Vancouver's only anti-racist hockey podcast
Some real offseason hours. We talk Daniel Sprong, the offer sheets to Broberg and Holloway, and probably other stuff too. I can't remember.
We cap off the 2023-24 season by discussing the Canucks' free agency haul.
Vyas and Jackson convene to quickly cover all the stuff that happened in the last week before it all gets bulldozed by whatever happens in free agency. Mikheyev is gone; Joshua, Myers, and Blueger are here to stay, and things are (tentatively) looking pretty good. We didn't know about Guentzel yet. Sorry about that.
Sarah Guiney joins the show to discuss the Stanley Cup Final, Canadian hockey brainworms, Elias Pettersson's PR problem, and the new ESPN 30 for 30 podcast Searching for Hobey Baker.
The boys are officially back in town to discuss the end of the Canucks' season and what lies ahead. PLUS: Are injuries an excuse? One insufferable chipmunk-voiced Italian man thinks he has the answer.
Elliot is back for a classic vibe episode where we sort of break down game one against the Oilers, but mostly just make fun of their fans for being racist. We also talk about Zach Hyman's bullshit career as a children's book author.
See you in round 2... I can't believe I can finally say that.
Mark Jankowski???
Longtime friend of the pod J.D. Burke stops by to discuss key takeaways from the first two games of the Canucks-Predators first round series. The fellas react to the news that Demko is out for the rest of the playoffs in real time, take a deep dive into Elias Pettersson's linemates, and somehow talk about Jake Virtanen again before Remembering Some Guys from the 2010-11 Nashville Predators.
The boys are back, joined by producer J Mo to tee up the opening round of the 2024 NHL Playoffs. The Canucks have drawn the Nashville Predators, a team headlined by some recognizable vets but backed up by a roster that seems like it was generated by ChatGPT, as we have a good time Inventing Some Guys who sound like they could play for the Preds. We're not taking them lightly though, and it should be quite a series as Nashville's coming in hot and the Canucks have somewhat limped into the post-season. All three of us make our picks for each opening round series as well, and we take one departing look at the now defunct Arizona Coyotes. A-woo. Support the show at patreon.com/RoxyFever, where $5 a month gets you instant Locker Room Access to our monthly Heritage Minutes.
Vyas and Jackson are together again at last to discuss the Canucks' chances of going on a deep playoff run, which team is the scariest potential playoff matchup, and who should win each of the four team awards. Support the show at patreon.com/RoxyFever, where $5 a month gets you instant Locker Room Access to our monthly Heritage Minutes. Most recently behind the paywall, returning favourite Cody Severtson joined Jackson to try and determine who the Most Forgettable Canuck of All Time is.
Vyas is away this week, but Jackson is back with noted Canucks enthusiast Cody Severtson (Canucks Army) to discuss Pettersson's contract, Demko's injury, Lindholm's fit (or lack there of), John Tortorella's suspension, grading the roster post-deadline, and of course, "FryGate". CONTENT WARNING: There is heavy discussion of Chris Simon's suicide and the various toxic cultural issues at play within the CHL from 14:00 - 47:00. A long stretch of the episode that hits on various issues around that topic, but if discussions of suicide are triggering, do be mindful of that. Jackson has fallen on some unforeseen hard times in recent weeks that he's not currently at liberty to discuss, so if you'd like to support the show now is a great time to do so. You can do that at patreon.com/RoxyFever, where $5 a month gets you instant Locker Room Access to our monthly Heritage Minutes, the most recent of which is about the life and career of Phil "The Thrill" Kessel. You can also of course support the music of King Bob, whose latest singe "Try" is available wherever you stream your tunes, and is the outro music of this episode.
