Latest news with #Nurmi
Winnipeg Free Press
31-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
London Knights return to Memorial Cup final with 5-2 win over Moncton Wildcats
RIMOUSKI – The London Knights are going back to the Memorial Cup final. Blake Montgomery scored the winner 3:35 into the third period to lift the Knights past the Moncton Wildcats 5-2 in the tournament's semifinal Friday. London will take on the Medicine Hat Tigers in Sunday's battle for the top prize in Canadian junior hockey. Denver Barkey — with an assist — Landon Sim and Jesse Nurmi also scored, while Austin Elliott made 21 saves for the Knights, who lost 4-3 to the Saginaw Spirit in last year's final. Easton Cowan had an empty-net goal and added an assist, and Jacob Julien provided two helpers. The Knights fell short of clinching a spot in this year's championship game earlier in the tournament with a 3-1 loss to the Tigers in their round-robin finale. London has lost twice consecutively only once in its past 120 games — including playoffs and Memorial Cups — dating back to March 1, 2024. It's a fifth Memorial Cup final appearance for the Ontario Hockey League champions. Only the Peterborough Petes and Kitchener Rangers have more with six apiece. Caleb Desnoyers had a goal and an assist while Dyllan Gill also scored for Moncton. Mathis Rousseau stopped 32 shots. The Wildcats, who also fell 3-2 in overtime to London in their tournament opener, beat the host Rimouski Oceanic 6-2 in the final-round robin game Wednesday to reach the semifinal. Montgomery gave London a 3-2 lead early in the third when Sam Dickinson beat Moncton's Etienne Morin wide and set up the Ottawa Senators prospect, who'd snuck in behind Gill to score his first of the tournament. Nurmi converted a centring feed from Julien to double the lead with 6:49 remaining. Julien knocked the puck between Markus Vidicek's legs off a faceoff to set up Nurmi. The Wildcats jumped on a power play with 4:36 left — and eventually pulled the goalie for an extra attacker — but couldn't cut into the lead before Cowan made it 5-2 with 1:49 remaining. The Knights swarmed the Wildcats in the first period and dominated shot count 18-5 after 20 minutes, but London struggled to hold the lead — and stay out of the penalty box. Sim opened the scoring with a wraparound 4:07 into the game. He picked up a bouncing puck off the end boards after Oliver Bonk missed the net before quickly swinging around the net to give London the early lead. Moncton's Etienne Morin fired a one-timer off the crossbar on a power play midway through the frame. Desnoyers later equalized on the man-advantage, ripping a wrist shot from the left circle through Elliott at 18:20 after Sim took an interference penalty. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The Knights went ahead again 5:24 into the second period when Barkey hammered a slick feed from Cowan into a gaping net after the Knights skated circles around the Wildcats in the offensive zone. Jesse Nurmi, however, took a slashing penalty 22 seconds later, leading to Gill's third goal of the tournament. Gill took a pass from Desnoyers and picked his spot with a shot off the post and in past a screened Elliott at 7:40. The Knights finally jumped on the power play with nine minutes left in the second. Cowan, who had seven shots on goal, nearly scored off a dangerous give-and-go with Dickinson but couldn't solve Rousseau once again. Moncton almost took its first lead late in the period when Gill's point shot deflected twice before bouncing off the post. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2025.
American Military News
26-05-2025
- Politics
- American Military News
Video/Pic: Finland 'preparing for the worst' amid major Russian military expansion
Finland has confirmed that Russia is expanding its military presence along Finland's border, prompting the NATO ally to monitor the Russian military's movements and 'prepare for the worst.' According to The Guardian, Maj. Gen. Sami Nurmi, who serves as the head of strategy for the Finnish Defence Forces, recently warned that the Finnish military is watching Russia's movements 'very closely' and noted that Finland has to 'prepare for the worst' as part of the country's responsibility to NATO. The Guardian cited satellite images obtained by The New York Times that allegedly show Russia's expansion of military infrastructure near the border of Finland. According to The Guardian, the pictures show additional rows of Russian tents, military vehicles, fighter jet shelter renovations, and construction on a helicopter base. A picture of Russia's expanded military forces near its border with Finland was shared Monday by Roman Sheremeta on X, formerly Twitter. It looks like that Putin is preparing for war with NATO. Russia is building up military forces near the border with Finland – constructing bases, bunkers, training grounds, and other military infrastructure in the area. 1/n — Roman Sheremeta 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@rshereme) May 19, 2025 According to The Guardian, Nurmi addressed the recent reports of Russia's military expansion along the border of Finland, saying, 'They are changing structures and we are seeing moderate preparations when it comes to building infrastructure close to our borders, meaning that they will, once the war in Ukraine hopefully ends, start to bring back the forces that have been fighting in Ukraine, especially land forces.' READ MORE: Russia threatens NATO nations with 'retaliatory' nuclear strikes The Guardian reported that while Russia's expansion of military forces on the border of Finland is not unexpected due to Finland joining NATO in 2023 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Nurmi warned that Finland is watching Russia's movements 'very closely.' 'They are doing it in phases. I would say it is still moderate numbers. It's not big construction, but in certain places building new infrastructure and preparing, bringing new equipment in,' Nurmi said. 'You also have to evaluate whether they are preparing to send more troops to Ukraine or preparing to build up their forces close to our border. But I guess they are doing both.' On Tuesday, President Donald Trump was asked by reporters in the Oval Office whether he was concerned with the reports of Russia's 'military build-up' along the borders of Finland and Norway. In response, Trump said, 'No. I don't worry about that at all. They're going to be very safe. Those are two countries that are going to be very safe.' Reporter: 'On Russia, are you worried about the reports of a military build-up along the borders towards Finland and Norway?' Trump: 'No. I don't worry about that at all.' — The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) May 20, 2025
