See you at Columbia Lake for the festivities and fireworks. What a great way to celebrate. As a history nut, Canada Day is a pretty cool day. My first born will be 21 on Canada Day. Two reasons for a party. He too, is a history nut. It’s his major at WLU. That makes for interesting conversation. There are many reasons to celebrate this great country and a few reasons to be concerned. Either way, it shows we care.
Happy Birthday Canada
Peter DeBoer doesn’t mind gambling, but when a sure bet shows up the Kitchener Rangers hockey boss slaps his money down quickly. That’s what happened yesterday when the Rangers selected Danish-born, Swedish Jr. sensation Mikkel Bodker in the CHL Import Draft. The 17 year old winger is described as an impact player. Not all Euorpean players pan out, or even show up. Bodker will be here next week for a tour with his agent and has already said he’ll be here when camp breaks in late August. That’s where the ACE comes in. When the Rangers were awarded the Memorial Cup agents perked up. There is no bigger stage in junior hockey. The World Junior Tournament is comprised mainly of players already drafted. Bodker will be on the world stage in his NHL draft year. He knows that, and so did the dealer.
I look forward to Canada Day. It’s the birth of our nation and 21 years ago, the birth of my first son. When he turned 18, we spent Canada Day on Parliament Hill. Nothing against the University of Waterloos’ big bash, but WHAT a party. To those who say Canadians are bland, and our history is not very interesting, may I suggest digging into our roots and founders. Growing up in eastern Ontario, in United Empire Loyalist Country, and a 90 minute drive to Upper Canada Village, I was surrounded with historical plaques and history buffs. We are still a young country and part of the reason I love my job is because it affords me chances to learn more. About history, about politics, and about people. Waterloo County is steeped in history. Spend some time this weekend appreciating where we’ve come from. To quote a great song lyric “It’s got to be the going, not the getting there that’s good.”
Happy Canada Day
Earlier this spring when I last chatted with Nick Spaling and Yannick Weber of the Kitchener Rangers, both said they would not be going to Columbus, Ohio this weekend. The NHL Entry Draft goes tonight and tomorrow. Both will be picked. Neither wanted the anxiety of sitting there waiting for their names to be called. Spaling said he would rather stay away and not be that nervous and Weber told me it was a long way to fly when he wasn’t convinced he would hear his name at all. With all due respect, both will be drafted. The Kitchener Rangers coaching staff has never encouraged players to attend the draft in person…the upside is amazing and euphoric, the downside is devestating. Not being picked at all is humbling, embarassing and hurtful. Agents who tell their players they will definately be picked should lose their piece of the pie. As many as six Rangers should be drafted tonight and tomorrow. Even if they’re not….they can channel David Clarkson, who was never drafted and still played in the NHL last year. Scouts are good, but it’s still a crapshoot.
The City of Kitchener is changing its market…again… The City of Kitchener is moving forward with a plan to revitalize King Street….again… Stop me if you’ve heard this before.
This past saturday, my son and I made one last trip to Sam the Record Man in downtown Toronto. We’ve been trying to get to the old store at least once per summer for as long as I can remember. This was different. The store is closing at months end, so we knew this was our last chance to get lost in many floors of music and search for treasures. What a disappointment. All that was left was a chunk of the main floor and it had taken on the appeal of a flea market. There was one frantic guy with a shopping cart! I spent most of my time looking at the walls and remembering the saturday morning concerts… the one cent sales and buying my first LP. The music industry has changed and Sams can no longer compete. I thought I was going to the party one last time, but showed up at a wake.
gary
Listeners already know how I feel about hockey, heaven and K.W. What could be better than to have an NHL team live here one day. I started broadcasting in the 70’s with the stated goal of “one day” calling an NHL game. Until today, I thought that would happen. My bubble burst in Hamilton. And according to callers to my show today, I’m not the only one. Why weren’t we (local politicians) at the table earlier, heading off the Hamilton bid to secure just the possiblity of a team? Regional Chair Ken Seiling told us “we’re not in the arena building business.” So what! Does that mean we shouldn’t be. If Seiling were in charge in the 50’s, we wouldn’t have the Aud. Maybe my head was in the sand. If we think like a village, we need an idiot. If we think like a city, we may have had at least a shot at an NHL team. I’ll still sleep well. The Rangers are worth the price of admission and I’m counting the days to when I climb up the broadcast booth and start another season working with Don Cameron. A season that will end with the biggest party in Junior Hockey in Canada. The Memorial Cup. I guess I can hang in there, with the knowledge that Hamilton hasn’t supported any hockey team it’s hosted yet. some day….
later, Gary