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Toronto Maple Leafs
Morgan Rielly will be back in the lineup when the Maple Leafs host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, SN, BSSN).
The defenseman has missed the past four games with an upper-body injury sustained during a 2-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on March 24. He has 51 points (seven goals, 44 assists) in 65 games this season.
“I feel good,” Rielly said Tuesday. “It’s just day by day right now so we will see for tomorrow. But I feel good. It’s nothing major, nothing I really want to get into. It’s just about making sure you’re right for playoffs.”
Rielly was paired with Ilya Lyubushkin at the morning skate Wednesday.
Forward Mitch Marner likely will return this weekend; he has missed 11 games with a high ankle sprain. Marner has 76 points (25 goals, 51 assists) in 62 games.
“I haven’t had a chance to discuss with him here yet since he’s come off the ice, but with him we are just going to feel it out and talk to him and likely make it more of a target for the weekend,” Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said.
Toronto (43-22-9) can clinch a Stanley Cup Playoff berth with one point Wednesday. — Dave McCarthy
Vegas Golden Knights
Tomas Hertl could make his Golden Knights debut against the Arizona Coyotes on Friday.
The 30-year-old forward, who has been skating on his own, hasn’t played since Jan. 27 and opted to have surgery to clean out loose cartilage in his left knee Feb. 12. He said March 11 he was hoping to be back on the ice with Vegas in two weeks.
Hertl practiced in a regular white jersey with the Golden Knights for the first time Tuesday but did not play in a 6-3 win against the Vancouver Canucks.
“I don’t know the answer (when he will play),” Cassidy said. “I’m not saying no (to Friday) because he’s full. If he’s not playing, I don’t know if he’ll travel or if they want him to go. Again full contact. The next step is playing, so I’ve not ruled him out for Friday or putting him in, but he’s progressing.”
The Golden Knights (42-25-8) are third in the Pacific Division, five points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings.
“It’s important for [Hertl] to get around his teammates and that type of environment,” Cassidy said after practice Monday. “He’s been skating on his own here a little bit while we were away. I think it’s great for him to start interacting, see what it looks like, how we practice. … This is good for him, and obviously he’s getting closer.”
Hertl, who sustained the injury with the San Jose Sharks, was acquired by Vegas prior to the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline on March 8 for forward David Edstrom and a first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. The Golden Knights also received a third-round pick in the 2025 and 2027 NHL Draft in the deal.
Hertl, who has 34 points (15 goals, 19 assists) in 48 games this season, has six seasons remaining on an eight-year contract he signed with San Jose on March 16, 2022. He had to waive his no-movement clause in order to be acquired by Vegas. — Paul Delos Santos
Winnipeg Jets
Nino Niederreiter will miss roughly one week after sustaining a deep cut on his lower leg.
The forward left the game in the third period in a 4-3 win against the Kings on Monday.
“It’s a pretty deep gash, and it could have been a lot worse had it gone any deeper,” Jets coach Rick Bowness said after practice Wednesday. “Those (Kevlar) socks probably saved him. The blades are so sharp out there today. I think every player should be wearing those, and the wristbands as well.”
Niederreiter has 33 points (18 goals, 15 assists) in 75 games this season.
Winnipeg (45-24-6), which is third in the Central Division, completes a five-game homestand against the Calgary Flames on Thursday.
Forward Tyler Toffoli, who missed the game Monday with an illness, will take Niederreiter’s spot on the third line alongside Adam Lowry and Mason Appleton.
“[Toffoli] has played a lot of left wing and he’s got 30 goals, [so] let’s see what it looks like,” Bowness said. — Darrin Bauming
Dallas Stars
Chris Tanev is expected to play when the Stars host the Edmonton Oilers at American Airlines Center on Wednesday (9:30 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SNW, SN360).
The defenseman appeared to sustain a significant injury in a collision into the boards on a hit by Seattle Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson in the third period of a 3-0 win Saturday.
“It was an awkward hit. Weird motion going into the boards like that,” Tanev said after practice Tuesday. “Good to be out there today and take it day by day. If you can get out there and play and help the team, then you’re going to do that.”
Tanev has a goal and an assist in 12 games with Dallas since being acquired in a three-way trade with the Flames and New Jersey Devils on Feb. 28.
“You listen to the guys in Calgary when he was playing there, and everyone admired his courage and his durability. His willingness to play through pain and block shots and do whatever it took,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “Most guys wouldn’t have come back in that game. Not only did he come back, he came back and played. Most guys wouldn’t be out here at practice today, and he’s out here at practice and he’s the first guy on and the last guy off. That’s great leadership.”
Dallas (47-19-9) is first in the Central, three points ahead of the Colorado Avalanche. — Taylor Baird
Minnesota Wild
Marcus Foligno will miss the remainder of the regular season for the Wild after undergoing core muscle surgery Tuesday.
The 32-year-old forward, who had not played since March 23, is expected to be ready for the start of training camp in September.
Foligno had 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 55 games this season for Minnesota (36-29-9), which is six points behind the Kings for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference.
Washington Capitals
T.J. Oshie did not participate in an optional practice Wednesday after missing a 6-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday because of an upper-body injury.
Capitals coach Spencer Carbery did not have an update on the forward, who has 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in 47 games. Oshie played 19:07 in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday.
Rasmus Sandin played after he was a late scratch Saturday with a lower-body injury.
The defenseman has 23 points (three goals, 20 assists) in 65 games and is second on the team with an average ice time of 21:19, behind defenseman John Carlson (25:43). — Heather Engel
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.
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.
