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Friday, June 30, 2017

{allcanada} Canucks sign forward Anton Rodin to one-year contract

 

The Vancouver Canucks have signed forward Anton Rodin to a one-year contract worth $700,000.

Rodin endured an injury-filled first season in North America, playing in just three games for Vancouver, tallying one assist.

The 26-year-old was a second-round pick of the Canucks in 2009 and arrived to camp last year to much fanfare having been named the MVP of the Swedish Hockey League in 2016.

A knee injury delayed his NHL debut until Dec. 23, and he was shut down again after another knee surgery in February.

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{allcanada} Report: Jets to sign UFA goalie Steve Mason

 

The Winnipeg Jets are set to sign goaltender Steve Mason, according to a report from Jeff Hamilton of The Winnipeg Free Press.

Mason, who is scheduled to hit the open market on Saturday, has been linked to the Jets over the past week as it became increasingly clear that the Philadelphia Flyers would be letting him walk.

The 29-year-old has struggled to find consistency throughout parts of his nine NHL seasons split between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Flyers. He posted a 2.66 goals-against average and .908 save percentage in 2016-17, which isn't far off from his career numbers (2.68 GAA, .911 SV%).

The Jets' goaltending woes were exposed this past season, and they have made no secret of their need for help in the crease as they search for a veteran netminder to share the starts with 24-year-old Connor Hellebuyck.

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{allcanada} Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park reportedly leave ‘Hawaii Five-0’ over pay inequality

 

Stars Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park have departed CBS' "Hawaii Five-0." Their characters, Chin Ho Kelly and Kono Kalakaua, will not appear in the upcoming eighth season. The characters' absence will be referenced in the season premiere.

Sources tell Variety that Park and Kim had been seeking pay equality with stars Alex O'Loughlin and Scott Caan, but were unable to reach satisfactory deals with CBS Television Studios, which produces the series. Kim and Park were believed to be making 10-15% less than O'Loughlin and Caan.

"I will never forget meeting Daniel while still writing the pilot and being certain there was no other actor who I'd want to play Chin Ho Kelly," said executive producer Peter Lenkov. "Needless to say, Daniel has been an instrumental part of the success of 'Hawaii Five-0' over the past 7 seasons and it has personally been a privilege to know him. Grace's presence gave 'Hawaii Five-0' a beauty and serenity to each episode. She was the consummate collaborator, helping build her character from day 1. They will always be ohana to us, we will miss them and we wish them both all the best."

A CBS spokesperson said in a statement: "We are so appreciative of Daniel and Grace's enormous talents, professional excellence and the aloha spirit they brought to each and every one of our 168 episodes. They've helped us build an exciting new Hawaii Five-0, and we wish them all the best and much success in their next chapters. Mahalo and a hui hou…"

Kim and Park have both been cast members on "Hawaii Five-O" alongside O'Loughlin and Caan since CBS premiered a rebooted version of the classic television cop show in 2010.

The "Hawaii Five-0" changes represent the latest in a series of cast overhauls at returning broadcast dramas. NBC's "Taken" and ABC's "Quantico" and "Once Upon a Time" have also parted ways with veteran cast members in the lead up to the coming season.

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{allcanada} Hawaii Five-0 Shake-Up: Grace Park, Daniel Dae Kim Exit Ahead of Season 8

Hawaii Five-0 Kono Chin Out

Alo-whaaaa?

CBS' Hawaii Five-0 is bidding adieu to not one but two original cast members: Grace Park and Daniel Dae Kim, neither of whom will be returning for Season 8, TVLine has learned.

Viewers will learn what became of Kono Kalakaua (who went "rogue" to chase sex traffickers in last month's finale) and Chin Ho Kelly (recently wooed to head up a San Francisco Five-0 unit) in the Season 8 premiere, airing Friday, Sept. 29 at 9/8c.

