{allcanada} Bowness returning as Jets coach next season

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Rick Bowness will return next season as coach of the Winnipeg Jets, general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said Sunday.

The 68-year-old has one season remaining on his contract, plus an option.

"I think in Rick's situation, he's more than comfortable going into the season with his contract as it is," Cheveldayoff said.

Bowness walked back harsh criticisms he levied against the Jets following their elimination from the Western Conference First Round by the Vegas Golden Knights, when he said he was "disappointed and disgusted" following their 4-1 loss in Game 5 on Thursday.

"I think first you have to look at the context of where Rick was at," Cheveldayoff said. "If he could have chosen some different words, I'm sure he would of, but I know in the second period he went into the dressing room, and he was not pleased with how things were going.

"One thing that came as advertised and is as advertised is 'Bones' held no punches to anybody. He was honest. In the heat of the moment, it's not like talking after Game 65 or Game 70. It's talking at the end of a series, of an emotional time. The emotion and investment that goes in from the players' standpoint is insurmountable, but the coaches' is equally. There's that drive and that passion."

Several Jets players voiced their displeasure to the media regarding Bowness' comments. One was Blake Wheeler, captain for six seasons before Bowness stripped him of it at the start of this season.

"He could have been honest with us," Wheeler said. "We could have had those discussions behind closed doors, so I didn't agree with how he handled himself after that game.

"I think he got caught up in the moment. We don't expect him to be perfect all the time, and people make mistakes. … Regardless of what the message was, that could have been done more appropriately. To us, not to you (the media)."

The Jets allowed a goal 50 seconds into the first period of Game 5, finished it with five shots and trailed 4-0 before Kyle Connor scored at 14:22 of the third. They led the Western Conference (31-16-1) on Jan. 22 before going 15-17-2 down the stretch and settling for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.&

"'Disgusted' was probably too strong a word," Bowness said. "One of my many faults is that I'm too emotional and that I wear my heart on my sleeve. That being said, I criticize myself for the choice of words. The message, the clear message, is one that I will never accept that kind of an effort in a game like that. I'll never accept that."

The window to win the Stanley Cup could be closing for the Jets. Several core players can become unrestricted free agents at the end of next season, including goalie Connor Hellebuyck, forwards Wheeler, Mark Scheifele and Nino Niederreiter, and defensemen Brenden Dillon and Dylan DeMelo. Forward Pierre-Luc Dubois, who had an NHL career-high 63 points (27 goals, 36 assists) this season, can become a restricted free agent July 1.

"I still have to be blunt. I still have to be honest," Bowness said. "There's not going to be any grey area. Again, there's uncomfortable conversations you have, and people don't want to hear those things and I get it. … If I feel that I have to share my feelings and get everything on the table, they're going to hear it."

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{allcanada} Skinner, Oilers overcome gaffe to win Game 6, eliminate Kings

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LOS ANGELES -- The most relieved player to see Kailer Yamamoto score the go-ahead goal for the Edmonton Oilers in the third period of Game 6 of the Western Conference First Round on Saturday was Stuart Skinner.

That's because it was Skinner's gaffe that allowed the Los Angeles Kings to tie the game at Crypto.com Arena. During a power play at 7:46 of the third, Skinner had his stick break while attempting to play the puck in front of his net, allowing Phillip Danault a gift to tie it 4-4.

"I noticed when it actually broke, but when I got the puck, it didn't feel like it was anything different," Skinner said. "I felt like I was totally fine, and I tried to give him a nice, crisp pass and I just kind of snapped it on the bottom there. It was a free goal for [Danault], but that stuff happens. It's how you bounce back from that and how you respond to moments like that. I thought we did a great job of how we responded."

Yamamoto responded by scoring his first goal of the series at 16:57 for the Oilers, who held on for a 5-4 win to eliminate the Kings.

Yamamoto took a pass below the goal line and skated out above the left circle, where he snapped a shot through traffic short side on Kings goalie Joonas Korpisalo.

"I was very excited, but I knew there was still a lot of time on the clock," Skinner said "There were three minutes and [three] seconds, and I know I had to get my mind right for those three minutes. It was a great goal, I'm very happy about it and it won us the game and won us the series, and now we're just moving forward from that."

Yamamoto had a goal and an assist in Game 6 after being held off the score sheet through the first five games of the series. His linemate Klim Kostin had two goals and an assist.

"I played with Klim the whole game and he was firing on all cylinders tonight," Yamamoto said. "I know once we were buzzing around in the O-zone something good was going to happen. It was a great net front, I think there were two or three bodies there, and I just shot it and thankfully it went in."

Despite the miscue, Skinner finished the game with 40 saves, including two down the stretch after Yamamoto scored. He is the second rookie goalie to earn a series-clinching win in Oilers history, joining Andy Moog (1981).

"In the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs here, in my first round, I feel like I've gone through quite a bit here," Skinner said. "I lose my first game in overtime (4-3 in Game 1), win a game (4-2 in Game 2), get pulled (in a 5-4 overtime win in Game 4), then am able to win a series. Breaking a stick and letting an easy goal go in, that's all part of life and the experience to learn, and I'm very grateful to learn those lessons."

