Latest news with #Daoust
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pittsburgh earns commitment from 2026 three-star New Jersey DL Logan Nagle
Pittsburgh is the choice for class of 2026 three-star defensive lineman Logan Nagle. He announced his commitment to the Panthers on Tuesday. The DePaul Catholic High School (Wayne, New Jersey) standout took an official visit to Pitt during the weekend of June 6 through June 8. He also took official visits to Indiana (May 1 through May 3), Boston College (May 30 through June 1) and Michigan State June 13 through June 15). Advertisement At Pittsburgh, Nagle will play under head coach Pat Narduzzi, defensive coordinator Randy Bates, defensive line coach Tim Daoust and the rest of the staff. Ultimately, Nagle pledged to the Panthers due to the staff's track record of developing defensive lineman, his fit in the defensive system and the comfortability he felt within the program. "I chose Pitt because of their long history of producing NFL D-linemen," Nagle told "(They have) a great defensive scheme, which is very D-line friendly. And all the love the coaches showed me and my family (also played a factor)." View on instagram Advertisement Nagle has grown close to just about everybody on the Pittsburgh staff. He has built especially close bonds with Daoust, his future position coach, and Narduzzi, his future head coach. However, Nagle has connections with many of the Panthers' staff members. "I have a great relationship with all of them," Nagle said about the Pitt staff. "I talk to Coach Daoust and Coach Narduzzi just about everyday. And I have great relationships with others on the staff, too." During Nagle's official visit to Pittsburgh, he was able to explore the city, spend quality time with the coaches, learn more about the Panthers' defensive scheme and more. "I got to see the whole city of Pittsburgh and got to learn a lot more about Pittsburgh football," Nagle noted about his official visit. "I really enjoyed sitting down and talking football with Coach Daoust and Coach Bates. It was amazing learning more of their scheme and how they teach it." In addition to the schools already mentioned, Nagle received offers from Central Florida, North Carolina State, Rutgers, Syracuse, Wake Forest, West Virginia, James Madison, Tulane and others. Advertisement A big component of Nagle's game is his versatility along the defensive line. The 6-foot-5, 275-pound New jersey native can play inside as a defensive tackle, or outside as a five-tech defensive end or elsewhere. Being able to play in multiple spots is important to Nagle. "They're letting me playing DE and DT, which was a big thing for me because I love having positional flexibility," Nagle said about the Pittsburgh coaches. "The best way to describe my game is I'm very versatile — I'm able to play across the D-line using my length and speed." As a junior, Nagle recorded 62 total tackles 11 sacks, six tackles for loss, 18 quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles and one blocked punt. He helped lead the Spartans to an 11-1 overall record and a NJSIAA Non-Public B state championship. Pittsburgh's 2026 class grows to 22 total commitments and ranks 32nd nationally.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
PWHL Draft 2025: Best picks, biggest surprises and why New York stole the show
OTTAWA – Pascal Daoust started Tuesday night's PWHL Draft under a microscope. The New York franchise Daoust has constructed since the league's inaugural draft in 2023 finished last in the league standings two years in a row. He left American star forward Alex Carpenter unprotected in expansion and left many fans confused by his choice to stockpile defenders at the expense of the team's forward talent. Advertisement Understandably, a lot of pre-draft chatter was about what exactly Daoust might be doing. But three picks into the first-round – and certainly by the end of the night, with two trades and nine selections, including two of the top three players available – Daoust was at the winner's table. He started by selecting Kristýna Kaltounková with the No. 1 pick, adding a physical forward with international experience and a heavy shot to bring more offense to the Sirens lineup. It was hardly a surprising pick given Kaltounková's experience with New York head coach Greg Fargo from Colgate University. But then came the first big move of the night: New York sent defender Ella Shelton to Toronto in exchange for the No. 3 pick and a fourth-round pick. With the No. 3 pick, Daoust selected Patty Kazmaier Award winner Casey O'Brien, adding a gifted playmaker and highly productive college forward to the early haul. He leveraged a position of strength to draft the two best forwards coming out of the NCAA. Advertisement 'Coming here, I didn't have one specific plan. I was open-minded,' Daoust told . 