The Great Canadian Hockey Podcast: Recent Episodes
Aidan Serra
It's just a couple of hockey nerds being hockey nerds. BCIT Broadcast and Journalism graduates James Paracy and Aidan Serra talk all things hockey, ranging from their experience working at the junior level in Canada, the wide world of young prospects, the NHL, and everything in between.
Aidan Serra and James Paracy return from their hiatus to talk about the past month of NHL news, starting with the controversial hiring of Stan Bowman in Edmonton, the eventual arrival of Alexander Nikishin in Carolina, and some significant contract extensions, including Kaiden Guhle, Martin Necas, and Brock Faber. They finish by praising Patrik Laine for the founding of his mental health initiative From Us to You and Matthew Schaefer for his performances at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Podcast recorded on Monday, August 12 and produced by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
Aidan Serra and James Paracy return to recap some highlights of day one of the 2024 NHL Draft, specifically the top five selections, before moving on to look at some of the big money that was thrown around on July 1 and beyond as NHL Free Agency brought on plenty of teams spending a lot of money in some questionable places. They move on to talking about some of the blockbusters in the last two weeks, before finishing with spotlights on the Nashville Predators and Washington Capitals. Episode recorded on Friday, July 4, and Monday, July 8, and was produced by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
Aidan Serra and James Paracy talk about the Hockey Hall of Fame class of 2024 and Matvei Michkov's potential arrival to the NHL before welcoming back Jeremi Plourde, a scout for McKeen's Hockey, to select picks 11-32 of their 2024 mock draft. Episode recorded on Tuesday, June 25, and produced by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
Aidan Serra and James Paracy return to recap a wild Stanley Cup Final in which the Florida Panthers outlasted the Edmonton Oilers in seven games. After talking about the series and Connor McDavid’s Conn Smythe trophy win, they talk about three major trades, looking at Pierre-Luc Dubois to Washington, Jacob Markstrom to New Jersey, and Linus Ullmark to Ottawa. Later, they welcome Jeremi Plourde of McKeen’s Hockey to the show. Jeremi and the boys each give the top 10s of their 2024 mock drafts, analyzing what’s best for each team in each position. Episode recorded on Tuesday, June 25, and produced by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
Aidan Serra and James Paracy take a look back on the two conference finals, focusing on what went right for the Oilers and Panthers to prevail, and what went wrong for the Stars and Rangers to have their seasons come to an end. They talk Memorial Cup and Steven Stamkos to wrap. Episode recorded on Wednesday, June 5 and produced by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
Aidan Serra and James Paracy talk about the teams who saw their playoff runs falter, checking in on Vancouver, Colorado, and Carolina’s losses, before teeing up the Conference Finals, and touching on why the final four this year will produce the best hockey we’ve seen all playoffs. Podcast recorded on Wednesday, May 22, and edited by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
Aidan Serra and James Paracy update the second round to Thursday, May 16, giving their opinions on each second-round series thus far, before talking Valeri Nichushkin, Darren Dutchyshen, and the 2024 Memorial Cup field. Podcast recorded on Thursday, May 16, and produced by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
James Paracy and Aidan Serra hop right into the first round of the playoffs, talking about the five series completed and three to go. Aidan and James send best wishes, as hearts go out to the family and friends of Bob Cole before they talk Gavin McKenna and James Hagens starring at the U-18s before a brief Q&A. Podcast recorded on Thursday, May 2 and produced by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
Aidan Serra and James Paracy hop on as the NHL playoffs kick off, first talking about James’ recent weekend at the Coachella Valley Music Festival before launching into the final week of the NHL season, looking at the relocation of the Coyotes to Utah, the statistical NHL leaders, and the heart-wrenching end to the Eastern Conference playoff race. They predict their winners for every first-round playoff series before giving their two cents on what’s next for each of the 16 teams who missed the NHL playoffs. Podcast recorded on Saturday, April 20, and produced by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
James Paracy and Aidan Serra lead with talk about the race for the Pacific Division title between the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks, the race for the final Eastern Conference playoff spots between a variety of teams, specifically talking Pittsburgh, as Sidney Crosby continues to drag his team into the fight. They talk about the Hart and Art Ross trophy races as a whole, before moving into the world of prospects through the lens of the San Jose Sharks, who not only signed highly-touted NCAA free agent Collin Graf, but also lead the odds for Macklin Celebrini. Aidan gives a word on 14-year-old phenom Landon DuPont who received Exceptional Status from the Western Hockey League on Monday before wrapping with Q&As and trivia.
James and Aidan hop into the show with a look at Nathan MacKinnon’s “snapped” point streak and the possibility of it being extended. Next, they talk about their growing anticipation for the Stanley Cup playoffs as NHL games begin to have the postseason feel. They talk about Josh Doan and an increase in scoring before ending with prospect and draft talk.
Aidan Serra and James Paracy shine a light on the career of former star power forward Wayne Simmonds, who has officially announced his retirement, before moving on to shine a light on the Colorado Avalanche, specifically impressive victories over the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers. On the topic of the Avs, they touch on Nathan MacKinnon and Nikita Kucherov's Art Ross trophy race, and the prospect of MacKinnon reaching 50 goals for the first time, before moving on to take a look at the NHL playoff picture, specifically the recent struggles of the Detroit Red Wings and how those struggles may cost them what once looked like a safe spot in the playoffs. After more playoff talk, they launch into an analysis of potentially the NHL's sleeping giant, the Philadelphia Flyers, and how the team has a chance to build a true contender around Matvei Michkov. They wrap with trivia and movie talk. Episode recorded on Monday, March 18, and produced by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
Aidan Serra and James Paracy start with John Tortorella’s latest headline-grabbing storyline and Minnesota's gutsy overtime move on Sunday, March 10, to help them beat Nashville, before launching into analysis of every trade made from the start of March up until the NHL trade deadline on Friday, March 8. Episode recorded on Monday, March 11 and produced by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
Aidan Serra and James Paracy reunited for their first "normal" episode in some time, running through some NHL news from the past few weeks. They talk about Elias Pettersson's new contract with Vancouver, Chris Tanev's move to Dallas, and talk about a few of the players who are likely to be moved on or before Friday, the day of the NHL trade deadline. They discuss the three players on pace to break 130 points this season, talking about the league's high scoring in general, before talking about Monday's news, with Lindy Ruff being fired by the Devils. They close with the usual, trivia and Q&A. Podcast recorded on Monday, March 4, and produced by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
Aidan Serra and James Paracy open up by showing some love to a group of four young NHL stars who have taken strides to shake the "draft bust" label of late, before celebrating Sean Couturier's new captaincy with Philadelphia and Alex Ovechkin's return to form. Following that, they welcome Prince George Cougars forward Terik Parascak to the show (19:29). Parascak talks about what's been a very special WHL rookie season so far, which NHLer he models his game after, about the possibility of being picked in the upcoming NHL draft, and more. Following Parascak's interview, James and Aidan wrap by picking their Hart, Norris, Vezina, and Calder winners as of this point in the NHL season. Podcast recorded on Wednesday, February 14, and Sunday, February 18, and edited by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
Aidan Serra brings on special guest Charlie Black to help him in James Paracy’s absence for this episode of the podcast. Charlie is a seasoned vet in the hockey world, having worked throughout junior hockey in British Columbia in a variety of capacities. He talks about his move to Powell River to work with the BCHL’s Powell River Kings before giving his insight on the direction of the BCHL moving forward. Following that, Charlie and Aidan go into some NHL news, touching on the status of all three Pacific Division Canadian teams, Morgan Rielly’s suspension, and a difficult situation currently being experienced by New York Rangers General Manager Chris Drury. As the end of the season approaches, Aidan’s number two prospect for the upcoming NHL Draft becomes very apparent in Russian forward Ivan Demidov. Aidan and Charlie talk Demidov before parking some time at the end of the episode for a difficult situation surrounding comments made about Patrik Laine. Episode recorded on Tuesday, February 13, and edited by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
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James Paracy and Aidan Serra bring some massive updates in the world of hockey, including Friday's big news that best-on-best hockey has been confirmed to return for three separate tournaments between 2025 and 2030. They talk big trades, including Elias Lindholm going to Vancouver in a blockbuster and Montreal getting a first-round pick for Sean Monahan. Aidan gives a rundown on the teams leaving the AJHL for the BCHL before welcoming Vinnie Timperio (49:15). Vinnie is the colour commentator for the Vernon Vipers of the BCHL and a lifelong Chicago Blackhawks fan, who joins Aidan to talk Chicago's future, all-star weekend, Patrik Laine, and David Jiricek. Aidan and James wrap with their regularly scheduled Q&A before giving an update on the 2018 World Junior sexual assault case. Podcast recorded on Friday, February 2 and edited by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
James Paracy and Aidan Serra wrap up their talk on the 2024 World Junior Championship, talking about the US Gold and more. They talk about the Cutter Gauthier/Jamie Drysdale trade before touching on William Nylander's contract. Aidan has some junior hockey notes, including his Berkly Catton scouting report and a look at NHL Central Scouting's midterm rankings heading into the 2024 NHL draft. Episode recorded on Tuesday, January 16, and edited by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
