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Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Hull has died at the age of 84.
He played for Chicago and Hartford of the NHL as well as the World Hockey Association's Winnipeg Jets over a 23-year pro career. The Chicago organization confirmed his death Monday.
In 1961, he helped lead Chicago to its first Stanley Cup in 23 years, and is 55th on the NHL's all-time scoring list with 610 goals and 560 assists. He also had 303 goals and 335 assists in the WHA for combined 913 goals in both leagues in 1,474 games.
To put that into context, Wayne Gretzky has a combined total of 940 goals in both leagues over 1,567 games, although all but 80 of those were in the NHL.
His 604 goals with Chicago remain a team record.
"Hull is part of an elite group of players who made a historic impact on our hockey club," the club said in a statement. "Generations of Chicagoans were dazzled by Bobby's shooting prowess, skating skill and overall team leadership."
Hull was the first player in NHL history to score more than 50 goals in a single season. He set the record of 54 in 1966 and broke it by four goals a couple of seasons later.
Along with Chicago teammate Stan Mikita he helped popularize the curved hockey stick blade in the NHL. He would first soak the wooden blade, bend it under a door and leave it overnight. It made Hull's slapshot, clocked at close to 200 kilometres per hour, even harder for a goalie to stop.
WATCH | Hull on leaving Chicago, playing in the WHA and his son, Brett:
His defection to Winnipeg of the WHA in 1972 was the catalyst that helped shatter the NHL's stranglehold on players. It also started the escalation of salaries that now make Hull's once record-setting million-dollar payday look like small change.
There were plenty of hard feelings at the time on both sides, but in 2011 a statue of Hull was erected alongside one of Mikita outside the United Center, where Chicago now plays.
"I never, ever thought in 100 years I'd ever be standing here tonight," Hull said at the unveiling.
Robert Marvin Hull Jr., was born Jan. 3, 1939 in Pointe Anne, Ont., now part of the city of Belleville, and was 12 when he was first scouted by Chicago. He started playing with the team in 1957 at 18.
He was regarded as the fastest skater in the NHL and led the league in scoring seven times in the 1960s. When he left the NHL in 1972 for the WHA, he was second on the all-time scoring list behind only Gordie Howe, and Howe had been in the league for an extra decade.
"It was sort of a dream that came true," said Joe Daley, Hull's teammate on the Jets who is from the Winnipeg area. "You always hope that you get a chance to have wonderful teammates, and I got lucky in having him here.
"Certainly, what he brought to Winnipeg and the way he conducted himself with every fan in every city, it was amazing to see."
Although not large by today's standards (five-foot-10 and just under 190 pounds), the muscular Hull was not afraid to scrap. In 1966, when he set his first scoring record, he also had 70 penalty minutes in 65 games.
In an era when few players worked out in the off-season, Hull stayed in shape throwing around bales of hay on his farm, which led to a still iconic black and white photo of the shirtless Hull in action, a bale on the end of his pitchfork.
This was always my favourite picture of the great Bobby Hull. <a href="https://t.co/dzpVhVCbga">https://t.co/dzpVhVCbga</a>
—@SportsnetSpecIn 1978, Hull was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983 and his No. 9 jersey was retired by Chicago and the old Winnipeg Jets (who moved to Phoenix in 1996 and became the Coyotes before the Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg in 2011 and reclaimed the Jets name).
Son Brett became a star and Hall of Famer in his own right as a star scorer with St. Louis and Dallas and is 25th on the NHL's all-time scoring list.
Bobby and Brett each won the Hart Trophy as league MVP, becoming the first father-son duo to accomplish the feat. Bobby won in 1964-65 and 1965-1966, while Brett won in 1990-1991.
In a statement released by the St. Louis Blues, for whom he works as an ambassador, Brett said his father gave his family and others "a tremendous amount of great memories."
"Those of us who were lucky enough to spend time with him will cherish those forever,"Brett said. "He will be greatly missed."
Bobby Hull will always have a special place in our Blues family. The memories we share with him and Brett are some of the fondest in our team's history. The entire Blues organization extends our condolences to the Hull family as they mourn the passing of the “Golden Jet.” <a href="https://t.co/BHyD2AmGtG">pic.twitter.com/BHyD2AmGtG</a>
—@StLouisBluesHull renewed ties with the the Jets after their return to Winnipeg.
"I was lucky enough I actually got to meet Bobby Hull. He was an awesome guy to meet," Jets forward Mark Scheifele said. "Obviously, a moment that I'll cherish for the rest of my life.
"He was a guy that revolutionized the game and was one of the stars and made hockey what it is today. So we wouldn't be where we are without him."
Scheifele called Hull a Winnipeg "legend."
"He always will be," Scheifele said. "He's something that made hockey what it is in the world, and especially in Winnipeg. Obviously, his legacy will always be there forever."
