TORONTO — The team with all the Toronto Maple Leafs won not one but two elimination games on home ice, putting a tidy bow on their storybook all-star weekend.
Team Matthews trumped Team McDavid 7-4 Saturday in what was a highly entertaining and more competitive-than-expected 3-on-3 tournament.
“Good for them. They needed some wins,” quipped Team McDavid’s David Pastrnak, with a smile. “They got one.”
The home fans left happy. Team Matthews left $1 million richer. And Auston himself scooped up the game’s MVP award for a two-goal, three-point effort in the finale that included the winning goal.
Captain Auston wins MVP, Team Matthews awarded $1 million prize as All-Star Game champions
“We were talking in the locker room. I don’t think there was much messing around. I think everybody was pretty much on the same page — to try to go out there, put in a pretty good effort, and try to come up with a good result,” Matthews said.
“The team just seemed to gel really well, and guys put in some really good efforts out there. Just a lot of fun on the bench and a lot of chatter, a lot of encouragement, a lot of chirping. And I think that’s what this weekend is all about. It’s supposed to be fun.”
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The fun came from celebrity coaches like Canucks stan Michael Bublé, who may or may not have been macro-dosing mushrooms for three days.
From Will Arnett, whom co-coach Peter Laviolette credited with delivering one of the best pregame pep talks he’s ever heard.
And from Team Matthews co-coach Justin Bieber, who wore a ridiculous red-and-pink polka-dot fur coat that made the pop star easy to spot from the 600 level.
“We we’re loving it,” Matthews smiled. “We were saying Monty should chuck in on for the second period.”
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Monty, of course, is Bruins-coached Jim Montgomery, who ironically found himself in charge of four Leafs — Matthews, Morgan Rielly, Mitch Marner and William Nylander — and giddily wrapped an arm around Bieber when his group clinched the title.
“He was great to be around. He was so into it, you know? And he had real emotion,” said Montgomery, who used his time on the bench to pick the musical brain of his assistant.
“Who do you listen to, like, when you’re just relaxing at home?” Montgomery asked The Biebs.
“He said right now he’s listening to some new band from Austin, Texas, I’ve never heard of. I wrote ’em down though, so I’m going to check ’em out.”
Montgomery was in it to win it, though. And didn’t hesitate to make an adjustment to a winning lineup.
So, after Team Matthews survived its tight semifinal against Team Hughes, edging the Canucks-loaded squad 6-5 in a shootout, Montgomery split up Matthews and Marner.
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“Well, one line was minus-3 in the first game,” Montgomery reasoned. “Third line was great. I talked to Auston about it, and Auston agreed.”
Matthews and good friend Clayton Keller got defensive support from Rielly in the deciding game, while Marner and Nylander were paired with responsible two-way pivot Vincent Trocheck.
That small tweak balanced the lines, and every member of Matthews finished the speedy championship game a plus-1.
Indeed, the chirps and laughs continued well past the final buzzer.
But sprinkled in the centre of the good times had by all involved this weekend in the centre of the hockey universe were some genuine moments of reflection and gratitude.
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“The only thing that surprised me at all was nerves,” said Rielly, a first-time all-star after 11 seasons in the league.
“I didn’t expect to get nervous or anything like that before the game, and I think when you’re in that environment, around all those unique players, I think I was a little nervous.”
Marner wasn’t nervous, but he was appreciative for the weekend.
“Amazing,” Marner said. “I’ve dreamt of being in all-star games my whole life. I’ve watched all-star games from my couch, on my carpet with my parents. You know, just watching Sid, Spezza, Hossa, Owen Nolan, and the list goes on and on.
“You always dream of being a part of one. And to have it in this city, it’s pretty remarkable. And to be able to enjoy it with the ones that got me to where I am, it’s even better.”