James Paracy and Aidan Serra's first episode of 2024 sees them dart around the NHL, focusing on the Ottawa Senators, Colorado Avalanche, and Sidney Crosby. They talk outdoor games before changing gears to the World Juniors, talking Canada's loss to Czechia, the other quarterfinals, and the two semi-final matchups. They shine a light on the PWHL to wrap. Podcast recorded on Tuesday, January 2 and produced by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
Aidan Serra and James Paracy talk Christmas traditions, before giving their thoughts on their favourite teams, the Canucks and the Avalanche respectively, going into the short Christmas break. After that, they welcome Masi Marjamäki (35:51). Masi had a sixteen-year professional hockey career, spanning Canada, the United States, Finland, Sweden, Russia, Czechia, and the United Kingdom. He appeared in the World Junior Hockey Championship twice, winning Bronze in 2004 with Finland in Helsinki. He talks all of that, and more, in a can't-miss interview. Podcast recorded on December 15, 2023, and December 23, 2023, and edited by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
Aidan Serra and James Paracy return from illness to go over some NHL news, touching on some NHL suspensions, the St. Louis Blues and Jordan Kyrou, Connor McDavid and the Oilers, and more. They’ll talk World Juniors, touching on some of Canada’s players from last season who are tearing up the AHL, before looking at Canada and the USA’s rosters. They’ll return to trivia and some Q/As before teasing their pre-WJC interview for this season. Podcast recorded on December 15, 2023 and edited by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
Aidan Serra and James Paracy go through some NHL news, talking Patrick Kane to Detroit and Nikita Zadorov to Vancouver before welcoming their guest, Layne Loomer (26:53). Loomer is an AJHLer currently committed to Penn State University in the NCAA. He talks Penn State, his junior career, and the prospect of throwing on the Canada jersey for the first time. Aidan and James wrap by singing the praises of Sidney Crosby, a deep dive into some Chicago Blackhawks news, and an update on the NHL All-star game. Episode recorded between Sunday, November 19 and Sunday, December 3 and edited by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
Aidan Serra and James Paracy talk about the Ottawa Senators' recent negativities, from the Shane Pinto suspension, to the penalty for the Evgeni Dadonov debacle of 2022, to Pierre Dorion's firing. Aidan talks about his Heritage Classic experience and what the Calgary Flames have to do after a disastrous start. They go on to talk Draft Decentralization, the Vancouver Canucks, and some slow starts from some star players, specifically Kent Johnson. Aidan rips the Charlie McAvoy suspension for being too lenient before they throw some praise Mason McTavish's way. They finish with the usual Q&A, trivia, and movie talk before a word on Adam Johnson. Podcast recorded on November 4, 2023 and edited by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
James Paracy and Aidan Serra talk about the challenging start to the Edmonton Oilers' season, the lightning-fast start to Detroit's season, and about each top-three pick in the 2023 draft now scoring their first NHL goals. They take a look at some young players tearing up the AHL at the start of the year, before a quick word on some junior hockey standouts, and the typical endings of Q&A, trivia, and movies. Podcast recorded on Monday, October 23 and edited by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
James Paracy and Aidan Serra look at the start of the season for some of the NHL teams and players with the most intriguing storylines. As far as teams go, they touch specifically on the home-and-home between the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers, the Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Avalanche, and Buffalo Sabres. They talk about the strong early-season performances of Connor Bedard, Elias Pettersson, Auston Matthews, and Mikko Rantanen, before a quick word on some rookies who cracked opening night rosters. Podcast recorded on Sunday, October 15 and edited by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird
Aidan Serra and James Paracy quickly give an Anaheim Ducks-centred update, talking contract extensions for youngsters Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale, a quick word on NHL expansion, and some opinions on Brandt Clarke and Zach Benson, before they welcome Lucas Celle to the show. Lucas is currently the Broadcast & Media Coordinator and Colour Commentator for the Surrey Eagles of the BCHL, and he hops on to talk about his route to sports media and his role in Surrey, the ramifications of the BCHL’s move away from Hockey Canada, and more. Podcast recorded on October 1, 2023, and October 7, 2023, and edited by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
James and Aidan talk about a couple of rough incidents that stirred up some controversy early in the preseason, Mikael Backlund’s extension and captaincy, extensions in Minnesota and Aidan’s riser to watch for in the 2024 NHL Draft. Episode recorded on Sunday, October 1 and edited by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
James Paracy and Aidan Serra bring you an episode as the NHL preseason gets going, providing an update and some thoughts on the Mike Babcock situation and his recent resignation. They discuss early looks at the NHL rookie class of this coming season, touching on Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, and Logan Cooley. They then move on to discuss a couple of free agent situations, first, Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning’s seemingly stagnated the negotiations. Following that, they touch on reports that Trevor Zegras may not be getting too lucrative a contract offer from the Ducks. Aidan’s first use of his WHL press pass was a trip to the Red Deer Rebels’ 2023-24 season opener, and he provides a scouting report on 2024 draft-eligible Rebels centreman Ollie Josephson. They end with trivia, answering listener questions, and giving their movie of the week. Podcast recorded on Sunday, September 24 and edited by Aidan Serra. Podcast music by Gareth Baird.
