Seems like just a few minutes ago that I was writing the wrapup post in my head. “Good learning experience for this young US team,” I was thinking. “They’ll use this as a stepping stone for a possible world championship or Olympic gold down the line.”
Apparently, that time is now.
The youngsters made plenty of mistakes in this final. But they put Canada under pressure throughout, and Hilary Knight was there to turn the tide late in the game.
Canada’s streak of three straight major championships ends in an instant. And this great rivalry has a new chapter.
Thanks for following along tonight. I hear there are some more hockey games coming up in the next few weeks …
More awards …
Huh.
Sarah Fillier of Canada?
Yeah, she had seven goals on the tournament, but … not Knight? Or Harvey?
The sequence that turned a 3-3 game, in which you’d still have bet on Canada to win, into a 6-3 US win.
The list ….
What a stunner. This young US team outscores Canada 4-0 in the third period, with three of those goals coming in a 72-second span starting with 3:10 left.
Of all the world championships the US women have won, this might be the least likely.
Cayla Barnes flips the puck toward the net, and it’s going .. going … Claire Thompson is chasing … and it’s over the line.
What has happened here? You wouldn’t have expected this score a few minutes ago, let alone at the beginning of the third period.
EMPTY NET! Canada 3-5 US, 2:15
Canada calls timeout and then pulls Desbiens.
You’d have to say it wasn’t her best game. Five goals on 21 shots, and she’d probably like another shot at a couple of those.
And now it’s 101 …
Passing the torch … sort of. In reverse, essentially.
Caroline Harvey smashes the puck from near the blue line, and Hilary Knight gets her stick up to deflect it into the net.
After some consternation from the Canadian bench but not a full-fledged challenge, the goal stands. That’s a hat trick for Knight.
Sometimes, great players just know it’s time to make that play. Taylor Heise holds the puck out to one side. Hilary Knight, standing dead center, taps her stick on the ice, looking for the pass. She gets it and rips it. US lead.
1:19 left on the 5-on-4 power play.
Canada 3-3 US, 3:52, 3rd period
Caroline Harvey takes a shot, which is probably the best strategy for the anemic US power play at the moment.
And … Canada repeats the key US mistake of the first period! Claire Thompson flips the puck into the stands, and it’s a delay of game penalty.
That’ll be a 5-on-3 power play for 49 seconds, then the rest of the 5-on-4.
Canada 3-3 US, 5:03, 3rd period
Jenner swipes at the puck and gets Abbey Murphy instead. Barely. If any. But it’s a US power play – not that it’s been strong so far in this game.
Canada has outshot the US 27-18.
Caroline Harvey is just 20 years old, but she has moved into a tie for the scoring lead (under hockey scoring-leader rules – goals and assists count the same) with this shot. That’s her fourth goal to go with nine assists. Only teammate Taylor Heise has more assists than that, with 10.
Canada 3-3 US, 8:27, 3rd period
The Canadian forecheck pins the US defenders back. That really shouldn’t happen on your own power play. The US has done very little with the player advantage in this final.
Canada 3-3 US, 9:27, 3rd period
A good clearance gives Canada a chance to change, much to the relief of Renata Fast, who had lost her stick.
Canada 3-3 US, 10:27, 3rd period
Rattray whacks the stick out of Knight’s hands, and the US gets a power play.
Canada 3-3 US, 11:05, 3rd period
Frankel with the absolute robbery on Jenner, who was on her doorstep looking for the hat trick. The US goalie is making a difference now.
Canada 3-3 US, 11:30, 3rd period
Good save from Frankel on Sarah Fillier.
And give credit to the refs for being consistent – there’s no call on a possible penalty near the boards. That would’ve given Canada a 5-on-3. But if they’re not giving it for the Maltais slam in the second period, they’re not giving it there.
And the US gets the penalty kill. Game is nicely poised here.
Canada 3-3 US, 13:46, 3rd period
And just like that, a completely unnecessary trip by Cayla Barnes, and Canada is back on the power play.
Caroline Harvey, the youngest player on the team in the last Olympics, rips one from way outside, and out of nothing, we’re tied.
Canada 3-2 US, 14:50, 3rd period
The referees have been letting play continue when the puck is stuck along the boards. We’ll see if they feel the same way after one of their number is stuck in the scrum.
CROSSBAR! Canada 3-2 US, 16:24, 3rd period
A resounding “ding” provides some brief relief for the US on a shot by Jamie Lee Rattray. Another 30 seconds, and the US gets a much-needed penalty kill.
