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NHL Wraparound Podcast

NHL Wraparound Podcast

By: Neil Smith & Vic Morren
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Summary

 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 Quick Takes - Spring Cleaning - Tampa Bay Lightning

    NHL Wraparound Quick Takes - Spring Cleaning - Tampa Bay Lightning
    May 16 2026

    The Tampa Bay Lightning have been synonymous with success for the past decade. However, since losing the Final in 2022 in their quest for a three-peat, the team has bowed out of the playoffs in the opening round in each of the past four springs.

    Though the team will, no doubt, remain competitive in 2026-27, it's also one of the older teams in the NHL so there's work ahead for GM Julien BriseBois to re-tool his club on the fly to keep his Bolts among the NHL's elite.

    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 #NHL #SpringCleaning #TampaBayLightning #MontrealCanadiens #SeattleKraken #BostonBruins #ColoradoAvalanche #JonCooper #VictorHedman #NikitaKucherov #JakeGuentzel #BrandonHagel #DarrenRaddysh #BraydenPoint #RyanMcDonagh #EmilLilleberg #ErikCernak #DominicJames #CoreyPerry #NickPaul #AndreiVasilevskiy #JakubDobes #AlexNewhook #JulienBriseBois #OliverBjorkstrand #MitchellChaffee #ScottSabourin #DeclanCarlile #AnthonyCirelli #J.J.Moser
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    10 mins
  • Stanley Cupdate - Golden Knights Punch Their Ticket, Habs a Step Away - May 15, 2026

    Stanley Cupdate - Golden Knights Punch Their Ticket, Habs a Step Away - May 15, 2026
    May 15 2026

    Just one seat remains at the Conference Finals table as the Vegas Golden Nights finished off the Anaheim Ducks to book a date with the Presidents' Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche.

    In Buffalo, the Montreal Canadiens got off to a wobbly start but then kicked it into gear to take a 3-2 series lead back home with a chance to clinch Saturday night.

    Vic and Neil re-cap both games and also discuss the new leadership team in Vancouver with two legends being tapped to lead the Canucks from the depths of the NHL.

    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 #BraydenMcNabb #RyanPoehling #KaedenKorczak #JansenHarkins #MitchMarner #WilliamKarlsson #JacksonLacombe #NicRoy #LukasDostal #NoahHanafin #BrettHowden #AlexKillorn #PavelMintyukov #IvanBarbashev #TomasHertl #SheaTheodore #JackEichel #NicDowd #TroyTerry #MikailGranlund #JohnCarlson #LeoCarlsson #PavelDorofeyev #CarterHart #RasmusAndersson #BrettKulak #JaromirJagr #AlexandreTexier #JackQuinn #JasonZucker #ConorTimmins #JoshNorris #NickSuzuki #ColeCaufield #ZachBenson #JoshDoan #AlexandreCarrier #KonstaHelenius #JakubDobes #MartinSt.Louis #TageThompson #LaneHutson #JoshAnderson #Ukko-PekkaLuukkonen #LindyRuff #IvanDemidov #JakeEvans #JurajSlafkovsky #RasmusDahlin #AlexLyon #RodBrind'Amour #ArberXhekaj #ESPN #NHLonTNT #DanielSedin #HenrikSedin #RyanJohnson #AbbottsfordCanucks #CalderCup #PatrikAllvin #JimRutherford #MatsSundin #SteveYzerman #KenHolland #PortlandWinterhawks #MemorialCup #Hawkeytown #TheAHL.com #WHL #CHL #OHL #QMJHL
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    28 mins
  • Stanley Cupdate - Avs Late Drama Books Date in Western Final & Knoblauch Out - May 14, 2026

    Stanley Cupdate - Avs Late Drama Books Date in Western Final & Knoblauch Out - May 14, 2026
    May 15 2026

    The elation of the Colorado Avalanche dramatic come-from-behind win to earn a spot in the Western Conference Final can likely be equalled by the sting felt by the Minnesota Wild in failing late in their quest to force a sixth game. Vic and Neil offer their take and how the injury bug truly had an impact.

    Also, news on the coaching front as, for the second consecutive day, a vacancy has been created - this time in Edmonton.

    Finally, the Calder Trophy was awarded Wednesday. While the winner didn't come as a shock, the presentation sure did.

    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 #KrisKnoblauch #ConnorMcDavid #ErieOtters #HartfordWolfpack #KenHolland #JayWoodcroft #DJSmith #JimHiller #JeffJackson #StanBowman #ZachBogosian #JeffPetry #JoelErikssonEk #JonasBrodin #MattBoldy #MarcusJohansson #MackenzieBlackwood #NickFoligno #NicoSturm #MichaelMcCarron #JaredBednar #ScottWedgewood #LoganO'Connor #BrentBurns #ParkerKelly #JesperWallstedt #JackDrury #DevonToews #CaleMakar #DanilaYurov #MatsZuccarello #NathanMacKinnon #JakeMiddleton #KirillKaprizov #MartinNecas #BrettKulak #SamGirard #SidneyCrosby #JoshManson #RobGronkowski #BraydenMcNabb #RyanPoehling #KaedenKorczak #JansenHarkins #JoelQuenneville #RadkoGudas #MarkStone #JohnTortorella #CraigBerube #PaulCoffey #AustonMatthews #MitchMarner #WilliamNylander #LeonDraisaitl #EvanBouchard #ZachHyman #BruceCassidy #DougArmstrong #MatthewSchaefer #MatttMartin #GoodMorningAmerica #HockeyFightsCancer #BeckettSennecke #IvanDemidov #LaneHutson #JakubDobes #KentDouglas #JacquesLaperriere #OaklandSeals
    Show More Show Less
    29 mins
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