He felt Valenzuela offered a better chance at generating some power against Minnesota Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson.

“Just get an extra threat to hit one out,” Schneider said.

Sure enough, Valenzuela made good on that estimation, launching the first homer of his major-league career in a pivotal moment of the Toronto Blue Jays’ 10-4 win in front of 40,721 at Rogers Centre. 

The Blue Jays entered the fourth inning trailing, 4-0, but rallied with RBI doubles from Jesus Sanchez and Davis Schneider and an RBI single from Andres Gimenez. That set the stage for the switch-hitter Valenzuela, who belted a two-out, two-run shot over the right-field fence that completed the comeback and put the Blue Jays ahead 5-4.

The drive, off an 1-0 splitter from right-hander Woods Richardson, left Valenzuela’s bat at 111.4 m.p.h. As far as first home runs go, it doesn’t get much bigger than a go-ahead shot that electrifies a near-sellout crowd and earns a standing ovation. 

The Blue Jays continued to pour on the runs in what was the largest offensive output of the campaign thus far. Daulton Varsho clubbed the 100^th homer of his career, Schneider collected two hits, two RBIs, two runs and a walk, while the bottom four in the order went a combined 7-for-14 with six RBIs.

That barrage helped mitigate a rough outing from left-hander Patrick Corbin, who was making his first start for the club. The 36-year-old, who’s entering his 14^th big-league season, signed a one-year, $1-million deal with the Blue Jays last week and pitched in a game with class-A Dunedin before being called up to Toronto. 

The soft-tossing Corbin struggled out the gate, surrendering a three-run homer to Ryan Jeffers in the opening frame and a solo shot to Brooks Lee in the fourth. He allowed four runs on six hits over four innings, walking one and striking out three. 

Corbin, a two-time all-star and 2019 World Series champion, has built a career out of simply posting. He’s the only pitcher in MLB to make 30-plus starts in every season since 2017, excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. Corbin’s positioned to get some run in the rotation with several Blue Jays starters on the mend.  

Right-hander Trey Yesavage, working his way back from a right shoulder impingement, has made two rehab starts with Dunedin, most recently throwing 2.2 innings and 52 pitches on Thursday. The Blue Jays were pleased with Yesavage’s stuff and velocity in that outing and his next time on the mound will likely come in the middle of next week, either in Dunedin or triple-A Buffalo, depending on weather. After that, it’s possible the right-hander could rejoin the major-league club. 

Yesavage is ahead of fellow injured starters Jose Berrios, who threw a two-up live batting practice at the team’s player development complex in Florida on Friday and could see minor-league game action next week, and Shane Bieber, who’ll throw off a mound on Saturday. 

“We’re trending in the right direction,” said Schneider. “Those guys are getting better.”

Meanwhile, catcher Alejandro Kirk’s timeline is unclear as he recovers from surgery on his left thumb. He’s expected to be out for at least the next month and that makes contributions like Valenzuela’s on Friday even more valuable. 

Heineman isn’t locked in as the de facto starter, and if Valenzuela can provide meaningful offensive contributions while managing the pitching staff, there’s no reason why he wouldn’t receive more starts.

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“I know that I can do it now,” McIlroy said, “so that should make it a little easier for me to go out and play the golf I want to play.” 

Turns out, winning the Masters has made it awfully easy for McIlroy to know what it takes to win the Masters. 

The defending champion leads the way at Augusta National by six shots – the largest 36-hole lead in Masters history – and is very firmly in the driver’s seat heading into the weekend. 

“I’ve prepared as well for this Masters as any other that I’ve played,” McIlroy said. “Over the years (…) my mindset hasn’t been ‘keep swinging.’ It’s been guided, tentative. I think the experience I’ve accrued over the years and obviously with what happened last year, it makes it a bit easier out there to keep swinging.”

No one is giving McIlroy his green jacket back. He, as well as anyone, knows what kind of danger lurks around every corner at Augusta National. But there’s not much more you could ask for from McIlroy after Friday, where he shot a 7-under 65. 

He opened the day with three birdies in a row on Nos. 2-4 and then made six birdies in his closing seven holes – including four in a row on Nos. 15-18 – to come into the house. 

The back-nine charge was highlighted by a tasty pitch in on No. 17 from a tricky lie short and right of the green. Right now, we are at the intersection of experienced and confident with McIlroy – and that is quite a dangerous place. 

“I just want to go out and play two good rounds again,” McIlroy said of the weekend ahead. “Obviously, this golf course has certain characteristics that guys can get on runs, guys can make eagles, you hear roars all over the golf course. I think the next two days for me is really about focusing on myself. It’s hard to avoid those big leaderboards out there, but like I know that I’ve got a lead, so I don’t need to keep checking it all the time. 

“For me, just really focusing on myself and staying in my own little world out there is the best thing.”

McIlroy – whose 12-under total through 36 holes is the lowest in history by a defending Masters champion – became on Friday just the fourth defending champion to hold a 36-hole lead the following year. 

He leads both Sam Burns and 2018 champ Patrick Reed by six as that duo head into the weekend at 6 under. A trio of McIlroy’s European Ryder Cup teammates – Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood, and Justin Rose – are a shot further back at 5 under and tied for fourth. 

McIlroy, who is now looking to become the first back-to-back winner of the Masters in a quarter century, said he found himself playing Augusta National a lot after The Players Championship, where he had a pedestrian result after withdrawing the week prior due to a back injury. He wouldn’t go so far as saying he felt like he was underrated heading into this week, but he said he certainly understood why people would feel that way. 

The defending-champion version of Rory McIlroy got a lot of coverage this week, but the trying-to-win-the-Masters version of McIlroy did not.  

“I haven’t played in three weeks. The last time everyone saw me, I was struggling with a bit of a back injury. It’s understandable if I wasn’t in the forefront of everyone’s minds coming in here from a playing perspective,” McIlroy said. 

He also, by choice, didn’t play any of the previous few weeks on the PGA Tour (admitting, “I honestly just don’t like the three tournaments leading up to this event”), but instead spent a bunch of time at Augusta National. 

When you own a jet, it’s a pretty easy trip. 

McIlroy said he sometimes would drop his daughter, Poppy, off at school in the morning, fly up to Augusta, and would still be home in time for dinner later in the day. 

“It wasn’t really about conserving energy, but just I felt the more time I could spend up here, the better,” McIlroy said. 

“I’ve been on this golf course so much the last three weeks, and that’s been a combination of practice and chipping and putting around greens, and then just playing one ball and shooting scores and ending up in weird places that you maybe never find yourself, and just trying to figure it out. I think just spending so much time up here has been a big part of (my success).” 

McIlroy now has one arm back in the green jacket, and his special preparedness has led to a special performance so far. 

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The unveiling of Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki’s statue had an unforced error on Friday — a broken bat.

As broadcaster Rick Rizzs declared “we’re going to count down from 51!” — a nod to the jersey number retired by the Seattle Mariners for their beloved Suzuki — the curtain covering the bronze statue was pulled down, and so too went the bat.

A snapping noise could be heard as the bronze bat flopped down and confetti sprouted up.

“Here it is! The statue of one of the greatest players in the history of the game!” Rizzs declared as the curtain was pulled and a celebratory tune rang outside of T-Mobile Park.

The statue depicts Suzuki in his famed batting stance. He appeared to find the mishap to be hilarious, and joked through an interpreter that New York Yankees Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera got the best of him again.

“I didn’t think Mariano would come out here,” Suzuki said with a smile through the interpreter, “and break the bat.”

It did not take long for the Mariners to fix the statue; Suzuki’s bat was soon turned upright and reconnected at the handle. Suzuki, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame last summer, became only the third Mariners player to have his number retired by the franchise last year, joining Ken Griffey Jr. (No. 24) and Edgar Martinez (No. 11).

