Alek Thomas' stellar diving catch
The Medicine Hat Tigers continued their winning ways on Monday as they defeated the Moncton Wildcats 3-1, improving to 2-0 at the 2025 Memorial Cup. Ryder Ritchie scored twice and added an assist, while Gavin McKenna iced the game late in the third with an empty-net goal. As for Harrison Meneghin, he had a strong performance, stopping 21 of the 22 shots he faced.
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Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
CFL lifts Shawn Lemon's gambling suspension; veteran spotted at Alouettes facility
TORONTO — Shawn Lemon can resume his CFL career, and a return to the Montreal Alouettes appears imminent. The CFL reinstated the veteran defensive lineman with conditions Wednesday. Lemon, 36, was suspended indefinitely on April 24, 2024, for wagering on league games in 2021 while a member of the Calgary Stampeders, including one game in which he played. Following an appeal, an independent arbitrator upheld the suspension. 'Protecting the integrity of the play on the field is of the utmost importance and we will not tolerate players violating the CFL's match manipulation policy," CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston said in a statement. "Mr. Lemon's suspension, which was the longest in league history, was necessary and appropriate. "He has taken full responsibility for his actions. He understands how wagering negatively impacts sports and has re-educated himself on league policy. He is now committed to helping other players learn from his mistake." The reinstatement comes with specific conditions. Any future violations of the league's match manipulation policy will result in a lifetime ban. Lemon, who's currently a free agent, was seen exiting Montreal's Olympic Stadium wearing an Alouettes hat and sporting the team's backpack later Wednesday. He didn't immediately respond to an interview request from The Canadian Press. 'We just won't comment on him right now. He's not a part of our team just yet,' Alouettes head coach Jason Maas said moments earlier. 'But I think everybody that knows us and how we feel about Shawn, it hasn't changed. 'He's a great player, a great guy. He's been tremendous in our locker room … he's been nothing short of amazing when he's been in our building and I think everybody would say that to a man.' Lemon won't be able to play immediately. He still faces a two-game suspension under the league's drug policy after testing positive for the banned stimulant phentermine, which is prescribed as an appetite suppressant. Suspended players can't participate in regular-season or post-season games. It is at the club's discretion whether to allow players to participate in other team activities, such as training camp, pre-season games, practices or meetings. Alouettes linebacker Darnell Sankey couldn't hide his excitement about Lemon's potential return. "Lemon is a hell of a player, an even better man, and I feel like he definitely deserves another shot in this league,' Sankey said. 'He's done a lot of great things and he's an amazing player, and we're excited. 'We try to stay focused on who's here, and when he comes back, we'll welcome him back with open arms — if that's what happens.' Lemon must complete all mandatory league education, including the CFL match manipulation policy and continue participating in counselling sessions he has been attending. The CFL's original suspension of Lemon came two weeks following his retirement after helping Montreal defeat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 28-24 in the '23 Grey Cup. Lemon initially signed a one-year deal with the Alouettes in December 2023 to play a 14th CFL campaign. The league said at the time no evidence indicated games were impacted by Lemon's wagering and that Stampeders coaches, teammates and team personnel were unaware of his actions. A week before the CFL suspended Lemon, Jontay Porter of the Toronto Raptors was banned for life from the NBA. An investigation determined he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, bet on league games and limited his time on the court — on at least one occasion — for betting purposes. Earlier, Ottawa Senators forward Shane Pinto was suspended for the first half of the 2023-24 NHL season — 41 games — for violating the league's sports wagering rules. In June, Tucupita Marcano of the San Diego Padres was banned from baseball for life for betting on the sport. Oakland pitcher Michael Kelly and three minor-league players also received one-year suspensions for gambling-related violations. Lemon appealed his suspension in May, which allowed him to report to Montreal's training camp and play with the CFL team. He helped the Alouettes open the '24 season with four straight wins before another arbitrator ruled July 4 to reinstate the league's original indefinite suspension. Lemon's appeal was heard Aug. 2 and Aug. 5. He had continued to practise with the