Nation Real Life

It was a very special episode of the Real Life Podcast this week as the boys were very lucky to be joined by former Edmonton Oilers, Cory Cross. In the interview, Cross spoke about all aspects of his career, some of which including his recruitment into the U of A hockey program, being passed over at the NHL Draft, his 'welcome to the NHL' moments, and a whole lot more.   Originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1992 Supplemental Draft (these don't even exist anymore), Cross had to bust his ass for every minute he played at the NHL level but, as you'll see, that's exactly how he would have wanted it. Hard work and appreciation of the process were all part of the fabric of Cross' life and those were traits he'd rely upon heavily in his journey as a professional hockey player. From his first NHL game against the Pittsburgh Penguins to his time spent in a few major markets, Cross had an incredible NHL career which led him through a few different cities, including a brief stop in Detroit where he was c

Welcome, Nation, to a brand new episode of the Real Life Podcast! This week, the boys had a lot to talk about this week as the Oilers continue to roll along at the top of the Pacific Division standings. Will they be able to maintain their position? The boys had plenty of thoughts.   To start off this week’s podcast, the boys jumped in with a look at the Oilers’ upcoming week which includes a swing through California and into Vegas for the weekend. If you’re an NHL team, would you do what you could to avoid spending more time than what is absolutely necessary in Sin City? From there, Jay and Chalmers spoke a little bit about their upcoming football trip to Buffalo and whether or not either of them will end up going through a table at the tailgate party. From there, the podcast takes a hard left when Chalmers gets into some house winterizing tips that most people don’t ever think about, including the removal of your garden hose so that you don’t get water in your basement. Getting back to hockey, the boys talke

Welcome, friends, to a brand new episode of the Real Life Podcast. It’s the podcast where the boys set an agenda every week and are lucky to check off even half of it. This week, the boys looked at Don Cherry's firing from Sportsnet, the Oilers' current winning streak, Connor McDavid, and a whole lot more.   To start off this week's podcast, the boys addressed the comments made by Don Cherry this past weekend on Hockey Night in Canada and the subsequent release from Sportsnet. Obviously, this subject is a sensitive one but the guys wanted to give their thoughts anyway. Getting back to the Oilers, the boys gushed about the hat trick game Connor McDavid had against the Anaheim Ducks and how his second goal was one of the prettiest plays and finishes that we've ever seen. Speaking of strong performers, how about the Oilers moms getting after it on their mom's road trip? Not only was it fantastic to see the moms having a great time but the team went undefeated which left us thinking that all mamas should be requi

Today's episode of the Real Life Podcast was a special one as the boys were happy to welcome former Edmonton Oiler enforcer, Zack Stortini, to the show to talk about his journey in hockey and what he's up to now in retirement.   To kick off today's podcast, the boys got started with a look at last night's 3-2 overtime loss against the Arizona Coyotes and whether or not fans should be concerned about the way the team lost. Wanye also told the story of sitting next to a British indie band at Rogers Place and what it was like watching folks from the UK figure out what's going on and how hockey works. Furthermore, he also saw someone that was able to sneak a dog into the arena which gave Baggedmilk the idea of getting his dog, Frank, labelled as an anxiety pup so that he can take him everywhere. With that nonsense out of the way, Zack Stortini joined the show to talk about his new life as an assistant coach for the Sudbury Wolves, his hometown team where he also spent four years in junior. Stortini spoke about h

A new week means a new episode of the Real Life Podcast, and today’s edition is jam-packed with all of the auditory stimulation you could ever hope to sink in your ear holes. This week, the boys touched on the Oilers' tough week, new line combinations leading up to tonight's game against the Red Wings, World Series shenanigans, and a whole lot more.   To start off today's podcast, the guys dive in with a look at whether or not the Oilers are any different than they were last year. If you'll recall, last year's team got off to a 6-3-1 start under Todd McLellan before the wheels completely fell off, and Tyler Yaremchuk wanted to know if we're destined for the same fate. One difference everyone has noticed so far is that the Oilers seem to be playing for each other a lot more than we've seen in the past, a stark contrast from what's happening in Toronto right now. From there, the guys came up with the solutions the Oilers need if they're going to get more scoring out of their bottom six. Obviously, there are a l