Aidan Serra and James Paracy go through the rest of the free-agent signings and contract extensions, first touching on Auston Matthews' extension, before analyzing the differences in the way Edmonton handled Evan Bouchard's extension and the way Ottawa handled Jake Sanderson's extension. They touch on some more Mike Babcock controversy before analyzing two Canadian teams' choices for new captains. They go through some PTOs and some early talk about the 2024 NHL draft, before, as usual, finishing with a Q/A. Episode recorded on Friday, September 15 and edited by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
James Paracy and Aidan Serra are back from their respective summer vacations to bring you an update on all things NHL since the last week of July. They delve into the Erik Karlsson trade from San Jose to Pittsburgh, as well as touching on recent contract extensions. They go through all 32 NHL teams, picking which rookie or new acquisition will have the biggest impact on each one, before wrapping up with a couple of Q&A responses. Episode recorded on Wednesday, August 24 and edited by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
James Paracy and Aidan Serra return after a week on the IR to bring an update on all things NHL, first taking a look at the latest blockbuster, with Alex DeBrincat departing Ottawa and heading to Detroit. They then run through some recent free agent signings, both for players re-upping with their existing teams and for players signing new deals as UFAs. Aidan then runs through his favourite and least favourite picks from the 2023 NHL draft, giving his personal opinions on the best and the worst. Whilst some special Q&A responses were sprinkled throughout the show, they wrap on the rest of the listener-submitted questions from the week. Episode recorded on July 17, 2023, and edited by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
James Paracy and Aidan Serra start off by commending the actions of one Montreal Canadiens fan (https://dailyhive.com/montreal/canadiens-fan-david-reinbacher-supportive-messages-internet-hate) who, in the wake of some negative comments directed towards David Reinbacher, compiled and gifted Reinbacher a book containing dozens of messages of support from others in the fanbase. After a quick word on some trades, including Pierre-Luc Dubois' move to Los Angeles, James and Aidan run through some of the major free agent signings before and since July 1st. They finish with some quick Q&A. Podcast recorded on Monday, July 3 and edited by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
James Paracy and Aidan Serra are again joined by Jeremi Plourde of McKeen’s Hockey to wrap up their mock drafts. The two drafts move into the back half, with each pick between 15 and 32 analyzed. At the end, Aidan gets Jeremi’s perspective on some potential second-round gems. Episode recorded on Friday, June 23, and edited by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
James Paracy and Aidan Serra give a very quick news update, looking at the Calgary Flames’ difficult situation with some of their star players’ willingness to stay, as well as the 2023 HHOF class. About 20 minutes in (22:28), they start their picks for the 2023 mock draft. They’re joined by Jeremi Plourde, a Montreal-based scout for McKeen’s hockey. Jeremi brings his own mock draft, running through each pick, as James and Aidan explain their selections at each place. They all work their way through the first 14 picks, saving the rest for part two. Episode recorded on Friday, June 23, and edited by Aidan Serra. Music by Gareth Baird.
