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TORONTO – Wynton McManis will get a second shot at the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

The veteran linebacker returns Friday night when the Toronto Argonauts (7-6) host Hamilton (4-9). McManis missed six games with a groin injury.

“Man, that’s tough as hell,” said McManis, a trademark toothpick in his mouth. “Just seeing your brothers going out there and competing and laying it all on the line and feeling you have something to offer or want to offer something to be able to help, it’s hard.

“But we’re here now, they held it down … and I’m ready to go.”

The six-foot-one, 225-pound McManis registered 33 tackles, two special-teams tackles, a sack, interception and touchdown over Toronto’s first seven regular-season games. McManis, a Memphis, Tenn., native, has been a CFL all-star the last two seasons and helped Toronto win the ’22 Grey Cup.

Toronto comes off a solid 33-17 road win over B.C. last week. Its defence had seven sacks, including three from Ralph Holley, who’s tied for the league lead with seven overall.

“It brings a lot,” Toronto head coach Ryan Dinwiddie said of McManis’s return. “A lot of energy, a lot of focus, communication, it’s great for our lockerroom.

“He was with us in B.C. last week and shows veteran leadership even from the sidelines. We’re very excited to have him back … he’ll have a different energy.”

Especially facing Hamilton after being forced to miss the annual Labour Day showdown, which Hamilton won 31-28 on Sept. 2. McManis will also celebrate his 30th birthday Friday.

“Yeah, that’s fun,” McManis said with a grin. “It’s perfect.”

Hamilton can sweep the three-game series with a victory. But more importantly, the Ticats would pull to within four points of third-place Toronto with both teams having four regular-season contests remaining.

Conversely, a Toronto win would push Hamilton eight points back and deal its thin playoff hopes a severe blow.

“It’s an important game because it’s the next one,” McManis said. “But we understand what comes with it, we understand the importance of winning to reach our goals.

“It’s a playoff game for us.”

Hamilton has clinched the season series with Toronto but hasn’t recorded the sweep since 2019. The Argos also have much to play for as they’re currently just three points behind Ottawa (8-4-1), which hosts first-place Montreal (10-2-1) on Saturday.

Hamilton leads the CFL in net offensive yards (395.1 per game) and passing (321 per game). Veteran quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell has thrown for 3,682 and 23 TDs — both league highs — but also surrendered 13 interceptions (tied for most).

Mitchell is 14-2 all-time versus Toronto. Hamilton receiver Tim White has 11 catches for 246 yards and two TDs versus the Argos this season while Steven Dunbar Jr. had eight receptions for 151 yards and a touchdown in last week’s 31-27 win over Ottawa.

Running back Greg Bell, who ran for 99 yards and a TD versus Ottawa, is out with an Achilles injury. However, veteran James Butler, twice a 1,000-yard rusher, returns to the lineup.

“James Butler is a great running back in this league,” McManis said. “He and I have had some great battles throughout the years and this season so it will be a fun one.”

Toronto will be minus Janarion Grant (chest), who has a league-best four return TDs this season (three punt, one kickoff).

“We’re going to lose a little bit . . . Janarion has been pretty special and I think he’s up there with the best returners in CFL history,” Dinwiddie said. “We’ve got to find a way to play good football on offence and defence to where special teams doesn’t have to carry us.”

Hamilton head coach Scott Milanovich said his team heads into Friday’s contest in a good place.

“I think winning certainly helps the mood, the energy, the belief, the faith in what we’re doing,” he told Hamilton reporters this week. “They’re believing, they’re practising hard and they’re starting to see the fruits of those labours.”

Milanovich said Hamilton’s keys to success on Friday remain unchanged.

“It’s about protecting the football, penalties and explosive plays, protecting the quarterback and hitting their quarterback,” he said. “It’s never going to change.

“The last couple of weeks we’ve started to get that and hopefully we can keep it going.”

Toronto’s Chad Kelly is averaging 344 passing yards in his four starts this season and has won four of five career games versus Hamilton. Since 2021, the Argos are 10-4 against the Ticats, including 6-0 at BMO Field.

“Really, we just don’t want to lose this game,” Dinwiddie said. “We’ve got to stack up some wins to get ourselves locked into the playoffs and maybe try and get a home playoff game.

“Now, there will be a little added rivalry and I think the game will be physical. I know they’re feeling confident, they’ve beat us twice and we can’t take them lightly.”

Added McManis: “It’s like a self-esteem, self-respect type of thing at this point in the season. Who do you want to be? You should understand that. We go into each game each week wanting to win and put our best foot forward and put the best version of the Toronto Argonauts on the field.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.

MAINEVILLE, Ohio (AP) — Nelly Korda had a tough time getting out of bed Thursday morning. Any Solheim Cup fatigue had no bearing on her standard of golf, a bogey-free 67 in the Kroger Queen City Championship that left her two shots behind Ashleigh Buhai.

Korda and Leona Maguire, who also had a 5-under 67, are among 11 players who competed in the Solheim Cup last week and got right back to work at the TPC River’s Bend. Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., also had a 67 on the day to be tied for fourth.

Buhai, a former Women’s British Open champion from South Africa, isn’t part of the Solheim Cup and had a few weeks to rest from an injury-plagued season. She ran off eight birdies for her 7-under 65, giving her a one-shot lead over Jeeno Thitikul and Yan Liu.

“Just shows that rest is just as important,” Buhai said. “I know if I give myself five days to warm up, with my coach coming in, we did good work, and, yeah, it was nice to actually just see it pay off today.”

