FRIDAY COMMENTARY – IIIIIIITT’S TIIIIIIIIIIIMMMMMME!

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

IF THE WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE COULD’VE AFFORDED IT, IT WOULD’VE BEEN NICE IF THEY’D BROUGHT IN UFC RING ANNOUNCER BRUCE BUFFER FOR TONIGHT’S SEASON-OPENING GAMES IN THE HUB CENTRE.

CAN YOU IMAGINE JUST BEFORE THE WARRIORS FACE THE WHEAT KINGS AT 4:00 OR THE PATS TAKE ON THE RAIDERS AT 8:00, BUFFER IN HIS TUXEDO JUMPING IN THE AIR AND SCREAMING … “IIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTT’S TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMMMMME!”

THAT CERTAINLY WOULD GET THE FANS GOING!

OH WAIT.

BUT IT DOESN’T MATTER. WHEN MOOSE JAW, BRANDON, REGINA AND P-A HIT THE ICE IN THE BRANDT CENTRE LATER TODAY, IT’LL MARK 366 DAYS SINCE THEY LAST SAW ACTION.

ONE MORE TIME, AND I’LL BE DOING IT FOR A FEW MORE WEEKS, HATS OFF TO THE WHL LEADERS FOR FINDING A WAY TO GET THEIR PLAYERS BACK ONTO THE ICE FOR THE SAKE OF DEVELOPMENT, WINNING, AND ENTERTAINMENT FOR YOU AND ME.

IT SURE AS HECK ISN’T TO MAKE MONEY BECAUSE THEY’RE LOSING A PILE AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHO’S UNDERWRITING THE COST OF THIS.

MAYBE IT’S THE ROCK?

REGARDLESS, THE STORYLINES ARE THESE: BRANDON’S DON MCGILLVARY MAKES HIS HEAD COACHING DEBUT WHILE MOOSE JAW’S MARK O’LEARY COACHES HIS FIRST SINCE THE INTERIM TAG WAS TAKEN OFF LAST SUMMER. WHEAT KINGS/WARRIORS AT 4.

AND IN THE MAIN EVENT, IT’S RAIDERS/PATS UNDER THE ORANGE TOP AS THE HOLY CHILD CONNOR BEDARD MAKES HIS LONG-AWAITED WHL DEBUT AS THE LEAGUE’S FIRST-EVER EXCEPTIONAL PLAYER, WEARING #98 FOR THE REGINA PATS.

ALSO, IT’S THE RETURN OF 20-YEAR OLD NETMINDER MAX PADDOCK INTO THE DOME. THE PATS TRADED HIM TO P-A LAST YEAR AT THE DEADLINE AND HIS UNCLE JOHN JUST HAPPENS TO BE THE G-M OF THE PATS.

WHY, AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, DO I HAVE TINGLES AND JITTERS ON OPENING NIGHT?

IT’S BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT I WAS BORN TO DO.

TUNE US IN ON ACCESS-NOW TELEVISION IF YOU CAN OR TRY TO FIND A VIEWING PARTY AT A LOCAL WATERING HOLE. THE FOUR SEASONS SPORTS PALACE AND FAMOSO IN REGINA WILL HAVE IT. IF NOT, CATCH THE GAME ON WHL LIVE ON THE LEAGUE’S WEBSITE.

IIIIIIIIIITTTTTTT’S TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIME.

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