mlse

Hour 3 of The FAN Morning Shows kicks off with hosts Ben Ennis and Brent Gunning looking into the Maple Leafs' decision to recall goaltender Ilya Samsonov. Next up, The Star’s Damien Cox stops by to discuss MLSE's newest President and CEO, Keith Pelley, before looking ahead to the Leafs' upcoming schedule. Later on, the guys head to NYC to check in with The Athletic’s Fred Katz (26:26)! Following to the Raptors trade with Knicks, Fred weighs in on how the new pieces fit on both rosters, as well as a potential rivalry brewing between the two teams.  

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff and Elliotte are joined by Vegas Golden Knights owner, Bill Foley, to talk about his Stanley Cup prediction (40:00), who is in charge of designing the ring (and the allowance), the Cup tour this summer, building more rinks in the Vegas area, the salary cap, the difference between the Premier League and the NHL, his favourite Golden Knight and more!

But they kick off the podcast by discussing Elliotte’s conversation with commissioner Gary Bettman in New York at the NHL Board of Governors meeting (00:00) and the news surrounding the “cause-based” jerseys, Arizona, franchise sales, and Larry Tanenbaum selling a share of MLSE holdings (13:10). They also go over what is happening in Calgary (20:40), what we might see from Winnipeg (29:20) and Philadelphia (30:00) next week at the NHL Draft, interest in Milan Lucic (33:20), Hershey Bears winning the Calder Cup (34:00), and if we’ll see Hershey head coach Todd Nelson make the leap to the NHL (36:10).

Watch the full interview with Gary Bettman HERE

Email the podcast at 32thoughts@sportsnet.ca or call The Thought Line at 1-833-311-3232 and leave us a voicemail

Music Outro: Fleece - Do You Wanna Party

Listen to the full track HERE

This podcast was produced and mixed by Amil Delic, and hosted by Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman.

Audio Credits: KKGK, NBC Sports Philadelphia, NHL Network and Sportsnet.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Happy Friday! Ailish hosts alongside Brent Gunning. They open the show by discussing the Raptors' selection of Gradey Dick with the 13th overall pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft, some of the best moments from draft night, and Pascal Siakam's reported desire to remain in Toronto. Afterwards, Ailish and Brent weigh in on the drama surrounding the Calgary Flames, the NHL’s plan to abandon the use of specialty warmup jerseys, and Gary Bettman’s comments about Larry Tanenbaum’s decision to sell a portion of his MLSE shares. Later, Ailish presents her daily edition of the A-List (47:12).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliate. 

 It’s baby Friday! Ailish and Justin open the show by discussing Larry Tanenbaum’s intention to sell part of his stake in MLSE, the Boston Celtics’ acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis in a three-team trade, the Blue Jays’ 6-3 win over the Marlins on Thursday, the team’s offence finally showing signs of life, and Bo Bichette’s thumb injury. Afterwards, they weigh in on this year’s Hockey Hall of Fame induction class and some of the persistent issues that exist with the Hall’s selection process. Later, Ailish presents her daily edition of the A-List (45:06)!

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliate.

Welcome to June! Ailish and Justin kick off the show by recapping their golf outing on Wednesday. Afterwards, they discuss the Maple Leafs’ hiring of Brad Treliving, what would constitute a successful summer for the Leafs’ new GM, why Brendan Shanahan ultimately targeted Treliving, and the latest speculation suggesting Sheldon Keefe could be back next season. Then, Ailish and Justin chime in on the Blue Jays’ 4-2 loss to the Brewers and Alek Manoah’s ongoing struggles. We close out the hour with Ailish’s daily edition of the A-List (46:19)!

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliate.

Happy Monday! Ailish and Justin discuss the Blue Jays’ series win in Minnesota, Bo Bichette’s recent heater, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s current slump, the good and bad of Daulton Varsho, and Jose Berrios’ turnaround. Afterwards, they weigh in on the reported turmoil within Toronto FC and Bob Bradley’s feud with Italian stars Federico Bernardeschi and Lorenzo Insigne. Then, inspired by TFC, Ailish and Justin outline their current Toronto sports misery rankings. Later, Ailish presents her daily edition of the A-List (45:49)!

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliate.

On Hour 2 of The FAN Morning Show, Jon Morosi stops by to discuss the Blue Jays holding a players' only meeting after Thursday’s loss in Tampa, Alek Manoah’s woeful start to the season, John Schneider’s job performance, the team’s lack of prospect capital, Matt Chapman’s status as a possible trade chip, and where the Jays sit in the pecking order of an ultra-competitive AL East. Afterwards, Ailish and Justin are joined by former MLSE President and CEO Richard Peddie to chat about his experience working in the organization, what it’s like managing the Board of Directors, the challenge of navigating power dynamics at MLSE, and what the process entails when hiring a new front office executive (28:43). 

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliate.

