{allcanada} Guhle signs 6-year, $33.3 million contract with Canadiens

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Kaiden Guhle signed a six-year, $33.3 million contract with the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday. The contract, which begins in the 2025-26 season, has an average annual value of $5.55 million.

The 22-year-old defenseman had 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) last season. He ranked second for the Canadiens with 178 blocked shots and third in time on ice per game (20:51).

A first-round pick (No. 16) by Montreal at the 2020 NHL Draft, Guhle has 40 points (10 goals, 30 assists) in 114 games.

The Canadiens signed defensemen Arber Xhekaj ($1.3 million AAV) and Justin Barron ($1.15 million AAV) each to a two-year contract Tuesday.

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{allcanada} Canadian Ford to make his first start of CFL season for Elks

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Different season, same situation for Tre Ford.

The Canadian quarterback will make his first start of 2024 on Saturday night when Edmonton (0-7) visits the Saskatchewan Roughriders (5-2). Ford, of Niagara Falls, Ont., started his first game last season after the Elks had dropped eight straight and ended up leading the franchise to all four of its victories over his 10 starts.

The six-foot-one, 195-pound Ford again showed his athleticism and dynamic ability in last week's 44-28 home loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He replaced starter McLeod Bethel-Thompson in the fourth quarter and quickly gave Edmonton fans something to cheer about, completing 10-of-15 passes for 121 yards and three TDs while running three times for 19 yards.

And it wasn't just that Ford was effective, he provided excitement with his ability to escape a collapsing pocket and thread the needle on a completion downfield.

Then again, that knack for turning potential disaster into something good was on full display last season when Ford not only breathed much-needed life into Edmonton's campaign but also provided long-suffering Elks fans with some optimism and hope.

But Edmonton's '22 first-round draft pick from Waterloo was relegated to backup status after Edmonton signed veteran Bethel-Thompson to a one-year deal in the off-season.

Unfortunately for Edmonton, Ford _ Canadian university football's top player in 2021 _ won't resolve its biggest issue this season.

Edmonton's defence is ranked last in the CFL in offensive points allowed (30.9 per game), offensive TDs (23), offensive yards allowed (390.1 per game) and eighth against the pass (310.3 yards). The unit is sixth against the run (96.9 yards per game) but tied with Hamilton for most TD passes allowed (15 each).

Edmonton enters this week's action fourth in offensive scoring (24.7 points per game) and Bethel-Thompson is fourth among CFL passers (69 per cent completion average, 1,788 yards). But the two-time Grey Cup champion has nearly as many interceptions (seven) as touchdowns (nine) and, most importantly, he's 0-7 as the Elks starter.

By comparison, Shea Patterson will chase a third win in his fifth start for Saskatchewan. Patterson hasn't been flashy since taking over for injured veteran Trevor Harris _ Patterson has just two TD passes on the season_ but the Riders remain tied atop the West Division standings with the B.C. Lions (5-2).

Ford will also face a Riders defence that's tops in the CFL in turnovers forced (21), interceptions (12) and fumbles recovered (eight). And Saskatchewan does a solid job of protecting the football, leading the league in fewest turnovers (10), interceptions (four) and turnover ratio (plus-11).

Pick: Saskatchewan.

B.C. Lions versus Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Thursday night)

At Winnipeg, B.C. (5-2) comes off the bye week sporting a 4-1 record within the West Division. An already potent Lions offence adds receiver Keon Hatcher. The Bombers (2-6) have dropped two straight and have already lost at home to the Lions. The unit committed five turnovers and allowed five sacks in last week's 16-14 overtime loss in Toronto, whose only TD came on Tavarus McFadden's pick-six.

Pick: B.C.

Montreal Alouettes versus Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Friday night)

At Hamilton, Montreal (5-2) could have starter Cody Fajardo back under centre after he was removed from the six-game injured list earlier this week. Last week, rookie Davis Alexander came off the bench to throw two second-half TD passes and rally the Alouettes past Saskatchewan 20-16. The Ticats (2-5) have won two straight but will play on five days rest following their 44-28 victory in Edmonton on Sunday night, a game that saw veteran Bo Levi Mitchell throw five TD passes.

Pick: Montreal.

Toronto Argonauts versus Calgary Stampeders (Sunday night)

At Calgary, Ka'Deem Carey returns to McMahon Stadium for the first time since parting ways with the Stampeders (3-4) in February. Carey is second in CFL rushing (491 yards) and anchors its top ground attack (124.4 yards per game). That's important as the Argos (4-3) are last in net offence (318.4 yards per game) and passing (220 yards), and were brutal offensively versus Winnipeg. The Stamps lost 33-6 in Ottawa but are 3-0 at home. They've allowed 12 sacks (second-lowest total) but face a defence that's tops with 18 sacks.

Pick: Toronto.

Last week: 3-1.

CP's overall record: 17-15.

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{allcanada} CF Montreal trips San Luis in key League Cup victory

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MONTREAL — CF Montreal scored twice on its first three shots and then hung on for a 3-2 victory over visiting Mexican side Atletico San Luis in Leagues Cup action on Tuesday night at Stade Saputo.

