Ten years, six teams, three tryouts, seven contracts and 600 games. Alex Chiasson’s mile-marker on Monday with the Vancouver Canucks came after a long and difficult journey on a road less travelled.
“Pretty special night for me tonight — 600 games,” the 31-year-old said after the Canucks beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 at the United Center. “I’ve moved around quite a bit and found a way to just kind of stick with it throughout my career. There’s something to be said about that.”
There’s a lot to be said about that. If you think making the NHL is hard, trying staying in it as a depth forward at the bottom of the roster, annually fending off younger, flashier entry-level players and prospects.
Chiasson made the Canucks in October on his third Professional Tryout in four years, and on Monday scored his fifth goal of the season to start Vancouver on its bounce-back win after the Canucks were fairly dismal in Saturday’s 1-0 overtime loss to the Calgary Flames.
The winger from Montreal said back in October, having previously succeeded on PTOs in Washington and Edmonton, that the tryout process gets more difficult with age, not easier.
But he’s still here, still working, still finding ways to contribute and keep his job in the best league in the world.
“I think today I had a moment just to realize a lot that I’ve been through,” Chiasson told reporters on Zoom. “I’ve had a lot of people supporting me throughout the process; this isn’t just about me and I’m thankful for them. This is the greatest game to play. I’ve had the opportunity to win in Washington, and I think that kind of keeps you open-minded on things. I’ve had the opportunity to play with some of the best players in the game. This game has given me so much. I just feel really grateful for all these opportunities, and now being part of this group (with) what we’ve been able to do here in the last six or seven weeks.”
Since starting a five-game road trip in January with losses against the top three teams in the NHL, the Canucks are 4-1-3 in their last eight games, taking points in all but one despite emerging from a COVID crisis that kept key players out of the lineup and some stuck on the wrong side of the Canada-U.S. border.
The team is 12-4-4 since Bruce Boudreau became coach on Dec. 5, building that successful 20-game segment despite playing only seven times at home.
Chiasson came to the Canucks after spending the last three seasons in Edmonton. Before that, there were stops in Washington, Calgary, Ottawa and Dallas, where the Stars selected him in the second round of the 2009 draft.
“I just believed in my game,” he said. “I believed in what I can bring to a team. After maybe my two years in Ottawa, I had to build my game back up. I think Washington (in 2017-18) was huge for me. A lot of the guys there took time to help me with my game and understand, you know, how to get better and what I can do, how I can play, to be successful for a team. I think mentally, you’re just trying to stay with it (and) believe in yourself. It goes by fast; I can tell you that.”
Chiasson scored from the slot at 12:21 of the first period on a pass from Justin Dowling after Nils Hoglander, the third member of the Canucks’ fourth line, generated a turnover by Chicago defenceman Jake McCabe.
Brock Boeser made it 2-0 at 4:28 of the second period on a short-side redirection from Quinn Hughes’ outstanding pass. Luke Schenn shot 170 feet into an empty net to give the Canucks five of six points on their current road trip.
It ends Tuesday night in Nashville against the Predators.
BOOM SHAK-HALAK-A
Goalie Jaroslav Halak made 20 saves for the Canucks in his first game since Dec. 30. The veteran backup tested positive for Omicron shortly before a scheduled start in Carolina on Jan. 15, then spent five days in quarantine and a total of 11 days away from the team due to federal government border restrictions.
Monday’s game was just the second time in eight starts that Halak received three goals of run support from teammates, albeit with an empty-netter.
“If you don’t play a couple weeks or a month, it is hard,” Halak said. “Especially being out for 10 days (due to COVID), meeting the group, trying to get in the groove right away, it’s never easy. The guys played pretty good in front of me tonight; we didn’t give them a lot, especially in the third. Really great effort.”
Boudreau has been able to say that about his goaltender – no matter who it is.
The Canucks have used three goalies the last three games, and Halak, Thatcher Demko and minor-league callup Spencer Martin surrendered only one goal each.
SPEAKING OF DEFENCE
With defenceman Tucker Poolman missing his second straight game – and eight straight periods – due to an undisclosed non-COVID illness, Schenn is making the most of his blueline reunification with Hughes.
Schenn logged over 21 minutes for the second time in as many games, after reaching that mark only once in his first 27 games, scored the empty-net goal, registered 12 hits and a Corsi-for of 67.6 per cent.
“Well, he’s the first defenceman that has scored a goal since I’ve been here, so to me he’s Bobby Orr,” Boudreau said. “Whether he plays great or mediocre or what have you, the one thing you know about Luke Schenn is he gives you everything he’s got every night. Again tonight, I think he had nine hits after the second period, being physical and being a leader back there. And that’s what you need, especially when you’re playing with Hughesie. He’s a real good complement to him and that’s why it’s working.”
PODZ-COLDIN
Rookie Vasily Podkolzin was a healthy scratch for the first time since October. The 20-year-old winger has played nearer the bottom of the lineup under Boudreau than he did under Travis Green, and was under 11 minutes of ice time in five of his last nine games. The Russian has just a single assist in his last 10 games.
“Sometimes it’s just better to take a step back and watch a game and see it,” Boudreau explained. “We’ve been working with him. I said: ‘This isn’t a punishment. This isn’t anything that you did wrong, really. We just want you to take a step back and then get ready for tomorrow night.’ And maybe he’ll see some things that he’s been missing in his game recently. He hasn’t played a lot of hockey and I think he’s just trying to do too much when he gets out there. But. . . he’ll be ready again tomorrow night.”
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.