Bobby Hull helped Chicago return to the top of the NHL after it was one of the worst teams in the league for years before his debut during the 1957-58 season. He had 13 goals and 34 assists in his first campaign with the team, finishing second in the Calder Trophy race for rookie of the year.
During his prime, there was no more prolific goal-scorer in all of hockey.— NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on Bobby Hull
It was a steady rise from there. Hull posted 13 consecutive seasons with 30 goals or more from 1959-72, becoming a perennial fixture at the all-star game and a regular candidate for the league's top awards.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman in a statement called Hull "a true superstar with a gregarious personality."
"When Bobby Hull wound up to take a slapshot, fans throughout the NHL rose to their feet in anticipation and opposing goaltenders braced themselves," Bettman said. "During his prime, there was no more prolific goal-scorer in all of hockey.
WATCH | Hull scores 1,000th goal in Jets' WHA win in 1978:
"We send our deepest condolences to his son, fellow Hockey Hall of Famer Brett; the entire Hull family; and the countless fans around the hockey world who were fortunate enough to see him play or have since marvelled at his exploits."
Hull said he loved his years in Chicago and the fans, but the organization didn't love him as much. He resented what he was paid, as did many in the league at that time, and got into high-profile disputes over money with the Wirtz family that owned the team.
In 1972, he became the linchpin around which the WHA was formed and the first hockey player to earn a million dollars, his signing bonus for joining the new league with the Jets.
Although some resented him for the leap, Mikita once said he got down on his knees and thanked his former teammate and the Jets — his salary doubled almost overnight because of the competition.
But the move cost Hull a chance to play in the 1972 Summit Series when the NHL refused to let him join Team Canada. He made up for it in 1974, when a team of Canadians from the WHA met the Soviet Union in a second Summit Series, and again when he played in the 1976 Canada Cup.
Nicknamed The Golden Jet for his speed and blond hair (even before he joined the Jets), Hull spent eight seasons with the team, the last in the NHL, and helped make them one of the strongest clubs in the WHA. They won three Avco Cups, the league's ultimate prize, in the seven years it was awarded, and were runners-up twice.
Hull played only part of the final Jets' final WHA season in 1978-79, and returned only briefly the next season when Winnipeg joined the NHL as the two leagues merged. He moved to the Whalers, who also jumped to the NHL, for nine games that same season.
He was 42 when he made a brief comeback attempt with the New York Rangers in 1981 before finally hanging up his skates.
Hull could be aggressive and controversial off the ice.
An acrimonious divorce from his second wife of 20 years, Joanne, which included numerous allegations of abuse, cost him a stake he owned in the original Jets.
He returned to farming/ranching during the early years of his time away from hockey and then settled in Florida with third wife Deborah.
Hull was convicted of assaulting a police officer who intervened in a dispute with Deborah in 1986. He also was accused of battery, but that charge was dropped after Deborah told authorities she didn't want to testify against her husband, a state attorney told the Chicago Tribune.
However, the police officer who Hull took a swing at during the investigation did not drop charges and Hull was fined $150 and placed on six months court supervision.
Until Bobby Orr, Bobby Hull was the biggest star of the 60s. A childhood friend idolized the Golden Jet. He approached him for an autograph without pen or paper. Hull pulled out a dollar bill and signed it for him. Off ice issues taint his legacy but an all time great on the ice. <a href="https://t.co/eOqaTLSMte">pic.twitter.com/eOqaTLSMte</a>
—@CCpxpSNI'll just say this: It'll be very interesting to see how the league and the Blackhawks grapple with Bobby Hull's legacy in its totality.
—@MarkLazerusHe stoked more controversy when in 1998 he told the Moscow Times, an English-language newspaper, the Nazis were not without merit, the Black population of the United States was growing too fast and genetic breeding was a worthy idea.
"Hitler, for example, had some good ideas. He just went a little bit too far," Hull, who was visiting Russia, was quoted as saying.
Chicago brought him back as a team ambassador in 2008 and he was on hand for its 2010 Stanley Cup win, the club's first since 1961.
The franchise announced in February 2022 that Hull had retired from any official team role, calling it a joint decision.
"Bobby Hull will always be remembered as one of the greatest Blackhawks players of all time. He was a beloved member of the Blackhawks family," team owner Rocky Wirtz said in a statement.
Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Hull has died at the age of 84.
He played for Chicago and Hartford of the NHL as well as the World Hockey Association's Winnipeg Jets over a 23-year pro career. The Chicago organization confirmed his death Monday.
In 1961, he helped lead Chicago to its first Stanley Cup in 23 years, and is 55th on the NHL's all-time scoring list with 610 goals and 560 assists. He also had 303 goals and 335 assists in the WHA for combined 913 goals in both leagues in 1,474 games.
To put that into context, Wayne Gretzky has a combined total of 940 goals in both leagues over 1,567 games, although all but 80 of those were in the NHL.
