Frankly Hockey's Frank Seravalli (3/16/26)

0:00Hey, it's Bob Stoffer. I just wanted to let you know that you can listen to Oilers Now ad-free on Amazon Music, included with Prime. You said you were over him, but his hoodie is stilling your rotation. It's time. Grab your phone, snap a few fix, and sell it on D-Pop, listed in minutes, with no selling fees. And just like that, a guy 500 miles away just paid full price for your closure. And right on cue. Hey, still got my hoodie? But I've got tonight's dinner paid for. Start selling on D-Pop. We're taste, recognizes taste. List now with no selling fees. Payment processing fees and boosting fees still apply. See website for details. My dad taught me a lot, including how easy it is to forget to cancel things. So I downloaded Experian, my BFF, big financial friend. Experian could help me cancel my unused subscriptions and lower my bills, saving me hundreds a year. Get started with the Experian app today. Your big financial friends here to help you save smarter. Results will vary. Not all bills or subscriptions eligible. Savings now guaranteed.

1:00$631 a year. Average savings with one-plus negotiations and one-plus cancellations paid membership with connected payment account required. See Experian.com for details. Experian! And welcome back everybody. It's 535 in oil country. Royal pizza. I'm having it today. You can pick up a spicy vegetarian pizza only for a limited time. For a menu in a list of 15 Edmonton and Aerial Locations, visit RoyalPizza.ca. Well, we're going to head off to the River Creek Resort, Casino Hotline, and welcome back. Frankly, Hawkeys Frank Cervelli. It's brought to you by Summers Drilling. You're trusted Waterwell Experts since 1917. Visit SummersDrilling.com to request a quote today. Big day for the province of Alberta. We heard from the premier Danielle Smith earlier on the show. We welcome back Frank who has been here multiple times over the last four or five years. Hello. How you doing, Frank? Pretty good. How you doing, Bob? Good. Were you surprised? That Calgary Edmonton got the North American bid and that the semi-final and final

2:01of the 2028 world cup will be played at Rogers Place. Not in the east. I thought right from Jump Street that it was going to be a really competitive bid and wants the two markets indicated that they'd be willing to work together. It kind of made it a home run on one hand, a chance to showcase one of the new premier buildings in the NHL in Calgary. And then on the other, I think the best arena in the NHL in Edmonton for the final and semi-final. I mean, it just makes sense. It's close. There's enough to do and two fantastic venues to hold these games like I can't think of a better place in North America to showcase the game. Yeah. Do you know how many different markets tried to get it on the action here to host the world cup of hockey? Yeah. The 28 markets expressed interest. There was 18 in North America.

3:02So put a different way. 18 of the 32 NHL cities put in a request. There were 10 in Europe for a total of 28 and then there were 25 that actually went through with the RFP process and put in a bid and then they whittled it down from there. Even covering this league for a long time. Are you surprised? I mean think back to maybe when you were attending Penn State and we had the Canadian Assistance Program at that time cap and Calgary at Edmonton and Ottawa pre-0405 Lockout used to get like 3 million bucks a year from their partners in the league which was frankly I know I've had the stories told to me. Not every US owner was particularly happy with that. The orders as you know have done very well coming out of a Lockout. Went to the Santa Cup final 0506.

4:04Canadian dollar Frank Tip quite a bit in the last year in Rexall Place in 1516. But since they've moved in a Rogers Place and it speaks volumes to the fans you know that but it is it almost seems almost unbelievable if you think back to about 20 years ago in the perception that Edmonton had around the league to where they're at right now. Yeah I mean now it's a place where not only has the team success changed the opinion of players but also their trips into town feel totally different now. I mean with the ice district you know if it's cold out you know you can walk to the to the rank using the pedestrian tunnel like it just there's there's such a different feel and vibe like it's a place that I mean not just to see you but I actually look forward to going to and I think when you now add in the Calgary component here like I mean it's

