The Saskatchewan Roughridersannounced Thursday that they'll hold a practice in Humboldt, Sask. on June 3 in memory of the victims of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash.
"While we continue to mourn for all those affected by the devastating event of April 6, we want to demonstrate our ongoing support for the Broncos organization and the community of Humboldt," stated Craig Reynolds, Saskatchewan Roughriders president and CEO.
The day will consist of a walkthrough practice at Glenn Hall Park from noon until 1 p.m., with the team providing a barbecue lunch for community members.
"We have been working in partnership with the Broncos' organization since the tragedy, hoping to play a small role in assisting the team, victims, the community and entire province through this painful time by channeling the healing power of sport, and by lending the strength of Rider Nation," said Reynolds.
Players and coaches will take time to sign autographs and socialize with fans after the practice hour concludes.
The team will also announce details of a "Humboldt Strong" home game to be played on June 30 that will be dedicated to the victims and affected families.
Switzerland upset Finland and Sweden overcame a scare against Latvia to punch their tickets Thursday to the World Championship semifinals.
Finland entered action as the top seed in Group B, but after taking a 1-0 lead, it allowed three straight goals to the Swiss and dropped the contest 3-2.
The Swedes avoided a potential upset. After heading to the third period tied 1-1, Sweden scored two straight goals and held off a late Latvia attack to take the game 3-2.
Sweden will now square off against the United States, while Switzerland will face Canada in semifinal action Saturday.
Fantenberg suited up in 27 regular-season games for L.A. last campaign, registering two goals and seven assists in 14:16 of ice time per night. He also appeared in all four of the Kings' playoff games, chipping in with one assist.
The 26-year-old undrafted Swede is currently on a one-year deal worth $925,000.
The Toronto Maple Leafs kicked off their offseason signings Thursday by inking a handful of European prospects to entry-level contracts.
Their most notable signing is Par Lindholm, who played for Sweden at PyeongChang 2018 and finished fourth in Swedish Hockey League (SHL) scoring this season after racking up 18 goals and 29 assists in 49 games for Skelleftea AIK.
The versatile forward can contribute at both ends of the ice and could be a potential fit for the Leafs' fourth-line center role.
Here are the Leafs' other signings from Thursday:
Pierre Engvall (F) - The 21-year-old 2014 seventh-round pick of the Leafs signed a two-year deal. He had eight points in nine regular-season games for the AHL's Toronto Marlies.
Igor Ozhiganov (D) - The 25-year-old signed a one-year deal after appearing in 42 games with CSKA Moscow of the KHL this season, registering two goals and seven assists.
Jesper Lindgren (D) - The 20-year-old 2015 fourth-round pick of the Leafs signed a three-year contract. He collected one assist in four games for the Marlies after coming over from Finland after the Liiga season.
While Engvall, Ozhiganov, and Lindgren might be hard-pressed to crack Toronto's lineup next season, Lindholm presents a little more intrigue.
A native of Las Vegas, his hometown Vegas Golden Knights have stormed to a 2-1 series lead against the Winnipeg Jets in the NHL's Western Conference Final during their inaugural season. And Harper's been on pins and needles.
"I get more nervous watching them than anything I've ever done in my life," Harper told Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports prior to the Golden Knights' Game 3 victory. "Even playing ball. I don't get nervous watching my team or when I play at all. I really don't.
"But when I’m watching them, I get so nervous. I’ll sit on the couch with my wife, going nuts."
It's inspired a new fandom, and perhaps an avenue for his future children to pursue.
"I've fallen in love with hockey," Harper says. "When we have kids, I want them to play hockey. How awesome would that be? I can't imagine being on the ice and playing such a cool sport."
It's possible his newly beloved Golden Knights wind up squaring off against his adopted hometown Washington Capitals in the Stanley Cup Final, and it's something he's already thinking about.
Canada got the game-winner from Ryan O'Reilly 4:57 into overtime to beat Russia on Thursday and advance to the World Championship semifinals.
O'Reilly converted Connor McDavid's third assist of the game to earn the Canadians the knockout-round victory.
The back-and-forth contest had been pushed to OT when Artem Anisimov beat Darcy Kuemper with a soft backhand up high with just over five minutes left in regulation.
Patrick Kane potted two goals as the United States defeated the Czech Republic 3-2 to advance to the World Championship semifinals.
The Americans will now face the winner of a quarterfinal matchup between Sweden and Latvia.
The U.S. jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first period, but that quickly evaporated as the Czechs countered with two second-period goals of their own. Kane would go on to notch the game-winning tally less than seven minutes into the third.
In the weeks leading up to the 2018 NHL Draft, theScore NHL prospect writer Hannah Stuart breaks down 10 of the most notable draft-eligible prospects. The eighth edition focuses on Evan Bouchard.
Victor Mete spent this season with the Montreal Canadiens. Olli Juolevi returned to his native Finland to play for TPS of the Liiga. 2018 draft-eligible Evan Bouchard grabbed with both hands the opportunity their absences provided, and he’ll likely be a top-10 pick this June as a result. Between his size, skill, and consistency in improvement across the last couple of seasons, Bouchard has serious potential as an NHL prospect.