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“Is Team Russia going? I want to go. I think everybody wants to go. Definitely means a lot for the country. Ever since I was a kid, I was watching Olympics and dreaming to be part of it one day — and sucks to not participate in one. But, hopefully, my fingers crossed, that we’re gonna be in the Olympics, that Team Russia gonna is be on the Olympics, and it’s gonna be a real best-versus-best. Because when Team Russia is not out there, it’s not the same.”
The IIHF has not yet decided on Russia’s eligibility for 2026, but with Belarus eager to participate in Olympic qualifying games this August, the governing body is under pressure to make a call.
• The catch with 2025 4 Nations Face-Off? Some decent talent from countries such as Czechia, Russia, Denmark, Germany, Slovakia, and Latvia will be left out in the cold.
“I’m glad they don’t call it best of the best because it’s only four nations. A lot of good players are sitting that out,” says David Pastrnak, a proud Czech.
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“I just found out it’s gonna be in Boston. That stings. That one hurts a little bit. But I understand they didn’t have much time to come up with the format, so I’m definitely gonna watch it.”
• All players ruled ineligible to play for Team Canada due to the 2018 world juniors investigation, such as the disappointed Cale Makar, are appealing their case with the IIHF.
Participation in 2025’s 4 Nations Face-Off won’t be an issue because that is an NHL-run event.
• Favourite head-to-head matchup, by far: Crosby-MacKinnon-Makar line versus Draisaitl-McDavid-Pastrnak line.
• Justin Bieber got to live out a little fantasy camp, participating in the game’s warm-ups and posing for a photo at centre ice with any all-star that asked.
“You could tell he was just having a fun time,” says Kyle Connor, after sharing a dressing room with The Biebs.
“He loves the game more than anybody. I’m sure this is an awesome experience for him. To hang out and talk to a guy like that, who’s so humble as well, it’s pretty cool.”
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic fell 6-4, 6-3 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open tennis tournament on Friday.
The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won 61 per cent of her first-serve points and broke on just one of her six opportunities.
Stakusic had upset top-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) on Thursday night to advance.
In the opening round, Stakusic defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday.
The fifth-seeded Frech won 62 per cent of her first-serve points and converted on three of her nine break point opportunities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Alejandro Kirk’s long single with the bases loaded provided the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off 4-3 win in the 11th inning of their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
With the Cardinals outfield in, Kirk drove a shot off the base of the left-field wall to give the Blue Jays (70-78) their fourth win in 11 outings and halt the Cardinals’ (74-73) two-game win streak before 30,380 at Rogers Centre.
Kirk enjoyed a two-hit, two-RBI outing.
Erik Swanson (2-2) pitched a perfect 11th inning for the win, while Cardinals reliever Ryan Fernandez (1-5) took the loss.
Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman enjoyed a seven-inning, 104-pitch outing. He surrendered his two runs on nine hits and two walks and fanned only two Cardinals.
He gave way to reliever Genesis Cabrera, who gave up a one-out homer to Thomas Saggese, his first in 2024, that tied the game in the eighth.
The Cardinals started swiftly with four straight singles to open the game. But they exited the first inning with only two runs on an RBI single to centre from Nolan Arendao and a fielder’s choice from Saggese.
Gausman required 28 pitches to escape the first inning but settled down to allow his teammates to snatch the lead in the fourth.
He also deftly pitched out of threats from the visitors in the fifth, sixth and seventh thanks to some solid defence, including Will Wagner’s diving stop, which led to a double play to end the fifth inning.
George Springer led off with a walk and stole second base. He advanced to third on Nathan Lukes’s single and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in his 95th run with a double off the left-field wall.
Lukes scored on a sacrifice fly to left field from Spencer Horwitz. Guerrero touched home on Kirk’s two-out single to right.
In the ninth, Guerrero made a critical diving catch on an Arenado grounder to throw out the Cardinals’ infielder, with reliever Tommy Nance covering first. The defensive gem ended the inning with a runner on second base.