Griffey and Martinez also have statues outside of the park. They joined Suzuki at the ceremony, and all three pulled the curtain off the statue together. Suzuki made history last summer as the first Japanese-born player inducted into the Hall of Fame, earning a near-unanimous 99.7 per cent of the vote from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

The way a jovial Suzuki saw it, his statue having an imperfection was only fitting.

“In the Hall of Fame, I was short one vote,” Suzuki said. “Today, the bat was broke. It kind of lets me know that I’m still not there, that I still need to keep going. So, this is a good example of that.”

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Plante, of Minnesota Duluth, was named the winner on Friday of the 2026 Hobey Baker Award as college hockey’s top men’s player.

Michigan forward T.J. Hughes and Denver defenceman Eric Pohlkamp were the other two finalists for the prestigious award last week.

Plante, 20, is in his sophomore season with the Bulldogs and is a Detroit Red Wings prospect, having been drafted 47th overall by the team in 2024.

A native of Duluth, Minn., the left winger has enjoyed a breakout year, tallying 52 points (25 goals, 27 assists) in 40 games and helping his side to the Regional Final of the NCAA D1 men’s hockey tournament. He is the son of former NHLer Derek Plante.

Hughes, a native of Hamilton, Ont., and the captain of the Michigan Wolverines, has enjoyed a productive senior year, tallying 21 goals and 35 assists in 39 games while leading his side to the semifinals of the NCAA D1 men’s hockey championship. 

An undrafted forward, Hughes has spent four years in Ann Arbor, but managed to put it all together for his age-24 campaign, finishing second in D1 scoring behind only Ethan Wyttenbach of Connecticut’s Quinnipiac University. 

Pohlkamp, 22, has spent the last two seasons at the University of Denver after starting his collegiate career at Bemidji State University.

A fifth-round selection of the San Jose Sharks in 2023, the Baxter, Minn., native has 39 points (18 goals, 21 assists) in 41 games for the Pioneers in his junior season. He and the rest of his Denver squad are set to face Hughes and Michigan in the Frozen Four semifinals next week.

Gavin McKenna was a notable omission from the list of finalists, as the freshman led the Big Ten in scoring with 38 points (11 goals, 27 assists) in 24 conference games. He was also named the Big Ten freshman of the year. 

The Whitehorse, Yukon, native is in the running to be the first overall pick at the upcoming NHL Draft in June.

The 29-year-old MacIntyre, who tied for second last week at the Texas Open, raised some eyebrows Thursday at Augusta National — where decorum is held in high esteem — when he flashed the middle finger upon hitting a ball into the water. MacIntyre also slammed a couple of clubs and muttered some curse words loud enough to be caught live by the TV mics.

It was unclear whether Augusta National took any disciplinary action.

MacIntyre finished at 7 over, missing the cut by three shots, and headed straight to the Player Services Building. At one point, someone posted to his Instagram story what appeared to be an AI-produced image of a Masters gnome in his likeness giving the bird.

Whoever it was had a sense of humour about things.

Bryson DeChambeau probably didn’t find anything funny about his finish.

He was 3 over coming to the par-4 18th before hitting his drive under a pine tree. He managed to punch his next into a bunker left of the green but left the ensuing shot in the sand. His fourth rolled off the front of the green, and the bogey pitch that DeChambeau needed to make the cut never had a chance; the two-time U.S. Open champ made triple bogey and finished at 6 over.

It was a grind for many of the game’s best players to make the low 50 and ties and play the weekend.

Brian Harman was a full 10 shots better than his opening round on Friday, pairing a 69 with that 79 to make the cut on the number. Rasmus Hojgaard and Jon Rahm each improved by eight shots with rounds of 70 to also make the cut on the number.

Rahm, the 2023 Masters champion, was among the favorites before his opening 78.

“Yesterday was just an anomaly where everything that could go wrong went wrong,” Rahm said. “Not that I shot myself out of the tournament but I’m going to need an absolute miracle starting today, and didn’t quite do enough. I’m going to need a heck of a round tomorrow to give myself a chance and even then, might be a little too far away.”

Or a lot too far away. Rory McIlroy finished at 12 under after rounds of 67-65, giving the defending champion a six-shot lead over his closest pursuers, Sam Burns and Patrick Reed. That set a 36-hole record for the largest lead at the Masters.

JJ Spaun, the U.S. Open champion and the winner last week in San Antonio, opened with a 2-over 74 but put himself in trouble right away with three bogeys in a four-hole span early Friday. Not even two birdies in his last three holes could save him. He finished at 5 over.

Former British Open champ Cameron Smith shot 74-77 to miss the cut for the sixth straight time in a major.

Nobody had a bigger roller coaster around the cut line than Akshay Bhatia.

Playing late in the day, the winner of the Arnold Palmer Invitational was at 4 over before his bogey at the 16th. Bhatia got back on the cut line by holing out from a bunker at the 17th, then proceeded to double bogey the closing hole to miss the cut.

None of the six amateurs made the cut, including U.S. Amateur champion Mason Howell, who spent the two days playing with McIlroy. Jackson Herrington, whom Howell defeated in the finals last year, and British Amateur champion Ethan Fang fared the best among the amateurs, each finishing at 8-over par.

“Maybe if I’m allowed to come out and practice, I’ll be out here tomorrow,” Herrington said. “It’s the best place on Earth. I know that.”

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Shield (3-2, 3.5 points) is in a three-way tie with Alpine (3-2, 3.5 points) and Northern (3-2, 3.5 points) but holds the tiebreaker thanks to an advantage on points scored with 102.

Teams get one point for a win, plus an extra half-point for a sweep.

Shield will take on Maple, Alpine Curling Club faces Frontier Curling Club and Northern United matches up against Typhoon Curling Club in the opening round of the playoffs on Saturday. The semifinals and final of the inaugural event will be played Sunday at Toronto’s Mattamy Athletic Centre.

The competition offers US$250,000 in prize money, with $100,000 going to the winning team. 

Kerri Einarson led Shield’s women’s team to a 5-4 win over Maple’s Rachel Homan. In the men’s game, Brad Jacobs’ rink cruised to a 9-3 win over Mike McEwen. Marlee Powers and Benoît Schwarz-van Berkel earned a 10-6 win in mixed doubles over Jocelyn Peterman and Tanner Horgan to complete the sweep.

Earlier, Typhoon got back to its winning ways with a 2-1 victory over Alpine in the afternoon draw. Alpine got off to a strong start when Alina Paetz defeated Anna Hasselborg 7-3 in the women’s game. 

But Niklas Edin led Typhoon to a 9-4 win over Joel Retornaz in the men’s game, and Typhoon clinched the win when Tori Koana and Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi downed Sofia Scharback and Oskar Eriksson 7-4 in mixed doubles.

Typhoon, which was swept 3-0 by Northern on Thursday, improved to 3-2.

Northern couldn’t keep the momentum going, losing 2-1 to Frontier on Friday. Frontier pulled out the win in dramatic fashion when Stefania Constantini’s women’s team scored four in the final end in a 7-6 win over Giulia Zardini Lacedelli.

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Sewald gave up a two-out triple off the top of the right-field wall to rookie Justin Crawford. Sewald recovered to get Turner — last season’s NL batting champion — on a flyball to end the game and earn his fourth save.

The NL East champion Phillies opened a nine-game homestand with their third straight loss and fourth in five games. They struck out 16 times against four Diamondbacks pitchers.

Phillies starter Jesús Luzardo — who struck out 11 without a walk in his last start in Colorado — took a no-hitter into the fifth and was staked to a 4-0 lead.

Eight batters later, he was yanked as Arizona lead 5-4.

