{allcanada} Sept. 1: Lemieux becomes Penguins owner

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HIS DATE IN HISTORY: Sept. 1

1999: The NHL Board of Governors approves an application by Mario Lemieux for ownership of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Lemieux's move into ownership comes two years after he announces his retirement as a player in 1997. He is owed more than $32 million in deferred salary and converts much of that money into equity in the team, making him the first player in North American sports history to own the team he used to play for.

Lemieux assumes the posts of president, chairman and CEO of the Penguins, then adds the role of No. 1 center when he returns as a player on Dec. 27, 2000.

 

MORE MOMENTS

1883: Didier Pitre, a star for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey Association and the NHL, is born in Valleyfield, Quebec. Pitre, nicknamed "Cannonball" because of his speed and hard shot, helps the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup for the first time in their history in 1916 and plays right wing on a line with Jack Laviolette and Newsy Lalonde that becomes known as the "Flying Frenchmen." The Canadiens join the NHL in 1917, and Pitre helps them advance to the Cup Final against Seattle two years later, though the series is abandoned because of an influenza epidemic. He moves to defense at age 38 and plays the final two of his 15 seasons with Montreal on the blue line before retiring in 1923. Pitre is inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1962.

 

1964: Brian Bellows is born in St. Catharines, Ontario. Bellows, a high-scoring forward, is described by some as the hottest prospect since Wayne Gretzky during his junior career with Kitchener of the Ontario Hockey League, and he's selected by the Minnesota North Stars with the No. 2 pick in the 1982 NHL Draft. Bellows scores at least 30 goals seven times in 10 seasons with Minnesota, including an NHL career-high 55 in 1989-90. The North Stars trade him to the Montreal Canadiens in 1992, and he scores 40 goals for Montreal's Stanley Cup-winning team in 1993. Bellows plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Washington Capitals before retiring in 1999 with 1,022 points (485 goals, 537 assists) in 1,188 NHL games. His son, forward Kieffer Bellows, is taken by the New York Islanders in the first round (No. 19) at the 2016 NHL Draft.

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{allcanada} Canucks 'not worried' facing elimination against Golden Knights in Game 5

 

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The Vancouver Canucks don't need a special talk as they face elimination against the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Second Round, coach Travis Green said.

Vancouver's season would end with a loss in Game 5 of the best-of-7 series at Rogers Place in Edmonton, the West hub city, on Tuesday (9:45 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVAS).

"I'm not worried about our group one bit," the coach said Monday.

The Canucks are in the postseason for the first time since 2014-15. Some of the players are playing in the postseason and facing elimination for the first time in the NHL, most notably 21-year-old center Elias Pettersson and 20-year-old defenseman Quinn Hughes.

The Canucks lost Game 1 of the best-of-5 Stanley Cup Qualifiers against the Minnesota Wild and then won three games in a row. And in the Western Conference First Round, they lost back-to-back games to the St. Louis Blues, the defending Stanley Cup champions, and were even after Game 4. Vancouver won the next two games and the best-of-7 series.

"Everyone thought we were down and out and going to be done, and we were ready to go," Green said. "I can guarantee you our team's going to be ready to go tomorrow. We've just got to win one game. We win tomorrow, we get to play another one.

"These guys, they've been in hockey a long time. They've all played important hockey games. I hope we play a lot more important games this year."

The Golden Knights present a particularly tough challenge because of their speed, physicality and depth. Twice in the series, they have shut out the Canucks. They have outscored them 15-8 and outshot them 146-115.

After a 3-0 loss in Game 3, Green said when the coaches had asked for a response from the players, they had always gotten one. He said they got one in Game 4, even though they gave up a 3-2 lead in the third period and lost 5-3. To him, the Golden Knights got a couple of bounces and the Canucks missed a couple of chances.

"I liked our response last night," Green said. "Now, did I like that we didn't win? No, I don't. No one does. But when you ask for a response, it's not saying you're guaranteeing a win. I want our team to come ready to play when we ask for a response, and if you do that, you're going to win more than you lose. Could we have won that game last night? One hundred percent. That's playoff hockey though."

Center Bo Horvat, the 25-year-old Canucks captain, has scored nine goals to lead the postseason, his second in a six-season NHL career. Pettersson is second in the postseason with 17 points (six goals, 11 assists), behind Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, who has 21 points (seven goals, 14 assists).

Hughes has 13 points (one goal, 12 assists), tied for third among defensemen with Cale Makar of the Avalanche, who has three goals and 10 assists. Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen has 16 points (three goals, 13 assists), and Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore has 14 points (four goals, 10 assists).

"I think you can't go into this game gripping your stick too tight," Horvat said. "That's how it kind of goes the opposite way. You've just got to go and play the game and love to be in these situations. Embrace it, embrace the moment, and everything's going to fall into place by itself."

Win or lose -- in Game 5 in particular or the series in general -- the Canucks will have made progress, more than most expected. But they can't think that way, at least not yet.

"Obviously, we've taken big steps forward from previous years," Vancouver defenseman Christopher Tanev said. "Obviously the last time we were in the playoffs was five years ago. Going from that to where we are now is a lot of growth.

"But I mean, we're obviously not satisfied where we are right now, down 3-1 against a good team. But we felt like we've been in every game and been close, obviously except for (a 5-0 loss in) Game 1. Tomorrow we're going to have to go out and play hard and get the job done."

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{allcanada} Shapovalov through to second round at US Open with win over Korda

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NEW YORK — Denis Shapovalov advanced to the second round of the U.S. Open with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over American qualifier Sebastian Korda on Monday.

Shapovalov, the 12th seed from Richmond Hill, Ont., had to take a medical time out in the third set, but was dominant from that point on.

He finished with 13 aces and 35 winners, though his aggressive style also resulted in 43 unforced errors.

Shapovalov won four of his 14 break point opportunities. He only faced break point twice, saving one of those chances.

The Canadian next faces the winner of a match between American Thai-Son Kwiatkowski and South Korean Soonwoo Kwon.

Vancouver's Vasek Pospisil, Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime and Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., play their opening men's singles matches Tuesday. Raonic is coming off a run to the final at the Western & Southern Open last week.

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{allcanada} Canada's Buchanan celebrates fourth straight Champions League title

 

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SAN SEBASTIÁN, Spain — One week after Alphonso Davies lifted the Champions League trophy, fellow Canadian Kadeisha Buchanan celebrated her fourth straight European crown as Lyon defeated Wolfsburg 3-1 Sunday

Eugenie Le Sommer, Saki Kumagai and Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir scored for Lyon as it clinched a record-extending seventh Champions League trophy. It was the fifth straight European club title for Lyon but only the fourth for Buchanan, who joined the French powerhouse in January 2017.

The 24-year-old from Brampton, Ont., who has 101 caps for Canada, started at centre alongside Lyon captain Wendie Renard.

The 19-year-old Davies won men's European glory with Bayern Munich in a 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain.

The only other Canadian to claim the Champions League title is Calgary-born Owen Hargeaves, who did it twice — with Bayern Munich in 2001 and Manchester United in 2008. But the midfielder, through his father's bloodlines, elected to represent England internationally.

Wolfsburg, seeking its third title after back-to-back triumphs in 2013 and 2014, got on the board through Alex Popp after its French rival had opened a two-goal lead in the first half.

Wolfsburg also lost the final to Lyon in 2016 and 2018.

Le Sommer opened the scoring in the 25th minute before Kumagai added to the lead shortly before halftime.

Gunnarsdottir sealed the victory in the 88th after Popp had got Wolfsburg on the board in the 58th.

It was the fourth final between the two clubs, and their third in the last five years. Wolfsburg's only triumph over Lyon came in the first final between the teams in 2013.

It was Wolfsburg's first loss in 41 games, since a 4-2 home defeat in the Champions League quarterfinals against Lyon in March 2019. Lyon still hasn't lost a competitive match since the French Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain in May 2018.

In the semifinals of the final-eight mini tournament played without fans in northern Spain, Lyon beat PSG — whose matchday lineup included Canadians Ashley Lawrence and Jordyn Huitema — and Wolfsburg defeated Barcelona.

The final was played at Real Sociedad's Anoeta Stadium in the Basque city of San Sebastian. Athletic Bilbao's San Mames stadium also hosted games.

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{allcanada} Aug. 31: Canadiens great Beliveau born in Quebec

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THIS DATE IN HISTORY: Aug. 31

1931: Jean Beliveau, a member of 17 Stanley Cup-winning teams with the Montreal Canadiens and a hockey immortal on and off the ice, is born in Trois Rivieres, Quebec.

Beliveau spurns several contract offers from the Canadiens in order to stay with the Quebec Aces of the amateur Quebec Senior Hockey League in the early 1950s; the Canadiens finally buy the QSHL in 1953 and turn it into a pro league to secure his rights. Beliveau plays on 10 Cup-winning teams with the Canadiens; the final one is in 1971, after which he retires following 18 NHL seasons. He finishes with 1,219 points (507 goals, 712 assists) in 1,125 NHL games and is inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972 after the Hall waives its mandatory three-year waiting period.

Following his retirement, Beliveau joins Montreal's front office and is part of seven more Cup-winning teams. He is a hero to many Canadians and beloved throughout hockey during his post-playing career before his death on Dec. 2, 2014. In 2017, he is named to the 100 Greatest NHL Players.

 

MORE MOMENTS

1973: Scott Niedermayer, a four-time Stanley Cup winner and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, is born in Edmonton. The New Jersey Devils select Niedermayer, a speedy defenseman, No. 3 in the 1991 NHL Draft; he becomes a regular in 1992 and plays on three Stanley Cup-winning teams with New Jersey and another with the Anaheim Ducks before his retirement in 2010. Niedermayer is a member of the Triple Gold Club, having won an IIHF World Championship and an Olympic gold medal to go along with his four Stanley Cup championships. He also plays on teams that win the IIHF World Junior Championship, the Memorial Cup and the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. Niedermayer finishes his career with 740 points (172 goals, 568 assists) in 1,263 NHL games; he wins the Norris Trophy in 2004 and the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2007.

 

1995: The New York Rangers acquire left wing Luc Robitaille and defenseman Ulf Samuelsson from the Pittsburgh Penguins for center Petr Nedved and defenseman Sergei Zubov. Robitaille scores 23 and 24 goals in two seasons with the Rangers before they trade him back to the Los Angeles Kings, his first NHL team. He retires in 2006 and is inducted into the Hall of Fame three years later.

 

2005: Alex Ovechkin, the first player taken in the 2004 NHL Draft, signs a three-year, entry-level contract with the Washington Capitals. The Moscow-born forward is an instant hit, scoring twice in his NHL debut, finishing his first season with 52 goals and winning the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie. He goes on to become the NHL's all-time leading scorer among players born in Russia and powers the Capitals to their first Stanley Cup championship in 2018, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. On Feb. 22, 2020, he becomes the eighth player in League history to score 700 goals.

 

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{allcanada} Adams opting out of contract with Alouettes

 

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Montreal Alouettes quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. has announced he is opting out of his CFL contract and pursuing opportunities in the NFL.

Adams made the announcement on social media Sunday.

The 27-year-old led the Alouettes to a surprising 10-8 record and a playoff appearance last season and was named an East Division all-star.

He threw for 3,942 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions and ran for another 394 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Adams signed a two-year contract with the Alouettes in January, but the CFL cancelled its 2020 season two weeks ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adams said in his social media post that he would return to Montreal for a 2021 CFL season should no opportunity in the NFL materialize.

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{allcanada} Aug. 30: Poile hired as general manager by Capitals

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THIS DATE IN HISTORY: Aug. 30

1982: The Washington Capitals, who have yet to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in eight seasons since entering the NHL in 1974, hire 32-year-old David Poile as their general manager.

Poile, who's been an assistant GM with the Calgary Flames, wastes no time making changes; he acquires future Hall of Fame defenseman Rod Langway in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens on Sept. 9. With Langway winning the Norris Trophy in each of his first two seasons in Washington, Poile assembles a team that makes the playoffs in 1983 and every season through 1996.

The Capitals miss the playoffs in 1997 and Poile is fired, though the team he put together rebounds one season later to advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time. The Capitals go 594-454 with 132 ties during Poile's 15 seasons and win their first division title (in 1988-89).

Poile isn't out of work for long after being let go by the Capitals; he's quickly hired as the first GM of the expansion Nashville Predators.

 

MORE MOMENTS

1994: Kirk Muller is named the 20th captain in the history of the Montreal Canadiens. The move comes 11 days after Guy Carbonneau is traded to the St. Louis Blues, ending his five-season run as captain. Muller's tenure is much shorter; he's traded to the New York Islanders on April 5, 1995.

