In a never-ending search to make car rides better or work days seem shorter, most people have now turned to podcasts as a way to get the day moving. Podcasts cover a wide range of topics, from sports to TV shows to politics. They get even more specific to teams and particular shows like Lost and Game of Thrones. If you can imagine it, chances are there’s a podcast for it.
Hockey, though, is still a niche interest despite the NHL existing for 100 years. Hockey podcasts don’t dominate the landscape like football, basketball or even soccer do in the sports realm, but they do exist.
To make it easier for you to find the right hockey podcast, I’ve listed the best of them, broken down into different categories so anyone can find the hockey podcast best suited for them.
Hockey and Just Hockey
Hockey Today, The Hockey News Podcast, Hockey Central at Noon
If you just want to get to the nitty-gritty of the sport with little distraction, any of these three will do the job for you. Hockey Today is from ESPN and features popular insider Pierre LeBrun, among other ESPN pundits. The Hockey News Podcast, as you may have guessed, is hosted by the writers of the famous hockey magazine including Matt Larkin and Ken Campbell.
Unlike the other two, Hockey Central at Noon, is a daily (Monday through Friday) podcast from Sportsnet. Usual host Darren Millard leads a panel of former GMs and players including Doug MacLean, Nick Kypreos and Colby Armstrong. Their main topic of discussion is the Toronto Maple Leafs, but they will hit on the big bullet points throughout the league.
If you’re looking for some personality, Hockey Central is your safest bet. Hockey Today and THN will discuss the news and conduct interviews with people in the game, but with little pizzazz.
If You Like Pop Culture, Nonsense & Some Hockey
Puck Soup
Dave Lozo and Greg Wyshynski host my favorite podcast that remotely talks about hockey. Instead the two discuss pop culture — namely movies — and make jokes for a good two hours. About half of that will be hockey talk.
That is, unless they have a guest. Most episodes feature someone slightly removed from the hockey world and closer to the celebrity world. The biggest name so far has been John C. McGinley, but Keith Olbermann, Tom Cavanagh and Anthony Weiner have all paid visits to Puck Soup over its run. Their “Confessions of a Puck Bunny” episode is a can’t-miss if you’re looking to dive into a part of the hockey world that is hardly mentioned.
If you want straight hockey talk, this isn’t for you. But if you’re interested in a fun podcast that will make you laugh and discuss some hockey (usually not in a positive tone) there is no better one.
If You Want to Hear What’s Wrong in the NHL
Biscuits
Like most hockey fans, the NHL probably annoys you at some point. The two funniest hockey writers in Dave Lozo (his second podcast on this list) and Sean McIndoe (Down Goes Brown) will poke the beast for you by lamenting its decisions and coming up with ways to make it better.
That’s not what the podcast is outlined to be about, but it’s typically what the weekly episode turns out to be. That said, Lozo and McIndoe are creative, both in their topics and their proposals of what the NHL should do differently.
Biscuits is only 12 episodes deep, so the chemistry is still being smoothed out between Lozo and McIndoe. There also hasn’t been a guest thus far. But there will be multiple times where you’ll laugh in an episode. Despite the hilarity, don’t be surprised when McIndoe drops hockey history knowledge on you.
Toronto Maple Leafs and Yelling
Steve Dangle Podcast
I liken Steve Dangle’s podcast with Adam Wylde and Jesse Blake to It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia — but based in Toronto. The Dangle gang doesn’t get into as many hi-jinks, but there’s a lot of yelling, talking over each other and plenty of camaraderie, but instead of talking Philadelphia or the sports inside of it, Dangle and his buddies talk heavily about the Maple Leafs.
Most of these podcasts cover the whole league instead of a single team. The Steve Dangle Podcast still discusses the entire league, but the Leafs will always be the biggest topic of discussion. Also, if you’re a Pokemon fan, this podcast is for you.
This podcast is also perfect if you have time to kill. The run time usually ends around two hours and is produced twice a week.
If You Like Bob McKenzie
The TSN Hockey BobCast
If you’re on this site, I’m going to assume that you like hockey. Since I’m assuming you like hockey, I can probably also safely assume you like Bob McKenzie. He’s a fatherly type that will tell you all about your favorite game, rumors and drink recipes.
In The BobCast, McKenzie answers reader mail in a segment that is uploaded once every two weeks. It sounds boring, but when it’s McKenzie telling stories of his younger days and diving into his thoughts on teams, players and prospects, it’s an entertaining hour. He’s also willing to spill some dirt, including his run-in with Phil Esposito in the Tampa Bay Lightning locker room years ago.
Unlike most podcasts, there is never a guest. McKenzie stated before that he’s too busy to try to book a guest when he can record the podcast, which is understandable. However, a guest can change the tempo, which is sometimes needed in The BobCast.
If You’re All About Advanced Stats
The Hockey PDOcast
If your life is all about advanced stats, or if you just want to learn more by immersing yourself in it, there’s no better podcast to turn to than Hockey PDOcast hosted by Dimitri Filipovic. If Filipovic’s name sounds familiar to you, it’s because he’s been a frequent guest on Sportsnet and is one of the top personalities in the advanced stats world.
One of the best things about The Hockey PDOcast is that it touches on every team in the NHL. Most podcasts will only keep to the big ones or an overarching theme. Filipovic, though, will touch on any and frequently has guests best suited to talk about those teams.
The Safe Bet
Marek Vs. Wyshynski
If I were to recommend a podcast to a hockey fan, knowing nothing about the person, Marek vs. Wyshynski would be it. Jeff Marek and Greg Wyshynski (second recognition on this list) offer the most entertaining and thoughtful hockey podcast out there. It may also help that the duo have been doing the podcast for six years, which gives it a similar feeling to a show that’s been on TV for years.
There aren’t many people that know more about hockey than Marek. He’s a hockey historian, but can also tell you anything about the players in the NHL today. Wyshynski isn’t afraid to lay down a hot take and keeps the jokes coming — not that Marek can’t dish out some here or there. Most episodes have a guest, but even if it doesn’t, the banter and chemistry between Marek and Wyshynski can keep the episode rolling.
They used to do the podcast four to five times a week, but with Marek’s growing workload at Sportsnet, it has dwindled down to about once a week.
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