Ketel Marte started the scoring with a two-RBI single and Ildemaro Vargas added a run-scoring single to make it 4-3. Brandon McCann, who took over catching duties in the third after Gabriel Moreno left with lower-back tightness, lined a two-RBI double to right for the 5-4 lead that chased Luzardo (1-2)

The Phillies were outscored 11-0 in consecutive games by San Francisco and had been scoreless in 20 straight innings overall to end their six-game road trip.

The shutout streak ended in a hurry against Soroka (3-0).

The Phillies got the instant offense out of the top of the order they’ve lacked most of the season. Turner singled, Kyle Schwarber walked and Bryce Harper lined an RBI double for a 1-0 lead.

Brandon Marsh, batting cleanup for the first time this season, hit a three-run homer to left for a 4-0 lead and the Phillies seemed primed to blow the game open.

Soroka, who had allowed only one run over his first 10 innings pitched, instead settled into a groove and gave up just two more hits and no runs over his final 4 2/3 innings.

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Jaylen Brown added 23 points in 29 minutes, sitting out the entire fourth quarter. Payton Pritchard finished with 21 points and 10 assists for Boston, which clinched the Atlantic Division.

The Celtics’ 29 3s equal their total from Oct. 22, 2024 against the Knicks. The Memphis Grizzlies (April 6 vs. Cleveland) and Milwaukee Bucks (Dec. 29, 2020 at Miami) also share the record.

Big man Neemias Queta even got in on the action for Boston, knocking down his first career 3 to go along with 10 rebounds. Seven different Celtics players had at least two.

Boston led by as many as 41 points against a Pelicans team missing several starters.

The 3-point onslaught was ignited by Brown. He returned to the lineup after sitting out Thursday’s loss at New York with left Achilles tendinitis and scored 12 first-quarter points to help the Celtics build an early 22-point cushion.

Boston also did it without Jayson Tatum, who hasn’t played in back-to-back nights since his return from Achilles tendon surgery. He was given the night off to rest.

Jeremiah Fears led the Pelicans with 36 points. Derik Queen added 25 points and 11 rebounds. New Orleans, which will miss the playoffs for the second straight year, has lost nine of its last 10 games.

The Pelicans were again without top players Zion Williamson (right knee), Herb Jones (rest), Saddiq Bey (rest), Trey Murphy III (right ankle sprain) and Dejounte Murray (bruised left hand).

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Taylor, who sits at 1-under heading into the weekend at the Masters, hit his tee shot on the par 3 to just inches, and tapped in for birdie. Taylor rallied from back-to-back bogeys early on the front nine and added three circles on his card, including on No. 12, to shoot even-par 72 on Friday. 

Taylor made the cut in his Masters debut in 2020 but then went eight straight majors without finding the weekend until last year’s Masters. 

Now Taylor is gunning for his best-ever result at a major with two rounds to go at Augusta National as Taylor sits tied for 20th heading into the weekend. 

Rory McIlroy leads the way after two days at the Masters as he looks to become the first person to successfully defend a title at Augusta since Tiger Woods in 2001-02. 

Despite some early struggles for Taylor, whose best finish at a major came at last year’s U.S. Open, when he finished tied for 23rd, said he found himself feeling good at the mid-point of the front nine Friday. 

“Through four holes, I felt like I could have been under par and I was 2-over, so it was a fine line — mostly on the greens. But settled in after that. Hit a lot of great shots,” Taylor said. “Had some opportunities, but a lot of easy pars, which is what you want out here. Don’t want to be grinding all the time.” 

While Taylor has had a steady, if unspectacular, start to the Masters, this is the kind of place where steady works well. He’s hit more than 85 per cent of his greens and 70 per cent of his greens through two days, and Taylor said his confidence continued to increase through the day. 

“Just playing in more and more (majors) feeling more comfortable. Realizing that my game is good enough to shoot good scores and just got to keep stacking that on top of each other,” Taylor said. “This week was probably my best week of preparation. … Didn’t try to reinvent the wheel with anything. Just kept it going. If I can keep doing that, hopefully got a couple solid rounds ahead of me.” 

Corey Conners, meanwhile, struggled with the putter on Friday after struggling with the driver Thursday. Now he’s hoping he’ll be able to put it all together on the weekend at Augusta National. 

Conners sits at 4-over through 36 holes but made the cut on the number. He said he ended up putting his back-up driver in his bag for the second day after, ironically enough, his consistency with the big stick was actually a hindrance. It’s common on the PGA Tour, where pros at this level will hit so many balls on the exact same spot on a driver that it will oftentimes lose its bounce. And that’s what happened to Conners on Thursday. 

“A couple (on Thursday) felt like pretty good swings and surprised me where the ball went,” Conners said. “Hit a few on the range with (the new driver head) and it was going where I wanted. Was happy with how I drove it.” 

The putter ended up letting Conners down on the second day as he worked to get back to even par for the week via a Friday climb. 

Instead, Conners will need to put in a hearty two days of work on the weekend as he looks to record his fifth top-10 finish in seven years at the Masters. 

“Honestly gave myself looks, just wasn’t able to convert the putts.” Conners said. “It’s tough. I wanted one to go in so bad to try and get some momentum going.

“Was right on the edge on 11, 12, 13 hit a really nice putt, 15 as well. On 16, hit another good one that was kind of breaking and just died on the edge. On 17, again, a par-saving putt was right in the middle just short.”   

Both Canadians will have some work to do to record a great result at the Masters, but they’ve made the weekend — and that’s step No. 1. 

“The fans have been electric from the start at our home games,” Springer said, with a grin. “I think everyone’s excited for us to be back, and we’re obviously excited to be here.” 

This is the last season of a six-year contract for Springer, the 36-year-old leadoff man some teammates describe as the most impactful voice in the clubhouse. And while the Blue Jays are below .500 at 5-7 in the early going, Springer has weathered storms before, and snapping their six-game losing streak with a win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday afternoon is certainly a step in the right direction. 

Friday night, the Jays return to Rogers Centre for the first of three against the Minnesota Twins (7:07 p.m. ET / 4:07 p.m. PT first pitch, on Sportsnet, Sportsnet+). Ahead of that series opener, which also happens to be Springer’s bobblehead night, the leadoff man took time to talk about his memories around the swing that sent the Jays to last year’s World Series (captured in bobblehead form for the first 15,000 fans to turn up at Friday’s game), the inspiration he drew from the two George Springers before him, and what he’d tell Blue Jays fans who are in panic mode following a rocky start. 

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

SPORTSNET: You’re in the same seat in the clubhouse as last year. Is that a good thing? You like your spot? 

I do. I’ve got Daulton (Varsho) to my right, and I’ve got an empty locker to the other side, so I get a little more space, which is good. I have a lot of stuff. 

Like an overflow of shoes? 

No, just overflow packages that I don’t bring home ‘cause I’m lazy. I get deliveries here, like anything I get for my kids or stuff for the family. I just wait for (my family) to get back up here, and it just piles up in the other locker.

How often do you get to see your wife and kids? 

They’re not here currently, but they do come up, normally once or twice a month. They’ll come up for a few days in a homestand. 

Is that hard for you, not being around them regularly? 

Yeah. I like being around my boys. They’re young, five and almost three. I love to share this with them and have fun with them. I get to hang out with my wife, who is my best friend. Just really enjoy the game and enjoy life here with her. 

She was a softball player, right? Do you two ever play catch? 

Yeah. She’s actually my throwing partner in the off-season. 

So convenient! 

Yeah, she’s great.

As George Springer III, was it easy for you two to name your first son (George IV)? Family tradition and all? 

No, that was not easy, actually. That’s something we wanted to do, but we kind of went back and forth with it, and then my wife said, “Well, it’s a boy, so it’s up to you to name him.” It took me about two weeks before he was born to decide on it.