5:07not really a stretch to say that Alberta is the crown jewel of of NHL venues right now. I've seen the plans and the rendering and everything going on at Scotia Place in Calgary and that I mean that looks incredible for all the different facilities that they have all the different teams that they host between the hitmen the Wranglers everything else going on there like the footprint is massive and they copied a few things off the oilers as well including the community rank and how that's going to work the building practice facility just makes life easier when there's events there. It's it's going to be a really good setup for teams and look I'm I'm not here to tell anyone how to think or what to believe but I do think whenever he comes to town and there's always the tradition to to boo the commissioner that oiler fans should be thrilled with the job that Gary Beppin has done because he helped save the team it took 30 and steady ownership and

6:11a commitment to build the arena which you've gotten in your owner and dowel Cates but if the system like the system fundamentally wasn't fixed to put teams on a level ice surface like but I think it's not a stretch at all to say that today there wouldn't be hockey in Northern Alberta so look just some perspective and take that for what you will. Okay that's switch focus did you see the hit last night only under ice? America leads the world in medicine development it matters we get new medicines first nearly three years faster 5 million Americans go to work because we make medicines here at home and not relying on other countries keeps us safe but China is racing to overtake us will we let them or will we choose to stay ahead when America leads America cures let's tell Washington to keep us in the lead learn how at americacures.com pay for by pharma spring starts at the home depot and we are bringing the heat to your backyard this season

7:15fire up the flavor with our wide variety of grills for under $300 like the next grill for burner gas grill that's perfect for hosting your spring cookout then set the scene and turn your outdoor space into the go-to spot the patio sets for every budget bring it this season with grills that deliver flavor and patios that set the vibe from the home depot start your spring with low prices guaranteed at the home depot exclusive supplies the home depot comm slash price match for details if you're a player on the national predators you're like that's a good hit and if you're a player of the Amazon owners you're like we can't let that happen to lean on dry settle one of the best players on the planet immediate response from both facility pit coals and end casperic captain captain got penalized pit coals and got picked off by a hulking man and necklace egg and did not back down from them went toe-to-toe now Trent Frederick went after wise black Matthias Eccle worked him over Jake Walman blew him up what did you I tweeted after the game I had

8:18absolutely no problem with it I know there was some people that said that's not how hockey's played today and why are you hitting a guy for a good hit or why are you going after a guy from a good hit what are your thoughts on it I think it's the mark of a good team and by team I mean exactly that contrast that with an illegal hit a predatory hit neon knee with the Toronto Maple Leafs and their captain also one of the best players in the world or at least he was for a stretch of time he's one of the best players in the world there's no doubt about it okay now I'm not flagging him his production these last few years would say that he isn't right now but that's okay um but there was no response not even as the game went on no pushback they they went out with a whimper and then all of a sudden afterwards when the microphones are in front of their face they've got stories and excuses and reasons why they couldn't and that was for a hit that garnered a five game

9:24suspension this was a clean hit but it was a message delivered to not just the national predators but anyone that wants to go after one of your own that there's going to be a price to pay and this game for a long time for the test of time has prided itself on um answering the bell and players policing and disciplining themselves and that's not going to change but I think what is changing with this next generation of players is they're not automatically programmed to do it and it takes strong leadership around them to be able to set the standard of what's acceptable and what is it and Conor McDavid is the engine of the Edmonton Oilers but Leon dry settle as the heartbeat and so when someone is going to take a run at your heartbeat clean or not you've got to have some kind of answer and look I think a lot of people have written

10:31off this team at varying junctures of this season and there's still a lot to play out but when we did our inner circle of Stanley Cup contenders where I tell John Butchegross we're only a lot to pick five games that have an authentic chance the best chance in your mind to win the Stanley Cup this season I've still got the Oilers in my five and people might think I'm loony for that but based on some of the results that we've seen but this team knows how to win and I don't care what anyone says they care about each other and I think that part is what matters when push comes to shove in the playoffs it's not the ultimate measure of success because you do hear from teams all the time that lose and say oh but we're such a tight knit group just take it from other teams or other players that have been traded recently that have found out oh I thought I knew what playing on a tight knit team meant then they go somewhere else and find out what it's really like uh how much after the incident involving Matthews how much scrutiny is

