The Brock Badgers women’s soccer team finished the weekend with a loss and a draw against the Western Mustangs, the fourth-ranked team in the country, to start the season 0-3-1. 

Game 1: Brock 0, Western 2 

In Friday’s opener at Brock’s Alumni Field, the Badgers had their share of chances but ultimately fell short after two second half goals sealed the 2-0 win for the Mustangs. 

Stefanie Young, Badgers’ rookie forward, ignited the Brock attack with two shots on target within the game’s first 12 minutes, forcing a pair of key stops by Mustangs’ keeper Sam St. Croix to deny the home side from opening the scoring. 

St. Croix was called upon twice more in the first half, rejecting Irelan Scanlon and Jenna Parris, as the Mustangs keeper had four of her seven saves in the opening half. Her goalkeeping counterpart, Brock’s Shae Mitchell, was also busy in the first half, picking up three critical saves to keep the match scoreless entering halftime. 

In the second half, the teams traded back-and-forth chances until Western’s 56^th-minute substitute, Tessa Dubeis-Phillip, broke the deadlock in the 71^st minute for her first goal of the 2024 season. 

Six minutes later, the Mustangs doubled their lead as Avarie Thomas converted from the penalty spot to seal the 2-0 Western victory. 

The loss didn’t come without opportunity as the Badgers finished the match with 12 shots, five of which were courtesy of Young and four from Sabrina Bisante — the Badgers’ Female Athlete of the Week for the week ending Sept. 1 — as they continue to look for an offensive breakthrough this season. 

Game 2: Western 0, Brock 0 

Sunday’s matchup ended scoreless at Western’s Alumni Stadium in London, resulting in the Badgers earning their first point of the season. 

However, the draw didn’t come without a sound defensive effort, including a stellar performance by Mitchell in between the posts to pick up the first clean sheet of her OUA career. 

Mitchell was called upon from the opening kickoff, defending against a pair of Mustang shots in the opening 30 seconds of the match, as the Western side was beaming with confidence seeking their fourth consecutive victory to start the new season. 

Moments later, the second-year goalkeeper denied Western’s Gabby Kohut and Mackenzie Bilotta as the Guelph-native made five critical stops in the opening 15 minutes of the match, facing 10 shots in the first half. 

The offensive dominance continued in the second half with the Mustangs earning a corner within the opening minute and forcing another decisive save by Mitchell to keep the match level. 

A trio of second half substitutions for the Badgers wasn’t enough to solve Western’s superior backline as Brock remained volatile for much of the match. 

The Mustangs finished the game with 16 shots compared to Brock’s five and nine corners versus the Badgers’ two. Mitchell came up with eight quality saves, her second-most in a game this season after earning nine stops on Aug. 30 in a 2-1 defeat against Laurier, keeping the game 0-0 until the final whistle. 

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Next up for the Badgers, who are in dire search of their offence having only scored twice in four matches this season, host the Algoma Thunderbirds next weekend, a team that they beat 2-1 and 9-0 last season — the most goals they’ve scored in a game since beating Algoma 9-1 in 2015. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sept. 15. 

For more information about the Badgers women’s soccer team, head to gobadgers.ca. 

The Canadian Olympic team captured a historic 27 medals (nine gold, seven silver, 11 bronze) at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, marking the most medals Canada has ever earned at a single non-boycotted Summer Games. With history in the making, here are the athletes who helped Canada achieve their historic medal count. 

Alysha Newman (Bronze – Pole Vault) 

Alysha Newman won her first Olympic medal, setting a new personal and Canadian record of 4.85 metres to win the bronze, her first medal at a major international competition since placing third at the 2019 Pan American Games. 

Camryn Rogers (Gold – Hammer Throw) 

Camryn Rogers successfully defended her 2023 World Athletics Championships gold medal to remain as the world champion in women’s hammer throw. The Richmond, B.C.-native had a gold medal-winning throw of 76.97 metres to finish atop the podium. 

Christa Deguchi (Gold – Judo 57 kg) 

Christa Deguchi won the gold medal in the judo 57 kg weight class in her Olympic Games debut to add to her growing trophy case. The 28-year-old now has 10 medals in major international competitions, including three gold and a silver at the Pan American Championships, two golds, a silver and a bronze at the IJF World Championships, and a gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. 

Eleanor Harvey (Bronze – Fencing Individual Foil) 

Eleanor Harvey of Hamilton won Canada’s first-ever Olympic fencing medal, defeating Italy’s Alice Vopli 15-12 in the bronze medal bout. 

Ethan Katzburg (Gold – Hammer Throw) 

Ethan Katzburg won Canada’s first gold medal in the men’s Olympic hammer throw competition ever, becoming the youngest winner of the event and the only thrower in the field that surpassed the 80-metre mark.  

The 22-year-old unleashed a throw of 84.12 metres on his first attempt — 4.15 metres ahead of second place, marking the largest win margin since the 1920 Olympics — as the 2023 World Athletics Championship gold medalist now owns the ninth-best throw in Olympic Games history. 

Ilya Kharun (Bronze – 100m Fly, 200m Fly) 

Ilya Kharun placed third in both the 100m and 200m butterfly in his inaugural Olympic Games. The 19-year-old finished the 100m race with a time of 50:45 and the 200m race in 1:52.80. 

Josh Liendo (Silver – 100m Fly) 

Josh Liendo beat fellow Canadian Kharun for the silver medal in the 100m butterfly event and was nine-tenths of a second away from the gold medalist, Kristóf Milák. Liendo, a native of Toronto, nearly doubled his medal tally, placing fourth in the 50m freestyle and a pair of fifth-place finishes in the men’s and mixed medley relays. 

Katie Vincent (Gold – Canoe/Kayak Sprint C-1 200m, Bronze – C-2 500m) 

Katie Vincent beat 2020 Olympic gold medalist Nevin Harrison to steal the C-1 200m Olympic crown and win her first career Olympic gold medal. 

Kylie Masse (Bronze – 200m Backstroke) 

Kylie Masse added another Olympic medal to her collection, finishing third in the 200m backstroke with a time of 2:05.57, just behind the gold medalist and new Olympic record-holder Kaylee McKeown at 2:03.73. The University of Toronto alum now has five Olympic medals after winning two silver and a bronze at Tokyo 2020 and a bronze at Rio 2016. 

Marco Arop (Silver – 800m)  

Marco Arop narrowly missed out on becoming an Olympic champion, finishing one-hundredth of a second behind the winner, Emmanuel Wanyonyi, of Kenya. Arop’s time of 1:41.20 set a new Canadian record and was the fourth-fastest time in the history of the Olympics — a massive improvement from his 14^th-place finish in Tokyo. 

Maude Charron (Silver – Weightlifting 59 kg) 

Maude Charron, Canada’s opening ceremony flag bearer, captured her second consecutive Olympic medal, lifting 236 kg — 106 kg in the snatch and 130 kg in the clean and jerk — to win the silver. 

Men’s 10m Synchro Diving (Bronze) 

Rylan Wiens and Nathan Zsombor-Murray won their first Olympic medals, finishing with a score of 422.13 to win the bronze. The pair have now won four medals together, including a silver at the 2023 Pan American Games and 2022 Commonwealth Games, and a bronze at the 2022 World Aquatics Championship. 

Men’s 4 x 100 Metre Relay (Gold) 

Andre De Grasse, Jerome Blake, Aaron Brown and Brendan Rodney captured their third consecutive Olympic relay medal — bronze at Rio 2016 and silver at Tokyo 2020 — winning Canada’s first gold in the men’s 4 x 100-metre relay since 1996. The gold medal performance marked De Grasse’s seventh Olympic medal, tying him with Penny Oleksiak for the most Olympic medals by a Canadian athlete. 

Mixed Doubles Tennis (Bronze) 

Feliz Auger-Aliassime and Gabriela Dabrowski defeated Dutch duo Wesley Koolhof and Demi Schuurs in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6 (2), to win Canada’s first Olympic tennis medal since 2000. Auger-Aliassime nearly added another medal to Canada’s historic count in the men’s singles competition, finishing fourth in the draw. 

Phillip Kim (Gold – Breaking) 

Phillip Kim, a.k.a. B-Boy Phil Wizard, won the first ever men’s breaking competition at the Olympic Games, defeating Frenchman Danis Civil 23-4 to win his fourth gold in a major competition. 

Skylar Park (Bronze – Taekwondo 57kg) 

Skylar Park, the three-time Pan American Championship gold medalist, defeated Lebanon’s Laetitia Aoun 2-0 in the bronze medal contest to place third, winning her first career Olympic medal. 

Sophiane Methot (Bronze – Trampoline) 

Sophiane Methot followed up her 2024 FIG World Cup bronze medal performance, placing third in her inaugural Olympic Games. The Longueuil, Q.C.-native scored 55.650 points, 0.14 points ahead of China’s Zhu Xueying, to finish on the podium. 

Summer McIntosh (Gold – 400m IM, 200m Fly, 200m IM; Silver – 400m Freestyle) 

Summer McIntosh had an incredible summer, becoming the first Canadian to win three gold medals at an Olympic Games and only the third Canadian swimmer to win two or more golds at an Olympics, joining George Hodgson (1912) and Alex Baumann (1984).  

After winning a silver in the 400m freestyle, the then 17-year-old took the world by storm, setting a new Olympic record in the 400m individual medley (2:06.56) and 200m butterfly (2:03.03). The Toronto native also won the 200m individual medley event, joining Penny Oleksiak (2016) as the only Canadian Olympian to win four medals at a single Olympic Games. 

Women’s Beach Volleyball (Silver) 

Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson won Canada’s first-ever women’s beach volleyball medal, as the former York Lions’ volleyball stars finished second in the competition. 

Women’s Canoe/Kayak Sprint C-2 500m (Bronze) 

Katie Vincent doubled her medal haul in Paris, joining teammate Sloan MacKenzie to place third in the C-2 500m competition, six-tenths of a second behind the Ukrainian team to finish in the bronze medal position. 

Women’s Eight Rowing (Silver) 

Jessica Sevick, Caileigh Filmer, Maya Meschkuleit, Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski, Avalon Wasteneys, Sydney Payne, Kristina Walker, Abby Dent and coxswain Kristen Kit — who is from St. Catharines — captured the silver medal with a time of 5:58.84, finishing ahead of the British and behind the Romanians for second place. 

Women’s Rugby Sevens (Silver) 

Canada’s rugby sevens team captured Canada’s best ever result at the Olympic Games, winning a silver medal after a narrow 19-12 loss to the back-to-back Olympic champions, New Zealand. 

Wyatt Sanford (Bronze – Boxing 63.5 kg) 

Wyatt Sanford captured his fifth straight medal at a major competition. The 25-year-old followed up his gold medal- winning performance at the 2023 Pan American Games with a bronze, after defeating Uzbekistan’s Ruslan Abdullaev 4-1 to place on the podium. 

Inked in the history books, the Canadian Olympic team will look to rewrite history once again when the 2028 Summer Olympic Games head to Los Angeles.  

For a full list of results from Paris 2024, head to olympics.com. 

Now entering April and with every team having seven or fewer games to play, the NHL’s playoff picture is starting to come into focus. However, with many teams still not clinched and meaningful games still to play, there is plenty of intrigue remaining for these last few weeks. 

The Eastern Conference final two: do you even want to make it? 

While most of the Eastern Conference’s top teams clinched playoff berths on April 5^th, the battle for the third spot in the Metro Division and the last wild card spot is still a dogfight – if you can even call it that. 

The Red Wings, Islanders, Capitals and Flyers are all in solid positions for the last two spots, but they just keep losing.  

Coming into the 5^th, there was a slim difference between all the teams’ playoff chances. The Islanders were ahead by a hair (45 per cent), closely followed by Philadelphia (44.5 per cent), Detroit (43.4 per cent) and Washington. The latter three teams all played that day with a chance to claw their way back into contention. Naturally, they all lost.  

The four teams are a combined 16-17-5 in their last ten games, which over the course of a full season would put them in line for roughly 78, which would currently be eighth-last in the entire NHL. 

The Flyers—who began the season miraculously overperforming expectations—have likely had the worst go of it, crashing back to earth, and losing eight straight games.  

The Capitals aren’t far behind, losing six straight before beating the Red Wings on the 10^th. At this point, if Washington made the playoffs, they would be one of the most shocking teams to ever qualify for the NHL playoffs. Boasting a –40 goal differential, the Capitals have been outscored at a higher rate than every team in the NHL save for the Canadiens, the Blackhawks, the Blue Jackets, the Ducks and the Sharks, the five worst teams in the league.  

Possibly the most hilarious outcome of this comedy of errors is the re-emergence of the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

To put it lightly, the Pens were poor for almost the entire season. Entering March 27^th, the Penguins held a 3.6 per cent chance of qualifying for the playoffs and were all but counted out.  

Since then, Pittsburgh is 6-1-3 in their last 10 and have improved their playoff chances to 44.7 per cent with the losses by the Wings, Caps and Flyers.  

The East is primed for a very funny conclusion.  

The Wide-Open West: 

As of the 5^th, four Western Conference teams have clinched: the top three teams in the Central Division (the Stars, Avalanche and Jets) and the Canucks.  

Outside of those teams, there is still so much that can happen.  

The Oilers have the most points and games in hand, making them the most likely candidate to clinch next. However, they’ve looked so-so in their past 10 games, and after a mediocre trade deadline, they are also a great candidate to get caught.  

The next two teams in the Pacific—the Knights and the Kings—are both breathing down the Oilers’ neck. 

Vegas, after a slow first half, has rebounded at the right time following a massive overhaul at the deadline. Less than a month ago, their playoff chances were barely over 70 per cent, but have won six of their last ten and have been flip-flopping with the Kings for third in the division. 

While the Kings have faltered at times over the last few weeks, they have chugged along at around a 95 per cent playoff probability for about two months, having banked sufficient points pre-trade deadline.  

While not a powerhouse, the Kings are still a sneaky-deep team. The Kings have both Philip Danault and Pierre-Luc Dubois down the middle, giving them strong centre depth. With the emergence of Trevor Moore, the return of Viktor Arvidsson, and the ever-dynamic Kevin Fiala, LA also has three balanced scoring units. Throw in the Byfield-Kopitar-Kempe unit’s arrival as one of the best top lines in the NHL, the Kings could pose a serious threat, either in the waning days of the regular season or into the playoffs.  

While the Kings can still fight for third place in their division, the Central wildcard is all but guaranteed to be the Nashville Predators.  

The Preds are solid right now, but unfortunately play in likely the NHL’s strongest division, leaving them outside the divisional race.  

While the Preds may not be a young, flashy, high-octane team, they are nevertheless exciting.  

At 33, Ryan O’Reilly has returned to peak form, playing tough minutes and elevating his teammates as a first-line, matchup centre. His linemate, Filip Forsberg, is also at the top of his game, hitting career-highs in both goals (43) and points (89). Roman Josi is also quietly having a Norris-calibre season, sitting third among defencemen in points, second in even-strength points and first in goals.  

Outside of their top guys, Nashville’s depth has stepped up, even if they’re not exactly filling the net. Gus Nyquist and Thomas Novak are both having excellent seasons while coach Andrew Burnette has coaxed stellar defensive play out of the rest of his lineup.  

What’s scary about this team is that they’ve managed to perform this well while their most important player—goaltender Juuse Saros—has been little better than league average, a drastic underperformance from one of the NHL’s star goalies. 

Especially if Saros can recover, they can make things very interesting for their first-round playoff matchup.    

While most of the NHL’s upper-class have secured playoff berths over the past week, nine teams have secured a much worse fate: mathematical elimination. For these unlucky (or straight-up pitiful) few, there remains a small light at the end of the tunnel: the NHL Entry Draft.  

Let’s take a look at some of the top young talents available for the NHL’s bottom-feeders in June.  

First Overall: San Jose Sharks 

The 2023-24 campaign for the Sharks has been nothing short of disastrous, but all will be forgiven should they land the first selection of the draft.  

Best Player Available (BPA): Macklin Celebrini:  

Celebrini has been the clear-cut top option since the first day of the season and has done nothing to dissuade scouts across the league. Celebrini has been one of (if not the) best players in NCAA hockey this year as a freshman and is a finalist for the Hobey Baker, the prize for the top college player of the year.  

At 6’0”, Celebrini isn’t huge, but he is physically adept, aggressive with the puck, and has several highly coveted tools. Celebrini is fast and agile, has a cannon of a shot, an excellent puck handle, and excellent playmaking and IQ to boot. While it may take him a season or two to adjust to the NHL pace—especially with a weak supporting cast on whichever team he lands—it is easy to see him becoming a dynamic, offensive first-line centre at the next level.  

Two: Chicago Blackhawks 

Despite Connor Bedard’s rookie year, the Blackhawks were miserable this year. Should they add another top-two pick to their team to go along with Bedard, Kevin Korchinski, Frank Nazar and Oliver Moore, they’ll have one of the best young cores in the league to build around.    

BPA: Ivan Demidov: 

Demidov is clearly the best player available after Celebrini. While he may fall in the draft because he is Russian, there is no one in this draft other than Celebrini with higher upside.  

Demidov is the textbook definition of dynamic. What sticks out immediately is his puck handling, which is otherworldly, allowing him to make plays that pull fans out of their seats and defenders onto their asses. He combines this with a strong shot, high-end skating, and both vision and playmaking abilities, all complimented by his ability to create space for himself through his handle.  

Demidov can be guilty of doing too much, and—playing in a lower-tier league—he’s often able to get away with attempts that he certainly will not at higher levels. hat said, he is one of the most skilled, toolsy players to be available at the draft in the past five years, and any team that passes on him risks sincerely regretting it.  

Three: Anaheim Ducks 

The Ducks have been mired in a five-year rebuild and are likely to appear in the top three for a second straight year. Will 2024 be the year they get the final piece of the puzzle? 

BPA: Berkly Catton:  

This is where the field opens up and where this article may begin to diverge from consensus. Aytrom Levshunov and Cayden Lindstrom are who are likely viewed as the two best players for this slot, but, like Demidov, Catton is such a dynamic player that his skill is hard to pass on.  

Catton finished his regular season in the WHL as the top-scoring prospect in all of Canadian junior hockey with 54 goals and 116 points in 68 games. He plays a lot of minutes and is heavily relied upon by his team (which accounts for some of his high-scoring numbers) but also has tremendous skill.  

Catton is a triple-threat offensive player, boasting a high-end transition game, both in his speed and agility, an almost sixth sense for playmaking, and a quick, accurate shot. His defensive game is not a strength, but only the two players ranked ahead of him say they are as skilled.  

Four: Columbus Blue Jackets 

Once again, the Blue Jackets find themselves as one of the worst teams in the league. However, in a defenceman-heavy draft, with their two top prospects (Adam Jiricek and Denton Mateychuk) both defencemen and Zach Werenski locked up long-term, they find themselves in an interesting position.  

BPA: Cayden Lindstrom: 

While this draft has many strong options at D, it would be tough to envision a team letting Cayden Lindstrom fall past this point. After being out for half the season there is more uncertainty, but he is a tantalizing prospect who could end up as high as second overall.  

Lindstrom is a big dude, standing at over 6’4” and 215 pounds, but that is certainly not all he has to offer. Lindstrom offers a combination of excellent body positioning and control that allows him to dominate possession and attack off the rush, while also possessing small-area skill to score and distribute tight to the net. Lindstrom is the dream archetype for a top-six centre; physical, aggressive, skilled and poised. 

Five: Arizona Coyotes 

BPA: Zeev Buium:  

With the top forward options likely exhausted by this point, the Coyotes will likely be taking a defenceman with this slot. However, there is no more dynamic option than Zeev Buium.  

As another NCAA freshman, Buium was more than up to the challenge. His puck handling and elusiveness along the offensive blueline make him a constant threat. His top speed and mechanics aren’t spectacular, but Buium still makes the most of his skating abilities. He can shoot, he can pass, and he can even defend capably, even if it is a work in progress. Buium has one of the highest ceilings in the draft and can very likely become an impact, top-pair offensive catalyst. 

Six: Montreal Canadiens 

BPA: Sam Dickinson:  

This is a bit of a tough slot for the Habs. Especially after drafting David Reinbacher last summer, they’d love to walk away from the table with a high-end forward. While one of Demidov or Catton could still fall to them here, more likely than not they’re ending up with a defenceman, though Dickinson is a solid consolation prize. 

Dickinson isn’t a particularly flashy player but is solid and projectable in almost every area. Dickinson is a very effective defender, both in closing gaps off the rush and sticking with his man on in-zone coverage. He wins puck battles at a high rate and projects to be a top-four matchup defenceman with some offensive upside. 

Seven: Ottawa Senators 

BPA: Atryom Levshunov:  

There are a few directions the Sens could go with this pick, but almost all the paths lead to selecting a defenceman.  

Levshunov is one of the highest-ranked defenders in prospect circles and some have suggested he could go as high as second overall. He’s a big defenceman and the third NCAA freshman likely going in the top 10. Levshunov is a very mobile defenceman and puts that skillset to good use, frequently activating as the weak-side D and often leading the rush himself. He is also confident with the puck on his stick in-zone, playing through pressure and using his vision and shot to make plays.  

Though Levshunov is physically aggressive, his defensive game still has warts and he can get caught doing too much with the puck. Levshunov, as mentioned, has been highly talked about and likely won’t be available this late and has a good chance of surpassing Buium and Dickinson as the top defender in the draft. 

Eight: Calgary Flames 

BPA: Anton Silayev:  

While it’s difficult to see the Flames passing on Tij Iginla in this spot (son of Flames legend Jarome Iginla), Silayev is probably the top option available and is likely to go ahead of players like Catton and Buium due to his physical attributes. 

Standing at an imposing 6’7, Silayev grabbed the scouting community’s attention early in the season by posting strong scoring in Russia’s top league, even if the process hadn’t caught up with the numbers. He’s cooled significantly since then but still has a lot to offer.  

Silayev’s offensive ceiling is debatable. His decision-making is so-so, but he has shown flashes of poise playing in the second-best league in the world. He takes a lot of shots but could improve in this area. His best offensive asset is his mobility, which is particularly impressive for his size. This is also likely his best asset on defence. He is a very capable rush defenceman and can close gaps using his feet. Silayev also has a disruptive defensive stick to complement his skating, creating a well-rounded defensive game that still has room to grow. If Silayev can add more muscle and bring more consistency to his offensive game, he should end up as a high-end top-four defenceman.  

Nine: Seattle Kraken 

BPA: Zayne Parekh: Without any big game-breaking talents throughout their roster and several good-but-not-elite prospects in their system, Seattle may look to take a swing with this pick. There is a lot of risk attached, but if Parekh hits, a swing will be well worth it.  

Besides maybe Buium, Parekh has the highest offensive upside of any defenceman in this draft. Parekh can skate, shoot, handle and holds supreme confidence with the puck on his stick. He had a record-breaking year in the OHL as a result, finishing with 33 goals and 96 points. Parekh is active in joining the rush, skating with the puck, and creating shots for himself. He can suffer from tunnel vision and get himself and his teammates into difficult situations, but—as the numbers show—he’s an individual offensive force the likes of which we’ve rarely seen. Some have questioned if his style of play will translate to offence in the NHL, but the biggest qualm by far is his defending. 

Parekh is not a strong defender, and barring a serious change, doesn’t project to be. Parekh gives away the puck a lot, does not defend the rush well and has mediocre positioning in-zone.  

The risk with Parekh is twofold: first, will he be able to earn a coach’s trust at higher levels with his poor defending, and second, will the offence come at the next level at a high enough rate to justify this? That said, if he becomes as good as his OHL numbers, Parekh will almost certainly become a top-pair, potentially a number one defenceman, however much of a long-shot that may be.  

— 

While these are the best options for those teams already eliminated, there are still many prospects worth keeping your eye on. 

Tij Iginla: Iginla is no nepo-baby. He plays a very professional game and has improved in almost every facet over his WHL career, an improvement that has continued throughout an outlandish scoring run to start the playoffs. He is a high-end puck carrier with a tight, powerful stride that weaves him through the neutral zone and allows him to be a voracious forechecker. While he’s an underrated playmaker, his booming shot is his standout skill.  

Michael Brandsegg-Nygard: A Norwegian forward playing in second-tier Sweden, MBN is a fast, physical, 200-foot player who should have no trouble finding a way into an NHL lineup. He has a hard shot that can come off his stick in a variety of ways, though he doesn’t create many chances for himself except off the rush. He projects as a high-end complementary forward with goal-scoring upside.  

Liam Greentree: One of the top forwards in the OHL this season, Greentree has a well-balanced offensive game, though without high-end skating, may lack a degree of dynamism. Outside of the skating, Greentree does almost everything well. He has a hard shot, great puck handling, excellent positioning and wins a lot of puck battles.  

Konsta Helenius: Among the youngest players in Finland’s top league, Helenius has acclimated himself very well, even if he doesn’t have that jump-of-the-page offensive talent. He’s very smart and has a high motor, projecting to be a defensively responsible pivot with some offensive upside. 

Carter Yakemchuk: Like Parekh, as another offensively gifted defenceman with some serious warts, Yakemchuk is a bit of a risk. He is likely the best shooter among the defence cohort, paired with excellent and dynamic puck handling and supreme confidence. And like Parekh, he is a so-so skater with poor defensive habits across the board, but at 6’4” he has more upside in this area if he can iron some things out.  

The IIHF Women’s Worlds—one of the biggest annual tournaments in hockey—kicked off on April 3^rd and the Canadian side has had as good of a start as they could hope for. Though still behind the United States based on goal differential in a tough Group A, the Canadians are one of three undefeated teams through the first three games. 

April 4^th: CAN 4 – FIN 1 

Canada opened the tournament with a convincing win over the Finns, marking the 100^th win for the program in the competition. Canada won silver in the 2023 edition of the championship while Finland finished fifth.  

Canada opened the scoring at 9:15 when Brianne Jenner, the captain of PWHL Ottawa deposited a bouncing puck into the Finland net. Jamie Lee Rattray got the play started when she corralled a puck in her feet at the top of the left circle and wound her way into the high slot before letting the shot go. Rattray’s attempt was deflected by Sarah Filler on the way to the net and Jenner collected the rebound to put Canada up 1-0.  

Canada dominated the first period shot totals, outshooting the Finns 17-7 but would leave the period only up one.  

Though Finland started to find there game more in the second period, Canada would still strike first.  

Defender Ella Shelton rimmed the puck down the offensive zone boards which was easily picked up by Natalie Spooner behind Finland’s goal. Spooner swung around the net and deftly backhanded the puck to Emma Maltais who, unguarded in the low slot, snapped the puck behind the Finnish goaltender to make it 2-0 Canada just under two minutes into the period.  

Showing more fight and closing the gap in shots, Finland brought themselves within one at 15:11 in the second.  

A slapshot from the point hit traffic on the way, creating chaos in front of the Canadian net. Michelle Karvinen jumped on the loose puck and curled behind the net before making a backhand pass in front to Petra Nieminen, who quickly tapped the puck into the yawning cage. 

After killing off two penalties, the Canadians scored with over 30 seconds to go, restoring their two goal second period lead.  

Kristin O’Neill repeatedly stickchecked the Finnish defender to get open near Finland’s goal line, receiving a pass from Danielle Serdachny. O’Neill then made a beautiful no-look backhand drop pass that found Julia Gosling all alone in front. Gosling made a quick move to her backhand and scored, getting her first goal for Team Canada in her first appearance.  

The score stayed at 3-1 for most of the rest of the game despite Finland’s best efforts.  

Eventually, on a late power play, Ella Shelton capitalized on a pile-up in front of the Finnish net and ripped a wrist shot off the post and in, giving Canada a late insurance marker. Shelton’s goal would stand as the game’s final goal, giving Canada the 4-1 win.  

April 5^th: CAN 3 – SUI 0 

The Canadians suited up again the next day to edge the Swiss by a deceptively close 3-0 score.  

Canada got to work quickly as Maltais grabbed her second goal of the tournament just 1:10 into the first.  

Maltais’ goal came in very similar fashion to her first. Spooner picked up a chipped in puck near the offensive zone corner boards and made an aggressive move to cut to the front of the Swiss net. Spooner put a low shot off the far pad of Swiss goalie Andrea Braendli while Maltais tapped the rebound in for her second goal in as many days.  

The Spooner and Maltais’ line would strike again soon after, this time with the goal coming off the stick of Sarah Nurse.  

Spooner burst down the left wing and made another strong move to the front of the Swiss net before flinging the puck just over the crossbar on her initial chance. Switzerland picked up the puck but were prevented from exiting when Nurse poke-checked the Swiss captain Lara Stalder a few feet inside the blueline. Nurse then picked up the turnover off the right half-wall, drove into the faceoff dot and fired the puck in to put Canada up 2-0.  

Nurse’s goal was Canada’s last of the period though they easily could’ve scored another with a plethora of quality chances in tight to the Swiss goal, a pattern that continued in even more extreme fashion in the second period.  

Up 24-5 in shots, the Maltais-Nurse-Spooner line almost connected again but were shut down by Braendli. Coming in on a 3-on-2, Nurse manipulated the Swiss defender and had her snapshot deflected in tight, but Maltais couldn’t put in the rebound. 

Canada would outshoot Switzerland 23-4 in the period (up to 31-7 at that point in the game) but couldn’t add another tally.  

Braendli stood tall the rest of the contest, robbing Canada multiple times in the third period alone. Nevertheless, the Swiss couldn’t muster even one goal of their own. Fillier scored on Switzerland with their goalie pulled, handing Canada the 3-0 victory. Braendli made 43 saves in the loss.  

April 7^th: CAN 5 – CZE 0 

The Czechs looked outclassed early in the Sunday evening tilt. 

 Off a faceoff two minutes into the first, Serdachny came from below the goal line, battled through the sticks of some Czechia defenders, found a loose puck in the crease and batted it home to put Canada up 1-0. 

Canada kept pouring on the offence from there as O’Neill scored nine minutes into the game. She would add another with two and a half minutes to go, receiving a royal road pass from Jocelyne Larocque and ripping a wrist shot on net in one motion. The initial shot was saved but bounced around in front of the Swiss crease before O’Neill tipped it past the Swiss goalie. Canada finished the dominant period up 18-2 in shots. 

Czechia had a stronger showing to open the second period, but it mattered little. Canada again led in shots with a 11-6 after Renata Fast sucked the life out of the Czechs with a long-distance goal four and a half minutes into the frame.  

Canada didn’t need to do much for the rest of the game. The Canadians again outshot the Czechs by a landslide, leading 13-5 in the third. Laura Stacey added the cherry one top, spinning off a check near the left half-wall and powering herself to the front of the net. Stacey showed expert patience, sliding all the way across the Czech crease before flipping the puck over the Czech goalie. Stacey’s goal was the final one of the contest, delivering the Canadians the 5-0 win.  

The Canadians played their last—and most consequential—game of the group stage on April 8^th where they faced their rival United States to determine the top spot in Group A. 

The game was dead-even through regulation, with Canada and the States playing to a scoreless tie through 60 minutes. Unfortunately, the Americans would ultimately be the only team to break the ice, scoring the game winner over three and a half minutes into overtime.  

Brianne Jenner went down easily deep in the offensive zone, and with defender Larocque streaking hard to the American net, the turnover sprang a three-on-one the other way for the States. Kristen Simms received a drop pass off the rush and made no mistake, scoring to beat the Canadians 1-0.  

Adam Ruzicka, a 24-year-old forward formerly of the Arizona Coyotes, has been released from his NHL contract after clearing waivers.  

The Coyotes placed Ruzicka on unconditional waivers for the purpose of contract termination on Feb. 24^th after a video that Ruzicka posted on his Instagram story was made public.  

Ruzicka was drafted with the 109^th overall pick of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Calgary Flames. Ruzicka had signed a two-year, $1.525 million extension on his rookie contract in September of 2022 and found his way to the Coyotes after they claimed him off waivers in January of this year.  

The Instagram story in question is a video that shows a line of a white powder next to a credit card before the camera flips to show Ruzicka swallowing a liquid from a small vial.  

The Arizona Coyotes offered little in response when asked by a Sportsnet representative except to say: “We have placed forward Adam Ruzicka on unconditional waivers for purposes of terminating his contract. The club will have no further comment at this time.” 

The National Hockey League Players Association also declined to comment. 

Ruzicka’s actions are not dissimilar to those of Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov several years ago. In 2019, Kuznetsov was suspended for four years from international hockey competitions after testing positive for cocaine. The suspension came shortly after a video posted online that showed Kuznetsov next to a table with two lines of a white powder, supposedly cocaine. The NHL subsequently suspended Kuznetsov for “inappropriate conduct.” Kuznetsov entered the NHL’s player assistance program on Feb. 6^th, 2024 to deal with mental health and substance abuse issues.  

While perhaps not the precedent, the Coyotes are likely within their rights to terminate Ruzicka’s contract. According to paragraph 14(a) of the NHL’s “Standard Player’s Contract” Exhibit in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the club can terminate this agreement following a “material breach” of the club’s rules of conduct, of which use of a controlled substance certainly qualifies.  

The concern is less about the legality than the message it sends. Kuznetsov, a star player who was coming off two straight seasons of 70+ points and 20+ goals as Alex Ovechkin’s running mate, got off on a virtually identical incident with only a slap on the wrist, comparatively. Not to mention he actually failed a drug test while Ruzicka—at least publicly—hasn’t taken one. As Ruzicka’s contract has been terminated (and therefore no longer a member player of the player’s union) he will no longer have access to the Player Assistance Program’s support that Kuznetsov has been given. 

As well, in the wake of the Hockey Canada trials, none of the accused NHL player have been released from their contracts. All four players were put on indefinite leave by their NHL clubs. The Flyers cited “personal reasons” for Carter Hart’s leave, while the Calgary Flames deemed it appropriate to put Dillon Dube on leave for “mental health reasons.” While they haven’t yet been found guilty, releasing a player for conduct reasons—regardless of the legality of the player’s actions—is not without precedent. Corey Perry was released from his contract with the Chicago Blackhawks earlier this year while both Perry and the team assured the public that Perry had done nothing illegal. Brendan Leipsic had his contract terminated by the Capitals in 2020 after vulgar and sexist private messages were leaked.  

While there is little to deny Ruzicka’s actions, in the face of precedent and recent events, the Coyote’s actions are questionable.  

The NHL Player’s Association will have 60 days to file a grievance against the termination.   

Former Brock Badgers goaltender Logan Thompson was selected as the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Second Star of the Week for the week ending on March 31^st. 

The Vegas Golden Knights’ netminder posted a 3-0 record during the week, stopping 102 of the 105 shots he faced in three starts, registering a 0.98 goals against average and .971 save percentage. 

Thompson made 31 saves, including denying Pavel Buchnevich on a penalty shot in overtime against the St. Louis Blues on March 25^th, in a 2-1 Golden Knights victory. 

The win marked Thompson’s second straight 20-win season after the 27-year-old won 21 games a season ago accounting for a 21-13-3 record. 

Thompson tied his season-high win total of 21 three nights later, making 39 high-quality stops, including stopping all 15 shots he faced in the third period, earning a 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets.  

He ended his spectacular week with his third consecutive 30-save game and 13^th 30-plus save performance of the season, making 32 saves in another 2-1 overtime victory against the Minnesota Wild on March 30^th.  

The Calgary native’s stellar performances between the pipes helped extend the Golden Knights’ lead in the wild card standings to five points ahead of the St. Louis Blues for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference (as of games played on April 8^th). 

Currently, Thompson has 23 wins, 2.76 goals against average, .907 save percentage and a shutout in 44 games played this season. 

Throughout his NHL career he has been sensational, earning 54 wins, 2.70 goals against average, .912 save percentage and four shutouts in 101 career games played. 

His success at the NHL level is something he credits the Brock hockey program and former Badgers’ head coach Marty Williamson. 

“Williamson has a lot of connections, and he was able to help me out,” said Thompson in an interview with Sportsnet in 2022.  

“Brock University had a good hockey program the year before and as a goalie, my biggest thing was that I wanted to play and wanted to go somewhere where I was going to play.” 

Thompson played for the Badgers during the 2018-19 season and had an astounding impact on their run to finishing second in the OUA West division. 

The former Brandon Wheat King of the WHL won 18 of the 24 games he played for the Badgers that season, registering 2.22 goals against average – third best in the OUA – and a .934 save percentage which ranked second-highest in the conference. 

Thompson’s success at the university level earned him opportunities in the ECHL with the Adirondack Thunder and South Carolina Stingrays, before finding his way into Vegas’ system. His outstanding goaltending play for the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights earned him the opportunity to play in the NHL against the best hockey players in the world like Connor McDavid and Alexis Lafrenière. 

Lafrenière was named as the Third Star of the Week, leading the league with five goals during the week along with a pair of assists to help the New York Rangers be the first team to clinch a spot in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

McDavid was named as the First Star of the Week, bolstering eight points, three goals and five assists, leading the Edmonton Oilers to a perfect 3-0 week. 

For more information on Logan Thompson and the NHL, head to nhl.com. 

Summer 2024 is set to be one of the most exciting summers of all time with many highly anticipated and prolific sporting events occurring in the coming months.  

Olympics 

The Summer Olympic Games are back and are set to be bigger and better than ever.  

From July 26^th to Aug. 11^th, the best athletes in the world are heading to Paris looking to strike gold for their country. 

Four new sports will be making their Olympic debuts – breaking, sport climbing, skateboarding and surfing – as these will be must-watch events from start to finish. 

Canada’s Philip Kim (breaking) and Sanoa Dempfle-Olin (surfing) will be amongst the athletes competing in the inaugural Olympic events for their respective sports and were two of 12 Canadian teams and athletes who secured quota spots for Canada after strong performances at the 2023 Pan American Games. 

As well, the Canadian men’s basketball team has qualified for the Olympics for the first time in 24 years and are looking to repeat on the podium after last summer’s success at the 2023 FIBA World Cup of Basketball. The men’s team are grouped with Australia and two yet-to-be-determined opponents while Canada’s women’s basketball team faces hosts France, Australia and Nigeria (click here for Canada’s schedule and a complete list of all the groups). 

For a list of all Canadian teams and athletes that have qualified for the Olympics, visit the Team Canada Qualification Tracker. 

Paralympics 

After the Olympics, from Aug. 28^th to Sept. 8^th, the Summer Paralympic Games will be taking over Paris and festivities will be massive as the top athletes with physical disabilities will be competing for international supremacy in their respective sports and disciplines. 

One of Canada’s top Paralympians to watch this summer is Renee Foessel. 

Foessel is a discus thrower who has unfinished business after placing fourth at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Eager to avenge her fourth-place finish, Foessel earned a silver medal at last year’s World Para Athletics Championship – her third podium finish at worlds in that event (bronze in 2015 and 2019) – and her sixth podium finish at major games after earning a trio of medals at the 2015 Parapan Am Games in Toronto. 

In team sports, the men’s wheelchair rugby team should be exciting to watch as they nearly beat Australia, the second-ranked team in the world, losing by one try in the gold medal match of the Paralympic qualifying tournament three weeks ago. 

The 2024 squad will be looking to continue Canada’s dominant run in the Paralympics and win their fifth medal since the sport debuted at the Atlanta 1996 Games, winning a silver in 1996, 2004 and 2012, and a bronze in 2008. 

For a complete list of all Canadian teams and athletes that have qualified for the Paralympics, visit paralympics.ca. 

Euro Cup 

For soccer enthusiasts, the Euro Cup (apart from the World Cup) is the pinnacle of the soccer calendar. 

24 European nations will head to Germany from June 14^th to July 14^th looking to lift the Henri Delaunay Trophy as European Champions. 

Italy, the reigning champions after beating England in the finals three years ago, face tough competition in the group stage, facing Spain, Croatia and Albania with the hopes of advancing to the knockout stage – but it won’t be an easy task. 

Whereas France, one of the favourites to win the tournament, should have an easier time in the group stage as the 2022 World Cup Runners-Up will battle Netherlands (likely) for top spot in Group D, but Austria and Poland are looking to challenges Les Blues and advance to the round of 16 themselves. 

Georgia is the only team making their first Euro Cup appearance after defeating Greece in penalties in the qualifying playoffs and will be tested, taking on Türkiye and Czechia before a date with Portugal – the 2016 Euro Cup Champions – in the final group stage game. 

For more information on the tournament and a list of the top-five group stage matches, click here. 

Copa America 

The Copa America is back from June 20^th to July 14^th with a bang, as six CONCACAF nations – including Canada – join the 10 CONMEBOL teams (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela and Uruguay) seeking regional soccer supremacy. 

After losing to Jamaica in November’s CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal, the Canadian squad rebounded with a 2-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago in March to qualify for the tournament. 

However, the Canadians are in tough, opening their schedule against 2022 World Cup Champion Lionel Messi and Argentina on June 20^th, before playing Peru on June 25^th and Chile on June 29^th. 

Tied with Argentina with 15 Copa America titles is Uruguay who are grouped with the United States, Panama and Bolivia, while powerhouse Brazil – nine-time Copa America champion and five-time World Cup winner – face Colombia, Paraguay and Costa Rica. The other group includes Mexico, Ecuador, Venezuela and Jamaica. Competing against these powerhouse nations should be perfect practice for Canada as they co-host the FIFA World Cup in two years’ time and are hoping to make a deep run in their home tournament. 

For a complete list of sporting events this summer, head to olympics.com. 

Sport enthusiasts in the Niagara Region have an exciting summer to look forward to as Niagara’s summer sport teams are back and so is an international championship. 

Welland Jackfish 

The 2023 Intercounty Baseball League Champions return to The Pond looking to win back-to-back championships. 

The Jackfish kick off their 2024 title defence on May 17^th in London before playing their home opener on the 18^th against the Barrie Baycats, the same team they beat in last season’s final. 

The Fish not only led the league with 31 wins a season ago including 15 at home and a +127-run differential, but they also led the IBL in attendance, averaging over 1,500 fans a game. 

A big reason for that is due to the fun atmosphere at the ballpark on game days including the creative giveaways. 

This season, the Jackfish announced 14 giveaway days including championship seat cushions on May 18^th, Bark in the Park doggie bags on June 1^st and Jacques – the mascot – bobbleheads on Aug. 8^th. 

There will also be Fireworks SuperShows after five games this season (May 18^th, June 22^nd, July 1^st and 20^th, and Aug. 17^th), as well as autograph signings on the field after every game, making nights at The Pond a can’t-miss event. 

For more information on the Welland Jackfish, head to wellandjackfish.com. 

Niagara River Lions 

The Niagara River Lions make their return to the Meridian Centre on May 30^th in the home opener against rival Brampton Honey Badgers.  

After finishing last CEBL season atop the Eastern Conference before losing in the semi-finals to the Scarborough Shooting Stars – the league champions – the River Lions have unfinished business looking to win their first CEBL title in franchise history. 

Leading the River Lions once again this season is guard Khalil Ahmad. The California native led the team with 18.9 points per game last season, which ranked 13^th best in the league, while posting six assists per game – fourth highest – and shooting nearly 50 per cent from the field. He also won the 2023 CEBL Clutch Player of the Year and Defensive Play of the Year awards as well as being selected to the All-CEBL First-Team. 

Tickets to watch Ahmad and co. start at only $20 with community suite applications ongoing. 

For more information on the Niagara River Lions, head to riverlions.ca. 

World Rowing Championships 

The World Rowing Championships return to St. Catharines for the third time as the Royal Canadian Henley Rowing Course at Port Dalhousie will host the competition. From Aug. 18^th to 25^th, 2,500 of the world’s best rowers from over 80 countries will be looking to claim golden glory. 

There will be senior, under-23 and under-19 events taking place as there will be tons of excitement in the region, especially as Brock’s Connor Dodds is among the expected participants in the championship. 

Dodds won a bronze medal in last year’s U23 World Rowing Championships in Bulgaria and will be a favourite to place on the podium again in his home competition. 

But before Dodds and the other rowers race for gold, the Barenaked Ladies will be kicking off the festivities as the band headlines the Celebration Concert which will be taking over the Meridian Centre on April 25^th.  

Tickets for the concert start at $55 with the proceeds supporting businesses in St. Catharines and the Niagara Region. 

For more information on the World Rowing Championships, head to worldrowing.com. 

Ivan Fedotov debuted for the Philadelphia Flyers over a week ago, but his journey to the NHL is unlike any we have ever seen.  

Drafted in the seventh round in 2015, Ivan Fedotov was a flyer pick late in the draft, with his most intriguing feature being his size at 6’8”. After being drafted, Fedotov played a season in the MHL – the KHL’s affiliated minor league – where he dominated with a record of 18-5-4, a 2.22 GAA and a .910 SV%.  

The following two seasons, he was the backup goalie for Ufa Salavat Yukayev in the KHL and played only four games in the two years. In the 2019 offseason, Fedotov joined Chelyabinsk Traktor as their starting goalie. He finished top 10 in SV% two years in a row and the Flyers started to notice that their late-round pick was making waves overseas.  

Following two seasons with Traktor, he joined the KHL powerhouse, CSKA Moscow, for the 2021-22 season. He won KHL goalie of the year and led Moskow to the KHL finals, where they beat Metallurg Magnitogorsk 4-3. He also won an Olympic silver medal with the Russian team in Beijing.  

In May 2022, Fedotov signed a one-year, $925,000 contract with the Flyers. However, just a few months earlier, on February 24^th, 2022, Putin announced the beginning of a full-scale land, sea and air invasion of Ukraine. This led to sanctions on Russian men between the ages of 18 to 30 (instead of 18 and 27), who were forced to do one year of military service.  

So, when Fedotov tried to leave Russia for the United States to join the Philadelphia Flyers organization, he was arrested on suspicion of evading Russian military service. He was forcefully sent to a naval base in Siberia to begin his military service and was under investigation for trying to avoid the mandatory service, which in Russia is a two-year prison sentence.  

It was decided that Fedotov would not be sentenced to prison. When he finished his military training in July 2023, he signed a two-year contract with CSKA Moscow despite being obligated to play for the Flyers. It is speculated that this was part of Fedotov’s punishment as CSKA Moscow has ties to the Russian army.  

Fedotov played the 2023-24 season in the KHL, and once the season came to an end, CSKA terminated Fedotov’s contract, allowing him to play for the Philadelphia Flyers.  

Fedotov made his debut for the Flyers on April 1st against the New York Islanders after starting goaltender Samuel Ersson was pulled after allowing two goals on four shots. Fedotov had an impressive debut, stopping 19 of 21 shots, including a breakaway against the Islanders’ Matthew Barzal.  

Despite losing 4-3 in overtime, head coach John Tortorella had high praises for the goaltender, saying he was “totally impressed” and that “I put him in a hell of a spot, and he’s the only goddamn player that played in the second period.”  

Fedotov has all the tools to be a star in the NHL for years to come, and General Manager Danny Briere sees that as they have already started negotiation on a contract extension.  

Hopefully, Fedotov has found a new home in Philadelphia and can grow into the star goalie that he has the potential to be.  

The Newfoundland Growlers membership has been terminated as of April 2, 2024, effective immediately.  

The decision was made by the ECHL Board of Directors after the Growlers ownership group failed to fulfil obligations under the ECHL bylaws.  

The owners of the Growlers, Deacon Sports and Entertainment were reportedly bankrupt and given a deadline of April 2^nd to sell the team. Deacon managed to sell their majority stake in their other ECHL team, the Trois-Rivieres Lions, but were unable to find a buyer for the Growlers. The ECHL cut all ties with the Growlers, and all players have become free agents.  

The Growlers were founded in 2018 and became the ECHL affiliate to the NHLs Toronto Maple Leafs and AHLs Toronto Marlies. The Growlers won the Kelly Cup in their inaugural season and reached the Eastern Conference finals twice in 2021-22 and 2022-23.  

The Growlers were one of the first organizations to focus on using their team as a development team for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Up until the Growlers, the ECHL was known as a fighting league, and not many “skilled players” were in the league.  

Maple Leafs players Bobby McMann, Timothy Liljegren and Mikko Kokkonen all played for the Growlers at one point in their careers. Now, McMann and Liljegren are significantly impacting the Maple Leafs roster. Many other teams have started to value using the ECHL as a development for prospects in their system.  

So, with the termination of the membership, the Maple Leafs are left with no ECHL affiliate and may be forced to share a team like the Winnipeg Jets and Carolina Hurricanes.  

Newfoundland sports fans are also very upset with the termination of the team as they have now seen four teams come and go in the past two decades – St. John’s (AHL), Fog Devils (QMJHL), IceCaps (AHL) and now the Growlers (ECHL).  

On top of the impact on the Maple Leafs and local Newfoundland hockey fans, the loss of the Growlers will also affect local businesses, such as restaurants and bars that would host fans before and after games.  

But this is not the first time an ECHL team has had financial issues and ceased operations. Over the past two decades, 31 teams have had to do the same or similar reasons such as absorptions by other leagues.  

Teams such as the Bakersfield Condors, Colorado Eagles and Ontario Reign have been absorbed by the AHL; while teams such as Quad City Mallards and Brampton Beasts joined the CHL.  

For more information on the Newfoundland Growlers and all news on the ECHL, visit echl.com.  

Sports have existed for centuries, with millions of people playing, watching and experiencing the many emotions they evoke. Here at The Brock Press, I asked the staff about their favourite sports moment of all time. Here’s what they had to say. 

Andrew Hawlitzky:  

“The Buttfumble is by far my favourite sports moment. Also, it was the only sports moment I know of outside Space Jam or the Mighty Ducks.” 

For context, the butt fumble was the result of a play in an NFL game where the quarterback was sat on by one of his linemen, resulting in him fumbling the ball – definitely a top 10 sports blooper of all time.  

Lucas Costa:  

“There are too many to choose from. But if I had to pick one, I would probably pick Portugal winning the Euro Cup in 2016 because it was the first trophy that Portugal—my family’s home country—has ever won in soccer. I remember the police in Toronto having to close some streets in Little Portugal so we could celebrate. Also, I watched the game with my entire family. And I love Ronaldo.” 

Winning the 2016 Euro Cup was a monumental moment in Ronaldo’s career. Personally, I was able to experience that Euro Cup from France and Italy, which will forever live in my memory because of my passion for soccer overseas in Europe.  

Lucas also mentioned his honourable mentions, which included the Raptors 2019 championship, Jose Bautista bat flip and the Maple Leafs drafting Auston Matthews first overall.  

Nora Chan:  

“Swimming is one of the few sports I watch, so I’d have to say Summer McIntosh is my favourite athlete. She’s currently ranked as one of the best swimmers in the world, holding multiple world records and titles. It’s incredibly satisfying to watch her dominate every meet she’s in, and it’s exciting to see a Canadian athlete excel to this extent in the sport.” 

Summer McIntosh is still very young at 17 years old and has a long career ahead of her. Between her and Penny Oleksiak, Canada swimming has never been in a better place.  

Cameron Sauder:  

“The Jose Bautista bat flip will always be legendary. Either that or maybe Vladdy winning the 2023 Home Run Derby? I watched that one with my brothers, and it was a good time.”  

Undeniably two great Blue Jays moments over the past 7-8 years. The Jose Bautista bat flip, in my eyes, is the greatest moment in Blue Jays history since Joe Carter’s walk-off homerun in 1993. 

Luke Sweeney:  

“When the Leafs won the draft lottery in 2016. First time I had hope for the team in my entire life, and Matthews was somehow better than we expected.” 

For all Maple Leafs fans, this is sadly one of the greatest moments in recent history. Drafting a generational talent and having him pan out in Toronto is something the fan base has needed for a long time. Matthews is already one of the greatest Maple Leafs of all time at 26 years old. If he were to win a cup in Toronto, he would solidify himself as the greatest Maple Leaf of all time.  

Will Grant: 

“My favourite sports moment has always been Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir’s Olympic ice dancing. Apart from being national icons in Canadian culture, the technical perfection in their performances was always a treat to watch. The chemistry between them is simply unparalleled in other athletic events that I’ve seen. Ice dancing and figure skating have always been among my favourite sports to watch for the combination of theatrics and raw athleticism.” 

Tessa and Scott are two of the best to ever do it. In 2010, they became the first North American duo to win a gold medal at the Olympics in ice dance. They proceeded to win four more medals at the Olympics over the next eight years. They are the Olympics most decorated figure skating duo in history and on top of that, have won an additional four world championships. An underrated sports duo to say the least.  

Haytham Nawaz: 

“I don’t really watch sports, but I was a boxer growing up and so my fondest sports-watching memories come from professional boxing fights. I think Pacquiao v. Mayweather takes it for me. Even though the fight wasn’t necessarily a tense back-and-forth, the tension leading up to it was enormous and the fight itself showed that Mayweather’s defensive genius is simply impregnable.” 

Pacquiao and Mayweather are arguably both top 10 boxers of all time when you consider what they both brought to the sport. Aside from Mike Tyson, Mohammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson, Mayweather brought so many eyes to the sport of boxing and finished his professional career 50-0. While Pacquiao is one of the most technically sound boxers of all time. He was not going to KO every opponent but watching him dominate the ring was a treat and is why he deserves to be considered a top 10 boxer of all time.  

The 2023-24 season officially wrapped up on March 27^th with the Brock Badgers Awards Gala, celebrating another fantastic season for Brock’s athletics program. At the ceremony, Connor Ungar of the men’s hockey team was handed one of the night’s most prestigious awards: Male Athlete of the Year. 

Many of Brock’s teams found great success this year. 

The Badgers had 15 national championship appearances along with 26 provincial playoff appearances and were able to make good on several of these opportunities, winning two national titles and four provincial titles.  

This success, of course, would not have been possible without some standout performances from individual Badgers.  

Brock athletes walked away from the 2023-24 season with 17 major awards, 26 All Canadian selections and 81 provincial All Star selections.  

In recognition of all their accomplishments, the last individual award given out was the Male Athlete of the Year. 

Though there were four other worthy contenders, Connor Ungar, the rookie sensation goalie for Brock’s men’s hockey team, was ultimately crowned the winner for this year. 

“I’d really like to thank Brock University and the hockey program for a first-class experience, but more specifically my coaches for giving me every opportunity to accomplish these individual accolades,” said Ungar in his acceptance speech.  

“But with that said, the only thing better than accomplishing something on your own, is accomplishing something as a team, and this year we accomplished so much as a hockey team and made so many great memories that will last a lifetime.” 

In one season and only 33 regular season and playoff games, Ungar has already entrenched himself as one of the top athletes to come through Brock’s hockey program.  

Ungar made his first start as a Badger on Sept. 16^th , 2023, shutting-out the Ohio University Bobcats in a 7-0 rout of the American team. After that game, Ungar was given the reigns to Brock’s starting job and never let go.  

Ungar followed up his first appearance with a second consecutive shutout in front of a packed Meridian Centre as the Badgers beat the Guelph Gryphons in the 2023 Steel Blade Classic. Working off some of their early-season rust, the Badgers threatened to lose their one-goal hold on the game in the second period. However, thanks to Ungar shutting the door on some bad turnovers and transition opportunities, the Badgers held on to win 3-0, setting the tone for the rest of Ungar’s time with the program and giving him a stellar introduction to the sold-out Badger crowd.  

Throughout the rest of the season, Ungar only saw his save percentage drop below .900 seven times, adding three more shutouts after the Steel Blade Classic. While Ungar’s great play continued into the playoffs, Brock was unfortunately left empty-handed. Ungar was one of the few bright spots in the Badgers final game of the season where, despite surrendering three goals, Ungar still made 41 saves, sporting a .935 save percentage.  

Brock’s Male Athlete of the Year adds to a long list of awards that Ungar has secured in his short time at Brock. Ungar was named the OUA goaltender and the rookie of the year for both the OUA and all of U Sports. Ungar was one of the top goalies in the entire country, ending up with 767 saves, a .932 save percentage and a 2.15 goals-against average, good for third, fifth and ninth respectively.  

Ungar also set a new program record for wins with 20, upsetting the record previously held by Logan Thompson, a current goaltender for the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights who was nominated for the NHL’s Calder Trophy last season. 

This will unfortunately be Ungar’s one and only season with the Badgers, as on March 18^th, he signed an NHL contract with the Edmonton Oilers. 

While Ungar certainly earned this recognition, four other Badgers also had strong cases.  

Garette Saunders of the wrestling team also had a dominant year by all measures. Saunders won gold medals at both the provincial and U Sports championships and was consequently named both and OUA First Team All Star and a First Team All Canadian. Saunders was one of the key players in Brock’s wrestling team winning their eighth consecutive provincial title and ninth consecutive national title.  

Most impressive of all, Saunders finished second at the 2023 Canadian Olympic Trials, earning a spot on Team Canada’s roster as an alternate. 

In his second consecutive Athlete of the Year nomination, Michael Ivanov netted the Badgers a bronze medal at the national championships. Ivanov also followed up his 2022-23 OUA Rookie of the Year season with a first placefirst-place finish at the OUA championships.  

Connor Dodds of the rowing team was Brock’s fourth nominee after winning gold at both the provincial and national levels. Dodds won gold in both the lightweight men’s eight and the open men’s single at the OUA championships and added another at the CURC in the lightweight men’s four. Dodds earned All Star selections at both championships. 

Capping off a banner year, Dodds also finished third in the lightweight men’s quadruple sculls at the 2023 U23 Rowing Championships.  

Steven Commerford of the men’s rugby team rounded out the nominees. The centre was a focal point of the 5-0-1 Badgers, leading to being named the OUA Player of the Year and a First Team All-Star selection.  

On March 27^th, Brock held their annual Brock Badgers Awards Gala at the Americana Conference Resort Spa & Waterpark in Niagara Falls.  

After another successful season for the whole Badgers athletics program, the headline of the event was the awards for Brock’s Athlete of the Year.  

On the women’s side, emerging out of a stacked class of nominees was Sara Rohr, the setter for Brock’s women’s volleyball team.  

“I wanted to say a huge thank you to my teammates,” said Rohr in her acceptance speech. “You all are my best friends and this award wouldn’t be possible without you guys. You guys all make me look really good,” she joked. 

Leading the Badgers to their third consecutive Quigley Cup victory and one of the program’s highest National rankings, Rohr set a new standard—both for the team and for herself—in terms of play and leadership.  

Finishing her fifth year with Brock, Rohr has been a staple for the Badgers since her debut.  

“For any athletes that are debating coming back for their final year of eligibility, it’s totally worth it,” said Rohr. 

Rohr checked into her first OUA game with Brock on Oct. 24^th, 2018, recording six assists while only playing a single set in a 3-1 loss to TMU (formerly Ryerson). Only three days later, she played all four sets against the University of Toronto, leading both teams with 24 assists in only her second OUA regular season game.  

Ever since then, Rohr has been on a meteoric rise.  

In 2021-22, Rohr elevated to establish herself as one of the best players in the OUA, finishing second in the league in assists and assists-per-set, leading to an OUA First Team All-Star selection. The following year, Rohr was able to improve, this time leading the OUA with 9.80 assists-per-set in 2022-23, bringing her another First Team selection.  

This season, Rohr was even better.  

Rohr led the OUA again with 643 assists and 10.90 assists per set, almost 2.2 more than second place (which was more than the difference between second and 12^th).  

While the Badgers fell short in the National Championship, Rohr still received plenty of recognition. Unsurprisingly, Rohr was again an OUA First Team selection, in addition to a U Sports First Team selection and 2024’s OUA Player of the Year. Rohr leaves the Badgers with a program record of 2475 career assists.  

This was a well-deserved win from one of Brock’s best.  

As mentioned, Rohr faced some steep competition to come away with this year’s award.  

Captain of the women’s soccer team, junior centre back Grace Tawil was another one of the nominees. In 2023, the Badgers made the playoffs for the second year in a row under Tawil’s stewardship, an accomplishment she played no small part in. 

Tawil contributed stellar, solidifying defence throughout 1143 minutes this season, reaching 90 minutes in all but two of her 13 matches. Tawil was named to the OUA’s Second All-Star Team.  

Next, Brock rowing’s twin-sister duo of Isabella and Zoe Durcak were co-nominated for their impressive seasons at both the provincial and national stage.  

The Durcaks were instrumental in Brock’s OUA bronze medal, finishing first in the women’s lightweight double and second in the lightweight four, delivering them both OUA All-Star selections.  

At the Canadian University Rowing Championships, the Durcaks continued their dominance, winning the women’s lightweight double and again being named All-Stars of the competition.  

However, likely the two biggest challengers for Rohr’s award were Brianna Fraser of the wrestling team and Madalyn Weinert of the basketball team.  

Fraser’s efforts this season were nothing short of heroic.  

Not only did Fraser win every match of the season, she won every decision in the first round. As such, Fraser won her second consecutive OUA and U Sports gold medals, was named a First Team All-Star at both the OUA and U Sports championships, and even placed third in the 2023 Canadian Olympic Trials in the 76-kilogram weight class. 

Since she joined the Badgers in 2021, Weinert has played a key role for the Badgers in every facet of the game.  

Weinert was an OUA Second Team All Star in 2022-23 (and a nominee for Brock’s Female Athlete of the Year) after finishing third in the OUA in points-per-game (17.6), fifth in rebounds (9.2) and blocks (1.4), tenth in assists (3.2) and 24^th in steals (1.5). 

As 2023-24’s OUA Player of the Year and a U Sports First Team All-Canadian, Weinert was able to flesh out every area of her already diverse skillset, remaining the team’s focal point on both offence and defence. Weinert led not only the OUA but all of U Sports in points-per-game (22.5) and blocks (2). She was also fifth in the OUA in field goal percentage while taking over 100 more shots than any other player in the top five. Weinert was also fifth in rebounds per game with 9.6, fifth in steals per game with 2.5, second in assists per game with 4.5 and held a 1.6 assist-to-turnover ratio.  

After such an amazing year for Badgers sport, it was great to see many of our athletes get recognized, leaving us all waiting for what 2024-25’s future stars have in store.  

The NFL off-season is well underway, and with the NFL draft just around the corner, the league has announced a new kickoff format.  

The NFL last made a change to the kickoff in 2018 when they made any ball that landed in the endzone an automatic touchback to the 25-yard line.  

Five seasons later, the owners decided on a much bigger change. Kickoffs will now be performed in a completely new way.  

The new rule copies another professional football league, the XFL. 

The rule changes the formation before kickoff as the kicking team is lined up on the receiving team’s 40-yard line. The ten players lined up cannot move until the ball is caught or hits the ground.  

The receiving team will have at least nine players lined up in what the NFL is calling “the setup zone”, which is located in between the 30- and 35-yard lines. At least seven of the players must have their foot on the 35-yard line, and they cannot move until the ball is caught or hits the ground.  

Two receiving team players can line up in the “landing zone” between the endzone and the 20-yard line. These players are free to roam in this zone as they please.  

A ball that is kicked in the landing zone is a “live ball” and the defensive players can recover the ball.  

Kicks that land short of the landing zone are deemed to be out of bounds and will follow the same rules as an “out of bounds” kick. The ball will be placed at their own 40-yard line for the offence if this occurs.  

Another change to the rule is about how touchbacks are ruled. If the ball lands in the endzone, it can be deemed a touchback and the ball will now come out to the 30-yard line. But if the ball lands in the landing zone and rolls into the endzone for a touchback it will only come out to the 20-yard line.  

This incentivizes players to play the ball when it lands in the landing zone.  

A final change to the rules is that only the location of the kick would change in a situation where there is a penalty on the kickoff, not the setup zone or landing zone.  

With the change to kickoff also comes a near abolishment of the onside kick.  

Teams are only allowed to attempt an onside kick once per game if they are trailing in the fourth quarter. They must announce their intentions to the other team before attempting the kick. All other rules still apply to onside kicks.  

These changes to the kickoff will be on a trial period for the 2024 season and will be reevaluated after the season. Many speculate they were made to avoid high-speed collisions during kickoff that led to many concussions and other injuries.   

For official rules of the new NFL kickoff, visit operations.nfl.com. 

The Badgers’ men’s and women’s wrestling teams were among the winners at Brock Sports’ annual awards gala. 

After one of the most successful seasons in Badgers’ history recently concluded, with 17 Badgers winning major awards, eight coaches receiving Coach of the Year honours, 26 Brock athletes being named All-Canadians and 81 earning provincial all-star selections, it was time to honour these amazingly talented teams and athletes at the awards gala. 

Hosted at the Americana Conference Resort Spa and Waterpark in Niagara Falls, 650 student-athletes, coaches and staff attended the event, with increased anticipation on which teams would be the recipients of both the Male and Female Team of the Year awards. 

While all Brock’s teams had extraordinary seasons in their own regard, the Badgers’ men’s and women’s wrestling teams were crowned the Male and Female Team of the Year for the second consecutive season in a row. 

As the pinnacle of university wrestling in the country, both the men’s and women’s squads captured provincial and national titles, the only Brock teams to strike gold on the national stage this season. 

The men’s team won their ninth straight U SPORTS championship and 22^nd overall, now sitting with 14 more than Concordia, who has the second-most national titles. They also tallied their 25^th provincial banner, winning their eighth OUA Championships in a row, to add to the ever-growing Badgers’ wrestling trophy case. 

On the women’s side, coach Dave Collie – who won the Coach of the Year award at the gala alongside TJ Manastersky – guided his team to their 11^th national championship and their ninth straight provincial title, making it 22 OUA banners overall. 

Individually, the Badgers won eight gold medals, six silvers and two bronzes at the U SPORTS national championships in Guelph, while capturing 13 golds, five silvers and two bronzes at the OUA Championships in Sault Ste. Marie. 

Winning the gold medals at nationals were Francesca Lo Greco (50 kg), Mia Friesen (56 kg), Brianna Fraser (83 kg), Garette Saunders (61 kg), Nicolae Gandrabura (65 kg), Bobby Narwal (72 kg), Callum Knox (100 kg) and Roger Li (125 kg). 

Lo Greco won the U SPORTS Female Rookie of the Year award after defeating Abby Wolff, the Canada West Rookie of the Year, 10-2 to place first, as she wasn’t the only Brock wrestler to achieve national honours. 

Fraser joined Lo Greco as a U SPORTS honouree, being selected as a U SPORTS First-Team All-Canadian after she beat Saskatchewan’s Myah Phillips by fall over. 

Saunders also earned a U SPORTS First-Team All-Canadian selection after his win over Toronto’s Francesco Fortino. The Community Recreation major will also serve as an alternate on Canada’s wrestling team at this summer’s Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, becoming the seventh Olympian who competed in the Badgers’ men’s wrestling program and the first since Brock alum Saeed Azarbayjani featured for Canada at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. 

Both the men’s and women’s wrestling teams will look to continue their historic success and win more titles in 2025 and beyond. 

The entire 2023-24 men’s team includes: Gabriel Blanchette, Johannes Budgey, Rahaman Dawson, Yazdan Farokhizad, Nicolae Gandrabura, Zubin Gatta, Ethan Graves, Alamin Ibrahim, Callum Knox, Ryan Lane, LeVar Lashington-Francis, Roger Li, Bryn Loewen, Mason Mastroianni, Bobby Narwal, Luisonleonardo Preci, Garette Saunders, Gabriel Sementilli, Cho Sherpa and Steven Taras. 

The entire 2023-24 women’s team includes: Samantha Adams, Brooklyn Brown, Cassie Corbett, Kirztyn De Torres, Brianna Fraser, Mia Friesen, Rachel Hall, Ella Jakobi, Vanessa Keefe, Kennedy LaBute, Claudia Landry, Francesca Lo Greco, Bronwyn MacGregor, Michaela Rankin, Apinayaa Sivapalan and Jessica Tillmanns. 

For more information on the Badgers’ wrestling team, head to gobadgers.ca.