Author Archives: Shylah Gibb

NHL: All-Canadian Division

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Rumors are flying about the NHL season, and one of them is possibility of an all-Canadian Division. With the Coronavirus looking like it’s at the beginning of it’s second wave, the league is taking into consideration all options in order to guarantee the start of the season. There aren’t many options for the league at this point, but confining the teams to either sides of the border could create a number of issues, but could also be the only option. A number of experts are looking at the con’s of having the season divided by country, but are agreeing in the fact that it may be the only way to ensure the season is successful and safe.

The first issue that hockey experts are aware of is the distance and difficulty of the travel. The Canadian teams are almost perfectly split down the middle in the country, and a flight from eastern to western Canada, with the time change, is comparable to a flight to Europe. The players and coaching staff would be enduring much more grueling time zone changes and flight lengths. There is a reason the league is shaped the way it is with its division and conferences; it keeps the travel much shorter and more convenient. As for Vancouver, they are normally just a short flight away from LA, San Jose, Anaheim and more. But, if they were confined to strictly Canadian travel, the Canucks would be looking at an, on average, a five-hour flight and a 3-hour time change to the eastern cities.

Another thing to consider is the fact that many Canadians and Americans would be missing opportunities to see their favourite teams and players either playing live against their local team or on television. For example, a couple of the biggest names in hockey at the moment such as Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews, would not be travelling to the United States and would not have an opportunity to showcase their skills in front of their loyal fans. Not only that, it is not uncommon for die hard hockey fans to be attached to a team on the other side of the border. The NHL market in Canada has never lacked fan support, so restricting the teams to the North side of the border wouldn’t have too large of an impact on the economy up here. America on the other hand, has a few cities that rely on the Canadian teams visiting in order to keep up their revenue. The teams in Arizona, Florida and Columbus all gross the least amount of revenue in the league, and it would be teams such as these that would be hit the hardest by pending NHL restrictions.

The last and arguably most important issue being brought to attention is what would happen for the playoffs. If the NHL generated an all-Canadian division, it would mean that potentially right off the bat several Canadian teams would not make playoffs. Following that, a number of Canadians teams would most likely be eliminated during first-round, leaving the country with fewer teams to cheer for.

Now this is all very hypothetical, and there is a large number of rumours circulating, but the league is doing everything in their power to keep players and coaching staff safe, and get the season started.

Toronto Raptors: Homeless?

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This season of the NBA is already on a fast track to get started. Much like the rest of the world and other sporting events, Covid has put a serious twist on locations, scheduling, traveling, trading and more. The Toronto Raptors are more than familiar with the difficulties surrounding professional sports and keeping everyone safe. Sportsnet released an article stating, “the NBA governors and players’ association formally agreed late Monday to start the 2020-21 season on December 22 – a full month sooner than even the most optimistic projections when the league was trying to finish then 2019-20 season in the bubble on campus at Walt Disney World resort this past summer”. Many basketball fans were more than ecstatic about the season being able to continue last season, but this season is now posing the same, if not more problems. The main questions festering amongst the Toronto Raptors and the country is where on earth is training camp going to be, what country?

With the current 14-day quarantine for inbound travelers from the United States still in full force, the likelihood of the Raps being able to train and begin their season on their home court is becoming less and less realistic. Of course, they are asking for a lift on those regulations but even the Toronto Blue Jays were unable to get that exemption. So, that leaves the obvious question of what to do next. Canadians are finding themselves in quite the pickle when it comes to issues like this one because the obvious response is to have them train and practice where ever is more suitable for their safety. But from an athletic standpoint, not being able to practice on your home court has proven to be detrimental, along with all of the non-basketball staff being less accessible to the team if they were not able to be on their home turf.

Toronto may not be the official home of the Raps training camp this year, but all the members of the organization are working day and night to come up with a solution. Potential temporary housing stateside is looking like the strongest option for the club at this time, Sportsnet reported that there had been several inquiries about things such as that. There are numerous factors that must be taken into account when selecting suitable facilities. Although it would be ideal to find a place that houses a strong practice and training facility, the in-conference play is the utmost important factor when looking at locations.

In conclusion, it is looking like regardless of the location, Canadians will be able to keep their spirits high that the NBA season is on a fast track to it’s first tip off of the year. Tampa and Nashville are the reported cities to be the front runners in the race to be a home to our Toronto Raptors. With that being said, all we can do is hope that this virus does not continue to spread. The league will be doing everything in their power to keep the coaching staff and players as safe as possible. Regardless of the location, Canadians will have a team to cheer for, whether they are located in our country or our neighbors to the south. Prior to the start of the season, you can watch for the NBA draft which is scheduled for November 18th, following that two days later is free agency opening date, capped off by the official contract signing day on the 22nd. Keep your eyes and ears pealed for more information, until then, our Raps will be on the prowl for a home!

