THE MONDAY MORNING GOALIE

Taking shots …

1 – RUSH HOUR: GOSH I LOVE SPORTS! This weekend was a turning point in the Saskatchewan Rush season where the team went from “there’s still time” to “must-win” games. With their backs up against the wall, they came out swinging Saturday night at SaskTel Centre and delivered a 10-9 OT win over Colorado thanks to a five goal performance from Robert Church, including the winner. There was a melee which broke out in the fourth quarter, but it dissipated due to the fact it was a one-goal game and the points were too important. It’s fascinating to dissect a season for your team. Rumour was if the Rush had lost that game, there was going to be major changes. But they won, improved to 3-6, and the schedule is a little more favourable ahead.

By the way so many people are trying to get me into soccer and tennis, and get more into curling, but to me those aren’t edge of your seat sports. Lacrosse and the NLL is, and I absolutely love it. The sport is tailor made for a thrill junkie like me.

2 – BRIDGE CITY: Not sure why Saskatoon remains Canada’s best-kept secret. It struck me while we were heading out of town that they’ve got world class sports facilities like the Shaw Centre, SaskTel Centre, oodles of world class restaurants and obviously views that are as good as you’ll find anywhere. I wasn’t even in Saskatoon for 24 hours and was inundated with talk of a new downtown 17,000-seat arena. They say it’s “a go” but I’ve been around the block long enough to know it’s not “a go” until the shovels hit the ground. Even then. However I like the designated location: in the northwest part of downtown, kitty corner from the Holiday Inn Express where I stayed Saturday night, in the railyards.

3 – THE SASKATOON COYOTES: That’s actually got a great ring to it, and I can envision the jerseys; navy base with royal blue and white trim, and a cartoon crest which looks similar to Wil E. Coyote. That’s the other thing I was hit with during the weekend road trip — the NHL to Saskatoon. I don’t want to be a negative Nelson and as Gary Etcheverry is found of saying, “Never’s a long time”. If Saskatoon feels it’s outgrown SaskTel Centre and wants to try to lure an NHL team and even more & bigger world class events, then why shouldn’t they get a new arena?? Count me as onboard with the project.

4 – AND THEN THERE WERE FOUR: It was a pleasure to attend Friday’s U-SPORTS mens hockey playoff game between my alma mater, and my hometown team: the University of Regina Cougars versus the Mount Royal University Cougars. (The reason both teams have the same name is the exact same reason the CFL had two teams with the same name for 50 years). Anyway, MRU swept Regina in two 1-goal games and it was a disappointing way to go out for Regina. They stayed here at the Grey Eagle Resort & Casino so I saw their players and staff a lot. The green Cougars could’ve given a lot more, from what I saw, and waited until the final five minutes of Game 1 to really turn it on. Game 2 went to OT. But it was a treat to watch former Pats Brady Pouteau, Riley Krane, Bryce Platt and the like, plus Regina’s own Turner Ripplinger (I remember when he was born), and Brandon Holtby is a treat to watch in goal. Meanwhile up in Saskatoon, Mike Babcock’s U of S Huskies bowed out to lower-seeded University of Calgary in a Best-of-3 quarterfinal which went the limit and the final four are now Alberta, UBC, Calgary and Mount Royal. Is it just my circle who was all geeked up about this over the weekend or were you as well??

5 – GO PATS GO: Good news/bad news for God’s Team – The good news is that 16-year old phenom Connor Bedard has notched 26 points over his last 12 games and is filling WHL barns on the road to watch him play. The bad news is the Regina Pats lost all three games of a three game Alberta road trip over the weekend to fall to 19-26-3, and 10th place in the Eastern Conference. (Why was Dave Struch fired again?)  The scouts I go with say Regina could still make the playoffs – they’re six points out with plenty of games left – and I dearly hope they do. If there were playoffs last year, the Pats would’ve been in them and that would’ve been a great stage for Bedard. However for the bottom to fall out this year and have Bedard languishing on a next-to-last place team is inexplicable. The old time Regina media (Bob Hughes & Gregg Drinnan) would eviscerate this ownership if this season flops. Rob Vanstone still may, as he’s cut from that cloth.

It’s fascinating to see how this season turns out for the blueshirts.

