STANLEY VISITS REGINA

(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 & Rock 98.5 FM)

FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY, LORD STANLEY WAS IN REGINA.

IT WAS MONDAY NIGHT, AND THE STANLEY CUP WAS IN THE QUEEN CITY IN ALL ITS GLORY.

LONGTIME NHL SCOUT AND EXECUTIVE AL MURRAY CALLS REGINA HOME, AND MONDAY MARKED HIS 24 HOURS WITH THE CUP AS THE TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING’S DIRECTOR OF SCOUTING.

WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE INVITED TO THE “INVITE ONLY” EVENT AT THE ROYAL REGINA GOLF CLUB AND THE HOLY GRAIL WAS THERE ALONG WITH ITS FAMOUS “KEEPER OF THE CUP”, PHIL PRITCHARD.

THE PARTY WAS AT CAPACITY AND HAD ALL THE FEELINGS OF A WEDDING RECEPTION. AL MURRAY PLAYED THE ROLE OF FATHER OF THE BRIDE QUITE WELL, MILLING ABOUT AND SHAKING EVERY HAND IN THE ROOM.

IT WAS SHEER ELATION TO SPEND THE EVENING IMMERSED IN A ROOM OF HOCKEY PEOPLE. SO MANY OF THEM ASKED ABOUT THE REGINA PATS AND CONNOR BEDARD! (MY FAVOURITE TOPICS).

ANYWAY, THE EVENING AFFORDED PLENTY OF TIME TO HANG OUT WITH PHIL PRITCHARD, WHO’S APPEARED ON THE ROD PEDERSEN SHOW MULTIPLE TIMES.

YOU SEE, PHIL’S TRAVELING AROUND THE WORLD WITH THE STANLEY CUP, HONOURING THE NEAR 30-YEAR TRADITION OF EACH MEMBER OF THE WINNING TEAM GETTING TO KEEP THE TROPHY FOR A DAY.

ON SUNDAY NIGHT, HE WAS IN SHAUNAVON, SASK AT THE HOME OF FORMER LIGHTNING DEFENCEMAN BRAYDON COBURN. YES, COBURN WAS SHIPPED OFF TO OTTAWA A YEAR AGO BUT AS PHIL PRITCHARD POINTED OUT, HE’S GOTTA MAKE UP FOR THE YEAR WHICH WAS WIPED OUT BY COVID SO HE’S GOTTA HIT WAY MORE SPOTS.

HE AND HIS TRAVELING PARTNER MARIO WERE VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE TURNOUT AT THE ROYAL REGINA ON MONDAY, WHICH IS NO SURPRISE. REGINANS WILL GET BEHIND ANYTHING, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT’S HOCKEY. WHEN THE STANLEY CUP’S INVOLVED, FORGET IT.

UP NEXT FOR PHIL PRITCHARD AND LORD STANLEY IS A FLIGHT TO OTTAWA WHERE THEY’LL SPEND THE NEXT 24 HOURS WITH A LIGHTNING SCOUT OUT THERE, AND THEN ONTO THE NEXT DESTINATION.

WE HAVEN’T EVEN GOTTEN INTO THE STORY OF AL MURRAY YET, OTHER THAN TO SAY HE HELPED STOCK THE L-A KINGS WITH PLAYERS BUT LEFT JUST BEFORE THE FRANCHISE WON TWO STANLEY CUPS.

BUT THE LIGHTNING WEREN’T LETTING AL GET AWAY THAT EASILY, AND NOW THEY’VE CELEBRATED BACK TO BACK TITLES WITH AL IN HIS ASSISTANT GM ROLE.

IT’S TRUE EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON, AND AL MURRAY COULDN’T BE HAPPIER.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY