Up My Hockey with Jason Podollan
Up My Hockey with Jason Podollan
EP. 169 - Nick Kypreos On Resilience, Role Players, And Canada’s Hockey Identity
We sit down with Nick Kypreos to trace a path from a career-ending concussion to a 25-year run in broadcasting, unpacking what resilience looks like when you feel unready and afraid. Along the way we debate Canada’s modern hockey identity, Olympic roster choices, and why competitive edge still wins in the spring.
• resilience after a concussion and job loss
• early broadcast failures, nerves, and growth
• finding your lane as a glue guy
• trust, consistency, and people skills in teams
• media access, distractions, and focus
• playoff style: why heavy, old-school hockey still wins
• Sam Bennett’s value and Olympic snubs
• best players versus best team roster building
• Canada’s identity and hunger in junior pathways
• McDavid’s professionalism and sustainability
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You just find a way to to get through it. You just find a way to plow through it. You know, I I tell this story, you know, to those of you to those uh willing to listen, uh, whether I'm talking to a a group of uh you know corporate people or or just uh a buddy at a at a restaurant. Um I I got fired my first year. I was horrible uh as a broadcaster and tripping over my words and nervous and anxiety and and all of it, and uh somehow found a way to to to get through it. Um and that's that's that's the secret. That's the secret sauce for all of us, no matter what profession we're in, no matter what we're trying to do, is as they say at times, fake it till you make it. And uh that's how I feel in broadcasting.
Jason Podollan:That was former NHL and teammate, currently broadcaster and podcaster Nick Caprios, and you are listening to the Up My Hockey Podcast with Jason Padolin. Welcome to Up My Hockey with Jason Podolin, where we deconstruct the NHL journey, discuss what it takes to make it, and have a few laughs along the way. I'm your host, Jason Podolin, a 31st overall draft pick who played 41 NHL games, but thought he was destined for a thousand. Learn from my story and those of my guests. This is a hockey podcast about reaching your potential. Hello there, welcome to, or welcome back to the Up My Hockey Podcast with Jason Podolin. I am your host, Jason Podolin, and this is the first episode of 2026. It happens to be the 170th episode overall. And today we have Nick Cyprios on. And uh, in my little bit of homework that I do prior to doing this introduction, I always need to find out which uh which episode number it is because my my memory doesn't uh remember those types of things. And so when I pulled up my own podcast uh on Apple, which I haven't done in my god, probably a year or so, it looks pretty good. We have like a star, a five-star rating. So thank you everyone out there for doing that. Uh 4.8 average out of 69 ratings. That's cool. Uh, but it would be awesome if we had some more ratings. It looks like there hasn't really been anything new in a while. So if you're somebody out there that hasn't rated the show, and if you're uh an Apple iPhone user and use the App Store or Apple Podcasts, by all means uh get out there and and and send a review. It's uh it's kind of cool to do this. Uh I'm actually doing this in real time uh as uh as I'm reading this to you. I'm reading some of the reviews, and I'll just read one. It's super cool actually to see how how people use the podcast and and kind of the impact that it has. And and uh what does it say? Pizza Prep uh says it's more than hockey. Five-star review. I've learned so much listening to this podcast. Every interview has something in it that will get you thinking. I listen while I'm cooking and cleaning and with the kids around, then there's not too many square words. If your kids are in hockey, this is uh the reminder that the journey is the destination. Thank you and keep it coming. Keep it coming. Uh yeah, that's awesome. Uh this one. A listen for anyone pursuing their dream. Whether you're pursuing your hockey, your dream in hockey, your dream in your personal life or in your career, Jason's remarkable knack for breaking down the mat the mystery and the trials and tribulations of success is remarkable. I have both my teenage sons listening to this podcast on a regular basis, and we can have conversations far deeper about life as a result. Thank you, Jason. Well, that's super cool. Uh yeah, that's awesome. And I think that this like the ratings I think do really help as far as the promotion of the show. So if you uh if you are somebody that listens and if somebody that uh you know likes what you listen to, then uh take a second and maybe throw a rating out there and and uh we'll get this thing buzzing in 2026. Uh but back to Nick. So Nick Kiprios is a former teammate of mine. He uh we played together for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and uh so that makes us Maple Leafs alumni. And the Maple Leafs have a really strong alumni, so I cross paths uh with Kipper uh from time to time here and there, and uh and it's awesome to see what he's doing and and how he's doing it uh because he left the game. For some of you that Nick Kippros maybe not might might not be uh a household name from the hockey standpoint if you're in Canada and uh and follow the NHL at all. I mean, he's all around the game and he and he covers uh you know the Mape Leafs in particular. He's on SportsNet with his show The Real Kipper and and Bourne and uh and does a great job there. Uh but he was a junior star at as a as a player. You I mean he played in North Bay, I think he had 60 goals, yeah, 62 goals one year with North Bay, 49 another. Uh ended up playing in the minors for a few years and then got into the NHL and was kind of a journeyman, as he says in the podcast. He's more of a glue guy, uh playing in the bottom, you know, the bottom kind of six sort of role and in and out of the lineup. And when he was with Toronto, I mean that was where he was. He was a third, fourth liner, in and out of the lineup. He he would uh kind of need to fight here and there, uh, which was part of his his identity. And and he ended up leaving the game due to due to uh concussions, and and and the last concussion uh I was actually witnessed to, and it was at Madison Square Garden. It was an exhibition game against the Rangers. And uh and Kipper ended up fighting Ryan Vandenbusch, who was a really, really tough lefty. And uh, well, he threw both hands really well, but he was he was a real tough cookie. Uh Nick was a tough customer as well, and so so they tangled right in front of our bench, and uh and it was just one of those fights that you kind of don't want to see and and you don't want to be a part of uh you know, as far as what happened, and and he Nick got knocked out pretty badly. Uh if you haven't seen it, if you're into fights or at all, maybe you can look it up. It's definitely on YouTube. But it was it was it was not nice. And uh and yeah, Nick tried to recover from that. Uh didn't uh you know, unfortunately wasn't able to, you know, to really come back and be able to play