10 WEEKEND THINGS
Photo: Keith Hershmiller Photography
Taking shots …
1 – MOST WONDERFUL TIME: Right now is a hockey fan’s dream and this *spring* seems to be bringing the most entertainment we’ve seen in years; depending on whom you cheer for. The Regina Pats and Saskatoon Blades are going to a Game 7 – which we’ll get to in a moment – and the NHL wildcard races are absolutely insane. Predictable? Not on your life. But kudos to the Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets for gut-checking at the right time and as for the Calgary Flames, well, if they miss the playoffs they’ll only have themselves to blame. Let’s go …
2 – SEVENTH HEAVEN: As we all know, the two best words in sports are “Game Seven” and fans of the Blades & Pats, and indeed all of the WHL, will be riveted to Monday’s winner-take-all match at SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon. I may have predicted a seven game series in this space a couple of weeks ago, but I’m not sure I believed it. (It’s tough to prognosticate on your favourite team). However all the credit goes to John Paddock and his Regina Pats and now all the pressure falls squarely on the Saskatoon Blades going into Monday. The Pats were never supposed to get this far.
But I still would’ve traded him.
3 – BEDARD: I wince a little to say Connor Bedard’s the greatest Regina Pat ever, only because we’ve had so many great ones over the past century. But even the Pats greats who may grumble about this debate finally have to admit CB98 is the greatest to ever wear the Red, White & Blue. 19 points in six playoff games? C’mon. That’s 3.16 points per game. AT 17! Don’t forget his 271 points in 134 career regular season games. That’s 2.02 points per game.
Anyone who says they’re getting sick of the Bedard hype should look in the mirror and ask themselves why and here’s the best part: There’s only going to be more as we approach June’s NHL Entry Draft in Nashville and Connor’s NHL career to follow.
Forget about retiring #98. They should start pouring a statue to erect at the corner of Lewvan Drive and Wickenheiser Way (11th Ave) before the kid leaves town.
4 – GAME NOTES: 38-year old Joe Pavelski saw his five-game goal streak snapped in Dallas’s 2-1 shootout win at Las Vegas on Saturday. Still, the product of Plover, Wisconsin is just the fourth player in NHL history to accomplish the feat at age 38 or older. The others? Brett Hull, Johnny Bucyk and Justin Williams. … If the hockey gods have any sense of flare and drama, they’ll line up the Boston Bruins and Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final. Bruce Cassidy versus the team which fired him for Lord Stanley? Yes please. … On Sunday those Bruins can break the NHL record for wins in a season (63) with a win at Philadelphia. … Meanwhile Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk became just the sixth NHL player to score 40 or more goals with two different teams in back-to-back seasons. The others? Brendan Shanahan, Pat Lafontaine, Jimmy Carson, Wayne Gretzky and Marcel Dionne.
5 – PET PEEVES: The NHL PR department does a tremendous job of remembering history with their game notes but the media DOES NOT. I was working at my desk watching Sportsnet Connected this week when the fresh-faced sports anchor said, “Jason Robertson becomes the first Stars player to hit 100 points”. My neck snapped towards the TV just in time to see the co-host offer, “That’s quite a stat”. It sure is because it’s wrong! That is an insult to Bobby Smith, Neal Broten and Dino Ciccarelli, all famed Minnesota North Stars who accomplished the feat in the 1980s. If the young Sportsnet broadcaster had said the “first Dallas player”, I’d probably not have given it a second thought.
While ranting about this on the RP Show this week, a Stars fan mentioned that the Dallas Stars don’t even acknowledge their Minnesota history. For real? Then please give Minny back the famed North Stars logo, shake hands and walk away.
6 – SCOREBOARD JOHNSTON: Is this “Old Man Shakes Fist At Cloud” territory? I don’t think so. When I first came to the Regina Pats in 1995 at age 22 I thought local historian Ron “Scoreboard” Johnston was a bit a loon, whatwith his turtlenecks, corduroy blazers and old scoresheets slipping out of his briefcase. However as the years went on, I discovered a deep appreciation and fondness for Ron, his quirkiness, and our mutual love of the Regina Pats and hockey history. If nobody sticks up for the past, it evaporates.
