MONDAY CAT COUNTRY COMMENTARY: DESERT DOG-GONE-IT
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary at 9:50 am and 5:20 pm on Cat Country 98 FM)
2020 STRIKES AGAIN.
OUT OF THE MYRIAD OF GRUESOME NEWS COMING OUT OF THE WEEKEND, THIS ONE GOT LOST IN THE SHUFFLE: THE ARIZONA COYOTES AND GENERAL MANAGER JOHN CHAYKA HAVE PARTED WAYS ON THE EVE OF THE STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS.
THE NEWS MADE MY EARS PERK UP BECAUSE THE COYOTES ARE MY THIRD FAVOURITE HOCKEY TEAM BEHIND THE OILERS AND GOLDEN KNIGHTS. PLUS, GM’S AND TEAMS DON’T PART WAYS VERY OFTEN AND THEY NEVER DO JUST BEFORE THE PLAYOFFS.
THIS IS A TALE WORTH UNRAVELLING IF YOU’RE INTERESTED. CHAYKA WAS HIRED FOUR YEARS AGO BY THE COYOTES AS A 20-SOMETHING ANALYTICS WHIZ KID IN THE MOLD OF LEAFS G-M KYLE DUBAS. THAT WAS TWO OWNERSHIP GROUPS AGO.
THE GUYS WHO HIRED CHAYKA ARE REGINA BUSINESSMAN GARY DRUMMOND AND HIS TRUSTY SIDEKICK ANTHONY LEBLANC, WHO OWNED THE TEAM AT THE TIME. THE HIRING WAS CRITICIZED AT THE TIME BUT NO ONE CAN DENY THE STRIDES THE ‘YOTES HAVE MADE ON CHAYKA’S WATCH.
WELL, APPARENTLY THE NEW OWNERS CAN. AND IT WAS LAST WEEK WHERE THE FLYING MERUELO’S – OWNER ALEX AND HIS SON ALEX JUNIOR – WERE SEEN COURTING STAR FORWARD TAYLOR HALL FOR A CONTRACT EXTENSION. CHAYKA WAS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND AND THAT’S WHEN THIS STORY HIT THE NEWS.
DAYS LATER, CHAYKA WAS OUT AND AN UNPROFESSIONALLY-WORDED NEWS RELEASE FROM THE TEAM ON SUNDAY STATED HE “QUIT” AND THAT THE CLUB IS DISAPPOINTED IN CHAYKA’S ACTIONS AND HIS TIMING.
I’VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME AROUND THE COYOTES OVER THE YEARS, PARTICULARLY WHEN WE PARTNERED WITH THE RIDERS FOR THOSE RIDER PRIDE EVENTS AT COYOTES GAMES.
ONE THING BECAME VERY CLEAR TO ME AFTER VISITING WITH HUNDREDS OF PHOENIX HOCKEY FANS: ARIZONA DIDN’T FAIL THE NHL. THE NHL HAS FAILED ARIZONA.
THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY ON CAT COUNTRY 98.
