McIntosh sets Canadian record in 800M freestyle
VICTORIA — Two Canadian Olympic medallists went head-to-head in a nail-biting 100-metre butterfly race, while Summer McIntosh of Toronto set a Canadian record in the 800-metre freestyle on Sunday at the Bell Canadian Swimming Trials in Victoria.
Ilya Kharun of Montreal and Josh Liendo of Toronto squared off in the same race that saw them share a podium at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
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Kharun won in a personal best time of 50.37 seconds, touching the wall .09 ahead of Liendo. Both were well under the AQUA A qualifying time of 51.77 for this summer's world championships in Singapore.
The 20-year-old Kharun was happy with the win but sees room for improvement.
'There's definitely some tweaks I can improve on,' said Kharun. 'I know it's not perfect yet. There's some things we've got to work on.' Liendo took silver in Paris, and Kharun the bronze. It was the first time two Canadian men stood on the Olympic podium together and first double podium for Swimming Canada since 1976 (Cheryl Gibson, Becky Smith — silver and bronze 400IM).
McIntosh had a sellout crowd on its feet at Saanich Commonwealth Place cheering as she swam the 800 metres in 8:05.07. That shaved almost five seconds off her own Canadian record and was the third-fastest time ever, 0.95 of a second off the world record American legend Katie Ledecky set in May.
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'I'm always hoping to break records and push the boundaries of sport,' said the 18-year-old, who set a world record in the 400-metre freestyle on Saturday's opening night.
'I'm always trying to be faster and faster. That just gives me more fuel to the fire.'
Para swimmer Nicholas Bennett won his second event of the trials. The S14 swimmer with the Red Deer Catalina Swim Club won the men's 200-m multi-class freestyle event in 1:54.44. He earned a silver medal in the same race at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
'It was really good,' said the 21-year-old from nearby Parksville, B.C., who won the men's 100-m multi-class breaststroke Saturday. 'We're right where we want to be.'
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Kylie Masse of Lasalle, Ont., also picked up her second victory of the meet by winning the 50-m backstroke in 27.24 seconds. Ingrid Wilm of the High Performance Centre-Vancouver celebrated her 27th birthday by finishing second in 27.58.
Both swimmers were under the AQUA A qualifying time of 28.22.
'I've been enjoying doing it and putting a little more focus on it this year,' Masse said about the sprint race, in which she was the 2022 world champion. 'Every little detail counts, trying to execute it perfectly. It's really fast and really hard.'
Earning a spot on the world championships team helped Wilm shake off the disappointment of finishing third in the 100-back Saturday night. That meant she didn't qualify for the event for the upcoming world championships after reaching the finals at the Paris Olympics.
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'I was frustrated after (Saturday) night,' said the Calgary native. 'It's to my chagrin we have such a deep field here in Canada. I relied a lot on my teammates and my coaching staff and it just once again showed me just how many people have my back.'
It was a bittersweet victory for Blake Tierney in the men's 50-m backstroke. The Saskatoon native who trains at the High Performance Centre-Vancouver won the race in personal best time of 25.23 seconds. That was over the AQUA A qualifying time of 25.11 but under Swimming Canada's secondary standard of 25.36.
"A lot of work needs to be done,' said Tierney, who has been dealing with an ankle issue. 'I couldn't do a lot of kicking, so that kind of messed with the confidence. I'm just doing the best I can. I'm really thankful I made the team.'
Two-time Olympian Mary-Sophie Harvey of Trois-Rivières, Que., also won her second race of the meet but wasn't happy with her time.
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Harvey, who trains with Montreal's CAMO club, won the 100-m butterfly in 58.37 seconds, over the AQUA A qualifying time of 58.33 but under Swimming Canada's secondary time of 59.91.
'I'm going to be honest,' said Harvey, who won the 200 breaststroke Saturday. 'It was good practice for my individual medley.'
