The Suspendables

The fellas talk LTIR issues, player suspensions, and of course, golf!  They also address the tragic passing of former NHL player Chris Simon. Our thoughts are with his loved ones during this extremely difficult time. 

What do you do as a player when you’re not gonna make the playoffs and there’s 15 games to go?

LIV golf??? What’s up with the latest?

Russ has lost his manhood! For sure? 

And much more…really? You decide. 

Producer's note: Sorry for any poor audio quality, Russ's mic broke. 

The boys talk golf courses, vacations, & going drink for drink. 

Rusty gives us some insight into NHL trades and takes a quick break to yell at his neighbour!

*Note from producer: Syd’s mic couldn’t be turned on for this episode so please excuse any silence when she is talked to/referenced.

Russ answers the questions of how does one know if they should skip school and stay in Junior? 

The now viral slap shot into the empty net...not sure I like Cournall's take on this...

Do we like Corey Perry? 

And we go inside Rusty's life...

Cuz Rusty tells us he goes to church…I fear we’ve lost him...

Not on your life folks…I’ll get him back to the dark side in  no time. The problem is he knows they serve wine so he goes back to communion 9 times.

Also…Check out the skills competition from 30 years ago to what happened this past weekend…You’re gonna be very very surprised

Courts gives us a good look into who perhaps has the biggest effect on changing the the game…it ain’t who or what you think it is.

And our second instalment on “IS RUSS’s life story worth telling?”

Russ has returned!

He shares some stories from his week off...cigars were involved...go figure! 

Jungle plugs his latest endeabour, offering some insight into Rusty's early years, his family, and his career. 

Email us at: thesuspendables@yahoo.com

What a refreshing take this athlete has on life and how to do things…Darcy Hordichuk was our guest and he made Jimmy cry!

He was one of the toughest guys to ever play the game and he knew his role, but some of his answers about fighting are going to surprise you!

Darcy joins us to share his life lessons, stories from his NHL career, and to discuss his latest endeavour, Canada to USA.The company offers expert cross border services exclusively for Canadians in the United States. 

Check out their website, Canada to USA, if you're a Canadian looking for a stellar resource to find everything you need in the United States!

Producers note: Apologies for any poor audio quality. I did my best to enhance the files to improve listening experience. Thank you for bearing with us! 

Oilers vs Sens and the complete opposite happening with new head coaches.

Russ’s take on the All Star game.

Getting traded is tough especially when it comes to the personal side...Courtnall went through it 5 times.

Theyre starting to compare McDavid to you know who...Is that really fair?

The saga of daughter Sydney’s rental in Phoenix continues and it’s hilarious!

Jim goes rogue and strays from the usual hockey talk to call up his ol' buddy Rusty for some advice...

AND Russ's wife, the wonderful Paris, jumps on to offer some truly valuable insight on how she's put up with Rusty for more than THREE DECADES! 

(wait a second...a bald dude, life advice...what the hell is this...Dr. Phil?!)

*Note from producer - We have moved to a new recording platform for improved sound quality, which has unfortunately led to difficulties when separating audio tracks. We apologize in advance for any skewed audio quality! 

The fellas take a look at what’s gonna happen in 2024...

The newly formed womens pro league

Ticket prices...going up or down?

Russ’s take on a new culture at Hockey Canada...

What’s next for Pickleball? Who cares! 

Jungle's Xmas party prank should have put him in jail

Geoff pulled off a better prank!!

Ovechkin chasing the goal record ain’t gonna happen!

The boys are gonna bet on a few Canadian teams to win the cup...this is our year!!

Did Russ’s buddy really go into someone’s laundry hamper at a party?  He sure did!!!  So gross!

What the hell is happening with contracts?!!!?

Russ tells us what were crazy contracts in his day!

Did Russ make a crack that would get him fired? 

Ya ya…we have to talk about it...

Even after the death of the “skate across the neck“ incident Russ will surprise you with his take on equipment.

Top 50 sports stories of the year are out…really?  I mean really?? ...that’s the best we can do?

Guess how much 3 days at Pebble Beach costs? Or as Syd calls it “Rock Stone.”

Lots to be discussed this week but the fellas mostly roasted Jim's kid for her poor travel plans...

Jay Woodcroft is no more and Jimmy is sad :( 

Plus charges laid in the NHL...

P.S. Syd's audio wasn't working after getting bud bugs at the beautiful Motel 6 this week, so apologies in advance for any weirdness with this track! 

Rusty weighs in on the tragic on ice accident.

The absolute irony of suspending an NHL player for gambling.

