Sports

NHL All-Star Game will be special for St. Louis, Jon Hamm says – NHL.com

Published

5 years ago

January 24, 2020

Having the NHL All-Star Game here in St. Louis is going to be exciting, and everybody who will show up will have a good time.

When St. Louis hosted the Winter Classic at Busch Stadium on Jan. 2, 2017, it was so much fun. It was the Blues against the Chicago Blackhawks and it ended up being a hazy, kind of rainy day, but it was a great game and the energy in the city was just so exciting. It’s fun when that happens, when everyone can get united around a singular event like that, and I think the All-Star Game at Enterprise Center on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, SN, TVAS) will be the same way.

When I was growing up in St. Louis, the Blues’ old arena was right off Highway 40 and the marquee would show what was in the arena that night. Maybe it was the Blues, maybe it was the Harlem Globetrotters, maybe a tractor pull. You just never knew what was going to be there.

[RELATED: Complete NHL All-Star Weekend Coverage]

My dad was a spur-of-the-moment guy, and he worked off Highway 40. Every now and again I’d get dropped off at his office after school, we’d drive home together, and he’d just say, “Want to go to a hockey game? Blues are in town, 7 o’clock start.” And I’d say, “Yeah, let’s go.” He would go and walk up to the box office and charm his way into some pretty good seats. I just remember it being so loud and smoky, but it was always fun.

It was a sport that I didn’t play, that I didn’t have enough money for, or access to ice. I lived in North County, so we didn’t really have a rink near us. I could skate but not really well, and I just never had the access to coaching or any of that. But I really liked it because it was so unique. It was a sport that was fascinating because it wasn’t played with a ball, you had to skate. Everybody can run and everyone can throw. But you have to learn how to skate. That’s a whole skill set that most people don’t have. So it was fascinating to watch.

With the Blues, it was like the Chicago Cubs: They got close enough on more than a few occasions before they finally won. We’ve had such good teams over the years with Brett Hull and Adam Oates and that whole squad with Curtis Joseph between the pipes and with Wayne Gretzky and that whole team.

We just felt snake-bit. It just seemed like every year something would go wrong or somebody would get hurt or something would happen at an inopportune time. It always seemed to happen to the Blues. And then for the absolute opposite narrative to carry through last season: the incredible resurgence and remarkable resiliency of that team. They were just so relentless, and they would never get down on themselves when they would lose. They would just bounce right back.

It was so impressive to watch, and it was so impressive to watch how they gelled as a team under Alex Pietrangelo‘s captaincy, with Jordan Binnington between the pipes, with Jake Allen backing him up, with guys who had been on the team for a long time, like Alex Steen and Colton Parayko. All those guys, you just saw them all stepping up. Vladimir Tarasenko had a hell of a playoff, Brayden Schenn had a hell of a playoff, Jaden Schwartz, all those guys. And Ivan Barbashev and Oskar Sundqvist. Everybody contributed from top to bottom, and it just felt like, “Oh, this is definitely going to be our year. We’re not going to lose.” Then going to Boston’s home ice and to just thoroughly dominate them was impressive.

Video: Jon Hamm, Wayne Gretzky talk about their friendship

I’ve been around St. Louis for a couple of World Series wins for the Cardinals and I’ve been around St. Louis for a lot of exciting things, but the Cup win was pretty unique. I never really saw just how excited everybody was about one thing, and it was one of those things where people would stop and talk to a stranger on the street, or to the barista behind the coffee bar or whoever, like, “What did you think of that? That was great, right?” Everyone had an opinion, everyone was smiling, and everybody was happy. It really felt like a nice, unifying moment for the city.

I don’t think the Blues will ever eclipse the Cardinals as the No. 1 draw in St. Louis. There’s too much history and too much pageantry and what-have-you about the Cardinals. But I do think that we have a pretty solid nucleus of pretty ravenous fans, and that goes across all racial and ethnic and where’d-you-go-to-high-school boundaries. If you’re a Blues fan, you’re a Blues fan and it’s pretty recognizable.

I had the good fortune to go, during one of the games during the Stanley Cup run, out in the parking lot and met up with some friends of mine. I just saw so many people out there tailgating and partying and getting ready, hosting their high school or college or whatever their little booster groups are. It was pretty cool, and it was great to see. That energy in the city was like no other.

The All-Star Game is a chance to showcase what a nice city we have and obviously, with this event, you get people from around the world. So, we’ll have our friends from Canada and Sweden and Russia and Finland and everywhere else. Australia, maybe? Maybe we’ll get a few [Nathan] Walker Aussie Rangers in town. That part of it is fun.

I hope people take advantage of our weird pizza and our weird food traditions and everything else. That’s what it’s all about. It’s learning about a new place and hopefully making some friends and seeing some great hockey. I’m looking forward to being there, and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone else there, too.

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Sports

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

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

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.

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AP cricket:

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Sports

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

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

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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Sports

Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

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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