Former Canada Soccer president Nick Bontis told the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage Thursday that while he doesn’t remember insulting Christine Sinclair during a meeting last year, he has reached out to the women’s national team captain and apologized.
Sinclair testified before the committee on Mar. 9 and said that she had never been as insulted as when Bontis asked a colleague what Sinclair was “bitching about” during a labour negotiating session.
“While I do not recall using the language she referenced, I don’t dispute it, and my exact choice of words is not the point,” Bontis told the committee. “What matters is that she felt that I treated her concerns disrespectfully. I feel terrible for making her feel this way… It was a mistake, I take responsibility for it, and I regret it.”
Bontis made his comments during a 90-minute hearing in which committee members discussed the business of soccer with Bontis, Concacaf president Victor Montagliani, who was president of Canada Soccer from 2012-17, and Canada Soccer CFO Sean Heffernan.
Bontis testified that he left his position as Canada Soccer president on Feb. 27 after the 13 presidents of Canada’s provincial and territorial soccer federations requested his resignation. He said he still doesn’t know why they sought his ouster.
“I asked for reasons,” Bontis said. “I wanted an explicit opportunity to actually have both them explain it to me, and for me to explain where we were at in addition to my presidency. I was not afforded that opportunity. At that point I tendered my resignation.”
The hearing saw several sharp exchanges.
At one point both Montagliani and Bontis refused to answer Liberal MP Anthony Housefather’s questions about how much money they are paid by Concacaf, the soccer confederation for North and Central America and the Caribbean.
“The issue is that the organization that I am the president of has a policy with respect to not disclosing that number,” Montagliani said, pointing to “security and safety issues throughout our confederation.”
“I’m uncomfortable in sharing that number for privacy reasons,” Bontis said.
All three witnesses were questioned about Canada Soccer’s media and sponsorship contract with Canadian Soccer Business.
Under the terms of a contract negotiated in 2017-18, CSB pays Canada Soccer a guaranteed fee annually between 2019 and 2027 in exchange for the rights to sell both broadcasting and corporate sponsorship rights to the men’s and women’s national teams.
In 2019, that fee was $3 million, according to a copy of the contract obtained by TSN.
Canada Soccer board member Paul-Claude Berube confirmed during a March 22 committee hearing that in 2022, CSB generated $8.2 million in sponsorships. Canada Soccer has 14 national corporate partners listed on its website, and CSB receives all of the revenue from those agreements.
CSB’s guaranteed payment to Canada Soccer climbs each year, topping out at $3.5 million in 2027. The contract, which was signed by Steve Reed (Canada Soccer’s president from 2017-20), says CSB has the right to extend the deal for an additional 10 years, and if it triggers that extension, must pay Canada Soccer at least $4 million per year from 2028 to 2037.
Montagliani defended the contract.
“The lack of interest and support from media corporations meant that Canada Soccer had to spend its own money for our women’s and men’s national teams to be shown on networks such as TSN, Rogers and CBC rather than allocating that to the grassroots,” he said.
“…Of course, Canadian corporations are private entities and can make choices as they wish. But it was obvious when I was president of Canada Soccer that we needed to take a different route and seek out new commercial partners – not only to encourage investment, but to encourage ambition. That meant looking beyond the usual suspects to find new, more dynamic partners with the appetite and willingness to build domestic football for the long term.”
NDP MP Peter Julien pressed Bontis on Canada Soccer’s decision before the men’s World Cup in Qatar to spend $11,000 on bespoke suits for the organization’s board members.
“I can confirm that a couple years back, when I was elected president, that I had been wearing a suit that was issued to me for 10 full years,” Bontis said. “The suit was in very bad shape. We travel a lot as directors. I think I wore it on average 30 times a year over 10 years – that’s 300 times. It was shredded, it was in disrepair.
“…The suits were for all 14 directors of the board and they amounted to $791.00 dollars each. The suits were custom suits with Canada Soccer branding.”
The Blue Jays conducted a pretty neat piece of business yesterday, re-signing reliever Jay Jackson to a major league contract after releasing him form his minor league deal earlier in the week.
