Latest news with #JackNesbitt
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Canadiens likely to continue mining NHL Draft for size and physicality
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Windsor Spitfires centre Jack Nesbitt was sitting on a stool after his successful physical testing at the NHL Scouting Combine on Saturday morning, talking casually about why the Montreal Canadiens appeared, in his view, to like him as a prospect. His response was very matter-of-fact, very self-aware, and somewhat revelatory of what the Canadiens are likely looking for in this draft, and not just from Nesbitt. Advertisement 'I think they like how big I am,' Nesbitt said. 'I use my size to play physical, I'll always fight if I have to, sticking up for teammates. I think they like the gritty part of my game, so we'll see if that transfers to the NHL.' Nesbitt was a late riser this season, putting up 24 points in his final 23 regular-season games and 10 points in 12 playoff games. However, the context for all this is that he measured in at the combine at 6 feet 4 1/2 inches and 186 pounds. His skating's not ideal, but everything else is right in the Canadiens' wheelhouse for the reasons Nesbitt mentioned. Several players are available at various points of this draft who fit that profile. The Canadiens dug in on that profile to some extent later in last year's draft when they took Logan Sawyer in the third round, Tyler Thorpe in the fifth round and Ben Merrill in the sixth round. They were ranked, respectively, 114th, 111th and 127th on NHL Central Scouting's final North American list, but they also measured in at 6-1, 173 pounds; 6-4, 209 pounds; and 6-3 1/4, 190 pounds. The three players had frames with room to fill out. This came after taking Florian Xhekaj in the fourth round the year before and watching him blossom in his draft-plus-one year in the OHL. And now that Xhekaj has again blossomed in his first year as a professional in Laval, it's only further validation that this is a strategy worth exploring. Xhekaj was called a unicorn by Canadiens co-director of amateur scouting Nick Bobrov in their 2023 draft meetings. And then Xhekaj went out and proved he was a bit of a unicorn. However, it is not smart to simply look for size above all else in the draft. In 2013, the previous Canadiens administration took Michael McCarron, Jacob de la Rose and Connor Crisp in the first three rounds primarily because of their size. They also took one smaller player in the second round, Artturi Lehkonen, and he very quickly became the best of those four players. Advertisement But Xhekaj was not taken solely because of his size. He stood out because of his hands, offensive instincts, combative nature, willingness to be physical and the feet that allowed him to be physical. Size with tools that translate to the NHL is the goal, and it wouldn't be a surprise if that's the Canadiens' goal this year. Because there are other players like Nesbitt out there. The thing with Nesbitt is that taking him with the No. 16 or 17 pick might be a bit of a reach, or it might not, depending on who you ask. The Canadiens pick again at No. 41 and No. 49, and that might be too late to grab some of the other guys who fit that goal, including William Moore or William Horcoff. But we've heard the Canadiens have shown a fair amount of interest in one player who might be right in that second-round wheelhouse. Telling his story is more illustrative than predictive, because he fits a certain type — the Canadiens type. His name is Matthew Gard. We don't know if the Canadiens will draft him. But you shouldn't be surprised if the Canadiens draft someone like him. Gard, a centre for the Red Deer Rebels, is 6-4 3/4 and 195 pounds. And, by his own admission, he's raw. 'I think I'm starting to get closer to what my peak performance is going to be,' Gard said. 'I think I'm probably still three to five years away from it. It's just a gradual climb, year after year.' The Rebels made a few moves at the trade deadline that allowed Gard to take on a bigger role later in the season, and he wound up playing himself into a spot on Canada's U18 national team, which he never thought was possible. 'I always knew it was in me,' Gard said, 'but it was kind of wishful thinking at times.' He comes from an athletic family; both his parents played for the national volleyball team, his two older brothers play university volleyball, and his younger brother was just drafted by the WHL's Lethbridge Hurricanes. When Gard was 13 or 14, he estimates he grew seven inches in six months, from around 5-7 to 6-2, putting him on the radar for WHL clubs but also completely changing the way he plays hockey. He needed to adjust to going from somewhat average-sized to massive in less than a year, and it's a process that continues to this day. Advertisement 'It took me some time to grow into my body. Honestly, I still am, in a way,' Gard said. 'I'm just trying to build some speed with it and get more powerful and stronger in my big, skinny frame.' That skinny frame has been at the top of Gard's mind for years. At the start of his WHL draft year, he was 6-1 and 140 pounds, so he's added nearly four inches and 55 pounds since. 'Honestly, (adding weight) has been the main part of my summer for the past couple of summers,' he said. 