The Edmonton Elks suffered a second-half implosion in a 43-31 loss to the defending-champion Toronto Argonauts on Sunday.
Sports
Edmonton Elks’ home losing skid grows to 19 games and counting
All three quarterbacks took snaps for Edmonton, with Taylor Cornelius completing 14 of 18 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown in the first half, before rookie Jarrett Doege got the nod on the way to a nine-for-11 performance for 163 yards, two touchdowns to Vincent Forbes-Mombleau, and an interception.
“So, we’ll see. He’s a competitor, I know that.”
Chad Kelly passed 13 of 23 for 264 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions to Louchiez Purifoy, while A.J. Ouellette carried 18 times for 84 yards and three touchdowns as Toronto improved to 2-0.
Rookie Elks returner C.J. Sims provided the biggest spark for the team on a night where not much else had been going right, coming up with punt returns of 42, 52 and 72 yards the likes of which haven’t appeared on an Edmonton stats sheet since 2017.
On Toronto’s next series, Ouellette tied it up, 7-7, with a three-yard rush into the end zone at 13:17, to cap a 12-play, 58-yard drive.
The second quarter opened with Purifoy jumping in front of a pass intended for Cam Phillips, returning his first interception of the game 27 yards to the end zone for a 14-7 lead at 3:53.
Boris Bede hit a 42-yard field goal three minutes later to close the gap, 14-10, before John Haggerty brought Toronto one point closer on a 64-yard punt into the end zone.
The Argos took a one-point lead into halftime after Dean Faithfull hit an 18-yard field goal as time expired.
The opening drive of the third quarter saw Toronto go ahead 26-17 on a two-yard rushing touchdown by Ouellette at 3:47, before Kelly trotted in the two-point convert on a QB keeper. The seven-play scoring drive covered 66 yards.
Ungerer then blocked a punt on the Elks’ next series, giving Toronto the ball on Edmonton’s 39 yard-line. And it ended in another Ouellette rushing touchdown, this one from four yards out on the fifth play of the drive for a 33-17 lead 8:14 into the third.
The Elks responded with a change at quarterback, only to see Kai Locksley fumble away his very first snap to defensive back Robertson Daniel at Edmonton’s 24 yard-line, which Toronto turned into a 16-yard field goal at 11:04 of the third for a 36-17 lead.
That brought in Elks rookie third-stringer Doege, who completed his first two passes before failing to earn a first down on back-to-back snaps from two yards out with his legs. It looked eerily similar to when Locksley was unable to score from the one-yard-line on three straight tries on opening day.
But Toronto gave the turnover-on-downs right back in the fourth quarter, with their backup, Cameron Dukes, getting stuffed on third-and-one, where neither turnover resulted in points.
Just when things couldn’t possibly get any worse, Purifoy came up with his second interception of the game, only to turn around and see Doege’s next snap go for a pick-six, compliments of Royce Metchie, who returned it 15 yards for a 43-17 lead.
Doege hit Steven Dunbar Jr. at the dreaded one yard-line, where Brown got stuffed twice in a row, before a passing call resulted in Vincent Forbes-Mombleau making a two-yard touchdown catch. Doege ran a keeper for the two-point convert to trail 43-25 with 2:38 left on the clock.
“They called my number and I just tried to make the most of my opportunity,” Doege said. “I went in there and just kind of left it all out there just trying to do what I can to help the team try to build some momentum.”
Sports
Red Wings sign Moritz Seider to 7-year deal worth nearly $60M
DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings made another investment this week in a young standout, signing Moritz Seider to a seven-year contract worth nearly $60 million.
The Red Wings announced the move with the 23-year-old German defenseman on Thursday, three days after keeping 22-year-old forward Lucas Raymond with a $64.6 million, eight-year deal.
Detroit drafted Seider with the No. 6 pick overall eight years ago and he has proven to be a great pick. He has 134 career points, the most by a defenseman drafted in 2019.
He was the NHL’s only player to have at least 200 hits and block 200-plus shots last season, when he scored a career-high nine goals and had 42 points for the second straight year.
Seider won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 2022 after he had a career-high 50 points.
Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman is banking on Seider, whose contract will count $8.55 million annually against the cap, and Raymond to turn a rebuilding team into a winner.
Detroit has failed to make the playoffs in eight straight seasons, the longest postseason drought in franchise history.
The Red Wings, who won four Stanley Cups from 1997 to 2008, have been reeling since their run of 25 straight postseasons ended in 2016.
Detroit was 41-32-9 last season and finished with a winning record for the first time since its last playoff appearance.
Yzerman re-signed Patrick Kane last summer and signed some free agents, including Vladimir Tarasenko to a two-year contract worth $9.5 million after he helped the Florida Panthers hoist the Cup.
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Sports
Veterans Tyson Beukeboom, Karen Paquin lead Canada’s team at WXV rugby tournament
Veterans Tyson Beukeboom and Karen Paquin will lead Canada at the WXV 1 women’s rugby tournament starting later this month in the Vancouver area.
WXV 1 includes the top three teams from the Women’s Six Nations (England, France and Ireland) and the top three teams from the Pacific Four Series (Canada, New Zealand, and the United States).
