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Sunday, May 31, 2020

{allcanada} MLS, players agree to economic concessions

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TORONTO — MLS players have approved taking part in a summer tournament in Orlando, agreeing to a "package of economic concessions" for the revamped 2020 season in the process.

The 26-team league suspended play March 12 because of the global pandemic, two weeks into its 2020 season.

The MLS Players Association said in a release Sunday evening that its membership had voted to accept "salary reductions across the entire player pool, reduced team and individual bonuses, and additional concessions to existing and future terms of the CBA."

"While a difficult vote in incredibly challenging times, it was taken collectively to ensure that players can return to competition as soon as they are safely able to do so," the MLSPA said. "The package has been formally submitted to the league for a decision by the owners."

In February, the league and MLSPA agreed to an agreement in principle on a new collective bargaining agreement that covers five seasons from 2020.

But, because of the global pandemic, the deal never got formal approval by the MLS board of governors and the MLSPA membership. Under the deal announced Sunday, the CBA will be extended by a year.

The league declined a request for comment.

With soccer on the sidelines, the two sides have been in discussions on wages with the league on hiatus.

A source with knowledge of the talks, not authorized to speak publicly because the negotiations have been private, said in April the league had proposed guaranteeing players 50 per cent of their annual salary if no more games are played this season.

The percentage of pay would rise if more games are played — how much more would depend on how many games and whether they were played before fans.

Players earning under US$100,000 would not be affected. The minimum salary for players on a team's senior roster is $81,375 this year. The minimum for those on the reserve roster, usually younger players, is $63,547.

The MLSPA did not say what it had agreed to in Sunday's statement.

Teams have been given the green light as of Monday to start training in small groups, presuming they meet the approval of local authorities and the league. Toronto FC is set to take advantage of that Monday.

Previously teams had been restricted to voluntary individual workouts.

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{allcanada} Gallagher confident Canadiens can take advantage of 'second life'

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Brendan Gallagher said he is confident the Montreal Canadiens can take advantage of the unique chance they've been given by the NHL Return to Play Plan.

"Obviously there are a few teams like ourselves who've kind of been given a second life," Gallagher said Friday. "You try and take advantage of that the best you can."

Based on the plan announced May 26, Montreal will play the Pittsburgh Penguins in a best-of-5 Qualifying Round series, with the winner advancing to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Canadiens were 10 points out of a playoff position and behind three teams when the NHL season was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. The Return to Play Plan ended the regular season and established a 24-team format to decide the Stanley Cup champion. Montreal's .500 points percentage (31-31-9) is the lowest of the 24 teams.

"We'll see how we stack up," Gallagher said. "To say we go in there without confidence or without belief wouldn't be true. If there's one thing I know about our group, it's that if we are given that opportunity, it's something that we'd welcome."

Pittsburgh (40-23-6) ended the season with the seventh-best points percentage in the NHL, .623, which was fifth in the Eastern Conference. The top four teams in each conference will play a Seeding Round Robin to determine positions for the playoffs.

"I guess if they're unhappy, it's good for us," Gallagher said of the Penguins. "We obviously know what kind of challenge that would be. We'll be facing arguably two of the best players in the world (centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin). It'll be a challenge. But like any athlete, I think you look forward to testing yourselves and you look forward to seeing how you hold up in those situations. It'll be a test for our group, for sure, especially with a lot of guys that haven't been given that playoff experience."

A start date and location to resume play has not been determined. Pittsburgh won two of three games against Montreal this season.

"It's not about any team that we play," Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford said. "The 24 teams that are in, any of them could win the series. Playoffs are hard. Everybody knows that. We know it as well as anybody with the success that we've had. We're not about picking and choosing teams. It was more about we were hoping we weren't going to be in the [Qualifying Round].

"... [Montreal has] a good team. We all know with the parity in the League now that just because you're out of the top 16 doesn't mean you don't have a good team. It'll be a good matchup."

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{allcanada} Yamamoto could play big role for Oilers in Qualifying Round

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Kailer Yamamoto could play an important role for the Edmonton Oilers when they face the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference Qualifying Round, proving how far he's come this season.

The 21-year-old forward, who began the season with Bakersfield of the American Hockey League, scored 26 points (11 goals, 15 assists) in 27 games for the Oilers after being recalled Dec. 29. 

"I felt a lot better this year," Yamamoto said in an interview with Sportsnet on Saturday. "My first years (in professional hockey) I didn't know how I wanted to play, but this year has been a lot of fun. I think it helped me out a lot getting sent down to Bakersfield at the beginning of the year, just getting my confidence back and getting my legs back after having (wrist) surgery the year before."

Yamamoto, Edmonton's first-round pick (No. 22) in the 2017 NHL Draft, thrived playing on a line with Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. They combined to score 108 points (Draisaitl 45, Nugent-Hopkins 37 and Yamamoto 26) in the 27 games Yamamoto played before the season was paused March 12 due to concerns about the coronavirus.

"Coming up this year was a lot better," said Yamamoto, who scored five points (one goal, four assists) in 26 NHL games before this season. "I was a lot more confident with my game and I knew I belonged there (in the NHL). Obviously, playing on Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins' line makes it that much easier, so it was a lot of fun this year."

