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Maurice misguided in suggesting Tkachuk intentionally injured Scheifele – Sportsnet.ca

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EDMONTON — A dirty, filthy, disgusting hit.

That’s how Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice interpreted an early hit by Matthew Tkachuk on Mark Scheifele that may very well preclude the injured Jets star from returning this season.

Strong, misguided words from a coach further steamed by the possibility he may also have lost the services of Patrik Laine moving forward.

Fact is, the Zapruder film has nothing on the video capturing Tkachuk’s latest controversy.

In a collision that has been — and will continue to be — slowed down and dissected frame-by-frame, the Calgary Flames winger knocked Scheifele from the Jets’ 4-1 loss less than six minutes into the game.

How someone can see the video and suggest it was targeted to hurt someone is an irresponsible way to try to rally the troops.

Then again, coaches always stick up for their players, especially when the Flames offender is such an easy target given his reputation for being in the middle of such controversies.

The all-Canadian matchup wasted little time getting spicy when Tkachuk’s neutral zone attempt to hit Scheifele into the boards saw his skate catch the lower left leg of the Jets star as he twisted awkwardly to avoid upper body contact.

Critics, like Maurice, will suggest he intended to use his skate to catch Scheifele.

Realists will see a hard-nosed player who simply attempted to finish his check while his target turned and collided with the boards.

“No absolutely not,” said Tkachuk, predictably, when asked if it was intentional in any way.

“I’m backchecking on him, and it’s such an accident. I felt terrible. He was turning away and my left skate had a little bit of the speed wobbles and I was moving too fast for myself. My left skate just collided and it looked like it jammed him up. His body was going one way, but the way I hit him his leg stayed the one way.”

He showed instant concern on the ice while being chirped by Jets players, checking in with Scheifele as he was being helped off the ice by Nathan Beaulieu and a trainer.

“He’s a top player in the NHL and someone I’ve come to know the past few summers training with Gary Roberts — such a great guy,” said Tkachuk, who was not assessed a penalty on the play.

“It’s not good for the game when somebody like that is not in the game. It was very unfortunate and unlucky and such an accident and I feel terrible about it, but there’s really nothing that could have happened. I don’t feel good about it, but hope he’s okay.”

It’s understandable the coach was steamed following a 4-1 loss that may cost him two top players, but to suggest the split-second collision was targeted in some fashion is irresponsible and born purely out of frustration.

After being told of Maurice’s vitriolic comments, Flames coach Geoff Ward respectfully disagreed.

“What he’s saying, I didn’t see that,” said Ward.

“I just looked at the incident. To me it looked like Mark decided to turn up, Chucky was trying to turn with him and I think he lost his balance a little bit and I think he got caught in a compromised position.”

Scheifele immediately dropped to the ice after the collision, writhing in pain as Tkachuk turned to check on the fallen winger before gesturing to an irate Winnipeg bench he did nothing wrong.

That’s when Tkachuk decided he’d attempt to try ending the silliness immediately.

On the same ice at Rogers Place on which he did his part to end all the “turtle talk” surrounding his Battle of Alberta hijinks, he chose to shed the gloves on Blake Wheeler’s next shift.

He followed up a brief conversation with Scheifele’s linemate by happily donning the mitts with the six-foot-five captain, whom Tkachuk promptly dropped with a solid right hand after a few exchanges.

Slow down video of the hit and pick any angle you want, any suggestion Tkachuk had any intent to do anything but finish his check is pure folly.

Yet the debate is sure to continue, especially if Scheifele does not.

It wouldn’t be the last Jets star to depart the game, as Laine left midway through the third after receiving a crosscheck from Mark Giordano who the Finn had buried seconds earlier.

Although Jets winger Andrew Copp scored shortly after the Scheifele injury, the Flames rebounded from one of their typically slow starts to take over a game in which they had just one shot on goal the first 15 minutes.

As Laine filled in unsuccessfully on the top trio, the Flames got three special teams goals in the second, kick-started by a Johnny Gaudreau power play finish that ended his nine game playoff goalless streak.

Tobias Rieder’s shorthanded breakaway conversion midway through the second was followed by Mikael Backlund’s power play snipe, which was made possible by a Cody Eakin penalty drawn by Tkachuk.

Although on the ice for Andrew Mangiapane’s empty netter, Tkachuk was held off the scoresheet in a game that had his fingerprints all over it.

Without Scheifele the Jets power play was 0-for-7 with just five shots on goal — all turned aside by not-so-surprising Flames starter Cam Talbot.

The 33-year-old Talbot allowed a game-opening snipe by Andrew Copp shortly after the Tkachuk incident, but stood tall after that, stopping 17 shots.

The Flames took over in the second period in a game Rieder said the lads worked hard to create their own energy on the bench in the absence of fans.

No one created more energy than Tkachuk, creating a buzz that will reverberate through the NHL right through until Game 2 Monday afternoon.

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

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November 8, 2024

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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.

___

AP cricket:

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

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November 8, 2024

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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

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November 8, 2024

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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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