The Kevin Karius Show - Mar. 27th, 2026 - Kirt Hill

0:00This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with the name your price tool from Progressive, you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try it at Progressive.com, Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. Price and coverage match limited by state law, not available in all states. The hustle doesn't have to hurt. If performance pressure is making it hard to breathe, growth therapy helps you navigate stress, set boundaries, and actually feel like yourself again. Whether it's your first time in therapy or your 50th, grow makes it easier to find a therapist who fits you, not the other way around. You can search by what matters, like insurance, specialty identity, or availability, and get started in as little as two days. There are no subscriptions, no long-term commitments. You just pay per session. Grow helps you find therapy on your time. Whatever challenges you're facing, growth therapy is here to help. Grow accepts over 100 insurance plans, including Medicaid in some states.

1:00Sessions average about $21 with insurance, and some pay as little as $0 depending on their plan. Visit growththerapy.com slash start now to get started. That's growtherapy.com slash start now. Growtherapy.com slash start now. Availability and coverage vary by state and insurance plan. We welcome back Edmonton Oil King's General Manager, Kurt Hill, to the show. Good morning, Kurt. You're with Kevin Carries. Once again, thanks for jumping on sports 1440. Once again, really appreciate it. Yeah, thanks for having me. Well, how jacked are you here to get the playoffs rolling tonight with the Saskatoon Blades in town? Kurt, it's been a great regular season, but as you know, the post season is a whole different animal. I suppose you and Jason Smith and the players are just ready to roll tonight. Yeah, the guys are excited. I mean, it's just like a long week kind of leading up to this. We only did play on Sunday, but it seems like this week always drags a little bit. The guys are certainly excited to get going. And yeah, it's kind of like in the hockey world Christmas morning here,

2:03where it's pretty exciting. Always get into the post season and having the opportunity to represent yourself as a player and the organization of the post season here. Give us an assessment. What do you thought of your team? How the oil kings played in the regular season, Kurt? I think overall, we were pretty consistent throughout the entire year. I think we had probably a couple of weeks or 10-day stretches where we probably thought we could have played a little bit better. But I give the guys a lot of credit. It's a team that dealt with a ton of adversity over the course of the season with a lot of injuries and a lot of travel, especially early in the season and October in November that they had to get through. But overall, a pretty consistent year by our group. And one thing I'm really optimistic about is how we finished in the month of March. And everybody was playing hard and playing play off-style hockey. We had tough opponents down the stretch, which was great. And I think I prepared this group to get ready for this day here today. What kind of series are you expecting here with the blades?

3:05What kind of team does Saskatoon have and how do you match up against them? Yeah, Saskatoon's got a good team. I mean, they're quick. They got some guys that play with a ton of speed up front. They can get behind your D and create offensive chances. You know, they're a team that has guys on their group there right now that have pretty substantial playoffs. You know, games under their belts at the end of the day. So, you know, they're a good team and it's going to be a good match-up for us. It's a group that we can't take lightly. Even the standings are out the window at this point. It's a new season for everybody. And we've got to go and be ready to try to take control of the series here when the puck drops tonight. Well, King's GM Kurt Hill with us on Sports 1440. I want to kind of get your perspective on the art of the deal and how trades work in the Western League. So, how you go about it and how it's cyclical. And we've talked about that many times before you and I Kurt. But when you know that you have a team that has some really good players

4:07that have been around for a while and have gone through the downs and now they're going through the ups and you want to make the adjustments for your team at the deadline. Maybe just let our listeners know how that process works in the Western League. When you dial up Mike Johnston in Portland or, you know, trying to get Carter Sutheran out of there. Maybe just express how that works from a Western hockey league perspective. Yeah, I think for us as an organization, I mean, that process, when you're looking at your group in the summertime, it starts there almost. And, you know, when you have this many returning players come back and, you know, you start talking to your coaching staff and you start evaluating right away in the summer to say, you know, where do we feel we potentially need to upgrade our group going into the season and, you know, down the road where do we feel we're going to need to upgrade? It's, you know, I've always tried to get on things a little bit earlier. If we can just knowing that price is once you wait to the 11th hour go, they skyrocket pretty high. So, you know, I looked to this year and we were able to make a deal

5:07in the summer from Max Curran and unfortunately he's out for the year. But that's a, that's a deal right there where you got to the market a little bit earlier and we're able to add up, you know, a legitimate pop six sentiment to your team. But, you know, as things get closer, you know, the art of the deal is, probably early December is the time where it really begins where where teams are in the standings. They got a, they got an idea where they're going to be at. Are you going to be buyers? Are you going to be sellers? And, you know, who's going to be available from your group? And that's where, as you're making your rounds with different general managers around the league, you start, start understanding which guys are going to be available. And I, you know, then you have a side subcategory of guys that are on your wish list are, you know, I'd really like to try to get these players, even though they haven't told me they're available. And that's where you start kind of maybe throwing out feelers. They have you ever considered potentially everything about moving this player in vice versa. So, yeah, and then that just leads up to that trade deadline where things can get pretty hectic. You know, I think over the Christmas break, managers have time to think about things a little bit more. And sometimes you can get deals done kind of after the roster free starts back open in December

