Some people find it strange that I have more, or less, tuned out from the rest of the National Hockey League playoffs.
To start, I will occasionally watch a highlight package, and will keep up on the scores, but I no longer have a ‘horse in the race’ as they say to make me want to commit to watching games.
Ideally, I would hope a team that has not won the Cup before gets it done this season, just as Washington did last year. That would mean St. Louis, San Jose or Columbus, Blues fans waiting the long as the franchise started in the 1967-68 season. But, it won’t mean anything to me as I am not a fan of any of the eight teams left in the hunt.
While I appreciate some people are strictly hockey fans, I am much more a sports fan. The current edition of the NHL, while still having some issues, has won me back in terms of watching my favourite teams because offence is back in the game.
But, hockey is like chocolate chip cookies, yes, I like them, but I am just as satisfied munching a sugar cookie, or a ginger snap, or a raisin oatmeal or shortbread cookie. In other words I can relax on my chesterfield and watch any of a dozen team sports, and a handful of individual ones, and be just as contented and entertained as I am by hockey.
In truth hockey rates only fifth on my fav’s list, assuming all things being equal. So if rugby, (15s or 13s), box lacrosse, or the CFL were on the tube with one of my favourite teams playing, I would watch them over watching the NHL.
So, as much as it pained me to watch my favourite Jets, Flames and Leafs bounced from the playoffs, the mourning period was rather short-lived.
This past week would have many watching the start of round two, but it’s not like I wasn’t watching intriguing sports sans hockey. In fact, over the weekend, a chilly cold one which made TV time reasonable, there was baseball, 15s and 13s rugby (back-to-back on Game TV Sunday actually, both Toronto wins), basketball, lacrosse, ultimate, and Canada in U18 world hockey, a bronze medal game loss to the United States by a 5-2 score.
While not a watcher of outdoor soccer I would be remiss not to note the launch of the Canadian Premier League in soccer. The league won’t be to the level of MLS, but the seven team loop should give more Canadian players a place to develop with a schedule extending into October. It would be good for sport in Saskatchewan to see the league expand to Saskatoon one day.
Then this weekend we saw the major league debut by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with the Toronto Blue Jays. I have not seen anyone suggest that Vladi Jr. will not become a star at the major league level, and as a Jay’s fan that is encouraging. The last couple of seasons have seen a cobbled together version of the Jays with limited expectations of success. Guerrero is among the first of a group of talented minor leagues within the Toronto organization which hints at a better future not so far down the road. To have him in the line-up finally makes Jays baseball compelling again. This kid has loads of personality and loads of talents so it will be interesting.
The American Ultimate Disc League also kicked-off on the weekend. All right, the league actually started its season Apr. 5, but the three Canadian teams, Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal played their first games this weekend. Toronto won 19-13 in Ottawa Saturday, in the snow for most of the second half, so waiting three weeks didn’t quit work out, but it was an entertaining game.
Many readers may not be familiar with ultimate, but it is a fun game that is a good option to watch via AUDLTV.
Of course we also have our Saskatchewan Rush headed to the playoffs, after wrapping up the National Lacrosse League regular season on the weekend. The Rush won Saturday 13-8 over Colorado, and now host the same Mammoth Friday in the one-game first round of the playoffs. I would suggest the Mammoth will not go so easily to defeat this time around.
And finally, the Toronto Raptors are into their second round NBA series against the Philadelphia 76ers tied 1-1 after games Saturday and Monday. The Raptors dominated in game one, but were limited to only 89 points Monday, which rarely wins a basketball game.