his game again, and he was forced out of the game at that point and got into broadcasting. Uh great point in this conversation that you're about to hear is Nick talks about his his first time there doing broadcasting and all the nerves and all the things of doing something new, and that he wasn't very good at it. Uh actually got fired his first year and then uh and then came back and you know kind of reinvented himself and found a way to make it work, and now here he is 25 years later um working his craft and doing an amazing job at it. Uh it's kind of interesting. I I just had a coaching call uh the other day with with a group of younger players, and we were talking about uh the four stages of learning and something that I want all my players that I work with to understand, and and that is you know that you're generally not really good or awesome and automatic, as I like to say, at something that is new to you. Uh and when it is new to you, you're in the stage one, stage two of the learning process, and and uh and with that comes a lot of apprehension, a lot of what I call like primal emotions, like where there is fear, there's anxiety, there's there's worry about what about what other people might be thinking of you. And and Nick kind of sums that up perfectly in our conversation, saying those were all the things that he felt, you know, and and when we're feeling those things, you know, for the hockey players listening, that is not how you play your best hockey. So before a game, if you're feeling these, these types of emotions, one, we we we want to be able to handle them and we want to be able to use our mindset to be able to put ourselves into a different emotional state, one that allows you to play your best hockey. But from a four stages of learning standpoint, you need to recognize that that's just part of the package, right? When you're doing something new, something that you're unfamiliar with, uh, whether it's a new league that you're playing in, or maybe you're on a new line or you have a new assignment, uh, you're going to a new camp that you've never been to for a new team. Like there are these things that are going to show up that is completely natural and normal. The question is, is what are you going to do about it, right? What tools do you have in your toolbox to be able to one, either persevere or to find the emotional state that is going to allow you to play your best? But the most important thing is not stopping, is not quitting. And that's what Nick talks about here is that, you know, he he got back on the horse and he wasn't ready to say no after getting fired that that that's the end of the line. I'm not a good broadcaster, this wasn't meant for me. You know, he he kept at it and he kept working at his craft and he found a way to be successful in it. So I love that that's part of the story here. We get into the world juniors as well. We talk about the Olympics, uh, we talk about you know Canadian identity and and a little food for thought. We we start talking about kind of what I feel has been lost in the Canadian game, and that is the the signature or our former signature that we were hard to play against. Uh physically uh dominant usually and and willing to play a style of game that other teams weren't willing to play. And and in that discussion, we started talking about kind of our our hallmark players now. And uh, and if you were to take somebody like a Marc Messier from you know my era or a Jerome McGinlow from my era, or maybe an Eric Lindros from my area, these are all Canadian players that played the game with that edge that I'm talking about. And there are many others from from from that time. Uh, but who are our players now? Who who are our young players now that you would put in that class? Uh, you know, in the conversation, we talk about Tom Wilson and Sam Bennett, but these guys are 30 years old. Like, who who's the 20-year-old? Uh I'd I love I'd love to hear some comments on that, whether you're uh in the show notes or or wherever you're watching this on YouTube, if you can come up with some names, some Canadian names that would be classified as maybe old school, but are stars right now in the league or have the potential to play that way. It seems like we're we're creating great hockey players still, great individual hockey players, but they're they're like everybody else's country's great great hockey players, you know, the high skill base, speed, talent, what have you, uh, but but maybe not that physical edge uh that our stars of yesteryear uh would have. So, anyways, I think Canada's kind of lost its identity a little bit when it comes to that. Whether that's good or bad, I I don't really know. I know that I loved it uh wearing the wearing the Maple Leaf that that felt felt that our team uh would do whatever it takes to win and wanted wanted to win potentially more, and were willing to play outside of ourselves and our comfort zones in order to make that happen. Um and I think that that was something that Canada would would uh would get behind as well from from a country, something that we you know that we connected with. And I feel like maybe there's a little bit of that gone in in in the um you know, with the younger players in in today. We'll see what the Olympics has looked like. I'm really excited to see that. If it's anything like the Four Nations, boy, that that was uh that was awesome hockey. It was high skill hockey, it was also highly competitive hockey. We even had a couple fights in there. Um that's the way I like to see it. So we'll see what the Olympics are like. Obviously, there uh most likely won't be the fighting because that's not allowed. Um, but that's fine too. I'm sure it'll be hard fought. And um, and uh guys like Tom Wilson will will show their value, I think, to uh to everyone in Canada that this guy definitely deserves to be on the team, and maybe Sam Bennett gets added here uh with some injuries as well. We'll see what that looks like. But anyways, uh Kipper was able to spend some time with us here. 30 minutes, uh I think no, almost 40 minutes. He had he has his own shows to attend to, so he was great to give us 40 minutes of his time, and we had a good conversation. So uh without further ado, I bring you my former teammate and current broadcaster, Nick Kiprios. All right, here we are with my former teammate from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Nick Cyprios. Kipper, uh happy to have you on the show.
Nick Kypreos:Thanks, Jace. How are you, pal? I I hear you're down south, uh loving the game. Yeah, boys uh all uh all going here, and I think it's a fantastic story. Congratulations.
Jason Podollan:Yeah, thanks. It's been fun. Nice little uh nice little change. I've I've only really and my boys have only ever lived in Vernon and uh and my wife since we've been all together. So it's been a quick little trip here down to Cordelaine. It's been awesome. Idaho's great, the people are great, and uh the town's been fun. So yeah, it's been a good good experience. Um how about you with uh with the real Crip Kipper and Bourne and yeah, what's what's going on in your world right now?
