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Maple Leafs get an ‘important acquisition’ in Kyle Clifford – Sportsnet.ca

Published

5 years ago

February 6, 2020

Late on Wednesday night, Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas pulled off the kind of trade everybody knew this team needed, picking up backup goalie Jack Campbell and big depth winger Kyle Clifford from the Los Angeles Kings for Trevor Moore and a couple of draft picks.

Campbell is, of course, the centrepiece of the deal and the player everyone in Leafs Nation is hoping can steady the ship in Frederik Andersen’s absence (however long that is) and be a reliable backup when he returns.

But Clifford is an interesting and noteworthy piece of the trade as well.

“I think this is real careful and precise trade targeting by Kyle (Dubas),” Brian Burke said on Fan 590’s Good Show. “This is a guy our players feared. He plays hard, he fights.

“The Leafs do not have a player with this player’s appetite for combat, so he’s a valuable addition…they don’t have a proper response for when their top players get drilled and now they do. I think this is not a throw in. I think he’s an important acquisition. I know other teams in the division are going, ‘Ah geez, they were much easier to play before they had this guy.’”

There’s been plenty of debate about Toronto’s lack of team toughness over the past couple of seasons, while Dubas has remained steadfast in pushing forward with a lineup overflowing with skill instead. This is the first time Dubas seems to have relented somewhat, as Clifford wouldn’t be described as a high-skill player with offensive upside.

Kyle Frank Clifford (nicknamed The Colonel for his “KFC” initials) is familiar to Dubas. Back before his GM days, Dubas was in the agenting field and used to represent Clifford. Now, his former client will bring an element of toughness the Leafs have been without for some time. Clifford has three fights this season, as many as the rest of the Leafs team combined.

Lead Off with Ashley, Ziggy and Scotty Mac

Getting the 411 on new Maple Leafs Kyle Clifford & Jack Campbell

February 06 2020

But there’s more to his value. He’s got all those other elements thought to be important in the playoffs — leadership, experience, grit — that can’t really be quantified, but are nonetheless present on every Stanley Cup champion.

“When people think about the Kings over the last decade, Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, Jonathan Quick get brought up, but Clifford was there for both of the teams that won the Stanley Cup,” the LA Times’ Jack Harris said on the Fan 590’s Lead Off. “He was one of the longest-tenured guys in that room and had really become a leadership guy in the way that he would play with a lot of young guys when they would get called up, playing in the bottom six of the forward lines.”

Drafted in the second round of the 2009 draft, Clifford had a career high 11 goals and 21 points just last season. That went along with 96 penalty minutes, which would have led the Leafs by 31. Though he does bring a significant edge and is a deterrent in some ways, Clifford hasn’t topped 100 penalty minutes in a season since 2011-12.

Clifford averaged just 11:41 of ice time this season with the Kings, so he won’t figure to be a game-changer on the ice — though you will notice when the 6-foot-2, 211-pounder is out there. While he adds a physical element the Leafs have been criticized for lacking, there’s something to be said for what kind of player he’ll be in the locker room as well.

“Even though he’s only 29, just a really mature guy,” Harris said. “A father of three. One of the nicest guys you’ll probably come across in an NHL room. A character guy through and through. A guy who brings a lot of playoff experience and the kind of on-ice character and toughness that a lot of teams covet.”

At the same time, while we certainly shouldn’t expect Clifford to contribute a ton of offence, it’s worth pointing out that his 52.12 Corsi-for percentage (CF%) at 5-on-5 last season was the second-best mark on the Kings, and he’s at 55.18 per cent this season. When Clifford was on the ice for the Kings at 5-on-5 this season, the team generated 57.08 per cent of the high danger chances. Los Angeles was outscored in these situations, but that could be more indicative of the team’s status as a bottom-feeder that gets outscored on most nights.

Put Clifford in this Leafs lineup and surround him with the highly skilled players they have, and those minuses should quickly turn to plusses.

Years ago, a former Kings scout once told me Clifford was so beloved by that organization that they wouldn’t trade him for Steven Stamkos. While that suggestion was certainly made tongue-in-cheek, the point was that while Clifford’s stats wouldn’t wow anyone, he had a lot of other intangibles that are highly valued.

And now, after years of debates, we’ll get to see what those unmeasurables will mean to a Leafs team getting more desperate by the day.

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Sports

Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.

“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”

Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.

The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.

Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.

“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.

“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”

The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.

“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”

Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.

“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.

The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.

The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.

Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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