Working at night as I do, I rarely get to watch TV in the evening/night hours. There is a TV set hanging from the ceiling near the sports department at The Daily News and it usually is tuned to a sports channel or sports event. In other words, I can’t remember the last time I watched Jay Leno or David Letterman.
Obviously, I’m really missing out on a slice of life.
You will recall a mention here yesterday of Leno, during a show earlier this week, using a headline from a story on the Vancouver Giants that had appeared in a February edition of the Vancouver Province.
It seems that was at least the second time in recent memory that the WHL got some pub from Leno.
It seems that the Chilliwack Bruins made something of a splash with Leno a while back.
Robbie Snooks, the Bruins’ director of video services, sent me the above photo along with this note:
“You asked the question: When is the last time the WHL or one of its teams got a mention from NBC-TV’s Jay Leno?
“Well, it wasn't that long ago when I appeared on The Tonight Show and presented Jay with a Chilliwack Bruins jersey. Leno may have mentioned the Giants the other night but I can assure you that he doesn't have their jersey hanging up on his office wall.”
But wait . . . there’s more.
It turns out that Snooks is kind of an interesting guy. I mean, how many other people who are involved with the WHL have been on with Leno . . . not once, but twice?
The first time, Snooks says, was about four years ago. He was living in Ottawa at the time and, well, mere words don’t do justice to his appearance with Leno, but you can watch it right here.
He was such a hit that, he says, “I ended up on Leno again last year in a Halloween marshmallow peeps stuffing contest against the U.S. hamburger stuffing champion.”
Uhh, you can watch that contest right here, near the end of the story on what goes on behind the scenes at Chilliwack Bruins’ games.
Thanks, Robbie. You made my day!
---
WEDNESDAY’S PLAYOFF REPORT: And then there were three. . . . The Calgary Hitmen made it 12 straight playoff victories with a 6-4 victory over the Wheat Kings in Brandon. That allowed the Hitmen to sweep the Eastern Conference final in four games. They have, of course, swept their way through the conference playoffs and now await an opponent for the WHL championship series. . . . The 12 straight victories equals the WHL record for consecutive wins in one playoff season. They are going to have to wait a while for a chance to set that record as the Vancouver Giants hold a 2-1 edge over the Kelowna Rockets in the Western Conference final. That series resumes Thursday night in Kelowna. Why did those teams take a night off between Games 3 and 4 in Kelowna? Because Neil Young, whose father knew something about hockey, was rockin’ in Prospera Place. Neil Young’s father was Scott Young, who died in 2005. He was one of the greats of Canadian sports journalist and also the author of three of my all-time favourite books – Scrubs on Skates, Boy on Defence, and A Boy at the Leafs’ Camp.
---
In Brandon, the Calgary Hitmen scored the game’s first five goals as they romped to a 6-4 victory and a four-game sweep of the Wheat Kings. . . . The Hitmen got goals from six difference players. . . . Calgary F Kris Foucault, who was pointless in Game 4, was named the series’ MVP. . . . Calgary G Martin Jones stopped 12 shots. Brandon starter Andrew Hayes was beaten four times on 19 shots, with reliever James Priestner stopping 14 of 16. . . . When Calgary F Brett Sonne scored to give Calgary its 5-0 lead in the second period, the Wheat Kings had mustered only four shots on goal. . . . Attendance was 4,501. . . . Brandon had opened the playoffs by winning eight straight games to get into the conference final. . . . Including the regular season, the Hitmen are 71-9-3-1 this season.
---
JUST NOTES: Fans of the Lethbridge Hurricanes shouldn’t expect any developments on the front-office situation there until sometime after the bantam draft. . . . That draft, by the way, is set for April 30 in Edmonton. . . . Former WHLer Curtis Bateman (Brandon and Portland, 1984-88) has resigned as GM and head coach of the MJHL’s Neepawa Natives. . . . I am on vacation from my real job so postings here may be few and far between over the next few days. . . . No, I am not headed to a grape-stuffing appearance on The Tonight Show. . . . I mean, 50 grapes . . . and none are broken . . . or swallowed . . . Amazing! . . . Why hasn’t the WHL gone big with that? Why hasn’t the WHL had that on its website? Maybe the WHL takes itself far too seriously?
Posts
