Canadian Crossing

MLB Extra Innings/NHL Center Ice previews to show more hockey and baseball

The pattern has been set: the first week of the baseball season and the last week of the hockey season happen at the same time. So the previews co-exist in a not-so-perfect world — more game feeds than channels sometimes.

Major League Baseball decided to start its season earlier this year, so the dynamic would have been thrown off. The logistics would be difficult to do a MLB Extra Innings preview without a NHL Center Ice preview. So we get extra time: 10 days instead of 7 days for both previews.

Blue Jays don't usually get the luxury of the home feed on the first telecasts of the season, at least not on Comcast. Oh, and one other point for my fellow Comcast friends. To add any service, Comcast is charging a $1.99 fee for pressing a button if you decide to order MLB Extra Innings or NHL Center Ice. If you order both, that would be $3.98 for pressing two buttons.

Here is the Toronto schedule (all times EDT). The opening series features the return of Canadian Justin Morneau to the lineup. Morneau's season ended abruptly in July on the same Rogers Centre turf due to a concussion following a collision at second base in July. The games are on the local Rogers Sportsnet feeds with the April 5, 6, and 8 contests on Rogers Sportsnet One.

April 1-3 — Minnesota @ Toronto (7p, 1p, 1p)
April 5-7 — Oakland @ Toronto (7p, 7p, 12:30p)
April 8-10 — Toronto @ Los Angeles Angels (10p, 9p, 3:30p)

There are two local Toronto feeds in the 10-day period: April 7 (Oakland) and April 9 (Los Angeles Angels). The April 3 (Minnesota) and April 8 (Los Angeles Angels) games are available in HD with the opposing team feed. The April 5 (Oakland) game isn't available. (Note: This is my local Comcast schedule. Your system might be different.)

The NHL Network isn't scheduled to carry Hockey Night in Canada on either April 2 or April 9, but its schedule is subject to change. Versus has the right to pick up games down the stretch of the last week in its window of Monday-Wednesday. In other words, stay tuned.

Here are the games available on the NHL Center Ice preview, subject to availability on your cable or satellite provider. TSN has Toronto at Boston on March 31 and Toronto at New Jersey on April 6. There is a special CBC telecast on April 7 (Montréal at Ottawa) and all the Saturday telecasts are on CBC.

March 31 — Toronto @ Boston; Ottawa @ Florida; Edmonton @ Minnesota; Los Angeles @ Vancouver
April 1 — Calgary @ St Louis
April 2 — Toronto @ Ottawa; Montréal @ New Jersey; Edmonton @ Vancouver
April 3 — Calgary @ Colorado
April 5 — Washington @ Toronto; Chicago @ Montréal; Philadelphia @ Ottawa; Vancouver @ Edmonton
April 6 — Toronto @ New Jersey; Edmonton @ Calgary
April 7 — Montréal @ Ottawa; Minnesota @ Vancouver
April 8 — Minnesota @ Edmonton
April 9 — Ottawa @ Boston; Montréal @ Toronto; Vancouver @ Calgary
April 10 — Edmonton @ Colorado

After the MLB Extra Innings free preview, Toronto has three national appearances in April. TBS will have two of those games, both road games. TBS will have the Boston Red Sox game on April 17 and the New York Yankees game on May 1. And the MLB Network, as part of its 30 Games in 30 Days drive, will have another Toronto road game, at the Texas Rangers, on April 28.

Will the Toronto Blue Jays finally snap its 17-year playoff drought. Given the logistics of playing in the AL East, not likely. But the Blue Jays will be more fun to watch this year.

Why should Americans care about the upcoming Canadian election?

The theme of CanadianCrossing.com has always been things about Canada as seen through the eyes of the United States. But there have been questions raised about whether coverage of the Canadian election is viable, given the theme of the site.

Other than I get to decide what gets covered, there are logistical reasons why Canada's election should matter to the United States.

There are the obvious points: Canada is the #1 trading country with the United States, the U.S. gets more oil from Canada than any other country, Canada is involved in Afghanistan, the no-fly zone in Libya, and countless other military activities. Great Lakes initiatives, other non-oil energy sources, lots of tourists from Canada into the United States.

Okay, these are reasons for Americans to care about Canada. But why should Americans care who wears the title of prime minister?