Yamamoto has helped round out Edmonton's top-six forwards. The Oilers have two potent lines for the Blackhawks to be concerned about defending, one centered by Draisaitl, who led the NHL in scoring with 110 points (43 goals, 67 assists) this season, the other by Connor McDavid, who was second in the scoring race with 97 points (34 goals, 63 assists).

The difference for Yamamoto now, he said, is that he's confident enough to play at a high-level with skilled forwards like Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins.

"There's definitely some work behind the scenes, but I've also played with them off and on throughout my three years, so I kind of knew how they played when I was coming up here," Yamamoto said of his linemates. "It was just question of if I could make a play to them or not. … but this year I started making plays to them and I think it just started to come naturally and luckily we were just having a lot of success."

The NHL announced its Return to Play Plan on May 26 with 24 teams in competition for the Stanley Cup. The tournament will begin with a 16-team, eight-series qualifying round and a Seeding Round Robin among the top four teams in each conference to determine seeds for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The 12 qualifying teams from the Eastern and Western conferences were determined by points percentage as of March 12, with Edmonton (37-25-9, .585) scheduled to play Chicago (32-30-8, .514).

The Oilers were 1-2-0 against the Blackhawks this season, splitting the two games when Yamamoto was in the lineup Feb. 11 and March 5. He scored three goals in two games against Chicago, two in a 5-3 win at Rogers Place in February, perhaps giving him even more confidence heading into the qualifying round.

As he trains at home in Spokane, Washington, Yamamoto is thinking big.

"Hopefully we can get back to it and hopefully win the Stanley Cup."

 
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Saturday, May 30, 2020

{allcanada} May 31: Bourque becomes oldest player to score goal in Final

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THIS DATE IN HISTORY: May 31

2001: Ray Bourque's last Stanley Cup Playoff goal is one for the record books.

The 40-year-old defenseman becomes the oldest player in NHL history to score a goal in the Cup Final when he scores 31 seconds into the third period of the Colorado Avalanche's 3-1 victory against the New Jersey Devils in Game 3 at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Bourque's 41st and final Stanley Cup Playoff goal, a shot past goalie Martin Brodeur after a faceoff win by Joe Sakic, breaks a 1-1 tie.

"For me, I can probably say it's my biggest goal," said Bourque, who's in his second season with Colorado after more than 20 years with the Boston Bruins.

 

MORE MOMENTS

1961: Doug Harvey, a six-time Norris Trophy winner with the Montreal Canadiens, signs a contract with the New York Rangers to serve as player-coach, replacing Alf Pike. The Canadiens receive forward Lou Fontinato from the Rangers as compensation. Harvey goes on to win the Norris Trophy for the seventh time in 1961-62 and help the Rangers qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 1958.

 

1987: The Edmonton Oilers win the Stanley Cup for the third time in four seasons by defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 3-1 in Game 7 of the Final at Northlands Coliseum. Jari Kurri scores at 14:59 of the second period to put the Oilers ahead 2-1, and Glenn Anderson makes it 3-1 with 2:24 remaining in the third. Edmonton outshoots Philadelphia 43-20, but rookie goalie Ron Hextall makes 40 saves to keep the Flyers in the game. Hextall also becomes the fourth player from the losing team to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. "I'm proud of winning the [Conn] Smythe," he says years later, "but I'd take the other Cup ahead of that one."

 

1994: The Vancouver Canucks win a Cup Final game for the first time in their history when Greg Adams scores at 19:26 of overtime for a 3-2 victory against the New York Rangers in Game 1 at Madison Square Garden. Martin Gelinas ties the game 2-2 with 60 seconds remaining in the third period, and the Canucks survive a 17-shot barrage in overtime before Adams beats Rangers goalie Mike Richter. The other hero is Vancouver goalie Kirk McLean, who finishes with 52 saves. The Canucks are in the Final for the second time in their history, having been swept by the New York Islanders in 1982.

 

2002: Dominik Hasek sets a single-year playoff record with his fifth shutout, and the Detroit Red Wings advance to the Cup Final with a 7-0 victory against the Avalanche in Game 7 of the Western Conference Final at Joe Louis Arena. Detroit scores four times in less than 11 minutes of the first period against Patrick Roy and the Avalanche muster just 19 shots against Hasek.

DETROIT, MI - MAY 27: Dominik Hasek #31 of the Detroit Red Wings stops Joe Sakic #19 of the Colorado Avalanche as Pavel Datsyuk #13 of the Red Wings clears the crease during game five of the Western Conference finals in the Stanley Cup playoffs at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan on May 27, 2002. The Avalanche won 2-1. (Photo by Dave Sandford/Getty Images/NHLI)

 

2003: Jean-Sebastien Giguere extends his overtime shutout streak to 167:48, surpassing Roy's record of 162:56, before defenseman Ruslan Salei scores at 6:59 of OT to give the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim a 3-2 victory against the visiting Devils in Game 3 of the Cup Final.

