“Now gosh golly bingo Tretiak’s out counting the crowd we’ve got a hockey game!’ Way back last century when Bullock & Brioux were known over several streets in Etobicoke, this is what Pat Bullock would say to start off his Howie Meeker impersonation. There’s always a phrase impressionists use to find a voice. Look up
This was a hard year for hockey. The NHL got smacked into the boards in March and was shut down right before another Stanley Cup run. When a plan emerged to mount a 60-day playoff tourney in “The Bubble,” it was always seen for what it was — a way to salvage what remained of
The latest Total Canada (English) Top 30 TV programs report from Numeris shows the return of NHL hockey has had an impact, albeit not an overwhelming one so far. The top five most-watched programs August 3 – 9, 2020, as measured in average minute audience (AMA) and among viewers 2+ are as follows: CTV Evening
Add August to the months during which The Toronto Maple Leafs can’t win a playoff series. After hitting the draft lottery motherload in 2015 and 2016 and signing free agent John Tavaris, the Leafs have not won a single NHL playoff round. All that promise four years ago — the right coach, the right GM,
How big a deal is the return of live hockey, basketball and baseball to Canadian sports network schedules? Looking at the first weekend ratings, it has seen Sportsnet go from worst to first. This is especially true at Sportsnet, the only home of NHL hockey through till the presentation of the Stanley Cup (or as
There were no fans in the stands but there were plenty waiting to watch at home. Tuesday night’s COVID-19 delayed, NHL pre-season game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens drew an overnight, estimated 845,000 viewers on Sportsnet One plus another 460,000 on Sportsnet national for a total of just over 1.3 million
I’ve heard of playoff beards, but this is ridiculous. I tuned in to Sportsnet Tuesday for the resumption of NHL hockey only to see that commentator Elliotte Friedman had turned into San Jose Sharks centre Joe Thornton. They both need to see Bill Barber! As for the action on the ice, for me, the empty
How devestating would it be if sports gets shut down again a few days after baseball tries to sneak in a 60 game season? The news that 14 players and team members on the Florida Marlins have been diagnosed with COVID-19 has sent MLB officials scrambling to determine if the pandemic is simply too much