Far be it from me to inject myself into Canadian politics, but a Canadian politician has injected himself into American sports, so here we are. David Adams Richards, a Canadian senator, went on quite the journey in the Senate chamber. The upshot: the words American hockey commentators use are ruining Canada's national sport.

Per the National Post: Whatever happened to "dipsy-doodling," a Canadian phrase he said came from knowing "the motion of the ice"? It's hockey sweaters, not jerseys. Dressing rooms, not locker rooms, he said. "We didn't deny a shot; we actually saved it. We didn't delay at the blue line; we stopped at the blue line. Nor did we take a wrister. What an insulting word. We took a wrist shot."

Richards, a New Brunswick novelist of significant acclaim, is a stickler for language. I can appreciate that, but this all feels like a pretty silly dipsy-doodle away from more serious issues.

Read Michael Rand's blog at startribune.com/randball. michael.rand@startribune.com.