Just two left in the Stanley Cup race. A west coast team (Canucks) that is a favourite to win it and the eastern squad (Canadiens) that will require several miracles to make it past round one.
The often overhyped Canucks seem almost real this year and are a credible threat to become the first Canadian-based squad to win the Cup in 18 years. One hopes the Black Hawks haven’t become for the Canucks what the Westside Warriors are to the Smoke Eaters, but, Vancouver seems both solid and talented enough to, “make a run.”
On top of that, surely the Blackhawks will be humble and downhearted since the revelation of their fraudulent attempt to claim and bask in the 61 Smoke Eaters world championship glory was revealed in this space.
Go, Vancouver. Habs too, of course.
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Don’t know what it is about playing defence for the Smokies, but Travis Gawryletz is the third former premium rearguard from the team to be named his pro club’s citizen of the year.
I think it’s just Trail.
Two were born and raised here, the other traversed a few bumps in the maturity road before fitting in here. At any rate, the quality of people we send out into the wider pro sports world is a testament to the local society - and we should all be proud of their accomplishments.
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One wonders what they are thinking at TSN. For the second time in two weeks they substituted a premium world curling championship game (Canada-Sweden) with a, “Who Cares,” pro exhibition event. This week it was exhibition golf, previously it was exhibition soccer.
Then on Wednesday they aired the only NHL game (of six being played) that, seriously, just didn’t matter. Toronto-New Jersey? Really? Don’t they want people to like them and watch their channel?
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Then there is Telus. I will soon toss them as a cellphone provider - ending a $20-a-month contract that cost $34 a month, one bill including a $.15 text charge. That 15 cents is galling, because I don’t text, never have and won’t. Don’t get me started on their inaptly titled, “customer service.”
As proud a Canadian as I am, I think we need to uncover the few (“home grown,”) service providers we have by bringing in some outside competition. It hasn’t taken ten years for us to go from one of the best cyber-served countries on earth to among the worst in that category in the developed world. Hard to be proud of that.