'I've been pretty consistent adding 10 pounds a summer the past couple of years. It's coming, it's going to be gradual, but I think I'm only halfway to where I'm going to be in a couple of years. 'It's going to be exciting to look forward to where I can be.' Matthew Gard goes upstairs and gets Red Deer on the board @Rebelshockey | #NHLDraft — Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) March 23, 2025 This is essentially a blank hockey canvas with a very promising physical toolkit and an acute awareness of the work he has ahead of him and what he will be in the NHL. 'I think a middle-six guy,' he said. 'I think I'm pretty versatile in what I can do and where I can play in the lineup. I'll have a defensive role, probably, and bring a lot of physicality. Just chaos and mix that in with some skill.' We have no idea if the Canadiens will draft Gard, of course, but at some point in the draft, they are very likely to take someone like him: someone with a big frame with room to grow physically and a skillset that gives them some hope he can contribute to a big, heavy team in Montreal one day. The Canadiens watch the playoffs every year and see how physicality and heaviness help teams advance from round to round, and this year they saw for themselves how that helped the Washington Capitals advance past them. They will always prioritize skill earlier in the draft. But later on, that physicality and heaviness will surely become an increasingly important factor in how they approach their picks. (Photo of Matthew Gard: Larry MacDougal / Associated Press)
New York Times
25-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
How Jack Nesbitt became one of the 2025 NHL Draft's biggest risers
On the morning of Game 7 between the Windsor Spitfires and Kitchener Rangers, Jack Nesbitt awoke to an unwelcome realization. His head hurt. His throat hurt. His stomach hurt. Everything hurt — so much so that he had to get an IV ahead of the deciding game of the OHL second-round series. Even after the IV and a pregame nap, Nesbitt still could barely get out of bed. It was later revealed he had strep throat. But when the time came for puck drop, there he was, out there at center ice for the opening faceoff. Advertisement 'I just pushed through it, did what I could,' Nesbitt told The Athletic. 'Game 7, gotta play.' In a game that went deep into overtime, Nesbitt ended up logging 23 minutes for the Spitfires. He took 20 faceoffs, put five shots on net and assisted on the team's only goal. 'It was touch and go if he was even going to play,' Windsor coach Greg Walters said. 'And then, the warrior that he is, he was one of our best players.' No doubt the 2-1 overtime loss was a sour way to end the Spitfires' season. But in terms of final statements, it was nonetheless an impressive one for Nesbitt, who over the course of the season was perhaps one of the most improved players in this NHL Draft class. In NHL Central Scouting's 'players to watch' list from October, Nesbitt was graded as a 'B' prospect — indicating a second- or third-round candidate for the NHL Draft. But after a big season, in which Nesbitt more than tripled his production from his OHL rookie campaign — finishing with 25 goals and 64 points in 65 games — Nesbitt has put himself in the mix to be a potential top-20 pick in June's draft. Nesbitt's physical traits stand out immediately as a 6-foot-4 center. But part of that size, especially for someone who had a significant growth spurt of about four inches around age 15, is being able to carry that frame around the ice. Nesbitt's skating, as a result, can look laborious. It's the primary question surrounding his draft profile, and it's a valid one, in a league that's only getting faster. But the rest of Nesbitt's tools, as a physical forward with soft hands, are impressive — and hard enough to find that it's easy to see a team betting on what he can become if that skating improves. 'I think the exciting part for even a guy like me, or an NHL team, is what will this guy look like in four or five years,' Windsor general manager Bill Bowler said. 'It's just, there's too much there. He checks every box for a hockey team, I think.' Advertisement Bowler is quick to point out that the Spitfires' 2023-24 team, which finished with the second-worst record in the league, wasn't the greatest environment for Nesbitt to showcase himself as a 16-year-old. That could be part of the reason Nesbitt's offensive production jumped so much from year to year. Nesbitt also pointed to confidence coming in for his second season. But just as Windsor shot up the standings, finishing as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference this season, Nesbitt took real strides in his game, too. And the path to that improvement began last summer. Every week, Nesbitt would leave his home in Sarnia, Ontario, near the Michigan border, for the Greater Toronto Area — staying with a billet family in Oakville so he could train at Junxion Performance (which is affiliated with Nesbitt's agency, Quartexx) Monday through Thursday, before returning home to Sarnia on the weekends. And the skating was an area of emphasis. Certainly, for a player Nesbitt's size — and with a fairly recent growth spurt — a big part of that was going to be general, raw strength. It takes more muscle to move around a bigger body. But there were also certain principles Junxion wanted to drill down and emphasize specific to his hockey stride. 