WINNIPEG — If you had any concerns about the level of engagement for Patrik Laine this season, you can throw those right out the window.
When Laine told reporters that he was focused solely on being a better player and not listening to any of the outside noise surrounding his future, he meant it.
He also backed up those heartfelt words with actions, producing two goals — including the overtime winner — and an assist as the Winnipeg Jets opened the season with a 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames on Thursday at Bell MTS Place.
“Hopefully I can just build off that game,” said Laine, whose second-effort shot came 78 seconds into the extra period. “There’s a lot of things we need to work on and the three points are not going to tell the true story of the game. Obviously, it’s a good start. You’ve got to produce, so that was good.”
If you had created a checklist of what a dominant game for Laine was going to look like, he basically ticked off all of the boxes.
Want to see his big-league shot on display?
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Laine took care of that by accepting a perfect stretch pass from linemate Kyle Connor and roofing a bar-down shot in the first period over the glove of Jacob Markstrom in what was one of the few highlights during a lethargic opening period for the Jets.
Want to see if his passing ability is still there after racking up a career-best in assists last season?
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Watch Laine thread the needle with a perfect cross-ice feed to Connor for a one-timer during a two-man advantage that tied the game 3-3.
Then after Connor was cross-checked in the back by Flames defenceman Noah Hanifin with 24.7 seconds to go in the second, Laine came to the aid of his linemate.
After a melee ensued, Laine was quick to find Flames resident agitator Matthew Tkachuk in the scrum and drop the gloves.
“That kind of play always looks dangerous. If you’re hitting one of our top guys like that, somebody needs to step up and it doesn’t matter who it is,” said Laine. “Teammates have to step up and now was my time and there’s been a bunch of guys who have stepped up for me. So just a normal situation.”
It may be a normal situation, but it’s not the act of someone who isn’t invested in his teammates.
“Yeah, I mean that’s just the type of guy he is. He’ll go to battle for his teammates and he’s a pretty selfless guy,” said Connor, who finished with two points and was sporting a cut on his nose as a result of going head-first into the boards. “I think you can see that, obviously, tonight and I’ve got his back out there and vice versa. He’s just an all-around great teammate, I would say.”
Laine figured he would toss in the overtime winner, just for good measure.
The Finnish forward is an essential piece of the puzzle for this Jets group and getting off to a start like that provides an immediate jolt of confidence.
“He knows that he’s worked hard here for two weeks. He’s worked harder here for two weeks than at any point in his time here,” said Maurice. “Then he gets just an incredible payoff. So now he’s feeling good. It’s all part of the development. You get bigger, stronger and you understand what a training camp is going to be like. You prepare for it.
“He’s a very driven young man. He wants to be great and sometimes, you have to learn how that unfolds. What he got tonight, he earned. He didn’t get lucky, he didn’t have a bunch of good bounces go for him or anything like that, he just worked and worked. For him to get down the ice in overtime the way that he did, that’s a fit guy. That’s a guy who has been pushing himself for two weeks after a good summer of training.”
Laine has the ability to be a game-breaker — and on Thursday night, he was.
“I mean, nothing surprises you with him. I’m probably his biggest, what’s the opposite of a critic, a praiser or whatever,” said Jets centre Paul Stastny. “I’ve always loved his game. Always loved when he gets engaged. He’s just such a physical specimen. You don’t see it because he’s just so smooth out there but he’s just so strong on the puck.”
After spending a good chunk of training camp discussing the need to limit the number of high-danger scoring chances allowed, the Jets had some issues in the defensive zone during the first period as they gave up three goals.
The Jets were hemmed in and had some issues in coverage, plus the penalty kill sprung a leak (thanks to a brilliant pass from Elias Lindholm) and the result was a two-goal deficit after 20 minutes of play.
But instead of wilting under the glare of opening night, the Jets came up with a much more determined second period.
Mark Scheifele took advantage of a blind pass from Flames forward Milan Lucic that ended up on the stick of Nikolaj Ehlers in the slot and the Jets centre cleaned up the loose change in the opening minute.
The early marker seemed to help the Jets find their skating legs and as the period wore on, they were quicker to the puck and won a lot more battles.
The tide turned dramatically over the final 40 minutes and the Flames simply couldn’t get it back.
When the Jets had a two-man advantage during the second period, Maurice quickly called a timeout to rest his first unit — and then unveiled an interesting wrinkle.
Instead of having Neal Pionk at the top of the first unit, he sent out five forwards, with Stastny taking Pionk’s place and captain Blake Wheeler running things from the top.
That move paid dividends as Laine found Connor for the quick one-timer, setting the stage for the 3-on-3 overtime session.
There was some drama surrounding the availability of Ehlers after he landed on the COVID Protocol Related Absence list on Wednesday and missed the morning skate the following day.
Ehlers revealed after the game it was merely a sore throat and he simply took the necessary precautions in this new world the players are still adjusting to.
“If it wouldn’t have been these COVID times right now, I would have come to practice, I would have practised. But it’s a precaution,” said Ehlers. “I don’t want to come to the rink in case that it is COVID. I don’t want to spread it. So I had no problem staying at home. Those are the protocols. I want to be safe, I want my teammates and everyone that’s close to me here to be safe as well. I’m glad that there are these protocols. Obviously, you want to be out there on the ice, even for practice, you want to be around your team. But there’s a reason those protocols are there and they’re a big reason we’re allowed to play. It was fine with me. I ended up playing and I’m happy I was out there.”
Ehlers certainly wasn’t lacking energy, as his speed and creativity were on full display throughout the contest.
During his post-game interview, Ehlers joked that his biggest contribution may have been harassing Laine about when he was going to drop his gloves for his first fight.
“I’ve maybe been a little bit in his head in the last week, saying he hasn’t fought yet and when is it going to happen. I think he took that a little personal,” said Ehlers. “He stood up for his teammate. It fires the guys up. Patty’s a big boy, and he went in there today and showed that. It’s exciting, it gets the boys going, it always does. And he got himself buzzing, too. It’s exciting for us.
“He played a great game today. Not just the goals and the passes that he ended up making. He played a great overall game, and everybody saw that out there today. He was working hard, he was stepping up for (Connor). He worked his ass off. That’s pretty exciting. He loves to play hockey.”
Laine laughed off Ehlers’ suggestion, though he made it clear he was disappointed he didn’t get credit for a major after the second-period melee.
“He’s a pigeon. Don’t listen to that guy,” said Laine. “I was pissed off because that would have been a Gordie Howe hat trick. That one time when I drop my gloves I get a two-minute penalty so that’s kind of embarrassing. I’m not a guy who likes to fight much. I’d rather stay on the ice and help the team that way.”
To echo his comments on the first day of training camp, Laine is most definitely here — and in Game 1, he was a man on a mission.
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).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