Oilers captain Connor McDavid said it was a lesson the whole team learned from last season.

"It's funny, I was having flashbacks to Game 4 against Calgary last year (when Mike Smith gave up a short-handed goal from the opposite end of the ice)," he said. "It's good that we've been in that situation before where a weird one goes in where you feel you're doing a lot of good things. It kind of feels funny that the game is tied, you didn't really do anything wrong, but it was a tough break. Credit to 'Skins' to shut the door after. We weren't exactly solid in front of him coming down the stretch, but he gave us a chance to win. Then the little guy (Yamamoto) steps up here, and it's a credit to those guys."

Coach Jay Woodcroft agreed.

"I was proud of our team," Woodcroft said. "We are sure of ourselves and sure of what our opportunity is here, and we have an understanding that it's not always going to be smooth sailing. It's OK that there is some drama in the story."

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{allcanada} Oilers advance to second round with 5-4 victory over Kings

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LOS ANGELES (AP) Kailer Yamamoto scored his first playoff goal with 3:02 remaining, and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Los Angeles Kings 5-4 on Saturday night to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Klim Kostin had two goals and an assist as the Oilers eliminated the Kings for the second straight season. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl also scored in Game 6, and Stuart Skinner stopped 40 shots.

Next up for Edmonton is the Vegas Golden Knights in the next round. The Oilers won three of the four regular-season meetings, but Vegas won the Pacific Division by two points on the way to the top seed in the Western Conference.

Yamamoto got the game-winner after the Kings tied it 7:46 into the third period. Phillip Danault took advantage of Skinner breaking his stick and put in a short-handed goal.

Kevin Fiala had a goal and two assists for Los Angeles, and Adrian Kempe and Sean Durzi also scored. The Kings have been eliminated in their last four first-round series.

Viktor Arvidsson, who was moved up to the top line for this game, had two assists. Joonas Korpisalo made 21 saves.

Los Angeles hasn't won a playoff series since it defeated the New York Rangers in six games in 2014 to capture its second Stanley Cup title in three seasons.

RALLYING BACK

The Kings trailed 3-1 in the second period before tying it on a pair of power-play goals 100 seconds apart.

Kempe went top shelf from the right faceoff circle at 6:36 for his team-leading fifth goal of the playoffs. Fiala evened it at 8:16 when his shot from the back of the left faceoff circle found its way through traffic.

ANOTHER QUICK START

McDavid redirected Bouchard's shot 85 seconds into the game to stake Edmonton to an early lead. It was the fourth time in the last 17 playoff games that the Oilers scored in first two minutes.

The Oilers are 27-6 when scoring first in potential series-clinching games, including a 12-3 record when doing so on the road.

RECORD BOOK

Evan Bouchard tied an NHL record for most power-play points by a defenseman in a playoff series when he picked up an assist on Draisaitl's goal. It was Bouchard's sixth assist and eighth point with the man advantage, joining the New York Islanders' Denis Potvin (who did it twice), Washington's John Carlson and Detroit's Paul Coffey.

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{allcanada} 3 Keys: Kings at Oilers, Game 6 of Western 1st Round

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(P2) Oilers at (P3) Kings

Western Conference First Round, Game 6

Edmonton leads best-of-7 series 3-2 

10 p.m. ET; TBS, BSSC, SN, TVAS, CBC

LOS ANGELES -- The Edmonton Oilers expect a high level of desperation from the Los Angeles Kings in Game 6 of the Western Conference First Round at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.

With a win, Edmonton will eliminate Los Angeles in the first round for the second consecutive season.

"They're going to be a desperate team, but we need to be able to match it," Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said Saturday. "We have to match their energy level, especially at the start. I thought Game 4 down here (a 5-4 overtime win for Edmonton), they came out and pushed us and got us back on our heels, and we can't let that happen tonight."

Last season, Edmonton trailed 3-2 in the series before winning Game 6 at Crypto.com Arena and Game 7 at Rogers Place. Now, Los Angeles will be looking to do the same.

"Backs are against the wall, so obviously we've got to bring it," Kings captain Anze Kopitar said. "We will be playing with the puck, try to play with the puck, and try to keep them in their zone for as long as we can."

Kings center Blake Lizotte is expected to return after missing the past three games with a lower-body injury. 

Oilers forward Mattias Janmark, who sustained a foot injury in Game 1, participated in morning skate. However, neither Janmark or coach Jay Woodcroft would confirm if he would return to the lineup.

The Oilers have been playing with 11 forwards and seven defensemen since Game 2.

"It's getting better, so it's nice to be out there skating," Janmark said. "I got a couple of shots (off his foot). I'm just trying to get back."

Here are 3 keys to Game 6:

1. All hands on deck

The Kings will have a complete lineup for the first time in the series with the expected return of Lizotte. Los Angeles started the series without forwards Kevin Fiala, who had 72 points (23 goals, 49 assists) in 69 regular-season games, and Gabriel Vilardi, who had 41 points (23 goals, 18 assists) in 63 regular-season games. Vilardi returned in Game 2, and Fiala was back for Game 4. Lizotte had 34 points (11 goals, 23 assists) in 81 games during the regular season.