'For him, it was really sitting low on a single leg, understanding how to maintain that position,' said Jason Martin, the head performance coach at Junxion. 'And then how to use his upper body independent of his lower body. Those were the kind of big ones for us.' Martin said they work off a spectrum of athletes that range from more innately elastic (such as Connor McDavid) to more muscle-dominant and driven by force production (more akin to Sidney Crosby). For Crosby, that might show up in the explosiveness coming out of a tight turn, or ability to protect the puck, whereas for McDavid, it pops most when he's at top speed in full flight. Advertisement 'And what was crazy about Jack, is, although he's a tall kid, big feet, big physical features – like he's going to be a big kid as he fills out — he was actually very elastic for his size, and he was really actually pretty bouncy,' Martin said. 'So we kind of leaned a little bit into the strength side for him, the force-production side.' The goal, basically, was to take the potential that comes with Nesbitt's frame and add the strength needed to effectively propel it while rounding out the other side of that spectrum. And there are examples to reinforce what that can look like over time. Detroit Red Wings forward Michael Rasmussen was a big body with some offense in his draft year in 2017, but his main question was his lack of speed at 6-foot-6. This past season, NHL Edge data had Rasmussen in the 94th percentile for top skating speed, at 23.29 mph. Likewise, in that same draft, Boston's Morgan Geekie — who Corey Pronman listed as his player comparison for Nesbitt — had some concerns around his skating. This year, NHL Edge data had his top speed in the 84th percentile, in a season in which he had 33 goals and 57 points. 'Obviously with the size, if they have the ability to have some good top-end speed using that elasticity, but also be able to protect the puck and be strong in the corners, that's a dangerous athlete,' Martin said. At 18, Nesbitt is still in the early stages of working to make those gains. Martin noted that the summer is only so long, and even working out four days a week, 'it's not actually that many workouts.' Still, he felt he could see Nesbitt starting to get stronger, and he's eager to see what the next stage will bring. 'Because year over year at that age, they just develop so quickly,' Martin said. 'But I think once his body fills out relative to his height, I think he's going to be a monster.' Advertisement Martin also emphasized Nesbitt's character and receptiveness to the work they gave him, calling him 'one of the most coachable guys that we've had a chance to work with.' For teams betting on his potential, that could be key in believing his ability to reach it. But while the allure of Nesbitt has a lot to do with those longer-range projections — of what he can be when his body is filled out, and if that skating develops as hoped — there is still already a solid present-day picture. Walters was in his first year coaching Windsor, so he didn't have Nesbitt the season prior, but still felt he could see a jump in Nesbitt's skating from watching him. And from Day 1 when he got there, Walters felt that in Nesbitt he had a player who wouldn't cheat for offense, playing 'extremely tough' with 'huge character.' He also emphasized Nesbitt's willingness to fight if needed, to stick up for his teammates — a bit of a throwback element that also can separate Nesbitt in the modern game. 'I think the biggest thing with Jack is obviously he's very good away from the puck, and competes extremely hard,' Walters said. 'Really good hockey sense. Loves getting to the front of the net. Real good on power play, on top of the blue paint and extremely high hand-eye coordination.' That should give him a steady floor, knowing he can use his size and smarts to check. And when you combine that with the potential if his feet can catch up to his frame, there's the recipe for a potentially versatile player who could use his skill, size and toughness to complement offensive players high in a lineup, too. 'Jack is the same regardless,' Bowler said. 'Whether Team Canada uses him how they see (fit), how the Windsor Spitfires (use him), this guy knows what his role his, (what) his job is on each and every shift. And he seems to be so consistent and thrive in that, and he doesn't get caught up in everything else. He just does what's expected.' Taken all together, it starts to feel easy to see how Nesbitt went from a 'B' prospect entering the season, to Central Scouting's 15th-ranked North American on their final ranking. Advertisement Now, it's all about where he goes from here. 'From what I can tell, he's already a great athlete, even with the growth spurt and trying to find his body,' Martin said. 'And he's such a good mover that once he starts being able to express what his body's trying to do, meaning he gains the strength and muscle mass and positions that he's learning, I think kind of sky's the limit for him. I think he could fit in a lot of different roles.'