ROSTER MOVES:
RHP Jay Jackson has been signed to a one-year Major League deal and has been optioned to Triple-A
Jackson, a 35-year-old veteran journeyman, twirled nine scoreless innings during spring training, fanning 13. Spring stats caveats notwithstanding it was impressive to see him throw 96 mph heaters and racking up whiffs. Jackson won’t be with Toronto to start the season but he will be anchoring the Buffalo Bisons bullpen instead, ready to step in when needed.
The Toronto Blue Jays Roster Tree Route Map is a subway map-like graphical depiction on how players on the 40-man roster were acquired.
Minor Leaguer
When he gets called up, he will become the first “Jay” to ever play for the Toronto Blue Jays. There was Jayson Werth, Jayson Nix, and of course J.A. Happ, but Jackson will be the first guy to officially go by “Jay” to suit up for the big league club despite the many years of rumours about acquiring Jay Bruce.
Having signed a major league contract, Jackson is now on the 40-man roster on an optional assignment to triple-A. Although there hasn’t been any other “Jay”s to play for the major league Jays, two other “Jay”s have found their way onto the 40-man roster in the franchise’s 47 seasons.
RHP Jay Robertson
Added to 40-man roster: October 1979
Released: April 1982
Robertson, now 65, was the Blue Jays’ third round pick in the 1977 January Draft. In spring training 1978 he had a brief appearance in major league camp, facing Willie Stargell as his first batter (Stargell singled). He was added to the 40-man roster along with future major leaguers Paul Hodgson and Jesse Barfield after the 1979 season.
In 1980, the Toronto Star’s Alison Gordon wrote about his “off-the-wall disposition”, including how he wore a conehead around all spring training, “in the club house, out to dinner, shopping [and] for standing on the side of the road and waving at passing cars.”
“I went [to the store] with [the conehead] on, about 7:30 at night, to get some bread. WHen I got there, they were calling for security guards and everything,” Robertson told Gordon. “I bought my stuff and went back out. Then I found out the store had been robbed at 7:30 that morning.”
Back in the days where the major league Jays would play an in-season exhibition game against the triple-A Syracuse Chiefs, a pitch slipped off of Robertson’s hand and nailed Toronto’s Bob Bailor in the wrist on a 3-1 pitch, landing Bailor on the disabled list for several weeks in the middle of season.
Robertson spent five seasons in the minor league system between 1977 and 1981, making it up as far as Syracuse before a final professional season with double-A Knoxville. He is now a special assistant to Mike Rizzo, the general manager of the Washington Nationals. Last year, Robertson was awarded the Phil Rizzo Scout of the Year Award by the Nats.
OF/C Jay Schroeder
Quarterback Jay Schroeder of the Washington football team in 1987
Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images
Added to 40-man roster: October 1981
Designated for assignment: June 1983
Football fans would know Jay Schroeder, now 61, as a quarterback who won Super Bowl XXII with the Washington NFL team, later QBing for the Los Angeles Raiders, Cincinnati Bengals, and the Arizona Cardinals. But Schroeder started his professional athletic career as a Blue Jays minor leaguer, selected third overall in the 1979 draft and given a $135,000 signing bonus. Schroeder had committed to play football for UCLA and reportedly declined a six-year three-year major league contract from the Blue Jays in order to be permitted to play for UCLA.
He struggled to hit in this four minor league seasons in the Jays system between 1980 and 1983, playing for the single-A Kinston Blue Jays. He was given his release in February 1984 when the Jays wanted him to convert to pitching. He quipped, “I want to be an athlete, not a pitcher.”
Indonesia was stripped of hosting the men's under-20 World Cup on Wednesday only eight weeks before the start of the tournament amid political turmoil regarding Israel's participation.
FIFA said Indonesia was removed from staging the 24-team tournament scheduled to start on May 20 "due to the current circumstances" without specifying details.
The decision came after a meeting in Doha between FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Indonesian soccer federation president Erick Thohir.
Israel qualified last June for its first under-20 World Cup. But the country's participation in Friday's scheduled draw in Bali provoked political opposition this month.
Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation and does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel, while publicly supporting the Palestinian cause.
Indonesia's hosting was cast into doubt on Sunday when FIFA postponed the draw.
