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Current and former Blue Jays sound off on Twitter about stadium bubble setup – CP24 Toronto's Breaking News

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Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press


Published Friday, July 10, 2020 4:59PM EDT


Last Updated Friday, July 10, 2020 6:26PM EDT

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TORONTO – A packed summer training camp schedule has the Toronto Blue Jays squeezing in workouts, practice sessions and intrasquad games ahead of a fast-approaching regular season.

The team’s news cycle followed a similar model Friday.

Infielder Travis Shaw got things rolling with a string of tweets about the team’s closed environment at Rogers Centre and adjoining hotel. Manager Charlie Montoyo then dropped news that Vladimir Guerrero Jr., would be moving to first base. And finally there was word that players who spent the week in Florida had arrived in town.

There is no shortage of storylines in this one-of-a-kind summer that’s only just beginning. Where things go from here is anyone’s guess.

A main issue remains where the Blue Jays will play home games this season. The federal government granted the team approval to modify the 14-day quarantine rule during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing training camp to begin this week at the domed stadium.

“I’m glad that we’re here,” Montoyo said on a conference call. “I really am and we’re going to follow all the guidelines. I promise you that.”

Earlier in the day, Shaw voiced his concern about the length of time players may need to stay in their current environment. He replied to a tweet from TSN reporter Scott Mitchell, who reported that multiple sources told him players could face a $750,000 fine and potential jail time if seen outside the ballpark – which also are maximum punishments in the Quarantine Act.

“We were told two weeks… not all summer… all summer is a bit much,” Shaw tweeted.

New York Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman, who spent five seasons with the Blue Jays, added more fuel to the social-media fire when he replied to Mitchell’s tweet.

“This is absolutely ridiculous,” Stroman tweeted, adding in a subsequent post: “Guys are going to be walking around in full disguises. Lol.”

In an email reply, the club confirmed that before arriving in Toronto, players understood the maximum penalties for leaving the Rogers Centre footprint during camp.

The team has expressed its desire to play home games at the dome during the 60-game regular season. A decision is expected in the coming days.

Players are expected to be advised of specifics on the setup for the upcoming campaign once a finalized plan is in place.

Toronto will travel to Boston for pre-season games July 21 and 22 before the season opener July 24 at Tampa Bay. The Blue Jays’ first home game is set for July 29 against Washington.

If Rogers Centre is ruled out for the season, the Blue Jays would likely play at TD Ballpark at their spring-training facility in Dunedin, Fla., but that backup plan has not been finalized.

Florida has been dealing with a spike in COVID-19 cases of late. The state reported 11,385 new cases on Friday while Ontario reported just 116 new cases.

Shaw, who signed with the Blue Jays last December, posted two additional tweets after his original reply but they were later deleted.

“1) Let me be clear. We are on board with the TWO week quarantine. I currently have a PAID for condo a block away from the stadium that I can’t use. At no point would I risk public safety or not follow rules. Is it wrong to want to live in a place that I’ve already paid for…”

He added: “2) to be able to go on a walk (WITH A MASK) to be able to get fresh air, walk to go get takeout food (not eat inside). We aren’t looking to party, hit the patios, go out at night, anything like that. Public safety is priority number 1….”

As Major League Baseball’s lone Canadian team, the Blue Jays face an additional hurdle because of the border and quarantine rules during the pandemic. Players and team staff have been isolating from the general public in the so-called ‘bubble’ of the stadium and hotel at the north end of the building.

“I wanna make it clear, we’re not asking for special treatment,” Blue Jays outfielder Randal Grichuk tweeted Friday. “We understand that we need to stay in a “quarantine bubble”. We wanna make sure everyone is safe.

“The toughest part is them not allowing our family to come with us. That’s what makes it tough for a lot of guys.”

The Blue Jays have not commented on reports that a single player recently tested positive for COVID-19 in Florida. The positive result forced 12 players to remain in Dunedin, according to USA Today.

Most players – about 46 in total, Montoyo said earlier in the week – flew to Toronto on a charter last Sunday.

Without providing specifics, Montoyo said other players arrived in town Thursday and planned to work out before the team’s intrasquad game Friday evening.

During his 15-minute video call with reporters, Montoyo confirmed that Guerrero would cross the diamond and focus on first base.

“It’s all about a player having the best chance to compete,” Montoyo said. “It’s going to be a short season. So for me, the best (plan) for Vlad is to play first, DH and also play third.”

Guerrero, who hit 15 homers and drove in 69 runs in his rookie season, said he was on board.

“Wherever the team needs me, I’m going to be ready,” he said via translator Hector Lebron. “So I’m OK with that.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 10, 2020.

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Allen on trade to Devils from Habs: 'Sometimes you've got to be a little bit selfish' – Yahoo Canada Sports

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Jake Allen loved being a member of the Montreal Canadiens.

The hockey-mad market, the crackling Bell Centre on a Saturday night, the Original Six franchise’s iconic logo.

The 33-year-old goaltender is also realistic.

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With the Canadiens still in full rebuild mode — and two young netminders in Sam Montembeault and Cayden Primeau ready for more playing time — Allen could see the writing on the wall.

Desperate for help in their own crease, the New Jersey Devils asked Montreal about the veteran’s availability. But the team, general manager Tom Fitzgerald told reporters earlier this month, was initially on Allen’s no-trade list.

There wasn’t anything the Fredericton product disliked about the organization or city. The Devils simply appeared to have their crease set for years to come.

But when the club that finished with 112 points and made the second round of the playoffs in 2022-23 was badly hampered by poor play from Vitek Vanecek, Nico Daws and Akira Schmid — each netminder owned save percentages below .900 — the Devils circled back.

And Allen had changed his tune.