6 – VOICE OF THE RIDERS: It took me over two years to not associate my name with that title but finally we’re there. The last several months have expedited that process. It’s fascinating to hear the names and rumours attached to the Derek Taylor replacement search and I guarantee I’ve heard them all. I know whom I would hire, but as usual nobody asks me. It was tough getting over giving 23 years of your heart & soul, blood, sweat & tears only to have people act like you were never there at all but once you realize it’s not personal, it got easier. The result is the most free’ing feeling imaginable, and it’s vastly helped me counsel players and coaches who’ve gone through the same thing. Now if everyone else could get over it, that would be fantastic but I doubt they ever will. Que sera sera.

I wish the next guy, or gal, bon chance.

7 – FEEL THE BURN: A hot rumour making the rounds in Calgary is that the AHL’s Stockton Heat could be moving to Cowtown. The Heat played out of the Saddledome for the 2020-21 season due to Covid and the WHL’s Hitmen got bumped to the gorgeous new 7 Chiefs Sportsplex here on Tsuu T’ina Nation, next to Grey Eagle. But the insiders say the Flames would like to make the move of their top farm team permanent, however the biggest problem is there’s no 3,500-seat arena in Calgary. Most are around the 2,000 mark. The obvious question of: Can Calgary support NHL, AHL, WHL, AJHL & U-SPORTS is floating around but my answer to that is an emphatic YES. If Toronto and Winnipeg can do it, this hockey-mad town certainly can. And I’d look at returning to play-by-play with an AHL team. Road trips to Palm Springs, Tuscon, San Diego and Las Vegas sound nice. Analyzing and broadcasting hockey is the most natural thing I’ve ever done in my life, other than helping others in the Recovery field.

8 – FEAR THE DEER: I’m spending time with the football folk too, and the Calgarians have noticed what went on up in Edmonton last week with the CFL’s Elks offering a 72-hour blitz promotion of $99 season seats. The team boasted that they had a record amount of season tickets sold in a single day. As one CFL exec said to me, “Yeah but how many did they sell?” It’s a fair question, and one that a community-owned team should be prepared/forced to answer.

9 – CUI/DOMAN RENAISSANCE: Frankly I’m not as concerned with the facts as others are. The CFL seems to be *hopefully* hitting a new wave with some new blood like Elks President Victor Cui and BC Lions owner Amar Doman. Clearly Cui is behind the $99 season ticket promotion and he likely pissed a lot of people off with it. Current season ticket holders feel duped and other teams feel the Elks have devalued tickets. But Victor clearly doesn’t care and with the teasing of a “new look” later this week, the Elks franchise has gotten a crash course in “creating a buzz” thanks to their new President. It’s about time.

10 – RANDOM THOUGHTS: I’m not interested in driving that highway between Calgary and Saskatoon again anytime soon. Particularly in the winter. … What’s the opposite of calling “Shotgun”? I called the backseat for the drive home. … I’m told one national media company has informed its staff that they won’t be traveling to cover sports (including CFL) in 2022. In related news, the RP Show WILL be traveling to cover CFL games, as well as NFL, NHL, Junior Hockey, NHL, the Brier etc. The mainstream media is going one way, and we keep going another. … Check out The Rod Pedersen Show today at 12 pm ET live on Game+ TV Network (call your cable provider for details) or YouTube Live. … We also feature 24-hour sports radio here. Click on the link and give it a listen if you’re missing us on the radio. …   Is it harder to get out of bed in the winter or is it just me? Fortunately in Florida, it’s a 12-month summer, which makes getting out of bed not a problem. … For some reason the topic of CFL football in the Maritimes has reared its head again but I’m tapping out. I don’t have time for a topic or initiative that it appears will never happen. What an opportunity missed. … I’d like to get The Rock’s take on the XFL’s negotiations with the CFL. He’d be a great interview on The RP Show. Stay tuned. … With so much going on in sports as we near the end of the pandemic, I miss watching NASCAR. However I don’t spend much time lying around watching TV all day. I’d love to watch it live however. … Watching civilians – including dozens of children – being killed in Ukraine makes complaining about wearing a mask seem silly doesn’t it? Fortunately we soon won’t have to, but it seems minor now. … Will the people promising a boycott of Rider games due to Proof Of Vaccination requirement live up to it? I doubt it. … Take care of yourself, and each other.

Y’er welcome,
RP
@rodpedersen