11:34on the department of players safety in the national hockey league a lot and I think part of it is unfair because the self-proclaimed center of the hockey universe in Toronto wants to tell you that because their star player was hit with this ugly knee on knee hit which I don't like by the way like let me state for the record that for that reason the penalty should be more that we need to protect the star players better and I I understand that notion and and would support that but to have the judgment or discipline based off of who is on the receiving end of it I mean that can't possibly be a legitimate solution to what everyone's feeling today right and I saw economic david's remarks and I understand the notion and I also realize his frustration because he's been on the receiving end of some of these suspensions that he

12:35hasn't liked and he also is represented by the same guy who represents Austin Matthews who issued a pretty stern and significant statement um and there's a sense of brotherhood there or brothers in arms and I get that but look the suspension that went with Radco Gouda's five games is on the uh large end is on the high end of suspensions that have been handed out for kneeing in the last 20 years like by and large most of them have been two and three aim suspensions he got five it fell within the circle of yes that seems plausible to me and if you want to go after his track record I give Radco Gouda's lot of credit he's played seven calendar years plus without a suspension for a guy that seemed to be in the news for a while for three seasons like every three months it's hard to play with that level of intensity and that edge and and be on the

13:44right side of it consecutively for seven calendar years so I get the outcry I don't think it's nearly as bad or broken as people want to make it out to be and I know that uh you uh put something out I think maybe yesterday morning Sunday morning about Chris Knoblock saying that you know they're going to run with Conor Ingram for a while um we addressed uh you know some of the stuff last week it's pretty simple for me Tristan Jarry would be the first to tell you he's got to stop more bucks what he's in there and it starts you know it's it's for all gold for all players it starts in practice when you're going through a bit of struggle doesn't it yeah I think he needs a work harder and I think that part is is abundantly clear if you can read between the lines of what people say and think and I think you can learn a lot about the Euler's players and how they view the situation because of the high uh bar and standard that they set for themselves

14:44um look I you can also rewind the tapes back to October when the Edmonton Euler's you know completed that trade with Utah which by the way was a really smart move for Conor Ingram I said on this show then that you guys would end up needing Conor Ingram in a relatively big way I didn't exactly plan on it being exactly like this with Stewart Skinner playing in Pittsburgh and him supplanting Tristan Jarry but in there is a good goalie who for a big chunk of time carry the team he's fully capable and not only that but it would be one of the better stories in sports if he could be the guy that gets the Euler's to the promised land after all this yeah awesome stuff all right frankly hockey how does it happen tell us about Monday to Friday 10 a.m. mountain time uh myself and John Butterross um and we got a

15:46lot of different stuff to unpack every day so one hour of dense commercial free hockey talk as opposed to ointers now which is two hours of a really dense host uh taking care of the show thanks Frank you said it not me there you'll see about take care five forty nine oil country come back this day in winter history my day kicks off with the refreshing Celsius energy drink then straight to the gym pre can pick up back onto meal prep time from a fire session shift one more Celsius gotta keep the lights on when the three alarm hits I'm ready Celsius live fit go grab a cold refreshing Celsius at your local retailer or locate now at socius.com protein is now at Starbucks and it's never tasted so good you can add protein cold phone to your favorite drink or try one of our new protein lattes or matcha try it today at Starbucks there's a couple funny things that happen once in a while uh the fact that Evanson and Calgary

16:46are working together on the world cup and they've got the the bid obviously for North America when we were in Calgary earlier this year a couple of writers were talking and one of them said there was no way that Calgary had worked with Evanton I was like really well in the end it ended up happening uh we also had two questions today during the Q&A involving money and I thought one question would be fair like all right so who pays for this but the fact that uh there was a follow up question from the same entity CBC which receives over uh I think the range is somewhere around 1.3 billion a year in taxpayer dollars from the from the government I kind of felt a little bit ironic like okay like you know it's it's 15 from the province and seven or eight from the feds and like a million a million a half from the city and it's gonna benefit the two cities and I just I just had to chuckle with that it kind of I was like okay well that's interesting hey we're