Nick Kypreos:You know what, Jace, uh uh like you, uh we've we've been blessed or fortunate enough to to continue uh with the great game of hockey, long past uh uh making a living from it. And uh I got into broadcasting right around uh the time that uh I unfortunately uh suffered my last concussion, uh, made a tough decision and uh decided that uh I wouldn't wouldn't put myself at any more risk. Started a family and got into broadcasting, and lo and behold, it's over 25 years now and still very much a part of it. And uh to your point, uh I've got a podcast show that also is on the radio and TV. It's a multi-platform content show for Rogers, which has all the national NHL games here in Canada. Uh I'm I'm so lucky to be uh a part of uh a show with uh two great kids. I call them kids because I'm the old man in the in the equation here, but uh Justin Bourne and Sam McKee are passionate guys. Justin, of course, has a hockey background with the the New York Islanders, his dad, uh the great Bobby Bourne. Uh so he he lived through uh all those magical years uh with with the New York Islanders. So just just so blessed to be around the game still and uh uh all these years later.
Jason Podollan:Yeah, and you so 25 years, like I'm I remember your first year uh when you were when you were on doing the doing the uh the games there, doing the color and uh or not the color, you were on the desk at the beginning, right? Like uh yeah, doing the desk. That's the end point flies, hey? 25 years.
Nick Kypreos:It's and you know, for all your watchers and listeners out there, it doesn't matter whether it's us going to our first NHL training camp or me on uh on a desk to cover an NHL game, or or someone graduating from college and going to a brand new job. Um feeling for everybody. Uh the great unknown, uh the butterflies, will I be good at it, will I embarrass myself? It's all the same, right? And you just find a way to get through it. You just find a way to plow through it. You know, I I tell this story, you know, to those of you to those uh willing to listen, uh, whether I'm talking to a group of uh you know corporate people or or just uh a buddy at a at a restaurant. Um I I got fired my first year. I was horrible uh as a broadcaster and tripping over my words and nervous and anxiety and and all of it, and uh somehow found a way to get through it. Um and that's that's that's the secret. That's the secret sauce for all of us, no matter what profession we're in, no matter what we're trying to do, is as they say at times, fake it till you make it. And uh that's how I feel in broadcasting.
Jason Podollan:How did you um and and not to not to affirm what you were saying, but I mean there were some struggles out of the gate for sure when I saw you. You know, I could tell you were nervous, you know. I mean, it wasn't smooth sailing. No, um, but you got better, you know, and you improved and you stuck around and you found a way to to stick around. Like what it was there anything personal there that you had to go through to you know to keep banging on that door?
Nick Kypreos:Yeah, I I think uh as as athletes, you know, we we you it just there's nothing better than experience uh at any level and even minor hockey. And I know you as a as a as a top minor hockey league player, you know, whether you how how many failures you experienced in minor hockey, whether it's you know, cut from a team or a coach not playing you, or you know, whatever the case is, and you know, you gotta find a way to just understand that if if it's not the right time for you, it doesn't mean that it won't be the right time for you uh down the road. Stars have to align a little bit, but you just persevere and and and you just you just find a way to get through it. And for me, the less I I worried about what others thought and just started focusing on what I needed to do to get better, uh, is when the switch happened for me in my second year. And you just sometimes you just gotta get sick and tired of being sick and tired or and just just focus on on what your strengths are, what your where where you think your lane is. Like I can't go out there and be a Marc Messier, and Marc Massier doesn't want to be a Nic Kyprios, so why don't I just be the best Nick Kyprios and Mark can can can continue to do his thing. And we hope when we come together as a team, it equates success. And once I started understanding where my strengths were as a broadcaster, and that is the experience of being in the room, the experience of of being a glue guy. Let's face it. You know, if you're not a star on the team and you're in that bottom echelon of third and fourth liners, or you know, perhaps a healthy scratch every once in a while, now you start getting into not only when when you when you're on the ice, you have to find a way to be a positive, but you have to be a positive even as an extra player, even as a as a guy that has to sit in the stands on on any given night. And if you just focus on what made what makes you successful or or being a person that you want to be around and have a positive influence, you you you accentuate those points. You you bring them out. And once I started understanding where my strengths were as a as a glue guy and understanding the room, and of course I've I I talk with my hands a lot, so you know that that Greek blood, that passion for the game of hockey, once you start showing who you are a little bit more, um then all of a sudden you can you can find a bit of a lane to be successful, and that's what I started doing. I just started focusing on my relationships in the game, find out what's going on a little bit, have a little bit of an insight into what might be happening in dressing rooms, and we see it today, Jace, in terms of what's going on behind the scenes. Ottawa is a prime example. I can't speak of what's happened in great detail as we don't know what's happening, you know, off the ice in Ottawa. But I can certainly speak to how it could affect a team in a dressing room. And and that's that's basically what I've been trying to do the last twenty five years. And lo and behold, my my my swipe card still works every day when I when I go into the studio.
Jason Podollan:That's fantastic. Uh yeah, I I think for well, I think that insight is is imperative. Uh it's one of the insights that I try and give players now that are trying to make it too. That you're so concerned about your hockey skills, let's say your traditional hockey skills, your, you know, your shot and your skating and everything else, and and nobody's really thinking about their people skills. And my gosh, like hockey is a people game. And I didn't, you know, you realize it at the time because you're one of the boys and you're around and you're doing stuff. But now when you step back out and you look back on decisions that are actually made around that, you know, like the the line's so tight as far as the hockey is concerned, right? Who does what well, you know, who can who gets the puck out a little better, you know, it it it's kind of beauty's in the eye of the beholder when it comes to that, right? And and there's going to be mixed opinions. Uh, but boy, you know, like how you show up for practice, what what type of energy you bring to the locker room, you know, what what how what happens when you're having an off day? Like all those things are reflected in um in your brand, let's say, you know, like your individual brand. And and and some brands want to be want to be kept around and some brands don't. So uh I think that's awesome that you're talking about that because uh because it's a big deal. I mean, it's a really big deal on the pro level. It is.
