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Wednesday, May 31, 2017

{allcanada} June 1: Penguins win Cup for second straight year

THIS DATE IN HISTORY: June 1

1992: The Pittsburgh Penguins win their second straight Stanley Cup championship and complete a sweep of the Final by holding off the Chicago Blackhawks for a 6-5 victory in Game 4 at Chicago Stadium. It's the 11th consecutive playoff win for the Penguins, tying the NHL postseason record.

Pittsburgh takes three one-goal leads in the first period, only to have the Blackhawks pull even each time on a goal by Dirk Graham. Rick Tocchet puts Pittsburgh ahead 4-3 early in the second period, but Chicago ties the game 4-4 on a goal by Jeremy Roenick.

Larry Murphy's goal early in the third period puts Pittsburgh ahead 5-4, and this time the Penguins get the next goal. Ron Francis scores what proves to be the Cup-winner at 7:59, giving Pittsburgh a 6-4 lead. Roenick makes it 6-5 when he scores again midway through the period.

Mario Lemieux, who has two assists in Game 4, wins the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP for the second straight year with 34 points in 15 games.

 

MORE MOMENTS

1993: The Los Angeles Kings make their first Stanley Cup Final game a success by defeating the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 at the Forum. Wayne Gretzky sets up the Kings' first three goals before hitting the empty net with 1:58 remaining. Kelly Hrudey makes 31 saves for the Kings, who are the last of the remaining 1967 expansion teams to reach the Final.

 

1995: The Detroit Red Wings win a playoff game in overtime at home for the first time since 1960 when defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom scores 1:01 into OT for a 2-1 victory against the Blackhawks in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final at Joe Louis Arena. Detroit's Keith Primeau ties the game 1-1 early in the second period after Chicago's Joe Murphy scores a power-play goal late in the first. It's Detroit's first home OT win in the playoffs since a 2-1 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 29, 1960, ending a streak of 10 straight losses.

 

1996: The Florida Panthers reach the Final in their third season by defeating the Penguins 3-1 in Pittsburgh in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final. John Vanbiesbrouck makes 39 saves and forward Tom Fitzgerald puts Florida ahead to stay by beating Tom Barrasso 6:18 into the third period for a 2-1 lead.

 

2011: Roberto Luongo becomes the sixth goaltender to earn a shutout in his first appearance in the Final by making 36 saves in the Vancouver Canucks' 1-0 victory against the Boston Bruins in Game 1 at Rogers Arena. Raffi Torres beats Boston goaltender Tim Thomas with 18.5 seconds remaining in the third period. It's the first time since 1927 that Game 1 of the Final remains scoreless for this long (59:41).

 

2014: Defenseman Alec Martinez scores 5:47 into overtime to give the Kings a 5-4 victory against the Blackhawks in Game 7 of the Western Conference Final at United Center. Los Angeles trails 2-0, 3-2 and 4-3 before Marian Gaborik scores with 7:17 remaining in the third period to get the Kings even at 4-4. Martinez wins the game when his shot from the left point hits Chicago defenseman Nick Leddy and knuckles its way past goaltender Corey Crawford. Kings forward Justin Williams scores the seventh Game 7 goal of his career, tying Glenn Anderson for the most in NHL history. His teams are 7-0 in Game 7.

 

2016: Conor Sheary's goal 2:35 into overtime gives the Penguins a 2-1 victory against the San Jose Sharks in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final at Consol Energy Center. Sidney Crosby wins an offensive-zone faceoff and gets the puck to defenseman Kris Letang. He feeds Sheary just inside the left circle for a shots that beats Sharks goaltender Martin Jones. Sheary, an undrafted free agent, becomes the first rookie since Brian Skrudland of the Montreal Canadiens 30 years earlier to score an overtime goal in the Stanley Cup Final.

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{allcanada} Toronto FC cruise past Fury to advance to Canadian final

 

TORONTO — For Ottawa Fury coach Paul Dalglish, taking on the best team in Major League Soccer was "bigger than David versus Goliath."

"Just to put things in perspective, we don't have one player on our team on the MLS minimum (US$65,000 for a senior player). Not one," said Dalglish.

Toronto FC lived up to its Cadillac billing after a slow start Wednesday, with Tsubasa Endoh scoring a goal and helped create another in a two-minute spurt late in the first half. Substitutes Marky Delgado and Sebastian Giovinco added insurance goals in the 80th and 85th minutes as Toronto won 4-0 on the night and 5-2 on aggregate to reach the Canadian championship final.

Ottawa, which plays in the second-tier USL, beat a weaker Toronto lineup 2-1 in the first leg last week at TD Place Stadium. Dalglish said his players deserved more credit than they got for that win.

"They gave everything ... I want to make sure these guys get the credit they deserve for how hard they worked to try and represent (the) Ottawa Fury and themselves with pride," he said.

Five-time champion Toronto will play three-time winner Montreal for the Voyageurs Cup in the two-legged final June 21 and 27. The Impact dispatched the Vancouver Whitecaps 5-4 on aggregate after a 4-2 victory Tuesday at Saputo Stadium.

