At the NHL GM Meetings, Brad Treliving spoke to TSN’s Geno Reda about the status of Mitch Marner’s ankle injury, his options in net, and his first trade deadline as manager of the team.
When you hear high-ankle sprain, there is a bit of trepidation that it could be a lingering issue. Are you concerned about it at all?
Treliving: In all likelihood, it is a minor injury, but we want to be respectful of it. We have some time now. Mitch has been off the ice in the last couple of days, but we will ramp him up this week and take it day by day to see how he is feeling. Hopefully, he will be back sooner than later.
There was a scare with Ilya Samsonov when he went down during practice, but he is okay and still playing. How important is it for you as the GM to know who your number-one goalie is before the postseason?
Treliving: The good news is that we have two goalies who are really capable. Interesting situations for both. We know the season Ilya has had. The way he has bounced back and played recently gives us great confidence in him. And we know what Joe (Woll) is capable of.
Joe has gone through an injury and come back from it. Now, it is just a matter of him getting into the net. You try to balance both of those things with the fact that these are really important games. The points are important.
Sammy is going well right now. We have enough games down the stretch where both goalies are going to get into the net. That question will answer itself as we get closer to the playoffs.
We have to qualify first, but we feel confident in both goaltenders. Hopefully, both will be healthy when we get there. We are confident in both guys.
You made the comment, “We did all we thought we could do,” after the trade deadline. You inherited a lot of the roster and cap situation. How much longer do you think it will be before you can feel as though it is “your” team and you are heading into a postseason with a team you were able to put together?
Treliving: I have had an opportunity to do those things from day one. We have made some changes. We made some additions.
Through the deadline, there are three factors: there is the availability of players, those that fit, and the cost of those players. What kind of impact are they going to have on your team?
We’re excited about the things we did and the players we added at the deadline. We want to manage both the immediate right now but also the assets that we do have remaining. At the same time, what was the true availability of certain players?
We will continue to work on it. The deadline has passed. We are focused on finishing the regular season and getting into the playoffs. We will continue to work to make this team better throughout the summer and go from there.
It looks like the team is locked into the third-place spot in the Atlantic Division. That would mean either Florida or Boston in the first round. Do you feel the team is more ready to face either of them this time around?
Treliving: We are not going to get too far ahead of ourselves. We have to secure a spot first. That is goal number one. We have a lot of difficult games down the stretch. Once we can secure a spot, we’ll start focusing on who we are playing.
It sounds cliche, but it is the truth. Every team is a great team — certainly in our division. Boston and Florida are great teams, and you look at Tampa. Detroit has had some struggles recently, but they’ve had a heck of a year.
The division is deep as it is throughout the conference. We are not focused on who a potential matchup could be. Number one, we are focused on getting there. Number two, it’s about getting our game to the highest level we can get to. Once we get there, we will play who we play and go from there.
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.
