Canada's NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander checks in as bull of the week
Bulls of the week
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It's been quite the week for the US$1.4 billion Florida Panthers of the NHL and the US$3.65 billion Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA; the respective Stanley Cup and Larry O'Brien Trophy winners as champions of pro hockey and pro basketball after the two leagues went shoulder-to-shoulder for 10 weeks of playoffs.
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Yet no one has had a bigger week — or a bigger year — than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Hamilton. He's NBA MVP, NBA scoring leader, NBA champion and NBA Finals MVP. He's one of only four NBA stars to have ever accomplished that feat.
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And he's certainly the first Canadian to pull off two or more of those milestones and he's done it in a year that will go down as one of the most dominant and consistent in NBA history.
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Most impressive of all, he's done it as the smiling leader of his Thunder, a thoughtful and articulate spokesman for the game and as a poster child for sportsmanship.
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He's the bull of the week because, at age 26, he's only getting started on a journey that is on a trajectory to make him one of the most influential athletes in all of pro sport.
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The downside to such shoulder-to-shoulder playoffs in the NHL and the NBA is the stark withdrawal symptoms experienced by fans when both leagues end their post-season showcases within a week of each other.
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We go from game action almost every night — with two best-of-seven series going six and seven games in the case of this year — to a glut in the prime-time TV landscape.
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It's a shock to the systems of fans, broadcasters, sports-talk radio hosts, sports anchors and industry stakeholders ranging from merchandisers and licensees to sports bars and betting houses.
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On that note, in terms of sheer TV content and audience reach, the power of fantasy and football wagering makes for one heck of a hangover the day after the Super Bowl.
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And yes, it's hard to describe the impact of a pause on a US$20 million business and its related industries in the hours after more than 120 million people have watched the big game.
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Yet in terms of scope of membership — in this case making up the community of 62 sport franchises in the NHL and the NBA — there's no greater drop off in volume of game action than this week.
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Globe and Mail
25 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
An 84-game season among changes coming to NHL as part of new labour deal
An 84-game season is coming to the NHL as part of an extension of the collective bargaining agreement that has been tentatively agreed to by the league and the Players' Association. They announced a memorandum of understanding Friday in Los Angeles before the first round of the draft. It still needs to be ratified by the Board of Governors and the full NHLPA membership. Two games are being added to to the regular season, the maximum length of contracts players can sign is being shortened and a salary cap will be implemented in the playoffs for the first time, two people told The Associated Press on Thursday. The NHL and NHLPA began negotiations in earnest this spring after agreeing at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February to jointly hold a World Cup of Hockey in 2028. With revenue breaking records annually and the cap increasing exponentially in the coming years, Commissioner Gary Bettman and union executive director Marty Walsh voiced optimism about reaching an agreement quickly. There were no disagreements on a host of major issues like in previous bargaining talks. 'There's been tremendous growth, and what's ahead is spectacular on many fronts,' said Toronto's John Tavares, who's going into his 17th season. 