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Globe and Mail
5 days ago
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
Some Oilers fans ready to move on from criticism of Gretzky over Trump ties
It wasn't long ago that some Canadians were up in arms about hockey legend Wayne Gretzky's ties to U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. But as the Edmonton Oilers skate their way through the Stanley Cup final, hockey fans say it's time to let bygones be bygones. 'I don't think it matters,' said Craig Hiscock, a longtime Oilers fan, as he posed Wednesday for a photo with a statue of Gretzky outside Rogers Place in Edmonton ahead of Game 1. 'Let's forget about the past. What he did here was a lot for the city, a lot for hockey.' The statue was vandalized in March and smeared with what appeared to be and strongly smelled like feces. On Wednesday, a hip-high metal fence was up around the bronze figure. An online petition started in February calling for a new name for Wayne Gretzky Drive also has about 14,000 signatures. Edmonton statue of Oilers great Wayne Gretzky smeared with excrement Gretzky, the Ontario-born hockey star who led the Oilers to four Stanley Cup victories in the 1980s, recently drew the ire of Canadians for his public support of Trump, who has repeatedly expressed his desire for Canada to join the U.S and become its 51st state. The Great One was photographed with Trump several times at the president's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. In January, Gretzky and his wife, Janet, attended Trump's inauguration in Washington. Frustrations grew after he appeared as honorary captain for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off final with the United States. Video footage showed him giving the U.S. team a thumbs-up as he walked to the ice. Gretzky also congratulated Dallas Stars players in their locker room last month, after they advanced to the Western Conference final. The Oilers eliminated the Stars in five games and now have one win against the Florida Panthers in the Cup final. Brian Foulken, who became a fan during the Gretzky era and collects Oilers merchandise, said Gretzky's accomplishments, including multiple scoring records that stand to this day, still resonate with people. As for the criticism, Foulken said people are going to have their own opinions. 'At the end of the day, [Gretzky] played here for a long time. The diehard Oilers [fans], we love him,' he said outside the arena before Game 1. 'He's an amazing player.' Foulken added that current Oilers captain Connor McDavid is inching closer to Gretzky-level greatness. Darren Rogers, a Gretzky fan since the Oilers' inception into the NHL in 1979, said Gretzky's leadership led the team to win multiple Stanley Cups. Trouble in Gretzkyville: For the first time, The Great One finds himself shunned by Edmonton fans Politics aside, that accomplishment should matter more to people in the grand scheme of things, Rogers said. Gretzky was in Edmonton for Wednesday's game. And as storied as Gretzky is to the Oilers franchise, he appeared to still be catching up to this new generation's fan base. On an American sports network, he sat side by side with commentators, as they discussed the Oilers' new tradition of playing the pop song Pink Pony Club. Players have been tight-lipped about the significance of the Chappell Roan hit, typically heard after the team plays La Bamba by Los Lobos following a win. 'Pink Pony — is that a band or is that a song?' the 64-year-old Gretzky asked TNT Sports co-host Paul Bissonnette following the Oilers' 4-3 overtime victory in Game 1. '[Roan] sings a song, Pink Pony Club, and it's famous. It's on the radio,' Bissonnette answered. 'It's the new generation, Wayne,' he added. Gretzky appeared disappointed to learn Roan isn't Canadian, but still seemed eager to check out the song. 'I gotta get that [as] my ringtone,' Gretzky said.
USA Today
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Projecting the starting lineups for a Team USA vs. World NBA All-Star Game
Projecting the starting lineups for a Team USA vs. World NBA All-Star Game On Wednesday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver revealed some massive news for the format of the 2026 NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles. It will officially be a "Team USA vs. Team World" setup, which feels very appropriate for the current state of the league with so many international superstars shining, and is a natural pivot to make after seeing the success leagues like the NHL had with its "4 Nations Face Off." If the NBA was worried about meaningful competition in an exhibition, I have a hunch this is the exact way you motivate the faces of the league to give it their all. Now, while the 2026 NBA All-Star Game is still a ways away, it's never too early to project the possible starting lineups. Below you'll find the 10 players who I think will start this affair. I'm factoring in talent, lineup fit, and of course, some good old-fashioned basketball politics into my rationale. Barring health and expected performance during the regular season, here's the starting lineup we should probably expect for Team World: Point guard: Luka Dončić (Slovenia) Widely regarded as one of the best passers in the world, making Dončić the primary guard initiator for the international team is a no-brainer. Plus, if he's not dumping the ball off to his massive frontcourt, Dončić is absolutely lethal as a decelerating, patient scorer in his own right. Shooting guard: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada) The reigning MVP has no real flaws in his game. In fact, he's this close to being a 50-40-90 player if he can ever become a more proficient 3-point shooter (not that he's a bad one). Slotting Gilgeous-Alexander next to Dončić in the backcourt is kind of unfair. Small forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece) There's something funny about slotting Antetokounmpo, who is a listed 6-foot-11, 243 pounds, at small forward. But that's more so about who his frontcourt teammates are. And we're not really worried about spacing concerns, considering who else is playing, too. Plus, there's no feasible realm where the two-time MVP and 2020 Defensive Player of the Year isn't starting for Team World. He's too good and too much of a physical force to be reckoned with. Power forward: Victor Wembanyama (France) Before a scary blood clot derailed his sophomore NBA season, Wembanyama was averaging over 24 points, 11 rebounds, nearly four assists, and almost four blocks a game. Oh, and he was also a 35-percent 3-point shooter on high volume ... as someone who stands at 7-foot-3. All at the age of 21. Yeah, he's a lock to start in these kinds of settings for the foreseeable future. Center: Nikola Jokić (Serbia) Jokić followed up his third MVP season by becoming the third NBA player ever to average a triple-double over an entire season. In other words, the all-around big man and best player in the world is at the peak of his powers. And in this specific All-Star context, the all-timer might just have the starting five that can truly accentuate and complement him in the best ways. Likewise, assuming health and expected performance, here's the starting lineup we'll probably see for Team USA: Point guard: Steph Curry Listen, even at the age of 37, Curry remains one of the best players in the game. He's still the league's top shooter. His gravity is still mostly unmatched. And even if you somehow wanted to start someone else, there's virtually no way one of the three core pillars of American basketball this century would ever let you make that decision. As he should. Shooting guard: Anthony Edwards At his current trajectory, Edwards may soon become the face of American basketball. He's led the Timberwolves to back-to-back conference finals appearances and already has an Olympic gold medal, albeit as more of a supporting player. His unique combo of explosiveness and lights-out shooting should make him a lock for the USA's starters. Small forward: Kevin Durant Like Curry, Durant might be older at the age of 36, but he remains an All-NBA-caliber player when he's firing on all cylinders. He's arguably the greatest mid-range "assassin" ever. And again, assuming he's available, you're simply not leaving off someone like Durant from the starting lineup no matter what, especially when he has made playing for Team USA one of his main calling cards. Power forward: LeBron James James, one of the two best NBA players ever, will be an All-Star until he retires. And no one is telling the living legend he's not starting against Team World in a first-time international All-Star environment. Even if James is in his 40s, I would have zero concerns about making him the small-ball power forward for just one game. He can handle it. Center: Joel Embiid There's no perfect answer for Team USA's starting center given Embiid's recent health issues. But the Americans do need something to combat Team World's MASSIVE frontcourt, and assuming Embiid will be healthy, the 2023 MVP is easily the best possible option to withstand and hold his own against that trio.
