Daily(ish)

I asked my friend Spencer to play hockey correspondent and help me understand the ramifications of the Winnipeg Jets trading goalie Connor Hellebuyck, break down the players they got in return, and how the Hellebuyck drama compares to Spencer’s favourite team, the Detroit Red Wings, own drama involving Dylan Larkin as well as other players tied to last year’s U.S. Olympic team.

Links Mentioned in This Episode:
Topics:
00:00 Intro
00:47 Hellebuyck Trade Fallout
01:38 Breaking Down The Return
04:03 Jets Outlook After Deal
07:10 Heritage Classic Timing
07:57 League wide Trade Requests
10:41 Olympic Team Drama
14:56 Next Jets vs Devils Game
17:39 Wrap Up

Did You Know?
Support the Show
There are three ways you can support what I do online:
Thanks to our monthly supporters
  • Lynn
  • Jon & Justin
  • Abbey Fisher
  • eileen smee
  • 3 Guys 3 Questions
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Creators and Guests

Host
Chris
I edit podcasts so you don't have to. I live in Saskatchewan so you don't have to?
Guest
Spencer Meisner
I like hockey.

What is Daily(ish)?

Challenging myself to record a podcast episode a day for my 50th year on this planet.

Chris: Hello, welcome to Dailyish
for Friday, October 23rd, 2026.

I'm recording an episode every day
for this, my 50th year on the planet.

Uh, this is an emergency recording.

Late-breaking news from, for people
who I'm sure listen to this podcast for

late-breaking hockey news in particular as
it relates to, uh, Winnipeg Jets hockey.

And, uh, so my friend Spencer is here.

Hey, Spencer.

Spencer: How are you, Chris?

Chris: uh, the, uh, hockey correspondent
for the podcast, we'll say.

So any

Spencer: Amazing.

As a formy-- former hockey podcaster,
very short-lived, I think 12 episodes,

uh, hosted by you in a previous life,
I, uh, I relish this opportunity.

Thank you very much

Chris: Yes.

But for, uh, Jets hockey fans, whatever,
the news of Connor Hellebuyck is the

Jets goalie or was the Jets goalie.

He had the Olympic gold medal-winning
thing, and then all the sort of drama

and politics and everything that happened
after that, we don't need to go into.

Basically, he demanded a trade
before the season started.

He, uh, didn't come to
training camp, didn't show up.

He br- he's in breach of his contract.

The Jets are fining him.

So in effect, he, up until today, I
guess, he's been losing money every day.

The Jets as a team have kinda gone
on and done, not like amazing, but

also are surviving and seeming to
thrive, even if the record doesn't

sh- seem to indicate that they're
doing super amazing without him there.

But, uh, they're definitely doing
well with the goalies they have.

And so now, as of today, just happened
earlier today, they finally traded him.

So With your vast hockey knowledge, what's
your, what's your take on the trade?

Spencer: So my take on the trade
is the Jets had a player who two

years ago won the Vezina Trophy for
the top goaltender in the league.

he had-- he played really
well the last number of years.

and then last year he kinda fell
off a little bit, and there was even

questions about whether he would
start in goal for the US Olympic team

because it was-- he wasn't playing
as well as he had in the past.

Then, as you mentioned, he refuses
to come to training camp, asks for

a trade, so the Jets suspend him.

and I think, Chris, you saw this,
and I'm sure others have too, there's

a website called hellabucks.com,

where they're tracking how much money
he forfeit in the weeks that he was

suspended, and it stopped at nine
hundred and twenty-seven thousand

dollars, so just shy of a million US,
that he forfeited by being suspended.

So if you're the Jets, you didn't
have a goalie, effectively.

You didn't have this player.

He was refusing to play for you.

And what you traded him for
was Dawson Mercer, who's like

a middle six young scorer.

I think we said he was born
in two thousand two, which

makes both of us feel very old.

so he's, he's, you know, a decent scorer.

Um, Ni- uh, Nico Dawes, who's a younger
goalie to give you some more depth.

Maybe he plays this
year, maybe he doesn't.

You get a second round
pick, which is good.

A seventh round pick, which
is kinda inconsequential.

A guy named Nick Bjugstad, who also
is inconsequential, I think was

just there to swap some salary.

but then you also get a player who
was drafted twelfth overall last

year named Alexander Khmyan, which
doesn't feel like a real name.