Sen's owner makes his first big move…You’re Fired! 

*The wifi did us dirty so we had to cut this show short...thanks for listening and bearing with us :) 

Tricky little move...Russ’s trainer had to figure out opponents next moves. 

Mike Keenan gave Ted Nolan some sage advice…and how did that go for you Ted?

What to do with your bottom 6 performers?!

Tough day for Jake Debrusk. 

What Rusty likes and dislikes when he played…

A few picks for the season by the man himself...he sure wouldn’t want to try and coach todays brand of player.

…oh ya! And Jimmy takes a hard stand about shit he shouldn’t be talking about…

The Ottawa Senators have new found faith in a cool owner…we like him and so does our guest...

Speaking of a cool customer Cyril Leeder joins us. He was there at the start when the team came into the league and tells us it was over a pickup hockey game…Cyril is back as the new CEO and President of the team!

Rusty really behaved himself with this…you’re gonna have to hear to believe it!! 

You know what rhymes with just hired?   Fired!

Mike Babcock acts his way out of a job. Rusty spoke to some players involved in this saga.

Courtnall talks about some hilarious stories when it comes to picking a captain.

Thoughts on this whole analytics deal teams are looking at now. 

Pickleball…Records…and Jungle apparently will leave the house not giving a damn what he’s wearing. 

Jungle brings on his daughter and her 2 friends…Dad loses his mind with what they said…God help us all!!

The rest of the show definitely took a back seat but Rusty continues his standup comedy routine!!

What would Russ give up to win a Stanley Cup?

Amazing what he was prepared to do to be traded to Detroit!

There’s always a big divide in training camp that didn’t suit Courtnall at all.

The fellas break down how they think the womens pro league will go...it’s not all positive…!!

Jimmy tells an old joke that would get him fired today!

Gino Odjick knocks it out of the park on the bus one day! 

Courtnall’s take on the new womens league.

Sheldon Keefe must have something special going on.

And it’s back to school…Did Jungle really bring beer his lunchpail in grade 4?  Take a guess!!

How he also bootlegged vodka out of his high school locker!

Rusty pulls out his standup comedy routine and it’s…well…AWARD WINNING !!! Jim was blowing bubbles.

The days of Daryl Sutter style coaching is over…but why ?  Courtnall says the new player is too sensitive...

Jimmy with probably an unpopular take on the Spanish World Cup soccer team…Thank God it’s a podcast otherwise we’d be cancelled. 

Russ and Jungle are back at it...

Rusty’s member guest! The Who’s who of America...winners and losers...

The Quebec Junior League is banning fighting next year...Courtnall is not sure if it’s a good idea?

What the hell is going to happen with betting on sports?  It’s a quandary!

Halloween party stories…Two of the very best!!

Jungle brings on Brian Savage from his hometown and they talk about his incredible athletic talent and the choices he had but why he picked hockey.

Drafted by Montreal and how he made it onto the team.

Interesting advice from teammate Vincent Damphousse about playing for the Habs.

And watch out for his son!!

After 2 weeks off Russ and Jungle tee it up again!!

Russ witnessed a very first for Carey Price!

A message from Sean Payton to Jungle.

Does Russ feel sorry for The Leafs? 

Big mistake by Russ’s teammates...going to the media with this one

Does he like Bettman ?

What would make today according to his ranking from his hockey days?

His take on the draft...he would change things.

What happened in a couple of closed meetings with players only?

How high are the salaries going to go?

How no trade contracts work when the team wants to trade for you

How Bob Gainey handled calling out a player when Russ was in Montreal...

Wait till you hear about his buddies house…INCREDIBLE! 

We had to talk about Canadian golfer Nick Taylor winning the Canadian Open and Russ explains what it’s like to compete for your country. 

There is a really bad side of coaches that continues to be in the game and Russ says it will never change!

Worst ratings in a long time for a Stanley Cup final but what does that win mean for Vegas and why did Florida lose...

Another trip, another show coming at you from the road!! Rusty joins from Gozzer, Jungle's in Ontario, and Syd from Russ's favourite bar, the Bard & Banker, in Victoria, B.C.(any audio issues can be blamed on the sangrias Syd knocked back during the recording) Russ tries a new drink! And then gets political...what else is new?  Russ weighs in young players entering the NHL...and offers up some priceless marriage advice...or maybe it was a joke? You can be the judge.   And then the boys talk NHL playoffs...AGAIN....imagine that?! 

...And you thought Jungle could lay down some names!! Rusty slaughters him.

