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New York Times
11 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Bruins' tank pays off as James Hagens gives them an NHL Draft first-round steal
BOSTON — By selling off Trent Frederic, Justin Brazeau, Charlie Coyle, Brandon Carlo and Brad Marchand in a four-day span in March, Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney made a decision that no exec ever hopes to make. Accumulating points would no longer be a priority. He would not mind if the Bruins faded for the rest of the regular season to improve his odds of drafting a game-changing teenager. Advertisement On Friday, three-plus months after creating a roster that was designed to lose, the general manager felt a degree of solace for his suffering. James Hagens, once considered a possibility to go No. 1 in the 2025 NHL Draft, was still available when the Bruins were up at No. 7. Sweeney had no choice but to make the 18-year-old center the team's highest selection since Tyler Seguin was picked at No. 2 in 2010. One reason prospect experts once had Hagens atop their 2025 lists was the way he set up his 2024-25 freshman season at Boston College. The prior year, Hagens went on a rampage with the U.S. National Team Development Program's Under-18 team, scoring 39 goals and 102 points in 58 games. For perspective, Hagens' point sum tied him in the U.S. NTDP record books with Patrick Kane's 2005-06 output, eighth-most in program history. 'He's excelled against his peer group at every opportunity he's had,' Sweeney said Friday. 'His production at the program is among the best that's ever played. There's been some pretty special players. In college hockey, he played on a top line. We believe in the player and what he's done. He won a gold medal at World Juniors against the best players in his age group and all across the world.' Hagens became one of the players to watch in the first round for another reason. A native of Hauppauge, N.Y., there was a chance for him to be claimed by his hometown team. The New York Islanders traded Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens on Friday for Nos. 16 and 17 and Emil Heineman. The Islanders could have bundled the back-to-back picks to move up and select the Long Island native. New GM Mathieu Darche admitted there was an attempt. Mathieu Darche confirms on ESPN that the @NYIslanders tried to move up, when asked about Hagens. — Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) June 28, 2025 Hagens said he was not following the chatter. 'I stay away from all that stuff,' he said. 'I had no idea where I was going to end up. I'm so grateful I'm ending up in Boston and I'm a Bruin.' The Bruins considered trading the seventh pick for multiple later selections. But they concluded the chance to draft the dynamic center not one worth ceding. Advertisement 'We had some opportunities,' Sweeney said. 'But we just felt that when James was there, we had to make the selection. And wanted to make the selection.' The 5-foot-11 Hagens, who said he's up to 190 pounds, is a playmaking center with a good shot. Scouts have used Jack Hughes and Logan Cooley as NHL comparables. He is at his best when he controls the puck and plays at high speed. Hagens applied his strengths to the max at the U.S. NTDP. So it was perhaps with a degree of disappointment that the six teams picking before the Bruins assessed Hagens' freshman output at BC: 11 goals and 37 points in 37 games. They were not video-game numbers. But his 37 points were good enough to place him No. 3 on the roster, only behind NHLers-in-waiting Ryan Leonard (49) and Gabe Perreault (48). 'There's no shame in the type of year he had, playing on the top line on one of the top teams in the country,' Sweeney said. 'There's no concern on our part that he took a step back from a production standpoint.' Hagens played with pace and skill, but also with a sprinkle of deference to Leonard and Perreault, his older top-line partners. 'I thought this year was really good,' Hagens said. 'You've just got to go out and prove next year and prove to everyone that there's nothing wrong. I'm in the spot where I want to be. I want to be a Boston Bruin.' Whether a pro push is imminent is unknown. Hagens said he will speak with the Bruins about where he should play in 2025-26. It's likely he will return to BC for his sophomore season. Hagens noted the Beanpot and the NCAA championship as two objectives. Assuming Hagens stays with the Eagles, he will have more responsibility to take another step. Leonard and Perreault are gone. So is Jacob Fowler, one of college hockey's top goalies for his two BC seasons. It will be up to Hagens to lead the offense. Fellow Bruins prospects Andre Gasseau, Oskar Jellvik and Dean Letourneau will be part of that cohort, too. Advertisement 'He'll probably look to generate a bit more, look to have a shoot-first mentality at times,' Sweeney said. 'He had a chance to play with Ryan Leonard, who can really fire a puck. Chances are, especially as a young player, you look to make sure he has the puck in his hands plenty of times. He did a really good job of that and distributing. But they have lost a lot of players. It will be a good opportunity for several of our guys who are at that university to take that step. He'll be right at the front of the line. He'll have the hard matchups again against the other top lines in college hockey. It will be a good test for him.'