Aidan Serra and James Paracy recap Vegas' dominant end to what was, overall, a very dominant Stanley Cup Final. Aidan talks about Mark Stone's impact, while James looks back on the best moments from the end of the deciding fifth game. They move on to some hockey news, touching on three of the new coaching hires in the offseason so far. They talk Columbus, both about their new coach and their new defence core, before moving on to the Winnipeg Jets, talking about the rumoured imminent departures of Pierre-Luc Dubois, Mark Scheifele, and Connor Hellebuyck. They move to Eastern Canada to talk Montreal, as the Canadiens sign forward Cole Caufield long-term. They talk Alex DeBrincat, Vladislav Gavrikov, and Carter Hart, before moving on to junior, with two pieces of news out of the QMJHL. First, the Quebec Remparts win the Memorial Cup, with Patrick Roy's team beating Seattle 5-0 in the final. Second, the rules banning fighting in the Q drop, and the boys analyze. To close, they answer listener-submitted questions, both about hockey, as well as touching on some personal questions. Podcast recorded on June 13, 2022, and edited by Aidan Serra. Intro and outro music from Gareth Baird.
James Paracy and Aidan Serra return for a slightly abridged episode recapping the back half of both NHL conference finals in this straight-to-the-point episode. They recap the Panthers-Hurricanes series, talking Sergei Bobrovsky’s prowess and Matthew Tkachuk’s clutch-ness. After a note on the Jamie Benn suspension and some Jack Eichel praise amidst the Golden Knights seeing off the Stairs, they answer some listener-submitted questions to wrap up. Episode recorded on Tuesday, May 30 and produced by Aidan Serra. Intro music by Gareth Baird.
James Paracy and Aidan Serra recap the first two games of the Eastern Conference Final as well as Brett Howden’s game one overtime winner for Vegas against Dallas. They talk Coyotes, and answer the question; Where does the franchise go next? After a look around the CHL going into the memorial cup, James and Aidan take a look at the World Championships, and they answer a few more listener-submitted questions. Episode recorded on Sunday, May 21.
James Paracy and Aidan Serra return to look back on (nearly) all of the second-round matchups, as well as predict their Dallas vs. Seattle game 7 result. They talk about what's next for the newly-eliminated teams, specifically the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers, before running through some of the NHL's latest rumours, touching who will fill Gabriel Landeskog's shoes in the Colorado top six, the Canucks being reportedly linked to Alexis Lafreniere, and speculation that Connor Hellebuyck could potentially be on his way east. James and Aidan answer some listener-submitted questions (submit your own below!) before some trivia of their own. Podcast recorded on May 15, 2023. Produced by Gareth Baird.
Aidan and James do the podcast in pieces, and despite some microphone malfunctions, get through the episode. First, a recap of the first-round series, including before and after a discussion about the Rangers and Devils' game seven. After a quick word about Sutter's firing in Calgary, they tee up the second rounds, before answering some listener-submitted questions. As always, submit more questions!
Aidan and James return from hiatus to go through how their NHL playoff brackets are shaping up just past the halfway point of round one, giving their thoughts on how the first rounds have gone thus far and how they'll finish. They take a look at Western Canada's junior hockey playoffs, with the WHL, BCHL, and AJHL all getting into the later rounds of their postseasons. They finish with the question of the week and trivia. Plus, an added bonus for this week... message the podcast! We'll be answering questions on air during the next episode. If you're on Spotify, you can ask your question within the app, but if not, ask your question on Instagram! We'll be checking the questions in the comments, the DMs, and the story replies! Podcast produced by Gareth Baird.
James and Aidan hop on just hours after Aidan concluded working a seven-game series in the span of just twelve days, making the pod a sleepy one for him. The two talk about the Florida Panthers and Calgary Flames, the Filip Chytil contract extension, Devon Levi stepping in, Henry Thrun’s debut, and Nathan MacKinnon reaching 100 points for the first time in franchise history. A look at junior and Connor Bedard’s playoff start precedes trivia before Aidan gives a quick tribute to his former team, the Ridge Meadows Flames of the PJHL. Episode recorded on April 5, 2023, and produced by Aidan Serra.
Aidan and James return from a two-week hiatus to catch up on some NHL news including Andrei Svechnikov, Jordan Binnington, and Owen Tippett. Legendary Canucks colour commentator John Garrett's retirement and a word on Tyson Foerster, Thomas Novak, Aidan McDonough, and Connor Bedard move the podcast to NHL playoff conversations, first looking at different current matchups, then moving to James and Aidan's wishlist for the upcoming NHL playoffs. As always, trivia wraps up the episode.
