{allcanada} ‘Hate The Player: The Ben Johnson Story’: Paramount+ Canada & GameTV Comedy About Controversial Canadian Sprinter Gets Trailer & Premiere Date

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Video: https://youtu.be/suvitpfWBh0

Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story will spring from the starting blocks on March 26 on GameTV and Paramount+ in Canada a day later (March 27). You can watch a trailer for the six-part show above.

The satirical sports comedy series is starring Shamier Anderson as controversial sprinter Ben Johnson, who won gold at the 1988 Olympic Games in what became known as "the dirtiest race in history" before he was caught in a doping scandal and disqualified.

The first two episodes will debut on March 26 on GameTV, the English-language Canadian specialty channel owned by Anthem Sports & Entertainment, before Paramount+ gets them a day later. Two episodes will roll out weekly thereafter.

Billed as "equal parts absurdist comedy and cultural critique," it comes from Shelved and Run the Burbs showrunner Anthony Q. Farrell and is directed by R.T. Thorne (The Porter) and Cory Bowles (Trailer Park Boys). Letterkenny and Shoresy producer New Metric Media is producing in association with Anderson's Bay Mills Studios.

The series is set against the backdrop of the 1988 Games and the doping scandal that dominated global headlines, with producers saying it "gleefully blurs the line between fact, fiction, and fever dream as Johnson self-funds a documentary to 'set the record straight,' pulling viewers into a world of ethically questionable coaching, performance-enhancing coverups, and misguided redemption."

The 29-second trailer begins with Johnson screaming as he receives an injection of an unknown substance before we see pair of commentators at the 100m final race, one shouting, "Ben Johnson has delivered!" and the other retorting, "Who the f*ck is Ben Johnson?"

Starring alongside Anderson, is Andrew 'King Bach' Bachelor (Greenland, The Babysitter), who plays Johnson's American competitor Carl Lewis. The ensemble cast also includes Karen Robinson (Schitt's Creek), Mark McKinney (Kids in the Hall, Superstore), Ennis Esmer (Blindspot), Malaika Hennie Hamadi (Bria Mack Gets A Life) and Kristian Bruun (The Recruit, Orphan Black).

Rounding out the supporting cast are Ryan Belleville (Workin' Moms), Darryl Hinds (Second City), Lisa Horner (Kim's Convenience), Emma Hunter (Mr. D, Letterkenny), Suresh John (Mr. D, Last Frontier), Jonathan Langdon (Trap), Gita Miller (Workin' Moms), Andrew Phung (Kim's Convenience), Dewshane Williams (Hello Tomorrow), Leslie Adlam (Bria Mack Gets A Life) and Arnold Pinnock (Plan B), with cameos from the likes of WWE star Chelsea Green, Canadian NASCAR driver Amber Balcaen and Canadian figure skating champion Elvis Stojko.

Exec producers on the show are Mark Montefiore, CEO of New Metric, director Thorne, and Bay Mills founders Anderson and Stephan James. Lana Maclin and Max Wolfond serve as producer and supervising producer, respectively, for New Metric, which is also handling international sales and began shopping the show at MIPCOM last year.

 

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{allcanada} Preparation key for Whitecaps balancing MLS play with potential FIFA World Cup runs

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VANCOUVER — The countdown to this summer's FIFA World Cup has entered double digits, but some Major League Soccer players are doing their best to keep their minds off playing on their sport's biggest stage.

Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter knows his name is in the conversation to make the American team — and he's trying not to think about what that might look like.

"I'm still just trying to do the best I can every day with Vancouver and playing the best I can in games," he said Tuesday, exactly 100 days before the World Cup kicks off with the first group-stage matches in Mexico City and Guadalajara, Mexico.

"It is still a ways away and I work better when I just stay in the moment. So, if I make the team it would be incredible, but if not, I'm still going to keep working."

One Vancouver player likely to see minutes when the World Cup comes to Canada, the United States and Mexico this summer is Andres Cubas.

The 29-year-old defensive midfielder was a critical part of the team that helped Paraguay get back into the tournament for the first time in 16 years.

Cubas said he's also trying not to think about this summer's soccer showcase, but admitted the competition often creeps into his mind.

"And for us, for Paraguay, it has been a long time we didn't go to the World Cup," he said.

"I think the key is (to be) prepared every day. Obviously focus on the Whitecaps every day in the MLS, day by day. And I think that's the good way to prepare ourselves to get in the best possible shape for the World Cup."

There are a handful of other 'Caps who could join Cubas on the world stage.

Striker Brian White and defender Tristan Blackmon are also possibilities for the U.S. team, while defenders Sam Adekugbe and Ralph Priso may be part of the Canadian contingent. Whitecaps captain Ryan Gauld could suit up for Scotland, midfielder Kenji Cabrera has a shot at making Peru's team, and new addition Cheikh Sabaly is likely to factor in Senegal's plans.

Some of those athletes weren't in the mix this time last year, noted Vancouver's head coach Jesper Sorensen.