Nick Kypreos:And you know, what you speak of, Jason, isn't isn't just a hockey team, right? It's just not sports. We're talking about uh office people as well. We're talking about hospitals, we're talking about a law firm, we're talking about anything. You want to be surrounded by positive people, you want to be surrounded by people that if if you if you are having an off day, it's so comforting and and so supportive of someone to say, hey, listen, I I got your back today. Uh I'll I I got you today. And and tomorrow it might be reversed where you got someone else's back. But once you have that, and you've been around the game long enough to know that it's it's rare, like it's not as common as you'd like it to be in terms of having that that perfect synergy amongst 20, 22 guys, because sometimes someone can sit there and say, Listen, I'd rather lose getting 15 minutes a night than win and playing 12 and a half minutes a night, or you know, that old saying in hockey, which has been around for generations, you know, I got my guy, or I I scored my goal. We lost 4-1, but I scored. And, you know, uh I feel great about that. It's like, no, no, no, that's not the way it works. That's not how you build championships, and that's not how you ultimately have success um as a team. So uh once everybody kind of understands that, and and you know, I try to instill that on my show, you know, Real Kipper and Born, where I got uh two fairly young, inexperienced guys in broadcasting. I come in here with 20, 25 years of experience, and the only thing I told them that you know, our our show will only get better once we get to know each other and understand each other. And most importantly, Jason, is that we trust each other. And once we build that trust, and it doesn't come overnight, you gotta earn your trust as a teammate, as a coworker. You gotta you earn you earn your trust. How do you do that by just following your day-to-day routine? And like I said, if there's certain days you could do something for someone that's not called for that makes it look like you're going out of your way, but you're not doing it, you know, to collect a bean, you're just doing it because it's it's the right thing to do and it feels good to give. And and you're not counting like you know, give and take beans, as I tell my kids, right? Or sometimes you may just have to give 10 to get one, right? There's no equation, there's no five for you, and then I'm owed five. That may work in business when it comes to you know earning dollars, but it doesn't come when it when you're trying to earn trust. So uh once you start giving that uh as a daily routine, it's it's unbelievable how how you can come together as a team and and ultimately have success no matter whatever line of work you're in.
Jason Podollan:Yeah, be predictable, right? Be predictable and be authentic and uh and be consistent, and that's a great way. Great way to build trust. Uh, and it happens in the locker room too. You know, the the erratic guys that you never know what you're gonna get. And you know, when it comes to coaches, a nice time, it's a that's a big deal there, too. Take a short break from the podcast to give a shout out to uh my apparel partner on the show, uh my base layer partner, A Kane Hockey. Uh A Kane Hockey specializes in base layer protection for athletes. Uh they produce some of the best, if not the best stuff in the game as far as keeping your players safe, keeping yourself safe with the wrists, the hands, uh, the the uh Achilles protection, uh, all the areas where skates can come up and cause uh damage. I know that I experienced that more than once uh in my playing day and was lucky enough to not have anything be serious enough to keep me out of the lineup. Uh but we did not have the technology available for us to even consider uh being cut resistant or cut-proof. So if you are an athlete today, it makes no sense not to have a base layer uh that supports your wrists, that supports some of these areas where skates can come and get you. Uh and A-Kane does a great job of producing stuff that is light fitting, uh, breathes well. Uh it doesn't even feel like you're wearing it. So uh I've been awesome. Uh really happy to be working with A-Kane. They do a great job, and their apparel is fantastic as well, uh, which I wear all the time. I think I even have one of their t-shirts on right now. It's one of my favorite t-shirts. So uh, anyways, I don't like there, there's no payment for me to do this. Like for me, it's it's just aligning with good companies. They wanted to get some more exposure uh in Canada and in the West. Uh, they have since aligned with uh the CHL uh and the Western Hockey League to be the base layer uh sponsor there. So I just like getting behind good products and good people. So uh I am definitely a fan of AKN. If this is something that you think would be a good idea for your athlete, you can get a discount using the UMH 2026 uh code at checkout. So by all means go check that out and take advantage of the discount that you receive. Uh again, I think it's great stuff. You're gonna be super happy with it, or else I wouldn't be saying that. So uh check them out, a Kanehockey A Y T A N E dot com and uh grab your apparel or grab your bass layer today. Now let's get back to the show with Nick Caprios. How do you feel about the locker room in today's age? Like the the way the game was covered was definitely different when we were actually playing it, you know, in the 90s. Uh so I understand there's a little more insight. Like there there was the the reporters had access to the room, but only quite as much as now. Um, so maybe there was less stuff coming out. But the stuff that I hear, and again, I just hearing it, I don't really have my nose inside locker rooms. It just sounds a little more dramatic than it potentially once was. Like the the I don't know, like I don't know of a better word for it. It just seems like there's a little bit of drama involved. Do you find that, or can you maybe shed some light on that?
Nick Kypreos:Yeah, I I can see where you're coming from on that. Uh I think at times we had drama too, and I think they did in the 50s and the 60s, but it's just a matter of you know what what was uh readily available to the public. And you know, you asked me about uh, you know, today's game. I am a little nervous uh for the guys in the access. You know, it's twofold, uh Jason, in terms of you you want to grow the game, you invite your audience in. And we know with the phones now and the digital uh platforms that it's never been easier to to bring in your uh the outside world inside to your world. Uh and then unfortunately it does come with drama, as you had said, uh a little bit more. And it just seems like as something that can easily distract you, easily get caught up um in in all of it. Sometimes it can take the the eye off the ball here. Ultimately, we're we're here to do a job. Yes, we want to entertain, we want to make the fans happy, but ultimately there's a a coach, a general manager, a president, and an owner that says that you gotta win for me. You gotta go deep in the playoffs. That's how we all team success. Yours is championships, mine are gate receipts, right? Um, but sometimes we do get caught up in that a little bit. You know, we we we look at now a negotiation. We've been through strikes and lockouts together. Uh one of the one of the negotiation uh uh card that they played was uh the dress code where guys don't have to wear a shirt and tie like we did. Um and listen, I'm it's what they want. It's it's important to them, what they dress, how they brand, what the public sees in them. Uh, you know, it wasn't my world. I'm sure you probably will feel the same way. It wasn't your world, but this is important to the kids. And uh, you know, let them have it, let them enjoy it. If the fans want to see what they're wearing, you know, God bless all of them. But you can't you can't put that above the focus of coming to the rink and and trying to win. And sometimes if there's too many of these distractions and it does take your focus off, it will affect your performance and it ultimately affected the the team. So as long as they can do all of these things and not take their eye off uh the ball here, um, you you should be fine. I mean, Florida, there's always a champion at the end of the year, but remember there's only just one of those and and 31 other losers, right? So it's very rare that uh from beginning to end a team can get the job done. Um, but it's usually the ones that understand where the the top priority is. Right.