Park and Kim's departure comes as Five-0 enters the final season of Alex O'Loughlin's current contract; McGarrett's portrayer hinted last fall that Season 8 will be his last. Sources tell our sister site Variety that Park and Kim had been seeking, but failed to secure, pay equality with fellow original cast members O'Loughlin and Scott Caan.

To help fill the imminent void, as TVLine previously reported, casting is underway for the new series regular role of Tani, a lifeguard who until recently was a top police academy candidate until she got kicked out, and who will find her way onto McGarrett's team.

"I will never forget meeting Daniel while still writing the pilot and being certain there was no other actor who I'd want to play Chin Ho Kelly," shworunner Peter M. Lenkov said in a statement. "Needless to say, Daniel has been an instrumental part of the success of Hawaii Five-0 over the past seven seasons and it has personally been a privilege to know him.

"Grace's presence gave Hawaii Five-0 a beauty and serenity to each episode," the EP continued. "She was the consummate collaborator, helping build her character from Day 1. They will always be ohana to us, we will miss them and we wish them both all the best."

Kim is an executive producer on The Good Doctor, ABC's new medical drama which he co-developed for the U.S. with House's David Shore. It premieres this fall and stars Freddie Highmore (Bates Motel).

CBS issued a statement that read, "We are so appreciative of Daniel and Grace's enormous talents, professional excellence and the aloha spirit they brought to each and every one of our 168 episodes. They've helped us build an exciting new Hawaii Five-0, and we wish them all the best and much success in their next chapters. Mahalo and a hui hou…."

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{allcanada} Mark Messier awarded Order of Canada

Hockey Hall of Fame member Mark Messier received the Order of Canada on Friday. It's one of the nation's highest civilian honors and recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to Canada.

The announcement came one day before Canada's 150th anniversary.

The honor was bestowed on Messier, 56, for his "contributions to hockey as an outstanding player and captain, and for his leadership in encouraging children to take up the sport."

Messier won the Stanley Cup six times in 25 seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks. He is the only player to captain two teams to the Cup: the Oilers in 1990, when they won it for the fifth time, and the Rangers in 1994, ending a 54-year drought.

His 1,756 NHL games played are second all-time to Gordie Howe (1,767), and his 1,887 points are third behind Wayne Gretzky (2,857) and Jaromir Jagr (1,914). His 694 goals are eighth.

Messier was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007, and in January was named to the 100 Greatest NHL Players presented by Molson Canadian.

Joining Messier among those being honored are comedian and actor Mike Myers and television game-show host Alex Trebek.

"I am delighted to recognize these new recipients of the Order of Canada on the eve of the 150th anniversary of Confederation," said David Johnston, Governor General of Canada. "This July 1 also marks 50 years since the creation of the Order of Canada and the first-ever list of appointments, which was released a few days later. The individuals on today's list, just like those appointed half a century ago, are truly inspiring as they have helped to build the smarter, more caring nation that we, as Canadians, are all so proud to call 'home.' Let us celebrate these remarkable individuals today and every day."

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{allcanada} Joe Thornton, Brent Burns grace cover of ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue

Brent Burns and Joe Thornton of the San Jose Sharks appear on the cover of the cover of ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue sporting exaggerated beards -- and nothing else.

The Sharks tweeted out an image of cover on Friday. ESPN also sent out a picture of the two in white towels.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DDlJx1OV0AEv8oF.jpg

In a Q&A also released, Thornton, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, said he would not have done the photo shoot without Burns.

"I was like, 'Burnsie if you do it, I'll do it,'" said Thornton. "We're a package deal."

Burns and Thornton, who own two of the NHL's most impressive beards, also dished on the drawbacks of their facial hair.

"I've got eggs from last week in this thing," Burns said. "We oil it. We brush it out. But you try to eat one bowl of chili or something that can fall or drip, and you're just screwed if it goes in there. Nothing's getting out."

The issue hits newsstands on July 7.

