Sports

Saturday’s Canucks game against Senators postponed – The Province

Published

3 years ago

January 7, 2022

Saturday’s game at Rogers Arena was supposed to be played before a 50-per-cent capacity crowd, in line with current B.C. restrictions

Author of the article:

Patrick Johnston

The Vancouver Canucks’ game against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night at Rogers Arena has been postponed, it was announced Friday. Photo by DARRYL DYCK /THE CANADIAN PRESS files

The Vancouver Canucks, eager to return to the ice and get at least one game under their belts before a daunting five-game road trip against some of the National Hockey League’s best teams, had those hopes dashed Friday.

Saturday’s game against the 30th-overall place Ottawa Senators has been called off.

For the Canucks, on a nine-game unbeaten-in-regulation-time streak under new head coach Bruce Boudreau, it means they will have gone 10 days without playing a game when they open that trip in Sunrise, Fla., on Tuesday against the high-flying Florida Panthers, a top-three overall club.

Both the Canucks and Senators are healthy enough to play but the league is citing financial reasons — public health officials have restricted capacity at Rogers Arena to 50 per cent — as the reason why yet another game is being postponed.

Canucks winger Tanner Pearson said the decision to postpone another game was frustrating. A game against the New York Islanders scheduled for Wednesday was previously postponed, meaning the club’s last game came last Saturday in a 5-2 win over the host Seattle Kraken.

“It sucks, to be honest. Practise all week and then try to gear up for a game again and then that one gets postponed. And now … another five days until the next one,” he said.

“It’s a business, I think we all get that part. But yeah, when you’ve got a full, healthy squad here, it gets frustrating.”

Tanner Pearson of the Vancouver Canucks celebrates a goal by linemate Conor Garland (not in photo) during the third period of their last game, a 5-2 win over the host Seattle Kraken last Saturday. Photo by Steph Chambers /Getty Images

Captain Bo Horvat agreed with Pearson, but said the players weren’t angry, just frustrated.

“At the end of the day, we just want to play games,” Horvat said. “Obviously, we want to make sure everyone is healthy and safe and is feeling well enough to come and play. We’re just coming to the rink and doing our job. Trying to get better every day. It’s not up to us whether we play or not.”

As a frustrated Canucks captain Bo Horvat puts it, ‘It’s not up to us whether we play or not.’ Photo by Rich Lam /PNG

Saturday’s game at Rogers Arena was supposed to be played before a 50-per-cent capacity crowd, in line with current B.C. restrictions

“COVID-19 cases continue to increase at a rapid rate, and we all need to adjust and be flexible as the pandemic evolves,” Michael Doyle, president of business operations for Canucks Sports and Entertainment, said in a statement.

“We hoped to play (Saturday), but we are at an important point of the pandemic, and given the size of the event everyone involved believe this is the right decision. We thank everyone for their patience and understanding.”

NEXT GAME

Tuesday

Vancouver Canucks at Florida Panthers

4 p.m., PT. FLA Live Arena. TV: Sportsnet Pacific. Radio: Sportsnet 650.

A Canucks spokesperson told Postmedia the team consulted with the league and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry on the state of the pandemic in the province as part of the decision to postpone Saturday’s game: “We originally explored rescheduling this game back when the Jan. 5 game (vs. the Islanders) was postponed, but it wasn’t possible at the time due to complexity with the NHL’s schedule,” he said. “Ultimately everyone felt it was the right decision for the NHL to postpone (Saturday’s) game.”

The Vancouver Warriors, the National Lacrosse League team owned by Canucks Sports and Entertainment, are still playing a home game Friday night.

Boudreau said he shared his players’ frustrations.

“We’re not happy with it,” he said. “It is what it is, but we want to play.”

Head coach Bruce Boudreau (left, with assistant coach Scott Walker) says he shares his players’ frustration at not being able to play Saturday. Photo by Jeff Vinnick /PNG

This is the seventh postponement since Dec. 18 for the Canucks, who have played just three games in the last 21 days.

NHL players are no longer taking part in next month’s Winter Olympics, so the 15-day break in the schedule that was originally set to allow selected players to go to Beijing will now be used to reschedule the bulk of games that have been postponed for COVID-19 protocol pressures and crowd capacity restrictions.

“Somewhere, somehow, it’s all going to catch up with you,” Boudreau said, referring to the schedule pressure his team is likely to come under.

“We’re always concerned. We’re all impatient and we’d sure like to know what the schedule’s going to look like in February and beyond. Hopefully it’s not too difficult. A lot of the games we’re going to be missing are home games, so at least we’ll be home for them.”

The Senators were also scheduled to play in Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg in the next week, but the NHL also postponed next week’s game in Winnipeg, citing crowd-capacity restrictions. The Manitoba government isn’t allowing any fans in the stands at the Canada Life Centre, the Jets’ home arena.

Both Alberta games are being played with capacity restricted to 50 per cent.

The NHL said the games will be rescheduled to a future day “when such restrictions may be eased or lifted.”

The Senators were meant to open their road trip Thursday in Seattle, but that game was postponed earlier this week because Ottawa suddenly had nine players on the COVID-19 protocol list. Most of those players have since been cleared from the list.

From a scheduling perspective, having games in Vancouver and Seattle both postponed makes the logistics around another western road trip for the Senators easier to swallow.

The Canucks are scheduled to head to the U.S. for their five-game road trip that features games against the Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals and Nashville Predators.

The Senators have already had 11 games postponed this season, making Saturday’s the 12th. Only one of their games so far has been rescheduled.

Before the rash of postponements, Saturday’s game was meant to be the 40th of the season for Ottawa, the 41st of the year for the Canucks.

pjohnston@postmedia.com

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Jays reliever Green and Canadian slugger O’Neill nominated for comeback player award

Published

17 hours ago

October 21, 2024

Anne Joseph

NEW YORK – Toronto Blue Jays reliever Chad Green and Canadian slugger Tyler O’Neill of the Boston Red Sox were named finalists for the Major League Baseball Players’ Association’s American League comeback player award on Monday.

Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet was the other nominee.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. were named player of the year finalists.

The award winners, selected via player voting, will be named Saturday before Game 2 of the World Series.

Green, who missed most of the 2022 and ’23 seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery, was a high-leverage option for the Blue Jays this past season and filled in at closer over the second half of the campaign.

The right-hander converted his first 16 save opportunities and finished the year with a 4-6 record, 17 saves and a 3.21 earned-run average over 53 appearances.

O’Neill, a native of Burnaby, B.C., also endured back-to-back injury-plagued seasons in ’22 and ’23.

After being traded to the Red Sox in the off-season, O’Neill set an MLB record by hitting a homer in his fifth straight Opening Day. He finished with 31 homers on the year and had an OPS of .847.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.

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Sports

Panthers’ Reinhart named NHL first star after posting nine points over four games

Published

17 hours ago

October 21, 2024

Anne Joseph

NEW YORK – Florida Panthers centre Sam Reinhart was named NHL first star of the week on Monday after leading all players with nine points over four games last week.

Reinhart had four goals, five assists and a plus-seven rating to help the Stanley Cup champions post a 3-0-1 record on the week and move into first place in the Atlantic Division.

New York Rangers left-winger Artemi Panarin took the second star and Minnesota Wild goaltenderFilip Gustavsson was the third star.

Panarin had eight points (4-4) over three games.

Gustavsson became the 15th goalie in NHL history to score a goal and had a 1.00 goals-against average and .962 save percentage over a pair of victories.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.

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Browns QB Deshaun Watson’s season ended by ruptured Achilles tendon, team said he’ll have surgery

Published

17 hours ago

October 21, 2024

Anne Joseph

CLEVELAND (AP) — Deshaun Watson won’t finish the season as Cleveland’s starting quarterback for the second straight year.

