logo
NORCECA Women's Volleyball U19 Pan Am Cup: Puerto Rico vs Mexico

NORCECA Women's Volleyball U19 Pan Am Cup: Puerto Rico vs Mexico

CBCa day ago

Watch Puerto Rico and Mexico go head-to-head at the NORCECA Women's Volleyball U19 Pan Am Cup from the Queen's Athletics & Recreation Centre in Kingston, Ont.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Sportsnet's Joe Siddall shines as clear heir apparent to Buck Martinez on Blue Jays broadcasts
Sportsnet's Joe Siddall shines as clear heir apparent to Buck Martinez on Blue Jays broadcasts

National Post

time12 hours ago

  • National Post

Sportsnet's Joe Siddall shines as clear heir apparent to Buck Martinez on Blue Jays broadcasts

It was early days in his broadcasting career when Sportsnet's Joe Siddall was getting a cameo in the television booth and quickly learned how Buck Martinez, his partner that day, was much more than just a smooth voice and a revered Blue Jays personality. Article content And the lessons learned that day resonated to the point that it provided Siddall one of his biggest leaps forward in his own broadcasting career. Article content Article content 'Buck and I were taping an intro and 10 or 20 seconds in I butchered it and it was 'OK, Take 2,'' Siddall recalled of that day in the Rogers Centre TV booth where he was moved up from the radio booth as a fill-in for Pat Tabler. 'Then 20 seconds into the next one, I butchered that one as well and it was on to Take 3. Article content 'Finally, Buck just looked at me and said 'Put your (bleeping) paper down, look in that camera and pretend you're talking to your son about baseball.' Article content 'The light bulb went on and it just freed me up. It was early on but to this day I say it was a turning point for me.' Article content Siddall hasn't looked back since, developing into one of the most trusted and versatile voices on Sportsnet's Blue Jays telecasts. Article content Article content He also has emerged as the heir apparent to Martinez, whenever the day comes that Buck stops talking baseball for a Canada-wide TV audience. Article content To be clear, Martinez has no plans to go anywhere even though he has been absent for the past 22 games for what he described as regular time off in his reduced schedule. The 76-year-old is set to return to the Sportsnet airwaves next Monday when the New York Yankees visit the Rogers Centre for a four-game series. Article content For the third year now, Siddall has been the steady backup to Martinez after the latter trimmed his workload to 100 games a season. The resulting reconfiguration Siddall shuffling from the Blue Jays Central studio to the game broadcast booth for a near-even split of the 130 contracted games he works each season. Article content Article content The Windsor native and former catcher (like all Jays analysts, it seems) has quietly become an important voice to the team's coverage. His in-depth breakdowns — and honest, transparent criticism when warranted — shines through in his studio segments. And that insight has travelled nicely to the booth. Article content 'What I like about doing both is the variety,' Siddall said prior to a game in the Jays recently completed homestand. 'That mix is great. But what I love about the booth is that it's almost like you're back in the game again. You're going pitch to pitch, thinking along with the pitcher and catcher, what the infield is doing, how the outfield is playing. It's in the moment more. It's that little fix to make up for not playing any more.

Top NHL prospect Matthew Schaefer staying positive despite grief, injury
Top NHL prospect Matthew Schaefer staying positive despite grief, injury