"We can talk about lines, we can talk about (defense) pairs. We're looking for high-end performances from 20 individuals that work together collectively and put their best on the line, and there's no other way to put it," Kings coach Todd McLellan said. "There's no magic. That's what we're looking for. We've worked real hard all year, the past few years, to give ourselves an opportunity to win this type of game, and we're going to take a swing at it, a real good swing at it and see what we have."

2. Road warriors

The Oilers are 8-1-0 in their past nine games away from home dating to the regular season. In the 5-4 overtime win at Crypto.com Arena in Game 4, they battled back from a 3-0 deficit in the first period and fell behind 4-3 in the third before tying it again.

Road teams are 27-17 in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"I don't think it necessarily matters for our group, we try to play the same game whether we're at home or on the road," Edmonton forward Leon Draisaitl said. "Tonight is a big one for us, we're looking to bring our best game. We're well aware they're going to bring their best game, so we have to make sure we bring ours."

3. Killer power plays

The Oilers had the best power play in NHL history during the regular season at 32.4 percent and are leading the NHL again in the playoffs at 57.1 percent. Edmonton is 8-for-14 with the man-advantage, and Los Angeles is 5-for-18 (27.8 percent). A key for both teams is to stay out of the penalty box.

"Just try to keep as much 5-on-5 hockey as we can," Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said. "We want to be physical, good defensively. I think 'Korpi' (goalie Joonas Korpisalo) has played really well this series, so take some pressure off him and dominate in their zone. We haven't done that enough, especially for a full game this series."

Oilers projected lineup

Evander Kane -- Connor McDavid -- Leon Draisaitl

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- Nick Bjugstad -- Zach Hyman

Warren Foegele -- Ryan McLeod -- Kailer Yamamoto

Klim Kostin -- Derek Ryan

Darnell Nurse -- Cody Ceci

Mattias Ekholm -- Evan Bouchard

Brett Kulak -- Vincent Desharnais

Philip Broberg

Stuart Skinner

Jack Campbell

Scratched: Devin Shore

Injured: Mattias Janmark (lower body), Ryan Murray (back)

Kings projected lineup

Viktor Arvidsson -- Anze Kopitar -- Adrian Kempe

Trevor Moore -- Phillip Danault -- Alex Iafallo

Kevin Fiala -- Quinton Byfield -- Gabriel Vilardi

Carl Grundstrom -- Blake Lizotte -- Rasmus Kupari

Mikey Anderson -- Drew Doughty

Vladislav Gavrikov -- Matt Roy

Sean Durzi -- Sean Walker

Joonas Korpisalo

Pheonix Copley

Scratched: Alexander Edler, Zack MacEwen, Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Arthur Kaliyev, Alex Laferriere

Injured: None

Status report

Kane did not participate in Edmonton's morning skate but will play. … The Kings held an optional skate Saturday.

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{allcanada} Knies, Giordano both on the ice at Leafs' optional skate

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Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies and defenceman Mark Giordano, who each exited Thursday's loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning briefly with injuries, both participated in an optional skate Saturday morning, TSN's Mark Masters reports.

Knies, 20, appeared to be shaken up after he was struck in the leg by a puck on Thursday. He went to the locker room briefly, but was able to return and logged 11:46 of ice time in the loss. 

The rookie has appeared in four games in this series, recording two points. He has played just seven professional hockey games in his career, and joined the Leafs in the middle of April after a successful season at the University of Minnesota, where he scored 21 goals and tallied 42 points in 40 games.

Giordano appeared to be injured after a late hit that drew a penalty by Tampa Bay's Pat Maroon. He went to the locker room and returned later in the game. 

Giordano played in 78 games for the Leafs this season, his second with the team. He scored four goals and totaled 24 points. 

Masters also noted that defenceman Justin Holl participated in the optional skate, where his tendency is to not participate when he is in the lineup. The defenceman has registered a minus-seven rating for the Leafs in this series, worst on the team. 

Conversely, defenceman Timothy Liljegren did not participate in the optional skate; his usual routine is not to skate when he's playing. Liljegren last suited up for the Leafs in the regular-season finale. He scored six goals and tallied 18 points in 67 games for Toronto this year.

The Maple Leafs lead the series 3-2 and Game 6 will go in Tampa Bay on Saturday night. Toronto has not advanced beyond the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs since the 2003-04 season. 

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{allcanada} WHL playoffs: ICE bump off Blades in East final opener

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WINNIPEG — The Winnipeg ICE scored two unanswered goals in the first period and received flawless goaltending from Daniel Hauser as they defeated the visiting Saskatoon Blades 3-0 in the opening game of the Western Hockey League Eastern Conference final on Friday night.

Ben Zloty, Zack Ostapchuk and Carson Lambos scored for the ICE, who led 2-0 after the first period and 3-0 heading into the third.

The Blades, coming off a tough seven-game series with the Red Deer Rebels in which they dropped the first three games before pulling off the "reverse sweep," were outshot 26-16.

The Blades went 0-for-4 on the power play, while the ICE went 0-for-1.

Game 2 is Saturday afternoon at Wayne Fleming Arena.