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{allcanada} Canucks are front-runners for Del Zotto

 

The Vancouver Canucks are closing in on a deal with unrestricted free agent Michael Del Zotto.

The 27-year-old offensive-minded blue-liner is being allowed to walk by the Philadelphia Flyers and coming off a $4-million cap hit.

Del Zotto is one of the few UFA defencemen under the age of 30. He skates 19:30 a night and can move the puck. Under the proper circumstances, he may still have another 40-point season in him.

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{allcanada} Flames sign Stone to 3-year, $10.5M deal

 
 
@TSNBobMcKenzie : Michael Stone agrees to terms in CGY, three years with an AAV of $3.5M.

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{allcanada} Teams placing players on waivers before start of free agency

 

With the start of free agency set for July 1 at 12 p.m. ET, multiple NHL teams are waiving players for the purposes of contract buyouts Friday.

The Boston Bruins placed forward Jimmy Hayes on waivers for the purpose of a buyout. Hayes' contract will count for $566,667 against the salary cap next season and $866,667 in 2018-19.

The New Jersey Devils placed forwards Michael Cammalleri and Devante Smith-Pelly on unconditional waivers for purposes of buyouts, and the Calgary Flames placed forward Lance Bouma and defenseman Ryan Murphy on unconditional waivers for purposes of buyouts.

Also placed on waivers for the purposes of their contracts being bought out were Jussi Jokinen of the Florida Panthers and Brad Stuart of the Winnipeg Jets, according to Sportsnet.

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{allcanada} Sinclair appointed Order of Canada

 

Canadian soccer star Christine Sinclair was appointed the Order of Canada Friday, one of the country's highest civilian honours.

The Order of Canada recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation. Sinclair has guided the Canadian Women's National Team to two Olympic bronze medals.

"I think what's special for me is that this goes beyond soccer," Sinclair said in a Canada Soccer release. "I am a very, very proud Canadian, I am proud of where I am from, and to be recognized in this nature is surreal.  It's not something you can dream about happening to you… I can dream of winning a World Cup or an Olympic Gold Medal, and that's my job, but to have your country recognize you – I don't even know what to say."

"On behalf of Canada Soccer, congratulations to Christine on this momentous achievement," Canada Soccer President Steven Reed said in the release. "We've had the opportunity to watch Christine grow up and have been privileged to watch her become a Canadian icon and role model for all Canadians.  She is truly deserving of this honour."

Sinclair has 259 career appearances for Canada's Women's National Team over 17 years, scoring 168 goals and being named Canada Soccer's Player of the Year 13 times.

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{allcanada} Argos defence very aware of challenges Jennings presents

 

TORONTO — In Marcus Ball's mind, Jonathon Jennings is the epitome of a dual-threat quarterback.

"He's a playmaker, he's dynamic," Ball said. "The guy can make every throw on the field, he's young so he's energetic.

"He's gutsy, which is a good thing. He's a gunslinger, he's trying to get it downfield to make plays and win the game."

Ball will face Jennings for the first time Friday night when the Toronto Argonauts host B.C. at BMO Field (Live on TSN at 7pm et/4pm pt). Ball was with the NFL's Carolina Panthers when Jennings joined the Lions in 2015, making six starts that season before taking over as the full-time starter last year.

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Jennings, a 24-year-old native of Columbus, Ohio, has wasted no time establishing himself as a bona fide CFL star. Last season, he finished third overall in passing yards (5,226) and TDs (27) and second among quarterbacks in rushing (363 yards, 5.3-yard average with four touchdowns).

He led B.C. (12-6) to second in the West Division and a 32-31 win over Winnipeg in the conference semifinal. But the Lions' season ended a week later, losing 42-15 to Calgary in the conference final.

Jennings completed 22-of-34 passes for 264 yards and ran for 32 yards on five carries in B.C.'s season-opening 30-27 home loss to the Edmonton Eskimos. Toronto's defence didn't allow a TD in the club's 32-15 home win over Hamilton on Sunday, holding the Tiger-Cats to 258 total yards.

