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Tiddy's Takes on Whatever he Feels

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Josh Tidd is a long time hockey guy from Columbus, OH who loves everything there is to love about the game. Here you will find his takes on the latest in hockey as well as some other things too.

  • The Last Time Is Now: Highs and Lows of John Cena’s Farewell Tour

    The Last Time Is Now: Highs and Lows of John Cena’s Farewell Tour

    Welcome back to Tidd Talk! It has been some time since I have posted anything on here and I apologize. The summer came at me fast and before I knew it I was back in school in my busiest semester yet. Anyways, I have been bored lately and I have not had the time to really keep up with the NHL in depth, but I will look to dive back into that in the new year. Today, however, I want to discuss John Cena and his retirement tour.

    Many of you may not know, but I am actually a huge WWE fan. This year was a big year as a wrestling fan, as the Never Seen 17 and Greatest Of All Time, John Cena wrestled his final match and gave us a beautiful final chapter in his legendary career. Growing up, I was not the biggest John Cena fan. This in many reasons was because it was cool to root against him. After all, he had the same five moves and rarely put anyone over. He was shoved in our faces and rarely ever changed. But as I have gotten older, and especially over this last year, John Cena has become one of my favorite superstars of all time. I feel this post serves as an homage to a superstar who made up not only my childhood, but my friends’ childhoods as well. Here are my highs and lows from his most recent retirement tour.

    Low: John Cena and Logan Paul vs. Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso (Money in the Bank 6/7/25)

    This was when we could tell that there was really no plan whatsoever for the heel turn. I get the premise of it, pairing one of your top heels and a heel champion against one of your top faces and your face champion is a good idea in theory, but not on John Cena’s retirement tour, and not when there is no real payoff for Logan Paul. It was a waste of a PLE match for Cena, and could have been done on a Smackdown. The match itself was not awful, but it just did not make any sense. This should have been a title defense for John Cena. They could have done Randy Orton vs. Cena here instead of at the previous Saturday Night’s Main Event. The only bright spot of this match to me was the return of R-Truth/Ron Killings after being released just a week prior. However, once again, there was no payoff for Truth’s return, as Cena’s face turn killed Truth’s momentum and led to Truth being part-time again. Logan went on to tag with Drew McIntyre at Summerslam against Jelly Roll 2 months after he was paired with Cena. Paul should have been pushed as a singles competitor after this match, as that is how they built it up to be, with Paul holding the World Heavyweight title on a SmackDown before. Paul’s feud with Jey should have intensified before having Uso lose to Gunther or even Paul. This match overall was just a waste.

    Courtesy of WWE and Peacock

    High: Pipe Bomb 2.0 Promo on CM Punk (Smackdown 6/20/25)

    This was by far Cena’s best promo during the entire tour. It was easily the best moment of his heel turn and holds a special place in my heart as the original pipe bomb is what made me fall in love with wrestling and CM Punk. The details of this promo were brilliant. From the match against R-Truth to the role reversal with Punk laying through the table just like Cena during the original. This was a full-circle moment for me, and while I was not watching live during the moment, a good friend of mine texted me about it while I was out at a bar. I remember finding the video and pressing the phone up to my ear to listen to what he had to say. I was in awe of the promo. The shoutouts of former WWE guys in other companies with Claudio Castagnoli (Cesaro), Nic Nemeth (Dolph Ziggler), and Matt Cardona (Zack Ryder) were unheard of over the last 20 years of wrestling. Once you left the company, you were rarely mentioned again, and if you were, it certainly was not by your name in another company. The callbacks were just brilliant, and I cannot express it enough. I will include the link in case you have not seen it.

    Courtesy of WWE

    Low: John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar (Wrestlepalooza 9/20/25)

    This match was such a bummer. This was the first PLE in the ESPN era, and it was built up to be such a big show, but overall, it disappointed. Cena and Lesnar opened the show, and it was not at all what anyone anticipated. It was a squash. They let Cean do his iconic moves and comebacks, then had Brock finish him. It once again felt like a waste of a PLE match towards the end of the tour, and I will admit, I had lost hope for the rest of the tour afterwards. They could have easily given us a 50/50 match with Lesnar winning, I mean, it is John Cena for crying out loud. There is no reason why Brock was so dominant other than to make him look strong to put a young superstar (Oba Femi?) over in the future. That was the reasoning Cena gave in an interview months after the fact, which makes sense, but still. In my opinion, it was the worst match of the tour and should have been booked way better than it was. It threw a wrench in Lesnar’s return, too, as it was hardly built after his Summerslam return, and they waited till a month and a half after to capitalize. Also, it should have main-evented the card. Cena should have main-evented every card he was on this year, but I digress.

    Courtesy of WWE

    High: Grand Slam Champion in Boston

    I am so glad they decided to give Cena the Intercontinental Title in his last run. This was the main thing that I wanted to see, as it just did not seem right to have Cena go out without becoming a Grand Slam Champion. It was also awesome to see it done in Boston. I recall this night thoroughly as I had just finished a stats exam and had gotten a text from my friends to come hang out. I went over to my buddy’s place and told him we had to watch the beginning of Raw. Sure enough, Cena and Dom Mysterio opened the show in Cena’s hometown with an Intercontinental title match. The moment meant so much more than the match to me, but the match was also significant, as it was a chance to see one of my childhood heroes face another one of my childhood heroes’ (Rey Mysterio) son. It was a full circle moment, and you could tell Cena enjoyed working with Dom in not only this match but their match at Survivor Series, too. Dom was the perfect man for Cena to beat for the IC title, and I am glad it happened the way it did. The no sell of the 619 and frog splash by Cena was classic super Cena and it made me really happy to see in 2025.

    Courtesy of WWE

    Low: John Cena vs. CM Punk (Night of Champions 6/28/25)

    If you know me, you are likely questioning how the final match between my two favorite wrestlers of all time could possibly be a low. The build was great, and the history was there, but the ending of the match really tainted it for me. This should have ended clean, and I still to this day do not understand the interference. Maybe it was to protect Punk and not make him look weak? I don’t know. What I do know is that Penta served no role in his run-in, and it all seemed sloppy the way it ended. This match bummed me out so much that I held out hope that Cena’s last match at Madison Square Garden would be against Punk for the World Heavyweight title just so I could see this rivalry end properly. That, of course, did not happen. The match itself was actually really entertaining, and the build made it so much better, but the ending was really dumb, which is why it ranks as a low for me.

    Courtesy of WWE

    High: John Cena vs. AJ Styles (Crown Jewel 10/11/25)

    This match was wrestling in its purest form. It was the GOAT of WWE vs. the GOAT of TNA. The nostalgia was there, Styles wore a ring gear inspired by what he wore while he was in TNA, and the building was plastered in yellow for Cena, but everyone was there for the match. Nobody was against Styles, as everyone knew this would not disappoint, and there was no heel in the matchup. The match began with a special introduction for Styles, acknowledging his greatness and importance to wrestling, and then it gave us one of the most beautiful matches I have ever seen. So many nods were made by both to legendary superstars such as the Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, and Chris Jericho. Even the Miz and Rusev had their spot in the match. To see the fireflies come out after Cena hit Styles with the Sister Abigail was something else. Cena got emotional, and you could tell how much it meant to him. This was when we really started to see Cena realize that he was coming towards the end of his career. To me is where he and I began to savor every moment left in the ring. This is when it started to feel real and ultimately revived the tour after the Lesnar squash, and made me happy to see Cena happy.

    Courtesy of WWE

    Low: John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes (Wrestlemania 41 4/20/25)

    This was the exact opposite of what the Summerslam bout was. I think we all know that there was supposed to be more to this match in terms of Cena’s heel turn, but something happened with the Rock, and I think they wanted to execute their original plan, whatever that may have been, which is why they had the whole Travis Scott run-in. They definitely could have pivoted to something better had they known everything else was going to fall through, but instead, they went with what they had, and what they had was ultimately disappointing. To cap off the weekend with such a lackluster match after the ending of night 1 really set my expectations low for the rest of the tour. I was happy Cena won his 17th World title, but I was really upset the way it was booked. Travis Scott should not have been involved without the Rock, and we would have been better off if Cena went with a Doctor of Thuganomics turn instead of the turn we had, but I will save that for a little bit later. This once again felt like WWE trying to capitalize on a moment as opposed to the overall storytelling and quality of the match which I have began to despise in the Triple H era.

    Courtesy of Ethan Miller/Getty Images

    High: John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes (Summerslam 8/3/25)

    This was the sequel to the Wrestlemania 41 match and it did not disappoint. It was a street fight for the Undisputed WWE title that ran 37 minutes and had everything but Cena winning. Cody and Cena put on a hell of a performance that I will never forget. I’ll never forget when Cena came out of the stage with Cody on his shoulders and the look on his face. The build was so much fun for it too, with Cena trying to dodge the match in the prior weeks and Cody essentially forcing Cena to sign the contract for the match. It was also awesome to see Cena turn face (although quite abruptly) and share a beer with Cody on SmackDown before their match. This was Cena’s only one-on-one match with a stipulation during this retirement tour, and I am so glad it was with Cody, as I think Cody has become the king of stipulation matches in modern-day WWE. He lives and breathes wrestling, and if what I have heard is correct, we will get to see him face McIntyre in a 3 Stages of Hell match on the first SmackDown of the year, which I am quite stoked for. This felt like the climax of the tour to me, as everything after this was just icing on the cake. Brock’s return was legendary, I as well many others had thought we would never see him in WWE again. It capped off what I felt was one of the best Summerslams I have ever watched.