Wednesday's game turned after Toronto striker Tosaint Ricketts was forced off in the 34th minute with hamstring tightness. Instead of bringing on a forward, coach Greg Vanney introduced wingback Steven Beitashour and pushed Endoh up the field.

It paid almost immediate dividends as the 23-year-old Japanese forward, released from defensive duties, began to attack before 15,175 on a pleasant evening at BMO Field.

His curling shot was just wide in the 38th minute. Then, after taking a nice pass from Jordan Hamilton and driving to the goal-line, Endoh raked the ball over to the other side of the goal towards teammate Justin Morrow. The ball deflected in off Ottawa defender Eddie Edward for an own goal in the 41st minute.

A minute later, Endoh made a fine run to goal, splitting the defence. Spanish playmaker Victor Vazquez spotted him and laid on a perfect cross for Endoh to head past Callum Irving.

Vanney said he brought in Beitashour because he wanted to get more players into attacking areas and could spare a defender because Ottawa was playing with just Tucker Hume up front.

He switched from a 3-5-2 to a 4-2-3-1, which allowed Endoh to play in a more accustomed winger role.

"We had guys in better spots to hurt them and it changed the reference points for them defensively and we started to find opportunities," said Vanney, a cerebral coach with a knack for timely changes.

The rejigging kept Dalglish and his coaching staff busy.

"As coaches we ran out of paper trying to work out how many time they changed systems," he said.

Ottawa started with a 4-3-2-1 formation, providing plenty of bodies to blunt the Toronto attack. And for the first 30 minute, it was hard to tell which was the MLS team.

Normal service resumed late in the half thanks to Endoh.

Giovinco, out since May 13 with a quad strain, came in at the start of the second half in a planned moved. He made an instant impact, with his runs discombobulating the Ottawa defence.

There was more Endoh in the 48th minute but his tap-in somehow squibbed high and came off the crossbar.

In need of goals, Ottawa switched to a more attacking formation. But it was Toronto that came on in waves.

Toronto, which matched its club-record eight-game unbeaten streak with a 5-0 demolition of Columbus last Friday, tops the MLS standings at 8-1-5. Ottawa stands eighth in the USL Eastern Conference at 3-3-3.

It's the second year in a row Ottawa has been unable to complete an MLS upset. The Fury took a 2-0 lead over the Whitecaps at the same stage of the competition last year, before losing the second leg 3-0 in Vancouver.

A week ago in Ottawa, Vanney used just one regular starter (Morrow). His starting 11 had a combined 840 MLS regular-season games — and more than US$1.2 million in salaries — but proved to be an awkward mix.

Vanney fielded five starters this time, including Vazquez.

The Fury had the best early chances with Sito Seoane stopped by Clint Irwin in the 19th minute after a flick on by big targetman Tucker Hume. And the home side needed a desperate slide from Morrow to deflect a Seoane shot over the bar in the 30th minute.

Toronto was without captain Michael Bradley and striker Jozy Altidore, who are away with the U.S. national team. Wingback Raheem Edwards was suspended.

Toronto won the Canadian championship last year for the fifth time. As such, it thought it had secured entry to the CONCACAF Champions League. But due to a change in tournament format, it will have to win this year's Canadian championship or, if it doesn't, defeat the winner in a one-game playoff to join the CONCACAF club competition.

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Posted by Cidinha at 8:28 PM 0 comments

{allcanada} Why William Shatner refuses to talk about Donald Trump

 

Canadian actor William Shatner won't discuss American politics or President Donald Trump.

"I don't want to discuss Trump or [George] Takei," the 86-year-old actor told The Daily Beast. "Listen, I'm Canadian and I'm apolitical. I love America. I consider myself a guest here. I won't do anything that might get me deported."

The news publication reported that in the run-up to the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Shatner was mum on candidate Trump. In September 2016, he was also one of the few notable absences when the cast and crew of "Star Trek" past and present signed an open letter endorsing Hillary Clinton, claiming that Trump stood against the show's message of inclusion.

However, after the election results came in, Shatner tweeted the following:

Takei recently compared Trump to "an alien life form" during an appearance on MSNBC.

"Today, in this society, we have alien life forms that we call trolls," said the 80-year-old. "And these trolls carry on without knowing what they're talking about… and some of these trolls go on to become presidents of nations."

Takei added Trump is no different than the "trolls" who have criticized "Star Trek's" more diverse cast.

Meanwhile, Shatner is choosing to focus on his career.

"I'd like to be on 'The Voice' and sing a song from my forthcoming Christmas album," he said on his show business goal. "That reminds me … I haven't recorded the album yet. I must do that before I get old!"

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Posted by Cidinha at 6:33 PM 0 comments

{allcanada} Judge rules in favor of Drake in sampling suit

 

A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Drake did not violate copyright law when he sampled a spoken word track from a 1982 jazz record.

The estate of musician Jimmy Smith filed suit in 2014, alleging that Drake had violated its copyright to "Jimmy Smith Rap," from Smith's 1982 album "Off the Top." On the original track, Smith relates a bit about the recording of the album — "We had champagne in the studio, of course, complements of the company" — and stands up for jazz as an artform — "Jazz is the only real music that's gonna last."

Drake sampled the recording on his third album, "Nothing Was the Same," on the track "Pound Cake." The label, Cash Money Records, retained a licensing company to obtain the appropriate permissions. The company obtained the license to the recording of "Jimmy Smith Rap," but not to the composition.

Smith died in 2005. His estate sued, saying it would not have granted a license to the composition because "Jimmy wasn't a fan of rap."

But on Tuesday, Judge William H. Pauley dismissed the suit, saying the sampling was entitled to protection as "fair use." On the Drake recording, Smith's reference to jazz was deleted, and his words were edited to say "Only real music is gonna last." Pauley found that this change was sufficiently transformative to grant the claim of fair use.

"Drake transformed Jimmy Smith's dismissive comment into a statement on the relevance and staying power of 'real music,' regardless of genre," Pauley wrote. "Because this purpose is 'sharply different' from Jimmy Smith's purpose in creating the original track, Defendants' use is transformative and this factor weighs in favor of a finding of fair use."

Cash Money and Drake were represented by Christine Lepera of Mitchell, Silberberg and Knupp.

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{allcanada} Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott ordered to pay bank $220K

 

Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott's money problems are apparently getting worse.

According to court documents obtained by E! News, City National Bank obtained a $220,000 default judgment against the couple after they missed a court appearance last week. The bank is suing them for allegedly failing to pay back a $400,000 loan from 2010.

The bank was seeking approximately $205,000 from the couple stemming from the unpaid loan, as well as $17,000, which Spelling allegedly overdrew from the account.

The pair's money troubles have been aired publicly for over a year now. Spelling was sued twice in 2016 by American Express for allegedly failing to pay her balance. The first time was for a $37,981.97 bill and the second was for $87,595.55

Then in July 2016, they reportedly had a $259,108.23 tax lien placed against their property by the state of California stemming from unpaid taxes in 2014.

To top it all off, McDermott's ex-wife Mary Jo Eustace took him to court claiming he had failed to pay child support on their 18-year-old son.

Spelling and McDermott — who wed in 2006 — have five children together, the youngest of whom was born in October 2016.

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{allcanada} Scott Speedman would have ‘pulled an Anthony Weiner’ in his 20s

 

Scott Speedman is thankful that he didn't have social media in his 20s.

"If there was Instagram back then, I don't know if I would have survived," he said with a chuckle on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on Tuesday.

"I would be in a shack in Portland by now. I would have pulled an accidental Anthony Weiner at some point," he confessed. "Accidental or otherwise, I don't know, but that's a dangerous combo — me, 24, on 'Felicity.'"

Speedman, now 41, also admitted he was a "disaster of a boyfriend" to then-girlfriend and "Felicity" co-star Keri Russell — especially when she got her notorious haircut.

"The powers that be made it seem like we got drunk on the weekend and I cut her hair … but it was a real story point," he said. "We were actually dating at the time, and I had been such a disaster of a boyfriend up until then. I knew I had to put on a good show, and I knew I was going to see her new haircut, and I was like, 'You gotta bring it home, man. You gotta do it.' And I got to work and she turned around the corner, and my face sort of froze in a half-panic, half-smile situation, and I just did not pull it off."

He added, "It was a Chia-Head sort of vibe to it … but it grew into something great. We all recovered from it."

Russell, 41, was diplomatic about the situation and made it clear she and the "Animal Kingdom" star are pals.

"A young-20s boyfriend is a disaster of a boyfriend," she said, adding, "I have to say, I have my core friends in LA, and Mandy [Foreman] and Scott, I feel like they always have my back. Like, they would fight someone for me."

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{allcanada} Jays complete three-game sweep of Reds

 

Toronto's Devon Travis was determined to control the pace of his at-bat in a seventh-inning showdown with Wandy Peralta on Wednesday afternoon.

The Cincinnati reliever kept throwing to first base and Travis called timeout a few times to keep his routine intact while eventually working the count full. After a few foul balls, Travis drilled a tiebreaking two-run homer that helped Toronto to a 5-4 victory.

"It's something I've learned from watching a lot of these guys hit," Travis said. "Honestly I think that might have been my first time really ever taking to that. So that was pretty good."

It's all part of the maturation process for the young second baseman.

Travis has enjoyed a scorching May after a sluggish April and his play is a big reason why the Blue Jays have won eight of their last nine games.

"He's driving the baseball," said Toronto manager John Gibbons. "He's hitting a lot of doubles and he's hit a handful of home runs. He's a good hitter, (that's) the bottom line.

"He's going to be a good hitter his whole career. (April) was just one of those tough months, but that's all forgotten now."

Travis's fifth homer of the season gave him 20 extra-base hits for the month. Catcher Luke Maile also hit a two-run homer for the Blue Jays, who swept the three-game series to improve to 5-1 on their 10-game homestand.