I was just having a hard time. Like my mind was telling me to do it, my heart was telling me to do it. I don’t know if I was looking to make sure that I was making the right decision. But I made the right decision. I’m happy I did it.

You also grew up in a household with another George, so you know what can be tough about that, right? 

So, my dad and I actually share the same birthday as well. The hard part is when my mom always said “George!” we would both respond. I think we just kind of navigated it based off the tone in my mom’s voice. 

If she was yelling… 

Yeah, it was most likely at me [laughs].  

Do you call George IV “George” all the time? 

I call him “dude,” “bro,” I’ll call him all sorts of names, but for the most part I’ll say “George.”

Are your sons into baseball? 

Right now, they’re really into basketball and hockey, which is cool, but they’re also into baseball. 

Did you play hockey as a kid? 

I loved it. I played sporadically up until my sophomore year of high school.

And then did you give up all other sports to focus on baseball? 

No, it was just the way the world worked, I guess, or the way my life went. My dad and my head coach for baseball had a much clearer vision than I did about where, apparently, I was going to go. They kind of steered me away from all the other stuff I was doing, all the sports, into baseball.

So, your dad played a big role. How about your grandpa George? 

My grandfather came to the United States from Panama — I don’t know the exact date, which my dad will probably get mad at me for — but that’s why he came to the United States, to play baseball. I pretty much followed in my dad’s and his footsteps with playing the game. They both love the game. 

When did you fall in love with baseball yourself? 

I remember as a kid distinctly when I said: “I want to play baseball.” I played catch with Torii Hunter. I was nine years old when he was in New Britain double-A. I didn’t know who he was at the time, but I remember he threw me a ball and I kind of accidentally threw it back to him and he threw it back to play catch for, I don’t know, probably three throws. 

And then I remember he walked away and I saw his number and I said: “I like that guy.” And then I watched him play that night: He ran into the centre-field wall, hit a homer and slid head-first into home plate, and I said, “I want to play like that.” And here we are today.

Does Toronto feel like home? 

Yeah, I love it. The cliche answer is that I love everything, but I actually really do. I love being here, the fans, the city, walking around or being somewhere and just seeing how much love for the team everybody has. It means a lot to us. 

This is the last year of your contract in Toronto. What goes through your mind when you think about that? 

How fast it’s gone, and where I was six years ago, and where we are now and how much we’ve accomplished as an organization and as a team. I just couldn’t be more proud to be a part of where we are as an organization now.

And do you think of how much you could accomplish this season, too?

The goal is obviously to be the last team standing, but that’s not something I’m going to focus on. I want to take it one day at a time.

Recent days have been tough for this team — lots of injuries and a losing streak. What have you learned in your career that can help navigate tough moments like these during a season? 

Obviously, it’s very early. It’s not the most ideal start that you would want, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to keep going. And I think ultimately what I’ve said is, “Tough times don’t last, tough people do.” And you just have to weather the storm, you have to ride it out, you have to stick to your processes. You obviously can make adjustments along the way, but you’ve just got to show up to work every day, put your hard hat on and go. 

Have you said that to the team recently? “Tough times don’t last, tough people do.” 

Yes, it’s just as easy as that.

Would you say the same to Jays fans who might be a little worried? No panic, right? 

I mean, I understand why. Everybody wants us to win every game and to play the best that we possibly can every day, and I heartily understand that, right? And there’s nobody that wants us to win more than the guys in that locker room. So, I know that everyone’s going to do everything that we can to make sure we get this thing right and to be where everybody wants to be at the end of the day.

We’ve got 150-something games to go. Everyone’s going to do whatever it is that we have to do to make sure that we get this ship righted, and it’ll happen. There’s probably going to be another time over the course of the season where things don’t go right, but that’s why you play 162 games.

One of your newer teammates, Tyler Rogers, mentioned your voice is the most impactful in the clubhouse. He said: “When he talks, people listen.” What’s it like to hear that? 

That’s an honour. It’s special. My job within the confines of the clubhouse is to help and to try and shed any wisdom or whatever I can to kind of make guys’ jobs easier. I’m an open book, I’ll talk to whoever. 

What do you talk to Daulton about, your closest neighbour in the clubhouse?

It depends on how much I annoy him. I try to annoy Daulton as much as I can. Daulton is younger than me, but he tries to act older, and I’m older than Daulton, and I definitely act way younger than he does.

What’s the easiest way to annoy Daulton?

I have multiple ways, but I can’t reveal them. 

Fair. In your five seasons here, how have you seen Vladdy mature, on and off the field? 

He’s really come into his own, making sure he understands that his voice holds weight and anything he says or does, you know, guys will listen to. And for him, he’s not a very vocal guy, so for him to really come into his own and to use his voice has been awesome.

Since there’s a bobblehead being given to fans Friday of you jumping after you hit the homer to send the Jays to the World Series, can you relive that moment a bit? What was it like? 

I don’t remember. I have no idea. I didn’t even know that that’s what happened. 

You don’t remember jumping? 

No, I honestly don’t. I do remember hitting the ball, but after that, I’ve got nothing. I don’t remember hearing anything, feeling anything.

That’s kind of sad. It looked like pure joy… but you blacked out.

I did. I mean, it happens in sports. It’s just one of those moments.

I hope you’ve watched the replay multiple times. 

I have seen it, and it’s emotional, right? It’s not that I didn’t believe I could do it. It’s just one of those times where, for me, that’s an unthinkable thing, right? You dream of stuff like that, and for it to actually happen was awesome. 

You’ll have the moment in bobblehead form now to help you remember. You’ll keep one, right? 

Oh yeah, absolutely. For the kids.

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The New York Knicks forward exited versus the Toronto Raptors on Friday with a left ankle injury.

It’s unclear when Anunoby suffered the injury, but he did not return to the game following halftime.

Anunoby had two points, five rebounds and three assists in 15 minutes before leaving. The 28-year-old was averaging 16.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.6 steals entering Friday.

The Knicks and Raptors could potentially match up in the first round of the playoffs.

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The Indiana Fever have re-signed the all-star guard to a one-year, $1.4-million supermax contract, ESPN’s Chiney Ogwumike reported Friday.

Mitchell had a stellar year for the Fever in 2025, averaging 20.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting 45.6 per cent from the field and 39.4 per cent from three-point range.

She was a huge contributor for Indiana as it advanced to the WNBA semifinals despite superstar guard Caitlin Clark missing a chunk of the season while dealing with various injuries. Clark missed the entirety of the post-season.

In the playoffs, Mitchell averaged 22.3 points, 1.5 rebounds and three assists while shooting 42.9 per cent from deep to help her side beat the Atlanta Dream in the first round and push the eventual champion Las Vegas Aces to five games.

A three-time all-star, Mitchell has spent her entire eight-year career with the Fever since being drafted second overall in 2018. She earned her first all-WNBA nod last season with a place on the first team.

At this point in the schedule it’s most important to keep in mind the tiebreakers. The first column you should be concerned with is regulation wins (RW) as that will be the first tiebreaker used. If teams are tied in RW, the next most important column is ROW, wins in regulation and overtime which excludes shootout victories. Then it’s total wins (W) and, finally, the head-to-head record between two teams in an even number of home and away games.

With how tight so many of these races are, whether it’s to just get into the playoffs, for a division title, or seeding, we may need a tiebreaker to determine finish.

As we get set for the last weekend of this regular season, we take a look at what each relevant team is still playing for.

Buffalo: Idle this weekend, the Sabres could nonetheless clinch home-ice advantage in the first round if Montreal loses both of its games in regulation, since the Canadiens then wouldn’t be able to pass Buffalo in points, or in the tiebreaker. If Tampa were to lose its one weekend game in regulation, it would put Buffalo on the precipice of winning the division. If both of these results happen to the Lightning and Canadiens, the Sabres would need just one point in its final two games next week to do so. They are in control of their destiny.

