, 39 saves, MVP of the NCAA tournament. So congratulations to Axel. Uh, phenomenal job in the pipes. And I mean, there were some saves that he made throughout the course of the game that every goalie we talk at at any level, NHL level, uh, that you have to make. You have to make that one or two saves that you're not disposed to make. And he made several of those to keep the game tied at one uh so that they had a chance to go to overtime. So um, you know, it was a great team effort.

SPEAKER_00 5:54

Well, you know how difficult you, of course, know how difficult it is to get the National Hockey League um coming from a D3. What were there some NH future NHLers on the ice in that game that you think?

SPEAKER_01 6:06

You know, it's so hard to tell. I mean, I think you know, every kid dreams about uh getting that opportunity. And you know, when you're when you go to Division III, you're not really um, you know, the opportunity's not there as much as being looked at in the division one ranks. And I think that although scouts are looking everywhere, and whenever I have a chance, I'm always bringing up, you know, players to scouts in the in the ducks department. Um ironically, I was ran into Dave Taylor last night, who's a Clarkson grad, and I was talking to him about a couple players and just said, you know, hey, you know, these kids always merit, you know, a look. And so uh any chance I get to try to give these kids, you know, just uh for someone to take a look, I I always try to do that. But it like Frenchie, you just never know. I am a uh shining example that it can happen. So um, you know, I know most of the kids, or I would say the majority, if not all kids that are at that level want to go and complete their education and then have a chance to do something after graduation.

SPEAKER_00 7:12

So you mentioned at the outset this was certainly a family affair, but it was a family internal um little conflict going on there because your daughter Madeline went to Hobart, right? So that being said, was she on FaceTime during this? Did she have as much investment in this game as you did, or was she happy for you guys, happy for her parents?

SPEAKER_01 7:37

Um, we were not on FaceTime. Um she was well aware of the game going on, and I think she tuned in uh back on the East Coast. And you know, I think the you know, uh certainly we in this household, my wife and I had uh a more vested interest, you know, trying to get the first one ever, right? Trying to get that first one ever is more than she's won three, right? I mean, they've been on a roll, right? Yeah, I mean, listen, that team, Hobart, was 30 and oh this season going into the championship game. Yeah. Uh so they've got a great program. Uh ironically, I got recruited um when I was gonna go to college by Hobart. And uh, you know, it was uh a program much like Hamilton back in the day, trying to grow the program and and you know, try to make you know great steps in in getting players that could, you know, kind of be foundation of where the program was gonna go. And so it's just I it's very ironic that I got recruited there, decided not to go. Later in life, my daughter goes there. And then, you know, of course, just now having that head-to-head matchup was uh I mean, was just so sweet, you know, uh, certainly for me. And uh, you know, I I think my my daughter certainly would get over it quicker than if Hamilton had lost. I think I might have carried out for a while.

SPEAKER_00 8:56

I agree with that. I yes, yes, I I totally agree. Um, so so back to D3 and these kids who have an incredible amount of talent. A lot of these kids, you know, as you mentioned, they want to be NHL hockey players, and and as we all know, development happens at different times for different people. So they go to a D3 and all of a sudden, hey, they they start developing and become you know a legitimate prospect. But outside of someone like you, an alumni who goes there and throwing out names and and trying to knock on some doors for these kids, how does um does one from a D3 school you know get discovered? What what type of path do they have to take that is a little more unconventional, maybe, than some of these other kids?

SPEAKER_01 9:36

Well, it's a great question. And I and I think that, you know, I mean, because of modern technology, you know, like scouts don't necessarily have to be in the stands. And I think if they hear about a player, you know, there's enough um content that's available through social media, uh websites of colleges, and you know, being able to track certain players. So I think that if if you're you know, if you're a good player at any level, I think that you know there are people watching. Uh there's coaches that are talking to, you know, scouts that they know. And uh, of course, any opportunity I think for a coach to be able to pump up a player uh of his, I think they they certainly try to do it. You know, I mean, these kids are coming from all over, you know. Uh there were some kids from, you know, certainly uh Europe, uh Scandinavia. You know, it's global, not just in the NHL, it's global in college hockey. It's global not in division one, hot just division one, it's also global now at division three. And I think one thing you're gonna see that I think is gonna be really interesting is how competitive. Listen, all these kids are good players. I mean, sometimes it's the size, maybe we're a little too small to play division one. You know, maybe it was their skill level was just slightly below what was required uh when division one schools are recruiting, you know. But these kids can all skate. I mean, they all have uh, you know, good level of skills. There's not like a drop-off. Like when I played, there was a drop-off probably from your first and second line to your third and fourth lines. Yeah and you know, the guys who are on the first line or whatever certainly could have played division one. I think now there's uh a whole host of these kids, all these players um you know, had given the chance or the the opportunity, they probably could have played division one. They might have said, hey, I might not play a lot in division one, so I want to go and be able to play and play for four years. And so that's why I think Division III sometimes is very attractive. They get a great education and get a chance to play all four years or a good portion of those four years. But listen, they played junior hockey, whether it was in Canada or U.S., uh a lot of these kids are still going to college at 19 or 20 as freshmen. So they're, you know, they're older, they're stronger, and I think that's making the game much better for uh Division III college hockey.