Canada 3-2 US, 18:26, 3rd period
Power play for Canada. A lot of sloppy contact in the middle of the rink, and the refs decide Hayley Scamurra took it too far. Two minutes for tripping.
Canada 3-2 US, 19:00, 3rd period
We’re off, and the Canadians again look like the livelier side.
The score reflects the balance of play pretty well. The US is playing hard. Canada is playing smart.
We’ll see if the US shakes off the non-call on the Emma Maltais hit on Haley Winn. That seemed to sap the underdog’s energy.
Canada 3-2 US, 0:51, 2nd period
That’s twice in a few minutes that the Canadian forecheck has given Lee Stecklein and Savannah Harmon some uncomfortable moments deep in their own zone. That’s disconcerting if you’re looking for the US to slam the door and keep the lead at one.
Canada 3-2 US, 1:55, 2nd period
Sometimes, a hockey team reacts to a big hit on one of its players with a big surge in intensity. That has not happened here. The US has plenty of possession but is playing as if they’ve shifted down a gear or two.
And as I say that, the college line creates a nice chance, with Heise and Janecke combining.
Canada 3-2 US, 5:09, 2nd period
If you like outstanding defensive plays by attacking players, you’ll love Poulin’s deft move to skate back, catch up with Knight and sneak her stick past to take the puck away.
If you like hard checks … er, “collisions,” as the commentators say … you’ll like what Emma Maltais just did to fellow collegian Haley Winn. That’s a borderline boarding penalty in the NHL, but apparently not here. Hannah Bilka has a few words for the Canadian Buckeye.
And Jenner’s brace …
followed by …
Catching up on highlights … here’s Knight’s equalizer:
Canada 3-2 US, 7:23, 2nd period
Slightly more than halfway through the game, and this isn’t a surprise – Canadian savvy 3, US speed 2.
Shots are now 18-13 for Canada, though several shots came on the 5-on-3 power play in the first period from which the US is still digging out.
CHARLOTTETOWN – Canada’s Reid Carruthers opened the Grand Slam of Curling season with a 7-5 loss to Sweden’s Niklas Edin at the HearingLife Tour Challenge.
Carruthers, from Winnipeg, was the lone Canadian skip in action during the opening draw at Bell Aliant Centre. He missed an angle-raise in the eighth end for the win and was denied an extra end when a measure confirmed an Edin single.
It’s the first Grand Slam event since The Curling Group purchased the five-event series from Sportsnet last spring.
One noticeable change is the addition of live online streaming on all sheets in the Tier-1 competition. Organizers also plan to boost the in-venue experience this season.
Sportsnet remains the domestic rights holder with televised coverage slated to begin Thursday and continue through Sunday’s finals.
In other early action on a four-draw day, Bruce Mouat topped fellow Scot Cameron Bryce 6-2, Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg dropped an 8-5 decision to Japan’s Satsuki Fujisawa and Italy’s Joel Retornaz beat American Korey Dropkin 6-3.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 1, 2024.
TORONTO – Teresa Resch likes to put her time and energy into organizations that go beyond the surface level.
Resch was officially named the president of Toronto’s new WNBA expansion team in May and will be one of the keynote speakers this week at Elevate, a Canadian tech conference that emphasizes using innovation to better the world.
The parallels she saw between WNBA Toronto and Elevate are what led her to agreeing to speak at the conference on Thursday.
“Ultimately, this team, WNBA Toronto, yes, it’s a basketball team, but we are about way more than basketball, and I think in the same way that’s Elevate,” she said last week. “So yes, it’s a technology conference, but it’s about way more than that.
“You look at all the different speakers, it’s really a gathering of people who are passionate, who are innovative, who are really game changers. You want to surround yourself with people like that.”
Resch and Jayna Hefford, the senior vice president of hockey operations for the PWHL, will be speaking at Toronto’s Meridian Hall in a panel moderated by TSN’s Kayla Grey on Thursday afternoon.
They will be discussing the rapid rise of women’s professional sports over the past three years.
“More than anything, there’s so much excitement in this marketplace for basketball,” Resch said in a video call from her office. “I can’t wait to share that with some of these people that are maybe new to the game, who are just starting to pay attention and be able to share our story in a more robust way.
“I’m really looking forward to speaking to this audience.”
Resch is also looking forward to building her front office.
Whitney Bell was named WNBA Toronto’s chief marketing officer and Lisa Ferkul the team’s chief revenue officer last Wednesday. Resch said that she would begin her general manager search in earnest after the WNBA’s current post-season ends no later than Oct. 20.