'The predictability of things goes a long way, I think, for everyone in the sport. It's great to have that partnership and how collaborative it's been, which has been very different from 2012. It's great to see and happy that the growth of the game and the sport and the business side of it is all kind of in sync and in synergy and we're able to kind of continue to build off the many great things over the last few years.' Tavares takes hefty pay cut to return to Maple Leafs on four-year deal The extension through 2030 provides the sport extended labor peace since the last lockout in 2012-13, which shortened that season to 48 games. Here is what is changing: Going from 82 to 84 games beginning in 2026-27 – making the season 1,344 total games – is also expected to include a reduction in exhibition play, to four games apiece for the 32 teams. The additions would be played within divisions, evening out the schedule to ensure four showdowns each season between rivals like Toronto and Boston, Dallas and Colorado and Washington and Pittsburgh. Currently, there is a rotation that has some division opponents facing off only three times a season. That imbalance is coming to an end, and this is not the first time the NHL has had an 84-game season. The league experimented with that in 1992-93 and '93-94, when each team added a pair of neutral site games. Since 2013, players have been able to re-sign with their own team for up to eight years and sign with another for up to seven years. Under the new CBA, each would be reduced by a year, to seven for re-signing and six for changing teams. Top players, given the injury risks in the sport, have preferred the longest contracts possible. The same goes for general managers, eager to keep talent in the fold as long as possible. Nathan MacKinnon, Sebastian Aho, Leon Draisaitl, Juuse Saros, Travis Konecny, Mathew Barzal and, as recently as March, Mikko Rantanen are all among the top players who have signed lucrative eight-year deals. Leafs prepare for life without Marner as draft, free agency approach 'I guess that could be a rarity now,' said Trent Frederic, who on Friday signed an eight-year contract to remain with the Oilers. 'Eight years is better than seven. It's good to lock in before that changes.' But with the salary cap getting its biggest increases season by season over the next three years, the thinking had already begun to change. Auston Matthews re-signed for only four years with Toronto last summer, and Connor McDavid could also opt for a short-term contract extension with Edmonton. Currently, teams with players on long-term injured reserve can exceed the salary cap by roughly the amount of the players' salaries until the playoffs begin. Several times over the past decade, Stanley Cup contenders have used LTIR to activate players at the start of or early in the playoffs after they missed some or all of the regular season. Florida did so with Matthew Tkachuk before winning the second of back-to-back titles, Vegas has done it with Mark Stone on multiple occasions, Tampa Bay with Nikita Kucherov and Chicago with Patrick Kane. The rule has been criticized as an unfair loophole, a way to stockpile talent and then add even more for the postseason. After he and Carolina were eliminated by the Lightning in 2021, Dougie Hamilton quipped that the Hurricanes 'lost to a team that's $18 million over the cap.' Tampa Bay went back to back, and players wore T-shirts with that saying on it during their Cup celebration. That will no longer be possible, though it's not exactly clear how it will work. There are some other changes in store, too: The league will standardize draft pick rights until players turn 22, clear the way for full-time emergency traveling goaltenders and will stop teams to instituting a dress code for players, according to a person familiar with the CBA who spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because details of the agreement were not being released. Teams have been able to hold the rights to juniors players for two or three years, depending on their age, and for college players for four years; now those rights will be held until a player is 22. The change comes at a time when the NHL developmental pipeline is in flux after the NCAA decided that juniors players can be eligible to play U.S. college hockey. As the OHL hopes for another top NHL pick, Canada's junior hockey landscape faces change 'That would make a little more sense for development,' Washington Capitals assistant general manager Ross Mahoney said. 'An example would be you would take a player out of the CHL, maybe he plays as an 18-, 19-year-old and now you want to sign him, but maybe he's not quite ready for the (minors). So is it better to have him in (the American Hockey League) and have him healthy-scratched for a third of the games, or is it better for him to go play at North Dakota for two years and then sign?' Emergency backup goalies, the beloved 'EBUGs,' will soon be a thing of the past, years after the likes of David Ayres and Scott Foster went into games and won after a team's two roster netminders were injured. Each team will be able to keep an extra goaltender around to practice with and enter a game, rather than having a beer league replacement on standby. 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Vancouver Sun
44 minutes ago
- Vancouver Sun
Redblacks' Daniel Adeboboye hopes to "make Canada proud" when facing former team