Alouettes but didn't play in any of their remaining 14 regular-season contests or their East Division final loss to Toronto. Lemon became a free agent this off-season. The six-foot-two, 242-pound Lemon is a three-time Grey champion. The native of Charleston, S.C., began his pro career with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as a practice-roster player in 2011 and has spent time with every CFL team, some on multiple occasions, except Hamilton. His other Grey Cup wins were with Calgary (2014) and Toronto (2017). Lemon also spent time with the NFL's San Francisco 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers, as well as two Arena Football League teams and another in the Indoor Football League. Lemon has recorded 262 tackles, two special-teams tackles and 102 sacks over his CFL career. He also had three interceptions, 30 forced fumbles and returned a fumble recovery for a touchdown. He was a CFL all-star in 2022 when he had 14 sacks with Calgary and was the West Division's top defensive player that season. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 16, 2025. Dan Ralph and Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press Sign in to access your portfolio
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Five free agents for the Vancouver Canucks to consider as value signings
The free-agent bargain bin has been a key source of talent for the Vancouver Canucks during the Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin era. In the summer of 2023, the Canucks signed Pius Suter to a two-year, $3.2 million contract ($1.6 million annual average value) in mid-August. Suter, perpetually undervalued by the industry due to his complete lack of traits, fell through the cracks in unrestricted free agency before the Canucks pounced on the opportunity to sign him to a two-year deal. Advertisement The Swiss-born forward went on to produce 75 points in 148 regular-season games across his two Vancouver campaigns. He pitched in everywhere in the lineup (and on the penalty kill) and played top-six minutes during the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, during which he scored the series-winning goal against the Nashville Predators. Suter might not have seemed like a needle-moving signing on the day the Canucks announced the deal, but he helped them outscore their opponents and win games in a depth role. Finding real hockey value in the free-agent bargain bin isn't a simple task for NHL talent evaluators, but it's a fishing hole that Vancouver has used regularly in recent seasons. Suter is the most prominent example, but the Canucks also signed Kevin Lankinen to a one-year contract in September 2024, and he helped carry them for months on end, ultimately earning a five-year extension from the team. And, of course, the Canucks have also swung and missed in this marketplace. Daniel Sprong was brought in on an affordable one-year deal to give them a right-handed power-play option and punch up the team's speed and depth scoring, but he never earned the trust of Canucks coaches and was traded for future considerations after just nine appearances. This summer, there are very few potential impact players that remain unsigned, but the NHL's cap system is also awash in unused space. It's an unusual dynamic given what we've become accustomed to observing across the past five years. As a result, while the flow of signings has slowed significantly, there's still a chance that some of the top remaining names on the market will be able to demand more than the league minimum — veteran winger Jeff Skinner, for example, signed on July 11 with the San Jose Sharks and still netted a $3 million contract — despite their apparent lack of leverage. Advertisement From what I can gather in discussing offseason plans with senior team sources, there are a couple of names the Canucks are still monitoring in unrestricted free agency. They, however, are capped out and would need to first send out cap dollars in order to consider rolling the dice on a value unrestricted free agent. Based on what I'm hearing, the Canucks are more than open to that possibility. In fact, they're actively exploring their options to do just that on the trade market. We'll see where this goes, but in the meantime, let's look over some of the free agents that remain unsigned and could add some depth to Vancouver's forward group as value adds in the second wave of unrestricted free agency. Jack Roslovic is the biggest name that remains unsigned, and that's somewhat surprising given his profile. He's a 28-year-old right-handed forward who is coming off a 39-point season with the Carolina Hurricanes, with the versatility to pitch in at both centre and on the wing, and whose faceoff win rate spiked last season. Roslovic has produced at least 30 points in five consecutive seasons, is a high-end skater and has appeared in 25 playoff games across the past two seasons. Vancouver has had interest in