Montreal: During The Masters golf tournament this weekend, Saturday will be regarded as “moving day” where players position themselves to take a run at winning the green jacket on Sunday. For the Canadiens, you could consider this their “moving weekend.” With games on Saturday and Sunday, they’ll come out of this weekend with just one left to play and on Monday Tampa and Buffalo will both have one game in hand. Win twice and the Canadiens will be ahead, which is crucial considering they won’t be able to top either division rival in the tiebreaker. And these won’t be soft touches as both of Montreal’s opponents — Columbus and the Islanders — have their playoff hopes on the line.

Tampa Bay: The Lightning’s tiebreaker scenario against Buffalo is interesting. They could still pass the Sabres in regulation wins, but if they fail to put another RW on the board in Saturday’s matinee in Boston, they would then only be able to tie the Sabres there. The second and third tiebreakers (ROW, total wins) are also still up in the air. But there exists the possibility that a Sabres-Lightning standings tie would require a fourth tiebreaker — the head-to-head result — which the Sabres have already clinched. A loss against the Bruins would put the Lightning in a tough spot in its last two games next week against Detroit and the Rangers.

Carolina: With the division already clinched, the Hurricanes are only playing for the Eastern Conference’s top seed now and home-ice advantage through at least the first three rounds. They have one game this weekend in Utah and a win would put them in great position to do so. The Hurricanes must stay ahead of the Sabres in points since Buffalo would top them in the first tiebreaker.

Pittsburgh: The Penguins clinched their playoff spot Thursday night and they are also locked into the Metropolitan Division’s second seed so there is no more standings movement for them. Pittsburgh has a home-and-home series with Washington this weekend and so are playing to be the spoiler in its rival’s playoff push.

Philadelphia: The NHL’s third-best team since the trade deadline, the Flyers could still have a route into the post-season through the wild card, but their best bet is to hang on to third in the Metro because they start the weekend ahead of their competition for that spot, but behind everyone chasing a playoff spot in regulation wins. Philadelphia must stay ahead of the Islanders, Blue Jackets and Capitals in standings points since the tiebreaker is out of reach (it could still pass the Blue Jackets in RW, but trail them by two). Philly’s one weekend game is Saturday night in Winnipeg before it finishes up with a tough back-to-back at home against Carolina and Montreal next week.

Boston: The Bruins play twice this weekend against tough or playoff-desperate competition (Saturday vs. Tampa Bay, Sunday at Columbus) but all they need is two points to clinch a playoff spot. They’re also still trying to hold off the hard-charging Senators, who are right behind them in the second wild-card spot.

Ottawa: The Senators could clinch as early as Saturday if they beat the Islanders on the road in their afternoon game and Detroit follows up with a loss of any sort later that night. If the Sens lose Saturday in extra time and Detroit wins, the Senators could still clinch a playoff spot with a win Sunday in New Jersey. They’re in full control of the tiebreaker, so are in a great spot to finish the job soon.

Detroit: Without the ability to still get in through a top-three division spot, the Red Wings’ path to the playoffs is extremely narrow and out of their control. Detroit has one game this weekend Saturday at home to New Jersey, which is a must-win situation. Even if Detroit wins every one of its final three games on the schedule it’d still need Boston or Ottawa to stumble to squeak in.

NY Islanders: There are still two routes the Islanders have to the post-season: they could track down the Flyers for third in the Metro, or catch Ottawa for the wild card. Boston is mathematically still within reach, but a long shot at best. Their best chance is through the Metro since they would win a tiebreaker over the Flyers and have a decided advantage there over the Blue Jackets with three games left. New York’s first game with Peter DeBoer behind the bench was a 5-3 win over Toronto in which it outshot the Leafs 44-16. Can it continue to benefit from a coaching bump this weekend where it has back-to-back home games against Ottawa and Montreal?

Columbus: Like the Islanders, Columbus’ best chance is through the Metro since it also holds a tiebreaker advantage over the Flyers. However, the Blue Jackets enter the weekend having lost momentum, with a 2-7-1 record over their past 10 after making a charge from the East’s basement in the second half of the season. The Blue Jackets play in Montreal Saturday, then home to Boston on Sunday and need to get some points on the board. If they can, there would be a potential huge finale next week — but the odds are against the Jackets now.

Washington: Another team trying to get in through the Metro, the Capitals has the most work to do here but, interestingly, they have already clinched the first tiebreaker over any other team vying for the Metro’s third spot. Just a tie for third with anyone will get them in. Starting the weekend three points out, how fitting that a Saturday-Sunday home-and-home with Pittsburgh will determine if Washington is still in the race come Monday.

Colorado: There isn’t anything left to play for as the Avalanche clinched the Presidents’ Trophy already this week. The main goal for them, then, will be to stay healthy and prepare for Round 1 against whichever wild card team is “unlucky” enough to earn their way into the last playoff spot. Colorado’s only weekend game is against Vegas, which has lots left to play for.

Dallas: The Stars’ first-round series with Minnesota is the only locked-in matchup so far, but who gets home-ice advantage is still to be determined. For that, Dallas is firmly in control after defeating Minnesota in regulation on Thursday, but it still needs to take care of business. The Stars host the lowly Rangers on Saturday and can clinch second in the Central with a win in any fashion.

Minnesota: Thursday’s loss to Dallas will likely be the decisive game that puts the Wild third in the Central, but there’s an outside shot they could still catch the Stars. Minnesota will need a lot of help from Dallas, of course, but if the Stars lose to the Rangers and the Wild beat Nashville on Saturday, it will at least make it interesting heading into the final week. Minnesota would have to pass Dallas in points outright since the Stars have already clinched the tiebreaker between the two.

Edmonton: Winners of eight of their past 12, the Oilers have been the NHL’s third-best team by points percentage since March 15 and, the hope is they’re turning a corner in preparation for the playoffs. After beating Vegas in OT last month, a regulation loss to the Golden Knights last weekend made this a three-team race for the Pacific Division title instead of a showdown between Edmonton and Anaheim. Still, the Oilers are in full control here, having already clinched a tiebreaker over the Ducks (by way of RW) and Golden Knights (by way of ROW since Vegas can only tie Edmonton in RW). The Oilers play one game this weekend, in Los Angeles. Edmonton can’t clinch the division this weekend, but a win would keep it in the driver’s seat and do a lot of damage to the Kings’ playoff chances, a team the Oilers have met in the first round four years in a row.

Vegas: Like Edmonton, the playoff-tested Golden Knights might be getting hot at just the right time, earning 11 of a possible 14 points in their past seven games. They will need to pass the Oilers in standings points if they are to win the Pacific, though, as the tiebreaker is out of reach. Vegas’ only weekend game is on the road in Colorado.

Anaheim: In control of this division not all that long ago, the Ducks went on a six-game losing streak they snapped on Thursday night when they won 6-1 over San Jose. That win kept them in this race, but they’re in an unfavourable tiebreaker scenario. The Ducks host Vancouver on Sunday, so anything short of two points this weekend would be a massive disappointment. They haven’t clinched a playoff spot yet, but would do so with a win and a regulation Kings loss this weekend. Anaheim is still fighting for three different things: the Pacific Division title, home-ice advantage in Round 1 with the divisional two-seed, or a third-place spot in the division to avoid the wild card and a first-round matchup against Colorado.

Utah: The Mammoth clinched a playoff spot this week (congratulations), but still have one thing left to play for. Utah can’t catch Minnesota for a divisional spot ahead of it, but with one more point it will lock itself into the West’s first wild-card spot. That would ensure the Mammoth a Round 1 matchup against the winner of the Pacific instead of the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche. Utah hosts Carolina Saturday and plays in Calgary on Sunday.

