Brendan Gallagher can certainly relate to what Canadiens teammate Kirby Dach is going through now.
The Canadiens announced Monday that Dach has “a significant” lower-body injury that’s not short-term and that they were still in the process of diagnosing just how significant it is.
Sportsnet’s Eric Engels reported it could be torn ACL and MCL ligaments in Dach’s right knee. Dach was injured while being checked into the boards by Chicago defenceman Jarred Tinordi — the Canadiens’ first-round pick (22nd overall) at the 2010 NHL Draft — during the first period of Saturday’s 3-2 win over the Blackhawks at the Bell Centre. If Dach did indeed tear both ligaments, his season could be over after only two games.
The AHL’s Laval Rocket also announced Monday that forward Emil Heineman, one of the Canadiens’ top prospects, is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury.
Gallagher missed 104 games over the previous four seasons because of injuries. Last season, he missed 45 games after breaking his ankle twice as the Canadiens set an NHL record with 751 man-games lost to injury. Now they lose the 22-year-old Dach — one of the key players in their rebuilding process.
After being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks, Dach set career highs last season in goals, assists and points with 14-24-38 totals in 58 games before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
“He was in here,” Gallagher said. “Like anyone, he was disappointed. But he’s here, he’s part of the team and he’s doing his thing. He’ll be here every day.”
Gallagher added that it will be important for Dach to stay around the team as much as possible.
“You start to feel isolated,” Gallagher said about recovering from a long-term injury. “The good thing is we have a lot of home games. He’ll be around. It’s just a tough thing to go through when you feel like you’re by yourself. Just stay involved as much as you can and we’ll make sure that we’ll help him with that.”
At age 31, Gallagher is trying to get his career back on track after a long list of injuries. He was on pace for a third straight 30-goal season in 2019-20 with 15 goals in 40 games before suffering a concussion, ending his streak of 229 consecutive games played.
Gallagher had no points in the first two games this season and his 10:10 of ice time against the Blackhawks Saturday was the second-lowest on the team after Dach, who played 4:40 before getting hurt.
Gallagher said he’s still adjusting to a different role on the team after being a first-line winger for several seasons with Phillip Danault and Tomas Tatar as linemates. Gallagher said he has had “really good dialogue” with head coach Martin St. Louis about where he fits on the team.
“The more internal competition you have the better team you’re going to have in the end,” Gallagher said. “You always want to find a line that sticks, but you also want to be a guy that they can plug and put in different situations.”
If Gallagher can’t regain some of his previous form and score at least 20 goals, his contract will weigh heavily on the salary cap and is something Canadiens fans will continually focus on. Gallagher has scored 29 goals combined over the previous three seasons while dealing with injuries.
“I’ve really never been one to play with a chip on my shoulder,” Gallagher said when asked if he feels like he has something to prove this season. “It’s not who I am. I feel internally I’ve always had a lot of belief in myself and the support system I have back home. I’m engaged, so with (fiancée) Emma and my family back home there’s enough people that supported you and believed in you along the way. I just feel confident that if I’m able to stay healthy — I feel great — throughout the course of the season everything will go back to what I’m used to doing in this league.
Part of Gallagher’s focus now will be on helping Dach.
“It’s frustrating,” he said about Dach’s injury. “I’ve been through that enough in my career that it’s never easy. So you try to help him out, just make him feel a part of the team as much as you can.”
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.
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.
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AP cricket:
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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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