Need a distraction from all the election talk? Well, then you've come to the right spot! Nation Real Life Episode 144 is here to pleasure your earholes! This week on the podcast we were joined by local film producer Shane Fennessey for a Mary Browns Pop-In! He's worked on some fantastic pieces like 'Making Coco' and 'The Bailey Experience' just to name a few. First, we talked about working on the Making Coco documentary and some of the experiences he had with that process which involved interviewing a ton of Oilers legends. Shane talked about the differences between doing sports documentaries and some of his other work like 'Over a Barrell', which is a political piece. The topics continued to flow. Shane talked about the hockey culture in China, the City of Champions slogan, and what it means to be an Oilers fan. He then casually dropped in the fact that he's on a first-name basis with Wayne Gretzky which blew the minds of Yaremchuk, Wanye, and Jay. At the end, the guys shared their thoughts on the Oilers 7-1

We hope all of you had an excellent Thanksgiving long weekend with your friends and family, but now it's time to get back to business with a brand new episode of the Real Life Podcast.   With the Edmonton Oilers having their best start since 1985-86, the guys were beaming even in spite of last night's loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. Seeing as no one saw this start coming, having the team shoot out of the gates like a rocket to the moon has been a welcomed surprise for Nation citizens and the boys were all too happy to talk about it. Speaking of hot starts, the boys took a look at James Neal's ridiculous heater and whether or not the comparisons to Milan Lucic will ever end. Individual stats aside, the conversation pivoted to whether the Oilers are actually playing strong hockey or if they're lucking their way into victories that they might not have deserved. Unwilling to let the birthday boy's negativity ruin their buzz, Jay invited our 12 listeners to join in on Nation's new win tradition where we post gifs

Welcome, Nation, to a brand new episode of the Real Life Podcast! This week, the boys got to a lot of Oilers talk as the hot start to the season has everyone excited about what's going on in Edmonton.   To start off this week's episode, the guys got things going with a discussion about a new intro song for the podcast. Seeing as a large chunk of the current intro is poking fun at Peter Chiarelli's time as GM, the guys felt like it's time to move on and into a more positive direction. Needless to say, having the Oilers kick off their season with two straight wins had the boys jacked up on Kool-Aid and it was hard for them to contain their excitement. Speaking of excitement, James Neal has Oilers fans in the palm of his hand so far after he scored a pair of goals against the Los Angeles Kings. Turning away from hockey for a moment, Jay challenged Tyler to a bet in this week's Nation Fantasy Football Pool which stated that the loser of the matchup had to wear a ridiculous costume for a donair date video. That co

It's a very special episode of the Real Life Podcast as the boys were lucky to welcome former Oiler, Eric Gryba, to the show to a little bit about his time in Edmonton, what's next in retirement, and offer some timeless advice on grilling.   To start off today's episode, Baggedmilk and Yaremchuk had the privilege of speaking with Eric Gryba to talk to him about his recently announced retirement, what's next in his life, and what his time in Edmonton means to him. With Gryba's interview wrapped up, the guys turned their attention to the start of the NHL season and whether or not they're still drinking the Kool-Aid. Naturally, the excitement in the room was overflowing and that passion was no more evident than when the guys discussed what they expect from the team moving forward. From there, the guys discussed the Nation Fantasy Football pool and described how both Jay and Chalmers are doing horribly. Back to the NHL, the guys discussed the league's recent decision to partner with Green Day as the official musi

Welcome, citizens, to a brand new episode of the Real Life Podcast! With the NHL regular season nearly upon us, the boys were fired up in anticipation of watching some meaningful games again and couldn't hide their excitement.   To kick off today's podcast, Jay regaled the boys with tales from his Finnish vacation, including a look at the hockey culture they've got going on as well as rubbing elbows with a pair of Edmonton Oilers legends. Before finishing his story, though, Chalmers jumped in to interrupt and ask questions about the new podcast studio. Studio complaints behind them, Jay got back to his travel stories and offered updates on a few former friends in Jesse Puljujarvi and Nail Yakupov. From there, the stories took a strange twist as Jay gave the guys the ins and outs from his 24-hour stint in Russia. As North Americans, we often think of Russia as a wild place to visit and Jay's stories seemed to confirm that fact. Finally, it wouldn't be a Real Life Podcast without closing out the episode with a

