Sportsnet.ca http://sportsnet.ca/feed/ Tue, 19 Mar 2024 05:59:28 EDT en-US hourly 1 Jeff McIntosh/CP Dustin Wolf Flames’ Wolf gets welcome-to-the-NHL moment from Capitals’ Ovechkin full_width Tue, 19 Mar 2024 00:41:24 EDT Tue, 19 Mar 2024 01:18:02 EDT Eric Francis What Flames netminder Dustin Wolf experienced Monday made it all but official he is an NHL goaltender:

He was scored on by Alex Ovechkin. Twice.

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CALGARY – Your first NHL start is a milestone, as is your first win, and your first winning streak.

But what Dustin Wolf experienced Monday made it all but official he is an NHL goaltender:

He was scored on by Alex Ovechkin.

Twice.

First, on a net-front redirect with the man-advantage no netminder could have stopped.

Three minutes later he got the full Ovi Experience, as the man destined to be the game’s most prolific goal scorer was fed a one-timer in his office that the Russian blasted in off a defenceman on the power play.

A student of the game, Wolf did well to anticipate Ovechkin’s trademarked slapper, but had little chance on the two goals that were the difference in the game. 

Just 11 games into a career that has the city buzzing, Wolf joined a club that is now 174 members strong.

No shame there.

“Ya, well, I’m sure there will be a couple more,” chuckled Ovechkin’s latest victim, following a 5-2 loss to Washington Monday.

“It’s pretty special to play against a guy like that.

“Obviously didn’t get the result, but that was pretty fun.

“I think he only really had one or two good opportunities, and the one happened to hit Ras’s (Rasmus Andersson’s) stick and go upstairs. But that’s a hell of a hockey player over there.

“It’s pretty cool to say you stopped a few.”

The loss put a halt to Wolf’s two-game winning streak, which had seen him stop 64 of 67 shots to start the debate over whether the Flames should simply let the youngster run most of the table in the final 14 games.

That won’t happen.

Wolf’s fifth call-up of the season is expected to end any day now, as coach Ryan Huska said earlier in the day Jacob Markstrom would be skating all week and is expected to return from a lower-body injury in time to start Saturday in Vancouver.

Because Wolf was in town as an emergency call-up for the veteran, the youngster will then have to be returned to the Wranglers as soon as Markstrom gets the thumbs up.

That won’t make many Flames fans happy, as many feel the team’s extinguished playoff hopes (they’re eight points back of a wild card spot with 14 games left) should signal a lengthy run for Wolf to continue building his resume and confidence.

That may eventually be the case, but not this weekend when the Flames play next.

Asked how he’ll look back on his latest stint in the bigs, Wolf was upbeat.

“I think I’ll be pretty pleased,” said Wolf, who stopped 28 of 32 shots.

“Reps, and I had a few outstanding outings, and definitely some things to build on and a few areas you can always improve.”

Under a microscope by virtue of his six-foot, 166-pound frame, Wolf’s latest outing with the Flames was a slight departure from the stellar showings he put on his previous 120 minutes.

The Capitals’ opening goal from Dylan Strome 15 minutes in was the kind he has to have.

As Strome set up at the top of the circle with plenty of time to shoot, Wolf had time to square up and get set to stop a shot with no traffic in front of him.

He was beaten cleanly on the glove side on a shot much bigger goalies likely would’ve taken away with their size.

We’ll give him a pass on both Ovechkin goals, as the man chasing Gretzky’s record of 894 snipes made no mistake on either finish.

Hendrix Lapierre’s golf shot out of the air from in tight was also a toughie to stop.

“I thought he was okay,” was coach Ryan Huska, who was then asked if Wolf’s size was a factor in any of the goals.  

“Hey listen, that’s going to be the narrative all the time.

“One was deflected, one was a back door tap-in and I think the first one he would probably want to have back.”

Sure would.

For the record, The Great Eight now has 21 goals, giving the man chasing Gretzky’s 894 goals 19-straight seasons with at least 20.

He now has 843, with his first coming when Wolf was three years old.

By night’s end, the 38-year-old greybeard had five of the Capitals’ shots in a game that moved them into the most surprising wild card spot in the league with their third-straight win.

He was the difference, and Wolf was the game’s second-best netminder, as Charlie Lindgren made 34 saves.

“Give that guy credit, he made some outstanding saves,” said Wolf.

“They’ve got some skilled forwards over there, and obviously a guy who is chasing history who had a couple.

“Again, I learned a lesson for myself and the group.”

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Home page Featured (Top stories) Thu, 07 Sep 2023 17:21:12 EDT Mon, 11 Mar 2024 19:35:17 EDT Noah Love carousel_meta sn-collection votto Blue Jays’ Votto shares emotional letter on social media 5747154 carousel Mon, 18 Mar 2024 21:15:22 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 23:10:12 EDT Sportsnet Staff On an off-day for the Toronto Blue Jays, Joey Votto took to social media to share his thoughts about how an incident that occurred six years ago feels to him now that he’s a member of his hometown team.

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On an off-day for the Toronto Blue Jays, Joey Votto took to social media to share his thoughts about how an incident that occurred six years ago feels to him now that he’s a member of his hometown team.

In a three-page letter penned in cursive writing and then shown as a photo on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday night, Votto, 40, discusses the time in 2018 when he expressed having little connection with Canada after fellow Canadian James Paxton threw a no-hitter for the Seattle Mariners against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

While Votto apologized to fans and Paxton days after his comments on a 2018 podcast — “I don’t care almost at all about Canadian baseball. I wasn’t raised inside of Canadian baseball really. I’m coming up on half of my life being in the United States working and being supported by American baseball,” were some of his original words — he said Monday he had “some reflections on my previous comments around Canadian baseball.”

Votto shared Monday that his mother Wendy wrote him a letter after his original comments that affected him the most.

“She admonished me for my words,” Votto wrote. “The respect and gratitude I should have for growing up and being in one of the safest, best educated, healthiest and most peaceful countries in the world. She let me know this is not how you were raised and that I should check my ego and perspective.”

While Votto said he was annoyed with the letter at first, over time it started to hit him that it was “time to learn.”

“I sat down with her letter, sad, ashamed and angry at my words,” he wrote. “Listening to them again, I realized how wrong I was.”

Votto said he wrote a letter back to his mom saying he would be “be better” and grow.” He asked for her forgiveness.

Wrapping up Monday’s letter, Votto said he received a picture of himself in a Blue Jays uniform on the front page of the Toronto Star.

“It’s interesting to me to hear my internal dialogue, now from then as I look at the image. Truthfully, I may or may not play for our country’s team this year. Either way, I just want those interested to know a meaningful lesson has been learned.

“Like my mother has, I hope you can forgive me.”

After Votto’s letter was released, he was praised by Baseball Canada.

The 2010 National League MVP signed a minor-league deal with the Blue Jays earlier this month. Votto homered in his Grapefruit League debut on Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies before rolling his ankle in the dugout.

The six-time all-star is considered day-to-day.

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canucks Inexperienced Canucks using adversity before playoffs as learning opportunity 5747154 carousel Mon, 18 Mar 2024 21:37:29 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 21:37:58 EDT Iain MacIntyre The Canucks’ place in the standings looks comfortable, but they can’t afford to be comfortable on the ice. That feeling is really what Tocchet is trying to break with 14 games to go and the Buffalo Sabres visiting Rogers Arena on Tuesday night.

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VANCOUVER — J.T. Miller was on the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning team that won 62 times during the regular season and didn’t lose more than two games in a row until they were swept in four by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

That Lightning team had the best National Hockey League regular season in 23 years, but was eclipsed last year by the record-breaking Boston Bruins. They won 65 games and amassed 135 points before getting upset in a seven-game, opening-round loss to the Florida Panthers, who were 43 points adrift of Boston in the regular season and had to win their final six games just to make the playoffs.

“I played on a team in Tampa where we won 62 games,” Miller said Monday, sitting in the Vancouver Canucks dressing room. “We kind of just won all the time and never really experienced adversity. And you go into the playoffs against a desperate hockey team that stuck to staples and blocked shots and kicked our ass. I mean, look at Boston last year. There’s a reason the President’s Trophy winners never win (the Stanley Cup); there’s not a lot of adversity for them before the playoffs.

“I don’t mind what we’re going through. I know that’s easy to say because we have 42 wins right now. But I don’t mind; it’s a good learning experience. A lot of guys haven’t had to deal with this. That’s why it’s so important. You don’t just waltz into the playoffs and turn it on. And the guys that have been around and been in playoff games, that’s what we talk about all the time. We know we’re going to be a playoff team. Like, it is what it is. But we don’t want to be hitting our stride in Game 2 or Game 3 (of the playoffs). We want to be hitting it now.”

The Canucks, who haven’t played playoff hockey games in front of fans since 2015, have led the Pacific Division for 2 1/2 months but are suddenly scuffling again on home ice after seemingly rediscovering their A-game during a road sweep of Anaheim, Los Angeles and Vegas at the start of March.

They collapsed in the third period of a 4-3 overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche last Wednesday, then suffered a similar stall in the middle of Saturday’s 2-1 loss to the Washington Capitals.

Canucks coach Rick Tocchet has been trying to sound the alarm, saying it’s “go time” and that the Canucks need to “get out of third and fourth gear.”

After noting that ramping up intensity ahead of the playoffs is “uncharted waters” for many Canucks, including some of their core players, Tocchet said Saturday: “It’s my job to get them to break that seal; there’s more in the tank. There’s always more, and we’ve got to break through it. Find it.”

The Canucks’ place in the standings looks comfortable, but they can’t afford to be comfortable on the ice. That feeling is really what Tocchet is trying to break with 14 games to go and the Buffalo Sabres visiting Rogers Arena on Tuesday night.

The only playoff games logged by core Canucks Elias Pettersson, 25, Quinn Hughes, 24, Brock Boeser, 27, and injured goalie Thatcher Demko, 28, were in the fanless, antiseptic Edmonton bubble in 2020. It’s the same with winger Conor Garland, 28. Defenceman Filip Hronek, 26, has never played an NHL playoff game of any kind.

So Tocchet is right when he describes this degree of preparation as foreign to many Canucks, even if veterans like Miller, Ian Cole, Teddy Blueger, Tyler Myers and Nikita Zadorov have playoff experience from other places.

“Every play on the ice matters more,” Cole said after Monday’s lively practice. “You don’t know what little, miniscule detail is going to be a turning point. Because of that, you need to elevate. You need to give more because everything matters more. 

“We need to embrace the idea of elevating our play (now). You’re never going to know truly how it feels until you’ve done it, but if we’re able to mentally prepare for that. . . we can at least have our first step in the right direction before we actually step into the fire. You just don’t know what you don’t know until you experience it.”

Hence the urgency around the Canucks these days.

“We have a lot of people that are learning what it’s like to be in meaningful games this time of year,” Miller said. “I mean, a lot of our core hasn’t been in, quote-unquote, meaningful games. That’s the reality. There’s a sense of gaining a level of maturity (and). . . we’re just going through that evolution. 

“We took a big step this year so far. But, I mean, our team is going to quickly learn that it doesn’t mean much to win in the regular season. Like, it really doesn’t. It’s great, it’s nice. But at the end of the day, you want to win in April, May and June. I think that’s what the message has been all year. You don’t just turn it on when you have to; we need to be playing like that all the time.”

Miller said the Canucks can not be losing games in March due to substandard performances like they had against Colorado and Washington. Losing while playing your best is one thing, Miller said, but the team can’t be giving away games in March while searching for its identity.

“Maybe we don’t know what it’s like,” Hughes, the Canuck captain, said of playoff intensity and playoff preparation. “But this is a lot easier (challenge) than what we’ve been through in the last couple of years. We need to pick up our game and everyone needs to do it and I need to do it. But in the grand scheme of things. . . this is 10 times easier than being out of the playoffs for three straight years.”

Hughes said the Canucks have been learning as they go all season, and the objective has always been to play their best each game. It’s just the games are getting progressively harder.

“There’s some guys, they want to play better,” Tocchet told reporters on Monday. “So what are you willing to do? There is more (to give). There’s three more strides to get back in your end even though you’re dead tired. Or blocking a shot. . . there’s going to be some moments where you need that guy to block that shot. It doesn’t matter (the) number or name on the jersey. That critical moment, that’s a breaking-a-seal moment. I think that’s something we’re trying to get at.”

With the Canucks generating little offensively the last five periods, Tocchet switched his lines for Monday’s practice, promoting Garland to play with Pettersson and Nils Hoglander. Pius Suter was reunited with Miller and Boeser, while Ilya Mikheyev was dropped to the third line with Elias Lindholm and Sam Lafferty. The fourth line was Blueger between Vasily Podkolzin and Nils Aman.

Tuesday is Game 4 in a nine-game homestand that ends March 31.

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Matt Krohn/AP Anthony Edwards ‘Dunk of the year?’: Timberwolves’ Edwards posterizes Jazz’s Collins 5747154 carousel Mon, 18 Mar 2024 23:19:12 EDT Tue, 19 Mar 2024 01:08:29 EDT Associated Press Midway through the third quarter in Monday’s game between the Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves, Edwards took flight on the fast break and threw down a vicious slam over top of Collins.

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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — One thunderous dunk provided a perfect snapshot of Anthony Edwards’ second-half dominance Monday night.

Edwards threw down a monster slam over John Collins of the Utah Jazz in the third quarter, helping the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 114-104 victory but leaving both players banged up after the play.

“I was thinking I was going to miss it because I wasn’t close to the rim, but somehow God willed it in for me,” said Edwards, who scored 25 of his 32 points after halftime.

The play immediately went viral on social media. Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley said it might have been the best dunk he’s ever witnessed in person.

“He’s like a cat almost,” Conley said. “He just keeps going forward and lands on his feet. Stuff like that is what makes him who he is and why he can maneuver in the game how he does.”

Edwards said he grew up idolizing players like Vince Carter who were known for their dunking ability. Dunking the way they did has always been a goal for Edwards.

His slam on Monday night certainly put him in that category.

“It gives me chills , man, because I always dreamed of dunking on somebody like that,” Edwards said.

Collins and Edwards were both injured on the play. Edwards dislocated his left ring finger after his hand collided with Collins’ cheekbone. He raced back to the locker room during a subsequent timeout, popped the finger back in place, got it taped up and returned to action.

Collins was ruled out for the entire fourth quarter while being evaluated for a possible concussion. His injury was later confirmed to be a head contusion.

The NBA world rightfully exploded on social media after the dunk, with some claiming it as the dunk of the year.

Here are some of the best reactions to Edwards’ incredible dunk.

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CP168001083(1) How Blue Jays’ Daulton Varsho plans to hit better this season 5747154 carousel Mon, 18 Mar 2024 13:12:47 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 13:12:55 EDT David Singh When last season ended, Daulton Varsho took a full month to reflect on the year that was. It was his first campaign with the Blue Jays and while he felt he provided stellar defence to the club, he wasn’t content with his offensive performance.

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DUNEDIN, Fla. — When last season ended, Daulton Varsho took a full month to reflect on the year that was. It was his first campaign with the Blue Jays and while he felt he provided stellar defence to the club, he wasn’t content with his offensive performance.

Varsho regressed in a number of categories and pored over video of his at-bats to see what adjustments he could make in 2024. Around U.S. Thanksgiving, Varsho began working with his father, former major-leaguer Gary Varsho, to devise a plan on how to improve.

The Blue Jays outfielder identified he was trying too hard to lift the baseball and, as a result, his swing was getting underneath pitches far too often. He calls it a bad habit and notes that it intensified as season wore on.

“A lot of this game is turning into a launch angle [focus], trying to hit it up in the air and I think I got in the way of trying to lift too many balls last year,” Varsho said. “I hit too many fly balls last year and when I got into my good counts, I was missing [pitches] by fouling them back.”

The numbers support that. Varsho’s fly-ball percentage last season was 47.2, an increase from the 44.3 per cent he recorded in 2022, per FanGraphs. As well, his 19 per cent infield fly-ball rate was the highest of his career.

Armed with that knowledge, Varsho set out to work with his father on correcting his swing.

“The big thing for me was trying to get back to getting above the baseball and staying through it,” he said. “Trying to get back to what I’ve done really well [in the past].

“When I’m able to stay above the baseball, I’m able to drive it,” he added. “Last year, I was lifting balls and a couple of them went out but then my misses were pop ups and foul tips … I don’t care where it goes — it’s about getting above it, staying through it and hitting it hard. Those are the three things I’m really trying to focus on.”

Varsho has been working on that all spring and has enjoyed success during his Grapefruit League appearances. He’s hit .364 (12-for-33) over 14 games, recording three doubles and eight walks compared to three strikeouts.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider says the club worked with the 27-year-old on his pitch selection and, so far, the results have been fruitful.

“He’s finding himself in good counts and swinging at good pitches,” Schneider said. “I think him talking about that all off-season with [Blue Jays hitting coaches], now he’s getting pitches in spots that he can handle and he’s not really missing them. So, with that, it starts with laying off pitches that he was probably offering at last year and then finding himself in good counts. Or, if they’re neutral counts, he’s just looking in a pretty specific spot.”

Another element to Varsho’s game that could evolve this season is his running. His sprint speed ranks in the 70th percentile of big-leaguers and he’s stolen 16 bases in each of the past two campaigns. He’s already swiped six bags this spring and Schneider said that could be something to expect more of from Varsho this year.

“I think so. I mean, he’s such a good baserunner and he’s fast, so that’s something we talked about after [last] season — getting out there a little bit more with his leads and being more aggressive,” said the manager. “It’s been a good camp for him in that regard, as well. It’s part of his package, part of his deal, what he can bring to the table. So, it’s been it’s been cool to see.”

Varsho was traded to the Blue Jays in the December 2022 deal that sent Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Gabriel Moreno to the Arizona Diamondbacks. At this point last year, Varsho was taking time to get acquainted in his new organization.

Now, though, those introductory experiences are behind him. He’s had a full year to acclimatize himself to Blue Jays’ staff, coaches and players. Naturally, it’s helped him feel more at ease.

“I was really excited to come to spring,” said Varsho. “Obviously, joining the team last year, didn’t really know anybody, didn’t know staff. And so, having those relationships with people now and having more comfortable talks, being able to have that communication for both sides, me and them, now it just makes it a ton easier to have those conversations, whether they’re hard or easy.

“It’s one of those things where you have that comfort being around the same guys in the clubhouse you really enjoy being around.”

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Chris Young/CP simmonds_wayne1280 Wayne Simmonds announces retirement, will sign one-day contract with Flyers 5747154 carousel Mon, 18 Mar 2024 11:43:37 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 13:07:23 EDT Associated Press Wayne Simmonds has announced his retirement from the NHL and will sign a one-day contract with the Philadelphia Flyers.

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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Former Philadelphia Flyers star Wayne Simmonds announced his retirement Monday, ending a 15-year career that included NHL All-Star Game MVP honors.

Simmonds, who played in 18 games last season for the Toronto Maple Leafs, will sign a ceremonial one-day contract with the Flyers and be honored by the franchise during an April 13 game against the New Jersey Devils.

Simmonds blossomed into a durable star for the Flyers after he was acquired from the Los Angeles Kings in a 2011 trade. He scored 203 goals over his eight seasons with the Flyers.

“It’s hard to describe my emotions on a day like this, but one of my very first thoughts as I look back is my life in Philadelphia and playing for the Flyers,” Simmonds said. “Taking the ice in a Flyers sweater is a special feeling and it’s one that I’m truly proud of. The history of this franchise and standard of being a Flyer that was set is unique and one that I hold in the highest regard.”

Simmonds scored a hat trick in the 2017 All-Star Game to earn MVP honors. He was the first Black player to earn an All-Star Game MVP award since 1986. He was one of several Black players who helped form the Hockey Diversity Alliance in 2020, creating another avenue in the NHL to fight racism and intolerance in the sport.

The 35-year-old faced his share of discrimination over his hockey career. In 2013, a court in the Czech Republic banned eight fans from a stadium for one year for racially abusing Simmonds when he was played there during the NHL lockout. Simmonds was entering his third season with Los Angeles in 2011 when someone threw a banana on the ice during an exhibition game in London, Ontario. The man was fined $200.

Simmonds was a finalist for the 2017-18 Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award and won the award in 2018-19 when he split the season between Philadelphia and Nashville.

Simmonds had 263 goals and 526 career points in 1,037 NHL regular-season games in 15 seasons with Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Nashville, New Jersey, Buffalo and Toronto (2008-23). He scored eight goals and had 22 playoff points in 53 career playoff games with the Kings, Flyers, Predators and Maple Leafs. He skated in his 1,000th NHL regular-season game in 2022 with Toronto. He originally was selected by Los Angeles in the second round (61st overall) of the 2007 NHL draft.

Simmonds represented Canada at the 2008 IIHF World Junior Championship (gold) and at the 2013 and 2017 (silver) IIHF World Championships.

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Marta Lavandier/AP kulikov_dmitry1280 Panthers’ Kulikov suspended two games for illegal check to head of Sheary 5747154 carousel Mon, 18 Mar 2024 17:26:28 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 17:26:35 EDT Sportsnet Staff Florida Panthers defenceman Dmitry Kulikov has been suspended for two games for a hit to the head on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Conor Sheary, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced Monday.

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Florida Panthers defenceman Dmitry Kulikov has been suspended for two games for an illegal check to the head on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Conor Sheary, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced Monday.

The incident occurred during the second period of Saturday’s 5-3 win for the Lightning.

Kulikov elbowed Sheary in the head in front of the Lightning’s crease just before Josh Mahura scored for the Panthers.

Players from both teams dropped the gloves and Lightning forward Michael Eyssimont received a roughing penalty.

The goal was waved off as Kulikov was assessed a match penalty.

The Panthers next play Thursday against the Nashville Predators.

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Homepage Headlines Thu, 07 Sep 2023 17:21:44 EDT Mon, 11 Mar 2024 16:59:36 EDT Noah Love headlines_meta sn-collection (Gene J. Puskar/AP) CP167481831 AP Source: Blake Snell agrees to two-year, $62M contract with Giants 5747160 headlines Mon, 18 Mar 2024 21:27:26 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 22:06:02 EDT Associated Press Reigning NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell and the San Francisco Giants are in agreement on a two-year, $62 million contract, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.

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Two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and the San Francisco Giants have agreed to a $62 million, two-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Monday night.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement was subject to a successful physical. Snell has the right to opt out after this season and become a free agent. If he terminates the deal after one year, he would get $31 million.

A 30-year-old left-hander, Snell is 71-55 with a 3.20 ERA in 191 starts over eight major league seasons, winning Cy Youngs in 2018 with Tampa Bay and last year with San Diego.

Snell joins a team that gave South Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee a $113 million, six-year contract, sjgned right-hander Jordan Hicks to a $44 million, four-year deal and outfielder Jorge Soler to a $42 million, three-year contract, then gave third baseman Matt Chapman a $54 million, three-year deal.

He was taken by Tampa Bay with the 52nd pick in the 2011 amateur draft and reached the major leagues in 2016. He won his first Cy Young in 2018, edging Justin Verlander after going 21-5 and 1.89 ERA.

He signed a $50 million, five-year deal, the largest at the time for a pitcher not yet arbitration-eligible. He was 6-8 with a 4.29 ERA in 2019, a season in which he was hampered by injuries.

Snell received some unwanted attention before the 2020 pandemic-shortened season when he stated “I’m not playing unless I get mine,” referring to his salary. Snell later admitted that the statement could be seen as selfish.

Snell helped the Rays reach the 2020 World Series, where they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games. He was removed from Game 6 after 5 1/3 innings despite giving up just two hits and the Rays lost 3-1.

Tampa Bay traded Snell to San Diego for prospects. He went 15-16 in his first two seasons with the Padres, then went 14-9 record and an NL-leading 2.25 ERA and won his second Cy Young. He was 8-2 with 1.54 ERA in the second half.

San Diego will receive an extra draft pick after the fourth round as compensation after making Snell a $20,325,000 qualifying offer that he turned down. The Giants will give up their third-round pick and $500,000 in international signing bonus allocation after losing their second-round selection and $500,000 in allocation for signing Chapman.

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oiler How can Oilers reverse fortunes against Avalanche? 5747160 headlines Mon, 18 Mar 2024 17:23:49 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 17:53:26 EDT Mark Spector While the Oilers must focus on the games ahead, Edmonton fans want to know why their team can’t seem to beat the Avalanche. They must find a way to prevail in close games against another Western heavyweight.

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EDMONTON — As the Edmonton Oilers players walked towards the family lounge, where their loved ones awaited them after that razor-thin loss to Colorado on Saturday, they stepped to the right as the dollies carrying the Montreal Canadiens’ equipment rolled past on the left.

It was a metaphor for the seven-month grind that constitutes a National Hockey League season: You’d better be able to move on from one game or opponent, because the next one is just around the corner — sometimes even arriving at your rink before the last one has even departed.

But with a pair of NHL minnows — the 26th-place Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres (23rd) — on the Oilers’ schedule this week, this city has not moved on. Not at all.

On Monday the topic was still fresh, after that 3-2 overtime loss to the Avalanche.

Why doesn’t Edmonton win that game? At this stage of their arc, why do they still lose it?

“I’ve only been here for one game against (Colorado), so I don’t really know the whole backstory,” began Corey Perry, a new-ish Oiler who certainly knows a thing or two about winning. “But you can see these teams have played against each other many times, and you can see that we have that next gear to get to.

“It’s right there, and once we find it, that’s going to take over for us.”

That “gear” isn’t what you might think it is, however.

“In a series you’re going to need that momentum shift, whatever it is,” explained Perry. “It could come from anything: a hit can, a goal. It can be a big blocked shot or a save — whatever. There’s a momentum shift at some point in the series that, hopefully, goes in your favour. That’s where I think we could really look at that game and pick it apart.”

In a game played at lightning pace, Edmonton trailed 1-0 after 40 minutes, had a third-period goal called back, and still managed to hold a 2-1 lead with six minutes to play. That the lead got away — and the Avs scored at 4:59 of the overtime session to snag the second point — was more vexing than downright concerning.

It was the fifth consecutive overtime game between Colorado and Edmonton, which tells us there isn’t much to choose between the two. But Edmonton has won only one of those games, and folks around here are wondering when the time arrives that the Oilers stop simply playing with the big boys, and actually start beating them.

“You’ve got to beat them. That’s the only way,” said Connor McDavid. “They’ve been tight-checking games. They’ve been close games. Five consecutive overtime games …

“It was a good game, a playoff-like game. Tight checking. I thought we did a good job of wrestling a lead, up 2-1 with five minutes left. You’ve got to find a way to close it out, and obviously we didn’t do that,” he said. “We look back at that (2022 Western Conference Final), and they win. It’s a sweep and they go on to win the Cup.”

It’s pretty simple math, once McDavid lays it out:

“If you want to be considered better than them, you’ve got to beat them. That’s just the way it is.”

In the latest instalment of Edmonton-Colorado, the goaltending was a wash. Stuart Skinner (who stopped a Jonathan Drouin penalty shot when it was scoreless) was as good as Alexandar Georgiev, who stopped a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins breakaway in OT.

The stars cancelled each other out, with none of McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Cale Makar or Nathan MacKinnon notching a single point until the OT winner at the 64:59 mark of the evening. The Avalanche depth forwards appear to have more speed, though they were outscored 2-0 by Edmonton’s depth forwards, with 4C Sam Carrick scoring the 2-1 goal and Warren Foegele opening the scoring for the Oilers.

Meanwhile, Colorado defenceman Sean Walker had the first two-goal game of his career to account for the Avs scoring, a depth feature that can not be overlooked.

What did Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch see?

“Our defensive-zone coverage can be still a little bit tighter, something that’s always going to be an emphasis. And the other one was, we didn’t have as much time in the offensive zone — just because I don’t think we’ve broken the puck out as well,” he observed.

“They had a lot of hard forechecks, and they are disciplined with their systems. But if we cleaned that up and get out of our zone a little bit cleaner, it’ll help our defensive play because we won’t be spend as much time there.”

Each of Zach Hyman, Cody Ceci and McDavid had a shot at clearing the zone on Colorado’s tying goal late in the third, a sequence that the coach is referencing here.

But if you think the Avalanche didn’t botch a clear or two, you weren’t watching.

Whatever it is that the Oilers have yet to overcome to be a Stanley Cup winner — and not just a contender — it is measured with ruler, not a tape measure.

But whatever that intangible is, it’s like a secret key in a video game.

You won’t get to where you’re going if you don’t find it, whatever it is.

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Frank Gunn/THE CANADIAN PRESS CP166882734 Maple Leafs Notebook: Marner steps back, power-play gets tweaked 5747160 headlines Mon, 18 Mar 2024 16:31:08 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 16:59:49 EDT Luke Fox When Mitch Marner suffered his high-ankle sprain in Boston, the Toronto Maple Leafs expected their all-star winger to be sidelined for “maybe a week or two,” according to GM Brad Treliving, with what is being characterized as a minor injury.

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TORONTO — When Mitch Marner suffered his high-ankle sprain in Boston, the Toronto Maple Leafs expected their all-star winger to be sidelined for “maybe a week or two,” according to GM Brad Treliving, with what is being characterized as a minor injury.

Well, the two-week mark will pass without Marner participating in a team practice, let alone a game.

Though Marner did test out the ankle in a couple of solo skates late last week, he is now taking time to continue his rehab without jamming his foot into a skate boot.

“It hasn’t been responding the way that they had hoped, so just stepping back a little bit with it,” coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters at Monday’s practice in Toronto.

Marner will not play in Philadelphia Tuesday nor Washington Wednesday as the staff ramps him back up to skating this week.

The Leafs are 2-0-1 since his absence and have no reason to rush such a valuable performer into action.

“We’re being cautious with it. It’s nothing we feel is going to be long-term at all,” Treliving told Sportsnet’s Sean Reynolds at the GM meetings in Florida.

“Hopefully he’s going to be back sooner rather than later.”

Special teams in trouble?

Marner’s unavailability is a contributor to — but not the sole reason for — Toronto’s sagging results in odd-man situations.

The Leafs have been outscored 8-1 on special teams this month, and that inefficiency proved the difference in Saturday’s blown-lead loss to the Carolina Hurricanes Saturday. Their PK is averaging a goal against over the past seven games; their PP has cashed in just once over its past 22 opportunities.

We’re raising a flag of concern here because sloppy special teams have played a significant factor in Toronto’s postseason failures.

Since the Auston Matthews–William Nylander–Marner era began in 2016-17, the Leafs’ PK has operated at just 75.3 per cent in the playoffs. That’s 26th of all 30 teams that have appeared in at least one series during that stretch.

Further, their much-lauded power play has dropped from a total of 24.3 per cent (third) in all regular seasons of the Matthews-Nylander-Marner era to 18.6 (15th) come playoff time.

Yikes.

Keefe tweaked his struggling power-play units at Monday’s practice, letting Timothy Liljegren run point on PP1 with Matthews, Nylander, John Tavares, and Tyler Bertuzzi.

The coach likes Liljegren’s right shot up top and Bertuzzi’s bite, down low.

Morgan Rielly now heads up the lightly used second unit with Max Domi, Bobby McMann, Nick Robertson, and Matthew Knies.

“Moving the puck with authority, quickly. If you have a lane, shoot it. As a group of guys, we want to get the power-play back on track. It takes all of us,” Rielly said.

“It’s going to go for us eventually.”

Benny’s back

Healthy scratched in favour of Liljegren all three games since the trade deadline passed, Simon Benoit will get back into action Tuesday at Wells Fargo Center.

Rugged defenceman Ilya Lyubushkin missed Monday’s practice due to illness and did not fly with the team to Philadelphia.

Benoit has been a pleasant surprise for the Leafs. He should be reenergized by his 12 days out of action and eager to build his case to be in the lineup come Game 83.

“I’d expect it to be a little bit better, quite honestly. He’s stepped back from the lineup and watched, and that’s motivating in and of itself. But also, the league is hard when you’re playing all the time,” Keefe said.

“When you come back into the lineup, you expect to have a little bit more.”

One-Timers: A diplomatic Treliving said Monday that the Maple Leafs’ crease remains an open competition and that he’s happy to be dressing two healthy, capable goalies. With Toronto facing two back-to-backs this week, Ilya Samsonov and Joseph Woll should get two starts apiece … Calle Järnkrok (hand) was retroactively placed on long-term injured reserve; defenceman Conor Timmins (mononucleosis) was activated. The earliest Järnkrok can return is April 8 … The third-seed Maple Leafs have only a 12 per cent chance of moving up the Atlantic standings and just a six per cent chance of falling to the wild card, according to SportsClubStats.com … Prized prospect Easton Cowan dialed his OHL point streak up to 34 games Sunday. That’s a London Knights record.

Maple Leafs projected lineup Tuesday in Philadelphia

Bertuzzi – Matthews – Holmberg

McMann – Domi – Nylander

Knies – Tavares – Robertson

Dewar – Kampf – Reaves

Rielly – Brodie

Benoit – McCabe

Edmundson – Liljegren 

Woll

Samsonov

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THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young CP167670238 Should the Blue Jays care if Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is having fun? 5747160 headlines Mon, 18 Mar 2024 10:47:49 EDT Tue, 19 Mar 2024 01:48:20 EDT Jeff Blair After more than four years there is still a sense of the unknown surrounding the Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

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Because he pre-dated the social media age and had a legend based mostly on word of mouth and print, Vladimir Guerrero Sr. was a man of mystery as he was working his way into the major leagues.

That sense remained in the nascent years of his career with the Montreal Expos, due to language differences and a lack of Expos-ure. Guerrero Sr. was as much literary character out of a slower media age as he was gilt-edged prospect.

Yet Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s conversation with Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae in Dunedin this week reminded me that after more than four years there is still a sense of the unknown surrounding the son.

On the field, we’re still waiting for affirmation that his 2021 MVP-calibre season wasn’t a product of a bunch of games in minor-league ballparks caused by a COVID-necessitated, nomadic season. Is Vladdy a superstar deserving of being on the cover of ‘The Show 24’ or just a really good player who can win the Home Run Derby every other year?

And I’ll confess: if you told me in 2021 that in a couple of years the Toronto Blue Jays would have a payroll above a competitive balance tax threshold without having bought out any free-agent seasons from either Vladdy or Bo Bichette? I wouldn’t have bought it. Like many in the industry, the only question I had was which of the two players the team would eventually tie down and for how much. I’ll bet most of you thought it would be Vladdy. Me, too.

But we’re now two years away from Vladdy hitting free agency, and we can still only guess whether either side is (or ever was) inclined to pursue such a deal. Instead, Vladdy has gone year to year and done well, making $24 million before beating the team in arbitration this winter and earning a record $19.9 million.

I don’t know if being taken to arbitration will add fuel to Vladdy’s fire. It’s easy to see it as sending a message, but my experience is it’s silly getting bent out of shape over the fact teams take players to arbitration, especially if the player wins. The Blue Jays are like other file-and-trial teams: once figures are exchanged, they’ll go to a hearing because it’s a consistent approach that reinforces the notion that it’s just business and nothing personal. When it comes to business, what holds true for every other player holds true for Employee No. 27.

Back to Guerrero’s sit-down with Mae and his comment about wanting to bring back the ‘Home Run Jacket’ in 2024. “If the players don’t want to do it, I’ll probably do it myself in the corner,” he said. “But I’m gonna have fun. I’m gonna have fun this year.”

Which raises the question: is it important Vladdy has fun? Should we care if Vladdy has fun?

Look: I don’t know what to make of the whole Home Run jacket thing. Jackets, tridents, cowboy hats, fire hoses, samurai helmets … all of those were props for dugout home run celebrations in 2023. Everybody has a gimmick. Every team has a gimmick and if there’s buy-in from the players, I could care less. Anything that unites is good; anything that divides is bad. So, let’s see where this goes. We know that not every player was upset to see the jacket go away, but hell: put 26 people in a room — any room — and try to get unanimous consent on anything.

We know that in 2023 Vladdy made a point of miming putting the home run jacket in front of the dugout cameras after his homers. I’d say that said something. We know that the jacket’s disappearance coincided with the trade of Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Teoscar Hernandez — both of whom were close to Vladdy. We know that Vladdy’s uncle Wilton — who was as much of a presence as Guerrero Sr. in Vladdy’s childhood and knows his swing as well as anybody’s — answered an SOS and made a trip to Toronto last season while his nephew was slumping. David Ortiz told us on Blair & Barker that Vladdy reached out to him over the All-Star Break for some help. I’d say that said something, too. And this should come as no surprise: absent a long-term contractual commitment and without any real post-season success to date, there’s a lot about Vladdy that remains open to interpretation — except the importance of his bat.

Taking Betts on it …

Mookie Betts’ “temporarily permanent” move to shortstop with the Los Angeles Dodgers remains one of the most intriguing spring training storylines. Betts, who has made 1,128 starts in the outfield, started 77 games in right field in 2023 as well as 63 at second base and 12 at shortstop — the latter number representing his career total to date. If you’re wondering, since the colour barrier was broken in 1947 only 13 players have managed to make at least 100 career starts in right and at shortstop, as detailed in this fun read by Mike Petriello.

Two of them have significant ties with the Toronto Blue Jays and Montreal Expos. Bob Bailor made all but one of his 225 career starts in right for the Blue Jays as well as 56 of his 125 career starts at short. Hubie Brooks made 288 of his 561 career starts in right and 352 of his 368 career starts at short for the Expos. Brooks was traded from the New York Mets to the Montreal Expos in the Gary Carter swap (along with Mike Fitzgerald, Herman Winningham and Floyd Youmans) and was a two-time All-Star and Silver Slugger winner at short for the Expos before moving to right field at the age of 31 in 1988. Brooks was easily my favourite player to cover during my early years as an Expos beat reporter. Just a nice man …

The early schedule is a bear …

But the Blue Jays will face the Houston Astros in the second series of the season and the Astros have lost Justin Verlander and Jose Urquidy for the series — Urquidy for possibly longer — in addition to the already injured Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers. They’ve made a play for free-agent Blake Snell, but he wouldn’t be built up for the Jays and there’s no indication they’ll meet his asking price. The Blue Jays will face the New York Yankees without Gerrit Cole in their third series — and possibly with Aaron Judge behind schedule due to an oblique issue. The Tampa Bay Rays have announced that Josh Lowe (oblique injury) won’t be ready for the opening series at Tropicana Field. Hey, you take your breaks where you can get them …

It’s one game, but …

Tough not to come away from the Spring Breakout thumping of Blue Jays prospects by the New York Yankees without wondering about the whereabouts of the Blue Jays version of Spencer Jones. It’s one thing to shrug at the Baltimore Orioles’ haul of prospects and say: ‘Well, that’s what happens when you have high draft picks because of crappy regular-season records.’ But it’s tough for the Blue Jays to run out that excuse when it comes to the Yankees, who have four prospects in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100. Again, these are minor leaguers, ratings are ratings, and a lot can change in a year or two, but it’s vital that the Blue Jays have a new, cheap core before Vladdy and Bo walk after 2025 and placeholders such as Kevin Kiermaier and Justin Turner have run their race. Are we reaching a point where this organization needs to trade for prospects? I’d argue this is the most important year in some time for the Blue Jays minor-league system …

The Stro Show? I bet it will be a Broadway hit …

Watching the pitching carnage in spring training only reinforces what I felt about the Yankees’ signing of Marcus Stroman — that it will low-key turn into one of the best signings of the winter. There’s a mystique to the Yankees clubhouse, but we’ve seen ‘big’, unique personalities find their footing and grow inside it in the past and I think Stroman is going to be that guy. I know what you’re going to say: isn’t something different shown by the fact that Stroman balked at pitching on Opening Day after Cole’s injury? Nah, I see the opposite: I see a pitcher who has averaged 33 starts per year but has tossed less than 140 innings in each of the past two seasons and is being professional about the whole thing — more interested in maintaining his routine and maximizing off-days than anything else. Nestor Cortes will start Opening Day, with Stroman scheduled to draw in the No. 3 spot …

Jeff Blair hosts Blair & Barker from 11 A.M.-Noon ET on Sportsnet 590/The Fan and Sportsnet

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homan Canada’s Homan improves to 4-0 at women’s worlds 5747160 headlines Mon, 18 Mar 2024 16:17:45 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 21:40:09 EDT Canadian Press Canada’s Rachel Homan continued to roll at the women’s world curling championship with a 9-4 win Monday over Norway’s Marianne Roervik.

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SYDNEY, N.S. — Canada’s Rachel Homan continued to roll at the women’s world curling championship with a 9-4 win Monday over Norway’s Marianne Roervik.

Homan improved to 4-0 after Canada’s lone game of the day at Centre 200. 

Tuesday will be an important day for Homan, vice Tracy Fleury, second Emma Miskew and lead Sarah Wilkes because they face two undefeated countries.

Homan takes on Italy’s Stefania Constantini (4-0) in the morning and defending champion Silvana Tirinzoni of Switzerland (5-0) at night.

“They’re two phenomenal teams and we know we will have to bring the same, or more, tomorrow,” Homan said. “I know they’re going to bring their A games, and we’re going to have to do the same.”

Norway shook hands when Homan hit for three points in the eighth end Monday. 

After blanking the third, Homan’s shot stone on the button had opposing stones above and below in the fourth. Canada’s sweepers Miskew and Wilkes dragged Homan’s draw and curled it to the four-foot rings for another deuce and a 4-1 lead.

“Really well swept,” the skip said. “Tracy’s reading the line really good and called a good one there. Definitely a huge shot we needed to make sure we scored because it was looking like a steal for a while there.

“We’re all making a ton of big shots. It’s been going really good this week and hopefully it can continue.”

Norway countered with its first deuce of the game in the fifth end to trail 4-3. 

Kristin Skaslien, who throws fourth stones for Roervik, navigated guards for a takeout at the back of the rings. A measurement on second stones confirmed Norway’s two points.

But Canada tightened its grip in the sixth end with Homan’s triple takeout to lie three with her first stone. 

Skaslien’s shooter rolling wide left the Canadian skip a draw for a 6-3 lead. 

Canada curled 92 per cent as a team in the game, led by Homan’s 94 per cent.

“(She’s) working really hard and it’s showing,” Miskew said. “The difference this year is we’re all throwing the rock very similar so she knows exactly how she has to throw her stones and trust what we tell her to make every shot. 

“She’ll make anything out there.”

Homan opened the championship with a 7-6 victory over Sweden, a 7-4 defeat of Denmark, and a 10-6 win over the United States.

Norway (2-3) bounced back in Monday’s evening draw with a 11-5 victory in nine ends over Turkey’s Dilsat Yildiz (1-4).

Italy downed Tabitha Peterson of the U.S. 10-3 on Monday afternoon to drop the latter to 2-3.

South Korea’s Eunji Gim (3-1) was a 9-4 winner over Japan’s Miyu Ueno.

Estonia’s Liisa Turman (1-4) went an extra end for a 10-7 win over New Zealand’s Jessica Smith (1-4), but lost 10-9 to Demark (4-1) in the evening draw when Madeleine Dupont counted three in the 10th end.

Tirinzoni stayed unbeaten with an 8-7 decision over Turkey’s Dilsat Yildiz in the morning draw. Switzerland then won its fifth straight by beating Japan (1-4) 10-3 in eight ends in the evening draw. Tirinzoni scored three in the sixth end to go up 7-2, then added another three in the eighth to seal the deal. 

Tirinzoni and teammate Alina Paetz, who throws fourth stones for the Swiss, are looking to become the first women to win five consecutive world championships.

The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 women’s world championship after Tirinzoni was victorious in 2019. Tirinzoni went on to build a run of titles in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

After dropping three straight, Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg got into the win column with a quick, six-end 8-2 decision over New Zealand in the morning. She improved to 2-3 in the evening with a six-end 8-1 win over Scotland’s Rebecca Morrison, who slipped to 1-4. Scotland lost 9-2 to Denmark in seven ends earlier in the day.

The top six teams in the 13-country championship advance to the playoff round. Ties for the playoffs will be solved by head-to-head results.

The top two teams from round-robin play get byes to Saturday’s semifinals. The third-place team will play the sixth and fourth will play fifth in the qualifying-round games that morning.

The winners of the qualifying-round games advance to the semifinals. The semifinal losers will play for the bronze medal Sunday morning. The winners meet for the gold Sunday evening.

Homan won the 2017 world championship in Beijing with Miskew, Joanne Courtney and Lisa Weagle. Jennifer Jones skipped the last Canadian team to win it in 2018 in North Bay, Ont.

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Christinne Muschi/CP Tereza Vanišová PWHL Trade Deadline Roundup: Ottawa swings two deals 5747160 headlines Mon, 18 Mar 2024 18:24:16 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 19:45:45 EDT Canadian Press Ottawa’s Professional Women’s Hockey League team made a couple trade-deadline moves on Monday to bolster its roster.

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Ottawa’s Professional Women’s Hockey League team made a couple trade-deadline moves on Monday to bolster its roster.

Ottawa acquired forward Tereza Vanisova from Montreal in exchange for defender Amanda Boulier. Ottawa also received Shiann Darkangelo in a deal with Boston for forward Lexie Adzija and the rights to forward Caitrin Lonergan.

Vanisova scored twice and had eight assists in 17 games with Montreal before she was dealt to Ottawa.

The 28-year-old Czech was drafted in the seventh round by Montreal in September and had signed a two-year contract.

Vanisova will represent Czechia at the women’s world championship April 3-14 in Utica, N.Y., for the seventh time in her career.

Ottawa’s PWHL head coach Carla MacLeod is also Czechia’s coach, and has navigated that team to back-to-back bronze medals.

Boulier of Watertown, Conn., was a 13th-round selection by Ottawa and signed a one-year deal with the club.

The 30-year-old ranked third in production among Ottawa’s defenders with a goal and five assists in 17 games.

Boulier played six seasons with the defunct Premier Hockey Federation and was a two-time Isobel Cup champion. She shared the 2022 title with Vanisova when they were Boston Pride teammates.

Adzija, a 23-year-old from St. Thomas, Ont., was selected by Ottawa in the 11th round of the PWHL draft and signed a one-year contract with the team. She began her first professional season with a five-game point streak and has totalled eight points, including five goals and three assists in 17 games.

Adzija graduated from Quinnipiac University where she spent five seasons as a member of the Bobcats, serving as co-captain during the 2022-23 campaign.

Lonergan, a 26-year-old from Roslindale, Mass., was selected by Ottawa in the 14th round of the PWHL draft but did not sign with the team. She is a two-time Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award finalist, recognized during the 2017-18 season with Boston College, and in 2020-21 with Clarkson University. She spent the 2022-23 season as a member of the PHF’s Connecticut Whale where she recorded 18 points in 23 games.

Darkangelo, a 30-year-old from Brighton, Mich., was selected by Boston in the 12th round of the PWHL draft and signed a one-year contract with the team. She has recorded one assist in 17 games this season. Before playing in the PWHL, Darkangelo played eight pro seasons, including three as captain of the PHF’s Toronto Six.

She had her most productive offensive campaign in 2022-23 with 25 points in 24 games and led the team to a 2023 Isobel Cup championship.

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colin-campbell-nhl colin-campbell-nhl NHL GMs discuss expanding coach’s challenge through video review 5747160 headlines Mon, 18 Mar 2024 16:38:16 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 17:17:06 EDT Eric Engels The NHL’s general managers discussed the potential expansion of the coach’s challenge through video review on Monday. Don’t expect imminent change, however.

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MANALAPAN, Fla. — This might take a while. 

When it comes to discussing the potential expansion of the coach’s challenge through video review, as the NHL’s general managers did on Day 1 of this week’s meetings in Palm Beach County, that’s probably a good thing. Because there’s a cost to trying to get everything right, and it’s one many of the game’s fans would argue isn’t worth paying.

Some of its players would argue that, too.

Take Connor McDavid, for example. He’s considered the best in the world, and when he spoke out over an overturned goal after a seemingly interminable offside review in what turned out to be a 2-1 win for his Edmonton Oilers over the Chicago Blackhawks back in January, what he said not only struck a chord around the hockey world but also in the league’s offices.

“If it takes you 15 minutes to determine if it’s offside or not, it probably doesn’t really matter,” McDavid said then.

In this case, as NHL Senior Executive and Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell pointed out after Monday’s meeting wrapped, it took officials only four minutes and 15 seconds to decide Leon Draisaitl was offside. 

But he didn’t debate the validity of McDavid’s point.

That’s why the NHL won’t necessarily rush to extend video review to puck-over-glass, tripping or crosschecking penalties before thoroughly evaluating how to properly implement them.

“Our job is to make sure we keep the fans happy, we keep the entertainment in the game and advance skill out there,” said Campbell.

Delaying it further threatens that.

Still, the general managers and league officials have to consider all scenarios and take advantage of innovations in technology to, above all else, get things right. So expansion of video review will continue to take centre stage at these annual meetings, and it’ll probably eventually come to pass even if no changes are made over the coming days.

The airing of grievances isn’t likely to stop it.

“(Frustration over delays) might linger for five to six minutes in a game,” said Campbell, “but if you get the wrong call, it could linger for five or six weeks after a game, or longer.”

As he also pointed out, getting the wrong call on a play that decides a game for the Stanley Cup could linger forever.

That’s especially true regarding puck-over-glass penalties, where conferences between officials are already regularly held in the immediate aftermath of the play to determine whether or not the puck was deflected.

Considering that’s a play that requires a whistle regardless, it’s worth considering reviewing it further.

Hence Monday’s discussion.

“We discussed puck-over-glass and discussed it pretty thoroughly today,” said Campbell. “We discussed: Should we look at taking a penalty down and adding a penalty, or just taking a penalty down (based on review)? Because it’s tough after a game when you added a penalty that wasn’t (called) a penalty (in real time). That’s real hard for the fans of a team to take.”

They’re not digesting long reviews of offsides and goaltender interference penalties well either, so we’re not sure how they’ll feel about the NHL sliding down the slippery slope of adding even one more infraction to take second, third and fourth looks at.

Another thing: fans, players and coaches—and yes, especially reporters—gripe about is how long it takes for linesmen to drop the puck on faceoffs.

But at least some of the GMs would like for them to be even more vigilant about enforcing the rules on these plays.

As it stands now, players who cheat on the draw are thrown out and replaced by a player who will be assessed a penalty for also cheating.

But the process has become somewhat elaborate and exhausting without necessarily deterring cheating on faceoffs, so there’s some consideration being put into amending it.

“We talked about the fact, I know it’s crazy, but instead of kicking a guy out you give him a one-minute penalty,” said Campbell. “Instead of kicking a guy out, you say he cheated and throw the puck to the defenceman like you would playing ball hockey.”

It’s unimaginable either of those ideas get greenlit.

But for the conversation to go in such directions, it signifies faceoffs are obviously an area of concern for the game’s biggest power brokers.

They all agree on one thing: They want more consistency in the application of the rules, and not just on faceoffs.

The GMs, as they always do, also expressed desire to see the rules amended to be as black and white as possible—especially pertaining to offside, with hopes to eliminate lengthy reviews by making the language around the rule clearer.

“Do we make it easy to call? Black and white: Feet have to go over second, puck’s gotta go over first?” asked Campbell. “Or do we leave it a little bit grey and make those decisions ourselves if it’s a skilled play and it wasn’t offside? 

“I can’t give you answers today.”

It’s best to take the time to think long and hard about it.

Just like GMs will take time to evaluate empowering referees to determine whether a hand pass is accidental or intentional.

There are some benefits to ignoring when a puck flares off a player’s hand rather than blowing it dead for a hand pass. The flow of the game being disrupted by accidental contact with a player’s hand doesn’t seem necessary, nor does calling off a goal under those circumstances. 

“We don’t want to take goals off the board,” said Nashville Predators GM Barry Trotz. “I think the one thing that frustrates fans sometimes is taking too many goals off the board.”

As meetings continue through Wednesday, there will be emphasis on how the game can be tweaked to put more goals on the board.

“I always quote my friend Bob Gainey, who was on the initial competition committee back in ‘4-05 when we made all our changes,” said Campbell, ‘but one aspect we always considered was: How can we gain offence in the game and punish defence?’”

It’s in that vein that amending the rules of three-on-three overtime was initially broached as a subject at the November meetings.

Back then, there was some appetite in the room to prohibit teams from being able to regroup past the red line after crossing it.

But that appetite doesn’t appear to be too large, according to some who were in the room on Monday.

“I was one of the ones that originated on control and reorganizing and attacking players and using it as a baiting tactic,” said Trotz, who was coaching the Washington Capitals when three-on-three overtime was adopted in 2015. “There’s 70 per cent of our games ending in overtime with a winner, so I don’t see that one going. You’re asking for more stoppages, and I’d say 90 per cent of the overtimes are really good. For the 10 per cent you don’t like because they’re not going end to end, it’s not worth it.”

Campbell said he doesn’t feel anything is in need of fixing when it comes to overtime, but added the conversation is still always worth having.

“We’ve got to be fair to the game and keep asking: Is there a problem,” he said.

But Campbell knows solutions must be fleshed out as elaborately as possible before invoking change.

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Home Page Top Videos Tue, 24 Oct 2023 17:26:18 EDT Sun, 17 Mar 2024 01:36:39 EDT Josh Beneteau carousel_meta sn-collection 17108166665915576 Gotta See It: Edwards gets insane elevation to put Collins on a poster 5785145 carousel Mon, 18 Mar 2024 22:51:53 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 22:53:46 EDT Sportsnet Video Watch as Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards shows off some eye-popping hops, taking flight over Utah Jazz big man John Collins for a dunk so vicious it sends both players to the locker room.

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Must Read (Home) Thu, 14 Mar 2024 10:49:58 EDT Sat, 16 Mar 2024 23:31:20 EDT Mike Koreen three_cols_meta sn-collection Ben Nicholson-Smith/Sportsnet Chasse-Powell-Blue-Jays-Knuckleball-Feature Meet the knuckleballers who pulled R.A. Dickey back to Jays camp 5911523 three_cols Fri, 15 Mar 2024 08:03:14 EDT Sun, 17 Mar 2024 15:22:16 EDT Ben Nicholson-Smith R.A. Dickey is always happy to talk to a young knuckleballer. When the Jays ended up with two — in prospects Ryan Chasse and Jordan Powell — it was enough to get Dickey back to Dunedin.

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WELCOME TO THE CLUB

WELCOME TO THE CLUB

R.A. Dickey is always happy to talk to a young knuckleballer. When the Jays ended up with two — in prospects Ryan Chasse and Jordan Powell — it was enough to get Dickey back to Dunedin.

I
t was late July of 2008 when R.A. Dickey got an unexpected invitation from Tim Wakefield. Dickey was in the big leagues with the Seattle Mariners at the time, trying to extend his new, precarious career as a knuckleballer but struggling to find consistency. Wakefield, then 41 and in his 16th MLB season, was the most successful knuckleballer of his generation. When it came to mastering baseball’s least predictable pitch, they were far from equals, yet when Wakefield’s Red Sox visited Seattle, the older knuckleballer offered Dickey the chance to join him in the visitors’ bullpen and watch one of his throwing sessions up close. To Dickey, the gesture meant something. They were competing, sure, but Wakefield’s invitation represented an acknowledgement of sorts: because of the pitch we throw, we have something significant in common.

“At times, the mental part of trying to do this can be really difficult. You can feel very lonely.” Dickey recalls. “I’m trying to beat him, and yet he’s sharing with me some of the things that made him do so well with the craft.”

Thanks to Wakefield, Charlie Hough and Phil Niekro, Dickey would eventually develop what he describes as a “Jedi counsel” of knuckleballers available on speed dial. Two years after watching Wakefield’s bullpen session, Dickey would post an impressive 2.84 ERA in 26 starts for the New York Mets. Two years after that, he’d win the Cy Young Award, becoming the first knuckleballer recognized as his league’s best pitcher. It’s an individual accolade, of course, but one Dickey says he never would have won without the shared wisdom of the knuckleballers who preceded him.

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These days, Dickey’s a 49-year-old father of four who coaches baseball and tends to his 40-acre farm in Tennessee. Since his playing career ended in 2017, he’s essentially stayed out of the public eye. But last year, he got another intriguing invitation, this one from Toronto assistant GM Joe Sheehan. The Blue Jays had a minor-league pitcher experimenting with a knuckleball. He was promising but had a long way to go. Might Dickey take some time to speak with this player he’d never met or heard of? A FaceTime call maybe? Or offer a few pointers via text?

Sheehan, it turned out, had asked the right guy. Dickey was happy to talk shop with the prospective knuckleballer, and before long stepped It up to working with him in person. And when the Blue Jays added a second knuckleballer to the organization a few months later, the remarkably niche development work gained even more momentum.

“What I enjoy the most is giving away what I’ve been given,” Dickey says. “There’s not a man among us that was a self-made man. We’re all the product of people who poured into us and loved us well.

“And I want this pitch to go on. It’s mystic, man.”

Dickey, far right, with members of his “Jedi counsel” Red Sox legend Tim Wakefield, left, and Hall of Famer Phil Niekro in 2012.

R
yan Chasse’s 2023 season didn’t go according to plan. A 17th-round pick in 2022, he was far from a top prospect even before injuries limited him to 24.2 innings in what should have been his first full season at Class A — he also walked nearly a batter per inning. Bearded, soft-spoken, and intensely competitive, the 24-year-old Chasse realized he was getting passed by younger pitchers who threw harder with nastier breaking stuff. If the six-foot-three left-hander was going to succeed, he needed to get creative about his future and try something else.

Ever since he was eight or nine years old, Chasse had toyed with a knuckleball, but he’d never dared use one in a game. Instead, he’d preferred to reach back for 91-92 on his fastball to try to overpower hitters, a strategy that just hadn’t worked as well as he’d hoped. Last spring, though, Blue Jays pitching coordinator Cory Popham saw him throwing a knuckler and encouraged him to test it at the team’s Dunedin, Fla. pitching lab. It looked cool, fluttering in around 70 m.p.h., like Wakefield’s once did.

Chasse was intrigued, and the Blue Jays were, too. Early in the spring of 2023, Sheehan reached out to Dickey in case he was willing to help. At first, the commitment was minimal — just an introductory FaceTime call — but as Chasse’s season slipped away, a new possibility emerged. Now, the Blue Jays were most interested in Chasse as a knuckleballer. He was up for the challenge, but he’d need some help.

Once the minor-league season ended, Sheehan circled back to Dickey and explained that Chasse was now more serious about the pitch than ever. Intrigued, Dickey offered to take his consulting role to another level. If an aspiring knuckleballer was asking for help, he wasn’t about to refuse. This time, he wanted to make the trip to see Chasse in person.

“I mean, he’s the best there is that’s still alive. So having him here was huge for me, confidence-wise and technique-wise.”

In October, the visit happened and suddenly Chasse, a lifelong baseball fan, was having conversations at the Blue Jays’ player development facility that barely felt real. The man he refers to as “Mr. Dickey” was there beside him, watching his mechanics, giving him nail care products to try and offering to review video footage at any time.

“It was really big for me,” Chasse says. “This is not something I’ve done a lot. And I mean, he’s the best there is that’s still alive. That’s going to help. So having him here was huge for me, confidence-wise and technique-wise.”

Already, Chasse was making some real strides. The Blue Jays clearly believed in him enough to fly in a Cy Young winner, and Dickey’s pointers were proving invaluable. After a frustrating season, these were meaningful steps. Even so, once Dickey left, Chasse would occasionally find himself wondering ‘What am I doing wrong?’ after a particularly frustrating day.

Soon enough, though, he’d have someone to share those doubts and frustrations with — someone who understood them as well as Chasse.

Powell, left, and Chasse show off their respective grips.

J
ordan Powell likes to have fun. He’s the type to get teammates together for an event and joke around in the locker room. The way he sees it, the baseball season’s just too long to be serious all the time.

Last year, though, wasn’t an especially fun time for Powell. His grandfather passed away, and the loss hit him hard. Plus, he was out of baseball. Not just out of affiliated baseball — the six-foot-two right-hander went undrafted — but out of baseball, period. The last team he’d played for, the independent Northern Colorado Owlz, released him.

“I was a stock righty,” he says now, smiling broadly. “Below-average curveball, below-average everything else. And everybody [else]’s throwing 99. I was like, ‘I’ve got to do something to get on a team.’”

His stuff may have been ordinary, but his motivation was exceptional. A native of Celebration, Fla., Powell kept pitching at Tread Athletics near Charlotte, N.C. and drove nearly 100,000 kilometres that summer trying to get signed. But a right-hander who throws 93-95 m.p.h. on a good day is no longer remarkable in today’s game, and at 25 years old, he was hardly an up-and-coming prospect.

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Determined to try anything that might attract attention from big-league teams, Powell broke out his knuckleball, a pitch he’d messed around with as a kid when his hands were too small to throw a change-up. Pitching in indy ball, he’d even used the pitch in some games, generating whiffs from surprised hitters with a Dickey-esque power knuckler that could reach 78-80 m.p.h.

After a bullpen session with motion capture technology at Tread Athletics, the facility’s co-founder, Ben Brewster, shared the video on X with a caption that functioned as a sales pitch: “Here’s Jordan Powell sitting in the low 90s with absolutely disgusting knuckleballs,” Brewster wrote, adding a butterfly emoji to emphasize the pitch’s unusual movement.

The video was posted on January 16 of this year. Sheehan saw it soon afterwards, and within a week, Powell was officially a member of the Blue Jays organization. Just like that, there were two knuckleballers in a farm system that had previously had zero. Now, a plan could really take shape, one that could benefit not only Powell but Chasse, too.

“You can’t just turn to your pitching coach and say ‘Hey man, help me with this knuckleball.’”

Remember, fewer than 100 pitchers have ever mastered the knuckleball at the big-league level. Despite the recent uptick in pitching experts hired by big-league organizations, even the game’s most sought-after coaches have their limits here. With that in mind, the Blue Jays wanted to see if there was a way to pair two knuckleballers together. Powell didn’t need much convincing — he was just grateful for the job — but if he had, the benefits of collaborating with a second knuckleballer and a former Cy Young winner would have featured prominently in the Blue Jays’ recruitment strategy.

As Dickey explains, “you can’t just turn to your pitching coach and say ‘Hey man, help me with this knuckleball.’ There are few people who have walked the face of the earth that know how to throw one the right way, and sometimes getting a hold of those guys can be really tough. It’s a tight fraternity.”

Early this spring, Dickey made a second visit to Dunedin, so he could work closely with both pitchers. In their sessions together, Dickey explained the mental and mechanical building blocks of the pitch in the hopes that the knowledge would provide a foundation for the season ahead.

Coming from a pitcher who started 300 games at the big-league level, those lessons resonated, Dickey’s instruction quickly becoming integrated into the pitchers’ daily discussions and work habits. But the two students were always going to eventually reach a point at which they had to succeed without constant help from their teacher. These days, if you ask them who they rely on most for day-to-day support, the pitchers exchange a quick glance and smile.

“Literally each other,” Powell says. “It’s like we’re roommates, but it’s probably a good thing we’re not roommates. We spend every single day with each other — working out, eating, painting our nails, filing our nails.”

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Plus, since they’re always obsessing over knuckleballs in a way no one else in the organization is, the pitchers will often be the first to notice something small. For instance, if Chasse is backspinning too much or his pitch is rotating too much from side to side, Powell might notice. When an insight about knuckleballs came to Powell in a dream, he told Chasse about it. By now, they see things in each other that even Jays development staff will miss.

“The coaches will be like, ‘Oh, that’s great,’ and we’ll look at each other and smile,” Powell says. “Like, ‘Okay, if you think that’s great, we’ll take it.’”

And how long have they known each other exactly?

“Three weeks,” replies Chasse.

“But if you calculate the time we spend together, it’s like we’ve known each other for six months,” Powell adds.

“Definitely feels like it.” Chasse agrees.

Already, the camaraderie is there. Which is remarkable, really, since in all his years learning the pitch, Dickey never had that kind of fellowship. He’d ask friends and bullpen catchers to throw with him, but that was as far as it went. Watching Powell and Chasse work together, he believes they can help one another succeed.

