On Episode 13 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome Pete Blackburn, NHL media personality and host of What Chaos!

On Episode 12 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome Drew Shore, former NHL player turned NHL Agent with Wasserman, now on his own running his own agency and other entrepreneurial ventures.   We start the episode talking about how he got his start playing his hockey (2:00), and how his family with his brothers and parents helped him get started. Drew moved to Vancouver when he was 13 with a billet family because there was not much high-level hockey in Colorado where his family was located (4:15).   Then we talk about his junior career and being selected in the 2nd round of the 2009 NHL Draft by the Florida Panthers (5:30), even though he thought he was going to be a 1st round pick. He talks about being in the locker room when the Florida Panthers’ now owner Vinnie Viola came in and told the players he bought the team and was going to turn things around (6:45).   We get into the decision that went into signing his entry-level contract vs. staying in college and having the opportunity to play with both of his brothers (7:15). We get Drew’s view on the current landscape of the NCAA/CHL and the impact NIL is having on these leagues (9:45).   Then we talk about the end of his NHL career, having a 3-year gap between NHL games, playing overseas in Switzerland and Russia, then playing during the COVID year with the Carolina Hurricanes (11:45). We also get his perspective on what it’s like playing in the AHL and how it’s a lot more mental than physical.   Once his playing career wrapped up we talked about how he decided to go the agency route (15:30). He talked about everything he learned at Wasserman, one of the top agencies in the NHL (17:30). Drew talks about NHL players and how they lack behind the other major sports in personal branding, and why the Brad Marchand and Matthew Tkachuk’s of the world celebrating their Stanley Cup win the way they did is actually good for the NHL, similar to Alex Ovechkin when the Washington Capitals won (19:30).   We discuss why it was bad for the NHL that a lot of the pending UFA’s got signed by their current teams in the recent weeks. Drew has some ideas of how the NHL management staff could do more roster moves to make things more entertaining (22:45), like how we saw the Carolina Hurricanes last season trade for Mikko Rantanen, then trade him away to the Dallas Stars a couple months later when they couldn't reach terms on a new deal. We also touch on the current NHL playoff format and how the league needs to go back to the 1 vs. 8 format.   We talk about Drew going off on his own from Wasserman to running his own hockey agency and other business outside of hockey (30:00). He gives us a deep look on negotiating NHL contracts and a behind-the-scenes look on what happens during these tough talks (32:00).   We wrap up the episode talking about Amalfi, the company Drew started that connects high-level athletes, CEO’s, and business executives to build a community to help others win (37:30). Visit PuckPedia.com and follow PuckPedia on social media! X: @PuckPedia  IG: @PuckPedia    Go to PuckPedia.com/Coolbet to get in on the action today. Stay Cool, Bet Responsibly   Theme song by Lester McLean (https://www.lestermclean.com)  