POKECHECKS: The Western Conference final between the Kamloops Blazers and Seattle Thunderbirds starts Saturday at the accesso ShowWare Center in Kent, Wash. … The Blazers are the host team for the 2023 Memorial Cup championship, which starts May 26 with the Blazers playing the QMJHL champions.

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{allcanada} Report: Raptors receive permission to interview Aces head coach Hammon

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The Toronto Raptors reportedly have a wide range of candidates they plan on interviewing for their vacant head coach position, including one who is fresh off winning a league championship.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Raptors have been granted permission to interview Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon. The WNBA legend became the first rookie head coach in league history to win the championship in 2022 and was named WNBA Coach of the Year in the process. 

Prior to joining the Aces last season, the 46-year-old Hammon served as an assistant with the NBA's San Antonio Spurs for eight seasons from 2014-2022. 

The native of Rapid City, South Dakota had a prolific playing career as well, making six WNBA All-Star Games and two All-WNBA First Teams. 

Over 450 games with the New York Liberty and San Antonio Stars, the 5-foot-6 guard averaged 13.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists. 

Earlier this month, Hammon, alongside NBA greats in Tony Parker, Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade and Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, were named as the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees for 2023.

Wojnarowski adds that Masai Ujiri and the Raptors have also gotten permission to speak to notable NBA assistants including Golden State Warriors' Kenny Atkinson, Milwaukee Bucks' Charles Lee, Phoenix Suns' Kevin Young, San Antonio Spurs' Mitch Johnson, Sacramento Kings' Jordi Fernandez, Memphis Grizzlies' Darko Rajakovic and Miami Heat's Chris Quinn

Current Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin will also be interviewed by the team, reports Wojnarowski.

Toronto is looking for a new head coach after firing Nick Nurse earlier this month following a 41-41 season. The Raps were eliminated by the Chicago Bulls on home court in the play-in tournament. 

Nurse was the head coach of the Raptors for five seasons, winning the franchise's first NBA title during his first year in 2018-19. 

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{allcanada} Four CFL teams fined for exceeding 2022 cap

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TORONTO — The Grey Cup-champion Toronto Argonauts were among four teams that exceeded the CFL's salary cap last season, the league announced Friday.

The others were the Montreal Alouettes, Ottawa Redblacks and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The CFL's salary cap last season was $5.35 million. The teams were fined the exact amount they were over.

Montreal was fined $794 while Ottawa's penalty was $11,994. Toronto will have to pay $49,735 while Winnipeg will be forced to ante up $64,499. The Argos edged the Blue Bombers 24-23 in the Grey Cup game at Regina last November.

Since no team exceeded the cap by more than $100,000, the league said the squads would not lose any picks in the upcoming CFL draft.

The CFL's salary cap for 2023 increases to $5.45 million.

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{allcanada} Lightning send series back to Tampa, beat Maple Leafs 4-2

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TORONTO (AP) Michael Eyssimont had a goal and an assist as the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 on Thursday night to force Game 6 in their first-round playoff series.

Anthony Cirelli also had a goal and an assist, Nicholas Paul scored and Alex Killorn got an empty net goal for Tampa. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 28 saves.

Morgan Rielly and Auston Matthews scored for Toronto, which got 34 stops from Ilya Samsonov. John Tavares had two assists.

The Leafs still lead the best-of-seven series 3-2.

Game 6 will be Saturday in Tampa. Game 7, if necessary, would be Monday back at Scotiabank Arena.

Toronto, which has failed to advance in the post-season since 2004 and was eliminated by the Lightning in seven games in the first round last year, is now 0-10 since 2018 with a chance to eliminate a post-season opponent.

Tied at 1 after a spirited first period, the Lightning pushed ahead at 4:23 of the second when Eyssimont beat Samsonov through the pads from a tough angle for his first goal of the series.

The period ended in controversy when Pat Maroon crushed Toronto defenseman Mark Giordano from behind into the boards. The initial play went uncalled, but the bruising Tampa winger was assessed a roughing penalty for the ensuing scrum.

Giordano rejoined his teammates on the bench shortly after the restart after getting looked at by the trainer.

Paul made it 3-1 at 11:53 of the third with his first after the Leafs goaltender got bumped by teammate David Kampf.

The home side pulled within one with 3:34 left in regulation when Matthews banged home a loose puck for his fourth, and third in the last two games, with Samsonov on the bench for an extra attacker.

The Leafs continued to press desperately looking for the tie and send the teams to a third straight overtime before Killorn sealed it with five seconds left.

Toronto, which has lost six straight series since 2017, opened the scoring at 4:46 of the first when Rielly - the longest-serving Leaf - scored his third of the series from the slot after Tavares beat three Lightning players to the puck to ignite the towel-waving crowd inside a frothing Scotiabank Arena.

Coming off Stanley Cup triumphs in 2020 and 2021 before falling in last year's final to the Colorado Avalanche, and looking to keep their season alive, the Lightning responded just 26 seconds later when Cirelli scored his third off a scramble.

EYSSIMONT RETURNS

The Lightning forward suited up for the first time since getting knocked out of Game 1 on a hard hit by Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe. Eyssimont's inclusion meant Tanner Jeannot watched from the press box.

BUNTING SITS

The gritty Toronto native was eligible to return to the lineup after serving his three-game ban, but Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe elected to go with the same lineup for the fourth straight game. Michael Bunting registered 23 goals and 49 points in the regular season.