CF Montreal picked up three crucial points in its final game of the Leagues Cup group stage. Montreal lost 4-1 to Orlando City in its opening game on Friday.

"Today, we delivered," said CF Montreal head coach Laurent Courtois. "We didn't change anything. Everything about the game was the same, and now we just have to do it again next time.

"It's also better suited to our style when the game is open and teams don't show up just to sit deep and defend," Courtois added. "You need two teams to play this way."

Tom Pearce, Matias Coccaro, and Sunusi Ibrahim scored for Montreal, while Franck Boli and Jurgen Damm converted second-half penalties for San Luis.

The game opened with both teams trading possession in dangerous areas and several half-chances. As Montreal slowly began to exercise more control over the match, gaps formed in the San Luis defence.

As the game continued to open up and the tempo increased, the matchup also became far more physical and confrontational — a feature that has become more common as the rivalry between Liga MX and Major League Soccer continues to intensify.

"It's never easy facing a Liga MX team," said CF Montreal midfielder Bryce Duke. "It's fun because you know it's going to get chippy … [In Orlando] it was tough to get going, but that just comes with playing away.

"When we're at home, we kind of just go out there and do our thing."

Duke was the first to capitalize in the 17th minute as he was able to pick out Pearce at the top of the penalty area unmarked. The new Montreal signing made no mistake, smashing the ball into the bottom corner and opening the scoring in his first start with the club.

Pearce was not finished as just 10 minutes later he received the ball wide and sent a perfect cross into Coccaro, who headed it home into the open goal.

"Couldn't have asked for a better first game at home, and to get a goal and an assist just topped it off," said Pearce, who received the Man of the Match honours for his efforts.

"Since I've come here, I've worked hard and listened to the staff to pick up the tactics. I just enjoy playing with the ball at my feet, so the way the manager wants to play is perfect."

With momentum on their side, Montreal continued to press forward nearly adding a third marker before halftime when Coccaro was brought down in the penalty area by goalkeeper Andres Sanchez. Sanchez immediately remedied his error however, guessing correctly and stopping Coccaro's powerful penalty headed to the bottom-left corner. This was the second penalty Montreal has missed in as many games.

San Luis began the second half with far more aggression in pursuit of getting back into the game. That left them open to the counter as Montreal had several opportunities to improve their goal differential — a key tiebreaker in the group stage — but could not find the final ball.

The best opportunity when substitute Mahala Opoku jumped on a loose ball from close range but sent the ball crashing off the bar. Not even five minutes Montreal would be punished for its lack of finish.

After Joel Waterman brought down Boli in the penalty area, the striker calmly converted on the spot kick, bringing San Luis to within one with 15 minutes remaining.

"I think we panicked a little bit in the beginning of the game over small things, and that left us tired in the end," Courtois said. "But I think we were coherent all the way throughout.

"Sometimes teams come here and they just want to shut everything down, but today it was a team that was very aggressive and was looking to get forward."

Despite San Luis's renewed confidence, Montreal added a third goal just minutes later. Immediately following a corner, Ibrahim was able to catch Sanchez out of position, restoring Montreal's two-goal lead.

With the game nearing conclusion, San Luis were allowed to bring the game to within one due on a last-minute penalty awarded after a Video Assistant Referee review.

Damm scored on a penalty just before time stoppage time expired.

UP NEXT

San Luis plays Orlando City on Sunday in the final Group M stage game. That result will decide the final classification of the group and which two teams advance. The only way Montreal can be eliminated is if San Luis wins in regulation time with a better goal differential.

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{allcanada} Jets sign Kahkonen to back up Hellebuyck, lose Monahan, Toffoli, Dillon

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2023-24 season: 52-24-6, second in Central Division; lost in Western Conference First Round

Key arrivals

Kaapo Kahkonen, G: The 27-year-old signed a one-year contract July 1 to back up Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck. Kahkonen is 49-67-15 with a 3.33 goals-against average, .899 save percentage and four shutouts in 139 NHL games with the New Jersey Devils, San Jose Sharks and Minnesota Wild. He went 7-24-3 with a 3.64 GAA and .898 save percentage in 37 games last season split between New Jersey and San Jose. … Jaret Anderson-Dolan, F: The 24-year-old signed a two-year contract July 2. He had four points (one goal, three assists) in 31 games for the Los Angeles Kings and Nashville Predators last season and set NHL career highs of seven goals, five assists and 12 points in 46 games with the Kings in 2022-23. Los Angeles' second-round pick (No. 41) in 2017 will battle for a bottom-six role this season. … Scott Arniel, coach: After working as an associate to Rick Bowness in Winnipeg the past two seasons, Arniel gets his second NHL head coaching job after leading the Columbus Blue Jackets to a record of 45-60-18 from 2010-12. The 61-year-old began his NHL playing career in Winnipeg in 1981 and spent six seasons coaching Manitoba in the American Hockey League, including four as head coach from 2006-10. In addition to his time in Columbus, Arniel has 14 seasons of experience as an NHL assistant/associate coach with the Jets, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres.

