10 WEEKEND THINGS

Taking shots ..

1 – GOTTA BE KD: The Florida Panthers team jet touched down in Halifax, NS around suppertime Saturday and the reigning NHL Eastern Conference champions were soon officially on site for the highlight of their 2023 preseason — Kraft Hockeyville in Sydney, NS. The Panthers will face the Ottawa Senators Sunday at 4:00 pm ET (Sportsnet, NHL Network). Sadly Panthers stars Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov won’t be in the lineup but just about everyone else will be including star netminder Sergei Bobrovsky. These are the events you cherish!

2 – KRAFT HOCKEYVILLE: It’s a dubious footnote that no Saskatchewan community has ever hosted Kraft Hockeyville and something needs to be done about that, pronto. It’s simply a population thing – as it comes down to an online vote – but it’s wrong that the province which has produced the most NHL players per capita has never been featured by Kraft Hockeyville. This year, after these games are done, we’ll devote all of the RP Show energies and resources, with your help, to make history. The national nature and scope of the show should help, on Game+TV and WQEE Radio. It’s time! And then maybe we can get the Panthers into the game. *Manifesting* it.

3 – BEDARD: Most of the continent was watching the Packers & Lions on Thursday Night Football on Prime but I was content to watch the Blues & Blackhawks preseason game on NHL Network, and the Chicago debut of Connor Bedard. (Thanks to Mike & Joanne Lee for the great pics from United Center btw). None of what happened surprised me. Connor centred the #1 line with Taylor Hall and Ryan Donato, won the game’s opening faceoff, and set up both Chicago goals in a 2-1 OT win. And he’s not even close to being comfortable yet. He’ll be a point-per-game player in his rookie season on the way to being an NHL superstar. On Nov. 12 the Blackhawks visit Sunrise, FL and I already have a gang together going to the game.

4 – GREEN DAY: The CFL can take a bow after this week’s announcements that Green Day will play the halftime show of the 2023 Grey Cup in Hamilton, and Carrie Underwood will headline Grey Cup Week with a Friday concert. Huge news, big wins, and it’s already put this Grey Cup on the map! Neither are Canadian however, as Green Day is from California and Underwood hails from Oklahoma, but I’ve officially retired from beating the drum that all Grey Cup halftime acts should be Canadian. It only makes sense to me that the Canadian Football League would have an act from Canada but as usual, I must be in la la land. Besides, 60% of CFL players are American anyway. They win. I hope you have the time of your life!

5 – RIDERS: The Saskatchewan Roughriders are on a 4-game losing streak at the most critical time of the season following a 33-26 loss at BC Friday night. Even Coach Craig said the score flattered Sask, as they trailed 33-11 going into the fourth quarter. It’s still going to take a miracle for the Riders to miss the playoffs, given the woeful play of the Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton Elks, however clearly the team is trending in the wrong direction. However wouldn’t it be something if they caught lightning in a bottle and  wound up in the Grey Cup, similar to the 1997 season?? Could happen.

But nah … the negative nellies would rather talk about who should be Head Coach & GM of the Riders next season and the name Henry Burris has come up. I’d join the discussion but don’t favour talking about someone’s job while they still have it. Should those positions come open, I’ll put a call into Hank and see if he’s interested. However to predict how much housecleaning will be done in Riderville, at this point, is just a waste of time. Shoot, sources have told me the Rider Board of Directors was considering making a move at the top prior to this season, so who knows where the chips will land?

Either way, pretty disappointing where the franchise is.

