CP sources: Ex-CFL star, Ontario cabinet minister Lumsden in mix for Elks president

A name familiar to Edmonton Elks fans has surfaced as a potential president of the CFL club.

According to two sources, Neil Lumsden, who won three Grey Cups as a fullback with Edmonton, has emerged as a candidate for the Elks’ full-time president position.

Lumsden, of London, Ont., is currently Ontario’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

He was elected in the riding of Hamilton East-Stoney Creek in June 2022.

Lumsden didn’t immediately return telephone messages to both his ministry and constituency offices Monday.

But on Tuesday, Lumsden told reporters at the Ontario Legislature he has not spoken to anyone about the Elks’ job and said he wasn’t interested in the post.

“Listen, I’ve got a job now and I’ve got my hands full, I’ve got a lot to do here,” Lumsden said. “I really like my job … I really like what I do and I like the people I’m around.

“Of course, I’m connected to Edmonton because I played there … but I’ve got a role to play here. I’m not interested.”

The sources, including one in political circles, spoke on the condition of anonymity as the Elks have not divulged any details regarding their presidential search. Both said Lumsden hasn’t petitioned for the job, nor has he been offered it, but his emergence as a candidate makes sense given his association with the franchise and background, both in football (as a player and running a franchise) and business.

Rick LeLacheur has been Edmonton’s interim president/CEO since Aug. 22, assuming the post after the Elks and former president/CEO Victor Cui parted ways.

LeLacheur previously served as Edmonton’s president/CEO from 2002-2011, winning two Grey Cups. He was also the B.C. Lions president/CEO from 2018-2022.

Lumsden played 10 CFL seasons with the Toronto Argonauts (1976-78), Hamilton Tiger-Cats (1978-79) and Edmonton (1980-85). He joined Edmonton at a time when the team ruled the league, winning five straight Grey Cups (1978-82).

Lumsden was named the top Canadian in Edmonton’s come-from-behind 26-23 Grey Cup win over Ottawa in 1981.

Lumsden, who won a Vanier Cup at the University of Ottawa in 1975, was the East Division’s top rookie in 1976. He appeared in 141 career CFL games, rushing for 3,755 yards and 36 TDs on 767 carries while adding 180 catches for 1,729 yards and 15 touchdowns.

He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

After his CFL playing career, Lumsden served as Ticats GM/director of business operations (1996-99), earning a fourth Grey Cup ring when Hamilton defeated Calgary 32-21 in the 1999 game at Vancouver’s B.C. Place Stadium. In 2003, he was named chief operating officer and general manager of the world road cycling championships that were held in Hamilton.

Five years later, Lumsden was named honorary chairman of the Vanier Cup that also took place in Hamilton. In addition, he spent three years as the athletic director at Brock University.

Edmonton has enjoyed a long and storied CFL tenure. The franchise has amassed 699 all-time wins — tying it with Calgary for the most in league history — and won 14 Grey Cups, the last coming in 2015 when it finished atop the West Division with a 14-4-0 record.

But Edmonton hasn’t reached the CFL playoffs since 2019 when it crossed over into the East Division after finishing fourth in the West with an 8-10 record. After dispatching Montreal 37-29, the Alberta club lost 36-16 to Hamilton in the conference final.

Since the CFL resumed play in 2021 — the global pandemic forced it to cancel the 2020 season — Edmonton has recorded three straight fifth-place finishes in the West Division, with records of 3-11-0 in 2021 and 4-14-0 in the last two years.

The franchise averaged just over 24,700 spectators per game this season — which included a season-low crowd of 19,921 that watched Edmonton surge to a 22-0 lead before dropping a 38-29 home loss to Winnipeg. This year’s attendance is down significantly from 2015 when the franchise averaged a CFL-high 31,517 fans per game.

Next season, Edmonton will close the upper bowl at Commonwealth Stadium, which has a seating capacity for 56,400 fans.