 

2013: Teemu Selanne signs a one-year contract with the Anaheim Ducks and announces that 2013-14 will be his 21st and last season in the NHL. His announcement comes in a humorous video confirming he'll be back for one more run at another Stanley Cup title. He says he also hopes to play for Finland in his record sixth Winter Olympics in February 2014.

 

2017: Longtime Arizona Coyotes captain Shane Doan announces his retirement after 21 seasons with the Coyotes/Winnipeg Jets franchise. Doan makes his NHL debut with the Jets in 1995-96, their final season in Winnipeg, then becomes the face of the franchise after the move to Arizona. He's named captain in 2003. Doan retires as the Coyotes/Jets all-time leader in goals (402), assists (570) and points (972). His 1,540 games are tied with Johnny Bucyk for 14th all-time. The Coyotes retire his No. 19 on Feb. 24, 2019.

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{allcanada} Lehner gets another shutout, Golden Knights beat Canucks 3-0

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EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Robin Lehner stopped 32 shots and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-0 in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal series Saturday night.

Alex Tuch, got his seventh goal of the postseason, and Mark Stone and Zack Whitecloud also scored to help Vegas take 2-1 series lead.

Lehner got his second career playoff shutout — and the second of the series. He blanked Vancouver 5-0 in the series opener and improved to 7-2 in the return-to-play tournament.

Jacob Markstrom finished with 31 saves for Vancouver.

Game 4 is Sunday night.

Lehner, acquired at the trade deadline from Chicago in a three-team deal that also included Toronto, was the difference early.

Vancouver came out flying in the first period, outshooting Vegas 16-10 and enjoying a 78-second 5-on-3 power play. Lehner turned aside a wealth of high-quality scoring chances: point-blank one-timers, blasts off the transition, redirects, and loose pucks bouncing through the blue paint.

Tuch scored first at 4:05 of the first period. Racing in full flight through the neutral zone, he split the defense, settled down a bouncing stretch pass from Nicolas Roy and delivered a hard shot past Markstrom into the top corner.

Just 83 seconds later, it was 2-0 when Whitecloud pounced on a loose puck at the right faceoff circle, fired it through traffic and in.

Early in the third, Stone roofed a fluttering puck from the faceoff circle on the power play for a 3-0 advantage. It was his second goal of the series and sixth of the playoffs.

The teams had not played since Tuesday. The NHL did not play its scheduled games Thursday or Friday after players in the Edmonton and Toronto playoff sites made it clear they wanted to make a statement to highlight the issues of social injustice, systemic racism and police brutality.

For Vancouver, the concern Sunday will be Markstrom and puck fatigue. The 30-year-old Swede is expected to start his 14th game in 29 days and his third back-to-back contest. He has been the backbone of the Canucks' playoff success but has regularly been facing more than 30 shots a night in the post-season.

His backup is Thatcher Demko. Demko has started just 34 games over his first three seasons and has not played in the playoffs except for some mop-up time in the third period in the 5-0 loss.

Vegas has experienced veteran Marc-Andre Fleury in reserve. Fleury has spelled Lehner once in the round-robin series and again for one game in the first round against the Chicago Blackhawks. Vegas coach Peter DeBoer has said the plan is to play both.

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{allcanada} Our ask of the NHL

 

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https://hockeydiversityalliance.org/news-releases/our-ask-of-the-nhl?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=hda-pledge&utm_content=our-ask

