WEDNESDAY CAT COUNTRY COMMENTARY

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

THE MOOSE JAW WARRIORS GOT A GOOD ONE IN GORD BURNETT.

AFTER A LENGTHY SEARCH, THE WARRIORS NAMED THE REGINA PRODUCT TO THEIR COACHING STAFF FOR THE 2020-21 SEASON ON TUESDAY.

BURNETT FILLS A VOID CREATED WHEN LONG-TIME HEAD COACH TIM HUNTER WAS DISMISSED IN JANUARY, AND ASSOCIATE COACH MARK O’LEARY TOOK OVER THE TEAM. SCOTT KING WILL REMAIN WITH THE CLUB AS THE OTHER ASSISTANT.

GORD BURNETT PLAYED PROFESSIONALLY FOR SEVEN SEASONS IN THE EAST COAST AND CENTRAL LEAGUES BEFORE TAKING COACHING POSITIONS WITH THE WHL’S KOOTENAY ICE AND NCAA’S UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME.

LAST YEAR WITH THE WINNIPEG BLUES OF THE MANITOBA JUNIOR LEAGUE, BURNETT GUIDED HIS CLUB TO A PLAYOFF BERTH AND WAS A COACH AT THE MJHL/SJHL SHOWCASE IN REGINA IN JANUARY.

I WAS AROUND GORD AT THE SHOWCASE, THE JUNIOR A ALL STAR EVENT, AND HE WAS ALWAYS VERY PROFESSIONAL, WELL-DRESSED, AND WELL THOUGHT-OF. HE’S DEFINITELY A GUY “ON HIS WAY UP”.

WHEN LAST SEASON WAS CALLED, THE WARRIORS WEREN’T BOUND TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS ANYWAYS. AT 14-44-4, THEY WERE A FULL 41 POINTS OUT OF A PLAYOFF SPOT WITH SIX GAMES TO GO.

WHAT IT DID WAS GIVE WARRIORS GM AL MILLAR A HEADSTART ON NEXT YEAR, WHICH INCLUDED TAKING SASKATOON CONTACTS FORWARD BRAYDEN YAGER WITH THE NUMBER-3 OVERALL PICK IN THE BANTAM DRAFT, AND CZECH FORWARD MARTIN RYSAVY NUMBER-6 OVERALL IN THE IMPORT DRAFT.

THE WARRIORS ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE UNDER HEAD COACH MARK O’LEARY, A VETERAN OF THE PROS AND AN ONTARIO PRODUCT WHO’S FIT IN VERY WELL IN THE BAND CITY. NOW WITH BURNETT AND KING, THE REBUILD IS NICELY UNDERWAY.

NOW ALL WE NEED … IS A SEASON.

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