Toronto Sun
3 days ago
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
Trading first-round picks yet to reverse the Maple Leafs' Stanley Cup curse
There have been 10 Toronto drafts in recent years where the top selection was traded. We look at the deals and their aftermath. Get the latest from Lance Hornby straight to your inbox The Boston Bruins selected Tyler Seguin second overall in the 2010 NHL draft with the Toronto Maple Leafs' pick. Postmedia files They're forever known as 'the ones that got away' from the Maple Leafs. 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. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. 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 Don't have an account? Create Account There have been 10 drafts between 1991-2022 in which Toronto traded its first-round pick in search of help in regular season, playoffs or both, though it has yet to help end a 58-year Stanley Cup jinx. Barring a reverse mortgage by Friday night, the Leafs again will sit out the opening round, its selection at 25th owned by the Chicago Blackhawks from 2023's acquisition of defenceman Jake McCabe. Neither do the Leafs currently possess a first through 2027. Per the chart below, they've had motive for trading the pick — and a few more in subsequent rounds. Such moves always carry a risk the traded choice ends up raising the Cup as happened again last week. In other cases, the pick turned out a bust for the swap partner and Toronto came out ahead. Here are the yearly draft details, including the player Leafs eventually chose first. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. FIRST PICK DEPARTED: 25th to Chicago, which selected 6-foot-4 defenceman Sam Rinzel. After leaving the University of Minnesota to join the Hawks last season, he had five assists in nine NHL games. TRADE DETAILS: Leafs sent goalie Petr Mrazek and this pick to the Hawks for a second-rounder. GM Kyle Dubas was trying to undo an excessive three-year Mrazek contract, while the Hawks had cap room, a rebuild mindset and didn't mind finishing low enough to win the Connor Bedard lottery in 2023. NEXT LEAF UP: Toronto chose WHL centre Fraser Minten at 38th overall. He excelled in his first training camp, made the team and played a total of 19 games for Toronto, but was traded for defenceman Brandon Carlo at the past March deadline. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. 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. FIRST PICK DEPARTED: 25th, Columbus selected defenceman Corson Ceulemans. The 6-foot-2 Alberta Jr. League prospect spent two years at the University of Wisconsin and has since played 80 games in the AHL for the Cleveland Monsters. TRADE DETAILS: A three-way deal that involved the San Jose Sharks and also gave the Leafs temporary possession of Stefan Noesen, now an effective forward with New Jersey. But the excitement of landing the son of 1990s playoff hero Mike Foligno didn't last long. Nick was injured after the deadline deal and played just four of seven playoff games against Montreal before signing with Boston the following season. NEXT LEAF UP: The Foligno episode and the lost pick faded from memory when Matthew Knies was chosen 57th and jumped from the University of Minnesota within two years to become a first-line Leafs left winger. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. FIRST PICK DEPARTED; 22nd, Los Angles selected defenceman Tobias Bjornfot. You might have caught Bjornfot raising the Cup late in the Panthers' celebration on Tuesday. The Swede played 100-plus games for the Kings, but slipped through both L.A. and the Vegas Golden Knights, being claimed by the Panthers just as playoffs started. TRADE DETAILS: Dubas tried to get ahead of other teams' deadline deals by obtaining Cup-champion defenceman Jake Muzzin from the Kings at midseason, though the price included this pick and second-rounders Sean Durzi and Carl Grundstrom. A neck-related injury ended Muzzin's playing days prematurely, but he remains on the Leafs' development staff. NEXT LEAF UP: Enigmatic Nick Robertson was taken 53rd overall and has 59 points in 169 regular-season and playoff games to date. But the RFA's future in Toronto is unclear. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. FIRST PICK DEPARTED: Second overall, Boston selected forward Tyler Seguin. Whether it was losing their Seguin ticket or Taylor Hall, who went first overall to Edmonton, the Leafs had some buyers' remorse about the deal to land Phil Kessel. They'd struggle another few years to make the playoffs, while local lad Seguin won a Cup with the Bruins his first year and is coming up on 1,000 NHL games. TRADE DETAILS: Kessel led the Leafs in scoring the next six years, but was ill-suited for the Toronto spotlight and a challenge for his coaches before being traded and winning two Cups with Pittsburgh. Toronto also sent its 2011 first-rounder to Boston in this deal, who turned into solid defenceman Dougie Hamilton. Leafs later recovered two top selections, though forward Tyler Biggs and defenceman Stu Percy didn't blossom. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. NEXT LEAF UP: WHL forward Brad Ross was chosen 43rd, splitting his time with the Marlies and ECHL Orlando. His notoriety included a 20-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. 2007 FIRST PICK DEPARTED: Lars Eller, selected 13th overall by St. Louis. This ageless winger just came off another strong season in Washington, having spent almost his entire career in the Leafs' face with Montreal, Pittsburgh and the Caps, where he and Alex Ovechkin shared the 2018 Cup. TRADE DETAILS: GM John Ferguson had attempted to upgrade goaltending and toughness, acquiring Vesa Toskala and Mark Bell from San Jose, which flipped this pick to the Blues. NEXT LEAF UP: Undersized Oshawa General forward Dale Mitchell went 74th, didn't get past the Marlies, though had a prolific career in Denmark. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. FIRST PICK DEPARTED: 24th overall, winger Kris Chucko selected by the Calgary Flames. The B.C. native, via the University of Minnesota, played two NHL games before concussions cut short his career. TRADE DETAILS: GM/coach Pat Quinn went on a deadline trading spree that included future Hall of Famers Brian Leetch for this pick and forward Ron Francis. Leetch enjoyed his brief Leafs time and considered re-signing, but after the lockout year chose to play in Boston. NEXT LEAF UP: After their longest wait to date to make their first selection at a draft, the Leafs took WHL goalie Justin Pogge 90th. A couple of years later, in the belief they were set in net with Pogge and Andrew Raycroft, they dealt '05 first pick Tuukka Rask to Boston. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. FIRST PICK DEPARTED: Boston selected defenceman Mark Stuart 21st overall. The 6-foot-2 product of Colorado College put in close to 700 NHL games with the B's, then came to Canada via the Atlanta Thrashers transfer to Winnipeg. TRADE DETAILS: Quinn coveted physical former first-overall forward Owen Nolan from the Sharks, but had to give up this pick, plus popular Leafs centre Alyn McCauley and young Brad Boyes. Boston dealt with the Sharks to move into the first round. NEXT LEAF UP: Massachusetts high schooler John Doherty didn't get on the NHL radar at 57th and the Leafs missed out on the draft's strong second round that year, which included Patrice Bergeron to Boston at 45th. 1997 FIRST PICK DEPARTED: Fourth overall, goalie Roberto Luongo, selected by the New York Islanders. His Hall of Fame career was later built in great seasons with Vancouver and Florida. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. TRADE DETAILS: Higher-ups in Leafs ownership wanted GM Cliff Fletcher to bring back Wendel Clark after trading the one-time captain for Mats Sundin three years earlier. The expensive reunion also cost Toronto defenceman Kenny Jonsson, later an Isles' captain. NEXT LEAF UP: Boston College centre Jeff Farkas played eight games for Toronto, catching on with Atlanta for a bit before early retirement due to a spinal injury. 1996 FIRST PICK DEPARTED: It was 15th overall, centre Dainius Zubrus, selected by Philadelphia. The Flyers launched Zubrus to nearly 1,400 NHL games, the most of any first-rounder taken that year. TRADE DETAILS: Toronto received rugged blueliner Dmitry Yushkevich and was quite happy with his long service, especially in the Quinn years. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. NEXT LEAF UP: Lanky defenceman Marek Posmyk went 36th, the first time Toronto led a draft with a Czech. He was later part of the Darcy Tucker trade with Tampa Bay, where Posmyk played all his 19 NHL games. Read More 1991 PICK DEPARTED: Defenceman Scott Niedermayer selected third overall by New Jersey. For a while it looked like the Devils might get the highly coveted Eric Lindros with Toronto's ticket. Niedermayer made the Hall of Fame and won a couple of Cups. TRADE DETAILS: The year before, Leafs GM Floyd Smith dealt the pick to the Devils to solidify the defence with veteran Tom Kurvers, but had to make more trades to ensure Toronto didn't finish last in '91. NEXT LEAF UP: Centre Yanic Perreault, 47th overall, was later involved in another Leafs draft mishap. To re-acquire him in 2007, Toronto sent a second rounder to Phoenix, which eventually became Nashville's Norris Trophy-winning Roman Josi. lhornby@ X: @sunhornby Toronto Blue Jays Sunshine Girls Relationships Sunshine Girls Canada
CBS News
5 days ago
- Sport
- CBS News
Bruins Mock NHL Draft Roundup: Who will Don Sweeney take with 7th pick?
What should be a busy offseason for the Boston Bruins will really get started Friday night, when the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft will be held in Los Angeles. Boston owns the seventh overall pick in the upcoming draft, after going 33-39-10 and missing the playoff last season. If Don Sweeney stays in that slot and makes a pick, it will be the highest Bruins selection since the team drafted Tyler Seguin second overall in 2010. It will be Boston's first Top 10 pick since 2011, when the team drafted Dougie Hamilton ninth overall. Sweeney hasn't had too many first-round swings recently, with just two other first-round picks since 2021: Dean Letourneau, 25th overall in 2024 and Fabian Lysell, 21st overall in 2021. Boston has plenty of needs up and down the roster, with depth at center the most glaring of them all. The majority of NHL mock drafters have Sweeney addressing that need with the seventh overall pick, but we'll see where the Bruins GM goes when picks start coming off the board Friday night. Here's a roundup of which players the mock drafters believe will don a Spoked-B on stage Friday night. Jake O'Brien of the Brantford Bulldogs during a game between the OHL East and OHL West conferences during the Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game. Photo byThe Bruins will pick in the top 10 for the first time since 2011, and could target O'Brien, who elevated his game during the second half of the season with his poise, vision, playmaking ability, and willingness to play hard all 200 feet. The 17-year-old can slow the game down in the offensive zone and find scoring opportunities for himself or his teammates, can check other teams' top players and play in all situations. The Athletic: Jake O'Brien, C, Brantford (OHL) Peters considered the highly skilled Martone, but ultimately opted for the playmaking center O'Brien, who put up 98 points in 66 OHL games this past season and didn't turn 18 until this week. With a true star on the wing in David Pastrnak, O'Brien profiles as a player who could certainly pair well with him in the future. "What Jake O'Brien showed this year, to me — and yes, he does need to get stronger, he needs to tack on muscle and different things — is that he is a legitimate offensive creator," Peters said. "He can make things happen, he can make guys around him better." Corey Pronman, The Athletic (June 17): Roger McQueen, C, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) Roger McQueen #13 of the Brandon Wheat Kings skates against the Moose Jaw Warriors at Westoba Place on September 20, 2024 in Brandon, Canada. Jonathan Kozub / Getty Images Despite their needs, I don't think Boston is as hard pressed to take a center here as the organizations in front of them, in part because six centers in a row just got picked. I could see the Bruins lean toward winger Martone or defenseman Radim Mrtka for that reason but it wouldn't surprise me as well if they took another center. McQueen, O'Brien and Hagens would all be possible fits here. Elite Prospects: Brady Martin, C Soo Greyhounds (OHL) Brady Martin of the Soo Greyhounds looks on during the game between the OHL East and OHL West conferences during the Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game. Kevin Sousa / Getty Images Physical and fast, Martin embodies the Bruins identity. Tremendous compete level. Click here to read a full breakdown