08/29/2020

Press release

1. We will accelerate our efforts to ensure that no barriers exist to prevent Black individuals from getting hired by, and advancing within, the NHL and each of our member franchises (individually and collectively, the "League") and hereby commit to increase:
   1. the number of Black executives in the NHL to 3.5% before the end of the 2024/2025 season;
   2. the employment of Black hockey-related personnel to 5% before the end of the 2020/2021 season; and 8% before the end of the 2022-2023 season;
   3. the employment of Black non hockey-related personnel to 10% before the end of the 2020-2021 season; and 12.5% before the end of the 2022-2023 season.
2. We recognize that it is important that our supplier base reflects the diversity of the communities from which we operate and hereby commit to create an inclusive procurement process that ensures that Black suppliers* are selected to deliver at least 10% of the League procurement expenditure before the start of the 2020-2021 season.
3. We will ensure that the voices of our Black, Indigenous and racialized players are heard and that they have an opportunity to help change the culture of the League by imposing a requirement that at least 50% of the Executive Inclusion Committee (or any successor thereof) shall be comprised of members selected by the HDA.
4. We will implement anti-racism and unconscious bias education within the League and make it mandatory for all League employees before the start of the 2020-2021 season.
5. We will create HDA-approved policies and sanctions that reflect a commitment to zero tolerance with respect to racial discrimination and abuse before the start of the 2020-2021 season.
6. We will not support, partner with or accept support from any organization that has engaged in, promoted or failed to appropriately respond to racist conduct in their organization of any kind (including, without limitation, the proliferation of hate speech, discrimination in the provision of goods, services and facilities and other areas such as employment).
7. We understand that the collection and sharing of relevant, accurate and timely data is critical to the success of this initiative and hereby commit to transparency in the collection and communication to HDA of all information related to the policies, targets and commitments in this Pledge and the performance of the League in respect thereof on an annual basis.
8. We will commit to provide HDA with funding, commencing July 28, 2020, for the following purposes:
   • to support social justice initiatives that target racism and access to justice for members of Black, Indigenous and racialized communities;
   • to create and maintain grassroots hockey development programs that will introduce, develop and support BIPOC players in minor hockey; and
   • to create an anti-racism and unconscious bias training program for use by minor hockey leagues across North America.

We acknowledge the research that has proven that organizations with truly diverse teams perform better and the fact that the game of hockey cannot truly grow to its potential without substantive changes to address systemic racism. It is our hope that this Pledge will be a meaningful first step to help the League 'open its doors' to underrepresented visible minorities across North America

* a Black supplier is a supplier who is either: (i) more than 50% owned, controlled and operated by black individuals; or (ii) whose personnel is comprised of at least 35% black individuals andwhose management is comprised of at least 35% black individuals

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{allcanada} 3 Keys: Golden Knights vs. Canucks, Game 3 of Western Second Round

 

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No. 1 Golden Knights vs. No. 5 Canucks

9:45 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVAS

Best-of-7 series is tied, 1-1

The Vegas Golden Knights and Vancouver Canucks will look take the lead in the Western Conference Second Round when they play Game 3 at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Thursday.

The game was rescheduled from Thursday after the players on the eight remaining teams decided not to play as a form of protest against systemic racism and police brutality.

"When you're in the League, you're fierce competitors on the ice," Canucks coach Travis Green said. "That's the respect the players have of the game, they understand how it's played on the ice. They also understand when you leave the ice, you're all players in a great sport.

"Everyone loves playing hockey and being in the NHL and I don't expect it to change one bit tonight. I expect the intensity to get magnified as the game goes on."

Teams that win Game 3 after a Stanley Cup Playoff series is tied 1-1 are 218-107 (67.1 percent) winning a best-of-7 series, including 3-1 this postseason.

"We're ready to go, we're excited to get back playing," Golden Knights forward Mark Stone said. "We want to win the Stanley Cup, they want to win the Stanley Cup. I think a lot of us have plenty of friends, not just on our own teams throughout the League, but when it comes to getting on the ice, it's a whole different breed."

Here are 3 keys for Game 3:

 

1. Goalie decisions

Golden Knights coach Peter DeBoer did not reveal a starting goalie for Game 3.

"You'll know tonight," he said.

Robin Lehner (6-2-0, 2.34 goals-against average, .909 save percentage, one shutout) started the past four games, including a 5-2 loss to the Canucks in Game 2 on Tuesday. Marc-Andre Fleury is 2-0-0 with a 2.50 goals-against average and .886 save percentage in two postseason starts.

Jacob Markstrom is expected to start for the Canucks. He's 8-4 with a 2.64 goals-against average, .925 save percentage and one shutout in 12 postseason starts.

 

2. Bypassing the blocks

The Golden Knights are confident they can devise a strategy to get even more shots through against Markstrom. Vegas had 93 shot attempts in Game 2, including 40 shots on goal, but had 40 shots blocked. Markstrom made 38 saves.

"We have to keep wearing them down, keep shooting and finding ways to get pucks through and getting traffic in front," Golden Knights forward Mark Stone said. "The quicker you move the puck, get them moving, that's when you start creating lanes."

 

3. Dominating draws

Vancouver captain Bo Horvat leads the postseason with 177 face-off wins and 298 face-offs taken (59.4 percent).

He is 39-for-54 (72.2 percent) against the Golden Knights. The Canucks were 40-for-63 (63 percent) on face-offs in Game 1 and 43-for-65 (66 percent) in Game 2, after ranking second in the NHL during the regular season at 54.0 percent, behind the Philadelphia Flyers (54.6 percent).