More from Sportsnet

Argonauts finish 16-2 after win over Redblacks, tie CFL record

Alouettes beat Tiger-Cats in preview of CFL East semifinal

from Sportsnet.ca
via i9bet

Reports: Commanders trading pass rusher Montez Sweat to Bears

The Washington Commanders have agreed to trade star defensive end Montez Sweat to the Chicago Bears, according to multiple reports.

Sweat is scheduled to become a free-agent after this season. The Commanders will receive a second-round pick in exchange for Sweat.

The 27-year-old has wracked up 6.5 sacks in eight games so far during the 2023 season. His career high of nine came in the 2020 season.

Sweat, drafted in the first round (26th overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft, is a six-year pro and has accumulated 35.5 sacks in 67 career games.

More to come…

from Sportsnet.ca
via i9bet

AP Source: Brewers manager Counsell to interview for Guardians opening

CLEVELAND (AP) — Craig Counsell’s place in Cleveland baseball history is as World Series villain.

He could become something more appealing.

Counsell, who has led the Milwaukee Brewers to the playoffs five times in the past six seasons, is meeting with Guardians about their managerial opening, a person familiar with the discussions told The Associated Press on Monday.

The 53-year-old Counsell is at Progressive Field for his interview with the Guardians, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team is not making any of its search public.

Counsell’s contract with Milwaukee is set to expire this week, but the Brewers are allowing him to look elsewhere while also hoping they can re-sign the coveted manager. The New York Mets are also reportedly interested in Counsell and have far more money to offer him than either the small-market Brewers or Guardians.

Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio has said on multiple occasions that the team wants Counsell back in 2024.

Counsell has an interesting connection to Cleveland. As a light-hitting infielder with Florida, he hit a game-tying sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 7 of the 1997 World Series as the Marlins rallied to beat Cleveland and win a title.

Counsell also scored the winning run in the 11th inning on Edgar Rentería’s single off Cleveland’s Charles Nagy.

Counsell played 16 seasons in the majors.

Cleveland is searching for a manager for the first time since 2012 after Terry Francona, the winningest manager in club history, stepped down after this season.

The Guardians have interviewed several candidates to replace Francona. Mariners bullpen coach Stephen Vogt was in Cleveland last week for his second interview with the club and is considered one of the leading candidates.

Milwaukee went 92-70 this season and won the NL Central title before getting swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Wild Card Series.

Counsell took over as Milwaukee’s manager during the 2015 season after Ron Roenicke was fired. The Brewers had made a total of four playoff appearances before Counsell took over.

The longest-tenured manager in the National League, Counsell is 707-625 with the Brewers, giving him the club record for wins and games managed.

from Sportsnet.ca
via i9bet

Adam Lowry embodies characteristics that Jets value on and off ice | All Heart

Winnipeg Jets captain Adam Lowry always makes it his mission to put his all into everything he does on and off the ice, and embodies the characteristic and class that the entire Winnipeg Jets organization values.

from Sportsnet.ca
via i9bet

Wrong distance takes women’s walk race athletes to mistaken record at Pan Am Games

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Peru’s Kimberly García thought she had set the world record in the women’s 20-kilometre race walk at the Pan American Games. She later found out she hadn’t.

Organizers of the largest multi-sports in the continent said in a statement that the times of the race were annulled due to “a measuring problem” in Santiago’s O’Higgins Park. They blamed the Association of Pan American Athletics for the mistake.

Athletes believe the distance they ran in Chile was about three kilometres (almost 1.9 miles) shorter.

The gross mistake adds to Santiago’s woes in the organization of the Pan American Games, which started on Oct. 20 and finish on Nov. 5.

García finished her race in a cold and damp morning in one hour, 12 minutes and 26 seconds. The record belongs to China’s Jiayu Yang in one hour, 23 minutes and 49 seconds. 

Eleven other competitors seemingly finished their race below the world record. 

“We do control our pace a lot and right out of the gate, in our first lap, we say the pace was too strong. It was quicker than the men’s,” said Brazilian Viviane Lyra, who finished fourth. “We knew there was something strange, so our goal wasn’t even taking the timing into consideration.”

The Pan American Games organization said it filled its role by hiring Marcelo Ithurralde, an expert commissioned by the association, to take the measurements for the race. 