On Episode 11 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome Chris Powers, one half of the Empty Netters podcast. We start the episode talking about how Chris and his brother Dan Powers started the Empty Netters, as they embark on season 4 (2:00).   They have a new venture with NCAA Hockey that will be starting this week so we touch on that and how they became UNH fans over Maine fans, even though they grew up in Maine (3:30). The NHL season is just underway so Chris gives his initial thoughts on the season. His Boston Bruins are off to a great start, as are the Pittsburgh Penguins (4:30).   Then we dive into our Western Conference preview, starting with the Minnesota Wild (7:10). CP picked the Wild 7th in their division on his show and we dive into what he was thinking there. The big story of the summer was the Wild signing Kirill Kaprizov, but Marco Rossi was also a really important signing to their roster. We dive deep into the money on the Kaprizov deal and if it was a good deal or not.   We then dive into the Colorado Avalanche, who are one of the Stanley Cup favorites (16:00). Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar are about the best 1-2 punch as you could have in the NHL. And Gabriel Landeskog will be playing his first regular season games in 3 years and having their captain should help them make a deep playoff run.   Next we talk about the Dallas Stars and former Avs superstar Mikko Rantanen (23:20). The Stars should also be a Stanley Cup contender this season, with Jake Oettinger manning the net, and other superstars like Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, Thomas Harley, Miro Heiskanen, and Wyatt Johnston. Then we wrap up the Central Division with quick hits on the Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets, St. Louis Blues, Utah Mammoth, and Chicago Blackhawks (30:00).   We then go into the Pacific Division and start with the hometown Los Angeles Kings (33:00). The Empty Netters guys did their schedule release in the off-season and we talk about some of the Kings top players like Adrian Kempe, Anze Kopitar, Darcy Kuemper, and Drew Doughty. As well as some of the contracts Ken Holland signed over the summer with Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin.   Then we go deep on the Anaheim Ducks, a popular sleeper team to have a breakout year (41:00). The Ducks locked in Mason McTavish, Jackson LaCombe, and Lukas Dostal to long-term deals, and already have young players like Troy Terry, Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, and Beckett Sennecke. Mixed in with some veterans like Chris Kreider, Frank Vatrano, and this team will be interesting this season.   Then we talk about the rest of the Pacific quickly (45:10). Vegas with Mitch Marner and Jack Eichel should be lethal. Connor McDavid signed his team-friendly deal with the Edmonton Oilers, and Leon Draisaitl will be there for another year of this incredible duo looking for their third straight Stanley Cup appearance. Then we wrap up the episode with our Stanley Cup picks (52:00). Visit PuckPedia.com and follow PuckPedia on social media! X: @PuckPedia  IG: @PuckPedia    Go to PuckPedia.com/Coolbet to get in on the action today. Stay Cool, Bet Responsibly   Theme song by Lester McLean (https://www.lestermclean.com)

On Episode 10 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome Jonny Lazarus. We start the episode talking about Keith and Jonny's rivalry (1:15). Jonny does a quick thought on how the New York Rangers shape up hyping his new favorite player Noah Laba (2:45).   Then we get into our preview, starting with Jonny's favorite team, the New York Islanders (4:00). We talk about their new leadership group, starting with GM Mathieu Darche. First overall pick Matthew Schaefer will start the season on Long Island, Mat Barzal will look to bounce back this season starting the year at center (7:30). Then we talk about Jonny's second favorite team, the New Jersey Devils (10:15)). The Devils just signed Luke Hughes to a 7-year extension, a healthy Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier look to lead the charge for the Devils. There are a couple Devils in trade rumors (Dougie Hamilton and Ondrej Palat), and we see how it would look if those guys are traded.   Then we get into the New York Rangers for real this time (17:30), starting with the younger players (Noah Laba, Gabe Perreault, Brett Berard, Scott Morrow). Then we talk about how Adam Fox can have a really strong year, lined up with Vladislav Gavrikov.   We switch divisions over to the Atlantic to talk about the Toronto Maple Leafs and how they will fill their Mitch Marner-sized hole on the wing (27:00). Auston Matthews and William Nylander will have to help make up for the offensive production lost by Marner, but some nice moves in the off-season gave the Leafs some much needed forward depth.   Then we finish off the team previews with the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers (31:30), talking about their big injuries with Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk. They bring the band back together, and guys like Sam Reinhart, Brad Marchand, and Sam Bennett will have to step up in their absence.   We wrap up the episode talking about the Montreal Canadiens (35:30) and why they are a team that could surprise Jonny this season. And we finish the episode with the Stanley Cup picks (37:30). Visit PuckPedia.com and follow PuckPedia on social media! X: @PuckPedia  IG: @PuckPedia    Go to PuckPedia.com/Coolbet to get in on the action today. Stay Cool, Bet Responsibly   Theme song by Lester McLean (https://www.lestermclean.com)