Howie Meeker (1923-2020): Legendary NHL Player and Analyst

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The entire hockey community, amongst many others, took a minute to honour legendary Howie Meeker this past Sunday. He passed away at the age of 97, and is known for his prominence in the early NHL days, followed by a colourful career as an analyst for the league along with a number of other passions he had. He was born in Kitchener Ontario back in 1923 where be began his hockey journey. He only played a few years in the league until joining his country in the fight of World War II with the Canadian Army; he was badly injured during the war but luckily made a full recovery.

Onward went his hockey career as he joined the Toronto Maple Leaf’s and their run for the cup. He was awarded the NHL’s Calder Memorial Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 1947, scoring 5 goals in one game against the Chicago Blackhawks to tie the record for most goals in a game by a rookie, and followed that by winning 4 Stanley Cups with the club. As his playing career bounced around from team to team shortly after his early success, along with a severe collarbone break, he took to coaching in 1956. Following his time in the league he ran a very successful hockey camp and published a book in 1973 titled, “Howie Meeker’s Hockey Basics” which lead to a television series of 107 fifteen-minute episodes, largely focusing on the importance of being taught to play the game correctly and wearing safe hockey equipment. Meeker didn’t stop there! He pursued a highly successful broadcasting career and emerged into a new generation-type of reporter. He was a colour commentator for Hockey Night in Canada and was one of the first to truly look more deeply into replays and the specifics of the game.

The list is endless of the people’s lives that he changed. The number of players he influenced to join the game is endless, he increased the safety of the players by technique and their gear, and genuinely cared about the people invested in the game. CBC tweeted, “The equipment has changed but his advise from a 1974 episode of @cbcsports ‘Howie Meeker’s Hockey School’ holds up”, which is a clear indication of the impact that still remains from the lessons he taught. The list does not stop there, Meeker was involved with the Special Olympics for approximately 50 years. It began as simply lending out his name for a golf tournament in 1988 and ended up extending out for 30 years until he was 94 when he took a step back, but ensured he had a suitable replacement for himself so that the fundraiser would continue. Lastly, him and his wife Leah were a large part of another fundraiser, this one being for the BC Guide Dog Services where they helped raise over $350,000 as of July 2011. Meeker was a unique, hardworking, kind soul who will be greatly missed and whose lessons will continue to carry on.

Take 1:39 seconds out of your day to watch Sportsnet’s video below, and you will understand.

“Its alright to have the skill’s, but size of his heart, is the most important thing”. – Howie Meeker

Alex Trebek Death: Prominent Figure of the NHL

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It is with heavy hearts that Canadian’s, along with the rest of the world, mourn the passing of Alex Trebek, the hockey community specifically. The legendary Jeopardy host passed away at the age of 80 surrounded by loved ones on Sunday morning after a battle with pancreatic cancer. The disease has a 5-year survival rate of only 9 percent, according to American Cancer Society. Not only was Trebek a beloved Canadian game show host, he played a large part with the National Hockey League and was a prominent figure amongst the players. The National Post released a heartfelt article with multiple quotes from leading figures of the league and the players. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman released statements and tributes in light of Trebek’s death, explaining he was, “a passionate fan of our game and a true friend of our league”. Not only Bettman released statements, the NHL and NHL Alumni Association shared their condolences, along with numerous members of the Ottawa Senators Organization. It is heartwarming to see the outpour of support and kind words for the Ontario native, and how many lives he truly did touch. The Senators owner Eugene Melnyk stated, “Alex was a true and much beloved Canadian icon, and a very special member of the Ottawa Senators Family”. It is through comments like these that it amplifies the effects that Trebek had on the nation and hockey community. P.K. Subban released a tweet including a video of his last encounter with Trebek that will put a smile right on your face, he is one of many NHLers that got the honour of meeting the legend himself. Trebek had always prided himself on being a loyal fan of his Ontario teams, especially the Senators considering he was a graduate of the University of Ottawa; with that being said, of course he didn’t hesitate for a second when the NHL asked him to announce the teams third overall draft pick in the 2020 NHL draft. Alex Trebek will be missed by many, and he will never be forgotten by the NHL community.

Audio Podcasts – New Music – By Shylah Gibb

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These are 2 podcasts done by Shylah Gibb! The first one is an interview done with an aspiring indie music artists from Salmon Arm, BC named Megan Abel; they discuss how she has worked her way up in the business and where she hopes to be in the future. The second one is with the lead on air personality in Salmon Arm with the radio station EzRock. Shylah and Patrick Ryley will dive into the complicated yet fun process one goes though to make it in the radio business gives out a few personal pointers from his 19 and counting years of experience.