Roslovic in the past, dating back to his days with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Canucks also expected to be priced out on Roslovic heading into free agency, as we previously reported, which suggests strongly that they may be as surprised as we are that Roslovic remains unsigned as of July 16. Vancouver could use a centre-capable forward, especially in the wake of Suter's departure for the St. Louis Blues this summer. Even if Roslovic is best used on the wing, he'd give the Canucks an additional right-handed power-play option and an additional player who can at least pitch in at centre. There's an argument to be made that Roslovic would just flat out be an upgrade for Vancouver in a top-nine role. The Athletic's in-house Net Rating model, views Roslovic as a third-line calibre forward. In fact, the Net Rating model would project Roslovic to be the eighth-most valuable forward on the roster if he were to join the Canucks today. Given his evident fit from a stylistic standpoint and his ability to help the club patch over their significant centre needs, if the Canucks were able to find a way to shed a cap liability (or two) and then turn around and land Roslovic on an affordable one- or two-year contract, that would represent a very nice maneuver for Vancouver. Advertisement Hailing from Örnsköldsvik, Sweden — the hometown of Henrik and Daniel Sedin — Victor Olofsson is a crafty depth scoring winger who will turn 30 this weekend. Olofsson was a useful piece for the Vegas Golden Knights last season, even pitching in on their first power-play unit during the playoffs. Of note, he had some especially strong performances against the Canucks last season. Ultimately, however, it wasn't the answer for a Golden Knights club that attempted to make it work with fill-in pieces on the wings while relying on their centres to drive the offence last season, and Vegas has now pivoted by bringing in Mitch Marner to flesh out its attack. While Olofsson would be an interesting potential add for the Canucks, as a player that the Net Rating model views as a solid two-way option capable of providing fringe second-line value, it's worth noting that the fit isn't ideal. Olofsson is a player who's best suited to threatening in stationary attacking situations and capitalizing by finding the quiet areas of the ice during extended offensive zone shifts. He's best deployed alongside a playmaking centre at five-on-five, and he's a legitimate option on the right flank with the man advantage. The Canucks, however, very clearly would prefer to play a quicker brand of north-south, stress-based hockey, which isn't an ideal environment for Olofsson, who is both undersized and has below-average skating speed for a scoring winger. Vancouver is lacking in the sorts of playmaking centres capable of maximizing Olofsson's skills as a finisher, and with Elias Pettersson in the fold, has limited use for a power-play specialist best calibrated to manning the right flank. Despite those fit concerns, adding Olofsson would still be a meaningful boost for a team that sorely requires additional forward talent. Advertisement Max Pacioretty still has some game, especially offensively. The 36-year-old scoring forward — who, as a younger winger, was once one of the NHL's most consistent 30-goal scorers, and a lanky, disruptive demon of a forechecker — has obviously lost a step as he's aged and dealt with a variety of lower-body injuries. The diminishment of Pacioretty's speed has sapped his two-way value to some extent, but he's still a clever attacking player and demonstrated in the playoffs, when he had eight points in 11 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs, that he's still got the stomach to elevate his game in big moments. The fit issue for the Canucks with Pacioretty in mind is that the veteran forward has a somewhat similar profile to incoming winger Evander Kane, although Kane is obviously a higher-calibre contributor at this stage of their respective careers. Namely, Pacioretty is an offence-first winger with some gaps in his two-way value who struggles to stay out of the penalty box at this stage of his career. Pacioretty could add some depth to the Canucks' lineup, but given the Kane addition, he'd feel like something of a redundant piece for this Vancouver team. Hudson Fasching is a worthwhile depth gamble for a team in need of a fourth-line winger who can defend and skate at a high level. The 29-year-old stands 6-foot-3, 210 pounds and is long and disruptive as a checking forward. I'm not sure I watched any other forward cut off the top and take time and space away from Quinn Hughes as effectively last season as Fasching did playing for the Islanders, and that's just about the most difficult defensive assignment that you can task a winger with handling these days. Fasching has spent at least some time in the AHL in each of the past three seasons, and profiles more like a Quad-A player type