TSN Toronto Reporter Mark Masters reports on the Maple Leafs, who practised at the Ford Performance Centre on Monday.
The line of Joe Thornton, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner generated a couple goals on Saturday night and, even though it was just an intra-squad scrimmage, they all wore wide smiles during the group hugs. Following the game, Matthews and Marner, both 23-years-old, each posted a picture of the first celebratory moment as an Instagram story.
As for the 41-year-old Thornton?
“I don’t even think he has social media or barely knows anything about social media so it’s great in that aspect,” said Marner. “He’s just going to go out every day and be the same guy and joke around and me and [Matthews] are going to try and do the same. We’re not going to focus on outside noise.”
There was a lot of outside noise around Marner at the start of last season as negotiations on a new contract spilled into the start of training camp. The six-year deal worth more than $65 million got done, but the increased expectations and scrutiny seemed to weigh heavy on the 6-foot, 175-pound winger.
The Leafs are hoping Thornton’s influence will help the fun-loving Marner play loose and free.
“He keeps the focus on where it needs to be which is in the gym, in our meetings, on the practice ice and in games so that’s what Joe’s all about,” observed head coach Sheldon Keefe. “Joe’s got a great ability, even in the early going, just to know when it’s time to dig in and get the work done and, most importantly, stay focused and block out the noise and not get distracted by anything that’s outside your control.”
Thornton also appears poised to have a significant impact on how Marner plays. The Markham, Ont., native has consistently talked about the need to shoot more throughout his professional career. He’s averaged between 2.3 and 2.8 shots per game in four seasons with the Leafs.
“Just trying to get more of a mindset of being a shooter,” Marner said again on Monday. “I know I have it in me. I’ve shown it a lot of times so I know it’s inside. It’s just being that guy that can believe in it.”
Marner has tremendous vision and takes great pride in his ability to set up teammates. His charity is even called The Marner Assist Fund. But now he’ll have one of the greatest playmakers in National Hockey League history on his line. Thornton is seventh on the all-time assists list having recently passed Adam Oates.
“Playing with Joe is going to put more pucks on his stick in positions to shoot so I think that will help,” noted Keefe. “Also, he’ll be thinking about the fact Joe is a passer and then you need to have another shooter on the line.”
Marner potted a goal in Saturday’s intra-squad scrimmage with a beauty short-side snipe.
“We got Jumbo on our line, a guy who can really move the puck well and find open guys so my [outlook] is now to be an open guy and be ready to get it off my stick quickly,” Marner noted.
Keefe has also called on Marner to attack the net more this season.
“He needs to be of the mindset that he doesn’t always have to look for Auston,” said Keefe. “He’s a good player that can score himself and put a defence and goalies in bad spots and take advantage of it. We want him to have that mentality [of] producing more shots or getting to the net more and producing more goals or just simply drawing more penalties with the way he skates and the way he attacks and makes D nervous.”
Mitch Marner started last season under increased scrutiny thanks to a rich new contract that wasn’t signed until after training camp opened. The 23-year-old winger lamented the fact his hometown had been pretty hard on him during negotiations. Well, this season is starting off a lot differently. As Mark Masters reports, a new linemate is helping Marner deal with Jumbo expectations.
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Alex Kerfoot returned to practice for the first time since hurting his leg last Tuesday.
“I just fell into the boards,” he recalled. “It was a three-on-two rush and [Zach Hyman] put it to the net and I kind of lost balance a little bit and went into the boards awkwardly.”
Kerfoot slotted back in as the third-line centre skating between Ilya Mikheyev and Hyman. That new-look trio is expected to bring some defensive grit to Toronto’s stacked lineup.
“Really excited about it,” said Kerfoot. “You’ve seen Hyms and Micky a lot and they’re both good players and hard to play against. They’ve got a lot of speed, hound pucks and that’s really just our job is to be able to take maybe a few more defensive zone faceoffs, be able to be relied upon in those scenarios and prevent goals, but also be able to produce offensively.”
