Messier's Thoughts On Babcock + Kings Preview w/ Dennis Bernstein - September 23rd, 2026 - Hour 2
EST Afternoons with Hernan Salas & Joaquin GageShow Notes
Salas and Gage take a closer look at the Oilers' goaltending, specifically Devon Levi and Connor Ungar. Could this be Edmonton's duo of the future? Both goalies looked sharp against the Jets, with Mike Babcock even singling out Ungar for praise. Then, Oilers legend Mark Messier weighs in on Edmonton's decision to hire Mike Babcock. The guys break down Messier's comments and what he had to say about the new head coach.
More from EST Afternoons with Hernan Salas & Joaquin Gage
In Mixing It Up, the boys go around the NBA, breaking down the Raptors' thrashing of the Bulls, LaMelo Ball's travel, and Tyrese Haliburton's return. Plus, Brady Tkachuk returns to Ottawa, Frederik Andersen gets his championship ring, and we remember the career of Ron Duguay. Then, Edmonton Elks linebacker Nick Anderson joins the show to talk about clinching a spot in the West Final, how the time off could impact the team, and his journey to the CFL. Plus, Malik Carney takes home Defensive Player of the Year honours for the Elks, and Nick reveals his favourite Edmonton restaurant!
The Edmonton Oilers welcome the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Carolina Hurricanes, in a matchup between two teams playing some great hockey! We break down the goaltending matchup, the keys to the game, and the highly anticipated return of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Ryan Henkel from The Hockey News joins the boys to talk all things Hurricanes and what to expect from Carolina in this heavyweight showdown. And in the Red Light District, Joaquin Gage gives us six reasons why the return of Nuge will be a major boost for the Oilers!
Evan Bouchard lit the candle on his 27th birthday, capping off a 4-3 OTW for the Edmonton Oilers over the Minnesota Wild! Overtime heroics, stellar saves, power-play punctuation and high-end scoring talent made it an exciting game all around. Hernan Salas and former Oiler Joaquin Gage dive into the contest throughout a killer show, welcoming in several fantastic guests to talk about the NHL, NBA and whatever else! Frank Seravalli from Frankly Hockey and Sportsnet: - The Oilers are ROLLING hot at 7-1-1 - Connor McDavid's unreal pace - Connor Hellebuyck's suspension lifts tomorrow in Winnipeg - Brady Tkachuk's return to Ottawa - 10 years later: Matthews vs. Laine - Columbus Blue Jackets struggles! In Hernan's World the boys talk about Gage needing a new car, what should he buy and what's more annoying then searching for car?
The boys kick things off with a Raptors season preview as Zulfi Sheikh from Sportsnet and Raptors Republic joins the show to tee up Toronto's season opener against the Chicago Bulls. They discuss Kawhi Leonard's return, the potential Leonard and Scottie Barnes duo, how much can Collin Murray-Boyles develop, and expectations for the Raptors this season. Next, it's time for the third edition of Made in Alberta! Richard Ozero from Good Morning Honey joins the boys in studio to share his story and let everyone sample his wonderful product. Finally, the Screw It, Let's Do It Parlay is in shambles! The boys break down what went wrong and try to figure out where it all fell apart.
To kick off the final hour, Salas and Gage cover a little bit of everything — movies, CJFL, the start of the NBA season, and a recap of Monday Night Football, where the 49ers squeaked out a win over the Washington Commanders. Then, we hear from Oilers head coach Mike Babcock following his media availability earlier today. The boys break down his latest comments on dump-ins, Joel Eriksson Ek, and the art of line matching. Also, look around at the other 10 games in the NHL tonight! Plus, the Screw It, Let's Do It Parlay and much more to close out the show!