and I are working road games from our One Buffalo Studio.
In the short term, I'll miss visiting some of the great music venues we managed to find on off nights. But with Buffalo's concert scene as strong as it is, there's a pretty good chance I'll be able to offset that loss rather easily.
And from a television standpoint - I think last night's postgame show alone was a really good example of how much more content we can produce when we are in a studio as opposed to packing up hastily to catch a bus or a plane.
But in honor of the sad news today with the passing of Canadian icon Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip, I'd be remiss if I didn't think back to one of the most unexpected shows we stumbled upon eight years ago in Detroit.
Working for NHL Network at the time and knowing that I would be on the road for the Stanley Cup Final I did thorough research into upcoming shows in each of the four cities that were involved in the Conference Finals - Pittsburgh, Carolina, Detroit and Chicago.
However both series were short, with the Penguins winning in a sweep and the Wings taking it in five.
So, that meant we arrived in the game one host city of Detroit far earlier than we expected.
Old friend Rob Simpson (now co-host of Stellick and Simmer on SiriusXM radio) and I were actually wandering towards a media reception around 8 p.m. when we found ourselves under the marquee of the old Fillmore.
"An evening with the Tragically Hip" it beckoned, stopping the two of us in our tracks. Rob is not only intimidatingly tall, he also proved to be an outstanding negotiator, talking down the lone remaining scalper to $20 per ticket.
In we went, and like most old "Fillmores," the room was spectacular.
It was also filled with just about everybody who was working on the "Hockey Night In Canada" crew.
The rest was...magic. As it always was. And always will be.
Thank you doesn't begin to do this moment justice. Gord Downie - you were truly one of a kind.
