Episodes
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(00:01) On today's episode of WesternCentric, hosts Colton Davies (Daily Faceoff/ The Nation-Network) and Matthew Zator (TheHockeyWriters) officially start Season 2 of WesternCentric off with an exclusive interview with special guest Fraser Minten. Fraser was generous enough to donate 20 minutes to talk to the guys about his WHL career with the Kamloops Blazers, being drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs, meeting idols, and the upcoming 2023 Memorial Cup.
Then the guys segway into some World Juniors recap and talk about Mason McTavish's desperation save to help secure Canada gold. They also chat about predictions for the 2023 World Juniors that take place in Halifax this winter. Then the "Bus Ride" segment continues on, this week it is Jordan Eberle, the guy's breakdown of Eberle's WHL and NHL career as well as chat about the key moments he is noted for in hockey history.
Finally, as the episode wraps up, Colton goes through a months worth of news from around the Dub.
FOLLOW THE HOSTS!
Colton Davies @coltonrdavies - Daily Faceoff/ The Nation Network
Matthew Zator @matthewzatorsc - TheHockeyWriters
Email - [email protected]
Twitter - @WesternCentric
Instagram - @WesternCentric
YouTube - WesternCentric
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(0:01) On today's episode of WesternCentric, hosts Colton Davies (Daily Faceoff/ The Nation Network) and Matthew Zator (TheHockeyWriters) bring you a jam-packed show full of NHL-related news. The guys open the show up to discuss and recap the NHL Draft that took place in Montreal last week. The guys highlight the six WHL players selected in the first round, which included former WesternCentric guest, Denton Mateychuk. The guys go through the list of 28 WHL players selected throughout the 2022 NHL Draft and discuss each player's game.
(0:54:38) Next up, Colton and Matthew divulge into the news about Johnny Gaudreau signing in Columbus and the shock around the hockey world. Colton- who is affiliated with FlamesNation, gives his insight and chats about what he has heard through the grapevine behind the bizarre signing. The guys talk about early winners, and losers of Free Agency and how the next NHL season could play out for some teams.
(1:16:47) Bus Ride Segment - Duncan Keith
The guys end the show off with some news around the league and a sneak peek into an upcoming guest on WesternCentric!
FOLLOW THE HOSTS!
Colton Davies @coltonrdavies - Daily Faceoff/ The Nation Network
Matthew Zator @matthewzatorsc - TheHockeyWriters
Email - [email protected]
Twitter - @WesternCentric
Instagram - @WesternCentric
YouTube - WesternCentric
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Missing episodes?
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(00:01) On today's episode of WesternCentric, hosts Colton Davies (Daily Faceoff / The Nation-Network) and Matthew Zator (TheHockeyWriters) start the show off by recapping the CHL Import Draft. Then as the show progresses, the guys welcome you into another installment of the Bus Ride" segment and this week the guys take a look at Doug Wickenheiser's WHL career and freakily enough how he correlates with recent news and the NHL Draft.
Then, with the NHL Draft happening today (Thursday) the guys give some predictions as well as their own mock draft and discuss where they think some prospects could end up.
FOLLOW THE HOSTS!
Colton Davies @coltonrdavies - Daily Faceoff/ The Nation Network
Matthew Zator @matthewzatorsc - TheHockeyWriters
Email - [email protected]
Twitter - @WesternCentric
Instagram - @WesternCentric
YouTube - WesternCentric
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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(00:01) On this SPECIAL EPISODE, the boys are joined by none other than the WHL and CHL Player of the Year, Logan Stankoven. Logan was nice enough to lend us 20 minutes of his time as he had just returned from the CHL awards in Saint John. We discussed the remarkable season that earned him some hardware, playing with Luke Toporowski and finding that dynamic chemistry, the Blazers playoff run that lead to a heartbreaking loss in the Conference Finals and more.
FOLLOW THE HOSTS!
Colton Davies @coltonrdavies - Daily Faceoff/ The Nation Network
Matthew Zator @matthewzatorsc - TheHockeyWriters
Email - [email protected]
Twitter - @WesternCentric
Instagram - @WesternCentric
YouTube - WesternCentric
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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(00:01) On today's episode of WesternCentric, hosts Colton Davies (Daily Faceoff/ The Nation-Network) and Matthew Zator (TheHockeyWriters) are pleased to be joined by Victoria Royals captain and San Jose Sharks prospect Gannon Laroque. Gannon was nice enough to lend us his time to discuss his WHL career so far, playing for the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL, and the honour of being named captain for the Victoria Royals.
