NHL Draft primer: Hitmen, Calgary draft-eligibles set for annual pick-em
'He's a sleeper,' said Davidson of Miller, a product of Anchorage, Alaska. 'Teams are already talking about him going to their camps, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if he's picked later in the draft. I look at him as a 6-foot-2 strong kid. He obviously needs more experience, but he's just trending in such a positive way.'
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With Kindel a possible top-20 pick, it's a chance for the longtime WHL GM and scout to reap the rewards from the development of another successful player.
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Remember last year that Yakemchuk was the first top-20 draft pick into the NHL since fellow blue-liner Jake Bean was selected 13th overall in 2016.
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'I think every team in the league has been genuinely interested in Ben,' Davidson said. 'I know there was tons of scouts in that contacted myself and obviously contacted Paul McFarland, our coach.'
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The scouts were also interested in Hitmen defenceman Reese Hamilton before he was traded to the Regina Pats, giving the Calgary club three players ranked in the top 81 of North American skaters on the NHL's mid-term list.
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That's another sign of a franchise trending in the right direction.
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'Yeah … well … that's what you're trying to do,' Davidson said. 'You're trying to put together a good team and allow players to move on. That's what we sell to players and their families.
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'So that's a real positive from my perspective.'
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Three Calgary-area talents are expected to come off the board during the pick-em, while a handful of others could be weekend selections, as well.
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Jackson Smith, a product of Edge School, tops that list as the 13th North American skater among ranked prospects.
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The 6-foot-4, 199-lb. defenceman has been a fixture — using his elite skating and logging big minutes — for a 54-point season with the WHL's Tri-City Americans.
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Deft winger Nathan Behm, of the Calgary Under-18 AAA Royals, is rated 44th after a 31-goal, 66-point season with the Kamloops Blazers.
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And Luke Vlooswyk, another Edge graduate, is ranked 72nd after asserting himself as a towering presence with the WHL's Red Deer Rebels.
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Others draft-eligible Calgarians in the mix include:
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Winnipeg Free Press
36 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Calls for hockey culture change continue after decision in sexual assault trial
The spotlight on Canadian hockey culture dimming with the acquittal of five players of sexual assault charges is potentially part of the fallout from Thursday's verdict. Hockey Canada vowed in 2022 to tackle 'the toxic behaviour that exists in many corners of the game.' At that time, the organization was under fire for its handling of sexual assault allegations against members of the 2018 Canadian junior men's hockey team, and for using a portion of registration fees to settle lawsuits. Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dubé and Cal Foote were acquitted of all charges Thursday in courtroom in London, Ont. Four of the five were NHL players when they were arrested in 2024. The case had sent shock waves across Canadian hockey and reached the House of Commons, where members of Parliament grilled Hockey Canada executives on what they knew and did. Does all the talk of changing hockey culture get walked back with the judge's decision Thursday? 'The concern is that the community will see this decision, and they'll say hockey culture doesn't need to change, because these guys did nothing wrong,' said Greg Gilhooly, a lawyer and survivor of sexual abuse by hockey coach Graham James. 'The legal system doesn't address something more fundamental, and that's what should the guys have done in that room. If there's one thing that is undeniable, it's that in that room that night, there was an absence of leadership. There was an absence of character. Nobody said at any time, 'I don't care what she's saying, this is wrong. We need to be better than this. Stop.' 'Does a failure of character mean that someone should go to jail? It does not. The hope that I have is that coming out of this, hockey, and society at large, will realize that you need to think about your actions and avoid putting yourselves in situations like this and act with character, not act as the situation allows you to act. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.' When TSN reported the allegations and a civil settlement stemming from them in 2022, Hockey Canada's feet were held to the fire not only because players were at its gala on the night in question to celebrate the team's win in the 2018 world junior championship. The revelations lifted the lid on other hockey issues such as racism, hazing, discrimination and homophobia. Sponsors left Hockey Canada in the aftermath, but some have since returned. Scott Smith resigned as president and chief executive officer and was eventually replaced in 2023 by Katherine Henderson. Hockey Canada published a slate of reforms in 2022, including mandatory training for athletes and staff on sexual violence and consent. The organization held a 2023 summit in Calgary to address toxic masculinity in hockey, and another in Ottawa in 2024 analyzing unhealthy outcomes in hockey. 'The problem absolutely will be that coming out of this decision, there will be a reaction saying that 'Hockey Canada had it right all along, the board shouldn't have stepped down, these guys did nothing wrong,'' Gilhooly said. 'That's not what this decision says. This decision says those boys are not guilty of the crimes they've been charged. That's it. All of the good change that is taking place within the sporting community and society at large is good and it is needed and it needs to be emphasized and the change needs to continue. 'Absolutely, there will be a real fear now that that change won't be pressed forward as much as it should be.' Hockey Canada said Henderson wasn't available for an interview Thursday, and offered a list of changes and reforms enacted from its action plan. 'While important progress has been made since 2022, there is still more work to be done and we will continue to be transparent and accountable to Canadians as we drive systemic change within our National Winter Sport,' it said in a statement. The author of 'Crossing The Line; Violence and Sexual Assault in Canada's National Sport' was at the courthouse in London. Laura Robinson's 1998 book examined sexual assault and hazing in junior hockey culture. 'I don't think much has changed,' she said. Robinson points out that while men are involved in decision making around women's national teams, the coaches and managers Hockey Canada assigns to the men's under-20 teams are exclusively male and from junior men's leagues. 'If Hockey Canada really wanted to really change things, you need to have a change in leadership everywhere,' Robinson said. 'Is there no woman in Canada who could coach or be on the coaching staff at Hockey Canada for the world juniors or at the Olympics? 'I'm sure they're going to have women with the women's team, but it's the guys that need to change. We don't have this happening with female athletes.' A 2022 open letter to Canada's sports minister and a parliamentary committee signed by 28 sport academics from 21 universities stated 'sexual violence and misogyny are deeply rooted problems in men's ice hockey.' Thursday's decision didn't alter Toronto Metropolitan University associate professor Laurel Walzak's belief that culture change is needed in hockey. 'I'm still really concerned as I was in 2022, probably the same concern,' she said. 'I signed the letter as a very concerned person related to hockey in Canada. 'I go back to this letter and I feel like another letter needs to be written. We can copy and paste it, actually. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'We need to continue to keep a really close eye on Hockey Canada from a national level, provincial level, local level, all the levels and questioning what's happening. We cannot forget the amount of money that Hockey Canada had in its power to be able to hide and keep things secret.' An advocacy group for abuse survivors in sport stated Thursday's legal decision 'risks reinforcing the very culture of silence and impunity that survivors of sexual violence in sport have long fought to dismantle.' 'We are concerned this verdict will have a chilling effect,' said Athletes Empowered managing director and former gymnast Amelia Cline in a statement. 'Survivors watching this case unfold may now feel even more reluctant to speak up, fearing that their pain will be minimized, their experiences invalidated, and justice nearly impossible to achieve.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Gasps and tears in courtroom as former junior hockey players found not guilty
Hugs, tears and sighs of relief filled a London, Ont. courtroom as five former members of Canada's junior hockey team on trial for sexual assault were found not guilty. Family members of the defendants filled the first row of seating in courtroom 21, while Justice Maria Carroccia read her opening remarks. She said the complainant in the case, known as E.M., did not present credible testimony and that prosecutors could not meet the onus of proof for the charges against Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Callan Foote. When those remarks were made, family members of the defendants audibly gasped and tears began flowing. As the verdicts were being read, McLeod and Hart's mothers could be seen in the front row of the courtroom holding hands. All five players pleaded not guilty to sexual assault after an encounter that took place in a London, Ont., hotel room in the early hours of June 19, 2018. Years of speculation regarding the allegations — fueled by a lawsuit settlement, parliamentary hearings and revived investigations by the police and Hockey Canada, along with an NHL investigation — all preceded a complex trial earlier this year that included a mistrial and the dismissal of the jury, leaving the verdict to Carroccia. Over the course of about five hours, Carroccia explained her reasoning for the acquittals in detail, highlighting the complainant's 'tendency to blame others' for inconsistencies in her allegations. 'For instance, she said that Det. Newtown spoke over her and cut her off when he took a statement, so that impacted on her answers. She also blamed her civil lawyers for inconsistencies and failing to catch the quote errors in her July 2022 statement — evidence that specifically contradicts the evidence of the complainant. Some of the complainant's testimony in chief was proven to be wrong once compared to legal evidence,' said Carroccia. She also said the woman went to 'great lengths' to point out that she was really drunk through the course of the night, but that is not supported by surveillance video from a bar and hotel that night and the testimony of others. 'In my view, the complainant [EM] exaggerated her intoxication. When confronted with inconsistencies or when she was unable to explain why she acted in a certain way, and defaulted to say It was because she was drunk,' Carroccia added. Michael McLeod faced an additional charge of 'party to the offense,' which was dismissed. The players, who are now between the ages of 25 and 27, were in London at the time of the events in question for a gala and golf tournament marking their 2018 World Junior Championship victory. E.M. testified in May that she was naked, drunk and scared when four of the men showed up unexpectedly in her room at the Delta Hotel London Armouries and felt the only 'safe' option was to do what they wanted. Prosecutors argued the players did what they wanted without taking steps to ensure she was voluntarily consenting to sexual acts. 'I made the choice to dance with them and drink at the bar, I did not make the choice to have them do what they did back at the hotel,' she testified. Defense attorneys cross-examined her for days and suggested she actively participated in or initiated sexual activity because she wanted a 'wild night.' Two short videos of the complainant taken by McLeod the night of the encounter were played in court. In one, the woman says it was 'all consensual,' though she told the court that wasn't how she truly felt. As it relates to the videos, Carroccia said 'While speaking on the video, E.M. does not display any signs of intoxication. She has no difficulty speaking. … She is not slurring her words and speaks clearly and coherently.' Protesters gathered outside a packed London courthouse on Thursday morning, holding signs that signaled support for the complainant. The public didn't learn of the allegations for years. Police closed their initial investigation without charges in early 2019, but the complainant sued Hockey Canada in 2022. The organization settled the lawsuit amid intense scrutiny that cost it sponsors, but police reopened their investigation. The players' identities were made public when they were charged in early 2024. At the time, four of them played in the NHL — Dube for the Calgary Flames, Hart for the Philadelphia Flyers, and McLeod and Foote for the New Jersey Devils. Formenton had previously played for the Ottawa Senators before joining a Swiss team. All went on indefinite leave, and none is on an NHL roster or has an active contract with a team in the league. The NHL launched its own investigation in 2022. Officials pledged to release the findings, though Commissioner Gary Bettman said in February that would depend on what the league can say given legal proceedings. The London Police Service acknowledges the verdict delivered today by Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia in the sexual assault trial involving five former members of Canada's 2018 National Junior Hockey Team. As a police service, our role in the justice system is… — LPS Chief Thai Truong (@LPSChiefTruong) July 24, 2025 — With files from The Canadian Press
Winnipeg Free Press
5 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Arizona's Burke, Arizona State's Miller enter rivalry with mutual respect
As new coaches at opposite ends of a rivalry, Arizona State's Molly Miller and Arizona's Becky Burke could easily hold animosity toward the other. Far from it. Both coaches admire the way the other has worked through the coaching ranks, winning at every stop, and how their infectious enthusiasm seeps onto the floor through their players. They also have a common connection: Stephanie Norman. The current associate head coach on Miller's inaugural staff was once at Louisville, where she coached Burke as an assistant under Jeff Walz. 'She's funny because coach Norman is like, Becky is kind of like my boss in a way, being a head coach,'' Miller said. 'She's (Burke) really competitive and comes from a great program in Louisville. It'll be fine because I have a lot of respect for how she's kind of climbed and been there.' Arizona and Arizona State have new women's basketball coaches for the first time — outside of the programs' first season in 1981 — since the Wildcats hired June Olkowski and Maura McHugh took over the Sun Devils in 1987. Miller and Burke have the same goal — winning — yet will come at it from different starting points. Burke takes over an Arizona program that's on firm standing, earning trips to the NCAA Tournament four of the past five years under previous coach Adia Barnes, including a run to the 2021 national championship game. When Barnes left for SMU during the offseason, Arizona turned to Burke and her resume full of winning. She played in the NCAA Tournament three times as a sharpshooting guard, reaching the 2009 national title game and the Sweet 16 two years later. After stints as an assistant coach, Burke had winning records as a head coach at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona, the University of Charleston in West Virginia and USC Upstate. Burke spent the past three seasons at Buffalo, leading the Bulls to a 30-win season and a WNIT title last year. The transfer portal era wreaked havoc on Arizona's roster — Montaya Dew is the only returner on scholarship — but Burke has a foundation in place with recent successes and strong fan support in Tucson. 'The momentum in the brand and the fact that she (Barnes) did a great job building this is extremely helpful, but ultimately we're starting from scratch,' Burke said. 'We walk into a locker room that has one player and it doesn't help you in the moment, but it's nice to say on recruiting calls that you coach at Arizona and they know what it is and what it's about.' Miller's task will be to rebuild a brand at Arizona State that's struggled to regain relevancy since the end of longtime coach Charli Turner Thorne's tenure. The Sun Devils have not been to the NCAA Tournament since reaching the Sweet 16 in 2019 and went 29-62 in three seasons under Natasha Adair after Turner Thorne's retirement in 2022. Like Burke, Miller brings a history of winning with her. Miller was one of the top scorers in Drury University history as a player and spent two seasons as an assistant following a stint at a neurological and spine institute in her hometown of Springfield, Missouri. She became the head coach at her alma mater in 2014 and won 180 games over six seasons before becoming Grand Canyon's coach. Miller led the Antelopes to a 32-3 record last season, including a 30-game winning streak, and took the program to its first NCAA Tournament. She went 117-38 at GCU before moving across town to Arizona State. 'I think with any good program to have a quick turnaround, you have to have buy-in,' Miller said. 'That's the biggest piece and I think we've gotten our teams to buy in pretty quickly the last few years.' Burke has done the same everywhere she's been. Now the two coaches will try doing it on opposite ends of a rivalry. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women's college basketball: and