St. Louis starter Erick Fedde faced the minimum night batters in the first three innings thanks to a pair of double plays. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
ON DECK
Toronto ace Jose Berrios (15-9) will start the second of the three-game series on Saturday. He has a six-game win streak.
The Cardinals will counter with righty Kyle Gibson (8-6).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
CALGARY – Mired in their first four-game losing skid in 20 years, the Calgary Stampeders are going back to Jake Maier at quarterback on Saturday after he was benched for a game.
It won’t be an easy assignment.
Visiting McMahon Stadium are the Eastern Conference-leading Montreal Alouettes (10-2) who own the CFL’s best record. The Stampeders (4-8) have fallen to last in the Western Conference.
“Six games is plenty of time, but also it is just six games,” said Maier. “We’ve got to be able to get on the right track.”
Calgary is in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2004.
“I do still believe in this team,” said Stampeders’ head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson. “I want to see improvement, though. I want to see guys on a weekly basis elevating their game, and we haven’t been doing that.”
Maier is one of the guys under the microscope. Two weeks ago, the second-year starter threw four interceptions in a 35-20 home loss to the Edmonton Elks.
After his replacement, rookie Logan Bonner, threw five picks in last week’s 37-16 loss to the Elks in Edmonton, the football is back in Maier’s hands.
“Any time you fail or something doesn’t go your way in life, does it stink in the moment? Yeah. But then the days go on and you learn things about yourself and you learn how to prepare a little bit better,” said Maier. “It makes you mentally tougher.”
Dickenson wants to see his quarterback making better decisions with the football.
“Things are going to happen, interceptions will happen, but try to take calculated risks, rather than just putting the ball up there and hoping that we catch it,” said Dickenson.
A former quarterback himself, he knows the importance of that vital position.
“You cannot win without good quarterback play,” Dickenson said. “You’ve got to be able to make some plays — off-schedule plays, move-around plays, plays that break down, plays that aren’t designed perfectly, but somehow you found the right guy, and then those big throws where you’re taking that hit.”
But it’s going to take a team effort, and that includes the club’s receiving corp.
“We always have to band together because we need everything to go right for our receivers to get the ball,” said Nik Lewis, the Stampeders’ receivers coach. “The running back has to pick up the blitz, the o-line has to block, the quarterback has to make the right reads, and then give us a catchable ball.”
Lewis brings a unique perspective to this season’s frustrations as he was a 22-year-old rookie in Calgary in 2004 when the Stamps went 4-14 under coach Matt Dunigan. They turned it around the next season and haven’t missed the playoffs since.”
“Thinking back and just looking at it, there’s just got to be an ultimate belief that you can get it done. Look at Montreal, they were 6-7 last year and they’ve gone 18-2 since then,” said Lewis.
Montreal is also looking to rebound from a 37-23 loss to the B.C. Lions last week. But for head coach Jason Maas, he says his team’s mindset doesn’t change, regardless of what happened the previous week.
“Last year when we went through a four-game losing streak, you couldn’t tell if we were on a four-game winning streak or a four-game losing streak by the way the guys were in the building, the way we prepared, the type of work ethic we have,” said Maas. “All our standards are set, so that’s all we focus on.”
While they may have already clinched a playoff spot, Alouettes’ quarterback Cody Fajardo says this closing stretch remains critical because they want to finish the season strong, just like last year when they won their final five regular-season games before ultimately winning the Grey Cup.
“It doesn’t matter about what you do at the beginning of the year,” said Fajardo. “All that matters is how you end the year and how well you’re playing going into the playoffs so that’s what these games are about.”
The Alouettes’ are kicking off a three-game road stretch, one Fajardo looks forward to.
“You understand what kind of team you have when you play on the road because it’s us versus the world mentality and you can feel everybody against you,” said Fajardo. “Plus, I always tend to find more joy in silencing thousands of people than bringing thousands of people to their feet.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