He’s injured again, and the Browns have new problems.

Watson ruptured his right Achilles tendon in the first half of Sunday’s loss to Cincinnati, collapsing as he began to run and leading some Browns fans to cheer while the divisive QB laid on the ground writhing in pain.

The team feared Watson’s year was over and tests done Monday confirmed the rupture. The Browns said Watson will have surgery and miss the rest of the season but “a full recovery is expected.”

Watson was injured on a noncontact play in the second quarter of Cleveland’s 21-14 loss to the Bengals and carted off the field in tears.

It’s the second significant injury in two seasons for Watson, who broke the glenoid (socket) bone in his throwing shoulder last year after just six starts.

The 29-year-old went down Sunday without being touched on a draw play late in the first half. His right leg buckled and Watson crumpled to the turf. TV replays showed his calf rippling, consistent with an Achilles injury.

He immediately put his hands on his helmet, clearly aware of the severity of an injury similar to the one Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers sustained last year.

As he was being assisted by the team’s medical staff and backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson grabbed a ball to begin warming up, there was some derisive cheers and boos from the stands in Huntington Bank Field.

Cleveland fans have been split over Watson, who has been accused of being sexually inappropriate with women.

The reaction didn’t sit well with several Watson’s teammates, including star end Myles Garrett, the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, who was appalled by the fans’ behavior.

“We should be ashamed of ourselves as Browns and as fans to boo anyone and their downfall. To be season-altering, career-altering injury,” Garrett said. “Man’s not perfect. He doesn’t need to be. None of us are expected to be perfect. Can’t judge him for what he does off the field or on the field because I can’t throw stones for my glass house.

“Ultimately everyone’s human and they’re disappointed just like we are, but we have to be better than that as people. There’s levels to this. At the end of the day, it’s just a game and you don’t boo anybody being injured and you don’t celebrate anyone’s downfall.”

Backup quarterback Jameis Winston also admonished the uncomfortable celebration.

“I am very upset with the reaction to a man that has had the world against him for the past four years, and he put his body and life on the line for this city every single day,” he said. “The way I was raised, I will never pull on a man when he’s down, but I will be the person to lift him up.

“I know you love this game. When I first got here, I knew these were some amazing fans, but Deshaun was treated badly and now he has to overcome another obstacle. So I’m going to support him, I’m going to lift him up and I’m going to be there for him.”

The injury is yet another twist in Watson’s tumultuous time with the Browns.

Cleveland traded three first-round draft picks and five overall to Houston in 2022 to get him, with owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam approving the team giving Watson a fully guaranteed, five-year $230 million contract.

With a solid roster, the Browns were desperate to find a QB who could help them compete against the top AFC teams.

The Browns had moved on from Baker Mayfield despite drafting him No. 1 overall in 2018 and making the playoffs two seasons later.

But Watson has not played up to expectations — fans have been pushing for him to be benched this season — and Cleveland’s move to get him has been labeled an abject failure with the team still on the hook to pay him $46 million in each of the next two seasons.

Watson’s arrival in Cleveland also came amid accusations by more than two dozen women of sexual assault and harassment during massage therapy sessions while he played for the Texans. Two grand juries declined to indict him and he has settled civil lawsuits in all but one of the cases.

Watson was suspended by the NFL for his first 11 games and fined $5 million for violating the league’s personal conduct policy before he took his first snap with the Browns. The long layoff — he sat out the 2021 season in a contract dispute — led to struggles once he got on the field, and Watson made just six starts last season before hurting his shoulder.

Cleveland signed veteran Joe Flacco, who went 4-1 as a starter and led the Browns to the playoffs.

Before Watson got hurt this year, he didn’t play much better. He was one of the league’s lowest-rated passers for a Cleveland team that hasn’t scored 20 points in a game and is back in search of a franchise QB.

___

AP NFL:

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