68: Championship Talk with Dan Polischuk and Jason Hagholm

0:00Justin: Hey, Andrew.

0:00Andrew: Hey, Justin.

0:01Justin: Hey, Jason.

0:02Jason Hagholm: Hello.

0:03Andrew: Hey, Dan.

0:04Dan Polischuk: Hey.

0:06Justin: We have four people on the AudPod. It's a record.

0:09Andrew: This is a record in person.

0:11Justin: Yeah, for sure.

0:11Andrew: Yes, we did. We did have Trent Swick and Jackson Parsons, but it was virtual, so it doesn't count.

0:20Dan Polischuk: Welcome to the AudPod where we're talking Kitchener Rangers hockey with the AudBalls themselves. Andrew and Justin. Take it away, Fe.

0:33Andrew: Yeah, they will.

0:33Justin: Yeah. Yeah. So as you probably all know, Dan and Jason are the Rogers TV commentators.

0:41Jason Hagholm: Yes.

0:42Justin: Is that what you go by? Is that the professional term?

0:45Jason Hagholm: Yes, that would be the professional term.

0:48Justin: Jason does the play by play. Dan does the. Do they still call it color commentary?

0:51Dan Polischuk: They do, yes. Oh, cool.

0:54Jason Hagholm: Fun and education.

0:56Justin: You like it to learn if you

0:58Andrew: read at a third grade level.

1:01Justin: Yeah. So thank you guys for coming on the pod.

1:03Jason Hagholm: Thanks for having us.

1:05Justin: Rangers are OHL champions.

1:07Jason Hagholm: I know that is. That's amazing. But I. I mean, you could see this team since the second half of the season after really that. Those big trades they made with London and Erie and to go 16 and 2 in the postseason was an impressive feat and they really dominated their way through. They had some adversity, but they got her done.

1:26Dan Polischuk: Not to mention 100 at home in the playoffs.

1:28Justin: Yeah, yeah, for sure.

1:29Dan Polischuk: It's an unreal run. And I love UC's comment at the pep rally, or send off, if you will, that the sixth player on the ice, Rangers nation. Absolutely accurate. That place was rock and all through the playoffs.

1:43Justin: Yeah. Yeah. I was gonna ask you guys about that. Like, you. You've been at the game, you've been at the, like, how long have you guys been covering the Rangers now?

1:51Jason Hagholm: I've been doing the commentary for the Rangers. I started at color, what Dan was doing, and then moved over a few seasons ago. So 2019. 20. So my first season was the pandemic season.

2:01Justin: Cool.

2:02Jason Hagholm: Three games before the season ended, they called it quits. And that was another good Rangers team.

2:06Dan Polischuk: I think this is my fifth or sixth season with you. And then I did a couple seasons prior to the pandemic with Ryan Kric.

2:12Justin: Yeah, so. So what was louder? Game 2 of the Finals or the pandemic year? Like,

2:22Jason Hagholm: definitely.

2:22Dan Polischuk: Yeah, that's an easy one.

2:24Justin: But have you ever heard the Aud like this loud through these playoffs? Like, this is. This is one of those energy buildings that I've never experienced before.

2:32Dan Polischuk: It's got to go back to the previous MEM cup years.

2:35Justin: Absolutely.

2:35Dan Polischuk: And they mentioned that 2012 was the previous attendance high. It's got to be in that time period.

2:41Jason Hagholm: Yeah, definitely the. The loudest I've heard it. Like, I still watch back that Carson Campbell game tying goal in Game 5 against Windsor and just the eruption from the crowd. Oh, man, it's like, just runs right through you. It's, It's. It was really special to be a part of too.

2:57Justin: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, I bet.

2:59Andrew: Well, and I mean, and you called three rounds, right? So it was. You're. You're kind of perched up there, so you get to see that full crowd reaction going just like absolute berserk when the goal is scored.

3:10Jason Hagholm: Right.

3:11Andrew: Contrast of that. Were you in the building for the final?

3:15Jason Hagholm: Yeah, I was there for games one and two.

3:17Dan Polischuk: We're both there.

3:18Jason Hagholm: We're both there. Both there.

3:19Andrew: Yeah. Okay.

3:19Jason Hagholm: Well, Dan left early for game one, had some break.

3:26Dan Polischuk: It wasn't. He beat the traffic lever. He wasn't like some of those. Some of those fans that we see.

3:33Justin: Oh, we got to leave one goal game. What are you doing?

3:37Andrew: Yeah, no, I understand. But yeah, so you were there kind of more as a fan then in the final. So what was that experience like all of a sudden? Not, you know, was the voice in your head going, a little bit.

3:51Dan Polischuk: We were joking about that a little bit too.

3:52Jason Hagholm: It was weird. Like, we were sitting kind of where the media and McNeil scored the first goal of the OHL final. I legit went, yes. And I'm like, I know I'm not supposed to do that, but I can't help myself right now. And we're in a section. You're a lot of bury people too. So I was like, I want to let them know that you're in the wrong building. But even Josh Sweetland, the head of the OHL communications, like, is it weird for you being here and not calling the game? I'm like, it's bizarre to watch hockey and not being like, oh, this is what's happening on the ice.

4:22Andrew: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

4:23Dan Polischuk: A couple moments there too. We usually have a little fist bump or high fives during the course of a game when we're calling it, but we're just super silent. Right. But for those moments, we can. I'm like, oh, we can actually be vocal here a little bit, you know, but yeah, you're impressed, Roll. You got to, you know, maintain some sort of decorum there. There's always that, you know, unwritten rule.

4:40Justin: We.

4:41Andrew: We blur the lines, I think, a

4:43Jason Hagholm: little bit for everyone.

4:44Justin: So, I mean, we've talked on this podcast about, like, the fact that you guys actually do a far. I don't want to call anybody out. Whoa, London. But you guys do a far better job at keeping it, like, above. Like, you know that your broadcast is for both. Is. Is for both teams.

5:01Andrew: Yeah.

5:01Justin: And you keep it in a way that is like, you know, obviously you're the Rangers commentary team.

5:09Jason Hagholm: Yeah.

5:09Justin: But you both also, like, know that you have to. That when you're speaking and when you're doing the game, it is for everybody. So you keep it very broad and open to both where I think we

5:20Dan Polischuk: do our best not to be complete homers.

5:22Andrew: Yeah. Yes.

5:23Dan Polischuk: So, yeah, we definitely try to intersperse more of the visiting team. And, you know, from a hockey fan perspective, I think most want to learn more about the other. The opposition. Right. Just a little bit. But, yeah, we're there.

5:34Jason Hagholm: Yeah.

5:35Dan Polischuk: You know, support the Rangers in a lot of ways.

5:37Jason Hagholm: I think both of us grew up, like, wanting to not be the biased broadcast team or anything like that. And I think we do a real good job of making sure we're open and honest. Like, there's times where it's like, we have to call up the Rangers for, like, that was a bad play. That was a bad penalty. But it's like, you have to do. Your eyes aren't fooling anyone else.

5:54Dan Polischuk: Sure. I think you lose respect.

5:56Jason Hagholm: Yeah, exactly.

5:57Dan Polischuk: Right.

5:58Justin: So, yeah, London, there's a lot of

6:02Jason Hagholm: great teams in this league. You know, some. Some do it differently. Like when we're doing. Watching that sue series, like, very meat and potatoes, and people are like, oh, that's terrible. I'm like, no, they're good. They just do it in a different style.

6:13Justin: Yeah, for sure.

6:14Andrew: Yeah. No, there's. There's different styles.

6:16Justin: Right.

6:16Andrew: Obviously, and there's different kind of nuance and there's different, like, characters on every broadcast. And I think that's what makes the league special. And that's what I really like about the league is I would find it much like. And as. As much respect as I have for the three individuals that they chose to put on there, I'm. I'm not dragging them in the least because they were put there, they were selected there, they're good at their jobs. The thing that I like about when teams are playing each other in this league is that they have a dedicated commentary team. And you just get that little bit of like, this is Kitchener.

6:51Jason Hagholm: Yeah.

6:51Andrew: This is Owen Sound. This is Flint. This is, you know, Saginaw. Like, you get a piece of that. And I kind of felt like it was a little bit more corporate, a little bit more TSN geared Right. And. And I mean, I don't want to say, like, I don't want to pick out a wound from that perspective. Can we. Can we just talk a little bit about, like, you know, you're now watching, like, the away games. You're watching somebody else do it. What is.

7:14Justin: What.

7:14Andrew: What was that feeling?

7:15Justin: Like?

7:16Jason Hagholm: There are times that were tough, obviously, because, like, we know Kitchener very well, and obviously we don't know Barry as much because we only see them once a year here and they play one other game in Barry. But, you know, it's definitely unfortunate, but those guys were put in a tough spot too, where they're not even following the OHL to begin with, and they're put in there, have to erase the numbers they know and things like that. And I thought they did a. A decent enough job making the. The game seem well. But it would have been nice to be a part of it because as you said, I. I do like the feel of the ohl, where. This is the Kitchener crew, this is the Barry crew. A nice flavor. And I know the Barry guys, they were more on radio this time, which was great for their audience, and they do a great job. Well, I think it's. From the booth with Mike is the channel. He streamed his audio stuff on his YouTube channel, which I thought was a great marketing plan for him. But, yeah, it would have been nice to obviously be a part of AudPod, you know, that's just how the. How the. How the cookie crumbles.

