Latest news with #CanadianSports
Associated Press
02-07-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Rogers Becomes Majority Owner of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
Closes transaction to acquire BCE's 37.5% ownership stake in MLSE Strengthens commitment to Canadian sports Will invest to bring championships to Canada TORONTO, July 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rogers Communications Inc. (TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B) (NYSE: RCI) today announced it has closed its transaction to acquire BCE's 37.5% ownership stake in Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) for C$4.7 billion. Rogers is now the largest owner with a 75% interest in MLSE. 'MLSE is one of the most prestigious sports and entertainment organizations in the world and we're proud to be the majority owner of these iconic sports teams,' said Tony Staffieri, President and CEO, Rogers. 'Live sports are a core part of our business and core to the fans who live and breathe every moment.' Rogers has invested over $15 billion in Canadian sports over the past decade and will continue to invest to bring championships to Canada. 'We're passionate about winning and we're committed to bringing more championships to fans in Canada,' said Edward Rogers, Executive Chair, Rogers. The acquisition expands Rogers leadership in Canadian sports, adding to its portfolio that includes the Toronto Blue Jays, Rogers Centre and Sportsnet – the number one sports network in Canada. Rogers also has long-term strategic partnerships with the NHL including a new 12-year agreement for the national media rights through 2037-2038, and with the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames. The transaction closed effective July 1 after receiving all necessary regulatory and league approvals. The purchase price was primarily funded from revolving bank credit facilities together with cash on hand. 'MLSE is a valuable and appreciating asset and this investment positions us to unlock more value for Rogers shareholders,' added Staffieri. 'We're building something that lasts – on the ice, on the court, on the field, and across the country.' About Rogers Communications Inc. Rogers is Canada's leading communications and entertainment company and its shares are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: RCI). For more information, please visit or For further information: Media Relations [email protected] 1-844-226-1338 Investor Relations [email protected] 1-844-801-4792
CBC
19-06-2025
- Sport
- CBC
New-look Canadian 3x3 basketball teams shoot for 1st-ever World Cup titles
Battered and bruised in the immediate aftermath of the Olympics, Canada's 3x3 women's basketball team chose the 10,000-foot view. The long successful group had come to Paris with eyes on a gold medal, but left having not reached the podium at all. Yet the foursome of Katherine Plouffe, twin sister Michelle Plouffe, Paige Crozon and Kacie Bosch opted to revel in the journey instead of dwelling on the defeat. Their voyage together may not have peaked with gold, but it was undoubtedly successful, including many victories and establishing the groundwork for Canadian 3x3 basketball from unfunded in 2019 to Olympians five years later. On Sunday, a new chapter of Canadian 3x3 basketball will begin at the World Cup in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, with both the women's and men's teams set to compete for a title neither has ever won. "I don't think we lost confidence after the Olympics. I think it was definitely tender and emotional. But our team values stayed the same and we all knew what we brought to the table both on and off the court," Crozon said from a hotel room in Mongolia. Schedule conflict, minor injuries sideline Plouffes It'll be up to Crozon and Bosch to pass those values on to a pair of new team members at the World Cup. The Plouffes will not play as they deal with both schedule conflict and minor injuries. In their place will be Saicha Grant-Allen, with 49 games on her ledger, and Cassandra Brown, a relative rookie at 26 games. Crozon and Bosch have combined to make 412 appearances for Canada on the 3x3 circuit. "Just using it as an opportunity to expand our games personally, but then also embracing the challenge of finding out what works for this team … and just trying to continue the culture and values that Michelle and Katherine Plouffe have instilled in this group," Crozon said. Live coverage of the World Cup will be available on CBC Gem and beginning Sunday at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT through to the medal games on Sunday, June 29. The Canadian women, ranked sixth, are pooled with No. 3 France, No. 11 Hungary, No. 14 Austria and No. 18 Latvia. Canada's men — making their first World Cup appearance since 2018 — are ranked 17th and will face No. 3 France, No. 6 Austria, No. 11 China and No. 14 Puerto Rico in the group stage. Sixteen countries from each 20-team tournament will reach the single-elimination knockout stage, with division winners headed directly to the quarterfinals. While the Canadian women have won back-to-back regular-season championships on the 3x3 circuit, and earned the inaugural Champions Cup title in March, their best finish at the World Cup was a silver in 2022. A win in Mongolia would leave just one shiny Olympic first to obtain. But that gold medal will only be available three years from now in Los Angeles. Establish chemistry For now, Crozon said the goal is to establish chemistry with Grant-Allen and Brown like she and Bosch enjoyed with the Plouffes. "There was a level of comfort because we understood each other's tendencies and there was a lot of trust that was built. So there's not as much comfort going into this tournament. However, I think we're all really excited because we get to explore kind of ways that we can expand our game," Crozon said. "I'm looking forward to the challenge and maybe stepping into a little bit of a different role and the growth that can come out of it." Grant-Allen, the 29-year-old from Hamilton, Ont., played four years at Dayton College before graduating in 2017 and going on to play professionally in Russia, Spain and Turkey until 2022. Brown, the 33-year-old from Vernon, B.C., played for Canada's five-on-five team at the 2019 Pan Am Games and spent 10 years plying her trade internationally before committing to 3x3. On the court, Crozon said to expect the new group to feature more size down low with the six-foot-five Grant-Allen and increased spacing in the form of the sharp-shooting Brown. "They are long and dynamic and versatile, and they bring so much energy and they have a little bit of a different style of play than what we have seen in the past," Crozon said. Canadian men on tap The men's team includes Alex "Superman" Johnson, who committed to 3x3 full-time in 2021, alongside Grant Audu, Jerome Desrosiers and Toronto Metropolitan University's Aaron Rhooms. Johnson and Desrosiers were part of the group that placed third at the Olympic qualifying tournament last season, narrowly missing a spot in Paris. Canada's men also missed out on qualifying for Tokyo 2020. "It's always back to the drawing board when you don't reach your goals," Johnson said. "Seeing the women go and us stuck at home is kind of bittersweet. You're happy for your friends and you're happy for the program as a whole, but you kind of want to be there. So it just added motivation to try and seize every opportunity." That begins with the World Cup, where Canada's men are making just their second-ever appearance after qualifying at a tournament in Azerbaijan in May. Johnson, the 37-year-old Toronto native, said his group is looking at the women's side as a model for success. "They've kind of just showed the blueprint. The chemistry that that group has kind of put together, it's really special to see and it's something that we are trying to emulate," he said. Audu, the 27-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., played four years at UBC before launching a pro career that included a stop in the Canadian Elite Basketball League. Desrosiers, the 27-year-old from Saint-Hyacinthe, Que., recently began playing 3x3 professionally and holds the highest individual ranking on the team. Toronto's Rhooms, 23, was named the OUA's player of the year last season and currently competes for the CEBL's Edmonton Stingers.
CTV News
22-05-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Nash: ‘Amazing' that fellow Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is NBA MVP
Steve Nash congratulated Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on his MVP award. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash, L; THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, David Zalubowski, R) Steve Nash's favourite NBA player just won the league's most-valuable player award. It just so happens that they're both Canadian. Nash spoke with media this afternoon to congratulate Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on his MVP award. Nash was the first Canadian to win the trophy, earning it in 2005 and 2006 when he was a point guard for the Phoenix Suns. Gilgeous-Alexander is the first player born in Canada to be recognized. Nash, who was born in South Africa and moved with his family to Canada as an infant, says that it's 'amazing' to have another Canadian as NBA MVP. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 22, 2025.