    Courtesy of WWE

    Low: The Heel Run

    For my last low, I want to look at the heel run as a whole. The turn was phenomenal. The idea that Cena would align himself with the Rock was brilliant, except they had no further plan set in stone. The promos were ridiculous, and it was not at all the John Cena we should have been given for half of his last run. We should have been given an authentic Cena, not an angry one who wanted to ruin wrestling. I personally liked the idea of a heel turn, but I think we should have gotten the Dr. of Thuganomics gimmick for Cena, as it was the best of both worlds. The John Cena we know and love essentially evolved from the Dr. of Thuganomics, and it would have added so much to the nostalgia feel of things. I think the turn wanted to set up for the Rock vs. Cena at some point, with Cena being a face after a possible Cody-Rock alignment, but obviously, this never panned out. The moment was great, but the reality of it is that we were essentially robbed of half of Cena’s retirement tour for views and clicks.

    Courtesy of WWE

    High: John Cena vs. Gunther (Saturday Night’s Main Event 12/13/25)

    For many casuals of the business, this is likely the ultimate low. Nobody wanted to see Cena lose in his final match, but it is simply what had to happen. I knew from the beginning that Cena was going to go out on his back, and that is exactly the way he wanted to go. Gunther is the ultimate artist when it comes to professional wrestling, and he was the perfect guy for Cena to lose to in his last match. It was professional wrestling vs. sports entertainment, and unfortunately, it was not sports entertainment’s night, and that’s okay. Cena and Gunther put on a hell of a performance and had me entertained from the start. Cena had me feeling like a kid again, mimicking his “You Can’t See Me” and Five Knuckle Shuffle. The conversation (as Cena likes to call it) that was had with the audience during the endless sleeper hold was one I will forever be grateful for. The night itself was even more beautiful, from legends like Kurt Angle and Rob Van Dam being in attendance to the many promos shown throughout the pre-show and actual show. It was very emotional. The ending was poetic. It was not John Cena giving up; it was him letting go. He held on in a submission that has taken out many greats in the last few years for a long time, and then finally he realized that for others to succeed, one must let go, and he did. It is very Obi-Wan Kenobi-Esque and has set the company and Gunther for great possible success in 2026. The smile on Cena’s face said it all. You could tell he was at peace with his career, and that is all that matters in the end.

    Courtesy of WWE

    Final Thoughts

    While the tour was by no means perfect, it certainly had great moments that made up for the bad, and we will never see anything like it again. No superstar in the rest of WWE’s existence will be as influential and great as John Cena was. He is known universally and is likely the only superstar that everyone in the world knows in some fashion. Sure, there are people who found themselves left out of the tour, but that is okay. There were only so many people who could be involved, and I think they nailed the selection. Just like Cena, I am at peace with the way his career went and ended, and I am excited to see what he does next in his acting career. I am thankful for the nostalgia, and I am thankful that I was able to experience this in its entirety over the last year.

  • Tiddy’s Toe Drags 4/29/25: Barely Holding On

    Tiddy’s Toe Drags 4/29/25: Barely Holding On

    Welcome to Tiddy’s Toe Drags, where I give my opinions on some of the top stories in the game and some topics I want to discuss. The Penguins make a coaching change, some young Jackets players look to make an impact for Canada at the IIHF World Championships, the Oilers’ lack of depth seems to be catching up to them, playoff Hellebuyck has arrived, and Tom Wilson and Josh Anderson spark the latest chapter in their saga. Should be a nice change of pace from the lengthy features I have been doing and hopefully the beginning of a solidified schedule.

    Mike Sullivan

                The Pittsburgh Penguins part ways with long-time coach Mike Sullivan after 10 seasons and 2 Stanley Cups. General Manager made it clear in a press conference on Monday that he was the one who initiated the change, as he felt it was “just time” to move on. Dubas was also quoted as saying “two things can be true… That someone can be a great head coach, and they’ll move on to become a great head coach on their next stop, and it can also be time for change here. That was the conclusion that I had come to. It was something on my mind during the season.” Dubas and the Penguins will begin a thorough search for their next head coach, which could last until early June.

    Courtesy of: The Pittsburgh-Post Gazzette

                The coaching market right now is hot. There is no shortage of former Cup winners such as Joel Quenneville, Peter Laviolette, and John Tortorella. Rick Tocchet is also an option, who did a solid job in his early time in Vancouver, turning the team around. Denver University coach David Carle could also be an option. I believe it is only a matter of time before he is an NHL head coach, and Pittsburgh could be the team to take a flyer on him.

    Courtesy of: Jim Rosvold / The Rink Live

    I like the move here, as to me it is Dubas’s first move in a different direction than the reload method they have been trying to do around Crosby, Malkin, and Letang. It feels like Dubas is beginning to make moves for the future as opposed to bringing in guys to satisfy his captain. I have always thought Dubas was one of the better General Managers in the NHL, and I always thought he got what his teams needed in Toronto. The team just could not perform on the ice. I never thought there was a GM issue in Toronto, and was quite surprised when Dubas got canned before Keefe at the time.

    Courtesy of: The Pittsburgh-Post Gazzette

    I believe the biggest question for the Penguins here is what direction they are looking to take. They could continue their forced cup windows for as long as Crosby is around, or they could get a coach for the future and begin to look toward the days past Sid and Geno. While it is sad to think of a Penguins team without these guys, it is starting to become that time in Pittsburgh. I know Crosby is one of the most loyal guys in the league, but he also loves to win. I would love to see him be a little selfish and get himself to a place where he can play playoff hockey again and get the Penguins some future assets to begin a new era. The odds of this are slim however.

    Courtesy of: The Pittsburgh-Post Gazzette

    Blue Jackets  on Team Canada at the IIHF WC

                While the full roster for Team Canada has not been released, it was reported that Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson will be part of the roster in Sweden in Denmark in the coming weeks, joining Blue Jackets head coach Dean Evason and Assistant Coach Steve McCarthy. Funny enough, Kyle Dubas is also the GM of this team.

    Courtesy of: Tri-City News

                I am very excited for these guys to play in the WC because I believe a big part of growing as a hockey player is playing meaningful hockey and while this tournament will not have guys like McDavid or Matthews, it will still be good competition and will allow for these guys to build confidence in their game and play for something. It is similar to sending your younger guys down to the AHL to play in the Calder Cup Playoffs or playing meaningful games late in a season, even if you still miss the playoffs. These things can do wonders for a young player’s game. I believe we will see the rest of the roster come out with a decent amount of younger players from across the league, with a few vets scattered here and there. For comparison, the average age of the current Team USA roster for the WC is 25, with the oldest guy being 31. I expect that to be the same with Canada.

    The Oilers

                The Oilers look to be back in the series against the Kings, but I see this as a mirage. They still look to be riding the coattails of their top 3 guys in McDavid, Draisaitl, and Bouchard. I know this team has won the last two, but their play does not seem sustainable at all. Calvin Pickard cannot get this team to the promise land. He is playing well enough now, but I do not see this Oilers team getting two more wins on this Kings squad. Kuemper is playing much better, and if it weren’t for a missed high stick and a last-second goal from the Oilers, they would be down 3-1. When one of your better players is Corey Perry at this point in his career, there is just no way to sustain your play. I don’t care who your top 2 guys are.

    Courtesy of: The Edmonton Journal

                With this being said, the Oilers still have McDavid and Draisaitl, so I am not completely saying they will not win this series. I just do not believe in the squad going all the way to the cup final again like they did last year. I am afraid last year was their chance unless they manage to get deeper and better goaltending moving forward. It could very well be possible that McDavid and Draisaitl decide to go elsewhere once their deals expire if nothing is done to get these guys consistently making deep runs in the playoffs or winning a cup. I do believe the Kings will win this series, and from what I have seen, the Oilers are barely hanging in there. Game 5 is tonight and should be an interesting one. We will see, though.

    Courtesy of: The New York Times

    Playoff Hellebuyck

                As stated in my playoff prediction, Hellebuyck is key to this Jets team making a run. He has not been Vezina Hellebuyck as of recently being pulled in two consecutive games against the St. Louis Blues. The Blues are hot. They may not lose another game this series, having scored 12 goals in the last two games. Unless Hellebuyck figures something out, it looks like it could quickly be the end of the road for the Jets. Maybe it has something to do with the Blues’ use of Jobu from Major League. The first two games of the series looked to play exactly into the Jets’ favor. The biggest thing for the Jets moving forward will be to get Hellebuyck back to playing Hellebuyck hockey. We knew this was a possibility, as it happens every year with the Jets. He just has not performed in the playoffs. Game 5 is Wednesday at 8:30, and I believe the winner of Game 5 will ultimately win the series, unless it is a race to the finish to see who can score more goals.

    Courtesy of: Jeff Le-Imagn Images

    Josh Anderson vs. Tom Wilson

                Josh Anderson and Tom Wilson found themselves in the middle of a big scrap once again in Game 3 after a scrum broke out at the end of the second intermission. These two are no strangers to each other and have always had run-ins with one another, dating back to Anderson’s days in Columbus. Early on in Anderson’s career, he was compared to Wilson as he is a skilled tough guy, much like Anderson, and Anderson did not like that comparison at all. These guys have never liked each other, and it will be interesting to see how Anderson responds after Wilson decided to focus more on himself and the team in Game 4 and stay out of the scraps.

