In keeping with the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Next Gen theme for Monday’s holiday matinee versus the Carolina Hurricanes — and in keeping with my general Christmastime laziness — I tasked my nine-year-old son, Will Fox, to report on the game and give Dad a break.
I’m certain the next generation will uphold the proud Fox family tradition of barely passable sports reporting. Take it away, Willie! I’ll just transcribe your opinions and observations. (Just don’t read the comments, bud.)
TORONTO – Oooh, snacks.
[Fetches miniature bag of Munchies off pressbox stats table. Informed that Maple Leafs often flip pucks to kids during warm-ups.]
Saw it! Number 23, Dermott, gave a puck to someone.
I have a question: Every period, do they clean the ice?
[Puck drops.]
I think Carolina is going to lose.
It was scary being this high up, but after 10 minutes you’re fine.
Thirty seconds in, Jason Spezza has made the lead for the Toronto Maple Leafs. That was quick.
The Leafs have five shots to zero – that’s a lot.
I’ve noticed the fans are cheering a lot. Now I get why everyone wants to be the home team – it makes a difference.
Great pass by John Tavares, and William Nylander’s goal was great, spectacular and awesome.
I also noticed that the puck is mostly in the Hurricanes’ zone.
Nylander gave the puck away. Why did he wait so long to pass?
[Veteran reporter: “You should ask him that after the game.”]
Whoa, that was a good shot by Brock McGinn, 3-1.
Martin Necas scores on a backhanded, between-the-legs tip with 24 seconds left in first period. 3-2 Leafs.
Wow, that was a sweet goal. Hurricanes are doing way better.
I notice they hop over the bench when they change lines.
[Travis Dermott called for tripping minor early in the second period.]
That’s not a trip!
Freddy Andersen is doing spectacular.
All the passes are hard passes. Like, boom, boom, boom.
The Leafs’ best players keep shooting it high. I’m going to get popcorn.
[Leaves. Returns eight seconds later.]
Last bag!
Nice play by Nylander. Saves a goal from happening.
Carolina pours in three goals within 64 seconds and five unanswered altogether to jump ahead 5-3 in the second period.]
Comeback. Disappointing for the Leafs, but they were all good goals, though.
The Maple Leafs need to look where they’re going to pass, and they need to keep the puck in the Hurricanes’ zone. Carolina is doing a good job intercepting the Leafs’ passes.
[Game notes reveal Toronto has 14 giveaways to Carolina’s 11. Will spends the second intermission looking at retired banners in rafters.]
Number 7, Horton! Kinda like Tim Hortons.
“If we didn’t make a next generation of fans today, I’m not sure we ever will.” – Sheldon Keefe
Marner scores, Barrie scores, and Marner scores again off the draw. Three Maple Leafs goals in 59 seconds completes the comeback.
Incredible. I can’t describe it. I’m getting chills.
[Maple Leafs add an empty-netter to win 8-6.]
If the Canes kept Reimer in net, I wonder what the score would be.
[Post-game, Will fights off the scrum to secure a hard-hitting, one-on-one interview with Mitch Marner to get the inside scoop on his five-point effort.]
WILL FOX: How does it feel to win a crazy game like that?
MITCH MARNER: It’s fun. It got a little high scoring there at the end, but it’s fun for the players. I think it’s fun for the crowd. I’m sure the coaches don’t love it as much and the goalies don’t, but it’s a big win for us. We’re happy with it.
WF: What’s your favourite food?
MM: Ooh, that’s a good one. I’m a big fan of a cheat day. Any kind of burger, pizza, I also enjoy pasta a lot. Any of those three, I’m into.
WF: What’s the best Christmas gift you’ve ever gotten?
MM: Maybe when I was really young, a hockey stick. I used to always ask for hockey sticks on my birthdays and Christmases, especially the new ones. Usually when I got one of those, it was a pretty great Christmas.
WF: And what’s your greatest fear?
MM: Oh, wow. Sharks. I don’t like sharks. I’m scared to go into the ocean too deep. Especially when I’m tubing in the ocean, I think for sure there’s a shark in the ocean underneath me.
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks announced Tuesday that defenceman Alex Edler will sign a one-day contract in order to officially retire as a member of the NHL team.
The signing will be part of a celebration of Edler’s career held Oct. 11 when the Canucks host the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Canucks selected Edler, from Ostersund, Sweden, in the third round (91st overall) of the 2004 NHL draft.
He played in 925 career games for the Canucks between the 2006-07 and 2020-21 seasons, ranking fourth in franchise history and first among defencemen.
The 38-year-old leads all Vancouver defencemen with 99 goals, 310 assists and 177 power-play points with the team.
Edler also appeared in 82 career post-season contests with Vancouver and was an integral part of the Canucks’ run to the 2011 Stanley Cup final, putting up 11 points (2-9-11) across 25 games.
“I am humbled and honoured to officially end my career and retire as a member of the Vancouver Canucks,” Edler said in a release. “I consider myself lucky to have started my career with such an outstanding organization, in this amazing city, with the best fans in the NHL. Finishing my NHL career where it all began is something very special for myself and my family.”
Edler played two seasons for Los Angeles in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He did not play in the NHL last season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
The sixth-ranked Canadian women will face World Cup champion Spain in an international friendly next month.
Third-ranked Spain will host Canada on Oct. 25 at Estadio Francisco de la Hera in Almendralejo.
The game will be the first for the Canadian women since the Paris Olympics, where they lost to Germany in a quarterfinal penalty shootout after coach Bev Priestman was sent home and later suspended for a year by FIFA over her part in Canada’s drone-spying scandal.
In announcing the Spain friendly, Canada Soccer said more information on the interim women’s coaching staff for the October window will come later. Assistant coach Andy Spence took charge of the team in Priestman’s absence at the Olympics.
Spain finished fourth in Paris, beaten 1-0 by Germany in the bronze-medal match.
Canada is winless in three previous meetings (0-2-1) with Spain, most recently losing 1-0 at the Arnold Clark Cup in England in February 2022.
The teams played to a scoreless draw in May 2019 in Logroñés, Spain in a warm-up for the 2019 World Cup. Spain won 1-0 in March 2019 at the Algarve Cup in São João da Venda, Portugal.
Spain is a powerhouse in the women’s game these days.
It won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2022 and was runner-up in 2018. And it ousted Canada 2-1 in the round of 16 of the current U-20 tournament earlier this month in Colombia before falling 1-0 to Japan after extra time in the quarterfinal.
Spain won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2018 and 2022 and has finished on the podium on three other occasions.
FC Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati (2023) and Alexia Putellas (2021 and ’22) have combined to win the last three Women’s Ballon d’Or awards.
And Barcelona has won three of the last four UEFA Women’s Champions League titles.
“We continue to strive to diversify our opponent pool while maintaining a high level of competition.” Daniel Michelucci, Canada Soccer’s director of national team operations, said in a statement. “We anticipate a thrilling encounter, showcasing two of the world’s top-ranked teams.”
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024
TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced cookie brand Oreo as the team’s helmet sponsor for the upcoming NHL season.
The new helmet will debut Sunday when Toronto opens its 2024-25 pre-season against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena.
The Oreo logo replaces Canadian restaurant chain Pizza Pizza, which was the Leafs’ helmet sponsor last season.
Previously, social media platform TikTok sponsored Toronto starting in the 2021-22 regular season when the league began allowing teams to sell advertising space on helmets.
The Oreo cookie consists of two chocolate biscuits around a white icing filling and is often dipped in milk.
Fittingly, the Leafs wear the Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s “Milk” logo on their jerseys.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
