Author Archives: Anoop Uppal

Canada at the World Hockey Championships

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(Photo: Canadian Olympic Committee, IIHF)

In a routing performance at the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship, Team Canada destroyed France 5–0 on Tuesday, May 13, at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. The victory was Canada’s 2nd shutout in the tournament, following earlier wins over Slovenia and Latvia where they did give up 1 goal sadly. This is one of Team Canadas best teams in a long time at the World Championships so and they could get better as soon enough more players will get eliminated in the NHL playoffs and with a stacked roster this year the interest to join Team Canada will be at an all time hight

Veteran goalie Jordan Binnington earned his tourney debut, stopping all 15 shots he faced to register the shutout. Offensively, Bo Horvat led the charge with two goals, while Sidney Crosby, Will Cuylle, and Brandon Montour each added a goal to the mix. Crosby’s goal, his first of the tourney, was a power–play goal late in 2nd period Crosby showing that crazy eye he has for scoring goals from crazy angles. Here a post from the IIHF that is a look at Sidney Crosby picking that sharp angle watch this. https://x.com/IIHFHockey/status/1922376443473862985

Canada’s power play special teams played particularly well, earning two power-play opportunities and practicing disciplined hockey in the course of the game. The team play as a collective has put them at the top of Group A, tied along with host country Sweden. The Canadian match ups have not been particularly hard yet playing the “weaker” countries so far in this World Championship. The matchups still will not get too difficult yet.

Team Canada will face Austria on Thursday, May 15, as they continue there push to grab the championship title. The team boasts a combination of has a good combo of vets like Sidney Crosbys, Bo Horvats and ETC and they also got very good young players like Macklin Celebrini. Canada should expect no less than a gold medal in this tournament. The Canadians have a relatively easy schedule up until the last 2 games of the prelims. Its safe to say we will see Canada in the quarters but the seeding is what is important as there last two games are Against Sweden and Finland. By the time those games come i am sure the Canadians will have added more star power to there roster.  

Hurricanes push Caps to the brink

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(Photo: The Score, NHL)

The Carolina Hurricanes are on the brink of advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals after a win in there game last night giving them a 3-1 lead on the Washington Capitals. The Hurricanes will have a chance to clinch in Washington on Thursday night. 

Defence man Sean Walker and forward Taylor Hall each contributed a goal and an assist. Production from Hall is a big thing because he has struggled to find his former form this season for the Hurricanes. Goalie Freddy Anderson had a relatively quiet night making 19 saves off of his 21 shots against. The Hurricanes set the tone with former Philly Flyers D Man Shayne Gostisbehere scoring early. The Hurricanes did have there disciplinary issues they faced though as the team took 2 penalties in the first with one of them being a 4 minute double minor. The Canes penalty kill stood up to the challenge though killing the penalties off in clean fashion. 

In the 3rd period the Canes took a 3-1 advantage as Taylor hall scored his second goal of the playoffs. the Canes would carry this lead for a little bit in the 3rd period. The Great 8 would get the Caps within one with his patented 1 timer on the Power play the Canes could only get away with so much against this top power play. This marked Ovi’s 5th goal this playoffs which has the 39 year old tied for the 5th spot in the playoffs so far. Even though the Caps cut the lead to 1 the Hurricanes defence just overwhelmed the Caps offence. The Caps could not get anything going. Defence man Sean Walker would put the dagger into Caps fans hearts as he scored a late goal to give the Canes the Cushion they needed for the final 2 minutes. Coach Rod Brind’Amour actually switched Walker on the first pair of defence for this game and it worked out well for him. Heres the goal scored by Walker, https://x.com/illegallybIond3/status/1922338729009533120.

The Caps would pull there goalie but it was no use as Andrei Svechnikov would rub salt in the wound of the Caps fans notching an empty net goal putting the game away for good and giving the Canes a 3-1 series lead. 

The series now shifts back to Washington for a must win game 5. The Caps are going to need a lot more help on the offensive end, and they are going to need to figure out how to get pasted this stubborn Carolina defence. 

