Don Cherry still positive about Edmonton Oilers: ‘They will make the Finals’

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Canadian hockey icon Don Cherry is back on his podcast with fresh material after the unexpected death of his daughter Cindy, 67, on July 14. Cindy was a co-host of the podcast along with Don’s son Tim.

On the lastest edition of The Grapevine, Cherry was asked if the Edmonton Oilers would make the Stanley Cup Final again this year.

“There are so many things that could happen. Like McDavid could get hurt, Draisaitl could get hurt, and watch them drop then. If everything stays the same, they will make the Finals.”

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“I just worry about their goaltending,” said Tim. “Skinner had one good year and that is scary. Personally, I don’t think they will (make it back)…. I root for Edmonton because I would like to see McDavid get the Stanley Cup but if they can’t and the Leafs can’t I’d like to see Dallas because I’d like to see Pete DeBoer and Steve Spott get a Cup.”

Cherry, now 90, also predicted that Auston Matthews will not score 50 goals this year, noting that the Leafs should not have made him captain over John Tavares. “I say he won’t get 50 this year, the captaincy, and the whole deal,” Cherry said. “The guy gets 70 goals and you got to interfere with him? I just don’t understand. I would not have made him the captain and just let him go.”

Cherry said watching the games now he’s noted a few things, that new equipment makes the goalies look “chunky” and the refs aren’t now calling the “chintzy” penalties.

P.S. Cherry was also trending on Twitter X today, as many folks were posting this video that got him fired.

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P.P.S. On behalf to the Cherry family, Tim thanked everybody for their sympathy and prayers over the passing if his sister Cindy. “Last night they did a great tribute to her on Hockey Night in Canada,” Tim said, thanking Ron MacLean and others who were involved in that tribute.

My take

1. As Cherry noted, a million things can happen between now and the Stanley Cup Final so it’s difficult to know what will come to pass. The Oilers, for now, look like they’re short on both speed and physicality. They’re two or three players short of the roster they will need to compete for the Cup, and that’s even if McDavid, Draisaitl and other key players can remain healthy, and if Stuart Skinner can come up big in the nets. No team has a very good chance of winning the Cup

2. I thought it was classy of Hockey Night in Canada to pay tribute to Cindy and the Cherry family and also classy of Tim to thank Ron MacLean by name. Even better would be for Hockey Night in Canada to have Cherry back on the air now and then.

3. Does old video of Cherry complaining about newcomers to Canada not having enough respect for Canadian history and the sacrifice made by Canadian soldiers come across different to you now than it did in 2019?

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In the last few weeks we’ve seen huge mobs of people in our biggest Canadian cities making threatening comments about other ethnic groups, raising ancient tribal hatreds from their old countries, shouting out “Death to Canada,” and burning the Canadian flag.

Could it be that Cherry had a point, that the best things about Canada’s past are worth remembering and honouring?

Having respect for this country, honouring its foundational values of peace, order and good government, and committing to making Canada a better place are necessary if we’re going to make this nation work.

4. Finally, it’s great to see Cherry back on his podcast. For one thing, it’s an inspiration to see men like Cherry and Stan Fischler, 92, still going strong and giving their takes on the modern game. Both Cherry and Fischler were magnets for controversy at the top of their game in the 1970s and 1980s.

And they still are.

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