SPEAKER_00 11:58

All right, Coach Rob, you mentioned um you're not wearing any championship merch. We touched on this before we came on. So, well, we're several days now past from this championship. Several, I don't know, what, three, two, maybe? I mean, it's not a lot, but it is time to have something UPS'd or FedExed to the A Bear household, I think, considering your jerseys and the rafters there. So, when are you getting your championship merchandise? And and maybe more importantly, where will it be placed in the A-Bear household? Is there is there a mantle set aside for the Hamilton Continental?

SPEAKER_01 12:31

Well, I I will I will wear it proudly, uh, first and foremost, you know, uh when Coach Rob Haberbush, if you're out there listening to our podcast, come on, coach or any of the other alumni, which I've actually gotten some great text messages from alumni saying, like, hey man, I'm in the car driving and love listening to you and Frenchie. So, you know, keep pumping up Hamilton and and keep the stories flowing. So we will continue to do that uh happily. But yes, uh it it when I won't say if, when I receive my my championship swag, I will be wearing it around town. And uh, of course, at some point it'll be prominently displayed somewhere in my office. All right. I cannot wait. I cannot wait to see it. This is awesome. I might have to get I might have to ask for two so I can get Frenchie wearing some of the swag.

SPEAKER_00 13:17

Yeah. Hey, I I'm fine.

SPEAKER_01 13:20

Hey, why why not?

SPEAKER_00 13:22

You see, your mind did not have a hockey team, still does not have a hockey team, as far as I am aware. So, yes, I I'm all I'm all in on Hamilton Continentals. Um, I love the Continentals, by the way. It's one of the greatest names in all the sports right there. Fantastic. Fantastic. Um, all right. Well, let's keep with the hockey theme here. And there's been a lot of movement uh in the National Hockey League. I mean, of course, uh oh yes. Uh we we know about the Anaheim Ducks, and we've touched on them as far as the run they're making this year, uh, looking to snap a seven-year drought in the postseason. Looks like they are well on their way, and they're currently leading the Pacific Division, but also in the pack, um, Gibo, Vegas Golden Knights. A lot of news coming out of Vegas uh over the last couple days. Um, when we are taping this podcast, Bruce Cassidy out as head coach with eight games left in the regular season. When he was dismissed of his duties, they were sitting third with 80 points, well into a postseason spot. Oh, about six points over the Kings, uh holding on to that third spot in the Pacific. Um, and here comes John Tortorella. My goodness, he's coming in, his sixth team, I believe, 24 years coaching in the National Hockey League. You mentioned Team USA Milan, he was the assistant coach in Milan. Give me your thoughts, Gibo, of dismissing Bruce with eight games to go, currently sitting in a postseason spot. Wow.

SPEAKER_01 14:57

I mean, yeah, I mean, like, listen, the Vegas Golden Knights are completely unapologetic about how they run the organization, and winning is a must and at the forefront of what they want to accomplish. Am I surprised? Uh shocked in one sense because you know, you know, one, they have an excellent coach who's done nothing but bring them a championship, which they brought him in to do, and so Bruce Cassidy certainly fulfilled that promise. Yeah. Uh, but they know they went out, they got Mitch Marner, spent uh 90 plus million dollars on him. They made some other moves. So they're well positioned uh, you know, to make another run at the Stanley Cup. So are you asking me if you think that because they're third in the Pacific, that they uh have not achieved what they wanted to achieve? I I think there's been pressure on them that they should be uh first or second. I mean, I think that every team wants to finish first and then have home waste advantage, and I think that's a a big key. I I I'm not behind the locker room doors, but what I can surmise from this move is the fact that listen, everybody knows what John Tortarella brings, right? He brings accountability, he brings that fire and passion to the game. And uh I I actually said on the Ducks pregame show when we discussed this is that he is not afraid to sit superstars, and superstars have to toe the line, and he expects 100% effort, especially in the defensive zone. And so when superstars are maybe a little laxadaisical, I think that he's not afraid to put him at the end of the bench or put him up in the press box to prove a point. And I think that the players have been put on notice, and I think with Tortorella run running the show now, I mean, he knows what he has. I mean, he's got an all-star cast of players, but I think the Vegas management just said we need that extra push here because we want more accountability with our players, and uh it was interesting because I think I I read something about the goaltending and that the goaltending uh we don't like how they're playing, but we love our goalies. So that's that passive aggressive statement of uh, hey, we love you guys, but you're not playing up to the ability that we expect from you, and that's a collective for for their goaltending unit. So, what is John Tortarella gonna do? I mean, I think he's gonna do what he's done. I think the short term, I think it's actually uh a great move because I think he's just gonna be that motivator of saying, hey, you need to take this opportunity. You don't know how many opportunities you get to try to win the Stanley Cup. We have a window right now. Coaches and management talk about window of time to win a Stan. Uh, they're getting long in the tooth with some of their players. I mean, of course, I mean, Jack Eichel's not old and on the way out, but there are a number of players in the supporting cast. Mark Stone is a guy who, listen, his window is starting to close. And there's other players that, if they don't win it now, uh, there's a lot of pressure on Vegas. So I think that this is a move that it's either going to be the greatest move and they will have a great run through the playoffs, or it's gonna be a move people will question and say, yeah, maybe Bruce Cassidy wasn't the problem.

SPEAKER_00 18:21

Yeah, I find it so intriguing, obviously, and so much uh there's so much there to talk about. You mentioned Long in the Tooth. They have the third oldest roster in the National Hockey League. Yeah. Uh, and they're one of the most aggressive, if not the most aggressive franchise in in most in all sports. I mean, they go out and they make moves. The deadline, this past deadline was quiet in terms for Vegas. They didn't make a huge splash like they have done in the past. Um, Cassidy just a few years removed from winning a cup in 23 with with these Vegas Golden Knights. Um, and I also find it interesting too because they have they don't have a first round pick this year or next year. A lot of their top prospect, their top prospect pool is pretty much bare because they have gone out and made these deals. So I I agree with what you're saying is the time is now, but it seems like the way this franchise is run, the time is now every single year. And yeah, um, Bill Foley, the owner when the Knights first came on, said playoffs in three, cup and six. Well, they went playoffs in one, they went to the finals, and they got a cup and six. So they have that mentality from the top down. So, my question to you is as an athlete, there is a lot of pressure in that environment to win and win now. And it seems like Bill Foley and those Vegas Golden Knights are going to continue with this mentality um moving forward. I mean, this aggressive win now mentality. What is that like in the room? And Mark, you mentioned Mark Stone. He was quoted as saying the room's gone stale after this deal, right? So you don't want that. Um and Tortorella is known for being a fiery coach. He's a yeller. You mentioned he sits stars, but that runs dry after a while. So maybe in this short little bubble heading into the postseason, this can work. But as a player, being in that environment every year, is that what you want? You want that pressure to win every single year?

SPEAKER_01 20:09

Well, I think players, it's kind of like back in the day when the Detroit Red Wings in throughout the 90s were kind of the team to beat, right? Every free agent that wanted to try to chase the Stanley Cup was looking to sign with Detroit. I mean, you can go through the litany of players, Brendan Chanahan, Brett Hull, uh Dominic Hashick, Curtis Joseph. I mean, like the list kind of goes on and on because they were like, okay, where can I go to have the best chance to win a Stanley Cup? Well, I think a lot of teams have thought, well, Vegas is kind of that place for me. And I think for a lot of reasons, uh, possibly tax and position reasons, right? Uh, that Mitch Marner looked at at Vegas as being uh a landing spot. So, you know, I listen, NHL players thrive on pressure. I I mean, your your goal and being able to put your name on that Stanley Cup, I mean, is the thing that you dream about as a kid. And you're playing out in your driveway or on the pond, and you're always playing in that moment, emulating that you're scoring the game-winning goal to win the Stanley Cup or make that huge save to win the Stanley Cup. So I I mean, I think inherently we love the pressure. You know, I think the interesting comment is that what's going on in the locker room? And I think stale is is probably a perfect word, right? I think guys got complacent. And, you know, again, I've I've never uh played for some of these coaches, so I don't know how they try to work that room, you know, like how do they motivate uh you know, Tortorell is uh obviously known just because he doesn't hold back in any press conference, right? It's he tells you exactly what he's thinking, and what he tells the media is exactly what he's saying to the players.

SPEAKER_00 21:48

Must see TV from our media standpoint. We love yeah, we love tuning in to John Tortorell. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 21:53

And so my thinking is that you know, I think the guys are gonna look in the mirror and say, okay, listen. Uh, he's gonna be brutally honest with my performance and he's gonna push me to be better. And for an athlete, I think, you know, going into the playoffs, it listen, I had this conversation the other day with uh a friend of mine. He's like, at what point do good teams just coast in the last, you know, 10 or so games, 20 games if they know they're in the playoffs? You know, are are guys really aware that they are not playing at playoff tempo because they're saving it for the playoffs? And I said, Yeah, there are teams and there are players that know that, hey, listen, I I we're gonna we're gonna be in the playoffs. Does it matter if we finish second or third? Probably not. I just need to be focused for the playoffs. So I think sometimes that's a little bit where you get like, you know, say the Ducks are all in fighting for every point. They want to win the Pacific, they want to keep what's going good, going good into the playoffs, but they are playing at that high level right now. They're playing almost at that playoff level. So can you sustain that or even play at a higher level because your opponent's gonna play at a better level once the playoffs start? So that that's the whatever, the catch-22 in it all. So I think that teams like Vegas have been kind of just sauntering along, trying to get to the playoffs, and then feel like at that point they can turn it on. And are they a good enough team to be able to flip that switch? Uh, I know a lot of coaches are are very fearful of that. Say, hey, you just can't flip the switch when it gets to be the important time. We want to go in with a little bit of momentum. And I think right now, I think you're gonna try to see that from Vegas, that they're gonna put a little better effort out there in the ice for for John Tortarella.

