Latest News from Hamilton Spectator
Hamilton Spectator
42 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Patriots say they will handle video of receiver Stefon Diggs internally
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said he is aware of a video that showed receiver Stefon Diggs passing a bag of pink crystals to women on a boat. Vrabel declined to comment on whether he has spoken to Diggs about it. 'Any conversations that I've had with Stefon will remain between him, I and the club,' Vrabel said before an optional practice on Wednesday that Diggs did not attend. 'It's something that we're aware of,' Vrabel said. 'Obviously, we want to make great decisions on and off the field. … The message will be the same for all our players, that we're trying to make great decisions.' An NFL spokesman said the league would not comment. Diggs' agents did not immediately respond to a text from The Associated Press requesting comment. Diggs, who has been linked to hip-hop star Cardi B this offseason, is shown in a video on social media talking to three women on a boat before he produces a bag of pink crystals. Other videos from what appears to be the same boat trip show a larger crowd that includes Cardi B, the Grammy-winning rapper who was spotted leaving the Met Gala with Diggs earlier this month. They also sat together at a Boston Celtics-New York Knicks playoff game at Madison Square Garden. Cardi B, who is known for hits such as 'Bodak Yellow,' 'I Like It' and 'WAP,' filed for divorce from the rapper Offset last year. ___ AP NFL:
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Utah Mammoth sign top prospects Simashev and But to their entry-level NHL contracts
The Utah Mammoth are bringing over two of their top prospects from Russia in time for next season, signing defenseman Dmitri Simashev and forward Daniil But to three-year entry-level contracts. General manager Bill Armstrong announced the deals Wednesday, the latest bit of good news for the club that just got its full-time name and is going into its second season in Salt Lake City. Simashev was the sixth pick and But was taken 12th in the 2023 draft when the team was known as the Arizona Coyotes. Each of the 20-year-olds spent this past season in the KHL with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl and won the Gagarin Cup. 'Dmitri has established himself as one of the top defenseman prospects in the NHL,' Armstrong said. 'Daniil is a highly skilled forward with a great shot and playmaking skills who is coming off a career season.' Getting them signed allows Utah to play them in the NHL or the American Hockey League next season. It was a key step just getting them to North America to fit in with a young core led by captain Clayton Keller, forward Logan Cooley, defenseman Mikhail Sergachev and goaltender Karel Vejmelka. With the salary cap going up, Armstrong has more than $21 million in room to use in free agency and trades to take the Mammoth to the next level and end the organization's playoff drought of 12 years — excluding the expanded format in the bubble in 2020. They won the second draft lottery drawing to move up from picking 14th to fourth , giving the front office the chance to add another player with elite talent for the future. ___ AP NHL:
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Hoverlink from Niagara to Toronto one step closer to anchors aweigh
Hoverlink Ontario is one step closer to touching water in Lake Ontario, bridging Niagara-on-the-Lake to Toronto in around 30 minutes. Through a partnership with PortsToronto (formerly the Toronto Port Authority), the company has officially secured a docking area in Toronto after more than three years of consultation, announced in a media release on May 5. The Hoverlink will depart from a docking area in Port Weller to Toronto, near Billy Bishop Airport, across from Stadium Road. 'With its Niagara site already shovel-ready, this milestone clears a major hurdle for launching North America's first large-scale hovercraft transit route,' the release reads. Company president Erika Potrz told The Lake Report there is still a two-year minimum before the crafts are actually manufactured. 'Some of those timelines have been extended because of tariffs and the impact on manufacturing,' she said. When it does hit the water, the Hoverlink will bring positive change to NOTL's tourism, Potrz said. Hoverlink has been in contact with tourism groups, including the Niagara Parks Commission and Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake for 'several years' to discuss maximizing the transportation's positive impact. 'I've met with everybody in economic development across the entire region to have conversations about how we can work together to increase tourism and utilize this as a new way of bringing more awareness to what we offer in the Niagara region,' Potrz said. Because the Hoverlink will be the first of its kind in North America, it will garner a lot of media coverage, drawing attention to NOTL as well, she added. The Lake Report asked Queen Street patrons what they think about the Hoverlink. Carol Fraser lives in Old Town and says she would definitely be interested in trying out the Hoverlink. 'On an occasional basis, certainly not every week or anything, but definitely yes,' Fraser said. Fraser and her husband Robin tend to avoid travel to Toronto nowadays, and the Hoverlink would make travelling back and forth easier, she said. 'We avoid it because of the traffic.' Kat Rezo was visiting NOTL from Hamilton and said she probably wouldn't use the Hoverlink, because the route from Hamilton to Toronto is pretty straightforward. 'I think I'd be nervous about the waters,' she said. Choppy waters are a main focus of the folks over at Hoverlink, Potrz said. The Hoverlink's technology is the correct one when it comes to navigating Lake Ontario, she said. 'You're hovering a meter above the water, so it really doesn't matter what's happening underneath. You're having a smooth consumer experience,' Potrz said. She emphasized that the Hoverlink is something that has never been attempted before. 'There's never been a military grade hovercraft on Lake Ontario,' Potrz said. Potrz referenced a ferry predicated on cargo movement out of Rochester and a hydrofoil, which is 'not a competent marine craft,' she said. 'We've chosen the right technology to cross 365 days a year to make this a viable transit project.' In September of 2024, the projected cost of a round-trip journey on the Hoverlink was about $50 to $60. Amanda McFadyen, a visitor to NOTL from Woodstock, said she saw news about the Hoverlink in the past and thought it was an interesting idea. 'But as somebody who's living in the area, I could drive and take the Go Train (which would be) probably easier and probably less expensive,' McFadyen said in an interview. Potrz said Hoverlink has to reevaluate pricing from the original projection. The company is now looking at a variety of pricing options, for commuters, wholesale tourism operators and retail ticket prices. 'I'm less anchored on one particular price at this point. We do want it to be comparable to existing travel options,' Potrz said. 'We want to make sure a multitude of people can actually afford it.' juliasacco@
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
City bus struck in Stoney Creek shooting
A city bus was hit by gunfire in a shooting in Stoney Creek overnight. There were no passengers on the HSR bus at the time of the shooting around 1:12 a.m. on Wednesday and no reported injuries, Hamilton police said. There is no indication the bus was targeted, it just happened to be passing through the area of Mud Street West and Upper Centennial Parkway when shots were fired. It is unclear if there was a target, said Const. Adam Kimber. There was an unidentified male in the area at the time of the shooting, but police are still investigating whether he has any connection. A small sedan was seen driving away following the shooting. Police are looking through surveillance video for more information. The incident marks the 16th shooting this year. Investigators from the shooting response team are investigating. Police are asking anyone with surveillance video, or anyone driving in the area early Wednesday with a dash camera to come forward. Anyone with information is asked to contact the shooting response team at 905-546-4883 or shootingresponseteam@ To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or Nicole O'Reilly is a crime and justice reporter at The Spectator. noreilly@ .
Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
U.S. manslaughter suspect arrested at Niagara border crossing
A U.S. fugitive wanted for manslaughter has been arrested at the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls. On Monday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said, officers questioned passengers on a commercial bus and discovered one man had an active warrant for his arrest. Officers subsequently confirmed the 22-year-old man was wanted in New Jersey on a charge of negligent manslaughter with a weapon. 'Our CBP officers work hard in identifying and intercepting wanted criminals through vigilance and thorough research,' spokesperson Gaetano Cordone said in a news release. The suspect was turned over to New York State Police and was awaiting extradition to New Jersey.
