WEDNESDAY CAT COUNTRY COMMENTARY – LET THERE BE HOCKEY

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

THERE’S GOING TO BE HOCKEY AROUND HERE, IF THE HOCKEY PEOPLE CAN GET OUT OF THEIR OWN WAY.

NORMALLY BY NOW WE’D BE ALMOST A MONTH INTO THE SJHL SEASON BUT OBVIOUSLY THIS IS NO NORMAL YEAR.

HOWEVER THE MAJORITY OF SJHL TEAMS HAVE BEEN IN TRAINING CAMP FOR ABOUT A MONTH AWAITING WORD ON AN OFFICIAL START DATE.

WITH LAST WEEK’S ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT THAT HOCKEY CAN RETURN IF IT FOLLOWS STRICT COVID PROTOCOLS, EVERYBODY’S CELEBRATING … WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE SJHL.

I HAVEN’T DONE TOO MUCH POKING AND PRODDING BUT I CERTAINLY HAVE MY EAR TO THE GROUND AND THE WORD IS SOME SJHL TEAMS HAVE BEEN BEHIND IN GETTING THEIR PROPOSALS IN FOR HOW THEY’LL CONFIGURE THEIR ARENAS FOR SEATING.

(THEN COMES WORD SOME TEAMS ARE GRUMBLING THEY’VE RECEIVED NO DIRECTION FROM THE SJHL OFFICE SINCE LAST WEEK. FIGURE IT OUT BOYS!)

LIKE ANY JUNIOR LEAGUE, SJHL ARENAS VARY GREATLY IN SIZE SO TO HAVE ONE BLANKET NUMBER PER TEAM – OR PERCENTAGE OF CAPACITY TO BE SOLD – DOESN’T WORK FOR EVERYONE.

SO, BASICALLY, WE’RE TOLD THE GOVERNMENT HAS DONE ITS PART TO CLEAR THE LEAGUE TO PLAY AND THE PLAYERS AND FANS ARE CHOMPING AT THE BIT.

IN SOME CASES IT’S A LOT TO ASK A VOLUNTEER BOARD TO COME UP WITH THESE PROPOSALS OR A COACH/GM WHO ONLY WANTS TO COACH AND RECRUIT.

BUT IT COMES DOWN TO … DO YOU WANT TO PLAY OR NOT?

AS FOR THE WHL AND SASKATCHEWAN’S FIVE TEAMS … THAT’S A TOPIC FOR ANOTHER DAY.

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