Toronto has gone deep at least once in nine of their last 10 games.

"We had a hard time keeping them in the ballpark this series," said Reds manager Bryan Price. "They hit a lot of home runs."

Starter Mike Bolsinger pitched into the sixth inning as Toronto (26-27) moved within a game of the .500 mark. Jason Grilli (2-4) worked an inning of relief for the win and Roberto Osuna survived a nervous ninth before nailing down his 11th save.

Toronto native Joey Votto hit a two-run shot in the first inning for the Reds (24-28). It was his 14th homer of the season.

Cincinnati starter Tim Adleman allowed three earned runs over six innings while Peralta (2-1) shouldered the loss.

In the ninth, Scott Schebler took Osuna's first pitch over the wall for his National League-leading 16th home run of the year. The Reds put two runners in scoring position later in the frame after Ryan Goins made a rare error on a potential double-play ball.

Osuna picked up his shortstop by striking out Billy Hamilton and Zack Cozart to end the game.

"We knew we needed a punch-out and that's what he was able to do," Maile said.

The Blue Jays have won six straight interleague games and improved to 15-12 at Rogers Centre this season.

Toronto infielders Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki were given rest days after playing the night before. Both players returned to the lineup this week after stints on the disabled list.

Announced attendance was 44,058 and the game took two hours 53 minutes to play. Toronto will open a four-game series Thursday against the American League East division-leading New York Yankees.

Notes: Cincinnati has scored at least one run in the first inning of six straight games. The Reds' last such streak was from Aug. 25-30, 1999. ... The game was delayed in the fourth inning when a Chris Coghlan foul tip caught home plate umpire Carlos Torres flush in the left leg. Torres was down for a few minutes but stayed in the game. ... Toronto right-hander Marco Estrada (4-2, 3.15 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Blue Jays on Thursday against southpaw CC Sabathia (5-2, 4.42) ... Blue Jays starter Francisco Liriano is tabbed to come off the disabled list (shoulder) ahead of his start Friday.

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{allcanada} Maple Leafs may not have captain again next season

 

The Toronto Maple Leafs may not have a captain for the second straight season, general manager Lou Lamoriello said Wednesday.

"Right now that isn't something in the forefront," Lamoriello told TSN. "I think that we've had tremendous leadership this year with a lot of the young players and I don't think that right now is something that is on the forefront nor is being considered at this point. ... I would not be surprised if we did not have a captain next year."

Toronto has not had a captain since defenseman Dion Phaneuf was traded to the Ottawa Senators on Feb. 9, 2016. He was captain since the 2010-11 season.

Last season, forwards Tyler Bozak, 31, and Leo Komarov, 30, and defensemen Morgan Rielly, 23, and Matt Hunwick, 32, were alternate captains.

The Maple Leafs made the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2013, as the second wild card from the Eastern Conference. They lost in six games to the Washington Capitals in the first round.

Center Auston Matthews, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, led NHL rookies with 69 points and 40 goals. Toronto had 123 goals scored by rookies, including Matthews and forwards William Nylander (22 goals), Connor Brown (20) and Mitchell Marner (19).

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{allcanada} Pinty's News & Notes: Delaware

 
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — For Cayden Lapcevich, his 2016 NASCAR Pinty's Series championship run was bolstered by a steady performance on the road courses. For Kevin Lacroix, his title hopes in 2017 rest on being able to do the opposite: Perform well enough on the ovals to compliment his road-course prowess.

The 28-year-old from Saint-Eustache, Quebec, established himself as a serious contender for the championship following last year's fourth-place finish in the championship standings. He opened the season by passing Andrew Ranger on the final lap to claim the Can-Am 200 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Now he turns his attention to the season's first oval race: The CHOKO/Fast Eddie 250 presented by Havoline at Delaware Speedway.

nps_delaware_2017The race marks the series first trip back to the half-mile oval in Ontario since 2013.

Lacroix finished last year with wins on the last two road courses -- Trois-Rivieres and CTMP -- but finished 10th, 11th and 12th, respectively, on the final three ovals.

"We already knew we were going to be quick on road courses, so we were confident," Lacroix said. "The main point would be the ovals. I need to keep my focus, my concentration, on the long distances.

"We've got a new car for the ovals, so we're confident there, too. I know I'm going to be fast all year, it's just I need to calm myself sometimes."

Lacroix has 11 top 10s in 19 starts, but seven of those are on road courses. He qualified inside the top five at both St. Eustache and Kawartha to end last season, only to finish outside the top 10 both times. His best oval finish is a fifth at Sunset Speedway in 2016, followed by a sixth at Autodrome Chaudiere.

If Lacroix is to dethrone Lapcevich -- who opened his title defense with a solid fourth-place at CTMP -- his first major test will come Saturday.

