The JD Bunkis Podcast

Tyler Hansbrough, former NCAA National Player of the Year, NCAA champion and Toronto Raptors forward, talks about what's been lost with the increased frequency of transfers in college basketball, how the NCAA can combat the wild nature of the transfer portal, if the tournament is harder for potential lottery or high draft picks, and his outlook on Darryn Peterson and Darius Acuff Jr. and his favourite memory with the Raptors. JD and Producer Armen discuss the Raptors' weekend to end the show.  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.

JD and Ben Ennis, co-host of The FAN Morning Show, get into the weekend of watching March Madness, Trey Yesavage's injury news, and how they see the Blue Jays starting rotation shaking out as the season gets underway. 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.

JD explains his frustration about the reports coming from the NHL's General Manager meetings; particularly his gripes about the league's playoff format and the Department of Player Safety's process. The show ends with 'What We Missed!' 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.

JD reacts to news that José Berríos' has a stress fracture in his elbow. Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith joins JD to get into Berríos' injury; what we know about the diagnosis and the most identifiable ripple effects. JD and Ben also discuss Shane Bieber's comments and what his timeline could be, how the first series of the season could be effected, expectations for Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s regular season, and feelings on the looming work stoppage in the MLB. JD then touches on the love for Sidney Crosby.   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.

The Ringer's Tate Frazier makes his annual appearance on the show to break down everything you need to know for March Madness. JD asks Tate about which lottery pick has the most to win or lose during the tournament, how the top few lottery picks could shake out, point guards to be excited about, where the real drop off is in the 2026 NBA draft, what underdogs he likes to upset higher seeds, and Rick Pitino's place in college sports. The show ends with 'What We Missed!' 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.

JD shares his optimism about the sport of baseball following Venezuela's World Baseball Classic win. Jared Carrabis, co-host of the Baseball is Dead podcast, joins JD to get into the momentum of baseball and the looming lockout threat. Later, JD asks Jared about how American baseball fans are taking the loss, if he thinks the WBC is bigger than the World Series, why the tournament was a success, and three ideas to make it even better. 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.

Tuukka Rask, Stanley Cup Champion and TNT analyst, joins JD Bunkis to give his thoughts on the Auston Matthews-Radko Gudas situation and debates if it's time for the NHL Department of Player Safety to revaluate their process. The pair also discuss the grey area regarding goaltender interference, the difficulty of playing behind a lousy defence, the shrinking gap in international hockey, and what could help propel goaltender's development. The show ends with 'What We Missed!' 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.

JD reacts to the World Championship news coming from the NHL General Manager meetings and explains why he thinks the World Championships may become the premier international hockey tournament. The Athletic's James Mirtle joins JD (10:00) to dive into how they felt about the World Championships of the past and predict what the next tournament may be like. Next (20:00), JD and James get into the ripple effects from the Auston Matthews - Radko Gudas incident and how it's permeating in the organization. Later, JD tries to give a positive spin on an otherwise nightmare Maple Leafs season.  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.

Ryan Dempster, former MLB All-Star, Team Canada pitcher, and MLB Network analyst, joins JD Bunkis to share his feelings about seeing Canada advance to the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals. Ryan and JD also chat about the nuances of youth baseball development and how the Blue Jays starting rotation could shake out, before the show wraps up with 'What We Missed!' 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.

JD laments about the moment Auston Matthews' hurt his knee and debates if that was a new low in this Maple Leafs era. Ben Ennis, co-host of The FAN Morning Show, joins from Texas to get into the World Baseball Classic with JD. JD and Ben discuss if they are looking more or less forward to the automated ball-strike system in the MLB after the WBC, Canada not qualifying for the Olympics, Josh Naylor's missed opportunity, Owen Caissie's national popularity, and Kevin Gausman as the Jays Opening Day starter. 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.

Jackie Redmond, from the NHL on TNT and WWE, joins JD to talk about her experience at the Winter Olympics, the recent successes for the sport of hockey, how different public relations teams handle player access, and the difference between the Toronto's sports market and others.  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.

JD reacts to Canada qualifying into the knockout round at the World Baseball Classic. Sportsnet's Chris Leroux, former MLB and Team Canada pitcher, analyzes Canada's history and why this moment is special, Canada matching up with the United States in the quarterfinals, what advantages Canada may have over USA, where Canada needs to improve in developing players, Owen Cassie's chances to become a household name, and the Jays cautionary strategy with Trey Yesavage. JD reacts to a bad Raptors loss to end the hour.  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.