 

2004: Brad Richards sets a single-season playoff record with his seventh game-winning goal when he scores the only goal in the Tampa Bay Lightning's 1-0 victory against the Calgary Flames in Game 4 of the Final at Pengrowth Saddledome. Richards' power-play goal 2:48 into the game holds up as the winner because Nikolai Khabibulin makes 29 saves for the sixth playoff shutout of his career.

 

2011: The NHL returns to Winnipeg when the Atlanta Thrashers are sold to True North Sports & Entertainment. The franchise, renamed the Winnipeg Jets, will begin play in Manitoba's capital for the 2011-12 season. The original Jets move to Phoenix in 1996 and are renamed the Phoenix Coyotes.

 

2017: Jake Guentzel scores two goals and the Pittsburgh Penguins defeat the Nashville Predators 4-1 at PPG Paints Arena in Game 2 of the Cup Final. After Pontus Aberg gives the Predators the lead by scoring at 12:57 of the first period, Guentzel ties the game at 16:36 and put Pittsburgh ahead to stay when he beats Pekka Rinne 10 seconds into the third period. Penguins goalie Matt Murray makes 37 saves.

 
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{allcanada} Vancouver Canucks' first-round pick transfers to New Jersey Devils if they make playoffs

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The Vancouver Canucks still own their first-round pick for this year for the time being.

In a Return to Play memo which the NHL sent out to clubs this past week, the league made a decision on conditional trades impacted by playoff participation, sources confirmed to TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun.

There was confusion on Tuesday when the NHL made the official the 24-team format as to whether that meant all those teams had clinched a playoff spot.

A playoff berth in the 2019-20 season automatically transfers Vancouver's first-round pick to the New Jersey Devils.

The Canucks originally traded their first-round pick to Tampa Bay last June for J.T. Miller and the Lightning then dealt that pick to New Jersey before the Feb. 24 trade deadline for Blake Coleman. But the condition on the trade was that the Canucks had to make the playoffs this season for the pick to transfer for the 2020 draft. If the Canucks missed the playoffs, the Devils would instead get Vancouver's 2021 draft pick - unprotected.

"More specifically, for Trade condition purposes, a Club will not be deemed to have qualified for the Playoffs unless or until they have progressed into the Round of 16, and 'Playoff Games/Rounds' will only include the games/rounds played in the Round of 16 or later," the memo read.

"We believe this interpretation will best reflect the intentions of the parties at the time of the Trade."

So, the Canucks have to win their play-in round against the Minnesota Wild this summer for the first-round pick to officially transfer to New Jersey.

If Vancouver loses that play-in series, the Canucks officially miss the playoffs and keep the pick - which would be a draft lottery pick - and the Devils would instead get Vancouver's 2021 unprotected first-round selection.

 
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{allcanada} May 30: Kurri scores record-tying 19th goal for Oilers in 1985 playoffs

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THIS DATE IN HISTORY: May 30

1985: The Edmonton Oilers roll to their second Stanley Cup championship by defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 8-3 in Game 5 of the Final at Northlands Coliseum.

Jari Kurri matches the single-season Stanley Cup Playoff record by scoring his 19th goal 4:54 into the first period; he ties the mark set by Reggie Leach of the Flyers in 1976. The primary assist goes to Wayne Gretzky, who is voted winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after setting single-season playoff records with 30 assists and 47 points. He finishes plus-28 in Edmonton's 18 playoff games.

Paul Coffey and Mark Messier score two goals apiece for the Oilers, who lead 4-1 after one period and 7-1 after two.

The win is the fourth in a row for the Oilers after they lose the series opener in Philadelphia.

 

MORE MOMENTS

1998: Craig Berube scores the first playoff goal of his 12-year NHL career when he breaks a scoreless tie at 2:34 of the third period, and the visiting Washington Capitals defeat the Buffalo Sabres 2-0 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. Berube's unassisted goal against Dominik Hasek comes in his 59th playoff game. Joe Juneau puts the game away at 13:38 when his 70-footer gets past Hasek during a Buffalo power play. Olaf Kolzig outplays Hasek, making 30 saves for his fourth shutout of the 1998 playoffs.

 

1999: Chris Drury ties a rookie playoff record with his fourth game-winning goal and the visiting Colorado Avalanche defeat the Dallas Stars 7-5 in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final at Reunion Arena. Drury's second goal of the game, at 13:16 of the third period, breaks a 5-5 tie. He equals the rookie mark for game-winners set by Claude Lemieux of the Montreal Canadiens in 1986. Patrick Roy makes 25 saves and becomes the first goalie in NHL history to win at least 40 playoff games with two teams.

 

2000: Ken Daneyko, the only member of the New Jersey Devils to play in each of their 126 playoff games, scores his first postseason goal since 1995 in a 7-3 victory against Dallas in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The veteran defenseman breaks a 1-1 tie early in the second period, triggering a run of six consecutive goals by the Devils.

 

2012: Anze Kopitar scores a breakaway goal 8:13 into overtime to give the Los Angeles Kings a 2-1 victory against the Devils in Game 1 of the Final at Prudential Center. Kopitar beats Martin Brodeur to give the Kings their playoff-record ninth consecutive road win. Los Angeles goaltender Jonathan Quick makes 16 saves, allowing only a second-period goal to defenseman Anton Volchenkov.