His 604 goals with Chicago remain a team record.
"Hull is part of an elite group of players who made a historic impact on our hockey club," the club said in a statement. "Generations of Chicagoans were dazzled by Bobby's shooting prowess, skating skill and overall team leadership."
Hull was the first player in NHL history to score more than 50 goals in a single season. He set the record of 54 in 1966 and broke it by four goals a couple of seasons later.
Along with Chicago teammate Stan Mikita he helped popularize the curved hockey stick blade in the NHL. He would first soak the wooden blade, bend it under a door and leave it overnight. It made Hull's slapshot, clocked at close to 200 kilometres per hour, even harder for a goalie to stop.
WATCH | Hull on leaving Chicago, playing in the WHA and his son, Brett:
His defection to Winnipeg of the WHA in 1972 was the catalyst that helped shatter the NHL's stranglehold on players. It also started the escalation of salaries that now make Hull's once record-setting million-dollar payday look like small change.
There were plenty of hard feelings at the time on both sides, but in 2011 a statue of Hull was erected alongside one of Mikita outside the United Center, where Chicago now plays.
"I never, ever thought in 100 years I'd ever be standing here tonight," Hull said at the unveiling.
Robert Marvin Hull Jr., was born Jan. 3, 1939 in Pointe Anne, Ont., now part of the city of Belleville, and was 12 when he was first scouted by Chicago. He started playing with the team in 1957 at 18.
He was regarded as the fastest skater in the NHL and led the league in scoring seven times in the 1960s. When he left the NHL in 1972 for the WHA, he was second on the all-time scoring list behind only Gordie Howe, and Howe had been in the league for an extra decade.
"It was sort of a dream that came true," said Joe Daley, Hull's teammate on the Jets who is from the Winnipeg area. "You always hope that you get a chance to have wonderful teammates, and I got lucky in having him here.
"Certainly, what he brought to Winnipeg and the way he conducted himself with every fan in every city, it was amazing to see."
Although not large by today's standards (five-foot-10 and just under 190 pounds), the muscular Hull was not afraid to scrap. In 1966, when he set his first scoring record, he also had 70 penalty minutes in 65 games.
In an era when few players worked out in the off-season, Hull stayed in shape throwing around bales of hay on his farm, which led to a still iconic black and white photo of the shirtless Hull in action, a bale on the end of his pitchfork.
This was always my favourite picture of the great Bobby Hull. <a href="https://t.co/dzpVhVCbga">https://t.co/dzpVhVCbga</a>
—@SportsnetSpecIn 1978, Hull was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983 and his No. 9 jersey was retired by Chicago and the old Winnipeg Jets (who moved to Phoenix in 1996 and became the Coyotes before the Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg in 2011 and reclaimed the Jets name).
Son Brett became a star and Hall of Famer in his own right as a star scorer with St. Louis and Dallas and is 25th on the NHL's all-time scoring list.
Bobby and Brett each won the Hart Trophy as league MVP, becoming the first father-son duo to accomplish the feat. Bobby won in 1964-65 and 1965-1966, while Brett won in 1990-1991.
Bobby Hull will always have a special place in our Blues family. The memories we share with him and Brett are some of the fondest in our team's history. The entire Blues organization extends our condolences to the Hull family as they mourn the passing of the “Golden Jet.” <a href="https://t.co/BHyD2AmGtG">pic.twitter.com/BHyD2AmGtG</a>
—@StLouisBluesHull renewed ties with the the Jets after their return to Winnipeg.
"I was lucky enough I actually got to meet Bobby Hull. He was an awesome guy to meet," Jets forward Mark Scheifele said. "Obviously, a moment that I'll cherish for the rest of my life.
"He was a guy that revolutionized the game and was one of the stars and made hockey what it is today. So we wouldn't be where we are without him."
Scheifele called Hull a Winnipeg "legend."
"He always will be," Scheifele said. "He's something that made hockey what it is in the world, and especially in Winnipeg. Obviously, his legacy will always be there forever."
Bobby Hull helped Chicago return to the top of the NHL after it was one of the worst teams in the league for years before his debut during the 1957-58 season. He had 13 goals and 34 assists in his first campaign with the team, finishing second in the Calder Trophy race for rookie of the year.
During his prime, there was no more prolific goal-scorer in all of hockey.— NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on Bobby Hull
It was a steady rise from there. Hull posted 13 consecutive seasons with 30 goals or more from 1959-72, becoming a perennial fixture at the all-star game and a regular candidate for the league's top awards.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman in a statement called Hull "a true superstar with a gregarious personality."
"When Bobby Hull wound up to take a slapshot, fans throughout the NHL rose to their feet in anticipation and opposing goaltenders braced themselves," Bettman said. "During his prime, there was no more prolific goal-scorer in all of hockey.
