So there I was, innocently driving back from a game in Tampa Bay last week, when I flipped on the old podcast ap. My next one up was Marek vs. Wyshynski, but Marek was the only guy on the air because Wysh was (oddly enough) visiting my hometown of Bangkok. So I listened, feeling vaguely distracted by the late-night traffic and the sadness of losing to the Bruins. And when I tuned back in, I was listening to a player interview.

Only it wasn't any player interview.

At first the players were saying the usual cliches. I hadn't even caught what team they were on, but it sounded vaguely like Marek was playing a clip from some Juniors broadcast or something. IDK. so I was about to tune out, when... all of a sudden the interviewer started asking increasingly improper questions. About drug use, and various sexual activities, and more kinds of sexual activities, all kinds of things.

But the player kept saying the same exact cliches, over and over, no matter how crazy the interview got. And what was ridiculous was how apt the cliche was, no matter how obnoxious the question.

"What the heck is this," I thought.

I pulled over at took a look at the episode summary, and it said, "Marek interviews the creator of Letterkenny." I was torn between laughing and crying. The cliches were so real that I'd been completely taken in.

Anyway. That episode is the March 8th one archived here, and this was my introduction to the very Canadian TV show Letterkenny.

Leafs News

Just how bad are the Maple Leafs? | PPP
"Of all the things I've written about hockey, the one I love the most is my piece done at the half-way point of the season where I said the Leafs were actually playing better than they had in years and they would totally start to win. And then they totally lost. A lot."

Seeking a good right-handed defenseman | PPP
"Given the crunch we will be seeing next year with the loss of waiver eligibility of many of our prospects, lack of roster spots and recent buildup of assets, Toronto should seek to trade some of this depth for a core piece on the right side."

Calgary Inferno's Clarkson Cup win a celebration of a growing women's game | PPP
"The Calgary Inferno brought down Les Canadiennes 8-3 for their first ever Clarkson Cup, but the game was about much more than that."

Brendan Leipsic profiles his Marlies teammates | PPP
"SOMEONE got bored on the bus."

Andreas Johnson — An interview with the Maple Leafs' next Swedish star | HEOTP
"Johnson spoke about another successful season in the SHL, and the transition to North America he will make this summer with an eye on cracking the Leafs' roster next year."

Bernier, The Kids and Auston Matthews | THW
"Garett Sparks and Jonathan Bernier have been trading time in the Maple Leafs crease, and while both have had some measure of success, it was Bernier who most recently stole the show."

The pros and cons of Nylander sticking with Maple Leafs | Sporpsnet
"Should the Toronto Maple Leafs allow the rookie centre to play two more games this week, the clock will start ticking on his entry-level contract. That means he’ll become a restricted free agent in July 2018."

Rebuilding Maple Leafs attractive to free agents like Stamkos | Feschuk warning
Eyes dot gif

Other hockey news

Anthony Mantha to make NHL debut during pressure-packed stretch of Red Wings' season | Mlive
"Mantha has played with several Red Wings in the club's annual development camp and prospects tournament as well as with the Grand Rapids Griffins, where he spent this season before being recalled Monday morning."

NHL braces for rare playoffs without Canadian teams | CBC Sporps
THE WHOLE LEAGUE IS CANADIAN QUIT YER WHINING.

NHL adding blue-line cameras for playoffs | The Star
The initiative allows coaches to use video review to dispute goals scored on potential offside or goalie-interference plays.

NHL just can’t stop tinkering with its product | OTB
"The annual GM meetings are upon us once again. And every year, there’s a new laundry list of issues to deal with. And every year, a bunch of new rules are imposed."

NHL Draft and the general managers' war on lottery luck | Yahoo
"The worst thing was, well, Connor McDavid ending up with the Oilers, following Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov in the parade of stellar young talent marching into oblivion."

From The Branches