Argentina reportedly interested in hosting
It is unclear who could now host the tournament, which was scheduled to be played in six stadiums in Indonesia. Argentina, which did not qualify for the tournament, is reportedly interested in hosting.
"A new host will be announced as soon as possible, with the dates of the tournament currently remaining unchanged," FIFA said.
The Indonesian soccer federation could be further disciplined by FIFA. A suspension could remove Indonesia from Asian qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, which starts in October.
FIFA seemed to remove all blame Wednesday from Thohir, the former president of Italian club Inter Milan — the team Infantino supports — and a former co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers.
FIFA staff will continue to work in Indonesia in the months ahead, the governing body said, "under the leadership of President Thohir."
Soccer and public authorities in Indonesia agreed to FIFA's hosting requirements in 2019 before being selected to stage the 2021 edition of the under-20 World Cup. The coronavirus pandemic forced the tournament to be postponed for two years.
President objects to Israel's participation
But Indonesian president Joko Widodo said Tuesday evening that his administration objected to Israel's participation. He told citizens that the country agreed to host before knowing Israel would qualify.
Israel qualified by reaching the semifinals of the under-19 European championship. The team went on to lose to England in that final.
Israel plays in Europe as a member of UEFA after leaving the Asian Football Confederation in the 1970s for political and security reasons.
FIFA bills the men's under-20 World Cup as "the tournament of tomorrow's superstars."
Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi and Paul Pogba are previous winners of the official player of the tournament award, and Erling Haaland was the top scorer at the 2019 edition.
It’s always fun when your team clinches without doing anything. The Maple Leafs were at home last night when the news broke that because some other team won or lost, they were officially in the playoffs.
So now that’s out of the way, the Leafs play the waiting game, oh and also eight more regular season games, one of which is against the Lightning, which will be the most interesting to watch, while for the others we simply hope no one is injured.
The next game is tomorrow against the Panthers here in Toronto.
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Voit’s playmaking skills put him in Sting’s record book - Observer Ty Voit is so crafty with the puck, he keeps his own teammates guessing what he’s about to do. [SPECIES: OK I cannot resist the pun on the Sarnia Sting and that headline so here we go: [music] Every single day Every game you play Every night you stay I’ll be watching Voit]
Now to be extra sure I have a 1980’s Sting song stuck in your head all day... here you go! Have a nice Tuesday.
Mattias Ekholm of the Edmonton Oilers attempts a shot on goaltender Karel Vejmelka of the Arizona Coyotes during the second period of the NHL game at Mullett Arena on March 27, 2023 in Tempe, Arizona.Photo by Christian Petersen /Getty Images
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Oilers 5, Coyotes 4
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Edmonton Oilers travel regimen on Monday night: take the two points and get the heck out of Dodge.
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It was a scrambly affair in cramped Mullett Arena, where a clear majority of the 4,600 spectators seemed to be rooting for the visiting team. For the second time in the last week, the Oilers were in tough to shake the pesky Coyotes. This time they managed to get the job done in regulation, but not without a few nervous moments down the stretch as Arizona pressed but failed to overcome Edmonton’s 5-4 lead.
The Oilers had seemed fully in control with a 4-2 lead after a dominant second period, but that went away in the first 5 minutes of the third. The Oilers managed just a single Grade A shot in that final frame, but Ryan Nugent-Hopkins buried that shot on the powerplay to put them back in front by the enventual winning margin.
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If the stats are to be believed, this was a stolen win by the Oilers, who were outshot 33-29 and on the short end of Grade A shots by a 19-13 margin, including 10-6 in 5-alarm shots (running count). In each player’s comment we’ll record his individual contributions to Grade A shots (GAS) at both ends of the sheet.
Player grades
#2 Evan Bouchard, 7. Strong on the attack. Scored the 2-2 goal at even strength on an excellent shot, later set up the game winner on the powerplay with a one-timer that created a dangerous rebound. Perhaps his best play was a lovely delayed stretch pass that sent his partner Ekholm in on a breakaway. Not your standard D-to-D pass. Did have a couple of adventures on defence, wandering way out of position and getting burned for a breakaway that Campbell stopped, later losing a battle in the low slot that resulted in the 4-4. Now has 12 points in 13 games since the big trade on Feb 28. GAS: +3/-4.
