The Sports Lunatics Show

Howie and SiriusXM's Mick Kern continue their look at the Sporting News' list of the NHL's greatest teams. In this episode, they look at the teams from #10 to #6. Do they agree with the teams on the list? Not always. Do they agree with each other all the time? Again, not always. It's a fun look back on some great NHL teams and Howie and Mick inject some really interesting facts into the whole conversation.

Wild couple of days in sports. Kyle Lowry signed a one-day contract to retire as a Toronto Raptor. Daniel Alfredsson leaves Ottawa, the city where he has been lionized, to become an associate coach with the (checks notes) Toronto Maple Leafs? And the World Cup just keeps on being the most compelling sporting event on the planet......Shawn and Howie discuss all this in a fast-paced and exciting episode.

The venerable Sporting News, which bears the nickname, 'The Bible of Baseball', unveiled their Top 20 NHL Teams of all Time recently. Were they right? Were they wrong? Howie sat down with SiriusXM's Mick Kern to look at the list and evaluate its contents and its accuracy and validity. Howie has at least a couple of issues with the list and the conversation is lively and fast-paced.

There's a lot in this episode of The Sports Lunatics Show. The day this was recorded, the Toronto Raptors traded for Kawhi Leonard. Also, Lebron James announced that he was going to pursue free agency. The boys discuss these two events. Also, the Florida Panthers and Sergei Bobrovsky announced that they would be parting ways and this was a point of discussion. They also go over Stephen Eustaquio's goal for Canada in the World Cup to advance to the round of sixteen in elimination play. Where does it go down in history? What happens if Canada Soccer fails to use this goal and victory as a jumping off point? It's a full episode and a lively one as well.

The verdict is in. The playoffs in both the NHL and the NBA were spectacular television. Shawn and Howie talked about some of their favorite moments in each, especially since each of the winning teams hadn't entered the winner's circle in a while - for the New York Knicks, it had been 53 years. The boys talk about the stars and the great moments.

As Shawn says in this episode, what a 24 hours if your last name is Tkachuk. Starting with the trade of Brady from the Ottawa Senators to the Florida Panthers and culminating with the Hall of Fame selection of his father, Keith, it was a whirlwind day for the Tkachuk family. Shawn and Howie discuss that and the 2026 selections for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. There's some serious conversation and some fun as well. 

On June 16, 2026, it was announced that the Saturday night broadcasts of Hockey Night in Canada had come to an end. The agreement between Rogers and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation had expired and there were no plans to renew it for the 2026-27 season. Shawn and Howie discuss the demise of Saturday night hockey on the national broadcaster, first from a business and contractual standpoint and then from the emotional point of view. There will be change for a lot of viewers and their personal trips down memory lane are worth the listen.

In this episode of The Sports Lunatics Show, Howie sat down with Craig Wallace, author of one of the seminal books about the Toronto Argonauts of the late 1960s and early 1970s, A Slip In The Rain, and their iconic coach, Leo Cahill. There are some great old stories in this conversation that illuminate the personalities of some of the great people of that era. Get A Slip In The Rain on lulu.com and get Howie's book, An Unlikely Story, on Amazon.

Sports fans have been blessed with a tremendous spring with the NHL and NBA playoffs giving everyone a boatload of spectacular moments. Game 4 of the NBA Finals saw the New York Knicks overcome a 29 point deficit and take the lead with 1.2 seconds left in a 107-106 win over the San Antonio Spurs to take a 3-1 series lead. Over in the NHL, the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes are giving us all a great Final series where many were thinking of only paying sparse attention to it. Every night has been, as Shawn says, 'must-see TV'. Shawn and Howie also look back at the lives and careers of Bob Horner, Stacey King, Ned Jarrett and Gerry Meehan.

Howie caught up with former Calgary Flames' Trainer and Athletic Therapist, Brian Patafie following the passing of Hockey Hall of Famer Cliff Fletcher. Patafie shares a number of stories of Fletcher's intelligence, generosity and his sense of humour. It's an enlightening and enjoyable conversation.

Howie sat down with Paul Woods, a longtime Toronto newspaper man and writer. They talked extensively about the league and the Argonauts and the books that Woods has written about the team. He's probably best known for his book on the Argos' 1991 season, The Year Of The Rocket, dealing with the ownership group of Bruce McNall, Wayne Gretzky and John Candy and the recruitment of the superstar, Raghib "Rocket" Ismail. His other book on the Boatmen, Bouncing Back, chronicles the team of the early 1980s that eventually won the 1983 Grey Cup. His pet project is his YouTube page called the Canadian Football Time Machine. Woods discusses all this and more in this conversation with Howie Mooney.