“You know that trauma bond that forms when you go through something very traumatic with a person? You’re in a car crash, or you’re in some kind of a crisis with another person and there’s an instant bond there because you’ve gotten through it?” Dickey asks. “That’s what it’s like. Because you’re having to become somebody new. To do that alone is near-impossible. So for them to have each other, it was a brilliant move by the Blue Jays in my opinion.”

Knuckleballers Chasse, left, and Powell during spring training in Dunedin.

B
ecoming a knuckleball pitcher requires a leap of faith — maybe a few. The instinct for a traditional pitcher is to try to overpower hitters when behind in the count. But a knuckleballer must learn to overcome that impulse and throw a slow, spin-free pitch toward the middle of the plate.

“The mental part is bigger than you’d think,” Chasse says. “You have to trust it. The pitch has a mind of its own.”

“It takes a lot of faith to try to throw a pitch that it looks like you’re lobbing,” adds Powell. “It’s like you’re playing chess.”

As Dickey’s quick to remind you, he’s not just a Cy Young Award winner. He’s also the pitcher who holds the records for most home runs given up in a big-league game and most wild pitches in an inning.

“The game was invented in 1867, and I’m No. 1,” Dickey says. “You’ve got to be able to hold that as well. It’s not [helpful to] project out to ‘Oh, I want to be R.A. Dickey or Tim Wakefield.’ Just ‘How can I be the best version of myself for the next pitch?’ How do you live the next five minutes well with the pitch?”

“There’s not a knuckleballer that walked the face of the earth that didn’t have a good sense of humour about himself. Some days it’s going to look ridiculous. You’ve got to be okay with that.”

When Dickey spoke to Powell and Chasse this spring, he emphasized the importance of consistency. You’re going to be like placekickers, he told them. You’re going to work that pitch every single day and you’re going to throw it in more counts and to more hitters than you ever have before.

First throw it for strikes. Then learn how to change speeds with it. And eventually, learn when to mix in the occasional fastball. It’ll take time — “for me it was about 20 different mini-epiphanies,” Dickey recalls — and patience.

“You’ve got to work on having a bulletproof confidence and a short-term memory. Because the mental side will play games with you,” Dickey says. “And there’s not a knuckleballer that walked the face of the earth that didn’t have a good sense of humour about himself. Some days it’s going to look ridiculous. You’ve got to be okay with that.”

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From here, the possibilities are open-ended. A joint assignment to Class A Dunedin is possible to start the season, partly because the warm weather is better for the pitchers’ fingernails. No one’s hoping for instant expertise here, just health, outs and growing trust in the pitch they’re trying to master.

In time, the Blue Jays would love to see Powell and Chasse succeeding in the majors, of course, but there’s a reason there’s no such thing as a knuckleball prospect. Few have succeeded at this before. If Powell and Chasse are going to get anywhere near the big leagues, they’ll have to overcome incredibly long odds. For now, they have each other. And, a phone call away, there’s someone who did beat those odds thanks to perseverance and some significant support.

Whether they match Dickey’s success or flame out trying, these two pitchers have chosen a new path. There’s no going back now. Asked if they’re sure they’re done with being traditional pitchers, their responses are unequivocal.

“Yes,” Chasse replies without hesitation.

“It’s over,” Powell agrees. “This is the new legacy for us.”

Photo Credits

Ben Nicholson-Smith/Sportsnet; Josh Haunschild/MLB via Getty Images; Ben Nicholson-Smith/Sportsnet (3).

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Baseball MLB TOR sn-bigreads
Portugal kit(1) Top 15 new FIFA soccer kits for 2024, ranked 5911523 three_cols Mon, 18 Mar 2024 15:52:37 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 16:27:34 EDT Julia Ranney Nike and Adidas dropped their newest lines of international soccer kits over the past week, ahead of a busy year packed with major tournaments.

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Nike and Adidas dropped their newest lines of international team soccer kits over the past week, ahead of a busy year packed with major tournaments.

For some teams, the new threads will debut later this month during international break or other friendlies. For others, the kits will appear in this summer’s Copa América, Paris Olympics, or Euro 2024.

Whether you love or loathe them, this year’s crop of jerseys are a mix of bold and bright, with others meant to be reminiscent of their nations’ footballing history.

Read on for a list of our top 15 kits from the 2024 release, alongside reactions from fans around the world.

15. Canada

The 2024 Canada home-and-away kits were described by Canada Soccer as being “Inspired by Tomorrow” while featuring a heritage Canada wordmark inside the collar to honour Canada’s football icons.

The home kit has a two-tone red design, while the away kit features 13 red stripes to represent the 10 provinces and three territories. While it makes sense on paper, one fan took to X to call the away kit “a new era inspired by Tim Hortons.”

14. Belgium

The Red Devils’ away kit pays tribute to Belgian cartoonist Hergé and his beloved character, Tintin, by matching the blue shirt and retro white collar Tintin traditionally wears, complete with brown shorts. It’s perhaps no surprise that the design has fans divided on social media.

The home kit, however, is more modernized with a maroon reflective geometric pattern throughout.

13. Mexico

Mexico went outside the box for its new kits. The home kit features a red, green and black feathered pattern inspired by the Mexican/Mayan myth of the peacock. On X, some fans criticized the kit’s colour choice and wished the predominant colour was green, which it has been for recent years.

According to Adidas, the green away kit, which has a light base with a tonal pattern of geometric shapes, takes inspiration from the country’s cultural heritage to fuse tradition and modernity.

12. U.S.A

According to a U.S. soccer press release, the “2024 uniforms are designed to convey unity” and feature an inspirational — “One Nation. One Team.” — message inside the collar.

The “American Classic” home kit features a timeless white base with a red, white and blue graphic collar and rib. The “American Icon” away kit is more eye-catching, featuring a vibrant blue base and a nod to the sash design “made famous by the USA’s soccer heroes.” History aside, one X user referred to the away kit as “a melting popsicle.”

11. France

France comes in at No. 11 on our list, with a clean and simple home kit and a pinstriped away kit. The oversized crest on the front of the jersey represents the multicultural French teams of the 1980s, but some fans thought the shirt was “underwhelming.”

That said, the stripes on the away shirt reflect the colours of the French flag, slowly shifting from blue to red to match the contrasting panels, which is a nice touch.

10. Italy

Italy’s home-and-away kits might look plain on first glance, but there’s deeper meaning. The letter “I” discreetly runs through the away shirt and nods to the country’s flag with green and white accents.

The home kit (which should probably be the away kit) is simple yet “smart,” according to an X user, and features a bright blue base with red, white and green shoulder stripes.

L’Italia Chiamo” is written on the back of the collar, a nod to the Italian national anthem.

9. England

England’s new away kit turned heads for its eye-catching, deep purple colour. According to Nike, the purple is a mix of red and blue away kits from previous years “with a nod to English fashion.”

Purple trim is also present on the home kit, which is a classic take on England’s typical white and navy colourway. The kit will be first worn by the Three Lions later this month in international friendlies.

While the home shirt doesn’t stand out for its traditional design, one fan called the away kit the “best” they’ve seen in years.

8. Spain

Spain’s home kit features a saturated red and yellow colour scheme. If you look closely, you’ll be able to see a subtle sand pattern across the shirt, which represents the country’s sand dunes, while adding movement to the shirt.

The away kit is bright yellow, with panels that feature a wave design. While the home shirt is classic and simple, the away is ambitious, with some fans thinking it’s too bright. However, both Spain kits include a carnation, the country’s national flower, which is a nice touch.

7. Nigeria

Nigeria has a history of bold jersey design and this kit deserves the spotlight. The away kit, which has a black base and two-tone green patterns, represents the “creative communities” of Nigeria while demonstrating “a masterclass of kit design,” according to one X commenter.

This is the first time in three years the Super Eagles have used white as a base for their home kit, which is one of the only shirts with a boxy neckline. “NAIJA” — which is nother word for Nigeria — is written across the chest over top of a faded eagle design that extends to match the shorts.

6. Brazil

Brazil’s 2024 home kits showcase an intricate pattern complete with musical notes, macaws and national landmarks like Sugarloaf Mountain to highlight the country’s natural heritage. The colour scheme is a familiar yellow and green, making it immediately recognizable as a Brazil shirt.

The away kit features an all-over tiled print inspired by local textiles and the CBF crest in the middle of the shirt for the first time since 2004. The kit is is complete with teal accents that one fan referred to as “fire.”

5. Germany

Germany receives two kits fit for the Euro 2024 hosts. According to Adidas, the classic home shirt represents German football tradition in a modern way with black, red and gold running across the shoulders in the shape of an eagle’s wing.

The away kit is punchy, featuring bright pink and purple with a zig-zag design. It marks a new approach to Germany’s kits and aims to reflect the new generation of football fans in the country. While the choice of colour might take some getting used to, it surely will grab attention this summer.

4. Netherlands

Is there anything more recognizable than the Netherlands’ orange kit? The famous orange home kit showcases a tiled pattern with navy accents. Fans have called it “clean” and “creative” on X, which is fitting as the shirt celebrates the vibrancy of Dutch culture.

The away kit is just as flashy, with three shades of blue and orange accents in a geometric design. The kit also features subtle elements influenced by lions, one of the Netherlands’ symbols, combining classic elements with a modern twist.

3. Norway

Norway’s two kits are one of the year’s surprises. According to Nike, the home kit, inspired by the nation’s history, is an embodiment of the national flag with a “Nordic” and “metallic” treatment. Inside the collar is the Norwegian phrase “Sterkere Sammen,” meaning “Stronger Together.”

The away kit’s graphic elements represent the northern lights, snow and ice seen in the Arctic Circle. Complete with red accents, a X user called it one of the most “proper” Norway shirts ever.

2. Portugal

Portugal’s 2024 home kit pays homage to the country’s flag by simply colour blocking green and red — the brightest red Portugal has worn in years. “Simple goes a long way,” wrote a fan on X, and we have to agree in this case.

But what really steals the show is Portugal’s away kit. The base features a light blue azulejo design, a form of Portuguese glazed ceramic tile work. Found all across the country in schools, churches, restaurants, homes and even subway stations, the design represents a united front heading into a busy summer of matches.

1. Argentina

The reigning World Cup winners get two kits fit for champions, which feature a gold championship patch in the middle of the chest emulating power and prestige.

The home kit is traditional, showcasing Argentina’s recognizable white and sky blue stripes. The royal blue away kit features the signature stripes on the collar and side swoops. The side panel is also reminiscent of the panels worn by the Argentinians in the 2006 World Cup.

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Soccer sn-article
Charlie Neibergall/AP serven_brian1280 An introduction to the Blue Jays catchers who could cover Danny Jansen’s absence 5911523 three_cols Mon, 18 Mar 2024 08:52:09 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 13:14:04 EDT Arden Zwelling The Toronto Blue Jays have an opening on their roster with Danny Jansen sidelined with a fractured wrist. Arden Zwelling takes a closer look at the primary candidates for the secondary catcher role.

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DUNEDIN, Fla. — Danny Jansen’s recovery timeline from a fractured right pisiform — a knobbly, pea-shaped bone in his wrist that bore the brunt of a 93-m.p.h. fastball last Wednesday — is better than it could have been. The Toronto Blue Jays are estimating it should only be a couple weeks before he’s ready to resume baseball activity.

But in the meantime, that’s created an opening on Toronto’s 26-man roster for a secondary catcher to pair with Alejandro Kirk, who will play a lot on the club’s season-opening, 10-game road trip but can’t be asked to catch every day.

With apologies to Max McDowell, whose playing time this spring (11 plate appearances) is reflective of his distant third position in this conversation, the primary candidates to claim that spot are Brian Serven and Payton Henry, a pair of 26-year-olds the Blue Jays acquired this off-season as upper-minors catching depth.

You can think of Serven as more glove than bat, and Henry as more bat than glove, although both have made recent strides in the latter half of those equations. Serven has had a slight edge on Henry as the club’s third catcher throughout spring and would likely claim the role if camp broke today. But neither is currently on the Blue Jays 40-man roster, and until one is they’re both in the running.

Minor-league optionality isn’t a concern as both have a pair remaining; neither is experience with the unique demands of a big-league environment as both have spent extended stretches in the majors over the last three seasons.

This will ultimately come down to which catcher the Blue Jays feel is the best defensive fit with their pitching staff and gives them an advantageous offensive matchup on the days they’ll try to get Kirk off his feet. So, let’s take a closer look at how Serven and Henry got here, and what they could bring to the Blue Jays.

Brian Serven

Crazy Brian Serven story. After a half-dozen seasons grinding his way up the Colorado Rockies minor-league system, Serven finally earned a big-league call-up in mid-May 2022 and, a day later, was in the Rockies starting lineup. Naturally, his family scrambled to Denver to see it live.

Stepping into the batter’s box for his first MLB plate appearance, Serven toe-tapped and took a huge cut at the first pitch he saw, fouling it off towards Coors Field’s first-base side where it landed directly into the pocket of seats his family was watching from.

“It’s a little questionable as to whether they caught it on a line or if someone had to go get it — depends who’s telling the story,” Serven says. “But we’ll go with they caught it. Yeah, my brother caught it one-handed. Unbelievable grab. Tossed it to my dad, they chugged a beer. And the rest is history.”

There’s no questioning what Serven did three days later when he got his next start and came away with the first two hits of his big-league career — both long, two-run homers into the left-field seats. He remains the only player in MLB history to notch his first two career hits with multi-run homers in the same game.

“And the first one was off a guy I’ve known for a while, Trevor Williams. He went to ASU,” says Serven, who played three seasons at Arizona State University. “He sent me over a little gift the next day and was like, ‘Hey, congrats. Never want to give up a homer. But at least it’s to a Sun Devil.’”

Tough to imagine many players with more serendipitous starts to their careers than that. But Serven would no doubt settle for a little less storybook and a little more consistency going forward.

He remained with the Rockies for the rest of 2022, but he slumped significantly in the second half and saw his playing time whittle away during the stretch run. Serven began 2023 back with the Rockies but was demoted in early May and spent the rest of his year at triple-A — outside a four-day recall in mid-June when he didn’t make a plate appearance — playing through a hernia that sent him to the injured list on multiple occasions.

He hit waivers this winter, rode the DFA carousel through Chicago to Toronto, and was quietly outrighted off the Blue Jays roster on the eve of spring training. The Blue Jays were surprised Serven passed through waivers considering his solid defensive reputation and two remaining minor-league options. But it’s a welcome turn of fate in the wake of Jansen’s injury, as Serven has been leading the spring training competition with Henry to be the club’s third catcher.

Toronto’s internal defensive metrics rate Serven highly and see him capable of producing positive WAR based on his glovework alone. And public ones support that confidence. Serven posted five DRS during his most substantial MLB sample in 2022, ranking within the league’s top-10 catchers in both Baseball Savant’s and Fangraphs’ framing metrics.

Receiving is an area of Serven’s game that has developed rapidly since college, a process he credits former Rockies catching coordinator Mark Strittmatter — now on the Cubs big-league staff — for helping facilitate.

“I came into pro baseball not very good at it, to be honest,” Serven says. “And it was one of the biggest things Mark harped on from the moment I got drafted. And it’s just gotten better and better and better. It’s really important to me — I try to do that as well as I can. Because helping the pitcher go from an 0-0 to an 0-1, or a 1-1 to a 1-2, makes a huge difference.”

Serven has also demonstrated an ability to make loud contact and carries the highest average exit velocity — 97.3 m.p.h. — of any Blue Jay to put at least 10 tracked balls in play this spring. Thursday, he hit a 437-foot homer off Bailey Ober that left his bat at 108.3 m.p.h. So far this spring, Serven’s already hit two balls harder than the 106 m.p.h. regular-season maximum he set in 2022.

These are satisfying results after Serven poured hours of work into his swing path over the winter. For the first time in his career, Serven sought outside guidance from a private hitting coach: Craig Wallenbrock, who was at the forefront of baseball’s launch angle revolution and famously helped J.D. Martinez unlock himself at the plate in 2014.

Serven brought what he’d worked on to Toronto’s hitting coaches this spring, and collectively they furthered the process to help him continue understanding how to better control his bat path and avoid groundball contact.

“I tend to get really shoulder rotational,” Serven says. “I’m trying to be more linear, more underneath my shoulders instead of across my shoulders. That was the big change. And so far, that’s helped me get the ball in the air a little bit better and keep a cleaner line to the ball.”

Serven’s biggest challenge this spring has been learning Toronto’s pitching staff. The only Blue Jays he knew entering the organization were Andrew Bash, an old high school teammate, and Fitz Stadler, who he played with at ASU — two pitchers he could catch this season at triple-A but who aren’t likely to factor into the big-league picture.

Toronto’s internal scouting reports and profiles of their own pitchers have helped Serven pick up the preferences of his many new battery-mates as quickly as he can. But now that he’s positioned to break camp with the Blue Jays, that process is about to kick into overdrive.

“So far, so good. I’ve gotten good feedback from the guys I’ve caught,” he says. “One day during bullpens early in camp, I caught four guys I’ve never caught before. So, that’s not always the easiest — not knowing their stuff, where they miss, what they like to do.

“It was daunting at first. You come in to a new team, you want to make a good first impression. There were moments of nerves and anxiety. But it’s been fun. It’s a fun challenge. It’s what we do. We’re competitors. We get in there and compete.”

Payton Henry

Like Serven, Henry took the long road to the majors, stopping at each rung of the Milwaukee Brewers minor-league ladder — earning a couple all-star nods and a gold glove along the way — before being traded to the Miami Marlins and finally breaking through as a September call-up in 2021. He made Miami’s opening day roster to begin the 2022 season, but was optioned in late May, missed substantial time following thumb surgery, and was traded back to the Brewers that winter.

After spending all of 2023 at triple-A and hitting a respectable .294/.341/.454 — somehow good for only a 98 wRC+ in the International League’s inflated offensive environment — Henry became a minor-league free agent. He quickly heard from several teams offering non-roster deals for 2024. But the interest the Blue Jays showed in him stood out.

“They made it apparent that they really liked the way I played,” Henry says. “And they were very straightforward in telling me the opportunity they could offer and what their plan was. They were really open about what they felt I did well and the areas where they felt they could help make me a better player. I really liked that. I know a lot of guys who are out of jobs; a lot of good players who don’t have an opportunity. So, I’m glad I was able to get one.”

What the Blue Jays like about Henry starts with his considerable raw power, which was a calling card as a prospect in the Brewers system. Henry was raised in a wrestling family — his grandfather, Darold, was elected to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame three times as a wrestler, coach and referee — that had him strength training and developing body control from a young age. In his second big-league plate appearance, he crushed a double 402 feet to deep centre that came off his bat at 108.6 m.p.h.

But presenting that power consistently in games has been an issue. He’s worked hard to trim his strikeout and groundball rates as he’s advanced through the minors and although opportunities were inconsistent as part of a three-way playing time split behind the plate with the Nashville Sounds last season, Henry still came up with 20 extra-base hits in just 65 games.

“Last year was the first year where my approach and mechanics really started linking up,” Henry says. “So, I’ve been elaborating more on that here with the Blue Jays — it’s been great getting it locked in further.”

Defensively, Henry has been a work in progress throughout his career but has shaken an early, post-draft reputation as a bat-only prospect who would eventually need to move out from behind the plate. His plus throwing arm has never been in question, but his receiving and blocking have been inconsistent season-to-season. This winter, he adjusted his training to reemphasize flexibility and movement, trying to get back to the routines that helped him take large developmental strides earlier in his minor-league career.

“A couple of years ago in double-A, I had really good receiving numbers. And after that, I got away from some of the things I was doing,” Henry says. “So, I’ve worked really hard on getting more athletic and being able to move a little bit better. And so far this camp, I’ve been able to feel some of the things that I had previously.

“The receiving aspect is so big in baseball. I think that’s something I’ll hone in on for the rest of my career, to be completely honest with you.”

Of course, his biggest focus this spring has been getting on the same page with the 34 pitchers the Blue Jays brought to major-league spring training, plus the rotating cast of minor-leaguers who filter over from the other side of camp to make late-game appearances. Echoing Serven, Henry has been thankful for the resources Toronto’s coaching staff has provided on the different movement profiles pitchers feature and how they like their catchers to set up targets.

Yet, the one pitcher he didn’t need a scouting report on was Bowden Francis. Henry came up through Milwaukee’s system with the stoic right-hander who’s emerged as an important rotation backfill this spring, watching Francis light sage around A-ball clubhouses and walk barefoot into centre field on start days to meditate in the sun.

“Oh, yeah — he’s always been that guy,” Henry says. “I’ve honestly learned a lot from the intent he brings into every bullpen, every game. Nothing rattles Bowden. That’s huge as a pitcher. I think everybody can learn something from that. Especially me. You need to be locked in as a catcher, take the emotion out of it, and just go get the job done.”

With only 51 plate appearances and 128.2 defensive innings on his big-league resume, Henry trails Serven in high-level experience and is currently a tick behind in the competition to fill Jansen’s spot on the opening day roster. But that doesn’t mean a big-league opportunity won’t come in 2024.

It’s a long season. Things happen. Catchers get hurt. The Blue Jays started five different catchers in 2022, and four in each of the four seasons prior. If Henry is fourth on the depth chart — third with Jansen unavailable — he’s positioned to help the Blue Jays at some point over the next six months. And when the call comes, he’ll be ready.