'But the closer we got to the draft, the more I knew where I could do some shopping, and I knew that I started my own boutique 'Rent-A-D (dot) com' so I was kind of popular on the phone. 'I was patient, and there was a way for me to flip some strength from the D to put it on the forward side and that was the intent tonight.' Later in the evening, Daoust traded forward Abby Roque, who was inconsistent in New York, to Montreal in exchange for defensive forward Kristin O'Neill and a fourth-round pick. When the deal was announced, there were audible gasps throughout the crowd. The Sirens looked good on paper the last two years but couldn't quite figure things out on the ice. And there are many months until the 2025-26 season to figure out if Daoust truly pulled off the turnaround it looks like New York should have. Regardless, the Sirens and their GM stole the show for most of the 2025 PWHL Draft. Advertisement But that doesn't mean there weren't other surprises or picks to unpack around the league. Let's get into it. New York Sirens New York had a big day with several meaningful additions to the roster. Kaltounková and O'Brien highlight the list, but Anne Cherkowski and Makenna Webster — who is also an elite field hockey player — are also strong two-way forwards who could scale the top-nine and add the kind of consistent secondary scoring that had been missing over the last two seasons. Dayle Ross should be a good shutdown defender for a blue line with a lot of offensive talent. Taking Anna Bargman — a solid two-way potential bottom-six forward from Yale — in the sixth round was a savvy way to round out a new look forward corps. Best pick: Casey O'Brien (Round 1, No. 3) Getting O'Brien at No. 3 feels like a steal. She was the most dominant forward in college hockey last season and put together a historic offensive season. She's an elite playmaker and has shown she has easy chemistry with elite scoring wingers (like Kirsten Simms at Wisconsin), which could make O'Brien a perfect fit at center beside Sarah Fillier. Advertisement Biggest surprise: Drafting two goalies Projecting goaltenders – how many get drafted and where they might land – is always a tricky exercise. I figured at least three goalies would go, given most teams needed back-ups after the expansion draft movement. But I'll admit I didn't see New York drafting both Callie Shanahan and Kaley Doyle coming, With former No. 1 Corinne Schroeder now in Seattle and backup Abbey Levy signing in Boston, maybe it shouldn't have been a big surprise that New York wanted to solidify its goalie depth chart. If nothing else, the selections set up what could be an interesting crease behind Kayle Osborne next season. Boston Fleet Boston put together a solid draft, filling some of the big holes left in the wake of expansion. On Tuesday night, Marmer said every person they drafted is 'somebody who fits into our lineup.' Advertisement That starts more obviously with No. 2 pick Haley Winn, a dynamic offensive defender who led Clarkson in scoring this season, even from the blue line. Riley Brengman is more of a third-pair option, but should shore up Boston's depth on the blue line at five-on-five and the penalty kill. At forward, Ella Huber, Olivia Mobley and Abby Newhook could add some offense back into the lineup after losing Hilary Knight and Hannah Bilka. Mobley was among the top goalscorers available out of college and only O'Brien and Kaltounková had more points than Huber (48) among draft eligibles. Best pick: Ella Huber (Round 2, No. 10) The most impactful pick next year is surely going to be Winn, but we can't just pick all the first-rounders here. And Huber at 10th overall is a nice pickup by Marmer. Huber is a versatile forward who adds some necessary speed to Boston's lineup. She'll also be able to play multiple different roles for the Fleet, either as a third-line checking forward or the 1C beside a star winger, like she's done for years beside Abbey Murphy at Minnesota. Advertisement Biggest surprise: Abby Newhook (Round 5, No. 34) The Boston College forward was listed as one of the league's top prospects, but fell to Round 5, where Marmer said she was 'wildly surprised' to see her still available. Newhook is a high-skill player who coaches call a total work horse. Her production last season doesn't jump off the page, but she can elevate her game when playing with elite players and could find success in Boston as a result. 