On the heels of Howie's conversation with SiriusXM's Mick Kern in the previous show, Shawn and Howie talk about the 1993 Stanley Cup Final series between the Los Angeles Kings and Montreal Canadiens and the pivotal role played by an illegal stick penalty to the Kings' Marty McSorley. They also discuss the 2026 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks and the meeting of a couple of the game's great personalities, Victor Wembanyama and Jalen Brunson. The boys also remember the great receiver and coach, Raymond Berry and former NBA player and coach, Rick Adelman. In between all that, Shawn managed to get a little tribute to Doug Flutie in there.

In this episode, Mick Kern joins Howie to talk about the life and career of the late Dennis Hull, who passed away on May 30 at the age of 81. He played most of his career for the Chicago Black Hawks but spent his last season in the league with the Detroit Red Wings. He was a member of Team Canada in 1972 as well. Then, the two talk about the last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup which was 1993. You always know that when Mick joins the show, it's going to be lively and this was no exception. 

On May 28, 2026, the world learned that Claude Lemieux, who just three days earlier, had participated in the opening ceremony at the Bell Centre before a Montreal Canadiens' playoff game, had died at the age of 60. That afternoon, as they were still processing the news, Shawn and Howie recorded this episode with their thoughts and remembrances of Lemieux. 

On May 21, 2026, racing superstar Kyle Busch passed away from pneumonia that turned into sepsis. His death rocked not just the racing world. People from every walk of life were rocked by the fact that this man with a young family was taken far too soon. Shawn and Howie talk about the impact of his loss and they talk about the night that Owen Hart was lost in an accident at a pay-per-view wrestling event in Kansas City in 1999. They talk about the losses of other sporting stars like Kobe Bryant and Payne Stewart and how they got the deaths of stars on to the air as they were actually working in radio and television. It's a wide-ranging and genuine conversation.

In an episode that deals with the present and the past, SiriusXM's Mick Kern joins Howie to discuss the 2026 NHL Playoffs, the performances of the Vegas Golden Knights and the Montreal Canadiens. They also talk about the 30th anniversary of the goal that Steve Yzerman scored when he blasted a slapper over the shoulder of the St. Louis Blues' Jon Casey back in May of 1996. They also look back at a couple of memories of Reggie Jackson's Hall of Fame career in the week that he turned 80. It's a packed episode of The Sports Lunatics Show

In this edition of The Sports Lunatics Show, Shawn and Howie discuss the ever increasing chaos of the Toronto Maple Leafs as we head into the summer of 2026. The situation in the front office, their coaching situation and the existence of some of their players with the team in the coming off-season are discussed. Some Toronto fans may not be happy. The guys look at the life and legacy of Ted Turner and then they discuss the career of Bobby Cox as well. Finally, they discuss the short life of basketball player Jason Collins, who came out as gay in 2013 and passed away in May of 2026.

May 1, 1991 was truly a phenomenal day in baseball history. It was the nexus of two history-shaking events that took place the same day - one in the afternoon and one that evening. And the central figures in each event were men who would be eternally famous. Love them or hate them, the day was an iconic one. Howie takes you along the tale in this preview of his upcoming book, Fallen Angels. Listen right to the end. The ending may cause some emotion though. 

In this episode of The Sports Lunatics Show, Shawn and Howie remember the legacy of Yankees broadcaster John Sterling, Shawn delivers the incredible story of the late Alex Zanardi and the boys discuss how it must feel to be a Leaf fan given the management of the team over the last while. It's a lively and thoughtful show.

SiriusXM's Mick Kern guests on this episode and he and Howie discuss the life and career of John Garrett, the changes coming in 2027 to the CFL postseason and Mick's impressions of the NHL playoffs to this point. We'll see how his predictions stand up to reality.

Phil "Scrap Iron" Garner, the long time All-Star infielder, World Series winner on the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates and Major League manager, passed away this week and Shawn and Howie discussed his career and what he meant to so many others as well. They also talked about veterans Alex Ovechkin, Anze Kopitar and Jonathan Quick. Playoff prospects of certain teams and the possible future in Detroit with the Red Wings also came up.

A little bit of a different Sports Lunatics Show for you here. Howie looks back at a couple of anniversaries marking the releases of a couple of classic baseball movies - Bad News Bears and Major League. Both endured because of their raw realism and their underdog themes. What they gave their audiences has endured all these years later. Bad News Bears was released in April of 1976. Major League came out in April of 1989. Howie talks about the movies and he goes through some things about each movie that you may not have known. It's a palate cleanse from the serious world of sports.

