Welcome to my weekly monthly very occasional NHL Grab Bag, a feature that, it may surprise you to learn, has tended to focus on the NHL.<\/p>\n
In theory, I should continue that trend this week. But that would involve a level of dishonesty, because I\u2019d be implying hockey\u2019s been the top sport on my mind lately. And as all my fellow good Canadians know, that\u2019s just not the case.<\/p>\n
No, we\u2019re all about the Toronto Blue Jays up here, as they sit one win away from an unlikely World Series championship. With the World Series up for grabs in Toronto tonight, it\u2019s been hard to focus on much of anything else. But I\u2019m going to try, which means this is my promise to you: This week\u2019s Grab Bag will feature some hockey, and I\u2019ll only bring it around the Blue Jays in like three or four sections.<\/p>\n
From the headlines<\/p>\n
So yeah, the Blue Jays. They\u2019re pretty fun. But I realize that they\u2019re also probably the source of confusion for some of you diehard hockey fans out there, since they\u2019re easy to mix up with the Maple Leafs. Both teams are from Toronto, both wear blue and white, both are playing right now. But while that\u2019s all true, there are several subtle differences that fans can use to tell the two teams apart.<\/p>\n
For example\u2026<\/p>\n
Blue Jays:<\/strong> Have a prominent statue outside of their stadium in recognition of Ted Rogers, because he spent almost a decade owning the team. Blue Jays:<\/strong> If you hear loud chants of \u201cBieber! Bieber!\u201d it\u2019s probably the fans recognizing trade deadline acquisition and Game 4 winner Shane Bieber. Blue Jays:<\/strong> Can occasionally motivate underperforming players by threatening to send them to Buffalo, which is a minor-league operation. Blue Jays:<\/strong> If you see everyone standing around and happily shouting \u201cOK!\u201d over and over again, it\u2019s because the fans are singing along with the team\u2019s traditional seventh-inning-stretch anthem. Blue Jays:<\/strong> Receive coast-to-coast coverage in Canada on account of being the nation\u2019s only big-league team. Blue Jays:<\/strong> In this year\u2019s ALCS, George Springer hit a legendary Game 7 home run while wearing batting gloves inspired by the NHL\u2019s Hartford Whalers<\/a>. Blue Jays:<\/strong> If you see a red-faced man who is wider than he is tall running as fast as he can, it means Alejandro Kirk is trying to stretch a single into a double. Blue Jays:<\/strong> Bo Bichette is the son of former major-league slugger Dante Bichette, and in terms of batting average, has slightly better career numbers than his father. Blue Jays:<\/strong> Released an hour-long DVD to commemorate their most recent championship way back in 1993, a collector\u2019s item that can often be found on auction sites or at secondhand stores. Blue Jays:<\/strong> Season is just about over. The three stars of comedy<\/p>\n The third star: This confused ref \u2013 <\/strong>We all make mistakes. The important thing is to own it and fix it.<\/p>\n “Oh, sorry!” Referee Michael Markovic had to offer an immediate retraction and correction after announcing the wrong goal review results at Panthers vs. Devils.https:\/\/t.co\/aEvCtmBWEG<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/lYOmbapznp<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Scouting The Refs (@ScoutingTheRefs) October 18, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The second star: Mason Marchment \u2013 <\/strong>He might not be scoring much<\/a>, but he\u2019s doing the next best thing: working the old \u201cmade you flinch\u201d tricks on guys and then laugh-pointing at them.<\/p>\n Mason Marchment. \u2014 Kraken Canada \ud83c\udf41 (@KrakenCanada) October 24, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The first star: Max Hairston<\/strong> \u2013 He\u2019s a cornerback for the Buffalo Bills, and apparently not much of a hockey fan until he got to watch his first game, and let\u2019s just say it was a journey.<\/p>\n It’s official. @MHairston22<\/a> is part of the #sabrehood<\/a> <\/p>\n Watch MadMax mic’d up on Bills Night \u2192 https:\/\/t.co\/SjaUuN27nB<\/a>#LetsGoBuffalo<\/a> | @BuffaloBills<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Ovrvnu8LRw<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) October 30, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Be It Resolved<\/p>\n A few nights ago, while watching the Jays and Dodgers, I had a question:<\/p>\n I haven’t watched a ton of baseball in recent years so apologies if this is a dumb question, but do we really need the home plate ump’s mic to be louder than either of the announcers?<\/p>\n \u2014 Sean McIndoe (@downgoesbrown.bsky.social<\/a>) October 28, 2025 at 9:26 PM<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n I\u2019m still not completely sure of the answer, and I didn\u2019t learn much from the responses other than that American baseball fans really seem to hate John Smoltz, but I think this guy<\/a> is on to something. So be it resolved: MLB umpires and NHL refs need to switch mics.<\/p>\n The MLB mics seem to pick up everything the umpire says, even if he\u2019s just speaking at normal volume. And sure, it provides some valuable insights \u2013 oh OK, he called that pitch that was three feet outside a ball because it was \u201coutside.\u201d That\u2019s super helpful to know. I hope he keeps me up to date on the 14 timeouts being called every inning.