Key departures

Sean Monahan, F: Signed a five-year contract with the Blue Jackets on July 1. Acquired in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 2, the 29-year-old had 24 points (13 goals, 11 assists) in 34 games for Winnipeg after getting 35 points (13 goals, 22 assists) in 49 games with Montreal last season. … Tyler Toffoli, F: Signed a four-year contract with the Sharks on July 1. He was traded to the Jets by the Devils on March 8 and had 55 points (33 goals, 22 assists) in 79 games between New Jersey and Winnipeg. He scored two goals in five Stanley Cup Playoff games. … Brenden Dillon, D: Signed a three-year contract with New Jersey on July 1 after three seasons in Winnipeg. The 33-year-old had 63 points (13 goals, 50 assists) in 238 games for the Jets and four assists in eight playoff games. … Nate Schmidt, D: The Jets bought out the final season of Schmidt's five-year contract prior to NHL free agency opening July 1 after he had 14 points (two goals, 12 assists) in 63 games last season. The 33-year-old then signed a one-year contract with the Florida Panthers on July 3. … Laurent Brossoit, G: Signed a two-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on July 1. The 31-year-old went 15-5-2 with a 2.00 GAA and .927 save percentage last season. His 23 games played left him two shy of qualifying to have his name next to Hellebuyck's on the William M. Jennings Trophy after the Jets allowed an NHL-low 199 goals. … Rick Bowness, coach: Following a 40-year coaching career in the NHL, Bowness retired May 6 after leading the Jets to a record of 98-57-9 in his two seasons. Bowness was named a finalist for the 2023-24 Jack Adams Award after Winnipeg's 52 wins matched its franchise record set in 2017-18. He is one of only three head coaches (Scotty Bowman, Pat Quinn) to serve behind an NHL bench in five different decades. Bowness retired with 2,726 games as an NHL coach, most in League history.

On the cusp

Ville Heinola, D: Winnipeg's top pick (No. 20) in the 2019 NHL Draft is 23 years old. Though Heinola (5-foot-11, 178 pounds) has 11 points (one goal, 10 assists) in 35 games for the Jets over the past four seasons, he is still awaiting his chance to be an NHL regular. … Brad Lambert, F: The 20-year-old (6-0, 183) had a breakout year in his first full pro season in 2023-24 with 55 points (21 goals, 34 assists) in 64 games for Manitoba of the American Hockey League. The Jets' first-round pick (No. 30) at the 2022 NHL Draft has an outside shot to make the NHL roster after impressing enough to get into his first game, when he had an assist in Winnipeg's final regular-season game in 2023-24 on April 18. … Nikita Chibrikov, F: Winnipeg's second-round pick (No. 50) in 2021 scored in his first and only NHL game last season April 18. The 21-year-old Moscow native (5-10, 170) had 47 points (17 goals, 30 assists) in 70 games for Manitoba last season, his first in North America.

What they still need

The Jets could use more offense in their top-six forward group, particularly at second-line center, following the loss of Monahan and Toffoli in free agency. They signed defenseman Dylan DeMelo to a four-year contract June 25 after the 31-year-old finished second in the NHL with a plus-46 rating last season while setting NHL career highs for points (31) and assists (28). The Jets hope the physical edge lost with Dillon's departure can be carried over by younger, big-bodied defensemen Dylan Samberg (6-3, 211; age 25) and Logan Stanley (6-7, 224; age 26).

They said it

"You don't use cap space for the sake of saying 'I'm going to use cap space.' There are lots of different avenues and things that could unfold. … You talk about some of the opportunities that players in this camp might have, or a player like Chibrikov. Those are the things you don't know until you know, and that 'you-know' comes in September." -- general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff

Fantasy focus

Jets forward Kyle Connor was limited to 65 games last season and had 61 points (34 goals, 27 assists), but a full season makes him their most valuable player in fantasy heading into the season. In consecutive seasons from 2021-23, Connor had an NHL career-high 93 points and 80 points, respectively. He has a very high ceiling and should be considered a top-30 overall player in fantasy drafts. -- Anna Dua

Projected lineup

Kyle Connor -- Mark Scheifele -- Gabriel Vilardi

Cole Perfetti -- Vladislav Namestnikov -- Nikolaj Ehlers

Nino Niederreiter -- Adam Lowry -- Mason Appleton

Morgan Barron -- David Gustafsson -- Alex Iafallo

Josh Morrissey -- Dylan DeMelo

Dylan Samberg -- Neal Pionk

Logan Stanley -- Colin Miller

Connor Hellebuyck

Kaapo Kahkonen

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{allcanada} Alouettes QB Fajardo removed from six-game IL, returns to practice

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Montreal Alouettes quarterback Cody Fajardo returned to the practice field Tuesday after being removed from the six-game injured list.

Fajardo was placed on the reserve list last week with a hamstring injury and missed the team's 20-16 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Fajardo was injured in the team's July 11 loss to the Toronto Argonauts in the first quarter due to a hamstring injury.

The 32-year-old pivot, who helped the Als capture the Grey Cup in 2023 in his first season with Montreal, has thrown for 1,636 yards with 10 touchdowns and four interceptions over six games this season. 

