TORONTO – Petr Mrazek waited just 16 days after his first groin injury as a Toronto Maple Leaf to slide back in the crease.
He immediately reaggravated the injury. In hindsight, the return was rushed.
Exercising caution, Mrazek and the team delayed 42 days this time before giving his groin another test Saturday versus the Chicago Blackhawks.
Yes, following a month and a half of Jack Campbell holding down the fort (and feel-good story Joseph Woll popping up for a winning record), Mrazek will once again attempt to jumpstart his Leafs career.
Take 3.
“Feeling good,” an upbeat Mrazek said. “Especially when you’re on a new team, you want to compete, you want to win games. That’s how it is. Especially with goaltenders, you have to be careful with groins. You have to make sure it’s healed well.”
To that end, the Leafs had Mrazek play a game with the AHL Marlies on Sunday (he gave up four goals in a loss to Laval), and the veteran appreciated the tune-up exercise.
In his five periods with the Maple Leafs, Mrazek is 1-1 with an .877 save percentage.
There’s an air of anxiousness for him to not only play but play well.
“He’s handled it well in terms of his energy that he’s brought every day and the work that he’s put in to get back healthy. He agrees to go down and play in the American League to get that game in. He’s doing all the right things to get himself on track here,” coach Sheldon Keefe said.
“He’s healthy now. He’s excited to play. So, we’re obviously hoping that we’re past the injuries here and we can build some momentum with him.”
Toronto signed the 29-year-old as a free agent over the summer to a three-year, $11.4-million contract to balance Campbell’s workload.
Yet Campbell has appeared in more games (22) this season than any goalie outside of Vancouver’s Thatcher Demko (23), and he just posted back-to-back sub-.900 starts for the first time this year.
Jack Campbell back to blaming himself postgame. Any particular goal he would he like to have back? “Yeah. Four of them.” (wink)
Certainly, the mental and physical rest that comes with a healthy, proven tandem-mate should only benefit the Leafs’ Number 1.
“Coming into the season, the intent was not to play Jack as much as we have. So, there’s the workload piece of it,” said Keefe, who sees benefit in Campbell having an experienced partner to practice with and discuss the details of the position.
“They should be pushing each other and challenging each other for the net each day. What’s happened is that Petr hasn’t played very much all season, obviously. And then Jack has taken the ball and absolutely run with it. We’ve built even more confidence than we had in Jack coming into the season, and he himself has got great confidence and great expectations for himself.
“So, that’s worked out positively. But we do need to get another guy here to be partnering with him, and keeping Petr healthy is an important piece of that.”
Joseph Woll rejoins the Marlies and will accompany them on their road trip.
One-Timers: More than two months after Ilya Mikheyev suffered his broken thumb, the winger is still awaiting his season debut. Though practising with the team in full Friday and getting positive news on the healing of his digit from a doctor this week, the winger still needs to regain strength in his thumb before seeing action…. After tonight, Jason Spezza will have served half of his six-game suspension. No word yet from commissioner Gary Bettman on Step 1 of his appeal…. Travis Dermott (shoulder) is still wearing non-contact red at practice, meaning a third straight game for callup Kristians Rubins…. Rubins will join Justin Holl on the third pairing, with rookie Timothy Liljegren hopping over the boards with Jake Muzzin. “We’re taking more of a balanced approach here with [Rasmus] Sandin out,” Keefe says…. Short-lived Leaf Kurtis Gabriel is in the building, but his colours have changed…. Kevin Lankinen starts in net for the Blackhawks.
Want to thank the TML organization in its entirety for having me. Was great to get to know the guys up top & down on the Marlies, made some great friendships quickly. I was treated incredibly well. It was packed full with learning experiences to take with me. Thx to the fans too!
I am BEYOND excited to have an opportunity with the @NHLBlackhawks Chomping at the bit to get started, and have been already working at being ready for my first chance to pull on the jersey. Lets work!
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks announced Tuesday that defenceman Alex Edler will sign a one-day contract in order to officially retire as a member of the NHL team.
The signing will be part of a celebration of Edler’s career held Oct. 11 when the Canucks host the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Canucks selected Edler, from Ostersund, Sweden, in the third round (91st overall) of the 2004 NHL draft.
He played in 925 career games for the Canucks between the 2006-07 and 2020-21 seasons, ranking fourth in franchise history and first among defencemen.
The 38-year-old leads all Vancouver defencemen with 99 goals, 310 assists and 177 power-play points with the team.
Edler also appeared in 82 career post-season contests with Vancouver and was an integral part of the Canucks’ run to the 2011 Stanley Cup final, putting up 11 points (2-9-11) across 25 games.
“I am humbled and honoured to officially end my career and retire as a member of the Vancouver Canucks,” Edler said in a release. “I consider myself lucky to have started my career with such an outstanding organization, in this amazing city, with the best fans in the NHL. Finishing my NHL career where it all began is something very special for myself and my family.”
Edler played two seasons for Los Angeles in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He did not play in the NHL last season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
The sixth-ranked Canadian women will face World Cup champion Spain in an international friendly next month.
Third-ranked Spain will host Canada on Oct. 25 at Estadio Francisco de la Hera in Almendralejo.
The game will be the first for the Canadian women since the Paris Olympics, where they lost to Germany in a quarterfinal penalty shootout after coach Bev Priestman was sent home and later suspended for a year by FIFA over her part in Canada’s drone-spying scandal.
In announcing the Spain friendly, Canada Soccer said more information on the interim women’s coaching staff for the October window will come later. Assistant coach Andy Spence took charge of the team in Priestman’s absence at the Olympics.
Spain finished fourth in Paris, beaten 1-0 by Germany in the bronze-medal match.
Canada is winless in three previous meetings (0-2-1) with Spain, most recently losing 1-0 at the Arnold Clark Cup in England in February 2022.
The teams played to a scoreless draw in May 2019 in Logroñés, Spain in a warm-up for the 2019 World Cup. Spain won 1-0 in March 2019 at the Algarve Cup in São João da Venda, Portugal.
Spain is a powerhouse in the women’s game these days.
It won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2022 and was runner-up in 2018. And it ousted Canada 2-1 in the round of 16 of the current U-20 tournament earlier this month in Colombia before falling 1-0 to Japan after extra time in the quarterfinal.
Spain won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2018 and 2022 and has finished on the podium on three other occasions.
FC Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati (2023) and Alexia Putellas (2021 and ’22) have combined to win the last three Women’s Ballon d’Or awards.
And Barcelona has won three of the last four UEFA Women’s Champions League titles.
“We continue to strive to diversify our opponent pool while maintaining a high level of competition.” Daniel Michelucci, Canada Soccer’s director of national team operations, said in a statement. “We anticipate a thrilling encounter, showcasing two of the world’s top-ranked teams.”
—
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024
TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced cookie brand Oreo as the team’s helmet sponsor for the upcoming NHL season.
The new helmet will debut Sunday when Toronto opens its 2024-25 pre-season against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena.
The Oreo logo replaces Canadian restaurant chain Pizza Pizza, which was the Leafs’ helmet sponsor last season.
Previously, social media platform TikTok sponsored Toronto starting in the 2021-22 regular season when the league began allowing teams to sell advertising space on helmets.
The Oreo cookie consists of two chocolate biscuits around a white icing filling and is often dipped in milk.
Fittingly, the Leafs wear the Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s “Milk” logo on their jerseys.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