 

2016: Nick Bonino scores with 2:33 remaining in the third period to give the Pittsburgh Penguins a 3-2 victory against the San Jose Sharks in Game 1 of the Final at Consol Energy Center. Bonino takes a pass from defenseman Kris Letang and beats goaltender Martin Jones with a shot that hits his blocker and deflects into the net. It's the first Cup Final game in the 25-year history of the Sharks.

 

2018: The Washington Capitals win a Stanley Cup Final game for the first time since entering the NHL in 1974 when they hold on to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 in Game 2 at T-Mobile Arena. The Capitals trail 1-0 before goals by Lars Eller, Alex Ovechkin and Brooks Orpik put them ahead 3-1. Shea Theodore makes it 3-2 late in the second period, but Capitals goalie Braden Holtby preserves the lead with a spectacular save on Alex Tuch with 1:59 remaining in the third period. The win evens the best-of-7 series 1-1 and gives Washington its first win in six Cup Final games, including a four-game sweep by the Detroit Red Wings in 1998.

 
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{allcanada} Draisaitl looks to improve game with Oilers after Art Ross Trophy win

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Leon Draisaitl said he was thrilled to win the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer this season but that he has plenty of room for improvement.

"I'm proud in a way, of course, but I know that I have lots of things to work on," the Edmonton Oilers forward said Friday. "It's obviously the cliche, everyone says that, but it is true. At the end of the day that there are many things that I can improve. I want to do that every year."

Draisaitl scored 110 points (43 goals, 67 assists) in 71 games before the NHL season was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. During its Return to Play Plan announcement Tuesday, the NHL said the regular season was over, giving the 24-year-old his first scoring title in his six NHL seasons.

"Obviously when you come to numbers like this, there's always people that help you get there," said Draisaitl, who scored 105 points (50 goals, 55 assists) in 82 games last season, when he was fourth in the NHL behind leader Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning (129 points).

"I've been lucky enough to have some great teammates, some great linemates over the last two years that have really made me a better player and pushed me to become an offensively dangerous player. You dream of these things, no question, but until you do it, it seems so far away."

Draisaitl finished 13 points ahead of teammate and sometime linemate Connor McDavid (97 points; 34 goals, 63 assists). Draisaitl is expected to receive serious consideration for the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP this season, but that was something he downplayed Friday. He was the top vote-getter in an NHL.com poll for the award this week.

"I don't really pay too much attention to the Hart Trophy race, to be honest with you," Draisaitl said. "Of course, it would be a big honor, it would be great to win it or ever come close to being in the race. That's a great thing for me personally. I'm very happy about that, no question. We'll find out soon enough whatever the decision is. Either way, I'll be proud of myself."

The Oilers (37-25-9, .585 points percentage) were fifth in the Western Conference and will play the Chicago Blackhawks in a best-of-5 Qualifying Round if the season resumes.

"It's a team with a lot of experience still," Draisaitl said of Chicago. "They've won, they have that experience of how to win hockey games, playoff series. I think it'll be a good matchup, a good series, and we're looking to obviously win that."

Before he gets to that series, Draisaitl said he will be focused on restarting his game and knocking off the rust, having been, like the rest of the NHL, away from competition for more than two months. No return date has been announced and training camps are not expected to open until at least July 10.

"It definitely takes a while," he said. "Hockey in general is a sport that takes maybe a little longer than other sports to get into your coordination, your cardio, that kind of stuff, your timing. It takes a little while. But I think the NHL will give us enough time to get ready and get back into it and get our feet wet. At the end of the day, we're all in the same boat, right? Every team has the same circumstance pretty much. I guess you could say it's pretty fair."

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{allcanada} Canucks not renewing contract of Amateur Scouting Director Judd Brackett

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The Vancouver Canucks and Amateur Scouting Director Judd Brackett have mutually agreed to part ways when Brackett's contract expires on June 30.

In a statement, the Canaucks say no other changes will be made to the team's amateur scouting staff at this time and that general manager Jim Benning will still be responsible for final draft decisions.

"We are grateful for Judd's contributions and leadership at an important time for our team," Benning said in a statement. "Judd earned the respect of his peers and fans alike; we're proud of what he and our amateur scouting staff have accomplished. Although difficult, we believe this is the right decision for the future of our team. We are confident we have a strong scouting staff and are well positioned for the upcoming NHL Draft."

Brackett has been amateur scouting director since 2015 and worked in the team's amateur scouting department for 12 years.

Discussions over Brackett's future have swirled around the Vancouver market for months with his contract not renewed beyond this season. Benning told media in a conference call Friday the team offered Brackett a two-year contract extension but it was rejected.

"I want to thank the Vancouver Canucks organization, its fans and the city for the past 12 years," Brackett wrote on Twitter. "I am very grateful for the opportunity to have led the amateur scouting department. I leave proud of the work we did, the collaboration with the department and the replenishment of the prospect pool.

"Unfortunately an agreement on the level of input going forward with regard to staff personnel and process could not be reached."

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported earlier this month that a split was the most likely outcome.

