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The definitive NHL podcast network with expert analysis and insider perspectives.
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When Bryan Trottier entered the NHL in 1975, it was noted, "he looks like and angel and plays like the devil." For 18 seasons, the Val Marie, Sask. native made and then left his permanent mark as one of hockey's best-ever two-way forwards. From his proud beginnings of First Nations descent, through a half dozen Stanley Cups as a player to a post-career life that has presented its share of challenges, there's little Bryan Trottier hasn't seen or experienced. This 90-minute discussion also touches on many aspects of human emotion and goes well beyond the hockey world Trottier was best known for. IN THIS EPISODE: [01:11] - Bryan is welcomed to the show as he and Neil reminisce about their early years getting to know each other in the 1970's with an admission coming from each. [03:48] - Growing up in Saskatchewan, the Trottier family didn't have much but they had enough thanks to work ethic and strong family values. [07:08] - With parents from very different heritage, Trottier was aware of racism from an early age and learned from that, the importance of acceptance. [09:37] - Ready to quit hockey at age 16, many would be surprised as to the man responsible for putting Bryan's NHL career back on the rails. [12:49] - The 1974 Amateur Draft where Trottier was selected in the second round by the Islanders. He credits Earl Ingarfield for instilling the disciplines which created the foundation for a Hall-of-Fame career. [21:48] - From 1974-75 back in junior to stories of a Calder Trophy-winning season the following year...and the expectations to come. [24:46] - The reality of both Trottier and the Islanders improving, yet suffering increasingly difficult playoff losses from 1976 through 1979. [29:59] - 1980. The pieces finally come together and a dynasty is born historic in nature. [35:03] - The biggest scare during the 1980-1983 championship run: Opening round in 1982 vs. Pittsburgh. [39:21] - The pain of the end of the dynasty in 1984, with a scheduling quirk possibly being a contributing factor. Trottier details the difference of the Finals with Edmonton in '83 and '84. [46:07] - A quick side story on a utility player who won four Cups with the Islanders and was on the Oilers for their first. [47:23] - Goodbye Islanders. Hello Pittsburgh and two more championships. [55:10] - Six Stanley Cups as a player earned with three legends behind the bench - the first four with the pupil, the last with his teacher. [1:01:20] - Naturally after learning from some of the best, the opportunity came, went and was filled with fulfillment on a more personal level. [1:10:27] - The most poignant part of the interview starts on the struggles away from the spotlight of professional athletics and the piece the public doesn't see. Trottier holds nothing back and also shares his support was more meaningful than he could have imagined. [1:15:43] - Continuing with Neil discussing loss. For Bryan, the passings of his parents and members of his extended Islanders family remains painful though being able to properly say goodbye to some has provided solace. [1:21:18] - Despite pain, there's still plenty that brings Bryan joy from family to music and it's never-ending importance. [1:25:17] - The recent honor of having a postage stamp released as part of Canada Post's Indigenous Leaders Series and the pride of having a grandson drafted by the Montreal Canadiens. [1:32:30] - Wrapping up the Hall of Fame Edition with Bryan Trottier. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/ NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/ #NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #NHL #BZZR #UBS #TheLineup.pro #BryanTrottier #BillTorrey #AlArbour #DenisPotvin #MikeBossy #ClarkGillies #BobNystrom #JohnTonelli #GordKluzak #TigerWilliams #JeanBeliveau #EarlIngarfield #JimDevellano #GaryKirk #HenrySaraceno #BrianSutter #DarcyRegier #BobbyClarke #DarrylSittler #GilbertPerreault #PhilEsposito #BillyHarris #EdWestfall #JPParise #PierreLarouche #JerryKorab #LarryRobinson #ButchGoring #GordLane #DuaneSutter #KenMorrow #WayneMerrick #BobBourne #AndersKallur #DaveLewis #BillySmith #StefanPersson #StephaneMatteau #JohnTonelli #BobNystrom #DaveLangevin #RickKehoe #EdJohnston #AndreSt.Laurent #MikeMcEwen #RandyCarlyle #MikeBullard #MichelDion #WayneGretzky #MarkMessier #GlennAnderson #KevinMcClelland #PatLafontaine #PatrickFlatley #KenLinseman #PaulCoffey #BillCarroll #CraigPatrick #BruceMcNall #MarioLemieux #JaromirJagr #RonFrancis #UlfSamuelsson #GrantJennings #JohnCullen #ZarleyZalapski #LarryMurphy #PeterTaglianetti #MarkRecchi #KevinStevens #TomBarrasso #FrankPietrangelo #WarrenYoung #PeterStastny #JoeMullen #BobJohnson #ScottyBowman #RickTocchet #KjellSamuelsson #GeorgeMcPhee #PierreLacroix #RobBlake #RayBourque #AdamFoote #JoeSakic #PeterForsberg #AlexTanguay #MilanHejduk #ChrisDrury #BobHartley #JacqquesCloutier #GlenSather #EricLindros #MikeRichter #PavelBure #BrianLeetch #DanBlackburn #JeanPotvin #GerryHart #RonDuguay #ReneRobert #WillieLittlechild #FreddySasakamoose #JimNeilson #ParkerTrottier #MartinSt.Louis #PierreTurgeon #SteveYzerman #ScottStevens #MikeGartner #SmithCurrentBroncos #LethbridgeBroncos #CincinnatiStingers #WHA #NewYorkIslanders #PittsburghPenguins #ColoradoAvalanche #NewYorkRangers #MontrealCanadiens #EdmontonOilers #FloridaPanthers #St.LouisBlues #ChicagoBlackhawks #HartfordWhalers #PortlandPirates #CalderTrophy #ArtRossTrophy #HartTrophy #ConnSmytheTrophy
