TORONTO – These days, even the best-laid plans are tentative, as the Toronto Raptors were reminded on Monday morning.
After spending the bulk of this past week going through the league-mandated testing protocol, participating in individual workouts, and getting settled in Tampa, the team completed its first full practice on Sunday.
By all accounts, it was a success. Head coach Nick Nurse raved about his club’s focus, intensity and conditioning. Most importantly, he indicated that the entire training camp roster – comprised of 20 players – was healthy and cleared to participate. With their first pre-season game scheduled for this coming weekend, there was cause for optimism heading into Day 2.
Then, just ahead of Monday’s session, came the news that three members of the organization had tested positive for COVID-19. According to a team statement, the three are self-isolating and, so far, follow-up testing and contact tracing haven’t revealed a spread.
That’s all we know, at least for now. Speaking to the media shortly after the announcement was made, general manager Bobby Webster declined to share any details regarding the positive tests – who the three members of the organization are, whether they’re players, coaches or staff, and if they’re experiencing symptoms – or elaborate on the timing of those tests, citing privacy.
What we do know is that Monday’s previously scheduled media availabilities with Nurse and Kyle Lowry were promptly cancelled but, per Webster, the Raptors’ training camp facility at Saint Leo University – just north of downtown Tampa – remained open and the team was able to hold practice, as planned.
“We’re comfortable that the three cases were isolated,” Webster said. “There was no contact. [After] contact tracing went through, there’s been no further positive tests, so we’re confident that we can continue with basketball.”
The show goes on, but it’s not exactly business as usual. It’s the new normal in professional sports and the reality that the Raptors and basketball’s other 29 teams face as they get set to tip off what promises to be an unusual 2020-21 campaign later this month.
What the NBA is hoping to pull off – navigating its way through a 72-game season, and postseason, amid a global pandemic – will be a unique challenge. They can plan and prepare, they can do their due diligence and implement thorough health and safety protocols, they can even try to learn from the other leagues that have attempted something similar in recent months, but there’s no real blueprint for this. There are going to be bumps in the road. That was inevitable.
“It’s an enormous challenge,” Webster said. “It’s a logistical challenge, it’s a health challenge, and it’s a human challenge that we’re all going through. It’s constantly on our mind but at the same time, we’re trying to prepare for an NBA season. As I’m sure most of us are seeing around the sports landscape, this was bound to happen, so we just wanted to make sure we had everything kind of tied up – continuing to review, continuing to educate, continuing to have awareness with our players, coaches and staff, almost on a daily basis.”
The Portland Trail Blazers have also had three positive tests come back, requiring them to close down their practice facility over the weekend. The Golden State Warriors were forced to postpone their first practice after two players tested positive. Of the 546 players tested during the initial return-to-market phase, 48 were positive, according to an NBA release last Wednesday.
Not only were these setbacks bound to happen, they were expected to hit quickly. With players and staff flying into their home markets – or, in the case of the Raptors, to Tampa – from all over the United States, there’s a good chance that many of those who tested positive contracted the virus prior to reconvening for camp.
It’s worth noting that there were several positive cases during this same pre-camp testing period before last summer’s restart, as well. The difference, and it’s a big one, is that last season was completed in the Orlando bubble – a contained environment that combined daily testing and strictly enforced protocol to mitigate the risk of exposure, or outbreak. Over the course of three months, following that initial move-in phase, no positive tests were reported.
Although the bubble experiment was a resounding success from a health and safety standpoint, there were other logistical challenges and concerns, which is why the league and its players’ association approved this new structure, veering more towards normalcy.
Teams will operate out of their own cities, practice in their facilities, and play in their arenas – with the lone exception of the Raptors, who weren’t granted government clearance to host games north of the border. Some markets will even be able to accommodate a limited number of fans in their buildings.
Daily testing will continue, as will the protocol at arenas and in league facilities, but there’s only so much the NBA can control, with teams travelling from city to city while players and staff are free to come and go as they please during their own time. It would be naïve to think that what happened to the Raptors on Tuesday won’t be a fairly regular occurrence around the association all season. The league is just hoping that it won’t be worse.
In the 158-page health and safety guide that they issued to teams over the weekend, they outlined the protocol for players and staff who test positive, including what has to happen before they can return to work – which the Raptors are following now. What it doesn’t specify is how many cases, or outbreaks, would necessitate a league-wide shutdown.
To prevent that, the NBA is banking on everybody doing their part. As we saw with Major League Baseball, or as we’re seeing in the NFL, especially recently, this only works if each team’s players and staff buy in and are fully committed to following proper protocol. From all-stars all the way down to trainers or equipment managers, all it takes is one person to disregard the rules and contract the virus – then, if the spread isn’t contained, games have to be postponed or cancelled, and ultimately the season is put in jeopardy.
