T minus 9 minutes.
T minus 8 minutes.
T minus 7. Thank you.
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Heat. Heat.
T minus 5 minutes.
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Standby.
How about that?
Yes, indeed. How about that? The Rod squad is fired up. They are fired up already. Very special day here on the RP show. We got the owner of the BC Lions, Amar Doman, coming up, but not until hour two. Okay, so just don't get your panties in a bunch. Till then, Scruffy's with us and he'll join us in moments as we get ready to talk sports for the next 2 hours. Hope you had a good Victoria Day long weekend. I know I certainly did. The Montreal Canadiens are like hot snow. They're moving on. We're down to the final four and that will be that is the poll question today, which we'll get to in a moment. People want to think about it before they vote. Who will win Lord Stanley? And we'll get to that in a second. But Scruffy, I hope the day finds you well. How are you, sir?
I'm good. I'm good. So far so good with the day. It actually looks to be sort of like a usual May day in Saskatchewan, which after a weekend full of snow as we went through about the sixth winter that we've had this year. I hope this is the end of the snow. Although, you know, you're coming back though to for the summer to do your Moose Jaw Miller Express game. So maybe, you know, the home opener will be snowed out. Who knows?
I'm bringing sunshine, Scruffy. I'm bringing a smile and sunshine this upcoming weekend. Okay. So,
Consider yourself warned.
Okay, let's go. Let's go, baby.
To the Stanley Cup playoffs. The first point of the quick six show topics proudly brought to you by our friends at Uniglobe Carefree Travel, the official travel partner of the BC Lions and the RP Show. First Tampa Bay Scruffy, now Buffalo, Montreal Canadiens. Forward Alex Newhook keeps coming up big in game sevens. The 25-year-old scored his second seventh game series clincher of the playoffs. 11:22 into overtime last night and Montreal knocked off the Sabres 3-2. Stop right there. Did you have a pick for the game last night? Because I said this is a pick'em and it didn't get any closer than what it did last night in game seven.
I always usually resort to the home team for game seven and I know that that's usually, you know, a flip of the coin. So yeah, I had Buffalo last night. Had the game been in Montreal, I would have taken Montreal. I can't believe how Montreal squandered away an opportunity to win it at home on what, Sunday night, Saturday night. And I thought maybe that might get Buffalo over the edge, but when Montreal scored that first goal, that game, you know, went Montreal's way, Buffalo certainly had their opportunities. And I'm not really sure why that one goal was called back because it looked good to me. But Tate, when's the last time a Buffalo team got the raw end of a call, right? And Lindy Ruff had to answer for it again. I heard his news conference this morning on NHL radio. The poor son of a gun. But anyways, the Sabres are going the right way. And I'll say this, Mitch, about the Montreal Canadiens, Lake Can. I had Tampa Bay picked to beat him in round one. I had Buffalo picked him to beat him in round two. They just keep jamming it up everybody's butt. And now they got Carolina in round three. I don't know. What do you think is going to happen, Rody?
I have no faith in the Carolina Hurricanes when it comes to the Eastern Conference final. They've lost what, 13 in a row in the Eastern Conference final. And that's with Rod Brind'Amour as their head coach. Like it just sort of seems that they can only get so far before they fall. And I'm taking Montreal. I don't know if Montreal will win game one because it's that seven game hangover, then you go back, you know, to having to start the tank up again. But I could see Montreal beating Carolina. And like I've put out on social media, if we get an Avalanche Canadiens final, Colorado's got to wear their Nordiques jerseys at the Bell Center. They have to.
They might in one of those games. Who knows? But here's the mental side of it. Wasn't it Yogi Berra that said 90% of the game is half mental? Like nobody picked Montreal to win the first two rounds and they did. Now everybody's picking Montreal to win, right? Carolina. If I was Rod Brind'Amour, I would take the clip of what you just said and play it for the boys. See, nobody believes in us, guys. Which, by the way, is another thing. 11 days off for Carolina since sweeping round two. It's the longest break in NHL history. I was on a show in Pittsburgh Saturday morning and they said, 'Rod, should the Penguins or the sorry, should the Hurricanes be concerned about that?' Now, talk to any coach, Mitch. Rest. Montreal would rather have the rest. I would think. I would think Carolina should not worry about the break.
