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Kevin Bahl brings bruising physicality to Canadian blueline – TSN

Published

5 years ago

December 28, 2019

OSTRAVA, Czech Republic — He came in like a wrecking Bahl.

Team Canada behemoth Kevin Bahl is always on the hunt for a big hit. And it didn’t take long for Bahl – all 6-foot-7 and 245 pounds of him – to make his mark on the World Junior Championship on Boxing Day.

Just ask Team USA’s Bobby Brink.

“He definitely felt that one,” Team Canada teammate Quinton Byfield said.

Bahl made eye contact with Brink in the neutral zone in the first period of Thursday’s opener and waited for the green light.

“I saw him look up to see if I was coming,” Bahl said. “Then I saw him put his head down and reach for the puck, and as soon as I saw that, I was turning for him.”

He absolutely Bahl-dozed Brink, flattening the Philadelphia Flyers’ second-round pick.

“You should have seen the bench when he had his hit,” said Team Canada assistant coach Andre Tourigny, who also coaches Bahl in the OHL. “Everybody was excited.”

The rest of the World Juniors will soon learn the disclaimer that’s been attached to him since he debuted with the Ottawa 67’s as a 16-year-old in 2016: Beware of the Bahl-dog.

“I have to put a little bit of extra protection on when I go there [to Ottawa],” said Byfield, who plays for the Sudbury Wolves.

Bahl, now 19, said he’s laughed at some of the puns that he’s seen on his phone since the start of the tournament. The possibilities are endless with his last name. It was Toronto Marlboros teammate Matthew Strome who came up with the Bahl-dozer in minor midget.

He actually just goes by Bahler with teammates and friends – and is simply Kevin to his mom.

But if he continues to lay out Russians on Saturday (12 p.m. ET on TSN 1/4/5), Bahl will be best known as a sizeable deterrent on the Canadian blueline.

“He is a big dude,” Tourigny said. “The thing we can’t forget is that he plays against the best players, so when he hits, it’s against the best players on the other side. It’s not just plus one, it’s plus two – it’s a big hit, plus he hits a good player.”

Bahl helped set the tone for Team Canada in their tournament-opening win over Team USA. He said he ramped us his physical edge on the same first-period shift that first line forwards Alexis Lafreniere and Joe Veleno made a dent on the Americans on the forecheck.

“The crowd got into it. Our bench got into it,” Bahl said. “That was a big momentum changer for sure.”

Bahl said he was blown away by Lafreniere’s tenacity and physicality. That Lafreniere showed that edge had a ripple effect on the rest of the roster, he said.

“I didn’t really realize it. I thought he was all skill,” Bahl said. “But he loves to throw around the body. I absolutely love that. I saw him going full speed at the guy and he just dummied him. I thought, ‘Okay, I better get a hit up here,’ so I kind of saw that guy coming down the wall.”

Bahl wants to ramp up the physicality from puck drop against Team Russia, but Tourigny cautioned that Canada has to stay on the right side of the line. They were nearly burned by Team USA going 3-for-5 on the power play on Thursday.

“Our players want to be physical. We want to play that Canadian way, but we cannot force it,” Tourigny said. “We want to be physical because that’s part of our DNA, but we have to be smarter with it.”

Bahl, a native of Mississauga, Ont., has been smart and steady in his development, adding an offensive element to his game as he’s gained experience in the OHL. It has turned the second-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes (55th overall) into an intriguing prospect, which is why the New Jersey Devils acquired him before the NHL’s holiday trade freeze as part of the deal for Taylor Hall.

Bahl has 20 points in 28 games for the 67’s this season. That’s nearly as many as he put up in first two seasons in the OHL combined (22 points in 115 games).

Teammate Ty Smith, who was the Devils’ seventh-overall pick in the same 2018 Draft, called Bahl a “big rig” but said his skating is underrated.

“He moves very well for a big guy,” Smith said before the tournament began. “He’s turning into a two-way guy as opposed to just defensive.”

For this tournament, at least, any offence would be a bonus. Team Canada will be thrilled to give opponents a heavy dose of the Bahl-dozer on the team’s shutdown pair with Jacob Bernard-Docker.

“I remember we play Ottawa, it’s a line match against Bahl and their D are hard to play against,” said Flint’s Ty Dellandrea. “He’s a heavy guy and he hits hard.”

Contact Frank Seravalli on Twitter: @frank_seravalli

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

Published

2 days 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

2 days 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

2 days 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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