The Hockey Hall of Fame welcomed its newest class on Monday night in Toronto, which means it’s time to start speculating on next year’s immortals.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there wasn’t a 2021 class for the Hall. That means players like Henrik and Daniel Sedin carry over to the Class of 2022 for consideration, which certainly complicates things for next year’s eligibility newbies and the 18-person selection committee.
Here’s our current ranking of eligible player candidates for the Class of 2022. Keep in mind that for players, the class can feature a maximum of four male and two female honorees:
1. Caroline Ouellette, forward (first year)
The only absolute lock for the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2022. The forward is one of only five athletes to win a gold medal in four consecutive Winter Olympics, helping the Canadian women to the top of the podium in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014, along with Olympic silver in 1998. She won six gold medals in the IIHF women’s world championships. Ouellette had a 2.36 points-per-game average in 97 games with University of Minnesota-Duluth.
She also won the 2009 Clarkson Cup with the Montreal Stars, becoming only one of three players to win the Cup, Olympic gold and worlds gold. The other two are Hayley Wickenheiser and Jayna Hefford. Guess where they’re currently enshrined.
The acceptable cop-out here would have been to make the Sedins tied for second overall. But it’s a demonstrable fact that Henrik is the better Sedin. He had more points (1,070) although they had the same career points-per-game average (0.80). He was the better defensive player of the two. Critically, he won the 2009-10 Hart Trophy as league MVP for posting a 112-point season when Daniel Sedin was limited to 63 games due to injury.
Henrik was third in scoring among centers during his 17-year NHL career, behind only Joe Thornton and Sidney Crosby, two Hall of Fame locks if they were eligible today. The most hilarious outcome for next year’s Hall of Fame class would be for former Canucks GM Brian Burke to nominate Henrik Sedin, while no one else nominates Daniel Sedin, and only one twin gets in on the first ballot. But that’s not likely to happen because …
… if Henrik Sedin is a Hall of Famer, Daniel Sedin probably is, too. The winger had 1,041 points in 1,306 games. He was the goal-scorer in this remarkable tandem, although his 393 goals ranked him only fourth among left wings during his career — in fact, he trailed fellow first-time eligible player Rick Nash in that category. Daniel won his scoring title in 2010-11 with 104 points and captured the Pearson as the NHLPA player of the year, but he was second in the MVP voting to Corey Perry.
The Sedins were such a sensational novelty as a duo — not only in hockey history, but in pro sports history — that they should rightfully be enshrined together. Heck, they should be on the same plaque, even though Henrik Sedin once told us that “we’d have separate [ones], for sure.”
The momentum continues to build behind Mogilny’s candidacy as he lingers on the ballot much longer than his remarkable career should have warranted.
He’s 54th all-time in goals scored (473), 53rd in adjusted goals and 36th in goals-per-game average (0.478). He had a 1.04 points-per-game average — good for 42nd all time — playing the majority of his career in the defensive-trap era. A Triple Gold Club member, Mogilny was an important part of hockey history as the first Soviet defection to the NHL.
Luongo has the numbers for the Hall of Fame: 1,044 games played, second all time; 489 wins, good for fourth all time, having played on significantly less successful teams than Martin Brodeur (691), Patrick Roy (551) and Marc-Andre Fleury (495) ahead of him; and a .919 career save percentage and 77 shutouts, both ninth best all time. He backstopped Canada to Olympic gold in 2010, and was a member of two IIHF world championship teams.
The only thing he doesn’t have is a Vezina Trophy, having been a finalist three times. The closest he came to winning was 2006-07, when he finished second to Brodeur (and second for MVP honors to Sidney Crosby). A well-liked, star player and potentially a great Canucks-centric complement to the Sedins in this class. But only six goalies have gotten in the Hall since 2003; is Luongo a first-ballot guy?
Gonchar had the misfortune of not being Nicklas Lidstrom. The Detroit Red Wings Hall of Famer — considered one of the best defensemen in hockey history — is the only defenseman who amassed more goals (236) and points (985) than Gonchar did (220 goals, 811 points) from 1994-95 to 2014-15, which was the span of the Russian defenseman’s career.
Gonchar is 17th all time in career points by a defenseman, and the names in front of him are all in the Hall save for Gary Suter (14th). He won the Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 2009 and finished in the top five for the Norris Trophy four times.
The former Senators captain could be part of a Swedish invasion with the Sedins in 2022, or he could continue to inch closer to being in “The Hall of Very Good” instead. His 444 goals are 64th all time and his 1,157 points are 54th. He won the Calder Trophy in 1995-96 and won Olympic gold along with the Sedins in 2006, plus a silver in 2014. But he never won another individual award or the Stanley Cup.
Jarome Iginla was enshrined for being a great player and an even better ambassador for the game. Alfredsson fits that description, too.
8. Jennifer Botterill, forward (eighth year)
Botterill helped Team Canada win Olympic gold in 2002, 2006 and 2010 and won five IIHF world championships, capturing MVP in that tournament twice. But it was her dominance in the NCAA that sets her apart. Playing with Harvard, she amassed 319 points in 113 games, scoring at least a point in all but one of her college games. She was the first player to win the Patty Kazmaier award twice as the top player in U.S. women’s college hockey. Botterill also had 155 points in 78 CWHL games.
