WEDNESDAY COMMENTARY – BAR DOWN

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

WE INTERRUPT THIS FOOTBALL SEASON FOR A PEAK AT A FABULOUS HOCKEY GAME.

IT SEEMED A LOT OF CANADA WAS WATCHING TUESDAY NIGHT AS OUR NATION FACED THE USA IN THE GOLD MEDAL GAME OF THE WORLD WOMENS HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP IN CALGARY.

YOU’D HAVE TO HAVE BEEN LIVING UNDER A ROCK IF YOU DIDN’T KNOW THE TOURNEY WAS GOING ON AT CANADA OLYMPIC PARK, AS TSN WAS PROVIDING WALL-TO-WALL COVERAGE, AND EVEN SPORTSNET SHOWED HIGHLIGHTS DESPITE IT BEING A TSN PROPERTY. (THE CFL CAN’T EVEN GET THAT)

I WAS GUESTING ON A VANCOUVER HOCKEY PODCAST FOR A LARGE CHUNK OF THE GAME SO I COULDN’T WATCH IT ALL, BUT CAUGHT THE THIRD PERIOD AND OVERTIME AND THAT’S ALL I NEEDED.

I ASSUME YOU NOTICED THAT WHEN THEY DROPPED THE PUCK IN OT, THEY WENT 6 ½ MINUTES BEFORE A WHISTLE?

AND IT WAS ENTERTAINING HOCKEY TOO. WOMENS HOCKEY HAS COME A LONG WAY, AND IT’S BEEN THAT WAY FOR AWHILE.

I DROPPED THE PUCK AT THE ESSO CUP IN REGINA A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO AND STAYED FOR THE OPENING GAME. I COULDN’T BELIEVE THE PACE AND THE SKILL.

WHAT WE SAW TUESDAY NIGHT WAS THE BEST OF THE BEST.

MARIE-PHILIP POULIN SCORED THE WINNER, GOING BAR DOWN IN THE FIRST OT AND AFTER REVIEW, CANADA WON 3-2 TO CELEBRATE ITS FIRST GOLD MEDAL AT THIS TOURNEY SINCE 2012.

I’D BE REMISS IF I DIDN’T POINT OUT THE WORK OF TEAM CANADA ALUMNI-TURNED-BROADCASTER TESSA BONHOMME ON THE TSN PANEL. I SAT WITH HER AT A CHARITY EVENT IN REGINA YEARS AGO AND FIGURED SHE’D BE A ROCKSTAR THEN.

SHE’S EXCEEDED EVEN THOSE EXPECTATIONS.

SO AFTER TWO WEEKS IN THE CALGARY BUBBLE AND LIMITED CROWDS, THE TEAMS CAN GO HOME AFTER STAGING ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL TOURNAMENT.

IT WAS NICE TO WATCH LIVE HOCKEY AGAIN.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY

(Photo: Hockey Canada)