TUESDAY COMMENTARY – JOHNNY “BOO”-DREAU
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 & Rock 98.5 FM)
And it all turned out nice again.
If you’re a Calgary Flames fan.
Johnny Hockey’s return to the Saddledome on Monday night is being described as “eventful”, and that’s as apt of a term as any.
Johnny Gaudreau brought his league-worst Columbus Blue Jackets into Calgary for a January 23 date which had been circled on the calendar since mid-July when the Flames great left suddenly for Ohio in free agency.
Whether he left the Flames high and dry is still to be decided.
On Monday night, the Flames aired a nice video tribute to Gaudreau, who ranks fifth all-time in points as a Flame (609).
The classy Albertans gave Johnny a standing ovation, but then immediately launched into relentless boos everytime he touched the puck.
That included a first period penalty shot, in which Gaudreau was thwarted by Calgary goalie Dan Vladar.
In the end, Johnny Hockey notched two assists as the Flames won 4-3 in overtime, moving them back into a playoff spot (for now).
And in the end, we may never know why Johnny Hockey wanted out of Calgary, or Matthew Tkachuk for that matter.
Had they had enough of Darryl Sutter? Did they dislike the team’s culture? Was the city too hockey-mad and they couldn’t get any privacy?
Like I said, we’ll never know. Because no one wants to hear the truth, and that’s why they never ask.
That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+ TV, YouTube Live and WQEE Radio)
(Photo: Columbus Blue Jackets)
Mmm hockey players like hockey and being in a hockey market is not the issue. Nobody sees anyone on Winnipeg, Montreal or Toronto voluntarily leave. It simply comes down to environment. I have long said Calgary is just one of those shined up lumps of crap that sit on the NHL landscape. They have lost players for decades and basically won not a thing. The Head Coach. – take 2004 and those LA yrs away you have Paul Maurice 2.0. Only this guy is just flat out disrespectful to everyone on the team. How does Calgary get fixed? Move them… Read more »