8:08Dan Polischuk: Yeah. Money talks, obviously, with TSN having the rights from the finals across the board and for the MEM cup. And yeah, I think they did as good as a job as you'd expect someone to do to be dropped in for finals. You know, a lot of stuff you could argue was more surface level, but how much can you do when you've got other jobs before you go into this series versus the local broadcasters have that, you know, insider's perspective. You've got those stories that you've become, you know, familiar with through with the rest of the season, with the players, with the coaching staff. Yeah.

8:37Jason Hagholm: The one thing I will say, though, hearing from the Ranger fans of, like, gosh, we wish you were out there. Like, that meant a lot because, like, I don't know how many people. People actually watch the broadcast or most feedback you get on anything today is like, this sucks. This is terrible. To actually get, like, we miss you guys. Like, you guys bring a lot to our games. Or I had some people reach out, like, you get me and my son up when we're not at the Aud Right. Like, you know, that means the world to me. And so that, you know, people actually like what we do. We're not just wasting a Friday or a Sunday afternoon to bring you a game.

9:08Dan Polischuk: And yeah, I think Sean's brought up a couple of times, and it's, I think, a credit to the three of us. What we bring to the broadcast is fans will PVR the game or record it and go back home after being at the Aud and re watch and maybe they catch something they didn't miss. And just to get our commentary and thoughts, too, to add another layer to their Rangers fandom or experience, which is pretty cool.

9:28Justin: And your. Your intermissions are great, too. Like, the, The. The information that you get I. That that's sort of what Andrew was saying as well, is like, when you watch these local broadcasts, you actually learn about what's important to the, like, community around that team, which I think is cool. And I know that you guys do that really well. Like, that is one thing that I particularly enjoy.

9:44Dan Polischuk: The feeling is definite. We love catching up on all things Rangers with you guys, too. So the work you've been doing in a short period of time, it's been awesome. So kudos to both of you guys for the time and effort. Really, it's been great.

9:56Andrew: Couple guys from Alberta.

9:57Jason Hagholm: Yeah.

9:58Justin: Yeah.

9:58Andrew: Well, it's funny because I will thank

10:01Justin: you, by the way, for saying that.

10:03Andrew: But it is funny being there's a little bit of an imposter syndrome, especially having them win, because this is the thing is, like, it's not. If a team, you know, goes out in the second round or goes out in the third round or whatever, you go on a little bit of a run and you're doing a podcast and you're having fun, they go all the way and win. And the team, like, literally includes you. You're kind of like, well, I only. Only been here 2 1/2 years. You know what I mean? And you're like. And I don't want to. I don't want to seem like, you know, I didn't earn this and I didn't sit through 18 years of. Of not getting it. You know what I mean? But it's just like. It's just the timing of it. It was. It's just. It was. It was a perfect time, perfect storm for us and for the Rangers.

10:44Dan Polischuk: I was Josh Piercey color on the radio side with Farwell, and, you know, it's his first season. Oh, yeah. And come on. Like, you come in and you're going to the MEM cup.

10:52Justin: Talking about, wasn't he a part of a winning team like last year, too?

10:56Dan Polischuk: I think there is a backstory.

10:58Jason Hagholm: Yeah.

10:58Justin: I don't know. I can't remember what it was, but he's like wherever he goes, I think

11:01Andrew: he's like three for three. I think. I think he was a part of a winning team where he first started as well. So. So, yeah.

11:08Justin: Good luck charm.

11:09Dan Polischuk: Good luck Charit. Exactly.

11:13Justin: Yeah.

11:13Dan Polischuk: Yeah.

11:14Justin: All right, back to. Back to the Rangers.

11:15Jason Hagholm: Right?

11:16Justin: We are a rang fan podcast, so we got to get back to that. A couple things. Some. Some have already been mentioned, but the. The Rangers played 18 games to win the OHL champion. Just in case anyone was unaware, to win the OHL championship. They went to OT five times. Twice in the finals, 10 and oh, at home, their PK was 88.7% power play, 30%. They've finished the playoffs winning six in a row. A plus 30 goal differential. And then they. They swept the final. Like, who. Who called sweeping the final?

11:53Jason Hagholm: I said Kitchener and five.

11:55Justin: So I was close, but that's pretty close. Yeah, I think I said six.

11:59Dan Polischuk: I was going to be inclined to give Barry one, if not two, potentially, but just because of how long of a slog it is. But not a Soupy For sure.

12:05Justin: Yeah.

12:06Andrew: Yeah.

12:06Justin: So it's like.

12:07Jason Hagholm: Like winning.

12:09Justin: I think it's sometimes under underappreciated how hard it is to Soupy a final because it's like, yeah, maybe you're the strongest team in your conference, but there's a whole other conference of tough teams

12:20Andrew: and you don't really get to see them. Yeah.

12:21Dan Polischuk: And.

12:22Andrew: And we were talking about it on the preview episodes that like. Like the team that played against each other in Barry and in Kitchener, those two times they played during the season was completely different. Like, you're not using any of that footage. Like, that footage is not teaching you the systems because the team completely. Rangers had a different top line. The Andrew top line was different.

12:43Jason Hagholm: What's crazy is they. Last time they played before the ouf was January 2nd. They hadn't even made the SAM four days before the trade with London.

12:51Justin: Like, and like Kirsch was in World Junior. World Junior.

12:55Jason Hagholm: Joswell played for Barry net. Like not even Ben Hic played like it was.

12:59Justin: Yeah. Reed was gone.

13:01Jason Hagholm: But those two games were. That they played in the regular were close too. Overtime win, I think for Kitchener in Barry or maybe the other way around. And then Barry went in a shootout here in Kitchener.

13:11Justin: Yes. Yeah.

13:12Jason Hagholm: So it was like, okay, Maybe it was those teams Reven. But as we were saying, like, four days before, the same old Riley trade, when they met in the regular season, totally different teams. And Barry loaded up too. They made some good moves as well.

13:22Justin: Yeah, Huge moves. For sure did.

13:24Andrew: Yeah. They were. They were a powerhouse. I mean, obviously, they also had probably the hottest goalie going. Right. So it could have been anything. Like, I. When we were talking about, who do you want, Barry or Branford? And we were. We were talking with like a. One of.

13:39Justin: One of our.

13:39Andrew: Our friends of the pod, Josh, he was saying that, like, I don't know, like, you know, that goalie and Barry and you never know. And this. It hadn't even been decided yet. And. And ultimately, like, I. I was like, I prefer. I prefer Barry because I. I worry about that Branford getting going shot for shot. You start playing that like, let's just. Let's just shoot the lights out kind of thing, and then anything can happen.

14:03Jason Hagholm: Yeah.

14:03Andrew: But ultimately, I think that we got to see probably the closest Soupy I've ever seen in my life. Like, for a Soupy It was. All the games were close.

14:13Jason Hagholm: Yeah. There wasn't one game that was a blowout. I mean, Barry could have taken Games 2 and 3 when they forced the overtime, like, they had the momentum going in. It was like. But once they got those tying goals late, it was kind of like they ran out of gas. And Kitchener had all the. The fuel heading into those extra frames.

14:27Dan Polischuk: Especially when Herobic made that 54 saves in game two.

14:31Jason Hagholm: Yeah.

14:31Dan Polischuk: And if he was gonna steal one. If. And sometimes you see that in a playoff run, goaltender steals one for you.

14:37Justin: That was game six against Branford for Barry.

14:39Dan Polischuk: Exactly. Almost the exact same four saves again in that one.

14:42Jason Hagholm: He had 40 save shot in the game seven against Brandon.

14:44Dan Polischuk: Yeah.

14:45Justin: Yeah, yeah. Well, that. Yes.

14:46Andrew: That was like a freakish run for that guy.

14:48Justin: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And he. He played unbelievable against Kitchener too. Like.

14:52Jason Hagholm: Yeah.

14:52Dan Polischuk: He stood on his head.

14:53Justin: I mean, it could. It could. They. All four of those games could have been blowouts for Kitchener.

14:58Andrew: Yeah.

14:58Justin: The way that they were putting shots against.

15:00Dan Polischuk: And I throw in even just the missing cold Bowdoin, too.

15:03Jason Hagholm: Yeah.

15:03Dan Polischuk: That could have been, you know, a difference maker too, in this.

15:05Andrew: Definitely. And he was the leading scorer, I think, even when it wrapped up. Yeah.

15:09Justin: Even when. Even after the. The last series, he was. He was still leading the OHL in points, so. Yeah. But it was still fun. Absolutely. It was.

15:20Dan Polischuk: And it's still gonna be fun.

15:21Justin: It doesn't.

15:22Jason Hagholm: It doesn't take away from how great.

15:23Andrew: No, the Rangers are still pretty. It wasn't, it wasn't any less fun when they scored to you know, the, the empty net goal to win game four. It wasn't any less like we were. Had it been an overtime game seven. I, I reacted the same. It was still that like it's, it's happening.

15:42Justin: Yeah.

15:42Andrew: And as, as a Flames fan and an Oilers fan, we are so starved for what we just experienced.

15:49Justin: Yeah. Any, any, any worries about Rangers nation worrying about our credentials of, of, of losing for long periods of time. We're good. We're good.

15:58Dan Polischuk: We're good.

15:58Justin: It's true.

15:59Jason Hagholm: Like that's how I felt like I don't have to take this winning. I'm a Buffalo Bill fan.

16:03Andrew: Yeah.

16:03Jason Hagholm: I'm used to just losing and having heartbreak.

16:06Andrew: Yeah.

16:06Jason Hagholm: I was like, oh, this is what it feels like to win. I don't know what to do with my hands.

16:11Dan Polischuk: Long suffering leagues fan over here too. In the same boat. Yeah.

16:15Justin: Let's talk some of our three stars of the playoffs.

