One thing is for sure, something has to change.
Or else the World Sledge Hockey Championship final between Canada and the United States may never end.
Mike Mondin’s Team Canada number one goalie Corbin Watson and his counterpart in the U.S. net have been incredibly stingy.
Watson has yet to concede a goal in the tournament - Team Canada’s only defensive blemish came in a 4-3 win against Russia, a game featuring backup netminder Benoit St. Amand in which the Canadians actually held a 4-0 lead - and the Americans routed the round robin field, 17-0 before finally surrendering one lone marker against the Russians in the semi-final.
Whichever team scores, it seems like, will top the all time field for titles in the tournament. Canada and the U.S. each have two golds, with the Americans being two-time defending champions.
Not that much of the world cares. Searching Google and Ask.com for information on the tourney brings up only Wikipedia and the Hockey Canada website, which provides basic information other than about Canada’s team.
A separate search for USA Hockey leads, eventually to American views.
The U.S. site claims the final, which starts at 12:30 a.m. Saturday, will be, “aired free of charge,” but doesn’t say where. I assume it means it will stream on the USA Hockey site.
It’s a very big deal for those involved, which includes some interested parties here, and it can’t hurt for everyone to cross their fingers on Canada’s behalf before bedding down Friday night.
The team and event are worth at least as much support as, say, mixed doubles and senior curling and the ever increasing U-whatever levels of hockey that also have global playdowns.
• It’s bad news that the Trail Jays won’t be in the Butler Park mix this summer. It’s a nice park and a good place to spend a few hours, day or night.
It is a positive that there seem to be strong hopes for local minor ball down the road, but it is a serious blow to fans not to have those minors’ highest level to follow.
One hopes the Orioles will soon announce they are continuing to compete, and post a schedule, and that Legion ball will make a comeback sooner than later.
The younger groups are well worth supporting, but the better the level of ball the happier celebrants of the, “Church of Baseball,” will be.
• Speaking of comebacks - although they are unlikely to re-emerge as a sports (or anything else) sponsor anytime soon, the Rex Hotel seems to have re-opened as permanently as the economy permits.
My original obit from last year was legit, but, things change.