Vegas is last in face-off winning percentage (44.5 percent) among the eight remaining teams.

 

Golden Knights projected lineup

Max Pacioretty -- William Karlsson -- Mark Stone

Reilly Smith -- Paul Stastny -- Jonathan Marchessault

Nick Cousins -- Nicolas Roy -- Alex Tuch

William Carrier -- Chandler Stephenson -- Ryan Reaves

Shea Theodore -- Alec Martinez

Brayden McNabb -- Nate Schmidt

Zach Whitecloud -- Nick Holden

Robin Lehner

Marc-Andre Fleury

Scratched: Dylan Coghlan, Oscar Dansk, Reid Duke, Deryk Engelland, Nicolas Hague, Keegan Kolesar, Peyton Krebs, Jon Merrill, Gage Quinney, Patrick Brown

Unfit to play: Tomas Nosek

 

Canucks projected lineup

Tanner Pearson -- Elias Pettersson -- Tyler Toffoli

J.T. Miller -- Bo Horvat -- Brock Boeser

Antoine Roussel -- Adam Gaudette -- Brandon Sutter

Tyler Motte -- Jay Beagle -- Jake Virtanen

Alexander Edler -- Troy Stecher

Quinn Hughes -- Christopher Tanev

Oscar Fantenberg -- Jordie Benn

Jacob Markstrom

Thatcher Demko

Scratched: Olli Juolevi, Justin Bailey, Jalen Chatfield, Louis Domingue, Tyler Graovac, Brogan Rafferty, Loui Eriksson

Unfit to play: Micheal Ferland, Josh Leivo, Tyler Myers

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{allcanada} Aug. 29: Lemieux announces he'll sit out 1994-95 season

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THIS DATE IN HISTORY: Aug. 29

1994: Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins announces that he will sit out the 1994-95 NHL season because of back problems and fatigue, aftereffects from his radiation treatment for cancer.

However, doctors tell him he has no recurrence of the Hodgkin lymphoma he was diagnosed with in 1993 or the anemia he developed during the 1993-94 season.

Lemieux says he will return only if he can "play like Mario Lemieux can play." The season off apparently helps him do just that; he returns during the 1995-96 season and leads the NHL in scoring, winning the Art Ross Trophy with 161 points (69 goals, 92 assists) and the Hart Trophy as the League's most valuable player. Lemieux doesn't retire for good until Jan. 24, 2006.

 

MORE MOMENTS

1901: Aurel Joliat, one of the first NHL stars, is born in Ottawa. Joliat joins the Montreal Canadiens from Saskatoon of the WCHL in September 1922; one season later he teams with Howie Morenz to form one of the most potent scoring duos during the early years of the NHL. The 5-foot-6, 136-pound left wing plays on three Stanley Cup-winning teams with Montreal and finishes his career in 1938 with 270 goals, then the most by any player in Canadiens history. He is inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1947.

 

1964: The Hall of Fame inducts its newest class, which includes Doug Bentley, Bill Durnan, Babe Siebert and "Black Jack" Stewart. Also inducted is Bill Chadwick, who becomes the first United States-born official to earn induction after working more than 900 regular-season games and a then-record 42 games in the Stanley Cup Final during his 16 seasons as an NHL referee.

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{allcanada} Pozuelo converts penalty kick to lift TFC over Impact

 

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MONTREAL — Alejandro Pozuelo converted a penalty in the 50th minute as Toronto FC blanked the Montreal Impact 1-0 on Friday to take top spot in the Eastern Conference.

The game was the first in MLS since postponing five of six matches Wednesday night after NBA players decided to not play their playoff games in the wake of the shooting by police of Jacob Blake, a black man, in Wisconsin over the weekend.

The victory extended Toronto's unbeaten run to 18 games dating back to last season. It is the second-longest streak in Major League Soccer history.

TFC (5-0-3) can tie the record when it faces Montreal (3-3-1) in a rematch on Sept. 1 at BMO Field.

Kickoff Friday between the soccer rivals was not always a guarantee.

Both Montreal and Toronto cancelled pre-game media availabilities that were planned for Thursday afternoon, putting the encounter in doubt. But MLS resumed activities following a meeting between players, the players association and the Black Players for Change (BPC).

