Team Canada held an optional morning skate and media availability on Sunday.
—
Dawson Mercer and Alex Newhook are feeling the love from back home in Newfoundland.
“It’s unmatched,” said Newhook, a centre from Boston College. “I don’t think anywhere else in the world would have that support. Myself and Dawson, we’re feeling it first hand and we’re super proud to be from Newfoundland. The support we get, it’s been crazy.”
What was Mercer’s phone looking like after he scored twice last night?
“It was blowing up, honestly,” the Chicoutimi Sagueneens forward said. “I love seeing the videos of my friends and how hooked they were and everything.”
Even the premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, Andrew Furey, tweeted his support, telling Mercer and Newhook, “your home province is cheering you on.”
Amazing game, so proud to watch Team Canada play with strong representation from Newfoundland and Labrador. Way to go, Alex Newhook and Dawson Mercer — your home province is cheering you on! https://t.co/oaCSRlrZpg
This the first time since 1992 that two players from the province have made it to the World Juniors. Mercer and Newhook actually grew up as rivals. Mercer is a “Baymen” from tiny Bay Roberts while Newhook is a “Townie” from St. John’s.
“There was always a rivalry, for sure,” said Newhook. “It was always the town against the bay. We played a lot against him and that helped both of us. Usually there’s not too much competition once you get older and to have a lot of great players in our age group back home has helped us both get here today.”
“I only played with him when it was Team NL tournaments and a lot of time was against him,” Mercer said. “It was very competitive, especially for our age group. It was, honestly, a pretty good year in Newfoundland so the competition was decent.”
Who had the edge growing up?
“I remember we took it my first year of bantam before I moved away,” said Newhook, who left home at age 14, “so that will probably give me bragging rights.”
“Yeah, they got the best of us there,” Mercer recalled with a chuckle, “but we had it the year before, though.”
Newhook and Mercer may be from the same province, but they bring different elements to Team Canada. Mercer is often listed as the 13th forward and described by coach Andre Tourigny as a “flex player” who can bounce around the line-up. One of his goals last night came shorthanded.
“Every team needs a guy like that,” said Newhook. “He’s a guy that can be put in every situation and excel.”
Meanwhile, Canada prefers to keep Newhook at centre and also feeds him some power-play time. Newhook’s skill was on display on his opening goal last night as he wheeled around the German defence with some fancy footwork.
“He’s a very explosive and powerful player,” Mercer observed. “He showed that on his goals. You could see he really went by that defenceman with ease. He has a lot of skill and offensive ability, but he’s also a big guy and hard to knock off pucks. He’s a strong player and he’s always been like that growing up against him.”
So, Newhook and Mercer are different players from different parts of Newfoundland, but in the end that shared heritage means more than anything else.
“It was a great game last night and to have us both here makes it that much more special,” Newhook said.
—
After getting the third period off last night, Devon Levi will be back in net tonight for Canada.
“Today we will face an opponent who will bring a little more offence, so we wanted Devon to have a chance to play more minutes,” Tourigny explained.
The Northeastern University freshman turns 19 today.
“We’ve all been giving it to him a bit,” Newhook said with a smile. “All we can really get for him is a win so hopefully that will come through.”
Levi stopped nine of 10 shots against the Germans and continues to impress his new teammates.
“He’s been really composed and he plays really safe,” Mercer said. “He’s always in the right position and plays with confidence. He’s always zoned in. He’s so serious and determined in all aspects whether it’s warming up or in practice. I go out there to shoot on the goalies [before practice] fairly often and he’s always dialed in so I think that’s something that’s important.”
Slovakia will start Samuel Hlavaj, who posted a sparkling 33-3-2 record with Sherbrooke in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League last season.
“He’s a big body,” said Mercer. “He had a good team last year that had a lot of success and he was a big part of that. We will move the puck side to side and get quick shots on net.”
—
The IIHF issued a one-game suspension to Team Canada’s Braden Schneider for checking to the head and neck area. The Brandon defenceman was ejected from last night’s game in the first period after catching Jan-Luca Schumacher up high.
Here’s the explanation from the IIHF:
“In an attempt to gain possession of an incoming puck from his teammate, German forward Jan-Luca Schumacher slowed down and decided to chip the puck outside of his defensive zone. At no time during this sequence did Schumacher establish control of the puck. At the same time, Schneider skates towards Schumacher. Without any regard to the puck at any time and seeing his opponent in a vulnerable position, Schneider delivers a body check to the head of Schumacher. Schneider delivers the check slightly elevating his shoulder, hitting his opponent directly in the head … while Schneider’s elbow was down and while there was a size difference between the two players – because Schneider slightly elevated his shoulder into Schumacher’s head resulting in the player’s head snapping back, Schneider actions were extremely dangerous, created a serious risk of injury to Schumacher … Schneider could have easily avoided the check.”
Tourigny was asked about the play this morning before the decision came down.
“It’s a hockey play,” Canada’s coach said. “The size between the two players is a big factor. I won’t lie, I didn’t review the clip 22 times, just saw it and moved on, nothing we can do about it. We don’t want, obviously, a hit to the head, but I think it was a hockey play. I don’t think he meant any harm to the opponent.”
Moncton’s Jordan Spence, a healthy scratch against the Germans, will draw into the lineup.
—
Despite the 16-2 win last night, Tourigny still highlighted areas where he feels Team Canada can improve.
“We have a lot of little things, little habits from our face-off routes to our net presence to our reloading, a lot of details we need to get better at during the tournament,” Tourigny said. “The spirit of the players this morning is really good. The players have good energy. I like their focus. They’ve stayed grounded so that’s important.”
Slovakia, meanwhile, is feeling confident after shutting out Switzerland 1-0 on Christmas Day.
“We battled hard for a whole 60 minutes,” said coach Robert Petrovicky. “We played for each other and especially at the end of the game we blocked lots of shots. It was a team effort.”
What’s the key tonight against Canada?
“We got to be concentrating as soon as the puck drops, especially early in the game,” he said. “The boys are ready. They’re excited. They’re prepared. We got to keep the spirit up and play hard for every shift.”
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.
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).
—
Follow @NeilMDavidson on X platform
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
