Episode 76

full
Published on:

15th Oct 2025

Episode 76 - Another Ruff Start - With Mike Harrington from the Buffalo News

14 years ago, the Buffalo Sabres qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs with Lindy Ruff behind their bench. Fourteen years and six head coaches later, Ruff was tabbed again last year to try to recapture some post-season magic in Buffalo. Unfortunately, it hasn't gone exactly to plan.

Another slow start punctuated by lack of offense has quickly tested the patience of the fans in Western New York. Buffalo News columnist Mike Harrington joins Neil and Vic to get the pulse in the winning starved city.

We'll also return with Three Things You Need to Pay Attention To starting with an historic dry spell in the Big Apple along with other items of note from around the NHL.

IN THIS EPISODE:

[01:28] - Three Things You Need to Pay Attention To opens the show with the New York Rangers firing blanks at home and a player that they'd like wish they still had.

[09:26] - Mike Harrington joins the show and delivers the mood in the Buffalo area with the Sabres struggling, the Bills hitting a bump in the road and the Blue Jays having their hands full in the ALCS.

[10:49] - Starting the breakdown of where it continues to go wrong and why the Sabres can't seem to have the Bills relative success.

[13:29] - Moving from ownership to the front office where the club simply doesn't appear to have a true identity and fan patience is thin before the leaves have started to fall.

[15:49] - Though most people are not pointing the finger at the head coach, Vic presses Mike on his position on Lindy Ruff.

[18:25] - While the team has been affected by injuries early on, Neil is flabbergasted at some of the moves that have been made. Harrington adds his perspective.

[21:49] - The Jack Eichel saga leading to his departure from Buffalo to Vegas.

[23:41] - The big picture, as Mike sees it, in how the Sabres get their early woes turned around.

[25:06] - While the goaltending and defense are respectable, some difference of opinion on the forward group in relation to the balance of the NHL.

[29:10] - Adding to the frustration in Buffalo is the number of players that have won Stanley Cups elsewhere since departing the team.

[31:33] - In the immediate, the baby steps needed to gain traction - as if the first week of the season never happened.

[35:39] - Wrapping up the discussion with Mike Harrington

[37:04] - Other items from around the NHL including a salute to the latest member of the 1500 games played club.

[46:28] - A Human Side of the Story bit on how general managers - such as Kevyn Adams - deal with a high level of negativity when their franchise loses its way.

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 #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #NeilSmith #VicMorren #NHL #SummerCoolers #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 #UtahMammoth #VancouverCanucks #VegasGoldenKnights #WashingtonCapitals #WinnipegJets #MikeHarrington #BuffaloNews #PittsburghPirates #StuSkinner #VincentTrocheck #ArtemiPanarin #MikaZibanejad #WillCullye #AlexisLafreniere #MartinBrodeur #DominikHasek #CharlieLindgren #RyanLindgren #SamCarrick #AdamEdstrom #MattRempe #ChrisKreider #JoelQuenneville #JacobTrouba #BrandonBussi #PyotrKochetkov #BuffaloBills #TorontoBlueJays #NewYorkYankees #Presidents'Trophy #ChrisDrury #RasmusDahlin #OwenPower #TerryPegula #KimPegula #JoshAllen #SeanMcDermott #BrandonBeane #ConnorMcDavid #JackEichel #KevynAdams #JarmoKekalainen #LindyRuff #RonRolston #TedNolan #DanBylsma #PhilHousley #RalphKrueger #DonGranato #JoshNorris #Ukko-PekkaLuukkonen #AlexLyon #MattiasSamuelsson #J.J.Peterka #TageThompson #AlexTuch #MichaelKesselring #JoshDoan #ShaneDoan #PeytonKrebs #JiriKulich #JackQuinn #JasonZucker #DylanCozens #SamReinhart #RyanO'Reilly #BrandonMontour #ZachBenson #JordanGreenway #KonstaHelenius #NathanMacKinnon #BradyTkachuk #KyleOkposo #EvanRodrigues #DmitriKulikov #WillCarrier #ZachBogosian #RayFerraro #JasonBotterill #SethAppert #IvanDemidov #LaneHutson #ColeCaufield #JeffGorton #KentHughes #JoeyDaccord #JeffMolson #AdinHill #DustinWolf #DevinCooley #DanVladar #RyamHuska #UtahHockeyClub #GrantFuhr #MikeKeenan #GlennHall #JonCasey #SteveYzerman #WayneGretzky #ChrisPronger #NickKypreos #BrentBurns #DevonToews #PhilKessel #ChrisChelios #K'AndreMiller #NoahDobson #NickFoligno #LucasRaymond #ChrisTanev #LesterPatrick #JoeBowen #FosterHewitt #BillHewitt

Next Episode All Episodes Previous Episode

Listen for free

Show artwork for NHL Wraparound Podcast

About the Podcast

NHL Wraparound Podcast
Neil Smith & Vic Morren
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.