Babcock is getting a job again!

Stanley cup final…meh!

Russ gets political...drags Jimmy down.

And you will not believe what happened to Jungle during the eulogy he was giving his Godmother…never before!! 

Maple Leafs GM gets fired but maybe has something up his sleeve...says it’s stressful on his family…Russ says walk it off!

The Blackhawks 2010 Kyle Beach scandal rears its ugly head this week.

How the hell are the Panthers pulling this off?

The biggest Real estate russ has ever done…staggering!!

And why is Courtnall the only guy who wants to stay in California when everyone else is bolting?

Tune in and listen how Jungle struggles his way through questions for Russ.

If Courtnall had a choice of teams to play on right now, which one would it be?

Playoffs final 4 might not interest anyone…Russ has a different take.

What happened to Jungle's oilers and how would Russ do if he played on the big line?

Did we have a show where Russ was nice?…Absolutely not!!

Russ goes after Jungle again pounding him like a post!

Nick Kypreos crushing a head coach with the best one liner

Jungles greed shows up and he pays dearly for it...

Rusty makes some sense of it all with the sale of the Ottawa Senators

Jerome did something he swore he would never ever do!

Oh oh!!…Rusty steps out and tells us which player should not be allowed to continue playing .. like isn’t good enough to be in the NHL and he’s playing in the 2nd round

So this’ll make you feel old…Russ is now a grandfather !

Edmonton keeps chopping away at Mark Stones back .. literally .. everyone knows he had surgery in January...are the Oil out of bounds? 

Rusty boy ate a “brownie”.. not a good time ! But a better time than Jungle had eating a bag of Magic Mushrooms.

See what Russ does when guys say they’re mailing him  a card to sign but send 5 instead... Might be Courtnall’s best move ever!  

Absolutely crazy ass story about Russ’s dog …. Oh no he didn’t!!! Yes he did! 

What are the dirtiest hits Russ says should be deep suspensions ?

The boys compare pranks …but Ray Ferraro takes the cake!

Rusty’s picks from his days...

Best stick handler

Best wrist shot

Best slap shot

Best skater

Best dangler

Best dressing room guy

**Note from producer: Russ's audio quality is not as high as usual due to some technical difficulties during recording. Thank you for bearing with us and continuing to listen to The Suspendables podcast! 

SURPRISE! Russ & Jungle talk....PLAYOFFS...Imagine that!

Russ gives his hot take on why playing to not get hurt is always a bad call...

Some stories from the good old days...

...and let us not forget....THE PLAYOFFS! 

Russ and Jungle delve into places maybe they shouldn’t have...oh well!

Is Russia being banned from the 2024 Olympics unfair to the athletes?

Russ has a better idea for picking the Norris trophy winner...

The redline is taking away the skill of defence men!

Rehash a great story of Lenny Dykstra and an ankle bracelet. 

Bruce Courtnall, the other brother, joins us on the show! 

Great stories from breaking his hand on Russ’s face to firing pucks and breaking windows to stepping in and cleaning up Russ’s problem.

Tells us that brother Geoff actually quit playing for the Boston Bruins.

Plus a few other pranks the boys pulled...

And a heartfelt take from Bruce thinking he was never good enough.

Rusty kicks a door in and breaks he’s goalie’s nose! 

What’s it like when a team has no shot at making the playoffs?

Bob Gainey?  Not quite as calm or nice as you think...

Courtnall wouldn’t pay a dime to go see a sporting event...WHAT!!!!?

Oh! ...and Russ has a thing for pregnant women...why...?

*We apologize for the lowered audio quality of this episode. We encountered a network issue during recording. Thank you for listening!

The Quebec junior league is going to ban fighting next year…Russ says it might be the most dangerous move ever…

Gary Bettman holds a press conference and says…nothing!

This coach has had enough of his own players antics.

Russ was right on point about how teams can help players who don’t want to admit they need help…great stuff !

AND Courtnall gets a letter in the mail from his golf club about  another member who apparently got up to no good…WTF!!

Oh ya! Starting to talk playoffs!

Russ’s interesting take on the trades... he’s confused.

“The Eastern Conference is gonna win the cup!” says Courtnall.

What would you do with the cup if you had it for the day?

Marty McSorley joins Jungle and opens up about how the game was, how it is, and what changes should be made...

...and how our day snowmobiling took out Craig MacTavish! 

The LIV golf tour is underway…would Russ defect from the NHL for cash...? He sure would!

Chris Neil has his jersey retired to the rafters...not everyone agrees with it…what does Courtnall say about it ?

