NHL Wraparound Podcast

Written by: Neil Smith & Vic Morren
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  • Summary

  • Breadth and depth. Contemporary and historical. Straight-forward and experienced. The NHL Wraparound podcast features Neil Smith, President-General Manager of the 1994 Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers and longtime ESPN/NHL veteran Vic Morren sharing no-nonsense opinions on news and issues around the National Hockey League. Bringing decades of experience from their respective fields, Smith and Morren create a unique partnership that examines the NHL from multiple perspectives. Additionally, as hockey historians, the pair can delve into any topic in today’s game and enlighten the audience with connections to events from previous years. To truly appreciate where hockey stands today, one needs to understand its past. With 2024 marking the 30th anniversary of the Rangers last championship season, a special five-part series is planned to commemorate that magical run. Expect fascinating behind-the-scenes stories and special guests with particular focus on the GM who pushed all of his chips into the middle of the table amidst the most pressurized environments – and came out on top. Whether you’re new to the game or a seasoned fan, each episode of NHL Wraparound will leave you entertained and informed. Bio’s Neil S. Smith, highly regarded NHL executive, served as the President and General Manager of the 1994 Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers. During his eleven years with the team, they achieved significant success, including three division titles, two Presidents’ Trophies, one Eastern Conference Championship, and a historic Stanley Cup victory—the franchise’s first in 54 years. Known for his expertise in professional sports franchise economics, Smith played a pivotal role in management decisions under four different Rangers owners.. His tenure saw iconic trades and acquisitions, including Hall of Famers Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky, as well as successful drafts and free-agent signings. Starting as a pro scout, Smith's career highlights include the impactful 1989 draft for the Detroit Red Wings and bold trades that shaped NHL history. He briefly served as GM for the New York Islanders in 2006, later working as a consultant for the Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. A Toronto native, Smith's hockey journey began in junior leagues before a distinguished college career at Western Michigan University. He has received numerous awards and distinctions, including induction into the University's Sports Hall of Fame in 1991. Vic Morren: Born in New York City close to the Old Madison Square Garden, Vic Morren has had hockey in his blood his entire life as a fan, player and television production manager. A graduate of William Paterson University, Morren skated for three seasons with the Pioneers hockey club and became the first statistical analyst to apply his craft to telecasts working New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils games from 1984-87. He co-authored two NHL-based statistics books within that span before moving to ESPN in 1987 and working the final season of the original deal the network had with the NHL. After departing in 1990, Morren worked as a studio producer for SportsChannel America’s NHL coverage and the 1992 Barcelona Olympics before returning to ESPN that fall where he worked all 12 seasons on the second ESPN/NHL deal and the first season of the most recent contract in 2021-22. Morren has also earned a Sports Emmy for his work on Sunday Night Football coverage in 2003. His relationship with Neil Smith dates back 33 years through their mutual friendship with the late ESPN/ABC commentator John Saunders. Morren looks forward to NHL Wraparound and collaborating with Smith with the goal to provide an experience of contemporary viewpoints, historical spin and an overall enriching podcast experience.
    Copyright 2025 Neil Smith & Vic Morren
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Biographies & Memoirs Hockey Social Sciences
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Episodes
  • Episode 46 - Let's Make a Deal - With NHL on TNT Analyst Brian Boucher

    Episode 46 - Let's Make a Deal - With NHL on TNT Analyst Brian Boucher
    Feb 4 2025

    A loaded show as we're joined by NHL on TNT/NBC Sports Philadelphia analyst Brian Boucher to dissect a quarter of deals. We also do a deeper dive into the salary cap bump, which will be heading north of $100 million in two years.

    Two terrific games over the weekend between four of the NHL's top teams and some very significant injury news to report before wrapping up the show on the right and wrong way to handle strife within a team.

    [02:01] - Three Things You Need to Pay Attention to kicks off the show with a game show theme when addressing the trades, the salary cap and a pair of pending suspensions.

    [05:50] - Brian Boucher joins Neil and Vic and first speaks on the Rangers-Canucks trade.

    [16:50] - Vancouver wasn't done Friday, completing a second deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

    [29:00] - The Dallas Stars made a statement in the Western Conference in a trade with the San Jose Sharks.