(20:55) Nex up, Colton opens the show to congratulate the Saint John Sea Dogs on capturing the 102nd Memorial Cup. The guys chat about the team that Sea Dogs president Trevor Georgie has created, and why it's so impressive and they chat a bit about the importance of having an intelligent hockey mind in the front office. Then, they chat about the NHL prospects who were partaking in the Memorial Cup Final and give their thoughts on each player's game and where they are headed in the future. Then, the guys chat about the CHL Awards which were awarded this past week in Saint John and outline which WHL players took home some hardware and briefly chat about the upcoming CHL Import Draft.
Colton then transitions into the Bus Ride segment, this week it's Stanley Cup champion Joe Sakic. The guys take a look at not only Sakic's playing career but what he has been able to build in Colorado and go down the rabbit hole.
As the show comes to an end, Colton breakdown some news and notes from around the league.
FOLLOW THE HOSTS!
Colton Davies @coltonrdavies - Daily Faceoff/ The Nation Network
Matthew Zator @matthewzatorsc - TheHockeyWriters
Email - [email protected]
Twitter - @WesternCentric
Instagram - @WesternCentric
YouTube - WesternCentric
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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(00:01) On today's episode of WesternCentric, hosts Colton Davies (Daily Faceoff/The Nation-Network) and Matthew Zator (TheHockeyWriters) are pleased to be joined by not just one, but two guests on the show today. First up, the guys chat with Saskatoon Blades forward and NHL prospect Trevor Wong. Trevor was nice enough to join the show and talked to the guys about his decision to opt out of NCAA and play in the WHL, playing under Adam Foote with the Kelowna Rockets and his most recent season with the Blades.
(16:12) Next, the guys chat about the first couple of games that took place at the Memorial Cup tournament in Saint John. They run through the scores, who looked impressive, and what the outlook for the tournament could look like as the round-robin series begins to wind down. Then, on the topic of the Memorial Cup, the guys take a trip down memory lane to discuss the Edmonton Oil Kings' recent Memorial Cup trips, who was impressive on those runs, and where a few of those players are currently at in their careers.
While the Oil Kings remain a hot topic, Colton decided this week's "Bus Ride" segment would be on former 4th overall pick Griffin Reinhart who helped lead the Oil Kings to two WHL Championships and a Memorial Cup in 2013-14. The guys chat about his solid WHL career as well as his bumpy ride in the NHL.
Then, Colton runs through some final news and notes from around the league.
(1:11:06.7) As the show comes to an end, the guys are pleased to be joined by Ottawa Senators beat writer Dayton Reimer (TheHockeyWriters). Dayton joined the show to discuss a handful of WHL prospects available at the draft, and he shares his insight into the Korchinski vs Mateychuk debate.
FOLLOW THE HOSTS!
Colton Davies @coltonrdavies - Daily Faceoff/ The Nation Network
Matthew Zator @matthewzatorsc - TheHockeyWriters
Email - [email protected]
Twitter - @WesternCentric
Instagram - @WesternCentric
YouTube - WesternCentric
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(00:01) On today's episode of WesternCentric, hosts Colton Davies (Daily Faceoff/Nation Network) and Matthew Zator (TheHockeyWriters) sit down to chat with Prince Albert Raiders defenceman Nolan Allan. We chatted about Allan's childhood, his favourite WHL team growing up, his welcome to the WHL moment, being drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks, playing against his older brother and a whole lot more!
(15:35) Next, Colton breaks some news as HockeyCanada dropped the list for those WHL players who are invited to U18 and U20 camps this summer, the guys give their insight on the picks. Then, the guys chat about the WHL Championship that concluded which saw the Edmonton Oil Kings advance to the Memorial Cup, the guys give their rundown of who was impressive and what the Seattle Thunderbirds can do to return to the WHL Final once again next season. Then, they go through a handful of prospects and players who are participating at this year's Memorial Cup in Saint John that begins next week. The guys give their full Memorial Cup predictions.
Up next, is "The Bus Ride", a weekly segment where we will take a deep dive into a former WHL player's career. This week the guys take a look at former Medicine Hat Tiger Darren Helm's career-so far and Colton explains why he chose Helm for this week's episode. As the show comes to an end, the guys run through some final notes and news from around the WHL.
FOLLOW THE HOSTS!
