NHL insider John Shannon (2/20/25)

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Oilers NOW with Bob Stauffer 21 min 4 speakers 8 chapters transcribed 26 days ago

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What’s the pre‑game hype and key storylines for the Four Nations final?

John Shannon 0:00

Hey, it's Bob Stoffer. I just wanted to let you know that you can listen to Oilers Now ad free on Amazon Music, included with Prime.

Bob Stauffer 0:09

We return to Oilers Now with Bob Stoffer. Brought to you by World of Spas, Edmonton's number one hot tub and swim spa dealer. The ideal place to start your daily vacation on Oilers Radio, 880

Brendan Escott 0:24

Chad. Welcome back to Oilers Now. It's Brendan Escott sitting in with you for the final half hour of this show as we take you right up to Puck Drop in the Four Nations face-off final. Canada, USA. Can't believe it's finally here. So much was made leading into this tournament, and then we didn't know how to feel, and then it was made very obvious how we should feel about it. And then the US president keeps flapping his gun. And it just makes you want Canada to win that much more. So it's all culminating tonight in uh what again we hope is going to be a fantastic hockey game. Now it might not go Canada's way. We have to prepare ourselves for that too, because not only did uh the the Americans get the best of the situation in the first meeting, but they've got a pretty good hockey team.

Brendan Escott 1:11

So good, in fact, that Kyle Connor, who has more goals Scored than anybody on that roster in the NHL this season is going to be the odd man out. I find that really hard to believe, but he is going to be the one that sits as the extra forward for this game. There was a lot of roster convolution leading into this game and whether we were going to see Quinn Hughes and is it really a best on best without him? I don't know. I'm going to ask John Shannon right here. Here right now is we're joined by John Shannon for uh legacy heating and cooling. Whether it's heating or cooling you need, get it with no payments and no interest for a year. That's how you build a legacy, legacy heating and cooling. So, John, what was going through your mind yesterday when we were watching this whole maybe Quinn Hughes will play, maybe not?

Brendan Escott 1:59

I guess it was over the span of a couple of days.

John Shannon 2:04

Well, I I was a little more pragmatic than most people because um the rules were in place. The Americans understood the rules, the Canadians understood the rules. Uh Canada had to live by the rules um after the uh Shea Theodore injury with Thomas Harley. Um and so the r same rules were gonna be in place for Quinn Hughes. And that had been confirmed to many of us. uh the moment Mike Sullivan had said Quinn use is on his way. So from that perspective, there was no guarantee for Quinn Yoes.

How did the Quinn Hughes roster uncertainty affect Team Canada’s lineup?

John Shannon 2:38

If he was to be uh be uh in Boston, there was no guarantee that he was going to play. And that changed one thing and then I suspect that when you consider that Vancouver starts a long road trip in Vegas on Saturday It just made no sense for him to fly to Boston, maybe to play, no guarantee. So instead they end up with Brett

Brendan Escott 3:01

Pesci and Tage Thompson there. But what we're learning like a minute ago is that Josh Morrissey, due to illness, is out for Canada. I don't know if you'd seen this, John. How significant a loss is that?

John Shannon 3:15

Well, it is a concern. Uh there's no question about that. That and by the way, the flu has run rampant through every team in this tournament. You know, Brady Kachuk had it yesterday. Uh Linas Allmark had it. Obviously Kale McCarr had it. Uh it has been something that has followed all four teams from Montreal to Boston. I know people in the in the T V business that have been working on the broadcast, they have had the uh they've had the f flu issues as well and uh and so uh I I guess we shouldn't be surprised in these situations that somebody like Josh Morrissey who is not able to play because of flu.

Brendan Escott 3:56

Thomas Harley stepping into the lineup, how would you assess the job that he had to do already in this tournament and s in spot duty?

John Shannon 4:03

Oh, he's been fine. You know, he's a he's a solid NHL level defenseman. He will not uh do anything outrageous. He will play defense first. He can move the puck. Uh so I mean and and and let's face it, with Jim Nill uh as part of the management team, you know, he would he would s sit there in the group and endorse the fact that