I think that, you know, if you're Carolina, you probably maybe worry about the first period as you're just trying to get everybody back into game shape. And I don't know how hard, you know, Rod is pressing his guys during practice, but we know that, you know, there's a game speed and a game shape, but I would think it would take at least the first 5 to 10 minutes, you know, get the guys out there, roll all four lines through, get them out there, and just sort of get them back into game shape. But I would think the first period, you know, that might mean just shaking the rust off, but after that, yeah, I think you're fine. So they open Thursday in Raleigh with game one Montreal at Carolina. We'll talk more about these series coming up later on.
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[email protected]. We're going to be talking a whole lot of CFL when we come back after this break. A little NFL too, the owner of the BC Lions, Amar Doman coming up in hour two of the program here today as well. So, if you ever had any questions for a CFL owner, Amar has graciously donated his time. They've got a big preseason game coming up this Saturday in Langford, British Columbia, Mitch. And as you know, they're going on the road for a couple of home games to open the season in Kelowna. There's lease negotiations, which I don't know how many people care about that the Lions are in lease negotiations with BC Place. You should. It's a really big deal. It's a really big deal when teams and their venues open into talks like this. So, we'll get to the bottom of it with Amar Doman. That's coming up in hour two. So, we got a lot to get to, including the Blue Jays. The NBA playoffs are down to the Final Four if you can. So, top up your coffee, make yourself comfortable. Mitch and I will be back to address all of your questions and comments. The text line is open, by the way, for Western Dodge 9025183033. Moose Jaw's go-to for Ram trucks and Jeep adventures. You guessed it, Western Dodge. Stop in today. So yes, one more time, the number is 90251830333. And we've got the Memorial Cup to get to, the Centennial Cup to get to. I got a very exciting fundraiser I'm going to tonight I want to tell you all about. So get comfy. We'll be right back after this on the RP show.
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Welcome back. It's the RP show. It's the warm-up brought to you by our friends at Uniglobe Carefree Travel and we're jumping right back into the pool. As a matter of fact, more so with the comments. We're asking who's going to win the Stanley Cup. Trenton Norway says Montreal to win because of the youth factor. Stay well everyone. John M writes in. M says looking good Rod. Got some sun, eh? Scruffy, professional as always. Yes, I was on a boat on Saturday with the Spanish Golden Girls. It was fun. It's a long story.
The Spanish Golden Girls. Didn't you see my Instagram story or Facebook story?
Oh, I saw that you rode a boat, but I didn't see that you were on it with a bunch of women.
Yeah. Yeah. Spanish Golden Girls. They were like, 'Do you want to join our party?' I'm like, 'Not really, but sure, since I'm here, I'll take some photos.'
The seniors that played the harmonica in LA that played the national anthem is like that or what?
They were all over the spectrum. They were all over the Can we stick to sports, please? It's my bad for bringing it up, but I know exactly. Point two, Vernon Adams, connect. Would you like to join our party? I don't know. You can't turn it off, Scruffy. You can't turn it off. Vernon Adams connected with Jalen Philpot for a 70-yard touchdown. Josh Love added another TD on the ground and the Calgary Stampeders defeated the Saskatchewan Roughriders 20 to 15 in CFL preseason play. Let me just stop this for a sec. Moose and I and Matt Debbuck were going to do a live stream of the game. I should have done a lot more work ahead of it. Any We got like 10 minutes into it and had to scrap it for a variety of reasons. I don't think I can be a live stream guy. Mitch, do you watch them like the Spitting Chicklets or the Mannings or any of those? Because that's kind of what we were going to try to do yesterday. And I'll explain why it didn't work.