“My role is to just constantly be on [the team] and be a reminder constantly of our actions and our behaviour and how impactful it is, not only to themselves but to their families, our team [and] the organization,” Nurse said following practice on Sunday. “There’s lots on the line if you’re not doing the best you can with the COVID-19 protocols. I’m in front of them a lot, I’m in front of them a few times a day, and my job is to not only sprinkle in those reminders but make that part of what we’re doing. Even if the message is often, it still needs to be done often and loud and clear.”
“This is the new normal for us, just gotta roll with the punches,” said Fred VanVleet, also on Sunday. “I’m not really a complainer and I try to keep a good perspective on things, so for better or for worse I think I’m just going to roll with it and see how it goes. Obviously put the safety of everybody first – myself included and my family – and try to stay as safe and healthy as possible, but realizing the world is kind of moving on and we have to find a way to kind of live with it and still follow all the guidelines the best we can.”
Of course, to VanVleet’s point, it’s not just reckless people that are getting the virus. You can mitigate the risk by making the right decisions and following all the rules, but that risk isn’t going away. It’s what the league, its teams and its players signed up for when they agreed to the parameters of the season.
With positive cases continuing to soar throughout the country, and in hotbed states like Florida – where the Raptors have chosen to temporarily relocate – one can’t help but wonder, is this a viable, and responsible, plan?
“I think [with] the nature of our positive tests we feel comfortable there’s not further,” Webster said. “But it’s not to say a week from now or two weeks from now or in the middle of the season when we’re on the road in Brooklyn that we’re not going to have this again. And so we’ll continue to confront those challenges. But I do think from a professional manner, basketball is our livelihood, it’s the livelihood of these players, coaches, and a number of staff, so we think [that by] following the protocols we can get through this.”
“I think the NBA is definitely trying to cover all its bases and make sure it’s a safe environment for us,” said VanVleet. “I don’t have great expectations about that. I think it’s going to be tough to do, but this is what it is and we’ve got to try to the best we can.”
MONTREAL – Canadian National Railway Co. told employees this week it plans to relocate its operations in Jasper to near Hinton, Alta., about 100 kilometres away.
In a memo sent to employees in the fire-ravaged town, the company said it’s aiming to increase efficiency by minimizing train stops between Edmonton and Blue River, B.C., which sits across the Rockies.
CN plans to close its Jasper bunkhouse and build a crew change facility east of Hinton, with workers slated to clock in at the new site starting in September 2025, according to the document obtained by The Canadian Press.
“CN has made the decision to implement operational changes to improve network fluidity,” regional vice-president Nicole James said in the memo.
The union representing rail workers criticized the relocation, which affects about 200 employees, though no layoffs are expected.
“This is another devastating blow to the town of Jasper, after this year’s catastrophic wildfires. Rail is one of the largest industries in Jasper, after tourism, and CN’s move will cripple this community even further,” said Paul Boucher, president of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference.
“And for the workers who’ve already lost so much — some even their homes — this is a truly cruel blow.”
Union spokesman Christopher Monette noted that most residents or their spouses must work in town to qualify to live there under Jasper National Park’s residency rules. The company has told the union it will apply for an exception for the workers, he said.
CN spokeswoman Ashley Michnowski says the railway is committed to supporting employees through the transition and keeping them updated.
“These types of changes take time to fully plan out and implement. That’s why one of our initial steps was to have this discussion with our employees as well as advising the town of Jasper,” she said in an email.
A wildfire ripped through Jasper in July, destroying a third of the mountain town and displacing many of its 4,800 residents.
The blaze also caused smoke damage to the CN bunkhouse, which the company says it has worked to restore since it was allowed to re-enter the community with contractors on Aug. 16.
Engineers and conductors have been reporting for work in Hinton, roughly an hour away, since the wildfire.
With roots as a fur trade outpost, Jasper launched as a railway town in the early 20th century after tracks built by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway — CN’s predecessor — paved the way for the municipality.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings made another investment this week in a young standout, signing Moritz Seider to a seven-year contract worth nearly $60 million.
The Red Wings announced the move with the 23-year-old German defenseman on Thursday, three days after keeping 22-year-old forward Lucas Raymond with a $64.6 million, eight-year deal.
Detroit drafted Seider with the No. 6 pick overall eight years ago and he has proven to be a great pick. He has 134 career points, the most by a defenseman drafted in 2019.
He was the NHL’s only player to have at least 200 hits and block 200-plus shots last season, when he scored a career-high nine goals and had 42 points for the second straight year.
Seider won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 2022 after he had a career-high 50 points.
Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman is banking on Seider, whose contract will count $8.55 million annually against the cap, and Raymond to turn a rebuilding team into a winner.
Detroit has failed to make the playoffs in eight straight seasons, the longest postseason drought in franchise history.
The Red Wings, who won four Stanley Cups from 1997 to 2008, have been reeling since their run of 25 straight postseasons ended in 2016.
Detroit was 41-32-9 last season and finished with a winning record for the first time since its last playoff appearance.
Yzerman re-signed Patrick Kane last summer and signed some free agents, including Vladimir Tarasenko to a two-year contract worth $9.5 million after he helped the Florida Panthers hoist the Cup.