The Baseball world lost Davey Lopes this second week of April. Shawn and Howie talk about their recollections of Lopes, his infield mates and those great Dodgers teams of the 1970s and early 80s. They talk about the 2026 Masters golf tournament and the absences of both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. And they finish up by discussing the retirement of Joe Bowen and what he meant to both of them.

This was a lively and wide-ranging show. Shawn and Howie talked about who TSN in Canada chose as the Face of the Blue Jays; they discussed how Baseball is creeping back up in popularity ahead of a possible labour stoppage in 2026; they looked back upon the 30th anniversary of the passing on the field on Opening Day of umpire John McSherry and the spectacular final day that Jack Nicklaus had at the 1986 Masters 40 years ago this month. 

Howie takes information from a chapter of his third book, The Consequences of Chance, and talks about the best parts of the 1969 Montreal Expos Season. There wasn't much but they did win their first ever game, their first ever home game and the franchise's first ever home run was hit by a pitcher. Bill Stoneman provided fans with their first really big thrill. Their first big star was a red headed outfielder who captured the hearts of the Montreal fans as quickly as they captured his. Hope you enjoy this episode.

This is a shorter Sports Lunatics Show episode. It's about Larry Bird and his collegiate rivalry with Magic Johnson and that incredible NCAA Final Game in 1979. It also covers how Bird's collegiate athletic career ended and it wasn't on that court in the final in Salt Lake City in the spring of 1979. Listen to this episode to find out how and where it came to its end.

In this Sports Lunatics Show episode, Shawn and Howie talk about Rodger Brulotte, the Montreal Expos' broadcaster, his career and his legacy as the great person he was. The boys share some stories and talk about their memories of the Expos and broadcasters they enjoyed listening to in years past. It's a fun episode.

On March 15, 2026, a bad call on what turned out to be the third strike that ended an exciting World Baseball Classic semi-final game between the United States and the Dominican Republic was made. After the game, Alex Rodriguez said on the Fox post-game show "a ball that's about four inches down, you just hate to end a game that big...on a pitch that's not a strike." Howie and guest Mick Kern from SiriusXM's NHL Network Channel talk about bad calls and missed calls by officials from the worlds of baseball, hockey, football - both Canadian and NFL -  basketball and soccer. Mick finishes the episode off with a call that he figures is extremely important because it's changed the way hockey games have become officiated. It's another lively episode.

On March 12, 2026, Radko Gudas went knee-on-knee with the Toronto Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews, injuring the Leafs' centre. Given the way he forced Sidney Crosby out of the Olympic tournament, Howie asked guest Mick Kern, of SiriusXM, about Gudas and the fallout from those hits. This was recorded before the NHL's Department of Player Safety ruled on any suspension, but Mick was on fire discussing Gudas and so many other NHL 'bad guys' from the 80s, 90s and beyond. It's a fun conversation and one that is sure to evoke a ton of memories.

Howie drives the bus in this episode and he looks at the long life and career of Lou Holtz. The longtime college coach was best known for his national championship while at Notre Dame in 1988. Along the way there were highs and lows and controversies just like in pretty much every life. (30 minutes)

In this episode, Shawn and Howie discuss the passing of Hall of Fame second baseman Bill Mazeroski. He's famous for his walk-off hone run in the seventh game of the 1960 World Series but there was more to Maz than just that. The boys also look back on the lives of former Dallas Cowboy and Toronto Argonaut offensive lineman Chris Schultz and Canada's Hockey Dad on the fifth anniversary of their passings. They also look at the necessity for community and the importance of old rinks like the Weston Arena in Toronto and the old Forum in Halifax.

On Sunday, February 22, 2026, the men from Canada and the United States met in Milan to play a hockey game to decide the gold medal winners. The game was incredible, with Connor Hellebuyck stealing the show and the victory for the Americans. The game was intense and the fallout was emotional as the game was not decided until Jack Hughes scored in overtime. Social media buzzed for days after the game was decided for many reasons. Shawn and Howie discuss the game and some of its many ramifications in this Sports Lunatics Show episode.