I've watched a couple of Manning casts, but to me, and I don't know if it's just my age coming through or not, I want to watch the game with announcers calling it, you know? Like if I'm going to be if like if I'm going to have it that way like a Manning cast like I go out on a Monday night with buddies for beers and we talk and talk smack and watch the games or whatever and you know you can hear Joe and Troy underneath but that's sort of you know okay that's fine if I'm sitting at home I want to watch Joe and Troy like so I'm not into that as much as what the younger demographic is. But that seems to be the thing.
Well, everybody was all excited when I said we were going to do a live stream, but just from a technical aspect, I had to stream the game at CFL Plus, stream Facebook Live to get connected on it, and stream another Facebook Live to read the comments and then bring in Moose from Toronto. And it became this huge like, what the hell? I just want to watch a football game. And frankly, I was raised with my dad as a professional hockey scout going shh as I'm trying to talk to him during the game. He's working and I watch the game like a scout and I don't care about I don't care about the announcers. Most times I have the sound down anyways, but I'm sitting there going this is far too distracting. This is far too distracting. So, it's like I don't know why why the Spitting Chicklets thing is such the rage and the Mannings because there was a lot going on in the football game yesterday as I just said. Now, having said all that, it was quite a good game. We scrapped it. I'm like, why did I even try? This is a hell of a lot more fun to just sit down and watch CFL Plus and to land the plane here. I know you weren't watching by the fourth quarter and that's your right, but Braden Shager, number 10 quarterback for SAS, looked like the second coming of Josh Allen. I don't know if you've seen any of the highlights or not, but I'm like, how did this guy slip through the cracks?
No, I haven't. I had one person ask me last night what I knew of this guy and I said nothing because I don't involve myself with the team anymore and they're in Saskatoon. So I said I know nothing about this kid. He played in the fourth quarter. I don't know how, you know, as you said, he looked good, but Rody, we have seen a lot of quarterbacks come through and come through the CFL who have dazzled in their first preseason game against guys that are third and fourth stringers. So, is he somebody that you need to keep an eye on? Probably. Is he probably going to be your third stringer pro or practice roster guy? Story because I forget the quirky Tommy Stevens. Jack Coan to me is still going to be the backup unless he gets hurt and we go from there. Now, apparently this receiver Sexton that they Yeah, they just picked up. Apparently, he was probably the best player on the field yesterday from what I've heard, but again, I don't know anything about him, so I can't comment. And he's on the line. If he's on the roster week one, that's when I'll start paying attention.
So, Shager, he led the Riders in passing and rushing. He scored a long rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter. He just I was like, 'Oh, you those guys that make you perk up.' But it's funny what you you're so right about it being preseason game one against their threes and fours. He's the Riders third or fourth, right, at the quarterback position. But you'll remember this. I mean, the Riders used to always give me hell because I would build these guys up like the second coming of Tom Brady. Remember that Brian Bennett? He had like three touchdowns in the inner squad game and I had was chiseling a statue of him for the plaza. Brian Bennett. Remember that? We never heard his name again.
Because of situations just like this. But didn't you and Luke Mullander have an award for the preseason player of camp?
Yeah, the Terrence Nun award for the guy that drew all the hype.
Terrence Nun. And then because this guy was the second coming of Randy Moss, Terrence Nun, and then he got into a game and he tripped over his shoelaces. I'm like, 'Oh boy.' But I mean, but that was frankly one of the many things that I fought with the writers about. Frankly, you got to split my time into two different actually three or four regimes now that I think about it. But the last regime, which they won, just so you know, Jeremy O'Day and those guys, they won. So, I'm not talking ill about them. But they were always like, 'You're building these guys up. You're making the expectations so high.' I said, 'Go run the team. I'll do what I do.' Because Hoppy never had a problem with it at all. Nor did Barr nor did Shivers and Barrett at all with me hyping these guys. And the first regime, Al Ford and Cal Murphy, they were so shell shocked and rattled, they weren't even aware of what I was saying.
