As we mark the 4th anniversary of the full scale invasion of Ukraine, the people there remain defiant and strong. I was proud to partner with the Canada/Ukraine Foundation to raise funds to send 125 parahockey sleds to Ukraine to help men and women of all ages continue their rehabilitation journey.
Correction: Canada played in three of the four Gold Medal Game Shootouts, Sweden defeated Switzerland at the 2018 Men’s worlds.
There were fears of multiple OT periods, which would cause trouble for international broadcast partners and in the case of the Olympics,overlap with the closing ceremony. The IIHF decided to adopt the NHL's 3 on 3 OT format, which makes multiple OT periods highly unlikely. 3/3
Canada played in all four of those games, and led the push to have gold medal game OT's continue until a winning goal was scored, the feeling being that shootouts are a bad way for GMGs to end. 2/3
Here’s how the IIHF's 3 on 3 OT format in gold medal games came to be. Prior to 2019, tied gold medal games had one full sudden death period of 4 on 4 and then a shootout. The gold medal games of the 2017 WJC, the 2018 MWC, the 2018 WOG and the 2019 WWC were all settled in shootouts. 1/3
Tomorrow everyone will be asking: when will the Russo-Ukrainian war end? The right question is: what can we do to make the Russian invasion fail?
The charter flights carrying the Canadian and American NHL players back to North America were originally scheduled to fly from Milan to JFK airport in NY Monday morning, but they’ve been diverted to Miami due to the storm hitting the east coast. The players will disperse from there.
QF and SF games have 10 min OTs and a shootout if necessary, gold medal games are played until there’s a winner, so there is an intermission before OT starts.
Well, no lower seeds won today, but 3 of the 4 QF games did go to OT 😊
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in 35+ years covering @iihf.bsky.social events, it’s that in a four game quarterfinal format, at least one lower seed will beat a higher seed in the QFs.
Greatest female player of all time.
A great escape last week to Runaway Hill Inn on Harbour Island, Bahamas. Terrific location, great staff and the innkeeper puts a lot of passion and effort into it. No surprise there, it’s owned by Mark Messier.
"Bear with me please. Good morning. I just wanted to start off by acknowledging my wife, Kayla, who is not only the strongest person that I know, but a support system for me every bit as I am for her. Part of what I'm here to share is on behalf of the both of us. I will start off by thanking the Dodgers, Andrew Friedman, Brandon Gomes, Doc, the whole coaching staff and all of my teammates. The amount of support you have given Kay and I has been overwhelming in the best way. We are beyond grateful for this organization and this family. So many of you have stepped up and have been there for us in a big way over the past few months. It has meant the world to both Kay and I. "I'd like to take the opportunity to thank the Toronto Blue Jays, their front office, coaching staff and players for showing us the support. They are a first-class organization and I just want to say thank you to them. When Kay and I were watching the World Series, we noticed that there was (No.) 51 on Louie Varland's hat. I immediately texted Gus Varland, his brother, and I asked him if I was seeing that correctly. He texted me back right away and he said, The Varlands love you dude. The whole Toronto bullpen has it too. It's bigger than baseball. We love you all.' Kay and I, we were very emotional. We were super overwhelmed with emotion and the baseball community, the relationships that you make along the way, it showed that it's much bigger than baseball. "The outpouring of love and support Kay and I have had over the past few months, has been unmatched. We're both grateful to not only Dodger nation, but the fans worldwide. My DMs, messages, my DMs are basically broken on Instagram from all the love and support that we've had. I've tried to read all the comments and everything just because it's meant the world, really. "We even got a jersey from the LA Rams, with all their signatures on it. That was a surprise and very cool as well. We'll have that framed and put up in our house.
"The lessons we've learned from this is that life can change in an instant. Ten minutes is all it took. Sterling Sol was the most beautiful girl in the world. We got to hold her, change her diaper, read to here, and love her. Our time together was far too short. Kay and I will keep those precious moments and memories to ourselves. I hope that anyone listening can empathize and respect our wishes for privacy as we continue to heal, and as we navigate the ups and downs of a baseball season. "Stepping away from the team, and the brothers I go to war with every day, was difficult. But it was also an easy decision, because my family needed me. We still watched every pitch of the World Series, and for us, in so many ways, that was a light in our darkness. "We got back to Arizona the first or second of November, and I immediately got back into the gym. I started my throwing program. Having something to look forward to has helped me. The gym has been my mental clarity. Being around the guys again, preparing for spring training, it's been really nice. Gotten a lot of love so far in the clubhouse, and being able to laugh and joke around, that's been really nice for me. "Kay and I started therapy about six weeks ago. It hasn't been easy. But talking to someone has made a difference. For those out there who have lost a child, or are fighting through any struggle, if you can take anything from this, please seek help. Talk to somebody. It's definitely helped Kay and I. Please don't be afraid to speak up. Your mental health matters. "I've learned that what has happened to us has also happened to so many families. And realizing that has deepened our empathy and our gratitude for this community. The baseball community is extremely strong. I was not prepared to not bring my baby girl home, but we're carrying here with us everyday. It's been hard, but we're doing OK."
Alex Vesia addressed the media today for the first time about his daughter’s death during the World Series. He thanked the Dodgers and Blue Jays for their support, and encouraged people who are struggling to seek therapy. Hat tip to @fabianardaya.bsky.social for transcribing Vesia’s full statement.
Marie-Philip Poulin needs to get healthy. Quickly.
This was complete domination by the US. Some of the numbers from Sportlogiq:
USA CAN
Expected goals 3.05 0.61
High Danger Chances 13 3
O Zone Time 28:20 18:38
Puck Battle Win % 71.4% 28.6%
I was ridiculed on the other site several years ago for suggesting that the IOC was going to have to take some kind of action because climate change was severely limiting the number of countries willing/able to host the Winter Olympics. Well, here we are:
apple.news/ABndY28nlRA6...
Awful news. An absolutely brilliant performer and a kind, generous human being.
Just dropping this here.
Sens G Linus Ullmark sat down with TSN’s Claire Hanna and discussed his leave of absence from the team.
Full sit down will be posted to TSN's YouTube channel and TSN.ca later today.
I predict stormy seas ahead for the Bills…
At the @iihf.bsky.social Women’s U18 tournament, Hungary defeated Finland 7-5 in the relegation game. This will mark the first time in the history of the IIHF that a Finnish team will not be in the top division of a men’s or women’s competition.
The key moment to tragedy is when the audience can not only recognize that the protagonist is doomed, but why.
It begins…
I have resigned myself to the fact that my on-air admonishment of Tusky the Utah Mammoth mascot for blocking my view while I was calling the game (“Dude!”) is going to go very viral tomorrow.
Salt Lake City tonight.
As a friend of mine who works in sports often says: “Nightmares are dreams too.”
I stopped interacting on the other site a year and a half ago. I knew then it was the right decision, multiple events in the past week have strongly served to reinforce that. Unfortunately, it’s usually very easy to see who uses the other place as their primary source for news and information.
Happy New Year! Wishing everyone a happy, healthy and peaceful 2026. There will likely be some tough times, let’s stick together, be kind to one another and most of all recognize those who are struggling and give them our support. And let’s continue to push back against injustice and unfairness.
The IIHF ruling on the unsuccessful Canadian challenge is that Carter George's glove was outside the crease and that Saaralainen was legally trying to swat the puck when he inadvertently hit George's glove. Had his glove been in the crease the goal would hae been overturned