16:18Dan Polischuk: Okay.

16:20Justin: Playoffs. Not just the finals.

16:22Jason Hagholm: Okay.

16:22Justin: The whole playoffs. Andrew, I'm gonna make you go first with third star.

16:26Andrew: My third star.

16:27Justin: Yeah.

16:28Andrew: It's tough because like I've just gotta. I could. I went back and forth about making him the second star but the third star for me is Cameron Reid I thought that there was probably a lot that we didn't see that Cameron Reid was doing that contributed to this win. Like behind the scenes in the locker room. But just because he's such an incredible presence. You talk to him and it's just like wow, this is a professional hockey player. Like this is the utmost professionalism and man, just like there's this one play that I'll just where he's battling against along the boards to get the puck in and then he passes it. He doesn't even factor in on the goal. But it was the, the Carson Campbell goal where, where Pridham went behind the net and, and passed it out. And I think it was actually like

17:14Jason Hagholm: it was for Robano and it hopped over his mistake and I thought when that puck like they missed their chance and he came right to Carson.

17:21Andrew: Exactly. But on that play, like that's just such like a, like it'll stand out as one of the plays of the year for me and, and Cameron like he can't even get. We call it apple of the year. He can't even get apple of the year on that play. And it's like it was just such a gutsy play and, and that was him the Whole time because he's also like that finesse player and he can also do like those Allen Iverson crossover moves at the blue line and just make people look so silly. Right.

17:48Jason Hagholm: I just think about how much like he was skating, like how hard he was skating to win pucks. Keep pucks in the zone. Do whatever it took. Like, he really took the like the C on my sweater. Really personally, I have to lead by example, what I'm doing on the ice and that. And I'm also thinking about his goal against Saginaw in game one, where I don't even know how he got that puck in, but his celebration was perfect because it was looking bleak there for a little bit. That kitchen was going to lose that first game of the playoffs.

18:13Andrew: Yep.

18:13Dan Polischuk: Up. And we haven't even brought up the. The potential offside controversy, right?

18:17Andrew: Oh, yeah.

18:18Jason Hagholm: Right. Game one against Windsor.

18:19Andrew: Yeah.

18:20Jason Hagholm: Grit's hands. Can't read. Kept that puck on exactly right.

18:24Dan Polischuk: He was on side.

18:30Andrew: Especially the frame that.

18:31Justin: That.

18:32Andrew: Kudos to the Rogers TV broadcast. The frame that you guys posit at for sure. On side.

18:37Dan Polischuk: Yeah.

18:37Andrew: Maybe one or two frames later. Pretty close. I appreciated it.

18:43Dan Polischuk: Yeah.

18:43Justin: Yeah. Silence the haters at least a little bit.

18:45Dan Polischuk: Absolutely. Yeah. Camry just on another level. It's just he's so mature. I've said like so many times beyond his years in terms of his maturity level. And Nashville's got a special one for sure in their system. Too easy to root for too.

18:59Justin: Right? Oh, yeah.

19:00Jason Hagholm: From being 16 on to now, like he's like a 30 year old in a teenager's body at that point. Like, and just watching him grow, even get better and better and thrive in being the captain, to me he's a.

19:10Dan Polischuk: He's a throwback in a lot of ways too. Just, you know, well spoken and just sees the game so well. And obviously we spoke to his skill level and what he does on the ice. It's.

19:19Andrew: Yeah.

19:19Dan Polischuk: Just such a well rounded hockey player, man. As a Leafs fan again, I'm jealous as Nationals because God knows we need help on the blue line.

19:29Justin: All right. And you guys actually. I don't know if everybody knows this, but you guys actually do. The three stars at the end of the game.

19:35Jason Hagholm: We do.

19:35Justin: So these are official?

19:36Andrew: These are official.

19:41Jason Hagholm: Don't tell the group.

19:41Justin: Chat.

19:42Jason Hagholm: Whatsup chat?

19:45Dan Polischuk: So it's my turn for my third star. I'm going to give it to Christian Kirsch.

19:50Jason Hagholm: You know, first that a B. Yeah, there he is.

19:52Dan Polischuk: That A. Be first go around in the OHL playoffs. And you Know, he took some heat during the course of the regular season because there were some spells where maybe fans were looking to maybe Jason Shawl taking over the number 1A position. But man, that guy just battles through so many situations and he showed it through the playoffs. Again, timely saves when they needed it. You know, goals against average maybe a little higher than you'd expect them to be, but you know, it's the time of year where when you make key saves and key moments, he was the leader in that respect, in my opinion. You know, so many times momentum was shifting. The Rangers were maybe a little flat footed and just caught up scrambling a little bit, but he was the guy just, you know, Mr. Calm and Confident in the crease and that's what makes him number three for me.

20:35Jason Hagholm: And as well as he played so well in the ohl finally, where I think maybe a lot of Rangers fans had some doubts, like, oh, we're against Ben Herbic. Barry's got the big goalie advantage and we obviously just went over the credentials of what Ben Herebic did. But you look at what Christian Kirsch did in game four, he made some massive saves, massive saves in overtime.

20:53Justin: Like.

20:53Dan Polischuk: Well, you mentioned the PK to being so good. Yeah. One reason, one big reason why Windsor was 1 for 25 on the power play in that series was because of their goaltender, of course.

21:02Justin: Yeah.

21:03Andrew: You know, so, yeah, and I think like you, you point, like if you want to point to those two late goals, he's doing literally everything in his power and, and with a man advantage and a two man advantage in one, in one instance, game two.

21:16Jason Hagholm: Yeah.

21:17Andrew: The, the absolute like most physically gifted player on the ice. Beat him in like with seconds remaining. Like, and I mean like, you know, Aitchison is, is.

21:27Jason Hagholm: Yeah.

21:27Andrew: Played all world at least, you know, in those moments. Offensively, he, that's the type, the exact guy that you want launching that puck, right? Like, it's like, you know, do you want Michael Jordan taking the last shot of the game? Like that's it was that they drew that up to perfection. I didn't think that he was choking away a lead. I didn't. And I never felt like he was rattled by those, by those goals. Like, we went right into overtime and I was like, no, he's got it, he's fine.

21:52Jason Hagholm: Yeah, yeah, I, I felt the Sam O'Reilly Or it was don't break is

21:55Dan Polischuk: what we've always been.

21:56Jason Hagholm: Or he would give up a goal on the first shot. And sometimes he's just like a boxer needs to get knocked or get punched or knocked down, and then I'm in the game, I'm ready to go. And that's.

22:05Justin: Sometimes that was like. That was like, the best thing for the Rangers was that early against.

22:09Andrew: Totally.

22:10Justin: And then they all kind of stepped it up, and that was usually their better game.

22:13Dan Polischuk: But that's been their MOL season. The resiliency. Right. I mean, previous years, you're like, oh, they're behind the eightball. This is going to be a bit of a slog. But even so, it's, you know, they don't take long to push back. And that push back, I think helped ultimately in terms of supporting their goaltender. And he fed off that.

22:27Justin: Yeah.

22:27Jason Hagholm: Yeah. And the team bought into him. Like, there's a lot of fans like,

22:30Justin: oh, I don't know about him.

22:30Jason Hagholm: And, I mean, I know it's tough coming off, you know, OHL and CHL GOY of the year, but, like, the game he had in Ottawa where he shut out the Soo like, that's something. Like, he won me over from that point on. Don't get off this guy. Like, he's a gamer. He's got a good team in front of him, and he proved it the rest of the way through. And I couldn't believe the fans could

22:51Justin: get rid of him. Move someone.

22:52Jason Hagholm: I'm like, calm down. Yeah, it's gonna be okay. And it was.

22:56Andrew: Yeah.

22:56Justin: It's playoff hockey, and he's lost one game.

22:59Jason Hagholm: Yeah.

22:59Justin: Going into the third round.

23:01Dan Polischuk: If I'm wrong, do the OHL put out that he's just the second European net miner in the last two decades or so to win an oh, really? Yeah, exactly. So, you know, another feather in his cap. I think too good for him.

23:16Andrew: He played at an elite level.

23:17Jason Hagholm: Yeah.

23:18Justin: All right. I asked you your third star. I'm not used to four people.

23:22Jason Hagholm: My third star, honestly. How about we give some love for Carson Campbell, who I honestly thought was, like, the back.

23:28Andrew: You're not worthy.

23:30Jason Hagholm: The backbone and the glue of this Kitchener Rangers defense. Like, yeah. We can sing the praises of. Of what Cam Reed did. We can sing the praises of, you know, Jared Woolley and Matt Anovsky coming back. But Carson Campbell, like, played so hard every single game. You could see how much it meant him. And then he found his scoring touch.

23:52Andrew: Best hockey of his career. It was the perfect time.

23:55Jason Hagholm: I told Carson after they won the Western Conference, like, I never thought you'd score a goal again because all you would do.

24:00Dan Polischuk: We caught him, the Zamboni B after that one.

24:02Andrew: Yeah.

24:03Jason Hagholm: He just ring post off, like, like pucks off the post. I'm like, he's a great defenseman, but he'll never score. And then he scored the tying goal against Windsor and just became this goal scoring machine. The Ohl fight.

24:13Dan Polischuk: I don't know.

24:13Jason Hagholm: I don't know where this came from, but I'm okay with it. Carson, better late than never.

24:17Andrew: The confidence level and, like, you could see that he was starting to look for these, like, these opportunities to jump up and do it. And then he was still in position because he's always in position. That position. That. That moment. Talking about the Cam Reed moment along the boards. That moment where he's.