Players from both teams wore "Black Lives Matter" t-shirts in the pre-game warmup and took a knee in a moment of reflection prior to the game's opening whistle. Most players also knelt during the anthem.

Early in the second half, Toronto was awarded a penalty shot when Emanuel Maciel handled the ball in the box. Pozuelo calmly slotted the ball into the bottom right corner of the net with Clement Diop diving the wrong way.

For a second straight contest there were 250 supporters in the stands at Saputo Stadium — the maximum allowed by Quebec's department of public health. Fans were also in attendance for Montreal's 2-0 win over Vancouver on Tuesday.

They made a small dent in the 20,801-seat venue but chanted and cheered throughout the game. Some waved rainbow-coloured flags in support of Pride Night in MLS. Fans outside the stadium provided even more atmosphere by setting off fireworks every few minutes.

Toronto came close to scoring twice in an otherwise uneventful first half.

Pozuelo found himself alone in the box in the 13th minute but waited too long before shooting. Defender Luis Binks cleared the ball and the chance was gone.

The visitors celebrated a goal in the 36th when substitute Nick DeLeon headed the ball into the net. The goal was overturned for offside after video review.

Montreal also had a goal called back in the 78th minute with Romell Quioto narrowly in an offside position.

The Impact were coming off back-to-back wins but could not generate anything else offensively. Montreal's only shot on target was a Victor Wanyama header in second-half stoppage time saved by Quentin Westberg, who earned his fourth clean sheet this year.

Toronto has blanked its opposition in four consecutive regular-season games.

Both teams were missing a handful of regular starters.

Montreal's Samuel Piette and Saphir Taider skipped the game because their wives recently gave birth. Toronto's Jozy Altidore, Richie Laryea and Ayo Akinola (hamstring) were also out of the lineup.

It was the fourth of nine games between Canada's three MLS teams. Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver are in an all-Canadian phase of the season, with results counting toward the MLS regular-season standings. The best team through nine matches will play in the Canadian Championship final.

Notes: Jonathan Osorio made his 250th appearance in all competitions for TFC. … Greg Vanney's men have yet to trail this season.

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{allcanada} Tkachuk says 'put the blame on me' for Flames playoff loss

 

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Matthew Tkachuk is willing to shoulder the blame for another early exit from the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Calgary Flames, even though he was unable to play the final four games.

The Flames were eliminated in six games by the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference First Round. Tkachuk did not play after sustaining a concussion in Game 2.

"I think this can't happen anymore," the 22-year-old forward said after completing his fourth NHL season. "We have to make sure this doesn't happen. The thing that really frustrates me right now, especially with being out and watching games and having nothing to do [except] being on my phone and being in the bubble ... everything's about hockey ... I couldn't believe some of the criticism that some guys on my team were getting, getting the blame for this.  

"Especially the criticism towards [forward] Johnny [Gaudreau] and [center Sean Monahan], it makes me sick and really upsets me. ... Everyone was upset at them for offensive production. They produced more offense than me, so put the blame on me. I didn't do nearly enough to get this team over the top when I was in the lineup. That's what hurts the most." 

Tkachuk scored two points (one goal, one assist) in four games against the Winnipeg Jets in the best-of-5 Stanley Cup Qualifiers in Edmonton, the Western hub city.

Gaudreau scored seven points (four goals, three assists) in 10 postseason games, one -- an empty-net goal -- at even strength. Monahan shared the Calgary lead with center Sam Bennett at eight points (two goals, six assists), including three (one goal, two assists) at even strength. Neither Gaudreau nor Monahan had a point playing 5-on-5 against Dallas.

"It really upsets me seeing some of the criticism to those guys being unbelievable players and great players in this league, and even more important, great friends," Tkachuk said. "That really upsets me, I think as leaders and as core players in general, myself mainly, but our best players didn't do enough to get us over the top and into that next round and into a run here. That's frustrating.  

"I know to get us over, especially when it comes to myself, just have to do everything I can during this offseason to make sure I come back ready to go and not take this opportunity for granted because we don't know how many years together as a group we're going to have, even if we have one." 

Tkachuk said he was frustrated having to sit out because of his concussion. 

"It was terrible. It was terrible," he said. "It was just so hard when you're watching. You're just helpless. You just want to be out there so bad. It just couldn't happen. 