RACE: CHOKO/Fast Eddie 250 presented by Havoline
PLACE: Delaware (Ont.) Speedway
DATE: Saturday, June 3
TIME: 7 p.m., ET
TRACK LAYOUT: Half-mile oval
2016 WINNER: N/A
2016 POLE WINNER: N/A
EVENT SCHEDULE: Saturday, June 3 – Garage opens: 10 a.m.; Practice: 12:45-1:45 p.m.; Qualifying: 3:30 p.m.
TRACK CONTACT: Jonathan Urlin, (519) 280-7559, urlinmotorsports.com
TWITTER: @DelawareSpdwy
EVENT HASHTAG: #FastEddie250
NASCAR IMC CONTACT: Jason Christley, (386) 310-6094, jchristley@nascar.com.

RACE CENTRAL LIVE: EVENT SCHEDULE & ENTRY LIST

FAST FACTS:

The Race: The Fast Eddie/Choko 250 presented by Havoline will be the second of 13 races on the 2017 NASCAR Pinty's Series schedule. It is the first of eight races held on ovals.

The Procedure: The maximum starting field is 24 cars, including provisionals. The first 21 cars will secure starting positions based on the road-course qualifying process. The remaining three spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 250 laps (125 miles / 201.168 km).

The Track: The semi-banked half-mile oval in Ontario has hosted the NASCAR Pinty's Series x times. The track started as a quarter-mile dirt track and opened in 1952, making it one of the oldest contiously operating tracks in Canada. The track was expanded to its current half-mile configuration and paved in the 1970s. It played a central role in the former CASCAR Super Series, hosting 13 races between 1998 and 2005, and hosted five NASCAR Pinty's Series races between 2009-13. It also hosted the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in 2011.

Race Winners: There have been three different winners in the five previous NASCAR Pinty's Series races at Delaware. DJ Kennington won the first two races and then picked up a third victory in 2012. Don Thomson Jr. (2011) and Pete Shepherd III (2013) also won there.

Pole Winners: Kennington and Shepherd have two poles apiece at Delaware, while Mark Dilley set the track record with his pole run of 19.133 seconds (94.078 mph) on June 6, 2009.

Fast Eddie/Choko 250 presented by Havoline Notes:

KENNINGTON AT THE FRONT: Kennington has easily been the most successful driver at Delaware. In addition to his three wins, he finished third in 2011 and fourth in 2013, and has led 407 of 1,022 laps run there. The two-time series champion is coming off a disappointing 17th-place finish at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. He'll also take on his new role as driver coach for the first time, for young driver Armani Williams. Williams, a Detroit, Michigan, native, is making his series debut. Williams, who has competed in open wheel racing in the United States and earned an invitation to the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine last fall, is driving for Canada's Best Race Team for several events. Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at age 2, Williams has also competed in the ARCA Truck Series.

SOLID START FOR DEFENDING CHAMPION: Lapcevich got his title defense off to a good start at CTMP, Several days after being introduced as a member of this year's NASCAR Next class -- an industry initiative designed to spotlight the sport's rising young stars -- Lapcevich qualified 11th and finished fourth on the road course. He had a podium finish in sight before losing a spot on the final turn to Gary Klutt. Now the Ontario teenager turns his attention to his strength: oval racing. Last year, Lapcevich had three wins, three seconds and a third in seven oval races and led at least a lap in each event.

NEW FACES: With the first oval of the season lined up, that means some new faces for 2017. Of the 19 drivers on the initial entry list, five drivers will be making their season debut. In addition to Williams, this list includes series veteranes Dilley, Steve Mathews and Noel Dowler as well as Donald Theetge. Theetge will take over the No. 22 of Scott Steckly that NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Christopher Bell ran at CTMP. Mathews has a pair of top five finishes in four races at Delaware, while Dilley has led 61 laps over five starts and finished seventh there in 2012. Dowler was ninth in 2012 and sixth in 2013 at Delaware.

HATHAWAY BACK AGAIN: Jason Hathaway closed the book on his full-time racing in the NASCAR Pinty's Series with a win at Kawartha Speedway last fall. But he has three races on his 2017 schedule: The two events at CTMP and Saturday's race at Delaware in front of his hometown crowd. Hathaway has a top five and three top 10s in five races at Delaware. Eight of his nine career wins have come on ovals.

HAULER PARADE: The haulers of the NASCAR Pinty's Series will parade through town en route to the track to kick off the weekend's festivities. The parade will start at Highbury Avenue in London and make its way to the race track at 4 p.m. on Friday.

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{allcanada} Ex-NHL enforcer Chris Simon files for bankruptcy, court documents say he's broke

 

Former NHL tough guy Chris Simon says the millions he made playing hockey are gone and that he's now surviving on social assistance and disability cheques.

It's a dramatic picture, painted by Simon himself in court documents, as he files for bankruptcy and struggles with a debt he pegs at more than half a million dollars.

The debts of the former NHL player, who collected more than $15 million US in salary over a 20-year career, include more than three years of missed child-support payments, totalling $128,875 after his hockey career ended due to a knee injury, according to documents filed with the Ottawa family court.