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{allcanada} Veteran midfielder Osorio latest TFC player to be hit by injury

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TORONTO — Veteran midfielder Jonathan Osorio is the latest Toronto FC player hit by the injury bug.

Osorio has been listed as out for Saturday's game against visiting New York City FC (4-2-3) due to a lower body injury, along with midfielder Victor Vazquez (lower body) and fullback Cristian Gutierrez (non-COVID illness).

Toronto's injury report also lists defender Matt Hedges (concussion protocol), captain/midfielder Michael Bradley (lower body), winger Federico Bernardeschi (lower body) and forward Adam Diomande (lower body) as questionable for the weekend game.

Osorio played the full 90 minutes in last Saturday's 4-2 loss at the Philadelphia Union, assisting on both of TFC's goals. The 30-year-old Canadian international, who leads TFC with 325 appearances in all competitions, has captained Toronto the last two games in Bradley's absence.

Bradley and Bernardeschi worked out by themselves in the portion of Thursday's training open to the media. The others, save Diomande and Vazquez, warmed up with the main group.

Diomande has been absent since exiting the second game of the season, March 4 in Atlanta, at halftime with a hamstring issue. Gutierrez has yet to see action since joining Toronto on waivers from Vancouver on March 14.

Vazquez, whose pre-season was disrupted by a rib injury, has seen just 94 minutes of action this season spread over four games including one start. Hedges has missed two games since taking a ball to the face April 8 at Nashville.

Bernardeschi has started all nine of Toronto's games this season but only lasted 45 minutes in Philadelphia after a week that saw his training limited by injury. The Italian winger leads Toronto (1-2-6) with three goals and three assists.

The good news for TFC is fellow Italian star Lorenzo Insigne started against Philadelphia and has seen action the last two weeks after missing six games with a groin injury.

The ugly loss in Philadelphia snapped a seven-game unbeaten (1-0-6) run for Toronto.

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{allcanada} Football inductees leave SFU Sports Hall of Fame

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In a show of solidarity with the players and coaching staff of Simon Fraser University, the 11 football-only members of the SFU Sports Hall of Fame have collectively announced that they are walking out from their enshrinement.

"I don't wish to be affiliated with or have my prior football career 'bring excellence' to a university that no longer recognizes collegiate football as a worthwhile entity or endeavour for young amateur athletes throughout British Columbia," said SFU alumnus and Canadian Football Hall of Famer Lui Passaglia in a statement.

The members announced that they "would be happy to return" when the football program is reinstated, after school president Joy Johnson announced April 4 that Simon Fraser was discontinuing its football program, effective immediately. Johnson added the decision wasn't financially based, rather on the Texas-based Lone Star Conference's announcement it would not renew its football affiliation with Simon Fraser past the 2023 campaign.

The list of inductees withdrawing include Lui Passaglia, Sean Millington, Glen Jackson, Terry Bailey, Doug Brown, Dave Cutler, Wayne Holm, Rick House, Neil McKinlay, Rob McLaren, and Orville Lee. The group does not include teams, multi-sport or deceased inductees.

"My experience at SFU was formative and something I cherished, said Millington in a statement. "It was a very special time. And because of that I can't support the administration's decision to take this opportunity away from the next generation.

Inductee Doug Brown aligns with Passaglia on the motivation to stand with the current team.

"The administration has eliminated half of the university football opportunities for our players in BC. We all stand united in saying this is unacceptable and not representative of the Simon Fraser program we represented," he said.

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{allcanada} Jets F Ehlers skates on second line at practice

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Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers, who has been sidelined since April 11 with an upper-body injury, skated on the second line at practice on Wednesday as he works towards returning to the lineup. 

The 27-year-old is still waiting to be medically cleared to return to game action. Ehlers, who engaged in more contact during the practice, will be reevaluated after Thursday's skate in hopes he can be medically cleared. 

Game 5 goes Thursday night in Las Vegas.

"I feel good. I don't think I was good enough to play the first few games. I know I said I was [on April 15], but I hadn't really been on the ice yet — and looking back now — that wouldn't have ended well," Ehlers told the media on Wednesday. 

Ehlers was also featured on the first power-play unit at Wednesday's practice.

The Aalborg, Denmark, native appeared in just 45 games this season due to multiple injuries. He played in the first two games of the year before being placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury, which ultimately required sports hernia surgery. 

Ehlers had 12 goals and 26 assists in 31 games during the regular season.

The Jets trail the Vegas Golden Knights 3-1 in their first-round series as they prepare for Game 5 on Thursday.

Winnipeg will be without star defenceman Josh Morrissey for the remainder of the series after he suffered a lower-body injury in Game 3. 

Forward Mark Scheifele has also been ruled out for Game 5 due to an upper-body injury suffered in Monday's 4-2 loss. 