 

BC lions X Snoop Dogg

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(Photo: BC Lions, CFL)

The BC lions are opening there season June 7th against the Edmonton Elks and over 50,000 people are set to attend the season opener for the Lions. There is a twist though as Snoop Dogg will be preforming 1 hour before the game this is the Lions 4th annual performance combining sports and music. Last year the Lions opened with 50 cent performing and with both performances bringing in massive crowds i do not think this tradition stops for the Lions. This tradition started in 2022 with the Lions having One Republic out before there season opener. The decision to have Snoop Dogg headline this year hopes to bring momentum and attract a more diverse fanbase for the Lions. The Lions actually sold over 10,000 tickets alone yesterday and have opened the upper end zone now for more fans who want to attended.  https://x.com/RoarReport/status/1922695059708768679

Snoop Dogg has been a massive figure in the music industry for over 30 plus years. With hits like “Gin and Juice”, “Still a G thang”, and featuring on “Still Dre”, Snoop Dogg is a very influential artist. His recent performances include performing at the Super Bowl, and the closing ceremonies for the 2024 olympic games and he is rumoured to be helping in the 2028 Olympics in LA.  

Lions owner Amar Doman showed real excitement about the upcoming season opener saying “I’m very excited to bring Snoop Dogg, one of the most entertaining and decorated rap performers of all-time, to Vancouver to help us begin our 71st season of Lions football.” Tickets for the game/Concert experience are still available, but all of the lower bowl is SOLD OUT. There are still some upper bowl tickets remaining and are going for around 40 bucks plus fees on ticket master right now. 

Fans are encouraged to arrive early so they can enjoy the backyard party on Terry Fox Plaza, which will have the usual party stuff like food, drinks and games leading up to the concert and game. June 7th seems like an overall fun time to be a Lions Fan and there is a lot to be excited about if you are a Lions fan this year. The Lions will look to build off there defeat in the CFL Division Semi finals loss. The Lions have not lifted a Grey Cup trophy since 2011 it has been 14 years. Lets hope Snoop Dogg can give the Lions some good luck and hopefully this can be the start of a Grey Cup winning campaign. 

Canucks Finally sign Tom Willander

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(Photo: Boston University Athletics, NCAA)

The Canucks have been very busy this morning after hiring a new Head Coach shortly they later announced that they have FINALLY signed top defence prospect Tom Willander. The Swedish Defence man was signed to a $855,000 3 year entry level contract. The contract includes $95,000 signing bonus. 

Willander is a 20 year old right shot defence man which i may add are very hard to find nowadays. He is from Stockholm, Sweden and was selected 11th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2023 NHL draft. He will now if he makes the team join a very solid blue line which is full of his country men. Willander spent his last 2 years at Boston University where he was a star for them on there blue line. Willander in University averaged 23 minutes of ice time where he was a lockdown on the blue line but he also showed some offensive firepower from the right side as well. He had 24 points this year in 39 games for the Terriers and he had a positive plus minus of plus 19. His performance this year on the Terriers blue line earned him a spot on the Hockey East Second Team All Star list for the 2nd year in a row. This Honour is voted by the 11 Head Coaches in the Conference so it is a pretty big deal Willander made this team.

Willander is known for is exceptional skating ability and his great playing making ability showcased in the 22 assists he racked up in 39 games this year. He has also been a very clutch player with the Terriers this season, as he provided the assist on the game winning goal in the Beanpot title game against Boston College. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/xrPe_Ek85aU

His development with the university has been closely monitored by the Canucks development coach Mike Komiasrek praising his hard work and dedication to get better each year. 

Willander is set to join a very stacked Canucks blue line now his addition will be a welcome one to the team though as Vancouver will get another dynamic defence man who can maybe take the load off of Captain Quinn Hughes for a little bit. Canucks fans will closely be having there eyes on Willander this year as fans will be very excited to see his debut with the big club whenever it does happen.    