SPEAKER_00 23:43

Well, hell yeah. If if if you want your ice time, as you mentioned with with torts coming on board, absolutely five, ten, and two since the Olympics are the Vegas Golden Knights. So, yes, two pro two support the point you're talking about as far as just trying to get in. And the Kings, as I mentioned, six points back, anything can happen. I mean, if the Knights continue to to falter and the Kings find some sort of uh momentum in a run, that could that that script could flip very, very quickly. Um, my two cents is not just the Kings, right?

SPEAKER_01 24:14

Not just the Kings. I mean Seattle, I mean, uh there is uh a group of teams that are log jam.

SPEAKER_00 24:21

Yeah, I mean this thing could, and I think that's part of it too, is that it they're not a lock. I mean, yes, they're in a postseason spot, but if they falter eight games, a lot can happen. Um and yeah, this is this is a team that wants the expects to win every single year. I mean, too, I was I was looking at the history of coaches uh for Vegas and Gerard Gallant after taking the expansion team to the final two years later, he was he was fired. Peter De Boer, who who took him to the Western Conference Finals two out of three years and was there, he was he was gone. So the expectations are there, and I think not being you know, ever being a uh professional athlete and being in these rooms, but I'll I'll tell you your window, as you know, to play in any league for any sport is limited. And you have a window and you want to win. And if you're with a an organization that is putting its best foot out there and they want to win every single year, that's pretty damn cool. Like I would imagine you want to be part of that. But Gebo, but Gebo, the coach is on the hot seat every year, but hold on. What about the players now, too, right? Everyone's accountable, then they could be shipped out, and so everybody's kind of on the hot seat every year.

SPEAKER_01 25:32

Yeah, well, uh, there's a couple players you could probably ask, like Mark Andre Fleury, right? He was uns uh being beloved in that city and kind of being the face of the franchise and playing as well as he did and winning Vesanas and you know going to the Stanley Cup finals and you know and and not getting it done. I mean, they put a lot of uh essentially blame on him and and moved on. And you know, so there's been a number of players that have been um we'll call it like unceremoniously moved, and but it is, and and that's that's things like if you're not performing, uh they just move on. So the the other point that I I wanted to bring up is and and maybe this is part of the reason that there is a coaching change, is the fact and and it um and I I'll come right out. I hate overtime loss points. I I think that it's I understand why they did it in back in uh 10, 15 years ago, how however long it's been. Right. You know, it condenses the standings, it gives teams points, and it keeps teams around with a chance to make the playoffs. So you have a better chance of having your team still fighting in March for a playoff spot than you would if there were no overtime points, right? So then you fight for the second point. So the Vegas Golden Knights, um, I think my stats are correct. They have 16 overtime losses. So 16 points essentially. They have they've been able to bank by going overtime and losing, overtime or shootout, losing. So if you look at that, I think they were at 32 wins. I think they won last night, which would have given them 33 wins. Again, uh anybody can correct me on my math. But it's one of the lowest win totals in the Pacific division itself. And of course, them being in the playoff spot right now, not even the wildcard playoff spot, they're in the top three of the Pacific, only because of those 16 extra points. So maybe Vegas management figured had we won half of those games, all of a sudden we're first in the Pacific. So maybe that's part of the reasoning with the coaching change that maybe felt like there wasn't enough attention to detail, not enough uh sense of urgency. But it's an interesting see thing to see that you know, wow, eight uh sixteen overtime losses. It's incredible, actually.

SPEAKER_00 28:00

That's crazy to think about. Um so you go from and I was just thinking about this, it's really an interesting dynamic because you go from Vegas, that's by no means a traditional hockey market, right? I mean, um in the desert and the west coast, you know, uh you name it, I mean everything is non-hockey, you know. Um it's crazy to think about. And they have the pre that type of pressure from management that they're putting on to win every single year. Then you go to the uh center of the hockey universe, Minnesota Minnesota would argue this, but in Toronto, Brad Treveling gets fired, the GM. Yep. Uh, they're not gonna make the postseason. Um, they're having a heck of a time. We know about Austin Matthews being out for the year. Yeah, we uh all all that's happening in Toronto, but that's a city now and a country on your shoulders, Gibo, not just management, that's a whole nother set of pressures. Uh, and and some players have not done well in that environment. I mean, I don't know if you if you can equate it to playing in New York for the Yankees or the Dodgers now these days, right? So that being said, um I'm not surprised. I mean, they got it, they're trying to figure out how to get it right in Toronto, but I I think there's so much pressure to play to win in that city that they're trying to find the right people to put in place to make that happen. What are your thoughts?