CNN
28-02-2025
- Science
- CNN
How dogs sniffing out poop could help to save koalas
Max makes an unlikely conservation worker, and not just because he's a dog. He's also bred for hunting. But instead, the English Springer Spaniel is using his supercharged sense of smell to sniff out koala scat in a bid to help save the iconic Australian animal. Koalas are native to Australia and in 2022 the government listed them as endangered on most of the country's east coast. By some estimates, their numbers have halved in the last 20 years, due to a number of threats including habitat reduction, disease, drought and fires. When Max discovers koala droppings, he lays down with the find between his front paws and nudges at it with his nose, says Jack Nesbitt, of Canines for Wildlife, which trains dogs for conservation-related tasks. Max is rewarded with his favorite treat – a tennis ball. The scat provides a trove of valuable information. Analysis in the lab can tell ecologists if the koala has diseases like chlamydia, which can cause blindness and infertility, and is now common among koalas. Genetic analysis can also show how a koala is related to others around it, and how it's moving through a habitat. 'We're able to identify individual koalas from their poos,' says Nesbitt, who founded Canines for Wildlife with his parents. In late 2024, Max identified a new group of koalas inland of Coffs Harbor, a coastal city between Sydney and Brisbane, which, significantly, appeared to be chlamydia free. The biggest threat to koalas is the destruction of habitat by clearing land for agriculture, housing, mining and forestry, according to the findings of a parliamentary inquiry released in 2020. It also said that without 'urgent government intervention' koalas will go extinct before 2050 in New South Wales, and that a government estimate that 36,000 koalas remain in New South Wales is 'outdated and unreliable.' Land clearing can reduce food sources for koalas, who are picky eaters surviving mainly on poisonous eucalypt species, which they have adapted to digest, and occasionally other related plants. Habitat loss can also isolate a koala from potential mates, and crossing roads or the backyards of homes exposes them to risks like vehicles and pet dogs. Climate change poses another threat, not least from the increased risk of wildfires. At least 5,000 koalas were killed in New South Wales by bushfires in the 2019 to 2020 season, according to the parliamentary inquiry. The government has committed tens of millions of dollars to create a 315,000-hectare Great Koala National Park. According to conservationists, logging continues within its proposed boundaries. A spokesperson for the New South Wales government told CNN that while work to establish the park is carried out, the government has directed forestry operations to stop in areas being assessed for the park which are hubs for 'critical multi-generational resident koalas and their habitats.' Canines for Wildlife doesn't engage in advocacy, but it says some groups use its data to show the usage and importance of areas at risk of logging, in the hopes of influencing the state government's decision around what forest will be protected. Nesbitt says that groups like city councils use Canines for Wildlife's data when making planning decisions; the organization is now working on another project in a different area of Coffs Harbor, which has one of the largest koala populations in New South Wales. 'Finding those areas of habitat that are the most important for protection, and being able to identify that with evidence, is probably the most important impact they could have,' says Nesbitt, of the dogs. Stuart Blanch, of WWF-Australia, tells CNN that koala detection methods have evolved in recent decades to get a more accurate estimate of koala occupancy in an area. Once, conservationists relied on methods like listening for koalas – they make loud bellowing and growling noises – or using a spotlight at night to spot shining eyes. Today, methods like drone monitoring and using dogs for scat detection have become more popular, though those options are more expensive. Dogs detecting scat have some benefits over drones, he adds. They can detect the presence of a koala after it has moved on, and in places with thick foliage that drones might not be able to see into. Canines for Wildlife dogs have done work with other species, like the endangered Hastings River mouse, and the organization is currently training dogs to detect the Kroombit Tinker frog, which is critically endangered. Although dogs might not seem like natural conservationists, Nesbitt says they're the perfect tool to have in an ecologist's toolkit. He adds: 'Their ability to see the world through their nose, is a sensor that we just don't have access to in any other way.'
