Commentary: Sports In 2026

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A coupla three or more thoughts entering the weekend …

#1 – Thursday was a wild night in the NHL. Too much to cram into 90 seconds but the highlights were Vegas scoring with seven seconds to go to tie the Leafs, then Jack Eichel scored in OT for a 6-5 win and the Knights’ sixth straight win. Tage Thompson netted his ninth career hattrick as the Sabres bounced Montreal 5-3 (Buffalo’s won 15 of 17 games) and Jonathan Toews notched his 900th career point in Winnipeg’s 6-2 win at Minnesota, and now the Jets have won four in a row after everybody wrote them off.

We’re just barely past the halfway mark and so much is left to be decided!

#2 – I’ll have much more on the CFL winter meetings and rule change fallout in my weekend newsletter which drops Sunday (sign up for free now at RodPedersen.com, brought to you by SUDS Full Service Car Wash) but I’ve gotta applaud the league for what came out of this week’s brainstorming in Calgary. A coach explained to me in detail why they refused to give up the 20-second play clock in the final 3:00 of halves and the owners met them halfway.

Isn’t it nice to work together to achieve more?? Again, plenty more on this in my newsletter.

#3 – We talked NFL here yesterday. Today I’d like to mention College Football and Monday night’s National Championship to be played at Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins.

It’s also home of the Miami Hurricanes, whom are the first time in NCAA history to play in their own stadium for the championship and they’re facing the Indiana Hoosiers, whom are 8.5-point favorites and led by Miami’s own Fernando Mendoza; this year’s Heisman Trophy winner.

I don’t need to tell you that the town is coming off its hinges.

The only problem? Decades-long Canes season ticket holders can’t go because the cheapest ticket is going for $3500. That’s right, 7-grand for a pair. The majority have said no. Parking spots are $700!

Imagine playing for a title in your own park, but your own fans aren’t even there.

Welcome to sports in 2026 folks.

That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary.

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