“He did not take accurate measurements of the route the athletes took during the race,” organizers said. “We deeply regret the inconvenience for the athletes, their coaches, the public and the attending press, but this situation cannot be attributed to the Organizing Committee.”

The Association of Pan American Athletics didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The mistake delayed the men’s competition by one hour. The race walk requires competitors to always have at least one foot on the ground.

Garcia still celebrated her gold medal. Organizers didn’t respond whether her result stands despite the measuring issue.

Organization problems at the Pan American Games have included trash scattered outside competition venues in the four days following the Opening Ceremony, threats of a strike from the private security company working the events and a leak in the handball venue of Viña del Mar, outside Santiago.

The leak cut short Saturday’s women’s handball match between Chile and Brazil. The Brazilians won 30-10 and will play the final against Argentina.

from Sportsnet.ca
via i9bet

As Nurse returns to Toronto, only time will tell how much Raptors will miss him

The most accomplished head coach the Toronto Raptors have ever had arrives back at Scotiabank Arena tonight, and it’s hard to know how to feel about the whole thing. 

It’s as if the guy who started the mostly fun group chat ends up leaving in a huff that seemingly materialized out of nowhere: Do you look back on Nick Nurse’s time in Toronto with an unreserved appreciation for the good times, or acknowledge that at the end, it got a bit weird?

Do you wish him well in navigating the ever-choppy waters with the Philadelphia 76ers who he brings to Toronto Saturday night? 

Watch Nick Nurse’s return to Toronto on Sportsnet

Former Raptors coach Nick Nurse returns to Toronto with the Philadelphia 76ers in their first meeting since his departure. Watch the game on Sportsnet One or stream on Sportsnet+ at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Or do you say, ‘good luck with those guys’ and stand back to see how the smartest guy in the room solves a riddle like James Harden or manages the potential departure of superstar Joel Embiid, which NBA insiders are forecasting and monitoring as the next massive sneaker to drop in the league’s never-ending player movement drama?

From a Toronto perspective, Nurse’s record is unassailable. As a first-year head coach, he took over a 59-win team that couldn’t get over the hump, integrated two hall-of-fame additions in Kawhi Leonard and Marc Gasol and expertly navigated a roller-coaster run through the Eastern Conference playoffs, and made sure his club didn’t fumble the bag when injuries to Golden State Warriors’ stars Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson made going to that “janky”, grade school, box-and-1 defense on Steph Curry so effective. 

His next season – 2019-20 – was even more impressive as he helped a team without Leonard surged to a team-record winning percentage in a season interrupted and cut short by the pandemic. A normal performance by Gasol and a little more production from Pascal Siakam in a razor’s edge second-round series against the Boston Celtics and the Raptors may have been in position to repeat. 

Nurse was named coach-of-the-year, a well-deserved award for the basketball lifer who started as a player-coach in the lowest levels of European basketball to the G-League, to an NBA bench, and finally to the top of his profession, with titles to show for it at every step. 

The three seasons that followed couldn’t quite match those peaks. There was the ‘Tampa tank’ when winning became secondary and the two seasons that followed are a matter of perspective: Did Nurse squeeze every win possible out of undermanned teams by leaning harder into his starters than any team in the NBA out of necessity, covering up structural flaws with a very specific playing style that was the best of some poor options? 

Or did he skip steps in pursuit of wins at the expense of overall organizational goals? 

On the latter front, the early returns are that Nurse may have been on to something. It’s only been two games under new head coach Darko Rajakovic but the Raptors still profile with the same strengths and weaknesses that Nurse tried to maneuver around over the past two seasons. 

Offensively, they struggle to function in the halfcourt – they are a distant last in points per possession – and early on at least profile as a team that will live and die by their defense. 

Their depth remains a major question mark and it will be interesting to see how long Rajakovic sticks with a 10-man rotation without getting meaningful contributions from the likes of rookie Gradey Dick or newly acquired Jalen McDaniels. 