SPEAKER_01 29:33

Yeah, I mean, I echo your sentiment. It is in the NHL probably the hardest place to play. And the reason that it's the hardest place to play is because they have not won a Stanley Cup in, I mean, yeah, however many years, right? I mean, uh You don't even need to do the math. No, I mean, it's been it's been too long. And so the fact is is that you know, it's you know, I mean, the Leafs are beloved by their fans, but it's that love-hate relationship, and you know, they have disappointed the fans kind of year after year with teams that should have done better, uh, certainly in the eyes of the fans and and the media, you know. I mean, you have superstars galore, and it's like, how do you not, you know, how do you not make it work? I the pre the pressure's insane, and it's not just like from the fans, it's from the media. And if you go to Toronto, even back when I played, you know, you roll in the Toronto, and there's not like five reporters or five cameras. I mean, it is a litany of people and cameras in your face, and that's when you're a visitor. So to be in that Leaf's locker room having to answer questions about performance on a nightly basis. Uh, it's uh the scrutiny is incredible. And, you know, I mean, that's why thick skin is a must if you're gonna play in that city. And and you know, one part of it is the fans deserve better. Like the fans deserve. I mean, the the team is, you know, uh it's not like they've got the lowest payroll in the league. It's not like they're not putting great players on their roster, it's not like they're not going out and making trades to try to make their team more competitive. I mean, so you know, it's seemingly management has done what they think it would take for them to be successful. And and I mean successful is going to the Stanley Cup finals and and winning the Stanley Cup. I think anything besides that is always gonna be a disappointment in Toronto. But yeah, you know, uh my old pal and teammate Brendan Shanahan, you know, out after a number of years. Now all of a sudden, Treveling's out. Uh, you know, Kyle Dubas was out, you know, a few years ago and is kind of rebuilding things in Pittsburgh uh under a less microscope, certainly, than than in the Toronto market. So uh it it's it's an interesting thing is if when they win, and and at some point they will win the Stanley Cup, uh, you know, it will silence um at least for short term, you know, all the things going on in Toronto. But you know, I mean, I I've heard much like you, rumors about who might be coming in. You know, Doug Armstrong is the name that's being bantered about by all the pundits.

SPEAKER_00 32:16

I even heard Rob Blake seems thrown out there. So yeah, you're right. They're being tossed around right now.

SPEAKER_01 32:22

Yeah. So, you know, for Doug Armstrong, I mean, he's you know, I mean, still under contract with St. Louis Blues. You know, would they allow him to talk to Toronto? I mean, who who knows? Uh, but Doug Armstrong is a guy who could come in and fulfill multiple roles, you know. Yep. President, um, general manager, uh, you know, I mean, any any part of that hockey operations, he could handle multiple roles. So I think that that's why he's attractive. Maybe he needs a change, maybe St. Louis Blues need to change. You know, they've obviously not played well in the last few seasons. So um, you know, it's but it's that uh merry-go-round where you think about you know Tortorella getting back in the saddle. Uh, you think about management doing the same thing, moving teams trying to change and find a plan. And I think, you know, like credit to Pat Verbeek and the Ducks. I mean, they decided that they needed a plan and they needed to stick to the plan. And it was gonna take years to be able to have that plan come to fruition. And and any ducks fan can certainly see that that the plan has come together, it's moving in the right direction, and a lot of young players have been able to, you know, take the time to be able to progress and get better. And and that's the way you build a winning franchise, right? It takes time. Now, those other markets, you know, they already have superstars, they've kind of gone through that process. And where did they go from now, right? I mean, what does Toronto do right now, Franchie? I mean, do they say, hey, we're gonna try to rebuild? And you bring in a management to say, like, okay, hey, this is gonna be tough for the next few years, but you know, we're gonna try to rebuild. But can you rebuild with guys like Austin Matthews? I mean, I I mean, I don't think you can because talk about Windows, I mean, Nielander and Matthews, I mean, these are world-class players that you know need to be supported. Um, you know, there's Matthew Nyes. I mean, there's I mean, there's some great players on this team. So I think it'll be interesting to see, you know, who comes in and can push the right buttons. And, you know, the fate of Craig Baruby is still out there. Will he return as coach? Will he not? Um, you know, that's to be seen.

SPEAKER_00 34:35

It's patience, right? That's the that's the big word. And that's something that the Ducks were able to have finally. Yeah. And they were trying to retool and not rebuild. They were trying to play out Getze's tenure with the Ducks and a couple of these guys trying to hang on to Kessler for as long as they could, trying to hang on to some of these veteran guys that they had. Yeah, Cory Perry, Corey Perry, you know, um you know what can we do? Even Gibby, you know, for uh for a while there, trying to like we got these guys, Hampus, uh Manson before you know Verbeat came in to get rid of those guys. Yep. Um, so yeah, they were trying to like, we got these these pieces. Let's let's see if we can make another run at this. But I mean, so so the Ducks had patience. Finally, they said we got to do this. Ownership had patience with Pat, and thank goodness you're seeing the fruits of that patience now. Pat has has pushed the right buttons for the most part, the prospects are are turning into stars, things are moving in the right direction, fans are happy again, the building is full, things are going well, they were able to show that patience. With Toronto, they won 108, they had 108 points last year and they won the Atlantic. I mean, they've had patience for a long time in that city. Their patience has run thin. So that so did to to yeah, to what you're saying is now did did they peek out at 108 points and they couldn't perform in that postseason, got beaten second round by the Panthers who end up winning the whole thing?

