FRIDAY COMMENTARY – HOCKEY BUZZ

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

IT APPEARS WE’RE IN A TIME WARP … OF JUST FIVE OR SIX MONTHS AGO.

BACK IN JUNE AND JULY IT WAS A CONSTANT TUG OF WAR WHETHER OUR FAVOURITE LEAGUES WOULD RETURN TO PLAY AMID THE CORONAVIRUS OR NOT.

AND NOW WE’RE RIGHT BACK IN THAT SAME SPOT!

I’M NOT SURE WHAT YOUR WORLD IS LIKE BUT HERE’S MINE: DAILY CONVERSATIONS WITH NHL, CFL, JUNIOR HOCKEY AND COLLEGE CONTACTS REGARDING A RETURN TO PLAY.

THE OPINIONS ARE WILD! CAN WE REALLY BELIEVE THE LEAGUES WHEN THEY SAY THEY PLAN TO PLAY OR IS JUST LIP SERVICE AND A PLOY FOR TO KEEP THE RANK AND FILE OPTIMISTIC?

WHAT I’M HEARING IS A LOT OF NHL PLAYERS DON’T NECESSARILY WANT TO PLAY AND IF IT MEANS GOING BACK INTO A BUBBLE, THEY’RE NOT INTERESTED AT ALL. AND UNLIKE LAST SUMMER WHEN 31 TEAM REPS VOTED ON BEHALF OF THE PLAYERS, THIS TIME THEY WANT A FULL VOTE OF THE UNION.

BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN THERE WON’T BE A SEASON. AND MY ARENA CONTACTS SAY THEY’VE ALL BEEN NOTIFIED TO BE READY TO GO FOR A JANUARY 13 SEASON START.

THE WORLD JUNIORS IS A TOTAL OTHER KETTLE OF FISH. WHILE HOCKEY CANADA IS MOVING HEAVEN AND EARTH TO PULL THIS TOURNAMENT OFF IN EDMONTON, I’M TOLD OTHER NATIONS AREN’T AS SERIOUS AND DON’T NECESSARILY THINK IT’S WORTH THE EFFORT. WE’RE GOING TO FIND THAT OUT OVER THE NEXT WEEK.

AND AS FAR AS THE WHL GOES, ONE CONTACT SAID THE ONLY WAY THEY DROP THE PUCK IS IF THERE’S A NOSEDIVE IN CASES IN WESTERN CANADA AND THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST NEXT MONTH.

SO BASICALLY IF YOU WANT TO WATCH HOCKEY, WEAR A MASK, WASH YOUR HANDS AND STAY HOME.

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