So, yeah. Hype up the team something that you're supposed to do as the play-by-play announcer.
That's why I was so confused by the end. And again, I'm not denigrating them. It's just I had a very long talk with Mark Miller about this, the offensive coordinator for the Riders this winter where I just said, 'Hey, it's just a different way of doing things. I came up in this one way of doing things with Al Ford and Shivers and Barrett and Tilman and Jones, and then these guys want to do it another way, and I just I don't I guess I'm just too old of a dog.' Anyways, it's not about me. The game was good. It was a good crowd. And just so you know, it's a Saturday triple header in the CFL upcoming preseason. Toronto and Hamilton, Edmonton versus BC at Langford, British Columbia, and Winnipeg at Saskatchewan. We can come back on this in a second, but hey, it is just the preseason. We'll come back later if people have more CFL preseason things they'd like to talk about. But point three was this of the quick six show topics, the conference finals in the NHL. The poll question is for Country Thunder Saskatchewan and the greatest party the summer is coming to Craven July 9th to the 12th. Country Thunder, Lainey Wilson, Creed, the RP show. Join us all there. Get your tickets now at countrythunder.comsk. Who will win the Stanley Cup? Mitch, who we going to win?
Did you see the Lainey Wilson married a former CFL quarterback on the weekend?
Oh, Devlin Hodges. I do not remember that guy. I do not remember him.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He played in Ottawa.
Ottawa. But just stop for a sec. Stop. Stop. Anybody wants to talk about how this show is different than all the rest? You know this Katie Engleson because you've texted me about her. She's the host of the Florida Panthers broadcast.
So, she's beautiful. There's a rumor that she was an Alabama Crimson Tide cheerleader. I'm not sure. I never asked her about that, but one of the other media guys said, 'Rod, you're a CFL guy. Katie used to date a CFL player. Don't know what his name is.' I'm like, 'Oh, okay. I'll ask her about it.' So, one day pulled her aside. I'm like, 'Katie, I heard you dated a CFL player.' And she looked at me like, 'How did you know that?' I'm like, 'Doesn't matter. Did you?' And she goes, 'Yeah, Matthew Schiltz.' And I said, 'The quarterback.' She's like, 'Yeah, right.' She's like, 'He was just so nice. Just so probably too nice for me.' And that was like our com. He is a super nice guy. So yeah, what's I guess be a CFL quarterback and marry a star. What the hell?
Yeah. So yeah, I didn't know that. I thought Lainey Wilson would marry a Cowboy, but are you dodging my question as to who is going to win the Stanley Cup?
Nope, I'm not. I just don't want to say it. It's not the team. It's not the team whose sweater sits behind you.
Hey Mitch, are you dodging the question? No. Mitch, are you dodging the question? No, I just don't want to answer it. Hey Mitch, are you Caucasian? No, I'm white. Why would you have a problem? Colorado is going to win. There are four teams that I don't want to see win the Stanley Cup every year. One is obviously Toronto, two is Calgary, three is Colorado, and four is Vegas. One of those teams will obviously be in the final.
Why do you have a problem? I don't have a problem. I don't have a problem with any of them. I can't stand Colorado. I just I can't stand Colorado. I never have. And I find their fans to be one of the some of the most obnoxious and clueless clueless people out there. I've been to a couple of Avalanche games and I'm just like, 'What do you think you're watching? Like every fan base has them, but when you see it up close and personal, it's like okay.'
Fair. I mean, I look at Colorado as this Jared Bednar from Humboldt Sask the head coach. Joe Sakic the president.
I agree with that. I just sort of more because I just they're they've got a very good team, very solid management structure, but I just find their fans, especially those that watch the games at the rink, just to be like, what are you looking at? Like, do you even know what's going on? Do you like are you just here because or what? Like I That's a lot of markets. But of the four teams that you said of the four teams you said you don't want to win the Stanley Cup. Did you say that Calgary was one?