New York Times
20-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Leafs captain Auston Matthews played through injury all season, won't need surgery
Auston Matthews will not need offseason surgery to correct an injury that he said impacted him throughout the entire 2024-25 season. He said he believes he will make a full recovery. That was the main takeaway from the Toronto Maple Leafs captain's end-of-season availability on Tuesday morning, as coach Craig Berube and many members of the team spoke with the media for the final time this season. Advertisement Matthews declined to comment on what the injury was specifically, but called it 'a very tough season' and 'a bit of a rollercoaster unfortunately throughout the whole season, throughout playoffs' as a result of the ailment. He added that he believes he can recover '100 percent' in time for next season through off-ice treatments and won't require any surgical procedures. Matthews had only 33 goals and 78 points and missed 15 games due to the injury this year after posting 69 goals and 107 points the season prior. He had three goals and 11 points in 13 playoff games before the Leafs were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in Game 7 on Sunday. He also played three games for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in February, recording three assists. 'I got injured in training camp,' Matthews explained, later adding that the injury 'impacted a lot of different things' throughout the year. 'Obviously, I wasn't feeling great throughout the first month or so of the season, took some time off, went to Germany (to see doctors), did all these things to try to feel better. Then kind of got to a place where I felt like I could manage it. 'There was obviously some good stretches where I felt good. There were some stretches where I didn't feel very good. Definitely a tough year physically, but with some time off and just going through my own process and treatment and everything I'm really confident I'll be back 100 percent come next season. And there's nothing to worry about.' Matthews also explained that he didn't want to state the exact nature of the injury because he believed opponents could target that area in the future. 'It's my right to (keep it private), I believe,' he said. He added that he doesn't believe the pressure of playing in Toronto is a problem, despite that the Leafs failed to advance beyond the second round for the ninth consecutive season since he joined the team as the No. 1 overall pick in 2016. 'I love playing in Toronto and playing for this fan base and this organization,' Matthews said. 'I think that kind of stuff is just kind of outside noise that isn't really focused on or talked about too much in our locker room.'
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Thomas Harley Continues To Add To Playoff Resume With Game 6 Winner
The performances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs not only define whether a team hoists the NHL's ultimate prize, but for some defines their career. Thomas Harley is still in the infancy of his NHL, yet this past NHL season, and current postseason, is on track to eventually make him one of Dallas Stars's franchise greats. Stars Forward Gives Words of Advice to Mark Scheifele The Game 6 overtime win was an emotional one on both sides of the rink. Thomas Harley has taken a huge leap this season. The fourth year defenseman has not only had a year where he notched career highs in goals and points during the regular season, he also played a big role for Canada in the inaugural 4 Nations Face Off, and is currently a key figure for the Stars during their current playoff run. On Saturday night, Harley notched the biggest goal of his career as he scored the game winning goal in overtime to punch Dallas's ticket to a third-straight Western Conference Final. Harley has already surpassed his previous playoff runs as he has notched 11 points in 13 games, bringing his career postseason total to 24 points. Stars Announce 2025 Full Playoff Schedule vs. Oilers Talk about deja vu. The 23-year-old defenseman has currently sits thirds on the Stars in points, and shows no signs of slowing down after scoring the winning tally in Game 6. What has been most impressive about Harley's performance is that his defense has not suffered with each offensive performance. The Dallas defenseman's play on the backend has only improved with every point and goal scored. Thomas Harley and the Stars will kick off their Western Conference Final series against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night in Dallas. Puck drop is set for 7pm CDT, and can be viewed on ESPN. Follow all of Adam's work on X: denkyd8nk
Washington Post
09-05-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says league encouraged by status of CBA talks with players
SUNRISE, Fla. — The NHL is encouraged by the status of collective bargaining talks, Commissioner Gary Bettman said Friday, adding that he's optimistic a deal will be done long before the September 2026 expiration of the current deal between the league and its players. Talks began in earnest earlier this year and given the current state of the game — revenues soaring, the sport booming and some additional momentum that came out of the 4 Nations Face-Off event in February — there was no reason to think the sides would encounter major snags.