Los Angeles: The Kings come into the weekend in control of the West’s second wild card, one point up on Nashville with one game in hand as well. However, with only 20 regulation wins their tiebreaker situation is terrible — the fewest regulation wins a team has made the playoffs with is 29. The Kings just have to be on par with Nashville the rest of the way, but have a tough home matchup against Edmonton on Saturday. Los Angeles does, however, have the second-easiest remaining strength of schedule, with Seattle, Vancouver and Calgary on deck next week — all on the road.

Nashville: We laid it out for you above, but the Predators have played one more game than the Kings and trail them by a point. However, they just need to tie Los Angeles to get in. Nashville, like Los Angeles, has a tough Saturday matchup when it hosts Minnesota. After that, the Preds’ schedule finish is also more difficult than Los Angeles’, with San Jose and Anaheim up next week.

Winnipeg: Three straight regulation wins have kept the Jets hanging on for dear life in the playoff race, though hopes are fading. If there’s a silver lining it’s that their 28 regulation wins are currently the most of any team wrestling for a wild-card spot, so they have a good tiebreak setup. Still, three points back of the Kings and two back of the Predators, Winnipeg’s going to need some help. The Jets host the Flyers on Saturday in what should be a playoff atmosphere for both. You’d also think they’ll need to win at least three of their last four games. Vegas, Utah and San Jose are up after Philadelphia next week.

San Jose: A run of inconsistency has put the Sharks on the back foot. A six-game losing streak in March seemed to knock them out, but then they followed that with five wins in six games to get back in the running. However, two more regulation losses this week to Edmonton and Anaheim have the Sharks chasing from a four-point deficit that will be difficult to climb out of in their last four games. San Jose hosts Vancouver on Saturday in a must-win game. A loss can’t mathematically eliminate them, but it would put them on the edge and basically force them to win out in all three road games next week to even have a chance.

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After a successful outing at single-A Dunedin on Thursday night, right-hander Trey Yesavage is expected to make “one more minor-league start” before the team determines the next steps in his eventual return, manager John Schneider told reporters Friday.

According to Schneider, his next outing is expected to take place sometime in the middle of next week, with the weather set to determine the location and minor-league level.

Yesavage is expected to throw closer to 70 pitches after topping out at 52 on Thursday.

Despite not having the cleanest showing on Thursday, Schneider mentioned that the team got “very good reports” on the 22-year-old. He finished his second rehab start, allowing four runs while striking out six and walking one over 2.2 innings with the class-A side.

All four of the runs Yesavage allowed in the outing came on singles. He threw 34 of his 52 pitches for strikes, induced 10 whiffs and topped out at 96.1 m.p.h. with his four-seam fastball.

Yesavage’s first start was on April 3, starting the 30-day clock on his rehab assignment. He opened the season on the injured list due to a shoulder impingement.

A player may be assigned to a minor-league club for injury rehabilitation while remaining on the major-league injured list for a maximum of 30 days.

During his first season of professional baseball in 2025, Yesavage rocketed through all four levels of the Blue Jays’ minor-league system before making his debut in the majors on Sept. 15.

He broke the Blue Jays franchise record for strikeouts in a major-league debut with nine and proceeded to be a key contributor to Toronto’s World Series run.

Yesavage had a 3.58 ERA over six post-season appearances — five of them starts — striking out 39 batters over 27.2 innings and walking 11. This included an 11-strikeout, no-hit performance over 5.1 innings against the Yankees in the ALDS and a record-breaking 12-strikeout start against the Dodgers in Game 5 of the Fall Classic.

The Blue Jays’ rotation is in desperate need of reinforcements, as Jose Berrios (right elbow stress fracture), Shane Bieber (right elbow inflammation), and Cody Ponce (ACL sprain) are all currently on the IL, along with Yesavage.

Schneider mentioned that Berrios threw a two-up live batting practice on Friday and “felt good,” getting up to 94-95 m.p.h. He’s likely to make a minor-league appearance for the next step in his recovery.

Additionally, Bieber and reliever Yimi Garcia (elbow) are expected to begin throwing off the mound on Saturday.

Veteran signing Patrick Corbin is scheduled to start the Blue Jays’ series opener against the Twins on Friday.

This year’s three finalists were a mix, from 20-year-old second-rounder Max Plante (Red Wings), to 22-year-old fifth-rounder Eric Pohlhamp (Sharks), to undrafted 24-year-old T.J. Hughes.

After the semifinal was played at the Frozen Four on Thursday, only one of these players is still standing, as Pohlkamp’s Denver Pioneers will face Wisconsin in the championship on Saturday.

On Friday evening, Plante was announced as the Hobey Baker winner. Below, Scout Jason Bukala gives his report on each finalist.

SCOUT’S ANALYSIS

After two exciting semifinal games, Friday’s off-day at the Frozen Four provided an opportunity for the NCAA to hand out the Hobey Baker Award.

All three of the finalists were worthy of being recognized as the top men’s college hockey players this season.

With Plante taking home the honours, here’s a look at the three finalists.

T.J. Hughes, Forward, Michigan Wolverines

Hughes is a graduating senior who captained the Wolverines to a Frozen Four berth and ends his college career with 69 goals and 110 assists in 156 games. He was a consistent contributor offensively from the day he arrived in Ann Arbor and finished second in NCAA scoring this season with 22 goals and 35 assists in 40 games.

Hughes is an undrafted free agent who will undoubtedly sign with an NHL club and could challenge for a roster spot next fall. The six-foot, 185-pound, right-shot centre was deployed in all situations with the Wolverines.

The Hamilton, Ont., native provides more than just offence. His competitive approach in all three zones stands out and projects Hughes as a prospect who could slot into a variety of roles at the pro level.

Max Plante, Forward, Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs

Plante is a Detroit Red Wings prospect who was selected in the second round (47th overall) in 2024. The five-foot-11, 180-pound forward averaged over 21 minutes per game this season for the Bulldogs while being deployed in all situations. He produced 25 goals and 27 assists in 40 games and had an impressive plus-19 rating.

Plante is a relentless competitor who plays a detailed, fast, skilled game. He’s a dual-threat off the rush who can pull up to distribute the puck or make plays to the net off his own stick.

Plante is a coach’s dream. He’s trustworthy and the kind of player who demonstrates a self-motivation that contributes to his team’s success on a consistent basis.

Eric Pohlkamp, Defenceman, Denver Pioneers

Pohlkamp was the top defenceman in NCAA scoring this season (18 goals, 21 assists in 42 games). He has contributed 29 goals and 45 assists in 86 games over two seasons at Denver after transferring from Bemidji State following his freshman season. The five-foot-11, 210-pound, right-shot defender was drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the fifth round (132nd overall) in 2023.

Pohlkamp is sturdy and strong. He has the strength to win the majority of his puck battles along the boards and gap up to kill plays in transition.

He averaged over 23 minutes per game for the Pioneers and, like the other two finalists, was deployed in all situations. His best work, arguably, came in the offensive zone.

Pohlkamp is an aggressive shooter. He rarely passes up an opportunity to direct pucks on net and has proven he can beat goalies from range with his hard and accurate shot.

Steven Matz (3-0) and three relievers combined on a five-hitter with 12 strikeouts.

Since their first three batters got hits against the A’s on Wednesday, Yankees hitters are 7 for 86 (.081). New York had a 22-batter stretch without a hit.

New York batters failed on two robot umpire challenges and have succeeded on two of their last 13 attempts.

Playing at Tropicana Field for the first time since July 11, 2024, New York took a 2-0 lead in the first. Aaron Judge singled, stole a base and scored on Cody Bellinger’s sacrifice fly, and Amed Rosario tripled on a one-hopper that went past left fielder Chandler Simpson and bounced to the wall.