24:32Justin: He's.

24:32Andrew: He breaks up the two on one in overtime.

24:34Jason Hagholm: Oh, my goodness.

24:35Justin: Oh, man.

24:36Dan Polischuk: Just laying over that one.

24:38Jason Hagholm: What a poke check. It's like, like, that's a. I thought

24:41Dan Polischuk: that was down and out on that one.

24:42Jason Hagholm: That's a ballsy play. I'm like, ice beat.

24:44Justin: We're gonna give him the goal.

24:45Andrew: We were on that blue line and I was like. It was literally like, ah, it's the end of the game. And the Aud didn't even. It didn't even formulate because he poke checked like. Yeah, pretty early.

24:55Justin: Flying through the air. Unreal.

24:57Jason Hagholm: Yeah, I'm gonna give it to Carson.

24:58Justin: Yeah.

24:59Jason Hagholm: I mean. I mean, you know, a southpaw as well. Doing some sparring at the Muay Thai gym. I go to dark side Muay Thai here in Kitchener. But he's. He's definitely. But he's definitely open to it. He took some players to the dark side with some physicality with his hits. Like, I mean, I was so happy for Carson too, because that guy laid it on the line last year in the Andrew series. Had to miss the. The Western Conference final. And you could see Kitchener really missed his presence. But healthy all year through or since coming back in, like, what, beginning in November. But yeah, like, amazing guy and just. I couldn't be more happy for his play the rest of the.

25:33Dan Polischuk: I think there's gonna be at least one Tommy Kut there to take a flyer on him.

25:39Justin: He's like. He's like the young Chris Tanv. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Like, he's the guy you want on your team. And yeah, maybe you're not gonna remember everything about him, but he's amazing.

25:48Andrew: You will never, ever complain about a guy just blocking eight shots a game.

25:52Justin: Game like, okay, my third star is Windsor's majority owner, Luke El.

25:59Dan Polischuk: Love how he phrase it.

26:00Justin: Yeah, I mean, yeah, he only. He. He only played five games, but he was so Important to this team. When he came in like the boogeyman for boogeyman. Truly, man, totally. Like, he just. He just like he knows how to ignite this team in a way that we are not used to.

26:17Dan Polischuk: How much did you love the fact that UC started him on the fourth line?

26:21Justin: Yeah.

26:21Dan Polischuk: That in that return and you know, you inevitably saw it being the case that, okay, as the game progresses, as he gets his feet back into, you know, feet wet, you know, gets finds a stride. Then within a couple shifts, he's on the top line.

26:33Andrew: Right.

26:34Jason Hagholm: Within a period. By the second period, he was back

26:36Dan Polischuk: on the top line. It kind of looked over at Jason Apple and just kind of give. Annoying. No, I'm like, yeah, I think we all expected that or something close to that.

26:42Justin: And then he moved up and down the lineup.

26:45Jason Hagholm: Yeah.

26:46Justin: Like during the Barry series, like, he played with. With like probably the whole team at different points. Like he played with everybody.

26:52Dan Polischuk: Yeah, he's. He's a beauty. And he's another guy that. Talk about glue, talk about just character player and just unselfish too. Right. But he finds the way to just kind of grind through. And he definitely had a grind this year having to deal with that surgery and rehab and everything too. And stays. I'm sure there were lows, but to stay as positive he did for the long term goal and have that opportunity now is pretty cool.

27:14Justin: The fact that we got to see him again.

27:15Dan Polischuk: Again.

27:15Jason Hagholm: Yeah.

27:15Justin: This season

27:18Andrew: scores a huge goal.

27:20Justin: A huge goal.

27:21Jason Hagholm: Oh, a goal that they need. They were down three nothing.

27:22Justin: Yeah.

27:23Andrew: Right. And it was. And it was. It's funny because it's like. It's those like little symbolic things that like, only as somebody who follows the team, you would know that when he scored that I was like, oh, they're winning.

27:33Justin: Yeah.

27:34Andrew: Yeah. Because. Because it was Luke Elladis. I was like the guy who hasn't played all year. Most of the year he's. He's back and he's the guy who like, you know, finish them off. I was like, oh, this is. It's all happening.

27:46Justin: He's ruining them again.

27:47Andrew: Too much time.

27:48Dan Polischuk: Too much Tommy Kut shout out Rangers nation. I don't get if you guys noticed it too, but that first game back, that very first shift, they gave him a big. It's almost a standing. Oh. It was a pretty loud cheer. And just goes to show how knowledgeable the Rangers fan base is to acknowledge is something. You know. Yeah. As simple as that. If for lack of a better word. But in that moment in time, you just get the appre. Sense of appreciation they have for. For Luke Ellen is. It's pretty cool.

28:15Jason Hagholm: Maybe underrated. Maybe the best style on the Kitchener Rangers team.

28:18Andrew: Oh, yeah, those glasses. Smartest. The smartest style for sure.

28:24Justin: Secretly. What do you. What do you guys call him in the. Behind his back?

28:28Dan Polischuk: Yeah, yeah, we'll stick with Boogeyman.

28:30Justin: Yeah, yeah, we call him the professor, so.

28:34Dan Polischuk: Oh, yeah, he's. He schooled the Spitfires.

28:37Justin: Yeah, he schooled the Spitfires. Nice. All right, Andrew, who's your second star?

28:41Andrew: All right, I'll stay away from the more obvious ones because I think I know who the second and first star could easily be in this run, but I have to just. I have to single out the coaching staff. I think that the coaches out coach some pretty incredible hockey minds during the run, especially against Windsor. I thought that that series was going to go six or seven for sure. I knew Windsor was a good team. I knew they were. They had had, you know, they didn't have as much depth perhaps maybe as last year, but I felt like there was such a bone to pick with the Rangers for the previous two years, the playoffs, that they were just going to push and I felt like between line matching and then also having to go to Windsor and not having the line matching and just having, you know, that like you said, like that kind of like that crazy checkmate move of being like Luke Ellen is we're putting him in the lineup tonight and we're going to start him on the fourth line and whatever. But also we saw it in the final two. I felt like they kept that Ranger squad just composed to have them come out and play the way they did in those overtimes after Aitchison scored literally last second goals twice. Like what, what a handle you have on. On these young men. Because that's what they are.

29:52Jason Hagholm: They're.

29:53Andrew: They're, you know, like UC says, young boys.

29:55Justin: Right.

29:55Andrew: Like it's he to have boys will be boys, have them compose. Like that is like, that's crazy because they came out like. Like it was like, you know, new, fresh, you know, sheet of ice. That didn't just happen.

30:09Jason Hagholm: Yeah.

30:10Andrew: Because you see professional teams where it's like that just happened again.

30:13Jason Hagholm: Well, and I think the other thing too is like this was a year UC coach, the Rangers with actual expectations. The first two years it was like we're maybe making the playoffs and then the year after that same thing, we got to a conference final. This year is like this team could maybe do some damage and then they did some damage because they won A championship. So that I think that says a lot. There's expectations. When there's a expectation, that adds a lot of weight to it. And he set the goal for the Aud they followed through.

30:40Dan Polischuk: Yeah, the building blocks were there. Right. So you saw the progression and. Yeah, absolutely. Credit to the full coaches that, yeah, the crew he's pieced together here, too, with his assistance and everyone around, around the team, even down to, you know, the legendary Dan Liebold for, you know, making sure the players are in great shape. You know, awesome Fu Manchu, which apparently. I don't think he's grown a Fu Manchu in the playoffs since the last MEM cup run. I could be.

31:07Jason Hagholm: Well, that's the problem right there for Kitchen F man. Chewing up every late March.

31:14Dan Polischuk: He's held off on that special facial hair.

31:18Jason Hagholm: Who's yours?

31:19Justin: Oh, I, I, I was gonna say that. I, I also, I chose just to not outdo you here, Andrew. Yeah. I chose the coaching staff as my first star.

31:27Dan Polischuk: Okay.

31:28Justin: And I'm not going back on that. I, I'm adjustable on other things, but I'm sticking with that. Yeah. And the only thing I wanted to say was, yeah, they, they did so much adjusting and amazing things, but that the second series against the Soo when the Soo was being so aggressive and they sort of had that one line where they sort of, they could cause problems. And then they had the weird scheduling when they were back in the Soo for.

31:53Jason Hagholm: Oh, yeah. Where we had game four on a Thursday and then game five.

31:57Justin: Yeah. Friday in Kitchener and, And the, the way that they are able to get that team sort of back on track because they lost that game the night before. Like, you know, a lot of that could go into that. So anyways, we've said all the great things about the coaching, but I just wanted to say that that was one of those other things.

32:12Andrew: Coaching staff, rest the way.

32:13Justin: We love the coaching staff. Okay. Who's your second star? That's fine.

32:21Dan Polischuk: No, it's, it's.

32:22Jason Hagholm: You already said it.

32:24Dan Polischuk: Someone's gonna say it eventually if I don't say it now. But it's dang. Dylan Edwards, as Jason's dubbed him in the broadcast. Yeah, he's been absolutely unreal. And, and for an undersized kid to do what he's done in the time of year where it's so such tight checking brand of hockey, too, he's just found ways, and it just seems like he's like a video game player out there, too. Some of the stuff he's pulling off offensively and, well, he doesn't look small either. No, he plays big, right?

32:52Andrew: Yeah. He suddenly went from being like, oh, we've got this kind of undersized scoring forward to, like, in playoff time. Never once did I say, like, oh, like, there's a smaller guy scoring goals and stuff. It's like, no, no. He just became like this giant that, like, he was too fast and too skilled that, you know, you could see. Basically, everyone was. You know, what is even happening to us right now? Dylan Edwards is happening.