That feels made up.

But he is a real person.

Um, so effectively you've got a first
round pick, a second round pick, a

middle six younger Canadian forward,
which matters, and a young goalie.

I, I think that's, uh, pretty much as
good as you can expect for a player

who's refusing to play for you.

And Hellebuych could be really good
for the Devils, or, I mean, he's-- I

thought he was much older than this.

He's thirty-three, so he's actually
younger than I am, which feels

Chris: Ouch.

Spencer: tough.

But I mean, he is, for a goaltender,
he's on the older side of things.

So last year maybe he wasn't that
great and it was starting to taper,

and maybe he will continue to taper.

I don't know.

I think the Jets did really
well for themselves here.

Chris: Yeah, that's what-- And it's
kinda crazy when you just step back,

like not being in the hockey world as
much and just like in the tech world

and another Discord I was in where it's
like they're trading four human beings

plus two potential humans for one human.

And you're like, like I realize
in sports this happens all the

time, like multiple players.

But like, uh, just on a humanity
level, it kinda just sounds weird.

And, um, I think a Jets player or Jets
maybe as an organization or, or the fans

or whatever were kinda hoping for some big
name in exchange 'cause we're giving up

a big name, so we should get a big name.

And like, man, maybe that's what they were
hoping for originally is some sort of big

f- a forward or whatever to like really,
uh, and a, and a younger goalie, like to

kinda like make up for Hellebuyck's loss.

But I feel like this trade, in
light of how the Jets have been

playing this season, which isn't,
isn't like gangbusters, but isn't

awful, and the team genuinely…

Like when I watch the game, I mean,
you can only read so much obviously,

but like when you watch the games
so far, it seems like they're

having a lot of fun as a team.

And, and of course, coming off
one of their worst seasons last

year, it's probably a relief
just to get a couple wins in the

first s- few weeks of the season.

But so it feels like, well,
the pressure's off now.

They don't need Hellebuyck
to do medium hockey.

And, and they're doing better than
they did last year so far, so now

they can just plan for the future
and ride out this year is sorta…

I mean, not that they're looking like
they wanna lose or anything or like

Spencer: No, I don't, I don't
think they're rebuilding.

I don't think they're starting over.

I think what Dawson Mercer gives you is
a player who's, I think, 20, 24, who can

play today and has-- He had a great rookie
season, a really good sophomore season.

Then they switched coaches, and
he kind of suffered a little

bit from it the last few years.

But, you know, he's got another
coach now that he can try

something new with in Winnipeg.

And then you also have
pieces for the future.

So I think that considering you weren't
gonna have Hellebuyck in net for you at

all this year, to get a player who can
play now and then, you know, between

that-- the Alex Command and then the
second-round pick who will play, you know,

three to four years from now, I think you
do-- you did well to give you something

for today and something for the future.

And I think, like you said, this
is a large weight off of the Jets.

The locker room will be much happier
now that this is all done with.

The president and the coach and
the GM, I'm sure, is just like

so happy to be done with this.

I saw, like, in the last half an hour,
the Jets unfollowed Connor Hellebuyck on

Chris: Yes, I saw that.

Spencer: The breakup is,
is, is officially on.

and I think really Jets fans are just
happy to have this done with too.

In reality, like, the fact that
it's over is a win in itself

Chris: And it wasn't a, a, a car
crash in terms of a deal too, and so

it's like, "All right, that's good.

Let's just move on now."

Spencer: Yeah, truly because, like,
there have been players in the last

number of years who have decided to
just walk away from their contracts,

mutually terminate their contracts.

And it sure, it means the Jets don't
have to pay him anymore if this

happened to Hellebuyck, but it also
means you don't get anything in return.

So the fact the Jets got a
good deal out of this is a

massive, massive win for them.

And like, like we said, good for the fans.

It's ahead of the Heritage Classic,
which is a huge deal for Winnipeg to

be hosting this outdoor game against
the Montreal Canadiens, the only one in

Canada this year, I'm pretty positive.

And to have that done and over with
by the time this game comes around is

good news because I think Hellebuyck's
suspension was supposed to end today.

So he would've-- he could've
technically come back to the team

and been on the roster for that game,
which would've caused a whole bunch

of, like, just a huge kerfuffle.

