TORONTO – The great Monty Python taught us to always look on the bright side of life.
So even with the weakest sector of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ roster — their oft-criticized blue line — further damaged by Morgan Rielly’s fractured left foot, and even with no concrete timeline for the No. 1 defenceman’s return, there were tangible positives to be gleaned Tuesday morning at the rink, when the club embarks on a test.
Swinging out of the Maple Leafs dressing room with a Blue Jays cap pulled over his head and a set of crutches affixed to his armpits, the nameplate above his centre stall now replaced with one that reads “RASMUS SANDIN,” Rielly still managed to elicit a chuckle from a crush of media as he recounted his brief chat with the rookie.
The wisdom of six-and-a-half NHL seasons, the ability to log major minutes in all key situations, the type of shot that can snipe 20 from the back end?
“He now has it all,” Rielly quipped.
Gimme the good news first, Doc: The 25-year-old’s deadpan apparently doesn’t need eight weeks to recover.
As personally devastating as the broken foot is to a lead-by-example type who’s never missed more than nine games in a season, Rielly is trying to rationalize the benefits two months of forced rest will do for his other nagging aches, the ones that have prompted him to skip practice and seek opinions and walk uneasily to the bus after a night of hard minutes.
He’s trying to think of how his lost shifts will benefit not only Sandin but also the speedy Travis Dermott and his B.C. pal Tyson Barrie, who now should become the undisputed top driver of offence from the back end.
If everything goes according to plan, Rielly will be healed and fresh and chomping at the bit by the time the playoffs roll around. He could be an emotional and physical boost the way, say, Patrick Kane was to the Blackhawks in 2015 or the Blues are hoping Vladimir Tarasenko is this spring.
“I mean, you can put a spin on it. I’ve been doing that,” Rielly said. “You try to take opportunity to rest and heal other injuries, do what you can to prepare mentally to get back and be in a good place and help the team. That’s the end goal.”
A jolt of excruciating pain told Rielly things weren’t good after he absorbed an Aleksander Barkov shot at close range during Sunday’s blowout loss in Florida and winced and hobbled and skipped his way down the tunnel.
“I saw what happened to Morgan,” said New Jersey Devils defender P.K. Subban. “That’s definitely not on him. That’s just a hockey play, and it’s bad luck. Bad bounce. That’s part of the game — you have to block shots when you have to, and things are going to happen.”
Much like teammate Jake Muzzin during his shot-block injury on Dec. 27, Rielly kept his skate on, tested his stride during a break in play and decided to keep pushing.
“That just shows you what kind of guy he is, the heart that he has. Not a lot of guys will play through a broken foot,” Barrie said. “I know Muzz did too, but…”
As ever, Rielly could be seen downplaying the individual in favour of the group.
“Our whole team would’ve done it. It’s just something you do. It happened. You just play through it and deal with the consequences after. Unfortunately, it’s a little bit more severe than I thought,” said Rielly, his foot held tight in a black cast until, well, no one knows exactly.
He’ll need to wait “a few weeks” before his foot can bear weight, and the timeline for the defenceman’s return is dependent on a sensitive healing process, but he’s encouraged by working with a training and medical staff that will do everything possible to get him back joining the rush.
“As much as everyone thinks that they’re qualified medically to make those calls, I’m certainly not. Just do what you’re told, work hard, try to stay positive,” Rielly said.
“Just part of the journey, I guess. It happens to everyone. I’m not going to be overly dramatic about it.”
No. That would be our job.
Although certainly not insurmountable — hey, the Penguins just posted the NHL’s best record during a nine-and-a-half-week stretch without Sidney Crosby — Rielly’s injury is significant because Muzzin’s return date is still up in the air (he could resume skating as early as Wednesday) and how the rest of the D corps responds to juiced-up minutes in the thick of a tight playoff race is anybody’s guess.
Coach Sheldon Keefe described a “heightened awareness” as his players reported to work Tuesday with knowledge of Rielly’s diagnosis. This, he believes, is a chance to for the Leafs to reflect on where they can get better, a bright occasion to rally as a group.
His offensive-driving, possession-first philosophy won’t waver, but the execution but improve.
“The elite teams in the league don’t get fazed by these types of situations, and we want to be an elite team,” Keefe said. “We believe we are an elite team and have the ability to take big steps as a group, so it’s a really good opportunity for us.”
No Muzzin and, now, no Rielly.
Is this blue line actually good enough to get the job done?
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
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.”
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.
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.