"Judd Brackett and the Vancouver Canucks clearly are not comfortable with each other," Friedman said on Sportsnet 650 on May 5. "For whatever reason, the organization is not comfortable with him, and he is not comfortable with them. I think everybody can see that at this point in time."

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Re: [SurroundSound] Re: The Hub 2020-2022 Renewal and Message to SSGG.

Contribution sent also. Not been on the hub much in the last several months as I'm having house renovations, but happy to contribute to keeping it running.

Thank you.

On Sat, 23 May 2020 at 13:18, citysoundman <bobkirschner1@gmail.com> wrote:
Contribution sent!

On Saturday, May 16, 2020 at 8:03:14 AM UTC-4, lokkerman wrote:
First of all in these strange times, please let me wish all SSGGers and Hubbers and there families and loved ones , all the very best. I do hope you are all coping well.

Secondly I would like to summarise the last two years with great thanks  to all that supported me when I had my heart surgery, a year ago. My how time flies. There is also a tinge of sadness as last year our dear Aart; Eye-of-Horus (EoH) passed away. His up-mixes are emmortal, perhaps some are essential, but thanks to the hub, most of his work has been preserved for posterity.

Thirdly, I would like to thanks all the hubbers that have contributed already, you all know who you are, which has already made this years renewal process a lot easier.

Finally for the ones I have missed, it is hub renewal time and I would appreciate if any of you, could contribute 10E/$/£ (via paypal to the address below) to the upkeep of the hub which is hosted externally. For any of you that are unfamiliar with the hub, it is our own private repository, where we store and archive our own collection of surround and Hi-Res material. It is a locked down members only platform bit like an interactive cloud store. The subscription is something I introduced some years ago, so the costs were spread amongst members, it has proved beneficial as we still have the hosted service ten years on.

Because of events, mostly due to folk's habits changing over time, I will now start to rationalise the membership and for those that are obviously, not involved any more, I will be closing down the account. If you have any concerns please contact me. if you are enquring about membership, please do the same ( we require a small spreadsheet to be filled in for your onw security reasons). For paypal, it's all the same address: lokk...@gmail.com.

Thanks for being great buddies and I look forward to another two years of your support. Not forgetting that you all need to keep well and healthy, with which I wish you the very best.

regards
Lokks

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Friday, May 29, 2020

{allcanada} Ryan Gosling Tackling Universal’s ‘Wolfman’ Remake

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Ryan Gosling is sinking his teeth into Universal's growing monster universe titles. The two-time Oscar nominee is attached to star in a Wolfman remake which was written by Orange Is The New Black scribes Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo.

The last werewolf pic at Universal, 2010's The Wolfman, had Benicio del Toro in the title role starring alongside Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, and Hugo Weaving. It follows Lawrence Talbot, who, while returning to his homeland, is afflicted by an ancient curse when he is bitten by a werewolf.

A director for this latest take has yet to be named.

Universal forthcoming monster movie canon includes Elizabeth Banks' Invisible Woman, which comes after her successful turn in The Invisible Man, Paul Feig's Dark Army, Dexter Fletcher's Renfield, and Karyn Kusama's Dracula.

Variety was first to report this news.

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Thursday, May 28, 2020

{allcanada} ‘Antigone’ Named Best Picture At Canadian Screen Awards

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Antigone, Sophie Deraspe's haunting French-language drama that set its adaptation of the Greek tragedy as a tale of a modern-day refugee family in Montreal, won Best Picture and tied François Girard's The Song of Names with five wins overall Thursday at the Canadian Screen Awards, Canada's equivalent to the Oscars.

Winners in the Cinematic Arts categories came tonight in a virtual ceremony held by The Canadian Academy, culminating three days of award handouts spanning film, TV, news, sports and documentaries.

Antigone won the Best Canadian Feature Film at last year's Toronto Film Festival on its way to becoming Canada's official submission in the 2020 International Feature Film race. Tonight, it also took best actress for star Nahéma Ricci, supporting actress for Nour Belkhiria, adapted screenplay for Deraspe, and Geoffrey Boulangé and Deraspe won for editing.

Song of Names, about an Englishman who searches for his childhood friend, a violin prodigy, who disappears on the eve of his first solo concert, landed wins including for its sound design and for Howard Shore's original score and original song "The Song of Names (Cantor Prayer)."

The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open won three awards tonight including director and original screenwriter wins for Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and Kathleen Hepburn. Matthew Rankin's The Twentieth Century also had three wins, for art direction, hair and costume design.

Earlier in the week, the CBC/Pop TV comedy Schitt's Creek, which led all TV nominees with 26 for its final season going in, won six trophies including best comedy. CTV and Hulu's Cardinal led with seven wins including best drama.