"The goal is always to play a complete game but (playing B.C.) it's a totally different team, a totally different gameplan, a totally different challenge," Ball said. "They're a very athletic team, they have a lot of speed, a lot of playmakers who make a lot of big plays.

"They make it happen."

Veterans Emannuel Arceneaux and Bryan Burnham anchor the Lions' receiving corps. Arceneaux was the CFL's third-leading receiver last year with 105 catches for 1,566 yards and 13 TDs while Burnham (79 receptions, 1,392 yards, three touchdowns) was fourth overall.

But B.C. also had 22 rushing attempts for 130 yards (5.9-yard average) and two touchdowns against Edmonton. Jeremiah Johnson led the way with 92 yards on 14 carries (6.6-yard average) and a TD.

"Hamilton has always had that pass-first mentality whereas this week we're playing a Wally Buono-coached team where it's a run-first mentality on first down," said Toronto defensive co-ordinator Corey Chamblin. "They wear you down with the run then try to get to the play-actions and those things . . . we have to prepare for everything they're going to throw at us.

"He (Jennings) is a very good quarterback . . . but the tough thing about it is they're a balanced offence so as to how we prepare for these guys, we have to see what their plan is coming in and try to adjust to what they're doing."

One way defences try to keep a quarterback in check is bring pressure in the form of blitzes. Toronto registered five sacks against Hamilton but Chamblin said B.C.'s penchant for keeping one or two running backs in passing situations makes it tough to blitz often.

"This team doesn't go empty (no backs in backfield) a lot so they'll have more protection," Chamblin said. "They'll have one back, sometimes two, so that would limit some of the things we do pressure-wise."

Toronto head coach Marc Trestman, back in the CFL following four years in the NFL, has established a well-earned reputation of being a quarterback and offensive guru. He certainly appreciates Jennings' skillset.

"He's exciting, he's an explosive player," Trestman said. "He's got great arm strength and he's even more dangerous when he gets outside the pocket not only going to his right but to his left.

"We know he's a difference-maker, we know he can make plays. He's one of the key guys we have to contain in this game."

NOTES — Toronto running back Brandon Whitaker went on the one-game injured list Thursday and won't play Friday. He'll be replaced by CFL rookie James Wilder Jr. "He (Whitaker) isn't feeling 100 per cent," Trestman said. "We feel confident with James Wilder stepping in. We're looking forward to seeing him run and feel confident in his ability to pass protect so we're excited about it."

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Thursday, June 29, 2017

{allcanada} Stampeders outlast Redblacks in shootout

 

CALGARY — Kamar Jorden scored a pair of touchdowns to lead the Calgary Stampeders to a 43-39 win over the visiting Ottawa Redblacks on Thursday.

The two football teams tied 31-31 last week to open the season.

Marken Michel, Maleki Harris, Tunde Adeleke and backup quarterback Andrew Buckley also scored for the hosts in front of an announced 24,613 at McMahon Stadium.

Marquay McDaniel had a two-point convert catch with kicker Rene Paredes adding a field goal for the hosts. Paredes made just one of four convert attempts, however.

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Dontae Spencer had a pair of touchdowns for Ottawa, with Brad Sinopoli and Mossis Madu Jr., also contributing majors.

Brett Maher kicked four field goals. Madu rushed for a two-point convert.

The teams traded punt returns for touchdowns. Spencer ran the ball in from 96 yards and Adeleke from 71.

Ottawa quarterback Trevor Harris threw for 425 yards and two touchdowns, while Calgary counterpart Bo Levi Mitchell finished with 295 passing yards and a trio of touchdown throws.

Harris and Spencer combined on a 65-yard touchdown pass for Ottawa less than a minute after Mitchell's eight-yard pass to Jorden late in the fourth quarter.

Madu's 14-yard carry at 6:10 pulled Ottawa within a field goal. Adeleke's punt return to score had Calgary up 36-27 lead at 2:40.

