The Monday Morning Goalie For SUDS
Photo: Mark Eisenberg
Truth & Rumours For SUDS Car Wash
1 – COLLISION COURSE: It sure feels like Canada and the USA are destined to meet in the gold medal at the Italy Olympics, doesn’t it? The pair finished atop their respective pools at 3-0 with generally all lopsided victories, which included plenty of drama. (How about Canada’s Tom Wilson being ragdolled by a France defenceman? Or Matthew Thackuk chirping Germany’s Leon Draisaitl with “Always a bridesmaid, eh Leon?”) The games have been must-see TV and, frankly, the only Olympic event I really care to follow. It’s just getting good now! … As an aside, I really don’t care for the cheap stuff the Tkachuks bring to the arena. Matthew’s yapping is one thing (hits from behind are another thing entirely), but Brady punching a guy with the linesman in the middle is over the line. How are they allowed to get away with this, and even be celebrated? … And another aside: just because fighting isn’t allowed in the Olympics doesn’t mean it isn’t going to happen. That’s like saying people won’t rob a bank – or even speed – because it’s illegal. … Some of these reporters need to have their Twitter accounts frozen or taken away. It’s embarrassing.
2 – FINNISH MAURICE: Friday’s report that Team Finland players went to their sport governing body about hiring Paul Maurice as their National Team coach was a revelation, but not surprising. That roster boasts current Florida Panthers players Anton Lundell, Nikko Mikkola, Eetu Luostarinen – and Aleksander Barkov if he was healthy – and they all adore Maurice, a Sault St. Marie, ON product. Would you have a problem with PoMo coaching another country? Initially I did, and my Dad CERTAINLY would if he was till alive, but in introspect I was the Voice of USA Football not that long ago. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life, and paid quite well. So for that reason, I say let him! Can’t wait to ask Maurice about it when the NHL reconvenes in a week.
3 – OTHER OLYMPICS: Ratings are up 93% in America for the Italy Olympics and I’m assuming they’re up in Canada as well. Why do you think that is? I have no idea, because I always watch and you likely do too. … The controversy over Sweden accusing Canada of cheating in mens curling has caught worldwide attention, silly as it is, and it’s great to know that the IOC has Marc Kennedy of Team Canada’s back. Can the curling folk tell me if he actually broke a rule? It didn’t look like he did. … Lindsey Vonn’s injury, political statements, ejections … this Olympics has had it all and we’ve still got a week to go!
4 – MEDIA COVERAGE: There’s no doubt, I miss the Canadian coverage of the Olympics. But the days of Brian Williams telling us what time coverage begins in Newfoundland are long gone. NBC has the rights in the USA and I watch what’s available. CBC Gem isn’t available in the US, and I don’t even know where to begin to look for a Firestick. … It’s been far more entertaining watching the social media buzz in Canada over the coverage of Mens Hockey, the hijinz of Duthie, Bieksa & Co., and the griping over the play-by-play announcers (where have you gone, Steve Armitage & Scott Russell?) Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.
5 – CFL FREE AGENCY: The frenzy generally only lasts three days at most so 2026 CFL Free Agency, which began on Tuesday, is largely over now. The pundits are saying Edmonton and Ottawa “won” but it shouldn’t be surprising that they were the most active; both teams missed the playoffs last year. … Frankly I think Hamilton made the biggest splash, landing local QB Tre Ford, return specialist Mario Alford and Canadian receiver Kurleigh Gittens. Are the Ticats inviting a controversy by adding Ford to a QB room which already includes Bo Levi Mitchell? … Saskatchewan and Calgary are being applauded for retaining their key pieces. … BC and Montreal seemed to be the quietest teams in free agency. … As usual the CFL West is going to be WILD. … The CFL needs more teams.
6 – VIVA LAST VEGAS: Jim Barker resigned his Friday spot on The RP Show last week due to a conflict of interest with him joining the Toronto Argonauts front office. I was real sorry to see him go because Jim and I had become close through his appearances. He’s a real one. Anyway his departure came with a mixture of responses from our viewers but Vegas Knight Hawks Head Coach & GM Mike Davis (Indoor Football League) has jumped in to fill the void and his first appearance this week went over very well! Mike spent five seasons with the Roughriders and few more with the Argos before being hired to lead the IFL expansion franchise in Vegas under the umbrella which owns the NHL’s Golden Knights. The Knight Hawks won the league title in 2025. Davis and I have been close friends since the Regina days, and his wife is from the Queen City. … The RP Show airs daily on the Silver State Sports & Entertainment Network (Nevada) so it was a natural to get Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon on the show. He’ll appear live Tuesday at 1:15 pm ET, and on the replay in prime time at 9 pm in Las Vegas.