Chris Mannix, writer and host at Sports Illustrated, joins JD Bunkis to break down how the NBA media and league office felt about Bam Adebayo's 83-point performance, why the Raptors can't beat good teams and how they get better, if Jayson Tatum's return means anything for soft tissue injuries at large, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's legacy and case for back-to-back MVP's, what makes Victor Wembanyama's special, and what he thinks will be the most likely solution to the tank wars. The show ends with 'What We Missed!' 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.

JD reacts to a wild night in sports and focuses on the current state of Maple Leafs fans. Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos joins JD to talk about what a prospective trade for Matthew Knies would have looked like, why the Leafs may have considered moving on from Knies, if he's convinced one way or the other with the Leafs direction, if a Knies trade is more likely in the future now that his name has been floated in the media, if Brad Treliving's job security has possibly changed, if he thinks the Leafs could go back to having a president of hockey operations role and if there's a chance the NHL could step in to curtail the no-move clauses in contracts. JD and Producer Armen then discuss Bam Adebayo's outrageous 83-point performance.  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.

NFL insider James Palmer joins JD to get into the start of NFL free agency; what moves he thought were the most potent and most surprising, if DJ Moore materially changes the Buffalo Bills, where Kyler Murray is most likely to land, Tua Tagovailoa as an Atlanta Falcon, and Geno Smith's future. The show ends with 'What we Missed!' 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.

JD and Ben Ennis, co-host of The FAN Morning Show, debate if Canada has real pressure at the World Baseball Classic, what would make it feel more important, and if Owen Cassie can become a Canadian household name. JD and Ben then discuss Max Scherzer's strong spring training debut, the Blue Jays deployment of Trey Yesavage, and how the Jays starting rotation could shake out.  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.

Sportsnet's Jason Bukala, former director of amateur scouting for the Florida Panthers, joins JD Bunkis to break down Easton Cowan's disjointed season and how he was handled around the Olympic break, what Maple Leafs fans can expect from Ben Danford and Jacob Quillan, and what the word is around the 2027 NHL Draft. The show ends with 'What We Missed!'  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.

JD reacts to the Maple Leafs activity, or lack thereof, at the NHL trade deadline. The Athletic's James Mirtle joins JD to compare Kyle Dubas' tenure in Toronto to Brad Treliving, if the litany of no-move clauses stumped the Leafs trade creativity, Craig Berube's imprint and if he has a future with the Leafs, why the Leafs considered trading Matthew Knies, how Auston Matthews complicates the Leafs direction, what the Leafs are sacrificing by prioritizing a retool over a rebuild, and if no-move clauses will become harder to acquire. The hour ends with JD's thoughts on the start of the World Baseball Classic.  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.

JD and two-time Stanley Cup Champion Kris Versteeg discuss notorious tough and nasty players, their thoughts on the Toronto market and the invested Maple Leafs fan base, and the different possibilities in Auston Matthews' future. NHL champion, Devante Smith-Pelley, talks about getting traded during his career, and being teammates with new Anaheim Ducks defenseman, John Carlson.  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.

JD and James Mirtle, senior writer at The Athletic, discuss the directions the Maple Leafs could take, what the paths back to contention could be, prospective trades for Anthony Stolarz and Matthew Knies, the human dynamics on trade deadline day, and Brad Treliving's past moves.  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.

JD and Colby Armstrong, Sportsnet NHL analyst, tell trade deadline stories before analyzing the Nicholas Roy trade to the Colorado Avalanche, Kyle Dubas' tenure with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the end of Sidney Crosby's career. Later (29:00), JD further breaks down the Maple Leafs trade sending Roy to the Avalanche. JD and the producer's then touch on the Raptors concerning loss and the Buffalo Bills trade for wide receiver DJ Moore.  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.

Mike Futa, co-host of The FAN Hockey Show and former NHL assistant general manager, joins JD in-studio to get into the nuances of how a front office approaches a trade deadline and what the Maple Leafs front office may be considering. JD and Mike discuss what kind of moves would set the Leafs back, what the reality of Auston Matthews' situation with the Leafs is, and Scott Laughton's tenure with the Leafs. JD ask's Mike which Leafs players would be the toughest for him to trade away.  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.