SPEAKER_01 36:01

Well, I mean, I yeah, I mean it's the curse, right? It's the curse of winning the president's cup, right? Uh, you know, the best team in the league, you know, you've probably overachieved and played, you know, probably too hard throughout the course of the year. And, you know, what you get in return is usually a first or second round knockout. I mean, we've seen it recently with Boston Bruins, right? Set a record for wins and points, and they were knocked out by Florida Panthers, who, by the way, was a really good team, ended up going on to win the Stanley Cup that season. Uh, but the Washington Capitals, kind of the same thing. Last year, you know, they were surprisingly like one of the top teams in the league, and um all of a sudden, you know, they don't make the run through the playoffs. So I think that uh every Toronto fan in particular is going to be really interested to see who who gets the job to run that franchise and and what that plan is gonna be. I mean, in my estimation, in watching the game against the Ducks, uh, you know, they sh finally showed passion, right? It was it was a passionate game and intense game because of Radco Gudis' hit on Austin Matthews. Um, do I think it was a malicious hit? I I don't. Let's I know Radco, you know Radko. I mean, he is just a tough player, right? And he was trying to make a hit and the timing was off, and he caught a piece of Austin Matthews, and unfortunately, it led to an injury and and out for the season. So uh you feel terrible for you know the Leafs and Austin Matthews. And Radko, stand-up guy, uh injured himself, is like, hey, I'm going out there, and you know, I don't want anybody to have to take care of this for me. I will stand up and I'll do whatever it takes to be able to say, like, hey, I'm here, I'm not going anywhere. Uh, very commendable. And but the passion of that game in Toronto is probably making Toronto fans furious because had they played with that kind of intensity and passion for a good chunk of the season, uh Toronto would be in a much better place, and I'm sure they would be a playoff team. Um, John Tavares looked great. He's had a great season, and I just think they've lacked, excuse me, that intensity all year long. And I know that fans are probably happy to see that, hey, they stepped up for Austin Matthews, but I've also, hey, we've all been online and reading comments, and a lot of the fans are like, yeah, great. Where were you like, you know, in that game when it happened? Nobody stood up. Now, obviously, Gudis was taken out of that game with the five-minute major, but there still was an opportunity, you know, to kind of send a message and they didn't do it. So is it better late than never? I suppose in one sense, but uh, I think it's, you know, um, for the fans, I think they're like there was probably a lot of soul searching by that that team and why they didn't do something when they had the chance back then and they had to wait for the matchup.

SPEAKER_00 38:57

So it's it's so then that's interesting as you put a bow on this this topic here. It's like so you have a locker room that's hanging out in the postseason position in Vegas that's gone stale, according to Mark Stone. They get Tortorella, who's a firecracker, you get him in there, and then you you're talking about a Toronto team that's just now playing with passion, right? So that yep, so who does it fall on? Is it following the guys in the room, or does it fall on the guy behind the bench to get the guys in the room going, or does it fall on upstairs and trickle all the way down if we've heard that phrase down before? So it's gonna be interesting to see how how Toronto moves forward from here and what happens in Vegas is gonna be very intriguing. Um, before we end our cocky conversation, I do want to touch on Macklin Celebrini. And I I haven't had a chance to watch him um since he's been in the National Hockey League. He's pretty good. I I've heard rumors that he's that he's good. Um and fun that he's in the Pacific uh to be able to, you know, well, have fun. Fun from a fan perspective, but not fun necessarily from a ducks perspective because he's so darn good. He hits the century mark in points. Um he becomes only the seventh teenager in NHL history to do so. Um he is fun to watch. Is he, I mean, stupid question, Captain Obvious here. Is he that good, Kibo? I mean, this this kid, he and he was Team Canada in the Olympics, and he was a standout on an all-star team, too.

SPEAKER_01 40:16

I think his coming out party really was uh his performance in the Olympics. I think people know his name, they know he was first overall pick, they know he's good. You know, being out on the West Coast, I think a lot of people on the East Coast don't necessarily follow what happens out here, but I think the coming out party was certainly the Olympics. And uh he's the real deal. And, you know, I think a lot of people have talked about Connor Bedard being that next generational player, uh, who is an excellent player in his own right, of course. But I think that Celebrini has kind of leapfrogged Bedard as that next great NHL player. Um, you know, it it's great for hockey, right? You need these new young stars, you know. I mean, the Ducks have uh Leo Carlson and Cutter Gochee, and and you have to have that next generation of talent that you know keeps fans engaged. And I think you know, the battle of like Southern California or the California coast between you know the Kings, Ducks, Sharks, because they're all going to be battling it out for the next you know decade of making playoffs with these great players playing against each other. Uh an interesting tidbit, um Cutter Goeche has 12 goals in the month of March, and he's climbed up the ranks of you know history with the Anaheim Ducks. I think Corey Perry is uh the most at 15 goals, but he's tied uh Tamo Solani and some other great names. So uh the other tidbit is I believe Cutter Goche has the most goals since uh the Olympic break. And uh that's quite that's that's saying a lot. So we got some great young talent here in the knocking on the door of 40, right?

SPEAKER_00 42:01

Is he knocking on the door of 40? He's that he's that close. He had a couple minutes.

SPEAKER_01 42:05

Uh on the power play the other night. So yeah, I mean, 40 would be uh a tremendous milestone. I think we we did a stat and we had to go back to, I think Corey Perry was the last ducks player to hit the 40 goal mark. And I mean, I think it was like we talked about it, and my memory's not so good, but I think it was like the 13-14 season. Um so it's it's been a while. And so yeah, what it what an accomplishment that would be. And of course, as you said, you know, Macklin Celebrini hitting the uh the century mark, which is um, I mean, man, that's a rare feat in the NHL these days.

