Zizing ‘Em Up: Passion for hockey motivates McKenzie family

NHL.com staff writer Mike Zeisberger has been covering the NHL regularly since 1999. Each Monday he will use his extensive network of hockey contacts for his weekly notes column, "Zizing 'Em Up.”

TORONTO -- Bob McKenzie’s long-time nickname has been “The Bobfather,” a handle that TSN viewers embraced for his penchant of breaking signings and trades.

“He comes by it honestly, that’s for sure, in a lot of different connotations,” his son Shawn, a rinkside host for Hockey Night in Canada and Sportsnet, said with a chuckle.

Indeed, that moniker at times has more meaning than that, as exemplified on Thursday.

There he was, on the TSN set, preparing for the upcoming quarterfinal between Canada and Czechia at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa. Canada already had suffered a shootout loss to Latvia and a crushing 4-1 defeat to the rival United States, and the entire country was fretting about what might happen in the coming hours.

McKenzie, who had cut his teeth in journalism with the Sault Star, The Hockey News and the Toronto Star before taking the term “hockey insider” to a whole new level, was ready to tee up the game.

But first, there were a couple of priorities he had to address.

First on the agenda was clicking on his iPad and checking out the Ontario Hockey League game between the Kitchener Rangers and Brantford Bulldogs. His son Mike is the general manager of the Rangers, who were No. 6 in the country in the most recent Canadian Hockey League rankings.

“He never misses a game, whether watching it like that or in person, so it’s no surprise that he was checking out what was going on in our game even though he was part of the World Juniors broadcast,” Mike McKenzie said. “He considers himself a special consultant/adviser to the GM.”

Complete with constructive criticism?

“It’s not always constructive, believe me,” Mike said with a laugh. “He’ll tell you how he feels, if you want to hear him or not.”

Shortly after checking out the Rangers action, Bob McKenzie switched over to Sportsnet’s coverage of the Toronto Maple Leafs-New York Islanders game for son Shawn’s intro to the broadcast.

“He never misses one,” Shawn said. “He’ll always text me about how he thought the intro went, no matter what he’s doing.”

All the while, surveying Bob’s check-ins with his boys was former NHLer Jeff O’Neill, part of TSN’s coverage of the tournament. As he watched McKenzie go through his ritual, he couldn’t contain himself.

“He was laughing the entire time,” Bob McKenzie said.

The moral of this story: When it comes to hockey, it’s the McKenzies' world and we’re all just living in it.

Consider this: there are few families like theirs that continue to leave their mark on the sport despite the fact that none of them has played an NHL game. Whether it be through writing articles and books, breaking stories, doing interviews during game broadcasts or running a junior team that preps kids to take the next step into the NHL, the McKenzie's pretty much have a lot of bases covered when it comes to all things pucks.

“They chose their own paths,” Bob said. “The common thread is, they love the game like me.”

Mike McKenzie, the older of the two boys, remembers his dad taking him all over the world to drafts, world championships, you name it, while he still was an infant. The early exposure to hockey eventually led him to a 36-game American Hockey League stint years later. He never got that elusive NHL call-up but his desire to stay in the game led to an assistant coaching job with the Rangers and, in 2017, the GM’s post.

“Hockey is my passion,” the 38-year-old said.

Unlike Mike, Shawn wasn't as interested in travelling around with his dad when he was a boy growing up in Whitby, 35 miles east of Toronto. “I was more of a homebody. I liked playing video games and hanging out with my pals,” he said.

When concussion issues derailed his own hockey career at age 14, he eventually found a way to stay a part of the sport. By age 22, he was working on Ottawa Senators broadcasts in a career that continues to ascend.

“What really opened my eyes was when I went to the 2006 World Juniors in Vancouver with my dad,” he said. “They’re on the set pretty much all day. I got to see the inner workings and started thinking it might be something I’d like to do.

“My dad, mom (Cindy), brother, they were great during my health issues. You are going through uncharted waters and they were there for me.”

With so much going on in their lives, getting together during the holiday season needs planning, especially with Shawn on the road for broadcasts, Bob prepping for World Juniors and Mike tending to Rangers business. Yet they managed to congregate on Dec. 22, a gathering they covet.

“We always find a way to get it done,” Shawn said.

Interestingly, Bob’s contract with TSN runs out this summer, causing some observers to wonder if the 68-year-old’s broadcast of the World Junior Championship final between the United States and Finland on Sunday would be his last at the tournament.

“People can speculate,” Bob said with a chuckle. “Right now I don’t even now. I live a day at a time. I live for the moment.”

Having been in what he calls “semi-retirement” for the past few years, one of the moments the 68-year-old enjoys the most these days is attending Rangers games on select Fridays at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium with his granddaughter Blake, Mike’s 7-year-old daughter.

“Whatever happens, we love going to those games,” Bob McKenzie said. “It’s great to see the game through her eyes.”

Just like hockey fans enjoy the same thing through those of the McKenzies, whether Bob decides to retire full time or not.

FRIENDS BECOME FOES, 4 NATIONS STYLE

The upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament could turn even the closest of pals into enemies once the puck is dropped.