Jason Podollan:Yeah, and and I'd like it's interesting too, because some of the some of the teams or players obviously take that, you know, the uh the uniform uh option, you know, uh more than others. I think I think some teams still all come in suits for for what it looks like, you know, and so it's good it's been an individual choice there. Uh it it seems like the the teams that have been successful in in recent years are a bit of a traditionalist model, you know, like they're they're usually built pretty heavy. They have, you know, they have the guys that want to muck, they have the guys that are willing to hit, maybe even somebody that'll fight. They got the high octane offense, you know, they have the, you know, like they have those pieces, and and it seems to be a cohesive, well-oiled group that that you could kind of implant into any era and they're gonna do well. Uh to me, it seems like. Do you see that as well? Like that is that is that the tendency you're seeing?
Nick Kypreos:Yeah, for sure. And uh, especially here in Toronto, where I'm based out of, and we watched the Florida Panthers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, who won the Atlantic Division last year, and they've got this reputation, and it's led by Sam Bennett. Uh Carter Verhagen, we saw with a controversial hit in Ottawa the other day, and and go unpunished. Uh, and people are screaming about that. But they are as as old school as they get. Um, and you know, Sam Bennett to me is yeah, I mean, he's not very popular amongst Lee fans, but uh tell you what, Jason, uh, I uh who wouldn't want him on their team? He can beat you so many different ways. Uh he's got the skill, uh, and he's also got the toughness uh to do whatever he thinks it takes to win. And there's an element of that that I think is really old school. Um, but here we are in 2026, and they've got some injuries there. Uh on the top is Kachuk and Barkov. They're they're two best players, and yet they're still finding a way to be ultra competitive here. So Toronto Maple Leaf fans hate them. I'm sure the rest of the league uh isn't too fond of them either. But uh ultimately the game's about uh skill, of course, of the skating and the shooting and the passing, but there's that competitive edge uh that I'll fight you tooth and nail for the puck that they have that has risen above any other team the last two years. So you love to hate them, uh you hate to love them, whatever the case is, uh until they get knocked off, they are still uh the undisputed Stanley Cup champions.
Jason Podollan:Yeah. Is that the all-time snub right now, in your opinion? Is it like Sam Bennett? Maybe not all-time, but like for this Olympic go-round that he's not on this team.
Nick Kypreos:I I would take it personally for sure, especially when he he did what it uh took to to win the Four Nations, which really started out as not much of a tournament. A lot of people felt like this was just a complete money grab, and the players would all be in on it. Um, but they they they played it uh as hard as we've seen any two teams play over the course of our history, you know, in any era.
Jason Podollan:And what a skilled goal, a huge goal for him in that scenario, too, right? Like, yeah.
Nick Kypreos:Um yeah, you know, I I would take it personally for sure if I was Sam. Um, but the good news is, you know, with a dozen games to go, and we saw Braden Point, who's on the Canadian Olympic team, get hurt the other night, and we hope he's fine. But if he's not, uh there is this master reserve list, uh, which Sam's on it. And I I gotta think he'd be at the top of the list to replace uh a point if if point can't go in in three weeks. So there still might be a way for Sam Bennett to get there, albeit maybe with the bruised ego a little bit, but you know what they say about egos in in dress rooms, eh? Check them at the door, yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure.
Jason Podollan:And I'm thinking about the roster construction a little bit, you know, and maybe this ties into the world junior scenario that everybody wants to dissect and you know uh break apart with with Canada, you know, not uh not getting to the gold medal again. But is it the idea of like too many stars or too much high-end offense? And and should you just bring like quote unquote the best players, or do you bring the best team? And and where's the balance with that? Uh like Sam Bennett. I mean, there are guys that are probably more skilled than him, but like when you talk about all those elements, all those intangibles, uh, the the ability to be hard to play against, and he might punch you in the nose. You don't know exactly what's coming from him. Like he's unpredictable to the other team, and he can still play big minutes. Like, there's a guy that I would love to have on my team if I was GM, right? Like, I think that there is a place for a line like that at the Olympics. And I also think there's a place for a line with those types of players at World Jr., which we've kind of gotten away from. What's your what's your thoughts with that? Not that that was the reason or the non-reason, but how do you feel about roster construction?
Nick Kypreos:Yeah, uh, well, first of all, one of the hardest decisions to be made, and that falls on on Doug Armstrong. And uh, I think you just you lean on on the people that you trust as well. Uh, we had Doug Armstrong on our show about uh two weeks ago when they uh made the announcement, and he talked about picking players, including his own, and how he was much harder on uh Jordan Bennington uh than others were in terms of critiquing or you know, establish establishing a pecking order uh amongst the goaltenders. So uh I'm glad I don't have to make that decision because we know those are decisions that will last a lifetime, you know, depending on what the outcome is when it's all said and done. But to answer your question, I I do like the thought of a team more than um uh a roster full of all-stars. Uh I do understand that there's certain roles that guys need to play in the third and fourth line, opposed to you know being a star uh in in the top six of your first and second line. So yeah, do you do you it's it's it's easy to replace point with even a guy like Connor Bedard, who's sitting on the wings and and still might end up playing in the Olympics. Uh but you just wonder now in terms of uh do you envision a 6-5 score if you need it, or will we see a 2-1 score where to your point a Sam Bennett can can add that that that that fifth uh look uh of a game where is is Connor is pretty much all offense. Uh, you know, it may take crashing to the net a little bit more late in a game or mucking it up along the walls, uh, and that that lends to Sam Bennett, not Connor Bedard. But uh tough decisions. I'm glad I don't have to make them, you know, unless you're paying me a lot of money. But uh it'll be an interesting uh decision to be made ultimately if point is at the point of no return. Uh excuse the pun.