Montreal sits first in the East Division with a 6-1 record and will visit the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2-5) on Friday.

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{allcanada} Als teammates Dequoy, Alexander earn top individual awards in CFL weekly honour roll

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TORONTO — The Alouettes dominated the CFL's weekly honour roll.

Montreal safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy grabbed the top defensive nod, while quarterback Davis Alexander was recognized on the offensive side.

Dequoy earned a grade of 87.5 for his play in Montreal's 20-16 victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He registered three tackles and captured a score of 89.1 over 38 coverage snaps.

Alexander received a grade of 87.1 in the contest. The Alouettes' third-string QB came off the bench to complete 15-of-18 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns as Montreal erased a 16-3 deficit at halftime.

The CFL honour roll highlights players at nine positions based on data points registered and compiled by Pro Football Focus, a sports analytics company.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats earned the top grade among offensive lines at 69.5 for their play in the club's 44-28 road win over Edmonton. Brandon Revenberg (75.7), Brendan Bordner (71.1) and Coulter Woodmansey (69.4) were the top three-ranked performers.

Toronto's Isiah Cage was the top individual offensive lineman with a grade of 83.6.

The other top-graded players were Toronto running back Ka'Deem Carey (81.9), Ottawa receiver Bralon Addison (78.1), Ottawa defensive lineman Bryce Carter (82.6), Winnipeg linebacker Adam Bighill (80.6), Ottawa returner Kalil Pimpleton (88.9), Ottawa kicker Lewis Ward (75.6) and Montreal's Tyrice Beverette (special-teams score of 94.2).

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{allcanada} Canadiens agree to two-year, $2.3M contract with Barron

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The Montreal Canadiens announced on Tuesday that the team has agreed to terms on a two-year, $2.3 million contract with restricted free agent defenceman Justin Barron.

He skated in 48 games with the Canadiens in 2023-24, tallying seven goals and six assists. He also recorded two goals and 11 points in 32 games with the Laval Rocket in the American Hockey League.

Barron, acquired from Colorado in 2022, has recorded 12 goals and 18 assists in 94 NHL games with Montreal and the Avalanche. The Halifax, NS, native has also produced 15 goals and 51 points in 107 AHL games with the Rocket and Colorado Eagles.

Barron, 22, was selected by the Avalanche in the first round (25th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft.

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{allcanada} Canada's Denis Shapovalov dominates in opening win in Washington

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WASHINGTON — Denis Shapovalov didn't waste any time winning his first-round singles match at the Mubadala City DC Open on Monday.

The Richmond Hill, Ont., athlete defeated Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain 6-1, 6-4 in a match that took 94 minutes to play.

Shapovalov had four aces, saved five of seven break points, nine double faults and made 67 per cent of his first serves. He won five return games, seven service games and, surprisingly, made 25 unforced errors — 10 more than Bautista Agut.

His next match will be against sixth-seeded Adrian Mannarino of France.

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{allcanada} Canada Soccer, COC officially appeal points deduction

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PARIS — The Canadian Olympic Committee and Canada Soccer are appealing FIFA's six-point penalty to the national women's soccer team in the wake of a spying scandal at the Paris Games.

FIFA docked the points on Saturday as part of a punishment that included a fine for Canada Soccer and the suspension of three coaching staff members for one year.

A team analyst was caught using a drone to spy on New Zealand's practices before the start of competition.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport's special Olympic court in Paris confirmed today that it had received the appeal, officially kicking off the process.

"The appeal is based on the disproportionality of the sanction, which we believe unfairly punishes the athletes for actions they had no part in and goes far beyond restoring fairness to the match against New Zealand," the COC said in a statement.

A closed-door hearing before a panel of three judges will likely be held Tuesday with a ruling expected Wednesday, before Canada's final group stage game against Colombia in Nice.

Canada opened the tournament with a 2-1 win over New Zealand before pulling out a stunning 2-1 victory over France after scoring late in injury time.

The six-point deduction wiped out all points gained in those wins, but the victory over the host side ensured the defending champion Canadians still have a chance of reaching the knockout stage.

Canada could still advance to the quarterfinals in the 12-team tournament even with a loss in court and win on the field Wednesday. Two third-place teams in the three groups will go to the knockout stage.

Priestman, who coached the team since 2020, has apologized and said she is "absolutely heartbroken for the players."

The 38-year-old Priestman could yet appeal to CAS against her FIFA ban as an individual.