33:15Dan Polischuk: I just hope he comes up with a better story about his scar on his forehead. I got a goalie stick in my face. Championship instead of something. You know, it's an amazing.

33:26Jason Hagholm: Is that jersey? Like, obviously, he's probably gonna keep. Because that's the one. The champion, but they're bleeding.

33:32Justin: Yeah.

33:32Jason Hagholm: It looks like Terry Funk out there.

33:34Andrew: It should. The team store. It should go.

33:37Dan Polischuk: The towel around his. Tied around his head where he looked

33:40Jason Hagholm: like a samurai warrior. I loved it.

33:42Andrew: There's, like, a picture of him draped in the flag and in, like, the Rangers flag, and he's, like, draped in it, and it's just, like. Just blood all down his face. And I was like, yeah, he got it in the celebration.

33:55Dan Polischuk: What did Christian do with his goalie stick?

33:57Jason Hagholm: He threw it up in the air, and it came right down as Dylan was celebrating. And you can actually watch on the. The broadcast, like, yeah.

34:04Justin: And.

34:05Jason Hagholm: Oh, but he was a champ about. And then the best part, actually, is he comes back to the bench, and the trainers are like, what happened?

34:13Dan Polischuk: So they're going to work. They're trying to celebrate, and we have to stitch up.

34:16Jason Hagholm: We've thrown away all the stooges.

34:19Justin: We threw them all in the air.

34:21Dan Polischuk: Exactly. Yeah. But that was probably one. Aside from the O'Reilly and Woolly move. Like, that trade is just.

34:27Justin: Oh, yeah.

34:28Dan Polischuk: Unbelievable. And, you know, it's just. I. I still think it's a travesty. Mike McKenzie did not get General Manager of the Year. The General Manager of the Year award. I know. You know, I think politics play, like, all sorts of awards play a factor, but to me, it's just like, come on, man. Like, what are we doing here?

34:44Andrew: Every. He hit on everything. Yeah. And not only that. How many. How many curveballs did he get? Like, it was. It was crazy.

34:51Jason Hagholm: That's the thing. It's like, hey, this year started out with Adam Valentini, and then he bailed, went to Michigan, the whole Oscar Hemming drama. Is he going to play? Is he not going to play? He was here. He's here for, like, the whole half and just poor practice with the team. Never played. Then. Then we lose the MEM cup to a mall in Guelph. Like, I mean, what. That's right. Which, by the way, was in downtown Guelph last week. That's going to be fun next year for everyone.

35:17Dan Polischuk: Thank you, Sleemans.

35:18Justin: Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. Also not sponsored.

35:23Andrew: Not open to it.

35:25Jason Hagholm: What went so bad. Went so bad. Turned out so good for Mike McKenzie.

35:29Justin: I'm.

35:30Jason Hagholm: I'm thrilled for him.

35:31Justin: Yeah.

35:31Jason Hagholm: It's been a long time coming for Mike in any aspect, whether he's on the bench or now as the general manager.

35:37Dan Polischuk: And you got to Andrew too, like, obviously chatter around UC is like, what NHL game potentially coming up for him. Like, does Mike get a prologue too, because of what he's been able to do? Right.

35:47Justin: There's already rumors swirling.

35:49Andrew: Yeah. There's already mouthpieces. Like, I saw like, you know, some sort of Internet outlet in Boston being like, Mike McKenzie. And you know, it's funny because it's like. It's that weird feeling right, where you're like. You're like, no, but you're also like, yeah, but that's the goal.

36:04Dan Polischuk: That's the goal.

36:04Jason Hagholm: I also saw that one, but they were like, I don't want anyone from the Rangers. I'm like, it's not the New York Rangers. It's not the New York Rangers, sir.

36:14Dan Polischuk: Almost. It just. It's a good reminder that the OHL is not only a developmental, developmental league for players, but it is for front office staff, too.

36:23Justin: Jason, who's your second star?

36:25Jason Hagholm: Ooh, my second star. Well, Dan took a good one there in Dylan Edwards.

36:30Justin: I.

36:31Jason Hagholm: You know what I mean, we've already talked about him. Cam Reed, I would Sam O'Reilly mean, at this point, like, who haven't we talked about? Other than Tex, I guess.

36:41Dan Polischuk: Well, you could go Ando, considering you're the.

36:43Justin: Let's give it to Ando.

36:45Andrew: Yes.

36:45Jason Hagholm: Ando came back and had the most Ando game in his first game back, had like an assist and then got kicked out of the game. The game is conduct. I was like, this is a wild. My mom's favorite Ranger, Matt Andonowski, by the way. And then. But watching him mature, not taking penalties, making big plays defensively, scores an overtime winning goal when the Kitchener Rangers need it in the final. Like, to see his maturity. I'm like, I'm really excited to see his journey next year with Belleville in the hl. So, yeah, let's give it to Matt and Enough.

37:14Andrew: Yeah, I love that Pick.

37:15Justin: Yeah. I mean, the Andalorian, we love it. Longtime fan of him on the Aud

37:19Andrew: And we loved the. The proving the haters wrong with the. With being responsible and. And all that kind of thing, because we.

37:26Dan Polischuk: We.

37:26Andrew: We pumped up the tires pretty good with him coming back.

37:29Justin: And.

37:29Andrew: And there was a. There was with the, like the. We didn't even mention with. With Mike McKenzie, the curveball of. Of acquiring Dylan Edwards, and then Ando comes back and then he has to move Chromiak, who everyone loved on the team on and off the ice. Right.

37:42Jason Hagholm: Yeah.

37:42Andrew: And we, like, we had people in our. In our. Our DMS being like, they're making the wrong decision here and, oh, the Facebook

37:48Jason Hagholm: group let us know about it.

37:49Andrew: Yeah. Taking all the, you know, the. The bad penalties and. And we're like, you know, we're. We're. Ando stands, so we're like. No, it's. It's the. You know, there's a reason why he started in Belleville. There's a reason why he's drafted and he started in Belleville, and then he goes out, gets kicked out. All right, well, yeah, that's a little bit on us, I guess, but.

38:12Justin: But no, that age showed in the. In the playoffs this year for sure.

38:16Andrew: Well, I mean, just his, like, his comfort. His. His. His comfort level with, you know, carrying the puck out of his own zone was not. That was not part of his game. Like, in the previous two years where I watched Anovski play, it was not

38:29Justin: a strength for him.

38:30Andrew: Right. Like, it was. He played. He was lucky with Bravic, you know, the two years ahead, and. And that was kind of like, just get him the puck and let him do everything. But like, last year, he had moments. He had a game winner or whatever. But like, this year you could just tell, like, even in the playoffs, in the finals, he was comfortable handling the puck. He could pass it out of his own end and. And he could carry it like he was. He was honestly a little bit more responsible with the puck than Woolly in on that tandem. Right. Like, that's why I wanted passing the puck, not Woolly.

38:59Dan Polischuk: I think he just.

39:00Justin: Just the.

39:00Dan Polischuk: The fact that it was hammered home to probably with Belleville to just stick to your strengths and just play within yourself, too, and it leads to playing with more confidence. Just, you know, just the ease of which he was able to play piece together good hockey games, too. And another reason why he was, I think, team of the year. People were criticizing the fact that he was chosen for that award, too, while he was only there for half a season. Well, you know what, the fact that he made such an impact in a limited time, I don't think that should be discredited too at the same time.

39:28Jason Hagholm: And that award obviously goes to not just what you do on the ice. Like think the leadership role that he's done in, in that team for some of the, the younger guys help. He's probably helped make, you know, him, Cam Reed have made Alexander Bilecki like a great defenseman for this season in the playoffs and then for what he can do next year is going to be amazing after he gets drafted this summer. But yeah, I mean just his maturity too, that's the big thing for me, man. Matt wasn't trying to like run around, you know, cause problems or anything. Like he was playing sound defensive hockey and he caught a couple breaks, there

39:59Dan Polischuk: went a couple extra shots against the suit. But you know, there are moments. But at the same time those, the moments were lesser. So yeah, I would say this time around. Right. He's become definitely rounded out as a hockey player.

40:11Justin: Yeah. Oh man, he's such a beauty. Okay, I, I was gonna go Andalorian for, for my second star. So I'm gonna go with who you just mentioned, Alexander Bilecki Yeah. Having a pretty stand up playoff series as a. I know he's not a rookie this year, but it really felt like his rookie year and man, is he unbelievable.

40:30Andrew: Another young boy.

40:31Justin: Another young boy.

40:33Andrew: Young boy.

40:33Justin: Yeah. Yes.

40:35Andrew: Like it was, it was one of those things that he's just very, he's very like, I think he's advanced for his age and where he is. Right. It's his. And, and not only that like he's so aggressive, but it doesn't harm the team. Like rarely did you ever see bi jump up and it just. The wheels fell off and it went back the other way. Which is usually what you see with these like, you know, inexperienced offensive defensemen is that it's like, oh, that was a great chance on its Internet. You know, like it's, it's. We take the good with the bad, but you didn't really have to do much of that with BA we Sam

41:08Justin: O'Reilly saw throughout the season that he went from trying to figure out what defensively responsible looked like. You could see that he was working on that part of his game in the first couple months of the season and then you saw the wheels click where he's like, oh, I could take a, I could take a shot here that I could take a pass into

41:26Jason Hagholm: the top prospects game. I think Was a big thing for him. He really shined in that. And it's like, okay, another defenseman for Kitchener having a great performance in that game. And then he found his offensive rush, too. Like, I'll always think about that assist he got for Dylan Edwards in the game five against. Was it the Soo I think it was the Soo where he just cut through, falling down, makes a pass to Dylan Edwards at the side of the net and I'm like, who is this? Like, wow, like what grow. And also his dad, the nicest human being ever. Appreciate this. A Laurier grad is Mr. Blacki. So Mr. Blacky has ties to the Waterloo region kitchen. Your son's in good hands.

