Shane Wright took top spot among North American skaters as the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau released its final rankings for the league’s 2022 entry draft Thursday.
Wright, a centre with the Kingston Frontenacs, ranked eighth in the Ontario Hockey League with 94 points (32 goals, 62 assists) in 63 regular-season games.
He has two goals and eight assists in six OHL playoff games. The Frontenacs begin their Eastern Conference semifinal against the Battalion on Friday in North Bay, Ont.
Wright, from Burlington, Ont., would be the first Frontenacs player taken first overall if picked with the opening selection at the NHL Entry Draft, which will be held July 7-8 at Montreal’s Bell Centre.
He was also ranked first among North Americans in the midseason rankings.
The last OHL player to be selected first overall was Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid in 2015.
“Shane Wright is the complete package as an NHL prospect,” Dan Marr, director of NHL central scouting, said in a statement.
“He is a strong stride skater who possesses deceptive speed and quickness to beat defenders, evade checking or lead a rush,” he said. “He has elite hockey sense with his vision, anticipation and composure to execute quickly on plays and has proven that he can carry the load and lead the way when it’s needed in game situations.”
Left wing Juraj Slafkovsky of TPS in Finland is ranked as the top international skater.
The native of Kosice, Slovakia, climbed from No. 2 during the midseason rankings following a second half that included MVP honours at the Winter Olympic Games where he led the tournament in goals and points (seven goals in seven games) while helping Slovakia earn bronze.
Slafkovsky can become just the second Slovakian-born player selected in the top five of the NHL draft, along with Marian Gaborik (No. 3 in 2000 by Minnesota).
Logan Cooley and Cutter Gauthier of the United States under-18 team are the second- and third-ranked North American skaters, respectively.
Two centres from the Western Hockey League’s Winnipeg Ice, Matthew Savoie of St. Albert, Alta. and Conor Geekie of Strathclair, Man., round out the top five.
Rounding out the top-five international skaters are: defenceman Simon Nemec (Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia), defenceman David Jiricek (Klatovy, Czechia) and centre Marco Kasper (Innsbruck, Austria).
Winnipeg native Tyler Brennan, who plays for Prince George in the Western Hockey League, is the top-ranked North American goaltender and Topias Leinonen (Jyvaskyla, Finland) of JYP’s junior team tops the list of international goaltenders.
The final rankings feature the top 224 skaters and 32 goaltenders in North America and the top 140 skaters and 10 goaltenders internationally.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
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.”
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.
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.