Colton Davies @coltonrdavies - Daily Faceoff/ The Nation Network
Matthew Zator @matthewzatorsc - TheHockeyWriters
Email - [email protected]
Twitter - @WesternCentric
Instagram - @WesternCentric
YouTube - WesternCentric
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(00:01) On today's episode of WesternCentric, hosts Colton Davies (Daily Faceoff/ Nation Network) and Matthew Zator (TheHockeyWriters) are pleased to be joined by former Kamloops Blazers play-by-play announcer, Jeff Paterson. Jeff joined the show to discuss what it was like entering the sports media world back in the early 90s', what it was like calling the 1995 Memorial Cup, Jarome Iginla scoring 63 goals and a few more stories. Nowadays, you can catch Jeff on the Rink Wide Podcast, as well as the Sekeres and Price Show.
(035:00) Then, the guys switch back to their regular show. Colton open's up the pod to discuss the WHL awards, and in typical WesternCentric fashion, the guys go down a rabbit hole this time talking about the Dallas Stars. Then the guys chat a little bit about the ongoing WHL Championship series, who has been impressive, and why an NHL club needs to take a shot at Thunderbirds goalie Thomas Millic.
Colton then debuts a brand NEW segment to the podcast called "The Bus Ride", a weekly segment where we will take a deep dive into a former WHL player's career, this week we take a look at longtime Ottawa Senators defenceman Chris Phillips. As the show wraps up, the guys discuss the NHL Draft Combine and why Swift Current Broncos defenceman Owen Pickering seemed to impress a lot of scouts.
FOLLOW THE HOSTS!
Colton Daviesv@coltonrdavies - Daily Faceoff/ Nation Network
Matthew Zator @matthewzatorsc - TheHockeyWriters
Email - [email protected]
Twitter - @WesternCentric
Instagram - @WesternCentric
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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On the 18th episode of the WesternCentric podcast, hosts Colton Davies (Daily Faceoff/Nation Network) and Matthew Zator (TheHockeyWriters) have the pleasure to talk to former Kamloops Blazers captain, Jermaine Loewen. Jermaine joins the show to discuss his unique story of coming over from Jamaica, falling in love with hockey, and ultimately- ending up in the WHL with the Blazers in a very short period of time. Jermaine talks about fighting in hockey, who he likes to watch in the NHL and comparables. As the interview comes to an end, Jermaine chats about the 2023 Memorial Cup returning to Kamloops, and his children's book Ari's Awful Day: & Mainer's Move, a must-read!
Next up, the guys get into their regular segments and chat a bit about the WHL conference finals matchup between Seattle and Kamloops. Colton eats his words and answers a couple dm's he recently received regarding the Blazers and Tbirds series. The guys talk about the upcoming WHL Finals and give their predictions. Then they chat a bit about some more WHL signings and a few WHL players who signed NHL contracts recently. As the show goes on, they chat about the overagers from Kamloops, and Winnipeg who will be leaving their clubs and where they might be headed, they also take a dive into Canucks prospect Viktor Persson's career so far.
Finally, as the show wraps up. Colton brings some exciting news and talks a bit more about the Memorial Cup coming back to Kamloops in 2023 and what it means to him, and the city.
FOLLOW THE GUEST:
Jermaine Loewen: @jermaine_loewen32
Jermaine Loewen's Book
FOLLOW THE HOSTS!
Colton Davies/@coltonrdavies - Daily Faceoff/ Nation Network
Matthew Zato/@matthewzatorsc - TheHockeyWriters
Email - [email protected]
Twitter - @WesternCentric
Instagram - @WesternCentric
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nation-Network, TheHockeyWriters or any other affiliates.
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On the 17th episode of the WesternCentric Podcast, hosts Colton Davies and Matthew Zator are joined by former NHL player and 2x Stanley Cup Champion, Kris Versteeg. Kris joins the show to discuss his WHL career, which involved playing in his hometown of Lethbridge, his brief stint with the Kamloops Blazers and playing in Red Deer under Brent Sutter. Then the guys chat with Kris about what it was like winning 2 Stanley Cups with the Chicago Blackhawks. The guys also touch on Kris's app, KLEVR, which you can hear all about at the end of the interview.
(029:07) The guys then transition into some WHL news and open the show up to discuss a handful of WHL signings from the recent WHL Prospects Draft and US Draft. Then they talk a little bit about Portland Winterhawks forward Jaydon Dureau who signed his entry-level contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the guys chat a bit about the Bolts pipeline and their draft history.
As the show goes on, Colton gives an update on the Conference Finals and how the Blazers are holding up against the Thunderbirds. They chat a bit about the off-season and what changes these teams in the final four could see. The guys then chat about a historic moment that took place recently at the WHL Prospects Draft that saw the Vancouver Giants select Chloe Primerano as the first-ever woman skater to be taken in any CHL Draft. The guys give their thoughts on the draft selection and what this entails for the game of hockey. As the show ends, we at WesternCentric would like to offer our condolences to Brock and the entire Boeser family.