The Redblacks were also within a field goal to start the quarter following Sinopoli's 34-yard reception and a Maher convert. Maher's 28-yard field goal at 10:57 of the third had made it 30-20.

Stampeder linebacker Alex Singleton's hard tackle on Patrick Lavoie knocked the ball loose for Maleki Harris to scoop and score from 46 yards out at 5:18 for a 30-17 lead.

Buckley kept the ball on a short-yardage package and scored on a 60-yard scamper to start the second half. A two-point convert attempt failed.

Calgary led 17-6 midway through the second quarter, but it took the Redblacks just over a minute starting at 12:14 to deadlock the game with a field goal, touchdown and two-point convert before halftime.

After a 30-yarder from Maher, Spencer scored on a punt return, followed by a three-yard rush from Madu Jr., for two points.

A blocked punt by Charlie Power and recovery by Terry Williams gave Calgary the ball on Ottawa's eight-yard line midway through the quarter.

Mitchell couldn't connect with his receivers, so the Stampeders settled for a 15-yard field goal from Paredes.

Mitchell did find Michel in the end zone with a 16-yard touchdown throw early in the quarter. McDaniel's three-yard reception generated the extra two points.

With the Redblacks threatening from 11 yards out to end the opening quarter, pass knockdowns by Calgary's Singleton and Ciante Evans held them to an 18-yard field goal.

Calgary scored on Mitchell's 15-yard strike to an airborne Jorden stretching for the ball at the goal line at 8:32.

The Redblacks would have scored on Harris's first throw of the game when Ellingson ran a 39-yard pass into the end zone.

It was called back because of an illegal blocking penalty to Sinopoli. Ottawa settled for a 33-yard field goal from Maher.

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{allcanada} Blue Jays' bats quiet in loss to Orioles

 

TORONTO — Ubaldo Jimenez came into Thursday night's game with just two wins on the season and a bloated 7.26 earned-run average.

A clinical performance from the Orioles right-hander — eight shutout innings in Baltimore's 2-0 win — showed the Blue Jays why they can't judge a pitcher off his numbers alone.

"You go into this game thinking Ubaldo Jimenez is throwing, statistically the worst pitcher in baseball. But he comes out and he throws the way he does," said Kevin Pillar, one of only two Blue Jays to get a hit off Jimenez all night.

"That's what makes this game so tough. You can't necessarily play the game according to the numbers. That's a big league pitcher out there who's had a lot of success in his career. ... It makes it tough when a guy doesn't have any consistent patterns out there."

Caleb Joseph drove in a run for Baltimore (39-39), Jonathan Schoop hit a sacrifice fly and Brad Brach pitched the ninth to earn his 15th save of the season.

Jimenez (3-3) struck out eight batters and walked one while improving to 8-5 in his career against the Blue Jays.

A pair of two-out doubles — one from Ryan Goins in the third inning and another from Pillar in the eighth — were his only blemishes. Russell Martin added a single for the Jays (37-41) off Brach in the ninth.

Jimenez was just as good Thursday as he was in his last start against Toronto on Sept. 29, 2016, when he pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings while surrendering just one hit at Rogers Centre.

"Some guys are like that so you know automatically he's going to be confident coming in," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said of the Orioles starter. "He did a nice job, that was a big part of it."

J.A. Happ (2-5) was the hard-luck loser, allowing two runs on eight hits over 6 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out two while surpassing his loss total from all of last season.

"Early in the game I felt really strong, I thought I was getting some early outs, keeping the pitch count down," said Happ, who missed six weeks earlier this season with an elbow injury. "Any time you keep any team in this league, especially in this division, in the ballpark you give yourself a chance to win so overall I felt pretty good about it."

The Orioles first got on the board in the third inning as Schoop drove in Ruben Tejada from third base with a sac fly to left-centre field.