“From talking to them this winter, it was apparent the Blue Jays were a really good fit for me. And that’s been true since I’ve been here. A very positive atmosphere. A lot of good guys around the clubhouse; a lot of veterans I’ve been talking with and approaching to try to get better from,” Henry says. “Being in a bit of a different role last year really helped me understand how to play less and still be able to make an impact. I think I got really good at making do with what I had. So, I’m hoping to bring that here. All I need is an opportunity.”

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Baseball MLB TOR sn-article
Sportsnet Plus Home Page Feature features_banner_story Wed, 11 Oct 2023 12:04:02 EDT Wed, 13 Mar 2024 10:48:46 EDT Billy Duke sn-features 32-THOUGHTS_GMC-SPONSOR-THE-PODCAST_1280x720 32 Thoughts Podcast: What’s on tap for GM meetings full_width Mon, 18 Mar 2024 08:17:06 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 10:55:49 EDT Sportsnet Staff In this edition of 32 Thoughts, Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman discuss what’s on the schedule for the General Manager meetings in Florida, including a conversation around replay reviews and an increased predictability with suspensions.

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In this edition of 32 Thoughts, Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman discuss what’s on the schedule for the General Manager meetings in Florida, including a conversation around replay reviews (7:51) and an increased predictability with suspensions (11:05). The fellas then turn their attention to the Arizona Coyotes and their delicate search for a new arena (16:07). Jeff and Elliotte also delve into the Eastern Conference Wild Card race, highlighting the New York Islanders (25:16), the New York Rangers (31:08), and the Detroit Red Wings (40:06). Afterward, Elliotte provides an update on Rod Brind’Amour’s contract extension (48:07) and the guys talk about Mike Modano’s new statue in Dallas (51:09).

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Hockey NHL sn-article
Marta Lavandier/AP kulikov_dmitry1280 Panthers’ Kulikov suspended two games for illegal check to head of Sheary feed_column Mon, 18 Mar 2024 17:26:28 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 17:26:35 EDT Sportsnet Staff Florida Panthers defenceman Dmitry Kulikov has been suspended for two games for a hit to the head on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Conor Sheary, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced Monday.

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Florida Panthers defenceman Dmitry Kulikov has been suspended for two games for an illegal check to the head on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Conor Sheary, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced Monday.

The incident occurred during the second period of Saturday’s 5-3 win for the Lightning.

Kulikov elbowed Sheary in the head in front of the Lightning’s crease just before Josh Mahura scored for the Panthers.

Players from both teams dropped the gloves and Lightning forward Michael Eyssimont received a roughing penalty.

The goal was waved off as Kulikov was assessed a match penalty.

The Panthers next play Thursday against the Nashville Predators.

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Hockey NHL FLA TB sn-article
Celtics vs pistons NBA Roundup: Celtics defeat Pistons behind Brown’s 31 points, White’s triple-double feed_column Mon, 18 Mar 2024 23:28:30 EDT Tue, 19 Mar 2024 01:38:17 EDT Associated Press Jaylen Brown scored 31 points in three quarters, Derrick White posted his first career triple-double and the NBA-best Boston Celtics beat the Detroit Pistons 119-94.

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BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 31 points in three quarters, Derrick White posted his first career triple-double and the NBA-best Boston Celtics beat the Detroit Pistons 119-94.

Boston star Jayson Tatum missed the game because of a right ankle injury, but the Celtics had more than enough to make up for the absence of their leading scorer (27.1 points a game) and rebounder (8.3).

White had 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He completed his triple-double when he passed to Payton Pritchard, who hit a 3-pointer with 6:25 to play.

Pritchard had 23 points in the Celtics’ sixth straight victory.

Boston forward Kristaps Porzingis returned after missing five games with a strained right hamstring. He had 20 points and eight rebounds in 22 minutes.

Jaden Ivey led Detroit with 21 points. Cade Cunningham, who averages a team-high 22.2 points per game, rested for left knee injury management.

CAVALIERS 108, PACERS 103

INDIANAPOLIS, (AP) — Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen each scored 23 points and a short-handed Cleveland defeated the Indiana 108-103.

Cleveland led by as many as nine in the final quarter before Indiana pulled even with 2:05 remaining. LeVert drove baseline then pulled up and swished a 9-foot fadeaway jumper to regain the lead. The Pacers didn’t score again.

LeVert had 11 assists and eight rebounds. Allen had nine rebounds.

The Cavaliers were without three starters including guard Donovan Mitchell, who averages a team-high 27.4 points but was a late scratch with a nose injury. The absences necessitated signing veteran forward Marcus Morris Sr. to a 10-day contract. Morris scored 14 off the bench.

Former Raptors star Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 19 points and 12 rebounds. All-Star Tyrese Haliburton had 14 points and 12 assists. Reserve guard T.J. McConnell scored 14.

76ERS 98, HEAT 91

PHILADELPHIA, (AP) — Tyrese Maxey had 30 points and 10 assists and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 22 points and 11 rebounds to help Philadelphia hold off Miami Heat 98-91 in a potential preview of an NBA play-in tournament game.

Former Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry survived a hard tumble over the scorer’s table and scored 16 points for the Sixers in his first game against the Heat since they traded him in January.

Bam Adebayo had 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Heat. Terry Rozier III scored 20 points.

BULLS 110, TRAIL BLAZERS 107

CHICAGO, (AP) — Onetime Raptors star DeMar DeRozan scored 28 points and Nikola Vucevic made a key hook shot with 9.3 seconds left, helping the Chicago edge Portland 110-107.

Vucevic had 22 points and nine rebounds in Chicago’s third win in four games. Ayo Dosunmu finished with 23 points and 10 assists.

Anfernee Simons scored 12 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter for Portland, but he missed a 3 from the top of the key as time expired. Deandre Ayton had 25 points and 15 rebounds in his sixth consecutive game with at least 20 points.

TIMBERWOLVES 114, JAZZ 104

SALT LAKE CITY, (AP) — Anthony Edwards had 32 points, eight assists and seven rebounds to lead the Minnesota over the Utah 114-104.

Naz Reid added 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting but did not play after halftime due to a head injury. Reid’s absence further depleted a Minnesota frontcourt already missing Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns because of injuries.

The Timberwolves scored 27 points off 17 turnovers and beat Utah for the second time in three days.

Collin Sexton led Utah with 24 points. Lauri Markkanen had 22 points and 12 rebounds following a six-game absence due to a bruised right quadriceps. Keyonte George added 15 points and eight assists.

John Collins had 11 points and six rebounds for the Jazz in three quarters. Collins did not play in the fourth while being evaluated for a concussion.

KNICKS 119, WARRIORS 112

SAN FRANCISCO, (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 34 points and Miles McBride added a career-high 29 to lead the New York to their fourth straight win over the Golden State.

The Knicks raced out to an 18-4 lead early in the game and never trailed as they earned just their fifth win in their last 19 meetings against the Warriors.

Josh Hart had 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his fifth triple-double in the past 21 games for New York, while playing all 48 minutes. Donte DiVincenzo added 18 points for the Knicks.

Stephen Curry scored 27 points to lead Golden State and Trayce Jackson-Davis added 19 points and 10 rebounds. The Warriors fell to 17-18 at home this season.

LAKERS 136, HAWKS 105

LOS ANGELES, (AP) — LeBron James had 25 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds, and D’Angelo Russell scored 27 points while tying the Lakers’ single-season record for 3-pointers in a 136-105 victory over Atlanta.

Russell’s six 3-pointers against the Hawks gave him 183 this season, passing Kobe Bryant’s 180 in the 2005-06 season and tying Nick Van Exel’s franchise record set in 1994-95.

Jalen Johnson scored 25 points and Bogdan Bogdanovic had 17 for the Hawks, who have lost four of five overall and three of four on their West Coast road trip.

KINGS 121, GRIZZLIES 111, OT

SACRAMENTO, (AP) — Malik Monk scored 12 of his 28 points in overtime, Domantas Sabonis had his 50th straight double-double and Sacramento beat Memphis.

Monk added six rebounds and six assists as the Kings improved to 5-1 in overtime. Sabonis finished with 25 points and 18 rebounds, and De’Aaron Fox had 23 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.

GG Jackson scored the first basket of overtime to put Memphis in front before Monk scored eight in a row and assisted a dunk by Sabonis as part of a 12-0 run as the Kings outscored the Grizzlies 16-6 in the extra period.

Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 25 points on 8-of-27 shooting. Desmond Bane added 24 points, and GG Jackson had 22.

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Basketball NBA sn-article
skinner Skinner notches hat trick as Sabres crush Kraken feed_column Tue, 19 Mar 2024 01:23:13 EDT Tue, 19 Mar 2024 01:56:38 EDT Associated Press Jeff Skinner had a hat trick, with his first goal coming during a three-goal outburst in the first six minutes to chase Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord, and the Buffalo Sabres cruised to a 6-2 victory Monday night.

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SEATTLE (AP) — Jeff Skinner had a hat trick, with his first goal coming during a three-goal outburst in the first six minutes to chase Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord, and the Buffalo Sabres cruised to a 6-2 victory Monday night.

Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch also scored in the first period for the Sabres, who earned their first win in six tries against the third-year Kraken. With 71 points, Buffalo is four behind Washington for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot with 13 games left.

Owen Power had Buffalo’s other goal and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 32 saves as the Sabres bounced back from Saturday’s 4-1 loss at Detroit. Luukkonen has allowed three or fewer goals in 26 of his last 27 games.

“That’s just how it’s going to be from now on — we just sort of move on to the next game,” said Skinner, who leads the team with 24 goals. “We have another one tomorrow (at Pacific Division-leading Vancouver), so we won’t be able to think about this one too long. It’s sort of a big challenge tomorrow, and everyone knows we need two points.”

The three-goal barrage came after Jordan Eberle gave the Kraken a 1-0 lead just 24 seconds into the game — the third fastest-goal in team history. Matty Beniers scored on a power play late in the first but the Kraken lost their fifth straight game, all at home.

Daccord made four saves before being pulled. Phillip Grubauer came on and stopped 23 shots the rest of the way. With 68 points, Seattle is 11 out of a Western Conference playoff berth with 15 games remaining.

It was the second time in three weeks that Daccord was chased.

“No. 1, those are quality shots. The first goal against, with Thompson, I mean that’s just a hell of a shot, right?” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “But you get to a point where, even though they’re from pretty good areas, the second and the third ones are still pucks that I know, when Joey’s on, he stops. He sees those and he makes those saves.”

Just moments after Eberle put Seattle on top, Thompson tied it on a shot from just outside the top of the right circle that zipped past Daccord at the 49-second mark.

Skinner gave the Sabres a 2-1 lead at 3:56. Tuch’s shot from the top of the slot at 5:41 made it 3-1 and sent Daccord to the bench.

“I liked the response. I thought it was a great response,” Buffalo coach Don Granato said. “I thought our energy level was high, and whenever we play with a high energy level, we play well, and we did tonight. The response after giving up the goal really early, to respond really quick after that was outstanding.”

Skinner and Power scored 24 seconds apart midway through the second, boosting the margin to 5-2. Skinner capped his hat trick with 1:58 left in the game.

“He’s deadly. When’s he on, he can score and create plays and that’s a big burst of life for us, especially when we’ve been struggling to score,” Thompson said. “When he gets hot, he’s hot, and we need him to start feeling that and keep riding him. He does a good job of being positive and making everyone in a good mood. And now that he’s playing like that, he’s going to be even better.”

UP NEXT

Sabres: Visit the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night.

Kraken: Visit the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night.

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Hockey NHL BUF SEA sn-article
Wilfredo Lee/AP stamkos_steven1280 Weekend Takeaways: Resilient Lightning primed for playoff push full_width Mon, 18 Mar 2024 12:21:03 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 12:59:17 EDT Ryan Dixon It hasn’t always been pretty and there’s been no shortage of adversity, yet the Tampa Bay Lightning keep punching and are looking more and more like they will soon make their 10th post-season appearance in the past 11 years.

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The Tampa Bay Lightning’s win on Saturday night was far from perfect. The Bolts were outshot 50-16 by the Florida Panthers in a game that saw Tampa build a 4-0 lead before allowing their state rivals to narrow that advantage to 4-3.

In the end, though, Tampa found a way to get it done and emerge with a much-needed 5-3 victory in the Eastern Conference wild-card chase.

In a sense, the game was a microcosm of the Lightning’s entire season. It hasn’t always been pretty and there’s been no shortage of adversity, yet the squad keeps punching and is looking more and more like it will soon make its 10th post-season appearance in the past 11 years.

And don’t get it twisted; making the playoffs is not something that can be taken for granted in this age of NHL parity. The defending champion Vegas Golden Knights are clinging to the final berth in the West; a New Jersey team many thought would challenge for the 2024 title will almost certainly miss the dance.

Just getting there is never a given, especially when you’ve absorbed some gut punches like Tampa has in the past six months or so. Training camp opened with captain Steven Stamkos acknowledging there hadn’t been much in the way of contract extension talks with the club and did not sound thrilled about that fact. Shortly thereafter, it was revealed star goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy required back surgery and would miss significant time at the start of the year.

A little over a month ago, on Feb. 7, Mikhail Sergachev returned from a 17-game absence versus the New York Rangers and wound up enduring an excruciating injury at Madison Square Garden that saw him fracture both his tibia and fibula. The second-best defenceman on the club will finish with 34 games played this season.

In large part to fill that void, general manager Julien BriseBois went hard after former Calgary Flame Noah Hanifin at the deadline, only to see the blue-liner land in Vegas after it seemed like he was Tampa-bound.

So, once again, Plan B became necessary and Tampa is now home to blue-liner Matt Dumba as well as winger Anthony Duclair.

Sure enough, Dumba has turned in some decent third-pair play through three games with his new team, while Duclair — after grabbing an apple versus his old teammates on Saturday — has two goals and three points with the Bolts.

Of course, this team lives and dies with the elite quartet of Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman and Brayden Point. Kucherov scored the ENG that clinched the win over Florida, and his two-point game has him just two shy of Nathan MacKinnon in the scoring chase.

All four of those guys have been on fire since the calendar flipped to March and Vasilevskiy — who struggled for a long time to find his game after debuting in November — is playing some of his best hockey right now, too. Following his 47-save showing versus the Panthers, the Russian has a respectable .911 save percentage in his past five outings.

Is that up to his own high standards? No. But like his team — now winners of three straight contests — Vasilevskiy is finding a way to fight through. If that continues, they’ll all get a valuable fresh start in the second season.

Other Takeaways

• This Art Ross chase Kucherov is a part of is something else. He picked up two points versus Florida, while MacKinnon and Connor McDavid went head-to-head in Edmonton on Saturday in a game that ended one second before the fourth period was set to expire when MacKinnon hit a streaking Artturi Lehkonen with an awesome backhand pass. McDavid was actually held off the scoresheet but is still on pace for 135 points. MacKinnon — the leader with 116 points in 68 outings — is tracking 140 points, the same number Kucherov (114 in 66) is on pace for. The NHL hasn’t seen a campaign where three guys hit 135 points since four players — Mario Lemieux, Pat LaFontaine, Steve Yzerman and Adam Oates — all did it 31 years ago in 1992-93.

• Speaking of points, the white-hot Roman Josi bagged two goals on Saturday to keep his — if not white — red-hot Nashville Predators chugging in a 4-1 road win over Seattle. Josi is producing at a 100-point clip from the blue line since Jan. 1, leading all D-men with 38 points in 31 contests in that time frame. Saturday was his second straight two-point game as the Preds have basically locked down a post-season spot by going 14 straight (12-0-2) without a 60-minute defeat.

• It was a big weekend for the new guys in Carolina. After missing more than a month with a fractured finger, former Pittsburgh Penguin Jake Guentzel played his third and fourth games with the Canes. On Saturday in Toronto, he drew an assist on the first late-game goal Carolina scored as it rallied from being down 4-2 to tie the Leafs. Guentzel then scored the only goal of the shootout to bag the extra point for his club. Twenty-four hours later, he tallied again as the Hurricanes thumped the Sens 7-2 in Ottawa and finished the weekend with a goal and three helpers.

Meanwhile, Evgeny Kuznetsov also tallied versus the Senators, picked up a total of three weekend points and suddenly has four points in his past three outings with his new club.

The idea for Carolina at the trade deadline was to scare up some goals and, so far, so good.

Weekend Warrior

Speaking of new guys, defenceman Sean Walker’s fourth game as a member of the Avalanche was a banger as he netted both regulation-time goals in the team’s 3-2 OT triumph over the Oilers. Both were nice tallies, but his second, in particular, was a beaut.

Red and White Power Rankings

1. Winnipeg Jets (43-19-5): Still speaking of new guys, how about a four-goal, five-point weekend for new Jet Tyler Toffoli? The Jets shellacked the competition, crushing Anaheim 6-0 on Friday night and returning 48 hours later to destroy the Blue Jackets in Columbus by a 6-1 count as Toffoli bagged a brace in each contest. 

2. Edmonton Oilers (40-21-4): There was some sense Warren Foegele might have to be a cap causality depending on how the Oilers’ wheeling and dealing went ahead of the deadline. Happily for both player and team, the winger remained an Oiler, and his career year continued on Saturday with a goal versus the Avs. Foegele has hit the back of the net in each of his past two outings and his 16-19-35 line has established new career-highs across the board.

3. Toronto Maple Leafs (38-19-9): The Leafs’ late collapse against Carolina was obviously not ideal. You do wonder if the fact Toronto is basically locked into third place in the Atlantic — can’t go up, can’t go down — can allow for some complacency to creep in.

4. Vancouver Canucks (42-18-8): Another year, another improvement on his own franchise record for Quinn Hughes. For the third consecutive campaign, the Canucks captain has established a new mark for points by a defenceman after picking up No. 77 with an assist in Saturday’s 2-1 loss to the Capitals.

5. Calgary Flames (33-29-5): What a moment for Lanny McDonald, who — six weeks after a serious cardiac event — made his first appearance at the Saddledome since his health scare and received a monster ovation from the Flames faithful during a first-period TV timeout.

6. Montreal Canadiens (25-31-11): Cole Caufield snapped a 12-game goalless drought during the Canadiens’ 5-2 loss in Calgary. To be sure, the goals have not come as easily as many expected for Caufield this year (20 in 67 games), but his assist total (33) is by far a career-high and the youngster has rounded out his game nicely. The goals should return at some point.

7. Ottawa Senators (28-34-4): The Sens squeezed out an OT win on Saturday in Long Island, but were thumped on home ice one day later by Carolina. Ottawa doesn’t have a 60-minute win in its past dozen outings and has just four in its past 23 contests.

The Week Ahead

• It’s a big week for head-to-head matchups between the Leafs and league superstars. On Wednesday, Auston Matthews and the Buds visit Alex Ovechkin in D.C. ahead of a primetime showdown with McDavid and Oilers in Toronto on Saturday night.

• Thursday night brings a massive game in the Eastern Conference playoff chase, as Detroit hosts the Islanders.

Elias Lindholm will see his old Calgary teammates for the first time since being dealt to Vancouver just before the All-Star break when the Flames head to B.C. on Saturday. The Canucks will be well past the midway point of a big nine-game homestand at that point and need to get going after two consecutive defeats at Rogers Arena.

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John Locher/AP UFC-bantamweight-Petr-Yan Petr Yan celebrating a UFC bantamweight win UFC Roundup: Petr Yan set for surgery; Pimblett wants Moicano next feed_column Mon, 18 Mar 2024 17:42:08 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 17:42:38 EDT Sportsnet Staff The latest news and notes from around the UFC, including a notable injury update to a former champion.

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As the dust continues to settle within the exciting men’s bantamweight division following a pivotal UFC 299 earlier this month, one key player at 135 pounds will be sidelined indefinitely.

Former titleholder Petr Yan announced Monday he is set to undergo surgery this week to repair multiple injuries.

Yan is coming off a three-round unanimous decision win over Song Yadong in a 15-minute bout during which Yan had to battle back from losing the opening round. The fighter posted Monday that an MRI confirmed he is dealing with a ruptured ACL and meniscus tear, plus a groin injury.

Yan had lost three in a row (a five-round split decision to Aljamain Sterling, a three-round split decision to Sean O’Malley and a unanimous decision to Merab Dvalishvili), and four of five overall including his 2021 DQ against Sterling prior to defeating Yadong. Yan has never been finished during his MMA career.

The 31-year-old Russian is 17-5 as a pro, however, three were via split decision and one was a disqualification. The Dvalishvili loss is the one indisputable loss on his record. Current champion O’Malley just defended the title against Marlon Vera to avenge his only loss and he is expected to face Dvalishvili later this year.

Coleman returns to gym after hospital stay

Hall of Fame heavyweight Mark Coleman was recently discharged from hospital after saving his parents from a house fire and the former UFC champion made an appearance at a gym in Ohio. 

UFC welterweight Matt Brown, the owner of the Immortal Martial Arts Center at which Coleman helps coach, posted a short video of the 59-year-old popping in following his hospital stay.

Paddy wants ‘Money

Popular lightweight Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett knows who he wants as his next opponent and if it comes to fruition fans can expect there to be plenty of trash talking. Pimblett said in a recent video blog he “won’t be fighting until like June or July” with his pregnant wife expecting twins but is eyeing exciting Brazilian Renato Moicano, adding: “That is who I want next. Renato Moicano. ‘Money’ Moicano, you owe me money, lad. I’m coming for you, you little sausage.”

Moicano was recently added to April’s UFC 300 card where he is scheduled to face Jalen Turner.  Moicano is coming off a win over Drew Dober in February.

Pimblett improved to 5-0 in the UFC with a unanimous decision win over Tony Ferguson at UFC 296 in December, rebounding from an uninspiring win over Jarden Gordon at UFC 282 the year prior.

Jones, Aspinall come face to face

This may end up being the closest fight fans get to seeing UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones and interim champion Tom Aspinall square off for real…at least for a while.

Jones and Aspinall were both guests at the Arnold Sports Festival in Birmingham, England this past Saturday and Aspinall approached Jones to say hello and at one point politely asked if they were ever going to unify the two UFC heavyweight belts.

Jones responded by saying he hoped so. He also not so subtly removed Aspinall’s hand from his shoulder as the two shook hands. Jones is still recovering from a shoulder injury and is expected to return to the cage later this year, likely against former champion Stipe Miocic. Jones said his shoulder is “healing, slowly but surely” when Aspinall asked him how his recovery was going.

Aspinall won the interim title at UFC 295 in November when he knocked out Sergei Pavlovich. An interim belt was introduced after Jones sustained his injury in the middle of last year. Jones became heavyweight champion when he submitted Cyril Gane one year ago at UFC 285 after Francis Ngannou had vacated the title when he left the organization.

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Frank Franklin II/AP marner_mitch1280 Maple Leafs’ Marner to miss two-game road trip due to high-ankle sprain feed_column Mon, 18 Mar 2024 13:49:33 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 14:59:24 EDT Sportsnet Staff Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitchell Marner will miss his fourth and fifth consecutive games due to a high-ankle sprain.

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Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitchell Marner will miss his fourth and fifth consecutive games due to a high-ankle sprain.

Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters following Monday’s practice that Marner will not join the team on their upcoming road trip.

The Maple Leafs visit the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday followed by the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.

“Just trying to get him to the point that he’s comfortable throughout the week,” Keefe said. “He’s day-to-day away from being day-to-day.”

Marner was absent at Monday’s practice and Keefe added they’ll figure things out once he resumes skating.

“It hasn’t been responding the way that they had hoped, so just stepping back a little bit with it,” Keefe said.

Speaking from the NHL GM meetings in Florida, Brad Treliving said they thought the time frame for Marner might be one to two weeks.

“We’re being cautious with it,” Treliving told Sportsnet’s Sean Reynolds. “It’s nothing that we feel that is going to be long-term at all. Ramping Mitch up here this week and see how he responds, but we’re hopeful he’s going to be back sooner rather than later.” 

Marner, who leads the team with 51 assists, has 76 points in 62 games this season.

Meanwhile, defenceman Ilya Lyubushkin is doubtful to join the trip as well as he missed Monday’s practice due to illness.

The 29-year-old from Moscow has registered two assists in seven games with the Maple Leafs since he was acquired from Anaheim (via Carolina) on Feb. 29 in a three-way deal.

Toronto (38-19-9) is third in the Atlantic Division with 85 points and has gone 2-0-1 during Marner’s absence.

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clark Is there a way to slow Caitlin Clark in March Madness? feed_column Mon, 18 Mar 2024 10:24:09 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 15:38:25 EDT Associated Press Many have tried to slow down Caitlin Clark. Few have succeeded. The numbers bear that out.

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Many have tried to slow down Caitlin Clark. Few have succeeded. The numbers bear that out.

Opposing coaches will try again in the NCAA Tournament to come up with schemes to defend Division I’s all-time leading scorer but know it’s hopeless to completely shut down the Iowa guard. The only question is how many points she will add to her record total of 3,771 as she winds up her career before heading to the WNBA.

“You can do everything right and not stop her. That’s the problem,” said Kansas State coach Jeff Mittie, whose team has faced Clark and the Hawkeyes three times over two seasons in nonconference games and could meet them again in the Sweet 16 next week.

Clark has scored at least 20 points in 118 of her 133 career games and at least 30 in 56. She is the only player in NCAA women’s basketball history to lead her conference in scoring and assists in four consecutive seasons. Her 173 3-pointers this season are an NCAA record.

The goal for opponents, then, is to mitigate the damage the national leader in scoring and assists can do. Easier said than done.

“Anything you do,” Robyn Fralick of Big Ten rival Michigan State said, “she counters.”

Either Holy Cross or UT-Martin will face Iowa later this week. Though there’s no how-to manual for defending Clark, coaches offered thoughts on the subject in interviews with The Associated Press.

All pointed out what Clark observers have long known: she prefers to go to her left when she shoots her signature step-back 3-pointer and to her right when she drives to the basket. When she can’t get a shot or her path to the basket is blocked, she uses her superior court vision to find her teammates with precision passes. And she loves to make long passes in transition that can be converted into easy baskets. She leads the nation with 294 assists this year, as she does in triple-doubles (six).

Kansas State was effective against Clark in its 65-58 win in Iowa City on Nov. 16, though Clark scored 24 points. She was 9 of 32 overall and 2 of 16 on 3s and had just three assists.

Jaelyn Glenn and Zyanna Walker took turns defending her. Mittie emphasized picking her up early to discourage those long outlet passes. Another defender would take over if Clark got a head of steam or had an advantage against the player assigned to her. The Wildcats varied their coverages when she came off ball screens.

“We tried to mix up what we were doing enough that maybe you have her off a little bit,” Mittie said. “Going right, we would try to get under some screens so we could shut off that drive and not give as much help. Going left, we just tried to be as physical as we could and get in the shot line when she got separation.”

Indiana coach Teri Moren decided to go with a physical game plan against Clark when it won 86-69 in Bloomington on Feb. 22. Chloe Moore-McNeil, Sara Scalia, and Lexus Bargesser were assigned to her, and the Hoosiers would switch out of man-to-man and use a triangle-and-two with two guards playing man and two forwards and the center playing zone.

“We knew she was going to get hers,” forward Mackenzie Holmes said, adding that the Hoosiers were OK with Clark scoring a lot of points as long as she was inefficient doing it.

The plan worked. Clark scored just four of her 24 points in the second half when she was 2 of 13 overall and 0 for 7 on 3s. For the night, she was 8 of 26 and 3 of 16. The rest of the Hawkeyes were just 18 of 41 overall and 2 of 12 on 3s.

Clark acknowledged the Hoosiers’ defense bothered her.

“I think being physical, face-guarding me, throwing a lot of different people at me… yeah, just very physical,” Clark said. “They kind of pushed me off my spots, got me out a little deeper than I wanted to be.”

Nebraska gave up 31 points to Clark in its 82-79 win in Lincoln on Feb. 11. All her points came in the first three quarters. She was 0 for 6 in the fourth, 0 for 4 on 3s, as the Cornhuskers erased a 14-point deficit in the last 10 minutes.

The Huskers switched defenders playing Clark straight-up in the first half and mixed in a box-and-one for much of the second half with Kendall Moriarty the chaser on Clark.

Michigan State’s strategy was to do the best it could against Clark and zero in on the rest of the Hawkeyes, and it almost worked. The Spartans lost 76-73 in Iowa City on Jan. 2 when Clark made a long 3-pointer just ahead of the buzzer.

Clark scored 40 points on a career-high 34 shot attempts. The rest of the Hawkeyes had 36 points on 33 attempts.

“When everybody’s scoring, that’s when their offense is incredibly explosive,” Fralick said. “We tried to do some things where we didn’t let the teammates get some easy baskets.”

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Vanni Sartini Reprieve for Whitecaps coach as MLS reduces Vanni Sartini’s ban by two games feed_column Mon, 18 Mar 2024 18:29:47 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 18:30:46 EDT Canadian Press The league, citing a “successful petition,” has reduced his original six-match suspension by two games, meaning the Italian can be back on the sidelines for the March 30 visit of the Portland Timbers.

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Vancouver Whitecaps coach Vanni Sartini has got a reprieve from Major League Soccer.

The league, citing a “successful petition,” has reduced his original six-match suspension by two games, meaning the Italian can be back on the sidelines for the March 30 visit of the Portland Timbers.

Sartini was sanctioned for his on-field actions and post-game comments following the 1-0 loss to Los Angeles FC on Nov. 5 at B.C. Place Stadium that ended the Whitecaps’ playoff run.

Sartini, who was sent off in the 95th minute, called referee Tim Ford’s performance “disgraceful” and made a joke about being a suspect if Ford was found dead.

Along with the automatic one-match suspension for the red card, Sartini was handed an additional five-game ban for multiple violations including entering the field of play in a confrontational manner and public criticism following the match.

Sartini was also issued a US$20,000 fine and ordered to complete a league-approved behavioural assessment.

The union representing North American soccer referees blasted Sartini’s comments, calling them “disgusting” and that it took the rhetoric against officials to a “dangerous new level.”

Sartini apologized for his comments during the Whitecaps end-of-season media availability and said he had reached out to MLS’ professional referee organization.

“I’m sorry, there was no malicious intent,” Sartini said at the time. “I could’ve done much better and I’m sorry for that.”

Sartini is eligible to return after serving the final game of the reduced suspension on Saturday against Real Salt Lake.

The Whitecaps (2-0-1) have not missed a beat without their colourful coach on the sidelines. Vancouver, coming off a 3-1 win at FC Dallas, sits second in the Western Conference standings. 

Assistant coach Michael D’Agostino has run the team on the sideline during Sartini’s absence.

During the ban, Sartini is barred from Whitecaps’ locker-room and field level and cannot communicate with the team or club staff from 90 minutes before kickoff until the final whistle

He has been able to conduct training and other team activities. The MLS ban also did not apply to pre-season or CONCACAF Champions Cup matches.

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Matt Slocum/AP kucherov1280 Kucherov, Bedard and Fleury named NHL three stars of the week feed_column Mon, 18 Mar 2024 14:22:51 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 14:22:53 EDT Canadian Press Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov, Chicago Blackhawks centre Connor Bedard, and Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury have been named the NHL’s three stars of the week.

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Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov, Chicago Blackhawks centre Connor Bedard, and Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury have been named the NHL’s three stars of the week.

Kucherov led the league with seven points (two goals, five assists) in two games, bolstering the Lightning’s playoff prospects with victories over the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers.

Kucherov increased his season total to 114 points in 66 games, closing within two points of scoring leader Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche in his bid for a second career Art Ross Trophy.

Bedard also tallied seven points (two goals, five assists) in three games, including a season-high five-point performance in a 7-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks.

Fleury went 2-0-1 in three starts, which included his 75th career shutout in a 2-0 win over Anaheim, helping the Wild (33-27-8, 74 points) close within five points of a playoff berth in the Western Conference.

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17107805475915098 Why Backlund has so much passion for what he does on and off the ice full_width Mon, 18 Mar 2024 12:57:52 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 13:01:10 EDT Sportsnet Video Calgary Flames captain Mikael Backlund says “All Heart” to him means to have a lot of passion in whatever he does on and off the ice, and discusses why it’s so important for him to be involved in the community as much as possible.

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CP168466032(1) Canadiens assign defensive prospect David Reinbacher to AHL’s Laval Rocket feed_column Mon, 18 Mar 2024 11:56:22 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 11:58:58 EDT Canadian Press The 19-year-old defenceman had a goal and 10 assists with Switzerland’s Kloten HC over 35 games this season.

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The Montreal Canadiens have assigned prospect David Reinbacher to the American Hockey League’s Laval Rocket.

The 19-year-old defenceman had a goal and 10 assists with Switzerland’s Kloten HC over 35 games this season.

Reinbacher was selected fifth overall by the Habs in last year’s NHL Draft.Kloten HC did not make the Swiss-A League’s playoffs, freeing Reinbacher to play in North America.

Laval is chasing the Toronto Marlies for the fifth and final playoff spot in the AHL’s North Division. Toronto (27-20-11) has 65 points with two games in hand over the Rocket (27-25-8), who have 62 points.

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Justin Tang/CP giroux_claude1280 Senators have long way to go to be like contending Hurricanes full_width Mon, 18 Mar 2024 10:24:17 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 10:30:15 EDT Wayne Scanlan Monumental collapse by the home team? Or systematic imposition of will by the visitors? Take your pick following the Carolina Hurricanes’ 7-2 demolition of the Ottawa Senators.

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OTTAWA — Monumental collapse by the home team?

Or systematic imposition of will by the visitors?

Take your pick following the Carolina Hurricanes’ 7-2 demolition of the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. It’s doubtful that even a helpful Irish Leprechaun could have saved the Sens from this St. Patrick’s Day Massacre.

Goaltender Anton Forsberg did his best. Without a few spectacular saves by Forsberg early in the game, and again in the third period, the Hurricanes would have hit double figures in goals.

“We self-destruct,” was interim head coach Jacques Martin’s killer bit of phrasing in a two-minute media conference post-game.

There wasn’t much else to say.

And here’s the funny part, the lead-in to the self-destruction: Ottawa actually played a decent game through the first 39-and-a-half minutes.

To that point, the teams had traded two goals apiece and both had missed chances. After a bit of a rough start, the Senators had a better second period, outshooting Carolina 14-9, but that long-time plague, defensive zone coverage, reared its head. With fewer than 25 seconds remaining in the period, Seth Jarvis drifted in from the point untouched, took a pass from Sebastian Aho and wired a shot past Forsberg for the 3-2 lead.

A tough one to take, for sure. But the Senators had shown an ability to rebound from deficits, including recent road wins against the New York Islanders (Saturday) and Columbus Blue Jackets (Thursday).

Against Carolina, though, the Senators wilted like a fragile flower.

An early third-period goal by defenceman Jalen Chatfield sparked an avalanche of goals. Dmitry Orlov added his second of the game and centre Jake Guentzel, the Hurricanes’ prized trade deadline acquisition, scored his first regulation goal in a Carolina uniform, ripping a shot over Forsberg’s glove. Things got really silly when the annoying, hand-biting (search Brady Tkachuk incident) Brendan Lemieux scored his third of the season, on a tip.

“We played two great periods,” said Senators defenceman Thomas Chabot, who played his first game since getting re-injured on March 6. Chabot scored one of two highlight-reel goals for Ottawa. Tim Stützle had the other.

“Allowing that late one (in the second period) always hurts, but as a team, you’ve got to find a way to come back in the third and get back to playing the same way. You guys saw, we gave them chances and they got in the back of our net.”

Asked about the endless search for game management and maturity in his young team, Martin was at a loss for words.

“I don’t have the answer,” Martin said. “You talk about it, you show them situations — at some point people have to learn.”

What better team to go to school on than Carolina. Already a contender, they added two skilled forwards at the deadline in Guentzel and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Check out the depth down the middle that created. Jordan Staal, experienced and playoff-hardened, is now Carolina’s fourth-line centre.

Their defence is outstanding.

Goaltending has been a question mark, but Frederik Andersen, who stopped 30 of 32 Ottawa shots, is 4-0-0 since returning from a blood clot issue that kept him out most of the season.

Overall this year, Andersen is 8-1-0 with a .917 save percentage and 2.17 goals-against average.

In a pinch, Carolina has 18-game winner Pyotr Kochetkov. But if Andersen can stay healthy, the Hurricanes could go a long way this spring.

Sometimes you have to appreciate a quality opponent, at the same time as wondering when the home team will get this good. And deep.

After this men-against-boys beatdown, I asked Chabot what impresses him the most about the Hurricanes.

“I think it’s just the way they support each other everywhere,” Chabot said. “There’s no time that, when a guy makes a mistake, that another one of their players isn’t there to back him up, whether it’s in the neutral zone — one guy being flatfooted and the other guy coming with speed; or in their zone. They play a really solid game. You have to give them credit, there’s a reason they’re winning most nights.”

He’s not wrong there. With eight wins in their past 10 outings, including a crazy comeback victory in Toronto Saturday night, the Hurricanes are breathing down the necks of the also scalding-hot New York Rangers in the battle for first place in the Metropolitan Division.

There is little margin for error against Carolina. Ask the Maple Leafs, who had a two-goal lead on the Hurricanes with two minutes to go on Saturday. Aho scored twice to force overtime and the visitors won in a shootout.

Ottawa dreams of getting to be as consistent and deep as this Hurricanes group.

“It’s on us, maturing and being better with the puck at certain times,” Chabot said. “We had some chances to put it behind them and forecheck, which has worked for us.

“When you play a team like them that has a chance to win the Stanley Cup (and make those mistakes) it’s going to come back and haunt you. That’s what happened in the third there.”

From the cauldron to the open fire — the Senators travelled to Boston on Monday to prepare for a Tuesday game against the Atlantic Division-leading Bruins.

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17107729865914969 How Capitals’ Tom Wilson mastered the art of playing with an edge feed_column Mon, 18 Mar 2024 11:23:42 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 11:23:42 EDT Sportsnet Video Washington Capitals power forward Tom Wilson gets On The Couch with Colby and talks about being able to play with an edge on the ice and why that brand of hockey appeals to him in an era of ever-changing playstyles.

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prescott Report: Cowboys rework Prescott’s contract to reduce cap hit feed_column Mon, 18 Mar 2024 11:47:40 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 11:47:42 EDT Associated Press The Dallas Cowboys are slightly reducing quarterback Dak Prescott’s massive salary cap hit by reworking his contract going into the final year of the deal, a person with knowledge of the move said Monday.

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FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys are slightly reducing quarterback Dak Prescott’s massive salary cap hit by reworking his contract going into the final year of the deal, a person with knowledge of the move said Monday.

A $5 million roster bonus has been converted into a signing bonus to reduce the 2024 cap hit by $4 million, to about $55 million, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the club doesn’t release details of contracts. The move was first reported by ESPN.

The Cowboys can create more salary cap relief with an extension for Prescott, who is coming off a wild-card loss at home to Green Bay that dropped his playoff record to 2-5.

While Jerry Jones has said the club plans to keep Prescott, the team owner and general manager hasn’t struck the same definitive tone he did in 2021 before signing his franchise QB to a club-record $160 million, four-year contract.

The reworking of the contract included adding two more voidable years in 2027 and 2028, which pushed Prescott’s salary cap number in 2025 up slightly to $40 million.

The Cowboys have been quiet in free agency in part because of looming paydays for All-Pro receiver CeeDee Lamb and star pass rusher Micah Parsons, the 2021 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Committing to Prescott beyond the coming season would make it easier to get deals done with Lamb and Parsons.

The only addition for Dallas from another team so far is linebacker Eric Kendricks on a one-year deal worth up to $3.5 million. The Cowboys added Kendricks while releasing linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, their 2018 first-round pick, on a failed physical designation after another neck injury last season.

Prescott, a three-time Pro Bowler, has started ever since the beginning of his rookie year after Tony Romo was injured during the preseason in 2016. Prescott went from unheralded fourth-round pick to the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year while leading Dallas to the top seed in the NFC playoffs.

The Cowboys lost Prescott’s playoff debut to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, and they haven’t advanced past the divisional round in four other tries since then. Dallas hasn’t been to an NFC championship game since the last of the franchise’s five Super Bowl titles to cap the 1995 season.

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scottie scheffler Scheffler continues historic run but not ready for Woods comparisons feed_column Sun, 17 Mar 2024 20:23:34 EDT Sun, 17 Mar 2024 22:25:31 EDT Adam Stanley Scottie Scheffler is on a historic run but knows how much further he has to go in order to actually be compared to Tiger Woods.

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – On Friday, Scottie Scheffler spent plenty of time getting physiotherapy on his neck – so much so that when he lined up a wedge on the 12th hole at TPC Sawgrass that day there was a little chance he might even need to withdraw.

The pain was enough to see him ask the question. But the opportunity to make history at The Players Championship was too great.

“That’s probably why I kept playing,” Scheffler said.

After an 8-under 64 in the final round, Scheffler went back-to-back at The Players, becoming the first person in the event’s history to win twice in a row. He also won for the second week in a row on the PGA Tour.

“Being at the top of the leaderboard last week and this week, it’s a real test mentally and physically. This week was a physical test, as well, just with how my neck was Friday and Saturday,” Scheffler said. “So, I put a lot into trying to win this golf tournament, it’s very it’s very satisfying to be walking out of here with the trophy.”

Scheffler was standing on the driving range of TPC Sawgrass when he found out he won, as Wyndham Clark’s final-hole birdie try aggressively lipped out. Clark finished tied for second at 19 under alongside Brian Harman and Xander Schauffele. At the time, Scheffler was hitting the wedge shot he thought he was going to need as part of the three-hole aggregate playoff The Players has (they play 16-17-18). Turns out, the extra warm-up was all for not.

Clark had made two birdies in a row on Nos. 16 and 17 but couldn’t quite make a third. The 19-under total from Harman, Clark, and Schauffele would have won every Players Championship contested in history save for one prior to this year – in 1994.

“I don’t know how that putt doesn’t go in,” Clark said of his final-hole birdie effort. “It was kind of right centre with like a foot to go, and I knew it was going to keep breaking, but it had speed and I thought it was going to good inside left, and even when it lipped, I thought it would lip in. I’m pretty gutted it didn’t go in.”

Scheffler, who trailed by five shots coming into Sunday, became the first golfer on the PGA Tour to win The Players after winning the week prior since Tiger Woods in 2001.

He’s on a historic run with both his results and his ball-striking, ranking first in strokes gained: off the tee this week and in the top 10 in strokes gained: approach the green and around the green – right in line with his season-long stats.

It makes sense, then, that Scheffler would be compared to Woods himself.

But Scheffler knows how much further he has to go in order to actually be compared to Woods. He told a story from this year’s Genesis Invitational where a spectator congratulated Scheffler on returning to world No.1, and then added, “Just 11 more years to go!” That is, or thereabouts, the number of weeks Woods spent as the top-ranked golfer in the world.