Recovery Tip: “It’s okay to think about the past. Just don’t live there.”
7 – CFL POWER RANKINGS: We had some fun with this week’s release of the initial spring Power Rankings from the league’s official website. I don’t agree with them, but these folks are the experts! Here they are: 1) Winnipeg, 2) BC, 3) Calgary, 4) Toronto, 5) Hamilton, 6) Ottawa, 7) Saskatchewan, 8) Edmonton, 9) Montreal. Can we have a fun debate over this and not have peoples’ feelings get hurt? Jeepers.
Anyway, broken down by division this is what the CFL writers and pundits are predicting for the West Division:
Winnipeg
BC
Calgary
Saskatchewan
Edmonton
8 – CFL BUZZ: Confucius said it first: “BC can’t win without Nathan Rourke”. Therefore I put the Lions behind Winnipeg and Calgary in the West, but ahead of Sask and Edmonton, who will duke it out for a crossover playoff berth. In the East how does Montreal tumble behind everyone else so fast? Especially after Ottawa’s been the worst team in the division for years? Alouettes QB Cody Fajardo was once 25-10 as a starter for Sask and that wasn’t by accident. Fun stuff to debate.
Here are mine, and they look nothing like CFL.ca’s: 1) Winnipeg, 2) Toronto, 3) Calgary, 4) Hamilton, 5) BC, 6) Montreal, 7) Edmonton, 8) Saskatchewan, 9) Ottawa.
The buzz at the Fieldhouse at Commonwealth Stadium at The Combine was that “The Riders are in big trouble”. I didn’t ask how or why, I just went with it. Not sure what they meant. … I’m sure the Riders’ low Power Ranking will do nothing more than serve as motivation for 2023 and Coach Craig Dickenson and QB Trevor Harris are proud guys. This should be fun to watch! … Stampeders QB Coach Marc Muller said on the RP Show this week that while the coaches and players look at the Power Rankings, they put no stock in them. And if anything, they’d prefer to be ranked lower anyway. There ya go!
9 – AIR: Two enthusiastic thumbs up for the brand new movie AIR, playing now at your local Landmark Cinemas. The Mandalay Pictures flick stars Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Jason Bateman and tells the story of how Nike successfully signed Michael Jordan as their first major sports influencer and the rest is history. There’s a slight language warning but nothing your kids haven’t heard before! It’s a tremendous way to spend an afternoon or evening.
10 – RANDOM THOUGHTS: I’m not a golf guy, never have been a golf guy, but sure hope LIV golfer Brooks Koepka wins the Masters and sticks it where the sun don’t shine. … Battlefords and Flin Flon will meet for the SJHL title. … F0lks are grumbling and wondering why TSN wouldn’t broadcast Monday’s Pats/Blades game? Ummm, it’s on Access 7 TV and ratings will be boffo. In Regina, you can watch on the video wall at the Four Seasons Sports Palace. Southern Saskatchewan sports bars with Access –> promote watch parties! … Y’er welcome. … 
The Saskatchewan Rush lost 13-9 to my Georgia Swarm Saturday night in NLL play. The NLL does a great job of previewing the games but a dreadful job of recapping the games. … The RP Show airs on radio in Georgia and hence the Swarm are my U.S. team. Attending a game at Gas South Arena is on my bucket list. … Suds Car Wash won Regina’s Paragon Award for best business this week. In the sports world, we call this a “dynasty”. … Sometimes you just need a laugh. The Howard Stern Show always provides it. Why do we have to be so serious all the time???? Laughter truly is the best medicine. … What a treat it was to appear on an Instagram Live broadcast Saturday night talking Recovery with Tanner Mortenson, an alum of Notre Dame & Estevan (SJHL), Swan Valley (MJHL), Merritt (BCHL) and Valley (MHL). Look him up! He’s sober at 22 and detailed how the pandemic adversely affected his mental health as a junior hockey player and he made the wrong choices. Now he’s promoting a sober lifestyle and encouraging other young hockey players to do the same. Wish I was that smart at that age! Proud of you Tanner. … I’m not too sure how these young people are finding me but it’s wonderful and very positive. … AND HOW WAS YOUR WEEK?