'I think people are going to be surprised by the success that she can have in this league,' Marmer said. Toronto Sceptres Toronto certainly got bigger through the draft with four out of five players measuring at least 5-foot-9 and one (Emma Gentry) as tall as 5-foot-11. GM Gina Kingsbury said it wasn't a priority to simply add size, but it was the size mixed with the skill and upside of each player that drew them to Toronto. Gentry, for example, has pro size, is a physical competitor and has a nose for the net. Clara Van Wieren is another physically imposing center, but is also coming off a 40-point NCAA season. Advertisement The Sceptres also made a trade splash sending Kristen Campbell and the 19th overall pick to Vancouver in exchange for the 16th and 23rd picks. The move looks like a win-win for a team that wanted more stability in the crease, and a player who probably needed a fresh start. Best pick: Sara Hjalmarsson (Round 5, No. 35) Hjalmarsson went undrafted last season, and might have flown under the radar compared to some college forwards after playing the last two seasons in the SDHL. She's a good offensive player and brings size (5-foot-9) to the lineup. Hjalmarsson is good at the net front and projects to be a solid bottom-six power forward for Toronto, which would fill the hole left by Julia Gosling in expansion. Biggest surprise: The Shelton trade Heading into the draft, Toronto's biggest need was arguably at forward after losing Sarah Nurse, Hannah Miller, Izzy Daniel and Gosling in expansion and free agency. But instead of drafting a top forward at No. 3, the Sceptres swerved and traded for a defender. Advertisement According to Kingsbury, the Shelton deal and the one to move Campbell were connected. She also said moving Campbell and acquiring another second-round pick gave the team 'more courage' to give up their first-round pick and go after a defender. That Shelton was available at all is a bit of a surprise, too, but was likely the only defender who would elicit such a strong return for New York. Shelton was a finalist for Defender of the Year just last season and led all defenders in goals this season (8). Her addition solidifies the Toronto blue line and will allow No. 1 defender Renata Fast to not play quite as much as she has over the last two seasons. Montreal Victoire Montreal did a nice job adding a mix of skill and depth through the draft. Selecting Nicole Gosling was a great start at No. 4. She's a cerebral defender and broke Erin Ambrose's all-time scoring record at Clarkson with 148 career points. Natalie Mlýnková should add some goal scoring to the top-six while Skylar Irving and Maya Labad could be excellent bottom-six additions. On the blueline, Tamara Giaquinto, the Big East Defender of the Year, was a solid final round pick. Advertisement Best pick: Natálie Mlýnková (Round 2, No. 12) With four defenders going in the first round, some top forwards dropped out of the first round, including Mlýnková, a gifted goal scorer from the University of Minnesota. She's a smaller forward but is slippery with the puck, can escape small areas and is good at finding soft spots in the offensive zone to get her shot off. In Montreal, Mlýnková could be a scoring winger beside Marie-Philip Poulin, or add much-needed secondary scoring from Line 2. Biggest surprise: The Roque trade For all the talk about New York, Montreal acquiring Abby Roque might be the most interesting thing that happened on draft night. She's an American forward who opponents hate to play against, and she's had her fair share of physical run-ins with Poulin. GM Danièle Sauvageau said when the offer first came to her, she thought, But as she thought more she realized that Roque could be a strong 2C for Montreal, which made the deal work. Advertisement And while it was surely hard to trade O'Neill, Roque could also be a more consistent offensive center than O'Neill had been, with a similar grit and sandpaper to her game. Ottawa Charge Ottawa's draft class was interesting. First, they added Rory Guilday, the 5-foot-11 shutdown defender from Cornell University, at No. 5 to beef up the blue line. Then GM Mike Hirshfeld took a swing at Russian forward Anna Shokhina with their second-round pick, and later added her compatriot 27-year-old forward Fanuza Kadirova. Sarah Wozniewicz, one of the best checking forwards in college, was a perfect Ottawa Charge selection, especially given her connection to coach Carla MacLeod, who coached Wozniewicz in high school. Peyton Hemp, a consistent top-six forward at Minnesota was also a nice pick up. Goalie Sanni Ahola also adds depth behind No. 1 goalie Gwyneth Philips. Advertisement Best pick: Sanni Ahola (Round 5, No. 37) It was surprising to see Ahola drop to the fifth round behind two other goalies. She's been Finland's No. 1 goalie at women's worlds the last few years and was unbelievable in 2024, making the third-most saves (169) in the tournament to get Finland back on the podium. She was also named WCHA Goalie of the Year in 2023-24 after posting five shutouts and a .935 save percentage. Ahola had a down year at St. Cloud this season, which is probably why she dropped, but Ottawa did well to pick her up. 