FRIDAY COMMENTARY – HAIL THE SJ!

(Listen daily for The Rod Pedersen Show at 9:50 am and 5:20 pm on Cat Country 98 FM)

IT’S ALWAYS NICE TO GO TO THE SOURCE.

SJHL PRESIDENT BILL CHOW WAS ON THE ROD PEDERSEN SHOW THURSDAY ON GAME+ TV AND EXPLAINED ALL DETAILS RELATED TO THE LEAGUE CANCELLING ITS SEASON.

WHAT ISN’T BREAKING NEWS IS THAT THE SASK GOVERNMENT WOULDN’T APPROVE THE SJ’S PLAN AND THEY RAN OUT OF TIME TO TWEAK IT. NOT HARD TO BELIEVE.

BUT WHAT I WAS MORE EAGER TO LEARN IS THE FINANCIAL STATE OF THE SJHL AFTER NOW TWO SPRINGS WITHOUT A CANALTA CUP PLAYOFF.

TO MY RELIEF, BILL CHOW REPORTED THAT NOT ONE SJHL TEAM IS IN JEOPARDY OF FOLDING.

EXHALE.

HE MENTIONED THAT WHILE THE TEAMS HAVE HAD NEXT-TO-NO REVENUES, THEIR EXPENSES HAVE BEEN LOW TOO.

WHENEVER THIS “LIFTS”, YOU CAN BE EXPECTED TO SUPPORT A TRUCK LOTTO, HARVEST LOTTO, SPRING FLING, SPORTS DINNER OR SOMETHING OF THE LIKE TO GIVE YOUR FAVOURITE SJ TEAM A BOOST BUT AT THE VERY LEAST, THE HOCKEY WILL RETURN.

IT’S JUST SO VITAL TO THE COMMUNITIES IN RURAL SASKATCHEWAN AND THE CITY PEOPLE JUST DON’T REALIZE IT NOR GIVE IT ITS DUE.

AS A SIDE NOTE, CHOW CONFIRMED THAT THE BC HOCKEY LEAGUE HAS NOTIFIED THE POWERS THAT BE THAT THEY INTEND TO SEPARATE AND FORM THEIR OWN ASSOCIATION. I’M TOLD AROUND 4 ALBERTA TEAMS PLAN TO JOIN THEM AND THE IDEA IS TO RIVAL THE AMERICAN USHL WHICH HAS BEEN POACHING CANADIAN PLAYERS AND IS PERCEIVED TO BE A HIGHER LEVEL.

SO … LOTS IS GOING ON IN JUNIOR HOCKEY. IT’S NOT ALL GOOD, BUT AT LEAST NO ONE’S SITTING ON THEIR HANDS ANY LONGER.

HAVE A NICE WEEKEND.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY ON CAT COUNTRY 98.