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, NHL mics never work, a problem so annoying that it was featured in the very first Grab Bag ever way back in 2013<\/a>. That was 12 years ago, but good news: The NHL hasn\u2019t remotely come close to fixing the problem.<\/p>\n But MLB apparently has, so let\u2019s kill two birds with one stone. Let the NHL refs get the mics that work, so that when they call penalties or announce replay reviews, we actually have some earthly clue what they\u2019re trying to say. And let the umpires have the ones that only work 10 percent of the time, since it would add an element of randomness to their otherwise eye-glazing parade of saying \u201cnope\u201d 95 times a night.<\/p>\n I\u2019d suggest we make this happen right now, but then I remembered trading is impossible during an NHL season<\/a>. But check back with us over the summer, MLB, we might be able to put something together by then.<\/p>\n Obscure former player of the week<\/p>\n Continuing our baseball\/hockey hybrid theme, this week\u2019s obscure player is Jeff Ware. Both of them.<\/p>\n Back in the 1990s, Toronto sports had a weird glitch-in-the-matrix moment where both the Leafs and Jays had top prospects named Jeff Ware. The hockey version was a defenseman picked in the first round of the 1995 draft, four picks after Jarome Iginla went off the board, one pick ahead of Marty Biron. That\u2019s right around the time the baseball version, himself a first-round pick, was making his MLB debut for the Blue Jays.<\/p>\n At this time, this all bothered me way more than it probably should have. It still does to this day.<\/p>\n Neither guy ended up living up to expectations, at least partly due to injuries, which may have been part of my problem. The defenseman debuted for the Leafs in 1996, but lasted just 15 games in Toronto and never recorded a point. He was eventually traded to the Panthers for David Nemirovsky, who never played a game in Toronto. For his part, Ware got six more NHL games in Florida, where he recorded his lone NHL point on an assist on a goal by Radek Dvorak \u2013 ironically in Toronto, in a game the Leafs won 9-1<\/a>.<\/p>\n The pitcher had similar results, debuting with the Jays in 1995 and lasting parts of two seasons. He appeared in 18 games, half of those as a starter, and went 3-6 with a career ERA of 7.47, which I am told is not great. The Jays lost him on waivers after the 1996 season, and he never pitched in the majors again.<\/p>\n Baseball Ware\u2019s biggest claim to fame as a player actually came in AA ball, and it\u2019s a cool story: He was one of only three pro pitchers to give up a home run to a White Sox prospect named Michael Jordan<\/a>. Ware would later credit that moment with helping him get to the big leagues<\/a>, and after his playing career ended he went into coaching. He eventually worked his way up the Blue Jays system, and was back in the majors as their bullpen coach for the last few years before being replaced at end of last season.<\/p>\n So that\u2019s Jeff Ware \u2014 a hockey player and also a baseball player who was best known for a play involving a basketball player. The lesson, as always: First-round picks never work out, so draft schmaft.<\/p>\n Classic YouTube clip breakdown<\/p>\n Fair warning: This week\u2019s clip is not about hockey. But it is extremely and almost distressingly Canadian, so that makes it at least hockey-adjacent. If that bothers you, feel free to click away. Honestly, you really should probably click away.<\/p>\n Still here? Bad call, but OK. Tonight\u2019s Game 6 and tomorrow\u2019s Game 7 (if necessary) of the World Series are being held at the Rogers Centre, or, as everyone over the age of 21 still calls it, the SkyDome. Would a Blue Jays win result in the biggest celebration the building has ever seen? No, because that\u2019s not possible, because we\u2019ve already had this:<\/p>\n Have a question, suggestion, old YouTube clip or anything else you\u2019d like to see included in this column? Email Sean at nhlgrabbag@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Maple Leafs:<\/strong> As of yet, have not announced plans to erect a statue of Brad Marchand.<\/p>\n
Maple Leafs:<\/strong> If you hear loud chants of \u201cBieber! Bieber!\u201d it\u2019s probably Auston Matthews trying to find the one Leafs fan left who isn\u2019t getting worried about him.<\/p>\n
Maple Leafs:<\/strong> Same.<\/p>\n
Maple Leafs:<\/strong> If you see everyone standing around and happily shouting \u201cOK!\u201d over and over again, it\u2019s because the front office is driving a hard bargain on negotiating another superstar\u2019s contract.<\/p>\n
Maple Leafs:<\/strong> Yeah, that sounds about right, according to every media executive in the country.<\/p>\n
Maple Leafs:<\/strong> Nobody wearing an NHL logo has come through in a Game 7 in decades.<\/p>\n
Maple Leafs:<\/strong> If you see a red-faced man who is wider than he is tall running as fast as he can, it means a sportswriter heard the ice cream bars were just put out in the press box.<\/p>\n
Maple Leafs:<\/strong> Nick Robertson is the brother of current Dallas Star winger Jason Robertson, and in terms of goal scoring, also has slightly better career numbers than Dante Bichette.<\/p>\n
Maple Leafs:<\/strong> If you want to spend an hour hearing about 1993, you\u2019ll have to find literally any Leafs fan and whisper the words \u201cKerry Fraser.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maple Leafs:<\/strong> Same.<\/p>\n\n
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That’s it.
That’s the tweet. pic.twitter.com\/4T5KKofS0e<\/a><\/p>\n\n
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