                These two guys can make any series fun to watch. I think, even though the series is 3-1, there is a chance we see 7, at least 6. I do not think Montreal is done, and I think it is going to be scrappy the rest of the way out. I also do not think we have seen the last of Anderson and Wilson, and think we could see some fireworks tomorrow in Game 5. As I have previously stated, Josh Anderson is one of my favorite players of all time, and Tom Wilson, one of my least. While I have always liked tough, skilled guys, Wilson has an arrogance to him where he runs around on the ice and does whatever, but then kind of steps back when it comes to answering the bell for what he did. Anyways, I digress.

    Final Thoughts

                 A lot of fun things to cover once again. I have been quite busy recently, so the meat in most of this post is kind of small. With summer starting, I look to get a consistent schedule of posts every Tuesday and Friday, along with a feature post every now and then. The playoffs are in full swing right now, and other than the Toronto series, my predictions have been pretty solid. I have enjoyed writing these posts and hope you have enjoyed reading them. I will see you on Friday.

  • Thursday 4/24/25: Columbus Blue Jackets Season Review

    Thursday 4/24/25: Columbus Blue Jackets Season Review

                The Columbus Blue Jackets’ 2024-25 Season was one of the more memorable Blue Jackets seasons since the 2018-19 season when they swept the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round. This team played meaningful hockey late in the year for the first time in years. Game 81. That is how long they went with playoff hopes, being the last team eliminated by the Montreal Canadiens, who controlled their fate. The Blue Jackets did what they needed to do down the stretch, winning their last 6 games, one regulation loss to Montreal was all they needed. Unfortunately, Carolina did not want to risk getting guys hurt in garbage time and played a squad of bottom-six guys.

    Courtesy of: AP Photo/Nick Wass

    Johnny

                Despite not making the postseason, this season was super successful for the club. With the tragedy of Johnny Gaudreau, this team has every excuse to be a bottom-three team in the league, and nobody would have blamed them. This team coped with the loss of their best friend through hockey. It was a constant theme throughout the season that Johnny would want these guys to play hockey, bringing this group closer together than any group in the league. The team fed off of one another, and they bought into playing for Johnny. Sean Monohan, who signed here in the summer to play with his best friend Johnny, was such a key guy in all of this. He had the closest relationship to Johnny on the team, and being able to see a guy like that compete the way he did night in and night out, up until his injury, fueled this Jackets team even more. It made for quite a story and has set the Jackets up well for the future.

    Courtesy of: The NHL

    Highs

                Let’s take a look at some of the highs of the season to kick off today’s special feature on Tidd Talk. The Blue Jackets finished with a 40-33-9 record, finishing with 89 points, which would be good for 4th in the Metro and the first team eliminated from the wildcard. This marks the first time the Blue Jackets finished with 40 wins since that magical 2018-19 season and proves to be a massive step for the team. Something that is overlooked is that this team almost caught the New Jersey Devils, who finished with 91 points. Had the 2-1 defeat on March 17th ended in a victory, the Blue Jackets would be facing the Hurricanes right now as a top-three team in the division.

    Courtesy of: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch

                This team was the best even-strength scoring team in the NHL, at 201 goals for, outscoring the Washington Capitals by 11 goals. This season was also the highest scoring season for the club, as they managed to score 267 goals, which was good for 8th in the entire league. Continuing on the topic of goals, this team had two 30-goal scorers in Kirill Marchenko and Adam Fantilli for the first time since 2015-16, where Brandon Saad and Boone Jenner tallied 31 and 30, respectively. They also had 3 guys eclipse 20, as well as the 2 above 30. Kent Johnson, Dmitri Voronkov, and Zach Werenski managed to tally 24, 23, and 23, respectively, where Werenski set the record for goals by defensemen for the Blue Jackets.

    Courtesy of: AP Photo/Nick Wass

                The team saw so much individual growth as well. The young guys took a massive step forward and truly showed that they are the future of this club, and guys like Werenski and Mathieu Olivier had seasons that put the league on notice, both in their ways. Werenski finished the season with 23 goals and 59 assists for 82 points, which was good for first place amongst all three categories for defensemen in franchise history. Werenski quickly inserted himself into the Norris trophy mix as well, finishing just second in points for defensemen behind Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche. Werenski was a big part of the success of this team as he made everyone he played with better. Olivier quickly became one of the best-skilled tough guys in the league. In my opinion, the toughest guy in the league, there were nights this season where you could just tell he was going to fight. When you know you know, and there were a lot of times you just knew. As well as this, Olivier was good for 18 goals and 14 assists for 32 points, which, for a certified tough guy, is all you need.

    Courtesy of: Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports

                Our last high has to be the performance of the younger guys. I have already touched on this a tad prior, but I feel it is important to touch on the play of Jet Greaves down the stretch of the season. Jet won 5 straight for the jackets in their final 6-game win streak to end the season, and was a big part of this team being in the mix late. He let in only 4 goals in this span and posted 2 shutouts. I am never one to jump the gun on goalies, as I am a believer that we need to see 100 games before determining how good a goalie is, but this kid is showing some great potential to be the future for the Jackets. The forward core and possibly the goaltending are there, and it was exciting to finally see some growth in this team.

    Courtesy of: Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

    Lows

                As with every season, no matter how high, there are going to be some lows. To start off, I want to comment on the defense and the goaltending. As previously stated, this team scored a lot of goals. The only problem? They let in just as many goals. They had an even 0 goal differential, and a big part has to do with the defense and the inconsistency of goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, who had 26 wins with a 3.18 goals against average and a .892 save percentage in 53 games. There were games this season where the difference maker was Elvis, both positively and negatively. Obviously, a positive was his play in the outdoor game, but he also tried his best at times to lose games for us, like in the 7-3 loss to Colorado on April 3rd. Now, with this being said, this is not entirely on Elvis. The defense was lackluster past our top pair, as other than Provorov, we really struggled to solidify a bottom-four defensemen group which costed us deeply throughout the entire year.

    Courtesy of: Steven Kingsman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

                Consistency is the biggest low this team has had this year when it comes to their play on the ice. There were games where the forwards were playing well but were getting no help from their defense, and then games where the goalie would play well but receive no help from his skaters. This is to be expected from such a young team, but there is no question that there are holes for this team to fill, both on the back end and in the net. The forward group will continue to grow, but they need to figure something out with the defense, as they are young and inexperienced, or just a burden like Jack Johnson, Damon Severson, or Erik Gudbransson.

    Courtesy of: AP Photo/Matt Slocum

    Where to Now?

                Don Waddell is in no way going to squander what he has here. This offseason will be one of the most important ones for the Blue Jackets, as it will allow for Waddell to solidify his core moving forward. I believe defense and goaltending will be the main focus around this offseason, and I believe we will see a blockbuster trade for one or the other. The free agency market is not the strongest, but I do believe Don will want to make a splash for a star to alert the NHL that the Jackets are here to stay and are only going to get better from here. Some names I wonder about in free agency are Brock Boeser, Mitch Marner, and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Jackets have a lot of cap space to spare this summer, and I do not think it hurts to make a pitch to any of these guys. The most likely one for the Jackets to land, however, is Boeser, as he has been rumored to come to Columbus for quite some time now. I think Fantilli centering Marchenko and one of the three guys above could be the Jackets’ top line for years to come and could be the line that leads them to a deep playoff run, along with the depth of their other young guys and vets.

    Courtesy of: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

                In terms of trades, I do not have anyone in mind as of right now for the Jackets to target. It is quite early in the offseason, and I believe it would be wise to wait for after the playoffs to do more of an offseason deep dive of the team, but they do have assets to give. They have two first-round picks in this year’s draft and some younger pieces who could still fetch value in a Yegor Chinkhov or a Cole Sillinger. While I do not think the Jackets will trade both of their picks, I think if an offer is there that Don deems to be a major step forward, like a trade for a superstar, then he will do it. Defense and goaltending are the key here, and I do think Don will make a splash in this sense for sure. Another thing to consider is the rise of the cap in the coming years. It is likely Waddell will want to get some deals done now to look a lot better on the cap later when it rises by 25 million in the next 3 years. Anyways, I will do a deeper dive in the Jackets’ offseason post-playoffs, but this is where I stand now as a full deep-dive would be too long to include here.

    Courtesy of: The Columbus Dispatch

    Final Thoughts

                This season was quite the ride. I believe I was one of the few fans who did not stop believing till the end, and the belief almost got us there. Game 81! My favorite part of the year was how much fun these guys were able to have in the wake of such a difficult tragedy. This team has grown so much closer, and for people to say this is a one-off is just wrong. Tragedies bring people together, and this Columbus Blue Jackets team is just another example of it. If they were a tad more consistent and had a .900 goalie all season, this team would be in the playoffs, and they probably would not be doing too badly. I look forward to seeing where this team goes moving forward, as I think they will be one of the hottest and most fun teams next season and could make a deep playoff run, depending on the pieces acquired in the offseason. The core is there for the first time in a long time, and this time it feels different.

