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Tag: Connor McDavid

  • Renck: This was no miracle — only prideful Americans who ‘are best in the world’

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    The face of American hockey has a bloody lip, missing teeth and disheveled hair.

    Jack Hughes represents the best of us. Grit, toughness, pride, the willingness to sacrifice for others, no matter how messy or irrational.

    Forty-six years to the day of The Miracle on Ice, the Americans transformed hockey into a three-hour anthem in Italy.

    No politics, no posturing, no whining, just winning.

    U-S-A! 2, Canada 1.

    Former captain Mike Mike Eruzione was right. This was their team. This was their time. We will never forget 1980. But we no longer have to live in the past. Or have a Netflix account.

    The golden glow is back, returned by a spirited group of muckers, grinders and a breathtaking goalie.

    “It’s all about our country. I love the USA. I love my teammates. I am so proud of the Americans today. Unbelievable game by (Connor) Hellebuyck. He was our best player by a mile,” Hughes said on the NBC broadcast. “The USA Hockey brotherhood means so much. We are such a team. The brotherhood is so strong.”

    The Americans followed a script that creates goosebumps.

    They were underdogs, facing a Canadian team that boasted a battery of future Hall of Famers, including the Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.

    Their roster was questioned, built in the image of Ford rather than Ferrari. Team USA general manager Bill Guerin wanted brawn and size, preferring players capable of preventing Canadian goals more than scoring them.

    They were inspired, hanging the No 13 jersey of Johnny Gaudreau in their locker room. Johnny and his brother Matthew were killed by a drunk driver in 2024. The Gaudreau family traveled to Milan on Friday and watched from the stands at Santagiulia Arena, eyes watering as former NHL teammates honored his memory.

    United States players pose for pictures with the jersey of the late Johnny Gaudreau (13) with his daughter Noa and son Johnny after their win over Canada in the men’s ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

    We all agree the Canadians probably beat the Americans in a best-of-seven series. But in one game, with all the pressure on the opponent, the U.S. relied on togetherness, leaned on chemistry built in the 4 Nations Face-Off.

    It is the beauty of the sport. The numbers can be lopsided. But it only takes one shift, one shot to change the outcome.

    It came at the 1:41 mark of overtime. In the required 3-on-3 format — a game like this deserved an even strength ending — Hughes took a pass from Zach Werenski and delivered the golden goal, sneaking it past Jordan Binnington.

    I screamed at the TV as many did across the country at breakfast watch parties. It was a primal outburst of appreciation and admiration.

    Canada had won every Olympics featuring NHL players. Their best was always better than everyone else. In 2010 in Vancouver, in 2014 in Sochi and at the 4 Nations last year.

    And they were the best team on the ice for two periods, even without injured captain Sidney Crosby.

    But they were playing with no elasticity, with the weight of a country that views hockey gold like the United States views Olympic basketball championships — as a birthright.

    The Americans’ plan was simple, if not unrealistic. Get ahead early, and survive the onslaught.

    Matt Boldy scored six minutes in. In a frenetic pace that even hardened commentators had never seen, Boldy chased down a bouncing puck and knifed between the Avs’ Makar and Devon Toews to score. It was the type of goal you see to win games, not start them, a testament to the magnitude of the matchup.

    United States' Matt Boldy (12) scores against Canada goalkeeper Jordan Binnington (50) during the first period of the men's ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
    United States’ Matt Boldy (12) scores against Canada goalkeeper Jordan Binnington (50) during the first period of the men’s ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

    How did he keep it on his stick and find the back of the net?

    “I don’t know,” Boldy admitted.

    The final two periods also defied explanation.

    The Canadians tilted the ice, and took aim at Hellebuyck. They outshot the Americans 33-18 over the last 40 minutes in regulation. Only one squirted through, Makar’s laser from top of the right faceoff circle.

    MacKinnon had chances, his rockets stoned or too wide. Connor McDavid raced free midway through the second period, failed to shift down and managed only a nudge into Hellebuyck’s pads. Macklin Celebrini, the future of the NHL, was left wanting on a breakaway.

    But the one everyone will be talking about forever was Hellebuyck’s denial of Toews.All alone just outside the crease, Toews had the puck with an open net. He swatted it and somehow a falling, bending, twitching Hellebuyck raised his stick for the deflection.

    United States goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck (37) uses his stick to block a shot by Canada's Devon Toews (7) during the third period of the men's ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
    United States goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck (37) uses his stick to block a shot by Canada’s Devon Toews (7) during the third period of the men’s ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

    This is when momentum became a movement. The Americans understood it. Hellebuyck was holding onto the rope. He needed someone, anyone, to tug with him.

    Hughes, 24, arrived straight out of central casting.

    He was a former No. 1 overall pick, who spent the early part of his career burdened by expectations. He has only reached the playoffs once with the New Jersey Devils.

    But he was from a family of patriots.

    His brother Quinn scored the overtime winner when USA defeated Sweden in the quarterfinals. Their mother Ellen Weinberg-Hughes worked as a consultant for the women’s gold medal team.

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    Troy Renck

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  • Avalanche shake off blown lead, reach Olympic break with 4-2 win against Sharks

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    This Colorado Avalanche team with a multi-goal lead remains the safest bet in sports, but this one didn’t come easy.

    The Avs coughed up a two-goal advantage early in the third period, but still defeated the San Jose Sharks, 4-2, Wednesday night at Ball Arena. Colorado reaches the NHL’s break for the 2026 Winter Olympics atop the league standings with 83 points. The 37-9-9 record includes a 32-0-0 mark when leading a game by two or more goals at any point.

    Josh Manson’s blast from the top of the offensive zone gave the Avs the lead with 7:16 remaining. Valeri Nichushkin set him up with his third assist of the night.

    Nathan MacKinnon collected his second assist, which were career Nos. 700 and 701. MacKinnon wasn’t credited with a third assist, but his battle with Macklin Celebrini in the neutral zone helped create an empty-net goal for Brock Nelson with 1:17 remaining.

    San Jose struck twice in the opening four minutes to erase a two-goal deficit.

    Alexander Wennberg carried the puck into the Colorado zone on the right wing and all the way below the goal line. He turned and set up defenseman Timothy Liljegren trailing the play for a one-timer from the right point. The puck went off Parker Kelly’s stick and deflected past Mackenzie Blackwood just 43 seconds into the third.

    Philipp Kurashev evened the score at 3:34. Samuel Girard turned the puck over at the offensive blue line, which led to an odd-man rush for San Jose. Kurashev kept it himself and fooled Blackwood with his shot.

    Lehkonen opened the scoring 65 seconds into the second period. It was a wild scramble in the Sharks crease, and Lehkonen was credited with the goal. Yaroslav Askarov had lunged forward trying to make a save, and by the time the puck crossed the goal line two San Jose players were laying in the blue paint and all three Colorado top-line forwards were digging for it.

    The Finnish forward made it a 2-0 lead at 15:47 of the second. Nichushkin tried to get the puck to MacKinnon during an odd-man rush. His first attempt didn’t get there, and the second was too late for MacKinnon to shoot. He collected it, curled around to the right of the goalie and found Lehkonen in the right circle for a one-timer.

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    Corey Masisak

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  • Avalanche power play springs to life, leads to 5-3 comeback win against Carolina

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    RALEIGH, N.C. — If the Colorado Avalanche power play starts to get rolling, look out.

    Already the NHL’s dominant team at even strength and the No. 1-ranked penalty kill entering the day, Colorado’s power play led a dramatic third-period comeback Saturday night. The Avs scored twice in the final period with the man advantage, with a goal from ex-Carolina forward Jack Drury in between, leading to a 5-3 victory over the Hurricanes at Lenovo Center.

    It was the 10th straight win for the Avs, who are now 31-2-7 after 40 games. The Avs now have two separate 10-game winning streaks this season.

    “It was a great effort,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “It would have been easy to pack it in, but I thought our guys, as soon as the puck hit the ice in the third, they were determined.

    “It was great to see our power play capitalize. There was a little frustration early on because of the pressure they put on you. They found a way to stick with it and get better on that unit.”

    RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – JANUARY 03: Brock Nelson #11 of the Colorado Avalanche chases a puck during the third period of a hockey match against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center on January 03, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)

    Newly-minted Olympian Brock Nelson scored twice. Nathan MacKinnon had an empty-net goal and four points, retaking the league lead from Connor McDavid with 74. Scott Wedgewood made 25 saves in his first start since Mackenzie Blackwood was put on injured reserve Friday.

    Carolina led 3-1 heading into the third period. That lead did not last long.

    Andrei Svechnikov took a tripping penalty 11 seconds into the third period, and the Avalanche power play started the comeback. Nelson tipped a wrist shot from MacKinnon past Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen at 1:09 of the third. It was Nelson’s 17th goal of the season.

    Drury then tied this contest at 3-3 just 33 seconds later. Ross Colton set him up for a shot from the left circle and his seventh goal of the year.

    “Huge goal,” Brent Burns, another former Carolina player returning for the first time since leaving, said. “He just does so many things right, so many hard things right. He’s such a great player, smart player. I try to sit next to him just to get some IQ into my head.”

    Nelson’s 18th of the season and second of the night with the man advantage put Colorado in front at 7:30. It was one of the prettiest goals of the Avs season. It was a tic-tac-toe passing play, with Cale Makar sending the puck to MacKinnon, whose cross-ice slap-pass set up Nelson for an easy one from the right circle.

    This is only the fourth time all season the Avs have scored multiple power-play goals in a game.

    “It’s nice,” Nelson said. “Another different way to win a game for us. It was nice to get a couple and be a big difference maker in a big comeback win on the road against a good team.”

    The power play that led to Nelson’s goal did not come without a cost. Devon Toews crashed into the end boards skates first and left the game. Nikolaj Ehlers was called for tripping on the play.

    Toews was down for an extended period, but did return to the game late in the period. After the game, Bednar said he believes Toews is OK.

    Carolina has been one of the most dangerous offensive teams while killing penalties for years, and the Hurricanes grabbed the lone goal of the first period while shorthanded. Sebastian Aho deflected a MacKinnon pass to Makar, and then got a piece of Makar as he tried to move the puck to Martin Necas.

    Eric Robinson intercepted that pass and sent it to Aho, who had already taken off behind Makar and went in alone for a breakaway goal at 18:09 of the first. That was Aho’s first shorthanded goal of the season, but it was the 37th shot attempt for Carolina with him on the ice on the PK, which is tops among all forwards in the NHL.

    It was also Aho’s 300th career goal. That’s also three shorthanded goals against in seven games.

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    Corey Masisak

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  • Matvei Michkov scores again, but Flyers fall to Oilers in OT

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    The seconds were ticking down, and Travis Konecny thought he had just tipped in the game-winner. 

    Then the officials took an extra look. They deemed that Owen Tippett was a step ahead of the play and entered the offensive zone too early on that pivotal possession. 

    The Flyers were offside, the goal was taken back, and Wednesday night against superstar Connor McDavid and a struggling Edmonton Oilers team went into overtime at Xfinity Mobile Arena. 

    Jack Roslovic scored the winner for the visitors a 1:19 into the extra frame, on a neutral-zone turnover and a quickly ensuing 2-on-0 that had goalie Dan Vladar caught in no-man’s land. 

    The Flyers lost, 2-1, still taking a point out of the contest, but dropping to 8-5-3 on the season. 

    Here’s how an up and down night played out…

    Mich unleashed

    Matvei Michkov has his legs again. 

    He was covering a lot of ice Wednesday night and getting after puck carriers, and you could tell just by his stride that he’s moving way more efficiently than he did at the start of the year – his knees are staying bent and he’s been laboring a lot less of late. 

    Michkov was moving well with the puck through the first period, and created a couple of decent looks for the Flyers’ energetic start, but then late into the second period, he broke through. 

    The Flyers went on their first power play of the night with a Jake Walman hook on Tippett. 

    Michkov’s unit got its setup established in the offensive zone, and after giving the puck to Cam York up by the point to take a scan, the defenseman fed it back to Michkov, who was given space along the wall by Edmonton’s penalty kill. 

    Michkov wheeled in around the top of the left faceoff circle, then rifled a shot to the right post just over Stuart Skinner’s glove for the power-play goal and a 1-1 tie. 

    Michkov had a slow start to the season, and by his own admission, an altered training regimen following his first year in the NHL and a struggle to focus out of the gate contributed to that.

    But the 20-year-old has found a flow again. 

    Michkov now has a goal in each of his last three games and brought himself up to nine points through 16 games on the year. 

    The talented winger has star, face-of-the-franchise level potential, and the Flyers do believe he’ll reach it as a key part of their long-term future.

    The hope now is that those early struggles and the prospect of a sophomore slump are falling behind him, and that he’ll start accelerating back toward his ceiling.