On Episode 9 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome back founder of PuckPedia Hart Levine. We start the episode talking about the summer and how the month of August was relatively quiet on the NHL transactions front (2:30).    We get into some of the recent signings (Mason McTavish - Anaheim Ducks and Anthony Stolarz - Toronto Maple Leafs), as well as the two unsigned RFA’s (Luke Hughes - New Jersey Devils and Luke Evangelista - Nashville Predators) (4:00). Then we talk about the site updates on PuckPedia that includes the new NHL Playoff Salary Cap (9:45) and how the Projected Playoff Cap is calculated on site. Hart dives into the nitty gritty details of this new change in the CBA and how it will impact teams this upcoming season (13:30).   That naturally transitions into the LTIR changes for this upcoming season, the main reason the playoff cap was implemented in the first place (20:30). With Aleksander Barkov’s recent knee injury, Hart gives us his take on how Florida will likely set their LTIR pool at the beginning of the season with Matthew Tkachuk also being out to start the season (23:15) and explains why the Panthers can take their time determining if Barkov will end up on Season Ending Long Term Injured Reserve (SELITR).    Then we take a look at a couple other teams and their LTIR situations, including the Vegas Golden Knights (25:20). It is assumed Alex Pietrangelo will be out for the season, therefore eligible for SELTIR, but he recently made some comments that open the door for a return this season. If Vegas does not put him on SELTIR to start the season they will have to shed over $3M in cap space before next Tuesday.   The Edmonton Oilers (30:30) and the St. Louis Blues (34:15) are the two other teams who will likely use LTIR to begin the season. We wrap up the episode with a couple of ‘Ask the Capologist’ questions (38:25), talking about the difference between Projected Cap Space and Deadline Cap Space, as well as a good breakdown of how the waiver system works. Visit PuckPedia.com and follow PuckPedia on social media! X: @PuckPedia  IG: @PuckPedia    Go to PuckPedia.com/Coolbet to get in on the action today. Stay Cool, Bet Responsibly   Theme song by Lester McLean (https://www.lestermclean.com)

On Episode 8 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome Jason Bukala, NHL Analyst on Sportsnet and NHL Network, and founder of The Pro Hockey Group.    Bukes was boots on the ground at the NHL Rookie Games over the weekend. He kicks us off talking about the Montreal Canadiens, and particularly Ivan Demidov (3:00), who is the odds-on favorite for the Calder Trophy according to our friends at Coolbet. Jason also talks about some guys who could give Ivan Demidov a run for his money for the Calder (6:00), like Zeev Buium, Isaac Howard, Matthew Schaefer, and Michael Misa.    We then get back into the other Montreal Canadiens prospects who played really well over the weekend, Jacob Fowler and David Reinbacher (10:00). Next, we dive into the Toronto Maple Leafs prospects and discuss the chances of Easton Cowan to make the Leafs opening night roster (13:00).    Then we talk about the Ottawa Senators prospects and Carter Yakemchuk (19:00). Jason thinks the former first-round pick has a good chance to make the Senators opening night roster. We wrap up prospect talk with two goaltenders (21:30), Jackson Parsons in Ottawa and Dominic Divincentiis, otherwise known as The Teflon Don, from Winnipeg.    Then we discuss the future of the NCAA and the CHL (25:30). With the emergence of NIL we are seeing top CHL players like Gavin McKenna, Keaton Verhoeff, and Porter Martone heading to the NCAA with Penn State, North Dakota, and Michigan State, respectively.  Visit PuckPedia.com and follow PuckPedia on social media! X: @PuckPedia  IG: @PuckPedia    Go to PuckPedia.com/Coolbet to get in on the action today. Stay Cool, Bet Responsibly   Theme song by Lester McLean (https://www.lestermclean.com)