“This is my eighth tournament win now out here, I’ve tied him in Players Championships. Outside of that, I got 14 more majors, and 70-some PGA Tour events, to catch up. So, I think I’m going to stick to my routine and just continue to plot along, try and stay as even-keeled as I can,” Scheffler said. “Anytime you can be compared to Tiger I think is really special, but, I mean, the guy stands alone I think in our game.”

Woods may, but for now on the PGA Tour, it is very much Scheffler and everyone else.

Corey Conners, who had a front-row seat to Scheffler’s effort on Saturday, ended up as low Canadian after a 4-under 68 in the final round – including a two-foot tap in birdie on the last hole of the week. Conners was much improved with the driver as compared to Saturday when he hit just three fairways. Conners matched that total in his first three holes of Sunday and despite two late bogeys he had a solid final-round climb.

Conners said he spent some time on the driving range Saturday night getting his set-up dialled back in for the final round.

“It’s always something simple, really,” Conners said. “Saturday definitely left a sour taste in my mouth. Definitely wasn’t driving the ball well and left myself in some crazy positions and made it tough on myself.

“It was a solid week. The Saturday round was really disappointing to put me out of contention […] you have to put four good rounds together to contend in these big events.”

Conners, who notched his second top-20 in a row on the PGA Tour, will take two weeks off before returning to the Valero Texas Open as the defending champion.

Mackenzie Hughes shot a 4-under 68 on Sunday – his lowest round of the week – after making the cut on the number. Hughes drove the green on the par-4 12th and converted the eagle (“The number was perfect,” he said. “I landed it short, it rolled to the middle of the green, and I made a 15-footer. It was pretty sweet.”) and had four other birdies in the final round.

Hughes told Sportsnet he was disappointed with his putting – he was 66th in strokes gained: putting for the week, which was among the worst of anyone who made the cut – but he’s looking at the silver lining with his performance.

“I’m working on a few new things, and I’ve seen some great signs. If I putted just ‘average’ this week I’d be pretty far up there,” Hughes said. “To me that’s an encouraging sign as much as its frustrating because I’m doing it with ball striking and my game off the tee. If I do that stuff and continue to do it and the putter is ‘normal Mac Hughes’ I like my chances.

“I feel pretty good into the next run of events.”

Hughes finished tied with Nick Taylor for 27th at 8 under. Taylor was firmly in the mix after the first 36 holes but had a tough start to his Saturday round and tumbled down the leaderboard. He told Sportsnet he needed to “get up” a little, mentally, for today’s finale. Taylor said he “hung in there” well enough through Sunday’s final round en route to a 2-under 70.

“With this course, there’s such a fine line – if you told me at the start of the week I would have finished where I finished, I probably would have been happy but given how I started I’m disappointed,” Taylor said. “Had three under-par rounds out here, (Saturday) was just a weird first 10 holes so I chalk it up to that and move on.”

CANADIAN CHIP SHOTS…

After a tough run to start 2024 where he’s missed four of his last six cuts including this week at The Players Championship, Adam Svensson has made a caddy change. Jace Walker, Mackenzie Hughes’ former looper, will work with Svensson starting next week at the Valspar Championship. Walker and Svensson have worked together previously – for Svensson’s final season on the Korn Ferry Tour and his first on the PGA Tour – and Walker confirmed the news to Sportsnet Sunday afternoon… Nick Taylor will not be heading to Augusta National for a pre-tournament scouting trip, but he will arrive about two days earlier than a normal tournament. He’s set to get to Augusta on the Saturday prior… Taylor, Hughes, Hadwin, Svensson, Ben Silverman, and Taylor Pendrith are all in the field next week at the Valspar Championship, the site of Hadwin’s lone PGA Tour title.

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Golf PGA Tour sn-article
Jed Jacobsohn/AP 49ers Ravens Saints sign free agent pass rusher Chase Young feed_column Mon, 18 Mar 2024 17:17:06 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 20:17:51 EDT Associated Press Young spent time with the Washington Commanders and San Francisco 49ers last season putting up 7.5 sacks and 25 tackles in 16 games.

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NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Saints have agreed to terms of a one-year contract with free agent defensive end Chase Young.

The contract agreement, announced Monday by Saints general manager Mickey Loomis, provides reinforcements to an edge pass rush that often struggled to get pressure last season.

Saints defensive ends combined for 14 sacks last season, led by Carl Granderson’s 8 1/2, and the club ranked 29th in the NFL in sacks per pass attempt.

Young, who turns 25 in April, was drafted second overall out of Ohio State by the Washington Commanders in 2020, when he was named the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. But he was sidelined by major knee injuries in his second pro season that also kept out for much of 2022. 

Last season, however, he played in 16 games with the Commanders and San Francisco 49ers, who acquired him in a mid-season trade. He had 7 1/2 sack during the regular season and had another in the Niners’ Super Bowl loss to Kansas City. 

The 6-foot-5, 264-pound Young, whose new contract reportedly pays up to $13 million, now joins a position group that also includes Saints all-time sack leader Cam Jordan.

Jordan, who has 117 1/2 career sacks, had just two sacks last season, the fewest since his rookie season in 2011. However, Jordan also played through injuries and received high praise from coaches and the front office for his availability and effectiveness against the run.

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Football NFL NO sn-article
Natalie Shaver/OHL Images cowan_easton1280 Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan sets Knights point streak record feed_column Sun, 17 Mar 2024 19:23:33 EDT Sun, 17 Mar 2024 23:18:33 EDT Sportsnet Staff Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan has added himself to the London Knights record books after extending his point streak to 34 straight games.

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Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan has added himself to the London Knights record books after extending his point streak to 34 straight games.

Dave Gilmore previously held the record which was set in the 1993-94 season.

Cowan registered a pair of assists against the Windsor Spitfires in Sunday’s 6-3 victory. He now has 90 points in 52 games this season.

The Strathroy, Ont., native has seen a big bump in production after registering 53 points in 68 games with the Knights last season.

Cowan was selected in the first round, 28th overall, by the Maple Leafs during last year’s NHL Draft.

The Knights have two games remaining on their schedule including a rematch against the Spitfires Friday.

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Hockey Jr Hockey OHL TOR sn-article
17105291475912612 How Aaliyah Edwards’ history fuels her passion for basketball full_width Fri, 15 Mar 2024 15:00:12 EDT Fri, 15 Mar 2024 15:00:12 EDT Sportsnet Video In this edition of Joy of Sport, UConn Huskies forward and Kingston, Ont. native Aaliyah Edwards shares why her backyard is her basketball happy place, how her mom helped her to push through her fears, and much more.

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Basketball videohttps://cf-images.us-east-1.prod.boltdns.net/v1/static/1704050871/3ee3cc5b-0f16-482a-af2e-3e5ef0988995/8f6784b0-546a-4b00-883c-32cfd4c1582e/160x90/match/image.jpgADIDASJOSSportsnet Video bc-video
(Toronto Blue Jays) Votto Inside wild day for Joey Votto at Blue Jays’ spring training full_width Sun, 17 Mar 2024 16:25:39 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 01:30:01 EDT David Singh When Votto arrives at the diamond, he drops his bag, grabs his first baseman’s mitt and heads out to left field by himself. It’s a seemingly peaceful moment for the Canadian as he’s about to embark on the most important day of his spring training thus far.

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CLEARWATER, Fla. — It’s 9:10 a.m. on a cloudy Sunday morning in Dunedin, Fla., when Joey Votto emerges from the clubhouse at the Blue Jays’ player development complex. Donning a blue short-sleeve hoodie, he’s got an equipment bag over his right shoulder and begins to walk toward Field 1. Suddenly, he freezes, before turning around and heading in the opposite direction.

Spring training hitting schedules can be a bit tricky, especially when you’re in a new environment like Votto, who signed a minor-league contract with the Blue Jays less than two weeks ago.

When Votto arrives at the diamond, he drops his bag, grabs his first baseman’s mitt and heads out to left field by himself. It’s a seemingly peaceful moment for the Canadian as he’s about to embark on the most important day of his spring training thus far.

Later, the 40-year-old will take the field for the Blue Jays in a split-squad game against the Philadelphia Phillies in nearby Clearwater. This will be his first game against major-league competition in five and a half months. Of course, it carries a different meaning than that last contest 168 days ago, when Votto was a member of the Cincinnati Reds.

Votto is currently fighting for a spot on the major-league roster, trying to prove to himself and to the Blue Jays that he’s still got it.

The day would ultimately play out in interesting fashion, including a dramatic home run and a disappointing injury. However, before all that unfolds, here is Votto in the outfield at Field 2 of the Blue Jays’ complex. As a group of Blue Jays catchers begin to take batting practice, Votto readies himself.

It’s quite the sight — a potential future Hall-of-Famer who hasn’t played a full inning in the outfield in the last 16 years is tracking fly balls and helping collect strays, before firing them back to the infield.

About 25 minutes later, Votto takes turns fielding grounders with fellow first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and, after that, it’s time for the veteran to get in his BP cuts. Votto removes his hoodie and is down to a black, sleeveless tank that reveals the tattoos on his left shoulder and bicep.

As Votto takes his swings, Don Mattingly watches from behind the cage. The Blue Jays bench coach and offensive coordinator — an all-star left-handed hitting first baseman during his own playing days — first met Votto years ago when they were introduced by then-Reds third baseman Scott Rolen.

Mattingly is keeping his distance, but Votto finds him in between rounds in the cage and engages in conversation. They’re not talking hitting, though. Mattingly doesn’t necessarily feel the need to do so with Votto right now.

“He’s just consistent,” Mattingly says later. “He knows what he wants to do. And he’s a guy that’s obviously accomplished and knows the process he wants to go through to get where he wants to go. So, for him working on something out here, he knows that’s part of the process to get to where he wants to go.

“He knows what he needs to do. He’s getting his swing the way he wants it.”

It’s just after 1 p.m. and Votto slowly walks up to the plate at BayCare Ballpark. On the mound is Phillies ace Zack Wheeler, who’s among the very best pitchers in the National League. Votto, the No. 2 hitter in the Blue Jays’ lineup, takes a breath, steps into the box and the first pitch he sees is a 94.3 m.p.h. four-seam fastball from Wheeler.

Votto wastes no time, generating a smooth yet vicious swing that produces a rocket to left-centre field. The ball, which left his bat at 103.5 m.p.h. and travelled 392 feet, hits the padding on the fence and the umpires rule it a home run.

First at-bat, first pitch, first home run on the biggest day of the year for Votto. Feels like a movie script, doesn’t it?

Yet, just as screenplays typically involve the protagonist overcoming adversity, there was some of that for Votto too on this day.

After the first inning, he stepped on a bat in the dugout and rolled his right ankle.

“It hurt like the Dickens,” Votto said. “So, I came out of the game. Not intentionally. I wanted to play. I was scheduled to play five [innings] and to get three at-bats.”

Votto said he doesn’t expect the ankle to be an issue. The Blue Jays have a scheduled off day on Monday and Votto says he’ll rest then and be “back real soon.”

“I wanted to leave on a high,” he joked. “I wanted to leave everybody wanting more.”

Sunday marked Votto’s 10th day since he signed with the Blue Jays. He spent the first 17 seasons of his big-league career with the Reds so, naturally, starting fresh with a new organization is bound to feel different.

I feel welcomed and I feel supported,” said Votto. “And I feel like I’m trying to fit in, which can be difficult in the heart of spring training. Guys have their routines and are looking toward Opening Day, looking toward having a successful season, and a random player showing up can throw things off a little bit.

“I do my best to kind of fit, go with the flow, find the rhythm and they’ve been good,” he continued, before emphasizing that he’d be happy to play anywhere in the organization as he works toward being major-league-ready. “Baseball is the same everywhere … I’m grateful that it’s here in Toronto. Buffalo. Extended spring training. New Hampshire. Dunedin, Florida State League. I’m down for whatever.”

Votto dealt with various injuries over the past two seasons that limited him to just 65 games last year and 91 in 2022. During that span, he hit a combined 25 home runs and produced a below-league average 93 OPS-plus.

Before Sunday’s mishap, he’s been healthy with the Blue Jays this spring and says he was encouraged by his home run off Wheeler.

“This was the sort of swing that I was chasing,” said Votto. “The pull homers are a bit fake. They’re a little bit of an illusion. If you ask any really, really, good hitter, when you’re keeping the ball in the centre of the field or on the opposite field side with some power, it’s hard to fail with that. It’s hard to feel dissatisfied. So, I’m ecstatic about that swing.”

As Mattingly mentioned, Votto knows himself. He’s among the best hitters of his generation and possesses an understanding of hitting that few can rival. Yes, his day may have concluded with an unfortunate accident. Nonetheless, his impressive home run offered a dose of positivity, something that Votto will take on what was a significant day in his 2024 journey.

“I’m nowhere near where I want to be physically and with my swing,” said Votto. “But that’s a good step. It’s a good step in the right direction.”

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Baseball MLB TOR sn-article
Darren Calabrese/CP homan_rachel1280 2024 World women’s curling championship: Scores, standings and schedule full_width Sat, 16 Mar 2024 11:37:58 EDT Mon, 18 Mar 2024 21:28:35 EDT Sportsnet Staff The 2024 world women’s curling championship runs March 16-24 at Centre 200 in Sydney, N.S. Keep it here throughout the tournament for up-to-date standings and the latest results.

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The 2024 world women’s curling championship runs March 16-24 at Centre 200 in Sydney, N.S.

Rachel Homan represents Canada on home ice after capturing her fourth Scotties Tournament of Hearts title last month.

Keep it here throughout the tournament for up-to-date standings and the latest results.

Last updated: March 18, 9:15 p.m. ET

STANDINGS

COUNTRY

SKIP

WINS

LOSSES

Switzerland

Silvana Tirinzoni

5

0

Canada

Rachel Homan

4

0

Italy

Stefania Constantini

4

0

Denmark

Madeleine Dupont

4

1

South Korea

Eunji Gim

3

1

Norway

Marianne Roervik

2

3

Sweden

Anna Hasselborg

2

3

United States

Tabitha Peterson

2

3

Estonia

Liisa Turmann

1

4

Japan

Miyu Ueno

1

4

New Zealand

Jessica Smith

1

4

Scotland

Rebecca Morrison

1

4

Türkiye

Dilsat Yildiz

1

4

Note: The top six teams advance to the playoffs, with the top two teams receiving byes to the semifinals. Any ties in the standings are decided by head-to-head records, followed by draw-to-the-button shootout scores.

SCHEDULE/RESULTS

Draw 1: Saturday, March 16, 2 p.m. AT / 1 p.m. ET

• United States 8, Türkiye 4
• Canada 7, Sweden 6
• Japan 8, New Zealand 6
• Switzerland 7, South Korea 4

Draw 2: Saturday, March 16, 7 p.m. AT / 6 p.m. ET

• Italy 8, Estonia 4
• Switzerland 10, United States 3
• Scotland 6, Norway 4
• Canada 7, Denmark 4

Draw 3: Sunday, March 17, 9 a.m. AT / 8 a.m. ET

• Norway 8, Sweden 7
• South Korea 9, Estonia 6
• Denmark 10, Türkiye 4
• New Zealand 8, Scotland 6

Draw 4: Sunday, March 17, 2 p.m. AT / 1 p.m. ET

• South Korea 12, New Zealand 4
• Türkiye 6, Japan 4
• Canada 10, United States 6
• Italy 6, Sweden 4

Draw 5: Sunday, March 17, 7 p.m. AT / 6 p.m. ET

• Denmark 6, Japan 5
• Italy 8, Scotland 2
• Switzerland 9, Estonia 3
• United States 7, Norway 5

Draw 6: Monday, March 18, 9 a.m. AT / 8 a.m. ET

• Switzerland 8, Türkiye 7
• Sweden 8, New Zealand 2
• Denmark 9, Scotland 2

Draw 7: Monday, March 18, 2 p.m. AT / 1 p.m. ET

• Estonia 10, New Zealand 7
• Canada 9, Norway 4
• Italy 10, United States 3
• South Korea 9, Japan 4

Draw 8: Monday, March 18, 7 p.m. AT / 6 p.m. ET

• Sweden 8, Scotland 1
• Switzerland 10, Japan 3
• Norway 11, Türkiye 5
• Denmark 10, Estonia 9

Draw 9: Tuesday, March 19, 9 a.m. AT / 8 a.m. ET

• Sweden vs. Türkiye
• South Korea vs. Scotland
• Canada vs. Italy

Draw 10: Tuesday, March 19, 2 p.m. AT / 1 p.m. ET

• Japan vs. Estonia
• United States vs. Denmark
• Italy vs. New Zealand
• Switzerland vs. Norway

Draw 11: Tuesday, March 19, 7 p.m. AT / 6 p.m. ET

• Canada vs. Switzerland
• Scotland vs. Estonia
• Sweden vs. Denmark
• South Korea vs. Türkiye

Draw 12: Wednesday, March 20, 9 a.m. AT / 8 a.m. ET

• Norway vs. New Zealand
• South Korea vs. Italy
• Canada vs. Japan
• Sweden vs. United States

Draw 13: Wednesday, March 20, 2 p.m. AT / 1 p.m. ET

• Italy vs. Denmark
• Norway vs. Japan
• Estonia vs. Türkiye
• Switzerland vs. Scotland

Draw 14: Wednesday, March 20, 7 p.m. AT / 6 p.m. ET

• South Korea vs. Sweden
• Canada vs. Türkiye
• Scotland vs. United States
• Denmark vs. New Zealand

Draw 15: Thursday, March 21, 9 a.m. AT / 8 a.m. ET

• United States vs. Japan
• Switzerland vs. New Zealand
• Italy vs. Norway
• Canada vs. Estonia

Draw 16: Thursday, March 21, 2 p.m. AT / 1 p.m. ET

• Scotland vs. Türkiye
• Sweden vs. Estonia
• Switzerland vs. Denmark
• South Korea vs. Norway

Draw 17: Thursday, March 21, 7 p.m. AT / 6 p.m. ET

• Canada vs. New Zealand
• South Korea vs. United States
• Sweden vs. Japan
• Italy vs. Türkiye

Draw 18: Friday, March 22, 9 a.m. AT / 8 a.m. ET

• Switzerland vs. Italy
• Norway vs. Denmark
• United States vs. Estonia
• Scotland vs. Japan

Draw 19: Friday, March 22, 2 p.m. AT / 1 p.m. ET

• South Korea vs. Denmark
• Canada vs. Scotland
• Türkiye vs. New Zealand
• Switzerland vs. Sweden

Draw 20: Friday, March 22, 7 p.m. AT / 6 p.m. ET

• Norway vs. Estonia
• Italy vs. Japan
• Canada vs. South Korea
• United States vs. New Zealand

Qualification Round: Saturday, March 23, 11 a.m. AT / 10 a.m. ET

• TBD

Semifinals: Saturday, March 23, 5 p.m. AT / 4 p.m. ET

• TBD

Bronze Medal Game: Sunday, March 24, 11 a.m. AT / 10 a.m. ET

• TBD

Gold Medal Game: Sunday, March 24, 5 p.m. AT / 4 p.m. ET

• TBD

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Curling sn-article
raptors-magic-trent Raptors overwhelmed again by Magic as slump continues full_width Sun, 17 Mar 2024 22:20:37 EDT Sun, 17 Mar 2024 22:23:31 EDT Michael Grange The Magic were once again too much for the Raptors as they ended up running away with a 111-96 win, sweeping the home-and-home series with Toronto.

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Man. At the start of their four-game road trip last Thursday I tried to forecast how many games the Toronto Raptors would win in what was then the 20 they had left. I figured the high end was six, the low end four. They have now lost seven straight (and nine of their last 10) and it’s fair to wonder if they’re even going to end up finishing 4-16.

The Orlando Magic were once again too much for the Raptors as they ended up running away with a 111-96 win, sweeping the home-and-home series with Toronto. The rising Magic might have the edge over Toronto at any point, but looked especially dominant with several Raptors regulars on the shelf.

Orlando improved to 40-28 and is just half a game behind the New York Knicks for fourth place in the East. The Raptors fell to 23-45 and are now tied with the Memphis Grizzlies for the sixth-worst record in the league, which could help them when the draft lottery rolls around next month.

Six Raptors finished in double figures but that was more a case of generalized ‘meh’ rather than a deep team firing on all cylinders. Jordan Nwora was pretty good off the bench, leading Toronto with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Paulo Banchero led Orlando with 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting as Toronto lacked anyone to effectively guard the mobile six-foot-10 power forward.

Some takeaways, and apologies in advance that there were only four:

Raptors’ lack of size apparent

I’m old enough to remember when opposing coaches would describe the Raptors as a big, physical team. Like, last season. How small the Raptors have gotten in the span of a year really stands out against a team like the Magic. At the end of last season, the Raptors could turn to Jakob Poeltl (seven foot), Pascal Siakam (six-foot-nine), OG Anunoby (six-foot-seven but could guard a seven-foot centre or six-foot-five shooting guard equally as well), Scottie Barnes (six-foot-eight, but plays bigger) and Precious Achiuwa (six-foot-nine but capable of guarding bigger or smaller), as well as Fred VanVleet, who might have only been six-foot, but was thick and strong and didn’t often get taken advantage of by bigger players.

Tellingly, that version of the Raptors was fifth in the NBA in defensive rating after the all-star break once Poeltl was added to the lineup to provide the rim protection they were missing. And now? Those advantages are long gone. The Magic are bigger at almost every position than the Raptors, all the way through the lineup. It doesn’t help that Poeltl and Barnes are hurt, But even then, Anunoby and Achiuwa play for the Knicks and Siakam for the Pacers.

