Something To "Mitch" About

--We are in a dead zone around here.  Not a lot is happening.  Makes it tough to try and form a column, but here goes.

--There is some debate going on as to the actions of Warriors coach Tim Hunter following the conclusion of Game 4 of their first-round series with the Saskatoon Blades.  Hunter did not participate in the post-series handshakes with the story being he had gone to see if the Blades game-winner was offside or not.

I have nothing against Tim Hunter, but he was wrong in this case.  It sends the wrong message when you don't take part in the post-series handshake.  I can understand there may be anger and frustration, but A) you need to be in that line and B) you can send someone else to see if the goal was a legitimate one even though you know that can't be reviewed in the WHL.  Why is that by the way?

It also has some suggesting there is no need for teams to shake hands at center ice at the end of a series. ?????!!  That is one of the great traditions in sport.  Players battle hard against one another, but there is still a respect factor there to shake hands with the opposition when it is over win or lose.  It is something you don't see in other sports that I would love to see.  It is one of the many things which makes hockey special.  That is a tradition that should never, ever go away!

--The win by the Blades meant this had to happen to Mac The Moose.

Unconfirmed reports from Norway suggest their moose has a bigger Blades logo on it.

--If you look at the scoresheets in the NHL Saturday night, you will see Pats alumni Austin Wagner, Jordan Weal, Sam Steel, Jordan Eberle, Dryden Hunt and Chandler Stephenson on them and contributing. Say what you will about the Pats, but they have been producing NHL'ers.  More are on the way.

--The wait came to an end Friday.  I'm sure you know by now that Derek Taylor is coming to CKRM to serve as the new Riders play-by-play man and the host of the Sportscage.  It was not an easy decision and there were many good candidates that applied from what I understand.  It will not be the same in the booth as it was with Rod Pedersen there and it will never be, but Derek has a chance to put his own unique stamp on the game.  I know he is excited to get to work in April and start covering Riders football, and I'm excited to help out in any way I can.   Derek and Luc Mullinder will make a great team just like Rod and Luc.  Welcome DT!

--Connor McDavid took a nasty looking knee-on-knee hit Saturday night versus Anaheim.  One that went uncalled. Why and how does it go uncalled.  It was kneeing, it was interference, it was a hit the NHL claims they don't want, but when it happens nothing is done about it.   The argument was made that there was an uproar over the hit because it was McDavid on the receiving end.  Would it have been different had it been Tom Wilson or Sam Steel?  Would it have been different if it was Sidney Crosby?  It doesn't matter if the hit is against a marquee player or a sweater-filler, you can't have plays like that in the game.

--If the Calgary Flames are making their fanbase feel a little queasy as the playoffs approach, what are the Winnipeg Jets doing to their fanbase?  What about the Leafs?

--Is it just me or is Cam Atkinson of the Blue Jackets the quietest 40 goal scorer in the NHL?

--How much longer until CFL training camps start?

--How worrisome is the situation in Montreal with the Alouettes becoming.  I don't like it when the words "creditors" and "bankruptcy" get involved.  If a deal can be made to get the organization into the hands of one of the groups supposedly interested than get it done.  For the good of the league, the CFL doesn't need to be the ones running the franchise.  We've done that already!

--I really would like to see the Detroit Pistons meet the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

--The San Diego Padres had an "Anchorman" race the other night.  I don't know if this is going to be a thing all season, but as I said on social media this week,  can the Regina Red Sox get some big-heads made up of my fellow announcers at Harvard Broadcasting and make this a thing.  Imagine a giant MY92 Mark Johnston, the WOLF's Drew Dalby and Chad McDonald and 620 CKRM's Jamie Lewis or Colin Lovequist running from foul-line to foul-line.  It would be epic.

--The Blue Jays split an opening four-game series against Detroit.  Many are raving about Toronto's starting pitching as the Detroit bats were silent for much of the series.  This was not the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox they were facing.  Toronto will definitely need more performances from Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez like they got opening weekend if they are to have a sniff at any success this year.

--Women's hockey in this country took a huge hit with the announcement Sunday that the Canadian Womens Hockey League was going to cease operations.  If the NBA can create the WNBA to increase the profile of women's basketball (and putting a team in Toronto would help),  the NHL can surely do something to create the WNHL or something like that.  You don't need teams in all NHL markets, but you do need to help grow the women's game.

--That's all I got.  Talk to you in the Cage at 4.