On Episode 7 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome David Ludwig, Assistant General Manager for the Utah Mammoth. We dive into some great topics with David. He went to undergrad at the University of Colorado before getting into law school at the University of Denver with the goal to become an NHLPA certified agent.    He tells us his story of how he got his first job at an NHL agency with KO Sports and Kurt Overhardt (3:00). He interned there for 2 years before working there in a full-time capacity for 8 years. He touched all areas of the business, navigating CBA compliance, contract negotiations and preparation, and arbitration cases (6:00). Then when COVID hit David was presented an opportunity with the Arizona Coyotes and GM Bill Armstrong to work in their Hockey Operations department, with Bill showing David his Stanley Cup ring to seal the deal (9:00).    He enlightens us to what it's like to work both sides of an arbitration case, from the agency side first and now the team side (11:00). We discuss the logistics of moving the team from Arizona to Utah last season when Ryan Smith purchased the franchise and what that whole process was like, including a behind-the-scenes look of what all of that entails (13:45).    Then we preview the Utah Mammoth for this upcoming season, talking through some of the big off-season moves (JJ Peterka, Nate Schmidt, Brandon Tanev) and what their salary cap picture looks like for the season (24:00). We break down the JJ Peterka trade in the off-season and all of the moving parts that come to be when you make a trade for a Restricted Free Agent and how they had 3 hours to get JJ signed after the parameters of the trade were agreed to (27:00). Then we touch on the new CBA and how that impacts his role as a Capologist and we wrap up the episode with advice he has to break into the hockey industry (31:00).   Visit PuckPedia.com and follow PuckPedia on social media! X: @PuckPedia  IG: @PuckPedia    Go to PuckPedia.com/Coolbet to get in on the action today. Stay Cool, Bet Responsibly Theme song by Lester McLean (https://www.lestermclean.com)

On Episode 6 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome William Kawam, NHLPA certified agent at ORR Hockey. We dive into some great topics with William. He talks about what it's like working at an NHL agency founded by legend Bobby Orr and agent Rick Curran. Then we shift gears to talking about his junior hockey career in the BCHL and the AJHL before transitioning to college at the University of Louisville. He then talks about getting rejected from every NHL team and NHL agency internship he applied for. William then got setup at a hockey academy in Banff, Alberta working with former player Gary Unger. He knew Glen Sather and was able to introduce William to Glen. William then met Glen at his house in Canada where he did tasks for him for the better part of two summers before landing his first role in the NHL for the New York Rangers in their Hockey Operations department. He played multiple roles during his time there (clipping video, updates on trades and signings, cleaning the equipment room). When he left the Rangers after a season he was introduced to Mike Curran at ORR Hockey. Then he started working at ORR and finding different ways to add value to the agency before becoming a client manager and eventually an NHLPA certified agent. We touch on the NCAA and CHL hockey landscape, specifically Gavin McKenna going from the WHL to Penn State, and how the new changes to the CBA will impact the future of those leagues.   Visit PuckPedia.com and follow PuckPedia on social media! X: @PuckPedia IG: @PuckPedia Theme song by Lester McLean (https://www.lestermclean.com)

On Episode 5 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show, PuckPedia founder Hart Levine joins host Jonathan Davis for an in-depth look at the new NHL CBA. We get into how it could effect transactions going forward and how it may have affected this past year's Stanley Cup Final. Hart also touches on how LTIR and playoff cap will be different going forward. We wrap up the episode hearing about the changes to performance bonuses and qualifying offers.   Visit PuckPedia.com and follow PuckPedia on social media! X: @PuckPedia  IG: @PuckPedia    Visit PuckPedia.com/Coolbet to get in on the action with our sponsor Coolbet! Theme song by Lester McLean (https://www.lestermclean.com)

On Episode 4 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome Ian Pulver, NHLPA certified agent and founder of The Will Sports Group. We dive into some great topics with Ian. His client K’Andre Miller signed one of the biggest deals this off-season with the Carolina Hurricanes for 8-years, $60M. We get into how that came about, but also the complexities of doing a sign and trade with his former team the New York Rangers.    Ian also talks about his busiest time of the year in June and July, and what prep is like for the NHL Draft and the beginning of Free Agency. He also touches on the state tax discourse that has taken over the media that last few years and if it’s a real thing or if it’s a media-driven narrative due to the no state income tax teams (Vegas Golden Knights, Florida Panthers, and Tampa Bay Lightning) being successful the last few years.    We also talk about what it was like when he was negotiating Scott Gomez’s contract in 2007 when he left the New Jersey Devils as a free agent to go across the Hudson River to the New York Rangers, and what it was like dealing with the legendary Lou Lamoriello. We wrap up with some advice he has for aspiring NHL agents.   Visit PuckPedia.com and follow PuckPedia on social media! X: @PuckPedia  IG: @PuckPedia  Visit PuckPedia.com/coolbet to checkout PuckPedia's partner Coolbet! Theme song by Lester McLean (https://www.lestermclean.com)