Jason Podollan:Yeah, yeah, I know for sure. Well, yeah, definitely lots of depth for Canada, especially you know, up front. Well, really almost everywhere, except potentially the goaltending position. So uh the injuries are going to happen, and I think we have some good options there. It all depends, I think, really, on what the identity of your team wants to be. And I think that's what when people were asking me about the world juniors, it was like, well, I I wouldn't really necessarily argue with with who they selected, right? There's great players on that team. Uh, but the the thing that I think that we've lost, and this is my own just my personal opinion, is like I think our advantage was that we were frickin' meaner than everybody else. Yeah. Like, I really think that that was like our that was our little competitive edge. Like we came out and we seemed to want it more and we were willing to be more physical. And for whatever reason, the games kind of seems like it stepped away from that, at least at the NHL level, until the playoffs, right? When all of a sudden everything gets really heated and everyone's running each other a game. But it seems like the players have kind of adopted that, and hockey candles kind of adopted that. And like we didn't really hit anyone. Like we were like everyone else, you know, and like even when we won our gold medal, like we were skilled, of course. Kanda's always skilled, but we played harder than the Swedes, than the Czechs, than the Russians, right? And that turned out to be our advantage. Now I I think it looks like we're just kind of playing like everybody else. I don't know. Like, how did is that what it looks like to you?
Nick Kypreos:Yeah, to your point, there is there is conversations like that uh going on behind the scenes in terms of uh, you know, probably in our era too, we had hungrier players uh to to to just make it. And are are are our players as hungry as they should be? Uh and You know go back twenty, thirty years ago, we got guys in big cities, but we had a lot of guys in small cities that understood that this was their meal ticket out, and they didn't want to drive a tractor uh for the rest of their lives, or they didn't want to stay in a town with 12,000 people in it with limited opportunities. So they were gonna do whatever it took uh to to make it out there, and that included you know playing any which way. Today, you know, people are asking, are there still kids like that out there? Or has the sport gotten too expensive where just kids, you know, from from wealth financed families are coming from where that hungry uh that hunger isn't there as much as it was in our era. So I mean these are these are these are tough questions, you know, social questions here that are far beyond me to answer, Jason. But yes, uh your your original comment about are we hungry enough sometimes or physical enough or willing to do what it takes to win games outside of just how our skills coach taught us all those years in minor hockey? Uh I think they're legitimate questions.
Jason Podollan:One more quick break from the conversation with Nick, just to chat about the UMH 68, which is in full swing right now. We are getting invitations out uh across British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Uh, many more invitations to come. But again, if this is something that you are interested about, by all means, make sure you get on the watch list. That's at UpmyHockey.com underneath the UMH68 section. You can get your player on the watch list. Obviously, it doesn't guarantee an invite, but it does let us know that hey, you are interested in coming. There are a lot of good players out there, and uh and it's awesome to be able to have uh people step up and say, hey, check us out. We would love to come if we are accepted. So uh the contact information is sometimes hard to find. That's one of the best ways uh or things for the watch list. So it's it's easy to find names of players, but then when you try and connect the names of the players with who the uh mom or dad is and what their email is, sometimes that can be a bit of a tough slog. And uh, and when we're dealing with over probably 500 athletes coming out to UMH 68 this year, uh that's a lot of work, especially for a small uh company like Up My Hockey. So, yeah, the more you can be helpful in the process, the more it helps us, the easier it makes it for us. So uh the watch list is a great tool uh to get your player recognized and noticed, and it helps us be able to contact you if we want to get an invite out to you. And just a comment on the UMH68 and BC, uh, they're just kind of whatever to clear the air with what's going on. Usually we host that event, Father's Day weekend in June, um, my uh my minor bantam event, and we usually host the uh the major pee-wee event uh the weekend before. Unfortunately for me and for up my hockey, the uh Vernon Ice Rink, uh, which has been a great host for us and a great venue that allows us to do the workshops and to have the welcome meetings and to keep everything under one roof. It's a great facility there. Uh they are undergoing ice maintenance this year. So uh with that being said, I didn't think it was going to be that big of a problem to find some arena of similar capacity and similar uh amenities to host the event at the same weekend. Uh, but little did I know that so many of the rinks have ice out. Um, there's way less ice uh available at that time, and uh and it was just actually impossible throughout all BC to find a venue that could host the event that weekend. So as it turned out, we found some ice at the end of spring break, uh, the very last weekend of spring break that worked out well as far as the end of playoffs are concerned and everyone's still fresh, and before kind of the other spring season starts, uh, I felt that it was a good scenario where we could bring our 2012s and uh and get them going that weekend. Now, the unfortunate part is that POE or the program of excellence for BC hockey, uh the the first phase of that is held uh the same weekend in Okanagan and in Delta. I think there's a couple other places. Uh the intention was not to go head to head with with the program of excellence. Uh that that's totally not what uh what I wanted to do. Um but you know, it is what it is, and there is only one weekend available, and uh, and that's what we decided to do. So totally understand if if players want to go and do the program of excellence. Uh, for us in our experience, you know, the program of excellence as the first year isn't really an important stream. Uh, they do a fine job there, BC hockey, uh, but the next year is really the important year if you want to really experience that program of excellence in the players' draft year. And you also, just for everyone else out there that knows, you do not have to try out for the program of excellence in your uh jurisdiction, let's say. So if you're from uh you know Vernon, BC, where I'm from, you do not have to go to Kelowna uh to do the program of excellence. You could opt to do the weekend earlier in Langley, for instance, if you wanted to still do the program of excellence and also do uh the UMH 68. So uh just wanted to clear the air there. This wasn't uh necessarily a choice, it was uh it was the the best possible solution to still have the event. Um we weren't trying to compete with the program of excellence, but just wanted to make sure that everyone out there knew that there was other options available if those of you who wanted to do both, and hopefully um you come and and uh join the 68 if you get an invite. So um definitely getting more invites out for that. That's going to be happening before we speak. So we've we've done a fairly good chunk of invites, but there will be another chunk coming here soon. Uh, if you're not on the watch list for the 2012s, by all means get on it. Now let's get back to the conversation with Nick Caprios. You're maybe more connected to this than me, but like, you know, our stars, you know, Messier comes to mind, like would kill you, right? As quick as he would, you know, as quick as he'd score on you, right? You know what I mean? Like that's the way he's like or like uh a Lindros or an Aginla or like those guys that were like studs and stars, but would also play real physical. Like it seems like we have like our stars now have lost that little piece too, right? Like, not that we had a ton of them, but is like who's the last guy like that that you would say? The the like the youngest guy that is is like well-nosed.