SPEAKER_00 42:40

Geba, we're moving fast here on the program as well. Yeah, we love it. This is as we move from the ice to the diamond. There's some news that popped up, and I thought this would be uh intriguing conversation to get your two cents on it, because certainly I have an opinion on this. As we uh the Seattle Mariners up the street, up the street, up the up the coast from from us. Um, they have a kid, Colt Emerson. Uh, he is reported as of today that we signed this podcast to sign a guaranteed ninety-five million dollar eight-year contract, and he has yet to play a big league baseball game. 20 years old. Uh, I believe he's ranked the number two overall prospect in baseball. Um, but it's guaranteed 95 mil, 20-year-old, has yet to play in the big leagues. And as we all know, you know, I don't know. I I know because I've been around it, I've heard, I've talked to people about it, but the transition from whatever level you're playing in any sport, whether it be hoops, football, hockey, baseball, to make that next step, it's different. It's different playing in the best league in the world, whether the NHL, MLB, NFL, whatever it may be, NBA. What are your thoughts before I uh before I chime in here to guarantee a 20 year old 95? Mill over eight years, who has yet to play in the big leagues.

SPEAKER_01 44:03

All right. So if I missed it, where is he currently playing? Is he in the minor leagues or is he? He's in AAA, I believe. Triple A. Yeah. How many years in triple A? Not many.

SPEAKER_00 44:16

I think he played double A. He played double A last year between he split between A and AAA. He's had some injuries that he's been working through as well, but he's kicking things off. I think he kicked off the season this year going five for 14 with a couple bombs. So I mean he's you know, he's in the around 400 to kick off the season. But again, it is triple A. There's a difference between triple A and the big leagues. I mean, is things are different. Um, and he was on the cusp of making the Mariners team and spring training. He had a good spring, didn't make the club. Um, but that didn't stop them from from locking him up with this deal. So there you go.

SPEAKER_01 44:58

Hey, you know how we end our show? Good for him. Well, you know what? Good for him. Listen, I'm I'm a fan of any time uh you know players can sign a really nice contract and give themselves some security, give themselves an opportunity to not feel too much pressure to be able to, you know, to progress. Um it's a risk, uh without a doubt. I mean, for any player, I'll just equate it to signing a unproven player that's gonna play in the NHL or hope to play in the NHL, and you sign them to an eight-year deal, and you know, there's a chance that it never works. Now, you gotta think between the scouting department, coaching staff, the management, ownership, that this is something where it was not taken lightly that they've done all their home, right? Yes. Physical examinations, history of injuries, uh, the severity of injuries. So I would think that they feel very confident that this is a player that's gonna uh you know continue to improve and be a huge part of their organization at some point.

SPEAKER_00 46:13

Yeah, you don't want to use the word can't miss though, right? That's like that's taboo. Yeah, look at you. You're joking now on your water.

SPEAKER_01 46:20

Yeah, don't make me choke on that. You you can't you can't see that aspect.

SPEAKER_00 46:24

Yeah, I I okay, so I will say this. Yes, it is a risk, but I understand why it's happening. And because these salaries are are are crazy. I mean, guys in baseball are making, you know, between 35 and 50 mil a year, you know, if your name's not even Shohei Otani. You just defer it if you're Shohei. Um but yeah, so I I get it. You lock them up early, so then you don't have to, you know, these and if you gamble right, and like you said, the research has been done. Um, you know, it's the character, it's the research. It's almost like it's he's been in this combine for the last two years, right? Where you're doing all the research and everything, making sure you're gonna invest this kind of money into this kid. Um uh certainly, you know, you believe in him, but it will certainly do you if you hit it right, it will it will pay dividends down the road where you're not locked up. You know, I mean it could be with incentives, it could be 130 mil. But that's a sure but that's but comparatively to to some of these guys making, you know, what 500 million a year, three to five, not five hundred a year, they're signing these five hundred million dollar contracts, excuse me. It's it's an investment and a risk that I see teams in a smaller market team like Seattle, hopefully it pays off because that's something that will help them down the road, not being in this major market.