    Because, for as much as the Flyers’ focus is still on tomorrow, a breakout from Michkov now can do a lot for a team that is playing much better today.

    It just didn’t get them a win on Wednesday night.

    Some jump through (most of) one

    The Oilers came out wanting to play fast. 

    The Flyers were prepared to match. 

    Tippett made a clean zone entry and then a cut inside between Leon Draisaitl and Darnell Nurse to fire a shot that rang off the post; Matvei Michkov carried the puck up the ice and back into the zone, making his own move across to drop off a pass for Noah Juulsen to sneak in and take a healthy shot on; and even Cam York and Travis Sanheim jumped up from the defense to carry their own two-man rush to the Edmonton net, helped by a slick give-and-go pass from Travis Konecny through the neutral zone. 

    The Flyers had juice, were moving the puck pretty cleanly, and taking chances. That gave way to some good looks for McDavid and the Oilers, sure, but to the Flyers’ credit, they did well to keep their sticks in the way and on the puck…for a while, at least. 

    Energy did seem to taper off toward the end of the first, and that reflected in the 13-5 shot count in favor of Edmonton by the end of it. 

    So did McDavid wrapping around from behind the Philadelphia net to pick up a loose puck and set up Evan Bouchard with a clear shot in front while everyone in orange collapsed in.

    Vladar, who was otherwise solid in goal through the opening period and for the whole game, couldn’t track that puck in time, allowing the Oilers to take a 1-0 lead. 

    The Flyers, meanwhile, would go into the intermission operating from behind, not irrecoverably so, but at a clear lack of shot volume and, as the period wore on, a noted struggle to generate effective scoring chances from inside. 

    It didn’t get much better in the second for a while. With about 7:30 left, they only had two shots all period that were relatively harmless, and were getting outshot 24-7 in total.

    It wasn’t until the power play and Michkov’s ensuing goal a couple of minutes later that the Flyers finally started to break from it.

    Back in the fray

    Tyson Foerster returned from injury Wednesday night, and his line with Noah Cates and Bobby Brink was put back together. 

    And maybe to little surprise, they got back to being a key two-way line. 

    Cates as the center, especially, would play a major role in defending against McDavid, and past Edmonton’s first goal, he held up pretty well in doing so. 

    Toward the end of the second period in particular, Cates kept McDavid tied up against the boards while the Oilers’ superstar had the puck to suppress any last-second chances before the horn.

    Cates did get tagged for a high stick on McDavid right off the draw to begin the third period, but just as important for the Flyers on Wednesday night was that their penalty kill held up and went a perfect 2-for-2 against the Oilers with a man-advantage.

    Watch where you’re going

    Vladar, once again, was stellar in net for the Flyers, cutting down angles with his big frame and keeping bounces and any chaos in front under control on the way to stopping 29 of 30 Edmonton shots through regulation. 

    He also got ran twice by the Oilers. 

    In the first period, Vladar reached out from the crease to cover a puck, and Curtis Lazar, charging in to try and pick it up, tripped over the goaltender and appeared to jam Vladar’s wrist in the process. Vladar got up, put his blocker back on, and stayed in. 

    Then in the third, Trent Frederic tried to chip at a pass to the inside, was short on space in front of the crease, and skated straight into Vladar, who was not happy after getting back up from the collision. None of his teammates were either. 

    A scrum broke out, Mattias Janmark, off to the side, drew Vladar’s ire and then a couple of jabs from Noah Juuslen. 

    Janmark got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, Frederic got goaltender interference for the charge at the net, and Vladar a roughing minor after the pile-up.

    The Flyers left it with a late power play. Nothing came of it.

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    Nick Tricome

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  • Nathan MacKinnon has 2 goals and 2 assists in the Avalanche’s 9-1 romp over the Oilers

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    EDMONTON, Alberta — Nathan MacKinnon had two goals and two assists, Cale Makar, Parker Kelly and Jack Drury also scored twice and the Western Conference-leading Colorado Avalanche embarrassed the Edmonton Oilers 9-1 on Saturday night.

    Gavin Brindley also scored, Scott Wedgewood made 23 saves and Devon Toews had three assists. The Avalanche have earned at least a point in six straight games to improve to 9-1-5.

    Connor McDavid scored for Edmonton. The Oilers have dropped three straight to fall to 6-6-4.

    Stuart Skinner allowed four goals on 13 shots before being replaced by Calvin Pickard, who made 17 stops.

