The Vancouver Canucks gave a very personal thank you to a keen-eyed Kraken fan before Saturday’s game in Seattle.
When the 32nd franchise in the NHL played their first home game in the Emerald City last fall, the best save for the Canucks may have been off the ice.
“She’s a hero, she and her persistence,” said Canucks’ assistant equipment manager Brian ‘Red’ Hamilton.
More than two months after the Oct. 23, 2021 game, the team tweeted an open letter from Hamilton, hoping the hockey community could help him find the very special person who sat behind the Canucks’ bench at the Seattle home opener.
“The message you showed me on your cell phone will forever be etched into my brain and has made a true life-changing difference for me and my family,” Hamilton’s post stated.
During a Saturday Zoom call with media, Hamilton explained what the fan managed to notice – and subsequently alert him to during the chaos of the game.
“I’m walking off the bench and she put her phone up to the glass,” recalled Hamilton.
“On the phone it said, ‘the mole on the back of your neck is cancer’, and it threw me off.”
Seattle Kraken fan Nadia Popovici poses for a photo before an NHL hockey game between the Kraken and the Vancouver Canucks, Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022, in Seattle. Popovici is showing the text of a message she showed to Canucks assistant equipment manager Brian “Red” Hamilton on Oct. 23, 2021, as she sat behind the Canucks’ bench during the Kraken’s home-opener hockey game. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren).
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The story was shared widely on social media and soon the mother of future medical Seattle student Nadia Popovici proudly identified her daughter as the Kraken fan.
“This is absolutely amazing!”, wrote Yukyung Nelson in a Facebook post.
“She just got accepted to multiple medical schools.”
Popovici said she was seated behind Hamilton for the entire game and since he had his back to her, she was able to get a good look at the mark on his neck.
“The mole just kind of caught my eye, and I immediately noticed that it had all the hallmarks of a melanoma – it had an irregular border, it was pretty large in diameter and kind of discoloured,” she recalled.
“If that was my Dad, I would want someone to say something and so I kind of caught him in a semi-private moment.”
Hamilton said he felt bad for seemingly shrugging Popovici off as he walked away from the bench.
“I felt like I didn’t really give her the time of day,” he told Global News.
“I got scared right off the hop and in the back of my mind I knew she was right.”
Hamilton sought medical advice from the team and a doctor confirmed Popovici’s instincts – the mole was a malignant melanoma.
“The words out of the doctor’s mouth were if I ignore that for four to five years, I wouldn’t be here,” said Hamilton.
Thanks to early detection, and the quick work of doctors, his cancer is gone.
Nadia Popovici meeting Brian ‘Red’ Hamilton before the Kraken faced the Canucks in Seattle Sat. Jan. 1.
Nadia Popovici
“Me and my Mom have been just in tears,” Popovici told Global News Saturday.
“Because it’s such a rare and special thing that this happens, and you actually get to get some resolve.”
The internet community helped us find Brian’s hero, Nadia, and tonight they met in person where he got to express his sincerest thank you to her for saving his life.
Popovici said she was initially nervous about sharing her gut diagnosis with Hamilton, but is glad she did.
After the internet found her, Popovici and Hamilton met in person on Saturday – and he was able to express his gratitude to her at Climate Pledge Arena.
The Canucks also teamed up with the Kraken to award Popovici a $10,000 scholarship towards medical school.
Together with the @SeattleKraken, we awarded Nadia Popovici a $10,000 scholarship for medical school as a show of our appreciation ???? pic.twitter.com/VgK8aMgJTA
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.
