VANCOUVER – In these unprecedented days, the status of organized sports seems to be changing, like the impact of the coronavirus itself, almost by the hour. Yesterday’s plan could be replaced three times before tomorrow’s.
But one of the biggest game-changers for the National Hockey League since the global pandemic nightmare became real for professional sports last week occurred Sunday night when the United States government’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended cancelling all events with 50 or more people for the next eight weeks.
An eight-week ban on sporting events makes it extremely difficult for the NHL and National Basketball Association to complete their suspended seasons, and made the American Hockey League’s decision on Monday afternoon to disperse its players predictable and logical.
“We’re sending our players home,” Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning said of his minor-league team in Utica, N.Y. “The Canadian guys are driving back to Canada and the American guys are driving home, and the European guys like (Olli) Juolevi and (Lukas) Jasek are flying home.
“It seems like things are changing by the hour.”
Earlier Monday, the NHL directed its teams to allow their 700 players to travel home if they choose, with the stipulation that upon arrival all should resume their self-quarantine until March 27.
Any Canadians coming home from American teams will begin another two-week quarantine period set by the Canadian government, which on Monday closed its borders to anyone from outside Canada and the U.S.
Until the CDC edict late Sunday, the NHL was keeping its players in the cities in which they played and there was hope, however faint, that hockey might return after a month.
Fairly typical of an NHL workforce, the Canucks have players from six provinces, five states and Sweden. Only three players — defencemen Troy Stecher (Richmond) and Jordie Benn (Victoria), and forward Jake Virtanen (Abbotsford) — are from B.C., although Texas-born defenceman Tyler Myers considers Kelowna home.
Benning said the Canucks’ team services department was working Monday with players to get them home if they wish to leave Vancouver. The communications department has refused so far to facilitate interviews with players.
“I think they’re like the rest of us; they’ve never seen anything like this,” Benning said of his players. “They’re concerned.”
Benning said he has spoken with team captain and player rep Bo Horvat to try to answer players’ questions and concerns.
The Canucks announced Sunday that a full-time employee in their offices next to Rogers Arena had tested positive for COVID-19. The statement from Chief Operating Officer Trent Carroll emphasized that the employee “does not have a fan-facing role and is not in contact with the players, hockey operations personnel or Rogers Arena part-time events staff.”
Assistant general manager Chris Gear said Monday that three employees who work closely with the sick staffer, whose condition is improving at home, tested negative Monday for the coronavirus.
Rare good news these days.
The team also announced late Monday that the club, along with the Toptable restaurant group owned by Canucks managing owner Francesco Aquilini, would donate 2,000 pounds of perishable food to The Salvation Army and Greater Vancouver Food Bank.
“The biggest part of my job seems to be getting paid to worry,” Benning said from home. “We tried (this season) to do everything we could to be competitive. We felt like we were taking the next step. Then all of a sudden, something like this comes along and you realize there are more important issues. At the end of the day, the health of our fans and players and community is a lot more important than winning and losing hockey games.
“We don’t want more people to get sick. If we can look after this (coronavirus) and the government and the league deem it safe, we’ll try to figure out some way to get back playing. But we’re like everybody else; I don’t know when.”
Unlike the third-tier ECHL, which on Sunday cancelled the remainder of its season, the American League’s statement did not include the C-word, only that the “indefinite suspension of AHL play will not be lifted before May.”
“It’s not inconsistent with what the NHL is doing,” Gear said. “We’ve got (NHL) guys going back to Sweden, guys going back to the U.S. That creates its own set of challenges. Every time we address one question, there seem to be two more.”
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks announced Tuesday that defenceman Alex Edler will sign a one-day contract in order to officially retire as a member of the NHL team.
The signing will be part of a celebration of Edler’s career held Oct. 11 when the Canucks host the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Canucks selected Edler, from Ostersund, Sweden, in the third round (91st overall) of the 2004 NHL draft.
He played in 925 career games for the Canucks between the 2006-07 and 2020-21 seasons, ranking fourth in franchise history and first among defencemen.
The 38-year-old leads all Vancouver defencemen with 99 goals, 310 assists and 177 power-play points with the team.
Edler also appeared in 82 career post-season contests with Vancouver and was an integral part of the Canucks’ run to the 2011 Stanley Cup final, putting up 11 points (2-9-11) across 25 games.
“I am humbled and honoured to officially end my career and retire as a member of the Vancouver Canucks,” Edler said in a release. “I consider myself lucky to have started my career with such an outstanding organization, in this amazing city, with the best fans in the NHL. Finishing my NHL career where it all began is something very special for myself and my family.”
Edler played two seasons for Los Angeles in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He did not play in the NHL last season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
The sixth-ranked Canadian women will face World Cup champion Spain in an international friendly next month.
Third-ranked Spain will host Canada on Oct. 25 at Estadio Francisco de la Hera in Almendralejo.
The game will be the first for the Canadian women since the Paris Olympics, where they lost to Germany in a quarterfinal penalty shootout after coach Bev Priestman was sent home and later suspended for a year by FIFA over her part in Canada’s drone-spying scandal.
In announcing the Spain friendly, Canada Soccer said more information on the interim women’s coaching staff for the October window will come later. Assistant coach Andy Spence took charge of the team in Priestman’s absence at the Olympics.
Spain finished fourth in Paris, beaten 1-0 by Germany in the bronze-medal match.
Canada is winless in three previous meetings (0-2-1) with Spain, most recently losing 1-0 at the Arnold Clark Cup in England in February 2022.
The teams played to a scoreless draw in May 2019 in Logroñés, Spain in a warm-up for the 2019 World Cup. Spain won 1-0 in March 2019 at the Algarve Cup in São João da Venda, Portugal.
Spain is a powerhouse in the women’s game these days.
It won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2022 and was runner-up in 2018. And it ousted Canada 2-1 in the round of 16 of the current U-20 tournament earlier this month in Colombia before falling 1-0 to Japan after extra time in the quarterfinal.
Spain won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2018 and 2022 and has finished on the podium on three other occasions.
FC Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati (2023) and Alexia Putellas (2021 and ’22) have combined to win the last three Women’s Ballon d’Or awards.
And Barcelona has won three of the last four UEFA Women’s Champions League titles.
“We continue to strive to diversify our opponent pool while maintaining a high level of competition.” Daniel Michelucci, Canada Soccer’s director of national team operations, said in a statement. “We anticipate a thrilling encounter, showcasing two of the world’s top-ranked teams.”
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024
TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced cookie brand Oreo as the team’s helmet sponsor for the upcoming NHL season.
The new helmet will debut Sunday when Toronto opens its 2024-25 pre-season against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena.
The Oreo logo replaces Canadian restaurant chain Pizza Pizza, which was the Leafs’ helmet sponsor last season.
Previously, social media platform TikTok sponsored Toronto starting in the 2021-22 regular season when the league began allowing teams to sell advertising space on helmets.
The Oreo cookie consists of two chocolate biscuits around a white icing filling and is often dipped in milk.
Fittingly, the Leafs wear the Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s “Milk” logo on their jerseys.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
