NHL: Hockey podcasts you should be listening to
By Mike Majeski
One of the best ways to stay up to date with the latest NHL news and discussions is to listen to a few hockey podcasts. Hockey discussion on traditional radio in the United States is hard to come by, so for US based fans, the pod-waves are really the only alternative. Even if there was some form of traditional radio, very few of us have the time to listen to a 4-5 hour daily show. Instead, podcasts traditionally run between 30 minutes to an hour long, and either come out daily or weekly. I listen to several hockey podcasts, and they are the best way to get some hockey entertainment during the offseason. In this post I am going to share a few I think you should check out:
Marek vs Wyshynski
iTunes Link
The Marek vs Wyshynski Podcast (usually abbreviated MvsW by the hosts and fans) is hosted by Puck Daddy editor Greg Wyshynski and Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek. Shows are streamed live daily during the regular season, and they are posted a few hours after on iTunes. During the offseason, the schedule becomes a little more sporadic, but both Jeff and Greg are good about keeping listeners informed as to when they will be doing a show.
While the latest NHL headlines are discussed, Marek has a tendency to throw in some hockey history, as well as some junior hockey knowledge. They also like to mix in some pop-culture discussions as well. The best way to describe the show is an audio version of the Puck Daddy blog. Every Wednesday they do a mail-bag segment where listeners can tweet and email the show and ask the hosts anything (both hockey and non-hockey questions are fair game) and every Friday they do a game show segment with hockey trivia.
MvsW is a must-listen for any hockey fan. A good place to start is the show’s unofficial wiki page which lists some of the more noteworthy episodes from the past three seasons.
Show Clip:
The debut of Hologram Bill Masterton
The Steve Dangle Podcast
iTunes Link
The Steve Dangle podcast is a relatively new show, having only started a little over a year and a half ago. It features Steve Dangle, star of the Leafs Fan Reaction video series on Youtube, as well as Adam Wylde, from Toronto’s Kiss 92.5 “Blake and Wylde Show”, and show producer Chris James. While the show tends to be more Leafs-centric, fans of every hockey team will find the show both hilarious and entertaining. Much like the MvsW podcast, pop-culture references are strewn throughout the show, as well as several inside jokes that you may have to go back and listen to old episodes to understand. You’ll notice the show has an “explicit” tag on iTunes, so earmuffs are required at times for the kids. Who can blame the hosts for a few four-letter words, after all the show does deal with the Leafs.
The Steve Dangle Press Conference segment is always a fun listen, as this is where fans of the show can write in and ask hockey and Leafs-related questions. The majority of them are serious questions, but every once in awhile you get questions like, “If you could assign a Pokemon to each Leafs draft pick, who would they be?” Actually, Pokemon seems to come up a lot on the show.
Show Clip:
Darren Dutchyshen does Pokemon highlights
Hockey Central at Noon
iTunes Link
If straight up news and discussion about the NHL is what you are looking for (without the humor and pop-culture references of the previous two listed podcasts), then the perfect show for you is Sportsnet’s Hockey Central at Noon. The show is hosted by Nick Kypreos, Darren Millard, and Doug MacLean (with Jeff Marek filling in at times).
We miss out on informative hockey discussion on mainstream radio in the States, so fortunately for us, the Hockey Central show is posted in podcast form daily during the NHL season. While the show deals with the entire NHL, it does broadcast from Canada, so it does lean towards more coverage of the Canadian teams and more specifically, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The show goes on break after free agent day, but since there is usually very little NHL news to report after that, you aren’t missing out on much.
Show Clip:
Can’t Count Out Crosby
ESPN Hockey Today
ESPN Podcenter Link
I’ll admit that I have not listened to this one as regularly as the other on this list, but if you need another non-entertainment, straight up news podcast, ESPN has Hockey Today. ESPN’s hockey coverage isn’t the best, but Pierre LeBrun is one of the better sources for the latest news and rumors.
DKM Hockey Podcast
PodGallery Link
The DKM Hockey Podcast (short for Distinct Kicking Motion) is a Columbus Blue Jackets-related podcast that is a must listen for any fans of the CBJ. It is fan-hosted and an excellent look at the Blue Jackets fan culture, as well as a source of information about the team and upcoming fan-related events.
They have ongoing segment related to the future best-selling children’s book, “B Is For Boomer,” as well as Blue Jackets-related song parodies.
Show Clip:
“Vinny” – Parody of the Rolling Stones song “Angie”