A women’s world hockey championship has been wiped out by disease for a second time, with host Canada the loser of this year’s tournament.
The International Ice Hockey Federation cancelled the 10-country tournament scheduled for March 31 to April 10 in Halifax and Truro, N.S., because of concerns over the spread of the new coronavirus.
“We’re all pretty devastated. We’ve been so excited to have this opportunity to play on home soil in front of the crowd in Halifax that we knew was going to be so engaging and so loud,” said Canadian defenceman Renata Fast, who pointed out that the cancellation comes after the Canadian Women’s Hockey League folded and the Professional Women’s Hockey Player Association walked out on the National Women’s Hockey League, essentially suspending professional women’s hockey in North America.
“This year’s been tough with no leagues, and that doesn’t help the situation. It was probably the biggest moment we were going to have for women’s hockey this year. We’re all pretty devastated,” said Fast. “We understand that health and safety comes first but it is tough to know that everything we’ve put into this year to grow as a team and the decisions that were made to move forward with the team.”
The 2003 women’s championship in Beijing was called off because of the Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in China.
The IIHF has assured Canada that the 2021 women’s championship will be held in Nova Scotia even though Russia was scheduled to host it next year, Hockey Canada president Scott Smith said in a conference call.
Decision process
When the Japanese women’s team requested early arrival in Canada to avoid a possible quarantine in their own country, Hockey Canada sought guidance from Nova Scotia’s health authority and asked for an official position on the tournament.
“Hockey Canada received a letter from the Nova Scotia health authority recommending the event not be held at this scheduled time,” Smith said.
“They’re the authority on health in Nova Scotia and we took their direction.”
That information was forwarded to the IIHF, which made a decision Saturday to call off the tournament.
“It is with great regret that we must take this action,” IIHF president Rene Fasel said Saturday in a statement. “Nevertheless, the decision has been made due to safety concerns for the well-being of players, officials, and spectators.”
“Through those discussions it was very clear the IIHF would have the ultimate decision,” Hockey Canada chief executive officer Tom Renney said.
“Based on the information the province of Nova Scotia had, and their desire to have the IIHF postpone the event, we can only concur with the IIHF that it was the right thing to do.”
Canadian players were told Saturday they would not play for a world championship gold medal on home ice this year.
Another blow for female hockey
The loss of the year’s marquee event in international women’s hockey is yet another blow for the top female hockey players in the world.
The Canadian Women’s Hockey League folded last year after 12 seasons. November’s Four Nations Cup in Sweden was called off due to a dispute between the Swedish federation and its national women’s team.
Health & Safety come first but this is pretty crushing news. Thank you to the cities of Halifax & Truro for all of the time and effort put into hosting this years <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/WomensWorlds?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#WomensWorlds</a> ?? We’re looking so forward to coming back and playing at home in Nova Scotia in 2021! <a href=”https://t.co/OCmz04DE26″>https://t.co/OCmz04DE26</a>
More than 200 players formed the Professional Women’s Hockey Association in the wake of the CWHL’s collapse. They refuse to compete in the five-team NWHL because they don’t feel its financially sustainable.
“Not taking anything away from the severity of the situation, but it’s kind of a ‘kick us while we’re down’ situation,” said Canadian forward Sarah Nurse. “Last year at the world championships, we found that our league [the CWHL] was folding. Then the Four Nations Cup [in Sweden] was cancelled.
“It can’t really go down any more for us. There’s no way but up for us.”
The PWHPA is playing showcase tournaments and exhibition games this winter in a “Dream Gap Tour” to drum up fan and corporate support for a league the players envision. Nurse addressed media at Saturday’s PWHPA exhibition in Tempe, Ariz.
Hockey Canada’s director of female hockey teams said Canada’s world championship roster will be announced to acknowledge the hard work the women did to make the team.
“To be one of 23 is something we need to recognize,” Gina Kingsbury said.
The escalating outbreak of COVID-19 has wreaked havoc with numerous sporting events across Europe and Asia with games being cancelled or played without spectators.
The women’s world curling championship, slated to start next weekend in Prince George, B.C., and world figure skating championships, scheduled for March 16-22 in Montreal, still had the green light as of Saturday.
Halifax was the host city of the 2004 women’s world championship a year after its cancellation due to SARS.
So sad to learn about the cancellation of the Women’s World Championships. Halifax would have been electric. Thank you to everyone who put in countless hours to make sure it was prepared to host the world! It’s not goodbye, it’s just see you later and we will see you next year! <a href=”https://t.co/CcIZtjaR7f”>https://t.co/CcIZtjaR7f</a>
Tickets already sold for 2020 will be honoured at next year’s tournament, according to Hockey Canada.
“Public health comes first,” Halifax Mayor Mike Savage said Saturday.
“It’s going to be a great disappointment to people. But I don’t quarrel with the decision.
“It’s a shame for organizers. It’s a shame for the fans. It’s a shame for the volunteers and for the players.”
Fasel said the status of other upcoming international hockey tournaments — which will involve Canadian teams — will be determined in the coming month, starting with the under-18 men’s championships April 16-26 in Michigan.
Fasel said a decision regarding that tournament likely will be made within 10 days.
The IIHF will wait until mid-April to determine whether to proceed with May’s men’s world championships in Switzerland.
The virus has led to the NHL and NBA considering taking precautionary measures. On Friday, the NHL issued a memo to its teams urging players to limit contact with fans.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins will bring in another quarterback while starter Tua Tagovailoa deals with his latest concussion, coach Mike McDaniel said Friday.
