He isn't bionic, but this Edmonton Oiler may still become The Six-Million-Dollar-Man: 9 Things
The best thing that could happen for the Edmonton Oilers this season would be for their home-grown goaltender to develop into a true, consistent, reliable '1-A'.
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If the Oilers can rebuild him, make him better than he was. Better, stronger, faster…
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Would Stuart Skinner then become the Oilers Six-Million Dollar Man?
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9 Things
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9. The Edmonton Oilers Leon Draisaitl has won the 2025 ESPY for Best NHL Player. The ESPYS celebrate excellence and achievements in sport. Too bad those judges did not also vote for the Hart Trophy.
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8. As we near the dog days of August, it is worth watching whether a PTO or three are secured in Edmonton. Sometimes, useful players just can not find the contract they are hoping for but are willing to work for one. Maybe a winger with some grit (Brett Leason, Klim Kostin) or an organizational LHS D-man (Jon Merrill)?
7. The Oilers dealt 2021 first rounder Xavier Bourgault to Ottawa last summer. This week, Bourgault inked a two-way, at the NHL minimum $775k with the Senators. The return for him was winger Roby Jarventie who played but two games in Bakersfield last season due to a knee injury. Jarventie has also signed a 1-year at the same AAV, reversing his original plans to go to Europe.
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6. Scanning the Oilers 2025-26 NHL Regular Season Schedule, what Rogers Placer games leap out as must-sees from a fan standpoint? There is the home opener against Calgary October 8, the battle of Alberta can always be fun. It is always an event when the Leafs come to town, too, this year on February 3. Then, the Stanley Cup Finalists rematch March 19 (although Edmonton is in Sunrise November 22).
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5. He does not get much ink. But I think a dark horse player worth watching for the Edmonton Oilers this season is D-man Alec Regula. Claimed from the Boston Bruins on waivers, Regula did not play a game in 2024-25 due to structural knee damage. But he is healthy now, and originally a Stan Bowman draft pick. His 6'4 frame, right shot, hockey sense and offensive upside could challenge for a spot…especially if there is an injury.
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4. Speaking of guys 'bubbling under', watching F David Tomasek this fall should be interesting. He has spent the off-season in Prague rehabbing from an injury that prevented him from playing at World's. Tomasek will try to crack the Oilers lineup on a one-way deal in camp. He is a good faceoff man but I think it's more likely he plays wing in the NHL. Then there is the Olympics where Tomasek is a lock to play for the Czech squad. Tomasek nearly signed in Edmonton last year but ended up back in Sweden.
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The Province
6 hours ago
- The Province
NHLPA pushes back after NHL says five acquitted players ineligible
The NHLPA responded that its players should 'have the opportunity to return to work.' Published Jul 25, 2025 • 4 minute read Clockwise from top left: Hockey players Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Cal Foote enter the London courthouse for their trial on charges of sexual assault. Photo taken on April 22, 2025. Photo by Derek Ruttan / Postmedia The five former members of Canada's world junior hockey team were acquitted in the high-profile London, Ont., sexual assault trial Thursday, but the jury is still out on whether or not they'll be able to resume their NHL careers. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors A few hours after the judge's decision, the NHL said Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Cal Foote would be ineligible to play while the league reviews the findings. The NHLPA responded that its players should 'have the opportunity to return to work.' The players were found not guilty of all charges in an encounter with a woman in a hotel room seven years ago, Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia ruled. The NHL stated the allegations in the case were 'very disturbing,' even if not deemed criminal. The league also called the behaviour of the players 'unacceptable.' 'We will be reviewing and considering the judge's findings,' the statement read. 'While we conduct that analysis and determine next steps, the players charged in this case are ineligible to play in the league.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The NHLPA said ruling the players ineligible while the NHL further evaluates the case does not align with the terms of their collective bargaining agreement. 'Dillon Dube, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart, and Michael McLeod were acquitted of all charges by Justice Carroccia of the Ontario Superior Court,' the NHLPA's statement read. 'After missing more than a full season of their respective NHL careers, they should now have the opportunity to return to work. The NHL's declaration that the Players are 'ineligible' to play pending its further analysis of the Court's findings is inconsistent with the discipline procedures set forth in the CBA. 'We are addressing this dispute with the League and will have no further comment at this time.' Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. McLeod, Hart, Dube and Foote were active NHL players at the time of their 2024 arrests, which came days after all four players were granted leave from their clubs. Formenton, an Ottawa Senators draft pick, has not played in the NHL since 2022. At the time of the incident in 2018, Formenton had played one NHL game, while Foote, McLeod and Dube had brief stints with their clubs' American Hockey League affiliates. While the NHL's review is taking place, experts believe it's possible players will eventually return to the NHL ice. Ann Pegoraro, a sport management professor at the University of Guelph, said the NHL has not often come down hard on cases of sexual assault or domestic violence. She added that teams would evaluate whether the benefits of a player's talent outweigh the risks of fan backlash and potential loss of sponsors. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Hockey has a very different culture and has a lot more, I would say, latitude in the way that they look at individuals' personal behaviours,' Pegoraro said. 'Do I think they'll end up back on teams? I think if their skills are good enough, some teams _ not all teams — but some teams will look the other way and put them back on rosters if they can contribute to the team.' Though the players were not convicted, their reputations may still carry the weight of the allegations, said Richard McLaren, a law professor at Western University and a longtime member of the International Court of Arbitration for Sport. 'I've seen that in many sexual harassment type situations, and it doesn't just disappear because the case is over,' said McLaren, who's also a labour and commercial arbitrator and mediator with McKenzie Lake Lawyers LLP. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. There are recent examples of people returning to the NHL despite being at the centre of sexual assault controversies. In 2022, the Edmonton Oilers signed Jake Virtanen to a professional tryout less than two months after the former Vancouver Canuck was found not guilty in a sexual assault trial in Vancouver. The Oilers ultimately released Virtanen, who resumed his career in Europe. Stan Bowman and Joel Quenneville — the general manager and head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks scandal in 2010 — are both back in the NHL after failing to act on Kyle Beach's claims that video coach Brad Aldrich had sexually assaulted him. Bowman became the Oilers GM last year, and Quenneville was hired as head coach of the Anaheim Ducks in May. Both needed to be reinstated by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The NHL did suspend Los Angeles Kings defenceman Slava Voynov for the entire 2019-20 season and playoffs after determining he committed acts of domestic violence. While Hart and Formenton did not play professionally during the 2024-25 season, McLeod and Dube spent last season in the Kontinental Hockey League, playing for teams based in Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Foote, meanwhile, played a season in Slovakia. McLaren said those countries are more removed from scandals surrounding the accusations, while NHL teams are more likely to consider the optics. 'They operate a lot like businesses or corporations these days,' he said. 'They're going to look at how a player's history is going to affect the sponsorship organizations at the club level as well as at the NHL level. Also, the community relations that clubs have with their community are important. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'And what the impact of all this would be on their ticket sales. Those would be the kind of things that they'd be looking at.' Mac Ross, a fellow at Saint Mary's University who researches sport and communication, said American teams are more likely to consider signing a player than in Canada, where the story has been under a sharper spotlight. 'They'd face a lot more scrutiny from the Canadian public,' he said. 'I think they probably could play again. And especially if you consider that the vast majority of the NHL is in the United States, there's a pretty significant cultural shift going on down there where the rights of women are under attack.'
Toronto Star
7 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Summer McIntosh has no limits. Why her next level of greatness may come at the world swim championships
July 26, 2025 6 min read Save By Bruce ArthurColumnist SINGAPORE—Here on the other side of the planet, Summer McIntosh is trying to conquer the swimming world, and it's important to remember that nobody else can do this. She already won three individual gold medals at the Olympics in Paris, tying for the second-most by a female swimmer behind East Germany's Kristin Otto in 1988. Otto's feat, of course, looks so much duller in the light of history. Everyone knows McIntosh is great. But there are levels to greatness and, at the world championships in Singapore, McIntosh has a chance to continue her staggering, almost disorienting climb. The Toronto native set three world records at the Canadian trials in Victoria last month and nearly brought down the two most untouchable records in women's swimming, all in five days. (The last swimmer to set three world records in one meet was Michael Phelps at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.) The meet brought McIntosh's coach, Fred Vergnoux, to the verge of tears. It was astonishing. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Bruce Arthur is a columnist for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @bruce_arthur. Related Stories Canada's backstroke big-gamer Kylie Masse focused on worlds, not 2028 L.A. Olympics Record-smasher Summer McIntosh has Katie Ledecky (and Michael Phelps) in her sights for swim worlds Inside what makes Summer McIntosh so great — and why some believe she's better than we thought Penny Oleksiak won't be at the world championships. Here's what you need to know about her whereabouts case Report an error Journalistic Standards About The Star More from The Star & partners
Winnipeg Free Press
10 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Four-time Olympic gold-medal winner Léon Marchand is back and chasing more world records
SINGAPORE (AP) — Léon Marchand's life changed drastically after he won four gold medals a year ago in the Paris Olympics. He was a national hero and had to adjust — particularly when he was at home in France. 'I have to plan things,' Marchand explained Saturday. 'I can't just go on my own in the city and just go get bread.' 'I know how to say 'no' better,' he added. 'It gets a lot more peaceful when I travel out of France.' After swimming under the tutelage of Bob Bowman at the University of Texas at Austin, Marchand is back and will head the field at the swimming world championships — the biggest meet since the Olympics. It's also the stepping stone for many toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics with races in the pool starting Sunday and running through Aug. 3. Marchand, Canada's Summer McIntosh, and Katie Ledecky of the United States were the stars in Paris. They'll be the swimmers to watch in Singapore, joined by a host of Olympians and younger swimmers who hope to be in Los Angeles in three years. The youngest in the field is 12-year-old Yu Zidi of China, who could be a medal contender in her three races with times — and youth — that are shocking global swimming. Marchand will swim only the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medleys and some team relays, opting out of his other gold-medal events in Paris — the 200 butterfly and 200 breaststroke. 'This is a transition year for me, so I wanted to have a lighter schedule than usual,' Marchand said. 'I'm really excited to do just less than usual, you know, just to see how far I can go, how fast I can go.' Marchand will be after the 200 IM record set in 2011 by American Ryan Lochte — 1 minute, 54.00 seconds. He'll also try to break his own 400 IM record (4:02.50) set at the 2023 worlds in Fukuoka, Japan. He credits Bowman — famous for coaching Michael Phelps to 23 Olympic gold medals — for pushing him at Texas. Bowman tutors an international cast of swimmers that this fall will also include McIntosh. 'He knows how to be calm in every situation,' Marchand said of Bowman. 'I think he taught us throughout the years. He also had a lot of experience on the biggest stage, so I trust him fully.' Without the stress of two extra races, Marchand is ready to make more history. 'Of course I want to break all the records,' he said. 'I don't know when that's going to happen' Many are expecting it in Singapore. ___ AP sports:
