NEUGSIE’S AROUND THE RINKS

By: Jamie Neugebauer
Voice of the ND Hounds

1. Love gone: Not sure I’ve heard a bigger no-brainer in a long time than Mitch Love getting a pro job. He’s leaving Saskatoon Blades to take over the AHL’s Stockton Heat. The Bridge City bench boss, since 2018, has put up a record of 95-44-12-4 and helped build the club into one that many believe (myself included) could have really competed for a Memorial Cup this past season if Covid didn’t get in the way. He’s been on Hockey Canada staffs at the U17, U18, and U20 levels as well, and his team played outstanding, pro-style hockey in the Regina Hub – so that he has landed the head coaching job of the Calgary Flames’ American Hockey League affiliates in Stockton, CA should not raise too many eyebrows. Who’s next from the Dub? Brad Lauer in Edmonton still has the pieces to have a dominant club in 21-22, success often begets promotion, and he has a ton of NHL assistant coaching experience to boot, so let’s call that the safe pick. I really like Mark O’Leary in Moose Jaw too.
2. Believe it or not: I have a lot of respect for the Montreal Canadiens and their run, I just couldn’t agree more with the Lightning players firing chirps about how irritating their fans are *wink*. Either way, I (and many others) said Tampa in five, and we were right. So, let’s move on.
3. SJ Sked: I definitely fired off a big-time fist pump when I saw the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League officially release its 21-22 schedule Monday. Mixed with the dropping of government restrictions, all sorts of moves coming down the pipe, and the nice weather, well it was just a wonderful day! It all kicks off Sept. 24 with six tilts, including the Centennial Cup host Estevan Bruins against what has to be a new-look Yorkton Terriers, and a potential super clash between league co-favourites La Ronge Ice Wolves at the Mel and the Nipawin Hawks. AHHH I CANNOT WAIT. 
4. Hounds busy start: From a Notre Dame perspective, the puck drops on that 24th date at home against their usual Day 1 foe the Humboldt Broncos. ND played Scott Barney’s Broncos six out of nine games in the very short 20-21 campaign, and the Broncos will still be very serious with Rayce Ramsay in net, a stacked and experienced D-Corps, and a couple of very nice pieces upfront. Brett Pilkington’s Hounds will be pretty unknown to many, but I’m pretty excited to see how the likes of Princeton commit Kev Anderson, soon-to-be D1 committed Dman Jaryd Sych, and long-time Hound Blake Rasmuson look after a hard summer of work behind the scenes. Some of these young kids Brett brought in look awesome on video, but the video doesn’t count for anything when the puck drops. 
5. Calling games: Been so excited to call some games here and there this summer in preparation for pre-season, and I had a chance to do just that a couple of weekends ago on Facebook Live for Dustin Earnest’s outstanding Female Prospects camp in Caronport. This Saturday it’s the boys’ turn, and Broncos’ game-caller Rory McGouran is going to join me in the mic for six of those tilts with some great WHL prospect talent on display. Got a few other things in the works, but I missed it so, so, so, so much. I feel emotional right now even typing this! Let’s move on.
6. Frei to England: In local Regina news, Melfort Mustangs great and University of Regina Cougars captain Tristan Frei is taking his talents to the English Ice Hockey League’s Guildford Flames, and I could not be happier for just an awesome dude. It would be hard to imagine someone who, after meeting Tristan and learning of the work he has done in the community, as well as for his Metis Nation in general, wouldn’t cheer for the guy. He was productive every year he played for the Cougars, represented Canada in the 2019 University Games, and went to the 2015 RBC Cup with the Mustangs, so he’s been in some big games too. England’s league is constantly getting better too and has been a great spot for a lot of Canadians seeking hockey employment, so again, I’m very happy for him. 
7. Blue Jays insanity: You all have heard the ‘definition of insanity’ saying, so I’ll save it, but the Jays just keep wheeling out these same relievers, who keep ruining solid starts and great offensive output. This team has four offensive all-stars, the most for a Toronto team since 1993’s World Series-winning club, yet is still eight games back of the top of the A.L. East and 4.5 back of the Wild Card at the all-star break. It’s all because of the bullpen. It’s usually not this black-and-white, but right now it is. If I see another Tyler Chatwood or Anthony Castro appearance, I’m going to lose my mind. I like the Adam Cimber guy they brought in, but this team is going nowhere unless more is done. Go all-in on Craig Kimbrel from the Cubs, that would be a great start.
8. It didn’t “come home”: England crashed out in the final of the European Soccer Championship after the manager brought on two ice-cold guys very late in injury time in extra time to take penalties, and then got their youngest player on the field, 19-year-old Bukayo Saka, to take the penalty to keep them alive after those two subs missed. Sometimes these guys who think they are the smartest people in the room beat themselves by overthinking! I give those three guys all the credit in the world for agreeing to take the penalties and open themselves up to this criticism, but I don’t give a pass to the shocking decision England manager Gareth Southgate made in the biggest moment for England’s national team since 1966. Imagine the Leafs were in Game 7 and put in a rookie third-string goaltender just for overtime if the other two were still fully healthy and had been playing the whole series? Bizarre. 
9. Armas out: In more soccer news, Toronto FC did the obvious thing and fired its manager this past week. Chris Armas’ regime was a tire fire from almost the beginning, and the team responded to his being let go by putting in a decent performance to beat one of the best teams in the league, the New England Revolution (owned by the Patriots’ Bob Kraft and play at Gillette Stadium, by the way), in Foxborough, MASS. This firing was simply a situation of the team quitting on its manager, and therefore choosing FOR the club that he was not the man for them. Interim coach Javier Perez looks like a calmer, more measured, more flexible tactician compared to Armas, which is the way the team was built in the first place. You can’t force a team that is used to playing one way after years of conditioning, to completely change overnight, and to expect it to do so is pure hubris. Imagine the Baltimore Ravens asked Lamar Jackson to never scramble and just be a pocket passer, or if the Tampa Bay Bucs asked Tom Brady to scramble often? It would be a disaster. That’s what happened here. 
10. Gold Cup Canada: Finally, Canada’s men’s national soccer team is off to a hot start in our regional version of the Euros called the ‘Gold Cup’. Our guys beat up a pretty decent group of French-trained players from Martinique Sunday, rallying from going down 1-0 early to win 4-1. Our superstars Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David aren’t there, resting for the seasons with their big clubs in Europe (Davies supposedly has a little ankle sprain too, but whatever), but it is still the best I’ve felt going into a Gold Cup ever. This is the best pool of Canadian soccer players ever, so if you want to jump on board and start following, I’d be happy to fill you in on how we look! Fire me a message on Twitter @Neugsie or wherever!
11. Fun Bonus – inside the San Jose Sharks: I keep seeing the Brent Burns Kit Kat commercial where, since the new Kit Kat is supposedly ‘chunkier’, he cannot fit it in the gap between his teeth. He figures out eventually that he just needs to open his mouth wider, and that solves the problem. I asked my good pal Mario Ferraro on the Sharks if anybody chirps him about how stupid the commercial is, and he responded “Nope. He’s unchirpable lol”. Fair enough! He deserves the respect.

(Follow Jamie on Twitter at @Neugsie)