Check The Guest Out!
Kris Versteeg - KLEVR APP
FOLLOW THE HOSTS!
Colton Davies - Daily Faceoff/ Nation Network
Matthew Zator - TheHockeyWriters
Email - [email protected]
Twitter - @WesternCentric
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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On the 16th episode of WesternCentric, hosts Colton Davies and Matthew Zator open the show up to discuss the WHL's Conference Finals that get underway this weekend. The guys give their own recap of the previous series and discuss what could happen between both the Kamloops Blazers/Seattle Thunderbirds series and the Winnipeg Ice/Edmonton Oil Kings battle.
Next, the guys chat a little bit about the 2022 WHL Bantam Draft results but are going to save the full review for next week when they bring on a special guest. They chat a little bit about the CHL graduates who have moved on in the Stanley Cup Playoff's talk a bit about the Battle of Alberta and of course, go off track to talk about goalies!
Lastly, they wrap the show up discussing the career of longtime NHLer and former Seattle Thunderbirds legend Patrick Marleau.
Get In The Loop!
Twitter - @WesternCentric
Email - [email protected]
Colton Davies - Nation Network/Daily Faceoff
Matthew Zator - The Hockey Writers
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On the 15th episode of the WesternCentric podcast, hosts Colton Davies and Matthew Zator are joined by former NHLer and 3x Memorial Cup Champion, Tyson Nash (0:59:16).
The guys open the show up to discuss the passing of legendary NHL players Mike Bossy and Guy Lafleur. The guys give their thoughts on the careers of both Bossy, and Guy, as well as take a look at what they accomplished throughout major-junior hockey.
As the show goes on, the guys then chat about the IIHF U18 tournament currently underway, talk about Canada's game (This was recorded prior to Canada being eliminated) and give their insight on how Connor Bedard has been playing, as well as other favourites from around the tourney. Next, they chat a little about WHL alum Mark Kastelic and him recording his first NHL goal in what was a memorable sequence.
As the show wraps up into the interview, the guys then touch on the WHL playoffs, give some predictions, and chat about who could come out on top as the WHL Champion.
Tyson was gracious enough to donate his time and the guys had a wonderful chat about his time with the Kamloops Blazers, his NHL career, and other various topics surrounding the hockey world.
Check out Colton and Matthew's work and the links below:
Twitter - @WesternCentric
Email - [email protected]
Colton Davies - Daily Faceoff/ Nation Network
Matthew Zator - The Hockey Writers
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On the 14th episode of the WesternCentric podcasts, hosts Colton Davies and Matthew Zator interview 2022 top-prospect Denton Mateychuk (049:58) from the Moose Jaw Warriors. We talk about who he looks up to in the NHL, his favourite WHL team as a kid growing up and his experiences playing at the CHL/NHL top prospects game and winning a gold medal at the IIHF Under-18 Championships.
First off, the guys have some house cleaning to take care of. They open the podcast up to discuss a handful of WHL debuts that took place over the last week. They then transition into the CHL Top-10 Rankings for the week and give their insight on what the Winnipeg Ice and WHL clubs have been up to. Then, the guys talk about former WHLer Cole Reinhardt's debut for the Ottawa Senators and chat a little about Mark Kastelic's future with the Sens.
As the show wraps up, we dive into a few more news bits and then we take a peek at Matthew's Top-96 Rankings for April.
Support the show!
Colton Davies - Nation Network
Matthew Zator - The Hockey Writers
Twitter - @WesternCentric
YouTube - WesternCentric
Email - [email protected]
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On episode 13 of the WesternCentric Podcast, hosts Colton Davies and Matthew Zator open up the show to discuss the legendary career of former WHLer and current Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf as he announces his retirement from the NHL. The guys then transition to talk about a handful of WHL rookies who recorded their first goals last week. They chat a little bit about the WHL goalie/player of the month awards, as well as talk about the Kamloops Blazers capturing their third straight B.C. Division title.
As the show comes to an end, the guys go on a rant talking about the Jay Beagle and Troy Terry incident that took place in the NHL. After all, it wouldn't be a WesternCentric show without a rant.
Then the boys are joined by Regina Pats forward and 2024 NHL prospect Tanner Howe for a quick chat on his current season. (040:04)
Colton Davies - CanucksArmy
Matthew Zator - The Hockey Writers
@WesternCentric on Twitter!!