After bouncing between centre and wing in his first season in Toronto, Kerfoot should benefit from a more defined role. And he won’t be using the injury as an excuse for a slow start.
“In the grand scheme of things it wasn’t that long and I was able to skate the last couple days as well, so I feel good on the ice now,” the Harvard product said.
Pierre Engvall, who had filled in for Kerfoot the last week, was among the training camp cuts announced on Monday.
Kerfoot returns to practice; ready for new role
Alex Kerfoot said it felt good to return to practice after recovering from his injury, and along with linemates Ilya Mikheyev and Zach Hyman, is embracing the role of a tough line to play against in the defensive zone.
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Keefe emphasized conditioning during a short, but intense training camp.
“This was as hard a camp as I’ve had in my five years, especially the first two or three days, there was a lot of skating,” said left winger Jimmy Vesey. “It’s a little bit of a shock to the system to get back out there at such a high speed.”
Considering he hadn’t played since the Buffalo Sabres were eliminated in March, the 27-year-old was thrilled with how he handled his first week as a Leaf.
“I was really happy with how my body felt and with my conditioning, especially after I hadn’t played competitive hockey since March. I was really happy with how camp went. I felt good every day on the ice. In terms of our line, we’ve gotten better every day.”
That line includes John Tavares and William Nylander. It’s a plum assignment for a free-agent signee who produced just 20 points in 64 games last season. Vesey blames a timid start for derailing his season with the Sabres and he’s vowed to begin this year “with my hair on fire.” That may explain his harsh self-evaluation for Saturday’s scrimmage.
“I don’t think it was my best game,” he said despite seeing Tavares and Nylander score during the dress rehearsal at Scotiabank Arena. “I have more to give in a game setting like that … When we get going here on Wednesday we have to focus on the details in our neutral zone and D-zone structure and that will lead to more offence for us.”
The coaching staff has provided specific marching orders for Vesey, who is entering his fifth NHL season with his third team.
“My role on that line is when we don’t have the puck to disrupt the other team and get in on the forecheck and turn pucks over and then hold onto it until I get my linemates there for support. Sheldon emphasized that it’s not going to be about goals and points, it’s about doing some legwork on that line. For me, a successful season would be bouncing back after last year and proving I can play and complement top guys.”
Vesey, who stands 6-foot-3, 202 pounds, believes his style will fit well with the way Keefe wants the Leafs to play.
“It’s a really aggressive system,” he said. “I feel like I can pressure a lot of pucks and cause those turnovers that he wants me to. I’m still adjusting to it and when to go, when I can be very aggressive and when I should hold back a little bit. In the scrimmage settings so far, I have gotten in on the forecheck and caused a lot turnovers and it was nice [for our line] to get rewarded with two goals Saturday.”
Keefe sees a player who can provide something comparable to Andreas Johnsson, who was traded to the New Jersey Devils in the off-season.
“What I see from him is a guy who’s a really good complementary player,” the coach said. “[He] can move up and down the lineup and play on the power play, kill some penalties and play with good players. He can score in the league at even strength. He’s a big guy who gets around the ice well. He has a really good stick. It’s unbelievable how many times he gets a stick on a puck and creates a turnover. That’s a strength of his and just want to get him confident and feeling good. We also think he can contribute on the penalty kill by utilizing that good stick and instincts and speed.”
Vesey took reps with the third penalty kill forward group at practice on Monday. The top two units feature Marner with Hyman and then Kerfoot with Mikheyev. Matthews and Jason Spezza will also see time shorthanded with a focus on winning faceoffs.
Vesey believes he has more to give Maple Leafs
The line of John Tavares, Jimmey Vesey and William Nylander scored two goals in the team’s scrimmage Saturday, but Vesey believes he has more to give to the team, and is thankful for the words of encouragement from head coach Sheldon Keefe. Vesey has been impressed by Nylander’s speed and ability to make space for himself on the ice.