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#5 Cody Ceci, 4. His lost battle was a key element on the second Arizona tally. Otherwise largely held his own. GAS: +0/-1.
#10 Derek Ryan, 5. Quiet night with 0 shots and just 1/6=17% on the dot. Decent on the penalty kill. GAS: +0/-1.
#14 Mattias Ekholm, 7. Played a team-high 24:56 on what was the club’s most effective pairing. Unlucky that the second Arizona goal caromed in off him. Burned on another ‘yotes chance when his hard clearing pass hit a sign on the boards and just died, one of many funky bounces in the old barn Arizona now calls home. Won more than his share of battles, including a couple that set up McDavid’s 2 best chances of the game, both in the first period. Robbed on a breakaway of his own on a full stretch stop by Karel Vejmelka. Also robbed of an assist on Draisaitl’s goal when his pass was deflected from its intended recipient directly to the goal scorer, without possession ever being achieved. Played 24:58 to lead both teams, including 23:01 at even strength. Excellent shot shares. GAS: +4/-4.
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#18 Zach Hyman, 6. His biggest contribution was finishing off a 5-way passing play just 6 seconds into Edmonton’s first powerplay to tie the game 1-1. Another great chance off a Nurse feed, but couldn’t bury. A couple of issues in defensive coverage. GAS: +2/-3.
#19 Devin Shore, 4. Scoreless in almost 10 minutes, not a bad outcome. Not his best night handling the puck, though. GAS: +0/-0
#21 Klim Kostin, 6. A decent shot on net, a couple of shot blocks, a couple of hits, and a positive influence overall. GAS: +1/-0.
#25 Darnell Nurse, 6. His big moment was scoring the shorthanded goal that gave the Oilers their first lead, joining the rush as a trailer, taking Yamamoto’s drop pass, and overpowering Vejmelka with a wrist shot. Made a great pass to Hyman for another 5-alarm shot. Allowed an outside shot on the sequence that resulted in Arizona’s third goal, and was a better door than window in screening Campbell on a couple of other shots (both stopped). 4 shots, 2 blocks. GAS: +2/-4.
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#26 Mattias Janmark, 6. Started the game on the McDavid line, but soon moved down to a bottom-6 trio with Bjugstad and Foegele which was highly effective. Did get burned on a bad pinch on the first Arizona goal, but made up for it with a strong charge to the net front as a decoy on Nurse’s shorty. GAS: +2/-1.
#27 Brett Kulak, 5. His pairing with Desharnais had its struggles at even strength and were badly outshot (+3/-10 in Kulak’s 14 minutes at 5v5), and were dominated in Grade A shots. Managed to saw off 0-0 where it mattered most. Kulak mustered a couple of shots, a hit and a takeaway. GAS: +0/-4.
#29 Leon Draisaitl, 7. Entered the game tied with McDavid and Kane, each with 299 goals. Won the race to 300 when he scored on his only official shot of the game, surprising Vejmelka with a quick-release outside shot through traffic. This after finding iron on a great look from the slot on his previous shift. Set up the game winner by teeing up Bouchard’s one-timer in the third. Also won the powerplay faceoff that led directly to Oilers’ first goal, whough no point awarded on that one. Now up to 46-68-114 on the season, 26 points behind McDavid but 12 clear of third-place Nikita Kucherov. Led the Oilers with 2 blocked shots and with 13/23=57% on the faceoff dot. GAS: +5/-6.
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#36 Jack Campbell, 5. Another frenetic night that saw him allow at least 4 goals in his seventh straight start. On the bright side, his teammates have scored at least 4 in his last sixteen starts, and once again on this night scored 1 more than they gave up. Campbell was beaten by a pair of first-period deflections, both of which found a hole between his arm and body. His bigger problem was rebound control, with numerous pucks trampolining off of him back into the slot or in unexpected directions that left him scrambling. This proved especially costly on the third Arizona goal, and arguably the fourth as well. Did face 19 Grade A shots (4 of them off his own bad rebounds) and came up with a number of good stops. Stiffened down the stretch and managed to contain the puck for a couple of key stoppages in the late going. 33 shots, 29 saves, .879 save percentage.