Simon has asked the court to forgive the child-support debt, claiming he hasn't had any significant income for years and is now unable to work because of injuries suffered during his playing career.

That included symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, which he said are "thought to be attributable to significant brain trauma during his hockey career."

A doctor reported that Simon — who was in more than 100 NHL fights, racked up 1,824 penalty minutes and received two of the longest suspensions handed out in the history of the NHL — also suffers from depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and arthritis to his shoulder, hand, knees, back and neck.

Just days before filing the documents in Ottawa court, Simon was among a group of players who joined a proposed class-action lawsuit against the NHL that is seeking millions of dollars in damages from the league over its handling of concussions.

"I have no ability to pay the alleged arrears or enter into any form of payment agreement," Simon, who played his junior hockey with the Ottawa 67s, wrote in an affidavit filed with the family court office in Ottawa on May 15. "My financial situation is bleak."

Simon, through his lawyer, declined to comment when contacted by the Citizen.

There was no explanation in the affidavit as to how a man who earned millions playing professional hockey was able to end up so broke. However, it did paint a portrait of a life in financial disarray.

According to his affidavit, the 45-year-old has signed over power of attorney to his mother. He started receiving $966 a month in social assistance in January, and his first disability payment was $1,441 in April. He hasn't worked since November 2015. His gross income for all of last year was just $3,836.13, he reported.

There are liens on his heavily mortgaged former home by the Family Responsibility Office and even his $69 HST cheque is being garnished by the government, according to his court filing.

Simon owns a 6,000-square-foot cottage in Wawa, Ont. (one older real estate listing for the property notes it includes "NHL players glass" on the balcony), a 2014 Ford F-150 pick-up truck, two boats and trailers, a 1997 ATV and a 2011 GMC Yukon, which his second wife is using, the documents said.

But the cottage is in foreclosure because he owes the bank nearly as much as the $300,000 he hoped to sell it for (the asking price was recently dropped, he said.) According to Simon, he's been trying to sell the place for seven years but was never able to find any takers. The proceeds of the sale from the cottage, cars, boats and ATV will all be lost in bankruptcy. The Royal Bank launched a civil suit against him in March, according to his court filing.

Simon once ran a hockey school, but that, too, is now insolvent. His other debts include $25,000 to a book publishing company for an advance on a book that was never written, about $30,000 in back taxes and $1,444 for his cellphone. His joint bank account was in overdraft by $11,349 and he still owes tens of thousands of dollars for both property taxes and water and sewer to Michipicoten Township. He owes $33,189 on a Visa credit card and another $18,673 for a loan to the Superior East Community Futures Development Corp., his documents allege.

Simon reported earning only $27,500 in tax exempt income (Simon is a member of the Michipicoten First Nation) from the hockey school over a two-year period between 2014 and 2015 before expenses were deducted.

According to the court filing, once all the property and his other assets are sold, Simon would still owe his creditors $182,625.

The six-foot-three, 220-pound Simon – who played his junior hockey with the Ottawa 67s – once scored 29 goals with the Washington Capitals and won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996 but is perhaps better known for his disciplinary trouble.

He received a 30-game suspension in December 2007 for stomping his skate into the foot of Penguins forward Jarkko Ruutu. That followed a 25-game suspension he received in March 2007 for hitting the Rangers' Ryan Hollweg in the face with his stick. In total, he was suspended 65 games throughout his NHL career.

As a teen, he fought addictions and served an eight-game suspension for a stick-swinging incident in junior hockey. However, Simon eventually got control of his addiction and counselled First Nations youth on the dangers of alcohol.

He does have access to his NHL pension, although Simon hasn't begun drawing on it yet – something the family responsibility office argues should prevent him from having the child-support debt forgiven.

According to a letter from a lawyer for the Family Responsibility Office, Simon would be ineligible to have the debt rescinded since he is choosing not to receive his pension to avoid having it garnished. The Family Responsibility Office has sent a notice that they intended to garnish it, although it is being disputed by a Toronto law firm that represents the Board of Trustees of the NHL Players' Pension Plan.

Simon's ex-wife, Lauri Lynne Smith, who lives in Ottawa, alleges in an affidavit responding to Simon's claim that the former NHLer also failed to disclose his income for years as part of the court-ordered child-support agreement.

She agreed to accept less child support on an interim basis to $3,000 a month in 2010 when Simon's NHL career ended and he moved to Russia to play in the KHL, the affidavit alleges. However, she alleges that Simon was not honest about his earnings, which she alleges were close to $700,000 a year in Russia.

She also alleges he avoided paying thousands more in monthly child-support payments when he failed to disclose a significant increase in his income, which jumped to $2,225,000 between the 1999-2000 and 2002-2003 seasons. Up until he left for the KHL, Simon had been paying $9,215 a month in child support, the affidavits said.

Simon has since separated from his second wife, with whom he has four more children. His son from that marriage lives with him in Wawa, while his three daughters live with their mother in the United States, according to the court documents.

