Canada nearly shit the bed on the Opening Ceremony, I’m just being honest here.  When Wayne Gretzky was introduced as “one of” the greatest hockey players ever, I had taken it to suggest that THE greatest player was going to join him in the lighting of the cauldron.

Where was 66?

Friday Night Fights:

I can’t honestly say there’s a place in my heart for Colton Orr, but I sure love when he gets punchy.

Saturday afternoon offered a celebration of offense and physical domination for Team Canada as they whipped Latvia beyond submission 16-0.  Jake Allen was hardly tested in net, and Gabriel Bourque led the slaughter in Saskatoon by tying a tournament record with seven points.  Almost as obvious as Canada’s offensive advantage was their body-crushing physical superiority.

Phil Kessel can stack shit, Nazem Kadri is the shining light of hope for the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Kadri scored two goals and even laid down some smack on the helpless Latvians when he was called for “head-checking”.  The Leafs’ 2009 first round choice was given a two minute minor and a 10-minute misconduct for the hard hit that sent a helmet flying.  For what it’s worth, the shot looked clean.

Edmonton Oilers’ fans were likely clutching boners while watching the play of Jordan Eberle.  The Saskatchewan native also scored twice, both in a six-goal second period.  If Eberle finishes the season in Junior it better be because the Oilers are tanking for Taylor Hall.

Canada faces Switzerland on Monday in their second contest of the tournament.  The Swiss better have something more than a bag of holes in goal if they expect to keep up with the Canadians.

Stephen Harper is the Prime Minister of Canada whether the majority of voters like it or not.  Harper is an avid hockey fan, he’s been telling people that he’s been working on a new bible hockey book for  years.  Like so many other losers, Harper’s favourite hockey team is the Toronto Maple Leafs.  With all of this so-called love for hockey, you’d think that this dipshit would be willing to throw his political weight behind the cause of bringing more NHL teams to Canada.

He’s not willing do any such thing.  The first questions Stephen Harper faced at news conference in Quebec’s Beauce region were not political in nature, they were about the prospect of returning the Nordiques to Quebec.  Harper admitted that he’d like to see more hockey teams in Canada, and that cities like Quebec, Winnipeg, and even (fuck off) Hamilton could most certainly support an NHL franchise but also mentioned that he doesn’t want anything to do with that debate.

There’s a couple of ways to look at this.  You could acknowledge that government has no business interfering with the business of sports.  Many people feel, myself included, that it has been a waste of money and energy for Congress to investigate steroid use in baseball when all we really need is some clever prick meticulously leaking names of cheaters to media outlets.  On the contrary, you could consider that invigorating the professional sports presence of your country is in the best interest of the public and the economy.

The financial status of several southern NHL clubs and television ratings can tell you that hockey needs Canada.  It’s up to the people to decide whether or not Canada needs more hockey.

The Canadian dollar has enjoyed a second wave of rising strength in recent months, and rose to its highest level versus the American dollar in 15 months last week.  According to a report from Reuters, that could help make a seventh Canadian NHL franchise a reality.

Up until now anyone not named Jim Balsillie stood little-to-no chance of successfully luring the NHL to a Canadian city.  Balsillie’s attempt to skirt the rules and acquire the Phoenix Coyotes and move them to Hamilton may have failed, but financial analysts are now predicting a potential return of NHL hockey to fallen hosts like Winnipeg and Quebec City.

Par For The Course?

A strong dollar means higher television and sponsorship revenues coming from Canada, and it would also lighten the burden of hefty relocation fees should a southern team be transplanted:

Of the major North American sports leagues, experts agree the NHL, with the biggest Canadian presence, would be the main beneficiary of a rallying Canadian dollar as Canadian broadcast and sponsorship deals generate high U.S. dollar returns.

The currency’s surge could also help hockey-starved Canadian cities looking to land an NHL franchise, as smaller markets become more viable and relocation fees more manageable.

It’s not just a potential seventh NHL franchise that should get Canadian hockey fans worked up, the six current teams in Canada stand to benefit from the strong dollar according to the piece from Reuters:

The biggest single expense for Canadian sports teams — salaries — is priced in U.S. dollars, while revenues are mostly in Canadian dollars. Historically this has left them at a disadvantage versus U.S. teams when hunting for talent.

Although Balsillie’s bid ultimately failed, it did send the message to the league that crazy Canadians will go to great lengths in their efforts to bring more professional hockey to their country.  The NHL in Hamilton was a billionaire’s pipe dream; the city lacked the facilities to effectively host an NHL franchise in a Province that already features two teams.  Only California and New York State play home to three NHL teams, and they’ve got the population and money to do it successfully.  A return to a hockey-hungry market like Winnipeg or Quebec would likely be more attractive in the eyes of Gary Bettman as it’s a long, long way from Toronto.

Winnipeg’s MTS Centre is the home of the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, but is lauded by critics for it’s low seating capacity.  It’s Quebec City that has stormed to the forefront in recent weeks as a potential bidder for Canada’s next team after the city announced plans to build a new $400 million arena.

Whatever the case, and whatever the future holds for hockey in Canada, it’s important to remember to tread these waters carefully as the dollar’s volatility could sink any plans before they even hatch.  Regardless, the dollar’s current surge has picked up the momentum started by Balsillie and taken a seventh NHL franchise for Canada one step closer to reality.