Happ bounced back with a five-pitch fourth inning that saw him retire all three batters on ground-ball outs, then he worked around a two-out walk in the fifth to keep the Jays in the game.

But Baltimore tacked on another run in the sixth to extend its lead to 2-0 when Joseph, inserted into the starting lineup just before the game in place of an injured Welington Castillo (left knee sprain), drove in Adam Jones from second base with a single.

A defensive gem from Pillar kept the leadoff man from reaching in the seventh. The Toronto centre-fielder sprinted toward the fence to track down a Tejada fly ball and caught it as he crashed full speed into the non-padded scoreboard portion of the wall.

After the game Pillar joked that it felt like he was "checking someone" into the Plexiglas.

"Hockey reference, you know?" Pillar said.

"J.A was throwing so good you want to do everything you can to help keep him in the game, keep our team in the game," he added. "That's what I was able to do."

Happ called the catch "unbelievable."

"Incredible, just no regard for his body at all," he said. "We almost get used to that but it's fun to watch for sure."

Happ's night ended when he allowed a single to the next batter, but Dominic Leone got a strikeout and diving catch from Ezequiel Carrera in left field to end the inning.

Toronto threatened briefly in the eighth when Pillar hit a two-out double deep to right field. But Manny Machado caught a foul pop up from Goins to end the inning.

The Blue Jays continue their home stand with a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox starting Friday. Happ said that while the team is frustrated with Thursday's loss, there's little time to mull it over.

"It's not for lack of trying or lack of work," Happ said. "I think it's going to come and we know it needs to come soon. We may be frustrated but we've got Boston coming in tomorrow and we've got to get back to work."

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{allcanada} Henderson two back at Women's PGA

 

OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. — Michelle Wie launched a 3-wood into swirling gusts and toward the 18th green, wondering if the shot had enough steam to get there. A shift in the wind took the guesswork out of the equation.

"It died down and I got a little surprise," Wie said. "I got all the way there."

The 215-yard shot rolled within 30 feet of the flag to set up a two-putt birdie and a 3-under 68 that left Wie two shots off the lead during the opening round Thursday in the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. She wasn't the only long-hitter to benefit from windy conditions and a tough front nine at Olympia Fields Country Club.

Defending champion Brooke Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., matched the 3-under start, which left her two back of Chella Choi and Amy Yang. Choi shot a 66 in the morning, and Yang was on the 18th hole at 5 under with a chance to grab the outright lead when play was suspended at 7:01 p.m. because of dangerous weather in the area.

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Brittany Altomare shot a 67, and Joanna Klatten also was 4 under with two holes left.

Joining Henderson and Wie at 68 were Alison Lee and Su Oh. Kim Kaufman and Emily Pedersen also were 3 under late in their rounds.

"I was able to carry a couple of fairway bunkers, which is huge, because not a lot of players are able to do that," Henderson said.

Hamilton's Alena Sharp was tied for 37th at even-par 71.

The second major on the women's tour is again being played at the site of previous men's majors, where big tee shots can pay big dividends. Henderson won her first major at Sahalee last year, and Wie claimed her only major — the 2014 U.S. Women's Open — at Pinehurst.

Praise for Olympia Fields, a tree-lined classic layout just south of Chicago, is nearly unanimous. But it's being tempered by players struggling to navigate the changing wind, with gusts up to 16 mph. Oh called that a "massive" factor in her decision-making.

"We kind of anticipated it," she said. "It's the 'Windy City.' But it was like this from the very beginning and I stayed patient out there."

The Women's PGA marks the start of a stretch of three majors in six weeks, which should provide some clarity at the top of the game.

So Yeon Ryu, who beat Lexi Thompson in a playoff at the ANA Inspiration to claim the season's first major, also took over the No. 1 spot this week after becoming the only repeat winner through the first 16 tournaments on the LPGA Tour. Ryu finished at 69, and Thompson at 70. Two-time major winner Lydia Ko also shot 70.

