I must admit, I’m a little rusty when it comes to work and especially work travel. For the first time since working Canada’s Little League Championship in August, I’m back on the road again. It’s the start of one of the most grueling stretches I have ever worked.
Not only that, but I haven’t written in a while, my last published article would’ve appeared in a Blue Jays program some five or so years ago. So bear with me while I take you on the road for the first two weeks of Sportsnet’s revamped CHL coverage.
Going back to when I started this gig (2005-06 season), I felt the CHL was an underrated property that didn’t get its due not just on our network, but anywhere for that matter. Fortunately, new management, and budget allocation will see Sportsnet put more effort into the promotion, production and presentation of the Canadian Hockey League. And I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of it.
This year, you will see R.J. Broadhead calling the games, I will continue to be the analyst, while veteran Rob Faulds will anchor the coverage as our host. Aside from the Subway Super Series, you will be treated to Friday Night Hockey on Sportsnet, featuring the best the CHL has to offer from a different rink each week.
We will beef up our coverage with a studio presence, utilizing some of the best talent our network has to offer. The likes of Daren Millard and Jeff Marek will be front-and-centre in our studios, utilizing different analysts to discuss all things CHL. We’ll have a dedicated producer, Gord Tait handling the studio show, while Butter Carruthers will handle the production from the road. Veteran Director Blair Tetrault is back with us once again, while Terry Baak will handle everything stats oriented and Features Producer Phil Williams will do his usual fine work taking us deep into the lives of the stars of the CHL.
Patrick King will continue to write his fine columns and be an essential CHL insider for our coverage. Rob, RJ, and I will do our best to keep you up to date on our various Rogers platforms, and you will see more of a CHL presence on Sportsnet’s social and traditional mediums. We plan to offer you more CHL stories, features and highlights on Connected and definitely play a part in Hockey Central.
As usual, our CHL coverage starts with the Subway Super Series, featuring World Junior eligible players in each member league of the CHL (QMJHL, OHL, WHL), representing their respective leagues pitted against a group of Russian players that, by all accounts will make up the core group that will participate in the World Junior Championships, starting on Boxing Day (with coverage on the FAN radio network).
Now into its ninth year, the Subway Super Series has only really been competitive in the last two years. Last year, the Russians won the Series for the first time, showing much of the same resilience in our series as they did winning the gold last year in Buffalo.
Over the next, two weeks, I’ll introduce myself to you as I chronicle our travels through the CHL, and give you a glimpse of what the day-to-day is like in my job as Sportsnet’s Lead Analyst for the CHL.
Here it goes:
Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011:
As usual, the car to take me to the airport shows up five minutes ahead of schedule, and as usual, I’m running about five minutes behind. Nicknamed “Two-Bag Charlie” by Rob Faulds and Peter Loubardias in years past, I roll into the airport with two full-sized bags.
Traveling as an Air Canada Elite passenger, I make my way into the Executive class check-in at 8:26 for a 9:30 flight. The line is actually shorter for those in the regular check-in line, but by habit, I wait it out with the rest of the Elite/Super-Elitists (just kidding). I get to the check-in, and have my bags sent through at 8:42, with just three minutes to spare before the baggage deadline on domestic flights.
The first leg of this trip goes like this: Toronto to Quebec City, and that means a Dash 8 plane, of the turbo-prop variety. The day is a perfect fall day, with great sites of Toronto’s skyline as we head east. After a beautiful drive to Victo, a little lunch, a quick look at the Breeder’s Cup and off to the rink.
Victo beats PEI 4-2, but Max Legaxe is given the day off. The post-game consists of speaking to Philip Danault, as well as GM Jerome Mesonero and Head Coach Yanick Jean. As usual, the Tigres brass is more than forthcoming in regards to information about their players and about the QMJHL in general. A little St. Hubert for dinner and back to the room to check in on the NHL games and finish up my notes.
Now that the table is set, I hope you check back regularly as I do my part to keep you Connected with the CHL.