Hey everyone, Happy New Year’s, hope you are doing well. Tonight, we are back after our 2 week hiatus at it for another great Episode 16 of Season 7 of Two Guys & Hockey Talk for the first episode of the year. It has been a very busy time in the world of hockey so let’s get into it:
- Swedish Gold – The 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship have wrapped up as Team Sweden won gold, defeating Czechia 4 to 2 in the final to claim its first title since 2012 and third overall. Czechia earned silver, highlighted by tournament MVP Vojtěch Čihař, while Canada rebounded to win bronze with a 6 to 3 victory over Finland after falling to the Czechs in the semifinals for the third straight year without reaching the final. The tournament, held in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, featured strong performances from Canada’s Michael Hage, who led all scorers, and defenseman Zayne Parekh, who set Canadian records, underscoring a competitive event marked by emerging stars and shifting international power. But it also showcased how Canada isn’t as strong as a powerhouse, eliminated also the hosting country (Team USA) and hockey is growing in other parts of the world. We look forward to watching the 2027 World Junior Championships.
- The Loss of a Legend – We are saddened to hear that Hall of Famer Bob Pulford, a four-time Stanley Cup champion and influential figure as a player, coach, and executive, has died at age 89. Tributes have poured in from around the hockey world because Pulford was a tough, dependable forward who helped the Toronto Maple Leafs win four Stanley Cups in the 1960s and played more than 1,000 NHL games, earning five All-Star selections during his playing career. After retiring in 1972, Pulford became a coach, where he won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year and also spent three decades (1977–2007) with the Chicago Blackhawks as coach, general manager, and senior executive, shaping the franchise’s draft, development, and operations. He also served as the first president of the NHL Players’ Association, helping lay the foundation for modern collective bargaining. Pulford was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991, and NHL figures remembered him as one of the most respected people in the sport, honored for his impact on and off the ice. We send our thoughts and condolences to his family and friends.
- Islanders dominate with record shutout – The New York Islanders thumped the New Jersey Devils in a 9 to 0, with Ilya Sorokin earning a franchise record 26th career shutout and Anthony Duclair exploding for a natural hat trick and five points in a statement win. The game showcased a very difficult performance for New Jersey Devils as they struggle to find consistency. Goalie Jacob Markström also apologized to fans, saying “I’ve got to be better” after allowing all nine goals despite the Devils outshooting the Islanders, and took personal responsibility for his performance, while captain Nico Hischier called giving up nine goals “flat-out embarrassing” and said he expects both himself and his teammates to respond strongly in the next game.
- Olympic hockey Teams announced – We now know the squads being announced for the 2026 Winter Games in Milan includes several NHL stars and will face Canada in its opener, but given the list, many fans have had a lively debate and discussion for some key players who have been left off, like Sam Bennett and Connor Bedard, a surprising omission given their profiles. This goes the same for Team USA who left off Cole Caufield and Jason Robertson. Will this impact the results, that is something that we will see.
- AHL Player of the week – In some AHL news, it sounds like Phantoms goaltender Aleksei Kolosov earned AHL Player of the Week honors after a dominant stretch (including a shutout and outstanding numbers in net). Kolosov stopped 60 of the 61 shots he faced in two starts for the Phantoms last week, good for a 0.50 goals-against average and a .984 save percentage. He also made 31 saves as Lehigh Valley posted a 3-0 shutout of Hershey. And speaking of Olympics, some of the AHL players have also made some respective Olympic rosters, specifically to team Denmark’s and Latvia’s national teams for the 2026 Winter Olympics, highlighting talent depth in the AHL.
- KHL contract termination for Ryan Spooner – Former NHLer Ryan Spooner’s turbulent year continued as he found himself without a team after his KHL contract was terminated just before Christmas. Spooner, who had signed a one-year deal last summer to remain in the league, was playing for his fourth KHL club since 2019–20 after joining the newly rebranded Shanghai Dragons, coached by former NHL bench boss Gerard Gallant. Despite a solid start to the season with 20 points in 31 games, Spooner and the Dragons mutually agreed to part ways, leaving the veteran forward as a free agent before he reportedly landed a new opportunity in Switzerland.
- Gabriel Landeskog Out – It sounds like captain Landeskog is expected to miss several weeks with an upper-body injury leaving him out for a bit, which may include his Olympic status. This came after a 2-1 loss at the Florida Panthers on Sunday when he lost his footing while driving to the net and crashed into the goal. We wish him all the best and a speedy recovery, given how much work Kandeskog put in to get back into the league after his previous injury.
- The Winter Classic – The New York Rangers beat the Florida Panthers in front of 36,153 fans at loanDepot Park, snapping a three-game skid. Artemi Panarin scored twice with an assist, Alexis Lafrenière added three assists, and Igor Shesterkin made 36 saves. Mika Zibanejad’s first-period power-play goal tied the Rangers’ franchise record with 116. New York is now 6-0-0 in outdoor games and leads the NHL in road wins. Sam Reinhart scored for Florida, Sergei Bobrovsky made 15 saves, and Seth Jones left early after a puck to his neck/shoulder.
- Igor Injured – It also sounds like Igor Shesterkin has been placed on injured reserve after suffering a lower‑body injury during a game against the Utah Mammoth. The injury occurred in the first period when his left leg bent awkwardly after minimal contact, forcing him to leave the ice and be helped to the locker room. Shesterkin will miss at least seven days while the Rangers evaluate the injury and without him, Jonathan Quick and Spencer Martin from the Hartford Wolf Pack will handle net duties in his absence.
Thoughts? Questions? Suggestions? Then remember to tune in each week to get all the latest news in the world of hockey as we start up Season 7 of the Podcast each Wednesday night at 7pm MST, where we dive into some of these great topics, interview many in the game and so much more. For more hockey news, different takes or if you want to chat about anything hockey give me a follow @hockey_two & @revinev on X and give us a follow on YouTube, and check out our website for articles that we share regularly at https://twoguysandhockeytalk.com/.
Pawel ‘The Cat’
