PODCAST · sports
Tough Call
by Josh Boulton
Discussing questionable hits and controversial calls around the NHL. PLUS: Is fighting necessary? How can we get MORE HITTING back in hockey? Player development, rule change proposals, and MORE!
Episodes
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Slashing/spearing, linesman/linesperson: What's in a name?
Slashing or spearing? Linesman or linesperson? And have I gone soft on boarding? What is the line between great hit and dirty boarding? This and more! Theme song written and performed by Everett Boulton. Subscribe to Tough Call on YouTube Follow and rate this podcast!
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Panthers and Lightning - Bullying wins...again
15 minutes of regular episode, 15 minutes of how the NHL completely botched the Panthers/Lightning fiasco, and how the DOPS has set the table for more trouble moving forward.
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Clean checks are back! Now how can we get more?
Covering the NHL pre-season period of Sept 21st-29th. What suspensions should there have been? In terms of checking, how late is LATE? When should we start teaching "checking" in minor hockey? and HOW do you teach it? Spoiler: It doesn't have much to do with legalizing hitting. This and more!
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Fighting and contracts and neck guards, oh my!
What's the deal with Connor McDavid not signing yet? Did the Q fighting ban make hockey more dangerous? Does fighting have a place in hockey? Should neck guards and face masks be mandatory in pro hockey?Find out here!Theme song by Everett Boulton Subscribe to Tough Call on YouTube Follow:...
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What's the problem with Leafs culture?
Welcome to a new season of Tough Call! Mitch Marner and Leafs aura. Which country promotes real hockey: Canada or the US? What is the real purpose of body contact? This and more... Now also a video podcast! Theme song: Everett Boulton (eb_hunter0 - instagram) Subscribe to Tough Call on YouTube...
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Angling Works!
Tough Call Podcast is back four a fourth season! Get caught up on the latest NHL hits and suspensions through the first week of the pre-season. What’s the deal with all the open ice hitting? Is it here to stay??? And why are forecheckers so surprised when defenders “turn their back” when they’re...
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Call the Rulebook
The Markstrom spear, the Cogliano knee. And what would happen if we called the NHL rulebook to the standard to which it’s written?
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The Auston Matthews Episode
This is an 18 minute rant on all that’s wrong with the NHL and the fans who won’t allow it to be fixed. My apologies. 😬
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Exploding Hittens
The theme is exploding into contact and maybe not doing it. The Zadorov check to Kase, the Dunn slash on Zegras, the Brad Marchand suspension, and more! Plus the trivia: last week’s answer and this week’s question. Subscribe to the Tough Call YouTube channel, and to this podcast!
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A Boarding by any other name…
The Myers boarding to Lewis, the Gourde boarding to Vaakanainen, and why basing suspension length on injury is a bad idea. My usual segments and as always I end off with some trivia.
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Hit me With Your Best (Head) Shot
The Greenway interference on Kuemper, the Drouin crosscheck to Seguin, and what’s my motivation for doing Tough Call? As always, fun trivia at the end.
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To Hit or Not To Hit?
This covers NHL incidents from the week of January 2nd - 8th, 2022.
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Danbury Trashers - A Mockery of the Game?
I’m back for a third season! This tells you everything you should expect to get out of this podcast when you follow me this year (and you absolutely should). Plus, why is there such a difference between hockey player personas on the ice vs off the ice? And finally, a little bit of trivia to end off!
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If you think that’s hockey you need some help
What is a hockey play? Keeping things within the context of the game. Also, what do we do wrong when comparing incidents? Who’s dirtier? Reaves or Wilson? Find out here!
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Reaves and Kadri: A Tale of Two Repeat Offenders
Ryan Reaves of the Vegas Golden Knights was issued a 2 game suspension for his actions against Ryan Graves of the Colorado Avalanche in game 1 of their second round series. This is the last straw for many in a years long chain of poor decisions from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. It’s…
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Dmitry and Perry and Petry, Oh My!
Why did Nick Foligno fight Corey Perry after the Tavares injury? Why did Dmitry Orlov have his major penalty against Kevan Miller reduced to a roughing minor? How did Jeff Petry avoid any discipline at all from both the on ice officials and the Department of Player Safety for his blindside hit to...
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Playoffs, Baby!
The Kadri incident. Brad Marchand and his after the whistle antics. And how to keep the right kind of physicality in hockey.
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The Tough Call System - What’s It About?
In this show I explain my suspension scale in a little more depth and how I apply it. Subscribe to my YouTube channel and see how it plays out with real incidents. Plus, Brayden McNabb has a habit, but is it good or bad?
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Wilson on Panarin - What is the DOPS Thinking?
Why Tom Wilson SHOULD be treated differently.
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Edler Fights Simmonds: The Price of The Code
Why did Edler have to fight Simmonds? Also, can Matthew Tkachuk throw a normal check? And Tough Call is now on YouTube! Listen to find out more.
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What is Playoff Hockey?
Was the McDavid hit on Byron really a dirty elbow? And what do people mean when they talk about “playoff” hockey? Find out here!
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Tim Peel - The Bigger Issue
Would a crackdown on dangerous incidents really change the fabric of the NHL game? And if so, is that a bad thing? Looking at NHL discipline practices and seeing if there might be a better path to consistency.
