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With Nick in town and Joel missing, the guys sit down for a new episode, starting with the news of the week.   Sergei Bobrovsky was punished by the Columbus Blue Jackets for leaving the game early. How will this effect his future with the club? Rick Nash has retired from the National Hockey League. How will we remember Rick? With the NHL past the mid way point, we look at who would win some of the awards this season, including the Hart, Vezina, Calder, Norris, Jack Adams, and…..King Clancy? There was a time that players were also the coaches. We demand a return ofRead More →

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Connor McDavid needs defending? Yeah. If you haven’t read Mike Filce’s team-building article yet, go read it, otherwise the rest of this won’t make any sense. I’ll wait. Mike’s excellent article discusses which NHL-ers are the best to build an expansion team around, and of course while this is a well-structured and researched opinion piece, there is an omission that I need to challenge my friend and colleague on: the idea that you can’t build a team around the Edmonton Oilers’ captain Connor McDavid. Firstly it should be made clear that McDavid wasn’t forgotten about. Mike explained his reasons why he didn’t include the 2015Read More →

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At the beginning of the season I said that predicting the Buffalo Sabres would be challenging. Other than some roster improvement, I would say this statement has been true. Few imagined that there would be a 10-game winning streak in the first 43 games and hold a playoff spot (wildcard). Most fans might be placated by being in the playoff bubble as it is still better than being in last place. Now fans have the luxury (I use this term loosely) of worrying if the Sabres will stay in a wildcard spot. If the last 7 years were not so terrible, I feel people wouldRead More →

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From the Quiet Ice . . . by Mike Filce In the spirit of welcoming in the NHL’s 32nd team in Seattle, I want to open the question of which current NHL-ers would be worthy of building an entire team around. There is endless debate over which NHL players are the most impactful, the best leaders, the best “team guys,” and the takes go on and on. It boils down to one question: how many guys are there that you would choose to build around? This short list isn’t what you would get from most pundits or “hockey insiders”; in fact, some on this list —Read More →

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Happy new year! After a trip to see the Colorado Avalanche in Las Vegas, Carl is left wondering what can the rest of the NHL learn from the Vegas Golden Knights. Can the game day experience be made better? The CEO of the Dallas Stars had less than nice things to say about Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. Was that the right move for the team or should a different approach be taken? What should Jamie and Tyler “Not as Good as Nick” Seguin have done? The NHL All Stars have been announced, and then some of them backed out. Can or should the NHLRead More →

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At Christmas we look for peace on Earth, and goodwill to all men (even Maple Leafs fans). But the Dallas Stars’ CEO Jim Lites didn’t get that message and instead of spreading seasonal joy, decided to let rip on some the Stars’ top talent. So much so that the NHLPA have released a statement: NHLPA statement on Dallas Stars CEO Jim Lites’ comments about Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn: pic.twitter.com/S4CzyKRUmh — Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) December 30, 2018 The comments, about the Stars’ Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin, compared the two to horse excrement. The pair were singled out while the rest of the team avoidedRead More →

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from the Quiet Ice . . . I can’t decide if the offer sheet provision has been treated in recent years more like a healthy scratch or if it’s been handed an indefinite suspension. In either case, it seems destined not to sit quietly by in the press box, dressed respectably in shirt and tie. The offer sheet debate has picked up steam in recent months, perhaps due to players such as Auston Matthews approaching RFA status and teams like the Maple Leafs evolving into such dominant rosters that fans around the league are beginning to get frustrated as the haves and have-nots push furtherRead More →

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2018 was a great year here at the 4th Line Podcast and we bring you some of our favorite moments! On our final episode of 2018, we re-live some of our favorite moments of the year, including: Nick joining the show! Nick started his first episode with a bang. Sometimes we know what we’re talking about and sometimes we hand out medical advice. Our 2nd clip is the latter. What is goalie interference? We still don’t know. Which Detroit Red Wing does Nick hate the most? Let’s find out! Joel was so mad with Carl at one point this season that he ripped a teamRead More →

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‘Tis the holiday season! Time to celebrate with friends and family, spreading the gift of Christmas cheer!  So with that in mind, lets settle back with a festive beverage and take a look at what Santa Gritty has left under the tree for each NHL franchise in the Western Conference. See what Santa might bring the Eastern Conference teams here. Anaheim Ducks Julie ‘The Cat’ Gafney: Since reboots are all the rage in Hollywood, even in the land of Disney, why stop now? Ryan Miller’s banged up. John Gibson is playing a ton of minutes, why not add another reliable option at backup? Arizona CoyotesRead More →

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On an all new episode Andy, Carl and Ryan bring the latest on what has been happening in the WHL. Andy spent time with Team USA ahead of the World Junior Championships. What does that team hold, and what does their success show about the future of college hockey in America? Team Canada has a number of players from the WHL on their team for the tournament. What will the presence of such veterans mean for Canada? The roster was announced for the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, with a number of WHL players being named to the team. With scouts wanting to see players suchRead More →