There used to be a time where the relationship between the U.S. president and Canadian prime minister mattered. And while there are examples where leaders of opposing parties got along (Trudeau and Nixon; Mulroney and Clinton) more gets done when the two leaders get along well enough. Prime Minister Stephen Harper got along much better with George W. Bush than President Barack Obama.

Trade and tourism rise and fall on the whim of who is in charge and the working relationship between the two leaders.

And even though Harper and Bush were buds, Harper acted too much like a lapdog while Bush ignored Canada unlike anyone on the U.S. side in recent memory.

Not to promote one side or another, but Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff does have a history in the United States, living in the States for a number of years as an adult. Ignatieff taught at Harvard from 2000 to 2005.

Yes, a lot of what is going on in foreign countries is concentrated on the Middle East and Japan. However, the neighbors of the United States — Canada and Mexico — do matter in foreign relations with the U.S., especially Canada.

Colbert showcases smooth end to Harper government

Stephen Colbert displayed several Canadian stereotypes in noting that Canada has dissolved its government in preparation for an election.

Maple syrup, beavers, Alex Trebek — all played a part.

What was really funny was playing the BBC report of the no-confidence vote that brought down the Harper government.

Perhaps some Colbert viewers found out this way that Canada will have an election. Hopefully, they read about it first at CanadianCrossing.com.

We hope Jon Stewart will also take his look into Canada sometime this week.

The Colbert Report, along with the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, airs on CTV and the Comedy Channel. The programs start at 11p Eastern on the Comedy Channel and midnight local time on CTV.

Canada's election to be held on May 2; Harper's 'coalition' cry has no weight

UPDATE: As further proof, Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe produced a letter from 2004 when then minority leader Stephen Harper offered an alternative government if then-PM Paul Martin couldn’t form a government. The meeting was with Harper, Duceppe, and NDP leader Jack Layton.

As you may have heard, Canada's election will be held on May 2, 35 days away. The cycle is supposed to be about 35 days, though setting the specific day depends on the practicality of which Parliament is dissolved.

The no confidence vote won by a 156-145 vote. The Conservatives were accused in the vote of not accurately disclosing vital information on several issues, including crime legislation, corporate tax cuts, and stealth fighter jets.

Prime Minister Steven Harper has two themes as the government dissolved: Canadians don't want another election, and if the Liberals win, they were form a coalition with the NDP and Bloc Quebecois. The NDP isn't the issue, but the Bloc Quebecois has the obvious stigma because its goals are provincial, not federal.

Harper may be right that Canadians don't want another election; while this will be the fourth election in 7 years, Canada has gone more than 3 years without a federal election.

As for the coalition issue, the Liberals under Paul Martin and the Conservatives under Stephen Harper — the last few minority governments, there wasn't a coalition to be found. And there isn't any reason why there would be one now.

There was the possibility of a coalition after there was concern that Harper would have to give up control (if the party with the most votes couldn't form a government, the party with the second most votes would have a chance to form a government). But realistically, Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff would easily be able to run a minority government if he got that opportunity.

Harper hasn't had to rely on a coalition because enough of the opposition has voted on the bills that keeps Parliament going. Traditionally, minority governments has to form a government with another party to get a "majority." Quite frankly, Canada has thrown that concept out of the books.

Amusingly, Harper has actually succeeded in weakening the opposition, especially the Liberal Party, by running things just this way. If Liberals or the NDP vote for a bill, then complaining about said bill becomes rather difficult. So the voices of the opposition — which would be stronger in a majority government scenario — are weakened, an advantage for the party in power come election time.

Harper's attacks on the impact of the Bloc Quebecois might backfire only because the Conservatives have a strong impact (for the party) in Quebec.

NHL Network blows off Original 6 matchup and CBC game coverage

The NHL Network had two good choices for the Hockey Night in Canada feed on Saturday night: an Original 6 matchup, the only game this season between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings, and an exciting matchup between Les Habs and the Alex Ovechkin-led Washington Capitals.

The NHL Network blew off a second Original 6 matchup this month (Chicago at Toronto on March 5) to show the Canadiens and the Capitals.

But ...

Instead of showing the CBC feed and its announcers, the NHL Network showed the CSN Washington feed (Comcast owns Versus and NBC) instead. Instead of Bob Cole and Garry Galley, we got Joe Beninati, the worst announcer in the NHL.

