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As NHL stars share their outrage, hockey’s own backyard still needs work – Toronto Sun

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Jonathan Toews has never been pulled over by a police officer because of the colour of his skin. He’s never been called the ‘N’ word.

As the Chicago Blackhawks captain wrote on Instagram on Monday: “I can’t pretend for a second I know what it feels like to walk in a black man’s shoes.”

Neither can Blake Wheeler, John Tavares, Alex Ovechkin, nor any of the white hockey players who have spoken out in the past few days about the racial injustices still plaguing our society. That’s fine. This isn’t about whether a white person can relate to the type of ugly experiences that their black teammates have had to endure.

For the most part, they can’t.

But they still have a voice. As white hockey players, it’s a particularly loud voice. And now they are using it to ask some hard questions.

“We have to be as involved in this as black athletes. It can’t just be their fight,” Wheeler said in a conference call on Tuesday. “And I want to be real clear, here: I look in the mirror about this before I look out at everyone else. I wish that it didn’t take me this long to get behind it in a meaningful way. But I guess what you can do is try to be better going forward.”

If there’s some good that has come out of the mass protests that have been staged across American cities ever since George Floyd died under the knee of a Minneapolis policeman more than a week ago, it’s that more and more people of power are using their platforms to shed light on an issue that’s been kept in the dark for far too long.

When the Washington Capitals won the Stanley Cup in 2018, Devante Smith-Pelly told me that he would not attend the ceremonial act of visiting the White House because “the things that (Donald Trump) spews are straight-up racist and sexist.”

Those comments made headlines, but with all due respect to Smith-Pelly, who is now playing in Russia after spending 395 games in the NHL, the message would have had a bigger impact had Ovechkin delivered it.

That is how real change occurs. It’s not enough for a fringe player to speak out. If you really want to get people’s attention, you need the stars of the game, such as Toews and Wheeler — who previously might have been worried about saying anything too inflammatory because they didn’t want to risk endorsement dollars — to use their influence and stand beside those who are afflicted.

“The value of that is immeasurable to us. And it’s so impactful,” said retired NHL goalie Kevin Weekes, who is an analyst for the NHL Network. “Unfortunately, it takes other people who aren’t impacted to give credibility to what’s happened. It’s empowering to see Jonathan Toews and Blake Wheeler and so many guys behind the scenes who don’t have a horse in the race speak up. I celebrate those guys.”

Weekes, who grew up in Scarborough, Ont., and spent most of his pro career in the U.S., added that this is not strictly an American problem.

Sure, the issues regarding race and discrimination might be worse in the U.S. than in Canada. But let’s not pretend that black hockey players are welcomed with open arms north of the border.

Weekes had a banana thrown at him during a 2002 playoff game in Montreal. The same things happened to Wayne Simmonds during a pre-season game in London, Ont. While playing for the Windsor Spitfires, Akim Aliu was the target of racial discrimination disguised as rookie hazing.

It happens. It happens more frequently than we’d probably like to admit.

“I know people in Canada say it’s not happening here, but that could not be further from the truth,” said Weekes. “I got ‘driving while black’ more at home than anywhere. More than in Carolina, more than in Florida, more than anywhere in the U.S.”

We’d like to believe that times are changing, that what Weekes went through as a pro is less than what Willie O’Ree endured when he was the first black player in the NHL, and that the league today is more welcoming and more inclusive than it was 10, 20 or 30 years ago.

And yet, it was in April when New York Rangers prospect K’Andre Miller held an online Q&A with fans that was quickly overrun with someone typing the N-word over and over again.

Earlier in the year, Bill Peters was forced to resign as the head coach of the Calgary Flames after Aliu revealed that his former coach had uttered racial epithets in his direction when both were in the minors.

The problem hasn’t gone away. It just keeps getting swept under the carpet and re-appearing somewhere else.

“I said this when the Bill Peters story came out: This is going to happen again in six months. What are we going to do about it?” said retired NHL forward Anthony Stewart, who is an analyst for Sportsnet. “It’s unfortunate to see the county being burned, but lost in the message is that they kneeled and they had a silent protest and nothing happened. Let’s actually make a difference now.”

To the NHL’s credit, it has been working hard to try and make the league as inclusive as possible. Kim Davis was hired a couple of years ago to spearhead social impact, growth initiatives and legislative affairs. And in December, commissioner Gary Bettman unveiled a multi-pointed ‘zero tolerance’ appropriate conduct.

As of Tuesday, almost every team had issued some form of statement expressing support for peaceful protest.

Weekes, in particular, has received text messages and phone calls from players, general managers and agents telling him that he is not alone and asking him how they can help make the league a better and safer place.

It’s a start, he said.

“I love our sport,” said Weekes. “I’m proud of the sport itself and the values that the sport teaches. I love hockey. But we have a lot of work ahead of us.”

mtraikos@postmedia.com

twitter.com/Michael_Traikos

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Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

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November 8, 2024

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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.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

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.

___

AP cricket:

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

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November 8, 2024

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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.

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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

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November 8, 2024

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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.

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