 

 

Canucks hire Adam Foote as Head Coach

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(Photo: The Province)

After my Article last night about the potential coaches the Vancouver Canucks could hire the team has made its decision. The Canucks have made FORMER assistant coach Adam Foote to a head coach.  https://x.com/Canucks/status/1922702211768811669

“Adam is a strong leader, good teacher and person who knows what it takes to build a great culture and winning attitude,” said Patrick Allvin Canucks GM. Foote had a great year as he made the canucks defence and penalty kill one of the best in the league. Foote has also been praised by Captain Quinn Hughes. Hughes in the past has praised Footes more chill coaching style compared to the typical ” scream and yell”. 

The decision is causing quite the commotion in Canuck land, as many fans are not happy with this decision. A lot of fans do think that Footes defensive approach to coaching is not gonna help the Canucks and most likely are going to be in the same place former Head Coach Rick Tocchet left them in. Despite the questions from the fan base surrounding this hire we can say that of the Canucks do want to keep Quinn Hughes this was probably the next best choice of hire. The Canucks Management is also very confident of the hire “He knows this group better than anyone else we interviewed and has inside knowledge and understanding of what it will take to get us back to where we want to be,” said Allvin. 

Footes hire comes at critical time for the Canucks, as Vancouver fans are eager to replicate the success they had 2 seasons ago. The fans do not want another rebuild, I do not want another rebuild. Canucks fans are tired of getting there hopes up just for a new guy to come in all over again. Foote is the 22nd coach in Canucks history and is the 4th Head Coach in 4 years. The next stop for the Canucks now that they got this coaching hire out of the was is to get ready for the draft and free agency. The Canucks also have some free agents they need to sign or at least try to negotiate with guys like Pius Suter and Brock Beoser. The Foote hire in my opinion is not the worst route they could have taken and with a new coach guys tend to play a little bit better to start the season but we will see how Footes tenure will play out hopefully its a little longer than the last few Head Coaches. 

 

Big fights coming in for the UFC

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(Photo: BBC, UFC)

Ilia Topuria, the undefeated FORMER Featherweight champion with a 17-0 Pro record is moving up to the Lightweight Division. He will face fan favourite Charles Olivera for the now Vacant Lightweight title due to FORMER champ Islam  Makhachev is also moving up he is moving up to the Welterweight Division. Dana White announced yesterday that Topuria will take on Olivera on June 28th in Vegas for the vacant title. Topuria looks to make a shortlist of the rare 2 division champ in the UFC, and he is trying to be the second Featherweight to win a title at Lightweight since the notorious Connor McGregor. 

Another bout which has not been announced yet but looks like will definitely take place in the future is Islam Makhachev vs Jack Della Maddalena or (JDM for short .https://x.com/BleacherReport/status/1922419967829393665

 JDM is coming off an impressive win where he became World Champion against champion Belal Muhammad. JDM actually started his Pro MMA career 0-2 but since that he has gone on a 18 fight win streak and taken the MMA scene by storm. His Rumoured bout against Makhachev wont be easy though Islam is also on a winning streak of his own at 15 wins in a row he does face a new challenge of moving up to Welterweight but his wrestling prowess and underrated striking really make him a tough opponent for JDM. 

The last fight that did officially get announced today that sees Dricus Du Plessis defend his Middleweight title against the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev. This fight will take place August 16th at the United Center in Chicago. There will be no home fight advantage here for the title holder or the title challanger. Du Plessis who captured the title against Sean Strickland is set to make his 3rd title defence in the summer. His Awkward style of fighting will make it a tough read for Khamzat if we get to point where striking matters in the fight. Du Plessis has not defended his title against a take down artist like Khamzat. Everyone knows Khamzats plan but no one has been able to stop it yet the only person who really had a close fight with him was Kamaru Usman who moved up to Middleweight on short notice to take the fight. There are a lot of questions still left to be answered coming into this fight like how good is Du Plessis take down defence against a elite wrestler? Or how good is Khamzats gas tank i do not have those answers for now, but what I can tell you is that its gonna be an exciting summer for combat sports. 