'To see her still available at that point, we were a little bit surprised, to be honest with you,' said Hirshfeld. 'But absolutely thrilled to get her and think she'll be a really terrific backup for (Philips).' Advertisement Biggest surprise: Anna Shokhina (Round 2, No. 13) A star in Russia, Shokhina was a wild card heading into Tuesday night's draft. She has led the top league in Russia in scoring six times and has been named MVP once. She's a highly skilled winger who looked to be a worthwhile late-round bet. But Hirshfeld — who called Shokhina the fourth most talented player in the draft — jumped at the chance to draft her in the second round. It's still a question about how her game might translate, given the varied quality of the ZhHL and PWHL, but Hirshfeld was steadfast that Shokhina is 'going to be a superstar in this league.' Minnesota Frost Minnesota's top priority on Tuesday was rebuilding the blue line after losing four lineup regulars — Sophie Jaques, Claire Thompson, Mellissa Chanell-Watkins and Maggie Flaherty — from the 2025 championship team. In the first-round, the Frost drafted for need, selecting an offensive-minded defender in Kendall Cooper. Then drafted a pair of right-shot defenders in Ava Rinker, a quick transitional player, and Brooke Becker, a more physical defender, in the later rounds. Advertisement Best pick: Abby Hustler (Round 2, No. 14) General manager Melissa Caruso said she was 'shocked' Hustler was available to Minnesota at 14th overall. She has good size (5-foot-9) and is a great power forward, which could fill the void left by Brooke McQuigge being taken by Vancouver. Hustler has a pro shot and good feel for the puck around the net. Only Kaltounková and O'Brien had more goals last season than Hustler's 19 among college draft eligibles. She should be a seamless fit in Minnesota's middle-six. Biggest surprise: Anna Segedi (Round 3, No. 22) Segedi is a very smart center who is strong on faceoffs. She was captain at St. Lawrence as a fifth-year senior this season and has international experience playing for China at women's worlds and at the 2022 Olympics. Maybe the hope is that Segedi will replace Denisa Křížová as a bottom-six center, but the third-round felt like a bit of a reach for a depth center. PWHL Vancouver After so much buzz around the expansion draft and free agency, Vancouver had a relatively quiet draft night — save for trading for Campbell and drafting one of the very best European forwards of all-time in Michelle Karvinen. Advertisement Cara Gardner Morey rounded out those moves with depth on defense, drafting well-rounded defender Nina Jobst-Smith from Minnesota-Duluth, and at forward with Brianna Brooks, a 5-foot-9 right-shot forward from Penn State. Best pick: Michelle Karvinen (Round 1, No. 7) The Karvinen pick was the kind of savvy win-now move we've already come to expect from Gardner Morey as general manager. The 35-year old forward is still skilled and was productive in the SDHL last season. She's a good skater, smart with the puck and has good hands in tight, particularly around the net. She might not play as long as some of the younger forwards taken in Round 2, but rather than estimating a players development path, Gardner Morey – and Vancouver head coach Brian Idalski who coached Karvinen at North Dakota – will know exactly what they're getting out of the veteran next season. Biggest Surprise: Chanreet Bassi (Round 6, No. 48) With the final pick in the draft, Vancouver selected a B.C. born forward and University of British Columbia standout Chanreet Bassi. She was the only USports player drafted this year and becomes just the sixth all-time to be taken in a PWHL Draft. Bassi is also the first South Asian player to be drafted in the PWHL. Advertisement She finished top three in conference scoring each of her last four years playing in Canada West and can play a gritty physical style of hockey in