FRIDAY COMMENTARY – HOCKEY GODS & CURLING GODS

(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 & Rock 98.5 FM)

A FEW RANDOM THOUGHTS TODAY, TO CLOSE OUT THE WEEK …

ANNNNNND WE’RE BACK. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME THE SCOTIABANK SADDLEDOME WAS FILLED TO CAPACITY THURSDAY NIGHT FOR A MARQUEE MATCH-UP BETWEEN THE MONTREAL CANADIENS AND THE CALGARY FLAMES.

YOU CAN IMAGINE WHAT A RAUCOUS ATMOSPHERE IT WAS. WHEN COUNTRY STAR GEORGE CANYON BELTED OUT “OH CANADA”, THE ROOF WENT OFF THE PLACE.

THEN THE TWO TEAMS GOT DOWN TO BUSINESS, WITH THE HABS SURPRISINGLY WINNING 5-4 IN OVERTIME.

THE HOCKEY GODS STRIKE AGAIN! THE FLAMES TIED A FRANCHISE RECORD FOR CONSECUTIVE HOME WINS, BUT THE HOCKEY GODS WOULDN’T LET THEM BREAK IT.

SECONDLY, I RAN INTO ONE OF THOSE HOCKEY GODS-IN-WAITING, FLAMES GREAT LANNY MCDONALD, IN THE LUXURY SUITES BEFORE THE GAME. THE MOST FAMOUS MOUSTACHE IN CANADA ALWAYS HAS TIME TO CHAT, AND HE’S VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO THE ASSINIBOIA SPORTS CELEBRITY DINNER ON AUGUST 9 AT THE PRINCE OF WALES CENTRE.

THE TWO OF US WILL BE JOINED BY BLUE BOMBERS GREAT CHRIS WALBY FOR A NIGHT OF STORIES, LAUGHS, AND FUNDRASING FOR A NEW ASSINIBOIA ARENA. STOP INTO NELSON MOTORS & EQUIPMENT TO GET YOUR TICKETS.

TO SAY WE’VE BEEN WELCOMED WITH OPEN ARMS BY THE CALGARY SPORTING COMMUNITY WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT!

AND I’LL SAY IT AGAIN: IF YOUR COMMUNITY IS LOOKING FOR THE FASTEST, FUNNEST WAY TO RAISE FUNDS FOR COMMUNITY PROJECTS, THROW A SPORTS BANQUET! WE’VE OPENED UP AND IT’S TIME TO GET TOGETHER. DM ME FOR AVAILABILITY BECAUSE OUR CALENDAR IS FILLING UP.

AND LASTLY, IF THERE WAS EVER A YEAR TO END SASKATCHEWAN’S BRIER DROUGHT – DATING BACK TO 1980 – THIS IS IT.

THE CANADIAN MENS CURLING CHAMPIONSHIP GETS GOING FRIDAY NIGHT IN LETHBRIDGE AND SASKATCHEWAN HAS TWO TEAMS IN THE RUNNING.

TEAM COLTON FLASCH WILL WEAR THE GREEN & WHITE AND HAS SOME STIFF COMPETITION IN DRAW 1; ALBERTA’S KEVIN KOE.

AND THE ALWAYS POPULAR TEAM MATT DUNSTONE HAS DRAWN A WILD CARD BERTH, AND THEY’RE IN DRAW 1 AS WELL, OPENING UP AGAINST NEW BRUNSWICK.

ALL GAMES WILL OF COURSE BE ON TSN, AND MAYBE THIS WILL BE OUR YEAR.

IF NOT, I’M STARTING TO WONDER WHAT WE DID TO THE CURLING GODS.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY.

(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+ TV across Canada and the USA. Call your cable provider for availability. You can also watch on YouTube Live or listen 24/7 at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive)