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NHL Wraparound Podcast

NHL Wraparound Podcast

By: Neil Smith & Vic Morren
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 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.Copyright 2026 Neil Smith & Vic Morren Hockey Social Sciences
Episodes
  • NHL Wraparound Smith's Pix - Apr. 16, 2026

    NHL Wraparound Smith's Pix - Apr. 16, 2026
    Apr 16 2026

    The final installment of Smith's Pix is here for the 2025-26 regular season.

    Only one game of significance on Wednesday as Neil correctly picked Vegas to clinch the Pacific, doing so with a win over Seattle.

    With three games in the Pacific Division deciding the final two opening round matchups, Neil puts a 573-317-124 record on the line.

    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 #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #PatrickHoffman #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
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    2 mins
  • Episode 96 - Reviewing the 2025-26 Regular Season - With Jeff Marek from The Sheet

    Episode 96 - Reviewing the 2025-26 Regular Season - With Jeff Marek from The Sheet
    Apr 16 2026

    With the regular season coming to close, Neil and Vic welcome Jeff Marek from the Sheet back to review predictions made back prior to the start of start of the 2026-campaign.

    Three Things You Need to Pay Attention To updates what's at stake on the final night of the season with a potential TV schedule for the first playoff week while the show wraps up with stat leaders and a couple of personnel notes.

    IN THIS EPISODE:

    [01:47] - Three Things You Need to Pay Attention To

    [06:51] - Jeff Marek welcomed to the show to go over predictions on our preview show from back in October. Some fun banter and then the expert thoughts from items covered six months ago starting with the Kirill Kaprizov contract in Minnesota.

    [14:02] - Predictions starting with coaches and further to discussion to upper management.

    [28:57] - The Breakout Players.

    [32:56] - Team Power shifts.

    [36:44] - Playoff shifts from a season ago, would the Panthers repeat and revisiting picks for the Stanley Cup Final.

    [39:01] - Biggest surprises of the 2025-26 regular season.

    [43:15] - Personnel notes.

    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 #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #PatrickHoffman #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 #JeffMarek #TheSheetPodcast #JohnTortorella #BruceCassidy #KirillKaprizov #KyleConnor #MitchMarner #ConnorMcDavid #NathanMacKinnon #MarcoSturm #DanMuse #AdamFoote #JoelQuenneville #MikeSullivan #PatVerbeek #JohnGibson #LukasDostal #HartfordWhalers #ChrisDrury #ScottyBowman #AlArbour #RickBowness #DeanEvason #DJSMith #JimHiller #PeterDeBoer #PatrickRoy #MathieuDarche #MatthewSchaefer #CraigBerube #GeorgeMcPhee #KellyMcCrimmon #PatQuinn #JayFeaster #VincentLecavalier #AndrewBrunette #AndreTourigny #QuinnHughes #BillArmstrong #BarryTrotz #DavidPoile #BillHaslam #BradyMartin #JurajSlafkovsky #AdamFantilli #LoganCooley #JetGreaves #ElvisMerzlikins #DylanGuenther #MatthewKnies #SpencerKnight #CutterGauthier #SergeiBobrovsky #DonWaddell #HarrySinden #KirillMarchenko #JarmoKekalainen #TageThompson #RasmusDahlin #AlexTuck #LinusUllmark #AleksanderBarkov #RickTocchet #DanVladar #NikitaKucherov #MacklinCelebrini #MarkScheifele #NickSuzuki #MartinNecas #DavidPastrnak #ColeCaufield #ArtRossTrophy #RocketRichardTrophy #JaredBednar #ToddMcLellan #DylanLarkin #MiroHeiskanen #RyanHartman #BradyTkachuk #JoeBowen
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    51 mins
  • NHL Wraparound Short Shifts - All Over but the Final Opening Round Matchups - Apr. 15, 2026

    NHL Wraparound Short Shifts - All Over but the Final Opening Round Matchups - Apr. 15, 2026
    Apr 15 2026

    The sixteen playoff teams have been determined with only some final positioning and matchups left to be determined.

    Vic and Neil go bring the latest on how the final three berths were wrapped up on Monday and, in the process, sent five teams home for the summer, including the defending Presidents' Trophy winners and a team whose coaching was seething mad at his teams' season finale.

    We'll also bid farewell to a future Hall of Famer and a broadcast legend and who knows with Ovi?

    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 #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #PatrickHoffman #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 #TageThompson #LindyRuff #MarcoSturm #NikitaKucherov #TysonFoerster #DanVladar #ArtemiPanarin #KevinFiala #JohnTortorella #DarcyKuemper #RayFerraro #DJSmith #AnzeKopitar #LucRobitaille #KenHolland #JasonRobertson #PeterDeBoer #RickBowness #DonWaddell #LeonDraisaitl #ZachHyman #JasonDickinson #MaxJones #SeanDurzi #RoopeHintz #CaleMakar #NathanMacKinnon #BradyTkachuk #SteveYzerman #ToddMcLellan #JohnGibson #JamesvanRiemsdyk #DylanLarkin #AlexDebrincat #PatrickKane #LucasRaymond #MarcoKasper #MoritzSeider #JustinFaulk #DavidPerron #TravisHamonic #CamTalbot #SimonEdvinsson #JimMontgomery #RobertThomas #JordanKyrou #JordanBinnington #JoelHofer #BraydenSchenn #OskarSundqvist #DylanHolloway #JonatanBerggren #MattKessel #AlexSteen #DougArmstrong #LaneLambert #DanBylsma #MasonMarchment #RyanLindgren #FrederickGaudreau #JaredMcCann #MartyBeniers #ShaneWright #PhilippGrubauer #JoeyDaccord #RonFrancis #JasonBotterill #DaveHakstol #OliverBjorkstrand #JadenSchwartz #EeliTolvanen #BobbyMcMann #JamieOleksiak #JoeBowen #SamRosen #JonathanQuick #MikeRichter #AlexOvechkin #JohnBuccigross #ESPN #WayneGretzky #JeffMarek #TheSheet #CraigButton #TSN
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    40 mins
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