Montreal's Eric Brown won the 1,500-m freestyle in 15:17.54. That was over both the AQUA A time of 15:01.89 and the Swimming Canada secondary standard of 15:10.91.
In other Para swimming events, Reid Maxwell, an S8 Para swimmer from the Edmonton Keyano Swim Club, won the multi-class 400-m freestyle in 4:26.66. It was the same event in which the 17-year-old won a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in Canadian record time.
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'It was a little slower than I wanted but I can't complain,' said Maxwell. 'I gave it everything I had.'
Mary Jibb, an S9 swimmer from the Pacific Sea Wolves won the multi-class 400-m freestyle in 4:52.69.
Emma Van Dyk, an S14 swimmer from the Brock Niagara Aquatics, was first in the women's 200-m multi-class freestyle in 2:23.78. Aly van Wyck-Smart, an S3 swimmer from Whitby Swimming, finished second in a Canadian record time of 4:48.05.
During the morning heats S4 swimmer Jordan Tucker of Royal City Aquatics set a Canadian record of 4:03.87 in the S4 category.
'I'm blown away,' said Tucker. 'I'm very surprised but very hopeful I can keep breaking records.'
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 8, 2025.
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2 hours ago
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So with the playoffs winding down and the offseason approaching, here's a look at 10 pending unrestricted free agents who may have seen their stock change this postseason. Stock down 📉 The spotlight was always going to be on Marner this postseason. It comes with the territory of playing in Toronto, where the pressure is mounting for the team to turn regular-season success into a deep playoff run. It also comes with a $10.9 million cap hit, an expiring contract and a history of wilting under playoff pressure. While Marner had standout flashes this postseason, he didn't meet the moment enough. Despite some highs, the lasting impression is what happened in some losing efforts: defensive lapses in Game 5, which pushed the Leafs to the brink of elimination, and a disappointing Game 7, where he was held scoreless and earned a minus-0.32 Game Score. THAT'S THREE UNANSWERED ‼️ Jesper Boqvist finishes off a Sam Reinhart feed to give the Panthers a 3-0 lead in Game 5 — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 15, 2025 The Maple Leafs' elimination doesn't fall solely on his shoulders. Other stars faded and the scoring depth seriously lacked. Still, as much as he contributed, Marner didn't rise to the occasion enough when it mattered most. That might stop some contenders from handing him a blank check, despite being one of the few elite players to reach free agency in a rising cap world. But there will be teams desperate for a player of his caliber, willing to spend $13 million-plus with those playoff demons. And there might be some hope that he can be clutch outside of Toronto, like he was for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Advertisement Stock up 📈 There have been two prevailing narratives throughout Ehlers' career: he is underutilized in the regular season and doesn't make enough of an impact in the playoffs. At his best, Ehlers is one of the Jets' top offensive threats between his play-driving and creativity in transition despite his usage. At his worst, he struggles in a playoff environment, which knocked him down to 5A in this year's Player Tiers, with team executives raising red flags about his postseason play. That finally changed this year, as Ehlers raised his game when the pressure was the highest. Just take his gutsy cross-ice pass in the dying moments of Game 7 that helped keep the Jets' season alive. Or his two multi-goal games against the Stars to help the Jets make a Round 2 push. After missing the first five games with injury, Ehlers ended the postseason with five goals and seven points in eight games, after only netting four goals and 14 points in his previous 37 playoff games. There was always going to be interest in Ehlers this summer, as one of the few first-line-caliber forwards set to hit free agency. But his postseason improvement, after another strong regular season, should pump up his value even more. Stock up 📈 Bennett's regular-season resume isn't anything special — he's only hit the 50-point mark once in his career — but his clutch play in high-stakes games, divisive physicality and championship pedigree are perfectly built for playoff hockey. The hard-nosed 28-year-old center leads all players with 14 playoff goals this year, not to mention his strong showing for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Bennett's net-front scoring