Hey everyone, hope you are doing well. Tonight, we are back at it for another great Episode 11 Season 7 of Two Guys & Hockey Talk, where we dive into the stories around the world of hockey. It’s been a busy few days as the NHL season is well underway and we have some stories from the past week
- Macklin Celebrini Buzz – Celebrini, the young 19-year-old rookie for the San Jose Sharks put together another standout performance with a hat-trick with the game winner in overtime versus the Utah Mammoth. He has become just the third teenager in NHL history to reach 30 points in his first 20 games of a season and is making a case for him to be on Team Canada.
- Nick Cousins Fined – Ottawa Senators forward Nick Cousins has been fined $2,000 for diving and embellishment under NHL Rule 64. This is because the league is signalling that diving/embellishment will be policed, especially repeated infractions. It may influence players’ behaviour moving forward for less embellishment and to focus more on clean play.
- Senators/Flyers Minor Trade – We had a minor trade between the Ottawa Senators and the Philadelphia Flyers in which Ottawa acquired defenseman Dennis Gilbert, 29 from Philadelphia in exchange for defenseman Max Guenette, 24 from Ottawa in return. Both are smaller depth players for each club and Ottawa needed left‐shot defensive depth after injuries and losing Donovan Sebrango on waivers. For Philadelphia, they get a younger defender who has very limited NHL experience (only 8 NHL games) but solid AHL background (236 AHL games).
- Jack Hughes Injury – Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils will be out roughly 8 weeks after undergoing a procedure on his finger from an off-ice incident. Hughes is a key player for New Jersey, one of the best in the game and his absence will impact their offense and perhaps team morale. The Devils are 13-5-1 right now and face the Florida Panthers next.
- The 2026 Winter Classic – The NHL has unveiled the jerseys for the upcoming 2026 Winter Classic for the Florida Panthers will wear a leaping panther crest for their first outdoor game, and the Rangers will wear a Centennial-inspired look. The game is scheduled for January 2, 2026 at loanDepot Park in Miami. This will allow the NHL to broaden their reach and make it a unique experience.
- Mikko Rantanen Possible Suspension – It was a wild game last night between the Dallas Stars and New York Islanders where as forward Mikko Rantanen hit on Islanders defenceman Alexander Romanov, which resulted in him being helped off the ice. According to Elliotte Friedman, Rantanen is not expected to face supplemental discipline for the hit, despite Patrick Roy’s wrath and reaction to it. It looks like the NHL’s department of player safety isn’t responding.
- Alberta Bound – Both Edmonton and Red Deer will be hosting the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship from December 26, 2026 to January 5, 2027. The World Juniors is one of the most-watched junior hockey tournaments in the world as it brings global attention. Fans will get to see world-class junior talent live. It should be a fun tournament.
- A Dangerous Hit – During a game between the Brampton Steelheads and Oshawa Generals, Steelheads defenseman Luke Dragusica delivered a violent slash to the side of Generals forward Brady Blaseg’s head, following a separate hit earlier in the play. The slash drew blood and was widely condemned as intentional and dangerous. Dragusica received a match penalty, and the OHL is reviewing the incident for a potential long suspension. Analysts, including Ken Campbell, have suggested the act could seriously impact Dragusica’s OHL career, with calls for harsh disciplinary action to protect player safety and uphold league standards.
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 (subscription) on YouTube, and check out our website for articles that we share regularly at https://twoguysandhockeytalk.com/.
Pawel ‘The Cat’