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#37 Warren Foegele, 7. Another strong game with dominant shot shares (+13/-3 in shot attempts, +7/-1 in actual shots) on a strong trio with Bjugstad and Janmark. His fine pass to Bouchard was buried for the 2-2. Now had 13 points in his last 19 games. 3 shots on net, the best a quick wraparound that nearly cashed. GAS: +3/-0.
#56 Kailer Yamamoto, 5. Quiet game with 0 shots and 0 hits. Whiffed entirely on his best look, wasting a nice set up by Ekholm. Did find a way to contribute with a nice rush and pass to Nurse on the penalty kill that resulted in the 3-2 goal. GAS: +2/-0.
#72 Nick Bjugstad, 7. Became one of the first NHLers to experience Mullett Arena as both a home and away player. Certainly looked right at home with a very strong effort. Skated extremely well. Earned a secondary assist on the Bouchard goal. Fired 3 shots of his own (6 attempts) and also landed 3 hits, with a takeaway and a block and 5/10=50% on the dot. GAS: +2/-2.
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#73 Vincent Desharnais, 4. Had his struggles in this one. Managed to saw off 0-0 at evens, despite being penned in his own end for much of his 12 even strength minutes. Was in the box for the Arizona powerplay goal, albeit for something of a ticky-tack holding penalty. GAS: +0/-5.
#91 Evander Kane, 4. Skated better, producing 5 shot attempts (2 on net). Involved in the physical aspect, landing a team-high 4 hits. But all too frequently, the play died on his stick. Directly caused a too-many-men penalty when he chose to play the puck right at the player’s gate, even as his replacement had already taken the ice. Screened his own goalie and very likely deflected in the second Arizona goal. No points and -2 on the night. Now a dismal dash-9 on the season, the only current Oiler in red figures. GAS: +2/-3.
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#93 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 7. Scored 1-1-2, doing all of that damage on the powerplay. His fine cross-seam pass to McDavid set the stage for the 1-1, while he took care of business himself cashing the 5-4 from the edge of the crease. That stood up as the game-winner. A couple of hiccups in the defensive zone but nothing costly. GAS: +4/-1.
#97 Connor McDavid, 5. A couple of early chances, and a great pass to Hyman on the PP for the 1-1, his 140th (!!!) point of the season. Gradually had less impact as the game went on. Beaten on the 4-3 when he wasn’t quite able to cut out the shot. Did land a couple of heavy hits and held his own on the dot at 7/13=54%. GAS: +3/-2.
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National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman says the new owner of the Ottawa Senators will likely be announced by "early mid-summer," and has reiterated his stand that the team will not be leaving the city.
"I have no announcement to make," Bettman told reporters at a pre-game news conference at Canadian Tire Centre, where the Senators are taking on the Florida Panthers Monday evening.
Bettman confirmed there remain "somewhere around six" groups vying to purchase the team, but he offered no clues as to who they are, or who might be leading the pack.
"I know there's been a lot of speculation about who the bidders are, what they're prepared to pay — I think ignoring the speculation would be a good idea because most of it has been inaccurate," he said, urging patience.
"We're not on the clock. The goal is to get it right, and if it takes a little longer, it takes a little longer."
Bettman said he expects the selection process, which is being managed by New York investment bankers Galatioto Sports Partners, to take another six weeks, and described it as "among the most vibrant processes I've ever seen."
NHL commissioner: Senators sale process could be complete by 'early mid-summer'
2 hours ago
Duration 0:49
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman gave little new information about the multiple suitors looking to purchase the Ottawa Senators but reiterated that the team will be staying in the city.
Senators staying in Ottawa
Bettman dashed any speculation that the franchise could relocate to another city, confirming any move will be to downtown Ottawa.
"If the team is going to move, the only move that will be permitted is downtown. The … Senators are not leaving Ottawa," he told reporters.
Other details, such as the precise location of any new arena, will be up to the successful bidder and new owner of the franchise, Bettman said, though he did express some skepticism about the suitability of LeBreton Flats due to its size.
"I don't know whether or not 6.3 or 6.9 acres is enough…. It struck me as being a little small," Bettman said, expressing concern about space for parking, loading and other utilities.