on Brady Martin by Elite Prospects. Chris Peters, FloHockey: Brady Martin, C, Soo Greyhounds (OHL) The Bruins still have a core intact with David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy being the guys to build around. They don't necessarily need a foundational piece, but adding a player that fits their identity wouldn't hurt. Martin is the hard-nosed, but still skilled forward that could potentially be a long-term No. 2 center or even could swing to the wing and be more of an aggressive F1 heat-seeking missile. There is talk he will go in the top five and I think it's legitimate. That said, I think Martin is more of a secondary piece for a contending team than a centerpiece. The Bruins would probably be able to bring him into their mix soon and be very happy about the direction of your franchise. I think James Hagens and Porter Martone would be strong considerations here for Boston, too. Lyle Richardson, Bleacher Report: Victor Eklund, RW, Djurgardens IF Victor Eklund of Team Sweden skates toward the puck during the 2024 World Junior Summer Showcase between Finland and Sweden. Michael Miller/ISI Photos / Getty Images Eklund is the younger brother of San Jose Sharks forward William Eklund. The 5'11", 170-pound Swede had 31 points in 42 games this season for Djurgårdens' HockeyAllsvenskan squad, helping them earn promotion to the SHL alongside teammate and fellow NHL prospect Anton Frondell. Mike G. Morreale considers him to be the second-best right wing in this year's draft. Corey Pronman praised Eklund's speed and creativity, while Steven Ellis cited his playmaking and excellent shot. Eklund will likely spend next season with Djurgårdens IF, where he'll garner valuable experience against SHL talent. He has the potential to become a top-six right wing for the Bruins. Overall, the Bruins have seven selections in the 2025 NHL Draft: Round 1, Pick 7 Round 2, Pick 51 (from St. Louis via Edmonton from Trent Frederic trade) Round 2, Pick 61 (from Carolina via Colorado from Charlie Coyle trade) Round 3, Pick 69 Round 4, Pick 100 (from Philadelphia via Toronto from Brandon Carlo trade) Round 5, Pick 133 Round 6, Pick 165
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dallas Stars most to blame for West Final loss to Oilers
The post Dallas Stars most to blame for West Final loss to Oilers appeared first on ClutchPoints. The season for the Dallas Stars, which produced an impressive 50-26-6 record during the regular season and thrilling series wins in the Stanley Cup Playoffs over the Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets, is now over. Advertisement Dallas was done in for the second consecutive campaign by the Edmonton Oilers, dropping Thursday night's Game 5 by a 6-3 final score. It marks the third straight season in which the Stars advanced to the Western Conference Final but fell short of getting to the NHL's ultimate series. And naturally, there will be plenty of questions for the team and coaching staff to answer after they fell short of what they felt should have, at the bare minimum, been the club's first appearance in the Stanley Cup Final since 2020. But who on the Stars can realistically have the most blame laid at their feet for once again falling to the Oilers? Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin Two of the longest serving members of the Stars, both Benn and Seguin were complete non-factors for the Stars in the series against the Oilers. While Seguin found the back of the net twice in the opening game, Benn's picture may as well be on milk cartons all throughout the state of Texas right now. Advertisement Benn's performance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs was, in a word, unacceptable. He's not only the team captain but is also expected to produce offensively. It's true that at 35 years of age, Benn's skills aren't what they once were. But to score only a single goal while adding literally two assists in 18 postseason games just isn't cutting it. Benn's performance in the playoffs last season already came into question when he managed only four goals. There aren't many who would have believed that he'd be kept off the scoresheet in all but one of the Stars' 18 playoff games in 2025, but that's the sad reality. Benn's contract is up this offseason, and it's very possible that he's played his last game as a member of the Stars. Right now, Stars GM Jim Nill likely will have little reason or motivation to re-sign him, especially after his complete no-show performance. As far as Seguin goes, he did have his moments in the playoffs which included his breakaway goal against the Oilers in Game 1 (the Stars' lone victory in the series) along with his overtime game-winning goal in Round 1 against the Colorado Avalanche. But like Benn, Seguin was nowhere to be found offensively for most of the postseason. He has two years left on his contract with an exorbitant cap hit of $9.85 million. Mikko Rantanen Acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes in one of the biggest trades in recent team history, Rantanen looked like one of the best players in the NHL when he scored back-to-back hat tricks against the Colorado Avalanche in Game 7 and Winnipeg Jets in Game 1. Advertisement But that offensive touch fell completely silent in the final seven games of the postseason, which included failing to find the back of the net during the entire five-game series loss to the Oilers. Considering that the Oilers aren't exactly known as a defensive stalwart combined with the reputation of Stuart Skinner as being one of the league's most streaky goaltenders, Rantanen's disappearance from the scoresheet against the Oilers was especially disappointing. It brought an end to Rantanen's first postseason with the Stars since the trade, but there will be plenty more opportunities for Rantanen to redeem himself, as he's under contract for the next eight seasons. Jake Oettinger Perry Nelson-Imagn Images Stars fans everywhere are wondering the same thing — what on Earth happened to Oettinger in Game 5 on Thursday night? Advertisement Oettinger was pulled by coach Pete DeBoer in controversial fashion after he allowed a pair of quick goals on each of Edmonton's first two shots during the game; he didn't touch the ice again for the rest of the night and reportedly didn't speak to reporters after the loss. Stars management, led by Nill, recently saw fit to cement Oettinger's status as their main man in the crease with a handsome contract extension with an $8.25 million cap hit, making him one of the highest paid players at his position in the NHL. While Oettinger played well during the regular season (earning a roster spot on Team USA during the 4 Nations Face-Off) and for the most part during the postseason, Oettinger's performance against the Oilers for most of the series was questionable at best. The Stars needed him to be better, especially in the opening 20 minutes of play in an elimination game. Oettinger didn't deliver the kind of performance required of him compared to what he's being paid to do.
CTV News
09-06-2025
- CTV News
‘Part of the family': Welland man dies in motorcycle race at local speedway
An undated photo of Tyler Seguin racing at the Welland County Motorcycle Club & Speedway. (Facebook / Welland County Motorcycle Club & Speedway) A community is in mourning following a death at a popular racing track in the Niagara Region over the weekend. The Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) says officers responded to a crash at the Welland County Motorcycle Club & Speedway (WCMCS) on Netherby Road at around 11 p.m. on June 7. Police say the crash happened during a flat track race at the speedway. 'Life-saving efforts were initiated; however, tragically, a 29-year-old Welland man succumbed to his injuries,' NRPS said in a news release on Monday. In a statement on Facebook, the speedway said the racer who died was named Tyler Seguin and was a lifelong part of the club. 'Tyler has been part of the Welland County Speedway family since he first took to the dirt at just 4 years old,' the post reads. 'Over the past 25 years, we watched him grow into a fierce competitor, a Canadian National Champion, and a Welland County Speedway track champion.' It was the first death at the track since 1979 and only the second in the speedway's history, the WCMCS confirmed to CTV News Toronto. The speedway also said it will not hold a race this Saturday to allow 'families, friends, fans, and track staff to take some time to grieve and be with one another away from the track.' NRPS detectives are investigating the crash and ask anyone with information to contact police at 905-688-4111, option 3, ext. 1009504.