Simon argued in his affidavit that his eldest son was 19 years old and in his first year of university when he stopped making child-support payments in December 2013. According to Simon, the Michipicoten First Nation Reserve provided his son with a little more than $49,000 between September 2013 and May 2016 to cover tuition and a living allowance.

His ex-wife argues she has had to foot the bills for her son's first year of university and that the band only helped pay school expenses after she applied when Simon stopped paying child support. She declined to comment when reached by the Citizen.

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{allcanada} Chiarelli: 'Happy to have' Eberle on Oilers

 

Recording just two assists in 13 playoff games did nothing to cool the trade speculation revolving around Edmonton Oilers winger Jordan Eberle.

Eberle, 27, scored 20 goals and posted 51 points in the regular season, but with a cap hit of $6 million for two more seasons, many have wondered if he'll follow the path of Taylor Hall and be moved out of Edmonton.

Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli admitted on Tuesday that the success of the Oilers will mean eventually moving a contract to free up cap space for extensions. He stopped short, however, of saying that player would be Eberle, who he believes has been unfairly portrayed in the media.

"The way we are going to have to spend our money in the future will probably mean us moving a player," Chiarelli told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun. "When that future is, I don't know. Basically, we've got a year to play with, in my mind.

"As it applies to Jordan, I think outside of two players he probably had the most positive touches of the puck on our team. I really don't feel the need to defend him, he didn't have a great playoffs – he didn't have a good playoffs – but he did a lot of things that we expected of him. He just didn't have the offence that we expected him to have in the playoffs. What he does, he creates space with his touches and I thought he played well.

"In his defence, it was the first time he's been in the playoffs and if you look back to a player like (Pavel) Datsyuk look at Datsyuk's first year in the playoffs. This is a big step for them, it's a different level of competition. He saw what he had to do without the puck, and you know what, he didn't score and he's expected to score. I don't feel the need to defend him, I think he's been unfairly characterized but (that's) a byproduct of having success and where the expectations are and unfortunately he falls in that category. (He's) a very good offensive player and happy to have him on our team."

To Chiarelli's point, Datsyuk recorded only three goals and six points in 21 games during his first playoff run in 2002, though he was also only 22 years old.

Chiarelli speaks on Eberle and Nugent-Hopkins' future

Eberle's 20 goals in the regular season were his lowest mark in a non-lockout shortened season since his rookie year in 2010-11. As Chiarelli noted, Eberle and the names of other Oilers have appeared in the rumour mill as the team prepares spend money on younger players. Atop that list are Leon Draisaitl, a restricted free agent this summer, and captain Connor McDavid who will enter the final season of his rookie deal in July.

"Well we're going to sign them," Chiarelli said of the duo. "Those are priorities, at our season-ending press conference I said we have to take care of these guys first and I told the players who need contracts beyond that 'you're going to have to wait and let me figure out where these guys fit in' and they understood, or at least they told me they understood. We're going to have to sign them and I'm not going to get in to negotiations despite saying that I can tell you we're in negotiations."

McDavid, 20, led the league with 100 points this season and was named a Hart Trophy finalist. Draisaitl, 21, posted 29 goals and 77 points in the regular season before adding six goals and 16 points in 13 playoff games. Chiarelli did not rule out signing either player to the maximum eight-year contract.

One of the players waiting for McDavid and Draisaitl to sign is pending unrestricted free agent Kris Russell. Russell, 30, signed a one-year deal with the Oilers in October and finished third on the team in average time on ice.

"What I told Kris is that we want him back," Chiarelli said. "But, here's our obstacles, I have to get through these two first so I put him in the group with some other free agents both restricted and unrestricted. I would like to have him back so when we can do that, I'm not sure. He knows how strongly we feel about him."

Chiarelli spoke to LeBrun ahead of the scouting combine in Buffalo and said he expects to keep his first-round selection, but didn't rule out moving down into the second round, where the Oilers currently don't have a selection.

As for the upcoming Vegas expansion draft, Chiarelli said he's spoken to Golden Knights general manager George McPhee but doesn't expect to make any trades to protect players beyond his allotted amount.

The Oilers' 2016-17 point total of 103 was their highest mark since the 1986-87 season and earned them their first trip to the postseason since 2006.

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{allcanada} Canucks will look into moving up in draft

 

The Vancouver Canucks entered the draft lottery with the second best odds of winning the first overall pick. Instead, the Canucks, along the favoured Colorado Avalanche, dropped out of the top three selections and will now pick fifth overall in June's entry draft.

Canucks general manager Jim Benning told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun on Tuesday the team will at very least look into moving up in draft after falling back three spots.

"We're going to talk to those teams and see what it entails," Benning said. "But we feel at five, we're getting a real good player. We're going to do our due diligence on that and see if there's something at can be done there and if there's not, we're happy the fifth pick."

Benning has previously stated that the Canucks have a need for either playmaking centre or a power-play quarterback type of defenceman and he said Tuesday he believes he will land a player who fits one of those two profiles, even if the team stays in their current position.