42:03Andrew: And we are now going to see a little bump on our YouTube metrics. I know for a fact we talk about Polaki.

42:12Justin: Things go up.

42:14Andrew: Is a. Is a. Is an AudPod supporter through and through.

42:18Jason Hagholm: Yeah.

42:18Dan Polischuk: So, yes, I think we've called him Camry 2.0 just a few times. Or I have at least. And I think there's a lot of comparables there with. For me, it's a skating ability that's really taken us another step. Step, pun intended, I guess. Or another stride this season. Yeah, it's just. I think he's going to be a good pickup for any team in this coming summer's draft. You know, it's going to be a second, third round pick easily, I would say.

42:42Justin: Steel.

42:42Dan Polischuk: Yeah. 100%.

42:43Justin: Yeah.

42:44Dan Polischuk: And, you know, you, Cameron example again, too. When he was away, I feel like he got a bit more pulled down more minutes and, you know, he all of a sudden became more of the guy. Right. You know, that they could lean on and he thrived in those moments.

42:56Justin: Yeah. He never had a problem taking extra minutes on the ice. Yeah, no, never a problem. All right, Andrew, who's your first star?

43:03Andrew: Listen, I gave away the second star. I can't give away the first star. The first star is Sam O'Reilly Peanut came into this. The bottom line is he's the winningest OHL player of all time. As from. From as far as I can tell, in. In the modern era, I haven't been able to find a player between individual awards and multiple championships to match what he's accomplished. It's hard. Once you go back past like 95, it starts to get a little hard to tell. But, yeah, it. He seems like he's the most winningest player. Which is. Which is how we do it on the Aud body. Seems like it. It seems like it.

43:42Justin: Yeah, close enough. But the bottom line Is for me. Correct me.

43:46Andrew: And you know what someone will someone right now is typing. You know.

43:50Justin: Yeah.

43:51Andrew: Bill Simmons in 1968. 1972 won everything and played goal.

43:59Justin: They Sam O'Reilly exactly had bots.

44:03Jason Hagholm: Bots in our comments and then traded the ringer. I mean.

44:06Andrew: Yeah yeah.

44:08Dan Polischuk: They're run.

44:08Andrew: Yeah and 30 for 30 exactly. Right now he's super rich sponsor our pod Bill. No yeah Peanut. I mean what can you say? What I will say about him is is there's been a lot of talk about you know you guys birth tanked London. Well you got. You got draft picks back.

44:29Justin: Right.

44:30Andrew: That was the thanks you right there's I don't have to thank you for anything. You traded a generational London night away to us and he got better. That's the bottom line is. Is he achieved the peak of his abilities as a Kitchener Rangers That's the clip right there.

44:47Justin: Yeah.

44:48Andrew: And you just see you know know commentating team and worth every one of

44:52Dan Polischuk: those 10 draft picks.

44:53Justin: I think whatever.

44:55Andrew: Like 10 more.

44:58Dan Polischuk: Yeah worth it a th percent and you know if there's a fanduel parlay bet to be made, he's going to be on the Tampa Bay Lightning roster next year. Yeah, I. I think it's. You know just can't believe Edmonton traded

45:15Justin: Tampa Bay either. But not in Edmonton.

45:18Dan Polischuk: Wait till both boys will be boys. He's a men among boys. Quite frankly just he oozes NHL level confidence and yeah he's going to make that jump in my opinion.

45:28Jason Hagholm: Well just pretty quickly coming here to Kitchener after like all those years against Kitchener. Not you know they're the rival. The just buying into the system right away just shows what a pro him and Jared Woolley are. That had to be the most awkward first day on the job for both those guys. But they realized what was at hand. There was a. There's a championship to be won. That's why Sam and Jared were helped take hitching over the top and they did that. Double MVP for Sam O'Reilly regular season and postseason.

45:55Andrew: Right.

45:56Jason Hagholm: And another OHL championship and perhaps more. Another. More. Yeah.

46:02Justin: Could be more.

46:03Andrew: Yeah.

46:04Jason Hagholm: Yeah.

46:05Justin: That guy, he's gonna have to build a big trophy room.

46:08Dan Polischuk: I was just gonna say better make room on the mantle.

46:10Justin: Yeah.

46:10Dan Polischuk: A bit more.

46:11Andrew: No, you want. If you want want to talk poor asset management. You brought it up. You jump up into the first round and take them with the 32nd pick and then you trade the Aud the beginning of this season. Right. Because you want to get a more ready player. I'm going to argue That I think Sam O'Reilly might be more ready at the start of next season. I have. Than what they got in return.

46:29Jason Hagholm: I don't think there's going to be debate on the first star here.

46:31Justin: Yeah.

46:32Jason Hagholm: I think all the way around they

46:34Dan Polischuk: be all be crazy to be like unanimous one. Yeah.

46:37Jason Hagholm: I mean UC's hair. Always the nice number one star on the kitchen team.

46:40Andrew: Yes. And we did have a chance to talk to UC about his nickname on the pod, which I don't know if you're aware of, is the Juice or former.

46:49Justin: Formerly the Juice.

46:50Andrew: The Juice. As I brought it up to him the first time. Well, the second time I met him, basically it was no, it's a bad nickname. Terrible nickname.

46:58Justin: And then he was like.

47:02Andrew: And I was like, he's laughing, but I'm never gonna say that again.

47:07Justin: He's now the coach or the champ. Yeah. Ex. Exactly.

47:11Jason Hagholm: The amount of likes by comment got. I think it was the OHL post when they dumped the Gatorade on him and he was smiling like you see smiled. People from Finland were all like, yes, he is smiling. That's good.

47:21Andrew: And I'm like, oh yeah, Finland mentioned.

47:23Justin: Yeah.

47:24Andrew: Finland doesn't love the Aud part because we were very outspoken about Oscar Hemming so. But that's great though. You jump. Here's our metrics.

47:32Jason Hagholm: Boost good coach in from Finland. We love Finland.

47:36Andrew: Yeah.

47:36Justin: Yeah.

47:37Jason Hagholm: Saku Koivu.

47:38Andrew: Just not ko.

47:39Justin: Espo.

47:40Andrew: Yes.

47:41Justin: We're not fans.

47:42Andrew: No.

47:44Jason Hagholm: Yeah. Has to be Sam, right?

47:45Justin: Yeah. All of us.

47:46Andrew: It's un.

47:46Justin: I mean, that's a no brainer. I did say mine was the coaching staff, so I guess I'm taking an L on that one. But

47:53Andrew: Sam was just. I mean he was everywhere all at once. Right. Like it was, it was both ends of the ice.

47:58Dan Polischuk: You could tell when he was on the ice without even having a look. That's what when. That kind of presence about him.

48:03Justin: Right, right.

48:04Jason Hagholm: Winning all those face offs. There was one point. I can't remember what game it was, but it's like he won more face offs himself than Barry as a whole.

48:11Justin: Yeah.

48:12Andrew: Yeah, he did.

48:13Jason Hagholm: I think that was game four.

48:14Justin: Oh my God.

48:15Andrew: Yeah. He won something like 32 face offs and Barry had less it. It was insane.

48:20Justin: He.

48:21Andrew: He won 57.1% of the draws that he took and he took over 500 draws.

48:26Jason Hagholm: Yeah.

48:27Dan Polischuk: What?

48:28Andrew: Like, it's like if you, if he had, if he had. If he had won 50% or 51%, that would be like, wow, incredible to take that many draws and win that many times because you're taking it against a different person all throughout these different playoffs. And yet, you know, almost 60% of the draws he won. And. And I'd love to see how many defensive zone draws he won because I feel like those ones he was so like, almost automatic. Like, it was like, oh, yeah, no, it's okay. We're gonna have possession here.

48:54Jason Hagholm: No, it was always great to be like, well, Sam's in the face off, so circle. I mean, that's. Unless he gets kicked out because they.

49:00Justin: Which also rarely happens with.

49:02Jason Hagholm: Yeah, yeah.

49:02Justin: Such a, like, focused face in the veins.

49:05Dan Polischuk: Yeah. And at the end of the day, like, I just appreciate how much he just wants to win.

49:10Justin: Yes.

49:10Dan Polischuk: You know, I'm a bit of an old soul. You know, I. I'm not, you know, flashy players. There's so many out there, but he's another throwback. Just, you know, he wants to win at the end of the day and maybe has something to do with his small town roots. I think it's Cochrane from up north that is from before he came down to the GTA to really start his hockey career. But, you know, it's just got so much time for. For watching him and I'm excited to see where he progresses.

49:34Jason Hagholm: Well, yeah. And he could care less about the individual awards. Like, there'd be so many people like, oh man, I've won this individual or great. Like he wanted. He won the OHL championship again. That was the only trophy you could see. Like, okay, actual smiling because yeah, he. He helped this team earn it and do something they haven't done in 18 years.

49:48Dan Polischuk: And he put the team on his back in a lot of ways too. And boy, he can carry the load.

49:52Justin: And it was.

49:53Jason Hagholm: It was fitting too. He got the empty netter. Like, how many empty netters did he get in the postseason? Like, it was like when you knew.

49:59Justin: Also. Also the double dinker.

