A wacky world

Playoff hockey amid a COVIDsaturated environment

It’s a shame the Charlottetown Islanders cannot open their Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs here in Charlottetown, but public safety comes before a hockey game.

If playoffs cannot be held in Charlottetown, the safest place to be in Canada, then one wonders if the move to Quebec, where the coronavirus now holds the upper hand, makes much sense. I’m doubtful the Quebec bubble will be completed without an incident, especially here in Canada where vaccines have been so slow arriving on the scene.

The Islanders open their playoffs today in Shawinigan, Que., against Acadie-Bathurst, so let’s hope the layoff hasn’t had a negative impact on their performance.

Also on the local front, congratulations to Charlottetown’s Brad MacKenzie, who earned co-coach of the year for his work with the firstplace Grand Falls club of the Maritime junior league. The classy executive director of the Andrews Hockey Growth Programs had previously worked as an assistant with the Islanders and the UPEI Panthers.

The uproar created over Hockey Canada analyst Cassie Campbell-Pascall’s comments regarding the cancellation of the world women’s tournament in Halifax and Truro, N.S., has been in the news across the country. The teams were all isolated, followed a very strict COVID protocol, and were tested every second day and, in Campbell-Pascall’s view, posed no threat to the Halifax community. The tournament should have been able to continue playing out of a bubble, similar to the world under-18 event held in Texas and the men’s worlds slated for Riga, Latvia, from May 21 to June 6.

In addition, many hockey, baseball and basketball teams in the U.S. are permitting a limited number of fans, some as much as 40 per cent of capacity, provided they can provide proof of vaccination. Campbell-Pascall’s point that, “if the men can play under strict COVID rules, why can’t the women?” is a valid argument.

As far as comments that Campbell-Pascall knows little about the Maritimes that is just not true. Her dad, Donnie Campbell, played with the 1963 Maritime junior champion Summerside Legionnaires and with Sandy’s Royals in the mid-1960s. She has been here often visiting her uncle George, of Anne of Green Gables fame, and close family friend Allan Andrews, so, yes, she is very familiar with the Maritimes.

BASEBALL

The Toronto Blue Jays are in the middle of the pack in the tightly bunched American League East with the Boston Red Sox on top. Toronto has hung in there despite injuries to ace lefty Hyun Jin Ryu, flame-thrower Julian Merryweather, catcher Alejandro Kirk and star George Springer among others.

Finally, after nearly 30 games, Blue Jays management has finally started Cavan Biggio at a position his skills are best suited. He is a second baseman not a third baseman or an outfielder. He doesn’t have the arm or the bat (at least not yet) to hold down those positions. Maybe, management will get wise. The jury is still out on whether Danny Jansen can hit enough to be an everyday catcher, but if he can’t a trade is a necessity unless Kirk makes a miraculous recovery and returns to the lineup early. The Jays continue the western road trip this weekend.

NHL

The NHL playoffs are just a few weeks away but from what I’ve seen the Toronto Maple Leafs are heavy favourites to win the North Division unless someone kidnaps either Auston Matthews or Mitch Marner.

Montreal Canadien fans have plenty to cheer about with the impending return of goaltender Carey Price, key forward Brandan Gallagher and the emergence of USA college phenom Cole Caufield as a real sniper similar to Matthews. Game-winning goals in back-to-back games doesn’t elevate Caufield to the Matthews level, but real Montreal fans think so.

The vastly improved Ottawa Senators dominated Montreal on Wednesday, so it’s back to the drawing board for the Habs and their fans.

HARNESS RACING

Live harness racing gets underway tonight at 6 p.m. at Red Shores at the Charlottetown

Driving Park and fans are anxious to see the horses in living colour. The $3,200 five-horse feature goes in Race 10 and it has, from the rail out, Mantario, Avatar J, Screen Test, Bugsy Maguire and Chocolate Swirl.

Some young, new drivers dot the opening card with Jaycob Sweet and Devon Wallace from O’Leary, plus Bonshaw’s Zach Conway listed in numerous races.

With Ontario dark, it’s great to see Austin Sorrie and Ryan Desroche back home until Ontario re-opens, which could be in a week or two. The drivers from Ontario are having success south of the border as James MacDonald and Doug McNair have posted wins at The Meadowlands and Pocono.

Bob MacLure has visited the winners circle at Freehold while Jody Jamieson has posted wins at Tioga.

The Wade Peconi trot-bred star Lovedbythemassees won again in 1:52 at The Meadowlands last week and is in to go tonight in the $25,000 trot. Among the competitors are J L Cruze and Buck Dancer with James MacDonald. Also at the Big M tonight, Mark MacDonald drives Miss McKee in the $30,000 leg of the Miss Versatilty for trotting mares.

James had eight in to go Friday at The Big M with his brother Mark in stake events at Yonkers.