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
How dogs sniffing out poop could help to save koalas
Editor's Note: Call to Earth is a CNN editorial series committed to reporting on the environmental challenges facing our planet, together with the solutions. Rolex's Perpetual Planet Initiative has partnered with CNN to drive awareness and education around key sustainability issues and to inspire positive action. Max makes an unlikely conservation worker, and not just because he's a dog. He's also bred for hunting. But instead, the English Springer Spaniel is using his supercharged sense of smell to sniff out koala scat in a bid to help save the iconic Australian animal. Koalas are native to Australia and in 2022 the government listed them as endangered on most of the country's east coast. By some estimates, their numbers have halved in the last 20 years, due to a number of threats including habitat reduction, disease, drought and fires. When Max discovers koala droppings, he lays down with the find between his front paws and nudges at it with his nose, says Jack Nesbitt, of Canines for Wildlife, which trains dogs for conservation-related tasks. Max is rewarded with his favorite treat – a tennis ball. The scat provides a trove of valuable information. Analysis in the lab can tell ecologists if the koala has diseases like chlamydia, which can cause blindness and infertility, and is now common among koalas. Genetic analysis can also show how a koala is related to others around it, and how it's moving through a habitat. 'We're able to identify individual koalas from their poos,' says Nesbitt, who founded Canines for Wildlife with his parents. In late 2024, Max identified a new group of koalas inland of Coffs Harbor, a coastal city between Sydney and Brisbane, which, significantly, appeared to be chlamydia free. The biggest threat to koalas is the destruction of habitat by clearing land for agriculture, housing, mining and forestry, according to the findings of a parliamentary inquiry released in 2020. It also said that without 'urgent government intervention' koalas will go extinct before 2050 in New South Wales, and that a government estimate that 36,000 koalas remain in New South Wales is 'outdated and unreliable.' Land clearing can reduce food sources for koalas, who are picky eaters surviving mainly on poisonous eucalypt species, which they have adapted to digest, and occasionally other related plants. Habitat loss can also isolate a koala from potential mates, and crossing roads or the backyards of homes exposes them to risks like vehicles and pet dogs. Climate change poses another threat, not least from the increased risk of wildfires. At least 5,000 koalas were killed in New South Wales by bushfires in the 2019 to 2020 season, according to the parliamentary inquiry. The government has committed tens of millions of dollars to create a 315,000-hectare Great Koala National Park. According to conservationists, logging continues within its proposed boundaries. A spokesperson for the New South Wales government told CNN that while work to establish the park is carried out, the government has directed forestry operations to stop in areas being assessed for the park which are hubs for 'critical multi-generational resident koalas and their habitats.' Canines for Wildlife doesn't engage in advocacy, but it says some groups use its data to show the usage and importance of areas at risk of logging, in the hopes of influencing the state government's decision around what forest will be protected. Nesbitt says that groups like city councils use Canines for Wildlife's data when making planning decisions; the organization is now working on another project in a different area of Coffs Harbor, which has one of the largest koala populations in New South Wales. 'Finding those areas of habitat that are the most important for protection, and being able to identify that with evidence, is probably the most important impact they could have,' says Nesbitt, of the dogs. Stuart Blanch, of WWF-Australia, tells CNN that koala detection methods have evolved in recent decades to get a more accurate estimate of koala occupancy in an area. Once, conservationists relied on methods like listening for koalas – they make loud bellowing and growling noises – or using a spotlight at night to spot shining eyes. Today, methods like drone monitoring and using dogs for scat detection have become more popular, though those options are more expensive. Dogs detecting scat have some benefits over drones, he adds. They can detect the presence of a koala after it has moved on, and in places with thick foliage that drones might not be able to see into. Canines for Wildlife dogs have done work with other species, like the endangered Hastings River mouse, and the organization is currently training dogs to detect the Kroombit Tinker frog, which is critically endangered. Although dogs might not seem like natural conservationists, Nesbitt says they're the perfect tool to have in an ecologist's toolkit. He adds: 'Their ability to see the world through their nose, is a sensor that we just don't have access to in any other way.'
