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Canucks blown away by J.T. Miller’s off-ice impact – Sportsnet.ca

Published

5 years ago

April 2, 2020

VANCOUVER – As well as he played this season – and J.T. Miller has never been better in the National Hockey League – the Vancouver Canucks were even more impressed by what the winger did off the ice.

On Wednesday, he was still doing it.

More than three weeks into the NHL shutdown amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Canucks made Miller the first player available to Vancouver media in a video conference.

“The whole situation, that it’s even happening, is the part to me that I still can’t believe,” Miller told reporters from his North Shore home, across the water from Vancouver. “It feels like the world has shut down for X-amount of time. It’s just a very weird thing. Months or years down the road when we all look back, you just hope it doesn’t affect as many people as it has the potential to.”

Earlier, the 27-year-old from Pittsburgh said: “I’ve been lucky. I don’t think my family back home has been impacted too much. That being said, I’m definitely conscious of all the people that are being affected. . . and everything the healthcare workers are doing. It’s really special. It’s something that definitely doesn’t go unnoticed in my household. Obviously, it’s life-changing stuff.”

Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman talk to a lot of people around the hockey world, and then they tell listeners all about what they’ve heard and what they think about it.

It has been a career-changing year for Miller, whom the Canucks acquired last June in a trade from the Tampa Bay Lightning for first- and third-round draft picks. That price divided the Vancouver fan base, but the winger has proved a bargain.

After moving across the continent with his wife, Natalie, their two young daughters and two dogs, playing for the first time in Canada and the far-flung Western Conference, Miller was having easily the best season of his eight-year career when the NHL halted for COVID-19 on March 12.

Skating on a line with last season’s rookie of the year, Elias Pettersson, Miller blasted through his previous offensive bests with 27 goals and 45 assists in 69 games, which put him 17th in NHL scoring. He led Pettersson by six points.

Miller was also second in the league with a 59.2 per cent faceoff win rate, had a 53.6 shots-for percentage, and a dominant 61.5 per cent share of even-strength goals.

The Scott Rintoul Show

J.T. Miller talks about his first season playing in Vancouver

April 01 2020

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“But it’s the stuff you don’t see where I think he had the biggest impact on our group,” general manager Jim Benning said Wednesday. “We always knew what he could do on the ice, his ability to hang on to the puck, to protect the puck and make plays with the puck. He’s got a great release on his shot; I wish he would use his shot more. But I don’t think his on-ice stuff surprised us.

“His leadership in the room, his willingness to try to help teach the young players. . . I think if we went through all the players in our group, our young players, J.T. had a hand in all of them improving this year.

“He played with Petey and Boes (Brock Boeser), and would be on the bench with those guys, working with them. But also a guy like Jake Virtanen. . . J.T. would work with Jake and I think he had a positive effect on Jake’s game improving.”

Miller reiterated Wednesday that he learned by watching great players and leaders when he was with the Lightning and, for more than five seasons, the New York Rangers.

“I just think the timing was right,” he said of his evolution as a leader. “I think if you play the right way, that sends the best message. I’ve really tried to focus on that. From when I was 19 until now, I’ve played on some teams with guys that were unbelievable leaders and have been through so much in their careers that I just kind of stayed out of the way and tried to be a sponge. There’s still plenty I need to learn in that regard. But at the same time, I want to win really badly and I want to make that the No. 1 priority with a lot of the younger guys.

“When you’re young, it’s hard to put aside your personal success or personal business for the better half of the team. When you do put a team-first mentality into your game plan and everybody buys into it, the will to win always seems to go up. And when we play like that, we’ve been a very effective team.”

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The Canucks are ground zero for the debate about who qualifies for the playoffs if the NHL eventually finishes its season.

At 36-27-6, Vancouver is tied for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference but loses on a tiebreaker with the Nashville Predators, who have one more regulation win. But on winning percentage, the Canucks are ahead of both the Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets, who have played more games than Vancouver.

“I want a fair season,” Miller said. “I think that’s all I kind of really need to say about it. I don’t have any hypothetical playoff formats for you. I want everyone to be safe and I want everyone to stay injury-free. I want it to be fair, however that shakes out.”

Miller said no one in the NHL wants to play into August, “but if that’s what they decide to do. . . I think you have to have the mindset of just being ready to go. No matter what time of the year, you have to understand and embrace the situation that’s at hand.”

He claimed he hasn’t thought much about his scoring totals, which with 13 games left on the schedule were already well above his previous highs of 23 goals, 35 assists and 58 points.

“A lot of points, yes,” he said, “but I’m confident in my abilities to have another good season and potentially do it again.”

He may have to.

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Sports

Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

Published

2 days ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

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.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

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.

___

AP cricket:

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Sports

Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

Published

2 days ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

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.

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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

Published

2 days ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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