WEDNESDAY COMMENTARY – COVID? NO PROBLEM

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

CHRISTMAS FOR HOCKEY FANS HAS ARRIVED.

SOMEHOW OR ANOTHER, THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE HAS FOUND A WAY TO DROP THE PUCK ON A BRAND NEW SEASON AND THE PUCK GOES DOWN TONIGHT WITH FIVE DELICIOUS GAMES.

FOR ONE NIGHT LAST NIGHT, TWITTER AND FACEBOOK TOOK A BREAK FROM COVID AND TRUMP & TRUDEAU BASHING, AS PEOPLE WERE HAPPILY WISHING EACH OTHER “HAPPY HOCKEY EVE” ACROSS CANADA.

AND THE NATION WILL STOP TONIGHT TO WATCH A NATIONALLY TELEVISED DOUBLE-HEADER FEATURING MONTREAL AT TORONTO, FOLLOWED BY VANCOUVER AT EDMONTON.

YOU REALLY, REALLY HAVE TO GIVE THE NHL CREDIT THAT THEY’VE FOUND A WAY TO DO THIS AND THE APPEARANCE IS THAT THEY DID IT WITH THE WAVE OF A WAND.

BUT YOU KNOW THAT’S NOT THE CASE. SO MANY HURDLES HAVE HAD TO BE CLEARED TO GET HERE INCLUDING GETTING THE PLAYERS TO AGREE TO TAKE LESS MONEY, THE GOVERNMENTS TO ALLOW THE GAMES TO BE PLAYED, AND THEN TO TRY TO CONTAIN THE NASTY VIRUS. OR, “KEEP IT TO THE OUTSIDE”.

EVEN THE VANCOUVER CANUCKS WILL BE WITHOUT TWO PRETTY BIG NAMES TONITE IN J-T MILLER AND JORDIE BENN DUE TO COVID ISSUES.

I’LL SAY IT AGAIN – I SIT BACK IN AWE AND WONDER HOW THESE LEAGUES HAVE PULLED IT OFF. JUST WHEN THE NHL WAS HANDING OUT THE CUP LAST SEPTEMBER IN THE BUBBLE, THE NFL WAS KICKING OFF AND THEY HAVEN’T MISSED A GAME.

NOW AS WE’RE NEARING THE SUPER BOWL, THE NHL’S SET TO TAKE OVER AND THAT’LL TAKE US INTO THE LATE SPRING AND SUMMER WHERE WE’LL GET TO WATCH THE BLUE JAYS. THE NBA’S BEEN ABLE TO OPERATE UNDER THE RADAR – AS FAR AS CANADA GOES – SEEMINGLY WITHOUT INCIDENT.

IF YOU WEREN’T PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION, AS FAR AS THE BIG LEAGUES ARE CONCERNED, YOU WOULDN’T THINK CORONAVIRUS WAS A PROBLEM AT ALL.

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