"There are options downtown, and that's always a good thing to have."
He reiterated that the ultimate decision about a new arena, and what to do with Canadian Tire Centre if the team does move downtown, will be up to the new owners.
"That will all be up to the successful bidder and the new owner of the franchise," he said.
Actor Ryan Reynolds gestures towards a fan as he is recognized during a break in the play as the Ottawa Senators take on the Vancouver Canucks in Ottawa Nov. 8, 2022. Reynolds is interested in an ownership stake in the Senators franchise. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)
Rampant speculation
Bettman's visit to Ottawa comes amid rampant speculation about the team's prospective buyers.
Actor Ryan Reynolds has reportedly teamed up with Toronto-area developers The Remington Group. Both Bettman and Daly have indicated the movie star's involvement could be a huge boon to both the franchise and the league.
Toronto billionaire and minority Montreal Canadiens owner Michaal Andlauer has put in a bid, as have the Kimel brothers of Harlo Capital, according to both CBC sources and other news outlets.
Like Andlauer, Jeffrey Kimel is already involved in the NHL as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins management committee.
According to The Athletic, Los Angeles-based AI entrepreneur Neko Sparks is preparing a bid, and even retweeted a post by that publication about his interest in the Senators.
With the franchise expected to cost more than $800 million — and NHL brass trying to talk the price up even higher — the new owners are expected to be a consortium led by a deep-pocketed tycoon from afar that includes local minority shareholders to provide some hometown flavour.
CBC News has learned of at least three local parties involved in larger bids: the Malhotra family of Claridge Homes; Jean-Pierre Poulin of Devcore; and Jeff York of the Farm Boy grocery stores.
It's not clear which prospective bidders the local parties are aligned with.
Bettman, left, meets with Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe at Ottawa city hall on March 27, 2023. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press)
'Very constructive' meetings with mayor, NCC
Earlier on Monday, Bettman dropped by Ottawa city hall for a lunch meeting and photo op with Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, before meeting with National Capital Commission (NCC) CEO Tobi Nussbaum.
Bettman described both meetings as "very constructive." Sutcliffe joined Bettman at Monday's pre-game news conference, though the mayor didn't sit behind the table with the NHL commissioner.
The team is officially for sale after Eugene Melnyk died last year. Melnyk's daughters, who currently own the team, have signed an agreement to build a new arena on LeBreton Flats, but it's not binding.
Capital Sports and Entertainment Group (CSEG), which owns the Senators, inked a memorandum of understanding with the NCC last year to build an arena on LeBreton Flats. Their partners include Live Nation Entertainment, the parent company of Ticketmaster.
The proposal would see a major events centre, with additional mixed use development, on a 2.6-hectare site on Albert Street.
The NCC is hoping to sign a lease this fall, but there's nothing compelling the team's new owners to go through with the LeBreton deal.
On Monday, NCC spokesperson Valérie Dufour told CBC the meeting between Bettman and Nussbaum "was very positive, with both parties recognizing the value and opportunity for the Ottawa Senators and the National Hockey League to build a downtown arena at LeBreton Flats."
Mixed messages about arena location
NHL executives have signalled for years that they want the Senators to move from Canadian Tire Centre to a downtown arena, but they've been sending mixed messages about whether that necessarily means a move to LeBreton Flats.
In February, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly, who joined Bettman in Ottawa on Monday, told The Bob McCown Podcast that Lebreton Flats is "certainly a relevant part of the mix," but might not be "an essential element."
Last week, Sutcliffe told TSN1200 that LeBreton is "not the only location" up for consideration.
During last fall's election campaign, Sutcliffe was staunchly opposed to any direct municipal funding of a new arena, and in December told CBC he didn't "support a cash contribution from the city of Ottawa."
Last week, however, he appeared less certain.
"I'm not a fan of putting city money into an arena, but it depends on so many factors," he told reporters. "I think it's too early to have that conversation."
Lebreton parcel 'struck me as being a little small,' NHL commissioner says
2 hours ago
Duration 1:01
Asked about the parcel of land at LeBreton Flats set aside for a potential new arena for the Ottawa Senators, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said he has questions about the size of the land, but "there are options downtown."
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