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Tanev’s Major Mistake
Brandon Tanev was ejected for his hit on Jarred Tinordi in a game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins. What makes this hit stand out from the rest?
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How Do You Solve A Problem Like Tom Wilson?
The Tom Wilson hit on Brandon Carlo. A look at that incident, explaining Wilson’s disciplinary history, and how I would get Wilson where he needs to be moving forward.
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Repeat Behaviors - Enforcement Over Positive Reinforcement
Why is crosschecking still prevalent in the NHL and why is it so accepted? What’s with all the slew-foots these days? The Wilson hit on Jankowski, goaltender interference, and incosistency.
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Larsson Suspension All For Show
Why do head shots continue to run rampant in the NHL? Because they only punish just enough to say they’re doing “something”. See why the Larsson suspension is a token gesture that won’t help the problem at hand.
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Losing the Battle to Win the War
Why do I think some checks are dirty and some that look awfully similar are clean? Also the importance of players accepting when they’ve been beaten.
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Hate, Anger, and NHL Hockey
Is the NHL right to focus on the entertainment more than the hockey when it comes to the safety of its most valuable assets: the players? Also the Dube hit on Kotkaniemi.
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Policing the Game
Why are NHL players forced to take matters into their own hands so often? What makes a hit legal? Who should have to be held accountable and what is “the Code”?
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Turning a Blind Eye to Blindside Hits
Tyler Myers received a match penalty for his hit to Joel Armia, but will the NHL’s Department of Player Safety suspend? Why they should and how blindside hits should be dealt with moving forward.
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Getting a Leg Up
Recapping the week of January 11-17, 2020. How to deal with the recent trend of leg trips, the continued fight against crosschecking, and is it time to make a rule change for powerplays interrupted by the end of a period?
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NHL Fighting - Pros and Cons
Wayne Simmonds fought Ben Chiarot on opening night and it was everything a hockey fight should be. The question is, should hockey fighting be at all?
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Season Two Is Here! Why You Should Listen
Who is Josh, the man behind Tough Call anyway? What’s his point? Also, why the head contact penalty does more harm than good, how can I get mentioned on the Podcast? Find it all here. Let’s go!
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World Junior Bonus Episode
Running up the score, and the Schneider and Wimmer suspensions.
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Big Benn Strikes
The Benn OT penalty, the Perry “spear”, and the Point embellishment. Also, are that Dallas Stars being unfairly targeted by the officials? Find out here!
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The Final Countdown
All the hits and incidents from Games 1-3 of the 2020 Stanley Cup Final. Benn, Pavelski, Paquette...who deserves the benefit of the doubt?
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Slashes and Crosschecks and Boards, Oh My!
The Killorn suspension, the Goodrow Crosscheck, and what was Kucherov thinking with his slash on Pageau??
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Predatory: Hit Seekers
Reaves hit on Motte, Pelech hit on Farabee, Perry butt-ending, and what it means to be “predatory”.
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Why “He Turned His Back” is a Strawman Argument
If anyone ever blames the victim in a hockey boarding incident, point them here.
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A Tale of Two Boardings
The Ritchie and Paquette boardings, why is it bad to launch? (and why do I even have to answer that), and more!
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Inconsistency Killed the Cat
The Kotkaniemi boarding major, the Niskanen, Myers, and Kucherov crosschecks, and the Couturier grease move after Montreal’s empty net goal.
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Dear NHL...You Have A Boarding Problem
An in depth look at how the NHL prioritizes hitting over safety, and the Fentenberg, Foligno, Dubois, Eckman-Larsson, and Tom Wilson boardings in Round 2 of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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After Review we have a good...Podcast!
Talking about the goal video review process, Tom Wilson doing some elbowing, and why is spearing called slashing so much?
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The Svechnikov Incident
The Svechnikov Injury, is Chara to blame? Tuukka Rask exits the bubble, and how are rhe officials doing in the Tampa/Columbus series? All this and more.
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Board, Spear, Repeat.
The Zadarov and Wilson elbows. The Sammy Blais boarding, and how those who fail to learn from the lessons of player safety history are doomed to repeat them.
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I’m Tired of Being Right...FIX IT!
Benn on Tkachuk, Lucic on Klingberg, and how can playOFF records be broken during a play-IN round?
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Bullying Wins NHL Championships
What I think of Perron “shadowing” Petterson, was the Anders Lee hit on Backstrom predatory? Glove pass, goalie possession, goal....how does that happen? And when is it a good idea to run your own goalie. Find out here!
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Hedman NOT guilty!
Should Cam Atkinson have been given a penalty shot in overtime number 5?? Plus my proposed power play rule change and what’s a player got to do to get a boarding or crosschecking suspension around here?
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Don’t Blow Up The Leafs!!!!!
What just happened in Toronto??? Why couldn’t they even make the playoffs this year? Plus, boarding continues to plague the NHL Playoffs...
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It Was A Trip!
The Foligno trip, the Goodrow head shot, and all the elimination drama.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Tough Call have?
Tough Call currently has 56 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Tough Call about?
Discussing questionable hits and controversial calls around the NHL. PLUS: Is fighting necessary? How can we get MORE HITTING back in hockey? Player development, rule change proposals, and MORE!
How often does Tough Call release new episodes?
Tough Call has 56 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Tough Call?
You can listen to Tough Call on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Tough Call?
Tough Call is created and hosted by Josh Boulton.
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