Welcome, citizens, to a brand new episode of the Real Life Podcast. With the NHL pre-season kicking off last night, there was plenty to talk about as the Edmonton Oilers opened up their warm-up rounds with a 2-0 shutout win against the Manitoba Moose Winnipeg Jets.   To start off today's podcast, the boys jumped in with a look at the brand new podcast studio that has been a year in the making. After kicking off the project last summer, the boys were finally able to record in the studio for the first time and they spent a few minutes talking about how the project came together. While the studio is launched on version 1.0, it was hard not to be excited about having a space dedicated to audio and video recording which opens up plenty of new opportunities in the future. Back to hockey, the Edmonton Oilers kicked off their pre-season last night with a win against the Winnipeg Jets and the guys expressed their joy about having hockey back even if it is only the warm-up rounds. From there, they broke down the new we

A new week means a new episode of the Real Life Podcast, and this week's show was filled with explosive moments as the fallout from #ChumGate continued despite the fact that Jay is vacationing in Finland.   To start off this week's episode, the boys jumped right in by revisiting last week's #ChumGate drama, but rather than letting Chalmers and Jay yell at each other for 20 minutes again, they decided to bring in a character witness (Sean Lavin) to settle things once and for all. After running through a brief history of the Angler Cup and how things came together, both Chalmers and Lavin recounted their version of the events that kicked off last week's fight, including the definition of chumming and sacrificing minnows for the gods. Back to business, the guys got into some Oilers talk with a look the upcoming season and why people should be excited in spite of history suggesting they should. As always, Wanye and Baggedmilk had plenty of reasons to be drinking the Kool-Aid while Chalmers left the conversation s

As always, a new week means a brand new episode of the Real Life Podcast! This week, the boys welcomed Dustin Nielson to the show to talk about all kinds of hockey, his journey in radio, and a little bit about business, which was exactly the listeners have always wanted.   To start off this week's episode, the boys got into Dusty Nielson's journey in radio, including his start in High Prairie to battles with squatters in Fort McMurray and living at the radio station for weeks. But as you'd expect, the conversation got sidetracked with some sweet sweet produce talk from his time at Save On Foods. Would you have expected that Nielson's fallback career would be managing the produce department at the local grocery store? Probably not.  With the food facts out of the way, Dusty spoke about moving back to Edmonton to kick off his big city radio career with a brand new morning show with former co-host Kyle Chase. After establishing himself in the market over the past decade, Dusty has seen his star grow to the point

In another very special episode of the Real Life Podcast, the boys were thrilled to welcome former Ottawa Senator and Minnesota Wild forward, Matt Kassian, to the show to talk about his time as a pro and a very special project he'll be working on with the Nation starting next month. To start off this week's show, Kassian regaled the boys with tales from the show, including what it took to go up against some of the league's toughest players. Not only did Kassian fight some of the toughest fighters in league history, but he also handled himself incredibly well and it was fascinating to hear about what it took to make that happen. In fact, his story about fighting Frazer McLaren despite the fact that the two of them are friends was one of the best stories ever told on the show. Moving on, Kassian spoke at length about his journey to becoming a professional hockey player and what it was like to realize that he was legitimately good enough to play in the NHL. Whether he was playing high school football or sparring

In the past, they combined to play 28 games with the Edmonton Oilers. This week, they combined to give us 90 minutes of fantastic podcast content! Joaquin Gage & Shawn Belle stopped by the Real Life Studio to discuss their hockey careers, grinding through the minor leagues, playing in Edmonton, and coaching the youth of today. For the first half of the show, it was just Yaremchuk, Wanye, Jay and Shawn Belle. They talked about being a young hockey phenom in Edmonton and going through the minor hockey process and the pressures that go along with it. From there, they touched on navigating the jungle of the WHL and getting a chance to play with the most stacked World Junior team of all time. Halfway through, they brought Gage out of the bullpen to join the crew. He talked about how being a goalie requires being a little bit of a lunatic. The group then riffed about the new generation of hockey players who now require snapchat to be kept on curfew.  It was 90 minutes of unfiltered hockey talk. You should liste

