{allcanada} Canada blanks Uzbekistan in World Cup tune-up in rainy Edmonton

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EDMONTON — The temperature was about 20 degrees warmer and the players dealt with heavy rain on the pitch instead of snow, but the outcome for Canada’s national soccer team on Monday night was the same as it was in 2021.

Jonathan Osorio scored for Canada at the 58-minute mark of the second half and Jayden Nelson added an insurance marker one minute into stoppage time in its 2-0 win over Uzbekistan at Commonwealth Stadium. It was the first of two pre-World Cup friendlies.

Tani Oluwaseyi gave Osorio a clear shot from just outside the right side of the box and his shot eluded keeper Abduvohid Nematov.

Nelson then chipped the ball past Nematov from in close in the first minute of stoppage time.

The last time Canada played in Edmonton, in November 2021, they played in -9 Celsius temperatures on a frozen pitch surrounded by snowbanks. On Monday it was warmer, about 11 C, but the pitch was waterlogged after two days of heavy rain that continued throughout the match.

More than 44,000 fans braved the cold in 2021 and Monday’s attendance was announced at 46,164.

Canada had a decided advantage in possession time and field position through the first 15 minutes but couldn’t penetrate Uzbekistan’s five-man defence inside the box. Canada did create some potential scoring opportunities but couldn’t finish off their in-close passing plays.

Uzbekistan had the better scoring chances in the first 45 minutes. Eldor Shomurodov had three excellent chances but failed to convert. He was sent in alone in the sixth minute but his chip over Canadian goalie Maxime Crepeau rolled wide of the net. Crepeau also thwarted Shomurodov with outstanding saves in the 26th and 43rd minutes.

But Canada, with numerous substitutions on for the second half, was even more aggressive offensively and began to find cracks in the Uzbekistan defence. Canada created a number of good scoring chances that ultimately resulted in the goals and the victory.

Team Canada now moves to Montreal to play its final pre-tournament game, against Ireland on Friday.

For the World Cup beginning June 12, Canada is slotted in Group B with Switzerland, Qatar and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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{allcanada} Canucks to hire Manny Malhotra as head coach

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The Vancouver Canucks didn’t have to look very far for their next bench boss. 

Vancouver has a deal in place to make Manny Malhotra the 23rd head coach in franchise history, sources confirmed to Sportsnet on Monday.

NHL insider Frank Seravalli was first to report that an agreement was in place.

Malhotra has been the head coach of the team’s AHL affiliate in Abbotsford for the past two seasons. He led the Abbotsford Canucks to a Calder Cup title in 2024-25 — his first season as head coach of the team.

Before joining Abbotsford, Malhotra served as an assistant coach with the Canucks for three seasons (2017-20) and four with the Toronto Maple Leafs (2020-24). 

Malhotra played 14 seasons in the NHL, including three with the Canucks at the tail end of his career.

The 46-year-old Malhotra will take over behind the bench for Adam Foote, who was fired after his first season as head coach of the Canucks. 

Under Foote, the Canucks finished with a league-worst record of 25-49-8. 

Malhotra’s hiring continues what has been an off-season of change in Vancouver. 

The team also parted ways with GM Patik Allvin after the season, and promoted assistant GM Ryan Johnson to fill Allvin’s general manager spot. 

The decision to hire Johnson as GM was made by Daniel and Henrik Sedin, who were promoted to co-presidents of hockey operations.

Vancouver's current president of hockey operations, Jim Rutherford, announced on May 6 that he'll step down from his role following the draft and become an adviser.

The Canucks own the No. 3 overall pick in June's NHL Draft.

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{allcanada} Kitchener overpowers Everett in Memorial Cup Final to cap off undefeated run

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KELOWNA — Sam O’Reilly had a four-point performance, including three assists, to lead the Kitchener Rangers to a 6-2 win over the Everett Silvertips in the Memorial Cup championship on Sunday.

Jared Woolley scored what stood up as the winner and Jack Pridham netted his tournament-leading fifth goal as the Ontario Hockey League champions pulled away for a repeat of their 6-2 win from Monday’s round-robin meeting.

Christian Kirsch made 30 saves for the Rangers, who struck twice on a 5-on-3 power play to start the third period after leading 2-1 and 3-1 at the breaks. They never trailed with Luke Ellinas opening the scoring and Dylan Edwards making it 2-1.

Christian Humphreys rounded out the scoring with a short-handed empty-net goal and Haeden Ellis and Cameron Reid had two assists for the unbeaten Rangers, who earned a bye to the final and a four-day break by running the table in round-robin play — also blanking the host Kelowna Rockets 5-0 in their opener last Friday and beating the QMJHL champion Chicoutimi Saguenéens 3-2 on Tuesday.

It is the Rangers’ third Memorial Cup in franchise history.

Matias Vanhanen and Carter Bear, both with their fourth goals of the tournament, replied for the Western Hockey League champion Silvertips. Vanhanen tied Pridham and O’Reilly for top scorer with eight points.

Everett’s exceptional status defender Landon DuPont had a point in every game he played in Kelowna, assisting on both goals in the championship final. DuPont, who turned 17 on Thursday, finished with six points in four games (two goals, two primary assists, two secondary assists). He sat out Everett’s round-robin finale on Wednesday with an undisclosed injury but returned to score twice in their 6-1 semifinal win over Chicoutimi on Friday.

Anders Miller stopped 26 shots for the Silvertips in suffering his second defeat to Kitchener, with the WHL’s drought still dating back to 2014 for the league’s last Memorial Cup win.

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{allcanada} Maple Leafs add Brackett as AGM, hire Freddie Hamilton as chief of staff

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The Toronto Maple Leafs announced on Monday morning that Judd Brackett will join the front office as assistant general manager, player evaluation.

He will oversee player evaluation with the amateur and professional scouting departments.

The Maple Leafs also added former player Freddie Hamilton to the front office as chief of staff on Monday.

Brackett had spent the past six seasons as the Minnesota Wild’s director of amateur scouting.

Prior to joining the Wild, Brackett spent 12 seasons with the Vancouver Canucks, including five as their director of amateur scouting.

“We are thrilled to welcome Judd to our organization,” said Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka. “He has established one of the strongest amateur scouting and drafting track records in the NHL and has consistently demonstrated an ability to adapt and evolve his approach as the game changes.

“As we continue to build our hockey operations department, Judd will play a key role in integrating traditional scouting, video analysis, and data-driven insights to strengthen our decision-making process.”

Brackett and Hamilton are the latest new additions to an overhauled front office in Toronto, with John Chayka replacing Brad Treliving as general manager this off-season and former captain Mats Sundin joining the team as senior executive adviser of hockey operations.

Hamilton, a fifth-round pick by the San Jose Sharks in 2010, played 75 NHL games split between the Sharks, Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames and Arizona Coyotes.

Since his retirement from his playing career, Hamilton earned an MBA from Yale and has worked in private equity with Bolt Ventures.

The Maple Leafs are continuing to search for their next head coach after firing Craig Berube last month.

TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston reported Sunday that there was no validity to the rumours linking the Maple Leafs to University of Denver head coach David Carle.

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