Veterans Tyson Beukeboom and Karen Paquin will lead Canada at the WXV 1 women’s rugby tournament starting later this month in the Vancouver area.
WXV 1 includes the top three teams from the Women’s Six Nations (England, France and Ireland) and the top three teams from the Pacific Four Series (Canada, New Zealand, and the United States).
Third-ranked Canada faces No. 4 France, No. 7 Ireland and No. 1 England in the elite division of the three-tiered WXV tournament that runs Sept. 29 to Oct. 12 in Vancouver and Langley, B.C. No. 2 New Zealand and the eighth-ranked U.S. make up the six-team WVX 1 field.
“Our preparation time was short but efficient. This will be a strong team,” Canada coach Kevin Rouet said in a statement. “All the players have worked very hard for the last couple of weeks to prepare for WXV and we are excited for these next three matches and for the chance to play on home soil here in Vancouver against the best rugby teams in the world.
“France, Ireland and England will each challenge us in different ways but it’s another opportunity to test ourselves and another step in our journey to the Rugby World Cup next year.”
Beukeboom serves as captain in the injury absence of Sophie de Goede. The 33-year-old from Uxbridge, Ont., earned her Canadian-record 68th international cap in Canada’s first-ever victory over New Zealand in May at the Pacific Four Series.
Twenty three of the 30 Canadian players selected for WXV 1 were part of that Pacific Four Series squad.
Rouet’s roster includes the uncapped Asia Hogan-Rochester, Caroline Crossley and Rori Wood.
Hogan-Rochester and Crossley were part of the Canadian team that won rugby sevens silver at the Paris Olympics, along with WXV teammates Fancy Bermudez, Olivia Apps, Alysha Corrigan and Taylor Perry. Wood is a veteran of five seasons at UBC.
The 37-year-old Paquin, who has 38 caps for Canada including the 2014 Rugby World Cup, returns to the team for the first time since the 2021 World Cup.
Canada opens the tournament Sept. 29 against France at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver before facing Ireland on Oct. 5 at Willoughby Stadium at Langley Events Centre, and England on Oct. 12 at B.C. Place.
The second-tier WXV 2 and third-tier WXV 3 are slated to run Sept. 27 to Oct. 12, in South Africa and Dubai, respectively.
WXV 2 features Australia, Italy, Japan, Scotland, South Africa and Wales while WXV 3 is made up of Fiji, Hong Kong, Madagascar, the Netherlands, Samoa and Spain.
The tournament has 2025 World Cup qualification implications, although Canada, New Zealand and France, like host England, had already qualified by reaching the semifinals of the last tournament.
Ireland, South Africa, the U.S., Japan, Fiji and Brazil have also booked their ticket, with the final six berths going to the highest-finishing WXV teams who have not yet qualified through regional tournaments.
Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team WXV 1 Squad
Forwards
Alexandria Ellis, Ottawa, Stade Français Paris (France); Brittany Kassil, Guelph, Ont., Guelph Goats; Caroline Crossley, Victoria, Castaway Wanderers; Courtney Holtkamp, Rimbey, Alta., Red Deer Titans Rugby; DaLeaka Menin, Vulcan, Alta., Exeter Chiefs (England); Emily Tuttosi, Souris, Man., Exeter Chiefs (England); Fabiola Forteza, Quebec City, Stade Bordelais (France); Gabrielle Senft, Regina, Saracens (England); Gillian Boag, Calgary, Gloucester-Hartpury (England); Julia Omokhuale, Calgary, Leicester Tigers (England); Karen Paquin, Quebec City, Club de rugby de Quebec; Laetitia Royer, Loretteville, Que., ASM Romagnat (France); McKinley Hunt, King City, Ont., Saracens (England); Pamphinette Buisa, Gatineau, Que., Ottawa Irish; Rori Wood, Sooke, B.C., College Rifles RFC; Sara Cline, Edmonton, Leprechaun Tigers; Tyson Beukeboom, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England);
Backs
Alexandra Tessier, Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, Que., Exeter Chiefs (England); Alysha Corrigan, Charlottetown, P.E.I., CRFC; Asia Hogan-Rochester, Toronto, Toronto Nomads; Claire Gallagher, Caledon, Ont., Leicester Tigers (England); Fancy Bermudez, Edmonton, Saracens (England); Julia Schell, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England); Justine Pelletier, Rivière-du-Loup, Que, Stade Bordelais (France); Mahalia Robinson, Fulford, Que., Town of Mount Royal RFC; Olivia Apps, Lindsay, Ont., Lindsay RFC; Paige Farries, Red Deer, Alta., Saracens (England); Sara Kaljuvee, Ajax, Ont., Westshore RFC; Shoshanah Seumanutafa, White Rock, B.C., Counties Manukau (New Zealand); Taylor Perry, Oakville, Ont., Exeter Chiefs (England).
—
Follow @NeilMDavidson on X platform, formerly known as Twitter
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2024.
