TORONTO — To the surprise of absolutely no one in the building, it was Connor McDavid who finished the night crowned as the most skilled of this absurdly skillful All-Star bunch. But while the Edmonton Oilers captain was the undeniable star of the 2024 NHL All-Star Skills Competition, dropping jaws every time he stepped to centre ice to put on a display for the Scotiabank Arena faithful, the hardest cheers rained down on the two phenoms with the maple leaf on their sweaters.
It was an eventful night for Auston Matthews and William Nylander, who’ve embraced their role as hosts this weekend — along with fellow Toronto Maple Leafs all-stars Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly. Friday night, with the silly, haphazard joy of the All-Star circus in their home barn, Nos. 34 and 88 gave the home crowd plenty to cheer for.
“I thought it was a lot of fun,” Matthews said of the night after the event had wrapped and the fans had streamed out of the building. Much was made of the new format of the Skills Competition, which aimed to make the event more competitive for the players involved — count Matthews as a fan of the changes. “It was pretty competitive for the most part. As it started to wind down, you could see guys were putting in some pretty big efforts. I thought it was cool. It’s the first year doing this — it’s never going to be perfect, but I think it’s a good base for the future, and we can continue to have skills competitions somewhat like this format, and keep it competitive and fun for everybody.”
Added his fellow Leaf, in true Nylander fashion:
“I didn’t really watch the Skills before, so I don’t really know how it was working before. But I think it was a pretty cool concept this year.”
The pair were all laughs throughout the night, enjoying the moment and the comfort of the familiar territory. Of course, a rocky start in their opening events took the wind out of those sails for just a moment.
“I was a little nervous after that poor start by me,” Matthews said Friday night with a chuckle. “I thought I was dead in the water after the first event, the one-timers. I didn’t do too well on that. But I really wanted to do well on that accuracy shooting — I had to do something there to make it to the second round.”
The Maple Leafs sniper — who’s currently pacing the league with 40 goals to his name this season — wound up finishing last in the One-Timers event, fresh off Nylander placing last in his own first event, the Fastest Skater competition. As the night wore down to the final few events, though, Toronto’s All-Star captain managed to give the Scotiabank Arena crowd some signature moments — nearly claiming the Accuracy Shooting throne by shattering his four targets in just over nine seconds, before McDavid bested him by a hair, snagging the title.
Then came one of the most interesting events of the evening, the One-on-One, which saw skaters pick the goalie they would face, and then tee off on them for as many attempts as possible for a full minute.
The crowd roared with approval as the ever-nonchalant Nylander stepped up first, chose netminder Cam Talbot simply because he was the goalie standing across from him during the selection process, and wound up winning the event — and providing one of its slickest finishes.
“I just tried to get as many shots in as possible,” Nylander said simply of his winning run. “I was pretty tired by the end of it. … When you go from resting for 45 minutes, to going full speed, you’re pretty gassed after a minute.”
Matthews finished right behind him, in second place, in the One-on-One, the pair earning a shot at the final event — the Obstacle Course — for the $1-million prize.
There was little chance anyone was besting McDavid in an event that tested how well players could sprint down the ice, weaving and darting around all manner of barriers — No. 97’s bread and butter. But for just a moment, it seemed Nylander had a chance at putting up a time that would be tough for even McDavid to top, as the quick-footed Swede whipped through the course with ease — before, ultimately, stumbling on the final step.
“We were cheering for him, and then when he missed the net it was like, ‘Ahhh, come on,’” Matthews said with a laugh. “But he did great. He’s a special player. I think all the guys that participated tonight, you can see why they’re some of the top players in the world. Extremely skilled in different ways. Hopefully the fans enjoyed it.”
At the very least, No. 88 did.
“I think the last one was probably my favourite,” Nylander said of the new addition to the Skills Competition itinerary. “It was a combination of everything in a way, so that was lots of fun. … You had to be versatile in everything.”
For everyone other than McDavid — who will head back west with an extra $1 million in his bank account — the results matter little, of course. On a night that offered the crew of All-Stars a chance to build some camaraderie with their fellow phenoms, it was just about trying to take in the moment, Matthews said.
“In the end, you’re just enjoying your time, enjoying your break, getting to spend time with friends, buddies that you’ve played with in the past, or play with now, or new guys that you’re getting to know,” said Matthews. “All in all, it’s a great experience. … Especially to have it here in Toronto, and have the hometown support, everything that goes along with hosting this event. It means a lot.”
The two-time Rocket Richard winner paid tribute to Toronto on Friday night with a pair of custom skates, and a custom stick, emblazoned with the city’s skyline and decked out in the colours of pal Justin Bieber’s brand.
“With the jerseys being a collaboration with Drew House, I just kind of did Drew House-inspired skates and stick for tonight,” Matthews said of the custom All-Star gear. “It’s cool to be able to participate in events like this and be able to do cool stuff like that. I’ve been fortunate enough to be in a couple of these, and it’s always special to be a part of.”
With the Skills Competition out of the way, attention now turns to the finale: Saturday’s All-Star Game, a 3-on-3 tournament with another $1 million up for grabs.
“I think the 3-on-3 will be lots of fun — a lot of competition, money on the line,” Nylander said of the weekend’s closing event. “We’ll be competing for that money.”
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.
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.
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.