JD explains how the Maple Leafs haven't been on the same page, tries to make sense of why they haven't devised a consistent plan, and touches on the abundance of no-move clauses in the NHL. Matthew Barnaby, 14-year NHL forward, discusses how no-move clauses have become so ubiquitous, the pressure on players to waive their no-move clauses, what he thinks of the Edmonton Oilers moves thus far, and if he thinks the Maple Leafs are closer to a retool or rebuild. JD ends the hour contextualizing the unknown direction and future of the Leafs. 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.

Trevor May, big league pitcher for nine seasons and host of the Mayday! podcast, joins JD to talks about the likelihood of seeing baseball at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, the potential for a shortened MLB season or a mid-season tournament, what he thinks of the Blue Jays starting rotation, and what he expects from Max Scherzer this season. JD and Producer Armen then discuss the Raptors deflating late-game offense (38:00).   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.

JD explains the pressure mounting on the Maple Leafs front office and brings in Sportsnet's Leafs reporter, Luke Fox, to dive into the direction of the team. JD asks Luke about the pressure on Brad Treliving to make multiple moves before the deadline, what difficult conversations the Leafs could be heading towards, and why the Leafs have been hesitant to let go of Craig Berube. JD ends the hour touching on a pro and con from the Raptors loss to the New York Knicks.  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.

Russell Martin, first base coach of Team Canada at the World Baseball Classic and former Blue Jays catcher, hops on the show to chat about his potential interest to become a manager in the big leagues, what he thought of the Blue Jays World Series run, if baseball is becoming more popular in Canada, the important of the WBC for Team Canada and Canada's outlook at the tournament. Russell also gives his opinion on the new automated ball-strike system implemented in Major League Baseball. The show ends with 'What We Missed!'  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.

JD and Ben Ennis, host of The FAN Morning Show, build their trust tree for the Blue Jays bullpen, before debating the intensity of the World Baseball Classic and the sport of baseball in Canada. Next, the duo list their hopeless franchise rankings in North American professional sports.  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.

David Pagnotta, Editor in Chief of The Fourth Period,  joins JD to break down what the flow of trades may be during NHL trade deadline week, what the Maple Leafs idea may be for next season, if it's more likely that the Leafs trade Oliver Ekman-Larsson or Brendan Carlo, what scenarios would push the Leafs front office to approach players with no-trade clauses, what return the Leafs could fetch for Scott Laughton, what opportunities may be better served for the Leafs in the offseason, and the job security of Craig Berube and Brad Treliving.  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.

JD reacts to another putrid Maple Leafs performance and lays out the turbulent situation the franchise is in. Then, Ben Nicholson-Smith joins JD (12:00) to explain why the Blue Jays and Max Scherzer came to an agreement now, who from the starting rotation will be relied on heavily to start the season, how the Jays are hoping to roll out Trey Yesavage, and what relatively unknown fielders can make an impact this season. JD then touches on the sports-hate directed at the Oklahoma City Thunder.  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.

Sportsnet's Arden Zwelling joins the show live from Dunedin, Florida to get into early Blue Jays spring training stories. JD asks Arden about Brendon Little's impressive offseason adjustments, which bullpen arms on the roster bubble he believes in, Eloy Jiménez' chances to make the big league roster, the cautious approach with Trey Yesavage and how the Jays may deploy him, José Berríos and the meritocracy strategy for the overcrowded starting rotation. The show ends with 'What We Missed!' (27:00) 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.

JD reacts to the Maple Leafs putrid loss to the Florida Panthers, before bringing on Anthony Petrielli from Maple Leafs Hot Stove. JD and Anthony dig into the team and discuss if they'd like the Leafs to extend Bobby McMann's contract and what salary they'd think is fair, which player they think should go at the trade deadline, and the team's development process.  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.

Matt Bonner, former Raptor and current co-host of The Raptors Show, joins JD Bunkis in-studio to get into dynamics of a basketball broadcast, why the Raptors keep blowing fourth quarter leads, Gradey Dick falling out of the rotation, potential re-tooling options for the front office in the summer, and Victor Wembanyama's race to the face of the league. The show ends with 'What We Missed!' 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.