Here's the full list of tonight's film winners:

BEST MOTION PICTURE

Antigone – Marc Daigle

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Nahéma Ricci – Antigone

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Mark O'Brien – Goalie

ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTION

Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Kathleen Hepburn – The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Nour Belkhiria – Antigone

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Rémy Girard – And the Birds Rained Down

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Sophie Deraspe – Antigone

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Kathleen Hepburn, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers – The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open

ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS

Adam Jewett, Steve Ramone, Michelle Brennan, Tim Sibley, Aneesh Bhatnager, Saikrishna (Sai) Aleti, Peter Giliberti, Alex Basso, Arminus Billones, Marshall Lau – Brotherhood

JOHN DUNNING BEST FIRST FEATURE FILM AWARD

Murmur – Heather Young

GOLDEN SCREEN AWARD FOR FEATURE FILM
Compulsive Liar | Menteur – Denise Robert, Emile Gaudreault

ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING

Geoffrey Boulangé, Sophie Deraspe – Antigone

ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY

Norm Li – The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open

ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION

Dany Boivin – The Twentieth Century

COSTUME DESIGN

Patricia McNeil – The Twentieth Century

ACHIEVEMENT IN HAIR

Nermin Grbic – The Twentieth Century

ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP

Fanny Vachon – The Song of Names

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING

Francine Poirier, Claude Beaugrand, Michel B. Bordeleau, Raymond Legault, Lise Wedlock,
Natalie Fleurant – The Song of Names

ACHIEVEMENT IN OVERALL SOUND

Claude La Haye, Bernard Gariépy Strobl, Mark Appleby, Daniel Bisson – The Song of Names

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC – ORIGINAL SCORE

Howard Shore – The Song of Names

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC – ORIGINAL SONG

Howard Shore – The Song of Names – "The Song of Names (Cantor Prayer)"

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT DRAMA

Pick – Alicia K. Harris, Rebeca Ortiz, Venessa Harris

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

Giant Bear  – Monica Ittusardjuat, Neil Christopher, Daniel Gies, Emily Paige

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{allcanada} McDavid, Oilers make 'sacrifice' as second-place team in Qualifying Round

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Connor McDavid adopted a bigger-picture vision as a member of the NHL's Return To Play Committee.

His Edmonton Oilers finished second place in the Pacific Division, but due to the format are the fifth seed in the Western Conference and will play the 12th-seeded Chicago Blackhawks in the Qualifying Round into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Edmonton is the only team that finished second in its division that is in the qualifying round.

"You need to take a step back and look at it unselfishly; That's what all five guys did," said the Oilers captain, who joined executives from the NHL, NHL Players' Association and four other players, Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares, Ottawa Senators defenseman Ron Hainsey, Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele and Philadelphia Flyers forward James van Riemsdyk in coming up with NHL's Return to Play Plan, which was announced on May 26.

"Lots of guys had to make sacrifices and the Oilers were part of that. We had a good season and put ourselves in a good spot, but we still have to play in the play-in round. That's the way it goes. It's what's best for the League."

The plan includes 24 teams, 12 from each conference, to be assigned to one of two hub cities. Based on points percentage through games of March 11, a day before the league paused due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus, the top four teams from the Eastern and Western Conferences will participate in a Seeding Round Robin to determine positions for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, while the fifth through 12th teams in each conference will begin a best-of-5 qualifying round.

"Being on that committee, you have to take a step back," said McDavid, "You're not pushing for the Oilers, you have to do what's best for the League and try and keep 31 teams and 700 players happy."

McDavid said he believes the integrity of the playoffs is going to be intact, even if a lower-seeded team wins the championship.

"If a team like Montreal (12th-seeded in the Eastern Conference) beats Pittsburgh (fifth-seeded) and does go on to win the Stanley Cup, I think they're a very deserving team if they're going to win five rounds and go through some really good teams, then maybe they do deserve it," McDavid said. "There's never going to be a perfect scenario. There's never going to be a perfect format. This just seems to check off most of the boxes for most teams and we just have to live with that and play the games and see what happens."

The center had 97 points (34 goals, 63 assists in 64 games this season. The Art Ross Trophy winner as NHL scoring champion in 2016-17 and 2017-18, and the Hart Trophy winner as League MVP in 2016-17 finished second in the scoring race to teammate Leon Draisaitl, who had 110 points this season.

He said he was happy to be included in the extensive meetings in recent weeks, talks that included a wide variety of opinions.

"It was definitely exciting to be part of the process. There was lots of back and forth," McDavid said. "I can't say that everyone agreed on everything but that was the point of the committee, to debate stuff and take it to a larger sample size and I feel like we've done our job in putting together a format."

McDavid said the committee tried to stay focused on its main job, how to complete the season and playoffs, despite all the potential distractions of future unknowns.

Some of those, like quarantines, safety protocols, and the logistics of scheduling and testing, will be among the next steps.

The NHL hopes to move its own status to Phase 2 by early June, when clubs' training facilities may open and players may participate in skating and workouts in groups of six or fewer. Phase 3 will be the opening of training camps, at an unknown future date but no earlier than July 10.

"The safety of players and of everyone involved is paramount," McDavid said. "That's the main issue that's got to get solved right now. I think that's what needs to be answered before anything happens and we move forward. The first step was putting the format together, and now we've got to start to connect the dots and start putting answers to those types of questions."

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{allcanada} Senators unlikely to sign unrestricted free agents to long-term contracts

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The Ottawa Senators don't expect to sign any unrestricted free agents to long-term contracts, general manager Pierre Dorion said Thursday.