Happy Easter,
RP
@rodpedersen
Bedard the greatest Pat of all time? He’s certainly the most skilled. If he’s able to lead the Pats out of round one against a superior Blades team, that would certainly cement him as the greatest on ice member of the Pats. What about off the ice? Yeah, he signed a lot of autographs. What did the organization do to leverage his celebrity for something to better the community? Did he make any appearances at children’s hospitals? Any school appearances? Did he make any appearances at fundraisers for the vulnerable sector? Or was he just used to make the Semples… Read more »
1) None of that is Connor’s fault.
2) The stats don’t keep track of community appearances, the last I checked.
3) You’re a Broncos fan so stick to debates about your team! 😂
…and they guy upset about community appearances would step over his fellow man passed out covered in puke in a doorway.
Charity begins at home.
I have always said to young people. Never ever listen to anyone who has never done anything.
Didn’t say it was Connor’s fault. I said ‘what did the organization do to leverage his celebrity?’
He’s the best hockey player the league has ever seen and he’s proven to be a young man of exceptional character. Personally, I feel many off ice opportunities were missed with this exceptional young man. I don’t blame him at all, but there are questions I would ask the adults around him.
And I’m a fan of the league. Not just one team.
You are a very sad and broken man. First of all get one thing straight dummy. I have been there 40 years. 40. I have seen them come and go. If any former Regina Pats are upset they are most likely 3rd and 4th line guys that had there been a 5th and 6th line they would play there. This guy at 17 has obliterated teams across the league. The other thing is use a pro wrestling term. The kid draws money. Nobody and I mean nobody filled the Bradnt Center like Conor Bedard. This is nothing than jealous hockey… Read more »
A little triggered are we? Sorry I ruined your day.
Eberle is number 1 and it’s not close. You haven’t been there 40 minutes let alone 40 years.
That’s utter stupidity. – and I’m talking head injury to the point the circuitry is fried. I knew that was coming. – that guy scored a couple of goals at a tournament. It was at the tail end of the absolute worst era in Pats hockey. Did you see that team? You had a GM that now runs a Hair Salon. You had a Head Coach that was with Investor’s Group. There was no coaching. It was an idiot Head Coach tossing Eberle and Weal over the boards every 2nd shift. That number got retired because business was so bad… Read more »
As an ICE fan I have to say I’d much rather have them face off against the Pats than the MJ Warriors in round 2 which is what would happen if the Blades win game 7. So to that end, I say GO PATS GO
Enjoy it , they’ll be gone next year.
Where are the Pats going?
The ice
Thank you for another excellent article Rod , I have read somewhere online that my Esks will be as high as 2nd , with a much improved off-season , but still have my doubts
(Excellent Sunday column read RP.) (110% dead on with your CFL Power Rankings RP. Elks should and must move on up in Chris Jones second year at the helm surpassing the listless Saskatchewan Roughriders Football Club. Look for drastic changes in Riderville early if they come out the gate slow.) (Junior Hockey has changed in the past 4 to 6 years. Total complete package Regina Pats play players_ Dale Derkatch, Dennis Sobchuk, Doug Wickenhieser, Jordan Eberle at the top amongst a bevy of others. Young Connor Bedard’s eye seeing puck game is phenomenal amazing on the offensive side but lacks… Read more »
It’s kinda funny that the Pats might accidentally win and advance. The whole reason Bedard’s camp kept him in Regina was not having anything left to prove in the playoffs and limiting the number of games before the draft.