The players the Raptors have replaced them with are smaller than those that left. RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley have decent size for their positions — small forward and point guard, respectively, at six-foot-six and six-foot-five — but they’re not particularly physical players, and Barrett remains away from the team following the death of his younger brother last week.

Kelly Olynyk is a smart, willing defender, but lacks the athletic or physical punch that gives offensive players a second thought when attacking him. You could say the same thing about rookie Gradey Dick, who is interested in playing defence, but just not very good at it yet. Ochai Agbaji has the physical tools to be an excellent NBA defender, but stands just six-foot-five, and hasn’t shown the offensive pop to keep him on the floor when even this team is at full health.

That said, the Raptors tried on Sunday night. They collapsed on the ball hard, helping whenever possible, betting that the Magic’s anemic three-point shooting (they are last in the NBA in makes, fourth from the bottom in percentage) would let them get away with it. But how the Raptors can compete defensively is going to be the real question as their rebuild moves ahead.

We’ll see if they can find or nurture players that can manage the offensive demands of the system that head coach Darko Rajakovic has implemented while having the ability required to compete defensively at a high level with a team like the Magic. Tall task.

Ingles doesn’t show his age

Bias alert: I have always loved to watch Joe Ingles play basketball. He’s not everyone’s flavour. He’s not a highlight factory, and if you don’t pay close attention you might miss why he’s still in the NBA at age 36 and, um, movement-challenged. But watching him run pick-and-roll against guys a decade younger and infinitely faster is really fun.

He kind of fakes a couple of times to his right, then spins and uses his wide, six-foot-nine frame to create a smidgen more space for himself. Then he rocks a couple of dribbles while manipulating the screen, defenders having to respect the fact he’s a career 41 per cent three-point shooter (and 42.4 per cent this season) and then… poof… he’s slipped the ball through an impossibly small crack to hit the roller for a lay-up or used his size to fling it cross-court to an open corner shooter. It’s true mastery.

Ingles didn’t become an NBA starter until he was 30 years old with Utah. Since then he’s averaged six assists a game on a per-36-minute basis. He played 28 minutes in two games against Toronto and had seven.

Who will stay, who will go?

Let’s play a game: Who among the Raptors who suited up against Orlando will play for Toronto next season? The easy ones: Quickly (the pending restricted free agent will be expensive to keep, but I’d bet on it), Olynyk (under contract, fills a need as a spot starter and rotational big) and Dick (Raptors need him to take a nice leap as a second-year player). So that’s three.

After that? At this point it would be a mistake to let Gary Trent Jr. walk for nothing as a free agent, so barring something crazy happening, I predict he’ll return on a deal not all that different than the one he’s just finishing up: Let’s say three years for $60 million, which keeps him around and keeps him tradeable.

I don’t think Ochai Agbaji has shown much as a Raptor, but he’s still on a rookie contract and profiles as the kind of defender the Raptors are short on, so I don’t think giving him a summer to develop his game under team supervision and another crack at it next year is the worst idea.

After that? Javon Freeman-Liberty? He’s not playing now, so it’s hard to imagine him playing next season when games matter again. He’s out. Nwora? He can shoot, he’s got some size and he’s cheap. He played well against the Magic on Friday and started over Dick in the second half on Sunday. He had 32 points on 12-of-17 shooting in these two games against the Magic, so he’s doing his part. He needs to lock into a more defensive-minded approach, but if he does, he’s in.

Jontay Porter? The highly personable lefty is a poor man’s Olynyk, basically, with less size. The Raptors need some rim protection, more than what Porter can offer. I’d say he’s not back, much as it pains me.

Bruce Brown? He’s a pending free agent unless the Raptors pick up the $23 million option his contract calls for next season, so he’ll be looking for a new deal somewhere. The Raptors could be in that mix, but Brown will have plenty of suitors at the mid-level, might be hard to keep and he’s an awkward fit around Dick and Trent Jr. if the latter is back. I’d lean toward ‘no.’

It’s too soon to know about Jahmi’us Ramsey, who is in the midst of a second 10-day contract with the team. He’s shown he can shoot in the G-league and has the athleticism to hang defensively, but does he profile as a point guard who can back up Quickley? That’s the job that’s available. Jalen McDaniels is under contract, so I’ll bet he returns, even though a coaching staff desperate for bodies hasn’t found a way to use him consistently.

Garrett Temple’s mentoring skills will age well, and I know he wants to come back, so let’s say yes. So final tally: Of the 12 players in uniform against Orlando on Sunday, I predict eight will be back. Not sure if that’s good or bad.

Another shaky night for Dick

Another tough night for Dick against the Magic. After being minus-32 in 23 minutes on Friday the gangly rookie was minus-27 in 26 minutes on Sunday. That’s minus-59 in the 49 minutes Dick was on the floor over two games.

The Raptors were showing some signs of making a push midway through the fourth quarter and were trailing by 12 when Rajakovic brought Dick back into the game with 7:25 to play, having had him sit down the stretch on Friday.

There was nothing horrible, but the lack of good plays and a few so-so plays add up. Dick couldn’t contain Franz Wagner on a couple of drives, putting the six-foot-10 German on the line once and then watching him pitch out for a three the other time. And then Dick lost him altogether on the baseline when the Raptors went zone, leading to an easy lay-up. In the space of five minutes, the Magic were up by 20. Not all Dick’s fault, but he didn’t help stop the bleeding either.

On the night, Dick made two of his three three-point attempts but also had three turnovers and lacked the kind of assertiveness on both ends he’s going to need to have going forward. Dick was excellent in an overtime loss to Portland last week and even better when the Raptors took the Denver Nuggets to the wire on Monday, but he’s been shaky since. Plus-minus is a weak indicator of individual performance most of the time but minus-59 in 49 minutes over two games is hard to ignore.

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Basketball NBA TOR sn-article
Michael Conroy/AP edey_zach1280 NCAA Men’s Selection Show Takeaways: Edey, Purdue in familiar spot feed_column Sun, 17 Mar 2024 19:31:56 EDT Sun, 17 Mar 2024 21:25:52 EDT Mike Koreen After a fantastic 2022-23 season, Zach Edey and the Purdue Boilermakers had the misfortune of being on the losing end of true March Madness last year. With that bitter memory in mind, the seven-foot-four Canadian star and his Indiana-based team are determined to flip the script.

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After a fantastic 2022-23 season, Zach Edey and the Purdue Boilermakers had the misfortune of being on the losing end of true March Madness last year.

With that bitter memory in mind, the seven-foot-four Canadian star and his Indiana-based team are determined to flip the script.

For the second year in a row, Purdue was made a No. 1 seed on men’s Selection Sunday. Last year, that didn’t work out so well as Purdue became just the second top seed ever to lose a tournament opener when little-known Fairleigh Dickinson recorded a massive upset.

This will be Edey’s last chance to make an NCAA title run as he’s planning to enter the 2024 NBA Draft. While the Toronto native is poised to be named the college player of the year for the second year in a row, opinions are mixed on how effective he can be at the next level — with defending in space and shooting cited as primary concerns.

There’s no doubt, however, that Edey (24.4 points, 11.7 rebounds per game) is the dominant player in the college game. No one can stop him when he’s in good position close to the basket.

The team has had another great season. Purdue will be a heavy favourite again versus the winner of a First Four game between Grambling State and Montana State in the round of 64 in Indianapolis, about a 70-minute drive from the university’s campus.

This time, history is on Purdue’s side. The only other No. 1 seed to lose a tourney opener, Virginia in 2018, won the national title the following year.

Purdue coach Matt Painter didn’t overhaul the roster after last year’s shocker. Four of the top five scorers are back, with the lone addition being senior guard Lance Jones, a transfer from Southern Illinois.

But is a similar roster a good thing? Edey had 21 points (on seven-of-11 shooting from the field) and 15 rebounds in the 63-58 loss to FDU last year. The rest of the team, meanwhile, was a woeful 12-of-42 from the field, including 5-of-26 from three.

The good news for Purdue is its three-point shooting is much better this year (40.8 per cent, as compared to 32.6 last season). But it was down to 31.3 (five-of-16) in a surprising overtime loss to Wisconsin in a Big Ten semifinal on Saturday (Edey had 28 points and 11 rebounds).

What’s more, key guard Braden Smith suffered a knee injury in the previous game against Michigan State. He did return and played Saturday, but there are questions about his health.

The Boilermakers need their supporting cast to step up and make shots when Edey is inevitably double teamed. If they do that, Purdue’s as dangerous as anybody in the tournament.

Unpredictable at the top?

We haven’t even started the tournament yet and we’ve already had more than our fair share of March upsets.

Three No. 1 seeds — Purdue, North Carolina and Houston — all did not win their respective conference tournaments. The other top seed, defending national champion, UConn, did emerge victorious in the Big East and was rewarded with the overall No. 1 seed. The Huskies will face tourney newcomer Stetson in their tourney opener.

All told, 21 of 32 No. 1 seeds lost in their respective conference championship tournaments.

Bubble bursts

Teams on the bubble for a spot in the tournament had a rough week thanks to ‘bid thieves’.

Atlantic-10 champion Duquesne, Pac-12 winner Oregon and ACC champ North Carolina State also likely wouldn’t have been in the tournament without their respective conference titles.

Temple’s upset over heavily favoured Florida Atlantic in the American Athletic tournament also closed another bubble spot — with the latter school getting in on an at-large bid. The University of Alabama at Birmingham took advantage, beating Temple to claim the one of 32 automatic bids in the 68-team tourney.

Florida Atlantic, a surprise Final Four team last year, got a No. 8 seed in the East region and could face UConn in the second round if it beats No. 9 Northwestern. Reigning national runner-up San Diego State is a No. 5 seed in the same region, meaning a national championship rematch is possible in the Sweet 16.

North Carolina State was particularly impressive this past week, winning five games in five days to win its tournament, capping it by topping rival North Carolina. The only other team to win five-in-five at its conference tournament was the Kemba Walker-led 2011 UConn squad, which went on to win the national title.

“Winning five games in five nights is a miracle,” N.C. State coach Kevin Keatts told AP. “We’ve got to get some rest because, guess what, we’re going to the NCAA tournament.”

NC State will be an underdog again as a No. 11 seed against No. 6 Texas Tech in Pittsburgh. The latter school has a Canadian connection with Carleton Ravens coaching legend Dave Smart in his first year as an assistant coach.

Oklahoma, Seton Hall, Indiana State and Pittsburgh were listed as the top four teams to miss the cut.

Out but in

On Monday, Long Beach State announced veteran coach Dan Monson would not return next season.

But the Beach also said Monson could coach through post-season play. Well, the upstart team managed to win three games in as many days to capture the Big West tourney, giving Long Beach State a spot in the Big Dance.

So, in an awkward story that just won’t end, Monson is now coaching in the national championship tournament, knowing his employment ends if and when the team loses a game.

“To their credit, they let me coach (after making the decision to cut ties),” Monson told the Los Angeles Times. “A lot of schools wouldn’t let you coach because something like this could happen. But obviously they didn’t think we had a chance to do that and that’s a motivation I used with our kids — they didn’t just quit on me, they quit on you guys; they don’t feel like you can win this tournament, you know? And it’s certainly no hard feelings because the most gratifying thing is to see how my players reacted.”

The Beach are a No. 15 seed and will battle No. 2 Arizona in a matchup with a great subplot.

Monson, as head coach of Gonzaga late last century, offered current Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd a job on staff, ESPN reported in 2020. While Monson had left for Minnesota by the time Lloyd decided to enter coaching, previous Gonzaga assistant and current head coach Mark Few honoured the agreement and brought Lloyd aboard as a volunteer administrative assistant.

Canadians in Detroit?

There could be some interesting Canadian content in the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 at the Midwest Regional in Detroit

Edey’s Boilermakers are No. 1 in the region. Edey could then face another high-profile Toronto player, Texas Christian leading scorer Emanuel Miller, in the round of 32 if the No. 9 Horned Frogs can get past No. 8 Utah State.

In that same portion of the draw are No. 5 Gonzaga, with starting point guard Ryan Nembhard of Aurora, Ont., and No. 13 Samford, with third-leading scorer Jaden Campbell of Brampton, Ont.

A Gonzaga-Purdue matchup would be a marquee Sweet 16 showdown on both sides of the border.

While Canadians have made a major mark on NCAA basketball in recent years, just five Canadian men have captured the national title.

It’s been more than a decade since the last Canadian crown — Kyle Wiltjer with Kentucky in 2012.

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Basketball NCAA Men's Basketball sn-article
Chris Carlson/AP South Carolina forward Ashlyn Watkins Bracket unveiled for 2024 women’s March Madness tournament feed_column Sun, 17 Mar 2024 20:39:56 EDT Sun, 17 Mar 2024 21:24:01 EDT Associated Press South Carolina, Iowa, USC and Stanford were revealed as the four No. 1 seeds for the upcoming women’s March Madness tournament on Sunday.

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Dawn Staley and South Carolina could see some familiar faces on their path to trying to finish off an undefeated season.

The Gamecocks, who are the No. 1 overall seed in the women’s NCAA Tournament, are looking to become the 10th women’s basketball team to go unbeaten for an entire season.

They had a chance last season before falling just short against Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the Final Four. The Hawkeyes received the other No. 1 seed in the Albany Regional. The two teams wouldn’t potentially face off until the national championship game this time. Iowa is a one-seed for the first time since 1992.

USC and star freshman JuJu Watkins earned the Trojans’ first No. 1 seed since 1986 as the top choice in a Portland Regional. Texas earned the fourth No. 1 seed, its first since 2004, and will play Drexel in the other Portland Regional opener. There was debate whether Texas or Stanford would get the fourth No. 1 seed.

“To say we talked about it more than once was an understatement,” said NCAA selection committee Chair Lisa Peterson. “What it came down to was Texas had to play three tournament teams to get to the (Big 12) championship.”

Staley’s South Carolina squad has been challenged a few times this year, including needing a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Kamilla Cardoso to win the semifinals of the SEC Tournament over Tennessee, but has always pulled through. The Gamecocks, who are a No. 1 seed for the fourth consecutive year, will play the winner of Sacred Heart and Presbyterian in the first round of the tournament.

“I always feel good to be the No. 1 overall seed and to be undefeated,” Staley said. “I’m excited because we get a chance to know what our path is to win the national championship and, all great teams, a lot of familiar faces that are in our region. But we have to take it one game at a time and that’s what we’ll do on Friday.”

Cardoso will miss the opening game after getting ejected for fighting in the SEC title game. The Gamecocks would have her back for a potential second-round matchup against either North Carolina or Michigan State. South Carolina beat the Tar Heels earlier in the season.

“Fortunately for us, it’s someone we played without for four games this season,” Staley said. “We know we’re a better basketball team when Kamilla Cardoso is in the lineup.”

Joining the Gamecocks in the Albany Region are No. 2 seed Notre Dame, third-seeded Oregon State and fourth-seeded Indiana.

Clark, who became the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer this year, is trying to win her first title. The Hawkeyes open up against the winner of Holy Cross and UT Martin. Joining the Hawkeyes in their region are No. 2 UCLA, defending champion and third-seeded LSU and fourth-seeded Kansas State. The Tigers beat the Hawkeyes for the national championship last year.

The other top teams in USC’s bracket are Ohio State, UConn and Virginia Tech. The Huskies were the last team to go undefeated in a season, running through the 2015-16 season.

Texas could have to contend with No. 2 Stanford, No. 3 North Carolina State and fourth-seeded Gonzaga.

The NCAA changed its format last season and is having two regional sites for the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rounds. Albany, N.Y., hosts one and Portland, Ore., the other. Once again the top four teams in each region will host the opening two rounds.

The tournament begins Wednesday with two First Four games. The full madness starts with 16 games Friday and 16 more the next day. The Final Four will be played in Cleveland this year for the first time since 2007. The national semifinals are on April 5, with the championship game two days later.

Tennessee continued its streak of appearing in all 42 NCAA Tournaments. On the other end, Presbyterian, California Baptist, Columbia and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi are all making their first appearance.

The Atlantic Coast Conference and Southeastern Conference both have eight teams in the field. The Big Ten, Pac-12 and Big 12 each have seven. The Big East has three teams. The West Coast Conference and Ivy League each have two. It’s the second time that the Ivy League has gotten an at-large bid.

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Basketball sn-article
(Frank Franklin II/AP Photo) Uconn Bracket unveiled for 2024 men’s March Madness tournament feed_column Sun, 17 Mar 2024 18:40:55 EDT Sun, 17 Mar 2024 21:25:45 EDT Associated Press Earning the top spots in the annual men’s tourney are the UConn Huskies, Purdue Boilermakers, North Carolina Tarheels and Houston Cougars.

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Even before the brackets came out Sunday, March Madness was a muddled mess.

About the closest thing to a sure thing: UConn.

The defending champion Huskies earned the top seed in the NCAA Tournament, joined by Houston, Purdue and North Carolina as No. 1 seeds in a bracket that started going haywire even before the pairings were announced Sunday evening.

Of those top teams, only UConn heads into the tournament coming off a win. The others lost in their conference tournaments, yet those were hardly the only surprises over the final weekend of hoops before the sport’s main event hits center stage.

Unexpected titles placed teams like Oregon, North Carolina State and even Duquesne, none of whom were projected to make the tournament, into the field of 68 via the automatic bid that goes to conference champions. The teams they beat gobbled up a handful of the 34 at-large bids, thus shrinking the number of spots available to teams on the so-called bubble.

“It was one of the most difficult that I’ve been involved in,” Charles McClelland, the chairman of the selection committee, said of the process that had everyone up until 2:30 a.m. the night before. “And I talked to some of the staff that’s been in that room for the last 20 years, and they said this is probably the most difficult selection process that they’ve been a part of.”

It showed in a bracket that had its share of head-scratchers:

— Two of the last four teams in — Boise State and Colorado State — weren’t even considered on the bubble by most bracketologists.

“A little surprised to be honest,” Boise State coach Leon Rice said of his team’s No. 10 seed.

— Some of the teams left out — St. John’s and Oklahoma — were thought to be safely in as late as Saturday. St. John’s decided not to even play in the NIT.

“How is St. John’s so far off the cutline?” said UConn coach Dan Hurley, who was surprised only three Big East teams made it.

— Florida Atlantic and Texas A&M were considered bubble teams but ended up with 8 and 9 seeds, respectively.

All of this could be fodder for the growing conversation about expanding the bracket to 76, maybe 80 teams. Under that scenario, bubble teams like Pittsburgh, Seton Hall and even Indiana State would almost certainly be in.

The tournament starts Tuesday with two First Four games, including a matchup between Virginia and Colorado State. The 32 first-round games take place Thursday and Friday. The Final Four is set for April 6-8 in Glendale, Arizona.

UConn the favourite

UConn, which opens Friday against Stetson, is the favourite according to FanDuel Sportsbook and is trying to become the first repeat champion since Florida in 2006-07. The Huskies (31-3) are on a seven-game win streak and are tied with James Madison for most wins in the nation.

For all its excellence this season, UConn ended up in an East region with two of last year’s Final Four teams (San Diego State and Florida Atlantic) along with Iowa State, which is coming off a 69-41 win over Houston and was thought, for a minute, to be top-seed material.

“If we’re able to get to our identity … and then we play harder than you, we keep ourselves from being vulnerable that way,” Hurley said.

Conference bragging rights

Both the SEC and Big 12 placed eight teams in the field, while the Big Ten and Mountain West each had six.

Speaking of pride: Michigan State extended its nation-leading streak to 26 straight years in the tournament. The ninth-seeded Spartans will play Mississippi State on Thursday, the same day No. 5 seed Gonzaga plays No. 12 McNeese. In February, the Zags were considered a bubble team, but a stretch of nine wins in 10 games changed that, and coach Mark Few’s team made the field for the 25th consecutive year.

Injury worries

Injury-riddled Kansas comes in as a 4 seed, set to play Samford, after two of its best players, Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar Jr., sat out the Jayhawks’ 20-point loss in their Big 12 Tournament opener.

Florida is a 7 seed, and will play the winner of the Boise State-Colorado play-in game, but the Gators suffered a big blow when big man Micah Handlogten broke his leg early in the SEC title game.

Small fry

The Ivy League is sending Yale, a 13 seed that needed a furious late comeback and a buzzer-beating basket against Brown to win the title and set up a game Friday against No. 4 Auburn. And Saint Peter’s back in the tournament, two years after making an unlikely run to the Elite Eight as a No. 15. This year, the Peacocks are 15 seeds again, opening against Tennessee in the Midwest.

Should Tennessee advance, coach Rick Barnes could face his old school, No. 7 Texas, which opens against the Virginia-Colorado State winner.

Meanwhile, Duquesne, the surprise winner of the Atlantic-10, is back in the tournament for the first time since 1977. A game against No. 6 BYU awaits.

Job security

Back in 1999, head coach Dan Monson and assistant Mark Few led Gonzaga on a surprise run all the way to the Elite Eight. Monson now coaches Long Beach State and, just last week, was relieved of his duties pending the end of the season. Funny enough, Monson’s team went on a run and won the Big West to get a ticket to the tournament. The 15th-seeded Beach open Thursday against No. 2 Arizona.

“As Mark Few said in a text, why don’t we have a run in the first year and one in the last,” Monson said after his job-extending win.

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Basketball NCAA Men's Basketball sn-article