Missing their No. 1 passer for the third straight week, the Ottawa Redblacks could once again lean on their running attack Sunday against the Toronto Argos. And with veteran William Stanback's snap count limited by the Canadian Football League's ratio rule, that sets up the potential for a multifaceted storyline centred around Daniel Adeboboye. The 26-year-old from Mississauga will be facing his hometown and former team for the first time in the Redblacks' annual 'Canada Day' game at TD Place. Adeboboye is not only the first Canadian starting tailback for the Redblacks since Kienan LaFrance helped them to the 2016 Grey Cup, but he's on a short list of ball carriers born north of the border to suit up for any Ottawa CFL team — a group that includes former Rough Riders Orville Lee, Darren Joseph and the legendary Ronnie Stewart. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Adeboboye made a loud statement last week in Calgary when he was the Redblacks' leading rusher, authored the day's biggest offensive play, and scored the game's only touchdown in Ottawa's first win of the season. He would like nothing better than to help set off fireworks for a 158th birthday party in the nation's capital with contributions to another victory. 'This country is what I call home,' said Adeboboye. 'I grew up in Canada, and I love Canada. I'm Canadian through and through. Getting the opportunity to play on a day that celebrates our country is a blessing. 'I love the opportunity to celebrate Canada Day playing the game I love. So I'm going to give my best and hopefully make Canada proud on that day.' Adeboboye did a good job of that last Saturday with 10 carries for 96 yards, just six shy of matching the production the Argos have received from their top rusher — former Ohio State Buckeyes star Miyan Williams — on 19 carries over three games. It hasn't taken long for the 5-foot-8, 218-pound product of the comparatively tiny Bryant University in Rhode Island to prove that Redblacks GM Shawn Burke pulled off a coup when he obtained Adeboboye from Toronto for a conditional fifth-round pick and the negotiation rights to American defensive lineman Andre Carter. 'Even from the time he was in college, I remember watching his draft film and thinking he was a heck of a back,' said Redblacks head coach Bob Dyce, who confirmed that Dustin Crum will make his second consecutive start at quarterback in place of injured starter Dru Brown (hip), and that standout cornerback Adrian Frye (knee) is likely to be replaced by Alijah McGhee for the Argos game. 'He got into this league and excelled on special teams, and now you look at him having an opportunity to almost share the backfield with William, and he's just gotten better and better the more comfortable he gets in the offence, through the protections and how much (offensive coordinator Tommy Condell) moves the backs around. He's really immersed himself in it. 'I was watching practice (Thursday) and after just a simple play inside zone, I went to (running backs) Coach (Nate) Taylor, and I said: 'Man, Daniel is really a great back'. He's seeing everything that he needs to see, and it's a joy to watch.' Drafted 15th overall by the Argos in 2022, Adeboboye is a religious man who rarely misses an opportunity to thank God for his blessings. Among them, he says, are the opportunities he had to work in Toronto with former all-stars A.J. Ouellette, Ka'Deem Carey and Andrew Harris, the most productive Canadian running back to play in the CFL, and now in Ottawa with Stanback, who surpassed the 5,000 yards rushing mark last week. 'Through my faith, I've been able to have patience, and patience is something that I've needed through my entire career, because of the great running backs ahead of me,' said the perpetually smiling Adeboboye. 'Playing with all those stars, there's only so many times you can touch the ball in a game, right? But I kept my patience, and I kept on working hard every day, understanding that someday my time would come. And if it doesn't, then so be it, I have no regrets. 'But at the end of the day, I thought, if I get the opportunity, or when I get the opportunity, I'm just going to take advantage of it and bring glory to God in all that I do.' Those chances, to this point, have been limited. As a rookie, Adeboboye had 15 carries for 72 yards, while making 17 special teams tackles to earn the Argos' nomination for the CFL's most outstanding special teams player. In 2023, he ran the ball 41 times for 287 yards, including his first triple-figures game with nine carries for 109 yards on Oct. 21 against Saskatchewan. Last season, he shared the Argos backfield with Carey and Deonta McMahon and had 63 carries for 244 yards. Over the three years, Adeboboye has continued making major special teams contributions while proving to be durable by only missing two games. When informed he was traded, Adeboboye took the news in stride. 'It's business,' he shrugged. 