  • Friday 4/18/25: 2025 Stanley Cup Playoff Preview: The East

    Friday 4/18/25: 2025 Stanley Cup Playoff Preview: The East

                As promised yesterday, Tidd Talk returns to break down the Eastern Conference playoff matchups. After what was a thrilling end to the season with the Blue Jackets just barely missing the playoffs after Montreal’s win against Carolina, the East this year looks to be wide open. I think we could see anybody go on a run, including Montreal and Ottawa. The only team I do not have any thought of going far is New Jersey, which I will touch up on today.

    The Toronto Maple Leafs vs. The Ottawa Senators

                The first matchup in the East is the one I am most interested in. The Ottawa Senators are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2017, and the Toronto Maple Leafs see themselves set to face a very beatable opponent after only winning just 2 rounds in the last 20 years. With Mitch Marner possibly coming off the books this offseason, this could be the last chance for the Leafs with their current core. It is crazy how one of the best young cores of the modern era in the regular season may never get past the second round of the playoffs. It is due or die in Toronto this season, and once again, this team is built very similarly to how they have always been. The main core in Matthews, Marner, Tavares, Nylander, and Rielly has stayed the same, and the rest of the team is filled out with vets or young guys who every Leafs fan thinks will be the next guy up in Toronto. This team has always been weird regarding goalies, as they always seem to have random guys in the net. Who would have thought Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz would have dominated the Leafs’ net this year out of all people? Joseph Woll and the main core are the ticket to success for the Maple Leafs here, as there is no doubt that Woll is the goalie of the future and that a big piece of this core could potentially be out after this season. I feel like it is something I have been hammering in constantly, but goaltending is key to making it far, even when you have a stellar core like Toronto.

    Courtesy of: Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press

                This Ottawa Senators team will be tough to play against, as any team with a Tkachuk is. This team is not the most top-heavy when it comes to scoring as the Maple Leafs are. They have a surprising number of guys at the 40+ point mark as well, 4, almost 6, 20 goal scorers. They have some solid depth up front for a wildcard team and could give a team like Toronto a run for their money, especially with all the uncertainty and pressure for the Leafs. The goaltending has been outstanding, and the guy leading the way is former Vezina winner Linus Ullmark, who has some playoff experience with the Boston Bruins and could very well get hot for Ottawa here. My one complaint with this team is their defense. They have a solid top 3 in Thomas Chabot, Artem Zub, and Jake Sanderson, but passed that, I do not know how this defense will hold. Maybe a solid top 3 is all you need, but they will need to be stellar and get some serious help from Ullmark to make a run. The experience of this team and their defense could ultimately be their downfall, but then again, they are playing the Maple Leafs, who are notorious for being first-round exits.

    Courtesy of: Sean Kilpatrick and the Canadian Press

                I think this will be a really fun series. Two passionate Canadian hockey cities head to head in the first round of the playoffs? Sign me up! I think this series will go 7 games. It will be a hard-fought battle, and it is only right for the Leafs to go the distance and re-spark a provincial rivalry with the Senators. This series will either be a goalie battle or a race to the finish, there is no in between unless we see goalie battles and barn burners every other game. Whoever gets the hotter hand will win this series in 7. I think it will be the Ottawa Senators getting it done here as Toronto just is not a team I can see winning anything this season.

    Prediction: Senators in 7.

    The Tampa Bay Lightning vs. The Florida Panthers

                Here we have the latest rendition of the Sunshine State Showdown. This will be the fourth time the two teams have met in the playoffs in the last 5 playoffs. The series is currently led by Tampa, which has won 2 of the previous 3 meetings between the two. This year feels a little different as these two are going in as second and third best teams in the Atlantic and are only separated by 4 points in the standings. Tampa has been getting some stellar play from Andrei Vasilevskiy, who is likely the second-best goalie in the playoffs this year, and they have the Art Ross and possible Hart winner in Nikita Kucherov. It is hard not to like Tampa almost every season, as they just always have guys who know what it’s like to reach the top of the mountain. A good portion of this team has won a cup before, and the guys who haven’t have all seen a lot of playoff action. Much like the Colorado and Dallas matchup in the West, however, this matchup unfortunately will see a Cup contender get knocked out in the first round. I think Tampa’s key to winning is not to collapse. It seems like when they lose, they get low on themselves, as for the longest time, winning was all they knew. Sticking together is key in the battle for either team.

    Courtesy of: Julio Aguilar/GettyImages

                The defending Stanley Cup champions are faced with a challenge in the first round. Lucky for them, they have a solid roster to combat it. While they are on kind of a down year in terms of their top scorers, this team is still fresh off of two straight Cup finals, for the most part, and one Stanley Cup win. There is no doubt they are hungry to defend it, especially when they see the big, bad Lightning as their first victim. I believe this team has the pieces to make another run and will benefit from the likes of their pests, Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett, and Matthew Tkachuk. Nastiness is something you need some playoff time, and Florida definitely wins in that category in this matchup. Their only possible flaw is which playoff Bobrovsky they will get. His past 3 playoff runs have been quite consistent, but you never know with Bob, as he could play like the best goalie in the world one day and then be the reason you lose the next. As long as Stanley Cup champion Bob plays and not playoff Bob of old, then Florida will win this series.

    Courtesy of: The Miami Herald

                Nastiness and grit are ultimately what will get the job done in this matchup, in my opinion, and Florida has the upper hand here. I do not think Tampa has enough pests and will get annoyed very quickly by the nastiness of the Panthers. Goaltending will be a big part of this series as well, but I think it will ultimately be who wants it more and digs deeper, and I think Florida will want it more as they are looking to defend their cup, much like Tampa did in 2021 and 2022. Besides, who wouldn’t want to see Brady vs Matthew in the second round of the playoffs? I will say I think this will be another 7-game series, as these teams are quite close and will likely give us an instant classic.

    Prediction: Panthers in 7

    The Washington Capitals vs. The Montreal Canadiens

                Here is where my Blue Jackets would be had they made it. I am fully invested in this series as three of my favorite players of all time are involved. Josh Anderson is my favorite player of all time, so I will always root for him, but right behind him is the Great Eight, Alexander Ovechkin. Add Martin St. Louis into the mix, and it’s just Tidd’s Favorites.

    Let’s take a look at the Capitals. Washington has had quite the eventful year with the Great Chase, and they have not looked the best to close out the season. They posted a 4-6 record in their last 10 games and had some pretty bad losses to teams they should have beaten, like the Blue Jackets, Islanders, Sabres, and Bruins. Granted, this team has been in the playoffs since March, but you never want to go into the playoffs with a spotty record like they have. It seems as if the season became more about the goal record and less about winning for the Capitals as it went on. I really like the makeup of this team. I think they did the retool perfectly, only missing the playoffs one time in 2023 in the last 10 years, and immediately becoming relevant again afterwards. This, in my opinion, is the deepest roster in the East and possibly the whole league. If they can get Logan Thompson back, this team may be unstoppable. My biggest concern for them is a record hangover. They cannot stay on the record for too long. They need to move on and look to their playoff goals, which they should be able to do, but we will see. Got to wonder if it would have been better for Ovi to break the record mid-season instead of towards the end.

    Courtesy of: AP News

                Les Habitants are a different story. This team is quite young, and it has been quite some time since their run in 2021, and they are missing some pretty key pieces since then. The addition of Ivan Demidov this late in the season looks to be an absolute lifesaver for the Habs. He has looked great for a team that almost squandered their playoff hopes entirely. I like the makeup of their lineup as well, going with their young future in Caufield, Suzuki, and Slafkovsky, on their top line, and then their vets in Gallagher, Dvorak, and Anderson on the second. Montreal has been a really fun team to watch all season, and I think a lot of that has to do with Head Coach Martin St. Louis. This guy is an absolute competitor in every sense of the word. I could see him being a future Jack Adams winner if he is not in the running for it this season already. He gets his guys fired up, and he can really be may just be the spark Montreal needs to compete in the first round. My biggest concern with this team is their youth. A lot of these guys do not have a lot of playoff experience, and as we know, experience can make a whole world of difference. I think the key for Montreal will be to strike fast and stay on the gas as well as get some saves from Montembeault. If they can do this, they could be a Cinderella as the playoffs go on.

    Courtesy of: Minas Panagiotakis/GettyImages

                I do not think Washington lets this series get away from them. I think they will come out quick on Montreal, and the Habs will quickly begin to panic. The Habs can only sustain the pressure from the fans for so long, and this could be where they crack. I see this series either being a sweep for the Capitals or going the distance, and the Habs just falling short in game 7. The more likely outcome to me, however, is for the Caps to sweep. I am rooting for the Habs for the record, but I do not see them winning any in Washington.

    Prediction: Capitals in 4 or 7.

    The Carolina Hurricanes vs. The New Jersey Devils

                Here we get to what is, in my opinion, the most boring series of the playoffs (and I am saying that with LA vs Edmonton in the West). Jack Hughes is out for the Devils, and to me, that takes out a lot of the interest in the series. This roster just does not interest me, and the Devils have not had the most consistent playoff record recently, having only made it once in the last 6 years in 2023, where they lost in the Conference Semi-Finals. It is tough to go into a series without your superstar, especially against a team like Carolina, which has been a consistent playoff team for a while now. The Devils are just meh to me. Past Bratt, J. Hughes, and Hischier, this team is a snooze fest. With that being said I will keep this short and move on to the Hurricanes.

    Courtesy of: Maddie Meyer/GettyImages

                The Hurricanes have had quite the interesting season, essentially turning Martin Necas into Logan Stankoven and futures. Not really ideal for a team that would like to be in win-now mode. With that being said, they have got some pretty solid play from their core as well as their younger guys like Seth Jarvis and Jackson Blake. The Hurricanes have been so good for so long, and I do not see any world where they do not make a run in the East as the East is really not the best this season. They also have a lot of guys who have made it out of the first round and even as far as the Conference Finals. I think Carolina is one of the teams that realistically have a chance to get out of the East. I like their defense core, and I like what they have up front. I also think their goalie tandem is one of the better ones in the East behind Washington and this could be all it takes to get them over the hump.

    Courtesy of: USA Today

    No more thoughts on this as I really could not care less about this series, as I think it will be a wash for Carolina and playoff Devils with no Jack Hughes is just sad, and I just want to move on with the rounds.

    Prediction: Hurricanes in 5

    Final Thoughts

                I see three teams that can make it out in the East. Carolina, Washington, and the Florida Panthers. Nobody else really screams contender to me. With that being said, I am just another scrub putting my thoughts out there, so you are more than welcome to disagree. I think this year’s playoffs will be really solid once we get out of the first-round matchups. I would love to see Colorado and Winnipeg as well as Ottawa and Florida. I think those could be some for the ages. Anyways, I will wrap it up here as the last two posts have been quite lengthy. I appreciate you joining me today for another edition of Tidd Talk. I will likely be back next week when the playoffs get going. I would like to get a feature out on the Columbus Blue Jackets season, but it is quite the busy time right now, so we will see.

  • Thursday 4/17/25: 2025 Stanley Cup Playoff Preview: The West

    Thursday 4/17/25: 2025 Stanley Cup Playoff Preview: The West

                With the Montreal Canadiens’ win over half of the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night, the 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are officially set. In today’s edition of Tidd Talk, I will give my thoughts and predictions for all first-round matchups in the West and who I think will make it to the Stanley Cup Finals. Buckle your seat belts because you are in for quite the ride.

    The Winnipeg Jets vs. The St. Louis Blues

                It is no doubt who is responsible for the Jets and their Presidents Trophy-winning season, *cough cough* Connor Hellebuyck. Goaltending in the playoffs can take you a long way or it can take you out early. Hellebuyck is not only a front-runner for the Vezina but a front-runner for the Hart as well. Finishing the season with 47 wins in 62 starts, a 2.00 goals against average, and a whopping .925 save percentage, Hellebuyck is Winnipeg’s ticket to success in this year’s playoffs. The problem with Hellebuyck is that he is not the most consistent when it comes to the playoffs, only making it out of the first round twice in his entire career, once of which was the Covid year. He will be the ticket to how far this Jets team goes. They have a solid roster as always, with guys like Kyle Connor, who posted his second career 40-goal season, and a lights-out top defensemen pair in Josh Morrissey and Dylan DeMelo. I cannot stress enough, if Hellebuyck performs, then this Jets team will be scary.

    Courtesy of: UMASS-Lowell

                This St. Louis Blues team came out of nowhere down the stretch after a heater of a 12-game win streak before finally dropping to none other than the Winnipeg Jets on April 7th, 3-1. Led by Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou, this team has depth for being a wild card team that had to go on a heater of a streak to make it. Dylan Holloway has been a brilliant acquisition for this club and has made Edmonton fans wince at the name after the Oilers did not match the Blues’ offer sheet. Philip Broberg has been no scrub either, as he has posted a solid 29 points in 68 games and a +21 plus/minus. This team could be sneaky. I like their vets in Brayden Schenn, Colton Parayko, Ryan Suter, and Justin Faulk and in the playoffs, good veteran experience can go a long way, especially when you have guys who are still new to the atmosphere. The big question for the Blues will be Jordan Binnington in the net. Binnington has not been that bad for the Blues, posting a 2.69 goals against average and a .900 save percentage in 56 games played with the Blues, but he is still a shell of his former self who lead the Blue to their first Stanley Cup in 2019.

    Courtesy of: Rick Ulreich/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

                Overall, I think this series will come down to goaltending and which goalie gets hot. I like the hockey both teams have been playing recently and think this is one of the most intriguing matchups of the entire playoffs. St. Louis is not a typical second wild card team either, as they made it with 96 points, which is nothing to forget about. I could see an upset taking place here but only if Binnington gets the upper hand on Hellebuyck. With that being said, I think the likelihood of this happening after a possible Hart season from Hellebuyck is slim. This guy is just on another level right now, and I do not see him stopping.

    Prediction: Jets win in 6.

    The Dallas Stars vs. The Colorado Avalanche

                Here we have our juggernaut matchup of the Western Conference. Two cup contenders who unfortunately have to see each other in round 1. It is hard not to bet against Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche here, especially with the depth they have in guys like Martin Necas, Brock Nelson, Devon Toews, and I can’t help but feel like I am forgetting someone *checks notes* Oh yeah, and Cale Makar. There is also the possibility of the Avalanche getting a guy by the name of Gabriel Landeskog back mid-round, as if this team is not scary enough. Now, while I am making this team sound perfect, I believe they have a flaw. Their goaltending, while good, is quite scary to go into the playoffs with. Mackenzie Blackwood will go in as their starter but he has never seen a minute of playoff hockey. Their backup, Scott Wedgewood, has only played 3 games in the playoffs for the Dallas Stars, none of which he started. Playoff experience is huge when it comes to chasing the Stanley Cup. My biggest question for the Avalanche is: Can the experience of the skater core spark the goalies to make some crucial saves for their team? I do not have an answer right now, but I think it could ultimately be a reason for Colorado’s demise.

    Courtesy of: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

                I am a believer in the Dallas Stars in this year’s playoffs, and I have been for years. I love the way this team has built itself over the years. They are, in my opinion, one of, if not the best, drafting teams in the league. They have been one of the more sustainable playoff teams of recent memory, and they always have a solid slew of young players to build around, along with keeping good veterans around the kids each season. It is rare you see a team have such a good younger core of guys, such as Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston, Roope Hintz, Miro Heiskanen, Thomas Hurley, and Jake Oettinger all while having a solid core of vets such as, Mikko Rantanen, Matt Duchene, Mikael Granlund, and Jamie Benn. I really love how Dallas builds their squad and think it is only a matter of time before they see success in the form of a Cup in the playoffs. My biggest concern for this team will be injuries. They will be starting the playoffs without Heiskanen and possibly Jason Robertson which is not what you want when your first round opponent is the Colorado Avalanche.

    Courtesy of: Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn Images

                The story pretty much writes itself with this matchup. Two titans are going head to head, with Mikko Rantanen facing his former cup-winning teammates. It should be a fun one to watch. With that being said, I think this series will be close and come down to who wants it more, which will likely be Nathan MacKinnon, as nobody wants it more than him. I do think it will be back and fourth and could likely be the best matchup we see in the first round.

    Prediction: Avalanche win in 7.

    The Vegas Golden Knights vs. The Minnesota Wild

                It would not be the playoffs at this point without Vegas being a contender. While they did not make too massive of a splash over the deadline, they did bring back a piece of the 2023 Cup team in Reilly Smith, who could serve as a solid depth piece in this year’s run. Jack Eichel has undoubtedly been the MVP of this team this season, posting 28 goals and 66 assists for 94 points in 77 games. I believe if we see another Vegas cup, Eichel will be the winner of the Conn Smythe. Vegas is always scary, they get winners. Their front office has consistently been able to go out and get guys that fit their scheme, and this team is another edition of that. Not only that, but the Golden Knights will go into this series healthy, which is massive come playoff time. They come into this series having won 5 of their last 7, with their two losses being in a shootout to the Avalanche and the Flames. I do not really have any concerns with the Vegas team as long as they stay healthy, not that I think they won’t but they do have a slew of guys with injury history.

    Courtesy of: Las Vegas Review Journal

                The Minnesota Wild are such a silent team to me for some reason. I often forget that they are decent. They have not had any sort of playoff success in almost 10 years, and other than Kirill Kaprizov, their roster does not really interest me. It is quite random, and I feel like it is always a place for random players to end up, such as Marcus Johansson or Gustav Nyquist. With that being said, they do have some solid players for the future in Matt Boldy, Brock Faber, and Marco Rossi. But this team just gives me such a weird vibe, and I often forget about them because of how much they have lost in the first round recently. Their key to success will be goaltending and Kirill Kaprizov getting hot. Filip Gustavson and Marc-Andre Fleury are not the worst pair to go in with, as Gustavson posted a 2.56 goals against average and a .914 save percentage, and Fleury has so much experience and could find himself with the hot hand if given the chance. The good news with this team being a wildcard team is that they have been playing meaningful hockey for the past few weeks and should be ready for what Vegas has to throw at them. We just have to see if it will be sustainable.

    Courtesy of: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images.

                I have no doubts that Vegas will take care of business here, and I am only really saying this based on reputation. Minnesota is not there yet, and, to be honest, their roster is just too strange in my eyes to put them in a position to upset the Golden Knights, who have been through the ringer of a cup and know what it takes to win. Maybe the Wild will prove me wrong and this will be the start of greatness in Minnesota, but who knows.

    Prediction: Golden Knights in 4.