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    The Associated Press

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  • Oilers captain Connor McDavid gets engaged to longtime girlfriend Lauren Kyle | Globalnews.ca

    Oilers captain Connor McDavid gets engaged to longtime girlfriend Lauren Kyle | Globalnews.ca

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    One of Edmonton’s most high-profile couples is getting married.

    Hockey superstar Connor McDavid proposed to his longtime girlfriend Lauren Kyle last Thursday.

    “I cannot put into words how happy I am to be spending the rest of our lives together,” Kyle wrote in a post announcing the engagement.

    “Almost eight years of growth, happiness and so much love and I can’t believe we have so much more to look forward to.”

    The 26-year-old Edmonton Oilers captain and Kyle, who is an interior designer and turned 27 on Monday, have been together since they were 19.

    “I knew you were my person from the day we met and I can’t wait for the beautiful life we are going to create together,” she wrote.

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    Kyle moved to Edmonton after graduating from Ontario’s Toronto Metropolitan University in 2019. The couple has a miniature bernedoodle dog named Lenard, who has a sizeable 19K Instagram following.

    She founded her own firm, Kyle and Co Design Studio, and designed the couple’s home overlooking the North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton’s Laurier Heights area which was featured in Architectural Digest.

    McDavid proposed in Muskoka, a cottage country area in Ontario, where Kyle has shared Instagram stories showing a vacation home they’re building there. Both grew up in Ontario.

    McDavid told 630 CHED they were spending a nice weekend with family at their place in Muskoka when he popped the question.

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    “Obviously a lot of celebrating going on now,” he said, noting Kyle also turned 27 on Monday. “So lots going on with us.”

    The hockey player also posted about the engagement on Instagram.

    “Excited to see what our future holds. You are the most loving, passionate and amazing person. I am a very lucky man,” McDavid wrote in his post, in which he also wished his fiancee a happy birthday.

    “Here’s to many more together. Love you lots.”

    Professional photos showed Kyle sporting a pear-shaped engagement ring after the proposal, where the couple posed with their dog on a patio at sunset (Scroll down for more photos.)

    The Oilers congratulated the couple on their respective Instagram posts.

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    Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid proposed to his longtime girlfriend Lauren Kyle, an interior designer in Edmonton, in Ontario’s Muskoka cottage country on Thursday, June 22, 2023.


    Credit: Lauren Kyle (laurenkyle1) via Instagram

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    Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid proposed to his longtime girlfriend Lauren Kyle, an interior designer in Edmonton, in Ontario’s Muskoka cottage country on Thursday, June 22, 2023.

    Credit: Lauren Kyle (laurenkyle1) via Instagram

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    Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid proposed to his longtime girlfriend Lauren Kyle, an interior designer in Edmonton, in Ontario’s Muskoka cottage country on Thursday, June 22, 2023.


    Credit: Lauren Kyle (laurenkyle1) via Instagram

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    Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid proposed to his longtime girlfriend Lauren Kyle, an interior designer in Edmonton, in Ontario’s Muskoka cottage country on Thursday, June 22, 2023.

    Credit: Lauren Kyle (laurenkyle1) via Instagram

    &copy 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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    Karen Bartko

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  • Topless fan crashes Junos broadcast as Weeknd wins 5th award with album of the year | Globalnews.ca

    Topless fan crashes Junos broadcast as Weeknd wins 5th award with album of the year | Globalnews.ca

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    A wildly unpredictable Juno Awards unfolded on Monday as a topless protester charged the stage, leading to some feisty words from Avril Lavigne, while an absent the Weeknd emerged the top winner this year.

    With a few twists and turns, Canada’s biggest celebration of music did away with its typically tame proceedings shortly after the broadcast got underway.

    Lavigne was interrupted by a topless woman who leapt on the stage wearing pasties on her breasts and “land back” painted on her arm.

    The pop-punk princess appeared blindsided by the crasher and proceeded to swear at her, demanding she get off the stage. The person was quickly escorted away by security.

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    Nude Ontario Greenbelt protester interrupts Avril Lavigne at Juno Awards

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    Unfazed, Lavigne moved on to introduce a performance by Punjabi-Canadian singer and rapper AP Dhillon.


    Avril Lavigne confronts a topless protester as she presents during the Junos Monday, March 13, 2023.