and gray-area shenanigans have drawn the most attention, but his hands and playmaking are an underrated part of his game, too. He's led crafty zone entries and made skilled passes off the rush in high-traffic areas. The Panthers have controlled over 57 percent of scoring chances and goals during Bennett's five-on-five shifts during these playoffs. Advertisement Overall, Bennett has scored 26 goals and 48 points in 59 playoff games over the last three years. In other words, the sample size of his elevating in big moments is large enough that it can't be chalked up to a fluke or coincidence — he's earned his label as a clutch playoff performer. Couple that with how weak the free-agent center pool is, and Bennett is in a prime position to command the contract of his life if he decides to hit the July 1 market. Stock neutral 📍 It's easy to argue that Tavares' value should be lower after his postseason. There is a death-by-association element of being a part of the Maple Leafs' Core Four that once again fell short. And there is the fact that he underwhelmed on the scoresheet after a resurgent regular season. Tavares scored at a rate of 3.25 points per 60 in the regular season, which instilled some confidence in Toronto having more secondary scoring in the playoffs. But his pace slowed to 1.74 points per 60 in 13 playoff games, mostly due to dips at five-on-five. All of that could tank his value. But there are a few reasons why his stock stayed neutral after another disappointing finish. The reality is that the Leafs' problems are bigger than just Tavares, and more of the focus is on Marner and Matthews, who are expected to be The Guys, unlike the veteran at this point in his career. Plus, those 13 games don't wipe out an impressive regular season for the 34-year-old, who is aging gracefully (and has encouraging comparables like Sidney Crosby and Joe Pavelski at this point in his career). Pair all of that with a shallow center market behind Bennett, and it neutralizes the bad with good to steady his value. Stock neutral 📍 In slightly different circumstances, Ekblad would easily be considered a stock-up player. After all, the 6-foot-4 right-shot defender has soaked up nearly 24 minutes per game and handled tough defensive matchups en route to his third consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearance. Advertisement Ekblad has scored 12 points in 16 games, and the Panthers have controlled 57 percent of shot attempts and owned a plus-four goal differential during his five-on-five minutes. He hasn't been perfect — he'll occasionally get caught out of position up the ice because of his slow foot speed — but he's again excelled playing in a high-leverage top-four role on an elite team. Another valuable playoff performance like this reinforces that Ekblad is worth a lucrative contract if he reaches free agency, but his market value likely isn't inflating by a massive degree for a couple of reasons. Ekblad's positive test for a performance-enhancing substance in March, which landed him a 20-game suspension, could give some teams a reason to pause. The 29-year-old's durability must also be a concern — he has missed nearly 30 percent of Florida's regular-season games over the last five years. Stock up 📈 Marchand's days as a top offensive driver seemed numbered before the playoffs started. He scored just 51 points in the regular season, his lowest output in a decade. It would have been easy to look at that decline, his age (37) and his slow start with the Panthers down the stretch as signs of caution. The diminutive, scrappy left winger has poured cold water on those potential concerns with an excellent playoff run. Marchand has scored eight goals and 18 points in 20 games, which is very impressive considering he doesn't get top power-play time. The 14 points he's scored at five-on-five are third-best in the playoffs behind only Connor McDavid and teammate Eetu Luostarinen. He's looked rejuvenated on the Panthers' elite third line with Luostarinen and Anton Lundell. They're relentless on the forecheck, using their pace, energy and competitiveness to win battles, control play and drive offense. GUESS WHO 😳 BRAD MARCHAND OPENS THE SCORING IN GAME 3! #StanleyCup 🇺🇸: @NHL_On_TNT & @SportsonMax ➡️ @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ — NHL (@NHL) June 10, 2025 With Marchand on the ice, the Panthers have controlled 58.3 percent of expected goals and outscored teams by a ridiculous 18-5 margin at five-on-five. He's been excellent on Florida's penalty kill, too. Marchand is proving that he's still got plenty of game left in his late 30s. Stock down 📉 Expectations were high for Duchene heading into