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{allcanada} Canucks shore up forward group with additions of DeBrusk, Heinen, Sprong

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2023-24 season: 50-23-9, first in Pacific Division; lost in Western Conference Second Round

Key arrivals

Jake DeBrusk, F: The 27-year-old signed a seven-year contract July 1 and is expected to start on a line with center Elias Pettersson, though he could also end up alongside J.T. Miller. Either way, he's being counted on to add speed and scoring to the top six after having 40 points (19 goals, 21 assists) in 80 games last season and averaging more than 23 goals over the past three seasons with the Boston Bruins. ... Danton Heinen, F: The versatile 29-year-old signed a two-year contract July 1 after he had 36 points (17 goals, 19 assists) in 74 games for Boston last season. … Vincent Desharnais, D: The 28-year-old signed a two-year contract July 1 after he had 11 points (one goal, 10 assists) in 78 games with the Edmonton Oilers last season, all NHL career highs. … Derek Forbort, D: The 32-year-old signed a one-year contract July 1 after he had four assists in 35 games with the Bruins last season. He likely will play on the third defense pair and also kill penalties. … Daniel Sprong, F: The 27-year-old signed a one-year contract July 20 after he had 43 points (18 goals, 25 assists) in 76 games with the Detroit Red Wings last season. … Kiefer Sherwood, F: The 29-year-old signed a two-year contract July 1 after setting NHL career highs in games (68), goals (10), assists (17), points (27) and plus-minus (plus-17) with the Nashville Predators and should add a physical edge to the bottom six. … Jiri Patera, G: The 25-year-old signed a two-year contract July 1 and despite having eight games of NHL experience, could push 23-year-old Arturs Silovs for the backup job behind No. 1 goalie Thatcher Demko.

Key departures

Elias Lindholm, F: Signed a seven-year contract with the Bruins on July 1. Lindholm was acquired in a trade with the Calgary Flames on Jan. 31 and had 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 13 playoff games after having 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 26 regular-season games with them. … Nikita Zadorov, D: Acquired from the Flames on Dec. 3, he had 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in 54 regular-season games and eight points (four goals, four assists) in 13 playoff games before signing a six-year contract with the Bruins on July 1. … Ian Cole, D: The veteran defenseman signed a one-year contract with the Utah Hockey Club on July 1 after scoring 11 points (two goals, nine assists) and having a team-high 166 blocked shots in 78 games. He also was an effective penalty killer on Vancouver's third defense pair. … Ilya Mikheyev, F: Traded to the Chicago Blackhawks on June 26, Mikheyev had 31 points (11 goals, 20 assists) in 78 games last season. … Sam Lafferty, F: Traded to Chicago on June 26, Lafferty signed a two-year contract with the Buffalo Sabres on July 1 as an unrestricted free agent after setting an NHL career high with 24 points (13 goals, 11 assists) in 79 games last season. … Casey DeSmith, G: Signed a three-year contract with the Dallas Stars on July 1 after going 12-9-6 with a 2.89 GAA and .896 save percentage as Demko's backup.

On the cusp

Arturs Silovs, G: Despite playing more NHL games in the 2024 playoffs (10) than in the regular season over the past two years (nine), he proved he can handle pressure moments, including a First Round series-clinching 28-save shutout in a 1-0 Game 6 win over the Nashville Predators, and has the inside track to back up Demko this season. ... Jonathan Lekkerimaki, F: The 15th pick in the 2022 NHL Draft is coming off a breakout season in Sweden's top professional league with 31 points (19 goals, 12 assists) in 46 games with Orebro HK, and was voted tournament MVP at the 2024 World Junior Championship, scoring seven goals in seven games for Sweden. The 20-year-old played six games with Abbotsford of the American Hockey League at the end of the season, with one goal and one assist, and likely will spend majority of the season there. … Linus Karlsson, F: The 24-year-old made his NHL debut and had no points in four games with the Canucks last season, but had 60 points (23 goals, 37 assists) in 60 AHL games and made enough of an impression to get into two games in the second round of the playoffs. ... Cole McWard, D: The 23-year-old has played six games with the Canucks since signing at the end of the 2022-23 season as a free agent out of Ohio State University. He had 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) in 57 AHL games last season and Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said he has a chance to earn a spot on the team out of training camp.

What they still need

The roster appears mostly set, even if it's unclear exactly how all the pieces fit, but the Canucks might still need an upgrade on defense that improves their ability to transition the puck out of their own end. Allvin indicated they may try splitting up Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek to aid in that effort but said the simple structure in place under coach Rick Tocchet should help the defensemen they have make a fast first pass.

They said it

"We felt we need to be a faster team in the transition game and by having (Kiefer) Sherwood, (Danton) Heinen and (Jake) DeBrusk, they all can skate. Continue to be a strong defensive team, which we were this year and (Derek) Forbort's ability to kill penalties and the potential upside in Vincent Desharnais, too. … So absolutely, I'm very pleased with the identity of our team and I think that also makes it easier to attract players to come in." -- general manager Patrik Allvin

Fantasy focus

DeBrusk adds to their top-six forward group, having scored at least 40 points in three straight seasons, including an NHL career-high 50 points (27 goals, 23 assists) in 64 games in 2022-23. He has solid individual fantasy potential if he plays on a line with either Miller or Pettersson and will benefit from being part of a strong Vancouver offense that ranked sixth in the NHL last season in goals per game (3.40). DeBrusk also has upside if he gets time on the Canucks power play (tied for 10th in the NHL last season; 22.7 percent). -- Anna Dua

Projected lineup

Nils Hoglander -- J.T. Miller -- Brock Boeser

Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Daniel Sprong

Dakota Joshua -- Teddy Blueger -- Conor Garland

Danton Heinen -- Pius Suter -- Kiefer Sherwood

Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek

Carson Soucy -- Tyler Myers

Derek Forbort -- Vincent Desharnais

Thatcher Demko

Arturs Silovs

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{allcanada} Hage seeks to fulfill childhood dream with Canadiens

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BROSSARD, Quebec -- It's hard to imagine anyone from Toronto being happier than Michael Hage was when he was selected by the Montreal Canadiens with the No. 21 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.