6:10of 27, which we were able to do this year. But then after that, you're kind of usually waiting to the Christmas break and seeing or to the trade deadline and seeing, you know, who's going to be what you're able to get done at that point. But I think the big variable now to Kevin is cycles have changed. You know, there's the new variable with the NCAA coming in and not knowing how long guys are going to stay. It's certainly a different world from the last time we loaded up. And I think the last time we knew what we were going to be able to recoup back and this time around and, you know, I don't know if we went as deep because I'm not too sure what we're going to be able to recoup back if you don't get certain players back in your lineup. So, when you say that, cycles changed. Kurt, how do you mean do you mean it's changed in the sense that it's a different window. It's shorter, longer, what do you mean? Yeah, when I say that, I think before, you know, you would try to build your team around, you know, having the depth of your group and the 19-year-old age group

7:10and having three good 20-year-olds. I mean, it's hard to predict that now. You know, some players are leaving at, you know, 18. Some players are leaving at 19 and sometimes you don't get the 20-year-old back that you think you're going to. So, I think right now, if you have a team in the standings I don't know if age can be the factor anymore. If you've got a good 17-year-old and 18-year-old player is not necessarily a good 19-year-old, I think you might see more teams try to go for it a year earlier because just the unknown of if players are going to be back and be leaving the next year or not. Kurt Hill with us, and when we talk about the trade, the biggest trade that you made was for Carter, he saw there in the defenseman out of Portland. How does he fit in? How does he look? He's obviously got a lot of experience in the playoffs, so that's something that's a big plus for you heading into this series with Saskatoon. Yeah, Carter's fit in really well. I mean, his offensive production on our team has been fantastic. I mean, he provides a little bit of bite in the presence back there as well with our group, which I think is important. And as you spoke to, I think, one of the biggest things

8:13when we were making that deal was trying to implement more playoffs experience into our lineup, and he's certainly a guy that's played in the playoffs a lot. And, you know, for the to die, he's been on a team that has won some really big playoffs series but went pretty deep to game sevens on the road and important games amongst his career. Yeah. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance, Fiscally Responsible, Financial Geniuses, Monetary Magicians. These are things people say about drivers who switch their car insurance to Progressive and save hundreds. Because Progressive offers discounts for paying in full, owning a home and more. Plus, you can count on their great customer service to help you when you need it. So your dollar goes a long way. Visit Progressive.com to see if you could save on car insurance. Progressive casualty insurance company and affiliates, potential savings will vary, not available in all states or situations. The hustle doesn't have to hurt. If performance pressure is making it hard to breathe, growth therapy helps you navigate stress,

9:14set boundaries, and actually feel like yourself again. Whether it's your first time in therapy or your 50th, grow makes it easier to find a therapist who fits you, not the other way around. You can search by what matters, like insurance, specialty, identity, or availability, and get started in as little as two days. There are no subscriptions, no long-term commitments. You just pay per session. Grow helps you find therapy on your time. Whatever challenges you're facing, grow therapy is here to help. Grow accepts over 100 insurance plans, including Medicaid in some states. Sessions average about $21 with insurance, and some pay as little as $0, depending on their plan. Visit growththerapy.com-startnow to get started. That's growtherapy.com-startnow. Growtherapy.com-startnow. Availability and coverage vary by state and insurance plan. The offense that you get generated from your back end, can you maybe just discuss that

10:15between Carter, Southern, Ethan, McKenzie, and how important that is for the success of your team? Yeah, it's certainly an area I felt last year in the playoffs. We didn't have as much production from our back end, and I think heading into this year, it was something we wanted to address, just trying to create more from the back end. Our forward group, we feel, is a deep group, and their production has been really solid all year, and that was a big thing heading into this season. We wanted to try to accomplish, and we feel that right now, we have strong offense from the back end. Like you said, with Southern, McKenzie, Blake Fiddler, adds another offensive element back there, and so yeah, I just feel like every pair on the back end has the ability to move Pox skate well, and certainly are more of a shot threat from the back end, as well from the blue light. Kurt Hill, Edmonton Oil King's general manager, a guest on the Kevin Carishow in sports, 1440. Andrew O'Neill, how did you get this player up from the states, and man, he's a big kid, he's a big load,

