The OHL Podcast

Veteran broadcaster Mike Farwell brings you his unique perspective on the Ontario Hockey League. From his days standing on a milk crate while interviewing players, to spending years on the road with legendary junior hockey broadcaster Don Cameron, Farwell brings you a view of the OHL you simply won't find anywhere else. From Ottawa to Windsor, and from the Soo to Erie, the OHL Podcast has something for every junior hockey fan, bringing you the best stories from the players you cheered...and jeered. Issues and insights. Stories and sarcasm. From the fans to the front office, The OHL Podcast is your online scrapbook for one of the greatest leagues in the world.

Hockey
276
Episode 052 - How do you like your crow?
Farwell and Pope take a closer look at the remarkable playoff run for the Guelph Storm and discuss the history being chased by the Ottawa 67's. Is this exactly the OHL championship the league was hoping for? Listen to find out.
39 min
277
Episode 051 - Seeing Stars
If current success in the OHL is any indication, the future looks pretty bright for the NHL's Dallas Stars. We speak to a couple recently-signed Stars prospects, plus analyze the bizarre behaviour of Ivan Prosvetov and watch the Ottawa 67's march towards history.
57 min
278
Episode 050 - Settling Bets and Shaking Hands
Who do you want to hear from? The head coach of the Guelph Storm? The head coach of the Saginaw Spirit? The head coach of the Ottawa 67's? The captain of the Oshawa Generals? There's all that and MORE...plus Farwell and Pope admitting mistakes and drinking beer.
52 min
279
Episode 049 - Welcome to the OHL
Farwell and Pope speak with a first rounder from the OHL's 2019 draft class plus review the playoffs to date, wonder what's going on in Windsor, and pick the winners of the OHL's regular season awards…with surprising unanimity.
62 min
280
Episode 048 - First Round Falls Flat
Just three wins for the underdogs in Round One and Farwell is wondering if more parity is a positive thing. Pope is still PO'd about Super Teams, and we've got interviews with Rangers GM Mike McKenzie, Head Coach Jay McKee, and graduating Rangers players who make it clear how hard it is to say goodbye.
56 min
281
Episode 047 - Ultimate Prize
If you’re looking for stories about hockey, find someone who’s been in the game for four decades. And then you’ll also find out that winning a championship means a lot to more than just the players. Guelph’s long-time trainer Russ Hammond talks about his time with the Storm, his call from Hockey Canada, and what it means to be inducted into his hometown Sports Hall of Fame.
39 min
282
Episode 046 - Marching Into The Playoffs
It's a post-season preview, a milestone marker, and what might be one of the funniest feature interviews yet. It's all in this week's episode as we head into the playoffs on a high.
55 min
283
Episode 045 - The Journey From The Show To Behi...
Dennis Wideman knew he wanted to coach someday, he just didn't know that day would come so soon. Listen in on his journey from minor hockey in Elmira to the big leagues, and then back home again as an assistant with the Kitchener Rangers. Plus, Farwell and Pope discuss what the OHL could learn from the NBA and they chat with a former OHL'er who is now a Queen's Cup champion.
42 min
284
Episode 044 - Diving Into The Home Stretch
As the playoffs loom, accusations have again been levelled against London for going the extra mile to draw penalties. Is there any truth to this long-held belief amongst OHL fans? Plus, what constitutes verbal abuse in 2019 and who are the contenders and the pretenders as we head into the post-season.
31 min
285
Episode 043 - Champions and Championship Hopefuls
The OHL's wild West is getting a little weird with London struggling and the Storm surging, while the Spirit won't be broken. We break it down and bring you conversations with the league's leading scorer, its resident Iron Man, and a former OHL champ.
52 min
286
Episode 042 - Sanctions And Success
Farwell and Pope finish a four-game road trip by broadcasting from the road - literally. Listen in for their conversations about cracking down on hits to the head, how to behave in a press box and, of course, interviews with the GM's of the OHL Eastern Conference's top dogs - Niagara and Ottawa. You bet we're talking big trades…and league sanctions.
88 min
287
Episode 041 - It's Not Always Perfect
Hockey is a great game and Farwell and Pope will be the first to tell you that the OHL is one of the best leagues to cover. But that doesn't mean the league always gets it right, and apparently the OHL is not alone in shying away from controversy.
61 min
288
Episode 040 - Frozen In Time
Winter weather has thrown the OHL a curve over the past week and that's why this episode finds Farwell and Pope recording from the most comfortable seats in the house at Erie Insurance Arena. Otters GM Dave Brown joins them to discuss loading up -- and unloading -- after a CHL record-setting run in Erie.