But the 18-year-old forward knows his late father would have been right there to share the joy of that glorious moment if not for fate.

"I can't imagine what he'd be thinking right now," Hage said. "He and my grandpa were the biggest two Habs fans I've ever seen, and if they were able to see me a part of this organization and wearing the jersey, I think they'd be pretty pumped."

Hage, who will play for the University of Michigan this fall, wore Maurice Richard's No. 9 in minor hockey to honor his grandfather and father's favorite hockey player.

"It's really special, especially growing up a Habs fan," Hage said. "My parents growing up in Montreal, you know, it's a dream for me. And now just trying to step back and realize it's the reality. And I've got to continue to work and do everything I can to be ready as soon as I possibly can be and make an impact here when I get here."

Hage's father Alain died in a swimming pool accident in July 2023. Beyond imparting his love of the Canadiens to Michael, Alain emphasized one particular quality that is ingrained in his son.

"All he cared about was my work ethic, controlling your work ethic," Hage said. "That I still try to do to this day."

Although he dreams of moving to his family's roots in Montreal as soon as possible, Hage has been centered this summer as he prepares to head to Ann Arbor, Michigan. His focus is on taking that next step toward fulfilling the ultimate dream scenario: the opportunity to etch the family name in the Canadiens' rich hockey lore.

"I think right now I'm just taking it one year at a time," Hage said. "When I go home, I'm just going to try to do everything I can to make a big impact next year. After that, it's still one year at a time.

"And we'll see what will happen next, but when the time comes that I have the chance to play here, I want to make an impact right away. I want to do everything I have to to make it."

A right-handed shot who admires the game of Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel, Hage played the previous two seasons with Chicago of the United States Hockey League, leading the team with 75 points (33 goals, 42 assists) in 54 games in 2023-24.

He made a favorable impression on Montreal director of player development Rob Ramage during development camp earlier this summer.

"It's the first viewing for me live," Ramage said. "I saw a little bit of tape, but pretty smooth. You can see the skill set there. A great release, very confident out there for a young guy, so exciting."

The Canadiens are pleased Hage will be furthering his progression at Michigan, where the hope is he can grow into his maturing body.

"Two games a week so you have that chance to hit the weight room," Ramage said. "It's a great program, obviously. They've put a lot of guys in the NHL, so I think it's a good development path for him."

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{allcanada} Government withholding Canada Soccer funding following scandal

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SAINT-ETIENNE, France — Canadian sports minister Carla Qualtrough said Sunday that the government is withholding some of Canada Soccer's funding following a spying scandal involving the women's soccer team at the Paris Games.

Her statement came a day after FIFA docked six points from the squad, banned head coach Bev Priestman and two assistant coaches for a year each and fined Canada Soccer around $313,000.

A team analyst was caught using a drone to spy on New Zealand team practices before the start of competition. The assistant coach he reported to and eventually Priestman were all kicked off the Olympic team and sent home.

Qualtrough said given that the women's program receives funding from Sport Canada, it is withholding funds "relating to suspended Canada Soccer officials" for the duration of their FIFA sanction.

A spokesperson for Qualtrough's office confirmed the funding in question is allocated for salaries, but that Sport Canada is still determining exactly how much should be withheld. The funding will not impact the overall available funding to the women's program, they said.

"Using a drone to surveil another team during a closed practice is cheating," Qualtrough said in the statement. "It is completely unfair to Canadian players and to opposing teams. It undermines the integrity of the game itself."

She added there was a "deeply concerning" pattern of behaviour at Canada Soccer.

"We must, and will, get to the bottom of this," Qualtrough said.

Earlier this week, Canada Soccer said it will conduct an independent external review. Chief executive officer Kevin Blue, who has been on the job for just a few months, said that he's investigating a potential "systemic ethical shortcoming."

The Canadian Olympic Committee said it was "exploring rights of appeal" regarding the six-point deduction. Messages left with the COC and the Court of Arbitration for Sport weren't immediately returned.

The point penalty did not eliminate Canada from the tournament but made its chances of qualifying for the knockout stage much more difficult.

Former Canadian goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe — who helped anchor the team to Olympic gold three years ago — took to social media earlier Sunday to voice her feelings.

"Furious. Fuming. Sad. Heartbroken," she posted. "These players don't deserve this. They've been let down by so many of their own people, not just NT (national team) staff. Standing with these players and every player that has ever been part of this program, and worked so hard to build it, not tear it down."

The eighth-ranked Canadians were scheduled to play second-ranked host France in Saint-Etienne later Sunday.

Canada opened the tournament with a 2-1 win over New Zealand. Canada's Group A finale will be played Wednesday against Colombia in Nice.

"This issue has caused significant distraction and embarrassment for Team Canada and all Canadians here in Paris and at home," Qualtrough said. "It is deeply regrettable."