the playoffs. He had been a dynamic, play-driving beast all year, scoring a team-high 82 points in the regular season. Duchene's line was flat-out one of the best second lines in the NHL. Advertisement However, for a second consecutive year, Duchene was a major letdown in the playoffs, slumping to just a single goal and five assists in 18 games. Remarkably, he didn't register a single even-strength point. Duchene's individual shot rate at five-on-five fell by around 33 percent compared to the regular season. He was involved in some defensive breakdowns, with the Stars outscored 8-3 during his five-on-five minutes in the postseason. Bad luck is part of the story — Duchene's line generated a healthy 3.54 expected goals per 60 and scored on less than 3 percent of their shots — but there isn't a lot of solace to be taken from that considering he produced just two goals and six points in 19 games during last year's run to the Western Conference final as well. Duchene is still well-positioned to cash in on a lucrative contract because of his tremendous regular-season success and the weak UFA center market, but a second consecutive playoff failure raises questions about how well his play translates to the postseason when time and space are harder to come by. Stock down 📉 In 18 playoff games, Benn only netted one goal and three points and scored at an all-situations rate of 0.76 points per 60. That is a major drop from his regular-season production (2.4 points per 60) and his last two postseasons (2.76 in 2024, 2.38 in 2023). The Stars only shot 4.71 percent at five-on-five in Benn's minutes, which explains the difference between expectations (3.23 xGF/60) and reality (1.10 GF/60). But he was one of the driving forces behind those finishing woes. His defense in tough minutes was lacking and contributed to the team getting outscored 13-4 with him deployed. After revitalizing his game as a reliable third-line contributor over the last couple of years, the Benn-aissance seems to be over in Dallas. He was always in for a pay cut after his $9.5 million cap hit expired, but it could be more severe after this postseason. Evolving-Hockey projects a two-year, $4.44 million extension, but that could be a little too rich for someone who looks like a bottom-six staple at this point in his career. Stock up 📈 Heading into the playoffs, the Oilers had a glaring weakness: secondary scoring. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl both hit the 100-point mark, but no other forward hit the 50-point threshold. While those two are still (unsurprisingly) leading the way this postseason, they have depth support. Advertisement That was especially clear in Round 1, when players like Brown stepped up with three goals and five points in six games. While he's only notched another three points since, he has been valuable. Brown has added an element of speed to the bottom six, disrupted opponents and helped limit opponents like Tomas Hertl along the way. Brown realistically isn't in for a massive raise this summer from his current $1 million cap hit. But his postseason play is a reminder of what he can bring to a lineup as a utility forward when he is fully back up to speed. It was just last year that Brown took 55 games to notch a single goal after returning from a torn ACL. Now he is providing much-needed support in the Stanley Cup Final on a budget, which should attract general managers. Stock up 📈 It was fair to wonder how effective Klingberg would be when the Oilers signed him to a one-year deal in January. Klingberg hadn't played an NHL game in 14 months after undergoing a serious resurfacing surgery on both of his hips. His play, especially defensively, had rapidly deteriorated in recent seasons. He was borderline unplayable in 14 games for the Leafs in 2023-24 before the surgery, and his 2022-23 campaign, split between the Anaheim Ducks and Minnesota Wild, was a disappointment too. With all that in mind, it would have been a win if Klingberg were simply a helpful No. 6 defenseman. Instead, he's shattered expectations by performing well in top-four usage. Klingberg isn't as dynamic as his prime (four points in 18 games) and his defensive play can still be shaky at times, but his slick puck-moving has been a major asset. It's very meaningful, and frankly surprising, that he's providing legitimate value in a high-leverage role rather than requiring sheltering. That's going to get him paid a nice sum in free agency, especially since right-handed puck movers are always in demand. — Data via Evolving-Hockey, Natural Stat Trick, HockeyStatCards and CapWages (Top photo of Connor Brown and Sam Bennett: Perry Nelson / Imagn Images)