Is the NHL's all-Canadian division slipping away?
League's teams may all have to set up shop in the U.S.
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The all-Canadian division might not happen
If and when the NHL finally gets its 2021 season going, let's be honest: it's going to be kind of bleak with the empty arenas, outbreak worries and various other unwanted accoutrements of pandemic-time sports. But one ray of light has been the possibility of the seven Canadian teams exclusively playing each other all season — an interesting byproduct of the federal government's refusal to let squads come and go across the border.
Turns out, though, the government doesn't sound especially thrilled about teams potentially travelling within its borders either. "The Government of Canada's priority is to protect the health and safety of Canadians. The resumption of sports events in Canada must be undertaken in adherence to Canada's measures to mitigate the importation and spread of COVID-19," the Public Health Agency of Canada said in a statement last night. "NHL teams and other professional sports teams must operate within the rules of their provincial jurisdictions for sports or sporting events."
That statement followed reports that the NHL is considering having its Canadian teams play in the United States if things can't be worked out with the various governments and public-health departments involved. That's almost certainly been the Plan B all along (what else would they do?) but the timing of the report has fans worried that the all-Canadian division won't happen.
The NHL and the players' association are targeting Jan. 13 to open the season. That's 26 days from now — not much time to finish working out the details of what will be a uniquely complicated operation. So a decision needs to be made soon on where the Canadian teams will play. If it's not in Canada, then the temporary realignment that's reportedly been drawn up — the seven Canadian teams in one division, the 24 U.S.-based ones split into three groups of eight that will best minimize travel — will need to be scrapped. In that case, we'll probably get something closer to the four divisions we already have. In other words, the same old same old.
But we'll see. Speaking two days ago, commissioner Gary Bettman indicated there's still a lot up in the air — everything from the start date ("at some point hopefully in mid-January") to the number of games ("as many as possible," though reportedly it'll be 56 max) to where they'll be played. With local restrictions preventing some teams from practising or playing at their home arenas, the possibility of either a "hub" or some teams setting up shop at other arenas is still on the table. Read more about the latest developments on the 2021 NHL season here.
Quickly...
Eight players from Germany's junior hockey team tested positive for the coronavirus inside the Edmonton bubble. The entire squad was ordered to quarantine until Thursday — one day before its world junior championship opener vs. Finland on Christmas Day. Germany plays Canada on Boxing Day, which is the Canadians' first game. Germany's exhibition games vs. Austria and the Czech Republic were cancelled. Two members of Sweden's team also tested positive, and that squad will quarantine until Monday. Read more about the positive tests ahead of the world juniors here.
Alphonso Davies made history again. 2020's been rough on everyone, but a little less so on the rising Canadian soccer star. He was named the Bundesliga's rookie of the year, became the first player from the Canadian men's national team to win a Champions League title and won a share of the Lou Marsh Award for Canadian athlete of the year. Now he's become the first North American man to be selected to the FIFPro World XI. Voted on by professional soccer players around the world, it's equivalent to the NFL's All-Pro team. Everyone is asked to pick, basically, a dream team of one goalkeeper, four defenders, three midfielders and three forwards based on players' performances from the calendar year. Davies was voted one of the defenders. At 20 years old, he's the third-youngest player ever to be picked for the men's honour. Canada's Kadeisha Buchanan was also 20 when she made the FIFPro Women's World XI in 2016. Read more about Davies' latest accomplishment here.
One of Canada's best skips is passing on the bubble Scotties. Krista McCarville made it to the final of the Canadian championship tournament in 2016 for Northern Ontario and placed third for Ontario in 2010. Her team was invited to represent Northern Ontario at the 2021 Scotties after the region cancelled its playdowns due to the pandemic. But they've decided to decline for a variety of reasons. The infection rate in Thunder Bay, where they're based, has risen, and taking the trip to Calgary for the Scotties would require them to complete a two-week quarantine when they return. McCarville is a mother of two and a Grade 6 teacher, and those identities mean more to her than curling. "I love being a mom and a teacher," she says. "That's what guided my decision." Read more about McCarville and her team's tough call in this story by CBC Sports' Devin Heroux.
And finally...
Remember when Patrik Stefan blew that empty-net goal?
It's one of the most memorable gaffes in hockey history. With about a dozen seconds left and his Dallas Stars up a goal at Edmonton on Jan. 4, 2007, Stefan stole the puck for an empty-net breakaway. Gliding in with no Oilers in sight, all he had to do was guide the puck into the wide-open cage to seal the win. But when Stefan switched to his backhand to tuck it in, the puck jumped over his blade and went wide of the net. He slammed on the brakes to try and recover, but fell down and lost the puck. An Oiler grabbed it, spun the puck up ice and Ales Hemsky scored the game-tying goal with 2.1 seconds left.
Luckily for Stefan, Dallas recovered to win the game in a shootout. But almost no one remembers that. His blooper is the most memorable moment in a disappointing career that saw him score only 64 goals in 455 NHL regular-season games after being drafted No. 1 overall by Atlanta in 1999.
For an interesting perspective on that moment, check out the latest edition of Rob Pizzo's delightful I was in net for… video series. Marty Turco, who came off the bench for Dallas that night and is a great talker, shares his memories of Stefan's blown goal and other stuff from the game:
Coming up on CBC Sports
This is the last weekend of World Cup competition in various winter Olympic sports before the Christmas break. On Saturday from 3-10 a.m. ET on CBCSports.ca and the CBC Sports app, you can watch luge, bobsleigh, women's and men's downhills and ski cross races. On Sunday from 2:45-9 a.m. ET you can catch luge, a men's giant slalom, bobsleigh and ski cross. Tap the hyperlinks to watch the live streams.
Saturday's Road to the Olympic Games show features the women's and men's downhills, ski cross, bobsleigh and skeleton. Watch it on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports app or the CBC TV network from 2-6 p.m. ET. Sunday's show features ski cross, bobsleigh and skeleton. Watch it online from noon-2 p.m. ET or check local listings for TV times.
And if you want to hear smart takes on some of the heavier topics in sports right now, check out the newest episode of Bring It In with Morgan Campbell. This week, Morgan and his guests Dave Zirin and Meghan McPeak tackle the Cleveland baseball team's decision to change its name, and the questionable ethics of holding a U.S. college basketball season during a pandemic. Watch the show here.
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