Are trades done strictly to improve your team or to save money?

What about trade related scratches…just give me a straight answer Russ!

Jungle gets into it with his ex wife’s husband…for real!

Russ tried to explain the 15 minute city… nice try

Why is Erik Karlsson playing out of his mind?

Sew me up coach! Russ taking the needle before games…ouch!!

Rusty’s advice on making the right business deal

Booze, Buying, and Bullshit!

Oh yeah…the Jungle dumb thing…

New York Mets come awfully close to making a $300 million dollar offer to a 12 yr old...

Rusty breaks down Commissioner Gary Bettman's press conference on the future of the elague and changes players want. 

Courtnall played in an all-star game...it's the only one he's ever liked...go figure!! 

And a bunch of other shit I can't remember. 

So many have asked for this guest and he did not disappoint… Russ has always said this is his number one mentor in the game of hockey and the guy he respects the most.

CAM NEELY !!!!

Advice from Russ about life...oh God, help us all!! 

Why ownership doesn't work sometimes...hmmm? 

Russ was really upset...yes, genuinely upset about a trip to the store...

As a coach one said (and this makes him brilliant): "Lead...follow...or.......???????

What could possibly go wrong when Russ stuck 25K cash into his suit jacket?! 

Jimmy gets Rusty to open up about some stuff. 

Is Babcock the cruelest guy ever? Maybe not...

A John Brophy story that does not disappoint! 

Russ says they've got to fix the refereeing.

RIP Gino Odjick...one of the toughest players ever, but there was much more to him than that. 

And a guy bets 1.4 millioin on a sure thing...Oops!!!

But Jim doesn't remember what we talked about...

Some hockey...some not

Things you didn't know about Russ and...

Jungle's daughter, Sydney, takes him down! 

Merry Christmas Canada… !!!

Open up that gift right there under the tree …it’s…

Connor Bedard!!!!

Russ loves the kid for sure but says he made a mistake..

Do teams really tank games?

What do you do if you’re so far in front in the standings about resting players for the rest of the year ?

Buffalo Bills Damar Hamlin injury has rocked everybody’s world … Russ takes us inside on the fear of being a pro athlete

The nice side of Russ... certainly didn't come out on this show! One listener wasn’t happy with Russ. Courtnall gives us his best fans. You’ll be surprised. Jimmy gives his best Xmas gift ideas. How can one coach be liked so much and hated so much at the same time?

Former NHL enforcer Troy Crowder joins us this week. Crowder was one of the toughest guys of his era, even getting the better of Bob Probert. He tells a hilarious story about missing a bunch of time due to injury and what Probie said to him in their first fight in his return. Troy talks about his time playing with Russ. They get into stories about some of his crazy coaches over the years, many hidden talents including boxing, golf and entrepreneurship. He also gives us his take on the game today and even some conversation about mental health.

The boys try and figure out what’s gonna happen with teams and crazy salaries. Wait til you hear what team Russ had a chance to have a piece of… you’ve got to be kidding me!!!!  Jungle tells Russ that NHL players should not have a pension… How’d that go for you jungle?  A team plane leaving before the coaches got on board? You call BS? You’d be wrong! And... How many Jeromes can one podcast take? 

Russ discusses his mental health intiatives. Russ talks about getting booed by his home fan in Montreal. Boston announcer Jack Edwards goes after Pat Maroon for his weight. Will Alex Ovechkin break Wayne Gretzky's goal scoring record? We discuss rebuilds and expansion construction. Russ talks about the toughest thing about being a captain. Did he ever cover for a teammate who was in trouble with the coach?

In a rare move this week on the show the boys end up talking about… Hockey!! Everyone says fire the coach in Ottawa… Russ has a different take. What’s it like to play in Minnesota? To coach or not to coach? Courtnall says there may be a shelf life. A shirt and tie means you should be going to work or… Russ’s team thought they should go skiing!!  Okay, Russ is just weird with superstitions.

We talk about  the Hockey Hall of Fame honouree’s but Rusty is not at all pleased with Daniel Alfredsson. His take on the best goalies he’s faced. Paris, Russ’s wife, did something that will surprise you. He’s not really not happy with his daughter's new family member.  And some fantastic advice about parenting

Flames head coach Darryl Sutter gives a candid response when asked about a player's health status and why he briefly disappeared from a recent game. Players being called out in the press.  How long until The Ottawa Senators are for sale. Sports gambling and reporting player injuries.  And we read your emails!

