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Canucks giving Vesey another chance to live up to prospect pedigree – Sportsnet.ca

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The journey Jimmy Vesey envisioned for himself in the National Hockey League probably didn’t include driving his own car from Toronto to Kanata, Ont., after being claimed on waivers.

It was less than five years ago that the New York Rangers sent a limousine for him after winning the sweepstakes to sign Vesey, who flexed his contractual rights following four years at Harvard to spurn – and infuriate – the Nashville Predators team that drafted him.

Predators general manager David Poile made sure to tell reporters in 2016: “Allow me to confirm we offered Jimmy a spot in our top six, playoff time and a chance to burn a year on his ELC.”

The reigning Hobey Baker Trophy winner from Boston chose free agency over the Predators, was courted by at least a dozen NHL teams and signed before the 2016-17 season with the Rangers after a recruitment campaign that included social media pitches from several New York celebrity athletes.

Fast forward 4 ½ years and there was Vesey, now 27 and on his fourth team, bombing his way Wednesday to Ottawa after the Vancouver Canucks claimed him on waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs, who had signed Vesey to a one-year contract on the third day of free agency last October.

Despite his on-time arrival, Jimmy Vesey couldn’t play in the Canucks’ 3-2 shootout win Wednesday night because the team was unable to update his Canadian work visa to reflect a change in employers.

But he flew with the team post-game to Montreal, leaving his car behind at the Canadian Tire Centre to be shipped home later. Vesey should make his Canucks debut Friday night against the Montreal Canadiens.

This review of Vesey’s path through professional hockey is not to make fun of him. Nobody loves a redemption story more than a sportswriter. And Vesey will be given a real opportunity by the Canucks to prove he can still be “that guy” who came out of college after scoring 80 goals in 128 games at Harvard – then began his NHL career promisingly enough with seasons of 16, 17 and 17 goals for the Rangers before he was traded in 2019 to Buffalo.

But the NHL will humble you. It can beat you down, and Vesey’s journey is one team away from making him a journeyman.

“I would say, you know, my journey has been great,” Vesey said Thursday during an online press conference. “I wouldn’t trade anything. I’ve played in some great organizations and met some lifelong friends. Coming out of college, obviously there was a lot of attention, but I didn’t really know what I would be at this level. I had a lot of leverage at that point and I did what I felt put me in the best place to make the NHL and to stay. And it’s been a great 4½ years so far.

“In terms of the league, yeah, it’s a challenge. I always tell people that the highs are really high and the lows can be really low, so it is challenging. We’re all athletes and put a lot of pressure on ourselves to perform. I would put myself in that category as well. But at the end of the day, I’ve had a great time and… wouldn’t trade my journey in for anything.”

Most players in his position will say all they seek is a fair opportunity, and in this regard Vesey’s move to the Canucks couldn’t be more timely.

Top-six winger Tanner Pearson, a potential trade chip for general manager Jim Benning ahead of the April 12 deadline, suffered what appeared to be an ankle injury on Wednesday.

Vesey was relegated to a depth role on the talented Leafs, but could find his average ice time of 11:07 spike upwards with the Canucks. Vesey was a frequent linemate in New York of J.T. Miller, and also played with the Vancouver star on the United States’ gold-medal winning team at the 2013 world junior championships.

“I know Millsy very well,” Vesey said. “World juniors we won a gold medal and then played a year and a half in New York and got pretty close there. He was in Boston for a couple of days this summer. We had dinner and we were supposed to golf but got rained out. I know Millsy really well and it’s great to have a familiar face in the locker room. He was one of the first people that reached out to me.”

As for the potential of an increased role with the Canucks, Vesey said: “I’m excited for the opportunity and, from talking to the coaches, it looks like I might have a more prominent role on the team than what I had with Toronto.

“I’ve played up and down the lineup. I guess in New York and in Buffalo I’ve played stretches of games with. . . their top six. I always felt that when I’m on top of my game that I belong there. I think for me it’s just a matter of consistency and being able to do that every night. That’s something I am still striving for.”

Five years in, he’s still striving for a lot at the NHL level. Vesey had five goals and seven points in 30 games for Toronto, where his shots-for percentage (45.3) and expected goals-for (47.1) were near the bottom of the team.

Still, this wasn’t a change he sought. Getting waived by a team, discarded, is never easy. But Vesey doesn’t get to call his own shot now.

“You know, [it sucks], I guess, when you get put on waivers,” he said. “No one really wants to experience that. At the same time, I’ve been claimed by Vancouver and, to me, that means… they wanted me, so I’m really excited for it. But at the end of the day, no one wants to be put on waivers, no one wants to not be playing that much or playing down the lineup. We’re all athletes and competitors and we want to perform. Overall, I’m just really excited to have this chance.”

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

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

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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

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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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