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The definitive NHL podcast network with expert analysis and insider perspectives.
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It started in early October and are now at the finish line where a new Stanley Cup champion will be crowned within the next two weeks. The Carolina Hurricanes have marched into the Final requiring just 13 games to earn their spot while the Vegas Golden Knights have gotten stronger each round to take their place. Neil and Vic are once again joined by TSN's Craig Button for analysis and predictions as both franchises seek their second Stanley Cups. IN THIS EPISODE: [02:07] - Craig Button joins the show and dives right into the Stanley Cup Final whether Vegas might be more battle tested given their path to the championship series. [06:37] - The prospect of Carolina still being able to execute the relentless style of play against a Vegas team fresh off smothering the Presidents' Trophy-winning Avalanche. [10:19] - The areas that Craig and Neil see where both clubs could be exploited by the other. [14:52] - Intangibles. Something we might see by series end that isn't necessarily visible early on. [17:59] - The ongoing saga with the Golden Knights refusing to allow former head coach Bruce Cassidy to speak with other teams about a head coaching position while still under contract to the VGK for another season at 4.5 million. [23:28] - Updated standings and predictions among the three "experts" with some fun dropped in. [35:19] - The family of Claude Lemieux has announced that the former player's brain will be donated to the Boston University CTE Center for research. Lemieux died by suicide May 28, though the family has cautioned no conclusions should be drawn through their gesture. [37:18] - The passing of Dennis Hull May 30, brother of the "Golden Jet," Bobby Hull, his shot was perhaps the most feared of any player in the late '60's and early 70's. [38:42] - Stanley Cup Final schedule. 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 #SummerCoolers #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 #CraigButton #TSN #ConnorMcDavid #TrippTracy #FrederikAndersen #CarterHart #DylanCoghlan #ScottWedgewood #CaleMakar #NathanMacKinnon #SamMalinski #BrettHowden #JakeEichel #MitchMarner #MarkStone #TaylorHall #JacksonBlake #LoganStankoven #SebastianAho #SethJarvis #AndreiSvechnikov #UsainBolt #PavelDorofeyev #BruceCassidy #KellyMcCrimmon #GeorgeMcPhee #GaryBettman #JohnTortorella #PeterPocklington #AlexanderOvechkin #JordanStaal #ConnSmytheTrophy #FrankPatrick #LesterPatrick #PrinceofWalesTrophy #HartTrophy #ClaudeLemieux #BostonUniversityCTECenter #JohnSaunders #DennisHull #BobbyHull #VicHadfield #SummitSeries1972 #JimMontgomery
We have a dance card! The 2026 Stanley Cup Final is set as the Carolina Hurricanes completed an historic run 12-1 run taking out the exhausted Montreal Canadiens and, in the process, earned a date with the Vegas Golden Knights for the right to play for the Cup. Vic and Neil have a breakdown that will sound quite similar with their own unique takes. We also take a moment to remember the late Claude Lemieux, who won the first of his four Stanley Cups 40 years ago and was also the agent for Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen. 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 #BZZR #NHL #SummerCoolers #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 #ClaudeLemieux #FrederikAndersen #MartinSt.Louis #JoshAnderson #BrendanGallgher #JacksonBlake #TaylorHall #AlexTexier #LoganStankoven #JakubDobes #HenrikLundqvist #JordanStaal #JordanMartinook #WilliamCarrier #EricRobinson #SethJarvis #JakeEvans #NikolajEhlers #ShayneGostisbehere #ColeCaufield #RodBrind'Amour #CraigMacTavish #NickSuzuki #JurajSlafkovsky #BrianEnglblom #KentHughes #BillDaly #MarkMessier #BrendanLemieux #MikeLiut #UlfSamuelsson #ConnSmytheTrophy #KrisDraper #DarrenMcCarty #ChristopherLemieux #ConnSmytheTrophy #PhoenixCoyotes #StuGrimson #JackieRedmond #NHLonTNT #CraigButton #TSN #JimMontgomery #RickBowness