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{allcanada} Olympic tennis roundup: Auger-Aliassime, Andreescu, Fernandez win openers

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Félix Auger-Aliassime isn't complaining about an unusual return to clay courts this summer.

The Canadian advanced to the second round of the men's Olympic tournament with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over American Marcos Giron on Sunday in Paris.

The 13th-seeded Auger-Aliassime has had an uneven year this season, but did advance to the round of 16 on the same Roland Garros courts at the French Open.

Auger-Aliassime out-aced Giron 10-0 and had 26 winners to the American's six.

The Montreal native next faces the winner of a match between Serbia's Dušan Lajović and Germany's Maximilian Marterer.

Canada's Bianca Andreescu also won her opener on Sunday, downing Denmark's Clara Tauson 6-2, 6-3.

Andreescu awaits the winner of a match between No. 13 seed Donna Vekic of Croatia and Lucia Bronzetti of Italy.

Montreal's Leylah Fernandez was the third Canadian to win their opening singles match in Paris, defeating Karolina Muchova in three sets (6-1, 4-6, 6-2).

After Fernandez dominated in the first set, Muchova won three straight games in the second set to force a tiebreaker.

Despite the win, the day is not over yet for world No. 24 Leylah Fernandez, who is partnering with Gabrielle Dabrowski for a doubles match against France's Clara Burel and Varvara Gracheva later at Roland Garros.

With the Olympic tournament on clay, it marks a departure for most players' routine of transitioning to hard courts following Wimbledon.

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{allcanada} Toronto FC edges New York Red Bulls in Leagues Cup penalty shootout

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HARRISON, N.J. — Toronto FC has its first-ever Leagues Cup win. And John Herdman's side has given itself a chance to move on to the knockout round of the 47-team tournament after edging the New York Red Bulls 5-4 in a penalty shootout Saturday.

Toronto goalkeeper Sean Johnson made two saves in the shootout, including one with the game on the line, to secure the win after the contest at Red Bull Arena finished in a scoreless draw after regulation time.

The Red Bulls host Pachuca on Tuesday with the storied Mexican side visiting Toronto on Aug. 4 to complete East Group 6 play.

"Having Pachuca at home gives us, I think, that little bit of an advantage," coach Herdman said. "We know they're a top team. We saw what they did to Columbus and there aren't many teams that do that.

"This is going to be a tough test. But we're taking ourselves into that game with the best opportunity to progress."

Pachuca won the CONCACAF Champions Cup last month, blanking MLS champion Columbus 3-0 in the final.

The Leagues Cup, now in its fourth edition, has grown to involve all 29 teams from MLS and all 18 from Liga MX.

Liga MX champion Club America and Columbus have been given byes to the knockout round of 32. The other 45 entries have been divided into 15 groups of three teams.

The top two from each group advance to the round of 32.

Toronto failed to survive the group stage of last year's tournament, losing 5-0 to New York City FC at Red Bull Arena and 1-0 to Mexico's Atlas at BMO Field, with the NYCFC loss one of the low points in a dismal 2023 season.

The Red Bulls reached the round of 16 where they lost to the Philadelphia Union in a penalty shootout.

Toronto earned two points for Saturday's shootout win while the Red Bulls picked up one. A regulation win is worth three points in the tournament.

"We had chances in the 90 minutes to win," said Red Bulls coach Sandro Schwarz, who also believes his team can still advance.

"We have everything in our hand," said the German native.

Under Leagues Cup rules, there was no extra time before the penalty shootout.

Matty Longstaff, Kosi Thompson, Derrick Etienne Jr., Jonathan Osorio and Shane O'Neill scored penalties for Toronto.

Red Bulls goalkeeper Ryan Meara, normally the backup to Paraguayan international Carlos Coronel, stopped Jahkeele Marshal-Rutty on TFC's sixth attempt.

That set up Daniel Edelman for the possible winner, but he skied his shot. O'Neill then gave Toronto a 5-4 lead and Johnson stopped Andres Reyes for the shootout win.

Lorenzo Insigne, aiming for the top corner, hit the crossbar with Toronto's first penalty attempt.

Lewis Morgan, Dante Vanzeir, Wiki Carmona and Elias Manoel converted their spot kicks for the Red Bulls. Johnson stopped Cory Burke with the game on the line at 4-4.

New York outshot Toronto 11-9 (4-4 in shots on target).

Toronto, which opened with a four-man backline, had more of the ball in a less-than-enthralling first half and managed the lone shot on goal before the break. The game opened up in the second half with both goalkeepers tested.

Johnson preserved the tie with a fine save in the 84th minute, acrobatically pushing a header from Vanzeir over the crossbar. And an unmarked Vanzeir headed just wide in the 89th minute.

Meara stopped Insigne's low shot from outside the penalty box in the dying seconds of stoppage time. The Italian, who had a quiet night, had a second chance but sent his shot wide.

Herdman fielded arguably his strongest lineup with Kevin Long, Deybi Flores and Etienne coming on for O'Neill, Longstaff and Thompson.