Year in review
Bouchard’s 87 points (including 25 goals) were the highest on the London Knights this season by a decent margin - an impressive feat as a draft-eligible defenseman, even on a Knights lineup depleted from their huge trade-deadline selloff (an unusual move for the club in recent years). Bouchard was also named Knights’ captain after St. Louis Blues prospect Robert Thomas was traded to the Hamilton Bulldogs.
While the Knights were swept by the Owen Sound Attack in the first round of the OHL playoffs, Bouchard finished the series with five points, including one goal. Most nights, he played more than half the game against his opponents’ top lines, and the team’s top power-play unit ran almost entirely through him. In short, the Knights relied heavily on Bouchard, and he more than justified their faith. He was nominated for OHL Defenseman of the year, and NHL Central Scouting ranked him fourth ahead of fellow top defensive prospects Quinn Hughes and Noah Dobson.
Areas of strength
An incredibly smart player, Bouchard reads the ice at a high level, anticipating plays developing around him when he doesn’t have the puck and making difficult plays look simple when he does. His passing skills, in particular, are excellent and have improved considerably over the past season. He has an impressive (and accurate) array of shots, with slap shots and wrist shots already approaching NHL calibre, and a quick release.
In his own zone, Bouchard is composed and reliable, using his long reach and active stick to break up opponents’ chances, and he chews up minutes on the penalty kill as well as he does on the power play. He’s also not afraid to use his size (he’s already 6’2” and nearly 200 pounds), throwing his weight around when a physical game is necessary and using his impressive wingspan to close gaps through which opposing forwards might try to slip.
Areas of improvement
Some feel Bouchard needs to improve his first step and acceleration, while others think he’s a naturally powerful skater whose style is deceptive. In any case, while he’s mobile for his size and generally effective, his agility and footwork could stand to improve, or else he may find himself beaten one-on-one, particularly by smaller, more nimble forwards.
His decision-making and defensive instincts, previously seen as areas that needed work, have shown significant progress over the last year. However, he has a tendency to get out of position and needs to address that if he wants to be trusted on an NHL blueline.
Scouting reports
"Big-bodied offensive defenseman with excellent passing skills who can orchestrate a power play as good as any blueliner from any of the last several NHL drafts. ... You’re going to be hard-pressed to find a smoother North American puck distributor, especially one that makes difficult plays look routine. ... Offensively, Bouchard delivers a consistent effort with his puck management and playmaking, though the prevailing knock on him appears to be average straight-line speed. The good news is that Bouchard is nimble for his size, plus he has excellent timing and awareness to eventually outmaneuver pressure and join the attack deep into enemy territory. His feet are quick enough to maintain a tight gap while back skating, and his massive wingspan and long, active stick help limit the number of times an onrushing forward breezes past him. Bouchard has top-pairing potential with the skills and smarts to be a big point producer at the NHL level.” - Steve Kournianos, TheDraftAnalyst.com
“A highly intelligent all-around defenceman that plays with poise and can shift the pace of play in a multitude of ways. Showcases smooth four-way skating ability and loves to get involved in all situations - especially when that situation happens to be an up-ice rush. Has a polished offensive skill set which includes well-timed passes and a sneaky, erratic shot. Goes with the high-percentage play and makes smart decisions. Could work on strength behind his shot. Defensively active, cutting off lanes, and always staying in excellent positioning. Reads cues well in all three zones and seems to stay a step ahead. All-in-all, a well-rounded defender with great hockey sense and work ethic.” - Curtis Joe, EliteProspects.com
Did You Know?
Bouchard was second in the OHL in shots on goal this year, totaling 297 during the regular season.
Craig Button of TSN once said Bouchard's poise would make you “think his heart rate is 40 beats per minute,” referring to his ice-cold composure.
He won an OHL championship with the Knights in 2015-16, though he was a rookie and did not see significant ice time.
While Fleury's often praised for his freaky athleticism, he doesn't get nearly enough credit for his IQ between the pipes. As you can see in this image, he has already transferred his weight to his left leg in anticipation of pushing off, knowing that Blake Wheeler (No. 26, bottom of the screen) is a pass-first player and Scheifele is alone in front.
And here's where Fleury shows off some of that athleticism. Going into the splits, he got over quickly enough to make an incredible toe save on Scheifele's well-placed shot. If he's a fraction of a second late, Scheifele scores, which is why reading the play in the image prior made all this possible.
If someone saw this image without seeing the full play, they would assume Scheifele puts this puck into the yawning cage. Though Fleury had no choice but to make the desperation toe save, he nearly slid completely out of the crease as a result. Crucially, he never took his eyes off the puck. As he slid, he planted his right skate into the ice to stop his momentum, anticipating he was about to need to leap in the opposite direction.
This is where Fleury is at his best: showing off not only his athleticism, but his composure and ability to improvise. After planting his right skate into the ice, he didn't immediately dive across. He made one more push with his right skate, almost a shuffle, that allowed his chest and body to take away the big part of the net when he did leap. Having the presence of mind to take that extra split-second before the dive is truly remarkable.
Fleury is no stranger to making highlight-reel saves in critical situations, but these two could arguably go down as his best ever.