6 – REST OF THE CFL: Can’t remember the last time I’ve heard so much bellyaching in the CFL than this week’s crying out of Winnipeg over the Toronto Argonauts resting #1 QB Chad Kelly for Friday’s game at IG Field. Uh, the Bombers should’ve been happy cuz they won 31-21 to keep a share of first-place? … Err, maybe there was this much crying when Sask D-lineman Pete Robertson headbutted Bomber QB Zach Collaros in the Labour Day Classic? … But in the 2018 Western Semifinal when Winnipeg D-end Jackson Jeffcoat knocked Rider QB Brandon Bridge out of the game with a headshot, the Bombers and their media were looking around for loose change. Crickets. … That’s what I thought. … At 4-10, these are the worst times for the Calgary Stampeders since the Feterik era. People in Cowtown are pi$$ed and blaming the Calgary Flames ownership of the Stampeders team for the team’s drop-off. I can’t say they’re wrong; I just don’t know enough about it. If it’s true that it all starts at the top, then those people may have a point. … Death, taxes, and Cody Fajardo winning. My guy led the Montreal Alouettes to a 32-15 win at Ottawa on Saturday, and clinched a CFL playoff spot. Sometimes you just have to go on and thrive elsewhere. … Speaking of, the arrival of the College Football season has significantly curtailed CFL games being aired on CBS Sports Network in the U.S. That sucks!

7 – OTHER FOOTBALL: If you did a survey or Google News search, I guarantee you’d find Deion Sanders, Coach Prime, and the Colorado Buffaloes as the #1 story in football in North America this summer/fall. That is, until the team lost 48-41 to USC on Saturday for their second straight loss. Is reality setting in or is this just a mild setback for the Buffs? It’s still early. … We’ll get a better idea who the best team in the NFL is after today. The Game of the Week is Miami (3-0) at Buffalo (2-1) and the Bills figure to brutalize the finesse, greatest show on turf, Dolphins. … I was hoping to put a USPORTS update in here but I can’t get the Canada West website to load. I’m sure it’s my fault! … As far as football around here goes, Florida Atlantic University is on a bye and Cardinal Gibbons High School is on the road. Pretty quiet.

8 – JUNIOR A: We’re still a week away, I’m told, from the Canadian Junior Hockey League releasing its Top 20 rankings but an article this week pegged a number of teams to keep an eye on, in no particular order: Battlefords, Blind River, Valleyfield, Brooks, Campbellton, Collingwood, Dauphin & Drumheller. One great thing about Canadian Junior A hockey is it features teams in places we’ve never even heard of! I’m sure the Easterners say the say thing about us from the West. Anyway, it’s interesting that the North Stars are in there because they’re 2-3-0. Two weeks into the season, teams without a regulation loss are Humboldt, Weyburn, Melfort and Flin Flon. The 2024 Centennial Cup is in Oakville, ON.

Also, the SJHL and RP Show have entered into a long overdue partnership agreement and I couldn’t be more thrilled! Watch for our ads in SJHL arenas this winter. Thanks to the SJ fans who sent photos from this weekend’s games!

9 – IT’S NEVER TOO LATE: My business advisors have encouraged me to put a point in here about Pedersen Recovery Inc. Mental Health & Addiction services. Licensed across Canada and in the State of Florida, I help clients across North America struggling with Mental Health issues. We’ve had tremendous success with clients from the NHL, NFL, MLB, CFL and Military and now it’s available to you. Our remote sessions (phone, Zoom, etc.) start as low as $70/hour and my Recovery program includes daily monitoring and 24/7 emergency assistance. If that’s something of interest to you or a loved one who’s struggling, DM me or shoot an email to PedersenRecovery@AOL.com.

10 – RANDOM THOUGHTS: Rory McIlroy could benefit from anger management training. … Florida Panthers TV analyst Randy Moller’s mom is from Shaunavon, SK. … Panthers TV panelist Jeff Chychrun’s dad is from Goodeve, SK. … They’ve made me feel real at home here! Eternally grateful. … Don’t get Gorilla Glue on your fingers. Y’er welcome. … How on earth is The Cosby Show still on the air? … No, I don’t follow pro wrestling. It’s tough enough staying on top of real sports. … Still the best donuts on earth are Hobo Donuts of Regina, SK. … Starbucks is not coming out with pumpkin scones this Thanksgiving season, and I’m crestfallen. Staff have encouraged me to make a formal complaint, but I’m just not a complaining-type-of-guy. I’ll just go somewhere else. … A grizzly bear claimed two lives in Banff National Park this weekend, and the bear was put down. Condolences to the tourists’ families and a reminder to take care out there! We’ve been all over those trails over the past two years. … AND HOW WAS YOUR WEEK??

Y’er welcome,
RP