CNN
28-02-2025
- Science
- CNN
How dogs sniffing out poop could help to save koalas
Max makes an unlikely conservation worker, and not just because he's a dog. He's also bred for hunting. But instead, the English Springer Spaniel is using his supercharged sense of smell to sniff out koala scat in a bid to help save the iconic Australian animal. Koalas are native to Australia and in 2022 the government listed them as endangered on most of the country's east coast. By some estimates, their numbers have halved in the last 20 years, due to a number of threats including habitat reduction, disease, drought and fires. When Max discovers koala droppings, he lays down with the find between his front paws and nudges at it with his nose, says Jack Nesbitt, of Canines for Wildlife, which trains dogs for conservation-related tasks. Max is rewarded with his favorite treat – a tennis ball. The scat provides a trove of valuable information. Analysis in the lab can tell ecologists if the koala has diseases like chlamydia, which can cause blindness and infertility, and is now common among koalas. Genetic analysis can also show how a koala is related to others around it, and how it's moving through a habitat. 'We're able to identify individual koalas from their poos,' says Nesbitt, who founded Canines for Wildlife with his parents. In late 2024, Max identified a new group of koalas inland of Coffs Harbor, a coastal city between Sydney and Brisbane, which, significantly, appeared to be chlamydia free. The biggest threat to koalas is the destruction of habitat by clearing land for agriculture, housing, mining and forestry, according to the findings of a parliamentary inquiry released in 2020. It also said that without 'urgent government intervention' koalas will go extinct before 2050 in New South Wales, and that a government estimate that 36,000 koalas remain in New South Wales is 'outdated and unreliable.' Land clearing can reduce food sources for koalas, who are picky eaters surviving mainly on poisonous eucalypt species, which they have adapted to digest, and occasionally other related plants. Habitat loss can also isolate a koala from potential mates, and crossing roads or the backyards of homes exposes them to risks like vehicles and pet dogs. Climate change poses another threat, not least from the increased risk of wildfires. At least 5,000 koalas were killed in New South Wales by bushfires in the 2019 to 2020 season, according to the parliamentary inquiry. The government has committed tens of millions of dollars to create a 315,000-hectare Great Koala National Park. According to conservationists, logging continues within its proposed boundaries. A spokesperson for the New South Wales government told CNN that while work to establish the park is carried out, the government has directed forestry operations to stop in areas being assessed for the park which are hubs for 'critical multi-generational resident koalas and their habitats.' Canines for Wildlife doesn't engage in advocacy, but it says some groups use its data to show the usage and importance of areas at risk of logging, in the hopes of influencing the state government's decision around what forest will be protected. Nesbitt says that groups like city councils use Canines for Wildlife's data when making planning decisions; the organization is now working on another project in a different area of Coffs Harbor, which has one of the largest koala populations in New South Wales. 'Finding those areas of habitat that are the most important for protection, and being able to identify that with evidence, is probably the most important impact they could have,' says Nesbitt, of the dogs. Stuart Blanch, of WWF-Australia, tells CNN that koala detection methods have evolved in recent decades to get a more accurate estimate of koala occupancy in an area. Once, conservationists relied on methods like listening for koalas – they make loud bellowing and growling noises – or using a spotlight at night to spot shining eyes. Today, methods like drone monitoring and using dogs for scat detection have become more popular, though those options are more expensive. Dogs detecting scat have some benefits over drones, he adds. They can detect the presence of a koala after it has moved on, and in places with thick foliage that drones might not be able to see into. Canines for Wildlife dogs have done work with other species, like the endangered Hastings River mouse, and the organization is currently training dogs to detect the Kroombit Tinker frog, which is critically endangered. Although dogs might not seem like natural conservationists, Nesbitt says they're the perfect tool to have in an ecologist's toolkit. He adds: 'Their ability to see the world through their nose, is a sensor that we just don't have access to in any other way.'