Lines at practice on Wednesday:

Connor - Gustafsson - Wheeler
Ehlers - Namestnikov - Neiderreiter
Barron - Lowry - Appleton
Jonsson - Maënalanen - Kuhlman
Dillon - Pionk
Schmidt - DeMelo
Stanley - Samberg
Capobianco - Perfetti

Hellebuyck
Holm
Salminen

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{allcanada} Bjugstad elevated to 2nd line, Oilers 1 win from advancing in playoffs

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EDMONTON -- Nick Bjugstad made the most of a promotion from the Edmonton Oilers in Game 5 of the Western Conference First Round against the Los Angeles Kings.

Bjugstad was elevated to the second line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman, he and Nugent-Hopkins alternating between center and left wing, and scored two goals in a 6-3 win at Rogers Place on Tuesday to give the Oilers a 3-2 lead in the best-of-7 series. Game 6 is at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Saturday.

"I just made an emphasis of trying to get to the net," Bjugstad said after the victory. "I didn't know I had that second one, I thought Hyman did, so that was a fortunate one.

"Just as a unit, as a five-man unit all night, everyone was together and on the same page and that's what it takes to win. We have to bring that same mentality to L.A. in a few days."

Bjugstad, 30, was acquired in a trade with the Arizona Coyotes on March 2 for defenseman Michael Kesselring and a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. The Minneapolis native had six points (four goals, two assists) in 19 regular-season games for the Oilers. He had 23 points (13 goals, 10 assists) in 59 games prior to the trade.

He played six-plus seasons for the Florida Panthers after they chose him in the first round (No. 19) of the 2010 NHL Draft and was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 1, 2019. After two seasons with his hometown Minnesota Wild, Bjugstad signed as an unrestricted free agent with Arizona on July 13, 2022.

"I remember his time going back to being a high draft pick for Florida and I've seen him in Pittsburgh and Minnesota and this year in Arizona," Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft said Wednesday. "I have an understanding of him as a player and what he brought to the table. There was a lot of talk amongst our staff about targeting certain people toward the (2023 NHL Trade Deadline) and his name was always toward the top of our list."

Bjugstad entered the NHL as a highly touted offensive prospect. He had 43 points (24 goals, 19 assists) in 72 games of his second full season, then developed into a checking forward. The Oilers were interested in the 6-foot-6, 209-pound center to anchor their third or fourth line but moved him up in Game 5 against the Kings.

"We've been having a good dialog with Nick, clarifying exactly what is expected from him," Woodcroft said. "It's a little bit of a different role here than he had in Arizona, but he has certain skills. 

"The big thing as a coaching staff, as you work your way through a playoff series you want to make sure you're really paying attention to matchups and who is playing well and if there's things you want to look for. In the end, you want to see things clearly, and it's obvious to us he's playing really well."

Bjugstad said he feels fortunate to be in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on a team capable of making a long run. He has five goals and two assists in 20 NHL postseason games and has never advanced beyond the first round.

In Game 5, Bjugstad scored at 11:49 of the second period, redirecting a shot from defenseman Cody Ceci, to give Edmonton a 4-2 lead. He was then credited with the Oilers' sixth goal at 4:26 of the third, which was originally awarded to Hyman. Bjugstad centered the puck from the left boards, and it hit the skate of Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson in front and bounced into the net past goalie Pheonix Copley, who replaced starter Joonas Korpisalo after Bjugstad's first goal.

"I would do anything to win a Stanley Cup, so I'm going to continue to chip away and be part of the grind and try to get better every day," Bjugstad said. "There is nothing better than this. We can't get too high on ourselves. That squad is good over there and they've shown that they're pretty resilient too. It's playoff hockey. You don't really know what's going to happen, so you have to bring it every night. I want to continue to contribute and be a part of this group."

The Oilers have an opportunity to win the series in Los Angeles and advance to the second round for the second consecutive season. Edmonton made it to the Western Conference Final last season, where it was swept by the Colorado Avalanche.

"It's not going to be an easy task, we know that," Bjugstad said. "We have three days to think about what we did well. You have to have a short memory if you lose, and I think it's the same if you win. You have to have a new-day mentality, be good at practice, get good sleep, good rest. It'll be nice to have a few days off, we have guys that have been playing a lot of minutes. It'll be good to get a little rest and come with some energy in L.A."

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{allcanada} Rielly stepping up for Maple Leafs in Eastern 1st Round

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TAMPA -- Morgan Rielly looked as though he'd been beaten up by a number of angry pucks.

There he was, a battered-and-bruised version of himself as he stood in front of the media after his Toronto Maple Leafs' improbable 5-4 comeback overtime victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference First Round at Amalie Arena on Monday. A huge shiner was under the left eye of the Toronto defenseman. A similar, yet thankfully smaller welt, was under the right one.

The rigors of Stanley Cup Playoff hockey, live in black and blue.

It was painful to look at him, let alone try to imagine how much he may have been hurting.

Except he wasn't.

"It's just fun," the 29-year-old said. "We're all having fun. It's good to be together.

"This is why you play. So, we're just trying to make the most of it, enjoy it and play hard and compete. That's what we like to do."

Rielly and his teammates are liking it even more these days, given that they lead the best-of-7 series 3-1 heading into Game 5 at what will be a raucous Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Thursday (7 p.m. ET: TBS, CBC, SN, TVAS, BSSUN). At stake: The chance for the Maple Leafs to win their first Stanley Cup Playoff series since defeating the Ottawa Senators in the 2004 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

As the franchise's longest serving member (10 seasons), the heartache Rielly has endured during so many disappointing Toronto springs has caused him far more pain than a couple of battle-earned contusions on his face.