Oilers VS. Knights Game 5 preview and predictions

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(Photo: ESPN, NHL)

The Edmonton Oilers take on the Vegas Golden Knights tonight in the T-Mobile Arena in Vegas. The Oilers are looking to ousted the Knights tonight and punch there ticket to there 2nd straight Western Conference Finals. The Knights are coming off a game where they got utterly dominated for 60 minutes. The Knights who had won the previous game on a buzzer beater carried no momentum in to the game 4. The Oiler depth was too much for the Knights to handle as the Oilers got 2 goals from there 3rd line. 

The Knights now face a must win game or there season is over. The Knights power play has been abysmal over the last 3 games going 0-11 in that span. Adin Hill also is not having the best series as he had a rough game giving up a couple of soft goals he wishes he could get back in game 4. If the Oilers can win this game and book there ticket to the Conference finals things would only look better for them thats why if your Edmonton you hope you do not have to play a game 6 back in your home barn. You may be asking how would things look better for the Oilers let me explain, The Oilers would get a huge rest which means Goalie Calvin Pikard can recover, and guess who is nearing a return Mattias Ekholm. The Oilers best defensive defence man would be a huge addition to a shaky defence so far in these playoffs. The Oilers would only get better with this rest time.  https://x.com/NHLdotcom/status/1922404208084447263

I think in game 5 it is gonna come down to special teams. The oilers PK has been spectacular and there PP has also been amazing. The Knights if they want to win this game are going to have to flip the script on the special teams score power play goals and kill penalty kills if they can not do that there is not a chance they walk out of T-Mobile Arena with a win. 

My prediction for the game is pure Oilers domination. The Oilers will score first and they will score early. The Oilers will actually score three straight goals, and Vegas will get one back in the 3rd giving a little bit of home to the Golden Knight faithful. The Oilers will score two late ones and will win the game 5-1 booking there ticket to a 2nd straight Western Conference Final. 

Leafs game 5 preview and predictions

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(Photo: Last Word On Sports, NHL)

The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers will duke it out later tonight in the Scotia Bank Arena in downtown Toronto in Game 5 too see who will have a chance to eliminate who in Sunrise Florida in game 6. After taking a 2-0 series lead things were looking up for the Maple Leafs but a tough OT loss in Game 3 and a Defensive masterclass by the Panthers in 4 has the leafs fans wondering if they are back to there old ways. 

Key players on the leafs like Captain Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner really need to step it up if the Leafs want to avoid a massive collapse in the second round. Matthews needs to step it up on the offensive end as he has yet to score in the 2nd round in his career, and Marner needs to step it up on the defensive side of things as many fans are displeased with his risky no look passes and lack of effort on the back check. The only man who did play very hard in game 4 Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll will be in goal tonight as it looks like he has gotten used to the pace of play in the playoffs and if he plays the way he did in game 4 the Leafs have a great shot at taking the 3-2 series lead. 

The Panthers have gained significant momentum after there back to back wins. The defending Stanley Cup champions are ready to go as rumours suggest they will be getting a key piece back in there line up in Evan Rodrigues. Offence wise most of the big names have been up to par in this series so far and adding Rodrigues back will definitely help with Floridas fire power, but thats if they get him back remember its just a rumor.  https://x.com/GeorgeRichards/status/1922298488655675530

As for my predictions for the game i think the Panthers will win this game. The Panthers will come out strong and i think they will get some sort of offensive help from there defence this game. The Leafs will play great in this game, but goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky will have all the answers for the Leafs shots. The score will be 2-1 heading into the 3rd period the Panthers will add some sort of cushion making it 3-1. The Leafs will push with the net empty but the Panthers will put the game to bed winning this game 4-1 and taking a 3-2 series lead.  