And the fact that it's just done and out
of their hands, I think they're happy

Chris: Yeah, it's gotta be weird just
to-- That's sort of like the locker-- I'm

sure he's cleaned up his locker and long
since gone or whatever, but, you know,

it, it's not like he has to come by and
say goodbye to everybody or whatever, but

Spencer: That's right.

The walk of shame out the, out of
the practice facility or something

Chris: Which it's, uh, it's interesting
'cause you're f- you're a Detroit Red

Wings fan, and you're somewhat sort
of suffering, but in a different way.

Like, there's teams, the Brady Tkachuk
thing, the, uh, so Dylan Larkin for

you, Hellebuych, and isn't there a
fourth that I'm forgetting that sort

of did something similar this year?

Spencer: Uh, yeah, Marchenko wanted
out of, um, Columbus, so not an

American player, but Marchenko
wanted to be traded from Columbus.

And I, I did tell a friend today,
like, this is now-- Detroit's now

behind the eight ball 'cause they are
the only team with a player with a, a

star player with a trade request now.

So our captain, our former captain,
Dylan Larkin, who also played for the

US Olympic team, who also partied with
Kash Patel and all that kind of fun

stuff, said he wanted to trade this year.

And, only he's got a no movement
clause in his contract, which is a

deal that he agreed to with the team
to say he will not be traded unless he

approves it to a certain team, right?

That's his right.

But he gave the Red Wings three teams
that he'd be, that he'd be willing to be

traded to: Florida, Vegas, and Minnesota.

Florida has no money for him.

Vegas had no money for him.

Minnesota really had no money for him.

And none of them had pieces they
were willing to trade back that

would be any good for Detroit.

So it put a real sour taste in the
mouth of all the Red Wings fans, and

then he was stripped of his captaincy,
um, which is a huge deal in Detroit.

Detroit captains have a long
history of being amazing, upstanding

people, and that was ripped away.

And this kid was born in Michigan
and went to U-University of Michigan

and played at the, um, National
Development Team program in Michigan.

Like, he's got Michigan roots all the way,
and he really, uh, he really screwed up.

Really, really screwed up with fans.

And so now, yeah, he's still playing
for Detroit, waiting to be traded,

and I don't know if there's a time
where it'll actually happen or not.

But he's now the only player who's
a star player waiting for this

to happen, and Detroit is just
dragging their feet for some reason.

Chris: unlike Brady, which--
And Brady Tkachuk was traded

before the season started.

Hellebuyck decided to sit out and not
play, and then Larkin decided to play.

Like, he suited up, took the boos, and
started playing and then scores goals.

Like, so I haven't watched
any Red Wings games.

Is he still being booed and stuff at all?

Or is it kinda just like,
"Whatever, we're back to playing"?

Spencer: There's some boos, and I
think it's also, I think it's also

because he, he looks so lazy out there.

Like, he's…

Uh, you've heard of players
showing up for the paycheck?

Like, that's what he's doing.

He's just, like, putting in his time
so he can't be suspended until he gets

traded, 'cause he is giving zero effort,
aside from that first game where he

scored and he started a fight, and it
was, everyone was, like, welcoming him

back to the team, and then ever since
then it's just been this, like, pitfall.

So I, I think, you and I talked about
this over text, but there needs to

be a 30 for 30 or a documentary of
some type about this US Olympic team

from last year, because it has just
blown up the hockey world completely,

and I need to know what happened.

I just

Chris: Yeah.

I just want the, like, uh, what it,
like that Netflix meme of, like,

the person sitting down on the couch
putting the microphone on, and it's

like Kyle Connor sits down and he's
like, "I'm ready to talk," or whatever.

You know, like, in 10 years or something
or whatever 'cause that's-- I think

of-- We were talking about this, 'cause
Kyle Connor on the Jets feels like he's

the guy who is in these chats on the
team but just kept his mouth shut in

public and just went back and is, like,
pumped to be on the Jets again and,

like, embraced his team, of course, and
all that stuff and just kinda laid low.

And that's all they had to do.

Like, it really-- And even Larkin
or Hellebuyck, like, at some point

could've been like, "You know,
I think I'm ready for a change.

Can we talk about a change?"

And, like, that could've happened.

And, like, but yeah.

It's just fascinating how they just--
It's like they shot themselves in the foot

over and over in the process of getting to
where they wanted to get to, potentially.

I mean, still waiting to
see obviously for Larkin.