This one's coming to you a scooch late, as it was recorded in the middle of the Canucks' recent losing skid, during last week's 5-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken. We welcome back the good brother J.D. Burke, editor-in-chief of Elite Prospects and EP Rinkside, to talk the Air Bud films, Cody Hodgson's return to pro hockey, Arshdeep Bains' NHL debut, Bains' long-term outlook as an NHL contributor, and if it's still worth kicking the tires on Phil Kessel this late in his career. Support the show at patreon.com/RoxyFever, where $5 a month gets you instant Locker Room Access to our monthly Heritage Minutes! This month we take a deep dive in to the many stories in a storied career of a man who may be the next newest Canuck: three-time Stanley Cup champion Phil "The Thrill" Kessel. And of course, support J.D. and a number of your favourite hockey writers by subscribing to EP Rinkside.
This week, Jackson and Vyas are pleased to welcome Roxy Fever Day 1 O.G. and the editor-in-chief of Elite Prospects & EP Rinkside J.D. Burke back to the show! The Canucks have made the league's first blockbuster trade ahead of deadline, acquiring the top trade target off the board as they nab Elias Lindholm out of Calgary, and we wonder whether Calgary was eager to change the subject after Dillon Dube's arrest for sexual assault was initially framed as a mental health leave of absence. J.D. is here to analyze the haul Calgary got back in the deal, and soothe those who fear the Canucks should not be pushing all in in the first year of their competitive window. Now is the time. This is the way. Support the show at patreon.com/roxyfever, where $5 gets you instant Locker Room Access to all of our donor content, including our most recent monthly Heritage Minute covering the Pavel Bure trade to Florida, and Bure's subsequent public feud with Matt Taibbi. What fun!
Jackson and Vyas reconvene to check in on the Vancouver Canucks only to discover they are... *checks notes* the best team in hockey? Huh?? Only one lesson to take from this: it's now time to do all the stuff we said it wasn't time to do before. All in, baby. Let's go get the guy. Support the show at patreon.com/roxyfever, where $5 a month gets you instant Locker Room Access to our monthly Heritage Minutes. Apologies that December's donor-sode was eaten by Jackson's computer, it was really great and we're working to recreate the magic as soon as possible.
It's our year-end retrospective, as Jackson is joined by honourary fourth-mic Cody Severtson (CanucksArmy) for a look back at the year that was 2023 for the Vancouver Canucks. The guys dredge up the bad feelings from the start of the year by looking back at Bruce Boudreau's exit from the club and the difficult circumstances Rick Tocchet inherited coming in. Plus they name their Biggest Chad and Biggest Virgin of the Year, and look ahead with their biggest hopes and fears for 2024. Support the show at patreon.com/roxyfever, where $5 a month gets you instant Locker Room Access to our monthly bonus content. Apologies that Jackson's computer devoured the last donor episode, it was something really special and has been lost in time forever. We'll try and recreate it another time.
In honour of Lu's number retirement-- er, ring of honour ceremony, here's an ancient patreon episode from the old-timey year 2020 discussing the time Roberto had to take a dump during an elimination game in the 2006-07 playoffs and was temporarily replaced by Dany Sabourin.
Warning: This podcast was recorded before the Canucks swung a trade to acquire Nikita Zadorov from the Calgary Flames. We'll be back to talk all about that in due time. In the meantime, Jackson and Vyas convene to talk the numerous scandals plaguing the NHL yet again, including the wild rumours that spread surrounding Corey Perry's exit from the Blackhawks. But it's important to stay positive and let people enjoy things, whether that's the Canucks' hot start, Brock Boeser's lofty goal total, or Henry Kissinger's death.
Jackson and Vyas back again discussing the NHL completely folding on the Pride Tape issue thanks to the courage of former Canuck Travis Dermott, and wondering what the hell was the plan there for enforcing this dumb bullcrap anyway? Beyond that, a tragic death at the rink in England leads to sweeping changes for neck protection, and alt-right grifters latch on to it to be as stunningly racist as you'd expect. To top it off, the Canucks are actually fun and good, the absolute boy Chris Faber is joining the team as their first-ever Senior Hockey Writer, and the legend Don Taylor is making his way into the BC Sports Hall of Fame. It's a time of celebration in Vancouver, which is why Vyas couldn't help but go to war with a former assistant GM. Support the show at patreon.com/roxyfever, where $5 a month gets you instant Locker Room Access to our monthly Heritage Minutes -- the latest of which is a celebration of Don Taylor's many contributions to the BC sports media landscape over the years, and you don't want to miss that.
