Canada off to gold-medal game at para hockey worlds after 3-0 win over Czechia
BUFFALO - Liam Hickey and Adam Dixon scored 16 seconds apart in the opening period as Canada booked its ticket to the gold-medal game of the world para ice hockey championship on Friday with a 3-0 win over Czechia.
Tyler McGregor also scored for Canada. Hickey and McGregor both had an assist in the game at LECOM Harborcenter.
Canada will next face the winner between the United States and China in a later semifinal.
The Canadians have outscored their opponents 30-2, including Friday's win, across four games in the tournament.
Only China managed to score against Canada, with Canada taking that game 4-2 on Tuesday.
Medal games will be played on Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2025.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Loyal to the oil' – how religion and striking it rich shape Canada's hockey fandom
Déjà vu is a common occurrence in the world of sports, and the Edmonton Oilers are no strangers to repeat matchups. The Canadian team faced off against the New York Islanders in both 1983 and '84 for hockey's biggest prize, the Stanley Cup. In this year's National Hockey League finals, the Oilers will try to avenge their Game 7 loss to the Florida Panthers in 2024. Edmontonians who have been 'loyal to the oil,' as fans say, have been waiting for redemption ever since. The Trump administration's threats toward its northern neighbor has fueled a wave of nationalism, making even more fans eager for a Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup – which has not happened since 1993. With hopes pinned to Edmonton, the finals also brings renewed attention to some of Canada's biggest exports: hockey and oil. Advertisement Novelist Leslie McFarlane once observed that for Canadians, 'hockey is more than a game; it is almost a religion.' Prayers and superstitions abound, from wearing special clothing to fans averting their eyes during penalty shots. The Oilers also evoke another aspect of Canadian society that, for some, has almost religious importance: resource extraction. In American and Canadian culture, oil has long been entangled with religion. It's a national blessing from God, in some people's eyes, and a means to the 'good life' for those who persevere to find it. For many people in communities whose economies center around resource extraction, the possibility of success is valued above its environmental risks. We are scholars of religion who study sports and how oil shapes society, or petro-cultures. The Edmonton Oilers showcase a worldview in which triumph, luck and rugged work pay off – beliefs at home on the ice or in the oil field. The Stanley Cup Final offers a glimpse into how the oil industry has helped shaped the religious fervor around Canada's favorite sport. Edmonton Oilers fan Dale Steil's boots before the team's playoff game against the Los Angeles Kings on April 26, 2024. AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez Boomtown Edmonton is the capital of Alberta, a province known for its massive oil, gas and oil sands reserves. With five refineries producing an average of 3.8 million barrels a day, oil and gas is Alberta's biggest industry – and a way of life. Advertisement This is especially true in Edmonton, known as the 'Oil Capital of Canada.' Here, oil not only structures the local economy, but it also shapes identities, architecture and everyday experiences. Visit the West Edmonton Mall, for example, and you'll see a statue of three oil workers drilling, reminding shoppers that petroleum is the bedrock of their commerce. Visit the Canadian Energy Museum to learn how oil and gas have remade the region since the late 1940s, and glimpse items such as engraved hard hats and the 'Oil Patch Kid,' a spin on the iconic 'Cabbage Patch Kids' toys. Tour the Greater Edmonton area and see how pump jacks dot the horizon. Oil is everywhere, shaping futures, fortunes and possibility. Set against this backdrop, the Oilers' name is unsurprising. It is not uncommon, after all, to name teams after local industries. Football's Pittsburgh Steelers pay homage to the steel mills that once employed much of the team's fan base. The Tennessee Oilers were originally the Houston Oilers, prompting other Texas teams such as the XFL's Roughnecks to follow suit. Further north, the name of basketball's Detroit Pistons references car manufacturing. Advertisement Teams with industry-inspired names play double duty, venerating both a place and a trade. Some fans are not only cheering for the home team, but also cheering for themselves – affirming that their industry and their labor matter. Ales Hemsky of the Edmonton Oilers skates out from under the oil derrick for a game at Rexall Place in 2008 in Edmonton, Alberta. Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images In a TikTok video from last year's Stanley Cups playoffs, a man overcome with joy at the Oilers' victory over the Dallas Stars claps his hands and hops around his living room. The caption reads, 'My first-generation immigrant oil rig working Filipino father who has never played a second of hockey in his life … happily cheering for the Oilers advancing in the playoffs. Better Bring that cup home for him oily boys.' He appears to be cheering for the Oilers not because they are a hockey team, but because they are an oil team. And indeed, the Oilers are an oily team. The Oilers' Oilfield Network, for example, describes itself as 'exclusively promot[ing] companies in the Oil and Gas industry,' allowing leaders to connect 'through the power of Oilers hockey.' Advertisement The Oilers' connection with industry is further underscored by their logos. The current one features a simple drop of oil, but past designs featured machinery gears and an oil worker pulling a lever shaped like a hockey stick. Simply put, 'Edmonton is all oil,' Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner shared after defeating the Dallas Stars to win the 2025 Western Conference Final. Liquid gold There is a long tradition of pairing hockey with oil – and with Canada itself. After the British North America Act founded Canada in 1867, the new nation searched for a distinctive identity through sport and other cultural forms. Advertisement Enter hockey. The winter game evolved in Canada from the Gaelic game of 'shinty' and the First Nations' game of lacrosse and soon became part of the glue holding the nation together. Ever since, media, politicians, sports groups and major industries have helped fuel fan fervor and promoted hockey as integral to Canada's rugged frontiersman character. The Montreal Amateur Athletic Association posing with the first Stanley Cup in 1893. Bruce Bennett Studios via GettyIn 1936, Imperial Oil, one of Canada's largest petroleum companies, began sponsoring Hockey Night in Canada, a national radio show that reached millions each week. Several years later, Imperial Oil played a major role in bringing the show to television, where the Imperial Oil Choir sang the theme song. Imperial Oil and its gas stations, Esso, also sponsored youth hockey programs across the nation. In 2019, Imperial inked a deal to be the NHL's 'official retail fuel' in Canada. Striking it rich Connections between hockey and industry in Alberta's oil country aren't just about sponsorships. Central to both cultures is the idea of luck – historically, one of the many things it takes to extract fossil fuels. 'Striking it rich' in the oil fields has become entangled with the idea of divine providence, especially among the many Christian laborers. Advertisement Philosopher Terra Schwerin Rowe has written about North America's 'petro-theology,' explaining how many perceive oil as a free-flowing gift from God meant to be taken from the Earth – if you can find it. A Canadian oil worker kisses his wife and daughter goodbye as he sets off to work in northern Alberta in the represents fortune, and who wouldn't want to borrow a bit of that for their team? Sports are thrilling because sometimes talent, team chemistry and the home-field advantage still lose to a stroke of good luck. Oil culture pairs the idea of divine favor with an insistence on rough-and-tumble endurance, similar to hockey. Sometimes if you don't strike it rich the first time, you have to keep on drilling. The next well may be the one to bring wealth. Oil prospectors know this, but so do sports fans who maintain hope season to season. Advertisement Soon fans from around the world will join Edmonton locals in rooting for the Oilers. They'll throw their hands up in despair if captain Connor McDavid enters the 'sin bin' – the penalty box – or dance in celebration to the Oilers' theme, 'La Bamba.' Some of them will be cheering, too, for oil. This is an updated version of an article originally published on June 19, 2024. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Cody Musselman, Harvard University and Judith Ellen Brunton, Rice University Read more: Advertisement The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Gloves from Wayne Gretzky's last Stanley Cup run with Oilers up for auction
A pair of gloves worn by Wayne Gretzky during his last Stanley Cup run with the Edmonton Oilers is going up for auction. Sotheby's announced Wednesday that bidding is underway for the Hockey Hall of Famer's game-worn gloves from the 1988 NHL playoffs. Bidding will close June 16. In a release, Sotheby's said the gloves are "photo matched" to Gretzky's last game with Edmonton and the pair is estimated to fetch between $400,000 and $600,000. Gretzky had 43 points in 19 games during the '88 playoffs as the Oilers won their fourth Stanley Cup in five years, sweeping the Boston Bruins in the final. "The Great One" was traded to the Los Angeles Kings before the start of the next season and did not win another Stanley Cup. The announcement of the auction came on the same day if Game 1 of the 2024-25 Stanley Cup final between the Oilers and the Florida Panthers. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 4, 2025. The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Politico
11 hours ago
- Politico
The icy Florida-Canada tiff hits the rink
Good morning and welcome to Wednesday. The Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers will face off in hockey's Stanley Cup Finals this week — a rematch of last year's championship series that brought the Cup to South Florida for the first time. It's no surprise a Florida team has made it this far once again — a team from the Sunshine State has featured in the finals every season since 2020 (proving good hockey isn't just a chilly, northern thing). What is surprising: How divided Florida and Canada have become in the time since last year's matchup. Florida has long been a popular tourist destination for Canadians, with 3.3 million visiting in 2024. But President DONALD TRUMP's sweeping tariffs and musings about Canadian statehood opened a rift that only widened when former Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU retaliated with tariffs of his own. Trudeau, as his time leading in Ottawa came to a close, encouraged Canadians to do their part in pushing back by changing their summer vacation plans or 'foregoing Florida orange juice altogether.' Gov. RON DESANTIS hit back in March during his State of the State speech, boasting about the state's 2024 Canadian tourism numbers. 