Korda at least had the afternoon for nap time after her early start. She went 3-1 in her matches last week in the Solheim Cup as the Americans defeated Europe for the first time in seven years.

“I’m looking forward to the stay-in-bed-all-day vibe today. It was definitely tough kind of waking up this morning, but I do love competing and I love being out here,” Korda said. “Everyone that played last week is going to be tired. I’m just trying to take it one step at a time, know that my energy levels aren’t the greatest, but I’m still motivated.”

She found additional motivation not so much from her five birdies but keeping a clean card.

“There is just no greater feeling than minimized your mistakes, or making no mistakes,” Korda said. “Whenever you get to play a bogey-free round I feel like it motivates you, and hopefully I can take that energy into the next three days.”

Maguire only played two matches last week, having played all five matches her previous two appearances. She wasn’t pleased about being sat out, especially after she easily disposed of Ally Ewing (4 and 3) in singles.

But maybe there was one upside.

“Last couple of Solheims I’ve played five matches, been exhausted after the Solheim,” she said. “So nice to be a little bit fresher time around.”

Korda and Maguire were part of a large group at 67 that included Lydia Ko, who last played three weeks ago and had every reason to be floating on air. Along with winning Olympic gold just over a month ago, she captured the Women’s British Open at St. Andrews.

Ko said her big summer — winning the gold medal got her into the LPGA Hall of Fame — still hasn’t sunk in. She arrived in the Cincinnati area having to learn a new course. The tournament was held at Kenwood Country Club the last two years, which is going through some improvements.

“It’s a new golf course, so all of us are just trying to get used to this TPC course and just putting ourselves in position,” Ko said. “And sometimes I think when you do see low scores, you try and chase it too much, but I just tried to stick to my own kind of routine and my strategy.”

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp had a 69, while Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., shot 71.

Rose Zhang went 4-0 in her matches at the Solheim Cup — needing only 58 holes — and finished with three straight bogeys for a 73. Esther Henseleit had a 74, and the other seven Solheim Cup players were at par or better.

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AP golf:

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PENTICTON, B.C. – Jake DeBrusk had a bit of an unfamiliar feeling as he prepared to hit the ice with his Vancouver Canucks teammates Thursday — butterflies.

The 27-year-old winger is no stranger to NHL training camps, but after seven seasons with the Boston Bruins, Thursday marked his first time skating with a new team.

“It was actually pretty nerve wracking. I was a little nervous going out there,” DeBrusk said after the Canucks’ first day of training camp in Penticton, B.C.

“It kind of caught me off guard, actually. But it was good. The guys are competing and it was fast out there. Trying to get chemistry and things like that, so it was exciting.”

DeBrusk inked a seven-year, US$38.5-million deal with the Canucks when the league’s free agent market opened on July 1, and was quickly pencilled in as a linemate for Vancouver’s star centre, Elias Pettersson.

The duo skated together in drills on Thursday, and DeBrusk was excited about the result.

“I think I’ve seen a lot of really wicked plays by (Pettersson),” he said. “And I’m sort of still catching up a little bit, but I’m starting to figure some of it out, I think. Any time you have a player like that that’s so dynamic, you want to just be consistent for him and just have someone that he can rely on.”

DeBrusk, who put up 19 goals and 21 assists in 80 games for the Bruins last season, brings speed and tenacity to the Canucks, Pettersson said.

“He’s skilful, but then works hard,” he said. “He plays the body and goes to the dirty areas. But I think it’s the combination of physical play and smartness.”

Developing chemistry takes time both on the ice and away from the rink, Pettersson added.

“It’s just hanging out,” he said. “When you’re, I guess, good at hockey, you just figure it out on the ice. And we’ll continue taking steps every day. I’m just excited to get going.”

DeBrusk is among a handful of new additions to Vancouver’s roster.

The Canucks also added forwards Danton Heinen, Kiefer Sherwood and Daniel Sprong, and defencemen Derek Forbort and Vincent Desharnais in free agency.

Desharnais was already familiar with Vancouver’s playing style, having had a close-up look as a member of the Edmonton Oilers squad that eliminated the Canucks from the playoffs in a gritty, seven-game second-round series in May.

The first day of training camp provided new insight for the six-foot-seven, 226-pound blue liner, however.

“I understand why they were so hard to play against last year,” he said with a laugh.

While Desharnais contributed a goal, 10 assists and 54 penalty minutes to the Oilers last season, Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin has said he believes the 28-year-old from Laval, Que., has more to give.

Desharnais agreed.

“That’s why I’m here, to get better,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of small details I can add to my game. I’m a late bloomer, and I want to keep learning, I want to keep improving myself, and every day to get a better mindset every day. Every morning, I just try to get better.”

Transitioning to a new team has been smooth so far, Desharnais said.

“I feel like I’m part of the team already,” he said, adding that he’s spent much of the last week and a half hanging out with his new teammates away from the rink. “I’m very excited to start travelling, to start playing games because you get even closer.”

Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet knows better than most what it takes for a player to settle in with a new locker room, having played for six different teams over the course of 18 seasons in the NHL.

Vancouver’s veteran players have done a good job of making the recent additions feel welcome, he said.

“I’ve been on other teams where it takes you a while, maybe it’s not as close,” the coach said. “But this team, whoever comes in here, it’s ‘Hey, you’re welcome’ and they’re hanging together. So I credit those guys for that environment.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.