NEUGSIE’S AROUND THE RINKS

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

1. Leafs nation check-in: The Toronto Maple Leafs will meet the Montreal Canadiens in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Are the Leafs a million times better than the Habs? I have no doubt. Am I terrified? Absolutely. Montreal’s identity is as a bang and crash, grind it out team…not dissimilar to the Columbus Blue Jackets last year that Toronto succumbed to in the play-in round. More than that, this is the Leafs, and I have scar upon scar upon scar of dashed hopes. As my Montreal-loving buddy Lindsay texted me: “Hopefully a fully-rested Habs team will at least give the Leafs a scare. They’re the worst record of teams that made the playoffs.” And I replied, “I don’t care if we’re playing the Podunk Possums, it’s the playoffs.” Still, the Leafs are the better team by a million miles, so that’s what will keep my blood pressure at a reasonable rate. It’ll probably kick off May 19, as far as I understand.
2. McDavid: The other matchup is the Edmonton McDavids and the Winnipeg no-Ehlers’. In that match-up, you have to think the Oilers are almost as big of favourites as the Leafs are in their series. Can we take a breath and a second to just say: “Wow, are we lucky to see Connor McDavid in his prime or what?”. He looks just like he did in minor midget for the Toronto Marlboroughs all those years ago (as a ’97 vs a great generation of ’96-born kids, by the way): so dangerous every shift, the definition of unstoppable. Sorry Jets fans, there’s no way you’re stopping him.
3. The best Round 1 series: My pick for the best pure hockey series to watch is the Battle of Florida. That’s right: Coach Q has the Panthers flying, as they have a lot of the year, Jon Cooper’s Lightning are stumbling in a little bit but they’re battle-hardened…who is going to bet on this heavy-weight tilt right away? The Panthers crushed the Lightning last weekend in a pair as well, so there’s that taste in Tampa’s mouth coming in, and it’s going to be a blast and great hockey. I like that in Sergei Bobrovsky and Chris Driedger Florida has two goalies that are rested from sharing the load so well all year, but these are two really deep teams. It’s going to be good!
4. Best in Sask rolls on: Pretty excited to be a part of the Best in Sask SJHL NHL 21 tournament, with my first game coming tomorrow night on the league’s Twitch involving the Melfort Mustangs SHAW_BROz in a big clash with the La Ronge Ice Wolves Division champ Schmeeemz. Going to be a ton of action on Sunday, including Yorkton’s champion who is one of the world’s best NHL 21 players, so make sure you tune in!
5. Tricky Eichel spot: Back to real-life hockey and I haven’t envied Buffalo Sabres fans for a long time, but that dagger from Jack Eichel’s recent press conference, essentially wanting out with the reported disagreement on how to handle his medical situation…well that has got to sting. What a tire fire! There used to be plenty of animosity in me towards the Sabres from the Buffalo-Toronto rivalry of old; now I just have pity. I do love Dylan Cozens though.
6. The SJ’s DIII in Wisconsin: If Trinity Western is becoming a hot spot in USports for Saskatchewan Junior Leaguers, then I have to give a similar shout-out on the NCAA DIII side to Marian University in Wisconsin. The school made a nice move recently transferring in great ex-Melfort Mustangs D Alex Rondeau to play with his old partner Nolan Kadachuk, while Nipawin star Jordan Simoneau has recently announced his commitment there as well. Battlefords North Stars forward Mason Richey left mid-season to go there this year and played with other SJ alums Bryson Cecconi, Ty Enns, Bronson Adams, and Blake Kleiner. Rondeau had committed to DI Alaska-Fairbanks but never got into a game there.
7. Pennies for Rod: Back to the NHL and Notre Dame Hounds’ own Rod Brind’Amour has been extended as Head Coach of the Carolina Hurricanes at an outrageous bargain for the ‘Canes at an annual rate of $1.8 million. Rod ‘The Bod’ has helped build Carolina into the NHL’s No. 1 team and could have demanded a lot more money than that, but, in this climate, and with his loyalty, he just wanted to stay where he is truly happy. True happiness is a resource that is so rarely counted, and you really cannot put a price tag on it: it’s something I’m still trying to learn myself, as I’m sure you are out there! 
8. Why not?: The IIHF World Hockey Championships are just around the corner in Latvia and the rumour is Canada will be assembling its squad pretty soon. Names that have said ‘yes’ include Anaheim’s Max Comtois, Arizona’s Darcy Kuemper (which is an outstanding add by Canada GM Bobby Luongo!), and Ottawa’s Connor Brown and Nick Paul, so it’ll be interesting to see who is going to come. There is always a reason to say no for NHLers, but this year with Covid’s frustrations was likely extra exhausting, so we’ll see! It also might be a good time to try to audition for the next Olympics (like for Thomas Chabot, another Senator, for example), so it could go either way whether it’s a really serious team or not. That said, I’ve heard recent U18 Worlds champs Shane Wright and Brandt Clarke are seriously being considered, and why not? I like Wright way more in that environment than Clarke, but with the games in the middle of the night in Latvia, you might as well see what the clear No. 1 in the 2022 draft can do against men. Can you believe the kid still has another year in the OHL? Will he season himself in Europe as Auston Matthews did? Surely Wright has nothing more to prove at the junior level.
9. Blades buy Rush: Happy to see Colin Priestner and the Priestner Sports Corporation, the owners of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades, purchase the National Lacrosse League’s Saskatchewan Rush. I love to see a cash-flush owner own multiple teams in the same city: it means he or she is committed to making it all work in that location, and when that happens, the fans usually win. Both teams use the same arena, the SaskTel Centre, and though I haven’t been to a Rush game yet, I desperately want to! I used to go to Toronto Rock games, and loved them a lot! R.I.P. to the Rock by the way…I know they said they aren’t changing the name, but I WILL NEVER cheer for a team in Hamilton. On the other hand, you think those Hamilton people are going to like cheering for a Toronto team? C’mon now. I digress. Great stuff Priestners!
10. A a Modern-a man: In personal news, I got vaccinated. It’s Moderna. I know, nobody cares. The thing I feel the best about: I’m a positive statistic that hopefully moves us closer to a normal start date for the SJHL and the general opening of society. 

(Follow Jamie on Twitter at @Neugsie)