So

Spencer: Well, and it's true.

Like, the, like, Ottawa Senators where
Brady Tkachuk wanted out from, there's

a defenseman on that team named Jake
Sanderson, who also played for the

US Olympic team, who's also happy to
commit to stay in Ottawa because he's

like, "This is the team that drafted me.

This is where I wanna be."

And so he probably had those conversations
with Tkachuk as well, of Tkachuk

wanting out and him going, " Dude,
you're gonna really leave us in

the lurch here when you do this."

And Tkachuk says, "I have to go where
my brother and my daddy tell me to go,

otherwise what do I do with myself?"

Chris: Exactly.

And that's what I, I've maintained.

This is o- ob- obvious neither of
us have any insider information.

We're the furthest from inside.

But, like, I've maintained that
Hellebuyck, in particular, had,

like, legitimate crap with his family
that he had to deal with as a result

of, I would say, his own actions.

Like, I don't think it's fair
to say the Canadians were just

pissed at him for winning the gold
and didn't wanna celebrate him.

He chose to sort of embrace
it and in a certain way.

And Trump obviously doing
all his mess at the same time

didn't help Hellebuyck's case.

But, like, 'cause I can understand
in a, as an American, getting the

Presidential Medal of Freedom or Honor
or whatever it is, like, that would

be a big deal to be able to do that.

And so I, I feel like Canada even wouldn't
have been, Canadian team or Jets fans

wouldn't have been so pissed if he'd
said, " Look, I-- it's a big honor.

I kinda don't agree with his politics."

But, you know, if he could have
thread that needle, which would be

impossible with Trump, obviously.

Spencer: But there were some players
who just s- stayed quiet, like you said.

So there, there were some who have
really flown under the radar and

ultimately said, " I'm okay to keep
playing here because I, I like this

team and I like where we're going."

The fact that he didn't do either
of those things and then said,

"Actually, I actively want out"…

A- and sports fans, we're the most fickle
people in the universe, you know, because

we're so loyal to this team, but we can be
angry at players for decisions they make.

But it almost feels like a slight
to the fans when a player says,

"I don't wanna be here anymore."

And immediately fans are going, "Well,
a middle finger to you, my friend.

I don't like you anymore.

I-- In fact, I hate you.

You're outta here."

You know?

Like, the-- So it is when-- It's,
it's specifically when those players,

they could have acted like idiots,
but then they come back and they

play well, and they s- you know.

They would've-- I think fans
would've forgiven a lot of that.

But w- it's, it's guys like Tkachuk
and really Hughes, even though that

was before the Olympics, um, and
then Larkin and Hellebuyck who, like,

actively want out of that situation.

And Larkin's not even
playing for a Canadian team.

American fans also are mad at him.

It's really when you're a star
player and you say, "I don't

wanna be part of the solution.

I wanna be outta here.

And yes, I did just sign an eight-year
contract, but I want out of it."

You know, like, those are the
things that really bug sports fans.

And then when you're a fan of a Canadian
team and it's an American player,

with everything that's going on in
the world, it just compounded on top a

hundredfold, and now we are where we are.

Chris: Yeah.

And I mean, the, like, shit disturbers
of, like, uh, the Tkachuk brothers

being in your group chat, I'm sure
is just, like, not helping the

situation mentally or otherwise.

So yeah, anyways.

So good.

The, uh, Jets' first game against the
Devils happens to be November 10th.

I happen to be going to Winnipeg
November 11th, so I'm gonna see if

I can't imagine there'll be tickets
at this point, but who knows?

Family or friends out there want
a, want a plus one to the game.

We'll see.

But, uh

Spencer: that will be a very loud game to
be at, especially if Helot looks playing.

And I would imagine if you're New
Jersey, you want him to play that

game to have a chance to shut up
the other fans and, you know, play

that or again, against his old team.

So could be a big one.

Jets will have no trouble
getting excited for that game.

I can

tell you that

Chris: yeah.

Seeing what, I mean, just seeing how
Ottawa rallied around Tkachuk coming

back for the first game or whatever this
last weekend, and I, I f- it feels like

Winnipeg would be kinder somehow, but
also that the pre- the bar has been set

by Ottawa now, that like, I feel like
they kinda have to be as nasty and, yeah.

So I don't know.

We'll see.

It's, it's definitely
changed the tone of hockey.

