TUESDAY COMMENTARY – CANADA VS USA FOR GOLD

(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary at 9:50 am and 5:20 pm on Cat Country 98 FM)

THE 2021 WORLD JUNIORS WILL END TONIGHT.

LIKE EVERY OTHER YEAR, THIS WORLD JUNIORS TOURNAMENT IS A CASE OF “IF YOU BLINK, YOU’LL MISS IT”.

WHAT’S UNLIKE EVERY OTHER YEAR IS THAT HOCKEY CANADA AND THE IIHF PULLED THIS TOURNEY OFF IN THE EDMONTON BUBBLE AND YOU’VE GOTTA THINK THERE’S A LOT OF RELIEF AROUND THE RINK THAT THEY’RE ONE GAME AWAY FROM PULLING IT OFF.

CANADA WILL PLAY THE UNITED STATES TONIGHT AT ROGERS PLACE FOR WORLD JUNIOR GOLD AND IT’LL BRING ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES.

REMEMBER LAST YEAR’S WILD GOLD MEDAL GAME IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC WHERE CANADA ERASED A 3-1 THIRD PERIOD DEFICIT TO THE RUSSIANS TO COME BACK AND WIN? THE GAME INCLUDED THE ZANY ENDING WHERE THE PUCK WENT OFF A TSN CAMERA AS CANADA WAS CLEARING THE ZONE, HELPING THE CANADIANS TO DEFEND A 5-ON-3, AND EVENTUALLY WIN THE GAME.

MAN, THAT SEEMS LIKE A DECADE AGO. AND THE HEROES OF THAT CANADIAN TEAM – BARRETT HAYTON AND ALEXIS LAFRENIERE – ARE NOWHERE NEAR THIS YEAR’S TEAM.

THIS TIME AROUND IT’S GUYS LIKE DEVON LEVI, ALEX NEWHOOK, QUINTON BYFIELD AND DYLAN COZENS WHOM ARE BECOMING HOUSEHOLD NAMES.

AND LET’S NOT FORGET ABOUT TEAM USA MEMBERS LIKE TREVOR ZEGAS, COLE CAUFIELD AND SPENCER KNIGHT. YOU’LL HEAR PLENTY FROM THEM TONIGHT.

I GUARANTEED THEY’D PLAY THIS TOURNAMENT BECAUSE THE WORLD JUNIORS ARE CANADA’S ANSWER TO THE ROSE BOWL AND SUGAR BOWL. THEY’RE A MAJOR MONEY-MAKER AND A TV RATINGS BONANZA.

SO ENJOY TONIGHT. THEN IT’S YOUR CHOICE OF HOW YOU’D LIKE TO PROCEED – READYING FOR THE START OF THE NHL SEASON NEXT WEEK, OR HAND-WRINGING ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE CFL, WHL AND THE REST.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY ON CAT COUNTRY 98.