patreon.com/roxyfever
The Canucks open the season with a bang, but Jackson is busy doing something far more important than watching the first game of a new year, and that's seeing gob live in concert. We open with a hearty discussion on sports video game soundtracks before tackling the big heavy story to start the hockey season, and that's the league's decision to ban pride tape from adorning players' sticks this season. Then it's back to the Canucks, who got a spirited performance from a player we all want good things for, and whose return to top form could be a complete game-changer for a Vancouver team that could desperately use a feel-good story. Support the show at patreon.com/roxyfever where $5 a month gets you instant Locker Room Access to all of monthly Heritage Minutes, the most recent of which saw Jackson joined by producer Justin Morissette for a ten-year retrospective on the John Tortorella season in Vancouver, and how Mike Gillis's final year set the blueprint for the decade of hell we've been stuck in ever since.
Elliot remains on pat leave, so with the hockey season rapidly approaching, Jackson and Vyas convene to discuss the wackiness in Columbus as Mike Babcock behaves exactly as everyone said he would before he got the job (this podcast was recorded before he officially resigned in disgrace). Plus the Canucks name Quinn Hughes captain! How much is Petey's contract status responsible for that, and is there any parallel timeline where Pettersson doesn't find himself making the exact same money moves he's making right now in this one? All that and more as Roxy Fever gears up for next month's puck drop. While we didn't exactly stay active on the main feed over the off-season, we did maintain the donor feed over at patreon.com/RoxyFever where $5 a month gets you instant Locker Room Access to all of our monthly Heritage Minutes. The latest is a history lesson on the late great Roger Nielsen, so get into it! Jackson is also making music again, and has some upcoming concert dates in the Victoria area. You can find more info on his band King Bob right here: https://linktr.ee/allhailkingbob
Elliot remains on paternal leave so we call in the unofficial fourth mic once again, as Elite Prospects' EP Rinkside editor-in-chief J.D. Burke is back on the program to break down the Canucks' latest effort at the Draft, as well as the team's forays into free agency. In what feels like 2014 all over again, the team passed by the consensus best player available to draft for position... what could go wrong? Plus Ian Cole's jersey number selection leads to another mutiny in the fanbase as the team briefly hands out Luc Bourdon's old #28. Speaking of Luc Bourdon, he will be the subject of this month's Heritage Minute which you can find over at patreon.com/roxyfever, where $5 a month gets you instant locker room access to all of our bonus content.
Ahead of this week's NHL boy auction, we're joined by the Draft Guru himself J.D. Burke, returning favourite and Editor-in-Chief of Elite Prospects' EP Rinkside, to discuss the chatter around the Canucks potentially playing it safe at 11th overall, the inevitability of the OEL buyout, and the lessons to be gleaned from the Vegas Golden Knights' Stanley Cup victory. Support the show at patreon.com/roxyfever
Jackson is a little under the weather this week, and with Elliot still away on parental leave the boys call in a heavy hitter to spin some yarns on the troubled history of the Arizona Coyotes, none other than AUDREY BOWLER, returning favourite and co-host of the late great Puck Bunnies podcast. Audrey tells us that the Coyotes never really stood a chance to succeed in Phoenix, and we all ponder where the team goes from here. Plus, the Columbus Blue Jackets go full heel with announcement of intention to hire Mike Babcock, and with the Stanley Cup Final in full swing we drill down on the important topics, like Succession. Support the show at patreon.com/RoxyFever, where $5 a month gets you instant Locker Room Access to the Heritage Minutes and other fun bonus content.