Vancouver's bottom-six. It was a nice pick for a local player who will get a good shot at a depth role in training camp. PWHL Seattle With so much elite talent joining Seattle out of the expansion signing period and draft, such as Hilary Knight and Carpenter, GM Meghan Turner mostly focused on adding depth and complementary pieces to all three positions. Ohio State's Jenna Buglioni is a hard-working center who can play up and down the lineup. Hannah Murphy can be a solid No. 2 behind Corinne Schroeder. Lyndie Lobdell, a right-shot from Penn State can add depth to the blueline that already includes Cayla Barnes and Aneta Tejralová. While forward Jada Habisch and Olivia Wallin could be useful bottom-six players. 'We have a strong group of elite players,' said Turner. 'And I think this group is going to complement that group we already have very well.' Advertisement Best Pick: Hannah Murphy (Round 2, No. 15) At this point in the draft, there were still some solid forwards available like Kiara Zanon and Makenna Webster. But with Buglioni taken in the first-round, I actually really like the Murphy selection in Round 2. She was 's top goalie available after posting an outstanding .939 save percentage in her final year at Colgate. Murphy is a good sized, athletic, and technically sound goalie. With Seattle being on the west coast and so much projected travel, it's going to be key to have two good goaltenders. Murphy should be able to take some of the workload off Schroeder, if not become a reliable 1B in a tandem. Biggest Surprise: Olivia Wallin (Round 6, No. 47) Wallin was perhaps the biggest faller of the night, being selected by Seattle with their sixth and final pick in the draft. She scored 40 points for the University of Minnesota-Duluth last season, which was tied for the team lead with Clara Van Wieren, who was taken in the third-round by Toronto. Turner didn't seem surprised that Wallin was still available at that point in the draft, which speaks to the question marks some evaluators raised about Wallin's ability to progress as a pro forward. Advertisement Still, at her best, Wallin has a knack for scoring and Turner said she was happy with the selection. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. NHL, Women's Hockey 2025 The Athletic Media Company
Hamilton Spectator
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Two new running clubs launch in Pemberton
The Pemberton Valley, renowned for its well-maintained network of trails, has just seen the launch of two new trail groups—a Pemberton branch of the Quebecois 6AM Run Club and an inclusive 5 kilometre spin-off of the trail-running institution We Run Pemberton (WRP) The 6AM running club, organized by Sabrina Daoust, is 'a weekly meet-up designed to kick-start your day with energy, motivation and community spirit.' The group meets at 5:50 a.m. for a 6 o'clock start on Wednesday mornings at the Visitors Centre parking lot. The group will run 6 km through the One Mile Lake area and finish in the Village near the Community Centre. 'This group is open to all running levels—whether you're just starting out, running recreationally, or more experienced,' wrote Daoust on Facebook. 'Our goal is to move together, share the morning boost and enjoy the run in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. The pace is casual and friendly.' The Wednesdays group is part of a national running community born in Quebec now operating in over a hundred towns there . It's since made its way over to B.C. Not a morning person? Pemberton's still got you covered. Historically, Thursday evenings have been the domain of WRP. The organization will still be hosting its 6 p.m. runs, but has also inspired a new Chill 5k running group. 'The goal is to create a welcoming, no-pressure space for people who may feel intimidated by the strong athletic culture in Pemberton and Whistler,' organizer Lizzie Stone wrote to Pique. 'It's for anyone looking to move, connect and feel good, regardless of pace or fitness level.' The group's first run a few weeks back was 'a huge success,' she said. 'The usual group comprises about five runners who take on a 10k-plus hilly route,' said Stone. 'However, this week we had over 25 people of all ages show up for the relaxed 5k, many of whom said they finally felt like they'd found a running group that was right for them. A few even told us how proud they were to complete the 5k, saying they hadn't believed it was possible for them.' The Chill 5K group meets alongside WRP at 6 p.m. on Thursdays at the downtown community barn. No registration is required for either group.