SPEAKER_01 47:43

Well, you're seeing it in all sports. You're I mean, you can uh you know obviously equate it to the NHL right now, you know, uh rookies coming off their entry-level contracts. You know, we've seen it with a number of players uh with the ducks, but across the league, where if those players play well in the two or three year entry-level contract, they're looking us to sign them to the max, seven or eight years. And they're, you know, it's a contract that is a player, you know, and you might, I mean, in NHL, you play 82 games a season. So if you play two years, you you know, you play every game, you're playing around 164 games, give or take, which is not a lot. But then all of a sudden you get offered, you know, a seven or eight-year deal, and they're gonna pay you, you know, six million dollars a year, and you're like, well, I don't know, like for like 48 million dollars, and this is hockey money, right? This isn't baseball money. It at age, you know, 22 or 21 or 23 or whatever you are, like it's hard to say no to that money. You know, it's guaranteed something happens on the ice and your career ends, like you're gonna make that money for you know for the term of your contract. So um, and it does protect you know ownership and and management, saying if we don't sign him to the max, you know, for what we can get right now, then when he's you know, if you do a bridge bridge uh two or so year deal and then they blow it out of the water, well now you're paying that player, you know, yeah, exponentially more money. So I I from a management point, I I get it. I I think hockey's followed suit and trying to lock guys in, and they're okay because you can budget with the salary cap and you can slot these players in knowing that okay for the next you know six, seven, eight years, uh, there's certainty of of the number going toward the cap. And unfortunately the cap is is increasing in the NHL. So um, but yeah, to roll it back to baseball, I mean, it's an interesting thing. I I don't think it's a bad move, uh unless he just never plays in or is a very average player.

SPEAKER_00 49:49

There's no cap in baseball, and that's why there's a that's another reason why I think in there's a threat of a work stoppage happening after the season. So I I again that kind of plays into all that, and I kind of get it. And by the way, too, 20-year-old kid, 95 guaranteed in the bank. Yeah. I mean, and we've we kind of have fun with this when these big contracts are are put out there. I mean, how much do you need, right? Like, how much do you need? He is set for life. I mean, that's yeah, at 20 years old, you are set for life. That is unbelievable. And you just hope, and I will just I'll finish by saying this, you just hope too, you talk about motivation. You know, like these kids are chomping a bit to get the big leagues and prove themselves. And then now you have another side of the equation where you have a 20 20-year-old kid now with$95 million guaranteed in the bank, yeah, keeping that motivation high. Now you have to, is the pressure now there to perform to that contract? Does he feel that pressure? And how will he perform against that pressure? Those are questions, again, back to my combine reference. They've done their research, they think this kid can handle it.

SPEAKER_01 50:53

Motivation is such a key factor in performance. I I always found that, you know, when the pressure was on, I I think you know, athletes step up to the plate, no pun intended, of course, but I think it's that motivating factor that knowing that you know your performance is directly the tied of what your next contract might look like. So is there some complacency signing long-term deals where you have guaranteed money? For sure. I mean, I think you know, this particular player might look at it, Frenchie, in a couple of years and become an all-star and go, God, I I didn't bet enough on myself. Right. It was really hard to say no to the money because, like you're saying, it's life-changing and you never know anybody's circumstances in life. And uh, you know, I mean, hey, if somebody walked up to either one of us today and said, Hey, you're really great at what you do, uh, we're willing to give you, you know, X amount of money. Uh, you're giving up potentially a bigger contract if you become really great. I I think most reasonable people will take the security. Uh, there are people who are very risky and will bet on themselves. Um, but yeah, that's gonna be the question I think is how do you keep him motivated to be able to get to where they uh he probably expects to get to and where the team expects him to get to without him being like, oh man, they're gonna pay me regardless. So um, you know, I think that's uh the internal battle is making sure that like, hey, I'm I'm set financially, but I have all these goals and dreams I want to accomplish on the field.

SPEAKER_00 52:26

Yeah, absolutely. And we've seen it. And you you mentioned that you've there's been guys bet on themselves, they turned down an eight-year deal and they say, No, I want more, I'm gonna take a one year, and then it goes sideways. Yeah. And then it's like, why didn't you take John Klingberg?

SPEAKER_01 52:41

That's who I was thinking of.

SPEAKER_00 52:42

Yeah, I was gonna say former Ducks defenseman with the Dallas Stars turned it down.

SPEAKER_01 52:48

Yeah. I I personally, and and I don't know this for whatever, but I you know the the rumor has always been that it was, you know, uh part of his team that suggested that he could get more. And when he didn't get more than the city, oh the team, oh the team sometimes, right? Yeah, the I mean everybody lost in that situation because I'm sure the uh the whatever percentage he's paying his his uh agents and lawyers and whatever um went down considerably. So yeah, they they all lost on that deal, but uh certainly uh John did the most.

SPEAKER_00 53:20

All right. Well, you know what, fans, you didn't lose because you had us for 50 minutes. I don't know. So hopefully it's a win-win for everybody here today on this edition of The Mask of the Microsoft. Yes, it is a win-win. It is a win-win. Hamilton Continentals are the NCAA Division III men's hockey, ice hockey champions for the first time in their history. Congratulations. Bring it all back. It all comes back to Hamilton. We will have uh maybe not next podcast, but certainly there will be a um there will be a mantle with merch. And we will uh we will celebrate Hamilton from here on out, I would imagine. Uh efforting a very special guest for our next podcast. I'm not gonna say anything because um we are going on location for this one. Uh, and we will uh have that for you next week. But uh, Gibo, great stuff again. And don't forget, folks, you can catch the podcast on the Mask the Mic YouTube channel, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. And make sure you give us a follow on our Instagram at the Mask and the Mike. Gibbo. Well done, sir, and congrats on your Hamilton Continentals. Oh, I'm I'm popping bottles still, baby. And you know what? Good for you, yeah, and good for them.

SPEAKER_01 54:32

Yeah, and as we always say, and good for us.