Scruffy’s This N That

1 – HATERS GONNA HATE: It didn’t take long for the reaction from those who think they are so high and mighty when it comes to the CFL. The changes are garbage, get rid of Commissioner Johnston, who cares because this is my last year supporting the league etc etc etc. Just stop unless you have a viable alternative to what was announced this week (primarily the playoff format switching from six, to eight teams qualifying in a nine-team league).

There is nothing wrong with moving the season up to start on the May long weekend. (Cue the haters who now say their start to summer is ruined.)  It is what many have called for because we have gotten soft.  I remember a day when we used to sit in cold weather and when our parents sat in cold weather to watch a football game, but God forbid we do that now.  However, I am fine with the schedule change although my attention will be more on hockey than football come opening weekend.  That doesn’t stop my desire to have the Stanley Cup handed out before June 1 like it used to be. 

I will admit that eight of nine teams making the playoffs isn’t ideal and I would still like to see one nine-team division, but like other leagues it is about revenue and that is what the CFL is doing. They can’t hamstring themselves for only having nine teams and this should further discussion about adding teams. Having nine playoff games instead of five means more money for the league through sponsorships and other things. It will also mean teams might host more than one playoff game.  No team is going to say no to that.  That additional revenue means the salary cap can go up and that means more money for the players.  It’s what the league wants, it is what the players want, and it is what the teams want. It is as simple as that. 

The NBA has play-in games, MLB created more playoff teams to have an expanded playoff and so did the NFL. The NCAA men’s basketball tournament is going from 68 teams to 76. The NHL is expanding its regular season. Why should the CFL be any different?  Again, haters gonna hate! I don’t like it all, but I know why it is being done and if you are a CFL fan you should too because it means economic health. If you haven’t figured it out yet, it’s all about the $$$$ these days and while eight of nine teams making the playoffs looks bad, it just makes the CFL doing what others are. If you are content with no changes being made, then you are a part of the problem as everything needs to evolve and the CFL has been guilty of not doing that over the years.

2 – RIDERS DRAFT: Eight football players received a call from the Saskatchewan Roughriders saying they can take the next chapter in their football career after being drafted.  If the past is any indication, expect some of the names called to be future Riders. He likely won’t be at training camp, but 1^st round pick Malcolm Bell out of Michigan State is probably destined to be Tevaughn Campbell’s replacement.  If you are a DB at Michigan State, you got tested and he certainly didn’t embarrass himself. He is going to head to Cleveland’s rookie camp before he signs on the dotted line with the Riders, but I would expect him to be with the organization at some point during the upcoming season. 

The one guy I am interested in is UBC receiver Sherman McBean. He could be a steal having been taken in the 7^th round.  There is obviously a Canadian receiver job available and while Saskatchewan drafted two receivers, his special teams play could be what makes him stick. The kid could play at the USports level and if he can elevate his game to the pros, the Riders may have found another one. 

3 – SCRAPPING THE LDC:   Labour Day weekend used to mark the start of the 2^nd half of the CFL season.  That isn’t the case now and it won’t be next year and beyond with the season starting earlier. In fact, the annual September back-to-back won’t go until the final third of the year.  I’m not big on that.  What would fans in both cities say and perhaps those in Alberta if we scrapped the Labour Day back-to-backs and played those games on the August long weekend and the weekend after? I don’t know if I’d love it, but I wouldn’t hate it! 

4 – THE OILERS:  It took to number 4 to get to this? Connor McDavid goes another season without winning the Stanley Cup and his Edmonton Oilers don’t get out of the first round after getting to the Cup final the last two years.  McDavid was not wrong when he said his team was “average” this season.  In fact, that might have been kind. This was an Edmonton team that finished with 93 points—the worst total they have had since the 2018-19 season. Despite that, they had home ice advantage finishing second in the Pacific going into the last weekend with a chance to finish first which tells you how lacklustre that division was.

So where did it go wrong and how does it get better? I think after taking his team to the last two SC Finals that Kris Knoblauch should stay, but I know this is a “what have you done for me lately” league. If that is the case, you can catapult GM Stan Bowman to the sun.  If that is done, a new GM can make up their mind on Knoblauch. Signing Trent Frederic to an eight-year deal? Andrew Mangiapane? Trading Stuart Skinner and not really making the goaltending better while shipping off Brett Kulak? Fail, fail, fail! Let’s not forget about the big contract to Jake Walman either which didn’t really pay dividends in year one.

Losing Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg was not Bowman’s fault as that one squarely falls on Ken Holland. Where would Edmonton be had he actually thought those two would not bolt to St. Louis? 

What needs to be done? Well, Edmonton needs to do something with their goaltending which is something they haven’t done in years.  McDavid has had guys like Ben Scrivens, Cam Talbot, Mike Smith, Mikko Koskinen and Jack Campbell tending goal. Smith might be the best one they have had and what does that say? The Jordan Binnington rumours will start up again. Freddie Andersen is a free agent, Juuse Saros could be available. All of those are upgrades. With Jesper Wallstedt apparently having the crease in Minnesota, could Filip Gustavsson be available? 