Already fourth-year point guard Malachi Flynn – somewhat of a symbol of Nurse’s perceived unwillingness to develop young players at the expense of veterans that was such a sore point for management the past two seasons – seems on the verge of playing himself out of the rotation after, unbelievably, going -28 in 14 minutes of playing time so far this season. 

So yeah, maybe Nurse had that one right. 

Which isn’t to say it the time wasn’t right to part ways. 

The relationship had gotten stale and some of Nurse’s flaws were looming larger than his strengths. He wasn’t particularly good at confronting his key players when they weren’t pulling their weight, and he wasn’t one to warm-and-fuzzy the younger ones or players who otherwise he didn’t deem vital to his cause. 

As Gary Trent Jr. said earlier this season, he’s already had more meaningful conversations with Rajakovic than any head coach in his career, this after multiple Raptors players noted that they would learn of changes in their roles or other issues when Nurse voiced them in the media first. 

It can wear on a group. Just as Nurse’s tendency to acknowledge his own coaching successes got a little old after the wins didn’t necessarily follow as routinely as before. 

Wearing a self-logoed hat – interestingly the NN hats didn’t seem to make it across the border —  a pinky ring in honour of his Ph.D., carrying around his guitar and jumping on stage with local rock groups or doing cameos in CBC dramas were charming, and quirky when the Raptors were out-kicking their coverage, but less so when the team struggled to meet expectations and Nurse couldn’t magically fix it. 

Still, it doesn’t feel right to give in to the standard temptation or tendency to see only the best in a coach (or anyone else) when a team is on the rise and the opposite when it comes back to earth. 

Probably the best way to evaluate Nurse’s legacy in Toronto is to recognize that when the Raptors were very, very good, he rose to the occasion and allowed those groups to reach the limits of their collective potential. The team that was capable of winning a title came through, and the following year, post-Kawhi, was arguably more impressive. Had the pandemic not struck, who knows what might have happened? 

Even in the most recent years, Nurse identified a style of play believed was the best way for that group to win and had them lean into it hard most of the time. 

But nothing lasts forever. Certainly from the time Nurse mused back in April – while in Philadelphia, it’s probably worth noting – that after a decade in Toronto it was time to evaluate his future with the franchise, it seemed like he already had one foot out the door. The simplest interpretation probably stands: he didn’t see the Raptors as being in a place where he could win the way he wanted to and was looking for his next opportunity. 

Will the Sixers provide that chance? That’s a wild card that no one can predict. 

That said, reaching the decision to fire Nurse was hardly as gut-wrenching as when the Raptors fired Dwane Casey. Raptors president Masai Ujiri was not moved to tears when making the announcement as he was when he let Casey go. With Nurse, the organization felt a new voice was needed, a new energy, a different approach. The early returns on Rajakovic suggest he checks all those boxes. Will he be able to wave a magic wand and solve whatever issues the roster he has to work with represent? 

Who knows? But he’ll have time and the benefit of the doubt because he’s new and seems to be an expert on connecting with people in meaningful ways, which always helps. 

In the meantime as the man he replaced returns to the scene of what will very likely be his career peak and quite possibly the Raptors too, Nurse will deservedly be cheered and honoured. He led the franchise to its greatest moments on the floor and was a lively, engaged community presence off of it. You have to respect and appreciate it. 

Nick Nurse had a great run with the Toronto Raptors, there is no debate. He’s part of the franchise’s history. 

Only time will tell if he’ll be missed or by how much. 

More from Sportsnet

Raptors served painful lessons as late-game execution falters in OT loss

Raptors’ Anunoby exits game with muscle cramp

from Sportsnet.ca
via i9bet

Heritage Classic hardly a celebration for Oilers, Flames after disastrous starts

EDMONTON — It’s been ages since the province of Alberta swaggered into a hockey season the way it did back in September, when the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers dominated the prediction pieces written by hockey “experts” from coast to coast. 

The Flames had finally ousted the Big, Bad Wolf, Darryl Sutter, and with the funs shackles removed, the theory went, Calgary players would be free to enjoy a Thursday win, have some laughs on the Friday, and beat the heck out of their next victim on Saturday night. 

