10 Monday Things For SUDS Car Wash
Photo: Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff
Truth & Rumours For SUDS Full Service Car Wash
1 – CANADA HEARTBREAK: It feels like a nation is in mourning today after Canada’s World Juniors lost 6-4 to Czechia in a semifinal in Minnesota on Sunday evening. At least, that’s how it looks from social media reaction but did these people watch the game? Canada didn’t deserve to win. Six goals are a lot to give up in a playoff game, and Canada missed LOTS of opportunities to gain the upper hand in the contest (including whiffing on a second period penalty shot). Equally alarming was the crowd in Minny, where the arena didn’t even look close to 50% full. TSN did a nice job of avoiding the empty seats with their TV coverage. Meh, 2026 will go down as a forgettable WJHC. If Canada wins gold in Men’s Hockey at the Olympics, nobody’s going to remember this.
2 – TAKE IT OUTSIDE: In today’s fast-paced sports world, Friday’s NHL Winter Classic in Miami, FL likely feels like old news to many of you by now but the southern-most regular season game in league history – with the second-warmest game time temperature (16 degrees Celsius, 61 Fahrenheit) – provided a lifetime of memories for young and old alike here in South Florida. To put it mildly, it was a “spectacle” so hats off to the NHL staff who made it snow inside loanDepot Park and to the ice crew, which included Regina’s Dave Senger, for making a surface described by Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice as “fantastic”. As for the game itself, the New York Rangers drubbed the Panthers 5-1 and I will respectfully submit that the Rangers took the game far more seriously than the Panthers did. Florida players Brad Marchand and Sam Reinhart alluded to the fact they all had family in town, the team arrival was lavish, and they were all dressed “Miami Vice” style as they entered the stadium. There was little pregame talk of the actual clash, and it showed! But this is a Florida team which has been to the dance three years in a row and knows how to turn it up when necessary. Frankly it was one game out of 82 and have likely already put it behind them (the Cats rallied for a 2-1 victory over Colorado on Sunday night). … Speaking of Regina, Maurice said the 2019 Heritage Classic at Mosaic Stadium is one of his best hockey memories. His Jets beat the Flames 2-1 in overtime that night, and the snowglobe atmosphere made it one of the NHL’s best outdoor events on record. Well done Queen City!
3 – NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS: Did any sports fans resolve to stop complaining in 2026? If so, they failed. The Holiday season bitching was non-stop last week, from the gripe that Florida shouldn’t be allowed to host a “Winter” game, to the Panthers’ “Ronald McDonald jerseys”, to Team Canada’s performance at the World Juniors (they hadn’t lost till Sunday night), to Team Canada’s selections for the Olympic Mens Hockey roster. OMG! Is there anything people are happy with?? How exhausting, and what a crappy way to live.
4 – THE RINGS: Speaking of, Canadians don’t have the market cornered on criticism of mens hockey selections. New York Rangers coach Mike Sullivan doubles as head coach of Team USA and was absolutely grilled by reporters at the Winter Classic over Team USA’s exclusion of Rangers defenceman Adam Fox. It got to the point where Sullivan paused, stared down the reporter in question, and replied, “Look — these are extremely, extremely difficult decisions!” It’s one thing fans don’t seem to realize; this isn’t akin to assembling your Fantasy Football roster. There’s emotions involved, personalities, and the immense pressure of winning on the world’s largest stage. You don’t think Canada would like to bring Sam Bennett and Connor Bedard to Italy? Bennett’s had a slow first half and Bedard is hurt at the moment. They’re taking the team which they feel gives them the best chance to win, period. There’s no politics involved at this level.
5 – NHL NOTES: ICYMI, the National Hockey League hit the exact halfway mark on Saturday night. There’s clearly time for some teams (Winnineg, Calgary, Toronto for instance) to save their seasons but time is running out. … Jets fans won’t want to hear this but during a press box conversation at the Winter Classic, an NHL alum-turned-analyst said Winnipeg’s window is closed. “They had three years to capitalize with those teams! It’s over!” Yikes. … Darren and Taylor Raddysh are the first brothers to record hattricks in the same season since Dave and Don Maloney of the New York Rangers back in 1980. … We were watching Saturday night when Auston Matthews scored twice to become the Leafs’ career goals leader. His 421 top Mats Sundin’s career total in Blue & White. Lost in the shuffle was the fact Toronto lost 4-3 in overtime at the New York Islanders, and star rookie #1 pick Matthew Schaeffer scored the winner for the Isles. God is skating with that kid.
