Photo credit: RocketFAN
Things that make me go hmm…
May 24, 2023 | 10:00 AM
- With the Seattle Thunderbirds winning the WHL title last Friday, you can’t but wonder about the future of T-Birds head coach Matt O’Dette. The trend over the years is the championship coach looks for greener pastures once the season is over, and O’Dette must be considering pro offers once his team is finished at the Memorial Cup in Kamloops. This is O’Dette’s sixth year as head coach in Seattle, with four more as an assistant with the T-Birds. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the head coaching position becomes open this summer. You must strike while the iron is hot. O’Dette is one of the hottest coaching commodities in junior hockey right now. Speaking of coaches, I sure hope Ryan Huska knows newly anointed Calgary Flames GM Craig Conroy well.
- I’ve had the privilege of calling games at the Memorial Cup five times, most recently in 2015 in Quebec City. My one regret was not smelling the roses at the 2004 Memorial Cup when the Kelowna Rockets hosted. It was such a busy time for our broadcast team, doing all eight games with only myself, color analyst Roger Snow, Dan Marshall as the game host, and an operator at the radio station, whose sole responsibility was putting us on the air and playing commercials when required. If I could have a mulligan, I would have avoided tunnel vision. I didn’t enjoy the event outside of the arena that makes the Memorial Cup so much fun. In 2004, cellphone usage was minimal, and without a camera, I took no photos of the group of us broadcasting, nor the sights in and around the arena. I have one photo interviewing Tyler Spurgeon on the ice after the Rockets won the national title. One. That’s it. If I could have a do-over, or have a regret, I shouldn’t have had my horse blinders on and enjoyed more than just the action on the ice.
- The 2003 Memorial Cup in Quebec City was the first tournament I covered. I was so lost. I had no clue what I was doing or how the media should conduct themselves. I remember doing my first one-on-one interview at the Colisee after the Rockets’ first skate with forward Kiel McLeod. McLeod was skating with the team, after missing the WHL finals against Red Deer with an enlarged spleen. Pulling him aside for a pre-recorded interview was a no-no, and I remember shutting it down mid-sentence when someone yelled at me, telling me I had broken prodigal. I had no clue. I remember missing the opening coaches’ news conference too, which features the four coaches. I didn’t know it was even a thing. I was a kid in a candy store and made so many innocent mistakes. The only saving grace was face-to-face interviews with then NHL GM Doug McLean of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Quebec Remparts owner Patrick Roy and at that time, NHL scout and former goaltender Ron Hextall.
- Will we see it in the WHL? Bet we do. Players scoring big goals and then immediately leaving the ice surface. We’ve seen it twice with Matthew Tkachuk in the NHL playoffs, finding the back of the net, celebrating quickly, and then going to the nearest exit to get off the ice. We also saw it in the AHL with the Manitoba Moose after a goal in a shootout. My money is on Andrew Cristall to be the first Kelowna Rockets player to perform the ‘walk off’.
- I marvel at people who come through when the pressure is on. Individuals who rise above, exhibit ice in their veins and appear to relish the situation. Seattle Thunderbirds forward Nico Myatovic falls into that category. How big was his penalty shot goal in game six of the WHL championship series with his team-leading 1-0? Talk about a clutch for the non-drafted player, who made what can only be considered a highly skilled move before finding the back of the net. When you have players with that type of mental fortitude, that can take you a long way. Many people say the T-Birds are going to be in trouble at the end of this season after loading up for a successful playoff run. I am one who doesn’t buy into that theory. I think the T-Birds will be just fine next season.
- If my memory serves me right, Colton Dach is the first Kelowna Rockets player to be traded to another team and win the WHL championship that same season. Other notable players with high-end talent to be moved out to a possible contender were Brett McLean to Brandon and Carsen Germyn dealt to the Red Deer Rebels. Neither of those two earned a league title though.
- It looks like the weather will be cooperating for the Memorial Cup in Kamloops. Teams will arrive Thursday, with Environment Canada calling for sunny skies and 26 degrees. When the puck drops for real on Friday, the forecasted high is 28 Fahrenheit. While the games are being played inside Sandman Centre, you want ideal weather outdoors for fans coming and going to games. Remember the Memorial Cup isn’t just for the hardcore fans. Many non-hockey fans looking for a good party are going to be mingling around, drinking beer, eating food, and having no care in the world about the results of the tournament.
- Last Friday was a tough day for two WHL broadcasters that were dismissed by their respective teams. Change in our businesses is commonplace, and both teams handled themselves well in carefully worded press releases. A simple thank you for your time with the organization is needed, and less is more in explaining the circumstances of the individual’s departure. Les Lazaruk now holds the longest tenure in the WHL with one team – the Saskatoon Blades. Lazaruk has been behind the mic of the ‘Bridge City Bunch’ since 1994. In today’s volatile media landscape, announcers have a short shelf life, with many who exceed five years with the same organization as a – ‘long run’.
- To be honest, I haven’t watched one second of the NHL conference finals now that no Canadian team is vying to win the Stanley Cup. When the Oilers and Leafs got turfed, my interest, which it always does, wanes. With another media outlet offering coverage of the WHL final between Seattle and Winnipeg, I chose to watch those games. The game action was terrific and the WHL product showed extremely well in front of great crowds at ShoWare Center in Kent. It was nice to see Kevin Sawyer doing the color analysis on the broadcast. Sawyer was my partner in the booth in my first-ever Shaw TV broadcast in Red Deer a few years back. The 49-year-old does Winnipeg Jets regional TV during the winter before putting his junior skates on for the Memorial Cup broadcasts.
- It looks like former Kelowna Rockets d-man Damon Severson is in for a big payday. An unrestricted free agent, the 28-year-old should get a nice pay raise. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff has Severson at the top of the list of NHL free agents, with an expected six-year contract worth about 6.1 million dollars per season. Severson is entering his 10th season in the NHL, all with the New Jersey Devils.
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