    The Edmonton Oilers vs. The LA Kings

                Our final matchup in the west sees one we are all too familiar with at this point. The Edmonton Oilers are set to take on the LA Kings for the 4th straight year, after the Oilers have won the last 3. With this being said, the Oilers are even less deep than they were in previous years. Last year, they saw the repercussion of not having depth late in the finals against the Florida Panthers. Apart from Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Evan Bouchard this team sucks. This team will need to rely heavily on Draisaitl and McDavid, but that may just be all they need. Anytime you have 2 100-point guys on your team, you have a chance. The goaltending on this team is once again an issue, as neither of their goalies has shown any real promise. Stuart Skinner posted an atrocious .896 save percentage, and Calvin Pickard is only slightly better at .900.  The loss of Holloway and Broberg has to be weighing on the mind of the front office as well as their fan base. We will see where the depth takes them but I do not see them going far.

    Courtesy of: TSN

                This could be the year the rivalry finally turns around for the Kings. This Kings team has some solid depth as they have 8 guys over 40 points and 5 20-goal scorers. Along with this, they are getting some really good goaltending from Darcy Kuemper. They have been hot recently as well, losing just one game in the month of April. They are in a spot to make a run and could be a solid sleeper team to make it to at least the Conference Finals. I like the structure of this roster and would love to see this Kings team winning again.

    Courtesy of: Ben Ludeman/NHLI via Getty Images

                This series will still be close. I mean, you cannot count out McDavid and Draisaitl. You can put anybody on their team, and they could win a playoff series. I could see this series going 6 to 7 games.  Keep in mind that it is also Jeff Skinner’s first playoffs, which gives the Oilers the story. I hope it will be a fun series to watch, but if the Oilers win, then it is just getting old. I like the Oilers, but we need some variance in this series, and we also need it to happen later in the playoffs instead of the first round.

    Prediction: Kings win in 6.

    Final Thoughts

                This wraps up my predictions for the West. Overall, I think the West is wide open. Apart from the Oilers and the Wild, I truly think anyone can win it this year. Vegas and Colorado are always a safe bet, but it will be tough for Colorado with their first-round matchup against Dallas. It will be a gauntlet for Dallas or Colorado, having to face the Jets in the second round and potentially the Knights in the Conference Finals. With that being said, I believe the Conference Finals will be the Jets vs. the Golden Knights as long as Hellebuyck is consistent. Anyways, cutting this one into two parts as it is a long one. Tidd Talk will return with my Eastern predictions and possibly a Blue Jackets season review tomorrow.

  • Monday 4/14/2025: The Cardiac Kids?

    Monday 4/14/2025: The Cardiac Kids?

          On this special Monday post of Tidd Talk, we will take a bit of a deep dive into the Columbus Blue Jackets and the final week of the season as drama continues to grow late in the season.

          Monday sets up to be the biggest night of the year for the Columbus Blue Jackets, despite the Blue Jackets not being scheduled to play. The matchup between the Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks tonight has every implication imaginable for the Jackets and the Habs. With the debut of Ivan Demidov for the Habs and the possibility of clinching the final spot in the east, the Chicago Blackhawks are looking to play spoiler. There is no doubt everyone in Columbus is rooting for the Blackhawks tonight. The only path for the Blue Jackets to make the playoffs is to win out and for Montreal to lose out. Montreal has to win one, get two overtime losses, or have the Jackets lose one of their last two to clinch. Chicago is realistically their chance to do so. They do not want to leave this to the last game of the season, especially when that last game is against the big bad Carolina Hurricanes who will be looking to set the tone and possibly end the hopes of the Habs.

    Courtesy of: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports

          Let’s face it. The Blackhawks are BAD. There is no question who the better team is here. But aside from that, it is not impossible for a Blackhawks win of any kind tonight. The Canadiens are beginning to feel the pressure as the Jackets heat up and very much look like they will win out with a game at the shaken-up Philadephia Flyers and capping it off with a game at home against the Islanders. This Canadiens team is young and the experience of meaningful hockey is still not quite there for them. Not to mention they are quite streaky. Either they win so many in a row or they lose so many. It is quite possible this team could be falling into another slump after dropping two straight to critical opponents in Ottawa and Toronto. The only thing on Montreal’s side tonight is the game being at home. This could ultimately be the game changer as they are 9-0-1 in their last 10 at home and are 22-12-5 overall. Combine that with the debut of Demidov and it being against the Blackhawks who have 22 wins overall and there is just no way the Canadiens lose right? Coach Martin St. Louis will have this group fired up as well as he is a player coach. He is a big reason for the success of this team and there is no doubt he will be right there in the battle with his team. If Marty could still lace them up with his guys he would. I love coaches like this and I have always been a big Martin St. Louis fan. As a matter of fact, I have a Habs jersey and a Marty jersey hanging in my room and will be rooting for them if they knock out Columbus.

    Courtesy of: Getty Images

          I am not one to count any team out until it is virtually impossible and right now it is still very much so possible for the Blackhawks to win this game. As I said before, the only flaw with this Montreal team is the lack of experience in playing meaningful hockey this late in the year for much of the main core. Even Patrik Laine has not played meaningful hockey in quite some time and he is one of the veteran guys on this team. Maybe I am biased as I am a Columbus native but I do believe in Chicago tonight. They have nothing to lose, and like the Habs, are a very young team. Why not go out and make it hard on the Habs? Have some fun late in the season. Easier said than done I know, but these are bright spots that rebuilding teams build off of heading into the next season. This Blackhawks team has been know to push some top teams into overtime and I think we see another one of these games tonight if Spencer Knight gets the start and comes out hot. Now their problem with pushing the overtime games they have is they wind up on the wrong end of them. They need to find a way to win this one in any fashion for the sake of Columbus fans everywhere.

    Courtesy of: Doral Chenoweth/The Columbus Dispatch

          Now let’s talk about my hometown Jackets. This team has been all over the place over the past couple of months winning 6 in a row in January and then dropping 6 in a row in one of the most crucial parts of the season in March. They have also been one of the best scoring teams in the NHL and one of the worst as over the course of their 6 games losing streak they only scored 7 goals. Overall, this team is still the best-scoring 5-on-5 team in the league and is getting hot and refusing to lose at the perfect time. They know what they have to do and they have also finally been getting some solid goaltending from Jet Greaves who let in just 1 goal in 2 starts against the Capitals over the weekend to none other than the Great 8 himself. The young guys are playing well together and the vets are providing the boost they need to finish strong. It helps when you have one of the toughest bottom sixes in the league to play against too. Having guys like Kuraly, Olivier, and Aston-Reese allows for the young core to go out and just go out and play and that is exactly what they have been doing as Fantilli notched 4 goals over the 2 game series against Washington. I truly see this team winning out as Philadephia is still dealing with their coaching transition and the Islanders have to face the Jackets at home with the playoffs possibly on the line, when they have been one of the best home teams and scoring teams in the league all season.

    Courtesy of: AP Photo/Nick Wass

          As a Jackets fan and a fan of the game, I truly believe tonight’s game in Montreal is going to be one for the ages. My first NHL game was the Blue Jackets vs. the Blackhawks at Nationwide Arena in 2012-13 when the Blackhawks began their heater of a point streak and beat the Jackets 3-2 on January 26th, 2013. Now why am I telling you this when that 2013 Blackhawks team is likely one of the best rosters of all time? Well, it is my personal history. I have seen the Blackhawks play the Blue Jackets a number of times over the years and just have a gut feeling that they will help the Jackets out tonight. Like I said previously before maybe I am just biased but you have to be optimistic here as a fan of the Jackets. Anything can happen in sports and this is too good of a script to be impossible late down the stretch here.

    Courtesy of: USA Today Sports/Greg Bartram

    Anyways, just thought I would hop on for a special feature of Tidd Talk today. Hopefully will return tomorrow with Tiddy’s Toe Drags and on Friday where I will preview every playoff matchup. Thank you everyone for all of the support so far I have greatly enjoyed this project and look forward to growing it more as I move forward.

  • Friday Feelings 4/11/25: The Gr8 One

    Friday Feelings 4/11/25: The Gr8 One

    Eastern Conference Playoff Race

    The playoff race in the east is slowly winding down. While it is not quite set in stone, it looks like the Montreal Canadiens will lock up the last wildcard spot in the east. The only confirmed matchup so far is between the Carolina Hurricanes and the New Jersey Devils. This series on paper looks like it will be dominated by the Hurricanes. But the Hurricanes have not been playing their best hockey recently as they have lost their last 4 all on the road to teams they could have beaten except for maybe Washington. We have to wonder where this Hurricanes team would be had they never made the first Rantanen trade and kept Martin Necas. Production for Necas has been slightly lower with Colorado than it was before the trade, but 26 points in 28 games would have made more of a difference than Rantanen and Stankoven’s combined 13 points in 28 and it would have saved GM Eric Tulsky a lot of time and stress. The Hurricanes have solidified themselves as one of the best teams in the east despite practically losing a point per game player, behind Toronto and the ever-so-hot Capitals

    Hurricanes beat the Capitals to clinch a playoff spot
    Courtesy of AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker

    The Devils on the other hand are in a different boat. With Jack Hughes being out for the rest of the season and the playoffs and the loss of Dougie Hamilton for the regular season, the Devils have to be hoping they make it out unscathed through the rest of the season. They have really only done just enough to be where they are right now. They have not been hot but they have not been cold either. This match-up could be closer than anticipated however when Dougie Hamilton returns. Right now, I see two teams who have had an interesting year with trades and injuries that have to play each other and somebody has to win. I could see this matchup going 6 or 7 games but I do not see a world where the Devils win and I do not see a world where the Hurricanes make a run out of the first round. When we know the rest of the playoff picture I will give my full predictions.