“Loved my time as a Hab,” he said of pulling on Montreal’s red, white and blue threads. “I always will cherish that. Put on probably the most special jersey in hockey, in my books. But you realize in your career, it doesn’t last forever.

“You’ve got to make decisions sometimes.”

Allen, who is signed through next season, eventually agreed to a deal that sent him to New Jersey ahead of the NHL’s March 8 trade deadline for a conditional third-round pick at the 2025 draft.

Apart from playing meaningful hockey on a team trying to claw its way back into the Eastern Conference playoff race, the swap gave him more runway to get his family settled in a new city instead of waiting to see what this summer’s crowded goalie market might bring.

“Sometimes you’ve got to be a little bit selfish,” said Allen, a Stanley Cup champion with the St. Louis Blues in 2019. “Look yourself in the mirror and wonder what’s best for you and your family.”

He’s been really good for his new team.

Allen was lights out in Tuesday’s first period against the Toronto Maple Leafs, making an eye-popping 25 saves in what would turn into New Jersey’s 6-3 victory.

So far he’s 4-2-0 with a .925 save percentage and a 2.51 goals against average in six starts for the Devils, who sit five points back of the East’s second wild-card spot.

“A real pro,” said interim head coach Travis Green.

Allen is a combined 10-14-3 in 2023-24 with a .900 save percentage and a 3.39 GAA. Across his 11 seasons with St. Louis, Montreal and now New Jersey, he’s 193-164-41 with a .908 save percentage and 2.75 GAA.

“Makes the saves we need to get some momentum back,” Devils captain Nico Hischier said. “If you have a solid goalie in the net, that makes your work easier.”

Allen is also 11-12 with a .924 and a 2.06 GAA all-time in the playoffs — a good sign for his new club should New Jersey manage to make the cut.

For now, though, he’s just enjoying being back in a post-season race.

“I thought this was a good opportunity to come in the rest of this year, play some games,” Allen said.

“It’s been a good start.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 28, 2024.

___

Follow @JClipperton_CP on X.

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press

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Matthews game-time decision for Maple Leafs against Capitals with illness – NHL.com

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TORONTOAuston Matthews will be a game-time decision for the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Washington Capitals at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; SN1, MNMT) because of an illness.

“It’s going to be on how he feels throughout the day,” Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said.

The forward did not participate in Toronto’s morning skate. Max Domi took his place as the center on a line between Tyler Bertuzzi and Mitch Marner, a right wing recovering from a high-ankle sprain sustained March 7 and will be out the next two games.

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Matthews leads the NHL with 59 goals, one from becoming the ninth player in NHL history with at least two 60-goal seasons. He scored 60 in 73 games in 2021-22, when he won the Rocket Richard Trophy, Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award. He had one goal and nine shots in 23:44 of a 6-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday, which extended his point streak to five games (four goals, seven assists).

He missed one game this season with illness, a 7-0 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec. 16.

“Of course, it’s an adjustment when your best player is out of the lineup,” Domi said, “when anybody is out of the lineup, but I think we’ve done a great job all year of guys stepping up when they have to, and we just have to continue to do that.”

Toronto defenseman Morgan Rielly will miss his second straight game with an upper-body injury.

“He just remains day to day,” Keefe said. “We’re hopeful he’s going to bounce back here. The one thing that is good is once he gets through this day or two here, it’s not going to be a lingering situation. It’s not going to be an injury that’s ongoing. Once he’s past it, he’s past it so we just need to give him some time.”

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Canucks place goalie Thatcher Demko on long-term injured list

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The Vancouver Canucks have placed all-star goalie Thatcher Demko on the long-term injured reserve list retroactively.

“It’s just cap related,” coach Rick Tocchet said after practice Wednesday. “We get some cap relief, that’s all it is.”

The 28-year-old netminder has been considered week to week since being sidelined with a lower-body injury midway through Vancouver’s 5-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets on March 9.

That injury designation hasn’t changed, Tocchet said.

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Demko boasts a 34-18-2 record this season, with a .917 save percentage, a 2.47 goals-against average and five shutouts.

Casey DeSmith has taken over the starting job for Vancouver, going 3-2-1 since Demko’s injury. He has a .899 save percentage on the season with a 2.73 goals-against average and one shutout.

The earliest Demko could be back in the Canucks’ lineup is April 6 against the Kings in Los Angeles.

He’s expected to be a key piece as Vancouver (45-19-8) prepares for its first playoff appearance since the COVID-shortened 2019-20 campaign.

Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin also announced Wednesday that the club has called up forward Arshdeep Bains from the Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League.

“I’d like to see where [Bains is] at,” Tocchet said, noting he isn’t sure whether the 23-year-old winger will slot into the lineup when the Canucks host the Dallas Stars on Thursday.

WATCH | Bains makes NHL debut

 

Surrey, B.C.’s Arshdeep Bains makes Canucks debut

1 month ago

Duration 2:20

Arshdeep Bains from Surrey, B.C., has made his NHL debut with the Vancouver Canucks Tuesday night against the Colorado Avalanche. As CBC’s Joel Ballard reports, it’s been a hard-fought journey for the hometown kid to the big leagues.

Bains played five games for the NHL team in February before being sent back to Abbotsford.

“He went down, he’s done a couple of things that we like, and he’s got some speed,” Tocchet said.

Vancouver may get another forward back in the lineup Thursday.

Dakota Joshua practised in a full-contact jersey on Wednesday for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury in Vancouver’s 4-2 win over the Blackhawks in Chicago on Feb. 13.

The physical winger, who’s set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, has a career-high 26 points (13 goals, 13 assists) this season.

Sitting out injured “hasn’t been fun,” Joshua said.

“It feels like forever,” he said. “But at this point, that’s behind me and I’m moving forward.”

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