“I think the biggest thing that we get to do is we get to name this team. We get to build a brand identity,” said Resch, noting that WNBA Toronto did a team name campaign over August. “That was incredible. We got all kinds of inspiration and submissions from across Canada and really the world.
“There’s 98 different countries that interacted with the site, which is pretty incredible (…) now we are going through the process of design.”
WNBA Toronto has a podcast called “Bringing Home the W,” which gives behind-the-scenes details on its name selection process.
Coca-Cola Coliseum, the arena that will be home to WNBA Toronto and the PWHL’s Toronto Sceptres, will also undergo back-of-house renovations to better support those teams before the basketball team has its inaugural season in 2026.
Resch was the Toronto Raptors’ vice president of basketball operations and player development before leaving the Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment property to become the first hire for the new WNBA franchise.
Because Elevate is usually at the same time as Raptors’ training camp, Resch often missed most of the tech conference. She was able to catch a couple of presentations over the years, however, including tennis superstar Venus Williams and former United States First Lady Michelle Obama.
“It was right when (Obama’s) book had come out,” said Resch, referring to “The Light We Carry.” “That was really great to hear her.
“I think I took a page of notes that I will sometimes reference back to.”
Raptors team president Masai Ujiri wished Resch luck at the NBA team’s media day on Monday and announced Tyla Flexman as her replacement.
“A tough loss with Teresa, but she’s gone on to do bigger and better, and Tyla has come on to do bigger and better with us,” said Ujiri. “I think Teresa did an incredible job, and Tyla will even take it to another level.
“I am so excited, so excited for my girl, Teresa, with her new job and where she is, I think she will do great, and it’s a blessing for us to have that team in Toronto.”
Flexman was formerly a member of Canada’s national women’s field hockey team.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 1, 2024.
CALGARY – Rookie Samuel Honzek continued his scoring tear on Monday with a brilliant short-handed effort as the Calgary Flames beat the Seattle Kraken 4-3 in overtime.
The 19-year-old Slovak, who was the Flames’ first-round pick, 16th overall in 2023, sits alone atop the NHL’s pre-season scoring leaders with seven points (including two goals) in five games.
Brayden Pachal, Blake Coleman, and Nazem Kadri — with the game-winner on a slick setup from Andrei Kuzmenko — also scored for Calgary (5-0-1), which has yet to lose in regulation.
Eeli Tolvanen, Ville Ottavainen and Shane Wright replied for Seattle (1-3-1).
In his first full game after playing two periods in each of his first two starts, Dan Vladar — coming off off-season hip surgery — made 30 saves for the win.
At the other end, Joey Daccord made 23 stops for the Kraken.
Tied 2-2 after the first period, Seattle had multiple chances to take the lead early in the second when Calgary took four penalties in the first six minutes.
But not only did the Flames kill off the extended power play time for the visitors that included a pair of two-man advantages, Honzek ignited the home crowd with his highlight-reel goal at 6:33.
Sprung on a 1-on-1 by Yegor Sharangovich’s breakout pass, Honzek skated down the right wing through the neutral zone and into the Seattle end where he used his 6-foot-4 frame to power his way around defenceman Vince Dunn, then as he cut across the front of the net, he neatly eluded Daccord’s poke check before tucking the puck in while falling to the ice.
Honzek, who turns 20 on Nov. 12, played last season with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants where injuries limited him to just 33 games in which he had 31 points (10 goals, 21 assists).
After taking the lead, the penalty barrage in the second continued for the home side with Blake Coleman’s penalty with seven seconds left — Calgary’s sixth minor of the period — finally costing them with Wright scoring 39 seconds into the third to tie it 3-3.
Seattle opened the scoring 3:18 into the game when Rasmus Andersson’s turnover was grabbed by Chandler Stephenson, who promptly sent a backhand pass into the slot that was buried by Tolvanen.
After Calgary surged in front on goals less than four minutes apart by Pachal and Coleman, the visitors tied it with 15 seconds remaining in the period when Ottavainen’s long slapshot eluded Vladar.
BARRIE BATTLING
Picking up a pair of assists for the Flames with secondary helpers on both first period goals was defenceman Tyson Barrie, who is in Flames’ camp on a professional tryout. The 33-year-old has three assists in three games. Barrie has played 809 career NHL games and should he sign with Calgary, would join his fifth NHL organization. He played last season for Nashville.
UP NEXT
Kraken: Host the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.
Flames: Visit the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 30, 2024.