Yeah. Jeff the Stamps fan writes in and says, 'What don't you like about the Flames?' Here's the thing. I don't think we got to worry about the Flames, Jeff.
Well, I don't think we got to worry about the Flames winning the Stanley Cup anytime soon. So, let's shove that for a second. But, I haven't talked to you since the Vegas spit hit the fan. Last week, sorry, my mind's thinking what day it was. Last I talked to you, it was Thursday night. They beat Anaheim in game six. Torts blows off the media within by midnight. I guess I'm trying to piece this all together. They got their fine. Well, sorry, their draft pick, second round pick. We don't have enough time to get into this. I'm going to have to carry it over till after the break. But Torts gets fined 100,000. The team gets stripped of a second round draft pick. That is harsh as hell. What's your read on that situation in the 90 seconds we have left?
I think there's something more going on behind the scenes that we haven't seen. And I know Tortorella was upset about the Brayden McNabb suspension and if this was his way of getting back at the league. I like I just don't know where this came from, but when they say that they're going to that they can appeal, Rod, I'd be stunned if they don't get that second round pick back. Stunned. And I don't know why Tortorella is doing this, especially when he was working for ESPN before he went back to the Knights. And he's probably gonna go back to ESPN if he doesn't get the Knights job. Like I don't know.
Well, something just as you know, there is. And that's the problem with the media now. I can tell you this, you know, my ties run very deep within that organization and now we're airing in that market. So, you got to be careful. But what I can tell you is somebody has reported correctly the Golden Knights stance on this situation and many many others have incorrectly reported where it stands. So, as you say, it doesn't make a lot of sense. You're right. But the NHL stepped in and made it very clear nobody's bigger than the league. Period. And you say, was Tortorella that mad? I know enough about Vegas to know they do everything together. That's how they've been so successful. They're not running off five different directions. They do everything together. If you think it was just Tortorella, you're a fool. We'll be coming right back after this. You're watching the RP show.
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Business owners and marketers. Okay, we know you think we're pretty cool. That's why we want you to share in the coolness factor. Partner with the Rod Peterson Show and market your business every weekday to sports lovers just like yourself. Take advantage of our many cost-effective commercial and promotional opportunities. Tell the world about your business. Yes, the world. Thanks to Game Plus TV and the Rod Peterson Digital Network. Contact us today and find out how you can be a part of Canada's fastest growing sports talk show, The Rod Peterson Show.
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All right, welcome back everybody. But hey, when we're talking hockey, it's for the Mad Greek in Moose Jaw. From classic to loaded, pizza night starts at the Mad Greek. We're getting down to the nitty-gritty of the Stanley Cup playoffs. You're going to be ordering pizza. How about the famous Greek ribs everybody's raving about? Might as well do it at Mad Greek. Mad Greek.com is where you can peruse their menu and order online. Okay. Scruffy says, 'Thank you, producer Corey. You have breaking news on the Golden.'
Yeah. So, you and I were talking about the Vegas thing going into the break. Emily Kaplan, ESPN, is reporting that they had their in-person hearing this morning and that the punishment still stands. So, second round pick 100,000k fine Torts. So, I guess so much for me saying that the second round pick would probably be given back. I thought they might walk it back a little bit too because that's unbelievably harsh. But yeah, I don't know. I think you listen to NHL radio a little bit. I listen to it a lot and I don't Here's the thing. I don't always agree with the guys, but I love the discussion. Like Gord Stel and Scott Lachlan were talking about this. I guess it was Friday morning and Stel said it was a slap in the face to the scouts to have the second round pick taken away that the Golden Knights management was disrespectful to their scouts. So, I'm like, they didn't know they were going to lose a second round pick. You know what I mean? Like, how don't blame You don't They didn't know that. But it's a very, you know who I think this is disrespectful to, Rod? This is disrespectful to the players. Like, how many times do we see player X has been fined X,000 for an act on player Y., you know, like the Department of Player Safety is players protecting players. And you see something egregious happen out on the ice and a guy gets fined whatever and you're finding a coach 100 grand because he doesn't meet the media. Like tell me how that makes sense.