OKC Wins a tight game 5 against Denver

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(Photo: The Oklahhoman, NBA)

The Oklahoma City Thunder won a huge game 5 defending home court and taking a 3-2 series lead in the western Conference semi finals against the Denver Nuggets. This game showed the Thunders fourth quarter heroics just like we saw in game 4 in Denver. 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander lead the Thunder with 31 points and 7 assists shooting 12-23 from the field showcasing his leadership and very Clutch play in the 4th quarter as he had 8 of his 31 in the 4th with all 8 coming with less than 4 minutes left in the game. Lu Dort also had a big 4th quarter after not playing at all in the 4th last game OKC coach Mark Daigneault stuck with him. Dort did not disappoint as he hit 3 massive 3 point shots in the 4th quarter which really dragged OKC back into the fight. Dort ended the game with 12 points with 9 of the 12 coming in the 4th. OKC was also getting it done on defence this quarter, OKC held Denver to without a field goal for more than eight and half minutes. That was huge for OKC who were down 8 points coming into the 4th and needed that defence to spark there offence. 

Denvers own MVP candidate Nikola Jokic also had himself a game with 44 points 15 rebounds and 5 assists. Jokic did not sit the whole 4th quarter which was an interesting move by the Denver coach David Adelman. Adelman said he ” did not regret playing jokic”, in context to him playing the full fourth quarter. Jokic hit some insane shots in the 4th quarter including a fade away 3 pointer to tie the gae at 103 with less than 2 minutes remaining. heres the clip of that insane shot.   https://x.com/LegionHoops/status/1922502410750029995

Jokic had 9 of his 41 points in the 4th quarter. He did everything he could but the Nuggets could not get it done. The Nuggets had many chances to run away with the game they had a double digit lead but every time they would go up big OKC would come back on a run of there own. 

Now the Nuggets face Elimination at home in game 6. For the Nuggets you just have to hope Jokic can play like he did in game 5 tonight and hope his supporting cast can help a little bit more. Jokic and the Nuggets especially need Micheal Porter Jr to step up. Porter Jr is a bug part of this nuggets offence and he has scored in the single 4 of the 5 games this series. His ability to shoot the ball on transition is what takes the Nuggets over the edge in most games so if MPJ can get it going the Nuggets have a good chance at forcing a game 7. 

Who will be the next Canucks next Head Coach?

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(Photo: CHL, Guelph Storm)

The Canucks are entering there most important off season in a long time with looming free agency decisions and rumours about Star players leaving the Canucks need to start there off season off on the right foot. With Rick Tocchet declining a massive 5 million dollar per year deal for 5 years which would have made him the highest paying coach in Canucks history. So with no head coach the Canucks need a new boss bench. 

The Canucks management have come down to 3 options the first option is Marco Sturm. Sturm is a former Pro hockey player from Germany and is long time NHL vet. He was considered the best German hockey player of all time up until fellow country man Leon Draisaitl he even had a short stint with the Canucks but was traded very quickly to the Florida Panthers. Marco is now the coach of the Ontario Reign. With a long playing career and a long coaching career Sturm would be an good pick for the Canucks but all signs point to him being in the bronze spot the next two candidates are much more likely to get the job and are already part of the Canucks origination.

Choice number 2 is Canucks assistant Coach Adam Foote. Foote had an amazing NHL career he has won 2 Stanley Cups, a gold medal in 2002 with the Canadian National Team and a World cup in 2004. He had a short head coaching stint in Kelowna and was fired less than 2 years into the job and if I am the Management i would love too keep Foote, but as an assistant.

The third choice, my choice is Manny Malhotra. Malhotra has had a long playing career spanning from 1998 to 2016. Manny has been coaching since 2016 and was a development coach with the Canucks starting his career. In 2017  Malhotra was a assistant with the Canucks up until 2020 when he left to be an assistant with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Malhotra returned to the Canucks organisation too become the Abbotsford Canucks head coach. In his first year he has led this young Abby team to the third round of the Calder Cup playoffs. A lot of Canucks fans are a little skeptical to hire a man with little head coaching experience, but Malhotra has so much experience as an assistant and has been around this Canucks origination for many years. The Canucks need a fresh start and Manny will be that fresh start.