Perfection comes in the form of home cooking as Neil's four hosts took care of business to raise his overall mark to 54 games over .500 at 128-54. The usual busy Thursday brings eleven games. Check out the picks and see if The Old Professor can keep rolling. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/ NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/ #NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #NHL #BZZR #UBS #TheLineup.pro
Time to give the goalies a bit of the spotlight with Connor Hellebuyck headlining the card as a winner in his Devils debut. We'll also look at one of the recent bugaboos in the NHL: the three-goal lead and three-games that delivered various results Tuesday. As has been previously noted, fighting is up in the NHL during the first month of the season. Vic and Neil share thoughts as to why. Finally, whatever did happen to those Brady Tkachuk jerseys that found their way down to the ice in Ottawa last week? X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/ NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/ #NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #NHL #BZZR #UBS #TheLineup.pro #ConnorHellebuyck #JackHughes #JesperBratt #TimoMeier #AnthonyMantha #ArsenyGritsyuk #SheldonKeefe #SemyonVarlamov #IlyaSorokin #PeterDeBoer #MatthewSchaeffer #JamesReimer #DylanGarand #PavelDorofeyev #DevinCooley #MatveiGridin #MattCoronato #JonathanHuberdeau #CamFowler #JakubDobes #SamMontembeault #MichalPostava #ConnorMcDavid #LeonDraisaitl #RyanNugent-Hopkins #ToddMcLellan #DylanLarkin #SteveYzerman #ChrisIlitch #SimonEdvinsson #ShawnHorcoff #JamieDrysdale #KentJohnson #RickBowness #DeanEvason #JohnathanLekkerimaki #FilipHronek #JoelQuenneville #JakcsonLacombe #BradyTkachuk #MatthewTkachuk #ScottArniel #KevinCheveldayoff #OttawaCitizen #TannerJeannot #NicolasDeslauriers #JoeKocur #KirillMarchenko #YegorSharangovich #ZachHyman #AndreasEnglund #WarrenFoegele #JeremyLauzon #AndreLacroix #MarcTardif #AnaheimDucks #BostonBruins #BuffaloSabres #CalgaryFlames #CarolinaHurricanes #ChicagoBlackhawks #ColoradoAvalanche #ColumbusBlueJackets #DallasStars #DetroitRedWings #EdmontonOilers #FloridaPanthers #LosAngelesKings #MinnesotaWild #MontrealCanadiens #NashvillePredators #NewJerseyDevils #NewYorkIslanders #NewYorkRangers #OttawaSenators #PhiladelphiaFlyers #PittsburghPenguins #StLouisBlues #SanJoseSharks #SeattleKraken #TampaBayLightning #TorontoMapleLeafs #UtahMammoth #VancouverCanucks #VegasGoldenKnights #WashingtonCapitals #WinnipegJets #HartfordWolfpack #ProvidenceBruins #WHA #NewEnglandWhalers #HartfordWhalers
Coming off a winless Monday, Neil took the big Tuesday schedule and ran with it going 7-4 for a straight up record of 124-74. Check out his picks for a modest four-game Wednesday. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/ NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/ #NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #NHL #BZZR #UBS #TheLineup.pro
Some rarified air for Neil Monday and it wasn't good as all three favorites went down to defeat dropping his overall, straight up record to 117-70 (.626). Having selected well with bigger schedules, an 11-game slate is on tap for Tuesday. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/ NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/ #NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #NHL #BZZR #UBS #TheLineup.pro
"H" may stand for hockey but this past weekend saw three significant happenings around the NHL starting with that letter. Connor Hellebuyck finally traded. Quinn Hughes making his first return to Vancouver. Tim Hortons Heritage Classic. Vic and Neil will do the deep dive into each and also look revisit two teams that never appear to a backseat in the NHL news cycle. That plus notable performances, personnel news, and...let's play "Connections." X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/ NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/ #NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #NHL #BZZR #UBS #TheLineup.pro #ConnorHellebuyck #DawsonMercer #NickBjugstad #NicoDaws #StuSkinner #AlexanderCommand #KevinCheveldayoff #SonnyMehta #JacobMarkstrom #LaneHutson #KaidenGuhle #JacobFowler #JonathanToews #JohnPaddock #MikeSmith #EdOlczyk #StephaneMatteau #QuinnHughes #BradyTkachuk #MannyMalhotra #PeterDeBoer #AlexTuch #AustonMatthews #ConnorMcDavid #LeonDraisaitl #EvanBouchard #VasilyPodkolzin #DevinCooley #LannyMcDonald #MarkPavelich #NikitaKucherov #StevenStamkos #DarrenPang #CooperBlack #DevonLevi #DaveDryden #KenDryden #BobbyHull #DennisHull #MattiasEkholm #WilliamCarrier #JaredMcCann #AlexanderNikishin #JamesReimer #DylanGarand #SpencerMartin #CoreyPerry #MatsZuccarello #BryanTrottier #ClarkGillies #AnaheimDucks #BostonBruins #BuffaloSabres #CalgaryFlames #CarolinaHurricanes #ChicagoBlackhawks #ColoradoAvalanche #ColumbusBlueJackets #DallasStars #DetroitRedWings #EdmontonOilers #FloridaPanthers #LosAngelesKings #MinnesotaWild #MontrealCanadiens #NashvillePredators #NewJerseyDevils #NewYorkIslanders #NewYorkRangers #OttawaSenators #PhiladelphiaFlyers #PittsburghPenguins #StLouisBlues #SanJoseSharks #SeattleKraken #TampaBayLightning #TorontoMapleLeafs #UtahMammoth #VancouverCanucks #VegasGoldenKnights #WashingtonCapitals #WinnipegJets