    [37:59] - Boucher speaks to the deal of the team he covers locally, the Philadelphia Flyers. As noted on Short Shifts Friday, this is a deal the Flyers consummated with the Calgary Flames.

    [50:56] - Vic and Neil turn the prism in several different directions to look at the effects of the salary cap increases coming over the next few seasons.

    [1:00:45] - Celebrating two terrific Saturday games in Washington and Edmonton as well as a pair of significant milestones.

    [1:06:50] - Significant injury and waiver wire new.

    [1:13:19] - Bringing the show full circle, during "The Human Side of the Story", Neil takes the Vancouver Canucks drama and speaks about the right and wrong way strifes are handled within a team.

    Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgBj1LV0-DMfBhcRPSJZLjA

    X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound

    Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil

    Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/

    NHL Wraparound Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/

    #NHLWraparound #ShortShifts #NYCentric #NeilSmith #VicMorren #NHL #AnaheimDucks # #BostonBruins #BuffaloSabres #CalgaryFlames #CarolinaHurricanes #ChicagoBlackhawks #ColoradoAvalanche #ColumbusBlueJackets #DallasStars #DetroitRedWings #EdmontonOilers #FloridaPanthers #LosAngelesKings #MinnesotaWild #MontrealCanadiens #NashvillePredators #NewJerseyDevils #NewYorkIslanders #NewYorkRangers #OttawaSenators #PhiladelphiaFlyers #PittsburghPenguins #StLouisBlues #SanJoseSharks #SeattleKraken #TampaBayLightning #TorontoMapleLeafs #UtahHockeyClub #VancouverCanucks #VegasGoldenKnights #WashingtonCapitals #WinnipegJets #BrianBoucher #NHLonTNT #NBCSportsPhiladelphia #JTMiller #FilipChytil #RyanHartman #TimStutzle #ColePerfetti #StefanNoesen #TageThompson #MonteHall #BobBarker #DrewCarey #GeneRayburn #ChrisDrury #ErikBrannstrom #JacksonDorrington #ArtemiPanarin #MikaZibanejad #ChrisKreider #VictorMancini #VincentTrocheck #PresidentsTrophy #SamPollock #BarclayGoodrow #JacobTrouba #EliasPettersson #MattRempe #WillBorgen #AdamFox #K'AndreMiller #RyanLindgren #DrewO'Connor #DantonHeinen #MarcusPettersson #VincentDesharnais #MelvinFernstrom #KyleDubas #PiusSuter #PatrikAllvin #SidneyCrosby #TheFenwayGroup #RonHextall #StanleyCup #TristanJarry #Pierre-LucDubois #SpencerCarbery #AlexOvechkin #JakobChychrun #AliakseiProtas #QuebecNordiques #MikaelGranlund #CodyCeci #TylerSeguin #JimNill #RoopeHintz #LoganStankoven #MattDuchene #MavrikBourque #MacklinCelebrini #WillSmith #BobPulford #GlenSather #CraigMacTavish #TonyAmonte #BrianNoonan #StephaneMatteau #MiroHeiskanen #ThomasHarley #JoelLundqvist #JoelFarabee #MorganFrost #AndreiKuzmenko #JacobPelletier #JohnTortorella #DannyBriere #KeithJones #NazemKadri #OwenTippett #TravisKonecny #MatveiMitchkov #PierreGauthier #SeanCouturier #ArthurStaple #TheAthletic #NHLSalaryCap #LeonDraisaitl #IgorShesterkin #StanBowman #ConnorMcDavid #PatrickKane #JonathanToews #DuncanKeith #NathanMacKinnon #CaleMakar #TomDundon #HenriSamueli #TerryPegula...
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    1 hr and 22 mins
  • NHL Wraparound Short Shifts - Flames, Flyers & Fleury - Jan. 31, 2025

    NHL Wraparound Short Shifts - Flames, Flyers & Fleury - Jan. 31, 2025
    Jan 31 2025

    For the second time in as many weeks, a significant trade in the NHL.

    A memorable final game in Montreal for Marc-Andre Fleury.

    All you need to know about the Wild Card races and the new name for the Utah Hockey Club has become a saga onto itself.

    Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgBj1LV0-DMfBhcRPSJZLjA

    X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound

    Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil

    Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/

    NHL Wraparound Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/

    #NHLWraparound #ShortShifts #NYCentric #NeilSmith #VicMorren #NHL #AnaheimDucks # #BostonBruins #BuffaloSabres #CalgaryFlames #CarolinaHurricanes #ChicagoBlackhawks #ColoradoAvalanche #ColumbusBlueJackets #DallasStars #DetroitRedWings #EdmontonOilers #FloridaPanthers #LosAngelesKings #MinnesotaWild #MontrealCanadiens #NashvillePredators #NewJerseyDevils #NewYorkIslanders #NewYorkRangers #OttawaSenators #PhiladelphiaFlyers #PittsburghPenguins #StLouisBlues #SanJoseSharks #SeattleKraken #TampaBayLightning #TorontoMapleLeafs #UtahHockeyClub #VancouverCanucks #VegasGoldenKnights #WashingtonCapitals #WinnipegJets #JoelFarabee #MorganFrost #AndreiKuzmenko #JakobPelletier #ElliotteFriedman #AndyFrost #JohnTortorella #MatveiMichkov #SimonHolmstrom #IlyaSorokin #MarcGatcomb #KylePalmieri #BrockNelson #BoHorvat #MattBarzal #NoahDobson #NikitaKucherov #AndreiVasilevskiy #Marc-AndreFleury #MartinStLouis #ThomasChabot #AlexOvechkin #SpencerCarbery #JoshNorris #JohnHynes #BrandonHagel #AnthonyCirelli #LucRobitaille #SergeiBobrovsky #DrewDoughty #JakeAllen #ColeSillinger #ZachWerenski #KentJohnson #TonyMassarotti #98.5TheSportsHub #JoeSacco #MarkScheifele #MasonLohrei #NikolajEhlers #JimMontgomery #JeremySwayman #JoonasKorpisalo #IgorShesterkin #PatriceBergeron #DavidKrejci #ZdenoChara #LucasRaymond #DylanLarkin #JohnKlingberg #LinusKarlsson #QuinnHughes #ThatcherDemko #MattCoronato #BlakeColeman #DustinWolf #LaneHutson #MacklinCelebrini #SidneyCrosby #MikkoRantanen #ConnorBedard #BrandonMontour #ChandlerStephenson #KaidenGuhle #NicoHischier #MiroHeiskanen #NickCousins #KevinBahl #MaxPacioretty #BrandonSaad #CraigBerube #VictorHedman #AleksanderBarkov #Wasatch #Mammoth #Outlaws
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    36 mins
  • Human Side of the Story - Episode 45 - The Only Player to Wear All Original Six Sweaters

    Human Side of the Story - Episode 45 - The Only Player to Wear All Original Six Sweaters
    Jan 30 2025

    The most notable Jan. 26 birthday in the NHL belongs to Wayne Gretzky. However, there's another player who was born on that date 100 years ago who owns a distinction no other player in league history has.

    Vic Lynn played in only 327 NHL games but, by suiting up for the Rangers, Red Wings, Canadiens, Maple Leafs, Bruins and Blackhawks, he remains the only player to have skated for all of the "Original Six' franchises.

    Vic and Neil also take a look back at the first year of the podcast.

    Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgBj1LV0-DMfBhcRPSJZLjA

    X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound

    Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil

    Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/

    NHL Wraparound Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/

    #NHLWraparound #ShortShifts #NYCentric #NeilSmith #VicMorren #NHL #BostonBruins #ChicagoBlackhawks #MontrealCanadiens #NewYorkRangers #DetroitRedWings #TorontoMapleLeafs #TrippTracy #DonWaddell #MarkMessier #BobbyOrr #WayneGretzky #VicLynn #BryanHextall #LynnPatrick #MapleLeafGardens #CraigPatrick #GordieHowe #SydHowe #ToeBlake #MiltSchmidt #PhilEsposito #KenWharram #BudPoile #TheKidLine #HowieMeeker #TedKennedy #DanQuinn #PatQuinn #CaliforniaSeals #OaklandSeals #BrianLeetch #GlennHealy#JohnDavison #DonMaloney #DougArmstrong #BillGuerin #DonWaddell #EdJovanovski

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    8 mins

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