That is priority 1. Priority 2 is something that I just don’t see happening.  Darnell Nurse has to go. It is that simple. Darnell Nurse is a disaster.  He had just as many own goals as he had goals for his team this year.  As has been stated several times in the past, his contract is an albatross.  It is dragging this team down when it comes to trying to improve themselves. Can Edmonton (McDavid) convince Nurse to waive his no-trade clause and find a buyer? Good luck! Evan Bouchard does not have a NTC. Edmonton would have to get a number one defenceman back in a deal for him.  While great offensively, he isn’t defensively so a decision will have to be made as to whether or not his game in his own zone can improve. If not, get on the phone with someone.

The two-year team-friendly extension McDavid signed this year now begins and one can imagine he will have a lot of input into what needs to be done. As it stands right now, they have just under 17 million of cap space to work with.  The only guys out of the UFA’s they have that I would consider keeping is Kaspari Kapanen and Connor Murphy. RFA’s Colton Dach and Spenser Stastney needs new deals too—or do they?

Everyone I speak to say McDavid has a burning desire to roll down Jasper Avenue holding the Stanley Cup high and that he doesn’t want to leave Edmonton.  Stan Bowman or whoever has to start making moves to make this happen. Again, good luck!

5 – ANOTHER TSN FAIL:  There was a day when TSN would bring us the final of the Esso Cup national women’s under 18 hockey championship and the Telus Cup national men’s under 18 hockey championship. Not this year though.  On the 5 TSN channels Sunday afternoon, two had Game 4 of the Raptors-Cleveland series, one had NASCAR, one had a Canadian league soccer game and one had tennis from Madrid.  Apparently, the Telus Cup game was on TSN+.  That means you had to pay to watch that game which makes this more laughable.  This isn’t growing the game kids. Does this mean the Memorial Cup will be on TSN+? Will the Canadian Junior A championship final be on TSN+?  It’s just another example as to how Canada’s two sports networks, who do a great job with professional sports, really fail Canadians when it comes to amateur sports.  These are Hockey Canada events and we know Hockey Canada pumps a lot of money into TSN thus why were these games ignored? I’m guessing the same thing will happen with the Centennial Cup. Good luck to the Flin Flon Bombers in that event.  It’s been a while since the SJHL champ was the Canadian Junior A champ. 

6 – CHRIS CUTHBERT: With the exception of the Edmonton-Anaheim series and the Tampa-Montreal series, I have been watching the Stanley Cup playoffs on TNT/TBS or ESPN. I just find the pre-game and intermissions to be more entertaining. I don’t hate the HNIC guys, but they are in need of a refresh and they have been for a while. 

Last week, Kenny Albert set the US national broadcast record by doing his 1,545^th game. I will admit that surprised me as I thought guys like Kevin Harlan and Joe Buck would be up there.  It also made me wonder about Chris Cuthbert. I was informed that Chris is nearing the 1,600 mark when it comes to NHL games and you can add another 800 CFL games to the mix.

IMO, Chris is the best p x p guy out there. With no disrespect to Rod Smith, Dustin Nielson and others who do CFL games on TSN, the league misses CC on the call.  As a Canadian hockey fan, we have been fortunate to have CC calling Stanley Cups and Olympics and when the day comes that he calls his final game, Canada will have a problem.  Unless Hockey Night is prepared to roll the Brinks Truck to Gord Miller’s house, there is no one right now who can take over and be the number one guy. We are a few years away hopefully from Rogers having to find that person. 

7 – HABS-LIGHTNING: As hockey fans, we deserve a Game 7 of the Tampa-Montreal series. This matchup was thought to be one of the best first-round matchups going in and it’s safe to say it hasn’t disappointed. 

Six one-goal games and four overtime games with Game 6 perhaps being the best 0-0 tie after regulation I’ve ever seen with the goaltenders stealing the show.  Both teams know if they don’t come out victorious in Game 7 that they didn’t have their chances.  I usually side with the home team in a Game 7, but the way this series has gone I don’t think it is a case of whether or not the home team wins, but what player gets the OT winner. 

8 – RANDOM THOUGHTS:

• It’s crazy to think we are just ending the first month of the baseball season and two teams that were thought by many to be playoff teams—the Phillies and Red Sox, have fired their manager with Carlos Mendoza of the Mets on very thin ice.
• The NHL at Thanksgiving holds true. The story is if you are in a playoff spot when American Thanksgiving hits, the chance of you going to the playoffs is 75 percent. Yup—13 of 16 teams in a playoff spot at Thanksgiving this year made the second season. The teams in a playoff spot that didn’t get in were New Jersey, Washington and Seattle.
• Do curling fans hate the Page Playoff System as much as some CFL fans do? 
• Congratulations to Rob Hart.  There are legends behind the mic and there are icons and then there is Rob. The long-time Flin Flon p x p guy is going to the SJHL Hall of Fame. To say he is a beaut would be an understatement! 

That’s all I got.  Have a great week!