'I got drafted by the Argos, and it was a great opportunity to go back home after a couple of years away at school. When I heard that I got traded to Ottawa, I had reassurance that I was going to a good organization. Playing against them for the last couple of years,I saw the kind of team that they were building. If I got traded to a team that wasn't so good, then I'd be a little shaky. But I knew that I was being put in good hands, and it was great that I also got to stay in Ontario, not too far from home, where my parents (Marian and Tai) and family can still come in and see me play. And Ottawa is a great city. I love Ottawa. It's nice, it's quiet, it's chill, it's relaxing. And the fans give such great energy.' And now he has fewer ticket requests. 'It was easy for my parents to get people to come to games (in Toronto),' Adeboboye said with a chuckle. 'My church is there as well, so we'd have 30, 40, 50 people coming, but they don't want to travel as much nowadays, so it's a little smaller group.' Adeboboye didn't know he was approaching the 100-yard mark against the Stamps when he was on the wet and frigid field and sidelines. 'It was too cold to be thinking about stats,' he said, laughing. 'I was thinking about how to stay warm and the hot shower at the end of the day. When I saw that I was four yards short, one more carry would have been nice. But I'm grateful for 96. It's a testament to our offensive line. Stanback had a great game and (as a team) we rushed for more than 200 yards. Our offensive line has been showing out. In the two previous games, we just didn't get the opportunity to run the ball as much, but it shows that when we want to run the football, we can run the football. 'And I love to run the football, so let's run the football.'
Ottawa Citizen
an hour ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Redblacks' Daniel Adeboboye hopes to "make Canada proud" when facing former team
Article content Missing their No. 1 passer for the third straight week, the Ottawa Redblacks could once again lean on their running attack Sunday against the Toronto Argos. Article content And with veteran William Stanback's snap count limited by the Canadian Football League's ratio rule, that sets up the potential for a multifaceted storyline centred around Daniel Adeboboye. Article content Article content The 26-year-old from Mississauga will be facing his hometown and former team for the first time in the Redblacks' annual 'Canada Day' game at TD Place. Article content Article content Adeboboye is not only the first Canadian starting tailback for the Redblacks since Kienan LaFrance helped them to the 2016 Grey Cup, but he's on a short list of ball carriers born north of the border to suit up for any Ottawa CFL team — a group that includes former Rough Riders Orville Lee, Darren Joseph and the legendary Ronnie Stewart. Article content Article content Adeboboye made a loud statement last week in Calgary when he was the Redblacks' leading rusher, authored the day's biggest offensive play, and scored the game's only touchdown in Ottawa's first win of the season. Article content He would like nothing better than to help set off fireworks for a 158th birthday party in the nation's capital with contributions to another victory. Article content 'This country is what I call home,' said Adeboboye. 'I grew up in Canada, and I love Canada. I'm Canadian through and through. Getting the opportunity to play on a day that celebrates our country is a blessing. Article content Article content 'I love the opportunity to celebrate Canada Day playing the game I love. So I'm going to give my best and hopefully make Canada proud on that day.' Article content Adeboboye did a good job of that last Saturday with 10 carries for 96 yards, just six shy of matching the production the Argos have received from their top rusher — former Ohio State Buckeyes star Miyan Williams — on 19 carries over three games. Article content It hasn't taken long for the 5-foot-8, 218-pound product of the comparatively tiny Bryant University in Rhode Island to prove that Redblacks GM Shawn Burke pulled off a coup when he obtained Adeboboye from Toronto for a conditional fifth-round pick and the negotiation rights to American defensive lineman Andre Carter. Article content 'Even from the time he was in college, I remember watching his draft film and thinking he was a heck of a back,' said Redblacks head coach Bob Dyce, who confirmed that Dustin Crum will make his second consecutive start at quarterback in place of injured starter Dru Brown (hip), and that standout cornerback Adrian Frye (knee) is likely to be replaced by Alijah McGhee for the Argos game. 'He got into this league and excelled on special teams, and now you look at him having an opportunity to almost share the backfield with William, and he's just gotten better and better the more comfortable he gets in the offence, through the protections and how much (offensive coordinator Tommy Condell) moves the backs around. He's really immersed himself in it.