Like, there's certainly fans chanting
all sorts of stuff at games, but to

hear a whole arena saying like, "Fuck
your podcast," was like, just took

it out of the arena completely and is
like, "We are very aware of you, and we

know who you are and what you are, and

we're gonna say screw

Spencer: And I think, I think the benefit
that Hellebuyck has is he's not as

universally hated as Brady Tkachuk, right?

Like, 'cause Senators fans were the only
ones who didn't hate Brady Tkachuk, and

then now they had a reason to hate him,
and so it was like they, they jumped

on things like you can't read, right?

That was a chant that they said that
was a big joke amongst all the rest

of the hockey fans, but not Ottawa.

So it's clear that they were
like, "Yeah, you know what?

He probably can't read.

Let's chant that at him."

Hellebuyck seemingly was
a, was, was a nice guy.

There was no…

He didn't have a podcast with his
brother where he actively shit talked

his teammates and his coach's decisions.

You know?

Like I don't-- I think there'll be boos.

I think Jets fans are very
mad if I had to guess.

But I mean, they can't chant fuck
your podcast or you can't read.

He's- he hasn't given them any
reason to, to say those things.

It might be s- things like, you
know, Stewie's better, Skinner's

better, uh, we love Mercer.

Whatever it might be.

Like, they might come up with
better options, um, than,

than things than just boos.

But You're right, the bar has been set,
but I think it's tough to hate Hellebuyck

as much as anybody hates Brady Tkachuk

Chris: Yeah, and I think from what
I've heard anyways, he was very

involved in the community too, which
often hockey players are, but like I

think well-liked in the community and
so it's, it-- That's probably why it

feels especially jarring and kind of
frustrating at how he's treated the

city and the team and stuff afterwards.

But, but yeah.

So I think there's definitely gonna,
there-- I would think there'd be a

lesser sort of edge to the chants or
the booing or whatever, and they maybe

spin it in a more positive direction.

So, Fun, fun times ahead, so we'll see.

Spencer: Yeah, if you can get
to that game, I think you will,

uh, certainly enjoy yourself

Chris: Exactly.

All right, well, thanks for this, uh,
very quick, uh, impromptu, uh, call-out

for sports knowledge on the podcast.

So if you're out there listening and, uh,
i- is there any sort of public blogging,

whatever websites you wanna pitch that
you, they sh- people should find you at?

Spencer: Uh, you know what?

I ha- I haven't written
in a long, long time.

Um, spencermizner.wordpress.com

is about as much as I have, and, uh,
it's some older stuff if, if you feel

like going, but I mean, there's no, no
huge benefit to, to checking that out.

It's been a while since I've
been writing a lot, so, uh,

Chris: And you're active, somewhat active
on, uh, social media on Bluesky, right?

Is that where you're the one--

Spencer: Yeah, that's pretty much it

Chris: platform of choice?

Spencer: I've on-- I'm pretty
much off everything else

Chris: And then Fortnite, of course,
when we play together sometimes, so

Spencer: Fortnite, and then, uh, World
of Warcraft Forever comes out in two

weeks, and I think that'll be my new,

Chris: Ooh, you're gonna dive in?

Spencer: Yeah, I played, I played in
college, and then I played a little

bit a few years ago, but, uh, I seem
to have found a group of, of, uh,

friends and friends of friends, and
I think there's gonna be about 40 or

50 of us in this group who will play.

So yeah, it'll be good.

It'll be my new obsession
for the rest of the year

Chris: That's one I
never took the plunge on.

Uh, always tempted, like for sure,
but I think I was way too cheap back

in the day 'cause it-- when it was
like 10 to 15 bucks a month and, or

Spencer: Yeah.

it still is.

Like, I think it's like 16 a month
Canadian, but, uh, I have an allowance

of $50 a month, so that'll fit, that'll
fit nicely into my allowance, I think

Chris: That's good.

All right, uh, for those who are
listening, watching, as always, you

can feel free to reply to this post if
you saw it on social media or in the

comments on YouTube if you have thoughts
on hockey or World of Warcraft, I guess.

You can email me as well
at chris.enns@gmail.com.

If you're not already subscribed, you
can visit daily.chrisenns.com/subscribe

to see all the ways you can subscribe
to the show, or just search for

"Daily" wherever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening.

Hope you'll be back tomorrow.

Have a great day.

Bye.