WEDNESDAY COMMENTARY – MAKE IT COUNT

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

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN.

THE STANLEY CUP IS IN THE PROVINCE AND, PERHAPS, COMING TO A TOWN NEAR YOU.

IN SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN, COLORADO AVALANCHE DEFENCEMAN RYAN MURRAY OF WHITE CITY WILL HAVE THE STANLEY CUP IN HIS HOMETOWN ON THURSDAY FROM 1-3 AT THE WHITE CITY ARENA.

RYAN’S A LOCAL HERO AND WE’VE KNOWN EACH OTHER SINCE 2012 WHEN HE PLAYED FOR TEAM CANADA AT THE WORLD JUNIORS AND I CALLED THE GAMES ON SPORTSNET RADIO.

MURRAY POPPED BY THE RP SHOW SET ON TUESDAY, WITHOUT THE CUP, AND TALKED ABOUT HIS ONE SEASON WITH COLORADO LAST YEAR, PLAYING 43 GAMES AND WINNING IT ALL.

YOU’D HAVE TO GO BACK AND WATCH THE SHOW ON GAME+ OR YOUTUBE BECAUSE THERE WERE FAR TOO MANY STORIES TO RETELL HERE BUT SUFFICE IT SAY THAT AFTER NINE SEASONS IN THE NHL, RYAN WAS FINALLY ABLE TO RAISE LORD STANLEY’S HOLY GRAIL.

HE COULD NOT CONTAIN HIS SMILE, NOR SHOULD HE.

NOW, HE’S A FREE AGENT AND LOOKING FOR SOMEWHERE TO PLAY. NO DOUBT WITH HIS RESUME – INCLUDING SEVEN SEASONS IN COLUMBUS – HE WILL.

SO THE STANLEY CUP MAKES ITS WAY TO THE SOUTH ON THURSDAY WITH THE VIEWING IN WHITE CITY AND THEN GOALIE DARCY KUEMPER WILL HAVE IT IN SASKATOON ON FRIDAY. IT’S ACTUALLY IN PRINCE ALBERT WITH JOSH MANSON TODAY.

OF COURSE THE WEIRD THING THERE IS KUEMPER IS NOW A MEMBER OF THE WASHINGTON CAPITALS.

IT REMINDS ME OF WHEN CHRIS JONES TOOK THE GREY CUP TO SOUTH PITTSBURGH, TENNESSEE AFTER WINNING IT WITH EDMONTON BUT WAS WEARING A RIDER SHIRT.

EVEN JONES SAID THE DAYS OF SOMEBODY STAYING IN ONE PLACE FOR SEVERAL YEARS ARE LONG GONE.

RYAN MURRAY AND DARCY KUEMPER ARE PROVING THAT TO BE TRUE.

THERE’S NEVER BEEN A MORE GLOWING EXAMPLE OF WHY YOU SHOULD MAKE YOUR TIME WHEREVER YOU ARE, COUNT.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY

(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET & 10 pm PT on Game+ TV across Canada and the USA. Call your cable provider for details. You can also watch on YouTube Live or listen 24/7 at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive)