WEDNESDAY COMMENTARY – FAREWELL DUCKY

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

THE HOCKEY WORLD WAS GUTTED ON TUESDAY WITH THE LOSS OF WINNIPEG JETS GREAT DALE HAWERCHUK.

IF YOU’RE A HOCKEY FAN OF ANY AGE, YOU’LL KNOW THE NAME. HE PLAYED 11-HUNDRED-88 NHL GAMES MOSTLY WITH THE JETS, BUT ALSO THE SABRES, BLUES AND FLYERS.

HE WAS NICKNAMED “DUCKY”, I’M TOLD, BECAUSE OF A TYPO EARLY IN HIS CAREER WHICH MADE HIS NAME READ “HAWERDUCK”.

HAWERCHUK CAME ON MY RADAR WAY BACK IN 1980 WHEN HIS CORNWALL ROYALS OF THE “Q” WERE ONE OF THE TEAMS IN THE MEMORIAL CUP ROUND ROBIN AT THE REGINA AGRIDOME. COACH MIKE KEENAN WAS FAMOUSLY THE VILLAIN OF THAT TOURNEY, BUT THE ROYALS’ HAWERCHUCK WAS THE STAR.

I WAS ONLY IN GRADE 2, BUT I REMEMBER HIM.

DON CHERRY TWEETED TUESDAY THAT HAWERCHUK WAS ONE OF THE MOST UNDERRATED PLAYERS IN NHL HISTORY.

I’M NOT GOING TO GET INTO AN ARGUMENT WITH GRAPES BUT I’D SUGGEST HAWERCHUCK WAS RECOGNIZED FITTINGLY THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER: A NUMBER-ONE OVERALL DRAFT PICK, A MEMBER OF THOSE GREAT TEAM CANADAS IN THE 80’S – IN FACT A LINEMATE OF GRETZKY AND LEMIEUX – AND AN INDUCTEE INTO THE HOCKEY HALL OF FAME.

THE WINNIPEG JETS ISSUED A STATEMENT AFTER HAWERCHUK’S PASSING SAYING HE PUT WINNIPEG ON THE MAP.

THAT MAY BE HIS GREATEST FEAT OF ALL.

FAREWELL DALE, AND THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES.

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