This might be Jimmy’s worst performance as a host. You be the judge. Some records in hockey should have an asterisk beside it. Should there be more offence in hockey? Russ doesn’t think so. What to do about John Tortorella. He’s becoming annoying. Another prank by Courtnall and his roommate. Jimmy says hello to many listeners. Your name may have been mentioned

Rusty talks about the timing of chewing out a player because when he had a go at it he made the guy cry… Not good! Every team seems to pick a captain differently… We find out what really drives Russ crazy about wearing the C. It’s not just players who feel crippling pressure if you suit up for the Canadians. And Russ says sure we’ll help but you gotta put up the cash! What the hell is he talking about?

After a couple of weeks off Russ and Jimmy are in fine form. Russ goes half way around the world to drink a famous martini and meet the most iconic bartender on earth. Guys beating up each other in training camp! They break down the best Canadian teams to watch this year. Russ takes the wind out of Jimmy talking about his 100 yr old aunt and it might be grounds for suspension!

The boys sit down with Jim Peplinski this week. Peplinski had a 10-year NHL career with the Calgary Flames, a Stanley Cup champion in 1989; 1988 Olympic team; Jungle had a lot of questions: Why did he quit after 10 yrs?  How come he said no to coaching and a front office job? Why, when you had the choice to stay, did you give up the broadcasting gig? He also takes us inside on how the Calgary Flames dealt with Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers dynasty. Does he think it was the greatest rivalry in sports ? He’s got strong opinions on player salaries. What he would do with a team if it’s going bad? His answer will surprise you. And he would make a lot of changes when it comes to the game today. Of course, there’s plenty of hilarity as well (his nicknames for guys is award winning) in the journey of Pepper !!

In this one, the boys discuss the Montreal Canadiens' choice for new captain and the commentary swirling around the selection. Russ reveals who his favourite NHL coach was. John Tortorella is already making headlines in Philly before camp even starts. Some hilarious stories about NHL player turned broadcaster Ray Ferraro who was Russ's roommate on the road. And Russ is pretty excited for his son-in-law, linebacker Eric Kendricks, as his Minnesota Vikings beat up Green Bay in week one. 

In this week's show, Russ has an amazing answer when Jim rips the Canada-Soviet Union Summit Series. Russ talks about what it's like for an NHL player in September, getting ready for an NHL training camp. Russ has some family stories, how he settled in LA and how former DJ Rick Dees taught him to play golf. We touch on the growth of women's hockey and the slow build.

What drives a guy like Sidney Crosby, who's done absolutely everything in the game, to keep playing? We talk about some of the great NHL single game points records in both the regular season and playoffs. Jim had a small glitch when interviewing Darryl Sittler about his 10 point night. Jim gets a used car and the transaction may not have gone as well as he hoped.  And the topper, Jim almost deleted our entire podcast listenership. We discuss the Tour Championship and Rory's $18 million win. Russ isn't really a Rory guy, to say the least. We also get into the LIV Golf tour.

In this one, we talk about the wild finish as Team Canada wins gold in overtime at the World Junior Hockey Tournament. Russ updates us on his trip last week to Costa Rica as his daughter Brooklyn played for Team Canada at the Women's U20 World Cup of Soccer. Russ isn't getting involved with Jim's current cold shoulder from the Great One. The 50th anniversary of Team Canada vs the Soviet Union Hockey series is coming up. We've got some hilarious golf stories. Russ talks about his pal PGA Patrick Cantley who has a great shot at the big $18 million prize in this weekend's Tour Championship. We've got stories on Bobby Orr, Jim McKenney and even a little something for fans of TV's "Yellowstone." Wait. Who's Riff?

We're joined in this one by former Edmonton Oilers defenceman Kevin Lowe. Since we last had Kevin on, he's entered the Hockey Hall of Fame and last week retired from the role of Oilers' Vice Chair and Alternate Governor.  Kevin and Jimmy relive some great old NHL memories. We talk to Kevin about his long, stellar career as a player, coach and manager and what full retirement the game now has in store for him. We discuss growing up in Lachute. He chimes in on the Hockey Canada scandal, the excellence of Cale Makar and what he thinks about the debate over who's better? Gretzky or McDavid?

After the firing at the University of Michigan, we talk about hockey coaches gone wild.  On that note, Russ has some stories about John Brophy and Tom Renney.  We discuss how easy it is to choke in golf. We get into the pressures of youth and the frequently asked question, "What are you gonna do with your life?"  We get into a little more on the LIV golf tour. Jim has yet another unsuccessful date. And we give away our hockey jersey in our "Roasting Russ" contest.