Remember, the Flames had piled up 93 points last season — one more than the Stanley Cup finalists from Florida. With a player friendly coach in Ryan Huska and a rejuvenated Jonathan Huberdeau, the Flames were everyone’s bounce back team — a punter’s darling in every sense. 

Of course, they barely noticed up in Edmonton, as they stocked the fridge with champagne and filed their parade permits. 

The regular season didn’t matter at all in Northern Alberta, in a self-proclaimed “Cup or bust” campaign. The pesky 82 games were was simply a stretch to say healthy through until the games that really mattered were played in April, May and, yes, even June. 

Watch the Heritage Classic on Sportsnet

The Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames will heat up their rivalry Sunday at Commonwealth Stadium at the Heritage Classic. You can watch all the action on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+, starting at 5 p.m. MT / 7 p.m. ET.

Broadcast schedule

The Oilers had not been a Stanley Cup darling like this since Mess and Gretz roamed the Prairies, and now it was Connor and Leon’s turn. The Oilers had “paid their dues” by losing out to the eventual Stanley Cup champs for two years running. It was their time. 

It all left Sunday’s Heritage Classic as a celebratory cruise through Commonwealth Stadium on their way to what might even be a season-long battle for the Pacific Division pennant. Because Vegas wasn’t really going to be that good this season, right? Not with that goaltending. 

Well, here we are. 

The 30^th place Flames will drop the puck against the 31^st place Oilers on Sunday, two teams that share eight points through a collective 15 games this season. 

Whose season has been more disastrous thus far? 

Eric and Spec discuss… 

••••• 

SEPTEMBER ARRIVALS 

Spector — Man, were these guys committed! 

McDavid had everyone — the entire team — in The Big E for Captain’s skates starting on Sept. 5, the first day after the Labour Day long weekend. They were going hard right through until the opening of training camp on the 13^th, eight preseason games, and by the time the season opened on Oct. 11 at least two regulars were already nursing injuries. 

Mattias Ekholm and Ryan McLeod missed the entire preseason, and they have one assist between them through seven regular season games. 

But, boy, they were sure awesome in September… 

Francis — The smiles at the Flames charity golf tourney were wider than the fairways, as players returned to a town relieved, refreshed and reinvigorated as a new era was about to be ushered in. 

With Sutter gone,  several key players who had one foot out the door in the spring were suddenly interested in re-upping with the team, as it veered back towards being a squad with a solid core that was ready to prove last year was an anomaly. 

The heaviness that made coming to the rink had been lifted, and the players knew it was now on them to return to form. 

THE PRESEASON GLIDE 

Francis — They opened the preseason with chants of “We want 10!” ringing through the Dome, as the hosts posted a 10-0 win over the Canucks that seemed to indicate Huska’s gentler approach was just what was needed. 

Rookie Matt Coronato finished among preseason scoring leaders, and prognosticators tabbed the Flames first rounder as a can’t-miss 20 to 25 goal scorer. 

Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri were lighting the lamp, as the team tinkered with lines with hope the right combinations would be found to get the team’s two highest paid players back on track following nightmarish seasons. Most importantly, goaltender Jacob Markstrom showed signs of having his mojo back. 

Perhaps it was a sign the road ahead would be a little rockier than expected when Jakob Pelletier was hit awkwardly into the boards during a preseason game and was writhing on the ice with a shoulder injury that would require surgery. 

Out for several months, the team was suddenly without the popular kid who was counted on to bring youthful energy to a veteran room that required reminders of how lucky they were to be NHLers. 

Spector — Pffft… Why are we even wasting our time talking about the preseason? 

The only jobs open in Edmonton were on the fourth line and third defensive pairing. Call us when the season starts. No, wait. 

Call us in January. 

THE FIRST SLAP (SHOT) 

Spector — The Oilers arrived in Vancouver for the formality that would be a season-opening, home-and-home with the Canucks. 

Vancouver led 2-0 after a period and 4-0 just 7:30 into the second period when Draisaitl scored for Edmonton. This game was still well within reach. 

Final score: 8-1 for Vancouver. “We laid an egg,” said Jay Woodcroft. 

“Hold my beer,” said the Hockey Gods, as Vancouver won the return match in Edmonton by a 4-3 score. 

Francis —  Those in attendance at the season opener saw something they hadn’t seen in a long time, when Jacob Markstrom stole the game. 

With all eyes on the towering Swede to show he was capable of returning to the form of a Vezina finalist, he stood on his head through a first period the Flames should have trailed by a handful. 

By night’s end the police considered getting involved as he’d robbed the Jets, securing a 5-3 win in Calgary’s opener. 

THE ROADIE 

Francis — One of the oldest cliches in sport revolves around the notion an early-season road trip can do wonders to bring a team together. 

After Markstrom stole that win over the Jets, Calgary headed east for a five-game jaunt through towns the playoffs had forgotten last season. 

Surely this would be a chance to rack up points and bolster confidence, right? 

Well, outside of a win in Buffalo and a loser point in Washington, all the Flames racked up were Bonvoy points. The new defensive system implemented by Huska wasn’t being grasped and the coach constantly tinkered with lines with no sign of chemistry. 

They limped home with two straight losses. 

Spector — Edmonton rolled into Nashville at 0-2 and beat the Preds for fun, 6-1. Back on track, it was on to Philadelphia, where the lowly Flyers would be Victim No. 2 for a team that had found its mojo. 

The Oilers tossed their gloves and sticks over the Wells Fargo Center boards, then sat back and watched the Flyers win 4-1. “We simply just got outworked. They wanted it more than us,” admitted winger Warren Foegele. 

WHO, ME? NERVOUS…? 

Spector — At which point did it set in that the Oilers were in trouble? Likely after a 7-4 loss in Minnesota, where Edmonton blew a 3-2 lead after two periods 

They’d played well yet been dominated in the third. These guys were trying now, trying hard. And the opponent wasn’t just better — it was waaaay better. 

The goal at the start of the season was to improve their goals against. Today, Edmonton has the worst GAA in the NHL at 4.29. 

By the time the New York Rangers rolled through town on Thursday, Edmonton was attentive, on point and dedicated to turning this thing around. They lost 3-0, and it should have been worse. 

New York had dominated them, and after the game you could see it in the eyes of the players. They’re worried, and they can’t wait for Connor McDavid’s return. 

Francis — Today, Kadri has one assist and is minus-10 to lead all NHL forwards. Huberdeau has four points and sits at minus-9. 

The coach can’t ignite either of them, and has constantly juggled line combinations — to the point where he installed Kadri on the wing opposite Huberdeau. 

Misery loves company. 

The Flames have gone five straight games without a power play goal and have been outscored 15-4 in their four-game losing skid. 

Bring on the Oilers! 

GULP 

Francis — Two nights after being blanked at home by the Rangers the Flames were booed off the ice after two periods against a struggling Blues bunch that should have been the free spot on the Bingo card. 

By night’s end the listless Flames had gone almost six periods without a goal, giving the unfortunate witnesses every reason to let the lads have it as they streamed out of the Dome. 

Nikita Zadorov apologized to the fans after the game: “We’re playing like s*** right now.” Elias Lindholm said he would have booed too, MacKenzie Weegar said they lost their will in the third period and Huska insisted they’d lost it long before then. 

“We sucked,” he added. 

Oof. 

Pretty exciting way to set up the ol’ outdoor tussle. 

Those in attendance may want to ensure there’s plenty of Baileys in those coffees. 

Spector — As we bundle up for the Battle, the game has become an opportunity for a launching point in Edmonton. An Oilers team that has played as if the points would be handed to them, is now even money to win a showcase game at home against the two-win Flames. 

American Thanksgiving is coming down the tracks like a freight train, and the only thing the Oilers and Flames have going for them is that the Pacific is by far the roadkill of NHL Divisions. 

Welcome to the Rattled of Alberta, folks. 

The struggle, it’s real. 

