10+ WEEKEND THINGS

Taking Shots …

1 – When the Buffalo Sabres were leading Calgary 3-1 after the first period in a game October 20 at the Saddledome, I’d mentioned that I heard fans booing the Flames on their way off the ice. “No, you’re hearing things,” my media brethren in the press boss scoffed. Well, there was no denying Calgary was booed off the ice at the end of Friday’s 5-2 loss to St. Louis, the Flames’ fifth loss in a row, and I’m tired of the scoffing.

2 – Flames fans are hot, and for good reason. They reluctantly gave the team a pass for hardly showing up in last spring’s five-game, Round 2 loss to the rival Edmonton Oilers. This summer GM Brad Treliving bounced the players who didn’t want to be there, brought in big name guys whom we assume do, and gave Coach of the Year Darryl Sutter a new contract. Everyone’s done their job in this situation except the players so they deserve 100% of the criticism they’re facing right now. No one else. Some players have characterized their play as “sloppy”. Whom would you blame for that? It’s all mental for the Calgary Flames right now.

If I’d have bought tickets for Friday’s loss to the Blues, I’d have booed too.

3 – In Edmonton they don’t boo the home team. … They just throw jerseys onto the ice.

4 – Quick, fun NHL trivia: Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal made 46 saves in a 4-3 win over the Oilers on Saturday, which was three shy of the club record. Who holds it? (Answers at the bottom). … David Pastrnak has scored at least 20 goals for seven consecutive seasons for Boston. Which two Bruins greats did he tie for that achievement on Saturday? … Martin Necas scored his fourth career OT winner for the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. Who holds the club record with seven?

5 – You hear criticism from U.S. hockey fans that the NHL isn’t marketed properly, nor more “mainstream” in America. I beg to differ. The NHL has a 24-hour TV channel – NHL Network – and a 24-hour radio channel – Sirius/XM NHL Radio – plus plenty of league- and team-generated content that’s as good or better than the media puts out. I find NHL coverage to be just fine in Florida, and get more than enough.

It’s nothing like the plight the CFL faces in Canada. I’d love to see the CFL have a 24-hour radio channel on Sirius/XM and I bet it’d do quite well.

At least you can find oodles of quality NHL coverage if you know where to look. With the CFL you really cannot.

6 – Three words for the CFL – “Schedule Release Party”.

7 – On September 17 I wrote that Jason Maas would be named the next head coach of the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes. On Saturday he was. That bulls-eye info was courtesy of my network of pro football Insiders from across the continent.

8 – Those same Insiders blew up my phone this week, asking if I’m livid that the Roughriders and their apologists refuted my report that Argonauts assistant coach Pete Costanza turned down their offer to be Offensive Coordinator, despite the fact we have proof otherwise. Quite the opposite. In fact I’m actually at peace, because I know the truth, and enough eyes are finally opening to the fact things aren’t adding up over on Elphinstone Street and they haven’t for quite some time. I haven’t lasted 30+ years in this business by being wrong, or being sloppy.

But it won’t be long now. The truth doesn’t have to answer questions. 

In the meantime, our staff have built a pretty special thing over at the RP Show, now on national TV, streaming, local radio and podcast. As of last week, we became a nationally-ranked hockey podcast in Canada and nothing makes me happier.

9 – As of midweek, nothing was happening in contract talks between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and free agent Canadian QB Mason Nyhus.

10 – There seems to be some consternation over the future of Cody Fajardo, but none by him. We’ve been in contact regularly lately and there’s a strong case to be made for Cody landing in B.C. or Toronto, possibly as a starter, or to compete to be the starter in Ottawa or Montreal. There are a lot of spots open for a quality player and person like Cody.

11 – On Tuesday we’ll be broadcasting live from the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl featuring Liberty versus Toledo. Why? Because … why not? Joining us on the broadcast will be Liberty Flames broadcaster and former coach Joey Jauch, a former CFL receiver in Hamilton, Montreal and Sask. We got an invitation to be there, and it’s A BIG DEAL!

Our exclusive betting partner and sportsbook Bet Regal is very pleased with all the latest developments.

12 – Bowl season is electric and on Saturday, Frank Gore Jr. ran for an NCAA bowl-record 329 yards and accounted for three touchdowns to help Southern Miss hold off Rice 38-24  in the LendingTree Bowl. Regina born-and-rised Mike Kershaw is the Receivers Coach at Rice University, and joined us on the RP Show when were broadcasting live from Houston in December/2019.

13 – People are also starting to see the genius strategy behind the RP Show, with as much of the credit going to co-creator Darren Dupont and production partner Paul Drouin of IKS Media! The show is obviously portable, but can cover NHL, NFL, CFL, CHL, NCAA, CJHL, NLL … you name it, at a high level! In the past 18 months we’ve broadcast from Super Bowl, Grey Cup, Stanley Cup Finals, Centennial Cup, World Juniors and now U.S. College Football Bowl Games, on Game+ TV, WQEE Radio, YouTube Live, Apple & Spotify.

See what we did there?

14 – Health is wealth.

15 – I can’t get you tickets.

16 – In likely three years the World Juniors will be played in the USA again and I’m told the markets who want the tournament badly are Seattle, Arizona, Dallas and Tampa Bay. Detroit and Denver have been mentioned as well.

The leader? Seattle. The reason? Facilities.

17 – The best TV series available right now is on Showtime and Paramount – George & Tammy – chronicling the lives of country music’s king & queen, George Jones and Tammy Wynette. My favourite line so far came from George Jones when asked why one of his marriages failed. “My wife wanted to marry George Jones,” the Possum smirked. “Then one day she woke up and realized … she’d married George Jones.”

18 – Another word I don’t ever want to hear again: “Shuttered”.

19 – New audience of the RP Show in Canada and the U.S. has complained that we talk too much CFL and Junior hockey. Really all they want is the NHL. However as Dupont pointed out, that would be like telling Don Cherry he can’t talk about the AHL. IT’S WHO I AM! If you don’t like it, don’t watch or listen.

20 – Trivia answers: Frederik Andersen, Peter McNabb & Bobby Orr, and Sebastian Aho. … And how was YOUR week?

Y’er welcome,
RP
@rodpedersen

(Photo: Calgary Flames)