7 – BENEFIELD: Longtime CFL fans were thrilled to see Daved Benefield (OTT, BC, WPG, SK, 1992-2005) on The RP Show this week. Did you know Mr. Furious holds the CFL record for sacks in a game (5) set against Matt Dunigan and the Birmingham Barracudas in 1995? Daved informed us this week that it should be seven sacks, since he had two forced fumbles on Dunigan, and that rule has since been changed to “strip sacks” in the CFL. Benefield also appeared on the last-ever CFL On CBC telecast, the 2007 Grey Cup, as an analyst. The L.A. product is back living in his hometown, guiding the careers of his kids in NCAA (a daughter at Washington and a son at LSU), coaching high school football and generally just being cool as hell. Daved SHOULD be in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, and I vowed to do all I can to help make that happen. It’s an honour to call Mr. Furious a friend.
8 – NBA: There’s one thing I bristle at this time of year. It’s that football unites us all, however with the passing of Super Bowl, the football season is over. For the next several months people get into baseball (more on that in the next point), more or less into hockey, curling’s Season of Champions, March Madness, NBA, NASCAR and just about everything under the sun, except football. It can be a challenge to keep an eye on it all on The RP Show, but I’m looking at it as blessing. Lots to talk about! That’s why we’ve always called ourselves the “Golden Corral of Sports Talk” (a little bit of everything for everybody”). … Having said that, this week’s NBA All Star festivities in LA have struggled to keep my attention. Is it really a Celebrity All Star Game if I don’t know who the celebrities are? It feels like that’s a ‘me’ problem rather than an NBA problem. … I see Anthony Edwards was named MVP of Sunday night’s NBA All Star Game. He’s a talented guy! He also co-starred in Revenge of the Nerds. Look it up.
9 – MLB: The first spring training games are Friday and the defending AL champion Toronto Blue Jays play their first preseason game on Saturday when they face the Phillies in Dunedin, FL. Here are your inaugural Top 5/Bottom 5 MLB Power Rankings courtesy of Fox Sports: 1) LA Dodgers, 2) Toronto, 3) Seattle, 4) NY Yankees, 5) NY Mets /// 26) Chicago White Sox, 27) St. Louis, 28) LA Angels, 29) Washington, 30) Colorado. … Did the Blue Jays do enough/anything to address their bullpen in the off-season? Asking for a friend. … Can’t wait for the 2026 WCBL season! Teams are doing a great job announcing their signings on social media. The Regina Red Sox are the defending champions, and the Moose Jaw Miller Express return with a new head coach: Michael Gonzalez.
10 – RANDOM THOUGHTS: The Saskatchewan Rush are atop the NLL at 9-1 and enjoyed a season-high crowd in a Valentine’s Day date with the Vancouver Warriors. … Ron Duguay still has his Christmas tree up. I knew there’s a reason why we get along so well. … The Pats really have the Warriors number this year, eh? … Sneakers with a suit doesn’t work for everybody. … I strongly endorse the new Larry The Cable Guy special on Amazon Prime. Now as a senior citizen, Larry’s even more side-splitting! … “Coaching’s an art, not a science.” – Rex Ryan. … A dispute over a rule led to a brawl during a pickleball game at a central Florida country club, authorities said, with one player hitting his opponent in the face with a paddle and punching him on the ground before others got involved. A 63-year-old man was charged this week with two counts of felony battery on a person 65 or older, and his 51-year-old wife, who also joined the fight in Port Orange, was charged with a single count of felony battery on a person 65 or older, according to an arrest affidavit. The fracas began, allegedly over a rules dispute. The players exchanged insults, and at the end of the match, the man insulted his male opponent’s wife. The men exchanged words, and the 63-year-old man attacked his opponent, according to an affidavit. As many as 20 players became involved in the brawl, the affidavit said. … AND HOW WAS YOUR WEEK?
Y’er welcome,
RP
Gilbert!!! He was right. They are all like Betty Childs. The kids need to watch Ron Duguay on YouTube. That guy was in every corner and sand paper. That era of hockey and for him to look like that. Ron Duguay took a pit bull/I am woman hear me roar type and house broke her…..in his 60s. That’s a winner The Tkachuk brothers. Barrett Jackman explained the Blues team he walked into. All those legends. Their Dad is a big time presence. They practiced with the team at age 5 and beat the daylights out of each other. They are… Read more »
The Tkachuk brothers are the definition everything that’s WRONG with hockey. I’ve never seen either one of them play a shift when they didn’t deserve a penalty and I have no idea why the zebras constantly look the other way for them.
Did anyone check to see if those pickleball people were related to Kennedy? LOL!! Watching that live was intense,
The ratings are up because, for the first time since 2012 in London, the games are fun again. The IOC has either been playing cute with Russia or China, trying to make it work where it is a struggle (Rio, Korea), dealing with Covid, or pushing unpopular ideas like trans women should box women in Paris. The world is turning the page and Italy is a civilized country so little outside drama.
This so called predetermined for far too long Olympic Gold Medal hockey game between the US/canada is tired news, real tired. Russia needs to find a avenue to get back in the Olympic games as they if assembled right now would be the Gold Medalist team.