Gil, the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year, was left at Triple-A early this season when the Yankees didn’t need a fifth starter because of off days. Given the early lead, he walked Jonathan Aranda with two outs in the a 32-pitch first and gave up Diaz’s 377-foot homer on a slider over the middle of the strike zone.

Simpson grounded into a run-scoring forceout in the second for a 3-2 lead against Gil, who allowed three runs, three hits and three walks in four innings.

After Judge took a step back and allowed Junior Caminero’s sixth-inning fly to drop in right for a hit, Simpson had an RBI single and Aranda a run-scoring groundout.

Ben Rice hit first first major league pinch homer in the eighth off Hunter Bigge. New York had runners at second in the third in the ninth before Bryan Baker struck out Randal Grichuk and retired pinch-hitter Trent Grisham on a popup for his second save.

Matz retired 13 of 15 hitters after early trouble and allowed two runs and five hits over five innings with seven strikeouts and two walks.

Up Next

Yankees LHP Max Fried (2-0, 1.35 ERA) and Rays RHP Nick Martinez (0-0, 2.25) start Saturday.

Mike Stapleton has also received a promotion to senior vice president and associate general manager, the Ducks announced Friday.

Verbeek took over the Ducks’ front office in February 2022, three months after Bob Murray resigned amid allegations of workplace misconduct. Verbeek has presided over the bulk of Anaheim’s lengthy rebuilding project while assembling much of the current team, which is finally on the brink of ending the franchise’s seven-year playoff drought.

Led by first-year coach Joel Quenneville, Anaheim (42-32-5) is currently in third place in the Pacific Division, but just one point out of first place with three games left in the regular season. The Ducks could clinch a playoff spot this weekend.

“Pat has done exactly as we hoped, having turned the Ducks into what we believe are perennial contenders for the next decade,” Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli said in a statement. “We are beyond [excited] to see the team continue developing into what is already an exciting, winning team ready to take the next step.”

After several years of high draft picks beginning before Verbeek’s tenure, the Ducks have assembled one of the NHL’s most enviable collections of young talent led by center Leo Carlsson, goal-scoring forward Cutter Gauthier, promising rookie Beckett Sennecke and U.S. Olympic defenseman Jackson LaCombe.

Verbeek’s trade with Philadelphia to acquire Gauthier in January 2024 has been widely praised, but his decision to ship centre Trevor Zegras to the Flyers last summer has received criticism while Zegras thrives in Philadelphia. Verbeek also parted ways with Ducks mainstays Cam Fowler and John Gibson in recent years, clearing payroll room and playing time for Anaheim’s young talent.

Most recently, Verbeek swung a deadline deal for longtime Washington defenseman John Carlson, who has scored 12 points in 13 games during Anaheim’s playoff charge.

Last summer, Verbeek also persuaded Samueli to take the risk of hiring Quenneville, Verbeek’s former NHL teammate and a three-time Stanley Cup-winning coach who had been out of the league for nearly four years after being banned for his inaction in the Chicago Blackhawks’ sexual assault scandal in 2010. Quenneville has immediately turned the young team into a playoff contender, and he became the second coach in NHL history to win 1,000 games this season.

Verbeek became a front-office executive at Tampa Bay and Detroit after the conclusion of his 20-year playing career, which included two Stanley Cup championships.

Stapleton was the Ducks’ director of player personnel and assistant general manager under Verbeek following several years as an Anaheim scout. He played 14 NHL seasons.

With the NHL taking a day off on Friday, here’s a look at how Saturday’s matchups can determine the playoff picture:

Boston Bruins

Win vs. Lightning
OR
One point vs. Lightning AND Devils win vs. Red Wings AND EITHER
1. Senators win vs. Islanders
2. Jets win vs. Flyers
OR
Devils win vs. Red Wings in regulation AND EITHER
1. Senators win vs. Islanders in regulation
2. Jets win vs. Flyers in regulation

Ottawa Senators

Win vs. Islanders AND Devils win vs. Red Wings

Edmonton Oilers

Record one point vs. Kings
OR
Any result in Jets vs. Flyers other than a Jets regulation win

Vegas Golden Knights

Win vs. Avalanche
OR
Record one point vs. Avalanche AND BOTH
1. Wild win vs. Predators
2. Flyers win vs. Jets
OR ALL
1. Wild win vs. Predators in regulation
2. Flyers win vs. Jets in regulation
3. Canucks win vs. Sharks

Anaheim Ducks

1. Wild win vs. Predators in regulation
2. Flyers win vs. Jets in regulation
3. Canucks win vs. Sharks

Meanwhile, the Dallas Stars can the clinch No. 2 seed in Central Division and host the Minnesota Wild in the first round with:

Win vs. Rangers
OR
Record one point vs. Rangers AND Predators win vs. Wild
OR
Predators win vs. Wild in regulation

For Canada Soccer, ahead of the most important summer in its history, that fact is not lost.  

“We appreciate them. There are people who’ve followed the national teams for years,” Canada Soccer CEO Kevin Blue told Sportsnet. “I’m coming in after a lot of groundwork was laid by others. We see ourselves as stewards of Canada Soccer during our time. We understand what it means to long-time fans, and we’re eager to bring in more new ones, especially this summer.”

The hunger for new fans was the origin of last week’s marketing campaign that went viral on social media, aimed at Italian Canadians following the crushing disappointment of Italy losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup qualifying playoffs.

It was brilliant and creative, something that Canada Soccer has delivered in short supply over the last number of decades. The concept? Drive up a truck loaded with Canada jerseys to Little Italy in Toronto and offer a jersey swap. The messaging on the truck: “We want your passion. This time, throw on the red.”

The word “swap” ruffled the feathers of some hardcore Italian soccer fans. In the end, Azzurri fans were able to keep their beloved kits, while 103 Canada jerseys were dished out to those that lined up.

Ever since the World Cup draw in December, the potential for a Canada-Italy clash at BMO Field in the teams’ first match of the tournament had dominated the narrative. Would long-time, passionate Italian fans — proud of their heritage and part of nearly a half-million Italian Canadians in the GTA — remain loyal to the team of their upbringing? Or would they switch and support the country of their birth or residence?

Well, we’ll never know … at least not for a while longer, following Italy’s failure to qualify. Yet, it was an opportunity too good to miss for a governing body determined to establish itself in the Canadian sporting zeitgeist. Still, with so many emotions still flowing after the Italy loss, many felt the need through social media to let their disgruntled feelings be known.

Was it just a troll job? Was it more nuanced than that? In fairness, the overwhelming response that I saw was positive. And Blue watched on with a little envy.

“We view passion through football as a positive. We want more of the country to be as passionate as those communities,” Blue said. “I’m aware of different reactions, but overall, I see it as an indication of fan passion that we want to continue to grow.”

Contrary to popular belief, this was not a reactionary campaign. It had been planned for several weeks with various spins considered, depending on what transpired on the pitch.

“We try to be methodical about everything,” Blue added. “I trust our team to execute and come up with ideas that add value. It was progressive, modern, different, and it was considered in a variety of ways.”

Canada’s chief communications and content officer, Paulo Senra, was boots-on-the-ground, handing out shirts and explaining to fans that they could keep their Italy shirts. 

“Some of the reaction was a bit of a surprise to us, but from our perspective, it was positive,” Senra said. “We know that it’s impossible to please everyone, but our jobs aren’t to make everyone comfortable, it’s to get attention on our teams. That was the biggest PR moment for our organization in the past 365 days — visibility in 31 countries and more than our World Cup draw results.”

Head coach Jesse Marsch has celebrated the fact that his team plays as if it has a chip on its shoulder. Although American, Marsch doesn’t understand the purported lack of respect Canada receives on the world stage. 

Therefore, there is nothing wrong with Canadian soccer being allowed to show a bit of swagger, even if that means upsetting other established soccer nations and their fan bases. 