6 – VIKING CUP: Tylan Henrikson tied the gold medal game 4-4 with 14.4 seconds remaining in regulation, and Ethan Andrews won it in overtime as Team SJHL took the Viking Cup championship with a 5-4 victory over the SAIT Trojans Saturday in Camrose, AB. Russ Demo and Gavin Granger also added goals for Team SJHL, while SJHL alums Colby Bear and Owen Underhill had goals for SAIT. Team SJHL becomes the first team to win the Viking Cup in 20 years. Kudos to the Junior A powers-that-be for reviving this prestigious event which showcases draft & college eligible players! The SJHL sent an All Star team of 2005 & 2006 born players and they won it all. It was fun to follow. (With files from SJHL.ca)
7 – CFL: It’s pretty quiet around the 3-down league. This is when I would’ve dropped a bomb to get people talking! Ron Lancaster always said, “In Regina if they don’t hear a rumour by noon, they start one.” What have you heard?? …. The last news item was pre-Christmas when Ottawa acquired import linebacker Nyles Morgan from Edmonton via trade. … Free agency begins in a month’s time. There’s a good article at CFL.ca listing five of the top free agents as LB AJ Allen, LB Jacob Roberts, REC Keesean Johnson, REC Dejon Brissett & DB Stavros Katsantonis. They are big enough names, but nowhere in the stratosphere of when we are all on pins and needles to learn the landing spots of QBs Mike Reilly, Bo Levi Mitchell, Trevor Harris, etc. … Times change. QBs and coaches are locked up, which makes for a quiet winter.
8 – TOP STORIES: The Holidays were fun, but I’m more than ready for the regular routine to resume on Monday. However on our countdown shows, the Top 5 sports news stories of the year in Canada – as voted by RP Show viewers – were: 5) World Junior Players Acquitted, 4) Florida Panthers Repeat, 3) Roughriders Win The Grey Cup, 2) CFL Rule Changes, and 1) Blue Jays Go To World Series. … In the inaugural “Roddy Awards” viewers voted these winners: Coach of the Year – Corey Mace, Team of the Year – Toronto Blue Jays, Athlete of the Year – Shai Gilgeous Alexander, Media Person of the Year – Luke Willson.
9 – COLLEGE FOOTBALL: I probably don’t need to inform you of how excited the masses are around South Florida about the Miami Hurricanes going to the Final Four of the College Football Playoff after their resounding upset of Ohio State on New Years Eve in the Cotton Bowl. New Years Day winners of the CFP quarterfinals were Oregon, Indiana and Ole Miss which sets up this week’s semifinals: Fiesta Bowl – Miami vs Ole Miss (Thursday), Peach Bowl – Oregon vs Indiana (Friday). … That’s right, the Canes are one win away from appearing in the College Football National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Monday, January 19. … Rider fans will be happy to know that Jim Barker dropped the news on Friday’s RP Show that Saskatchewan owns the CFL rights to eye-popping Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss.
10 – RANDOM THOUGHTS: It’s the thought that counts. … There’s a fine line between playing “dirty” and “playing on the edge”. … In Recovery, every day is New Years Day. How exciting! … Former Roughriders GM Bill Baker always said, “I won’t have bad character guys on my team. When the chips are down, they disappear. ” … Slow and steady wins the race. … A great sports documentary on Prime Video: “Raise The Flags“, chronicling the history of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise. … The next big NHL event is the Stadium Series game on February 2 at Tampa Bay’s Raymond James Stadium featuring the Lightning and Boston Bruins. I was hemming and hawing on whether to go when an NHL reporter gushed, “You gotta go! You cover the Cats AND the Bolts!” SOLD. … Respondents to an annual Michigan college survey of overused and misused words & phrases say “6-7” is “cooked” and should come to a massive “full-stop” heading into the New Year. Those are among the top 10 words on the 50th annual “Banished Words List,” released Thursday by Lake Superior State University. The tongue-in-cheek roundup of overused slang started in 1976 as a New Year’s Eve party idea, and is affectionately called the list of “Queen’s English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness.” Also in the top 10 are “demure”, “incentivize”, “gift/gifted”, “my bad” and “reach out.” “My bad” and “reach out” also made the list decades ago — in 1998 and 1994, respectively. “The list definitely represents the fad and vernacular trends of the younger generation,” said David Travis, Lake Superior State University president. Travis said that while some terms on the list “will stick around in perpetuity,” others will be fleeting. “I think ‘6-7,’ next year, will be gone,” he said. … AND HOW WAS YOUR WEEK?
Y’er welcome
RP
1 – CANADA HEARTBREAK: Dale Hunter was outcoached in every way, shape and form. What will the Hockey Canada suits do about it? Nothing, this is the same good ol’ boys club that just gave a fat contract to Brendan Shanahan for ten years of failure with the Leafs.
1) Canada will never win again on the ice or for frankly in life. USA is taking over the Western Hemisphere. Be thankful this country will be ending soon enough. God Bless The USA. We used to breed Lions in this country…. when they decided to hire “the first female….”; Hockey Canada’s Katherine Henderson, CEO is an unmitigated disaster. Allan Millar, GM – now he can’t prove he has brain damage, I can’t disprove it. Take a long hard look at the Moose Jaw Warriors. Guys like Millar hire the guy running the Warriors now. That guy is/was/always has been… Read more »
Soooooooo elbows up, you support marc carney the con artist with that corny talk. carney, he’ll be cut down at the knees soon.
Biggest fan.
He just check mated the game. Where are these communist lunatic countries going to get fuel from? How are drugs going to be run through their?
That stuff that went on with Reagan and Iran Contra. That’s why they do that. He just secured the western hemisphere.
Canada has z.e.r.o leverage.
Socialism loses.
1972 Summit Series. Did you ever think Russia would have a better society?