TUESDAY COMMENTARY – FOLLOWING FROM A BOAT

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

I’VE GOTTA SAY THE ACTIONS OF THE NHL OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS HAVE WARMED MY HEART.

IF YOU FOLLOW THE GAME AT ALL, YOU’LL KNOW ALL THE TALK COMING OUT OF THE WEEKEND WAS THE FRACAS IN GLENDALE, ARIZONA WHERE COYOTES FORWARD JAY BEAGLE BEAT THE STUFFING OUT OF ANAHEIM YOUNG STAR TROY TERRY. THAT DREW THE IRE OF HIS DUCKS TEAMMATE TREVOR ZEGRAS, ANOTHER YOUNG NHL ALL-STAR WHO SCORED HIS INFAMOUS “LACROSSE STYLE” GOAL EARLIER IN THE GAME.

AS THE FIGHT WAS GOING ON, ARIZONA BROADCASTER TYSON NASH SAID ON AIR THAT THIS IS WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU COME IN AND “SKILL IT UP”.

IN THE DAYS SINCE, BOTH BEAGLE AND NASH HAVE BEEN ROASTED BY THE SISSIES IN THE MEDIA WHO FIND FIGHTING IN HOCKEY ABHORRENT. (I SHOULDN’T REALLY SAY SISSIES BECAUSE I’M NOT SURE WHO SAID WHAT, BUT SUFFICE IT TO SAY THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT BACKLASH FROM ALL CORNERS OF THE MEDIA, I’M TOLD).

FRANKLY I WASN’T ALERTED TO MUCH OF THIS TILL MONDAY MORNING CUZ I SPENT THE WEEKEND ON A BOAT IN THE FLORIDA KEYS BUT ONCE I WATCHED ALL THE VIDEO AND HEARD FROM ALL SIDES, I HAD TO SIDE WITH BEAGLE AND NASH TOO.

AND FOR A GOOD WHILE ON MONDAY I FELT THE NHL NEEDED TO DECIDE WHAT IT’S GOING TO BE: A SKILLS COMPETITION EVERY NIGHT, OR A MAN’S LEAGUE WHERE YOU NEED TO PAY FOR YOUR ACTIONS ON THE ICE IF YOU’RE DEEMED TO HAVE “SHOWN UP” THE OPPOSITION.

THE DEBATE HAS BEEN FASCINATING BETWEEN, SHALL WE SAY, THE LEFT AND THE RIGHT. CRITICS SAY FANS BUY TICKETS TO WATCH TROY TERRY, NOT JAY BEAGLE. THAT’S TRUE. OTHERS SAY TAKING THE “VIGILANTE JUSTICE” OUT OF THE GAME HAS TURNED MANY PEOPLE OFF AND THE RATINGS AND ATTENDANCE PROVE THAT. THAT MAY ALSO BE TRUE.

BUT IN THE END, THE NHL NEVER HANDED DOWN ANY SUPPLEMENTARY DISCIPLINE TO BEAGLE ON MONDAY MORNING, NOR DID THEY FEEL THE NEED TO EXPLAIN WHY NOT.

I GUESS THEY WERE OKAY WITH WHAT HAPPENED IN ARIZONA ON FRIDAY. AND SO AM I.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY.

(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+ TV Network 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)