Brutality and ballet: Canadian men's international rugby returns to Edmonton with some local faces
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CTV News
21 minutes ago
- CTV News
Gavin McKenna commits to Penn State for 2025-26 season
Gavin McKenna, the 17-year-old hockey superstar of the Medicine Hat Tigers, has committed to Penn State for next season. Gavin McKenna is taking his talents south of the border for his draft-eligible season. The former Medicine Hat Tiger sees Penn State and the NCAA as his best path to prepare for the NHL. 'I think it honestly just makes the jump easier. Going against older, heavier, stronger guys, I think it really prepares you, and I think even in the locker room, you know, hanging around older guys and being around more mature guys, I think that will help me a lot,' said McKenna during an interview on ESPN announcing his commitment. The projected 2026 first overall pick lit up the WHL with the Medicine Hat Tigers last season. The 17-year-old from Whitehorse racked up 129 points in 56 regular season games en route to a WHL championship and Memorial Cup final appearance. He's arguably the most notable prospect to ever commit to an NCAA school. 'Don't think it was a shock to see him commit. I think it had been going that direction for quite a while. From the U.S. perspective, it was more the team he committed to, because Penn State does not have this history of having a lot of really high-end NHL-type players,' said Brad Schlossman, a college hockey writer for the Grand Forks Herald. NCAA schools can offer players money through name, image and likeness deals as well as direct payments. McKenna will make a reported $700,000 this year to play for Penn State. While most players won't get anything close to that, most players are eyeing up the facilities NCAA schools can offer. 'Players are making decisions based on not only monetary and financial reasons, let's be clear here. We can't dismiss that either, but also for different development reasons,' said TSN director of scouting Craig Button. McKenna was able to make the move after the NCAA made CHL players eligible last summer. So far, more than 150 CHL players have committed to NCAA schools, with the vast majority being 19- and 20-year-olds. At this point, CHL member leagues say they're not worried. 'What I can tell you is we're not going to sit here with our arms crossed. We're going to continue to fuel the player development experience and put players in a position to advance their career to pro,' said WHL commissioner Dan Near. McKenna is one of four former Medicine Hat Tigers players who will be playing in the NCAA this fall.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
‘Here to prove the Riders right': Mike Rose unbothered heading into matchup against former team
Mike Rose will face his former team for the first time Friday night when Saskatchewan hosts the Calgary Stampeders. (Source: Saskatchewan Roughriders) When the Saskatchewan Roughriders take on the Calgary Stampeders Friday night, it will be the first time defensive lineman Mike Rose has been on the Saskatchewan side of the West Division rivalry. Rose spent his first eight seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the Stampeders, signing as a college free agent in 2017. He went on the earn three All-CFL selections and won a Grey Cup with Calgary in 2018 but was released by the Stampeders this January before joining the Riders. 'I'm here to bring a championship to Regina,' Rose said when asked about playing his former club for the first time. 'I want to prove [Jeremy O'Day] and the Roughriders right.' Rose has been a dominant force in the middle of the defensive line throughout his career. The South Carolina product played 86 regular season games for Calgary. Over that time, he registered 143 defensive tackles, five special teams tackles, 36 sacks, two interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown, and three forced fumbles. Rose played and started in all 18 regular season games in 2024 tallying 19 defensive tackles, three tackles for loss, a team-leading six quarterback sacks. 'I have to be Mike Rose, that's it,' the lineman told reporters about facing a team which may know him well. 'It's worked before, it's going to work again and keep working.' Trevor Harris, Mike Rose Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris, left, drops the ball as Calgary Stampeders defensive linemen Mike Rose sacks him during first half CFL football action in Calgary, Alta., Saturday, June 24, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press) Teammates again Another member of Calgary's 2018 Grey Cup winning team is fellow Rider Micah Johnson. Johnson admitted he made a push for Saskatchewan to sign Rose when he hit the market. 'I hit [Corey] Mace up in minutes,' Johnson said Wednesday. 'Everybody got on the same call really quick. We were going to make that happen in minutes.' Johnson was already in his fifth season in the CFL when Rose joined Calgary as a rookie. The two linemen spent two seasons as teammates before Johnson ended up in Saskatchewan. The veteran pass rusher said he noticed star qualities in Rose right away. 'When somebody comes out with some attributes, they stick out real fast,' Johnson said. 'He could be one of those guys in the future. I took [Mike] under my wing and we hung out all the time off the field. I was always just giving him feedback, teaching as much as I could.' 'Even in 2019, when I came here to Saskatchewan our relationship never slowed down,' he added. Rose said it was easy to learn from Johnson. '[Micah's] a hall of famer,' Rose said. 'It's easy to pick up stuff out of his game and use it in my own. It transitions really well.' Rose has fit right in the Riders' defensive line, which is one of the top pas rushes in the CFL so far this season. While familiar with his former team, he says Calgary's current make-up is quite different than when he was there. 'I don't know anybody on that team,' Rose said. 'That's a brand new football team.' Mike Rose Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Jack Coan (14) throws as Calgary Stampeders defensive lineman Mike Rose (41) defends during the first half of CFL football action in Regina, on Saturday, October 26, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu (Heywood Yu/The Canadian Press) 'Intrinsically, he knows the offensive line over there,' head coach Corey Mace said. 'He knows those guys pretty dang good and he can provide some information for the defensive line room as far as some of their strengths and weaknesses.' 'But no, we haven't talked about it. He's just ready to go play a game,' the coach added. Saskatchewan hosts Calgary at Mosaic Stadium Friday night. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Toronto city staff scaling back plan to install dedicated transit lanes on Bathurst Street
Vehicles are seen lined up at the intersection of Bathurst and Dupont streets on May 27. (CTV News Toronto Chopper/photo) Toronto city staff are scaling back their plan to install dedicated bus lanes on Bathurst Street following pushback from several businesses. In a report going to the Executive Committee next week, staff are recommending that priority streetcar lanes be installed on Bathurst Street between south of Bathurst Station and Lake Shore Boulevard West, except for a segment from Nassau to Dundas streets due to construction at Toronto Western Hospital. Staff initially proposed that priority bus lanes be created in the northbound and southbound curb lanes of Bathurst Street from Bloor Street West to Eglinton Avenue West but that is no longer part of the plan. Now, staff say, 'Further consideration of the section between Eglinton Avenue West and Bathurst Station is proposed to be undertaken at a future time.' The changes come amid backlash from retailers along a stretch of Bathurst Street in The Annex, who said they would be negatively affected by the bus lanes, which may result in some businesses closing. The businesses were worried that curb lane access to parking, delivery, service, and renovation vehicles would be removed as a result of the transit lanes. The proposed measures for Bathurst are part of a city council-endorsed surface transit network plan called RapidTO, which aims to guide the study, evaluation, and delivery of several bus and streetcar improvement projects in Toronto. Last year, council directed staff to accelerate RapidTO projects on Dufferin and Bathurst streets for the upcoming FIFA World Cup. On Dufferin Street, staff are recommending that council approve the installation of bus lanes between Bloor Street West and Springhurst Avenue. They are also hitting pause on the creation of bus lanes between Bloor Street and Eglinton Avenue West at this time. The city said construction for the streetcar lanes would begin in the fall and is expected to be finished before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. According to the report, the implementation of the transit priority on Dufferin and Bathurst is expected to cost $8 million. There will be a total of 352 parking spaces that will be removed on the two streets as a result. With files from Joanna Lavoie