Well, it makes sense to them and they're not they don't have to explain it, right? I mean, I don't get I don't get any of it. I don't get any of it. Why would you not speak to the media? Although I now know the reason why and like I say, somebody's reported it correctly. Others have come out and denied that and it's just it's a mess. It's ugly. But I'll say this again, the Golden Knights do everything together. So that would have run up pretty high in the organization, the decision to walk out on the media and which I don't like. But a Friday morning, I'm sitting here going, 'Hey, it's not a big deal. If I want to hear what John Tortorella has to say or whatever, I will go to the team account, their Instagram, and see like the media.' What this surprised me a little bit and actually made me a little happy, Mitch, was that the NHL had the media's back. And Gord Stel went a little further on that and said, 'Listen, coaches, you're making 4.5 million a year. Some of you 7 million a year. That's because of the growth and the of the game in America. So don't stand up the media because they're carrying our message.' That's what Gordy said.
Do you think that's what a lot of this was about? I just don't know. And like I know that John Tortorella obviously has had his moments and I just wonder like you know if this had been a coach if if this had been Rod Brind'Amour or this had been Jared Bednar or Marty St. Louis or the guy in San Jose like would we be doing the same thing here or is it just because it's Tortorella?
Oh I think a lot of it has to do with Tortorella for sure. Jason Arredier says, 'Did we ever get sorry does some of this and I heard this on NHL radio go back to the whole Bruce Cassidy thing and how the Knights have been so well you can't talk to anybody although even though he's supposedly talked to LA like I don't know.'
Right. But then another report came out and said they that the Kings were denied and that's wrong. So that's why I spend far less time on my phone because I don't even know who to believe anymore.
Jason in Red Deer writes in, he says, 'Did we ever get a reason why?' I could see being upset after a series loss, but they won. The reason is they were sending a message. That's all that I'll say. What the message is, read between the lines. Vancouver Eric writes in and says, 'The media/networks pay a lot of money for the NHL coverage.' No, they they don't. Trust me, you're right. But that's ESPN, that's TNT, that's Sportsnet. That's why their reporters get all the scoops. Nobody gives a rat's ass what the Athletic thinks or the local newspaper. They're not paying to cover the league. That's why that's why I was shocked this was so harsh. But you just said Marty St. Louis and can I swing this around in another direction for a second? I heard a clip this morning in NHL radio and I don't know who who the player was, but he'd obviously been with the Habs five, six, seven years because he was asked about the rebuild niche and they said, 'How did you guys turn this around basically so fast and so successfully?' And the player said, 'We went from the Stanley Cup to the last place in the league back to the Final Four.' And he said, 'We've drafted well. We've made correct personnel decisions, i.e. the trade for Kirby Dach is a good example. And we believe in our coach, Martin St. Louis.' And I was like, it sounds so simple, but clearly it's not that simple. Or the Oilers would have figured it out. And the Leafs and all the other teams that keep changing their tail every year. And I sit here and I see like, you know, the general manager awards come out and stuff like that. Where is Kent Hughes on that list? Like Kent Hughes has done a fantastic job with the Montreal Canadiens. Like he's got all that young talent. They trade for Noah Dobson. Like they drafted Slafkovsky when everybody thought they were going to take Shane Wright. Like Kent Hughes is right up there and he doesn't get noticed, which I'm guessing doesn't bother him one lick. It shouldn't. It shouldn't. I mean, I'll say it again. I mean, I have a lot of respect for the media. I do. But ever since going into season six, next season will be my sixth season. I credited NHL. And I look at the people that are that are voting, Mitch, they're not even watching the games. They're watching college football on the TV in the press box. So, what are like Rider media on a Saturday night?
I wouldn't know because I've never been in that press box, but I kind of get what you're
