5 things to know about the Oilers-Panthers Stanley Cup final rematch
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) defends the net as Florida Panthers centre Sam Reinhart (13) makes a shot during the third period of Game 7 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final, Monday, June 24, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. The Panthers defeated the Oilers 2-1 to win the Stanley Cup. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
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CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Thousands take part in Gaudreau Family 5K walk and run in honour of brothers John and Matthew
Hockey sticks from various vigils for hockey players Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, who were fatally struck by a motorist while riding bicycles, rest against a sign at the inaugural Gaudreau Family 5K Walk, Run and Family Day, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Sewell, N.J. (AP Photo/Stephen Whyno)
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Thousands take part in Gaudreau Family 5K walk and run in honor of brothers John and Matthew
SEWELL, N.J. (AP) — A few days after brothers John and Matthew Gaudreau died when they were struck by a driver while riding bicycles on the eve of their sister Katie's wedding, family friends were visiting parents Guy and Jane at their home during a rainstorm. Looking outside after the skies cleared, they saw a double rainbow that brought them some momentary peace. Since then, Jane Gaudreau had not gotten any signs she attributed to her sons, so she sat in their room Friday and asked them for some divine intervention to clear out bad weather in time for an event to honor their legacies. After a brief scare of a tornado watch the night before, a rainbow appeared Saturday morning about an hour before the sun came out for the inaugural Gaudreau Family 5K Walk/Run and Family Day. 'I was so relieved,' Jane said. 'I was like, 'Well, there's my sign.'' Thousands attended the event at Washington Lake Park in southern New Jersey, a place John and Matthew went hundreds of times as kids and around the corner from Hollydell Ice Arena, where they started playing hockey. Roughly 1,100 people took part in a walk or run in person, along with more than 1,300 virtually in the U.S., Canada and around the world. 'I think it speaks to them as a family, how close they were and how everybody loved being around them,' said Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, one of a handful of NHL players who were close to the Gaudreaus and made a point to be there. 'You just see the support from this community and from other players as well that are here and traveled in. It just says a lot about Johnny, Matty, their legacy and this family as a whole, how much support they have because they're such amazing people.' Along with honoring the NHL star known as 'Johnny Hockey' and his younger brother family and friends called Matty, the goal of the event was to raise money for an accessible playground at Archbishop Damiano School where Jane and her daughter Kristen work. It was a cause John and Matthew had begun to champion in honor of their grandmother Marie, who spent 44 years at the school and died in 2023. It became their mother's project after their deaths. 'Jane works every day with children with disabilities, and she knew how important it was for the playground to be built,' said family friend Deb Vasutoro, who came up with the idea for a 5K. 'The playground has been a project for, I think, four or five years, and there just never was enough funding. When the boys passed and Jane needed a purpose, she thought, 'Let's build the playground.' It was the perfect marriage of doing something good to honor the boys and seeing children laugh and smile.' The Rev. Allain Caparas from Gloucester Catholic High School, which the brothers attended and played hockey for while growing up in Carneys Point, said raising funds for the playground is an extension of the impact they had on the community. 'They're continuing to make a difference in the lives of so many others,' Caparas said. 'Johnny and Matthew lived their lives with purpose, and now we're celebrating that.' Social media filled with mentions from folks in Columbus and Calgary, the NHL cities in which John Gaudreau played, and as far away as Ireland and Sweden. Paul O'Connor, who has been tight with the Gaudreau family from son Dalton being childhood best friends with Matthew, couldn't empty out his inbox because he kept getting notifications about signups and donations. 'It just keeps growing,' O'Connor said. 'And people that couldn't be here, they're doing a virtual (5K). If they can't do either, they're just throwing money at the cause.' Tears welled up in the eyes of Guy and Jane as they talked about the event. His speech to the crowd was brief and poignant at the same time. 'I'd like to thank everybody for coming,' Guy said after running the 5K. 'It really means a lot to Jane and the girls and the family. We miss the boys, and it really means a lot for us to have you here to honor my boys. Thank you.' The sea of people first in the rain and then the sunshine included folks in gear from all across hockey. Tkachuk wore a 'Johnny Hockey' hoodie with Gaudreau's name and No. 13 on the back. He handed sticks, collected from various vigils in late August and early September, to race winners along with fellow players Erik Gudbranson, Zach Aston-Reese, Tony DeAngelo and Buddy Robinson. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 'Our family wouldn't have missed this,' Gudbranson said after flying in Friday night following a trip to Walt Disney World. 'Hockey's a very tight community. It's still a tragedy. We miss the boys.' The aim is to hold the event annually moving forward, potentially in Calgary and Columbus. 'We thought this was such a good thing to honor the boys we want to keep it up,' Jane said. 'I just think each year it'll just get better and better.' ___ AP NHL:
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
California track-and-field championships draw limited protest over trans student's participation
AB Hernandez reacts after competing in the high jump at the California high school track-and-field championships in Clovis, Calif., Friday, May 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) CLOVIS, Calif. — A transgender teen will compete in the California high school track-and-field finals on Saturday, one day after advancing in the competition as a protest plane circled above the meet drew national attention, including criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump. AB Hernandez — a trans student who on Friday advanced in the girls high jump, long jump and triple jump — will be in the finals Saturday, competing under a new rule change that may be the first of its kind nationally by a high school sports governing body. The new California Interscholastic Federation announced the new policy earlier this week in response to Hernandez's success. According to the policy, the CIF will let an additional student compete and medal in the events where Hernandez qualified. The two-day championship kicked off in the sweltering heat at high school near Fresno. The atmosphere was relatively quiet Friday despite critics — including parents, conservative activists and President Donald Trump — calling for Hernandez to be barred from girls competition leading up to the meet. There was some pushback Friday. A group of fewer than 10 people gathered outside the stadium ahead of the meet to protest Hernandez's participation. Some of them wore 'Save Girls' Sports' T-shirts. At one point as Hernandez was attempting a high jump, someone in the stands yelled an insult. An aircraft circled above the stadium for more than an hour during the events, carrying a banner that read, 'No Boys in Girls' Sports!' Two groups, the Independent Council on Women's Sports and Women Are Real, that oppose transgender athletes participating in women's sports took credit for flying the banner. Separately, one person was arrested outside the competition on Friday after getting in a confrontation with another protester that turned physical, according to the Clovis Police Department. The rest of the night ran smoothly for Hernandez, who finished the triple jump with a mark close to 41 feet (13 meters), nearly 10 inches (25 centimeters) ahead of her closest competitor, San Francisco Bay Area junior Kira Gant Hatcher. Hernandez also led in the long jump with a mark close to 20 feet (6 meters) to advance to the final. She advanced in the high jump, clearing 5 feet, 5 inches (1.7 meters) with ease. She did not address the press. California at center of national debate The CIF rule change reflects efforts to find a middle ground in the debate over trans girls' participation in youth sports. 'The CIF values all of our student-athletes and we will continue to uphold our mission of providing students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete while complying with California law,' the group said in a statement after announcing its rule change. A recent AP-NORC poll found that about 7 in 10 U.S. adults think transgender female athletes should not be allowed to participate in girls and women's sports at the high school, college or professional level. That view was shared by about 9 in 10 Republicans and roughly half of Democrats. The federation announced the rule change after Trump threatened this week to pull federal funding from California unless it bars trans female athletes from competing on girls teams. The CIF said it decided on the change before then. The U.S. Department of Justice also said it would investigate the state federation and the district that includes Hernandez's high school to determine whether they violated federal sex discrimination law by allowing trans girls to compete in girls sports. Some California Republicans also weighed in, with several state lawmakers attending a news conference to criticize the federation for keeping Hernandez in the competition and a Republican gubernatorial candidate planning to attend Saturday's finals. California law allows trans students to compete on sex-segregated sports teams consistent with their gender identity. The federation said the rule would open the field to more 'biological female' athletes. One expert said the change may itself be discriminatory because it creates an extra spot for 'biological female' athletes but not for other trans athletes. The federation did not specify how they define 'biological female' or how they would verify whether a competitor meets that definition. Hernandez told the publication Capital & Main earlier this month that she couldn't worry about critics. 'I'm still a child, you're an adult, and for you to act like a child shows how you are as a person,' she said. Another student breaks a record California's state championship stands out from that of other states because of the number of competitors athletes are up against to qualify. The state had the second-largest number of students participating in outdoor track and field in the nation during the 2023-2024 school year, behind Texas, according to a survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations. Olympians Marion Jones and Tara Davis-Woodhall previously set state championship records in the long jump in 1993 and 2017, respectively, both surpassing 22 feet (6.7 meters). The boys 100-meter dash heats were also a highlight Friday. Junior Jaden Jefferson of De La Salle High School in Concord finished in 10.01 seconds, about .2 seconds faster than a meet record set in 2023. Jefferson's time won't count as a record unless he can replicate his results in the final. Sophie Austin and Jae Hong, The Associated Press