'That's not much of a boycott in my book,' he said. 'Maybe they wanted to get a glimpse of what a Stanley Cup winning hockey team actually looks like.' The jab is particularly poignant in Canada, considered the birthplace of ice hockey and the home of plenty of the best players in the National Hockey League. The sport is deeply embedded in Canadian culture and is a staunch point of pride. Ottawa Playbook author Nick Taylor-Vaisey detailed this peculiar intersection of sports and geopolitics: 'The cross-border angst peaked during the NHL's Four Nations Faceoff in February, when Canadians and Americans duked it out (literally) twice in five days. Montrealers rained boos on the 'Star-Spangled Banner' at an emotionally charged round-robin matchup, and visiting Canadian fans belted out their anthem when Canada won the championship in a hostile Boston arena. 'The booing was less boisterous at the Toronto Blue Jays' home opener, which fell in the middle of the federal campaign. Canadians are now stereotypically polite during the other anthem, expending most of their energy on 'O Canada.'' Yet even with the increased animosity, some are still optimistic about Florida-Canada relations. 'We're pretty proud of our connections with Canada,' ROBERT WEISSERT, the executive director of the state's 'embassy' in DC, called the Florida House. It's a nonprofit located near the Supreme Court that 'champions all things Florida.' He pointed to both the tourism connection as well as a commercial one between the two: 'There are many banks and restaurants that only exist outside of Canada in Florida,' he said. As for the Canadian Embassy, officials said it would fly an Oilers flag both on the inside and outside of the DC building during the series, which starts tonight in Sunrise. But Nick points out one other thing to look out for during the series on the Edmonton side: 'Canadian patriotism plays a bit differently in Alberta, where a fledgling separatist movement has caught the attention of the political class — and many residents feel at least as Albertan as they do Canadian.' But if Trump drops a dismissive '51st state' barb online or in the Oval Office? Standard Canadian politeness at Edmonton's Rogers Place could disappear in a flash. — Veronica Bianco Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget that Playbook should look at? Get in touch at: kleonard@ ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... BOARD SAYS O-NO — 'State university leaders rejected Santa Ono as the University of Florida's prospective president Tuesday in a shocking move sparked by conservative outrage over his support of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives while leading the University of Michigan,' reports POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury. 'The unprecedented decision by the university system Board of Governors erases a presidential pick that UF trustees expected to propel the school into greater national prominence. But Ono was met with a lukewarm response from Gov. Ron DeSantis, a powerful voice in higher education, and outright opposition from other Republicans including Sen. Rick Scott and Reps. Byron Donalds and Greg Steube. 'Florida's flagship university now must restart a presidential search from square one as uncertainty surrounds what's next for Ono, who only weeks ago led one of the country's top universities.' NEW EDUCATION COMMISSIONER NAMED — 'Gov. Ron DeSantis positioned a critical ally to run the Florida Department of Education on Tuesday by recommending his deputy chief of staff, Anastasios Kamoutsas, for the job,' reports POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury. 'Kamoutsas, who has played a key role in implementing major pieces of DeSantis' conservative education agenda, is slated to replace Manny Diaz Jr., who is leaving the agency to lead the University of West Florida. The state Board of Education is scheduled to consider formally appointing a new commissioner during a meeting [today].' INSIDE THE GOV'S ROUGH YEAR — 'It's shaping up to be the year from hell for Ron DeSantis,' reports POLITICO's Gary Fineout. 'The Florida governor has been in a war of words and blame with the Republican state House speaker. A drawn-out budget dispute has left him frozen on filling key positions. Allies are streaming out the door, and it's unclear whether a successor in the governor's mansion will continue his legacy initiatives. 'Florida's current unsettled political landscape is a reminder that DeSantis — about 17 months removed from his unsuccessful bid for president — no longer has an iron grip on his state's politics. And it's a long cry from the once-rising conservative star whose handling of Covid-19 and his battles over education, race and gender identity garnered widespread attention — and have been replicated to some extent by the Trump administration.' LET THE KIDS POST — 'A federal judge blocked Florida officials Tuesday from enforcing key pieces of the state's high-profile law restricting social media access for children,' reports POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury. 