NEUGSIE’S AROUND THE RINKS

By: Jamie Neugebauer
Voice of the ND Hounds/DUBNetwork MJ Warriors Beat Writer

1. The Tornado: Are we in for another round of “will that shut down?” Absolutely we are. Here’s at the very core of that angst you’re feeling, whether it’s because you think your local government should or shouldn’t shut things down, whether you think vaccines are good or bad, or pretty much everything: there are 7 billion people on earth, and everyone has different priorities. Most people aren’t “bad” people, they are just doing their best (like Scott Moe, Dr. Shahab, etc.), it’s just that their priorities are not exactly in line with your priorities, because they’re different people, with different jobs (very different in most cases). It’s the same angst you feel at work when your boss treats you a certain way or a co-worker…it all comes down to priorities. I desperately don’t want the SJHL or any hockey to be shut down, that affects a ton of people I care about, and it’s my job, it’s how I help pay for diapers, but the only way I’ll find peace in this next time is to simply accept that the people in control and the people on Twitter have different priorities – public health, the economy, etc. I’m no expert, but maybe that’s step one to avoid some mental health issues.
2. Olympics: It didn’t take a genius to see that the NHLers going to the Olympics was doomed as literally 120+ NHLers are in COVID protocol right now, and the issues everyone at the league and the PA had with going were growing longer every day. Sure, I’m disappointed, and it makes sense if you are, but this is probably the right call. That being said, there are tons and tons of other great athletes going to the Games who aren’t millionaires, including plenty of very good hockey players, and the tournament in Korea was actually awesome. So I’ll still be locked in, especially to our women’s hockey team, and love that Olympic curling, short-track speed skating, and any sort of ‘cross race’…like ski-cross or snowboard cross. I’ll watch almost anything at the winter games (maybe not the cross-country skiing), probably because Canada is relevant in so much of it!
3. Happy Bettman: Yep, Gary Bettman is happy. The big wigs never wanted the players to go, even if Covid didn’t exist, but to expect billionaires to be happy about million-dollar assets putting themselves on the line for no financial gain to themselves is to simply be ignorant of the capitalist world we live in. Oh well! Will 39-year-old Sid the Kid be ready for the 2026 Italy games? Seriously though, I beg the powers at be to have another best-on-best tournament soon so we can see McDavid play with the generation just ahead of him…
4. Spengler: Hockey Canada pulled out of the Spengler Cup as well this week, but did you know that in their place will be a ‘Bern Selects’ team that will feature Bobby Ryan, Phil Varone, Burlington, Ontario legend Cory Conacher, and Stumpy Steve Thomas’ boy Christian? Watch it on YouTube and/or follow my buddy Steve Ellis on Twitter (can’t think of anyone in the hockey print world who works harder than Steve Ellis) and follow along. 
5. I’ll be honest…: Am I disappointed that the Notre Dame Hounds Junior A was so poor in December? For sure. The exact why is not easy to pinpoint, probably a host of reasons, but 2-6 and clinging to a playoff spot was tough to watch after such a great couple of months. That being said, Brett Pilkington’s process is to ice a super young team with a super-young leadership group, and growing pains come in all shapes and sizes. I believe in Brett’s vision, and I believe in the core of this ND team, I just hate losing and we all have to be patient! Ok, rant over. 
6. Credit where it’s due: The Humboldt Broncos, the No. 1 team in the league, have an 18-year-old and a 17-year-old, Connor McGrath and Matt Perkins respectively, as their two most consistent forwards, but they have that super vet comfort blanket of four rock-solid 2001 defencemen, and an elite 2001 goaltender in Rayce Ramsay behind them (not to mention the 179 WHL games of Alex Morozoff, and the 2001-born presence of the league’s most improved player Braiden Koran up there as well). It’s a well-built team, bought into a well-constructed and supported culture. I am very happy to see coaches around the league, Pilkington and Humboldt’s Scott Barney among the forefront, giving big-time opportunities to elite young talent (keyword YOUNG).
7. Can’t wait: The World Juniors are just around the corner (they won’t be cancelled…right? Right…Right?). The teams are in Alberta, and though the pre-tournament was cut short, it looks like it’s a go! I’ve been hemming and hawing that the Edmonton Oil Kings are going to win the WHL for a while on this column now, and low and behold two-thirds of Canada’s leadership group are Kings (Kaiden Guhle and Jake Neighbours). I also said on Rod’s show that everyone needed to relax: Connor Bedard is going to make it, and he’s going to do great, and it’s going to be great for him to just focus on scoring and creating goals, instead of the pressure of being Regina’s Lord and Saviour. It kicks off Boxing Day vs. the Czechs, and if Canada doesn’t win gold I’ll be pretty surprised. The Americans and Russians are the biggest competition, as usual.
8. Nash!: I am getting mixed reviews about including soccer talk in my column, but I don’t care, because it’s my column! Was pretty pumped to see NBA and Canadian Legend Steve Nash’s brother Martin named manager of my favourite Canadian Premier League team, York United F.C. I am from York Region in Ontario, in fact, and while I know YUFC doesn’t EXACTLY play in York Region, it’s definitely the closest pro team of any sort to where I grew up and where my family still lives. Martin Nash was on the Canadian national soccer team around the same time his brother was ripping it up on the court, and I have a lot more faith that he’ll do a good job than this predecessor Jimmy Brennan. GLORY, GLORY YORK UNITED!
9. Narrative spinning: Watching pretty much every game of my beloved Minnesota Vikings this year makes me laugh because every single game the media, and the Vikes, try to spin Kirk Cousins into some sort of newly reborn elite QB. Is he having a better statistical year? For sure. I think he’s around 28 TDs to five picks, which is unreal, but he’s still so far from clutch, and that’s the difference between a decent NFL QB like him, and Tommy B or Rodgers. It’s in that tornado, in that storm, late in the fourth in a tight, big game, that Cousins has never, and looks like will never be able to do it (believe it or not, I do hope I’m wrong). I don’t blame him, there are not many people in the world that can be Brady or Rodgers, but they try to spin that narrative for Kirk every single game this year. They just barely beat a practice-squad Chicago Bears this past week…just barely…and lost to the joke Detroit Lions a couple of weeks ago. Oy, why do I put myself through this when I’ve never even been to Minnesota! Ha. I’m not changing teams, don’t worry.
10. Booster: I was up (obviously, with two small kids) and on my computer right at 8 p.m. Monday to try to book my booster shot, and what a battle with the system that was! Anyways I have it booked for the 27th, and am I disappointed those two shots didn’t save our society from another mutation of the virus? Sure, but obviously a vaccine hurried wasn’t going to work perfectly. The medical people are still saying it’s way better to be vaxxed if you get the Rona than not, and I absolutely acknowledge they are way smarter than me, so call me the roadrunner, because I am going to get my third and fourth and fifth and sixth and 439th shot as fast as I can. Whatever it takes to protect my family, my community, myself, and my job going (hopefully it does all that!).
11. Merry Christmas: To all of you! Try to love your neighbour people, any other direction will leave you ruined.

(Follow Jamie on Twitter at @Neugsie)