The first regular-season episode of the “NHL @TheRink” podcast features No. 1 pick Macklin Celebrini, disagreements over Stanley Cup favorites, bold predictions and a history-making moment.
Co-hosts Dan Rosen and Shawn P. Roarke chat with Celebrini, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft by the San Jose Sharks, who talks about living with Sharks legend Joe Thornton, why he wears No. 71, and the pressure and expectations he feels about what he can do in his rookie season, which starts Thursday when the Sharks play the St. Louis Blues at SAP Center (10:30 p.m. ET; ESPN+, HULU).
Roarke and Rosen also sat down with Calgary Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar. Each interview took place at the NHL North American Player Media Tour last month in Las Vegas.
Weegar talks with Rosen and Roarke about how getting traded to Calgary from the Florida Panthers has worked out for him, his thoughts on watching his former team win the Stanley Cup last season, his commitment to Calgary and how he played a minor role in the Flames getting approved for a new arena.
Rosen and Roarke also discuss the history that was made Tuesday, when Seattle Kraken assistant coach Jessica Campbell became the first woman to be on an NHL bench as an assistant or head coach, the Utah Hockey Club played its first game and the Panthers raised their first Stanley Cup championship banner.
Roarke and Rosen give their predictions on what teams will make the Stanley Cup Playoffs from each conference. Rosen questions Roarke's choice of the Colorado Avalanche to win the Stanley Cup and Roarke does the same for Rosen's pick of the Edmonton Oilers.
Goalie contracts, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ future and a bold prediction about Penguins center Evgeni Malkin, and so much more are discussed on the podcast.
The "NHL @TheRink" podcast is free and listeners can subscribe on all podcast platforms. It is also available on NHL.com/multimedia/podcasts and the NHL app.