It was a very special episode of the Real Life Podcast podcast this afternoon as former Oilers' captain and assistant coach Kelly Buchberger stopped by to walk the boys through his incredible career. To kick off this week's show, the guys jumped right into things with a look at Buchberger's early hockey days in Langenburg, Saskatchewan, and how that spawned a lifelong love of the game that eventually led him to the NHL. From his time with the Moosejaw Warriors to playing his first NHL games to becoming the ninth captain in Edmonton Oilers history, Kelly Buchberger's road to the best league in the world was incredible to hear and the guys were so fortunate to listen to a firsthand account of how it all went down. Just wait until you hear the story from when Buchberger completed one of the greatest comebacks of all time with his legendary OT goal against Dallas Stars back in 1997 when the Oilers put home three goals in under two minutes to get the team to the extra frame — it blew our minds wide open. With his

Since it's the dog days of summer and there isn't anything interesting happening around the Oilers, the boys decided to talk about movies on this week's podcast. Of course, that lasted roughly one segment before they got sidetracked by tales of their old restaurant, the fact that Jalen Ramsey showed up to Jaguars training camp in a Brinks truck, and some Big Brother talk. If you were looking for some Oilers talk, they did cover the fact that newly acquired New Jersey Devils forward Nikita Gusev will wear number 97 next season. THAT'S THE SAME NUMBER THAT CONNOR McDAVID WEARS! HOW DARE HE! But the group quickly realized that this was hardly a controversy. Wanye also discovered that he knows one of Yaremchuk's cousins, Chalmers talked about complicated construction stuff, Jay talked about his trip to the Royal Alberta Museum, and they gave an update on the new podcast studio! There was truly a little bit of everything in Episode 132 of Nation Real Life. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Monday = a brand new episode of Real Life! Wanye, Jay, Chalmers, and Yaremchuk cracked their mics and dished out their hottest takes on the trade of Milan Lucic and the addition of James Neal. Naturally, they also go sidetracked with talk of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, honey production, invasive technology, and bachelor/bachelorette parties. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Another Monday is upon us and that means the boys are back with a brand new episode of the Real Life Podcast to get you through the week. This week, the guys get into what's coming for the Real Life Podcast, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins' wedding, and a whole lot of Big Brother talk.  To kick off this week's show, the guys got into the mechanics of the podcast and talked a little bit about what's to come for the show as we progress into a new season. As any listener of the podcast knows, the boys want to have more guests in the studio to sit down and talk about how they process of how they ended up where they are. Now that we have Yaremchuk working the case, the list of potential guests is growing and listeners of Real Life are in for some major upgrades in the coming weeks and months. Back to business, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is getting married to his high school sweetheart today, so the guys took a few minutes to talk about the longest serving Edmonton Oiler and what it must be like to be the guy that's seen and lived th

Another Monday means a new episode of the Real Life Podcast, and this week's show was, once again, jam-packed with all of the sweet, sweet Oilers talk and randomness that you could ever hope to hear. To start off today's episode, Chalmers made his triumphant return to the podcast and recapped his Ontario vacation which came complete with a Niagara Falls tour and a walk through the Hockey Hall of Fame, a building he ended up hating. Next up, the guys touched on the new podcast studio that's been under construction in the basement at Little Brick for what seems like years now. With Chalmers back from vacation, Wanye and Jay walk him through the upgrades that needed to be done to be able to move the project forward. As you'll soon hear, putting a podcast studio in the basement of a 100+-year-old building is a little bit more complicated and a lot more expensive than they originally anticipated. Lastly, the boys got into some music talk after Chalmers dropped another hot take that Queen wasn't a very good band. N