"Last year, we added veterans we felt helped the growth of our younger players and the growth of our team," Dorion said. "It's something that we could look at in the short term (prior to the 2020-21 season), but as far as adding any UFAs for the long term, or for multiple years, that's probably not something we're going to look at."

Dorion said the decision to sign a player to a short-term contract could come down to how well the Senators do in the NHL Draft Lottery. They have two lottery picks and the second- and third-best odds (13.5 percent, 11.5 percent) of being awarded the No. 1 pick during the First Phase of the lottery June 26. The Detroit Red Wings have the best odds at 18.5 percent.

The NHL Draft order might determine how aggressive they could be in free agency. Ottawa could have three picks in the first round, seven in the opening two rounds and 13 over seven rounds.

"If you're going to pick Nos. 1-2, it's different than picking Nos. 5-6," Dorion said. "The players going 1-2 probably have a higher chance of playing in the NHL next year. At the same time, we know we're going to take two good players with our first two picks."

The Senators could also utilize draft picks in trades.

"I don't think I'm going to tip my hand on what we'll do with our picks," Dorion said. "I'm sure as we get closer to the draft, there will be multiple discussions. We know that we have a plan in place, and we're going to follow that plan. We're going to do things properly. That's part of having long-term success and building a championship-caliber team if we do the right thing with this draft.

"We always knew that this would be one of the better drafts in the last 10-20 years, and that's the reason why we stockpiled those picks."

The Senators have their first-round pick and the one they acquired in the trade that sent defenseman Erik Karlsson to the San Jose Sharks on Sept. 13, 2018. They also gained a conditional first-round pick from the New York Islanders in a trade for center Jean-Gabriel Pageau on Feb. 24. If the Islanders' first-round pick this year becomes a top-three selection, Ottawa will receive New York's first-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.

Dorion did not elaborate when asked if he's started talks with any of the Senators' pending unrestricted free agents including defensemen Ron Hainsey and Mark Borowiecki, and goalie Craig Anderson. Among their restricted free agents are forwards Anthony Duclair, Chris Tierney and Connor Brown.

Forward Mikkel Boedker, another pending unrestricted free agent, signed a two-year contract with Lugano of Switzerland's National League on Tuesday after two seasons with Ottawa.

"We know what we need to do from now to when the season starts (in 2020-21), and we'll make sure that we'll get it done," Dorion said.

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{allcanada} NHL, PA to push back ELC signing deadline

The National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players' Association are expected to push back the June 1 entry-level contract signing deadline by one month, according to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger.

Both parties need more time to negotiate on the possibility of newly-signed entry level players like Alex Romanov of the Montreal Canadiens being allowed to play when and if the 2019-20 season resumes.

On Tuesday, the league announced a return to play plan involving 24 teams competing for the Stanley Cup. Many details, including series length, are still being negotiated with the players' association.

The regular season was paused on March 12 because of the coronavirus pandemic, one day after Rudy Gobert of the NBA's Utah Jazz tested positive for COVID-19 and began a domino effect that brought the sports world to a halt.

{allcanada} Liut warns NHLers to review disability insurance before returning

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Mike Liut, a former National Hockey League goaltender who is now managing director of Octagon Hockey agency, is sending this message to any player who will listen: review your disability insurance before you return to the ice.

In its May 24 memo announcing health and safety measures for players to return to voluntary small-group workouts, the NHL said COVID-19 would be a hockey-related injury, "unless it is established, based on the facts at issue, that the player contracted COVID-19 or the resulting or related illness outside the course of his employment as a hockey player."

Liut, whose agency represents about 80 NHL players including Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl, St. Louis's Vladimir Tarasenko and Winnipeg's Patrik Laine, said the memo is an indication that players would still paid if they contract the virus and miss games.

However, Liut said players who contract the novel coronavirus and recover could see their pro hockey careers end if their lungs are affected.

"The risk [for a healthy, young professional athlete] is small, except we don't know how people react to it and therefore you can't take a chance of not having coverage," Liut said in an interview. "The players need to be aware of this and they need to know this is serious. It's too easy to say this only affects old people. Well, not really. There's a Broadway guy who got COVID, was on a respirator, had a blood clot and lost his leg."

(Nick Cordero, a 41-year-old Canadian actor from Hamilton, Ont., has been in a Los Angeles hospital with COVID-19 since March 31. His wife, Amanda Kloots, has said Cordero had no underlying conditions, and that his lungs have become severely damaged to the point where they look "almost like he's been a smoker for 50 years.")

A number of infectious disease specialists have warned that because COVID is so new to the human population, there isn't data available establishing the risk of long-term damage to the lungs and other organs.

Liut said Octagon Hockey officials discussed the issue last week during a conference call with Sutton Special Risk, a Toronto company that provides NHL players with disability insurance coverage. Sutton president Greg Sutton declined to comment.

NHL contracts are guaranteed, meaning players are still paid if they have injuries such as concussions or back or knee problems that occur during games.

But many players also purchase disability insurance to cover the loss of long-term earnings ­– contracts that players might never sign if their careers end early because of injuries. A policy for COVID-19 would work the same way.