    THE CANADIAN PRESS/Timothy Matwey

    She returned later to accept this year’s fan choice award with a few choice words and another expletive: “Nobody try anything this time or the Canadian is going to come out of me and I’ll (mess) a bitch up.”

    The unexpected moment set the tone for an energetic Junos that saw the Weeknd’s smash hit Dawn FM earn him album of the year, adding to four wins he scored at a Saturday industry event, including artist and single of the year for Sacrifice.


    Click to play video: 'Juno week adds welcome spark to Edmonton’s music scene'


    Juno week adds welcome spark to Edmonton’s music scene


    After pop singer Tyler Shaw announced the Toronto native, born Abel Tesfaye, was absent from the Junos, the crowd expressed their disappointment and began to boo.

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    Tesfaye did send a written statement provided to The Canadian Press by Junos organizers:

    “I am so honoured to be recognized like this from my home country that I love so much. I’m so humbled by all this and could never thank fans enough,” he wrote.

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    Tenille Townes, AP Dhillon added to list of performers for Juno Awards at Edmonton’s Rogers Place

    Other winners included Jessie Reyez who picked up contemporary R&B recording of the year for Yessie as her tearful father looked on and Tobi who won rap album/EP of the year for Shall I Continue?

    Newcomer Preston Pablo, who sings Flowers Need Rain, won breakthrough artist of the year.


    Simu Liu, left, and Ryan Peake of Nickelback perform during the Juno Awards in Edmonton on Monday, March 13, 2023.

    Timothy Matwey, The Canadian Press

    Special honourees Nickelback were present throughout the night, even before they were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in a pre-recorded message by actor Ryan Reynolds.

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    Nickelback to be inducted into Canadian Music Hall of Fame

    Guitarist Ryan Peake offered a hand — and a guitar — in an opening bit where Liu showed off his vocal chops with a cover of Nickelback’s Photograph.

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    All of the band took the stage as Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid ushered them into the Hall of Fame, saying Nickelback is among those who “have changed the game forever.”


    Connor McDavid presents during the Juno Awards in Edmonton on Monday, March 13, 2023.

    Timothy Matwey, The Canadian Press

    In his speech, a smitten Chad Kroeger reflected on his band’s humble beginnings in Hanna, Alta., saying they “had no idea what we were doing and most of the time still don’t.”

    “But everything we did led us to this moment right here,” he added.

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    A little later, the band returned to close out the broadcast with a medley of their biggest hits that included more than its share of fiery pyro effects.


    Chad Kroeger of Nickelback performs during the Juno Awards in Edmonton on Monday, March 13, 2023.

    Timothy Matwey, The Canadian Press

    After the Junos, the organizers issued a statement saying they take “every step to avoid interruptions” to the program, but that live broadcasts always include risks.

    “We hope tonight’s brief disruption doesn’t take away from the accomplishments of this year’s performers, winners and nominees,” they added.

    Yet, artists continued to buzz about the topless fan backstage, with Lavigne telling the press room she was confident it was “going down as one of the highlights.”

    Liu, who signed off the show saying “sorry about the boobs,” also joked about it backstage: “If you had told me before I hosted there would be someone who would take their shirt off at the Junos, and it wouldn’t be me, I would be shocked.”

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    Canadian actor Simu Liu surprises Edmonton restaurant

    &copy 2023 The Canadian Press

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  • Kraken sink struggling Oilers 5-2 with offensive outburst

    Kraken sink struggling Oilers 5-2 with offensive outburst

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    EDMONTON, Alberta — Jaden Schwartz had a goal and two assists as the Seattle Kraken exploded for four consecutive goals in the second period to come away with a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night.

    “It was nice. I thought the way we played it was good to get rewarded,” said Kraken defender Adam Larsson. “There was a lot of emphasis on what happened last game and that made us even more hungry today. From top to bottom every guy played a solid game.”

    Matty Beniers, Yanni Gourde, Jared McCann and Alex Wennberg also scored for the Kraken (20-12-4) who have won two in a row. Martin Jones made 30 saves in the Seattle net.

    “In the second period, we got that one goal and it gave us some wings offensively and we were able to make more plays offensively, and I think we kept our game pretty simple,” Gourde said. “We weren’t trying too much, we weren’t trying to pass through guys, we were just putting it at the net and trying to work our way there and we got rewarded.”

    Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid responded with goals for the Oilers (20-17-2) who have lost two straight and five consecutive games on home ice.