Elliot is away on assignment this week (the assignment: fatherhood) so Jackson and Vyas are down a man in discussing the worst possible outcome for the Connor Bedard sweepstakes: barring a trade, at least seven seasons spent in Chicago red. Plus a pair of Canadian teams make moves at the managerial level, as Kyle Dubas is out in Toronto, while Craig Conroy is named GM in Calgary. Oh, and of course the playoffs are also happening. Support the show at patreon.com/roxyfever, where $5 a month gets you instant locker room access to our monthly Heritage Minutes.
Round 1 is over and we are officially transitioning into a Seattle Kraken podcast. But before we can tackle the lessons of the first round and look ahead to the second, Jackson is sure to make note of what might seem like a minor change at the moment but could have a significant impact down the line: the BCHL ending its association with Hockey Canada. PLUS: Boston is out, and what's not to love as Matthew Tkachuk wreaks havoc on the opposite side of the continent? And the great Charles Barkley misplaces a bar of soap. You can support the show at www.patreon.com/roxyfever, where $5 a month gets you instant locker room access to our monthly Heritage Minutes, the most recent of which focusses on John Garrett's trip to the All-Star Game. And you can find Siskel & Ebert on Letterman right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfFG6YdayX4
Another bleak Canucks season has come to a merciful end, as we look back on a slew of controversies that barely even acknowledges how additionally painful it was to actually watch the team play. Plus, the guys make their quick picks for the playoffs, and go in-depth on which team in the lottery mix actually deserves to land Connor Bedard, which clubs would be tolerable to see him end up with, and who would be the most annoying to see come out on top at this year's draft. Support the show at patreon.com/roxyfever, where $5 a month gets you instant Locker Room Access to our monthly Heritage Minutes. We've got a tribute to John Garrett in the hopper, but in the meantime check out last month's show on Gino Odjick if you haven't already.
Jackson is lie-on-the-floor tired as we convene to discuss the Canucks' recent forays into college free agency, as well as Andrei Kuzmenko's controversial decision to skip warm-ups on Pride Night due to family reasons. Of course in discussing the push for LGBTQ acceptance in hockey spaces, the fellas are pleased to be joined by the only trans member of the Goalie Guild that we happen to know, our good friend Riley! We ponder if the NHL is better off just not holding Pride Nights at all if they're just going to devolve into individual players week after week taking turns announcing they hate queer people. You can follow Riley on Twitter: @sports_hetero And you can support the show at patreon.com/roxyfever where $5 a month gets you instant Locker Room Access to all of that sweet sweet RF bonus content, including last month's episode on the incredible life and career of the late great Gino Odjick.
The guys give immediate reaction to the breaking news that this is John Garrett's final season calling Canucks games on Sportsnet Pacific, the end of a legendary 20 year run on what is hands down the best regional broadcast in the entire NHL. Then it's time to sound off on another late season winning streak that is seeing the club destroy their own draft odds for no real reason instead of doing the obvious thing and leaning into the skid before righting the ship in the off-season. And finally, while Pride Nights continue to be a big black eye for the league, Luke Prokop and the Seattle Thunderbirds offer hope for a better future. The Seattle Times - "We can't wait anymore": Fans organize Pride Night at Seattle T-Birds game https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/hockey/we-cant-wait-any-more-fans-organize-pride-night-at-seattle-t-birds-game/ Support the show at patreon.com/roxyfever where $5 gets you instant Locker Room Access to all our Heritage Minutes, including this month's deep dive into the life and career Geno Odjick.
The guys are joined by Province Sports Canucks beat reporter Patrick Johnston to talk about the Filip Hronek trade, the concern as to how much autonomy this management group really has, and PJ's many encounters over the years with Vancouver's NHLPA representative players, and what kind of work they were doing on the labour front. If you'd like to read Patrick's piece about Erik Gudbranson's probes into what marijuana legalization would mean for the sport, you can find that right here: https://theprovince.com/news/national/patrick-johnston-how-marijuana-legalization-will-and-wont-affect-the-nhl Support the show at patreon.com/roxyfever, where $5 a month gets you Locker Room Access to the monthly Heritage Minutes.