Aidan and James talk expansion and the circling rumours that one or both of Houston and Atlanta might be an NHL destination. They touch on Ryan O'Reilly, Jakob Chychrun, and the Ottawa Senators, before a switch to prospects, specifically three that are actively or NCAA-bound, in Macklin Celebrini, Cole Eiserman, and Lane Hutson. They wrap, as always, with trivia.
Aidan and James go through literally every single trade that happened between February 25 and the March 3rd deadline. That's it. That's the whole podcast.
Aidan and James return from hiatus to touch on the first half of the massive NHL trades, including Ryan O’Reilly and Dmitry Orlov. They move on to touch on the state of the Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues, and Vegas Golden Knights. Aidan complains about Elias Pettersson and Andrei Kuzmenko butchering Vancouver's draft lottery hopes and then, of course, ending with some trivia.
Aidan and James return for a late-night pod talking all things trade, from the Vladimir Tarasenko deal to Timo Meier and Patrick Kane's evolving potential destinations as the trade market for each becomes more clear. They talk about the value Ryan O'Reilly or Ivan Barbashev has to their potential suitors, before talking about LA goaltending. Dylan Guenther's Seattle Thunderbirds debut covers the junior segment before Aidan and James play Finish that Trade to end things off.
Aidan and James start by looking at Bo Horvat's move to Long Island, talking about his contract and the return going Vancouver's way. They touch on the numerous recent NHL contract extensions before talking about Jacob Trouba and his consistently clean bodychecks. Turning to junior, they discuss Connor Bedard's influence throughout Western Canada, and how Dylan Guenther's assignment to the Seattle Thunderbirds makes them an immediate Memorial Cup favourite. James gives Aidan three career trajectories before Aidan delivers a heartfelt farewell to Bo Horvat.
James Paracy and Aidan Serra return for the long-awaited twelfth episode of the podcast, opening up with Andrei Kuzmenko inking an extension in Vancouver. They touch on some controversy surrounding Jordan Binnington and Trevor Zegras, before moving on to some NHL injury updates and John Tavares playing in game 1000. After a quick word on Jack Hughes and an impromptu Hughes vs. Matthews debate, Aidan talks up Zach Benson of the Winnipeg Ice, and why he has him as the potential sixth overall pick in the upcoming draft. After touching on Red Deer's Kalan Lind, Aidan goes off about some unsavoury NHL broadcast graphics and animations, before dishing James four trivia questions, this week in the "finish that trade" format. Podcast produced by Aidan Serra, music provided by Gareth Baird.
James and Aidan are back to take their regularly scheduled look around the NHL, talking Max Pacioretty, Johnny Gaudreau, and Owen Power. They return to Vancouver to discuss the dumpster fire that is the Canucks, before analyzing the trade market for Timo Meier. After a word on Bettman's Tuesday quotes, Aidan gives his quick rundown on Brandon Wheat Kings prospect Nate Danielson before pumping up his Blackfalds Bulldogs for a big win over the Brooks Bandits as the AJHL season winds down. They finish, as usual, with trivia. Podcast produced by Aidan Serra, music provided by Gareth Baird.
Aidan and James make a (better late than never) return to discuss a few contract extensions and waiver wire decisions. They talk about the high scoring making for a lot of projected 40-goal and 100-point scorers, a touch on the Vancouver Canucks, Nathan MacKinnon, and a quick run over to the CHL, for a word on Brayden Yager. Podcast produced by Gareth Baird.
Aidan and James do one final recap on the 2023 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship and touch on Canada's most recent national hero, Dylan Guenther. They examine what Shane Wright and Brandt Clarke returning to junior is going to mean big-picture before moving on to discuss Juuse Saros and his Nashville Predators, as well as praise Mikko Rantanen. Moving along, Aidan and James each give three wishes for hockey in the 2023 calendar year, and as always, wrap up with some trivia. Podcast produced by Gareth Baird.
James and Aidan return from their Christmas hiatus reeling from Canada and Slovakia's epic World Junior quarterfinal. They take a look around the tournament, highlighting the play of stars like Connor Bedard, Logan Stankoven, Simon Nemec, and Logan Cooley before teeing up Wednesday's semi-finals. Later, a run around the NHL, quickly talking Winter Classic, J.T. Miller, and Alex Ovechkin. They close out with some World Junior trivia and Aidan passionately defending the legality of the Michigan. Podcast produced by Gareth Baird.