"At the end of the day, four years now, same result every year. It's not fun. But watching it, it was a little bit different this time around. It was just as hard, if not harder. You see what the guys go through with little injuries or bumps and bruises and how hard they were working. You just want to be out with them and help them and go to war with them."

Since Tkachuk entered the NHL, the Flames have been eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs three times and failed to qualify for the playoffs in 2017-18.  

Calgary has not advanced past the first round since 2014-15, when they defeated the Vancouver Canucks before losing to the Anaheim Ducks in the second round. The Flames did not make the playoffs for five straight seasons before that.

They led Game 6 against Dallas 3-0 before losing 7-3 to be eliminated.

Tkachuk said he is well aware that postseason futility could lead to changes during the offseason. Gaudreau said Tuesday he wanted to remain with the Flames, who have to decide if Geoff Ward will return as coach.

"Realistically when you're sitting here at home it's about the result," Tkachuk said. "We've had the same result now for however many years. I'd say the one positive this year was seeing some guys really step up, especially in the playoffs, I think of a few guys. 

"That's the positive I take out of it, is certain guys stepped up, but when it comes down to it, individuals can't carry us through the whole playoffs. We need the full team. If it was about individuals, we'd be playing tennis or golf right now, not hockey. But we all went through that grind together. I'm super proud of the way the guys worked. I thought the work from our team was another positive. We cared so much, that's why it's so much more frustrating. We're such a close group and there's so many good guys.  

"That's why it hurts the most. We'll never be able to play with all those guys again. I don't know if there's ever been a year where the same exact team has come back. That's what hurts the most is that, that for sure."

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{allcanada} No. 1 Djokovic, Pospisil would lead new men's tennis group

 

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NEW YORK (AP) -- No. 1-ranked Novak Djokovic and former top-30 member Vasek Pospisil would be the co-presidents of a new group they are trying to set up to represent men's professional tennis players.

A letter emailed to players -- and obtained by The Associated Press on Friday -- pushes the formation of a Professional Tennis Players Association, abbreviated PTPA.

Sent around shortly before Monday's start of the U.S. Open, the letter says its objective is ''to solicit support from players to form an association with a mandate to promote, protect and represent the interests of its players ... and protect the future of tennis.''

Tennis players never have had a union the way North American team sports do. Each player is considered an independent contractor.

''Unlike many other professional sports, men's professional tennis has never had a representative body that is represented for players by players,'' the email said.

The men's tennis tour is organized by the ATP; the women's tennis tour is run by the WTA.

There was talk earlier this year, prompted largely by tweets from 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer, about the possibility of merging the two tours.

This proposal would set up something just for men ranked in the top 500 in singles and top 200 in doubles.

''The goal of the PTPA is not to replace the ATP but to provide players with a self-governance structure that is independent from the ATP and is directly responsive to player-members' needs and concerns,'' the email said.

The letter said the PTPA would be governed by board of trustees with up to nine members, elected annually.

The trustees would appoint two co-presidents with two-year terms -- and that first leadership duo would be Djokovic, a 33-year-old from Serbia who owns 17 Grand Slam singles trophies, and Pospisil, a 30-year-old from Canada who won the 2014 Wimbledon doubles title and is currently No. 92 in singles.

Among the areas the PTPA would look into, according to the email: ATP and tournament rules and regulations, revenue sharing, disciplinary actions, pensions, travel, on-site food and amenities, insurance and medical care.

There would be a dues structure with players paying an amount based on their ranking -- from a high in singles of $1,500 for those from 1-50 down to $75 for those in spots 401-500, and a high in doubles of $1,000 for those 1-30.

The total fees listed in the letter would bring in $317,500 each year.

The email asks players to sign a letter backing the PTPA, and says ''if a significant number of players support this initiative we will move forward'' with writing bylaws and proposing a board of trustees.

At least one player is on the record as saying he'll sign on: 2016 Wimbledon runner-up Milos Raonic.

''Players have had plenty of time to think and reflect and take a look at certain parts which they may not be happy with and discuss,'' Raonic said Friday after reaching the Western & Southern Open final.

''A lot of us were kept in the dark by our leadership for six months. We were disappointed with many things. I voiced my opinion on many things, such as ... executives in other sports taking pay cuts to support us. As tennis players, we weren't making a dime for months and months. ... Lower guys weren't making a dime,'' Raonic said. ''But our executives were staying home and didn't feel it necessary to take any pay cuts. I pushed for that on every single phone call we had.''

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