    “You go up 2-0 and the odds that you win that game are statistically pretty high, right?” said Oilers forward Zach Hyman. “But, unfortunately, we weren’t able to keep the lead and we had 11 minutes where we fell asleep in the second period (and allowed four goals) and suddenly you are playing catch-up.”

    Edmonton’s lethal power play connected to start the scoring with 7:13 remaining in the opening period as a Leon Draisaitl shot attempt went through the crease to Nugent-Hopkins, who sniped home his 19th of the season from a tough angle past Jones.

    Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner kept it a 1-0 game by making a breakaway stop on Daniel Sprong a few minutes later.

    The Oilers went up by a pair just 48 seconds into the middle frame as McDavid got his league-leading 33rd goal of the season.

    The Kraken tied the game with a pair of goals just 31 seconds apart, however.

    Seattle got on the board 4:44 into the second period with a power-play goal as Beniers was able to bat a rebound out of mid-air and it trickled behind Skinner.

    Then with another Oiler penalty on the way, Beniers made a perfect long pass to Schwartz at the back door, and he directed home his first goal in 12 games.

    The Kraken kept coming against a shaken Oilers squad, as the Edmonton defense failed to clear a big rebound, allowing Gourde to score his first goal in nine outings through traffic with just over seven minutes to play in the second.

    Seattle scored its fourth straight goal in the period with 4:12 remaining. The goal chased Skinner from the net after allowing four goals on 20 shots, with Jack Campbell coming in to replace him.

    Edmonton thought it had clawed back to within a goal on an early third period power-play goal by Draisaitl, but it was erased on a coach’s challenge which determined Hyman was offside on the play.

    NOTES

    The teams previously met Friday, with Edmonton rolling to a relatively easy 7-2 victory, highlighted by a five-point performance from McDavid. … With eight of their next nine games on the road, the Kraken actually spend more time in Edmonton than in Seattle during that stretch as they will make a stop at home for one game following their seven-game road swing, only to return right back to Edmonton on Jan. 17. … Draisaitl, the league’s second leading scorer behind teammate McDavid, returned to the lineup after missing two games with an oblique strain.

    UP NEXT

    Kraken: At Toronto on Thursday night.

    Oilers: Host Islanders on Thursday night.

    ———

    AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Connor McDavid shines as Oilers pound Kraken 7-2

    Connor McDavid shines as Oilers pound Kraken 7-2

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    SEATTLE — Connor McDavid had a goal and four assists, and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Seattle Kraken 7-2 on Friday night.

    Zach Hyman and Klim Kostin each scored twice as Edmonton won for the third time in four games. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had four assists, and Darnell Nurse finished with a goal and an assist.

    McDavid extended his point streak to 17 games, matching his career best. He has 16 goals and 21 assists during the stretch.

    “He’s the best player in the world for a reason,” said Seattle’s Adam Larsson, a former teammate with McDavid in Edmonton. “He’s hard to stop. We can do a lot better job stopping him, but when you give him time and space, he’s going to make you look stupid most of the time.”

    Brandon Tanev and Daniel Sprong scored for Seattle in its third consecutive loss.

    Edmonton grabbed control with four goals in the first half of the first period.

    Hyman put the Oilers ahead to stay with a power-play goal at 2:44. It was his 16th of the season.

    Kostin scored at 3:16, and Nurse slipped another shot past Phillipp Grubauer at 3:55. It was the second-fastest trio of goals to begin a game in the NHL this season, behind only Buffalo at 2:13.

    Grubauer was replaced by Martin Jones, but Edmonton made it 4-0 when Jesse Puljujarvi scored his third goal of the season at 9:58.

    McDavid collected three assists in the first period, and Edmonton’s four goals were the most allowed by the Kraken in the first in franchise history.

    Sprong got Seattle on the board 1:50 into the second. It was Sprong’s 11th of the season.

    But Kostin and Hyman scored again for the Oilers in the middle period. McDavid got his 40th assist of the season on Hyman’s 17th goal.

    McDavid closed it out when he scored his NHL-leading 32nd goal 10:43 into the third.

    “I’m always working on my game,” McDavid said. “I’m just trying to get better and some nights it goes well and some nights it doesn’t. That’s the nature of this league, and I’m just trying to help the team win. That’s what I’m paid to do.”

    Earlier this season, McDavid became just the fifth NHL player in the past 25 years to score 30 goals in 35 or fewer games.

