The Athletic Hockey Show
All Episodes

Will we see 3 sweeps in the first round?
49:28|The Senators, Penguins and Kings are trending towards being swept in the first round. Hailey and Max discuss disappointing series for Ottawa, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles. Shayna Goldman stops by to discuss the Sabres dominating game three win over Boston, and she shares her eight too early takes from the first round. Sean Gentille joins us from Disneyland to talk about Connor McDavid still looking for his first point in the Ducks / Oilers series.Host: Hailey Salvian and Max BultmanWith: Shayna Goldman and Sean GentilleExecutive Producer: Chris FlanneryProducer: Jeff DometWatch full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theathletichockeyshowJoin our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/VTm9VjkFSubscribe to The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/hockeyshow
Is Habs-Lightning the best series of the first round?
54:17|Brandon Hagel led the charge for the Lightning with a Gordie Howe hat trick and Nikita Kucherov snapped a 16-game playoff goal drought as the Lightning tied their series with the Habs. Sean and Sean recap night four of the Stanley Cup playoffs, including Morgan Geekie’s center ice goal vs. the Sabres, a historic win for the Mammoth, and a glass-breaking overtime win for the Avs over the Kings. The boys welcome Josh Yohe to discuss the Penguins’ sluggish start in the Battle of Pennsylvania and forecast a huge game for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in game two for the Oilers vs. the Ducks tonight.Host: Sean Gentille and Sean McIndoeWith: Josh YoheExecutive Producer: Chris FlanneryProducer: Jeff DometWatch full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theathletichockeyshowJoin our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/VTm9VjkFSubscribe to The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/hockeyshow
Slafkovsky, Thompson storm Stanley Cup playoff opening weekend
52:31|The Stanley Cup playoffs are back after a weekend packed with series-opening games. The guys give their thoughts on every Game 1 from both conferences, including a thrilling Sabres win in Buffalo, a huge night for Juraj Slafkovsky and the Habs in Tampa Bay, and a statement by the Wild in a rout of the Dallas Stars. Plus, a quick lookahead to tonight’s Ducks-Oilers matchup and what this postseason means for Connor McDavid’s future in Edmonton.Hosts: Max Bultman and Mark LazerusWith: Jesse GrangerExecutive Producer: Chris FlanneryProducer: Chris FlanneryWatch full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theathletichockeyshowJoin our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/VTm9VjkFSubscribe to The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/hockeyshow
Western Conference playoff preview
01:14:10|On a special edition of The Athletic Hockey Show, the guys preview all four Western Conference Stanley Cup playoff matchups, discuss what to expect when the postseason begins on Saturday, and make their first round picks to close out the show.This episode was recorded live at 11:30am ET on April 17, 2026.Hosts: Jesse Granger and Sean McIndoeWith: Mark Lazerus, Michael Russo, Thomas Drance, and Scott WheelerExecutive Producer: Chris FlanneryProducer: Chris FlanneryWatch full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theathletichockeyshowJoin our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/VTm9VjkFSubscribe to The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/hockeyshow
Eastern Conference playoff preview
01:05:48|The Eastern Conference matchups are set! Hailey, Sean and Max preview all four East first round Stanley Cup playoff series, and are joined by Matt Fairburn from the Sabres beat, to preview the feel good Buffalo Sabres who went from worst to first in the Atlantic Division with the postseason beginning on Saturday. Plus, Hailey, Sean and Max make their first round picks.This episode was recorded live at 12:00pm ET on April 16, 2026.Host: Hailey Salvian, Sean Gentille and Max Bultman With: Matthew FairburnExecutive Producer: Chris FlanneryProducer: Jeff DometWatch full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theathletichockeyshowJoin our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/VTm9VjkFSubscribe to The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/hockeyshow
Rick Bowness with the best coach rant in 20 years
49:50|The Columbus Blue Jackets lost 6 straight home games to end their season and Rick Bowness unloaded on the character and commitment of the team in his season ending press conference. Sean and Sean react to that, they discuss the yet to be determined Western Conference playoff matchups, and former NHL'er Cameron Gaunce from TSN stops by to share a coaching rant story of his own, they discusses Julien BriseBois and the Lighting being at the top of the NHL agent poll, the dysfunction inside Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment and Cam tells us what matchup he wants to see in the first round of the playoffs.Host: Sean Gentille and Sean McIndoeWith: Cameron GaunceExecutive Producer: Chris FlanneryProducer: Jeff DometWatch full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theathletichockeyshowJoin our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/VTm9VjkFSubscribe to The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/hockeyshow
Who are the NHL’s top 100 prospects?
35:47|On a special edition of The Athletic Hockey Show Prospect Series, Max and Scott break down Scott’s top 100 drafted NHL prospects ranking, discussing Michael Misa and Porter Martone in a tier of their own at the very top, some of the biggest risers from last year’s ranking, as well as some of Scott’s favorites, the hardest guys to slot, and the goalies to close things out. Hosts: Max Bultman and Scott WheelerExecutive Producer: Chris FlanneryProducer: Chris FlanneryWatch full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theathletichockeyshowJoin our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/VTm9VjkFSubscribe to The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/hockeyshow
Decoding Alex Ovechkin’s retirement plans
39:14|Alex Ovechkin very well may have played his final home game in a Washington Capitals uniform Sunday afternoon, but The Great 8 isn’t letting us know one way or another… at least not yet. And so, Max, Laz, and Sean Gentille discuss if we are in fact witnessing the end of Ovi’s storied NHL career. Plus, The Athletic’s own Kevin Kurz joins the show to talk about the surging Philadelphia Flyers and, to close things out, the guys predict which teams will grab the final playoff spots in the East and West during this final stretch of the season. Hosts: Max Bultman and Mark LazerusWith: Sean Gentille and Kevin KurzExecutive Producer: Chris FlanneryProducer: Chris FlanneryWatch full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theathletichockeyshowJoin our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/VTm9VjkFSubscribe to The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/hockeyshow
Who has the NHL’s best prospect pool?
52:33|On today’s episode, the guys deep dive into Scott’s 2026 NHL prospect pool rankings, an annual list that includes evaluations of roughly 500 prospects and sorts the league’s farm systems from No. 32 to No. 1, and discuss why there were only two teams in the conversation at the top of the list, the rest of the top 10, and some of the biggest risers and fallers this season.Hosts: Max Bultman and Scott WheelerExecutive Producer: Chris FlanneryProducer: Chris FlanneryWatch full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theathletichockeyshowJoin our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/VTm9VjkFSubscribe to The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/hockeyshow
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