"We send our deepest condolences to his son, fellow Hockey Hall of Famer Brett; the entire Hull family; and the countless fans around the hockey world who were fortunate enough to see him play or have since marvelled at his exploits."
Hull said he loved his years in Chicago and the fans, but the organization didn't love him as much. He resented what he was paid, as did many in the league at that time, and got into high-profile disputes over money with the Wirtz family that owned the team.
In 1972, he became the linchpin around which the WHA was formed and the first hockey player to earn a million dollars, his signing bonus for joining the new league with the Jets.
Although some resented him for the leap, Mikita once said he got down on his knees and thanked his former teammate and the Jets — his salary doubled almost overnight because of the competition.
But the move cost Hull a chance to play in the 1972 Summit Series when the NHL refused to let him join Team Canada. He made up for it in 1974, when a team of Canadians from the WHA met the Soviet Union in a second Summit Series, and again when he played in the 1976 Canada Cup.
Nicknamed The Golden Jet for his speed and blond hair (even before he joined the Jets), Hull spent eight seasons with the team, the last in the NHL, and helped make them one of the strongest clubs in the WHA. They won three Avco Cups, the league's ultimate prize, in the seven years it was awarded, and were runners-up twice.
Hull played only part of the final Jets' final WHA season in 1978-79, and returned only briefly the next season when Winnipeg joined the NHL as the two leagues merged. He moved to the Whalers, who also jumped to the NHL, for nine games that same season.
He was 42 when he made a brief comeback attempt with the New York Rangers in 1981 before finally hanging up his skates.
Hull could be aggressive and controversial off the ice.
An acrimonious divorce from his second wife of 20 years, Joanne, which included numerous allegations of abuse, cost him a stake he owned in the original Jets.
He returned to farming/ranching during the early years of his time away from hockey and then settled in Florida with third wife Deborah.
Hull was convicted of assaulting a police officer who intervened in a dispute with Deborah in 1986. He also was accused of battery, but that charge was dropped after Deborah told authorities she didn't want to testify against her husband, a state attorney told the Chicago Tribune.
However, the police officer who Hull took a swing at during the investigation did not drop charges and Hull was fined $150 and placed on six months court supervision.
Until Bobby Orr, Bobby Hull was the biggest star of the 60s. A childhood friend idolized the Golden Jet. He approached him for an autograph without pen or paper. Hull pulled out a dollar bill and signed it for him. Off ice issues taint his legacy but an all time great on the ice. <a href="https://t.co/eOqaTLSMte">pic.twitter.com/eOqaTLSMte</a>
—@CCpxpSNI'll just say this: It'll be very interesting to see how the league and the Blackhawks grapple with Bobby Hull's legacy in its totality.
—@MarkLazerusHe stoked more controversy when in 1998 he told the Moscow Times, an English-language newspaper, the Nazis were not without merit, the Black population of the United States was growing too fast and genetic breeding was a worthy idea.
"Hitler, for example, had some good ideas. He just went a little bit too far," Hull, who was visiting Russia, was quoted as saying.
Chicago brought him back as a team ambassador in 2008 and he was on hand for its 2010 Stanley Cup win, the club's first since 1961.
The franchise announced in February 2022 that Hull had retired from any official team role, calling it a joint decision.
"Bobby Hull will always be remembered as one of the greatest Blackhawks players of all time. He was a beloved member of the Blackhawks family," team owner Rocky Wirtz said in a statement.
Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Hull has died at the age of 84.
Hull played for the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks and Hartford Whalers and the World Hockey Association's Winnipeg Jets over a 23-year pro career. The Blackhawks confirmed his death on Monday.
He helped lead the Blackhawks to their first Stanley Cup in 23 years in 1961, and is 55th on the NHL's all-time scoring list with 610 goals and 560 assists. He also had 303 goals and 335 assists in the WHA for combined total of 913 goals in both leagues in 1,474 games.
To put that into context, Wayne Gretzky has a combined total of 940 goals in both leagues over 1,567 games, although all but 80 of those were in the NHL.
His 604 goals with the Blackhawks remain a team record.
"Hull is part of an elite group of players who made a historic impact on our hockey club," the Blackhawks said in a statement. "Generations of Chicagoans were dazzled by Bobby's shooting prowess, skating skill and overall team leadership."
Hull was the first player in the NHL history to score more than 50 goals in a season. He set the record of 54 in 1966 and broke it by four goals a couple of seasons later.
Along with Chicago teammate Stan Mikita, he helped popularize the curved hockey stick blade in the NHL. He would first soak the wooden blade, then bend it under a door and leave it overnight. It made Hull's slapshot, clocked at close to 200 kilometres per hour, even harder for a goalie to stop.
His defection to the WHA in 1972 was the catalyst that helped shatter the NHL's contractual stranglehold on players. It also started the escalation of salaries that now make Hull's once record-setting million-dollar payday look like small change.