Ariya Jutanugarn, who slipped to No. 2 in the rankings after Ryu's win last week in Arkansas, struggled to a 77, and Cristie Kerr shot 78.

The forecast for Friday calls for rain and slightly increasing wind. That could make things tougher for both Choi and Henderson, whose caddies are, respectively, their father and older sister.

When Choi was asked whether she could blame any bad shots on her caddie's calculations, she smiled and said, "Sometimes."

She added: "My father missed a couple of shots today, but it happens because the wind is every time switching."

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{allcanada} Kris Versteeg signs one-year contract with Flames

 

Forward Kris Versteeg signed a one-year, $1.75 million contract with the Calgary Flames on Thursday.

Versteeg could have become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Versteeg, 31, had 37 points (15 goals, 22 assists) in 69 games with the Flames this season after signing a one-year contract with them Oct. 11, one day before their season opener. He had one goal and three assists in four Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Versteeg, selected by the Boston Bruins in the fifth round (No. 134) of the 2004 NHL Draft, was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2007, the first of seven times he has been traded in his NHL career. Versteeg has 350 points (146 goals, 204 assists) in 619 regular-season games with the Blackhawks, Flames, Los Angeles Kings, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs.

A four-time 20-goal scorer, Versteeg won the Stanley Cup twice with Chicago (2010, 2015) and has 48 points (18 goals, 30 assists) in 93 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

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{allcanada} Flames get goalie Lack from Carolina

 

The Calgary Flames have acquired goaltender Eddie Lack, defenseman Ryan Murphy and a seventh-round draft pick in 2019 from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for defenseman Keegan Kanzig and a sixth-round pick in 2019.

The Hurricanes will retain 50 per cent of the salary remaining on the final year of Lack's contract. Prior to the 201-17 season, lack signed a two-year, $5.5 million deal. He carries a cap hit of $2.75 million next season.

Last season, Lack played in 20 games. He .902 save percentage to go along with a 2.64 goals against average.

This isn't the first time Lack has been dealt. He was sent from the Vancouver Canucks to the Hurricanes last summer in 2015 for a pair of draft picks.

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{allcanada} Wayne Gretzky releases statement on passing of Dave Semenko

 

The hockey world is mourning the loss of Edmonton Oilers legend Dave Semenko, who died Thursday at age 59 after a short battle with cancer.

Semenko was best known on the ice for his tough-guy ways, serving as bodyguard for Wayne Gretzky. Off the ice, he was beloved for his big heart and sense of humour.

Several retired Oilers have been paying tribute to Semenko throughout the day via statements and media appearances.

Wayne Gretzky issued the following statement to share his thoughts on his longtime teammate and friend:

"One of the first Oilers I met in 1978, I didn't know at the time the impact he would have in my life and my career. He was the toughest player I knew and yet the biggest Teddy Bear you would ever know. A beloved Oiler that will be missed dearly because of his kind heart and funny sense of humour. He made us all better people. RIP # 27, thanks for your friendship."

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{allcanada} Marc-Edouard Vlasic: The NHL must go to the Olympics

{allcanada} Raonic better prepared for Wimbledon title charge

 

(Reuters) - Wimbledon 2016 runner-up Milos Raonic believes he is a better player than last year and will hope to build some confidence at an exhibition event in London ahead of next week's Championships.

The big-serving Canadian, who fell in the opening round at the Aegon Championships at Queen's Club last week, said he arrived into grasscourt season in better physical shape as he targets his first grand slam title over the next fortnight.

"I'm a better player than I was last year," Raonic told reporters on Wednesday at the Hurlingham event.

"I think the main difference is this year around I was hurt leading into clay and for me to really find my confidence, my stride on clay isn't the easiest thing so I'm just looking for that aspect of it.

"So if I can play a few good matches to start I think my game can click and come together much better than it did last year as well."

Raonic is seeded sixth for Wimbledon, which starts on Monday.

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