Sigh.

The NHL Network, though awkwardly, did show us Coach's Corner and the Hot Stove in between periods.

There is the theory — and the theory is very plausible — is that the NHL Network carried the CSN coverage because Washington at Montréal wasn't carried in high-definition. CBC only has two HD trucks in existence and/or available, so the Montréal game usually ends up in SD. But the cable channel has shown the Canadiens in a similar situation with a HD feed.

The Frankenstein effort looked sloppy and gave U.S. viewers an inferior product. And the excitement of carrying the Capitals-Habs would have been stronger if Ovechkin was playing, an absence that the NHL Network knew well before the game started.

I would forgive Comcast if it offered me for a reasonable fee — a CBC HD feed. The company could even pick where that CBC feed would come from. Then I wouldn't have to care what the NHL Network does to Hockey Night in Canada. Well, I would care for the readers, but I could have some peace.

Canada to have a federal election in May

We are going to have a federal election in Canada in May.

I confess I wouldn't have guessed this. The malaise that is Canadian politics means no one likes the status quo, but everyone is nervous over what might happen in an election.

The budget is more of a trigger than anything else: minority governments are frustrating on multiple levels and sometimes you just can't take it anymore.

The Liberals want to focus on the numerous scandals from the Harper government, and scare voters into not giving Prime Minister Stephen Harper a majority.

The Conservatives want to portray themselves as the party to lead through the rest of the economic recovery, and scare the voters of a possible coalition government among the Liberals, NDP, and Bloc Quebecois. The Harper team has put the emphasis of that potential coalition on the Bloc Quebecois, even though the Bloc wouldn't have much interest in working with any of the federal parties.

The New Democratic Party want to portray themselves as the true standard of what Canadians want, and like the Liberals, scare the voters of a majority Harper government.

This will be Michael Ignatieff's first federal election as Liberal party leader. Ignatieff has been slammed by Conservative Party ads that have run this winter and spring, some of them during hockey games. Elitist, American (spent most of his adult life in the United States), and lack of charisma are the negative traits associated with the Liberal leader.

Ignatieff is smart, and can't be any worse a candidate than Stephan Dion, the Liberal leader from the October 2008 election.

Harper has never been terribly dynamic, but has had the chance to be prime minister, even in a minority government, and so the bar is set, as low as it might be.

Gone are the days of the dynamic prime minister in the mold of Pierre Trudeau (Liberal) or Brian Mulroney (Conservative). Neither Harper nor Ignatieff can come close.

Harper has been the prime minister since his election in January 2006, and he has the largest number of MPs in his two governments so far. The last majority government was held by the Liberals in 2004.

This time around, there are three likely conclusions: status quo, Harper majority, Ignatieff minority. The election will either be May 2 or May 9. And we will have all the coverage right here at CanadianCrossing.com.

Jets might finally come back to Winnipeg, thanks to a most unlikely source

There was a standard joke in the NHL between 1991 and 1996 that when San Jose played Winnipeg, the Sharks were in a fight with the Jets.

The joke went away after the Winnipeg Jets left for the sunny desert of Phoenix to become the Coyotes. Now many are rooting for a return of the "West Side Story" reference.

We at CanadianCrossing.com have been reluctant to jump in to this long-standing soap opera of stubborn Gary Bettman refusing to admit he made a mistake in thinking Phoenix could support a hockey team.

But the Jets might come back to Winnipeg, and the Manitoba capital can thank the Goldwater Institute.

Canada's conservatives can't out-conservative American conservatives. And in memory of the grandfather of that revolution, Barry Goldwater, the Goldwater Institute has threatened to sue over the latest opportunity to have a buyer for the Coyotes.

Not even John McCain, the person who took over Goldwater's seat after the former presidential candidate retired from the Senate, could change the minds of the Goldwater Institute.

Interestingly, the Goldwater Institute and Canada have something in common: they don't like tax dollars funneled to sports teams. Quebec City, another Canadian city that lost a NHL team, tried to get federal funding to build a new arena to lure a NHL team and were denied by the conservative (you guessed it) Harper government.

Winnipeg has a new arena, currently home to the successful minor-league team, the Manitoba Moose.

Given the many victories Bettman has had on this battle over the years, we won't believe the Jets are back until the moving vans hit Canadian soil. We knew the only way Winnipeg would get this team back is if the decision wasn't Bettman's. And thanks to the Goldwater Institute, this may be true.