A person familiar with the matter said more than 350 NHL players have disability insurance coverage and that the rates change depending on a player's age and injury history. Some players have coverage worth $30 million, the person said.

Rates for the 24-hour coverage range from $4.00 to $12.50 per $1,000 worth of coverage, meaning a player paying $7.00 per $1,000 who wants $20 million worth of coverage would pay about $140,000 per season, the person said.

The NHL has said it wants to have two so-called "hub cities" that each could host a dozen teams for a playoff over the course of the summer.

The league has said isolating players, officials and team and league staff together in a bubble and limiting their contact with those outside the bubble should help prevent the spread of COVID-19 among players and staff.

Liut said he has been advising players with long-term guaranteed contracts that they could be putting those contracts at risk if they were to leave an NHL bubble and contract COVID-19.

"If you were to leave the NHL's bubble, you would risking your health and your contract, there's no question," Liut said. "You get into a fight in a bar and someone gets hurt bad enough, it can cost you your career, just on an immigration issue. Lots of young guys don't think about things like that.

"Issues like this with COVID will be one of those things players may not consider. If you say you've just had enough of this and leave the bubble and they wind up with COVID, you have put themselves at risk of losing their contracts, depending on the degree of breach. If their team is looking to get out from under their contract, you've given them an opportunity."

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Wednesday, May 27, 2020

{allcanada} Kenney asks Trudeau for NHL entry exemption

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In a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney asked the federal government to exempt NHL players and personnel from the country's travel protocol to facilitate Edmonton's bid to be a hub city in the NHL's potential return to play.

Kenney outlined Edmonton's case as a hub in his letter to Trudeau before writing, "This is why Alberta is eager to work with the Government of Canada to facilitate the NHL playoffs taking place in Edmonton. On May 22, 2020, the Government of the United States, through Acting Homeland Security Secretary Wolf, allowed for an exemption that enabled the entry of certain foreign professional athletes, their staff, and league leadership into the United States. Such an exemption from the Canadian government would be necessary to enable the OEG bid to play host to the NHL playoffs. The Government of Alberta believes there are effective strategies in place to mitigate any risk for our province if such an exemption was granted."

Edmonton is one of the 10 cities NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said is under consideration to be one of two hub cities for the league's potential return. However, current laws say any person entering Canada must self-isolate for 14 days, something Bettman said would be an issue for Edmonton's bid.

Alberta's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, also wrote a letter to Bettman, outlining her support for Edmonton's bid to be a hub city and the guidelines that would be in place for NHL personnel if Edmonton were to be chosen by the league.

"I am confident in the capabilities of our public health system and health care capacity to address any arising need," Hinshaw wrote. "I'm proud of the resilience Albertans have shown through the pandemic response and this will be well represented by our teams in the agree upon format."

The NHL said it will wait another 3-4 weeks before announcing the hub cities.

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{allcanada} CFL approves all teams to open facilities

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The Canadian Football League gave their approval to all nine teams to open their facilities to local players on Thursday, provided it is permitted by their respective provincial and municipal health authorities.

The CFL sent a memo to all teams outlining the first phase of a return to training.

The letter "hereby permits the reopening of your fitness facilities for your local players to participate in individual training and receive medical treatment, under the following conditions: (1) The reopening of your facility is permitted by your local provincial and municipal public health authorities; and (2) Your club implements and complies with a "Return to Train" protocol for your fitness facility, which contains provisions at least as stringent as the provisions of the attached guidance document."

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers announced Tuesday they would be opening their facilities on Thursday.

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{allcanada} O'Ree named to Canada Sports Hall of Fame

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Willie O'Ree, the first black player in the NHL, was named as one of 11 members of the Canada Sports Hall of Fame's Class of 2020/21 on Wednesday.

O'Ree, who is the NHL Director of Youth Development and ambassador for NHL Diversity, will be among those honored with the Order of Sport, Canada's highest sporting honor, when the induction ceremony is held at a date to be determined in 2021. The ceremony is not taking place in 2020 because of concerns about the coronoavirus.

"I was excited and overwhelmed when I got the initial call," O'Ree said. "Really happy and really proud."

O'Ree made history Jan. 18, 1958 with his NHL debut for the Boston Bruins against the Montreal Canadiens. He had 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 45 games with the Bruins in 1957-58 and 1960-61. O'Ree continued playing in the minor leagues, mostly the Western Hockey League, until 1979.

He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 2018.

"There are a select few about whom it truly can be said: 'He changed the game.' Willie O'Ree is among that select few," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said when O'Ree was announced for the Hockey Hall of Fame. "He did it by stepping onto the ice of the Montreal Forum in a Boston Bruins sweater on Jan. 18, 1958. He has done it just about every day since, inspiring generations of NHL players who followed the path he blazed and working tirelessly to encourage and enable countless boys and girls, who otherwise wouldn't have had the opportunity, to participate in our game and learn the many life lessons it teaches."

Among those selected to join O'Ree in the Canada Sports Hall of Fame are former NHL player Sheldon Kennedy, former NBA star Steve Nash and former golfer Lorie Kane.

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