'Judge Mark Walker determined Florida's law prohibiting children younger than 14 from using many platforms while demanding parental approval for 14- and 15-year-olds is 'likely facially unconstitutional,' delivering a blow to state Republicans fighting for stricter social media regulations. State Attorney General James Uthmeier is almost certain to appeal the decision, which came after Walker previously ruled top social media companies failed to prove how the law would hinder them.' BUDGET BATTLE KICKS OFF WITH HEALTH CARE — '[Budget] meetings began Tuesday with the health care budget, with the $46.9 billion House budget coming in at $1.8 billion less than the $48.7 billion offered by the Senate,' reports POLITICO's Arek Sarkissian. 'The House health budget would slash funding for 3,600 agency jobs that have not been filled in 90 days, while the Senate plan cuts just more than 400 jobs, some of which have been vacant for more than 180 days.' WATER HIKES — 'The Public Service Commission on Tuesday rejected arguments from its staff and the Office of Public Counsel in voting to allow a water company to seek rate hikes under a 2023 state law change,' reports POLITICO's Bruce Ritchie. 'The PSC voted 3-2 to hold a hearing on Central State Water Resources' request to set rate hikes based on raising the value of three ailing water systems above their net book value.' CRACKDOWN — Florida Attorney General JAMES UTHMEIER said law enforcement would search 'every inch' of the state to find undocumented immigrants, in a speech condemning a Lake County man found guilty of sex trafficking a minor, reports Kairi Lowery of the Orlando Herald. The man's visa had been expired for about four years. Uthmeier joined State Attorney BILL GLADSON and Eustis Police Chief CRAIG CAPRI in Lake County to announce Gomez's life sentence. Gladson and Capri both echoed Uthmeier's rhetoric on undocumented immigrants. 'You're not going to find yourself just deported on a plane back to some other country,' Gladson said. 'There are worse things than getting deported.' PENINSULA AND BEYOND WHAT'S IN A NAME — 'Along with changing the iconic Pensacola Beach welcome sign to read 'Gulf of America,' Escambia County is planning to change the wording in county ordinances,' reports Mollye Barrows of the Pensacola News Journal. 'At least 23 ordinances mention the Gulf of Mexico by name. They include ordinances on a range of legal issues from the 'Leave No Trace' law which addresses obstructions on Pensacola Beach to laws on Perdido Key Habitat Conservation and local dog parks.' — 'Pulse memorial gets $5 million pledge from Orange County,' reports Stephen Hudak of the Orlando Sentinel. — 'Miami-Dade's sagging condo market could be 'next great crisis' as values drop,' by Douglas Hanks of the Miami Herald. ...HURRICANE HOLE... AS PEOPLE STRUGGLE WITH INSURANCE COSTS: 'A Florida insurance company's husband-and-wife team of top executives earned pay in 2023 and 2024 that totaled more than $50 million, according to federal filings,' reports Anne Geggis of the Palm Beach Post. 'Tampa-based Slide Insurance Co., the state's sixth-largest insurance company, which started operations in 2022, paid its CEO Bruce Lucas $21 million last year, more than all other Florida insurance companies except for one. And Slide's COO Shannon Lucas made $16.5 million that same year, according to a May 23 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, first reported in the Insurance Journal.' NOW HIRING — 'After public backlash and concern, the National Weather Service is beginning the process of hiring more than 100 employees to 'stabilize operations' at its field offices around the country,' reports NPR's Greg Allen. 'Following cuts ordered by the Trump administration earlier this year, the weather service lost nearly 600 positions.' — 'Severe weather: As budget cuts hit, AI tools could fill gaps but data they need is at risk,' by Laura Cassels of the Florida Trident. CAMPAIGN MODE LOSING LATINO SUPPORT? — 'After Latino voters moved toward President Donald Trump in November, a new in-depth survey of this demographic shows their support for him could be breaking,' reports POLITICO's Andrew Howard. 'Throughout the president's first few months in office, his favorability among Latinos is crashing, especially among independents and women, according to a new poll conducted by Global Strategy Group and commissioned by Somos Votantes, a Democratic-leaning group that focuses on Latinos.' TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP SPACE AXE — Forty-one of NASA's science projects are on the chopping block after the Trump administration released new details about their budget proposal for the agency, which slashes their funds by about 25 percent, reports Eric Lagatta of the Tallahassee Democrat. The cut would be the biggest in NASA's history for a single year if Congress approves the proposal. The Planetary Society called it 'an extinction-level event for the space agency's most productive, successful, and broadly supported activity: science.' TRANSITION TIME — Sen. RICK SCOTT announced this morning that STU SANDLER is the new chief of staff for his office. Sandler has previously worked as political director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the executive director for the Michigan Republican Party, deputy director of the Republican Jewish Coalition and director of external affairs for Michigan Attorney General MIKE COX. The former chief of staff, CRAIG CARBONE, is leaving at the end of this week. ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN — 'A beginner's guide to the Florida Panthers: Stanley Cup Final edition,' by Axios' Martin Vassolo. — The South Florida Sun Sentinel has also put together a list of watch parties. BIRTHDAYS: Former Miami-Dade County Judge Ed Newman … Julie Fess, government affairs consultant with Gunster ... Holly Benson, former state legislator and former Agency for Health Care Administration secretary.
