MONTREAL — Eric Staal says he got goosebumps as he drove toward the Canadian border to start the next chapter of his NHL career.
With the foundering Buffalo Sabres safely in his rear-view mirror, Staal says he’s looking forward to starting fresh with the storied Montreal Canadiens once his week-long quarantine is up.
“Hey, I’m at the second half of my career, and I get an opportunity to play for the Habs,” Staal said Sunday in a video conference with reporters. “You gotta love it.”
Staal admits he wasn’t loving it in Buffalo before the Canadiens plucked him from the disastrous situation in the Queen City on Friday by acquiring him from the Sabres for a couple of draft picks.
The Sabres had traded for Staal from Minnesota in September after the six-time all star’s solid 2019-20 season with the Wild that saw him put up 47 points in 66 games. Buffalo general manager Kevyn Adams was a teammate of Staal’s during his heyday with Carolina, and Staal had also played with Buffalo forward Jeff Skinner on the Hurricanes.
But a fit in Buffalo didn’t materialize for Staal. The Sabres were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic earlier in the season, missing two weeks of action. That was followed by injuries to key players and a losing streak that increased to 17 games after a defeat to the Boston Bruins on Saturday.
All this while his family remained in Minnesota.
“There were so many hurdles, there were so many things that just didn’t line up the way that we had in mind or had envisioned,” Staal said. “The reality is we started OK, we had an up-and-down first two weeks or so, then we got hit with COVID, and it went through our room like wildfire and it wasn’t great. And two weeks of guys battling that — and a couple of guys battling it pretty hard — it was difficult.
“After that, we never found any footing. Then injuries started to mount and in that division, where you’re playing teams that don’t beat themselves, it’s difficult. And we just didn’t have enough in the locker room to be able to counteract that and manage that properly.”
As much as the 36-year-old native of Thunder Bay, Ont., is looking forward to a needed change of scenery, it might not have happened had the federal government not approved cutting the mandatory two-week quarantine for those entering Canada in half for U.S.-based NHL players acquired by Canadian teams at the trade deadline.
The seven Canadian teams were originally on Staal’s 10-team no-trade list, but he waived the clause when the policy change was made.
The change became official on Friday.
“That was definitely a factor,” Staal said. “I just felt like 14 days of waiting is a long time, especially if your going to get traded in the middle of a season. To sit there and wait 14 days, and then come back out and then try to get in the lineup, that’s too long.
“A week is doable. I think for me, at the age I am, it’s a chance to recover the body and use this as an advantage, and now I’m excited to be able to join this group.”
Staal joins a Canadiens team he has had success against in the past, particularly in the first round of the 2005-06 playoffs while with Carolina. The Habs were up 2-0 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal, but Staal scored the overtime winner in Game 3 and the Hurricanes won the series in six games en route to winning their only Stanley Cup.
“It feels a little bit surreal. I’ve played in this building many times, had some really fun games and competitive games,” Staal said.
“It’s amazing how fast those years go by,” he added. “It doesn’t feel that long ago that I was in here the first round of the playoffs that year and potted in the OT winner to kind of get the ball rolling for our group.”
Staal said he likes the pace at which the Canadiens play, and their mix of youthful energy and veteran experience. He said he’s ready to take any role with the Habs, but made it known he plans to get on the ice as much as possible.
“I’m a competitor,” he said. “I want to play 25 minutes every game.”
Montreal (14-8-9, fourth in North Division) is scheduled to return to action Tuesday at Ottawa. It will be the Canadiens’ first game since having four games postponed due to COVID-19 concerns.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 28, 2021.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
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.