Blue gets it.

“Absolutely, (the World Cup is) a catalyzing event,” Blue said. “What I’ve learned is that despite broad participation, the sport isn’t as mature commercially or culturally (in Canada) as you’d expect. The World Cup is coming at the right time to help mature that landscape, and we’re looking forward to that impact.”

Canada Soccer is not perfect and remains a work in progress, but it does to appear to suddenly be unapologetic for thumping its chest a bit.

About time, too.

Mihailovic hasn’t played with Toronto since a 1-1 tie March 14 against the New York Red Bulls.

The playmaking midfielder missed Toronto’s 2-1 win over Columbus on March 21 and its 3-2 win over Colorado — his former team — last Saturday.

Mihailovic has a goal and an assist for the Reds this season. Toronto acquired him from Colorado as a designated player on Aug. 7 for a US$8 million fee plus performance bonuses.

He signed a three-and-a-half-year contract through 2028 with an option for 2029.

TFC is sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 3-2-1 record heading into a game Saturday afternoon against visiting Cincinnati.

On a five-game winless streak, Hoffenheim remained in fifth place, two points behind Leipzig and Stuttgart. The top four are guaranteed a lucrative spot in the Champions League.

Augsburg started the match in 11th place and without a win in five, but it was 2-0 up after 14 minutes thanks to goals from Alexis Claude-Maurice and Michael Gregoritsch.

However, Czech defender Robin Hranáč cut the deficit for Hoffenheim 10 minutes before halftime, and Bazoumana Toure sealed the comeback three minutes before the break when he fired in from the tightest of angles.

Augsburg should have won, but Claude-Maurice skied a penalty kick with five minutes remaining.

Spurs were two points behind the Hammers before heading to Sunderland on Sunday.

Valentín Castellanos scored twice in three minutes midway through the second half after Konstantinos Mavropanos put the Hammers 1-0 up with a header just before halftime.

Konstantinos completed the scoring seven minutes from time with an acrobatic volley from a corner kick.

Wolves remained at the bottom of the league and was almost certain to be relegated.

Neither side excelled in a forgettable first half, but West Ham went in a goal to the good when Mavropanos nodded home a cross from Jarrod Bowen.

Castellanos made it two after 66 minutes thanks to a deliciously cheeky assist from Pablo and then the same player added a third three minutes later with a low shot that may have been aided by a slight deflection.

Konstantinos’ fourth was the icing on the cake for the home side that celebrated its first league win in over a month.

“We are extremely happy,” Hammers coach Nuno Espirito Santo said. “All of us deserve an evening like this, especially our fans. London Stadium was amazing; it was bouncing with energy even in the hard parts when the game was tough.

“I realize there is still a lot of work to be done yet. We made a big step today, which was important for us, but nothing has changed.”

The duo have matched up 99 times in their career, but they may only have two meetings left.

Ovechkin — who is set to decide on his NHL future in the off-season — and the Washington Capitals will take on Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins in a weekend back-to-back mini series.

This will make 101 games against each other, the most among duelling No. 1 picks in league history. Without knowing if there will be a 102nd matchup, Ovechkin will enjoy these next two games.

“It’s history what we have, 20 years playing against each other,” Ovechkin said Friday. “We came into the league at the same time, and we’re still battling and we still have a good match.”

In 74 regular-season games between the two, Crosby holds the edge with a 43-27-4 record. It’s the same in the playoffs, as the Penguins have beaten the Capitals in three out of four series between the two stars.

Playing against one another seems to bring out the best in each other. Ovechkin has 70 points (38 goals, 32 assists) in regular-season contests and 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) in the post-season, while Crosby has 97 (35 goals, 62 assists) and 30 (13 goals, 17 assists).

“I think the whole situation around Ovi and Sid was kind of a big time,” Ovechkin said, “and even more, not pressure, but even more (you) think about it and get ready for it.

“It’s still the same since the first game when we played against each other. The fans are in, and you guys (the media) are in, and we take that energy and put it on the ice.”

Despite the constant comparisons, battles and headlines surrounding Ovechkin and Crosby over the year, the two have been able to separate their hockey battles from their personal relationship.

“We became friends,” Ovechkin said. “I think we understand the battle is out there, but off the ice we can talk to each other, congratulate each other on that moment. So, it’s pretty good.”

This weekend’s games will also mean a lot to Ovechkin and the Capitals because they most likely need to win both in order to stay in the playoff chase. Washington sits five points behind the Ottawa Senators for the East’s final wild-card spot.

“It’s Game 7 for us,” Ovechkin said.

The “Great 8” is not under contract after the 2025-26 season and has already made it known he’ll decide on his future in the summer.

So, after two decades of captivating hockey fans as competitors turned admirers, Crosby sat down to share his thoughts with The Athletic on Ovechkin’s uncertain future, something he admits has “been on my mind quite a bit.”

“I’ve been thinking about him a lot, because I know it’s something that has got to be on his mind constantly right now. When you get to a certain age, it’s the way it is. Every player is going to have to deal with it at some point.”

It’s no secret that Crosby is also in the twilight of his career at age 38 and in his 21st NHL season, but his Penguins are in a better spot at this point — having clinched a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2022 — than Ovechkin’s Capitals. Washington is going to miss the playoffs for the second time in four seasons and is in the midst of a roster retool.

The Penguins’ competitive outlook and Crosby being under contract through next season have made his future, at least in the short-term, a simpler situation to navigate than the many potential paths Ovechkin can consider after this season.

“He’s accomplished so much and has had an amazing career,” Crosby explained. “And I know that he still has an incredible passion for that game. That’s obvious. It’s definitely crossed my mind a lot lately, wondering what he’s going to do, because you don’t know what’s going to happen.”

And should the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer decide to hang up his skates, Crosby has no qualms admitting it would feel unusual.

“Yeah, it would be so weird if he’s not around anymore,” the Penguins star said. “It would be weird, especially because we’ve (almost) always been in the same division. We see each other so often. We came into the league together. So, really, it’s all we’ve ever known. There have been changes. You play with a lot of different guys over the course of 20 years. But for me, seeing him a few times a year, and seeing him in the playoffs, has always been a constant.”

Including the playoffs, Crosby and Ovechkin have faced off 101 times. And it’s the battles between their two teams — meeting in the post-season four times, each series going at least six games, including two Game 7s — that the Cole Harbour, N.S. native will seemingly think about most when he eventually calls it quits and looks back on his career.

“Those were incredible series,” the Penguins captain said. “We had to go through them to get there. The way that both teams played in the regular season was just getting into position to play each other in the playoffs. We basically built our teams with the other team in mind, knowing that the other one would probably be there. And the way those series went, the Game 7s. There are a ton of memories from those games, those series. There will be a ton of memories for me in terms of playing against (Ovechkin) over the years, but those series will stick out above everything else. I’ll think about those forever.”

And in looking back on their clashes, Crosby finds himself admiring much more about Ovechkin’s game than just his goal-scoring prowess.

“People talk about (Ovechkin’s) shot, and yeah, it’s great,” Crosby said. “But the thing about him back then was, he’d have six or seven huge hits during the course of a game, even though he was playing all of those minutes. That’s so hard to do. Just an incredible hockey player.”

So as the pair of future Hall of Famers prepare to share the ice for possibly the last time in their storied careers, Crosby is grateful for the opportunity to do so.

“If this is it for him, if that’s the way it works out, I think it’s pretty cool that the schedule worked out the way it did,” Crosby said. “I feel very fortunate that I’ve gotten to be in the same division against the greatest goal scorer of all time. It’s been an honour.”

The first of back-to-back games between the Penguins and Capitals takes place on Saturday. Catch the action on Sportsnet+ at 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT.

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