On this weeks episode, James Paracy and Aidan Serra are joined by David Brandes, an 18-year-old blueliner playing for the AJHL's Blackfalds Bulldogs. David and the boys touch on growing up and playing in Toronto, life in junior hockey, and more.
On a special edition of The Great Canadian Hockey Podcast, James Paracy and Aidan Serra are joined by Mike Moller. Mike played for the Edmonton Oilers and Buffalo Sabres during the 1980s, and was the leading scorer for Canada at the 1982 World Junior Hockey Championships, leading the Canadians to their first gold medal in that competition. Mike talks about transitioning from his playing career into coaching at the junior level, some of his favourite stories from his time in the NHL, and his experience representing Canada. Before the interview, Aidan and James talk Tage Thompson and Patrik Laine, and after, they wrap it up with a new trivia game; "Finish that trade."
James Paracy and Aidan Serra first discuss Kris Letang's bad news before asking the question; was the ring of honour the right choice for Roberto Luongo in Vancouver? Then, a quick word on Alex Formenton and Mitch Marner, before a look at Arizona and two of the top Coyotes. The main event for the week is a 2017 re-draft as James and Aidan ponder where Jason Robertson would slot in after his red-hot start to the season. After they each give their top ten, there's a look at Shane Wright's now-concluded AHL stint, before touching on Connor Bedard and Matvei Michkov as the 2023 draft class continues to amaze. They wrap up by touching on both Jack Edwards and Jordan Binnington's antics last week, posing the question "why?" To end things, James gives Aidan three career trajectories.
James Paracy and Aidan Serra are back, first talking about personal news from James, followed by a look at two of the NHL's hotter teams, the Boston Bruins and the New Jersey Devils. Aidan puts his distaste of the Toronto Maple Leafs aside to praise the play of Mitch Marner amid his sixteen-game point streak, before moving to look at two of the few positives out of the Vancouver Canucks' season so far. They talk about a few of the NHL's younger players, both in the NHL and AHL, before moving to junior, first talking about Red Deer Rebels rookie goaltender Kyle Kelsey, followed by a check-in on Saginaw's Michael Misa. After James shines a spotlight on the BCHL's Penticton Vees, the show gets wrapped up with a game of "Career Trajectories."
James Paracy and Aidan Serra return for episode 3 of the podcast, starting off with their NHL talk, touching on this year’s Hall of Fame inductees, discussing Shane Wright’s opportunity with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, and talking about the New Jersey Devils’ superb start. They move onto their prospect talk, talking Rangers first-rounder Brennan Othmann, and Adam Fantilli proving he might just be as good as anyone in the 2023 NHL draft. Following that, they are joined by Sportsnet’s Ben Basran. Ben works as a producer at the 650 radio office and a writer for SN’s Toronto contingent. He talks about his personal journey to working in sports radio, his experience in the Sportsnet 650 studio, and gives James and Aidan a rundown on what a “Gameday in the Life” of a Sportsnet 650 producer entails. James asks Ben and Aidan about some players who will become Hall of Fame eligible in the coming years and who will and won’t earn their spot. On the other side of Ben’s segment, Aidan and James wrap up discussing Aidan being “reluctantly ecstatic” for the FIFA World Cup, followed by a quick game of “career trajectories” before wrapping up the show. Episode recorded Sunday, November 20.
James and Aidan kick off their second episode by examining the Boston Bruins’ strong start and the effect Charlie McAvoy’s return will have. They touch on Rick Bowness’ high-flying Jets before looking at a couple of teams lower in the standings; first, the Columbus Blue Jackets, now without Zach Werenski for the year, followed by the Calgary Flames, whose struggles haven’t yet drowned their playoff hopes. Switching gears to junior; Connor Bedard continues to pile up the points as James and Aidan compare his pace to other #1 overall picks. They move on to International hockey, first discussing how Canada will build around Bedard at (likely) his last World Juniors, followed by a word on the NHL’s decision to push the World Cup of Hockey back to 2025. They wrap up with a game of “Career Trajectories” and James’ thoughts on which current NHL teams in playoff positions will finish the year in a playoff spot. Podcast produced by Gareth Baird.
Aidan and James try their hand as independent podcasters for the first time, giving a quick intro about themselves before diving into the NHL, talking (extensively) about the pacific division as well as shining a light on the world of hockey prospects. Later in the show, James quizzes Aidan on some of the NHL stat leaders so far this season.