THE *WEDNESDAY* MORNING GOALIE

TAKING SHOTS …

1 – OH BEDARD: It was a Where Were You type of moment. Connor Bedard broke Wayne Gretzky’s single game goals record by a 16-year old in Canada’s 11-2 rout of Austria Tuesday evening at the World Junior Hockey Championship in Edmonton. Safe to say, all of Canada has now woken up to the Regina Pats wonder boy from North Vancouver, BC. He did it with his usual shrug-of-the-shoulders and as Spittin’ Chiclets pointed out, Bedard had nary a goal celebration for any of his four snipes. Perhaps that’s because it was against bottom-feeding Austria but in the years ahead, no one will remember the opponent nor the circumstances of the game. Connor Bedard has arrived. Again.

Nice to see his family adorned in Regina Pats jerseys at Rogers Place too.

2 – MORE ON BEDSY: Sometimes you just have to wonder how much people actually know about hockey. Bedard’s stats are down with the Regina Pats this year but everyone (I thought) could still see how special of a player he is. Hockey Canada certainly did. Some players just get better when surrounded with better players and the level of play gets elevated (some players sink). Connor is one of those guys whose game elevates. Fortunately the Pats are doing fine enough without him, and he can concentrate fully on the World Juniors. What a showing!

I will go to my grave believing Bedard could’ve played at age 15 in last year’s World Junior tournament. I’m not saying he’d have scored four goals in a game. But he’d have done at least as much as 17-year old Shane Wright is doing this year.

I predict Bedard will go #1 overall to Arizona in 2023.

3 – COVID CRAZINESS: We’ve been tantalized by the World Juniors, Bowl Games, the NFL & NBA on TV this Holiday season but Covid continues to wreak havoc on the NHL. At least they got back to playing with some games on Tuesday, but it really seems like the players have had enough with the politics (see: Marchand, Brad). Here in South Florida, Panthers fans have their fingers crossed that Wednesday’s game versus the New York Rangers and Thursday’s huge Battle of Florida versus Tampa Bay will go on as planned. They already have their tickets, and the pause has gone on long enough.

(By the way if you don’t want to get angry, don’t watch the highlights of Tuesday’s Canadiens/Lightning game in Tampa Bay. Capacity crowd in a state with a lower vaccination rate than Canada).

4 – ALONG CAME JONES: Chris Jones has wasted no time putting his stamp on the Edmonton Elks since being named Head Coach & GM. On Tuesday, Jones released 11 veterans (sound familiar?). Coverage and reaction of Jones’s hire has reached far and wide but I can’t go along with the notion that the addition of Jonesy in Edmonton puts more pressure on the Saskatchewan Roughriders. There’s always pressure on the Green & White but with no Grey Cup appearances since 2013 – plus HOSTING the big game in 2022 – the pressure’s already as high as it can get. Former Rider President Jim Hopson – whom I spoke with on Tuesday – allegedly dropped the edict of “win or else” in 2013 when Brendan Taman’s and Corey Chamblin’s Riders faced the same hosting scenario. Will the same mandate be dropped on Jeremy O’Day and Craig Dickenson?

5 – SIMON SAYS: Chris Jones and Geroy Simon have virtually no history together (they’ve never been on the same team) but the hiring of Geroy as Elks Assistant GM this week makes all the sense in the world. Geroy has “GM” written all over him and he’s as professional as it gets. He’s cut his teeth in the personnel world, along with several other front office duties, but it appeared the writing was on the wall in B.C. with regards to opportunities for advancement within the Lions organization. It’s a fresh start and the Elks will be formidable. They can turn it around in a jiff.

6 – MADDEN: The football world was rocked with Tuesday evening’s news that Hall of Famer John Madden passed at the age of 85. Madden WAS the NFL for decades and still stands as the Raiders’ all-time wins leader (103). Kids only know the video game and millions more only know him as one half of the famed broadcast duo with Pat Summerall. But when Madden retired from the broadcast booth, the NFL lost a lot. On Tuesday, the league lost a big part of its soul.

7 – BOWL MANIA: Covid has done its best to destroy Bowl Season but the NCAA got in four title games on Tuesday. Unfortunately the Holiday Bowl between NC State and UCLA got scrapped Tuesday afternoon due to a Covid outbreak in the Bruins locker room. But football-crazed American football fans have been undeterred with TV ratings for Bowl Games surpassing the NBA in America. The hype is head-spinning. However I will NOT be attending the Orange Bowl in Miami on Friday between Georgia and Michigan. With an upcoming flight to Canada planned, I don’t want to catch whatever latest virus is floating around. Attending Panthers games is far safer, as I can sit alone in the press box. Thanks again Panthers! I certainly can’t complain with how they’ve treated me.

8 – FINS UP: The quietest, yet hottest, team in the NFL is the Miami Dolphins; winners of seven in a row. (Well the Chiefs have won eight, but they’re getting all the pub). At 8-7, the Dolphins are the first team in NFL history to lose seven games in a row, and win seven games in a row, in the same season. Now they’re in the playoff picture and to say football fans in South Florida are geeked up is an understatement. I spoke with Dolphins linebacker Sam Eguavoen on Tuesday, and he’s loving life. The former Rider is a key part of the Dolphins defence and special teams and, at $850,000/season, life for Sam couldn’t be better. He’s providing a signed Miami jersey for a fundraiser I’ll be speaking at in Assiniboia in April. What a guy!

Sam is one of several former Riders who are Texas Tech alum, and would’ve lustily celebrated the Red Raiders’ Liberty Bowl win over Mississippi State, 34-7, on Tuesday. Others include Glenn January, Seth Doege and Graham Harrell.

9 – FEEL THE RUSH: Just when the Saskatchewan Rush were getting their groove on – coming off a win at Vancouver – they had their New Years Eve clash with San Diego postponed due to Covid concerns. The game has been rescheduled to January 14 in a 7:30 face-off.

10 – RANDOM THOUGHTS: Here come the Golden Knights. #1 in the NHL’s Western Conference. … Vegas is still my team. I can’t be Fan Boy around the Florida Panthers although if you watch my Instagram story (@rodpedersenofficial), you’d think I am. … I’ve got no problems with pro leagues playing on Christmas Day, particularly when it’s Covid-forced. A lot of people on this continent don’t even observe Christmas (especially in South Florida). Play on. … Just had to get this in somewhere: Hockey analyst Mike Johnson is the hardest-working man in show business. The former NHLer – whose Dad hails from Moose Jaw, SK – is seemingly everywhere and my jaw dropped when I flipped on US-based NHL Network and there the Scarborough, ON product was, breaking down Canada’s 11-2 rout of Austria. Man, he sure knows his stuff. I thought he was busy enough with TSN and Sirius/XM NHL Radio duties. Hats off to Mike, because I recognize a work ethic when I see one. Good AND bad. … I was this-week-years-old when I realized the hockey arena in Red Deer is called the Peavey Mart Centrium. … Peavey Mart – “If you need it, we got it. If we don’t have it, you don’t need it.” … The RP Show is airing Best Of episodes all week on Game+ TV and YouTube Live and will return to live programming on January 3. … We will begin airing live from Calgary’s Grey Eagle Resort & Casino on January 10. … The Rod Pedersen Commentary returns on Cat Country 98 & Rock 98.5 FM on January 3. … Happy New Year!

Y’er welcome,
RP
@rodpedersen

(Photo: Hockey Canada)