50:01Jason Hagholm: Yeah.

50:02Dan Polischuk: Post.

50:02Justin: The post that he missed post. I bet that just ate at him.

50:05Dan Polischuk: Yeah, it ate at me because as a Chicago Bears fan, the double Doink connotation to the Dumbledore.

50:12Andrew: The double doink.

50:12Dan Polischuk: But that was when I was willing to celebrate.

50:14Jason Hagholm: It wasn't an illusion that time.

50:17Dan Polischuk: Yeah.

50:18Andrew: Yeah. It was unbelievable run. Unbelievable acquisition. I mean, to. To see what he did and think that he was available to think. Think that he could be brought in. Just like just massive big brain stuff out of Mike McKenzie to be.

50:32Jason Hagholm: It's great for Mike McKenzie, who should also probably be a star because he went five for five in his trades.

50:36Justin: Yes.

50:37Jason Hagholm: But there's also credit to London for willing to give those guys to the kitchen or their arch rival when they knew maybe they didn't have the team this year. Obviously they're going to rebuild for next year and probably be the Knights again, but that's in the future. They realized, let's give these guys a chance. Chance to do something and win a game.

50:54Andrew: Well, it was definitely selfless for them in the sense of. Of that, like, you know, they knew that they were sending him to a stack team and. And both of the Aud And, you know, and it was literally like down the highway. Biggest rival or, you know, according to

51:07Justin: them, Windsors are biggest rival.

51:08Andrew: But I think they just say that

51:10Jason Hagholm: to upset us, but there's no way they actually believe that.

51:13Justin: Exactly, exactly.

51:14Andrew: I'm like, I'm online. I have a kid in a Rangers podcast.

51:19Jason Hagholm: Yeah, Yeah. I mean, also too, like, your first game against London, you score an overtime winner in London.

51:25Justin: Yeah.

51:25Andrew: And then I saw it. There's a. There was. It wasn't that game, but there was one later on where we won it and he grabbed the jersey and I

51:31Jason Hagholm: was like, oh, he's a Ranger. Right. That was game one, I think, against Windsor or something like that in the conference finals. And I was like, he's one of us now. He loves this.

51:43Justin: The peanut gallery. Hillary, move to Kitchener. All right, well, with all of that winning.

51:49Andrew: Yeah.

51:50Justin: Comes another tournament. It's true. When you win the championship. Championship, you go to the Memorial Cup, which starts when this podcast comes out tonight.

52:02Andrew: Yeah.

52:02Justin: Late tonight. Because it's in Kelowna. Yeah. So the. The Rangers play Friday, May 22, 9pm Eastern Time time. Okay, what. What do you got? I. I barely know anything about the Memorial Cup because it's. This is a whole new thing for me. What about you guys? Like, what's the Memorial Cup mean?

52:23Jason Hagholm: Well, it's obviously probably the hardest tournament to win because it's so short. You have to basically play flawless throughout everything. And you're playing a bunch of teams that you don't know anything about other than some tape you may have seen going into this, because you're focused on your own playoff front to. To get to this dance. Other than your. Other than being like the host, because you're on, obviously get the automatic bid in, but it's a tough tournament. It's going to. But this is where I think Kitchener's got the. They've got two guys that have been in this tournament, and last year they won the tournament in Sam O'Reilly and Jared Woolley. So there's a big X factor for Kitchener trying to win their first Memorial Cup since 2003.

53:01Dan Polischuk: Yeah, I think Everett, they were number one in the country for most of the CHL rankings throughout the season. Obviously a quality hockey Tommy Kut But how can you, you know, say anything against the Rangers this time around? If there's going to be a year that you're going to Sam O'Reilly they're going to be Memcup champs again, this has got to be it. Right? So, yeah, it's, it's always a fun tournament to watch, to Jason's point. Just a lot of hockey in a short period of Tommy Kut it's going to be a challenge in this respect that you're trying to scout teams that you really haven't watched through the course of the year. Like, it's obviously a lot easier to watch teams in your own league and with more regularity.

53:36Andrew: 30.

53:37Dan Polischuk: That film crew is going to be having a lot of homework and a lot of long hours, I think, if they haven't already up until like landing in Cologne in that very first game.

53:45Jason Hagholm: Yeah, I mean, I think the schedule works out for Kitchener too. They got the first game against the host Kelowna and then Saturday, Sunday off. So even more time to prep and they can watch, you know, what Chicoutimi and Everett. Everett, yeah. Are able, able to do. And I think especially scouting Everett, I think Everett will be a team that is a. Other than Kitchener has a real good chance at winning the Memorial Cup.

54:08Andrew: Yeah, there's some scary numbers on Everett. Like one that I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm looking at right now is they're, they're. They have basically a tandem goalie through the season, but their, their guy they rode with for 18 games, Anders Miller, he had a 932 and a 1.91.

54:25Jason Hagholm: Yeah.

54:26Andrew: So like, that's. Sounds like that might be their M.O. a little bit is this play shutdown, which will be interesting because. Because no team has truly really shut down the Rangers to this point. So that'll be probably what they're looking to do. I don't think. You know, they're probably comparable a little bit as far as depth. I don't think they have the high end scoring that the Rangers do. Because what I will say about Sam O'Reilly is even his point totals don't really reflect the jump between the London production this year and the Kitchener production. And the same goes for like Dylan Edwards.

54:59Justin: Right.

54:59Andrew: He's just scoring at such a crazy clip that if he had played all, every game with the Rangers, you know, we're looking at, you know, definitely 100 point season. It's not even close.

55:09Jason Hagholm: Well, the other thing too is when you look at these squads, Kitchener has 12 NHL prospects on their team. That is the most out of anyone in this tournament. And I think that plays a factor. You need elite level players to come through in this short tournament, this short span, how hard and competitive this hockey is going to be. And a lot of these guys have now been through a lot of playoffs and as we said, some of these guys have Memorial Cup experience and I think that's a huge back benefit at, for Kitchener heading into the Memorial Cup, which begins Thursday.

55:37Andrew: And they even have guys that like, not necessarily like that, that are, that are so skilled both ways. Like to me, like I watched, you know, like Humps and Prids played a lot of hockey and they weren't necessarily relied upon to score. Like, that wasn't really what they were doing out there throughout the entirety of the playoff. They did have, you know, basically point per game production, both of them, them. But like they were also just like dogging guys, you know, going back the other way, making it hard. I mean they're not like, they're not huge players like Pridz. I got some size on, on, on Humps, but like they, they were, they were grinding guys out along the boards. They were back checking, you know, Pridz kills penalties and is a, is a threat. Like to me it's like, you know, there's Rangers fans who were talking about Pridham only having two goals in, in the playoff run. He's still a point per game.

56:26Jason Hagholm: It was still a top four player for Kitchen postseason.

56:29Andrew: I know. And that's the thing is some. He took 76 shots. Sometimes they just don't go in. And so if he's going, this is what the storyline I love. He's going back to Colonial, which is where he came from. You don't think he's ready and motivated to play in Kelowna? Like, this is the storybook ending of, of like, can you. Like he didn't even think, you know, when he was coming back here and he's like, no, I'm going to stay and I'm going to come back to Kitchener. He never even thought, I mean the whole, the whole team was, you know, 20, 27, 2027. He wasn't even going to be here for, for it. But yet they've made it and he's going back to Kelowna. I don't know I, I'd love to see, you know, Prids get going and scoring, but at the same time I Sam O'Reilly know, such great, you know, stuff that doesn't show up on the stat sheet from like, you know, him and Elnus and Humps and, and I have to shout out Ellis and Aret.

57:16Jason Hagholm: Yeah.

57:16Andrew: These guys are just guys that they just play so hard both ways at all times. They fully buy in. They don't need to be the hero. And that's like, you know, know we talked about Sam O'Reilly doing that and, and being, you know, like he doesn't care about the individual awards. I think that's the Rangers culture because when we talked to Prids in the offseason, he said like, you know, I just want to win.

57:37Jason Hagholm: Yeah.

57:37Andrew: And, and I think that's the whole squad is like that.

57:39Justin: Yeah.

57:40Jason Hagholm: Well, that's why he came back, right? Because he believed this team had a chance to do something. Little did he know like what would happen obviously. But like he decommitted from a really good NCAA program at BU to come back to Kitcheners to which helped his game. And you've seen like how, how even just one year in Kitchener like Christian Humphreys went from being a good prospect for the Avalanche to being the most improved prospect for Colorado in their rookie camps before the season. And now what's Christian Humphreys? He scored the game winning goal to give Kitchen OHL championship and I couldn't be more happy for someone like Christian Humphreys to have that success. And he's going to do big things next year in the ncaa. I know he's back at for Minnesota going next year but like a great

58:17Andrew: program as well to land back on his feet in Minnesota. I mean if they're in the Big Ten too, if there's not a argument to. To the OHL and succeed. If you're kind of a fringe in betweener at NCAA when you're young, just come here and put in work and, and win a championship. You know what I mean?

58:38Justin: It's easy.

58:38Jason Hagholm: So easy. But seriously, SAR knows

58:44Justin: you get in

58:45Andrew: Kishner, you get in London, you get in Windsor, you get in like these like, I mean these are incredible, you know, organizations to divide, develop talent. Whether you win or not, only one team wins.

58:54Dan Polischuk: But it's as close to pro level as you can get without playing pro here in Kitchener specifically. And there are markets obviously similar. The London's the Windsors of the world too. Lump in Oshawa, you know, bigger markets like that. But what better Litmus test in terms of finding success places like this to then carry over and, you know, advance your career.