Nick Kypreos:Right now, there's Tom Wilson, and no question that Tom Wilson. I I remember him breaking in the league, and he was looked upon as a goon and a guy that would just come in and intimidate and try to fight, and there's no place in the game for Tom Wilson. Now Tom Wilson's like one of the most important players, I think, because he brings that element that you speak of now to the Olympics. And yeah, of course, it's double IHF rules. Um, but the feeling is that the NHL wanted half the officials to be NHL, so we're gonna see that NHL kind of style of officiating, which will bold well for Tom Wilson, but he's so rare, Jason. He's so there's not enough when we played in our era, there'd be two Tom Wilsons on every team, right? There at least one, and then one who just played like Tom Wilson at the beginning of his career would just go around and scare the heebie jeebies out of guys like us. Uh but Wilson is what?
Jason Podollan:How old is Tom Wilson now?
Nick Kypreos:I think he's probably 30, 20. He's gotta be 30s, right? He's he's in his wheelhouse, and he's he's having a career year, and uh he's much like uh Sam Bennett, he can find so many different ways to beat you, uh including uh intimidation. So yeah, teams would love him. Like every team would love a guy like that. The league would like a guy like that because they're they're marketable, they're they they they bring fans to the edge of their seats, no matter if it's a goal or a check or um a scrum. Like you're always paying attention when Tom Wilson's on the ice. I mean, those type of guys ultimately, you know, some people will disagree with me, but they're they're they're so important in our game.
Jason Podollan:I think so too. And that's my point. So like he's 30. We're talking about Sam Bennett, who's like close to 30, if not 30. Like, who's the young version in Canada of Tom Wilson?
Nick Kypreos:Yeah, that's a good question. Well, I mean, for for for Canadian teams, uh Matthew Nyes is uh is a guy that's about 240, 6'2, 6'3, and still almost has baby features, uh, but he's 22, 23 years of age, and he's got Tom Wilson kind of uh uh you know assets in terms of you know being able to score goals, skate, pass, shoot, and of course, you know, hit. And on occasion, Matthew Nice has dropped the gloves, uh, but it's a matter of consistency now, and it's a matter of bringing it every night, uh, and whether you have success or not, you know, you can certainly you can certainly be a presence every night, every night where the opponents looking over his shoulder and seeing you come can alter a hockey game. And uh he's still young though, Jason, but uh I think he's got great upside for the Toronto May Police.
Jason Podollan:Yeah, that's cool. But see how it's like it's not automatic that we can even think of a Canadian player that like represents what we would consider Canadian hockey values, right? Like traditional ones, like it's wild, like how and and that's for me. Like when I'm when I'm watching games now, like I really love competitive players. And I know I've said it on the store short uh my show before, but not not necessarily fighting. Like to me, I I understand that's you know, whatever. I don't know what's happening with fighting in 20 years, if it's going to be in the league or not. I I don't know. I don't really have a horse in that race, but I do think that being hard to play against from a competitive standpoint, a competitive spirit standpoint that you're willing to do a little bit more, whether it's second, third efforts. Well, you know, we won't get into all the ways you can show competitive spirit, but boy, those guys to me stand out. And you stand out without the puck, you stand out when you have the puck. You know, there's ways to be valuable and impactful. And that's the piece for me that I think, man, I want to celebrate that in players right now because uh, like like you said, they're massively valuable and and they're and they're and they will get found. You know, that's the other thing, too. There's not enough of them.
Nick Kypreos:I think uh for me, a guy like Zach Hyman in Edmonton uh doesn't have that I'm gonna drop my gloves and beat the crap out of you feel, but he plays the game exceptionally hard. And uh I think he's also a guy that I would think wouldn't be too far off the Olympic list of uh extra guys. I I don't know where he is on the pecking order, but uh I I certainly wouldn't feel bad if he ended up on my Olympic team. Yeah, uh and Edmonton improved dramatically uh when he came back in the lineup and slotted a few guys. Uh I think Connor McDavid's game went to another level when he came back, but is he something right now? Um but Zach Hyman to me is the type of guy there that can find different ways to beat you as well. Um and yeah, ultimately uh it's like watching a video game, Connor McDavid scoot around the ice and make guys look like they're standing still.
Jason Podollan:It's unbelievable. Like it's it's so unbelievable to actually watch him at where he's playing, the national, you know, and to do the things that he's doing out there against the best players, his peer group, the best, you know, of the best. It's it's so nuts to me to just consider how good he he actually is. But uh yeah, he's just on another level. It's crazy what he can do out there, and nothing away from Nate McKinnon, but he he's like that to me too, Nate. When Nate's on, like he looked that dominant too. But like just something about Connor boy, he's just seems to be on another another stratosphere.
