What happened to Juice on TSN/CBC?

[-Buzzsaw-]

Why has Kevin Bieksa disappeared from TSN/CBC???

 

His replacement, Luke Gazdic is the most bland/zero charisma/zero balls commentator I have seen in a long time.

 

I have a feeling there is a political reason behind his removal... unless someone can provide an answer?

 

Suspicious that Gazdic is ex-Oilers.

[Drive-By Body Pierce]

Gazdic has often been on broadcasts with Bieksa.

 

I have heard he's away for his own family/coaching interests, but I don't have concrete evidence of that.

 

 

[Iron Fist]

He's on Sportsnet not TSN.     Probably on vacation.

[Drive-By Body Pierce]

1 minute ago, Iron Fist said:

He's on Sportsnet not TSN.     Probably on vacation.

 

I was thinking the same thing. But I don't really watch TSN, so I thought it could be possible that he does appearances there.

[SilentSeater]

I heard them say “Juice will be back next week” or something to that effect on the broadcast last night. He’s just living his life. He’ll be back.

[King Heffy]

He's in California for family reasons from what I recall.

[Bell]

The intermission's with Jen; Ron and Gadzic are painful

[Toni Zamboni]

[AlexanderM]

I think it has something to do with a program he started while in Anaheim, something for kids, most likely.

[Ghostsof1915]

24 minutes ago, AlexanderM said:

I think it has something to do with a program he started while in Anaheim, something for kids, most likely.

They did mention he has his hockey school that he was attending. Maybe it was more than just a few days.

 

Not everything in life is a conspiracy.

 

https://www.westcoastacademy.com/about/

[-Buzzsaw-]

Glad to hear this wasn't political.

 

Gazdic is godawful.

[wai_lai416]

everyone on the panel is awful dunno why you guys even bother watching.. just set a timer for 15mins and go take a break stretch or go to the bathroom lol

[I.Am.Ironman]

2 minutes ago, wai_lai416 said:

everyone on the panel is awful dunno why you guys even bother watching.. just set a timer for 15mins and go take a break stretch or go to the bathroom lol

This is the way.

[Curmudgeon]

2 hours ago, Bell said:

The intermission's with Jen; Ron and Gadzic are painful

 

At the end of the period, I mute the TV, set a timer on my phone for 18 minutes and do something else until the alarm sounds. Unmute the TV just about time for puck drop. I believe that avoiding all the panel discussion has probably added years to my life and preserved countless brain cells.

[PureQuickness]

I don't understand why people don't like Jen or Gadzic. They are great, IMO.

[Pianoman]

I like Gazdic, despite him having played for Edmonton he seems pretty fair. I also like Elliot, especially when he and Bieksa are giving jabs to each other haha. Jen I’ve only seen a couple times but she doesn’t bother me.

[Diamonds]

35 minutes ago, PureQuickness said:

I don't understand why people don't like Jen or Gadzic. They are great, IMO.

I like Jen, I think she does a pretty good job and is certainly better than Cassie was in my opinion. 

 

Luke is hit or miss. I appreciate that he tries hard to do a good job. One thing about Bieksa though is that he's a lot more intelligent than I realized and can really break down a player's thought process or set plays (his bit on the wingers jobs in offensive zone draws for example). Luke tries to match him but clearly never saw the game at the same level (he was a borderline 4th line player) so it doesn't always work out so well. Nice guy though who seems like he's at least trying to be impartial and do a good job.

[Sijell]

Canadian Broadcasters are tight. Maybe he was close to Dutchie and was off for a funeral. Who knows?

[Jimmy]

13 hours ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

 

Not everything in life is a conspiracy.

 

 

someone behind a conspiracy would say that 

[Jimmy]

I like Luke, he has some good takes on plays and isn't a jerk. It could be much much worse. 

[Ghostsof1915]

15 minutes ago, Bob Long said:

I like Luke, he has some good takes on plays and isn't a jerk. It could be much much worse. 

He's not Ron or Kelly at least.

[Boudrias]

9 hours ago, Diamonds said:

I like Jen, I think she does a pretty good job and is certainly better than Cassie was in my opinion. 

 

Luke is hit or miss. I appreciate that he tries hard to do a good job. One thing about Bieksa though is that he's a lot more intelligent than I realized and can really break down a player's thought process or set plays (his bit on the wingers jobs in offensive zone draws for example). Luke tries to match him but clearly never saw the game at the same level (he was a borderline 4th line player) so it doesn't always work out so well. Nice guy though who seems like he's at least trying to be impartial and do a good job.

I like Gadzic. He has been on Kipper & Borne quite a bit and is even handed. Jen toes the SN line pretty hard. Has been a Oiler fan from the get go. Freidman is such a BS'er that I have trouble listening to him. Never played the game and has a insider shtick that sells. KB3 couldn't stand the guy when he started but has got the word to ease up. Bieksa revs up the panel as a more nuanced version of Don Cherry. Quite frankly I PVR the games and often fast forward between periods. They lost me when MacLean used his seat to try an kill Burrows career and then throw Cherry under the bus. Can you imagine Cherry and Bieksa chewing the game over. It would be classic stuff. Nothing classy or classic for what we get now. Seriously Eliot Freidman and Jen Botterill? Even the TSN and ESPN panels have better.  

[Bell]

13 hours ago, Curmudgeon said:

 

At the end of the period, I mute the TV, set a timer on my phone for 18 minutes and do something else until the alarm sounds. Unmute the TV just about time for puck drop. I believe that avoiding all the panel discussion has probably added years to my life and preserved countless brain cells.

Lol indeed.  Always time to go make a coffee or some small chore.

[Crabcakes]

You can't have more than a couple of big personalities on the panel.  It just doesn't work otherwise.  They're definitely missing Bieksa to play off Friedman.

 

I'm fine with Gazdic.  He makes some decent comments and he fits in just fine between Bieksa and Friege.  Hrudy is another understated guy but he really doesn't offer much for me beyond goaltending.  Botterill is the token woman and is fine but makes stock comments and tries hard to be assertive.  She knows the game well but doesn't add much.

 

My beef with announcers is lack of research.  Cuthbert and Simpson just don't know any back story on the western teams

 

 

Edited May 18, 2024 by Crabcakes

[SuchaNuxtalgia]

13 hours ago, Pianoman said:

I like Gazdic, despite him having played for Edmonton he seems pretty fair. I also like Elliot, especially when he and Bieksa are giving jabs to each other haha. Jen I’ve only seen a couple times but she doesn’t bother me.

EF looked pissed at KB, with one of the last segments. Think the jabs are wearing him down, & he has a private penchant for pettiness. Could also be I've read the tea leaves wrong!?