Hi everyone. How are you? I hope your answer is good, fine, healthy, or even ok will do during these ever-changing times. I also hope you are doing your part to help keep the coronavirus numbers from climbing. It's proving to be a very difficult challenge but we are part of the biggest team around - Team World.
Since the last game on the NHL schedule, which happened to be Winnipeg and Edmonton, I have been laying as low as possible. Grocery store visits, checking in on my 88-year-old father and grabbing some fresh air simply to get a further break from staying home.
Now should be the most exciting time of the regular season with the build-up to the playoffs. However, as we close in on two weeks of the NHL season being paused, we anxiously await a return to the rink. Until that happens, let me post-al some answers to your questions in my weekly mail-bag segment!
@Aleexlilac on Twitter asks... Generic question, what are you up to without hockey?
Great question because I think right after "how are you?" the next thing people want to know is "what are you doing?". The answer for me is not too much these days. I alluded to the grocery store visits and hanging with my dad. I am doing some work from home. At Sportsnet we're attempting to 'Engage with Athletes'.
Simply put, we'll be checking in with players to see what they're doing, how they're feeling and what's going on in their world. I have done a couple segments (Carter Hart and Ryan Strome). The segments are easy to do. After picking a pre-determined time, the interview subject and I get sent a link from Sportsnet. We click on the link. The producer rolls and records and voila we have some up-to-date programming.
When I'm not doing that, I'm hanging out at home with my wife and three kids. My wife is a dental hygienist. Dental offices (excluding emergencies) have been shut down. Two of my kids are in university and the other is in high school. They are doing school work and tests from home. Last but not least, we're getting, like so many, a lot of family time, which means movies and board games - Scrabble and Clue, to name a couple.
GENE'S BLOG: Hoping this gets your stamp of approval
The first instalment of Gene's mailbag includes insight on the Harley Davidson helmet and vest given to the Oilers player of the game, dressing up as Drake and more