WAKE UP!

IT’S OLYMPICS DAY!

I am very mad I just started my new job. I was tempted to ask to put off the start date another week so I could at least watch the opening ceremonies, but fine, I guess I’ll stick around for the replay tonight.

If you are awake now though (publish time: 5:30AM) you can tune into the CBC to check out the Opening Ceremonies starting at 6:00AM.

You can watch on TV on CBC, CBC News Network, TSN, or Sportsnet, stream it at watch.cbc.ca, or download the CBC Olympics app. Missing out? You can watch on demand at CBC.ca/olympics.

Yes, there’s plenty to dislike - rampant corruption, wasteful spending, over-wrought nationalism, but I love it and be prepared to hear all about it.

What’s happened so far?

Well, some Canadians and Russians got into a fight over the Russian doping scadal in a cafeteria in the Olympic Village. Well, Team Canada called it “a discussion”.

Steve Simmons, everyone’s favourite dumbass, think’s it’s icky that men and women are curling together:

Oh Steve.

Anyway, enjoy the day! Your links are below, and I hope you get into some fun trouble over the weekend.

The Blues aren’t good enough to win it all this year - St. Louis Game Time
Expectations are a tricky thing in sports, especially hockey. Expecting a team to finish high can result in rapid disappointment. When you expect them to do poorly, the chances of being surprised...

The Colorado Avalanche should win a Stanley Cup by 2023 - Mile High Hockey
The Avalanche are looking towards the future - but not that far

New York Rangers GM and President Pen Letter to Fans
It’s no secret that the New York Rangers have been less than spectacular this season. However, today marked an unexpected milestone in the franchise’s struggles. President Glen Sather and Rangers GM Jeff Gorton released a letter this morning addressing all Rangers fans and the future of their beloved Blueshirts.

Jake McCabe Out Three to Four Weeks After Thumb Surgery - Die By The Blade
Sabres announced Jake McCabe underwent surgery on his thumb and is out 3-4 weeks

Down Goes Brown: Ten years of DGB
I just realized that this blog turned ten years old today.

My first thought, as is often case these days, was "Good lord I am getting so old." My second thought was that I should probably write something to mark the occasion. So that's this.

New Jersey Devils Trade Viktor Loov to Minnesota Wild - All About The Jersey
Swedish defenseman Loov traded to Minnesota in exchange for Christoph Bertschy and Mario Lucia

Rangers Waive Brendan Smith - Blueshirt Banter
The New York Rangers traded a 2018 second-round pick (from Ottawa) and 2017 third-round pick to the Detroit Red Wings for Brendan Smith.

Mattias Janmark’s Masterton Candidacy This Season - Defending Big D
After a diagnosis that kept Janmark out last season, he is back and making a big impact for Dallas.

Carter went from ‘ha-ha’ to ‘hey, now’ on Chance the Rapper’s SNL hockey skit - Colour of Hockey
“I loved it, I thought it was funny, you need to laugh at yourself,” Carter, a retired National Hockey League forward/turned hockey analyst for NBC Sports Network and host of “The MSG Hockey Show.” “But at the same time, there are enough black people out there who know the game of hockey that you’re like ‘Can we actually move past that point?”

Enjoy the day!

From The Branches