The 1974-75 New York Islanders were a team in their franchise's third year of existence. They had been a team that had been mediocre at best. But with Al Arbour as their coach and Bill Torrey as their general manager, the team shocked their rivals, the New York Rangers, in the first round. Then, when down 0-3 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in their second round series, they defied history and rose from the ashes to defeat their seasoned opponents in that seven-game series. Next up was the defending Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers who quickly took a 3-0 lead in that series only to see these upstart Isles tie it up and take it to a seventh game. Howie takes excerpts from two of his books, Crazy Days & Wild Nights and The Consequences of Chance to tell the story of this incredible team and their exciting playoff ride.

In this episode of The Sports Lunatics Show, Howie drives the bus and covers a lot of topics dealing with the third week of February, 2026. It was the legendary Red Barber's birthday on February 17. The last NHL game at Maple Leaf Gardens took place on February 13, 1999. Chris Paul retired after a Hall of Fame career. Three Rivers Stadium was demolished on February 11, 2001. Justin Verlander signed as a free agent with the Detroit Tigers. And the world lost Robert Duvall and the Reverend Jesse Jackson.

As Shawn has often said, our show has sometimes become a forum for remembering the sports figures that we've lost. This show is no exception. Toronto Maple Leafs public address announcer and long time radio man, Mike Ross, joins Howie to talk about the passings of British Columbia legend Jim Robson and Ottawa hockey coach Vince Malette. 

When SiriusXM's Mick Kern comes on the show, we can figure on a lively conversation and this one is no exception. Mick and Howie discuss that momentous night fifty years ago, February 7, 1976, when Darryl Sittler scored six goals and had four assists in an 11-4 win over the mighty Boston Bruins, and many of the things that surrounded it. They talk about unfortunate Boston goalie Dave Reece, weave in and out of the topic and even get some CFL talk in as well. It's truly a fun conversation and Mick and Howie share a bunch of laughs.

It's February and the Winter Olympics are in our collective consciousness and so our thoughts naturally float to a couple of weeks back in 1980 when the sporting world was focused on what was happening at the hockey venue in tiny Lake Placid, New York and what a group of college kids were doing by upsetting the vaunted Soviet Union juggernaut. There's a new Netflix documentary and Shawn and Howie discuss it and the 1980 tournament and the players and personalities involved. They also take a look back at the life and career of Detroit Tigers' great pitcher, Mickey Lolich.

On Wednesday morning, January 28, 2026, it was reported that Bill Belichick would not be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Reaction was swift and intense. Tom Brady said, "I don't understand it!" Other athletes and observers were equally shocked. Shawn Lavigne and Howie Mooney discussed the snub in this episode of The Sports Lunatics Show.

In this freeform episode of The Sports Lunatics Show, Shawn and Howie look back at the things they loved about the 1970s (and some things they didn't). It's kind of a wild show and the boys go back and forth on a whole bunch of topics that were perhaps peculiar to the 1970s. You might remember a bunch of the topics they discuss here as well.

Another legendary NHL goalie has passed away. On this episode of The Sports Lunatics Show, Shawn and Howie examine the career, life and legacy of Hall of Famer Glenn Hall. They also look at the career of the first ever 50 goal scorer for the Atlanta Flames, Guy Chouinard. The second week of January also marked the 50th anniversary of that infamous match between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Soviet Red Army team back in 1976. The guys close the show by talking about the little consolation speech by reporter Lynn Jones to Jacksonville Jaguars coach Liam Coen.

Howie sat down with J.C. Abbott from 3downnation.com to discuss a piece he wrote for the website on the twenty worst teams to ever step on a Canadian Football League field. Abbott explains how he chose the teams and the two men talk about some if the teams. The conversation is interesting and this episode is a must-listen for CFL fans. Go to the Sports Lunatics Facebook page to make your feelings known on the whole subject!

In this episode of The Sports Lunatics Show, Shawn and Howie look back on the lives and the legacies of two hockey giants - David Branch and Bob Pulford. Branch was the commissioner of the Ontario Hockey League for 45 years and the president of the Canadian Hockey League for 23 years, all while being one of the most personable executives that anyone ever met in hockey. Bob Pulford was an all-star and a Stanley Cup winner as a player in Toronto and Los Angeles before moving on to coach the Kings. He then went on to become the coach of the Chicago Blackhawks before taking on the role as the team's general manager not once but four times. You have to listen to the story Howie relates about goalie Darren Pang's remembrance of Pulford. That is the icing on the cake of this episode.

Shawn and Howie look at the sports year that was 2025 in this episode. The Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl; the Florida Panthers took the Stanley Cup; the Oklahoma City Thunder was the NBA Champion and, in what some have called the best World Series they had ever seen, the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series. The NHL, in what would be its All-Star break held a 4-Nations tournament that turned out to be everything they wanted it to be. The Luka Doncic trade? What were they thinking? There is more too! Enjoy the show!