Nick Kypreos:And you know, he he he wants to be the best, like it's his mission. Yeah, he's the type of guy where you you just you you look at him, you you listen to him, and uh 24-7 doesn't stop in terms of thinking the game, uh playing the game, you know, preparing for your next game. Uh he he's he's on a mission here. I don't know where Edmonton is depth-wise on the blue line and what kind of goaltending they'll ultimately get, but if there's if there's one guy capable of winning a Stanley Cup uh and carrying a team on his back, it it really seems like uh Connor's that type of guy that that can do it. And of course he leans heavily on Leon Dreisidel, who's special in his own right, but that Connor McDavid right now, what we're witnessing is something very special.
Jason Podollan:Yeah. Yeah, when you combine his, you know, his I would say his professionalism and how elite he is about high performance, like away from the rink with what he has on the ice. Like that's when you get like the generational type of talent that we're seeing. And and you know, the I had a good story. Uh obviously I still have some guys that are involved in the game. And I I know one guy that works with the uh with the Oilers, and and a good example of that was uh prior to their couple cup runs, they were, I think they got knocked out in the first round or the second round, I think. And and uh, you know, half of Edmonton Oilers is in a pizza partying or whatever when it's all said and done. And and he gets this text message from from Connor, who's sitting there watching the Vegas power play, and and he and he's and he's drawing up looks and sending them screenshots of stuff that they wanna that he wants to try uh next season. You know, this is this is six days after they're knocked out, and and he's studying the game and the power play and sending it to the power play coach, you know, like that's and I'm not saying everyone can be like that because not everyone is, but like when you combine those two those two things, right? That you're saying he wants to be the best, and he also has this elite pedigree of talent, like that's when it becomes really, really, really special.
Nick Kypreos:He's a racehorse right now, and I the human point, uh the the human side of me, you know, suggests that man, I I hope I hope we don't squeeze him too hard here because there's such a demand on him. He's got the demand of the Edmonton Oilers, he's got the demand of Hockey Canada now in the Olympics. You know, he's got uh the demand of the league to be the face and the ambassador to to sell the game, uh, whether it's interviews, whether it's uh uh commercials, whether it's corporate. Um I just hope I hope we don't we're we're not squeezing uh you know uh him a little too hard here because there's so much more to go here. Uh I hope he can pace himself a little bit too. I think he's smart enough to do it.
Jason Podollan:Yeah. Well, and to your point, and and I am I I can't claim I know Connor McDavid at all, but the perception I get from his personality is is that not that's not what he's about either, right? Like that that's work for him, you know, like doing the media touches and being in front of people and and all that stuff is work. Like what he wants to do is being on the ice, which doesn't feel like work for him, you know. So I I understand that from a personality standpoint, that that can be a lot. So yeah, hopefully he's taking what he can. Obviously, he's earned the right to probably stay yes and no when he wants to, and hopefully he's he's uh using that to his advantage because boy, that'd be a it would be a hard, it's a hard world being Connor McDavid for sure. I can imagine it never stops.
Nick Kypreos:Yeah, I think uh I think they're in a position right now. We'll see where the Toronto Maple Leafs are are. They had a big, big win against Colorado. Of course, those first 20, 30 games for them were awfully tough. Uh Austin Matthews, who so many times in his career was regarded as the second best player in the world next to Connor McDavid, had struggled early, but he's coming along. So uh uh between Edmonton and Toronto, I think there's a a newfound hope here uh, you know, in Canada, anyways, for us.
Jason Podollan:Yeah, no, it's fun. It's been a fun year. I think the NHL's in a good spot. Olympics coming right now. It's uh there's a lot of good hockey to be played and and a lot of teams that are in it. You may not obviously Colorado separated themselves from from the pack quite substantially, but there's a lot of uh I don't think anyone really knows if you take them out of the equation about who's gonna rise to the top, so it makes it for a fun, fun for all of us to cover.
Nick Kypreos:Yeah, we're looking forward to it on our show.
Jason Podollan:Well, thanks for coming on. I I know you had uh some other bits to get to, Kipper. It's great to catch up. Uh love what you're doing and uh glad to see you having success. And uh yeah, thanks for spending some time on my show.
Nick Kypreos:Yeah, keep up the great work, man, with the kids.
Jason Podollan:Appreciate it. Yeah, it's been fun. It's been fun to find a find a job that allows me to be dad and keeps me around them because I know they're not going to be around here forever. So it's been uh been very fortunate.
Nick Kypreos:Amen to that. Thanks, pal.
Jason Podollan:Cheers. Thank you for listening to episode 170 with Nick Cyprios, uh former teammate of mine with there with the Toronto Maple Leafs doing great things in the broadcasting world and covering uh the game as he does. Uh, always appreciate Nick's insights and uh and his takes on things. And uh yeah, I'd love to hear your take. Like I said in the intro, how do you feel Canadian hockey is going uh if you are a Canadian listener? And if you're not a Canadian listener, I'd love to hear that too. What's the perspective from outside of Canada on uh on Canada? What are what are my US listeners thinking about the Canadian uh development uh as far as from the junior side of things is concerned? Uh what are we thinking about it from uh from a big picture side, from an Olympic style? Did we did we select the right players on our team? There's so many good players to go from, but it is one of the things that makes it fun when these events come around is you know who's on it, who's off it, why this guy, why not that guy. Uh but for me, more importantly, it's like what is Canada's identity right now? Uh I think that we could do a better job of maybe bringing back a little bit of an old school approach to our identity and um and start embracing uh players that are willing to do extra things in order to win hockey games. Uh I love those types of players on my teams, and sometimes those aren't the first or second liners, sometimes they are. In a in a perfect world, you you have you have your first and second liners be be guys that are uh that play that abrasive style as well, or at least a couple of them. Uh, but I do think there's room for them on a team in this day and age, and as and especially at the uh world junior level. So I'd love to hear your opinion on that. Um, and until next time, you guys play hard and keep your head up. This is Jason Pidolin.