The Fan Pregame

Ailish Forfar and Justin Cuthbert tee up a busy weekend slate in the sports world with a Friday Free For All! They start with a look at the Winnipeg Jets and whether their hot start makes them reconsider entertaining a Connor Hellebuyck trade. Then, they review their Monday hot takes, reflect on the Cleveland Guardians forcing a Game 5 against the Chicago White Sox, and discuss the Milwaukee Brewers' chances to dethrone the LA Dodgers in the ALCS. Later, Ailish and Justin discuss the most surprising NHL division leaders after a week and a half of action before picking three teams from the NHL and NFL that have the best chance at winning their respective championships. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Ailish Forfar and Justin Cuthbert kick things off with Luke Fox ahead of the Maple Leafs visit to Las Vegas to take on the Golden Knights. They discuss the massive comeback earlier in the week against Nashville, McKenna moving down in the lineup, what to expect from Marner and co. after a Stanley Cup Final appearance last year, and much more! Then, ahead of a major Game 4 between the Guardians and White Sox, ESPN’s Roxy Bernstein joins the show ahead of his call of the game. They discuss if the White Sox are built to go on a deeper run, Jo Adell’s success, what to expect tonight, and much more! Then, Ailish and Justin go through the MLB’s proposed rule changes to avoid a lockout, the memo sent out around the league regarding rules to follow during a lockout, if the argument in favour of a salary cap has been ruined by this year’s playoffs, and much more. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliate.

Ailish Forfar and Justin Cuthbert kick things off with Jason Bukala (9:51)! They discuss Gavin McKenna recording his first 2 career points last night, if McKenna could be a true impact player for Toronto in year one, if the Vancouver Canucks are heading in the right direction, and much more. Then, with a massive day of playoff baseball, MLB Network’s Robert Flores joins the show (28:10) to discuss four elimination games on Wednesday! They discuss the Dodgers World Series aspirations, if the White Sox can keep things up en route to a World Series, what could be the most chaotic World Series with the teams in the running, and much more. Then, it’s the debut of the Cisstuation room. Producer David Ciss brings up some of the most controversial situation in sports as Ailish and Justin break down their thoughts. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Ailish Forfar and Justin Cuthbert kick things off with Ben Verlander (11:41) ahead of tonight’s matchup between the Brewers and Padres. They discuss what to expect between the two sides, how each team has built their rosters and how Milwaukee has pushed San Diego to the brink, and much more. Then, a week into the NHL season, Ailish and Justin ask the biggest questions for each Canadian team. They break down how Montreal can fare without Ivan Demidov for the next 2-4 weeks, if Evan Bouchard’s success under Mike Babcock is sustainable, if Vancouver is proving to be must-watch hockey, and much more! The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Ailish Forfar and Justin Cuthbert kick things off with Frank Seravalli (1:25) ahead of Rogers Monday Night Hockey. They kick things off discussing Alexander Ovechkin announcing that 2026-27 will be his final season in the NHL and what to expect from his farewell tour. Then, they discuss the Senators' outlook without Jake Sanderson, whether Simon Edvinsson could end up in Utah, and more. Afterward, it’s time for the inaugural Monday Hot Take! Later, ahead of Game 2 between the Yankees and Rays, Marc Topkin joins the show (29:03) to discuss what the matchup will look like with Cam Schlittler on the mound, Freddy Peralta’s performance since his trade, and more. Finally, Ailish and Justin discuss their takeaways from the Leafs' first 3 games of the season, early impressions of Gavin McKenna, what to expect from the Jets and Senators in their respective matchups tonight, Ovi’s retirement tour, and much more! The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Ailish Forfar and Justin Cuthbert tee up the weekend's divisional rounds of MLB's postseason after the Braves wrapped up the Wild Card round with a Game 3 win over the Phillies. Then, they get set for the first Battle of Ontario of the season with the Senators set to visit the Maple Leafs to open their season. Yukon Premier Currie Dixon joins the show (9:58) to discuss what it means for the territory to have Gavin McKenna and Dylan Cozens become the first Yukon-born players to face each other in NHL history, as well as the continued growth of hockey in Yukon. Later, Ailish and Justin open the Friday Free-for-All and discuss Connor Hellebuyck's uncertain status ahead of the Jets' season opener, which MLB playoff team is most likely to emulate the Jays' 2025 run, and Sergei Bobrovsky apologizing for spoiling McKenna's rookie lap. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Ailish Forfar and Justin Cuthbert kick things off with Frank Seravalli (1:25) to break down the latest surrounding the Red Wings' negotiations with Simon Edvindsson, who is still in Europe with the Red Wings season set to begin. Then, they discuss what Connor Hellebuyck is risking by sitting out, early impressions on Gavin McKenna, Gary Bettman’s latest thoughts on trade protection from The FAN Hockey Show, and more. Later, ahead of the final Wild Card game of the MLB postseason between the Phillies and Braves, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers joins the show (28:07). They discuss what to expect from Ray Kerr, the White Sox heading to the Division Series, the Red Sox's embarrassing performance against the Yankees, and the Padres' outlook against Milwaukee on the road. Finally, Ailish and Justin preview the NHL's Thursday night slate and look back on the Leafs' back-to-back to start the season. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Ailish Forfar and Justin Cuthbert kick things off discussing the Blue Jays season-ending media availability. Then, ahead of the Red Sox Wild Card matchup against the New York Yankees, Jake Mintz joins the show (10:30) live from the stadium. They break down what to expect in a must-win game for Boston, the Cubs' chances tonight with Kevin Gausman on the mound, and more. Then, ahead of the Leafs second game of the season, former Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets Head Coach Dean Evason stops by (26:52) to discuss his desire to get back into the NHL, his time coaching the newest leaf Kirill Marchenko, what he will bring to Toronto and how he can take his game to the next leve. Finally, Ailish and Justin share impressions from the Maple Leafs' season-opening loss to the Canadiens, including Sergei Bobrovsky denying Gavin McKenna his rookie lap, McKenna's NHL debut, the disappointing start from Darren Raddysh, the new goal horn, and more! The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Ailish Forfar and Jesse Rubinoff kick off NHL Opening night with Justin Cuthbert (2:27) live from Scotiabank Arena! They discuss the excitement surrounding the Leafs' season kicking off tonight, Toronto pulling off a blockbuster for Kirill Marchenko, expectations for Gavin McKenna, how Jim Hiller’s coaching style will work, and more! Then, they debate who had the better offseason between Toronto and Montreal. Later, Jody Shelly joins the show (26:30) to break down what we can look forward to on opening night! They discuss his experience covering Marchenko with the Blue Jackets and how Knies will fit in with Columbus, how Marchenko’s contract will age, his time playing alongside Manny Malhortra and how he will fare as Canucks coach, Mike Babcock’s NHL return with Edmonton, and much more! Ailish and Jesse end things off discussing how the Habs approached their rebuild. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Ailish Forfar and Jesse Rubinoff kick things off discussing the Leafs making a blockbuster trade just before opening night rosters were due. They break down how John Chayka landed Kirill Marchenko, what the trade means for Toronto, why the team decided to trade Matthew Knies, and more. Then, Kyle Bukauskas joins the show (11:07) to discuss what transpired at Leafs camp ahead of the trade, play a game of ‘This Or That’ where they go through some of the biggest questions heading into the season, and much more. Then, Luke Fox stops by (27:00) to discuss the Matthew Knies trade rumours finally being over, why both Toronto and Knies decided it was time to move, if Toronto could come to regret moving on from the power-forward come playoff time, a Leafs season blind ranking prediction, and much more! The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.