Podcast Ombudsman Report for Blueshirt Bandwidth Ep. 85

Welcome back to the Blueshirt Bandwidth Podcast Ombudsman Report. Each week, Charlie Vidal will listen to the latest episode of the podcast and correct the record on anything Joe and Eric get wrong. If you aren't already, you can listen and subscribe to the podcast here.

Joined Occasionally by Chip

Joe mentioned that the podcast is “occasionally” joined by Chip. Since making his podcast debut in Episode 57, Chip has joined eight of 29 episodes, or 27.5 percent of all shows.

Chip has joined episodes 57, 61, 63, 70, 74, 78, 80, and 85.

Is Eric Canadian?

Joe said that Eric is basically Canadian at this point. Eric isn’t nearly polite enough to be considered Canadian.

Episode 85

With no New York Ranger having ever worn #85, this was declared the Mike Richter episode, because Richter was drafted with the 28th pick in the 1985 NHL draft. Joe remarked that it was noteworthy that the 28th pick was a second round pick back then. In 1985, the 28th pick was the seventh pick of the second round because there were only 21 teams. The 28th pick would be a second round pick until the 1999 draft when the Atlanta Thrashers joined the NHL as the league’s 28th team.

The Thrashers won the draft lottery that year, and decided that Patrik Stefan was a better first overall pick than one of the Swedish twins on the board. Stefan was a more disappointing first overall pick than Alexis Lafrenière, and is perhaps best known for his notorious struggle with an empty net eight years laters while on the Dallas Stars:

Season Ending in OT

Joe mentioned that he’s lived through watching his team lose a Stanley Cup Final game to end their season in overtime, so he can sympathize with Buffalo Sabres fans having see their season end of OT. In addition to the aforementioned Stanley Cup Final loss, we've also had to watch the Rangers' season end in overtime in 2008 and 2012.

Of course, the Rangers have been on the other side of that coin, too. In both 1997 and 2015 the Rangers ended two teams' seasons in overtime, with the Florida Panthers and New Jersey Devils falling victim in 1997:

And the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals in 2015:

Mostly recently, the Rangers knocked out the Pittsburgh Penguins in a Game 7 overtime in 2022:

Joe’s Stanley Cup Prognostication

While discussing the ongoing NHL playoffs, Joe said that, “Colorado is a wagon and going to steamroll whoever comes out of the east.” Since then Colorado has not won a single game and is on the verge of being swept by Vegas.

(Note: Since this report was filed, Colorado lost 2-1 to Vegas in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final.)

Quinn Hughes Extension

The need for Bill Guerin to lock up Quinn Hughes with a contract extension was mentioned. Players are eligible to sign a contract extension beginning on July 1 of the summer before they are to become a free agent. So July 1, 2026 is when Hughes can first sign an extension.

Bruce Cassidy

Bruce Cassidy was fired as head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights and replaced by John Tortarella with eight games left in the regular season. With the Golden Knights continuing to pay Cassidy what he is owed on his contract, they have the right to deny other teams the opportunity to interview him, and they have done as much to their division rivals, the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings.

The NHL Coaches Association claims to be “monitoring the situation.”

Torts Press (un)Availability

John Tortorella failed to appear at the mandatory press conference following Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinal, in which the Knights closed out the Anaheim Ducks to advance to the Western Conference Final. The NHL personally fined Tortorella $100,000 and are forcing Vegas to forfeit their second round pick.

Tortorella and the Knights were reportedly upset with the NHL over their decision to suspend Brayden McNabb for one game for a late hit on Ryan Poehling.

Mitch Marner from Toronto

While talking about the potential for the Vegas Golden Knights to win the Cup, it was mentioned that Marner could take the cup for a victory lap around Toronto.

Marner is from the greater Toronto area and he could go on quite the victory lap of that metro. Marner was born in Markham and raised in the Thornhill neighborhood. He grew up playing hockey in Vaughan before transferring to the Don Mills Flyers based out of North York.