WARNING: The following podcast was recorded before the Canucks (and the league at large) decided to lose their damn minds ahead of the trade deadline. So don't laugh too much when Jackson says "We'll see what becomes of that" with regards to the Islanders' first round pick. With Vyas finally back from galavanting across Europe, the guys catch up on everything that went down while he was away -- which in the case of the Canucks happens to be A LOT of weird and wild stuff -- so much in fact that you may have already forgotten some of it as your brain clears space to make room for new stuff. It's been a defrag your brain type of season. Anyway, Jackson is back from his honeymoon and the guys will have a reaction pod to the Trade Deadline coming your way before you know it. Support the show at patreon.com/roxyfever where $5 a month gets you locker room access to the monthly Heritage Minutes.
From the makers of Like My Sport comes... Fix My Sport. Jackson goes one-on-one with CanucksArmy scribe Noah Strang to contrast the wild flurry of activity around the NBA's trade deadline with the impossibility of making hockey deals in the NHL's current climate. What can basketball's approach to the salary cap and contract limits teach the NHL if it chooses to listen? Plus the topsy-turvy world of Andrey Kuzmenko under Rick Tocchet.
It's a big one this week, as Jackson sits down with former Vancouver Canucks statistician Rachel Doerrie to discuss the Horvat trade, the club's toxic and overly paranoid work environment, and how to win your dad's hockey pool.
Warning: the following podcast was recorded the night before the Canucks signed Andrei Kuzmenko to a two-year extension. We will be back to break that deal down soon, though it's not hard to infer what our feelings would be based on the comments in this episode. In the meantime, Jackson and Elliot open up the phone lines in search of a fill-in Vyas, and are joined by friends of the show Cody Severtson (CanucksArmy) and Justin Morissette (CityNews) to talk about the Canucks' big switch up behind the bench, with Bruce Boudreau finally being replaced by Rick Tocchet. Plus: what should happen with Bo Horvat? And remembering Gino Odjick.
With Vyas still away soaking in the Spengler, friend of the show Cody Severtson returns as we turn our gaze away from the incredibly depressing stuff happening at the NHL level to talk instead about player development, lack thereof, and the potential of the current Abbotsford Canucks to become Guys for the big club. Plus: JT Miller does more dumb dickhead stuff to piss everyone off. So, you know, just another week in Vancouver.
Vyas dispatches on the Spengler Cup LIVE(ish) from Davos.
The boys reconvene to record an inflation-proof monster episode that covers a number of topics, including Bo Horvat's contract negotiations landing the Canucks captain on the trading block, Roberto Luongo going into the Ring of Honour, getting Kirk-pilled by Jyrki, and Zdeno Chara telling obvious lies about the 2011 Canucks. Plus: Alex Ovechkin scores his 800th goal live as we start recording, so you know we gotta spend a ton of time on him. Support the show at patreon.com/roxyfever where $5 a month gets you access to our Heritage Minute bonus episodes.
The guys reconvene for the first time in a few weeks to discuss a very Canucks-centric Hall of Fame induction ceremony as the Sedin twins and Roberto Luongo headline the 2022 class. That, combined with Kevin Bieksa's recent one-day stint around the team before retiring, put the focus on the level of professionalism and dedication that used to be embodied by that orca sweater, and what this owner has really created while wasting millions in cap space on so-called culture carriers. Plus, Vyas wonders if Quinn Hughes has plateaued, and continues to bang the drum on trading Demko. Support the show at patreon.com/roxyfever, where $5 a month gets you access to our monthly Heritage Minutes.
Congrats to the twins and Roberto for their HHOF induction. Here's the story of the most famous case of diarrhea in Vancouver History. subscribe to the patreon at patreon.com/roxyfever
The guys walk Vyas through the scoresheet of the Canucks/Habs game he just missed while he takes wild stabs in a game we'll call Guess The Narrative. Then the guys do a little catch-up on the Ethan Bear trade that went down right after we recorded our last episode, and attempt to analyze the utterly bizarre public feud brewing between the Canucks' President and their Coach. And as we can't go a week without being enormously let down by hockey and its institutions, Mitchell Miller is handed a contract by the Bruins that they immediately cancel after obvious backlash. Too much going on this week, we'll talk about Bieksa on the next episode! Support the show at patreon.com/roxyfever and receive access to the monthly Heritage Minutes.