The Red Bulls gave 16-year-old forward Julian Hall his first start.

Toronto (9-14-3) currently sits eighth in the MLS's Eastern Conference, 11 points behind the fourth-place Red Bulls (10-4-11), who have a game in hand.

Herdman has had more weapons at his disposal in recent weeks with players returning from injury and international duty. Toronto came into Saturday's game having won two of its last three, including a 1-0 victory at CF Montreal last time out, after a seven-game losing streak across all competitions.

Coming off a 3-1 win over second-place FC Cincinnati, the Red Bulls were unbeaten in their previous eight games (2-0-6). The New Yorkers were also unbeaten in 15 straight home games.

The Leagues Cup, which runs through Aug. 25, began in 2019 and also took place in 2020 and 2023.

Mexico's Cruz Azul and Leon won in 2019 and '20, respectively, while Lionel Messi and Inter Miami hoisted the trophy last year. The top three teams qualify for the CONCACAF Champions Cup with the winner earning a bye to the round of 16 of the elite club championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean.

Canadian MLS teams did not take part until 2023, with only the Vancouver Whitecaps surviving the group stage.

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{allcanada} Reynolds' Wrexham AFC defeats hometown Whitecaps in Vancouver

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VANCOUVER — What a week it has been for Ryan Reynolds.

Back in his hometown of Vancouver following a whirlwind press tour for the movie "Deadpool & Wolverine" — which opened in theatres on Friday — the co-chair of Welsh third-tier side Wrexham AFC watched his team deliver a 4-1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday.

At the international friendly at BC Place, many of the 34,738 fans in attendance were decked out in red and white jerseys and scarves, cheering enthusiastically for players such as Ollie Palmer and Jordan Davies who they've come to know through the popular FX docuseries "Welcome to Wrexham."

"It's beautiful," said Whitecaps coach Vanni Sartini, untroubled by the final result. "This tells you the power of storytelling. Wrexham tells a story with the documentary, with how people get behind the thing even if they're so far apart, even if they're not soccer fans or whatever."

After starting their weeklong "Wrex Coast Tour" with draws in California against Premier League sides Bournemouth and Chelsea, Wrexham closed out strong win a decisive win.

"You can see Vancouver, they've got some real talented players out there in terms of intelligent footballers," said manager Phil Parkinson. "The rotations are good. They can turn sharp on the ball. And I thought it was a great exercise for us to deal with that kind of rotation all over the pitch."

The game matched up an MLS squad in midseason form against a Wrexham side that is two weeks away from making its debut in England's League One, following back-to-back promotions.

"It's been three really tough games for us," said Wrexham midfielder George Evans. "We've learned a lot defensively. I think even today. It's been a great preparation trip for us, and we know it's gonna be a tough season, League One. Feeling ready."

Sebastian Revan, James McClean, Elliot Lee and Jordan Davies scored for Wrexham, while Giuseppe Bovalina replied for Vancouver. Wrexham led the shots 10-4 (6-3 on target).

Revan scored the only goal of the game's first half, firing the ball past Vancouver 'keeper Isaac Boehmer after a tidy cross from Andy Cannon was deflected to him by Lee.

After substitutions began in earnest on both sides in the second half, Vancouver drew even in the 55th minute when Pedro Vite popped the ball loose to Ahmed, who fed Giuseppe Bovalina for the shot.

In the 62nd minute, Boehmer made way for Joe Bendik in the Whitecaps net. Six minutes later, a wide-open McClean paced a perfect header into the net. Lee followed up in the 71st minute and Davies closed out the scoring in the 82nd minute.

"At minute 60, we were 1-1 and probably had more chances than them," Sartini said. "Then, the classic thing that sometimes happens in pre-season — they put in all the experienced players, we put in all the young players, and it's a bit of a mismatch."

With a number of regulars absent or seeing limited minutes, the Whitecaps signed six players from their second team to short-term agreements ahead of Saturday's game. Defender Finn Linder was featured in the starting lineup, and all six saw match action.

"I told them at the end, take the applause," Sartini said. "It's also for you guys."

Wrexham co-chair Rob McElhenney has accompanied the team on the entire North American tour. He was also in the box beside Reynolds on Saturday.

And while the Red Dragons have grown accustomed to the scrutiny that comes with being documentary subjects, Parkinson admits they might play with a little extra zest when both their owners are watching them live.

"We've got to be up for every game because there's always a spotlight on us," he said. "Obviously, Ryan's been incredibly busy with his movie and the PR for that. But you know, if they say they're going to be somewhere, they're there.

"I think that was fantastic that Ryan was here today, being his home city. Enormous credit to him to make sure he was here today."

Former Whitecap and current Canadian national team captain Alphonso Davies also took in the match from a box.

With a successful North American tour now wrapped for a second consecutive year, Wrexham now returns to The Racecourse Ground in Wales to finish out its pre-season against Fleetwood on Aug. 3. The Red Dragons will host the Wycombe Wanderers for their League One debut on Aug. 10.

After they visit LAFC for a Leagues Cup group stage match on Tuesday, the Whitecaps will host Club Tijuana in Cup action at BC Place on Aug. 3.

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