Email us at [email protected] for any questions, concerns or comments.
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On episode 12 of the WesternCentric Podcast, hosts Colton Davies and Matthew Zator open the show up discussing some history that was made this past week in the WHL as Connor Bedard, Zach Benson and four more 16-year-olds have now reached the 50 point mark in their rookie-season for the first time since the ‘80s. The guys then chat about the CHL Top Prospects Game that took place over the weekend and give a bit of a recap. Then we switch topics to discuss some more history that was made this past week on the benches in Tri-City and Seattle. As the show wraps up, they talk a bit more about the unique jerseys we see in the CHL & why some players like Auston Matthews and Jonathan Toews opted for Europe/NCAA rather than the WHL.
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On the 11th episode of the WesternCentric Podcast, hosts Colton Davies and Matthew Zator open the show up talking about Nashville Predators rookie Tanner Jeannot and his success so far.
The guys switch course to talk about Regina Pats phenom Connor Bedard recording 40 goals on the season, as well as some talk about Everett Silvertips defenceman Olen Zellweger and his campaign. They also chat about the NHL trade deadline and some former WHL players who were involved in deals.
Please enjoy our interview with Winnipeg Ice forward, Zach Benson. (040:55)
Follow the hosts!
Colton Davies - CanucksArmy
Matthew Zator - TheHockeyWriters
Twitter- @WesternCentric
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On the 10th episode of the WesternCentric Podcast, hosts Colton Davies and Matthew Zator open the show up to talk about a couple of special games that took place over the weekend in Calgary and Saskatoon honouring both the Saskatoon Police Department as well as WWE Legend Bret "the hitman" Hart.
The guys switch course to then chat a bit about three more DUB teams that have clinched playoff spots. Colton then goes on a little rant about his time at the most recent Blazers game where he got to watch our guest play against his hometown team.
Of course, there's some other news and it wouldn't be a WesternCentric episode without the guys going completely off-topic and rambling on about something draft or prospects related. As the show finishes up, we thank you again for all your continued support.
Please enjoy our interview with Victoria Royals forward, Bailey Peach. (045:48)
Follow the hosts!
Colton Davies - CanucksArmy
Matthew Zator - TheHockeyWriters
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On the ninth episode of the WesternCentric podcast hosts Colton Davies and Matthew Zator open the podcast up by discussing a WHL rookie's debut over the weekend, then they transition into the news about former WHL defenceman Dysin Mayo getting a contract extension in Arizona.
Then they talk about former WHL goalie Jamie McClennan being announced as a "celebrity coach" for the CHL/NHL top prospects game. They talk a little bit about his career and what's to be expected at the prospects game. As the first half of the show wraps up, they discuss the WHL player of the week, as well as give their insight on a couple of WHL alumni who were recently recalled by their NHL clubs.
Lastly, ( 35:01 ) the guys are thrilled to bring on The Athletic's Scott Wheeler to discuss a variety of topics all related to junior hockey.
Scott Wheeler's Author Profile - The Athletic
Colton's Author Profile - CanucksArmy
Matthew's Author Profile - The Hockey Writers
Twitter - @WesternCentric
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On the eighth episode of WesternCentric, hosts Colton Davies, and Matthew Zator open the pod up by discussing some personal news that revolves around Colton's life, as well as what the guys do outside of WC.
They then transition into discussing the CHL's top-10 rankings that were released and the guys give their insight on what is expected as the WHL is getting closer to the start of playoffs. While on the topic of the CHL, the guys then discuss the 15 WHL players who were named to participate in the 2022 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in March.
Lastly, they finish off with some chatter about the IIHF World Juniors being restarted in August and what teams could look like. As always, they end the podcast off with some more news around the league and updates on WHL alumni. Tune in every Wednesday for a new episode of WesternCentric
Colton's work:
CanucksArmy Profile
Matthew's work:
TheHockeyWriters Profile
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On the seventh episode of the Western Centric Podcast, hosts Colton Davies and Matthew Zator open the pod up by discussing a handful of European WHL alumni who are at the 2022 Olympic Games. They then transition into some more talk about Logan Stankoven's hot streak with the Kamloops Blazers, and Connor Bedard's sensational goal over the weekend. The guys then switch focus to the US Divison and chat about the Spokane Cheifs retiring Tyler Johnson's number. Interview with Stankoven begins at (35:41) Lastly, we leave you all with a special guest. Kamloops Blazers co-captain and Dallas Stars prospect, Logan Stankoven.
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