The Stanley Cup will criss-cross the Great White North this off-season as the many Canadians on the Vegas Golden Knights roster spend their day with the trophy.
As for when the Cup is actually awarded to a Canadian team — it’s been 30 long years and counting — that remains anyone’s guess.
The Golden Knights won their first NHL championship on Tuesday by closing out a five-game series win over the Florida Panthers. Canadian contributors — including Winnipeg’s Mark Stone, playoff MVP Jonathan Marchessault of Cap-Rouge, Que., and Saskatoon’s Chandler Stephenson — were front and centre on the Vegas roster.
Of the 24 Vegas players who made at least one post-season game appearance, 18 were Canadian, per a league breakdown from NHL Stats. At 75 per cent, the Golden Knights easily had more Canadians than any other playoff team.
However, hockey historian and author Eric Zweig said he doesn’t read too much into the national numbers, noting that the days of certain countries having a definitive style of player are essentially over.
“I don’t think suddenly at the draft in two weeks we’re going to see people bailing on Europeans and American juniors to draft like crazy from the Canadian juniors,” he said Wednesday. “There’s still more Canadians than anything else.”
For the league as a whole, 150 of the 362 playoff performers (41.4) this year were Canadian-born, well ahead of the No. 2 United States with 100 players (27.6).
Three Canadian clubs made the 16-team post-season cut this spring.
The Edmonton Oilers were second on the CanCon list behind Vegas at 57.1 per cent. The Toronto Maple Leafs were tied for seventh (43.5) and the Winnipeg Jets were tied for 12th (33.3).
The Seattle Kraken, meanwhile, were third (54.5) among all NHL playoff teams while Florida (54.2 per cent) was fourth.
“More Canadians care who wins the Stanley Cup than anybody else in any other country,” Zweig said from Owen Sound, Ont. “But I don’t think Canadian players want it more than any other hockey players.”
In the regular season, the Montreal Canadiens led all 32 teams with 27 Canadian-born players among their 39 skaters and goalies (69.2 per cent) who played at least one game.
The Oilers were second (65.6) and Vegas was third (62.9).
Montreal was the last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup back in 1993 when the NHL had 24 teams.
There are now seven Canadian-based clubs — Montreal, Edmonton, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Ottawa and Vancouver — in a league that has grown to 32 teams.
Canada did enjoy a strong run of championship form in the 1980s. A Canadian team won the Cup every year from 1984-90.
But there has been nothing since the Habs’ five-game victory over the Los Angeles Kings three decades ago.
“There’s no mathematical reason why this (drought) should happen except that historically it’s starting to fall more in the patterns all-time of what makes sense for the number of teams,” Zweig said.
“But it’s still weird. I don’t really understand it and I don’t think anybody does.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2023.
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.