There were few feel-good stories in 2025-26 than the Buffalo Sabres. After 15 long years, the Sabres got themselves back into the post-season winning the Atlantic Division plus the opening round of the playoffs against Boston before falling in Game 7 overtime to Montreal. While it is easy to statistically equate as to why the team escaped the doldrums, the path of the past season was atypical. A slow start and the firing of the GM reversed itself in December with a torrid hot streak that raised the Sabres into the NHL elite. Plenty to build on for 2026-27. Along with that, expectations the franchise hasn't had in years. 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 #BZZR #NHL #SummerCoolers #BuffaloSabres #UtahMammoth #DetroitRedWings #ColumbusBlueJackets #St.LouisBlues #OttawaSenators #NewYorkRangers #WinnipegJets #VegasGoldenKnights #LosAngelesKings #JarmoKekalainen #KevynAdams #LindyRuff #JoshDoan #MichaelKesselring #JJPeterka #Ukko-PekkaLuukkonen #AlexLyon #ColtenEllis #TageThompson #AlexTuch #RasmusDahlin #RyanMcLeod #JackQuinn #MastertonTrophy #NorrisTrophy #OwenPower #BowenByram #MattiasSamuelsson #ZachBenson #KonstaHelenius #NoahOstlund #ShaneDoan #ArizonaCoyotes #JoshNorris #SamCarrick #TannerPearson #BeckMalenstyn #JoshuaDunn #LukeSchenn #LoganStanley #PeytonKrebs #JackEichel
If there was any question of the Hurricanes superiority over a Canadiens team that won Game 1 and got Games 2 and 3 to overtime, those questions were answered in a dominant performance Wednesday. Three quick goals late in the first period put the 'Canes into cruise control and they never let up on a Habs team appearing more and more spent from the attrition of having to play 14 games in the first two rounds. Vic and Neil break it down as the Canadian (and Canadiens) Stanley Cup drought is on the verge of reaching 33 years. 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 #BZZR #NHL #SummerCoolers #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 #JakubDobes #JacksonBlake #NikolajEhlers #NickSuzuki #SebastianAho #K'AndreMiller #JordanStaal #LoganStankoven #ShayneGostisbehere #AndreiSvechnikov #MikeMatheson #PhillipDanault #EricRobinson #FrederikAndersen #JoshAnderson #ColeCaufield #SethJarvis #WilliamCarrier #MitchMarner #GaryBettman #QuebecNordiques
In 2019, John Tortorella's Columbus Blue Jackets stunned the hockey world sweeping out the Presidents' Trophy winning Tampa Bay Lightning in the opening round. Call it the Seven-year Itch because, after taking over the Golden Knights in late March, Torts troops have gone 19-4-1 finishing off the league-leading Colorado Avalanche Tuesday displaying a defensive clinic in putting the broom to the Avs. Vic and Neil break it down, look forward to Wednesday's fourth game between Carolina and Montreal and guess who's returning to Pittsburgh for a 21st season? 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 #BZZR #NHL #SummerCoolers #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 #NathanMacKinnon #SheaTheodore #JaredBednar #MacKenzieBlackwood #ScottWedgewood #MarkStone #BraydenMcNabb #CarterHart #BrockNelson #WilliamKarlsson #IvanBarbashev #ColtonSissons #NicDowd #TomasHertl #JackEichel #MartinNecas #DylanCoghlan #KaedenKorczak #PavelDorofeyev #CaleMakar #ColeSmith #JohnTortorella #BruceCassidy #StanleyCup #Presidents'Trophy #PrinceofWalesTrophy #ConnSmytheTrophy #LesterPatrick #FrankPatrick #BrentBurns #MitchMarner #RodBrind'Amour #MartinSt.Louis #EvgeniMalkin #GaryBettman
A change in venue did not change the territorial dominance of the Carolina Hurricanes as they took a second straight overtime game from the Montreal Canadiens to take a 2-1 series lead in the East Final. Vic and Neil have the recap plus a look to the West Final where the Golden Knights will try to complete a stunning sweep of the Presidents' Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche whose star forward, Nathan MacKinnon, may be compromised should he be able to play. The show wraps up with the measures Avs captain Gabriel Landeskog is taking to ensure his surgically repaired right knee will continue to hold up for not just the rest of his playing career but, downwind as well. 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 #PatrickHoffman #NHL #SummerCoolers #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 #WilliamCarrier #EricRobinson #MarkJankowski #ShayneGostisbehere #JakubDobes #AlexandreCarrier #JurajSlafkovsky #FrederikAndersen #AlexNewhook #JakeEvans #IvanDemidov #MikeMatheson #JordanMartinook #JacksonBlake #K'AndreMiller #TaylorHall #JoshAnderson #AndreiSvechnikov #RodBrind'Amour #NikolajEhlers #LaneHutson #ColeCaufield #SebastianAho #NickSuzuki #JalenChatfield #DonCherry #NathanMacKinnon #JaredBednar #CaleMakar #JackEichel #MitchMarner #MarkStone #CarterHart #GabrielLandeskog #Plantiga #PatGraham #JonathanWhyno #JoeSakic #MastertonTrophy #RasmusDahlin #JonathanToews