26 min
289
Episode 039 - Live from the Bayshore!
Before the big storm that almost stranded the Rangers in Owen Sound, Farwell and Pope sat down in the stands to riff on 3 Stars, the timing of naming a captain, and to bring you an interview all the way from the Soo with Greyhounds GM Kyle Raftis.
38 min
290
Episode 038 - One Hall of a Guy
Farwell and Pope sit down with a local kid whose OHL career was cut short by injury to find out how he’s feeling and what’s next. Plus, are “super teams” a bad look for the league?
56 min
291
Episode 037 - Forgotten Players And Unforgettab...
The dark horse in the East isn't so dark anymore as Farwell and Pope shine a light on UPL. Plus, a review of the best in the West after a first-hand viewing, a chat with an inaugural member of the London Knights Hall of Fame - who has too many stories to tell, a former player who helped an OHL team to its only league championship, and why Kitchener Rangers head coach Jay McKee still owes a former teammate $500.
54 min
292
Episode 036 - Dissecting The Deadline
Wall-to-wall coverage of the OHL trade deadline, including candid conversations with Kitchener Rangers GM Mike McKenzie and Saginaw Spirit GM Dave Drinkill. Then it's off to Humboldt, where a former OHL coach and assistant GM is now an assistant coach with the Broncos. Troy Smith also shares some insights into Deadline Day. Farwell and Pope make their predictions about who will win it all in the OHL, tell you why some junior hockey critics need to clam up, and they talk to a guy who has seen almost 30 OHL Deadline Days in his career.
74 min
293
Episode 035 - All Eyes On Junior Hockey
Why Team Canada does not suck but some people do. And as the OHL trade deadline nears, is the Soo selling? Are the Storm buying? And who will make the biggest splash in the East. Farwell and Pope have the answers.
32 min
294
Episode 034 - 'Tis the season
It's the best of both worlds as Farwell is on the road sharing stories from North Bay and Sudbury and Pope is back in the studio exercising "the option." The guys give out their annual Christmas gifts to the OHL, talk pucks over glass, and run down the best play-by-play announcers in the biz.
56 min
295
Episode 033 - Is it too soon to declare a Memor...
There’s a lot of love out there for the Ottawa 67’s but are the accolades premature? Plus, new Niagara Ice Dog (and Dallas Stars prospect) Jason Robertson, Kitchener’s dilemma, suits to games, and portraits of the Queen. Farwell and Pope have it all on this week’s pod.
47 min
296
Episode 032 - Fans Behaving Badly
Mike Farwell and Chris Pope have been around the Ontario Hockey League for more years than they care to count, and even after all these years, they can't resist riding the bus and broadcasting from every rink. With every trip to every rink comes the chance to tell another story. We invite you along on Farwell and Pope's adventures as they tell stories from every market in the Ontario Hockey League, from a behind-the-scenes perspective you won't get anywhere else. They're on the bus, in the hotels, and in the media rooms with the coaches, scouts, officials, players, and other characters that keep us coming back to this game week after week. Like you, Farwell and Pope are passionate about the OHL today. But they also know today's league has been decades in the making. Pop in those ear buds and join Farwell and Pope for the stories that shaped the game, and the antics that are still part of it today. Who knows? You might even hear something you haven't heard before.
49 min
297
Episode 031 - Men Without Hats
Are hockey traditions beginning to die? Does the OHL need a draft pick cap? And how many coaches in how many years has it now been in Saginaw? Farwell and Pope look at a big week around the league.
48 min
298
Episode 030 - Taking The Option
Pope missed another road trip and then missed one of the weirdest things we've ever seen at a game. Can we trade Pope for a new co-host? Probably not. But the trade winds are beginning to blow through the OHL. Join us for the discussion, plus an interview with a kid who had to hang 'em up at the tender age of 21.
41 min
299
Episode 029 - Letters, Stars, And Saves for CF
Farwell and Pope weigh in on the OHL's letter to the premier, the additions to the London Knights, the actions of an Uber driver, and the charitable actions of a former OHL player.
32 min
300
Episode 028 - Emails From Billionaires And Catc...
Farwell and Pope dig into the Hashtag Bag for the first time and answer your questions, they’re still questioning the OHL’s lines of communication, and a league superstar lets you know his favourite building to play in (hint, it’s not his own).
40 min