In honour of Kevin Bieksa retiring as a Vancouver Canuck, we've unlocked this patreon episode from February 2021 about his legendary parking lot fight with Fedor Fedorov.
Recorded during Thursday's 5-4 win over the Seattle Kraken, the guys discuss the team's historic seven-game losing streak to open the season -- at a time when they'd yet to pick up their first win. As the sky is falling to begin the year, we wonder... which way from here? After a decade of short-sighted and misguided shortcuts to dodge the pain required to properly build a contender, is there a path toward contention with any of the team's current young players? And if there isn't, then does it really matter what they do at all? Plus: Phil Kessel hits a milestone, leading to a reflection on the most cherished moments of his wildly amusing career. Support the show and receive access to our bonus Heritage Minutes at patreon.com/roxyfever
It's the premiere episode of Roxy Fever Season 5! Can you believe it? Five whole seasons! Definitely whole and never truncated, and of course we've always marked the beginning and end of each one. You think this is a new bit? I think it's you in fact who is new... new here! Anyway, the regular season has started and the boys record live during the Canucks season opener. We're looking around the Western Conference trying to size up if Vancouver has a shot at the playoffs this year, breaking down the Jason Dickinson trade, and wondering if Jim Benning and Jim Rutherford are so different after all... PLUS: Wayne Simmonds clowns on Steve Simmons, and Jackson thinks he sees Vyas out in public.
The beginning of the hockey season is nearly upon us, but this Canucks season is already feeling like the house from Poltergeist: the vibes are fucked, with Francesco Aquilini under the microscope for horrific reasons, Rachel Doerrie departing from the club, Jake Virtanen getting more unwarranted chances, and further controversy and disgrace surrounding Hockey Canada. PLUS: Jackson and Vyas saw Avatar in IMAX, so we're gonna talk about that for a bit before using callipers to determine who we're cheering for in the Blue Jays vs Mariners Wild Card playoff series. Support the show at patreon.com/roxyfever
The Queen died, so we're celebrating by welcoming Daniel Wagner (Pass It To Bulis) back to the show. No Vyas or Elliot this week. If you'd like to hear from them, the last episode never showed up on Apple Podcasts for some reason. Weird. Go track it down, it was good. Support the show at patreon.com/roxyfever
jt miller is here to stay. i have become the joker trying a title change to see if i can get apple to finally fucking post this
Kadri signed immediately after the last ep so we had to do another one
This is basically a lost episode. I genuinely can't remember what we talked. Hockey cards, I think. Something about JFK? Anyways, skip to 35:30 if you don't wanna hear us talk about Jake Virtanen again.
In a twist worthy of O Henry, Vyas is away writing the bar exam the week we get heavy into legal proceedings. Bit of a heavy show this week as the guys discuss the myriad sexual assault lawsuits unfolding right across hockey, including Hockey Canada, Edmonton Oilers owner Daryl Katz, and former Vancouver Canuck forward Jake Virtanen. But don't worry, before all that they're joined by Nation Network commander-in-chief David Quadrelli for a light and funny discussion of the Canucks' inaction on their many pressing needs, how the team fared at the draft, Johnny Hockey's exit out of Alberta, and of course, the three stances every goalie must know: standing, hunching, and crouching. Subscribe to the Patreon at Patreon.com/roxyfever for access to this month's Heritage Minute, Part 2 of a long look at Vancouver's reputation as a "goalie graveyard".
Monster-sized RF thing: Muppet Ice Storm/Avs-Bolts/Torts to Philly/Andrei Kuzmenko's dinner at JOEY/Hockey Canada lawsuit/HHOF inductees/renaming NHL awards CW: sexual assault. Hockey Canada lawsuit discussion from 56:50 to 1:03:06