Ailish is back! She and Justin open the show by discussing Kyle Dubas’ departure, Brendan Shanahan’s candid press conference on Friday, the fallout within MLSE, and Shanahan reportedly providing assurances to the Leafs’ “Core 4” that they’ll be back next season. Then, Ailish and Justin weigh in on the Penguins’ interest in Kyle Dubas, the connective tissue between Dubas and the Senators, and the top candidates for the Leafs’ GM opening. Later, it’s the return of the A-List (45:18)!  

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliate.

BONUS EPISODE – Detouring once again to Tampa Bay, Dave and Paul talk with Kevin Preast, Vice President of Event Management for Amalie Arena, the current residency home to the Toronto Raptors. Kevin gives us the inside scoop of what it’s like becoming a temporary home for an NBA team during the pandemic, the fan experience of welcoming the team to their city, as well as insight into balancing these events with their standard NHL tenant, the Tampa Bay Lightning. Additionally, learn all about Amalie Arena beginning to host socially distanced events, including 8,000 fans across two comedy shows, and what it's like being one of the first arenas to dive into this new normal of creating live experiences for fans.

Kevin Priest: LinkedIn | Email

Amalie Arena: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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ADVENTURES IN VENUELAND

Follow on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X/Twitter
Learn more about Event & Venue Marketing Conference

Meet our team:

Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & Marketing
Dave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest Research
Megan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital Advertising
Samantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & Publicity
Camille Faulkner | Audio Editing & Mixing

Have a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email.

Without question Paul Godfrey has seen it all in his private and public life in Toronto. He is largely viewed as being the driving force behind Toronto landing the Toronto Blue Jays and then ensuring that their current stadium, the Rogers Center got built in 1989. Godfrey later went on to lead the Blue Jays after running the Toronto Sun Newspaper. He's moved on to lead the National Post where he is current Executive Chairman.

If government approval at any level is going to be required as well as the Toronto Blue Jays/ Rogers in a new stadium there is no one better connected or insightful than Paul Godfrey. He's done almost all the jobs, and knows all the parties involved.

Paul also discusses how Google and Facebook have, in his mind destroyed the media business in Canada and why he loves the Athletic, but doesn't believe that's a replica-table model.

We the North! Dave and Paul head north of the border to speak with who they dub “the King of Canada,” Adam Armit, the Manager of Live Entertainment and Venue Marketing for Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) in Toronto, where he oversees the concert marketing portfolio for Scotiabank Arena, the digital content portfolio for music partnerships and overall music marketing strategy. Adam dives into how he has pivoted in his role during the pandemic, including his experience with the NHL bubble, their virtual concert series (Budweiser Stage at Home) and drive-in events. One of Scotiabank Arena's biggest successes has been their accolades received for artist welcomes and gifts, largely in part to Adam's creativity and leadership. Adam walks through how his team creates these unique venue opportunities, from a birthday party for Ariana Grande to a custom Gameboy for Bruno Mars.

Adam Armit: LinkedIn

Scotiabank Arena: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

––––––

ADVENTURES IN VENUELAND

Follow on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X/Twitter
Learn more about Event & Venue Marketing Conference

Meet our team:

Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & Marketing
Dave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest Research
Megan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital Advertising
Samantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & Publicity
Camille Faulkner | Audio Editing & Mixing

Have a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email.

The Hockey Sweater is among the most beloved children’s books in Canadian history. Author Roch Carrier and journalist Shireen Ahmed discuss how the story was written, and what it still has to teach us about our world, and our game. 

Roch Carrier’s The Hockey Sweater still has an immense amount to say about sports, identity and belonging. It is still among the most read hockey stories written for children, but, as Shireen Ahmed acknowledges in this episode, keeping up with how the game is changing requires broadening the stories we tell about it as well. 

Here, courtesy of Shireen Ahmed, are four children’s books for that young reader in your life; stories that follow in the footsteps of The Hockey Sweater and capture the diversity of experience defining hockey in 2020:  

1. Kicking Ice by Stephanie Philips - a Graphic Novel about the importance of inclusivity, equality and empowerment in sports. 

2. Lucy Tries Hockey by Lucy Bowes - the story of a young girl who finds and falls in love with hockey. 

3. Willie O’Ree by Nicole Mortillaro - the inspiring story of the NHL’s first black player. 

4. And of course, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention our very own Zach Hyman's inspiring Hockey Hero, about how an awkward teen boy finds inner strength while at a PeeWee hockey tournament. 

Check out Shireen's own podcast, Burn It All Down and visit her website. 

To learn more about The Hockey Sweater, how it was written, translated and turned into an NFB documentary, check out Roy MacGregor’s piece in the Globe and Mail. 

And for those who’ve never seen Sheldon Cohen’s award-winning National Film Board short film, The Sweater, you can watch it for free on the NFB website. 

CREDITS: Leafs Forever is hosted by Scott Willats & written by Paul Matthews. This episode was produced by Katie Jensen & Vocal Fry Studios. Production & research assistance from Ellen Payne Smith, Erin Brandenburg, and Erika Dreher. Special thanks to Roch Carrier, Shireen Ahmed, and Jenny Ellison for speaking with us. And special thanks to Mike Ferriman, Mike Zemaitis and Nick Konarowski for helping us out with the archives. Subscribe to Leafs Forever on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.