The Province

time13 hours ago

  • The Province

Top NHL prospect Matthew Schaefer staying positive despite grief, injury

Published Jun 22, 2025 • 4 minute read Defenceman Matthew Schaefer, right, and forward Michael Misa, NHL Central Scouting's top two North American draft prospects, share the podium to address reporters at the league's annual combine at Buffalo's downtown Harborcenter facility, Friday, June 6, 2025. Photo by John Wawrow / AP Photo When the time comes for defenceman Matthew Schaefer to take the stage at the NHL draft inside the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles this week, the top-ranked prospect won't be climbing the stairs alone. 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. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. 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 There's no doubt in Schaefer's mind his late mother Jennifer will be accompanying him in spirit. It will stand as a joyous moment for the 17-year-old Erie Otters player celebrating the person who's been at his side for every step even after she died of cancer some 16 months ago. 'I love talking about my mom, because I talk about the happy memories instead of the sad memories,' Schaefer said. He recalled the times Jennifer suited up in goalie equipment to face shots from him and his older brother. Even when sick, she'd muster the energy to play mini-sticks in the family basement. 'She's always with me in spirit. I know she has a front-row seat to every game,' Schaefer added. 'I just want to carry on her legacy and character and the person she was.' Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. 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. His mother's poise and strength are reflected in shaping Schaefer's upbeat perspective in the face of other losses and setbacks. Some two months before Schaefer's mother died, the mother of his billet family was struck and killed by a train in what was ruled a death by suicide. In December, he was in Ottawa representing Canada at the world junior championship when Otters owner and Schaefer's mentor, Jim Waters, died of a heart attack. Schaefer broke his collarbone at the tournament, forcing him to miss the final three months of the season. Through it all, Schaefer refuses to be defined by pain and tragedy. 'My mindset has changed a lot with everything. Just seeing what my mom went through, having a smile on her face with cancer kind of trying to bring her down, but she wouldn't let it,' he said. 'She's the strongest person I've ever known.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. A testament to Schaefer's perseverance: The 6-foot-2, 183-pound player from Hamilton has remained atop NHL Central Scouting's rankings among North American skaters with the two-day draft opening on Friday. Though the debate between ranking Schaefer over high-scoring Saginaw Spirit centre Michael Misa was close, scouting director Dan Marr said Schaefer earned the nod because of the development he showed when healthy. Marr referred to Schaefer as 'stealing the show' at Canada's under-18 summer camp before scoring six points (two goals, four assists) in captaining Canada to win the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup in August. After missing the start of the OHL season with mononucleosis, he posted 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 17 games with Erie before being sidelined at the world juniors. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'He's one of the guys I think teams can safely interpret what you see is what you get,' Marr said of a two-way, fluid-skating defenceman who is responsible defensively, a playmaker offensively, and labelled 'a special talent' by Central Scouting. What's unmeasurable is Schaefer's character. 'He's just a breath of fresh air,' Marr said. It's a quality Otters forward Malcolm Spence saw in Schaefer every day as a roommate. 'He's a guy that you wouldn't even know what he's gone through,' Spence said. 'He wakes up every day with a smile on his face.' RECOMMENDED VIDEO Engaging personality Schaefer's engaging personality was on display throughout the pre-draft combine in Buffalo, N.Y., followed by him joining top prospects in attending Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final in Florida. In skipping the combine's bench-press and pullup testing portions, he urged his fellow prospects to succeed. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In Florida, Schaefer recalled how his hotel room wasn't ready upon arrival, so he took advantage of a sunny day. 'We got a little tan going on, a couple of us,' he said. 'I'm happy with that. I'm pretty light as it is. I have a hockey rink tan, as I'd say.' The only thing fazing him was being awestruck in meeting several NHL players, including Florida's Brad Marchand and Edmonton's Connor McDavid, a former Otters player who went No. 1 in the 2015 draft. Schaefer elicited a laugh when saying he was rooting for the Oilers, before noting he failed to mention that in meeting Marchand. Sharing his story There is a serious side to Schaefer, evident during the combine. He made a point to visit a Buffalo-area outreach group for grieving youths. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Gwen Mysiak, co-founder of Western New York Compassion Connection, was impressed by how Schaefer engaged an audience that included about 15 youths, ranging in ages 7 to 17. 'When he walked through these doors, you sensed the genuine nature he has, and how passionate he is to make a difference with all his pain,' she said. 'To have peer support coming from a young man like that on the precipice of his NHL career was a gift,' added Mysiak, whose husband died two years ago. 'I will be watching the NHL draft for the first time in my life because he really captured our hearts.' Schaefer said the visit was the least he could do, noting he skipped his high school graduation ceremony to be there. 'There's young kids that are going through tough times. A lot of people love to keep it in, and I want to try to put their minds at ease in any way,' Schaefer said, before reflecting on his experiences. 'You know, if love could have saved them, they would have lived forever. That's a good saying I go by. But everything happens for a reason in life. Makes me super stronger. And I want to help people.' Read More Vancouver Canucks News Vancouver Canucks News News

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store