TUESDAY COMMENTARY

(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 & Rock 98.5 FM)

RARELY HAVE I BEEN THIS RIDDLED WITH CURIOUSITY. FOR A FEW REASONS.

THE 2022 WORLD JUNIOR HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP OPENS TODAY HERE IN EDMONTON AND IT’S ALREADY QUITE A SCENE.

SOME MEDIA IS DOING ITS BEST TO THROW A COLD BLANKET ON THE PROCEEDINGS, RUNNING HEADLINES SAYING THE TOURNAMENT HAS BEEN A TOUGH SELL.

YET FROM WHAT I’M TOLD, AND IT’S EVEN BEEN PUBLISHED IN THE NEWSPAPERS, ONLY A THOUSAND TICKETS ARE LEFT FOR TODAY’S GAMES AND 13-HUNDRED WERE LEFT AS OF MONDAY FOR TEAM CANADA’S TOURNAMENT OPENER ON WEDNESDAY.

ROGERS PLACE HOLDS 18,500. DOES THAT SOUND TO YOU LIKE THE WORLD JUNIORS IS HAVING A TOUGH TIME SELLING SEATS?

THERE WERE OILER GAMES LAST YEAR THAT WERE AT LEAST A THOUSAND GAMES FROM A SELLOUT.

THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT HOCKEY CANADA HAS BEEN THROUGH A TOUGH STRETCH THE PAST FEW MONTHS BUT IT JUST SEEMS TO ME THE MEDIA IS TRYING TO PILE ON AND DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM BUYING TICKETS.

SO WHEN THE DOORS OPEN TODAY AND THE PUCK FINALLY DROPS, I’LL BE INCREDIBLY INTERESTED TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY COME THROUGH THE DOORS.

CONSUMERS HAVE THIS IDEA OF “THE MEDIA SAID IT SO IT MUST BE TRUE” AND THAT’S WHY I’VE ALWAYS FELT A MAJOR RESPONSIBILITY TO DELIVER THE TRUTH. BUT THAT NOTION’S BECOME LESS AND LESS POPULAR IN THE BUSINESS, FOR REASONS WE WON’T GET INTO TODAY.

WHAT THE MEDIA DOESN’T UNDERSTAND IS THE MORE PUBLICITY THEY GIVE THE TOURNEY, THE MORE TICKETS ARE GOING TO BE SOLD. IF THEY REALLY WANT TO HURT THE WORLD JUNIORS, THEY WOULDN’T MENTION THEM AT ALL. FOR INSTANCE, THE EDMONTON ELKS HOST THE SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS ON SATURDAY AND I HAVEN’T HEARD A PEEP ABOUT IT EXCEPT FROM RIDER FANS.

ANYWAY, THERE’S NO BANNERS ON DOWNTOWN LIGHT POSTS ADVERTISING THE WORLD JUNIORS NOR SIGNS WELCOMING YOU WHEN YOU ENTER THE CITY.

IT’S LIKE THE HOSTS JUST WANT TO STAGE THIS TOURNAMENT AND BE DONE WITH IT BUT REMEMBER EDMONTON IS STILL A HOCKEY TOWN AND ALBERTA IS STILL A HOCKEY PROVINCE.

AND THE WORLD JUNIORS REMAIN THE BIGGEST HOCKEY TOURNAMENT ON THE PLANET.

I’M ALSO CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT THE HOCKEY’S LIKE ONCE IT FINALLY GETS GOING.

BUT ABOVE ALL I’LL BE INTERESTED TO SEE IF THE MEDIA IS RIGHT, OR IF THEY’RE JUST BUILDING A NARRATIVE TRYING TO TEAR HOCKEY CANADA DOWN.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY

(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET or 10 pm PT on Game+ TV across Canada and the USA. Call your cable provider for details. You can also watch on YouTube Live or listen 24/7 at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive)