In Defense Of Drew Remenda

Oilers fans are frustrated, and rightfully so. The team is about to miss the postseason for the tenth consecutive season and even though improvement has been shown this season, it’s still been a difficult year. There are a lot of things that should be complained about, the Oilers are too soft, their defense isn’t good enough, they don’t have enough depth, and so on and so forth.

One thing I see a lot of complaining about? TV color commentator Drew Remenda, who apparently isn’t enough sunshine and rainbows for fans. People say he’s too negative, say he doesn’t care enough about the Oilers, or the most popular one, saying he doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about.

Well, folks, here’s a bold and hot take for you, Drew Remenda is one of the best color commentators in the NHL. The way he presents himself and talks on-air is EXACTLY what a color commentator is supposed to do. I don’t know about you, but I want someone who understands the game and who isn’t afraid to bash the team and be honest. Drew is exactly that.

I’m not going to go in-depth on his history in the game, I don’t think that’s necessary and most people are already aware of his coaching career and lengthy tenure in the booth. The fact he stuck on Sharks’ broadcasts for so long and even had a stint on Hockey Night in Canada shows just how good he is at his job.

Remenda breaks things down quite well, he understands the game and knows how to communicate it to the viewer. When I watch an Oilers broadcast, I learn something new almost every time about a team’s system or a designed play. He’s able to break it down and present it in a way most can understand.

The thing I like most about him? Drew doesn’t sugarcoat things. When the Oilers are bad, he’s mentioned it. When the other team does something right, he’ll also mention it. That’s exactly what a color commentator should be doing, he’s balanced and calls it like it is.

I see Oilers fans crying whenever they have to listen to the Flames or Canucks broadcasts. I agree, those broadcasts are slanted and feature announcers who are homers. They are doing their jobs too, and doing it quite well I might add. That said, that style does not appeal to me, I’d rather have an analyst who calls it how it is over someone who fawns over the home team, even when they are as bad as the Oilers are.

The constant bashing of Drew Remenda is kind of funny to me. He’s a solid color commentator who does the job exactly the way they teach you. Just because he isn’t a homer, the exact thing Oilers fans cry about every time a National broadcast or Flames/Canucks broadcast comes on, doesn’t mean he’s bad at his job. There are different styles of analysts, and while Remenda is different than others he does a good job.

So, folks, can we stop nitpicking every little thing about the organization and just appreciate Remenda for what he is, a solid analyst?