17:47all entitled to a different perspectives that's the beauty of the show you don't have to agree with me on anything let's go to the steanoiders history for new west travel here's the young gun who by the way have to get out of scredit card uh the uh royal pizza was delivered uh into the but I was doing the interview with with Frank so uh you should have asked uh for the unlimited stop or express card if you don't I mean so I'll have to get you back tomorrow with the game okay does that work you know right there you're all good mom you're all good man yeah I got a buddy who delivers for royal pizza so honestly I felt like him a little bit so you know that's exciting they're running up and bringing it to you anyways on this day in 94 the oilers and lightning played away four to four tie at the Thunderdome in Tampa, Florida nine different oilers accounted for those nine different points while bill ran for turn to side 41 of 45 shots 52 penalty minutes handed out in the second period of this one alone those were the days let me tell you that's uh tell you if you missed any of today's show make sure to download subscribe to the oilers now podcasts available an apple podcast spotify and anywhere you get your streaming audio I think

18:49in the last 30 days we've had no that's not 30 shows that's 30 actual physical days so probably 20 to 22 shows uh about 300,000 downloads of the show which is you know I don't know somewhere like 13 14 15,000 a day we bring aboard Brendan Escott he has inside sports Brendan um I can't believe he didn't give you the heads up in the fact that there was a pressure today what time did you find out I'm more concerned with the fact that there's pizza here but not quite enough pizza to share so you guys can all grab a piece of pizza yeah yeah I just had to break you over the cold there and there we go no you're right so we got a tight-lipped young one back here just perfect that's uh that's what you want a loyal young compadre but no I was taken by surprise this morning with the great news that we get hosting duties here in Edmonton and and particularly to get the final I think is that's I mean come on if you build it I remember one time we played uh downtown by Patula Clark which was a huge song back in the 60s about building downtown it I

19:50just remember how nasty a time it was in the text line like I don't want to see those millionaire players in the billionaire and it's never going to be a benefit to me and you suck stoffered I'm like look uncle Brian please stop texting the damn show right like you know anyhow uh and we're all entitled to your opinions but uncle Brian was wrong uh and very quickly do you have any problem with how the orders responded last night with wise blood not at all I didn't think the hit was predatory but the results was what it was and hard hit on a good player it was and and so you do respond to that when we see one of your guys go down like that um I think Walman did it best yeah all right but I didn't mind if they got his drill a bit that's all right what do you got coming up tonight on inside sports we're going to tum it up with mooner for a little bit at 635 talk some world baseball classics some oilers of course pro football focuses Dalton Wasserman at 705 some NFL free agency talk and then they are national champions the

20:53Alberta pandas volleyball team well done ladies first time in 19 years they have taken the use sports crown so we'll talk to their coach Carolyn old wire at 730 I was the SID the last time they won the national championship in women's volleyball really 19 years ago well I mean I mean you're 18 doing the yeah so last time they won was oh seven yeah really good job Lori Eisler of course uh one seven national championships says five in a row as they had coached that that program like 95 to 2000 was like deep powerhouse they were good and it helped camouflage what was just a very difficult season for the university and a bunch of different sports in a bad year relative to how good they used to be um there you go while looking forward to that tomorrow's hey gearchal rocks gonna be on the show tomorrow Brian lotton would be on the show we're working on a couple other special guests for you a preview of the orders and the sharks as well Brennan's got inside sports thank you to everybody listening thank you to Kellan Kennedy and Derek Scott for

21:54helping us today drive safe and again it was an awesome day in oil country Edmonton Calgary combining to host the world cup of a hockey so long everybody Thomas dies up next in any news weather traffic update the comedy movie event of the year Mike and Nick and Nick and Alice coming only to Hulu and Disney plus this Friday time to party that's a great attitude it's a time-travel egg ass kick egg movie of that you sound safe starring Vince Vaughn James Marston and Ace of Gonzalez I thought you were called well clones aren't real and time machines are super bonded in reality Mike and Nick and Nick and Alice read it are written and directed by Ben David Grubinsky only on Hulu and Hulu on Disney plus for bundle subscribers