For Episode 3 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show, Hart Levine and Keith Kavanaugh are live after Day 1 of NHL Free Agency! Hart talks about the Cap Cam on Daily Faceoff's live stream, as well as how he was managing the site with all of these signings coming through.   Then they recap some of the day's big signings. It started last night with Mitch Marner and his sign and trade to the Vegas Golden Knights from the Toronto Maple Leafs. The day kicked off with a trio of signings for the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko, Conor Garland, and Brock Boeser all re-signed to stay in Vancouver. The New York Rangers also had a big day. They signed the best free agent defenseman on the market, Vladislav Gavrikov, to a 7-year deal. They also re-signed Will Cuylle. The big move they made was trading defenseman K'Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for draft picks and Scott Morrow. Miller also signed an 8-year deal with the Hurricanes.   They talk about some of the other deals that happened around the league. Over 100 contracts were signed today for over $650M combined! There are still some interesting names on the market like Nikolaj Ehlers, Pius Suter, Brent Burns, Jeff Skinner, Jack Roslovic, and others.   Visit PuckPedia.com and follow PuckPedia on social media! X: @PuckPedia  IG: @PuckPedia    Theme song by Lester McLean (https://www.lestermclean.com)

On Episode 2 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome Hart Levine, founder of PuckPedia. Hart gives a brief introduction of why he started PuckPedia (2:00) and why all hockey fans should be using their best-in-class features. He was boots on the ground for the NHL Draft in Los Angeles on Friday and Saturday, and he goes over his thoughts on the de-centralized format (5:15). We also talk about the Noah Dobson trade from the New York Islanders to the Montreal Canadiens and why this deal might make sense for both teams (10:00). Then we dive into Free Agency, which starts on July 1 (16:15). Mitch Marner is the big name on the market and we discuss why a deal to the Vegas Golden Knights could make sense instead of re-signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs or signing elsewhere (17:00). We talk about some of the other big names on the market and what teams might make some big splashes (24:30). We wrap up the episode with “Ask the Capologist” where we answer some fan-submitted questions (35:30). We discuss why some Restricted Free Agents aren’t eligible for offer sheets, the difference between No Move and No Trade Clauses, and what qualifying offers are and how they are calculated.   Visit PuckPedia.com and follow PuckPedia on social media! X: @PuckPedia  IG: @PuckPedia  Theme song by Lester McLean (https://www.lestermclean.com)

On Episode 1 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome on Jason Bukala, founder of the Pro Hockey Group. Jason talks about his experience in the Nashville Predators and Florida Panthers Amateur Scouting Departments. He goes over what it’s like to interview top NHL prospects (3:30), insight from interviews with this year's prospects at the scouting combine (4:25), and a fun story about a future Hall of Famer from prospect interviews in the 2010's (5:35). We take a look if teams like the Chicago Blackhawks or Utah Mammoth might consider trading their first-round picks (6:45). Then we dive into the 2025 NHL Draft, why Matthew Schaefer is viewed as the presumed number 1 overall pick (13:00), and a player who might drop a bit that will pay off for a team in the future (15:45). We wrap up the show talking about his draft ranking process (18:00), the evolution of scouting in the NHL over the last 15 years (19:00), and his insight on best ways for the average person to break into an NHL Front Office or Scouting Department (21:10).   Theme song by Lester McLean (https://www.lestermclean.com)    Follow along on social media @PuckPediaCheck out PuckPedia’s betting partner CoolBet at PuckPedia.com/Coolbet