Wednesday Commentary: What A Time

(Listen daily for the RP Commentary on All New Hits 98 & LTD Radio)

At some point it’s a trend, and no longer a fad.

For whatever reason, the NHL has been trending upwards for quite some time now. It feels like it’s been since Covid, but definitely just the past couple of years.

The hockey has been amazing and the ratings show it. Sunday night’s last-second 5-4 home win by the NY Islanders over the Florida Panthers saw a 64% increase in TV ratings from last year’s season average.

And now that I think about it, it’s because of the players.

Rookie Isles defenceman Matthew Schaeffer of Hamilton, ON scored twice that night – the #1 overall pick leads all rookies with 20 on the season – and is not only a lock for the Calder Trophy as top rookie, has some people mentioning his name in the Hart Trophy MVP race.

Oh, and last night San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini hit the 30 goal mark and is the first teenager in Sharks history to do it. He had four points in San Jose’s home win over Montreal.

I’m ashamed to admit that I’m buying into the Celebrini/Bedard hype, as the pair is childhood rivals going back to their North Vancouver days. I scrambled this morning to see if Bedard’s ever hit 30 goals in his three year NHL career.

He has not.

And don’t get me started on the playoff races. Vegas is narrowly holding onto the Pacific Division lead, just two points up on Edmonton, yet the Oilers are barely above a wild card spot.

In the East, the Florida Panthers season pretty much hinged on Tuesday night’s game at New Jersey, which they lost 5-1.

That’s likely enough to get the Cats to raise the white flag and be sellers prior to Friday’s NHL Trade Deadline.

Oh yeah! There’s that! The Trade Deadline. What a time to be an NHL fan.

That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary.

(Sign Up For the Rod Squad Newsletter for insider columns, Hot Takes, contests & more!)