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After skating on the third defence pair with Zach Bogosian throughout training camp, Mikko Lehtonen was dropped to the fourth pair at Monday’s practice and the KHL import will start the season as a healthy scratch.
“We don’t want to rush him into a situation that he may not be adjusted to quite yet,” said Keefe. “We’re going to take our time with that.”
Lehtonen posted a pair of assists on Saturday night and showed positive flashes in the offensive zone, but admitted afterwards that it didn’t go as smoothly as hoped.
“I just have to sometimes give the puck away [to a teammate] and don’t force the game,” Lehtonen told reporters on Saturday night. “That’s the biggest thing. You don’t have that much time. I like to keep the puck, but sometimes you have to make a simple play.”
Unlike a traditional training camp, this one featured no exhibition games against other teams, which worked against the 26-year-old rookie.
“We’ll take a little step back with Mikko and give him more time to watch and get a feel for the league and then also more time to work on things in practice,” said Keefe. “We expect that he obviously will get in at some point and we hope he’s more prepared when that’s the case.”
Leafs Ice Chips: Dermott promoted to third D pairing
Travis Dermott has been promoted to the third defensive pair with Zach Bogosian, which has newcomer Mikko Lehtonen likely a healthy scratch for the season opener on Wednesday. Mark Masters has more.
Travis Dermott took Lehtonen’s spot beside Bogosian. The 24-year-old settled for a one-year extension in the off-season and is under pressure to prove he can be a reliable NHL regular. Keefe has been very clear about what he’s looking for from the Newmarket, Ont., native.
“I would really like to see Travis latch onto his strengths which, to me, are three really key areas,” Keefe said. “One, going back for the puck to start break outs. Then defensive zone puck pressure to create separations, get us out of our end that way. And then just his gap control in order to [stop opponents from getting] into our zone. Those are three areas I’d like to see him really excel at and if he focuses on those three then a lot of really positive things come into his game. Over time he can stack some other things on top of it, but focusing on that and being reliable in those areas are key.”
TSN’s Kristen Shilton has more on Toronto’s defence here
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The Leafs trimmed their roster to 26 on Monday. The following players were loaned to the Toronto Marlies or placed on waivers for the purposes of being sent down: Kenny Agostino, Joey Anderson, Justin Brazeau, Rourke Chartier, Engvall, Tyler Gaudet, Mac Hollowell, Michael Hutchinson, Teemu Kivihalme, Timothy Liljegren, Martin Marincin, Nic Petan, Calle Rosen and Scott Sabourin.
Notably not on that list is Aaron Dell, the team’s third-string goalie, who also wasn’t on the ice at practice.
“We don’t want three goalies at practice, but we got him some extra work with some of our extra guys to keep him sharp,” Keefe explained. “We’ve had some discussions about whether we utilize him at different times to back up in the early going. We’ll continue to discuss that. He’s a good goalie in the league and we like having the depth at the position and feel it’s important this season so that’s how we’re doing things to start.”
t was only a couple years ago that Toronto’s goalie depth was decimated when both Curtis McElhinney and Calvin Pickard were plucked off the waiver wire at the end of training camp.
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Lines at Leafs practice on Monday:
Forwards
Thornton – Matthews – Marner
Vesey – Tavares – Nylander
Mikheyev – Kerfoot – Hyman
Barabanov – Spezza – Simmonds
Robertson, Brooks, Boyd
Defencemen
Rielly – Brodie
Muzzin – Holl
Dermott – Bogosian
Lehtonen – Sandin (L)
Goaltenders
Andersen
Campbell
Special teams units at practice on Monday:
PP1
Rielly
Marner – Thornton – Matthews
Simmonds
PP2
Brodie
Nylander – Tavares – Spezza
Hyman
PK1
Hyman – Marner
Muzzin – Holl
PK2
Kerfoot – Mikheyev
Dermott – Bogosian
PK3
Vesey – Barabanov
Note: Matthews and Spezza also took reps with the PK
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.
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.
