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Jets' season start against Flames hits turbulence – Winnipeg Free Press

Published

4 years ago

January 14, 2021

With COVID-19 and all the uncertainties that come with a global health crisis acting as a backdrop to the start of the 2021 NHL season, Adam Lowry offers this piece of advice as his Winnipeg Jets get ready to kick off a fresh campaign at home Thursday night against the Calgary Flames. Puck drop is at 7 p.m.

“It’s cliché to say but expect the unexpected. We don’t really know how it’s going to play out,” the Jets centre said following Wednesday’s practice.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers was absent from Wednesday’s practice for what is being referred to by the NHL as a COVID Protocol Related Absence but head coach Paul Maurice hadn’t ruled out the speedy winger for the season-opener against the Flames, Thursday.

“We don’t know what it’s gonna be like playing a team nine, 10 times and playing such a condensed schedule. It’s all new to us. You look at all the young, talented players across the Canadian teams and you get to watch them almost every night. It’s a real unique opportunity for us, an unprecedented time.”

The Jets have already had to deal with the effects of the novel coronavirus. Forward Nikolaj Ehlers was absent from Wednesday’s practice for what is being referred to by the NHL as a COVID Protocol Related Absence (CPRA). A CPRA doesn’t necessarily mean the player(s) in question has contracted COVID-19, but rather includes a wide range of possibilities — from displaying flu-like symptoms to being a close contact of someone who has tested positive.

The Jets didn’t disclose what the issue is with Ehlers, but head coach Paul Maurice noted he hadn’t ruled out the speedy winger against the Flames. Andrew Copp was skating in Ehlers’ place on the top line with Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler.

Thursday’s tilt will be the first of a truncated 56-game regular season. The Jets will play only teams within the Canadian Division, with nine games each against the Flames, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens and 10 each versus the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators.

Despite playing few games in recent months and only a short training camp to fine-tune systems and develop chemistry among linemates, the Jets shouldn’t have to manufacture intensity against the Flames. Calgary knocked Winnipeg out of the bubble playoffs back in August, defeating the Jets three games to one in the best-of-five, play-in series.

The Flames were certainly the more physical bunch. A questionable collision by forward Matthew Tkachuk in the early minutes of the first game knocked out Scheifele with an Achilles injury, while Patrik Laine (sprained left hand) and Mason Appleton (shoulder) were also unable to finish the series.

“We got beat in the series and I’m still bitter to this day because I want to win,” Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck said. “They ruined our chances at a Stanley Cup so for me personally, I’m going to use it as motivation and I’m a little angry that they ruined it for us. They’re a good team and hats off to them, they played a good series, but I think it would be crazy for us not to use it to try to get a little jump on them energy-wise.”

The biggest makeover for the Flames has come in the crease, with Calgary bringing in goalie Jacob Markstrom to join backup David Rittich. Markstrom is coming off a strong season with the Canucks, posting a career-best .918 save percentage. He finished fourth in Vezina-trophy voting.

The Flames forwards are still mostly intact, highlighted by the likes of Tkachuk, Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. On defence, the Flames said goodbye to Travis Hamonic and T.J. Brodie. Softening that blow, however, is the addition of Chris Tanev, who signed a four-year, US$18-million deal.

“You can sense that kind of excitement in the room that everybody’s going to be ready when the puck drops,” Jets sniper Patrik Laine said. “Everybody’s been waiting for this moment for a long time now.”

Following an off-season that saw his agent publically request a trade, Laine said all that is behind him now that he’s here and playing. Laine is in the final year of a two-year, US$13.5-million deal and will be motivated to perform. Laine is on the Jets’ second line, alongside centre Paul Stastny, who returned to the mix after being acquired in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights, and winger Kyle Connor.

“I wasn’t stressed too much,” Laine said. “I used the off-season to work on my game and try not to hear all the other stuff. These are the things that we play for and nobody wants to just work out.”

Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said expectations for this season are “obviously very high.” After reaching the West Final in 2018, Winnipeg has suffered early playoff exits the past two seasons. With a team loaded with top-six forward talent, an improved defence, if only by experience, and the best goalie on the planet, it seems safe to assume another first-round loss won’t do.

“When you have a player like (Hellebuyck), you’ve got a good basis. I like the different look on defence. I think we’ve talked a lot about our penalty killing and hope some of the additions can help that improve. And then I look at, and I’ve said it over the years, but every year you get a year older and our players that have grown up through our system are a year older, they’re that much more mature,” Cheveldayoff said.

“One thing that the long off-season did was allow them to continue to work on their bodies, where sometimes that maybe wasn’t the case in a normal off-season. We’re excited to get started. It’s not going to be easy, this is a division that I think will create a lot of excitement amongst hockey. Certainly there’s going to be a lot of attention paid to it, being in the passionate hockey market of Canada. I think that excitement level is going to drive everyone.”

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton

Jeff Hamilton
Multimedia producer

After a slew of injuries playing hockey that included breaks to the wrist, arm, and collar bone; a tear of the medial collateral ligament in both knees; as well as a collapsed lung, Jeff figured it was a good idea to take his interest in sports off the ice and in to the classroom.

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Sports

Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.

“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”

Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.

The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.

Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.

“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.

“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”

The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.

“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”

Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.

“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.

The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.

The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.

Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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