When there was talk that the Jets would leave Winnipeg, people protested to cries, "Save our Jets." Not too many in the desert are saying, even quietly, "Please save our Coyotes." Time for the Jets to come home, and the Sharks-Jets rivalry to resume.

Travel in Quebec: a little French goes a long way

For Americans traveling to Ontario or British Columbia or most of Canada, they can rely on English, even if it isn't the King's English.

But some Americans might be apprehensive traveling to Quebec (or New Brunswick) because of the language barrier.

The Washington Post chat reader had his/her concerns when traveling to Quebec about why if people know English, why don't they speak English?

The WaPo travel team had the correct response.

Figure if you travel outside Montréal and Quebec City, finding someone who speaks English will be difficult, but the chances of the casual tourist traveling outside those cities is not likely. And even in those areas, starting out in French will earn you some respect.

If you stick inside Old Quebec City when you go there, you may get bored with hearing English. When I was there, I had to escape from the tourists to get a French Canadian feel. My basic French is okay, but I enjoy hearing it even if I can't respond.

Montréal is a pretty bilingual city. Saying "bonjour" goes a long way, even if you know very little outside that. Even "bonjour hi" says you are trying to speak French, but clearly know few words.

Have not been to New Brunswick, but the fact that the province is bilingual (Quebec is not) does help.

But I can tell you from visiting Paris, Montréal, and Quebec City that people may know English, but are as self-conscious about speaking English as you are in speaking French. They don't want to sound bad in front of the Americans, and you can't blame them.

Sign language, polite pointing — these can help you if either party is struggling with communication. And you will have to ask fewer questions if you can read French better than you can speak it.

Sortie means exit, Ferme is closed, Est and ouest translate to east and west — some basic French will do wonders.

Mistakes will happen no matter how well you think you speak. But enjoy the experience if you do travel to La Belle Province. They are wonderful people, and if you go in with respect, your travel experience will be that much more fun.

And you can get a French experience without leaving the continent.

Screen capture courtesy of WashingtonPost.com

NHL Network adds Canadiens-Rangers to schedule

There is a dearth of Canadian-based NHL outside the Center Ice package these days. After the NHL Network blew off a classic Original 6 matchup, we did get the full allotment last weekend.

Between Saturdays and the late game broadcast on Sundays, there isn't much going on.

Good news: The NHL Network is adding Montréal at the New York Rangers (Original 6) on Friday. And there appears to be some scheduled overnight rebroadcasts, subject to change.

Couple of notes along this line:

-- The only appearance on Versus by the #1 team in the NHL right now, the Vancouver Canucks, will happen Wednesday night as the Canucks travel to Detroit. This will likely be a TSN sub sim, probably with Gord Miller and Pierre McGuire. TSN is carrying the game. If the combo involves either Chris Cuthbert or Ray Ferraro, it will be the first appearance on Versus for either gentleman. This will be the last scheduled appearance for a Canadian-based team on Versus before the playoffs.

-- Saturday, March 26, offers two excellent Hockey Night in Canada matchups. An Original 6 game with Toronto at Detroit is the option that most of Canada will see. The NHL Network will carry the Washington at Montréal game, a better matchup, given the standings at the moment.

-- Another NHL Center Ice preview is coming. Should be the last week of the season, running April 4-10. What may confuse things is that the MLB Extra Innings normally runs at the same time. But the baseball season starts early — March 31. So we'll see how things go.

Gas prices tied to Middle East conflicts? Canada supplies more gas to U.S. than any other country

The world of oil is rather complicated, which makes the rise and fall (mostly rise) of gas prices all the more happenstance.

Problems in Libya, Tunisia causes gas prices in the United States to escalate. But the U.S. gets very little gas from that region. True, any tumultuous action near the Nile River isn't that great.

The United States' #2 supplier of gas is Saudi Arabia, so maybe that plays into the picture.

But this is a good time to remind Americans that the U.S.' #1 supplier of gas is Canada.

That's right. Canada.

Canada exports 2.5 million barrels per day to the United States — more gas than any other country that supplies the U.S.

So if you are in a conversation in a bar or some other gathering place, and the subject turns to gas prices, remind that Canada is the top source of gas.