Hey everyone, hope you are doing well. We are back at it tonight for another great Episode 3 Season 7 of Two Guys & Hockey Talk, where we dive into the stories around the world of hockey. But before we get to it, some of the news from the past few days in the hockey world are:
- Kopitar’s Farewell Tour – Los Angeles Kings captain Anže Kopitar has announced that he will retire after the 2025–26 season, capping an incredible (and most likely Hall of Fame) 20-year career. Kopitar will try to lead his team again this year to get to the post-season and to get back to the post season and beat the Oilers to win a 3rd cup. Kopitar, who helped lead the Kings to Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014, and has won two Selke Trophies in 2016 & 2018 for the best defensive forward along with three Lady Byng Trophies for gentlemanly play in 2016, 2023, & 2025.
- A Flyers Legend – We have lost another legend, Flyers legend Bernie Parent at the age of 80. Parent, who came from Montreal, spent 14 seasons in the NHL from 1965-79. He made his debut with the Boston Bruins, spent time with the Toronto Maple Leafs and played one season in the World Hockey Association with the Philadelphia Blazers, in 1972-73. He was most impactful during his time with the Flyers, where he won two Conn Smythe Trophies and two Stanley Cups. In 608 career NHL games, Parents had a career 2.55 GAA and a .915SV%. We send our best to his family and friends as the hockey world mourns his loss.
- Desert Hockey Revival Movement – In Arizona, efforts are underway to bring pro hockey back to the Phoenix area. Andrea Doan, wife of Shane Doan, is spearheading an advisory panel to explore ownership, arenas, and viability. The goal is to bring back a team back to the region, given the high level of interest and involvement.
- FIH Hockey – The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has confirmed that the 2025–26 FIH Hockey Pro League will run from December 9 to June 28, which will kick off in both Ireland and Argentina, featuring 144 matches across 10 countries over a span of seven months. The season opener in Ireland fans can see Germany face Belgium in the men’s division, while in Argentina, reigning champions Netherlands meet newcomers Pakistan. This should be great to watch.
- An Oilers Signing – Vasily Podkolzin has resigned with the Edmonton Oilers to a 3-year, $8.85 million contract extension (with a $2.95 million AAV). Podkozlin, 24, was acquired by Edmonton from the Vancouver Canucks last August 2024, in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft and in his first season put up 8 goals and 16 assists in 82 games. He also added 3 goals and 7 assists in 22 playoff games. He also led the team with 211 hits last season. Good deal for both sides.
- Women’s Olympic Hockey – Speaking of Edmonton, it was announced that Edmonton will host the Canadian women’s hockey team’s final games before the Italy Olympics. The games are set for December 10 and 13.
- Pre-season Action – Hockey is also back and you can watch your favourite team play some pre-season games, and as teams fine-tune their rosters, examine their prospects and send guys down, we can see some great young talents. We can see key players sitting out, managing workloads, and last-minute signings which will shape opening lines. What games are you watching? As an aside, I got to watch veteran Jonathan Toews return to the game after an extended health concern absence, and he looked great on a line with Cole Perfetti & Gustav Nyquist.
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’