Third-ranked Canada faces No. 4 France, No. 7 Ireland and No. 1 England in the elite division of the three-tiered WXV tournament that runs Sept. 29 to Oct. 12 in Vancouver and Langley, B.C. No. 2 New Zealand and the eighth-ranked U.S. make up the six-team WVX 1 field.
“Our preparation time was short but efficient. This will be a strong team,” Canada coach Kevin Rouet said in a statement. “All the players have worked very hard for the last couple of weeks to prepare for WXV and we are excited for these next three matches and for the chance to play on home soil here in Vancouver against the best rugby teams in the world.
“France, Ireland and England will each challenge us in different ways but it’s another opportunity to test ourselves and another step in our journey to the Rugby World Cup next year.”
Beukeboom serves as captain in the injury absence of Sophie de Goede. The 33-year-old from Uxbridge, Ont., earned her Canadian-record 68th international cap in Canada’s first-ever victory over New Zealand in May at the Pacific Four Series.
Twenty three of the 30 Canadian players selected for WXV 1 were part of that Pacific Four Series squad.
Rouet’s roster includes the uncapped Asia Hogan-Rochester, Caroline Crossley and Rori Wood.
Hogan-Rochester and Crossley were part of the Canadian team that won rugby sevens silver at the Paris Olympics, along with WXV teammates Fancy Bermudez, Olivia Apps, Alysha Corrigan and Taylor Perry. Wood is a veteran of five seasons at UBC.
The 37-year-old Paquin, who has 38 caps for Canada including the 2014 Rugby World Cup, returns to the team for the first time since the 2021 World Cup.
Canada opens the tournament Sept. 29 against France at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver before facing Ireland on Oct. 5 at Willoughby Stadium at Langley Events Centre, and England on Oct. 12 at B.C. Place.
The second-tier WXV 2 and third-tier WXV 3 are slated to run Sept. 27 to Oct. 12, in South Africa and Dubai, respectively.
WXV 2 features Australia, Italy, Japan, Scotland, South Africa and Wales while WXV 3 is made up of Fiji, Hong Kong, Madagascar, the Netherlands, Samoa and Spain.
The tournament has 2025 World Cup qualification implications, although Canada, New Zealand and France, like host England, had already qualified by reaching the semifinals of the last tournament.
Ireland, South Africa, the U.S., Japan, Fiji and Brazil have also booked their ticket, with the final six berths going to the highest-finishing WXV teams who have not yet qualified through regional tournaments.
Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team WXV 1 Squad
Forwards
Alexandria Ellis, Ottawa, Stade Français Paris (France); Brittany Kassil, Guelph, Ont., Guelph Goats; Caroline Crossley, Victoria, Castaway Wanderers; Courtney Holtkamp, Rimbey, Alta., Red Deer Titans Rugby; DaLeaka Menin, Vulcan, Alta., Exeter Chiefs (England); Emily Tuttosi, Souris, Man., Exeter Chiefs (England); Fabiola Forteza, Quebec City, Stade Bordelais (France); Gabrielle Senft, Regina, Saracens (England); Gillian Boag, Calgary, Gloucester-Hartpury (England); Julia Omokhuale, Calgary, Leicester Tigers (England); Karen Paquin, Quebec City, Club de rugby de Quebec; Laetitia Royer, Loretteville, Que., ASM Romagnat (France); McKinley Hunt, King City, Ont., Saracens (England); Pamphinette Buisa, Gatineau, Que., Ottawa Irish; Rori Wood, Sooke, B.C., College Rifles RFC; Sara Cline, Edmonton, Leprechaun Tigers; Tyson Beukeboom, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England);
Backs
Alexandra Tessier, Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, Que., Exeter Chiefs (England); Alysha Corrigan, Charlottetown, P.E.I., CRFC; Asia Hogan-Rochester, Toronto, Toronto Nomads; Claire Gallagher, Caledon, Ont., Leicester Tigers (England); Fancy Bermudez, Edmonton, Saracens (England); Julia Schell, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England); Justine Pelletier, Rivière-du-Loup, Que, Stade Bordelais (France); Mahalia Robinson, Fulford, Que., Town of Mount Royal RFC; Olivia Apps, Lindsay, Ont., Lindsay RFC; Paige Farries, Red Deer, Alta., Saracens (England); Sara Kaljuvee, Ajax, Ont., Westshore RFC; Shoshanah Seumanutafa, White Rock, B.C., Counties Manukau (New Zealand); Taylor Perry, Oakville, Ont., Exeter Chiefs (England).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2024.
Sports
Vancouver Canucks star goalie Thatcher Demko working through rare muscle injury
PENTICTON, B.C. – Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko says he’s been working his way back from a rare lower-body muscle injury since being sidelined in last season’s playoffs.
The 28-year-old all star says the rehabilitation process has been frustrating, but he has made good progress in recent weeks and is confident he’ll be able to return to playing.
He says he and his medical team have spent the last few months talking to specialists around the world, and have not found a single other hockey player who has dealt with the same injury.
Demko missed several weeks of the last season with a knee ailment and played just one game in Vancouver’s playoff run last spring before going down with the current injury.
He was not on the ice with his teammates as the Canucks started training camp in Penticton, B.C., on Thursday, but skated on his own before the sessions began.
Demko posted a 35-14-2 record with a .918 percentage, a 2.45 goals-against average and five shutouts for Vancouver last season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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