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I felt a little sorry for Jesperi Kotkaniemi when he stepped on the Bell Centre ice Thursday night and was greeted with boos and an obscene chant.
Sitting the Finn during the playoffs and not signing him before he was available for an offer sheet set in motion his departure for Carolina.
I felt a little sorry for Jesperi Kotkaniemi when he stepped on the Bell Centre ice Thursday night and was greeted with boos and an obscene chant.
I felt happy for Kotkaniemi when he tipped a shot from Sebastian Aho for his first goal as a Carolina Hurricane even if it elicited the loudest boos of the evening. The goal gave Carolina a 3-1 lead and some breathing room en route to a 4-1 victory.
The booing was to be expected. When players leave a team, the fans feel betrayed and, with ticket prices reaching astronomic levels, they need a way to vent their frustration in the wake of one of the Canadiens’ worst starts to a season.
But if you look at the circumstances of Kotkaniemi’s departure, you will see the 21-year-old Finn is not the villain in this saga. It’s not a case of a greedy, ungrateful player turning his back on Montreal and following the money. The Canadiens made it easy for Kotkaniemi to switch allegiance.
Kotkaniemi’s development in Montreal didn’t go as planned. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 draft had highs and lows and finished his second pro season in the AHL. He didn’t live up to his high draft status and there were questions whether he could meet the demands of an NHL centre.
Head coach Dominique Ducharme set Kotkaniemi’s departure in motion when he had Kotkaniemi in the press box for the opening of the playoffs this year. He was inserted into the lineup for Game 2 vs. the Leafs and scored a crucial overtime goal to force Game 7 in that series.
Kotkaniemi had a good playoff run. He was tied for fifth in team scoring with five goals and three assists in 19 games, he was a shade under 50 per cent in the faceoff circle and he had the second-best shooting percentage among players with 10 or more shots.
But he wasn’t dressed for the final two games. His minus-5 rating played into the decision to bench him, but Cole Caufield and Corey Perry were also at minus-5, while Tyler Toffoli and Nick Suzuki were minus-6.
We can presume that Kotkaniemi was not happy with the way the season ended. And we can also presume that he wasn’t happy with the way his contract negotiations with general manager Marc Bergevin were going. If you thought enough of a player to draft him third overall and you are planning to have him as your No. 2 centre, you’re going to lock him up before he’s available for an offer sheet.
Bergevin has made some shrewd trades and some good free-agent signings, but the only Canadiens first-round pick playing for the team is Caufield. And Kotkaniemi joins Phillip Danault, Andrei Markov and Alexander Radulov on the list of valuable players whose negotiations were mishandled.
The Hurricanes overpaid for Kotkaniemi, but they seem committed to bringing him along slowly and helping him reach his potential. In the meantime, his appearance in Montreal provided them with another chance to snipe at the Canadiens on their Twitter feed.
They posted a picture of Sebastian Aho — who received an offer sheet from Montreal two years ago — with the question: Did the Canadiens lose again? YES.
Female officials on the way: It’s only a matter of time before women are officiating NHL games. The AHL, which serves as a testing ground of NHL rules and procedures, has hired 10 women referees and linespeople this season.
The inaugural group includes Elizabeth Mantha of Longueuil, who has hockey in her blood. Her grandfather, André Pronovost, was part of four Stanley Cup teams with the Canadiens and her brother, Anthony, is a forward with the Washington Capitals.
Mantha, who refereed at the women’s world championship this year in Edmonton, played in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League after a university career that included a national championship with the Université de Montréal Carabins.
Chip off the old block: The U.S. college season is getting underway and one player who has been making waves is Carson Brière who is the nation’s leading scorer, with seven goals and an assist in four games. The Mercyhurst College sophomore is the son of Daniel Brière, who played one season with the Canadiens late in his career.
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The French league’s legal commission has ordered Paris Saint-Germain to pay Kylian Mbappé the 55 million euros ($61 million) in unpaid wages that he claims he’s entitled to, the league said Thursday.
The league confirmed the decision to The Associated Press without more details, a day after the France superstar rejected a mediation offer by the commission in his dispute with his former club.
PSG officials and Mbappé’s representatives met in Paris on Wednesday after Mbappé asked the commission to get involved. Mbappé joined Real Madrid this summer on a free transfer.
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AP soccer:
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former football star Reggie Bush was at his Encino home Tuesday night when three male suspects attempted to break in, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
“Everyone is safe,” Bush said in a text message to the newspaper.
