WEDNESDAY COMMENTARY – THE GOOD, THE GREAT & THE UGLY
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 & Rock 98.5 FM)
IT’S TIME FOR ANOTHER EDITION OF CANADA’S FAVOURITE GAME SHOW – THE GOOD, THE GREAT & THE UGLY!
FIRST, THE GOOD: IT ACTUALLY WAS A GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS SCENARIO COMING OUT OF THE WEEKEND. THE REGINA PATS BOASTED OVER 57-HUNDRED FANS WERE ON HAND FOR MONDAY’S FAMILY DAY MATINEE; A 4-3 HOME LOSS TO SWIFT CURRENT.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THE BARN WAS NEARLY FULL AND CONNOR BEDARD HAD A GOAL AND TWO POINTS. THE BAD NEWS IS THE PATS ARE DEAD-LAST IN THE EAST DIVISION. VERY BAD.
NEXT, THE GREAT: WORD FOUND ME THAT THE ESTEVAN BRUINS PACKED AFFINITY PLACE FOR THEIR HOME GAME SATURDAY NIGHT WITH A CROWD NUDGING 25-HUNDRED. (SO I’M TOLD).
THE ESTEVAN BRUINS ARE HOSTING THE CENTENNIAL CUP THIS SPRING, DON’T YOU KNOW, AND NEW HEAD COACH AND GM JASON TATARNIC HAS DESIGNS ON WINNING THE WHOLE DARN THING. THEY’RE IN A FASCINATING ARMS RACE WITH HUMBOLDT FOR TOP SPOT IN THE LEAGUE RIGHT NOW.
BETWEEN A PACKED HOUSE THERE, AND A NEARLY PACKED HOUSE IN REGINA, IT SEEMS SASK SPORTS FANS HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF BEING COOPED UP.
IT WARMS THE HEART.
AND FINALLY, THE UGLY: I’M ACTUALLY REALLY TRYING TO KEEP IT POSITIVE AND DON’T FAVOUR POINTING OUT THE NEGATIVE. NOT LATELY ANYWAY.
BUT IT’S HARD TO IGNORE THE ONGOING STRUGGLES OF THE ARIZONA COYOTES; ONCE MY FAVOURITE TEAM WHEN MY GOOD FRIEND GARY DRUMMOND OWNED THEM.
THE COYOTES ARE IN THE BASEMENT IN THE WEST, AGAIN, AND ARE NOW SELLING OFF THEIR ASSETS FOR WHAT APPEARS TO BE ANOTHER REBUILD.
THE PLANNED MOVE TO THE ROUGHLY 5-THOUSAND SEAT ARENA AT ASU IN TEMPE IS GETTING THE THUMBS-UP BY SOME, BUT A UNIVERSAL THUMBS-DOWN FROM THE REST OF US.
IF THERE WAS A NEW ARENA DEAL IN PLACE – A LA THE SADDLEDOME HERE IN CALGARY IN THE EARLY 80’S – I’D BE ALL FOR THIS.
BUT THERE ISN’T. AND THE COYOTES REMAIN THE NHL’S BIGGEST EMBARRASSMENT.
THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY.
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET 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)
Always stay positive. The Coyotes – I want that organization/team/players to be successful. It should work there, but when I went there on vacation I was told this. Phoenix is loaded with hockey fans. It’s popular and Auston Matthews is proof they have a program. The problem is that location is in the middle of nowhere. I stayed in Mesa and going there felt like I was driving from Regina to Swift Current or Yorkton to see a game. They keep the franchise there primarily for the TV contracts and that all important southwest market. Without Phoenix or Dallas I’m… Read more »
Houston flames in 2025, 8th largest TV market in the US , and newish arena, Toyota center. Move the coyotes back to the pacific division.