than a full-time NHLer. Given that the Canucks are intent on promoting several contributors from the Calder Cup champion Abbotsford Canucks this upcoming season, it isn't easy to see how Fasching would fit into this Vancouver lineup. Advertisement As a depth winger, however, with legitimate two-way ability, Fasching would be an interesting add on a two-way deal. Klim Kostin is a 6-foot-4, 230-pound winger. He's probably a pure fourth-liner at this stage of his career, and it's concerning that he wasn't able to make more of a meal of his opportunity with a moribund San Jose Sharks side last season. Still, he's an impressive one-shot goal-scoring threat who has typically produced goals at an efficient per-minute clip. Given that Kostin's standout trait — absolutely ripping the puck and beating set goaltenders at the NHL level — is one of the most difficult skills to find in hockey, and that Kostin combines that ability with a high motor and a massive frame, he's a depth forward that's worth adding to just about any lineup. (Photo of Jack Roslovic: Katherine Gawlik / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Century of Bad Blood: Red Wings-Leafs Rivalry Still Burning Hot
The Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs have a richer rivalry than ever as divisional matchups will lead to more meaningful games. The Detroit Red Wings have one of their fiercest rivalries with their closest Canadian neighbour in the Toronto Maple Leafs. The two sides have battled each other 804 times, including two outdoor games, 23 playoff matchups and seven Stanley Cup Finals. It's one of the richest rivalries in the sport as the 231 miles that separates them most of the time isn't enough as rowdy crowd atmospheres are a regular. This rivalry has been rooted in hatred for nearly a century with a notorious timestamp in their history being the massive brawl in the 1940 Stanley Cup Final. Game 2 was one of the most chaotic and violent games in playoff history starting with Leafs defenceman Rudolph Kampman injuring Detroit's Cecil Dillon. Tensions escalated when Toronto's Red Horner and Red Wings' Alex Motter fought and continued into the penalty box until police has to intervene. Advertisement Later, Don Grosso threw Hank Goldup over the boards onto the cement, injuring him. In the third period, after Sid Abel scored to make it 3–1, a fight with Gus Marker triggered a bench-clearing brawl lasting over 10 minutes. Multiple players received penalties, and after the game, Red Wings coach Jack Adams punched a fan who tried to confront him. Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. The game was one for the history books and although we can't expect the same level of violence, we can expect some meaningful games in this rivalry as the Red Wings are gearing up for their first playoff run in nine seasons. The road to a Stanley Cup likely runs through Toronto or the back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions Florida Panthers. Many fans would agree that they would rather suffer a playoff loss to a team of the Panthers caliber than have to suffer a loss to the Maple Leafs. The most tragic loss in the recent memory of this rivalry is the Red Wings blowing a 3-1 lead to the Maple Leafs in the final two seconds of their last game of the regular season. The Buds would go on to claim the victory in overtime and improve their record over the Wings to 361–344–93–6 all-time. Advertisement Detroit had their season end with a bitter taste in their mouths and will certainly look to avenge the loss next season with the added incentive of needing some crucial wins in an Atlantic division that is tighter than ever. There are a few teams that most people have penciled in as already making the postseason in the Panthers, the Tampa Bay Lightning and, despite losing superstar Mitch Marner, the Maple Leafs. This gives Detroit very few options as they will need to secure a wild card spot which will be an intense battle with teams also from the Metropolitan division plus if they do secure the spot, they will be set up for a challenging first round matchup against a top seeded team. A top three spot is the best case scenario for the Red Wings next season which means extra pressure on divisional games and even more pressure on matchups versus Toronto. Detroit Could Bring Back 'Hockeytown' Slogan for 100th Season Detroit Could Bring Back 'Hockeytown' Slogan for 100th Season Explaining the story behind Detroit's 'Hockeytown' slogan and how it could return for the Red Wings Centennial season. Advertisement The full NHL schedule is set to come out on Wednesday at 1 pm EST and will give Red Wings fans plenty of games to look out for as Detroit desperately tries to snap it's playoff drought. One thing for certain, the Maple Leafs-Red Wings rivalry is still riding higher than ever and should culminate in some showstopping matchups next season. Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites.
