TOP 10 STORIES OF 2022

We always love the year-end stuff around here so here are the top stories of the year from the wonderful world of the RP Show! Please enjoy and Happy New Year:

10 – JUNIOR HOCKEY: Connor Bedard became the youngest player in WHL history to score 50 goals (16 years, nine months and one day) and the Regina Pats phenom would go on to register 51 goals and 100 points in 62 games as a 16-year old. The North Vancouver, BC product’s heroics touched off the debate of “Is Connor Bedard the best Regina Pat ever?” I’ve recused myself from that debate, luckily enough being such close friends with all the Pats greats! You’ll have to decide for yourself.

9 – FLORIDA: The top news story of 2022 in the Sunshine State was Hurricane Ian. The Category 4 Atlantic hurricane pounded Florida’s Gulf Coast, killing 157 people and causing $50.2-billion damage. The RP Show was broadcasting from South Florida at the time, but was nowhere near the destruction.

8 – NBA: We’re not the biggest fans of the hardwood, but we’re learning fast thanks to airing on WQEE Radio Metro-Atlanta daily! The firing of head coach Steve Nash by the Brooklyn Nets on November 1 quickly comes to mind as basketball’s Story of the Year. The abrupt move rankled a lot of fans of the Victoria, BC product but you can hardly argue with the results. The Nets are currently riding an 8-game winning streak.

7 – ALBERTA: We spent 23 weeks in Wild Rose Country and enjoyed every single second of it (thanks Flames, Oilers, Stampeders, Elks, Hockey Canada, Telus & everyone else!) The biggest story of the year in Alberta came in May when Premier Jason Kenney stepped down as leader of the United Conservative party after only receiving 51.4% in a leadership review vote by party members. Danielle Smith is now Alberta’s Premier.

6 – NFL: The 41-day retirement of Tom Brady in February has to rank as the NFL’s top story of 2022. We’d like to say the “demise of Tom Brady” could be the story however with Tampa Tom’s OT win on Christmas Day at Arizona, the 45-year old is in contention to win his EIGHTH Super Bowl. That would immediately become the story of the year.

5 – CFL: We’ve discussed this in recent columns but Canadian quarterback Nathan “WestJet” Rourke’s record-smashing season with the BC Lions has been voted as the slam dunk Story of the Year in the CFL. The kid who was born in Victoria but raised in Oakville, ON revived the CFL in Vancouver and was named 2022 CFL Most Outstanding Canadian despite only playing half a season. Now his NFL tryout tour is the #1 story of the off-season.

4 – MLB: Easy peezy. Yankees brute Aaron Judge breaking Roger Maris’s 61-year old American League homerun record of 61 dingers in October was easily baseball’s Story of the Year.

3 – SASKATCHEWAN: Unfortunately our beloved home province’s biggest Story of the Year was September’s mass stabbing on James Smith Cree Nation and in Weldon, SK leaving 12 dead and 18 injured. It was one of the worst massacres in Canadian history. The healing continues.

2 – WORLD: Prince Charles became King Charles in September following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth! What a run she had. … Sadly, topping that was Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, touching off a war that’ll carry into 2023.

1 – NHL: It’s our favourite league and the top story was undoubtedly Alexander Ovechkin surpassing Gordie Howe for #2 on the all-time goals list, notching a pair just last Friday at home against Winnipeg, giving the Great Eight 802! Ovi now only trails Wayne Gretzky’s 894 and get out of here with the silly WHA and KHL arguments about all-time pro hockey goals!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
RP
@rodpedersen

(Photo: Washington Capitals)