CBC
04-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Ottawa pays out over $100K to Quebec group that lost contract for Afghan war monument
Social Sharing Ottawa recently signed an out-of-court settlement with a team of Quebec architects that was denied a prestigious contract to design the National Monument to Canada's Mission in Afghanistan. Sources told Radio-Canada the confidential deal is worth more than $100,000, or at least three times the initial offer made to the team led by Montreal-based architect Renée Daoust in 2023. At the time, the Daoust team learned it had won a national competition to design the $5-million monument, but that Ottawa would nonetheless give the contract to the group led by Indigenous artist Adrian Stimson. Bound by a confidentiality clause, the Daoust team refused to comment on the settlement. In a written statement, however, they thanked all those who supported them in their attempt to force Ottawa to change its decision. "We remain outraged by this process marred by irregularities and reiterate our commitment to the quality of architecture and public art in Canada, and to the integrity of the processes by which public funds are allocated," said the statement from Daoust, artist Luca Fortin and international law expert Louise Arbour. The federal government said it awarded the design contract to Stimson because his project was favoured by the families of Canadians who served in Afghanistan, as expressed in an online survey. The Daoust team had been selected by the jury tasked with reviewing submissions. Jean-Pierre Chupin, an architecture professor and expert in public competitions, said the government's decision was critically flawed. "They discredited a complex and fragile competition process that aims to be fair, transparent, representative and therefore democratic," said Chupin, who teaches at the Université de Montréal. He said the online survey can be "clearly disqualifiable after a few minutes of analysis," comparing it to a competition for "likes" on Facebook. Over 40,000 Canadians served in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2014, mostly military personnel but also government employees and humanitarian workers. Of these, 158 soldiers and seven civilians lost their lives. The monument project was initiated by former prime minister Stephen Harper and continued under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government. The Daoust team's proposal aimed to symbolize the struggle for democracy, incorporating elements reminiscent of Afghanistan's mountains, the burqa worn by some women in the country and the Twin Towers that fell in New York on Sept. 11, 2001. The government-favoured Stimson design more directly references the military aspect of the Afghan mission, featuring four helmets and bulletproof vests mounted on crosses at the centre of the monument. After informing the Daoust team that they would not be awarded the contract, Ottawa offered them $34,000 in compensation in an attempt to settle the matter. Instead of accepting the offer, the Daoust team went public, garnering significant support and denouncing the federal government's decision in the media and in Parliament. Their main concern was that Ottawa would set a dangerous precedent by disregarding its own process for awarding major public contracts. However, the Daoust team failed to convince the government to reverse its decision. Settlement negotiations began after the blessing of the downtown Ottawa site of the future Stimson-designed monument last fall. The office of the minister of veterans affairs refused to provide details about the settlement, citing its confidentiality clause. Spokesperson Wyatt Westover said the Stimson team has "finalized the design contract" with the National Capital Commission, which manages the site where the monument will be built. Veterans Affairs Canada's latest budget for the monument is $4.7 million. The federal department says it is currently conducting "a cost analysis to ensure the monument is completed as planned while honouring the service and sacrifice of Canadian veterans, their families and all those who served in the mission." WATCH | Afghanistan memorial has been mired in controversy: Quebec architects threaten to sue over Afghanistan war monument 11 months ago Duration 1:59 The group of Quebec architects that was first selected and then rejected to build Canada's national monument to Afghan mission veterans is threatening to sue the government if they aren't given the full contract. Bloc Québécois MP Luc Desilets, who spent months pressing the federal government on the issue without success, hopes the settlement includes punitive damages for the Daoust team. He believes the federal government was "caught red-handed." According to Chupin, the entire project is tainted by this saga. He fears that Canadians who served overseas will ultimately pay the price.