JD reacts to the Blue Jays signing Max Scherzer, before moving on to the Maple Leafs 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. JD and Justin Bourne of Real Kyper and Bourne discuss Keith Pelley's message to season-ticket holders, if they trust the Leafs front office to retool the roster, were the Leafs are most deficient, and if they've handled Easton Cowan 's development well. JD then touches on Cody Ponce's impressive spring training debut.  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.

National NBA writer and host, Zach Harper, joins JD Bunkis to talk about giving the Raptors an A- letter grade for their season thus far, Toronto's offensive and defensive ceiling, and the title chances for the Raps' potent opponents this week: the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. JD and Zach then discuss Victor Wembanyama's short and long-term potential. JD then reacts to news that Sidney Crosby will miss at least four weeks due to the injury sustained at the Olympics.  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.

JD Bunkis and Ben Ennis, co-host of The FAN Morning Show, banter about JD's Maple Leafs take on how Leafs nation may treat Auston Matthews moving forward, the report of Ricky Tiedemann's elbow soreness, if Eric Lauer can crack the starting rotation, and Max Scherzer's place on the roster. JD and Ben also touch on the upcoming World Baseball Classic and Team Canada's outlook.  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.

James Mirtle, senior writer at The Athletic, talks about the compact post-Olympic NHL schedule, if the World Cup will gain traction, the conversation surrounding goaltending and goaltending development in Canada, the weight on Auston Matthews as he returns to the Maple Leafs, and the Leafs looming decision to buy or sell at the trade deadline. The show ends with 'What We Missed!' (41:00) 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.

Sportsnet's Shi Davidi joins JD Bunkis live from Dunedin, Florida, to explain his read on Eric Lauer's role, what factors could influence the Blue Jays starting rotation, the Jays continued interest in Max Scherzer, and early impressions of Kazuma Okamoto. JD then touches on the Raptors outlook for the rest of the regular season.  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.

Sam McKee, JD's co-host of Leafs Talk, talks about the positive and negative spins from Canada's loss to the United States. JD and Sam split their blame pie, and how they think Connor McDavid's perception if shifting. JD and Sam then discuss Auston Matthews the winner, a potential concern for Maple Leafs fans, and how hockey players view big markets. JD and Producer Armen then talk about the novelty of first-thing-in-the-morning sports (39:00).  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.

JD reacts to Canada's Olympic loss to the United States in the gold medal game and lists the biggest winners and losers from the game. Kris Versteeg, two-time Stanley Cup Champion, explains what his worst feelings are after Canada's loss, the pain of Sidney Crosby missing the game due to injury, why Canada's powerplay didn't come through, and how they would've tweaked Canada's roster. JD then gives his first impressions from Blue Jays spring training (45:00).  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.

Olympic Gold Medalist and 15-year NHL forward, Brenden Morrow, joins JD Bunkis to discuss memories from the 2010 Olympic Games, the discourse around the shrinking talent gap in hockey between Canada and other countries, how he dealt with the weight of the pressure in overtimes and close games against the Americans, the challenge Finland has historically presented, and being Sidney Crosby's teammate in the NHL and Olympics. The show then ends with 'What We Missed!' (30:00) 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.

JD reacts to Canada's women's hockey team heartbreaking loss to the United States in the gold medal game. CBC hockey analyst, Hailey Salvian, joins JD to discuss the 3-on-3 overtime format, who's the biggest winner from the Olympics, what factors have contributed to America's women's hockey recent dominance over Canada, which player(s) can carry the torch from Marie-Philip Poulin, and if there's a debate about who the greatest women's player of all-time is. Later (36:00), JD touches on the NBA's proposed ideas to curtail the tanking wars.  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.

Ray Ferraro, Sportsnet and ESPN NHL analyst, joins JD Bunkis to discuss how pressure and expectations impact a hockey team and locker room, Canada's nuclear top-line option, Connor McDavid's greatness, which Canadian can have more impact in the semi-finals and potential gold medal game, how eight men on ice went undetected, and how other countries have performed. Later (24:30), JD and Sam McKee talk about their changed perspective on Nick Suzuki, the Maple Leafs conversation following Mitch Marner's game-winning goal, Jordan Binnington's polarizing discourse, and the quiet coverage of William Nylander.  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.