As far as offseason acquisitions go this one trumps them all, charging away from the pack like California Chrome at the Kentucky Derby. The Edmonton Oilers saved their best for last as the summer comes to a close, confirming that Drew Remenda will take over as the team’s colour commentator this season, replacing Louie DeBrusk. Personally, I couldn’t be more excited about Remenda’s addition, providing the Oilers’ broadcast team with a combination of insight and entertainment it’s been lacking since Ray Ferraro left town for the once-bright-but-rapidly-dimming lights of TSN in 2008.
Oiler fans unfamiliar with Remenda or his broadcasting style are in for a treat. He brings a healthy dose of self-deprecating humour to the booth, providing well-timed commentary and a treasure trove of anecdotes. Plus, viewers can look forward to the Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native offering up matter-of-fact opinions on everything from special team formations to on-ice infractions, something his predecessor failed to do with any consistency. More than anything, Remenda delivers honest and passionate analysis, which is sure to make him a fan favorite in Edmonton.
Remenda comes to Edmonton from San Jose, where he formed a “dynamic duo” of sorts with play-by-play man Randy Hahn. Their chemistry resonated with viewers, and you could make the argument that each man assisted in building San Jose’s thriving fanbase, educating viewers and familiarizing them with the sport in Northern California. If you want to see just how much impact Remenda had, consider this: Shark fans and media members are still shocked and dismayed at his departure more than two months after it was first announced.
Remenda’s perfectly bald head is one of the few that Shark fans weren’t calling for after the team barfed all over itself in the playoffs, blowing a 3-0 series lead to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings. Joe Thornton could have been dealt without much hand-wringing, nobody would have batted an eye at Patrick Marleau changing zip codes, and Todd McLellan seemed certain to find the chopping block. However, they remain while Drew is gone. Demonstrating poise and professionalism, Remenda has epitomized class while answering questions about both his time in San Jose and the circumstances surrounding his departure.
While the teal-draped faithful are still coming to terms with the loss of Remenda, we’re unlikely to see the same type of reaction over DeBrusk’s removal from the broadcast booth. It’s no secret that I’ve never been a fan, and maybe my elevated expectations could be blamed for that. Picturing DeBrusk at a microphone, I imagined him reminiscing about bloody battles against hockey’s toughest men during the heyday of NHL heavyweights. At the very least, I figured all that time spent watching from the bench would have made him a student of the game, and I assumed the accumulation of blows to the head would have resulted in some unpredictable commentary from time to time.
Unfortunately, I was mistaken. The next time DeBrusk says something that makes me laugh will be the first, and his commentary is just as dull and repetitive as Jim Hughson on NHL ’98, leading many Oiler fans (myself included) to mute the TV and turn to Jack Michaels and Bob Stauffer on 630 CHED. Here I was, expecting the Froot Loops or Lucky Charms of broadcasters, and I ended up with All-Bran. Growing up, there was always a dusty box of All-Bran on the top shelf of the kitchen pantry, long discarded by right-thinking people. Have you ever eaten All-Bran? It’s just a bunch of edible twigs that taste like dirt. And what is “bran” anyway?
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Side note: According to the trusty folks at Wikipedia, it turns out that bran is “the hard outer layers of cereal grain.” Mmm, tasty! However, note that bran “should not be confused with chaff, which is coarser scaly material surrounding the grain, but not forming part of the grain itself.” Hence, we have All-Bran, rather than All-Chaff, which sounds much less appealing to consumers. But be careful, because the “higher oil content of bran makes it subject to rancidification,” much like the Oilers’ roster.*
Bottom line, Remenda is a major upgrade over DeBrusk, which is a step in the right direction for the Oilers. My gushing aside, even the most conservative estimates would rank Remenda among the NHL’s top five colour commentators. When was the last time the Oilers acquired a top-five talent at any level of the organization? You would probably have to go back to Chris Pronger’s arrival in July 2005, and we all saw how that turned out, at least for a magical 12-month period. Remenda’s arrival won’t have the same on-ice ramifications, but should keep an anxious fanbase from muting its televisions and sends a positive message as the 2014-15 season nears.
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