There were plenty of hard feelings at the time on both sides, but in 2011 a statue of Hull was erected alongside one of Mikita outside the United Center, where Chicago now plays.
"I never, ever thought in 100 years I'd ever be standing here tonight," Hull said at the unveiling.
Robert Marvin Hull Jr., was born Jan. 3, 1939 in Pointe Anne, Ont., now part of the city of Belleville, and was 12 when he was first scouted by Chicago. He started playing with the Blackhawks in 1957 when he was just 18.
He was regarded as the fastest skater in the NHL and led the league in scoring seven times in the 1960s. When he left the NHL in 1972 for the WHA, he was second on the all-time scoring list behind only Gordie Howe, and Howe had been in the league for an extra decade.
Although not large by today's standards (five-foot-10 and just under 190 pounds), the muscular Hull was not afraid to scrap. In 1966 when he set his first scoring record, he also had 70 penalty minutes in 65 games.
In an era when few players worked out in the off-season, Hull stayed in shape throwing around bales of hay on his farm -- which led to a still iconic black and white photo of the shirtless Hull in action, a bale on the end of his pitchfork.
In 1978, Hull was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983 and his No. 9 jersey was retired by both the Blackhawks and the old Winnipeg Jets (who moved to Phoenix in 1996 and became the Coyotes before the Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg in 2011 and reclaimed the Jets name).
Son Brett Hull became a star and Hall of Famer in his own right as a star scorer with St. Louis and Dallas and is 25th on the NHL's all-time scoring list.
Hull said he loved his years in Chicago and the fans, but the organization didn't love him as much. He resented what he was paid, as did many in the league at that time, and got into high-profile disputes over money with the Wirtz family that owned the team.
In 1972, he became the linchpin around which the WHA was formed and the first hockey player to earn a million dollars, his signing bonus for joining the new league with the Jets.
Although some resented him for the leap, Mikita once said he got down on his knees and thanked his former teammate and the Jets -- his salary doubled almost overnight because of the competition.
But the move cost Hull a chance to play in the 1972 Summit Series when the NHL refused to let him join Team Canada. He made up for it in 1974, when a team of Canadians from the WHA met the Soviet Union in a second Summit Series, and again when he played in the 1976 Canada Cup.
Nicknamed the Golden Jet for his speed and blond hair (even before he joined the Jets), Hull spent eight seasons with the team, the last in the NHL, and helped make them one of the strongest clubs in the WHA. They won three Avco Cups, the league's ultimate prize, in the seven years it was awarded, and were runners-up twice.
Hull played only part of the final Jets' final WHA season in 1978-79, and returned only briefly the next season when Winnipeg joined the NHL as the two leagues merged. He moved to the Whalers, who also jumped to the NHL, for nine games that same season.
He was 42 when he made a brief comeback attempt with the New York Rangers in 1981 before finally hanging up his skates.
Hull could be aggressive and controversial off the ice.
An acrimonious divorce from his second wife of 20 years, Joanne -- which included numerous allegations of abuse -- cost him a stake he owned in the original Jets.
He returned to farming/ranching during the early years of his time away from hockey and then settled in Florida with third wife Deborah.
Although their marriage lasted, he also was accused by her of assault in 1986. She dropped the charges but the police officer who Hull took a swing at during the investigation did not. He was fined $150 and placed on six months court supervision.
He stoked more controversy when in 1998 he told the Moscow Times, an English-language newspaper, that the Nazis were not without merit, the Black population of the United States was growing too fast and genetic breeding was a worthy idea.
"Hitler, for example, had some good ideas. He just went a little bit too far," Hull, who was visiting Russia, was quoted as saying.
The Blackhawks brought him back as a team ambassador in 2008 and he was on hand for their 2010 Stanley Cup win. It was their first Stanley Cup since 1961.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2023.
The emergency backup goalie — affectionately known as EBUG — is one of the rarest occurrences in hockey. Per league rules, every home team needs to have someone on standby to play in goal for either team should their usual goalies be injured or unavailable.
When activated, EBUGs usually sign either an amateur or professional tryout contract. While having an EBUG suit up and sitting on the bench happens more regularly, only four had ever logged any ice time and accomplished something every young hockey player in the world dreams of.
The first was Carolina Hurricanes equipment manager Jorge Alves who suited up for the Canes in 2016-2017, followed by accountant Scott Foster who made seven saves on seven shots for the Chicago Blackhawks in 2017-2018. Most famously, David Ayres helped the Hurricanes beat his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3 in the 2019-2020 season. Thomas Hodges also filled in in the Anaheim Ducks net in for less than a minute of play in April 2022, allowing one goal on three shots.
However, on Sunday night, a fifth player joined these legendary ranks. With the Edmonton Oilers comfortably ahead 7-3 and 2:26 left in the game, head coach Jay Woodcroft replaced Jack Campbell with EBUG and University of Alberta goalie Matt Berlin, fulfilling his childhood dream and becoming the fifth emergency netminder to play minutes in an NHL game.
