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Leafs, Lightning among favourites on NHL division odds – Sportsnet.ca

Published

4 years ago

January 4, 2021

With NHL training camps now in full swing the Toronto Maple Leafs have emerged as the strongest favourites on the NHL divisional betting lines, sporting short +140 odds to win the North Division at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.

The Maple Leafs have been a fixture near the top of the NHL standings over the past three seasons, but have been regularly overshadowed by Boston and Tampa Bay in the highly competitive Atlantic Division. However, with the temporary realignment for the upcoming season grouping Toronto with the six other Canadian teams, the Maple Leafs enjoy a golden opportunity to claim their first divisional title since 2000.

Toronto, though, will not be without stiff competition in the North Division. The Edmonton Oilers sit second to Toronto as a +300 wager, just ahead of the Vancouver Canucks at +500. The Oilers enjoyed a return to respectability last season, finishing the abbreviated campaign with 37 wins, one more than Toronto, and the most among Canadian teams.

The Canucks struggled down the stretch, but their youthful lineup continued to make gains in the postseason, coming within one win of a trip to the Western Conference Final. Rounding out the North Division odds, the Montreal Canadiens sit at +650, ahead of the Calgary Flames and the Winnipeg Jets at +700, while the Ottawa Senators lag as distant +8000 longshots.

Elsewhere on the NHL divisional odds at online sports betting sites, the Stanley Cup champion Lightning lead the way as +150 favourites to win the Central Division, while the Bruins have risen to narrow +250 chalk to win the East Division.

Like the Maple Leafs, the Lightning are expected to benefit from realignment this season, as Tampa Bay closed out last season with a double-digit point edge over its closest Central Division rival. And while a salary cap crunch emerged as a concern for Tampa Bay during the offseason, the club has so far managed to address those issues without dismantling their championship lineup.

The Bruins closed out last season with a league-leading 100 points, but were forced to make some hard personnel decisions in the wake of an early playoff exit. That included allowing rearguards Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug to leave town as free agents. Boston also finds itself atop arguably the toughest division in the NHL this season, and is closely trailed by the Philadelphia Flyers at +300 on those NHL odds, and the Pittsburgh Penguins at +450.

And over in the West Division, the Colorado Avalanche lead the way as +150 betting favourites, just ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights at +188. The St. Louis Blues closed out last season as the top seeds in the Western Conference, but open the new campaign as a lengthier +500 wager to win the West Division.

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Edler to sign one-day contract to retire as a Vancouver Canuck

Published

17 hours ago

September 17, 2024

Anne Joseph

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.

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Sixth-ranked Canadian women to face World Cup champion Spain in October friendly

Published

24 hours ago

September 17, 2024

Anne Joseph

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

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Maple Leafs announce Oreo as new helmet sponsor for upcoming NHL season

Published

1 day ago

September 17, 2024

Anne Joseph

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.

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