More from Sportsnet

Oilers, Rogers, and NHL make donation as legacy of Heritage Classic game

Why Canucks’ Hughes-Hronek pairing has been one of NHL’s best this season

from Sportsnet.ca
via i9bet

Why Canucks’ Hughes-Hronek pairing has been one of NHL’s best this season

Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek can stake a claim as the best defence pair in the NHL so far this season.

Consider the following: The Vancouver Canucks’ No. 1 defence pair has not been on the ice for a goal against at 5-on-5 after seven games and more than 100 minutes of even-strength action. Together, they boast a plus-8 goal differential and have controlled 59.8 per cent of expected goals.

Hughes and Hronek’s hot start to the season is a promising development for the Canucks, who have needed stability on the back end for some time. Individually, Hughes is a dominant force with the puck on his stick. He is the league leader in possession, averaging 3:16 of puck-on-stick time per game.

Hughes is an expert at moving the puck up ice, ranking second out of 194 defencemen (minimum 50 minutes) with 23.7 possession-driving plays per 20 minutes at 5-on-5. He does it in a variety of ways, but especially with his legs. Hughes’ 3.39 open-ice dekes per 20 — third among qualified defencemen — illustrate his ability to change direction on a dime.

The Canucks’ offence flourishes when their captain hops over the boards. They have a 9-1 edge in goals and 58-39 advantage in scoring chances at 5-on-5 whenever he’s been on the ice.

Hronek did not attract much attention during his four-plus seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, but his partnership with Hughes has thrust him into the spotlight. Hronek’s skills are subtle, such as his accuracy on long-range passes. He has completed 13 of 17 stretch passes at 5-on-5, a 76.5 per cent success rate that is tied for 39th among qualified defencemen.  

Defensively, Hronek stands out for his ability to clear pucks out of danger. His 1.69 rebound recoveries per 20 in the defensive zone are second most at the position. Hronek’s steadiness allows Hughes to dial up the aggressiveness — a combination that has produced excellent results for the Canucks.

“(I) probably haven’t played with a player as good as him,” Hughes told reporters earlier this month. “He’s really skilled, can move the puck, can see things. He can defend. He can skate. … They wanted to maybe split us up, but I’m happy that we’re together.”

All stats via Sportlogiq

More from Sportsnet

Canucks’ Hughes-Hronek pairing can become best in NHL — if it remains intact

Hughes leads the way, Canucks shut out Blues in dominant fashion

from Sportsnet.ca
via i9bet

Kane scores on remarkable strike from his own half as Bayern Munich rolls

from Sportsnet.ca
via i9bet

Cold, hard truth is first Heritage Classic set standard for NHL’s outdoor games

EDMONTON — It was so cold at that original Heritage Classic that even the two-beer limit was called into question. 

As in, if you walked away from the Commonwealth Stadium concession back on Nov. 22, 2003, with your allotment of two beers, you had about five minutes to down the first one. Because if you took more time, the second one began to freeze over. 

Cold? 

The temperature just after 3 p.m., when the oldtimers game between the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens greats began, was minus-16.8 Celsius. It fell to minus-18.6 when the NHL game between Edmonton and Montreal began at 5:26 p.m. under a jet-black Alberta winter sky. 

Even though capacity had been listed at just over 56,000, some 57,167 fans crammed into Commonwealth for a day-night doubleheader, the coldest ever played under the NHL banner. 

Watch the Heritage Classic on Sportsnet

The Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames will heat up their rivalry Sunday at Commonwealth Stadium at the Heritage Classic. You can watch all the action on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+, starting at 5 p.m. MT / 7 p.m. ET.

Broadcast schedule

“I don’t know how they do it,” then-Oilers general manager Kevin Lowe marvelled afterward. “I think it’s the fans making a statement that, ‘Hey, this is where we live. It’s cold at times in the wintertime, but you’ve got to go on and live your life.’” 

By Edmonton terms, it was the coldest Western final in some years and lasted twice as long. But when it was done, Northern Albertans had shown the National Hockey League that an event of this type had legs. 