She’s a player who could be in already, and whose profile has only grown due to her work in the Canadian media. But the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee has enshrined only two women’s players in the same year once: Cammi Granato and Angela James, in the Class of 2010.
Tkachuk amassed 538 goals (32nd all time) and 1,065 points in 1,201 games over his 18-season career. He led the league in goals once (1996-97) but was otherwise a model of consistency. Unfortunately for Tkachuk, it was a solid but unspectacular career, never winning an individual award or a Stanley Cup — although he won World Cup gold in 1996 and Olympic silver in 2002.
But here’s the thing: Every player ahead of him on the goals list who’s eligible to be in the Hall of Fame is, in fact, a Hall of Famer. Theory: The success of Matthew and Brady Tkachuk have helped keep their dad on the immortality radar.
Zetterberg finished his career with 960 points in 1,082 games, including 337 goals. A great two-way forward, he never won a Selke Trophy and was nominated only once. He was second for the Calder in 2002-03 as well. His greatest individual accomplishment was winning the Conn Smythe in the Red Wings’ 2008 Stanley Cup win. That ring earned him Triple Gold Club status, along with championships in the 2006 Olympics and the 2006 world championships with Sweden.
One could argue his former teammate Pavel Datsyuk has a stronger case. One could also argue that Guy Carbonneau’s enshrinement swung the door open for the former Red Wings captain.
One interesting candidate in her first year of eligibility: Former Team USA star Meghan Duggan, who captained the Americans’ 2018 PyeongChang gold-medal team.
As for the builders category, the candidates include Herb Carnegie, a pioneering Black player; innovative goalie coach Francois Allaire and former Michigan coach Red Berenson.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Lamar Jackson threw for 281 yards and five touchdowns, helping the Baltimore Ravens overcome an early double-digit deficit and extend their National Football League winning streak to five games with a 41-31 victory Monday night over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who lost their top two receivers to injuries.
The two-time NFL MVP improved to 23-1 against NFC teams, the best mark by a quarterback against an opposing conference in NFL history. He’s 3-0 against the Bucs (4-3), who faded after taking a 10-0 lead with help from the 100th TD reception of Mike Evans’ career.
Evans departed with a hamstring injury after Baker Mayfield tried to connect with him in the end zone again, and late in the fourth quarter with the game out of reach, leading Bucs receiver Chris Godwin was carted off the field with a left ankle injury. ESPN declined to show replays of Godwin’s injury, which appeared to be severe.
Jackson completed 17 of 22 passes without an interception, including TD throws of nine and four yards to Mark Andrews. He also tossed scoring passes of 49 yards to Rashod Bateman, 18 yards to Justice Hill and 11 yards to Derrick Henry, who rushed for 169 yards on 15 carries. Bateman had four catches for 121 yards.
The Ravens (5-2) rebounded from a slow start on defence, with cornerback Marlon Humphrey turning the game around with a pair of second-quarter interceptions — one of them in the Baltimore end zone. Jackson led a four-play, 80-yard TD drive after the first pick, and the second interception set up Justin Tucker’s 28-yard field goal for a 17-10 halftime lead.
Elsewhere in the NFL:
—
CARDINALS 17 CHARGERS 15
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Kyler Murray ran for a 44-yard touchdown and led the Cardinals on a drive that set up Chad Ryland’s 32-yard field goal as time expired, and Arizona rallied for a win over Los Angeles.
Cameron Dicker kicked his fifth field goal of the night — this one from 40 yards — to give the Chargers a 15-14 lead with 1:54 left. But the Cardinals (3-4) quickly moved into field goal range, aided by an unnecessary roughness call on Cam Hart that cost Los Angeles (3-3) 15 yards.
Arizona followed that with a bruising 33-yard run by James Conner, who finished with 101 yards on the ground. That eventually set up Ryland’s short field goal and a Cardinals celebration.
It was a frustrating night for the Chargers’ offence, which gained 395 yards but couldn’t find the end zone. Justin Herbert completed 27 of 39 passes for 349 yards.
Dicker booted field goals of 59, 50, 28, 47 and 40 yards, the first of which tied a franchise record for distance.
Murray ran for a spectacular touchdown early in the fourth quarter, rolling to his left before turning on the jets, beating safety Junior Colston to the sideline and then coasting into the end zone for a 14-9 lead.
It was Murray’s second long touchdown run in three weeks after he scored on a 50-yard sprint against San Francisco. It was also Murray’s 20th career game with a touchdown pass and run.
Murray completed 14 of 26 passes for 145 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Whitecaps have been here before — literally and figuratively.
With the season hanging in the balance, the ‘Caps were dealt a blow last week when the club learned it wouldn’t be able to play a post-season wild-card game in its home stadium, B.C. Place, due to a scheduling conflict.
The Whitecaps ceded home field advantage to their regional rival, the Portland Timbers. The two clubs will battle for the final playoff spot in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference in Oregon on Wednesday.