    New Jersey Devils Stock Up/Stock Down: Need More Effort Edition
    Courtesy of Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire

    The Senators are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2017 and I am stoked for it. The Senators of the mid 2010s were fun to watch and this team is giving me a similar vibe. I love Brady Tkachuk and believe having him on your team alone can push a team to making a run. The Tkachuk’s play with an edge and that is how hockey should be played. Tough and skilled. Besides who wouldn’t want to possibly see the Tkachuk boys in a best of 7 series. Even a Leafs Sens first round match up gets me excited. Either the Leafs make it out of the first round or the Sens give us a glimpse of the Sens of old. To top it off, the Sens have been good recently beating teams like the Panthers and the Lightning and having a big matchup against the Montreal Canadiens tonight. Their schedule is a nice balance to close out the year as well as they play two teams they should beat handedly and two teams who should pose a challenge. They have a good four games to tune up and get some more momentum going into their first round matchup.

    Ottawa Senators players, fans excited for the team’s first playoff run in 8 years
    Courtesy of CBC News

    The Montreal Canadiens have pretty well ran away with the last wildcard spot. This team has been a fun one to watch. The Habs fanbase always makes the playoffs fun and this season will be no different. Marty St. Louis is one of my favorite players of all time and he is a players coach. He wants to be in the battle with his guys and that is exactly what has this team rolling. They are a good young team and still have a bright future on the horizon with guys like Ivan Demidov who is poised to explode in the playoffs. I believe this team can sneak a few games on the Capitals if not take the series. The Capitals could plateau after the high of Ovechkin’s record breaking goal which could be dangerous. This team and the Sens are two of the first new era NHL teams that we will see moving forward. The leagues is finally shifting again and the Canadiens and Senators lead the way with the Blue Jackets and the Buffalo Sabres in the

    Canadiens closing in on clinching playoff spot, but say the 'job's not finished' - The Globe and Mail
    Courtesy of the Canadian Press

    10 Games?

    In a game between the Bridgeport Islanders and the Charlotte Checkers, Islanders winger Adam Beckman found himself in a tricky situation after a referee crossed his path on a rush. Beckman looks to extend his arms in a shoving motion which sent the referee flying in to the boards. The AHL reviewed this and gave Beckman a 10 game suspension for “physical abuse of an official.”

    Courtesy of New York Post Sports

    Now, to me it does not looks like Beckman intentionally shoves the ref as hard as it looks. It looks like he was trying to move him out of the way and the ref lost footing. It is also evident that Beckman felt remorse immediately as if he did not mean to send the ref into oblivion. I do not agree with the 10 game suspension as I think it was just a freak accident that looks a lot worse that what it actually was. While I think it is right to suspend him, I do think 10 games is extreme. I am not sure if he had a hearing or if the hammer came straight down. All I know is this is a 5 game suspension max and this should not have been made as big of a deal as it was. Unfortunately, the AHL saw their chance to lay the hammer and took it.

    The Gr8 One

    It is official, Alexander Ovechkin sits alone a top the list of all time goal scorers. What a moment it was. Ovechkin steps on the ice for the powerplay and it was like everyone knew it was coming. The whole arena began to chant “Ovi.” What is even crazier is it was an away game for the Capitals. Tom Wilson gets the puck to Ovi and Ovie rips a beautiful shot shortside on the one of the better goalies in the game today in Ilya Sorokin. The dive celebration was perfect. It made the entire moment and then the team crowding Ovi. It is clear what this guy means to the league and his team and what he has meant to the community. He is one of my favorites of all time and I could not be any happier with how everything played out.

    How Alex Ovechkin topped Wayne Gretzky's once-unbreakable record
    Courtesy of Getty Images

                The ceremony was beautiful. The way he talked to his team like he was a teacher at an assembly was perfect. The congratulations from Gretzky, it was all perfect. I like that this was the only goal scored by the Capitals even if they lost. It was a big. For him to stand alone on the stat sheet in this game is perfect. He also was named the only star of the game. While I wish I saw it in person I was very pleased with how everything went. It is crucial that records get broken and this was for many years THE unbreakable record. What I want to know is if Gretzky is truly handling this as well as he seems. He claimed he wanted Ovi to break it but these guys are competitors and it has to be a kick in the ass to see one of your unbreakable records broken.

    Predicting How Ovechkin Will Break Gretzky's Record vs. the Islanders - The Hockey Writers - Washington Capitals - NHL News, Analysis & More
    Courtesy of Jess Rapfogel/NHLI via Getty Images

                Ovechkin has meant so much to not only me but the game as a whole. Some of my favorite hockey memories are watching Ovi score live. I personally have seen him score in every game I have watched him play in and I have had some of the best seats in these games as well. My favorite goals of his are the goal he scored in 2018 against Columbus in game 4 of the first round and his goal in 2021 to pass Brett Hull for 4th on the all time list. Both of these goals I saw live. Ovechkin is still a kid at heart. He is a rockstar and a guys guy. He is the guy you would want to have a beer with, I mean he shows up to games with Subway and a bag of chips. Who wouldn’t want to hang with that guy. All I have to say to Ovi is thank you. While his career is not over, the journey he has taken us on can not be taken for granted. Every generation deserves a player like this and we are lucky to have gotten him.

    Ovechkin honored on ice after goal No. 895
    Courtesy of the NHL

                That is all I have today. I apologize for missing two posts as I got busy with school and my own hockey journey, but I should be back on schedule now. Still trying to figure out the best format for these but as of right now I think 3 shorter stories work after all I’m not here to take up your entire afternoon. Once again, thanks for joining me for Tidd Talk, I look forward to seeing you same time next week.

  • Tiddy’s Toe Drags 4/1/2025: Ship of Fools

    Tiddy’s Toe Drags 4/1/2025: Ship of Fools

    The NHL’s first 50-goal scorer of the year, the Blues are hot, Ryan Leonard shows a new friend around Boston College, fighting back in the NHL, and College Hockey stealing the show in March. Here are my top 5 favorite things from the last week.

    5. Draisaitl First to Hit 50 Goals

    We will kick off the first edition of Tiddy’s Toe Drags with none other than one of the best centers in the league, Leon Draisaitl, and the Edmonton Oilers. This Oiler’s team is nowhere near the level of depth they had last year. On top of this, they will remain without McDavid for the foreseeable future. As it stands without McDavid, this team is going to need consistent big performances from Bouchard and Draisaitl as the rest of this team has lacked. It feels like last year may have been the best chance in the Oilers Cup window. While it is never smart to bet against a team with possibly the top two centers in the league, they need more help. The Oilers look like massive losers on the Broberg and Holloway offer sheet but we will get to that later.

    Oilers' Leon Draisaitl makes history with sixth overtime winner, first to 50 goals this season
    Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

    Right now, as of April 1st, the Oilers are firmly in a playoff spot with 89 points and are en route to once again face the LA Kings in the first round. Right now, I believe the Kings are massive favorites in this matchup as while they do not have the star power up front that the Oilers have, they are deeper. I think this series could ultimately come down to goaltending. While neither team has the upper hand here, the playoffs produce some wacky goalie performances and very well could do the same this year.

    4. The Blues are Red Hot

    The St. Louis Blues have been in and out of playoff contention all season, but now they look to solidify their spot as they have won 9 in a row and look to win their 10th tonight against the Detroit Red Wings who have not been playing their best hockey. The story here as previously mentioned, is how good Holloway and Broberg have been from the Oilers. Looking back on the offer sheets you cannot help but scratch your head at the decisions made by the Oilers front office. Holloway is making around 2.3 million and Broberg is at 4.58. On top of that, both of these guys have their entire careers ahead of them and they look to be part of the new core in St. Louis.

    ST. LOUIS, MO - NOVEMBER 02: St. Louis Blues center Dylan Holloway assists on his teams third goal of the game during a regular season game where the St. Louis Blues hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs. (Photo by Rick Ulreich/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
    Credit: Rick Ulreich/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

    The future is certainly now for the Blues and what I like about their rebuild is they did it with very few top picks. A lot of their guys are later-round picks and the guys that were drafted in the first round were drafted mid to late. It is amazing how they have been able to bounce right back into things after being written off by much of the league at the deadline. It is not easy to remain in contention after losing a good amount of your core that got you to the promise land, but the Blues have done just that since their Cup win in 2019. This team is exciting and they have some good young pieces surrounded by solid vets, I can see them remaining relevant for quite some time.

    3. Bandz a Make Her Dance

    There is no question that all eyes are on Ryan Leonard to make his NHL debut on Tuesday night in Boston against the Bruins. The BC kid from Amherst Massachusetts coming to the Capitals in what has been one of their best seasons since winning the cup. Oh, and I think there is a record to be broken as well. Could this kid ask for a better situation to make his debut in?

