Barrett Hayton, who leads Canada in scoring at this year’s world junior hockey championship, is in the lineup for Sunday’s gold-medal game.
The Arizona Coyotes rookie forward took to the ice ahead of the 1 p.m. ET start against Russia after Finland’s Lassi Thomson fell on Hayton, who hit the end boards while jostling for position during Saturday’s semifinal in the Czech Republic.
Hayton, 19, reportedly could be heard yelling in pain before skating off the ice early in the third period at Ostravar Arena while clutching his left arm. He didn’t return to the game.
“He’s working with our medical staff … and doing his treatment and trying to get himself ready,” Canada assistant coach Mitch Love told TSN.
Hayton is tied with Swedish forward Samuel Fagemo for the tournament scoring lead with 11 points, including five goals. The 19-year-old has four points in the NHL after the Coyotes drafted him fifth overall in 2018.
WATCH | Alex Lafrenière paces Canada attack in semifinals:
Alexis Lafrenière scored twice as Canada advanced to the world junior gold medal match with a 5-0 victory over Finland. 2:00
“We want the best for him,” teammate and fellow centre Ty Dellandrea told reporters on Saturday. “It’s definitely hard to see him go down like that but we’re hoping he’ll be all right.”
Canadian defenceman Bowen Byram also returned to the lineup after missing Saturday’s contest with an illness.
‘I was lost in the moment’
A week ago, Hayton drew the ire of Russian players following Canada’s 6-0 loss when he didn’t remove his helmet during the Russian national anthem.
The former Ontario Hockey League standout later apologized through Hockey Canada.
Barrett Hayton didn’t remove his helmet for the Russian anthem and Russia’s players were not pleased about it ? <a href=”https://t.co/thv5tCj82F”>pic.twitter.com/thv5tCj82F</a>
“As a leader on this team,” he said, “I was trying to process the game and evaluate how we can regroup. I was lost in the moment.”
Added Hockey Canada: “[We] have tremendous respect for the Russian Ice Hockey Federation, its players, coaches, management and fans. We expect our athletes and staff to share and show that same respect.”
WATCH | Canada falls to Russia in a romp:
Projected No.1 pick Alexis Lafreniere suffered an injury to his left leg in Canada’s 6-0 loss to Russia at the World Junior Hockey Championships. 1:41
The 6-0 setback was Canada’s worst-ever loss at the world juniors.
The Canadians, who topped Russia in the 2015 gold-medal game in Toronto, will be facing their rival for the ninth time in the final.
“We’re a better team than we were,” Dellandrea said. “We’ve come a long way and gone through a lot of adversity to shape the team we are now.”
Added Canada head coach Dale Hunter: “It was a teaching point. We’ve been playing better defence.”
Byram was the fourth overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft by Colorado. Draft-eligible Jamie Drysdale, 17, filled in admirably on Saturday and scored one of Canada’s four goals in the first period in its 5-0 victory.
Drysdale’s 20 minutes 28 seconds of ice time was second only on the Canadian squad to fellow blue-liner Jacob Bernard-Docker.
“I just tried to make the most of it,” Drysdale, who has primarily been used as Canada’s seventh defenceman in the Czech Republic, said of the opportunity. “It was a pretty cool feeling [to score].”
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.