11:17and what's he meant to his addition to the team this year? Yeah, Andrew's a player that we listed. He was an unlisted player playing at the national development team, and we put him on our list, though, that would be going back. You know, when he was, he would have been 16 playing at the national development team, and yeah, he spent two seasons playing there, and you know, after that second year at the development team, we had to make a decision. What if he was going to go to the USHL or come to Arley? You know, I don't know if he was quite ready to go to the NCAA, at that point, he was committed to North Dakota at the time, which, you know, was a tough program to crack, at a pretty young age for some players, and, you know, so through a lengthy recruitment process, you know, and talking with Andrew, talking with his advisors and his family, and bringing them up here, I think, you know, he came, and he saw what we have to offer players here. He was, you know, really positive about the development situation that he was going to be put in here this season in there. Yeah, you know, he hit the ground running, and he's probably been one of the most consistent players,

12:17I would say, throughout the entire season. He adds a huge element, and being a guy that can win a lot of key face-offs, and, you know, he's a big guy that plays with a ton of speed, and he's chipped in offensively at different points of the season. So he's been a very nice addition to our group this year, and I will say that I've been impressed with how he's been able to translate into our league and how success immediately. What's his future look like, Kurt? I mean, still a young guy here, and as you said, he was probably looking at to go to UND, and don't have to tell you about it, and we've discussed it a little bit already with the NCAA route with the CHL players, but what are things look like for him down the road? Yeah, you know, I think for Andrew right now, his focus is on obviously getting drafted this season. He went through the NHL draft last year, and I think, you know, just with the year he's had right now. He's put his name on the radar, obviously, to get drafted in June. So, you know, hopefully for him, he puts in a good effort here in the playoffs, and has a good playoff run, and again gets recognized for that,

13:18and has his name selected in June of the draft. What's the overall health of the team here, Kurt, going into the playoffs? Yeah, you know, it's probably considering the injuries we've had all season. It's pretty optimistic, I would say, you know, we're happy with where we're at. You know, we still have a few guys that, we're hoping to get back at some point here in the first round, maybe the second round, but overall, I think considering what we've been dealing with most of the year, it's in a pretty good spot, heading into the game tonight. As far as goal-tending goes, how lucky are you to have, I guess, the confidence of both guys, you know, being able to take the crease. I'm not sure exactly what the breakdown's going to be here, going in up to Coach Smith here, but just from a GM standpoint, how excited you are that you have two very capable goal tenders. Yeah, it's a luxury to have. I mean, not every team has that. You know, some teams have starters. They pretty much have to run through the entire postseason, and if they want to have a chance,

14:19but I feel like both guys, you know, I've had pretty solid seasons for us. They both have their speed bumps along the way, but overall, you know, they've both had pretty consistent years, and they both have been playing very good in the month of March, here leading up to this game here tonight. So, yeah, nice luxury to have. We have confidence in both, and, you know, at this point of the season, you know, it's you're going to go with whoever has the hot end, and whoever's playing well, and I'm sure that's the approach to Coach Smith's task going to take here. Yeah, what kind of style do you think is going to take here? I know you guys have the offensive capabilities to create a lot of offense, but as everyone knows, you know what wins at this time of the year. So, how do you think that that will go as we get into this series with Saskatoon? Yeah, like anything, we're in the playoffs now, as the big things are going to be goal-tending, special teams, you know, guys putting their bodies in the line a little bit more in those in those smaller areas of the game. Blocking shots, finishing checks, you know, it's these series or marathons are not sprints, so just sticking to the process, there's going to be, you know,

15:19I find in junior hockey, there's a lot of really heavy emotion swings that happen in games and in playoffs series that, you know, you have to be prepared for. And, yeah, so it's just sticking to the process, letting the depth of our team, you know, continue to wear teams down as we move through. And, yeah, it's certainly a heavy commitment on the guys of showing they want to win and coming out and playing with that desperation. Well, you've always had pretty good fan support. I would assume that you're looking for that to continue tonight and then Sunday afternoon here, Kurt. Yeah, it's fantastic what the fan support has been here and I mean, I mean, we've led the Western league for many years now and even those dire years, I know to leave the league in attendance when you win 10 games, it truly shows that you have amazing fans supporting the city and yeah, I just expect nothing more here and in the playoffs and, you know, hopefully our guys can give them a good run here. Well, Kurt, as always, thanks for coming on, really appreciate it. Best of luck tonight and then Sunday and then as the series shifts to Saskatoon next week, all the very best and thanks for coming on as always.

16:22Yeah, thanks for having me, Kevin. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game, shifting a little money here, a little there, and hoping it all works out? Well, with the name your price tool from Progressive, you can be a better budgeter and potentially lower your insurance bill too. You tell Progressive what you want to pay for car insurance and they'll help you find options within your budget. Try it today at Progressive.com Progressive casualty insurance company and affiliates, price and coverage match limited by state law, not available in all states. Over 90 of the top 100 US accounting firms trust bill to simplify and secure bill pay. That's proven financial infrastructure built on over a trillion dollars of secure payments. Visit bill.com slash proven for a special offer. The Bleacher Report app is your destination for sports. Right now, the NBA is heating up, March Bandits is here, and MLB is almost back. Every day there's a new headline, a new highlight,

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