59:14Jason Hagholm: Yeah. And this, the league as a whole, I think realizes that that's why they're kind of marketing.

59:18Dan Polischuk: Right.

59:18Jason Hagholm: It's like obviously maybe the older players are going to bounce, go play some NCAA hockey, but you can get your best development, you know, in your, in your 17, 18, right here in the OHL takes your game to another level, then sure, maybe that NCAA avenue is there or you stay in junior hockey, but you're going to be a much better player for it, for having been in the ohl. And these teams like Kitchener, London, they're improving every aspect of their facility. Every team really is doing that. They're doing everything to improve, to keep players around so that they can grow

59:46Dan Polischuk: the game for a couple years at least, then go get that NIL money and you know, yeah, why not do. Right.

59:51Justin: Yeah.

59:52Andrew: I mean that's a thing a little. It kind of feels like if you can, if Sam, if it's good enough for Sam O'Reilly to play like 19 year old year in the O and then make the jump like, you know, I mean Samurai, if he wanted, if he wanted the NIL money, like.

60:06Jason Hagholm: Right.

60:06Andrew: And write a check now basically to himself and go play anywhere but like he's not gonna even have to. So like there's. I just think that like, you know, I know we've kind of transitioned into this NCAA chat a little bit, but like ultimately I just think that like this run and, and this like this team, especially in this Memorial Cup where we're going to see some incredible prospects on some of these other teams as well, it's just kind of like, it's just, you know, the CHL is fine. It's going to be fine.

60:33Dan Polischuk: Well, that's the thing. It's. You're setting yourself up like if you're a fringe NHL or a pro player, the OHL is going to set you up to at least have those potential opportunities to play at the collegiate level, maybe obviously get some cash your way and it could be the most significant contract you get, maybe in some respects. But you wouldn't have gotten there had you not had the one or two years in the O or the CHL, wherever you might be first.

60:55Jason Hagholm: Plus it's a league that sure may be younger now with the CHL Import Draft and you can now take 16 year olds in that league. So I mean it's only going to get better from 16 to 18 and I think the hockey is just Going to be, get better a little bit different. And I think the CHL maybe realizes, like, okay, we're not going to be for, you know, those 19, 20 year olds, those overagers, but we got to pivot a little bit. But that's what you got to do to be successful sometimes you got to just transition your marketing a little bit. And I think, as you said, the CHL will be fine. Everyone calm down.

61:23Andrew: Yeah, Yeah.

61:23Dan Polischuk: I think there is a way, to your point, for both to coexist, essentially, but that just, you know, they're starting to figure that out, I think just now.

61:29Andrew: Yeah. And I, I think there's, there's some guys who I think are using these commitments as leverages to get the pro deal.

61:35Justin: Right.

61:35Andrew: Because right now you can't get, you can't, you know, if you sign the pro deal, you can't go NCAA and vice versa.

61:41Jason Hagholm: Right.

61:41Andrew: So it's one of those things that, like, it's good for the player and ultimately, like, I'm a pro player guy, like, I'm a pro individual. Like, get your money while you can do it because you never know when that coming, God forbid.

61:53Justin: Right.

61:54Andrew: And, and ultimately, like, we've seen so many guys who've ripped it up and not ever really gotten the bag, you know, because something happened, happens. And so like if you can get the bag in college or you can force a team to be like, all right, entry level contract, that's like, that's life changing money. Even if, you know, like you, you have, maybe you have a three, four year pro career and then you jump to Europe because you have that on your resume that you signed a three year entry level deal and maybe it didn't work out, but you can still be a professional hockey player.

62:22Jason Hagholm: Yeah, I mean, I felt the Sam O'Reilly about that for the college football side of thing before the nil, it's like, oh, this prospect, he's going to go, go first round and then tears his ACL in a game and like never hear from him again or doesn't make any more near as much money. So I'm like happy that option is there for some players, but it's a changing world that seems to still be changing even as we're speaking about this right now. But CHL is going to be fine. NCAA hockey is going to be fine and better for having these guys that have been in the OHL come back playing college hockey in the states.

62:49Andrew: Totally.

62:50Justin: Yeah. 100%. It's nice to see the guys who, who just want to play hockey and The. In the best leagues that they can get to play. Yeah. For us, that's what I want to

62:59Jason Hagholm: watch, as UC would Sam O'Reilly it's good.

63:01Justin: Yeah. Good.

63:02Dan Polischuk: All in all. All in all, I keep telling Jason, that's got to be on a T shirt somewhere.

63:07Andrew: All in all, that would be a good shirt.

63:10Dan Polischuk: I'm putting royalty dibs on that one. I guess you see T with.

63:13Justin: With the J. Ross Robinson. Give him. Give him a cut. Yes.

63:19Andrew: Nothing we do is original. Sean made sure that when we. We tried to lay claim to the Andalorian and we didn't even watch the Star wars broadcast and then we got. We got time stamped.

63:30Justin: Yeah. We got receipts. Yeah, we got receipts.

63:32Andrew: So never living it now. So now we claim nothing to Sean's credit.

63:36Dan Polischuk: Always credit your sources.

63:40Justin: Sure. All right. Well, thank you guys so much for joining us for this preview episode of the Memorial Cup wrap up of the OHL championship.

63:50Dan Polischuk: Like, I don't think we've wrapped up with our pick for the Talk about the mem Cup Rangers winning this thing. I think you got our picks, but what do you guys feel?

63:57Justin: Oh, yeah, let Everett, I think might second. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Can it be Kitchener in four games? Because I think that's what I'm calling four games.

64:09Andrew: In fact, if everything goes well, it's Kitchener in four games.

64:11Justin: Yeah. Yeah. Kitchener in four.

64:13Andrew: Yeah.

64:13Jason Hagholm: Well, they did. I was out at an establishment yesterday and they did have the replay of last year's championship game when the only player I saw in this screen, Sam O'Reilly when he was in the. Those green London or those white and green London jerseys.

64:25Justin: But Soupy the Aud fresh ones.

64:28Jason Hagholm: He played fresh this year, though.

64:31Andrew: Yeah. And he truly is an artist.

64:36Jason Hagholm: But yeah, obviously Rangers. Rangers in four.

64:39Justin: Yeah.

64:40Andrew: Ten straight.

64:41Jason Hagholm: Ten straight.

64:42Justin: Ten straight. Yeah. Nice. It will be a little hard for me when they start talking about againla on with the puck and it's gonna to ruin my brain. But other than that, this. I'm really looking forward to watching Kitchner play these games. Yeah. So thank you guys for. For joining us on the pod and glad that we could finally get you out here and thanks for the invite.

65:03Dan Polischuk: Let's do it again.

65:04Jason Hagholm: Yeah.

65:05Andrew: Fun.

65:05Justin: Let's do it. Yeah. This was a. This is a great way to recap. I'm sick of hearing Andrew voice. I know. Well, we did like 22 episodes during the playoffs. Oh, my God.

65:17Andrew: Best man for me, which is great for me but not so great for him.

65:20Justin: Terrible for me. Yeah.

65:21Jason Hagholm: Nice that we could do this. Not in Someone's car.

65:23Justin: Well, yeah.

65:24Andrew: But I will tell you that there is a very large car seat and a not so large car. And so for all of those episodes, my knees were implanted into the dashboard. I was like, cool, Cool. And I'm like, if you. If you really notice the framing, I'm, like, trying to, like, get my head into the frame on those episodes. So, yeah, I'm probably the most.

65:47Justin: The most grateful that we're out in a car are. All right, we got. We gotta. Of course, we just gotta shout out Tim, our editor, who had appendicitis during the finals. So that was like a. That was like a whole thing. So still.

66:02Andrew: Still managed to follow along and enjoy the win.

66:04Dan Polischuk: Good.

66:04Justin: Well, Tim, he seems fine now, so. Yeah, he's gonna edit this one again. He's back. He only missed one episode. Pretty impressive appendix.

66:13Dan Polischuk: Just take yourself. Yourself up and get back in there.

66:17Justin: Shout out to JJ for doing the intro to the episode. It's been so fun being able to hang out with JJ a little bit.

66:23Dan Polischuk: Are those the video game intros, by the way? The. The visual graphics or the.

66:27Justin: The. The ones that we put on Instagram?

66:29Jason Hagholm: They're like.

66:30Justin: Yeah, we just. We make the.

66:31Andrew: We make those on Canva. But JJ does our. Our introduction on the pod. So I used. We used to have this recording of me, and it was, like, pitched down

66:39Dan Polischuk: and, you know, it's very obviously my voice.

66:42Andrew: Right.

66:42Justin: And it was.

66:43Andrew: But JJ randomly. Actually, it was. A group of them were hanging out and. And like, the Rangers Die Hards. And they sent us a voice note of JJ doing the intro, like, from memory, and we were like, can we use it?

66:59Justin: Yeah, because it's better.

67:01Dan Polischuk: Yeah, it's so, you know, mad props.

67:04Justin: Yeah, they both look great. Yeah.

67:06Andrew: So now that's our.

67:08Justin: Yeah. Yeah. So. And we got to hang out with her a bit during the. During the finals. Like, we saw her in Barry. We start lots at the Aud which was super fun.

67:15Dan Polischuk: Awesome.

67:16Justin: Yeah. And shout out to the Kitchener Public Library for hosting us once again.

67:21Dan Polischuk: 100% love the KPO.

67:23Justin: Right? Yeah.

67:23Jason Hagholm: Where the Aud pot is never overdue.

67:27Justin: Wow.

67:27Dan Polischuk: Put a button on it. J.

67:29Justin: Episode scene.

67:41Jason Hagholm: It.