Sports

Canada off to the semis – IIHF

Published

5 months ago

April 11, 2024

Renata Fast scored twice as Canada overcame a stubborn and determined Sweden team to win, 5-1, and advance to the penultimate round of the playoffs.

The win keeps Canada’s all-time record against Sweden perfect, now 12 wins without a loss and sets up a likely date with Czechia on Saturday.

“We had some great moments at both ends of the ice,” said Canada’s starting goalie Emerance Maschmeyer. “Sweden is a physical team and they like to get in the way. They did a good job of that, but we just stuck with our game plan. It’s wasn’t the prettiest win, but we got through.”

“We started a little slowly and gave up a couple of goals, but then we settled down and created some chances,” said Swedish forward Josefin Bouveng. “Of course, they have some of the best players in the world, and they showed it today. We have a young team, but I’m just disappointed we couldn’t have gone further.”

Canada got off to an ideal start, scoring twice in the first six minutes. Fast opened the scoring at 2:25 off the rush when she came hard in on goal and slide the puck through Emma Soderberg’s pads.

Three minutes later, they struck again off a turnover in the Sweden end. Blayre Turnbull knocked Ida Carlsson off the puck as she tried to bring it out, and Laura Stacey was right there to pick it up. No sooner was it on her stick than it was off it, a laser beam headed to the far side at 5:29.

Undaunted, Sweden got back into the game with a power-play goal midway through the period. Sofie Lundin made a great pass from the side of the goal to 17-year-old Hilda Svensson in the slot, and her quick shot beat Maschmeyer under the glove to give Sweden some momentum and confidence. It was Svensson’s team-leading fourth goal of the tournament and third with the extra skater.

Try as they might, Canada couldn’t extend their lead as Sweden skated with them, checked them, and played more or less evenly with them. Lina Ljungblom had an excellent chance to tie the game when she came out of the penalty box, took a breakaway pass, and went in alone on Maschmeyer. The goalie got the better of her, though.

Moments later, Sofie Lundin wired a shot ff the post, and those two close misses cost them. Fast got her second of the night at 8:11 when her high, long shot through traffic found the corner, making it a 3-1 game and giving Canada a bit of breathing room.

Natalie Spooner gave Canada a 4-1 lead at 13:56 of the third thanks to some stellar spadework from Emma Maltais. She hounded and pestered the Swedisah defence until she came up with the puck, then fired a pass out front where Spooner snapped a low shot past Soderberg.

Just 66 seconds later, Jaime Bourbonnais threw a long shot on goal that found its way, and the 5-1 lead was now safe.

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Sports

Edler to sign one-day contract to retire as a Vancouver Canuck

Published

11 hours ago

September 17, 2024

Anne Joseph

VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks announced Tuesday that defenceman Alex Edler will sign a one-day contract in order to officially retire as a member of the NHL team.

The signing will be part of a celebration of Edler’s career held Oct. 11 when the Canucks host the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Canucks selected Edler, from Ostersund, Sweden, in the third round (91st overall) of the 2004 NHL draft.

He played in 925 career games for the Canucks between the 2006-07 and 2020-21 seasons, ranking fourth in franchise history and first among defencemen.

The 38-year-old leads all Vancouver defencemen with 99 goals, 310 assists and 177 power-play points with the team.

Edler also appeared in 82 career post-season contests with Vancouver and was an integral part of the Canucks’ run to the 2011 Stanley Cup final, putting up 11 points (2-9-11) across 25 games.

“I am humbled and honoured to officially end my career and retire as a member of the Vancouver Canucks,” Edler said in a release. “I consider myself lucky to have started my career with such an outstanding organization, in this amazing city, with the best fans in the NHL. Finishing my NHL career where it all began is something very special for myself and my family.”

Edler played two seasons for Los Angeles in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He did not play in the NHL last season.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.

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Sixth-ranked Canadian women to face World Cup champion Spain in October friendly

Published

18 hours ago

September 17, 2024

Anne Joseph

The sixth-ranked Canadian women will face World Cup champion Spain in an international friendly next month.

Third-ranked Spain will host Canada on Oct. 25 at Estadio Francisco de la Hera in Almendralejo.

The game will be the first for the Canadian women since the Paris Olympics, where they lost to Germany in a quarterfinal penalty shootout after coach Bev Priestman was sent home and later suspended for a year by FIFA over her part in Canada’s drone-spying scandal.

In announcing the Spain friendly, Canada Soccer said more information on the interim women’s coaching staff for the October window will come later. Assistant coach Andy Spence took charge of the team in Priestman’s absence at the Olympics.

Spain finished fourth in Paris, beaten 1-0 by Germany in the bronze-medal match.

Canada is winless in three previous meetings (0-2-1) with Spain, most recently losing 1-0 at the Arnold Clark Cup in England in February 2022.

The teams played to a scoreless draw in May 2019 in Logroñés, Spain in a warm-up for the 2019 World Cup. Spain won 1-0 in March 2019 at the Algarve Cup in São João da Venda, Portugal.

Spain is a powerhouse in the women’s game these days.

It won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2022 and was runner-up in 2018. And it ousted Canada 2-1 in the round of 16 of the current U-20 tournament earlier this month in Colombia before falling 1-0 to Japan after extra time in the quarterfinal.

Spain won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2018 and 2022 and has finished on the podium on three other occasions.

FC Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati (2023) and Alexia Putellas (2021 and ’22) have combined to win the last three Women’s Ballon d’Or awards.

And Barcelona has won three of the last four UEFA Women’s Champions League titles.

“We continue to strive to diversify our opponent pool while maintaining a high level of competition.” Daniel Michelucci, Canada Soccer’s director of national team operations, said in a statement. “We anticipate a thrilling encounter, showcasing two of the world’s top-ranked teams.”

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024

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Maple Leafs announce Oreo as new helmet sponsor for upcoming NHL season

Published

21 hours ago

September 17, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced cookie brand Oreo as the team’s helmet sponsor for the upcoming NHL season.

The new helmet will debut Sunday when Toronto opens its 2024-25 pre-season against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena.

The Oreo logo replaces Canadian restaurant chain Pizza Pizza, which was the Leafs’ helmet sponsor last season.

Previously, social media platform TikTok sponsored Toronto starting in the 2021-22 regular season when the league began allowing teams to sell advertising space on helmets.

The Oreo cookie consists of two chocolate biscuits around a white icing filling and is often dipped in milk.

Fittingly, the Leafs wear the Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s “Milk” logo on their jerseys.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.

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