“I thought they were kidding, to be honest,” said Berlin after the game. “With about five or six minutes left they go ‘you’re going in with two minutes left’ […] and I said ‘OK, I guess we’re doing this.’”
Berlin told Sportsnet's Scott Oake that the team reached out to him in the morning saying they needed an EBUG for the game against Chicago. In the afternoon, when it was determined that Oilers backup Stuart Skinner would not be able to suit up, Berlin was told to he'd be backing up Jack Campbell.
"I was in scramble mode, I had to sign a contract and do all this stuff before I go," Berlin said. "It was a bit of a whirlwind but it was so exciting, I couldn't believe it."
Berlin made one save on Blackhawks defenceman Caleb Jones from a point shot which prompted an explosive cheer from the crowd.
Woodcroft told reporters after the game that it was the players' idea to give Berlin some time between the pipes.
"First of all, it came from the players," he said. "We talked about it on the bench, we wanted to make sure we did it in a respectful way, but we just wanted to give somebody an opportunity that they'll remember for the rest of their lives. I was proud of our team that they came to that decision."
Berlin has played five games this season for the number five-ranked University of Alberta Golden Bears, posting a 2.57 goals against average and a .892 save percentage, but nobody can take away his perfect record in the NHL.
More from Yahoo Sports
VALLADOLID, Spain — Canadian forward Cyle Larin had a dream debut for Spain's Real Valladolid CF on Sunday, scoring off the bench in the 90th minute for a 1-0 victory over Valencia CF.
Larin acrobatically knocked in a cross from Venezuelan Darwin Machis to beat Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili at the far post before 19,657 fans at Valladolid's Estadio Municipal Jose Zorrilla.
The victory moved Valladolid (6-11-2) out of the relegation zone into 16th place in Spain's 20-team top tier. Valencia (5-8-5) stands 14th. Valladolid had lost its five previous matches, outscored 10-0.
Larin, Canada's leading men's international scorer, made the move to Spain on Tuesday in a loan deal with a purchase option at the end of the season.
The switch from Belgium's Club Brugge offers the 27-year-old from Brampton, Ont., a fresh start.
Larin joined fellow Canadian Tajon Buchanan at Club Brugge in July from Turkey's Besiktas but failed to establish himself in the lineup. He had one goal in 13 appearances for the Belgian side.
Larin, who has 25 goals in 48 appearances for Canada, saw action in all three World Cup games in Qatar. He played a key part in Canada's successful World Cup qualifying campaign with 13 goals in 16 games.
The six-foot-two striker set the Canadian men's scoring record in January in a 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over the U.S. in Hamilton, passing Dwayne De Rosario, who had 22 goals in 81 appearances.
Larin joined Canadian captain Atiba Hutchinson at Besiktas in January 2018 after a messy exit from Major League Soccer's Orlando City. Larin scored 23 times in 45 games to help Besiktas to the Turkish league and cup double in 2020-21.
After two years at the University of Connecticut, Larin was selected first overall in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft.
He won MLS rookie of the year honours in 2015 after scoring a rookie-record 17 goals and added another 14 goals in 2016 and 12 in 2017.
---
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 29, 2023.
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Novak Djokovic congratulated Australian Open runner-up Elena Rybakina on "an amazing tournament." On Saturday, 23-year-old Rybakina fell just short of landing her second Grand Slam title. In the Australian Open final, Rybakina was up by a set before 24-year-old Aryna Sabalenka stormed back to win 4-6 6-3 6-4.
Six months ago, Djokovic and Rybakina lifted titles at Wimbledon. "@lenarybakina, amazing tournament," Djokovic captioned his Instagram Story.
Novak Djokovic congratulates Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina
📸📸 IG stories pic.twitter.com/Ae411Tq97L — Mario Boccardi (@marioboc17) January 28, 2023
Rybakina has now made Grand Slam finals in two of the last three Major tournaments.
After winning Wimbledon and finishing as runner-up at the Australian Open, Rybakina admits her confidence levels have increased and she now believes even more that she can win Grand Slams. “For sure, that’s the goal, to be in the second week of all the Grand Slam, to play finals.
I mean, now I have more confidence of course even after this final. I just need to work hard, same as I did during pre-season and actually throughout the years, be healthy, and for sure the results are going to come. I would say I’m trying to not think about expectations and everything.
Still after a great pre-season like this I was thinking I should show it on the court. Then, of course, the results are going to be there. First few weeks was not that great…but I think in the end it’s just confidence to go forward, to keep on working.
I feel now good physically also. I know if I’m going to keep on working, the results are going to be (good)," Rybakina said after the match, per Tennis Majors. Rybakina has proved over the last six months that she has what it takes to be a legitimate Grand Slam contender.