Little did we know that this goofy idea, led by the Oilers and, at times, merely tolerated by the NHL, would lead to games in Lake Tahoe, the Cotton Bowl and Dodger Stadium. But five years later, there was Sidney Crosby, scoring a breakaway goal in a Buffalo snowstorm, and a year after that, the Chicago Blackhawks were hosting the Detroit Red Wings at hallowed Wrigley Field. 

This Sunday, the NHL’s Stadium Series comes full circle, arriving back at Commonwealth 20 years later for a game between two struggling Alberta clubs, the Oilers and the Calgary Flames. It will be the 24^th outdoor game since the Habs beat Edmonton 4-3 in a game that had more impact than anyone could have realized. 

Did anyone see, two decades ago, the NHL’s outdoor fetish coming? 

“Not going into it,” admitted Shawn Horcoff, the current Red Wings assistant general manager who played for Edmonton that day. “But quickly after it was done, you could see it was something the league could run with. The players enjoyed it, the fans liked it, the media loved it …

“After it was complete and you sat back and thought about it, it was really a no-brainer.” 

But what if the game had never come off? 

Would the franchise have thrived the way it has, had the league pulled the plug that day, when it was freezing cold and the mercury was dropping? 

In the end, that old show-business motto, “The show must go on,” won the day. With nearly 60,000 folks in the seats, committed to a frozen, eight-hour day of hockey, who was going to stand behind a microphone and tell them that the NHL players were too fragile to join them? 

“That is why it wasn’t cancelled,” said Georges Laraque, the Oilers heavyweight of the day. “It wasn’t the ideal scenario, but it was the first one and it would have been a catastrophe to cancel it. There was no avenue as to what we were going to do if it were cancelled.” 

Set for nearly a month earlier on the calendar, Oct. 29, Sunday’s forecast is for a low of minus-6 Celsius, with a high of plus-3. But in 2003, organizers were intentionally vague about any cut-off or cancellation temperature, as the mercury plunged late in a Northern Alberta November. 

“It was an NHL game. Points were at stake,” Horcoff said. “So, each guy was going through what they needed to do to feel comfortable out there. Some guys wore turtlenecks, some guys wore balaclavas, some guys wore gloves (underneath their hockey gloves). We had those hot pockets in our skates, like ski boots. So, there was a lot of messing around for guys, trying to feel comfortable. 

“We knew how cold it was going to be on the ice, but what we didn’t prepare for was how warm it was going to be on the bench. They had these big heaters pumping all this warm air. You’d go on the ice and it was freezing cold, then you’d come back to the bench and it was super warm.” 

“I can tell you this,” added Laraque. “It was the first time when I played a game that people were happy to be on the bench.” 

They didn’t come any tougher than Laraque circa 2003. But there was no way the mitts were hitting the ice that day. 

“Darren Langdon, the tough guy on the other side, we looked at one another and we were like, ‘No (bleeping) way,’” he said. “We are not dropping the gloves at minus-20.” 

Remember, this was before the state-of-the-art ice plant the NHL has purchased for these outdoor games. While Sunday’s ice will be very similar to what the players skate on all season long, back then it was chippy and poor. It wasn’t supposed be this cold. 

“I have to hand it to those people who (built the rink), but the ice, it was terrible,” Oilers defenceman Marc-Andre Bergeron said after the game. “It was sh—- hockey tonight, no doubt about that. Not any finesse plays tonight, for sure. Dump it in, rim it around, then go and get it.” 

Nobody remembers the bad ice or the slushy beers, however. Instead, goalie Jose Theodore’s tuque that he wore through the entire game was the beacon for how outdoor hockey was as pure as the driven slow, whether played in a football stadium, a ballpark or a lake in California. 

And as legendary hockey writer Red Fisher sipped Chivas Regal from a Styrofoam cup in the Commonwealth press box, the Stadium Series was born. 

It came out a little cold, but we’ve warmed to it now. 

More from Sportsnet

Oilers’ McDavid resumes skating, not ruled out for Heritage Classic

WestJet NHL Fan Park kicks off Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic weekend

from Sportsnet.ca
via i9bet