Don Cherry: NHL 'jumping for joy' over Flyers-Blackhawks final

Just got off a conference call with assorted NHL TV types from NBC, Versus and CBC.

As usual, CBC's Don Cherry was particularly entertaining.

Cherry noted, correctly, that having the Flyers and Blackhawks in the final is much better for the league than the likes of Nashville or Columbus, a notion Cherry suggested might have prompted a suicide watch at NHL headquarters.

"It couldn't have been better," Cherry said, adding (jokingly, he said) that some of the penalties against the Sharks in the Western Conference finals left him wondering about a league conspiracy to land Chicago in the final.

"The National Hockey League, they're jumping for joy with this matchup," Cherry said.

Why not? It features two storied franchises who haven't won the Cup in 35 and 49 years, respectively, and that represent two of the largest TV markets in the U.S.

Speaking of the U.S., are Canadians disappointed another year will go by without a franchise from their country winning it all?

"We don't feel that way," Cherry said. "Most of the players and coaches are Canadian, so we're happy anyhow."

That's it for me today. I have to catch up on some DVDs. Enjoy the series finale of "Flash Forward."