Sports

Canada wins 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup for record 24th gold medal

Published

1 year ago

August 5, 2023

For the 24th time in tournament history, Canada has won gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup after beating Czechia 3-2 in overtime in Breclav, Czechia on Saturday evening.

The win is Canada’s second in a row and their ninth title-clinching win over Czechia. Czechia has secured silver for the ninth time and the first time since losing to Canada in 2017.

The Hlinka Gretzky Cup is the first event on the 2024 NHL Draft calendar, with a handful of top prospects – including Canada’s Berkly Catton and Sam Dickinson, and USA’s Trevor Connelly and Mac Swanson – taking center stage. The tournament also put a handful of 2025 draft prospects in the spotlight, such as Canada’s Michael Misa and Czechia’s Adam Benak.

Czechia gave the home crowd much to be excited about early on, taking a 1-0 lead into the first break. Adam Titlbach, Czechia’s best winger, made it 1-0 at 8:09 when Benak found him near the net.

It was the lone Czech goal, though, as Canada scored a pair of goals in the second to take the lead. Cayden Lindstrom scored just 57 seconds into the second frame when Porter Martone flipped the puck past a defenseman to Lindstrom. The WHL star made no mistake on the shot, beating Jakub Milota 1-on-1 to tie it up.

Canada kept the pressure level up, and it paid off at 29:17. After getting stopped on a point shot, Berkly Catton skated in and capitalized on the rebound, scoring a power-play goal to make it 2-1.

The two teams traded high-quality chances, with the two goaltenders – Milota for Czechia and Carter George for Canada – taking center stage. But with just over four minutes to go, Matej Kubiesa scored a massive goal for the Czechs, with Benak setting him up on the team’s sixth power-play chance to make it 2-2.

The game required overtime, marking an exciting end to a tournament marred with blowouts. It was a wild back-and-forth affair that looked destined to head to double OT for the first time in tournament history. But with about seven seconds left, 2025 draft prospect Malcolm Spence stole the puck and created his own breakaway. The Erie Otters star managed to outlast Milota before roofing it up high for the game-winning goal, securing gold for the 24th time.

Meanwhile, the United States won bronze for the first time since 2014 and their first medal of any color since 2016 after beating Finland 5-2 in Slovakia.

Source link

Sports

Red Wings sign Moritz Seider to 7-year deal worth nearly $60M

Published

2 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings made another investment this week in a young standout, signing Moritz Seider to a seven-year contract worth nearly $60 million.

The Red Wings announced the move with the 23-year-old German defenseman on Thursday, three days after keeping 22-year-old forward Lucas Raymond with a $64.6 million, eight-year deal.

Detroit drafted Seider with the No. 6 pick overall eight years ago and he has proven to be a great pick. He has 134 career points, the most by a defenseman drafted in 2019.

He was the NHL’s only player to have at least 200 hits and block 200-plus shots last season, when he scored a career-high nine goals and had 42 points for the second straight year.

Seider won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 2022 after he had a career-high 50 points.

Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman is banking on Seider, whose contract will count $8.55 million annually against the cap, and Raymond to turn a rebuilding team into a winner.

Detroit has failed to make the playoffs in eight straight seasons, the longest postseason drought in franchise history.

The Red Wings, who won four Stanley Cups from 1997 to 2008, have been reeling since their run of 25 straight postseasons ended in 2016.

Detroit was 41-32-9 last season and finished with a winning record for the first time since its last playoff appearance.

Yzerman re-signed Patrick Kane last summer and signed some free agents, including Vladimir Tarasenko to a two-year contract worth $9.5 million after he helped the Florida Panthers hoist the Cup.

___

AP NHL:

Source link

Sports

Vancouver Canucks star goalie Thatcher Demko working through rare muscle injury

Published

3 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

PENTICTON, B.C. – Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko says he’s been working his way back from a rare lower-body muscle injury since being sidelined in last season’s playoffs.

The 28-year-old all star says the rehabilitation process has been frustrating, but he has made good progress in recent weeks and is confident he’ll be able to return to playing.

He says he and his medical team have spent the last few months talking to specialists around the world, and have not found a single other hockey player who has dealt with the same injury.

Demko missed several weeks of the last season with a knee ailment and played just one game in Vancouver’s playoff run last spring before going down with the current injury.

He was not on the ice with his teammates as the Canucks started training camp in Penticton, B.C., on Thursday, but skated on his own before the sessions began.

Demko posted a 35-14-2 record with a .918 percentage, a 2.45 goals-against average and five shutouts for Vancouver last season.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.

Source link

Sports

Arch Manning to get first start for No. 1 Texas as Ewers continues recovery from abdomen strain

Published

4 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — No. 1 Texas will start Arch Manning at quarterback Saturday against Louisiana-Monroe while regular starter Quinn Ewers continues to recover from a strained muscle in his abdomen, coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday.

It will be the first career start for Manning, a second year freshman. He relieved Ewers in the second quarter last week against UTSA, and passed for four touchdowns and ran for another in a 56-7 Texas victory.

Manning is the son of Cooper Manning, the grandson of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, and the nephew of Super Bowl-winning QBs Peyton and Eli Manning.

Ewers missed several games over the previous two seasons with shoulder and sternum injuries.

The Longhorns are No. 1 for the first time since 2008 and Saturday’s matchup with the Warhawks is Texas’ last game before the program starts its first SEC schedule against Mississippi State on Sept. 28.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and

Source link