Best moments from Canada's crazy NHL Trade Deadline coverage

Although it’s not what it used to be, the NHL Trade Deadline is still the biggest spectacle of the year for Canadian sports networks.

Both TSN and Sportsnet did their usual thing this year, with wall-to-wall coverage beginning at 8 a.m. and rolling right into the evening. It’s an absolute gauntlet for those involved, especially when there’s not much happening, as was the case this year.

But there are always a few curveballs thrown into the mix as both networks try to keep it fresh and fill the air during the slow times.

For those who no longer call in sick to huddle around their TVs, here’s a look at what both networks did this year to lighten the mood on yet another unspectacular deadline day.

TSN makes first splash

The first move of the day was a game-changer for one Canadian team.

While waiting for real hockey news to trickle in, Bob McKenzie announced on air that Canadian treasures Jay Onrait and Dan O’Toole are returning to TSN.

The whole bit was perfectly executed. With everybody waiting for something to happen, James Duthie tweeted that something big was brewing and when TSN’s Trade Centre returned from commercial break, McKenzie put on his best serious face and broke the news to the masses.

The quirky duo left TSN in 2013 to host Fox Sports Live — the flagship program for Fox Sports 1, the network’s shiny new sports channel — but their popularity didn’t translate in U.S. and the show was cancelled last week.

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They are slated to premiere a new show in September called SC with Jay and Dan, which will air at midnight and play on loop throughout the morning. No word yet on whether Producer Tim was part of the deal.

Bryzgalov steals the show

Sportsnet made one of the biggest pre-deadline acquisitions by landing Ilya Bryzagalov for its broadcast.

He delivered exactly as expected in his debut and brought some great chemistry to the room alongside a few other character guys in Colby Armstrong and Ryan Whitney.

The “Ask Bryzgalov Anything” segment was also a nice touch and gave us gems like this:

Good hockey man Luke Fox compiled the best quotes from his day live blogging alongside the wacky Russian goalie/aspiring astronaut/philosopher — they’re worth a read.

Good job, good effort

TSN made a concerted effort to liven up the day with some celebrity cameos.

They had famous Canadiens fan and Goon director Jay Baruchel in studio for a few segments:

They brought in the boys from Letterkenny and their brand of rural Canadian humour:

Silicon Valley and Goon 2 star TJ Miller made a surprise appearance as up-and-coming analyst Chad Bailey:

Jennifer Hedger finally got her revenge on Martin Biron by blasting him with some sort of slime after the former goalie tagged her with a t-shirt cannon last year.

But their best moments were the more organic ones, like James Duthie’s interview with Brian Burke.

And Brendan Gallagher getting pulled over by the police during his phone interview with TSN.

2017 Trade-Breaker Cup

Say what you will about the value of being first, the trade deadline is a big day for news-breakers.

So why not give credit where it’s due and shine a light on the industry’s most connected insiders.

A few caveats: We’re going to go with the following logic to qualify a trade, which unfortunately means some of today’s trades won’t be accepted.

As for who to credit for breaking a trade, we’re going with the guy who has the meat of the deal first, even if another reporter hints at the move first or additional details trickle in from other sources after the fact. The language also has to be strong and clear. For example, “Player A is headed to Team B,” not something like “Team B could be interested in Player A.” These guys are taking a risk by naming names and jumping in first.

First Star: Pierre LeBrun (TSN/ESPN)

He was the first off the board with the Jannik Hansen report just after midnight and finished the day with a deadline high of four broken trades, including two of the biggest in Iginla and Filppula (that deal was first reported as Streit to the Lightning, but we’ll count it). And for good measure, he was the first to have the Flyers extension news.

Second Star: Montreal Canadiens (NHL)

The Canadiens made three trades on the day, and the team was the first to break all of them (sorry, Kevin Weekes).

Third Star: Elliotte Friedman (Sportsnet)

The bronze medal was a toss up between Friedman and Darren Dreger. Both broke two bigger deals (Vanek and Streit Pt. II for Friedman, Quincey and Lazar for Dreger) and one minor one (Taylor Beck and Spencer Abbott). But for the sake of parity we’ll give Friedman the edge.

Consolation Prize:

Bob McKenzie (TSN): Eric Fehr, P.A. Parenteau
Chris Johnston (Sportsnet): Had the Filppula part of the Streit swap and a minor-league goalie trade
Dallas Stars (NHL): Lauri Korpikoski

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