The winner will face No. 1-seed Los Angeles FC in a best-of-three first-round series, starting Sunday.
An unforeseen hurdle like a change of venues is nothing new for the ‘Caps, said defender Ranko Veselinovic, who was part of the team that was forced to relocate first to Portland, then Utah during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It feels that always something happens for us, but it is what it is. So far, we’ve managed to always find solutions for those situations,” said the Serbian centre back. “But I hope this team can find it one more time, because we need it this time. And it will be a really nice feeling in those circumstances to go in, win and go face L.A. in the next round.”
Vancouver (13-13-8) heads into the post-season winless in its last seven MLS games and with losses in four straight after dropping a 2-1 road decision to Real Salt Lake on Saturday.
The skid followed a run that saw the club go 4-1-3 across all competitions between late August and late September.
There’s just one way to return to that level, said Whitecaps head coach Vanni Sartini.
“The work is the only way to do it. Try to put the work in and try to put the team in a way that they’re going to regain the form and the way that they were in the past,” he said.
Despite the final score, Sartini has seen positives in the way his team played in its two most recent losses.
“I think already we turned the corner,” he said. “And we start from there to build and build and build.”
Facing challenges together can help a team build, whether it’s a winless skid or an unexpected hurdle, said Vancouver’s captain Ryan Gauld.
“When you’re going through adversity, that’s when people start to raise their voice a little bit. You get good when the problems arise, you get a lot of people coming together to make sure we get out of it,” said the Scottish attacking midfielder.
“And we’ve had a tough time the last few games, but everyone’s aware of the fact that we’re a much better team than we’ve shown, and we need to find a way to get back to doing what we’re good at.”
The ‘Caps face a familiar foe in the Timbers (12-11-11).
The two sides have already met three times this season, with each coming out of the series with a win, a loss and a draw.
Portland has also struggled in recent weeks and are winless in their last five MLS outings (0-1-4).
The Timbers boast one of the league’s top offensive units, though, with threats such as Evander. The Brazilian midfielder notched 15 goals and 19 assists during the regular season.
To earn a win on Wednesday, the Whitecaps must be solid defensively, Gauld said.
“They must be one of the best attacks in the league. They have a lot of good players, and they can hurt you if you switch off,” he said. “So just being concentrated from the first whistle, and just being hard to beat, being stuffy. Just being on it for the full 90 minutes.”
A victory in the wild-card match would guarantee Vancouver at least one home playoff game, a factor that Sartini said would be a big reward for his group.
The entire team relished the experience of playing post-season soccer in front of more than 30,000 fans last year, the coach said, and the desire to repeat the feat is high as the club heads to Portland.
“Everyone is happy to be in the playoffs. So we don’t have to be moody to be in the playoff. And we go in there, we’re play one of our rivals. So it’s gonna be a nice game to show up and to play our best game possible.”
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (13-13-8) AT PORTLAND TIMBERS (12-11-11)
Wednesday, Providence Park
HISTORY BOOKS: This will mark the seventh all-time post-season meeting between the Timbers and ‘Caps, dating back to 1975. The last time the two clubs squared off in a playoff game was during the Western Conference semifinal in 2015. Portland won the two-game aggregate series and went on to hoist the MLS Cup.
ROAD WARRIORS: The ‘Caps boasted a 7-6-4 record on the road during regular-season play — better than the 6-7-4 showing they posted at B.C. Place.
POST-SEASON PARTY: Wednesday will mark the first time the Timbers have hosted a post-season game since 2021.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2024.
GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Scotland conceived rugby sevens in the 1880s yet it will not feature in the scaled-back 2026 Commonwealth Games hosted by Glasgow.
Other sports that have also been dropped include field hockey, triathlon, badminton, Twenty20 cricket, squash, and diving.
The Games will have a 10-sport program in four venues. Athletics and swimming are compulsory while there will also be track cycling, gymnastics, netball, weightlifting, boxing, judo, bowls and 3×3 basketball.
There will also be integrated para events in six of those sports: Athletics, swimming, track cycling, weightlifting, bowls and basketball.
The Games will take place from July 23-Aug. 2 after Glasgow stepped in when the Australian state of Victoria withdrew last year because of rising costs.
It was not easy to decide which sports to include, Commonwealth Games Scotland chairman Ian Reid told the BBC on Tuesday.
“I think everybody recognises that these events need to be more affordable, lighter and we would have loved to have all of our sports and all of our athletes competing but unfortunately it’s just not deliverable or affordable for this time frame,” Reid said.
Athletes and support staff will be housed in hotels. Around 3,000 athletes are expected to compete from up to 74 Commonwealth nations and territories representing a combined total of 2.5 billion people, a third of the world’s entire population.
More than 500,000 tickets made available for spectators.
The Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive Katie Sadleir said: “The 2026 Games will be a bridge to the Commonwealth Games of tomorrow, an exciting first step in our journey to reset and redefine the Games as a truly collaborative, flexible and sustainable model for the future that minimises costs, reduces the environmental footprint, and enhances social impact. In doing so, increasing the scope of countries capable of hosting.”
Glasgow hosted the event in 2014 at a cost of more than 540 million pounds.