    “What he is doing, I think we should all realize, is quite special,” Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft said. “It’s the best league in the world, and he is off to a career year. He is doing something that the league hasn’t seen for a very long time. So that is special.”

    Each of Seattle’s past three losses have come against Pacific Division rivals.

    “The competitiveness, and that element, and that willingness to check and push and push through hard situations is really important. We weren’t very good there tonight,” coach Dave Hakstol said. “So that’s where, you know, we have to take a close hard look at ourselves. All of us. We’re all in this thing together.”

    WORTH NOTING

    Edmonton played without center Leon Draisaitl, who was scratched with an unspecified injury. Draisaitl has 21 goals and 36 assists in 36 games this season. … Larsson picked up an assist on Tanev’s goal 7:33 into the second. It was Larsson’s career-best fifth straight game with an assist.

    UP NEXT

    Oilers: Host Winnipeg on Saturday night.

    Kraken: Host the New York Islanders on Sunday.

    ———

    AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • McDavid scores in OT, Oilers beat Golden Knights 4-3

    McDavid scores in OT, Oilers beat Golden Knights 4-3

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    EDMONTON, Alberta — Connor McDavid scored 1:17 into overtime to give the slumping Edmonton Oilers a 4-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night.

    McDavid danced around a defender and chipped a shot over Adin Hill for his NHL-leading 16th of the season.

    Warren Foegele, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman also scored to help the Oilers improve to 10-8-0. They had lost five of seven overall and three straight at home.

    Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had three assists and McDavid added another. Stuart Skinner stopped 31 shots.

    Mark Stone scored twice for the Golden Knights. Keegan Kolesar also connected and Hill made 19 saves. Vegas has lost three of four to drop to 14-4-1.

    UP NEXT

    Golden Knights: At Vancouver on Monday night to wrap up a two-game trip.

    Oilers: At New Jersey on Tuesday night to open a three-game trip to New York.

    ———

    AP NHL: www.apnews.com/hub/NHL and www.twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Connor McDavid opens with hat trick, Oilers beat Canucks 5-3

    Connor McDavid opens with hat trick, Oilers beat Canucks 5-3

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    EDMONTON, Alberta — Connor McDavid had three goals and an assist and the Edmonton Oilers overcame an early 3-0 deficit to beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-3 on Wednesday night.

    Leon Draisaitl added a goal and two assists and Darnell Nurse also scored for the Oilers in the opener for both teams. Jack Campbell made 33 saves.

    “It wasn’t according to anyone’s script, for sure,” said Edmonton head coach Jay Woodcroft. “I don’t think we were sharp. I don’t think we were in sync early. We found a way to win the game, that’s a really good sign, but we can be better.”

    Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller and Andrei Kuzmenko — in his NHL debut — scored for the Canucks. Thatcher Demko stopped 20 shots.

    Pettersson and Miller scored in an early 51-second span and Kuzmenko made it 3-0 39 seconds into the second on a power play. He’s the first player in Canucks history to score a power-play goal in his debut.

    “That was pretty disappointing, I thought we came out pretty good in the first and special teams kind of cost us the game,” said Canucks defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. “The power play wasn’t good enough and we couldn’t keep the puck out of our net on the (penalty kill).”

    Edmonton got on the board 4:12 into the second when Draisaitl took a deflected pass at the side of the net and slammed it past Demko on a power play.

    The Oilers pulled within a goal with another power-play goal with 5:59 left in the second on a three-way passing play from Zach Hyman to Draisaitl and then to McDavid.

    “It was just not a good start for our group. It was the first game and maybe there was a little bit of jitters,” McDavid said. “It is not going to be perfect every night. You are not going to have the game you want every night and sometimes you get a win with your ‘B’ or ‘C’ game. It was certainly not our ‘A’ game to start, but we found a way to get our legs going and get ourselves back in it.”

    Edmonton pulled even with 41 seconds left in the period on a 2-on-1 short-handed break as Draisaitl fed it across to Nurse, who beat Demko with a one-timer.

    The Oilers took the lead with 4:59 left in the third period with McDavid orchestrating a give-and-go with Hyman before depositing his own rebound past Demko. It was McDavid’s 700th career point, making him the sixth-fastest player to hit the mark in 488 games.

    McDavid completed the hat trick with 25 seconds left when Evander Kane dropped it back to him for an empty-net power-play goal.

    ———

    More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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