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FIFA announces details to apply for World Cup tickets

FIFA announces details to apply for World Cup tickets

Washington Post5 days ago
Applications for tickets for the 2026 World Cup open Sept. 10, FIFA said Tuesday.
The next edition of the tournament, which will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States, kicks off at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on June 11.
Soccer's world governing body FIFA said that due to anticipated high demand tickets would be released in phases.
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Could the Edmonton Oilers pull off a surprise late-summer signing?
Could the Edmonton Oilers pull off a surprise late-summer signing?

New York Times

time25 minutes ago

  • New York Times

Could the Edmonton Oilers pull off a surprise late-summer signing?

The Edmonton Oilers' roster is mostly set, barring a prime starting goaltender shaking loose in late summer. A quick trip to PuckPedia and a glance at salaries and no-movement clauses puts it all to rest. You could pick a 23-man roster based solely on those criteria and hit the opening-night roster perfectly. Advertisement This is the time in summer when management takes a break and heads to the lake. It's a quiet time. Some surprises emerge during August in certain years. Twelve months ago, the St. Louis Blues were cooking up dual offer sheets for Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway. Edmonton's roster was turned upside down in a heartbeat and is still in need of proven young talent carrying value contracts. Where does general manager Stan Bowman go from here? It's possible PTOs and smaller cap deals could be a key to the Oilers' 2025-26 success. Among goaltenders, Marc-Andre Fleury is the most attractive name. His retirement leaves all NHL teams in the market all dressed up with no place to go. No matter the current situation, Oilers management should revisit the idea closer to training camp. Stan Bowman, Edmonton's general manager, needs to look only as far as his famous father, Scotty Bowman, to find an example of a team that can thrive with aged goaltending. When the elder Bowman took over as coach of the expansion St. Louis Blues during the 1967-68 season, the team boasted two old goalies (Glenn Hall, Jacques Plante) who had either been retired or had threatened to retire for long periods. Bowman coached the Blues of that era to the Stanley Cup Final three times (1968-70), with Hall taking part in all three and Plante in the last two playoff springs. For the Oilers, a Fleury signing would check a lot of boxes. Starter Stuart Skinner would instantly have a goalie partner with pristine bona fides, a hockey lifetime of experience to draw on, and a clear exit path to retirement. The conflict in such an arrangement would be minimal. Skinner would start a large number of games (the Oilers will make the playoffs even if Skinner returns with partner Calvin Pickard), with postseason appearances awarded on merit. If Fleury earns the net, who could possibly criticize a future first-ballot Hall of Famer? Advertisement Fleury is retired, and attempts to change his mind have thus far been unsuccessful. For the Oilers, Fleury offers a unique opportunity and is worth pursuing even if the younger Bowman is turned down every time. There are no real alternatives, considering the cap issues and lack of assets to trade for an upgrade. There is an area of opportunity that Oilers management has cultivated during the Connor McDavid era. Beginning with Kris Versteeg and Eric Gryba in 2016, moving through Alex Chiasson and Devin Shore, the 'winning a Stanley Cup with McDavid' allure has been strong over the years. This summer, Bowman offloaded a pile of older veteran wingers. The club now has layers of options that include prospects Matt Savoie and Ike Howard, along with younger veterans like Andrew Mangiapane and Trent Frederic. Bowman even added a wrinkle from the top Swedish league, David Tomasek, in an effort to overcome the loss of veteran wingers during the free-agent window. Did the team do enough? Savoie, Howard, Mangiapane, Frederic and Tomasek are in; Evander Kane, Connor Brown, Corey Perry and Viktor Arvidsson are out. Among forwards who remain available, via PuckPedia, the top-end players would need contracts with significant dollars. We can count Jack Roslovic, Victor Olofsson and Luke Kunin as forwards who won't be signing with the Oilers unless more cap room is available. Among the players who might agree to a PTO and could be used as a comp for Chiasson (he was 27 at the time) when he arrived via a PTO in the fall of 2018, Brett Leason is the best choice. He's a big forward (6-foot-5, 218 pounds) and played in 220 NHL games over the last four seasons. Per 82 NHL games, he is averaging 9-11-20 and would be a middle-six (second or third line) right wing option in Edmonton. Advertisement The Oilers' depth chart on right wing at this time has some question marks. Savoie is a rookie, and top winger Zach Hyman may not be ready for training camp or the regular season. Coach Kris Knoblauch might run Frederic or Tomasek on a skill line, or could place left winger Vasily Podkolzin on his off wing with centre Leon Draisaitl on the second line. That might allow Howard an opportunity on the other wing with Draisaitl. Leason has played significant minutes versus elites, via Puck IQ, during his four NHL seasons, but his numbers relative to teammates suggest a feature role isn't likely to bring success. He scored 1.39 points per 60 five-on-five, and would probably land as the No. 4 winger, fighting for time with Kasperi Kapanen. If the Oilers are looking for size on the wing and a reasonable offensive player, Leason would be a fit. He might get a contract elsewhere, but he's worth a PTO offer. The Fleury retirement seems final. It may appear to be a lost cause. Edmonton doesn't have much cap room, and Fleury already has multiple Stanley Cup rings. There doesn't appear to be any desire to continue an outstanding career. Still, there's a story here worth pursuing. Sometimes the desire goes away, the player retires, and the spark returns. Jacques Plante retired in 1965, but played his final game for the WHA Edmonton Oilers one decade later. Glenn Hall retired every summer of the 1960s (reportedly) in an effort to get a raise and or paint the barn at his place in Stony Plain. The raise finally came via the Blues after the 1967 expansion. Hall rewarded the Blues with brilliant goaltending before retiring. Fleury to the Oilers is the best available move for Bowman this summer. His 2024-25 save percentage (five-on-five) was .913, a competitive number for any goalie. It's more than that, though. Advertisement In an article this spring at The Athletic, Joe Smith wrote about Fleury's influence on the Wild organization: 'Fleury only spent 3 1/2 seasons with the Wild, but it was enough to help change their culture. If and when they ever do go on a big playoff run, his fingerprints will be all over it. He raised their level of competitiveness in practice. He taught them how to handle adversity.' Just as Scotty Bowman found magic with Hall and Plante on a team that badly needed goaltending brilliance, Stan Bowman is in need of some magic for the current edition of the Oilers. Fleury is an all-time legend, and the Oilers are a team in search of glory. It's a perfect fit.

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