THURSDAY COMMENTARY – POKER FACE
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary at 9:50 am and 5:20 pm on Cat Country 98 FM)
SOMETIMES I HAVE TO WONDER IF SPILLING THE BEANS IS REALLY SO BAD?
THE NHL WORLD IS BUZZING OVER AN INTERVIEW VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS OWNER BILL FOLEY DID WEDNESDAY WHERE HE LET SOME PRETTY CLASSIFIED INFO SLIP.
THE QUESTION – I BELIEVE – WAS IF IT HURT TO TRADE DEFENCEMAN NATE SCHMIDT TO A DIVISIONAL FOE IN THE VANCOUVER CANUCKS.
FOLEY SAID TO THE HOST “THEY’RE GOING TO BE IN THE CANADIAN DIVISION ANYWAYS”.
THAT GOT ALARM BELLS RINGING ABOUT SOMETHING WE’D HEARD ABOUT FOR AT LEAST A MONTH … THE NHL WILL RETURN JANUARY 1ST AND WILL FEATURE REGIONAL DIVISIONS DESIGNED TO CUT DOWN ON TRAVEL.
THAT INCLUDES A 7-TEAM CANADIAN DIVISION WHICH WOULD ELIMINATE THE NEED TO CROSS THE BORDER. PERFECT!
TO ME THIS STORY IS MORE ABOUT FOLEY THAN TEMPORARY REALIGNMENT.
I’VE BEEN AROUND THE GUY LOTS AND HE’S VERY QUICKLY BECOME ONE OF THE NHL’S MOST INFLUENTIAL OWNERS. BUT HE’S ALSO JUST A GOOD GUY; A SELF-MADE BILLIONAIRE WHO SPENT HIS YOUTH IN OTTAWA AND LOVES HOCKEY.
HE’S HONEST, WHICH SETS HIM APART FROM A LOT OF SPORTS EXECUTIVES. IN AN INTERVIEW WE DID AT A VEGAS HOTEL FIVE YEARS AGO, HE TOLD ME HIS INTENTION WAS TO STOCK THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS FRONT OFFICE AND HOCKEY OPS DEPARTMENTS WITH CANADIANS BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE GAME BEST.
HE WAS TRUE TO HIS WORD, AND THE FRANCHISE HAS BECOME THE MOST SUCCESSFUL EXPANSION TEAM IN PRO SPORTS HISTORY.
THE ONLY PROBLEM HERE IS THAT HE MAY GET MUZZLED, LIKELY PROHIBITED FROM DOING FURTHER INTERVIEWS, AND ANOTHER GREAT PERSONALITY IN SPORTS COULD BE SILENCED DUE TO THE SILLY NEED TO KEEP EVERYTHING A SECRET.
THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY ON CAT COUNTRY 98.