Selected with the No. 5 pick by Toronto at the 2012 NHL Draft, he is part of a core that includes forwards Auston Matthews, Mitchell Marner and William Nylander that has failed to win a series in six consecutive tries. Magnifying the misery: The past five eliminations have come with the Maple Leafs losing a deciding game.

This time around, there is a "different feel," according to coach Sheldon Keefe, and part of that is because Toronto's best players are performing like its best players, which hasn't always been the case in the postseason.

Heading into play Tuesday, Marner led all NHL playoff scorers with 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in four games. Matthews, whose two goals in the third period of Game 4 sparked the comeback, has seven points (three goals, four assists), as does Nylander (two goals, five assists).

Rielly is right behind them with six (two goals, four assists). And you could make the argument he has been the catalyst of putting the Lightning, who have reached the Stanley Cup Final in each of the past three seasons, on the brink of elimination.

In Toronto's 7-2 victory in Game 2, Rielly led the way with four assists, tying a single-game postseason franchise record for points by a defenseman, previously held by Allan Stanley (Game 5, 1960 Semifinal), Wally Stanowski (Game 5, 1942 Stanley Cup Final) and Ian Turnbull (Game 6, 1976 Quarterfinal).

In Game 3, it was Rielly's winner at 19:15 of overtime against the flow of play that gave Toronto a 4-3 win, which also came in improbable fashion after Ryan O'Reilly tied it with one minute left in the third period.

And Rielly was at it again in Game 4, bringing the Maple Leafs back from a 4-1 deficit in the third. He scored the tying goal with 3:06 left to set the stage for Alexander Kerfoot's winner at 4:14 of overtime.

"We were in a position going into the third down 4-1, that's not where you want to be," Rielly said. "But to have the compete and the jam to go out there and come back is a good sign."

Make no mistake, there have been warts in Rielly's game. He's struggled defensively at times throughout the regular season and in the postseason too.

In the first period Monday, for example, his attempt to keep the puck in Tampa Bay's zone during a Toronto power play was blocked by Lightning forward Brandon Hagel, who gobbled it up and sped down the wing before being tripped by a diving Rielly. Hagel was awarded a penalty shot, which was subsequently stopped by Maple Leafs goalie Ilya Samsonov.

But when it's really mattered, when the games have been on the line, Rielly has stepped up and delivered. It certainly seems as if he's doing everything in his power to change the narrative after Toronto came up short in the previous half-dozen postseasons.

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{allcanada} Oilers beat Kings to take 3-2 lead in playoff series

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EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) Nick Bjugstad scored twice as the Edmonton Oilers beat the Los Angeles Kings 6-3 on Tuesday night to take a 3-2 lead in the first-round playoff series.

The Oilers are a win away from advancing to the second round. Game 6 is Saturday in Los Angeles. Game 7, if necessary, would be Monday in Edmonton.

Leon Draisaitl, Evander Kane, Zach Hyman and Brett Kulak also scored for Edmonton. Connor McDavid and defensemen Mattias Ekholm and Darnell Nurse had two assists apiece.

Hyman's goal came when he was hit in the face on a shot by Evan Bouchard and the puck deflected past the Kings' Pheonix Copley for the Oilers' fifth goal of the game. Hyman stayed in the game.

Stuart Skinner was back in the net for Edmonton's after he was swapped out for Jack Campbell one period into the Oilers' Game 4 overtime win Sunday. The 24-year-old Skinner made 25 saves.

Kings goalie Joonas Korpisalo was pulled for Copley in the second period after Edmonton's fourth goal. Korpisalo stopped 15 of 19 shots before giving way to Copley, who had six saves.

Quinton Byfield, Adrian Kempe and Alex Iafallo scored for the Kings.

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{allcanada} OHL playoffs: Battalion beat Colts to win series in seven games

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NORTH BAY, Ont. — The North Bay Battalion scored two third-period power-play goals to erase a 1-0 deficit and eventually beat the Barrie Colts 3-1 to win their Ontario Hockey League playoff series in seven games.

Kyle Jackson, Kyle McDonald and Owen Van Steensel (empty-netter) scored for the Battalion, who trailed 1-0 after the first and second periods.

Beau Jelsma scored for the Colts, who outshot the Battalion 29-24.

The Battalion went 2-for-4 on the power play, while the Colts were 0-for-2.

The Battalion advance to play the Peterborough Petes in the Eastern Conference championship series, which starts Friday in North Bay. The Petes defeated the Ottawa 67's in their round-two series 4-2.

The Western Conference championship series between the London Knights and Sarnia Sting starts Friday in London, Ont.

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{allcanada} Toronto FC add F Sapong, D Mabika in trades

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Toronto FC added experience up front Tuesday in veteran forward CJ Sapong, giving up defensive cover in centre back Lukas MacNaughton and up to US$200,000 in general allocation money to Nashville SC to get him.