    BASEL, SWITZERLAND - APRIL 30: Ryan Leonard of United States following the final of U18 Ice Hockey World Championship match between United States and Sweden at St. Jakob-Park at St. Jakob-Park on April 30, 2023 in Basel, Switzerland. (Photo by Jari Pestelacci/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
    Credit: Jari Pestelacci/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

    On top of the story with this team, Ryan Leonard was spotted out with Ovechkin at Boston College. Simply stating “Ovi wanted to see where I went to school.” This has got to be one of the best debut stories in recent history. It feels like we have been waiting for Leonard to make his debut with the Capitals all year. There is no question that this kid is NHL-ready and his first NHL games see the Capitals chasing down the President trophy as the best team in the NHL. Leonard was the Captain of the Gold Medal United States World Juniors team this past season and was part of the team that won in 2024 as well. This kid is no stranger to big moments and he will be a part of a lot in the next few weeks with the record chase and the playoffs on the horizon. I would love to get into the Washington Capitals prospect pool but I think I will save that for another time. The future is bright in Washington.

    2. Fighting is Back

    I think it is safe to say fighting is back in the NHL. There was a time before the enforcer went away that when two heavyweights were set to take the ice against each other, you just knew. Slowly we are getting back to that. Teams are starting to invest in toughness again and get players who can spark something (i.e. Mathieu Olivier’s 6-year deal at 3 million AAV). Jeannot is the LA Kings heavyweight, so when it came to Matt Rempe? I do not think there was a world where those two would not fight. Sometimes you just know and well, we knew. While the fight was not the best fight we have seen this season, how about Jeannot picking Rempe backup by the collar as if he wasn’t done with him? I wish we got to see this bout play out more as I would love to see these two go at it for real without Rempe falling. Very much looking forward to round two.

    Credit: hockeyfights.com

    1. Madness in March?

    Shifting gears from the NHL, my top Toe Drag of the week goes to the NCAA Hockey Tournament. I am a huge college basketball fan and I have been very disappointed in the lack of upset in this year’s tournament. Well, now I see where all the upsets went. The Frozen Four is absolute madness. The highest-seeded team is the 4 seed in Western Michigan who have never even been to the Frozen Four. Now, they are likely the favorite to win it. Not only have there been upsets, they have all been quite dramatic. Cornell upsetting Michigan St in overtime in the first round was enough then we got Penn State over UConn in OT to go to the Frozen Four as the worst team from their region. Denver made it out of their region, topping the one seed in Boston College, despite being deemed to many as frauds after the loss to UNLV back in December (jokes). Boston University unfortunately came from behind and scored 6 unanswered against my Buckeyes sending us home in the first round with a final score of 8-3. Quite heartbreaking, but the rest of the tournament has made up for it.

    Denver wins the 2022 men's hockey championship thanks to unbelievable 3rd period
    Credit: NCAA

    Another short one tonight as I was quite busy today, but I hope you enjoyed the first edition of Tiddy’s Toe Drags! Be sure to check back Friday for the second edition of Friday Feelings!

  • Friday Feelings 3/28/25: Trouble in Paradise?

                This week in hockey was everything but boring. Tortorella canned, Ovechkin creeps closer to the record, and the Columbus Blue Jackets look to build off of a crucial divisional win.

    Flyers Hit New Low

    Breaking on Thursday morning, the Philadelphia Flyers have parted ways with Head Coach John Tortorella after 3 seasons. This came shortly after Tortorella had some comments showing a lot of frustration toward his team: “When you’re in this type of situation and you’re losing all the time, and there’s nothing at the end of the tunnel for you, there’s certainly going to be some frustration. But this falls on me. I’m not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season, where we’re at right now. But I have to do a better job. So this falls on me, getting the team prepared to play the proper way until we get to the end.” Tortorella’s tenure was disappointing, to say the least. Posting a total record of 97-107-33 in 237 games, the Flyers failed to make the playoffs in the two full seasons under Tortorella and are well on their way to missing again. The Flyers named Brad Shaw as the interim coach as they look to finish the season as strong as possible            

    Flyers fire John Tortorella with 9 games left in Year 3 of tenure
    Courtesy of NBC Sports Philadelphia

    I have to wonder what is next for Tortorella. It seems like he was almost checked out of the season and was not in the right place to finish it the right way. I have always been a fan of him since his time in Columbus, but he is not for everyone. Torts needs Torts players. If he does not have a group of guys willing to respond to his style of coaching, then the whole system falls apart. We saw it happen in Columbus, and we see it happen here. I still believe in Tortorella, but I have to wonder if maybe, at this point in his career, a front-office position could be better for him. I could see him as a general manager in the league sooner than I could see him coaching. I think a position where he can go out and get his own guys might not be a bad idea. While he runs a tight ship, having him out of the locker room and in the office could make for an interesting change of scenery with all that he has endured the past 5 years.

    Ovechkin and the Record

    The question is no longer IF Ovi will break the record, but WHEN. He is currently six goals away after scoring his 36th goal of the season and 889th of his career against Winnipeg. It is quite obvious that Ovechkin is on a mission to break this record this season. As to when he will break the record, that is all that is left to determine. With 10 games remaining in the season for the Capitals, if Ovi scored at the same rate he has been (.643 goals per game), then he should break the record in the final game against the Penguins. Oh, how sweet that would be. Ovechkin vs. Crosby with the record hanging in the ballots.

    Alex Ovechkin's first goal started a record-breaking career - The Washington Post
    Courtesy of Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post

    With that being said, do I think that is when I think he will break it? No. I believe he will do it earlier, as I could see him going on a heater down the stretch here, especially if the Capitals manage to win six before the last meeting against the Penguins (empty net merchant). I believe Ovi will break the record on April 13th in Washington against my very own Columbus Blue Jackets. It would be a full-circle moment as Ovi scored his first goal against the Jackets at home in 2005.

    While this is when I think he will break it, this is not when I want him to break it. As a big Ovechkin fan and hockey lifer, I would love to see this moment in person. In my perfect world, Ovechkin breaks the record in Columbus and I am in attendance making it the greatest moment I will ever get to experience. Every game I have seen him play in, he has scored. So to my gamblers, Ovechkin goal on 4/12 is a lock.

    Jackets with their Backs Against the Wall

    The Columbus Blue Jackets look to get back on track after a skid that not only saw them struggle to score goals but lose 8 of their last 10 since the big outdoor game win against Detroit on March 1st. Averaging an abysmal 1.6 goals a game in that span as well, the Jackets finally have something to build off of again after their 4-3 SO win against the Islanders. The game did not start ideally for the Jackets and looked as if the slump was never going to snap as shots at the end of the second heavily favored the Islanders before the Jackets jumped on them in the third outshooting them 17-4 and forcing overtime and eventually a shootout where Adam Fantilli would have the winner with some help from Elvis Merzlikins in net.

    Mar 24, 2025; Elmont, New York, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (90) celebrates with centers Zachary Aston-Reese (27) and Sean Monahan (23) after defeating the New York Islanders in a shootout at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
    Courtesy of Brad Penner-Imagn Images

    While most people have begun to write off the Jackets, I think this is the turning point. They are by no means out of the wildcard race, as they have a slew of winnable games down the stretch. Beginning tonight with the Vancouver Canucks in Columbus, who find themselves in a similar scenario as the CBJ. I believe getting Monahan back and feeling what it is like to be in control of a game and win again will do wonders for this club down the stretch. Sometimes, all you need to do is remember the feeling. This team has been one of the best offensive teams in the NHL and one of the best teams at home all season. Their problem has been defense and consistent goaltending, but that has not served as a dagger just yet. The CBJ are still very much alive as they have three key matches against the Ottawa Senators coming up, and if they can manage to win 2 of 3, I think they will make the playoffs.

    The good news is no other club around them has pulled away. Detroit is on a stinker, Montreal is only 2 points ahead, and the Rangers and Islanders sit tied at 74 a piece just outside the last wildcard spot. The path to the playoffs, while not easy, is doable. The path likely looks like winning 2 of 3 against the Senators, winning the games they should win against teams like Nashville, Buffalo, Philadelphia, and even Vancouver, sneaking one out on Colorado or Toronto, splitting against Washington, and beating the Islanders in game 82. I can see this team finishing 9-3 in the last 12 if they manage to build off of the momentum gained against the Islanders on Monday. Some may call me optimistic, some may call me insane, get used to both here at Tidd Talk.

  • Introduction

    Welcome to Tidd Talk. My name is Josh Tidd, and I am currently a sports industry student at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Growing up, I always loved sports. In particular, I have always loved hockey. I do not know exactly when my love for the game began, but my earliest hockey memories stem from me sneaking out of my room to catch the post-bedtime Blue Jackets games with my father. I have been hooked ever since. Not only am I a fan of the game, but I am also a player. I began playing a little bit later in my childhood than most kids, picking up the game when I was 10 years old and never looking back. I played my youth hockey in the Capital Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) and then played for 4 years of Varsity Hockey with the Westerville Warcats. Now, in college, I play college roller hockey in the NCRHA for the enjoyment of the game.            

    My main goal with this blog is to give myself some place to put my thoughts. I have always had an interest in writing and sports journalism and decided now would be the perfect time to begin my blog. Here, you will find my takes on the hottest stories in hockey, as well as my takes on topics I feel like talking about. While this is geared towards the hockey part of my mind, it is really to give me an outlet to share my thoughts on things I am passionate about. I have always been one to explore my creative side and experiment with different forms of media, whether it be YouTube, photography, or even music, this is the next chapter of my story. I hope you enjoy it