The Ottawa Senators’ No. 2 centre made his season debut Wednesday night in a 6-1 victory over the Washington Capitals at the Canadian Tire Centre.
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Ottawa Senators’ Josh Norris makes season debut against Washington Capitals
His presence gives the club some much-needed depth in the middle of the ice. The Senators had also been without unsigned restricted free agent centre Shane Pinto through the first three games of the season, and there is no timeline on when that situation might be settled.
All we’ve talked about since last season ended is that it’s paramount for the Senators to get off to a good start. General manager Pierre Dorion and coach D.J. Smith had no illusions about the fact coming into the year, but there was no sense that Norris would miss any time at all.
Norris was given a third-line role, but didn’t exactly ease his way into this. He scored twice in the first 40 minutes, including his first of the season on the power play to open the scoring in the first.
“Josh is a big part of that room and he’s grown with these guys right from a young age,” Smith said Wednesday before facing the Caps. “A lot of them are best friends in there. Guys are pulling for him. It’s going to be emotional for him to get back out there.
“I can tell you that it’s been agonizing him wanting to play and just the setbacks he’s had here or there. It will give our guys a boost. At the end of the day, you’ve just got to play the game you’ve been playing and do your job.”
Teams can’t just key on shutting down the line of Tim Stutzle, captain Brady Tkachuk and alternate Claude Giroux. Norris is a talented offensive player who can make things happen. I’ve started calling his one-timer from the circle a shot from “his office” because he has had success.
Norris originally suffered a shoulder ailment while taking a faceoff against the Arizona Coyotes Oct. 22, 2022. He opted to see three specialists, including one who did a procedure on his shoulder after an injury at 2019 IIHF world junior championships, and in the end decided to go the rehabilitation route.
He has only played eight games the past calendar year and missed 16 games during the 2021-22 campaign because of a shoulder issue. He scored 35 goals and 55 points in 66 games that year, which earned him an eight-year contract extension worth $7.95 million per season.
Norris’ teammates are happy for him because they know how hard he’s worked to get to this point. Being injured means a lot of time spent working alone to get back to being healthy and capable of playing.
“To go through, what he went through last year, he learned a lot about himself and he’s excited to show everybody who he is again.”
Smith said the game against the Caps was on the radar screen for the last week and this date had been circled.
“He was ready a while ago and between the doctors they weren’t 100 per cent that he could go,” Smith said. “A while ago it was (decided) that at worst-case Washington would be the date or maybe a little sooner. But Washington was the date he felt he’d enough practices to go.
“There was some thought he would play one of the games on the weekend, but it didn’t happen.”
Patience had to be a virtue for Norris.
“Good for him. I’d be freaking out and losing my mind,” Tkachuk said. “He’s just so good in that aspect of being good mentally so that he can recover and he’s got a good family to lean on.
“He’s just been taking it one day at a time. He does whatever he can to make it better and it’s a longer process than he hoped but he stuck with it and he’s feeling great. He’s fired up to be out there and so are we having him back.”
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Vancouver Canucks winger Dakota Joshua is set to make his season debut Thursday after missing time for cancer treatment.
Head coach Rick Tocchet says Joshua will slot into the lineup Thursday when Vancouver (8-3-3) hosts the New York Islanders.
The 28-year-old from Dearborn, Mich., was diagnosed with testicular cancer this summer and underwent surgery in early September.
He spoke earlier this month about his recovery, saying it had been “very hard to go through” and that he was thankful for support from his friends, family, teammates and fans.
“That was a scary time but I am very thankful and just happy to be in this position still and be able to go out there and play,,” Joshua said following Thursday’s morning skate.
The cancer diagnosis followed a career season where Joshua contributed 18 goals and 14 assists across 63 regular-season games, then added four goals and four assists in the playoffs.
Now, he’s ready to focus on contributing again.
“I expect to be good, I don’t expect a grace period. I’ve been putting the work in so I expect to come out there and make an impact as soon as possible,” he said.
“I don’t know if it’s going to be perfect right from the get-go, but it’s about putting your best foot forward and working your way to a point of perfection.”
The six-foot-three, 206-pound Joshua signed a four-year, US$13-million contract extension at the end of June.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Sports
Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere
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:
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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