Canadian icon/rambling old guy Don Cherry is in the news again and he hasn’t had the best week. Rogers bought the NHL’s Canadian television rights and journalists are speculating that Cherry’s role on TV could be limited in the future.

But the show must go on. Saturday night, Cherry taped another Coach’s Corner segment with Ron MacLean. Cherry addressed the Rogers situation while also spending 48 seconds oohing and ahhing about how Alex Ovechkin tapes up sticks. Yes, seriously. He wants Canadian kids to tape up their sticks just like Russian-born, three-time MVP. Did we mention Russian-born? Someone please check if Don is okay.

He talks about Ovi at the 3:11 mark.

All right, kids, he’s going to show you — this is the second best hockey player in the world, maybe the third, Toews is pretty good — watch he looks at his sticks here. See that one in the red, I think that one’s for the power play.

Kids just don’t … see here. This here will save the parents money. See how he saves the end of his stick. They are $150, $300 sticks. See what he does? Very, very careful. Now if Ovechkin can do this … I see kids not with tape on their sticks. If Ovechkin can do it you can do it.

Notice how Don doesn’t really explain anything and just uses interjections to stumble through the video.

The good news is Cherry has finally found some respect for the Russian Machine after years of dogging him. In 2009, he called Ovechkin’s celebrations “goofy” and compared him to a soccer player. “Somebody’s going to cut him in half” Cherry exclaimed.

Cherry was also not a fan of Ovi’s hot stick celebration. “You can’t do that without making somebody feel bad,” Cherry said during his segment.

Finally, Cherry closed by telling Rogers he’s the Bobby Orr of sports journalism, or something.

The big thing, I have a radio station on Rogers that’s been on for 25 years. Rogers never bothered me. Why should it be? It was a number one. When I had Bobby Orr, he was the number one hockey player in the world. … I just left him alone, and you know what? He had his best year ever.

…

If you’re number one, why would you fool with it? I know I’m good. I didn’t fall off a turnip truck. I know everybody watches, so all I’m saying is… take it easy, don’t try to ruin a good thing, just leave us alone, and we’ll be just as good next year.