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JONES: Edmonton Oilers' playoff atmosphere may very well be unmatched – Edmonton Sun

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Maybe Kane, Draisaitl, McDavid and their teammates all get an assist for helping Edmonton fans reach a new level. Or maybe reaching that level inspired the Oilers themselves to create their fabulous victory to take the Pacific Division final

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The hockey world goes into Game 4 Tuesday raving about the Edmonton Oilers’ inspired performance to win Game 3 over the stunned Calgary Flames, 4-1.

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The puck people around the planet are gushing about Evander Kane’s natural hat trick to bring nearly 800 hats on the ice, to make it 10 goals in 10 playoff games.

They’re delirious about Leon Draisaitl’s Stanley Cup record four assists in one period.

And most of all, they’re beyond gobsmacked about the world’s greatest hockey player, Connor McDavid, with his ninth multi-point game of this Stanley Cup season and taking it to an even higher performance level than he’s ever achieved before.

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But there’s another storyline involving taking it where it’s never been before heading into Game 4.

Who?

You!

Maybe Kane, Draisaitl, McDavid and their teammates all get an assist for helping Edmonton fans reach a new level. Or maybe reaching that level inspired the Oilers themselves to create their fabulous victory to take the Pacific Division final.

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But after their sensational second period of the already historic happening with the return to a Stanley Cup Battle of Alberta for the first time in 31 years, I found four people in the press box more than qualified to testify to the status of the astounding atmosphere in Rogers Place.

You’d have a hard time finding a person that has witnessed more Olympic and International Ice Hockey Federation world junior and world championship gold-medal games, not to mention his fair Stanley Cup playoff games he’s attended, than former Hockey Canada head and current Oilers president Bob Nicholson.

“I’ve been to a lot of gold-medal games and I’ve never seen anything like we have here for this hockey game
“It’s the ultimate thing I’ve seen. The ultimate!

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“I’m including the Vancouver 2010 Olympics when I say that. This crowd is more electric than even that one,” Nicholson said of the night Sidney Crosby scored the golden goal.

“This has been just unbelievable. Inside. Outside. We had over 7,000 people in the Ice District outdoors. And in here, Rogers Place has never been like this.

Oilers general manager Ken Holland, winner of three Stanley Cups with 25 consecutive years in the playoffs with the Detroit Red Wings figured he hadn’t heard many crowds to compare to the one he witnessed in Edmonton in 2006, when Fernando Pisani led the Oilers to upset the President Trophy-winning Wings in the first round.

“It’s incredible. It’s not just the people in the building. I live across the street in a condo and when I came out to go to the game, there were two or three blocks of people trying to get in to that outdoor area,” said Holland. “The other night, there were more than 15,000 people in here to watch our game from Calgary.

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“I was on the other side of it in 2006. These fans can will their team to a victory. You can feel the emotion, the passion. It’s just amazing.”

In 27 years of covering three or four rounds of playoffs a season for various agencies, often jumping from one series to another in the first two rounds, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun has experienced virtually every playoff atmosphere out there.

“It gave me chills right from the anthem to start with,” LeBrun said of anthem singer Robert Clark standing in a spotlight in the crowd and singing the first few lines of O Canada and the raising his microphone in the air for the 18,347 to sing it full volume the rest of the way.

“It goes to show you, I think, that this town knows it when it sees it — knows what the game should look like.

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“In all the years I’ve covered the NHL I’d put Edmonton and Montreal up there as the only two crowds — maybe Chicago was up there for a while — where you’re not a human being if you don’t have chills. Montreal and Edmonton have the best playoff atmospheres in the NHL.”

Of all the people in the building, including Edmonton product and international soccer superstar Alphonso Davies, home from Bayern Munich, sitting in the stands wearing an Oilers jersey, my favorite to testify was Steve Mayer.

Mayer decided to return to Edmonton to experience the scene after directing, producing and even set-designing the 81 Hub City bubble Stanley Cup playoff games held in Edmonton with no fans in the stands during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic two seasons ago.

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“This is what we all live for. To have this kind of a crowd, to have this energy … We tried the best we could never, ever duplicate what we’re experiencing tonight. This is amazing. The is unbelievable.”

“It’s cool for me to go from the last time I was in the building to now. I’ll never forget what we all did in Edmonton in the bubble for the rest of my life. And I’m not going to forget this either.

“The crowd is special. First of all, the understanding of hockey here and this rivalry … I have goose bumps watching this game. This is so, so special.And I don’t know if these fans here realize just how cool this is. They’re taking it to a whole other level. This is awesome. I love it.”

E-mail: tjones@postmedia.com

On Twitter: @byterryjones

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

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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.

___

AP cricket:

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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

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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.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

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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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