"We feel like at five there's enough good players in this draft that we're going to fill that need," Benning said. "To get a centre iceman, that playmaker that can run a power play at some point and score points, I think is what we need going forward and we feel we can fill that need."

With a focus on selecting a centre, moving up into the top two slots could make sense for the Canucks. Centres Nolan Patrick and Nico Hischier are widely considered the top two players available in the draft.

In his latest mock draft, TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button had the Canucks selecting centre Cody Glass with the fifth overall selection. Glass had 32 goals and 94 points with the Portland Winterhawks in the WHL this season. After Miro Heiskanen at three to the Dallas Stars, Button's next defenceman, Cale Makar, came off the board at seventh overall to the Arizona Coyotes.

The Canucks blue line has already taken a hit this offseason with 2014 third-round pick Nikita Tryamkin opting to return to the KHL after his first full season in the NHL. Tryamkin, 22, appeared in 66 games with the Canucks during the regular season, scoring two goals and recording nine points.

"It was disappointing because we drafted him in third round," Benning said of Tryamkin leaving. "We spent a lot of time getting him signed, getting him over here, working with him this past year we thought he really developed well over the course of the year. And then to lose him is disappointing, but having said, we've got Olli Juolevi coming now that we feel is going to be a real good player going forward. We just signed a defenceman this past week, Philip Holm, who played with the Swedish national team. He's a guy that can transition the puck up ice, so we feel real good about him coming up and joining our group. We're going to be a little bit younger back there again. I thought Troy Stecher made good strides last year and we look forward to him continuing to get better. We're excited about some of our young defenceman."

Benning reitterated that the team would like to re-sign goaltender Ryan Miller, but said Jacob Markstrom is the team's starter in net long-term.

Miller and forward Jack Skille are the only pending unrestricted free agents on the Canucks roster.

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{allcanada} Treliving expects a lot of action around expansion draft

 

Calgary Flames GM Brad Treliving said the upcoming Vegas expansion draft has led to a unique offseason.

Speaking to TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun, Treliving said the market is quiet right now, but he's sure that won't last as the expansion draft draws closer, even saying some tentative deals could already be agreed to.

"The market is somewhat stalled. The closer we get to naming our protection list and then eventually once those protection lists come out, I think you'll see more activity," Treliving told LeBrun. "I think there have been deals that have been consummated that probably will get announced soon – not necessarily involving us – but once we leave the combine and you get closer to the expansion draft, we'll see some more fluidity in the market."

Treliving said part of the quiet is because teams can't add players right now and still fit them into their protected lists. But for that same reason there could be a flurry of post-expansion draft activity.

"That's the interesting curveball that expansion has provided. You've got teams that have expansion issues," Treliving said, adding the Flames aren't necessarily one of them. "Vegas is going to draft a number of players and not all of them are going to be in Vegas come the start of the season. That may open up opportunities. We're active in trying to explore all the options."

Treliving said he expects one area where Vegas could be dealing in a position of strength is goaltending, and that could be a situation Calgary looks into.

"There are a lot of potentials. We've run through a couple mock drafts ourselves. When you look positionally, and when you look at all the teams protection scenarios and who they have to make available, I think (goaltending's) a position of strength. Depending on what the waiver rules are, I think there could be opportunities there. At the end of the day Vegas is going to have goaltenders and I don't think all of them are going to be in Vegas come October.

Treliving did state he was very happy with the job Chad Johnson and Brian Elliott, both pending unrestricted free agents, did last season in helping the Flames reach the playoffs. And he added he is happy with the team's crop of goalies in the minors, including Tyler Parsons, Jon Gillies, David Rittich, Nick Schneider, and Mason McDonald.

In other notes, Treliving said the team has had discussions to re-sign pending unrestricted free agent defenceman Michael Stone and is unlikely to move up or down in the first round of the NHL Draft, where they are currently slated to pick 16th overall.

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Posted by Cidinha at 12:28 PM 0 comments

{allcanada} Canucks receive compensatory pick from Blue Jackets for John Tortorella

 

The Vancouver Canucks will receive a second-round draft pick from the Columbus Blue Jackets compensation for John Tortorella.

Tortorella was fired by the Canucks in May 2014 following a 36-35-11 season and missing the playoffs less than one full year after signing a five-year, $10 million deal the previous June. The Blue Jackets hired Tortorella in October 2015 after Todd Richards was let go as head coach.

Teams receiving compensation for hiring coaches or executives who had recently been fired wasn't a particularly popular rule and it ended up being a relatively short-lived one. The policy went into effect on Jan. 1, 2015 but by that December the NHL's Board of Governors had decided to eliminate it.

However, since Columbus hired Tortorella when this compensatory draft pick policy was in place they still have to pay up. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported back in 2015 that the fact the Blue Jackets had to give the Canucks a future second-round pick in order to hire Tortorella nearly prevented the deal from happening.

Tortorella has since found success with his new team. The Blue Jackets finished with the fourth-best record in the NHL this past season and Tortorella was named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award as the league's top coach.

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Posted by Cidinha at 12:26 PM 0 comments
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