After eight weeks of battle we are down to the last two. The Los Angeles Kings, vying for their 2nd cup in franchise history (and in three seasons), up against the New York Rangers, going for their 5th cup (2nd in 74 years). Coming into this post season the common opinion was whoever wins the West will win the cup. As that goes the Los Angeles Kings were heavy favourites with the bookmakers.
We entered the second round with many predicting a repeat final four of Pittsburgh, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles. Two out of the four are heading home, for a holiday retreat or golf course. Chicago and Los Angeles are heading for the Conference finals again and if Chicago repeat as Western Conference champions they'll defend their Stanley Cup against a team whose last appearance in the cup final ending with them lifting the legendary trophy, Montreal in 1993, when they beat LA, and the New York Rangers in 1994, when they beat Vancouver.
The opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs is the most exciting, most unpredictable round of the playoffs. For me it all starts with the opening montage Tim Thompson of CBC's Hockey Night in Canada puts together that airs before the first game of the playoffs. This year he went with Metallica's For Whom The Bell Tolls for the backing track to accompany the clip montage which I think doesn't hold a candle last years that featured The Who's Baba O'Riley.
Hockey Night in Canada is a massive piece of Canadian family life on a Saturday evening, and included in HNiC is a little segment by Don Cherry called Coach's Corner. Since Rogers took every piece of the NHL broadcasting pie from 2014-26, CBC struck a deal to keep HNiC on CBC although all control is now in the hands of Rogers/Sportsnet. It soon became apparent that people are gonna lose jobs at CBC. Don is not thought to be one of them. But nonetheless, he felt the need to give his new bosses advice on what they should do with HNiC.
On this week's Coach's Corner, Don Cherry, wearing something that actually resembles clothes you could wear in public, does his usual thing of giving his opinion on certain things in the NHL. Then around the five minute mark he addresses Rogers.
So, basically, Don thinks of himself, or HNiC, but most likely just himself, as Bobby Orr and Rogers should leave him alone.
Do Canadian hockey fans want to lose the guy who tells his new bosses to leave him alone because he's the Bobby Orr of broadcasting?
Now that the dust has started to settle on the enormous news yesterday, that Rogers Communications is the sole rights holder of national NHL broadcasts in the "true north strong and free". Now, this means that Canadian cable network TSN, will not broadcast any national games for at least twelve years after the current season ends. They are not gone, they will be lurking in the back, trying to pick up any hockey rights that become up for grabs. They also still hold the rights to regional Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens games.
For the majority of us hockey fans, from outside of Canada, we don't realise what a big deal this thing is. To put it in UK TV terms, it's what we will experience in about 18 months time when Sky and ITV stop broadcasting UEFA Champions League games, and all games broadcast in the UK will be exclusively on BT. The FA Cup is also headed to BT exclusivity.
I'm not going to delve into the details. No doubt many people have given the facts, figures and their two pennies' worth. I'm going to focus on something that doesn't involve TSN. It involves Rogers' Sportsnet and CBC. Part of the deal is that Sportsnet control the 60 year, CBC flagship show, Hockey Night in Canada. CBC will still air the iconic institution but Sportsnet will have total control. Control over, content, on air talent, artistic and creative direction, and many other aspects that go into creating the show each week.
I know that 9/10 NHL fans, whether they have access to CBC or not, have seen the breath taking opening montages to HNiC. Tim Thompson is the man behind them. I hope, I pray, that Sportsnet make the right choice and keep him in that role. They would be very wrong to get rid of him.
I'm now going to bombard you with a selection of CBC montages. They are great to watch, and you never get bored of watching the same ones over, and over, and over.
