Stanley Cup Final Game 7 Notebook: Oilers have entered historic territory By Sportsnet | Canada News Media
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Stanley Cup Final Game 7 Notebook: Oilers have entered historic territory By Sportsnet

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5 months ago

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SUNRISE, Fla. — Well, here we are. Game 7.

Every year the league labels a certain date with, “Last possible day of the Stanley Cup Final,” but only rarely do we observe that date as we will tonight.

Also observing is a plane-load of Oilers family — players’ parents, extended staff who don’t usually travel — flown in by the team to be in Florida for this game.

Flights, Canadian customs, hotels, tickets, last-minute requests … Can you imagine being the person in charge of all of those logistics, responsible for not letting any of those details slip through a crack?

So, on the day of the most important game this franchise has played in 18 years, a shout-out to the Oilers’ director of team services, Kaite Doyle, and her people. A day like this isn’t complete without having your family on hand, and Doyle et al have had that plane-load of responsibility.

Meanwhile, perhaps as many as 5,000 Oilers fans will be in the building Monday night. The scene, the magnitude of the game, a Canadian team, the way the Oilers got here, Connor McDavid…

Is this the biggest Game 7 of our generation? It just might be.

Keeping it routine

It takes a special effort to maintain a routine on a day like this.

But while the Florida Panthers likely want to change up their game-day routine after three straight losses — goalie Sergei Bobrovsky opted not to practise for the first time on Sunday — the Oilers are trying not to change a thing.

They’re telling themselves that this scenario is going to end the way all the other similar ones have ended this spring.

“It’s our sixth elimination game, so we’re used to being in this position,” said Oilers winger Zach Hyman. “It’s the first time we have the ability to win, which is an amazing opportunity. But all those games you’ve played as if it is a Game 7, because it’s your last game of the season.”

Only three other teams in NHL history have faced six or more elimination games in a run, and just one of those — the 2014 L.A. Kings — won the Cup.

‘Opportunity of a lifetime’: Oilers’ Holland on experiences in Game 7

No line changes

Less than half the team took the morning skate Monday morning, but no lineup changes are expected for Edmonton. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins — who stayed home from the rink on Sunday, feeling ill — was at Amerant Bank Arena for meetings Monday and is expected to play.

Here’s how Edmonton will line up:

Nugent-Hopkins-McDavid-Hyman
Foegele-Draisaitl-Holloway
Janmark-Henrique-Brown
McLeod-Ryan-Perry

Ekholm-Bouchard
Nurse-Broberg
Kulak-Ceci

Skinner

Viking Alberta

In the quarter century that Ken Holland has been an NHL general manager, Mattias Ekholm has become perhaps the best trade he ever made. The big Swede came from Nashville last season along with a sixth-round pick in exchange for Tyson Barrie, Reid Schaefer, a first- and a fourth-round draft pick.

We thought we knew how good a player and person Ekholm was from the covering Nashville Predators games over the years, but it turns out he is better than we thought. He is the perfect No. 2 defenceman for a young No. 1 like Evan Bouchard, fluent in two languages — and a better quote in English than 90 per cent of his Canadian teammates — and then we find out that the Ekholms love the thought of raising their kids in a winter city like Edmonton.

Oilers’ Ekholm started having Stanley Cup dreams through a video game

He’s six-foot-five and 225 pounds, a sound and able puck-mover, and he scored 11 goals this season and five more in these playoffs.

What more do you want? How about a guy who can laugh at himself, as he did on the podium before Game 7, when asked about his pre-series warning about being ready for Game 1.

“Well, funny enough, I thought my biggest lesson was, you can’t really dip your toe in the water because it’ll be over sooner than later. Sure enough, we didn’t do a great job of that,” he said of Edmonton’s 0-3 series deficit. “But here we are, Game 7, right?

“I remember somebody said before the playoffs: ‘Don’t script the playoffs. Don’t script your journey. Just try to live the moment. Just stay in the moment.’ If you’re thinking too much about stuff you can’t control it’s going to get out of your hands.”

Nobody saw coming what we will all witness tonight. Least of all anyone in an Oilers jersey.

“You never know how it’s going to turn out or how it’s going to end up,” Ekholm said. “You look back nine, 10 days — nobody thought we’d be here. But surely we are.”

Nuge is huge

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the longest serving Oilers player with 881 regular season games played and another 82 in the playoffs, was drafted first overall in the 2011 draft — exactly 13 years ago today.

Thirteen long years before his first chance to win a Stanley Cup.

“He’s been an Oiler for a long time, and he’s gone through some dark days as an Oiler and kind of come out the other side,” said captain Connor McDavid, whose own draft occurred in this very building in Sunrise back in 2015. “Now he’s a big reason why we have an opportunity to be in this position.”

Of course, every first-overall pick is supposed to turn into a franchise player. At age 31, Nugent-Hopkins may not quite be that, but you’ll be hard pressed to find a forward who does as many things at as high a level as he does.

He’s a first-line winger, a second-line centre, and a crucial part of both the NHL’s best penalty kill and top power play. Four seasons into an eight-year deal with an AAV of $5.125 million, RNH’s contract has aged as well as he has.

“He means a lot to our group. He means a lot to the people of the city of Edmonton,” McDavid said. “Obviously, he took a massive pay cut to stay there and be a part of the group. And he’s a big part of it.”

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

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November 8, 2024

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

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November 8, 2024

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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.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

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November 8, 2024

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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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