Toronto (1-2-6) has been short up front with Adama Diomande sidelined by injury since the second game of the season. Coach Bob Bradley has rotated between Deandre Kerr, Jordan Perruzza and Ayo Akinola and, on the weekend, gave Italian star Lorenzo Insigne a more fluid, forward role.

"CJ has qualities that can help," said Bradley. "He's an unselfish (No.) 9. He gets in the (penalty) box. He works for the team. He can hold the ball. He's a physical presence."

Bradley believes Sapong will occupy defenders and open up space. That can only help Italian wingers Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi to work their magic.

Bradley, who doubles as Toronto's sporting director, said Sapong's acquisition is not related to the health of Diomande, saying the veteran Norwegian forward is back training and could see playing time Saturday against visiting New York City FC (4-2-3).

The 34-year-old Sapong has 88 goals and 34 assists in 350 regular-season appearances with Nashville, Chicago, Philadelphia and Sporting Kansas City, which took him in the first round (10th overall) of the 2011 MLS SuperDraft.

TFC gives up US$125,000 in 2024 general allocation money (GAM) and an additional $75,000 in conditional 2025 GAM if Sapong meets certain performance metrics.

Toronto then filled MacNaughton's hole on the roster by acquiring 24-year-old defender Aime Mabika from Inter Miami CF through 2023 with options for 2024 and 2025. In exchange, Toronto sent US$100,000 in 2024 general allocation money plus an additional US$100,000 in conditional GAM if performance-based metrics are met and a sell-on percentage for Mabika.

Mabika was originally selected by Miami in the first round (26th overall) of the 2021 MLS SuperDraft. He spent the 2021 season with Inter Miami CF II, formerly Fort Lauderdale CF, in USL League One. Mabika then signed a first-team deal with Miami in January, making 18 appearances across all competitions in his first season with the MLS club.

"Physically, as a young defender, he's got really good starting points," said Bradley.

Toronto said the trades were agreed to prior to Monday's close of the primary transfer window.

Sapong made US$550,000 last season, according to the MLS Players Association. Bradley said Toronto will not be paying the whole shot, with Nashville contributing. McNaughton earned US$86,100 and Mabika US$73,625 last season.

The 28-year-old MacNaughton made 31 appearances across all competitions for TFC, arriving ahead of the 2022 season from the CPL's Pacific FC. He has been a backup to Matt Hedges and Sigurd Rosted this season, but started the last two games in the absence of the injured Hedges.

MacNaughton spent three seasons with Pacific, where he made 59 combined appearances and won the CPL title in 2021.

His final game with Toronto wasn't a happy one.

He conceded an own goal in the 4-2 loss at Philadelphia on Saturday but didn't know much about it, with Rosted's attempted clearance striking his body and bouncing into goal. MacNaughton was substituted at halftime with Bradley saying later that the defender was dealing with a lower leg issue.

McNaughton is a worldly addition to the Nashville roster.

Born in New York City to a Canadian father and Austrian mother, MacNaughton moved to Belgium when he was seven. After playing soccer at the University of Toronto where he studied architecture, his soccer career took off in the CPL.

The six-foot-one 185-pounder speaks English, French and German, understands Dutch and can "get by" in Spanish. He holds Canadian, American and Belgium citizenship.

"I can't thank you enough for the incredible memories and experiences that I've had while playing for this city," MacNaughton said in a social media farewell to Toronto. "To my teammates, you have become life-family to me and I'm grateful for every moment we've shared. To the fans, your unwavering support is truly special.

"Although my journey is taking me elsewhere, know that Toronto will always hold a special place in my heart. I am honoured to have been a part of this incredible community. Thank you again, Toronto. I'll see you all soon."

MacNaughton, who made his Canadian debut in November against Bahrain, joins former TFC winger Jacob Shaffelburg at Nashville.

Bradley says MacNaughton was a good fit with Nashville, which has had injuries on the backline and will likely be losing star centre back Walker Zimmerman to the U.S. during the Gold Cup.

"We appreciate the time that we had with Lukas," he said.

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{allcanada} Whitecaps ship Dajome to DCU for GAM

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The Vancouver Whitecaps announced the trade of winger Cristian Dajome to DC United on Tuesday in exchange for $350,000 in 2024 General Allocation Money with an additional $200,000 in conditional GAM.

Signed from Colombian side Atletico Nacional in 2020, Dajome made 102 appearances across all competitions for the club across three seasons.

"Cristian has been an important player for our club and a consummate professional throughout his three plus years with us," Whitecaps sporting director Axel Schuster said in a statement. "He will always be a part of our history and will be remembered as a big part of our Canadian Championship winning team last year. We wish Cristian and his family all the best in their next steps."

Schuster noted the move adds roster flexibility for the team moving forward.

"In addition to the allocation money, this move opens up a senior roster and international slot, as well as a pathway for our younger attacking talent including first team players coming back from injury and our prospects coming through our MLS NEXT Pro team WFC2," Schuster said.

DC United president Dave Kasper says the team is excited about the acquisition of the 29-year-old Dajome.

"Recruiting a dynamic player with transitional speed who can play anywhere along our frontline was one of our main objectives before the [transfer window] closed," Kasper said. "Cristian's ability to stretch the field, in combination with our core attacking group will give us multiple options in terms of how we want to play. We are delighted to bring him to the District."

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