Just ask Boston Bruins teammates Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy.

Both players were among the initial six players named to the rosters of their respective countries in late June: Marchand with Canada, McAvoy with the United States.

What will it be like for them when the two countries clash at the Bell Centre in Montreal on February 15? Marchand and McAvoy took time out this past week from their busy NHL schedules to address that prospect.

First off, Charlie, what is going to be the hardest part about playing against Brad?

McAvoy: “Well, he’s the best, right? He’s got a ton of energy in the way that he works. That’s probably the biggest thing you see game in and game out, his effort, how hard he works and the problems he creates for opposing defensemen. He’s shifty. I can’t wait for that tournament. The World Juniors that’s been going on, it’s been a great reminder of how great it is to play international hockey for your country.”

He’s known, among other things, to be a first-class chirper. Do you expect to hear some things from him out on the ice that you’ve never heard before?

McAvoy: “I’m not much of a talker out there. Whatever it is, I doubt it will be too personal. I think we’re too close for any of that.”

How about it, Brad? What’s it going to be like playing against Charlie, given the fact you both are two of the top competitors in the sport?

Marchand: “Hey, I love 'Chuck'. He’s one of my best buddies. But if I have to take his knees out, I’m going to take his knees out. (Laughs). Relax, everyone. It’s a joke. I’m just kidding. Seriously, we’ll both be out there playing for our teams and representing our countries. And when you go out on the ice, whether it be in practice or in games, you’re out there to do a job at the highest level. And we’re going to go out there and do the job we have to do for our country and for our team. I mean, he’s not a guy I want to go head-to-head with. He’s an absolute animal. But you know he’s going to be out there competing. I know he’s going to take a run at me if he gets the opportunity. And I’m going to do the same. That’s part of it. But at the end of the day, we’re going to give each other a hug and move on together.”

Any special chirps you’re going to conjure up just for ‘Chuck?”

Marchand: “No, I don’t have anything special for Chuck. There are certain guys I try not to chirp because they can shove it down your throat pretty quick. He’s one of those guys. When you get a train that can run around and go through anyone, I don’t want that directed at me. So I’m going to let him sleep.”

How competitive will it be when you see each other on the ice on opposite sides?

McAvoy: “Very. It’ll definitely come out. I think the competitiveness of it, the pride of it. We both have incredible things to say about playing for our national teams and the experiences we’ve had. We’ve both won while representing our countries in the past, including me at World Juniors, him at the World Cup of Hockey. When we finally get into that building, that setting, you’re definitely going to see it. I envision it being an extremely competitive game, probably very physical, with both teams just wanting to win.”

If Canada and the United States were to meet in the title game, it would be played in Boston on February 20. What would it be like for you, the captain of the Bruins, to be booed in your NHL home rink?

Marchand: “It’ll be a different feeling, that’s for sure. But you know what could be an even stronger feeling? If I get cheered in Montreal. It’ll be something I can laugh about. I mean, I think I’m definitely more excited to be cheered in Montreal. Not something I’m accustomed to.”

McAvoy: “He and I have touched on it a little bit that, if it works out that we meet in the final, he could be jeered in his home rink, and what that might look like. First off, getting booed anywhere is nothing to him. All in a day’s work. Just another day at the office. And, in my mind, I hope we’d have a pro-U.S. crowd in that scenario in Boston. But I do know how well Canadians travel for their teams. I remember how much support they had at the World Juniors in Buffalo. He’ll have some support from some people, some obviously because of how well he’s loved in Boston.”

Did you two have any friendly wagers regarding the U.S.-Canada game at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, which the Americans won 4-1? If so, any plans to do the same at 4 Nations?

McAvoy: “No, no, no, we didn’t have anything. As for 4 Nations, I don’t know if it’s legal or ethical. I do know that chirping is. I think it’ll be just an immense amount of pride that goes into who can carry it into being the winner and the loser. And I think that’s all there needs to be on the line for that.”

Finally, Brad, when you saw the looks of devastation on the faces of the Canadian kids when they were eliminated from the World Juniors by Czechia, did it serve as a reminder of the pressure any player is under when he represents hockey-mad Canada?

Marchand: “No, I don’t need a reminder. I mean, I think the people who hold the highest expectations are the ones in that room in building a team. We all know the importance of playing for this team and the expectations that come with that. We have them as well. Every team in this tournament — us, the Americans, Sweden, Finland, they all have those. And you’re not just picking from the top juniors, you are picking from the top players in the history of the game, period. So there’s a very small margin in these single elimination games. Anything can dictate the outcome. So it’s tough. All you can do is prepare the best you can and compete at your highest level. If it’s meant to be, it’ll be. That’s what comes with playing for Canada. It’s the country that cares about hockey the most, and they’re the most scrutinized. But that’s part of the position we’re in, and we’ll take that any day.”

TANEV’S TOUGHESS ON DISPLAY … AGAIN

At least Chris Tanev didn’t lose any teeth.

This time.

During a 3-1 victory by his Maple Leafs against the Islanders on Tuesday, a shot by Mathew Barzal deflected off the stick of Toronto defenseman Jake McCabe and smacked Tanev, his teammate, in the face. As he rushed off the ice toward the Maple Leafs dressing room, Tanev looked to be spitting out a tooth, which is not an item he has in abundance these days.

On Saturday, the Toronto defenseman, with stitches in and around his mouth, set the record straight.

“That was gum that I spit out, not a tooth thankfully,” he said, flashing his trademark gap-toothed grin. “I can’t afford to lose too many more of them.”

Just another chapter in Tanev’s continuing legacy of being considered by his fellow players and coaches as one of the toughest hombres in the sport.

“Not only can he play through a remarkable amount of pain, he sets such a win-at-all-costs example for his teammates,” Dallas Stars coach Peter DeBoer said.

DeBoer would know.

In Game 5 of the Western Conference Second Round between the Stars and Colorado Avalanche last spring, for example, Tanev, playing for Dallas at the time, was hit in the mouth by the shoulder of Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon during the game’s first shift and quickly scampered to the dressing room. He returned several shifts later.

After the game, it was revealed that MacKinnon’s hit pushed in one of Tanev’s teeth, causing trainers to become impromptu dentists and pull it so he could return.

"He doesn't have many teeth left," DeBoer said with a chuckle. "He didn't have many to begin with.”

DeBoer’s admiration for Tanev’s courage continued to grow in the Western Conference Final against the Edmonton Oilers. Drilled in the right foot by a shot from Oilers forward Evander Kane in Game 4, he missed most of the final two periods and left Rogers Place in a walking boot. Yet when the puck dropped for Game 5 two days later, he was back in the lineup.

Tanev said the first time he lost teeth during a game came in 2018 when he was with the Vancouver Canucks. During a game against the Maple Leafs, he took a puck to the face off a Mitch Marner deflection that caused him to lose six teeth and two of his bottom teeth to be jammed under his tongue.

Ironically, he and Marner are now teammates with Toronto.

“That’s pretty much where I lost all my teeth,” he said. “And then the next week, I lost another one. They built a few back now but still missing a few.

“It just comes with the territory.”

The 35-year-old said his penchant of sacrificing his body, including teeth, was something that he developed during his time in the NHL and wasn’t a trait he had growing up.

“I just think it sort of happened as my career progressed,” he said. “You watch guys that you look up to and who take you under their wing. And as a young guy, you see them sacrificing. In Vancouver, those were guys like Kevin Bieksa and Alexander Edler. And I’m grateful for their guidance.”

Years later, Tanev said he is not going to change his ways.

“If I get hit, I get hit,” he said. “It’s part of blocking shots, it’s part of penalty killing. It’s part of sacrificing for the team.

“You do whatever you need to do to help your team win.”

Even if it means frequent trips to the dentist.

THE CRYSTAL BALL

With most teams reaching the halfway point of 41 games into the season this week, if not already, here’s five questions for five intriguing squads heading into the second half.

-- Can the surprising Washington Capitals, buoyed by Alex Ovechkin’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record, continue to be one of the elite teams in the League, something very few prognosticators predicted prior to the season?

-- Can the Rangers, admittedly one of the more disappointing stories of the first half, somehow pull things together to make a legitimate run at a Stanley Cup Playoff spot or will general manager Chris Drury opt to blow up his underachieving team?

-- Can the Canucks overcome their rash of injuries and internal soap opera speculation to stay in contention for a postseason spot without imploding?

— Will Nashville Predators GM Barry Trotz, who continues to preach patience, be a buyer or seller at the Trade Deadline after a disappointing first half in which off-season additions Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei did not help bring the instant on-ice success many predicted?

— Can the Ottawa Senators, whose nine-game road trip ends in Detroit against the Red Wings on Tuesday, stay in striking distance of a playoff spot and make their first postseason appearance since 2017?

Stay tuned.

QUOTE/UNQUOTE

“I don’t have a leash. I just call them as I see them.”

-- Philadelphia Flyers coach John Tortorella, when asked if he would give goalie Ivan Fedotov a “longer leash” due to inactivity. Fedotov had not played since Dec. 5 prior to starting against the Maple Leafs on Sunday.

“That’s basically what we’re trying to do anyway, whether we’re playing in the east, in the west or on the moon. We’re trying to be as simple as possible and think about defense first.”

-- Tortorella

THE LAST WORD

With 4 Nations rosters having been revealed, we’ll be taking a weekly look until the tournament at one player from each country who’s on a roll with their respective NHL team.

Adrian Kempe (Sweden): The Los Angeles Kings forward has scored in three consecutive games and has a five-game point streak (three goals, three assists).

Mark Stone (Canada): The Vegas Golden Knights forward recorded his 600th career NHL point (222 goals, 378 assists) in a 3-1 victory against the Buffalo Sabres at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday.

Kaapo Kakko (Finland): The Seattle Kraken forward has three assists in his past three games after registering just one point -- a goal -- in his first four games with Seattle after coming over in a trade with the Rangers on Dec. 18.

Matt Boldy (United States): The Minnesota Wild forward ended a three-game point drought with a goal and two assists, and was plus-3, in a 4-0 win against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center on Saturday.