The Los Angeles Police Dept. told the Times that a resident of the house reported hearing a window break and broken glass was found outside. Police said nothing was stolen and that three male suspects dressed in black were seen leaving the scene.
Bush starred at Southern California and in the NFL. The former running back was reinstated as the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner this year. He forfeited it in 2010 after USC was hit with sanctions partly related to Bush’s dealings with two aspiring sports marketers.
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VANCOUVER – A fresh face has been gracing the B.C. Lions‘ highlight reels in recent weeks.
Midway through his second CFL campaign, wide receiver Ayden Eberhardt has contributed touchdowns in two consecutive games.
The 26-year-old wide receiver from Loveland, Colo., was the lone B.C. player to reel in a passing major in his team’s 37-23 victory over the league-leading Montreal Alouettes last Friday. The week before, he notched his first CFL touchdown in the Lions’ win over the Ottawa Redblacks.
“It’s been awesome. It’s been really good,” Eberhardt said of his recent play. “At the end of the day, the biggest stat to me is if we win. But who doesn’t love scoring?”
He’ll look to add to the tally Friday when the Leos (7-6) host the Toronto Argonauts.
Eberhardt signed with B.C. as a free agent in January 2023 and spent much of last season on the practice squad before cementing a role on the roster this year.
The six-foot-two, 195-pound University of Wyoming product has earned more opportunities in his second season, said Lions’ head coach and co-general manager Rick Campbell.
“He’s a super hard worker and very smart. He understands, has high football IQ, as we call it,” Campbell said.
The fact that Eberhardt can play virtually every receiving position helps.
“He could literally go into a game and we could throw him into a spot and he’d know exactly what he’s doing,” the coach said. “That allows him to play fast and earn the quarterback’s trust. And you see him making plays.”
Eberhardt credited his teammates, coaches and the rest of the Lions’ staff with helping him prepare for any situation he might face. They’ve all spent time teaching him the ins and outs of the Canadian game, or go over the playbook and run routes after practice, he said.
“I’ve played every single position on our offence in a game in the last two years, which is kind of crazy. But I love playing football,” he said. “I want to play any position that the team needs me to play.”
While B.C.’s lineup is studded with stars like running back William Stanback — who has a CFL-high 938 rushing yards — and wide receiver Justin McInnis — who leads the league in both receiving yards (1,074) and receiving TDs (seven) — versatility has been a critical part of the team’s back-to-back wins.
“I think we’ve got a lot of talented guys who deserve to get the ball and make big plays when they have the ball in their hands. So it’s really my job to get them the ball as much as possible,” said quarterback Nathan Rourke.
“I think that makes it easy when you can lean on those guys and, really, we’re in a situation where anyone can have a big game. And I think that’s a good place to be.”
Even with a talented lineup, the Lions face a tough test against an eager Argos side.
Toronto lost its second straight game Saturday when it dropped a 41-27 decision to Ottawa.
“We’ll have our hands full,” Rourke said. “We’ll have to adjust on the fly to whatever their game plan is. And no doubt, they’ll be ready to go so we’ll have to be as well.”
The two sides have already met once this season when the Argos handed the Lions a 35-27 loss in Toronto back on June 9.
A win on Friday would vault B.C. to the top of the West Division standings, over the 7-6 Winnipeg Blue Bombers who are on a bye week.
Collecting that victory isn’t assured, though, even with Toronto coming in on a two-game skid, Campbell said.
“They’ve hit a little bit of a rut, but they’re a really good team,” he said. “They’re very athletic. And you can really see (quarterback Chad Kelly’s) got zip on the ball. When you see him in there, he can make all the throws. So we’re expecting their best shot.”
TORONTO ARGONAUTS (6-6) AT B.C. LIONS (7-6)
Friday, B.C. Place
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: The Lions boast a 4-1 home record this season, including a 38-12 victory over the Redblacks at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, B.C., on Aug. 31. The Argos have struggled outside of BMO Field and hold a 1-5 away record. Trips to the West Coast haven’t been easy for Toronto in recent years — since 2003, the club is 4-14 in road games against B.C.
CENTURION: B.C. defensive back Garry Peters is set to appear in his 100th consecutive game. The 32-year-old from Conyers, Ga., is a two-time CFL all-star who has amassed 381 defensive tackles, 19 special teams tackles and 16 interceptions over seven seasons. “Just being on the field with the guys every day, running around, talking trash back and forth, it keeps me young,” Peters said. “It makes me feel good, and my body doesn’t really feel it. I’ve been blessed to be able to play 100 straight.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
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