En route to reaching the Australian Open final, Rybakina defeated world No 1 Iga Swiatek. It will be interesting to see how will Rybakina do after a strong Australian Open run.
Belarusian-born Aryna Sabalenka defeated Elena Rybakina in three sets to win a thrilling women’s Australian Open final Saturday, becoming the first player competing under a neutral flag to secure a grand slam.
Amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, tournament organizer Tennis Australia required Russian and Belarusian players to compete as neutrals.
Outplayed in the opening set, Sabalenka came from behind to overpower the reigning Wimbledon champion 4-6 6-3 6-4 in a remarkable turnaround in Melbourne.
Breaking Rybakina’s serve in the seventh game of a tense third set proved to be the crucial breakthrough for the fifth seed, whose venomous serve and intense groundstrokes ultimately paved the way for her success.
A nervous start from Sabalenka – she made five double faults and won only four points on the second serve in the first set – made it seem as if it would be a routine second grand slam for Rybakina as she secured the first set in 34 minutes.
But Sabalenka found accuracy as well as power in the second and third sets, with Rybakina faltering at crucial stages. The Russian-born Kazakh, who is also a big hitter, saw off three championship points but sent a forehand long on the fourth. Sabalenka fell to the ground, reduced to tears on wining her maiden major.
She celebrated by climbing to the players’ box where her coach, Anton Dubrov, could be seen sobbing into a towel.
“I’m still shaking and super nervous,” she told the spectators in her on-court speech before the presentation.
On receiving the trophy from Billie Jean King, Sabalenka thanked the American great for her pioneering work for the women’s game, and went on to thank her team, whom she described as the “craziest on tour.”
“We’ve been through a lot of downs last year,” she said. “We worked so hard, you guys deserve this trophy, it’s more about you than about me. Thank you so much for everything you do for me. I love you.”
Minsk-born Sabalenka was competing in her first grand slam final, having previously lost three major semifinals. Serving first, she opened the match with a double fault as nerves clearly played a part on an occasion such as this. She later admitted that she tactically didn’t “play my best” in the first set.
In the second set she targeted the Rybakina forehand and broke early for a 3-1 lead. When Rybakina threatened to break back immediately, as she had done in the first set, Sabalenka held firm, overcoming another double fault to further extend her lead at 4-1 before going on to clinch the set with an ace.
After an impressive second set from Sabalenka, the match entered a tense third set decider. Initially the pair went toe-to-toe, both having the bravery to go for their shots, to maintain the power, but it was Sabalenka who eventually broke through, ending an entertaining final with 17 aces and 51 winners.
“I need a few more days to realize what happened,” Sabalenka told Eurosport.
“I’m just super happy and proud. There’s so many things in my head. I’m not on this planet right now. It’s kind of relief, I’ve been in the top 10 but I didn’t have a grand slam trophy yet and it’s been really tough to get it, every slam was super emotional.
“It’s relief, it’s a joy, I’m just proud of myself, of everyone.”
Asked how she would celebrate, Sabalenka said, laughing: “Probably eating everything that I couldn’t this week.”
Rybakina was ranked 25th in the world coming into this tournament – a position which belies her talent and success – and she began the tournament playing on the outside courts.
Her failure to break into the top 10 stemmed mainly from the fact that ranking points from last year’s Wimbledon were removed because of the tournament’s decision to ban Russians and Belarusians from playing.
Reaching the final in Melbourne – where she defeated three former grand slam winners along the way in Iga Światek, Jelena Ostapenko and Victoria Azarenka – will no doubt help her rise up the rankings.
“Hopefully we are going to have many more battles,” Rybakina told Sabalenka during the trophy presentation. “It was a good year for me and hopefully next year I am going to have the same result and (do) even better.”
A berth in the 2024 Copa America could be on the cards for Canada.
Concacaf and CONMEBOL, the South American football confederation, announced a new partnership on Friday that includes Concacaf's participation in the 2024 Copa America, which will be held in the United States.
“CONMEBOL and Concacaf are united by historical and affective ties," CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez said in a statement. "But above all, we are united by the passion, characteristic of all the Americas, for football and sports. We are determined to renew and expand our joint initiatives and projects. We want this passion to translate into more and better competitions and for football and its values to grow and strengthen throughout the hemisphere. Without a doubt, both confederations believe in big, and we will work with this orientation.”
The 2024 version of the tournament will include 10 CONMEBOL teams and the six best teams from Concacaf. Qualification for the Copa America for the Concacaf sides will be through the 2023-2024 Concacaf Nations League. Participation in the Copa America would likely represent the stiffest competition faced by Canada, the United States and Mexico ahead of their co-hosting of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Also as part of the agreement, Concacaf has invited the top four teams from CONMEBOL to participate in the 2024 W Gold Cup, which will be the first women's iteration of the tournament. The tourney will also be played in the United States and feature 12 teams. The two Concacaf teams that qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics - the already qualified USWNT and Jamaica or Canada - will receive byes into the W Gold Cup with the remainder of the field determined by 2023 Road to Concacaf W Gold Cup qualifying. The four CONMEBOL teams have been determined by the 2022 Women's Copa America finish with Brazil, Colombia, Argentina and Paraguay securing places.