We have reached that time of year. It's Festivus. That includes the airing of the grievances. The time went by so quickly that Shawn and Howie didn't get to discuss all their points. But it's an absolutely lively conversation and the boys hope that Toronto Maple Leaf fans aren't too angry with them. They cover the Leafs, the way the Kansas City Chiefs season is arriving at its end, the movement of franchises, the pricing out of some families when it comes to pro sports and how the Canadian Football League went about their upcoming rule changes this year and how will they be implemented all the way down the football line in Canada. Enjoy the show, everyone.

In a wild and bizarre weekend the Kansas City Chiefs lost Patrick Mahomes to an ACL tear and lost their game to end their quest for another NFL playoff berth, ending a run of success that was incredible. That same day, 44-year-old Philip Rivers came out of retirement to almost lead the Indianapolis Colts to a win over the Seattle Seahawks. But poor clock management resulted in Seattle having enough time to kick a field goal and pull the game out. On the Saturday night, John Cena appeared in his last wrestling bout as he tapped out against the Swiss giant, Gunther. On the cultural side that week, Dick Van Dyke celebrated his 100th birthday. He was born right before Babe Ruth began a massive tear across the American League. And on Sunday, Rob Reiner and his wife were murdered in their Brentwood home. Shawn and Howie discuss all of this in this episode.

The Contemporary Eras Committee voted for their Baseball Hall of Fame candidates this week. Would Don Mattingly finally get in? Dale Murphy, maybe? Nope. Neither. One man was selected to be inducted in 2026 from this vote. Jeff Kent. Shawn and Howie discuss the selection and what they thought might happen. It's a lively and wide ranging conversation and they bring up a lot of names and comparables for the men on the ballot. 

On December 8, 1980, as we were watching Monday Night Football, Howard Cosell informed us all that John Lennon had been killed outside the Dakota Hotel. Shawn and Howie discuss their memories of that night, the following week and the impact that Lennon's death had on them and the world as they saw it at that time. Some illuminating audio accompanies their conversation.

In this episode of The Sports Lunatics Show, Shawn and Howie cover a lot of ground. First, they remember the lives and legacies of the great Canadian curling giant, Colleen Jones, and 1979 Masters winner, Fuzzy Zoeller. Then they look back at three sporting anniversaries. In 1975, Archie Griffin won back-to-back Heisman Trophies. He's the only man ever to achieve that NCAA Football feat. In 1985, on Monday Night Football, the undefeated Chicago Bears went to South Florida and pulled the Nine of Hearts against Dan Marino and the Miami Dolphins. It was their only loss of that 1985 season. Lastly, in 1995, in the first week of December, new Habs' coach Mario Tremblay left Patrick Roy in to face the Detroit Red Wings onslaught. When Roy felt he was being humiliated by his coach, he stormed off the ice and declared to team president Ronald Corey that he was finished in Montreal. The boys delve into all these subjects and also divert over to many different tangents that illlustrate a lot of their own personalities and their sports histories as well. It's a fun and lively show!!

In this episode, Howie put together a compilation show of pieces from four different episodes. There are highlights from an interview Howie did with Ken Warren about the demolition of the Bob Guertin Arena in Hull, a show that Shawn and Howie did on the life of George Foreman, a short episode on the importance of August 12, 1994 and 1976, and a piece from an interview Howie did with SiriusXM's Mick Kern on the passing of Ken Dryden. 

This episode is a bit of a random mish-mash of topics all over the sports history map. Shawn and Howie start off by discussing the passing of the first great pitcher for the San Diego Padres. Randy Jones won the Cy Young Award in 1976, winning 22 games and completing 25 of his 40 starts. He pitched 315.1 innings that year to lead the majors. But his 1975 season might have been even better. Howie explains why. The boys examine Major League Baseball's new agreement with ESPN, Netflix and NBC is back in the baseball business too. They talk about the good old days of the NBC Game of the Week and Curt Gowdy, Joe Garagiola, Tony Kubek and the great Vin Scully. A gruesome anniversary passed this week. In November of 1985, Lawrence fell on Joe Theismann's leg while tackling him and grotesquely broke his tibia and fibula. It was on Monday Night Football. They also tackle the question of whether or not Alex Ovechkin's #8 should be retired league-wide. They finish the show by talking about a couple of reunions that each of them experienced in the past week.