It’s my Parting Shot to give a dose of reality at Canadian hockey fans in general, specifically more towards Prairie or Oilers’ fans…..

My inspiration for this piece came when I heard our “Prince of Production,” Jason Pankewich, put together the “Boots and Salutes” promo based on today’s rants from the daily public takeover of the airwaves. The one caller, correctly, pointed out that had Vancouver’s Conor Garland mugged Wayne Gretzky back in the 80s as he did to Connor McDavid back on Saturday, Garland would’ve had to have answered to Dave Semenko, Mark Messier, etcetera, from that great Edmonton dynasty.

Again, I’ll tell you to stop pining for those days, or for fighting to be an every game part of the N-H-L with Hudson Bay rules policing the sport because those days are never coming back because of one person.

Gary Bettman!

The N-H-L Commissioner has done a very good job in making N-H-L owners – and even the players – very rich and making the sport a big deal alongside the N-F-L, N-B-A and Major League Baseball in the Excited States since he came aboard in 1993. He did it by turning hockey from a Canadian-run, blue collar, fan-driven, sport to an American-run, white collar, corporate-driven business!

Fightings near-total demise in hockey came when new teams in new markets, pretty much all in the U-S, with new rinks that had luxury suites – the ones that the average, hard-working middle class guy and his family can’t hope to afford! When those teams in those markets with those suites started playing games and the fighting started to happen, the rich suite holders and owners were either appalled or were told to be appalled by their guests – especially the female ones!

Remember, I’m talking 30 to 35 years ago! And, the response from the hoidy-toidy crowd in the suites was – why is that allowed? You can’t do that! If you did that on the street, you’d be thrown in jail! Followed by the ultimate thing that Bettman’s N-H-L didn’t want to hear – I’m not coming back if this fighting is allowed to continue to happen!!

So, like it or not Canadian, blue collar, fans with limited disposable income who love the sport of hockey – especially the way it used to be played – that way is never coming back!

That’s my Parting Shot. I’m Les Lazaruk…and it turned out nice again!