For now, Skylar Thompson will be considered the Dolphins’ starter while Tagovailoa is sidelined. Tagovailoa left Thursday night’s 31-10 loss to Buffalo in the third quarter with the third known concussion of his NFL career, all of them coming in the last 24 months.
“The team and the organization are very confident in Skylar,” McDaniel said.
McDaniel said the team has not made any decision about whether to place Tagovailoa on injured reserve. Tagovailoa was expected at the team facility on Friday to start the process of being evaluated in earnest.
“We just have to operate in the unknown and be prepared for every situation,” McDaniel said, noting that the only opinions that will matter to the team will be the ones from Tagovailoa and the medical staff.
McDaniel added that he doesn’t see Tagovailoa playing in Miami’s next game at Seattle on Sept. 22.
“I have no idea and I’m not going to all of a sudden start making decisions that I don’t even see myself involved in the most important parts of,” McDaniel added. “All I’m telling Tua is everyone is counting on you to be a dad and be a dad this weekend. And then we’ll move from there. There won’t be any talk about where we’re going in that regard … none of that will happen without doctors’ expertise and the actual player.”
Tagovailoa was 17 for 25 passing for 145 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions — one of which was returned for a Buffalo score — when he got hurt. Thompson completed eight of 14 passes for 80 yards.
Thompson said he feels “fully equipped” to run the Dolphins’ offense.
“What’s going to lie ahead, who knows, but man, I’m confident, though,” Thompson said after Thursday’s game. “I feel like I’m ready for whatever’s to come. I’m going to prepare and work hard and do everything I can to lead this team and do my job.”
Montreal Alouettes wide receiver Tyson Philpot has announced he will be out for the rest of the CFL season.
The Delta, B.C., native posted the news on his Instagram page Thursday.
“To Be Continued. Shoutout my team, the fans of the CFL and the whole city of Montreal! I can’t wait to be back healthy and write this next chapter in 2025,” the statement read.
Philpot, 24, injured his foot in a 33-23 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Aug. 10 and was placed on the six-game injured list the next week.
The six-foot-one, 195-pound receiver had 58 receptions, 779 yards and five touchdowns in nine games for the league-leading Alouettes in his third season.
Philpot scored the game-winning touchdown in Montreal’s Grey Cup win last season to punctuate a six-reception, 63-yard performance.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
NAPA, Calif. (AP) — David Lipsky shot a 7-under 65 on Thursday at Silverado Country Club to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Procore Championship.
Winless in 104 events since joining the PGA Tour in 2022, Lipsky went out with the early groups and had eight birdies with one bogey to kick off the FedEx Cup Fall series at the picturesque course in the heart of Napa Valley wine country.
After missing the cut in his three previous tournaments, Lipsky flew from Las Vegas to Arizona to reunite with his college coach at Northwestern to get his focus back. He also spent time playing with some of the Northwestern players, which helped him relax.
“Just being around those guys and seeing how carefree they are, not knowing what’s coming for them yet, it’s sort of nice to see that,” Lipsky said. “I was almost energized by their youthfulness.”
Patton Kizzire and Mark Hubbard were a stroke back. Kizzire started on the back nine and made a late run with three consecutive birdies to move into a tie for first. A bogey on No. 8 dropped him back.
“There was a lot of good stuff out there today,” Kizzire said. “I stayed patient and just went through my routines and played well, one shot at a time. I’ve really bee working hard on my mental game and I think that allowed me to rinse and repeat and reset and keep playing.”
Mark Hubbard was at 67. He had nine birdies but fell off the pace with a bogey and triple bogey on back-to-back holes.
Kevin Dougherty also was in the group at 67. He had two eagles and ended his afternoon by holing out from 41 yards on the 383-yard, par-4 18th.
Defending champion Sahith Theegala had to scramble for much of his round of 69.
Wyndham Clark, who won the U.S. Open in 2023 and the AT&T at Pebble Beach in February, had a 70.
Max Homa shot 71. The two-time tournament champion and a captain’s pick for the President’s Cup in two weeks had two birdies and overcame a bogey on the par-4 first.
Stewart Cink, the 2020 winner, also opened with a 71. He won The Ally Challenge last month for his first PGA Tour Champions title.
Three players from the Presidents Cup International team had mix results. Min Woo Lee shot 68, Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., 69 and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., 73. International team captain Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., also had a 69.
Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., had a 68, Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., shot 70 and Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., had a 71.
Lipsky was a little shaky off the tee for much of the afternoon but made up for it with steady iron play that left him in great shape on the greens. He had one-putts on 11 holes and was in position for a bigger day but left five putts short.
Lipsky’s only real problem came on the par-4 ninth when his approach sailed into a bunker just shy of the green. He bounced back nicely with five birdies on his back nine. After missing a 19-foot putt for birdie on No. 17, Lipsky ended his day with a 12-foot par putt.
That was a big change from last year when Lipsky tied for 30th at Silverado when he drove the ball well but had uneven success on the greens.
“Sometimes you have to realize golf can be fun, and I think I sort of forgot that along the way as I’m grinding it out,” Lipsky said. “You’ve got to put things in perspective, take a step back. Sort of did that and it seems like it’s working out.”
Laird stayed close after beginning his day with a bogey on the par-4 10th. The Scot got out of the sand nicely but pushed his par putt past the hole.
Homa continued to have issues off the tee and missed birdie putts on his final four holes.