“This is a partnership to support the ongoing growth of men’s and women’s football in Concacaf and CONMEBOL, and will truly be of mutual benefit to both Confederations," Concacaf president Victor Montagliani said. "Working hand in hand with CONMEBOL, we will deliver elite competitions that will provide more opportunities for our federations, and that we know passionate fans want to see. We look forward to working together to ensure that football in both regions continues to thrive.”
A "Final Four"-style club competition is also set to take place with two club teams from each confederation meeting with qualification coming through existing CONMEBOL and Concacaf club competitions. The targeted date for this new series is 2024.
Argentina won the last edition of the Copa America in 2021.
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LANGLEY, British Columbia -- Connor Bedard was the center of attention during the 2023 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game at Langley Events Centre on Wednesday.
The 17-year-old forward with Regina of the Western Hockey League, and projected No. 1 pick in the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft, had a bit of a home-ice advantage. He grew up about 30 minutes away in North Vancouver.
"I'll have a good amount of people there," Bedard said before the game. "I think some relatives. Obviously, my sister, my parents and some buddies for sure. I should have a decent crowd."
Tom Bedard, Connor's father, was relishing the rare chance to see his son in person; Regina is a 20-hour drive.
"My wife (Melanie) actually is in Regina with Connor, so she gets to go to a few more games," Tom said. "I get out five or six times a year but it's difficult. It's nice to have things close to home."
It was a good show for family and friends. Bedard had a game-high six shots on goal for Team Red in a 4-2 loss to Team White.
The only people watching Bedard as closely as his family was the opposition.
"Keeping him off the scoreboard, that was kind of a team goal," Team White goalie Scott Ratzlaff said. "Just making sure he's always covered, making sure we've got eyes on him. It was good."
There was a fair amount of physical play aimed at Bedard, including Team White defenseman Lukas Dragicevic taking a cross-checking penalty against him 20 seconds into the first period. Bedard also had a game-long, trash-talking conversation with Team White defenseman Oliver Bonk.
The frustration led to Bedard taking a penalty for cross-checking Bonk at 16:30 of the third. Bonk said the back-and-forth wasn't anything malicious, more about the respect for Bedard's ability to take over a game.
"He's the best [2005-born player] in the world right now," Bonk said. "It was good to get him off the ice for two minutes for our guys."
Bedard (5-foot-10, 185 pounds) is used to physical play and won't shy away from it. He was a presence in front of Team White's goal on most of his shifts and had no problem battling in all areas of the ice.
"It's hockey," Bedard said. "It's competitive and you're allowed to hit so you've always got to expect that. It's a contact sport and you're going to get hit and you're going to give hits. That's part of it and it was good."
Despite the physical play, Bedard still displayed his game-breaking ability. With Team Red on the power play in the first period, he wheeled through the high slot and fired a shot on net that Ratzlaff saved. Midway through the second, Ratzlaff had to make a spectacular pad save to stop Bedard at the net on a give-and-go with Zach Benson.
"The goalies played well and obviously it would have been nice to see a few go in, but it didn't happen," Bedard said.
Ratzlaff also plays in the WHL, for Seattle. Though it was his first time facing Bedard in a game, he knows exactly what he's capable of doing.
"He's just so dynamic, and he's just good from anywhere," Ratzlaff said. "You think, 'Oh, I've got to commit because he's going to shoot,' and then he makes a pass backdoor right on the guy's tape. So, I think just being ready for anything because he's just so good and just patient with the puck so he can really create, turn nothing into something."
Bedard said his focus now returns to Regina, where he leads the WHL in goals (39), assists (42) and points (81). Since being held off the score sheet in the season opener, he has a point in 32 straight games. He's No. 1 in NHL Central Scouting's midterm ranking of North American players presented by BioSteel and almost a certainty to hear his name called first at the 2023 draft at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on June 28.
"When you look, you can see his similarities with his quickness, offensive smarts, that go up to the Connor McDavid level, but then just the pure substance and overall makeup of his game is reminiscent of Sidney Crosby," said Dan Marr, vice president of Central Scouting. "He's right up there with those players that are going to be all stars and win a lot of hardware moving forward."
Bedard has said the draft is something he'll worry about down the road. Now that all the attention from the Top Prospects Game has passed, he's focused on helping Regina reach the WHL playoffs.
"I want to win in Regina," he said. "We've been playing well of late, [won] four of the last five, so we want to keep that going and I'm excited to get back and get to work."
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