That changed with a 2025 season where the 'Caps made the CONCACAF Champions Cup final for the first time, earned an MLS Western Conference title and faced Inter Miami in the MLS Cup.

Several players were recognized for their performances, including Blackmon, who was named MLS defender of the year, and Berhalter, who was named to the MLS Best XI.

"It happened over the course of the good performance they had throughout the CONCACAF Cup and MLS," Sorensen said. "So let's see. Maybe somebody can sneak in somewhere.

"And being in contention for a World Cup must be exciting for a player. And it must be an amazing feeling. And hopefully a lot of the players will make it."

The Whitecaps are just four games into their season with many games ahead.

Vancouver will continue competing in both MLS and Champions Cup before the World Cup is staged from June 11 through July 19. The packed schedule will continue after the global tournament, with more league games, the Canadian Championship and Leagues Cup.

Knowing the calendar is stacked with multiple competitions isn't changing how players are readying themselves the season.

"I don't want to do a crazy thing or big change," Cubas said of his approach. "Of course, the details are important. But (keep it) easy and work every day."

For Sabaly, who made his MLS debut in Vancouver's 3-0 victory over Toronto FC on Saturday, knowing a lot of big games are coming is a boon.

"It's exciting for me to play that many games, but I love the mentality going into those (international) games," the forward said in French via a translator. "(Senegal) has a good group, a group that can win championships and win the World Cup as well. It's a great group that will work hard together to get to their goals."

Even players who are trying not to think about the World Cup say getting called up to their national team is an incomparable experience.

"Wearing the badge and playing for your country is the biggest honour anyone can receive," said Berhalter, whose father Gregg Berhalter previously served as head coach of the American men's team.

"There were moments I didn't get called into camp, and I realized how much I missed it and how every day and every second you're there you have to be at your best.

"You can't let one day, two days, go by the wayside. So being there made me realize how special and how important it is. And it's something I'll cherish forever."

 

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{allcanada} Canucks trade veteran defenceman Tyler Myers to Stars

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After seven seasons with the Vancouver Canucks, Tyler Myers is on the move. 

The six-foot-eight veteran defenceman was traded to the Dallas Stars on Wednesday, the team announced.

Vancouver will receive second- and fourth-round picks in return while retaining half of Myers' contract.

"We would like to thank Tyler for all that he has done for the Canucks organization both on and off the ice," general manager Patrik Allvin said in a statement released by the team. "Not only was he a leader in our locker room, but he also did a lot of great work in the community. We also appreciate Tyler and his agent working with us to get this deal done. Acquiring two more draft picks in this trade with the Stars will help us continue to rebuild and improve our roster in the years to come."

The 36-year-old is currently in the second season of a three-year, $9-million deal.

In 57 games this season, Myers has one goal and seven assists.

Drafted 12th overall by the Sabres in 2008, Myers has played 1,123 career NHL games for Buffalo, Vancouver and the Winnipeg Jets, recording 403 points (100 goals, 303 assists). 

He has been sitting out recent games in anticipation of a move with the Canucks ranked last in the NHL by 10 points and in clear sell mode after the trade of fellow blue-liner Quinn Hughes.

Myers has a no-move clause as part of his contract, meaning he had to approve any trade.

He chose a Stars team that's riding a 10-game winning streak and finds itself in the thick of a hotly contested Central Division race, sitting six points away from the first-place Colorado Avalanche and three points clear of the Minnesota Wild in third.

That trio also comprises three of the top four teams in the league standings.

Canucks players said after a 3-2 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets last week that Myers would be missed. 

"He's been a valuable part of this team for a long time, and especially in a tie game like that, he's a guy you want on the ice," said winger Drew O'Connor. "And he's a leader, and he's vocal so it's definitely something you notice when he's not there."

Head coach Adam Foote said he really enjoyed coaching the big defenceman. 

"He's a great, great guy, good human," he said. 

"You know, every year it seems like you lose one you like. And it's part of the game. Over the years if you play long enough it's going to continue to happen. And you know, it's part of it."

 

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{allcanada} Canucks trading D Myers to Stars, pending trade call

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The Tyler Myers trade saga has come to an end.

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reports the Vancouver Canucks are trading the veteran defenceman to the Dallas Stars for a second-round pick in 2027 and a fourth-round pick in 2029.

The Canucks will also retain 50 per cent of Myers' $3 million cap hit through next season.

The Canucks first scratched Myers last Wednesday for roster management reasons after asking him to consider a trade to the Detroit Red Wings and he has not played since.

The veteran blueliner has a full no-move clause and controlled his destiny in trade talks. He is a native of Houston, Texas.

Myers has appeared in 57 games this season for the Canucks and has a goal with seven assists.

The 36-year-old is in his seventh season with Vancouver after joining the team as a free agent in 2019 and is currently playing on a three-year deal that carries a $3 million AAV and expires after the 2026-27 season.

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