THE MONDAY MORNING GOALIE

Slap Shots …

1 – HUGHES’ING: Roughriders fans really don’t want to see Charleston Hughes go. The current CFL sack king has only been in Riderville for two seasons – three years – but insiders are predicting his time in Green & White is up after objecting to a paycut. That cut is reportedly $15,000 from his last contract of $165,000 per season. Watching the fan reaction on this from both sides has been wildly entertaining. However it appears Charleston’s set to go to free agency and I’m told other teams have their offers already prepared. Perhaps we’ll find out more when Hughes appears on the RP Show on Tuesday.

2 – FEEL THE BURNS: I was shocked that some CFL alumni have objected to the feel-good story of 56-year old Darin Burns – a former Ticats, Rough Rider and Alouettes D-lineman – attempting a comeback. Eddie Steele and Rob Maver have voiced loud opposition on social media for a variety of reasons. Eddie feels this isn’t a “gimmick league” and those highly-coveted roster spots should go to prospects who’ve earned it. Maver, on the other hand, doesn’t like the PR spin or being “thirsty for headlines”. I got in a mild back-and-forth with them and then realized, “why do I care so much?” The CFL will do whatever it chooses. (I feel the Argos should sign Burns and at least bring him to camp). As one of our crew at the RP Show said regarding this story in a post-show meeting, “State Fair Football”.

3 – 50/50: All this discussion may be for not. The Covid climate doesn’t look positive for the CFL to even see the field in 2021. As TSN reporter Matthew Sciannitti mentioned on SportsCentre earlier this week, “There’s so much uncertainty surrounding even 2021”. Another report I got last night was, “What I’m hearing out of Toronto isn’t good”. It’s become very clear that the CFL will need fans in the stands to survive. Period. What does it mean to mothball the league? TSN’s Dave Naylor mentioned that term ages ago.

4 – MARTAVIS BRYANT: The reality is there will always be football players willing to come to the CFL if it means a chance at the NFL, or the chance to resurrect their career. It would be a shame if we were robbed of seeing Martavis Bryant, the exiled NFL WR who signed with the Argonauts this week. The former Steeler & Raider amassed over 2,000 yards receiving and 17 TDs in four NFL seasons before being suspended indefinitely for substance abuse violations. He said all the right things on Friday’s RP Show and frankly, I’m pulling for the guy. But if he can get a shot at age 29, then so should Duron Carter who’s the exact same age. Duron’s better than em all.

5 – YOUNG FACES, NEW PLACES: It’s no shock that Covid has forced the end of playing careers and a lot of players have taken up coaching positions. Lucky them! There are far more quality coaches out there than there are jobs. QB B.J. Daniels had a cup of coffee with the Roughriders in between 5 NFL seasons and stints in the Alliance League and XFL. This week he was announced as offensive assistant with his alma mater University of South Florida Bulls. Daniels is one of the most prolific passers in school history in Tampa. … Meanwhile former Rider QB Soeth Doege was announced this week as an assistant coach of the staff at USC. Wonderful guy.

6 – NHL LEFTOVERS: Prayers up for Marco Rossi, who’s left the Minnesota Wild for the season due to lingering complications from contracting Covid. … The Edmonton Oilers beat the NHL’s #1 team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, in overtime Saturday night. Does that make the Oilers #1? … Montreal’s 2-0 shutout loss to Calgary was a reality check for the Canadiens, who lost in regulation for the first time. … Nice first career goal by Florida’s Aleksi Heponiemi, formerly of the Swift Current Broncos. He scored it in Detroit. …  I enjoy following “average Joes” on Twitter. Sometimes they have the best lines! Like Ryan Nicholas who Tweeted, “NHL is now just the Canadian Division to me. No idea what’s happening in the rest of the league.” Many people agreed with him. … For the record, the Washington Capitals and Colorado Avalanche are making their move. … Why are rarely any Canadian broadcasters referring to the Scotia, Discover, Honda and MassMutual Divisions? I am. Thought we were all in this together? Oh right.

7 – SJHL VIRTUAL SHOWCASE: Bravo to the SJHL for pulling off their annual Virtual Showcase over the weekend, and thanks for having me broadcast three of the games on Twitch! Covid forced the SJHL to take its annual All Star Game online and teams were split up into the Viterra, Sherwood, SaskTel and Global Ag Risk Divisions. Viewership was well into the thousands. Braden Klimosko’s Team Global Ag Risk won the Sask Milk Cup in overtime Saturday afternoon! It was great to hear the kids’ names again and interview the actual coaches in the intermissions via Zoom. Humboldt Broncos coach Scott Barney admitted the players heads “really aren’t into it anymore” but his task is to keep them ready in the event a 2020-21 season is saved. Hopefully we get some news on that soon.

Above all, it was just elating to be around the SJHL guys for a few days even if it was a “virtual” rink.

8 – DUB HUB: The news of Alberta’s Return To Play beginning February 26 has WHL people and hockey-fan-politicians in neighbouring provinces eager to play. Minister Joe Hargrave in Prince Albert told the website PANow.com, “I’m very optimistic and hopeful that it’s going to be that way for Saskatchewan and the Prince Albert Raiders. Even if fans are limited in going, we’ll be listening in on the radio whenever we can. I’m optimistic that if Alberta found a way, that we can find a way to do the same thing.”

Meanwhile up in Prince George, Cougars VP of Business Andy Beesley told CKPGToday.ca, “The good news for our division is the same Return to Play protocol that was approved in Alberta is the exact same that we’re offering to our health authorities, so we’re very hopeful that we’re on the right track and getting close for approval. I think there’s an excellent possibility that we’re going to be exploring all different options, including travelling around like a normal mini-season. But very potentially the possibility of everyone going to a bubble and playing, similar to what the NHL has done in the past. I think in terms of what we’re proposing is the traditional protected environment would be our preferred way to go. What I mean by that is each team would be in their own community, their own rink, and travelling around, kind of like normal except for in a very protected environment,”

9 – BREAKING TV NEWS: Three things you should know about the RP Show. 1) Beginning Monday, Feb. 1 the entire two hours of the show will air on Game+ TV across 10 provinces and 31 states beginning at Noon ET. That means for Saskatchewan viewers, the show will go to air at 11:00 am until the March time change, when it’ll revert back to 10 am. 2) Canada’s largest satellite TV provider, Bell-TV, has added Game+ to its channel lineup and a free preview begins Monday in Manitoba and Ontario. That’s probably around a million more homes daily. I’m working on getting the exact numbers. 3) Beginning Feb. 6 the RP Show will debut on AccessNow TV across Saskatchewan, airing Saturday and Sunday at Noon. That’s close to 100,000 more homes.

10 – CAT COUNTRY FM, IKS MEDIA, DUPONT MEDIA: I was elated to hear the news this week that Cat Country 98 FM – the station owned by Huber Radio for which I produce the Rod Pedersen Commentary daily – will be the province’s first HD radio station beginning in a couple weeks’ time. Well done! … Meanwhile between that, and the technological advances made by IKS Media (the production company which houses and produces the RP Show daily), it dawned on me this week why I’m so happy career-wise these days! These companies are owned and operated by actual BROADCASTERS with keen business acumen like Steve “Hurricane” Huber, Paul Drouin and Darren Dupont. It’s thrilling to go to work everyday with, and for, people who know what they’re doing, have my best interests at heart, and are at the tip of the spear in the industry. I can finally put into words the elation I’ve felt for the past 18 months. I’ll do this for the next 25 years.

THANK YOU!
RP
@rodpedersen