The Sixers sent Harden, P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrusev to L.A. for Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nic Batum, K.J. Martin, a 2028 unprotected first-round pick, two second-round picks, a 2029 draft-pick swap and additional first-rounder from a third team, a person familiar with the trade told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the final details of the trade are not yet official.
The 34-year-old Harden vowed he would never play for a franchise run by 76ers team president Daryl Morey and the disgruntled guard had yet to play for the team this season. Harden had picked up his $35.6 million US contract option in June with the belief the team would trade him. When a deal failed to immediately materialize, Harden's relationship with the 76ers ultimately soured.
The 10-time all-star led the NBA in assists last season with 10.7 per game but it was Harden's wildly fluctuating offence that frustrated the Sixers and helped doom them in the Eastern Conference second-round loss to Boston.
Harden, acquired at the 2022 trade deadline from Brooklyn, is now off to his fifth team.
BREAKING: The Philadelphia 76ers have agreed on a trade to send guard James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers, sources tell ESPN. <a href="https://t.co/wAyuJKMfAw">pic.twitter.com/wAyuJKMfAw</a>
Harden was a late arrival to training camp and continued to practice with the 76ers until he was told to stay home for the team's first two road games in the wake of the trade demand. The lone time he spoke at practice, Harden said that his fractured relationship with Morey could not be repaired, comparing it to a broken marriage. Head coach Nick Nurse had said Harden would not play until he met certain conditioning requirements. Harden was scheduled to practice with the 76ers on Tuesday.
Instead, Harden is on his way to California.
The 76ers are off until Thursday's home game against Toronto. The Clippers set to play Tuesday night against Orlando. There was no immediate word when all the traded players would be available to their new teams.
Harden and Westbrook joined Bob McAdoo as the only league MVPs traded four times in their career.
This may be the Clippers' last chance to win a title with this group of all-stars. Both Leonard and George are eligible for extensions and the Clippers will have to decide whether it's worth keeping the injury-prone duo together. Part of Harden's complaint with the Sixers stemmed from the belief he should have earned a long-term contract with the team after last season.
Harden dressed in street clothes and sat on the bench for Sunday's home opener against Portland. NBA MVP Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey have the 76ers off to a 2-1 start all while Morey navigated the Harden headache.
Harden and the 76ers are no strangers to turmoil. Harden's wildly successful tenure in Houston — where he first teamed with Morey, then the general manager — included three scoring titles and the 2018 NBA MVP award. But his relationship with Houston eventually fell apart and he forced his way to Brooklyn in 2021. He joined Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and formed a Big 3 that was never very big. The trio was socked by injuries and other controversies and played only 18 games together before Harden wanted out.
Called owner a liar
So it was off to Philly at the 2022 trade deadline, where he was reunited with Morey and seemed comfortable in his role as a playmaker while the offence ran through Embiid. Harden even declined in June 2022 his $47.4 million option, saying he wanted to give the 76ers financial flexibility to improve their roster and compete for a championship. He signed a deal worth slightly over $68 million, paying him about $33 million last season with a $35.6 million player option for this season.
Harden appeared determined to sever ties with the Sixers in August after he called Morey a liar at a promotional event in China.
"Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he's a part of," Harden said at the event. "Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he's a part of."
The 76ers do get draft picks down the road but the short-term win — besides shearing themselves of The Beard —- is a glut of salary cap space next season.
While the Sixers failed to get prized guard Terance Mann in the deal, Batum, Covington (making his second stint with the 76ers), Martin and Morris all have expiring contracts at the end of the season. That leaves just Embiid, Paul Reed and Jaden Springer as the only players on the books for 2024-2025. For now. The Sixers are expected use some of the cap space to extend Maxey next summer.
KELOWNA, B.C. — Brad Gushue didn't take long to get over an opening day loss at the Pan Continental Curling Championships at Kelowna Curling Club.
The Canadian skip from St. John's N.L., who dropped an 8-5 decision to Jongduk Park of South Korea on Sunday in the men's A Division round-robin opener, knocked off Anton Hood's New Zealand team 8-2 in Monday's early draw, then beat Korey Dropkin's U.S. squad, skipped by Andrew Stopera, 7-5 in 11 ends in the evening draw.
Gushue, with vice-skip Mark Nichols, second E.J. Harnden and lead Geoff Walker, scored one in the opening end and Hood responded with two in the second. Gushue then scored two in the third, one in the fourth and two more in the fifth and then coasted to the seven-end victory.
In other early draw results, South Korea beat Jay Merchant's Australian crew 9-6, Korey Dropkin's U.S. squad, skipped by Andrew Stopera, beat Randolph Shen's Taiwan team 8-2 in eight ends, and Riku Yanagisawa of Japan rocked Rayad Husain's Guyana crew 9-2 in seven ends.
In the late game, Gushue was up 3-0 after three ends and the teams exchanged singles in the fourth and fifth ends. The U.S. scored two in the sixth to reduce the deficit to 4-3. Dropkin tied the game 4-4 with a single in the eighth and then the teams exchanged singles in the ninth and 10th. Gushue scored two in the 11th to post the victory and improve to 2-1. The U.S. slipped to 2-1.
“I think this is a good character builder,” said Harnden, who had his best shooting game of the championships, firing at 93 per cent.
“I think we’re moving in the right direction. There were some good things out there. We’re not quite where we want to be yet, but I think we’re close. This should be something we should look at as a positive moving forward.”
"We hung in there,” said Gushue. “We scrapped through nine and then played a great 10th end to force them (to take one), and a pretty good 11th end. We had a couple bad ones, but we had a couple good ones to make up for it.”
In other games, New Zealand (2-1) rocked winless Guyana (0-3) 11-1 in six ends; Japan (3-0) beat Australia (0-3) 11-6 in eight ends; and South Korea (3-0) beat Taiwan 9-6 in nine ends.
Gushue plays unbeaten Japan on Tuesday in his team's only game of the day.
In women's action, Kerri Einarson's Canadian crew from Gimli, Man., rebounded from a Sunday night loss to defeat Jennifer Westhagen's Australian team 9-5 on Monday to improve to 2-1.
“I play good with a lack of sleep,” Einarson joked. “As a skip, you revisit all those shots (you missed) throughout the night. You have to put that aside and really focus on learning the ice and figuring out our throws. Today, we got our rocks in some really good spots and put some pressure on them.”
As the game progressed, skip Einarson, vice-skip Val Sweeting, second Shannon Birchard, lead Briane Harris and national coaches Renée Sonnenberg and Viktor Kjell did not have to reach too deep into their tool box to get past winless Australia (0-3).
Einarson ended the game with a score of two in the eighth, followed by a steal of one in the ninth to defeat the Australian nation, which is seeking its first-ever appearance at the women’s world curling championship.
Einarson is looking forward to a two-game day on Tuesday against New Zealand’s Team Jessica Smith (1-2), followed by Team Tabitha Peterson of the U.S. (3-0).
In other women’s action Monday, New Zealand’s Team Smith beat Cynthia Lu of Taiwan (0-3) 11-7; Japan’s Satsuki Fujisawa (3-0) remained undefeated after a 9-1 win against Mexico’s Adriana Camarena (1-2); and Peterson of the U.S needed an extra end to defeat South Korea’s Eunji Gim (2-1) 9-8.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 30, 2023.
PARIS (AP) — The list reads 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, and now 2023.
Lionel Messi won the men’s Ballon d’Or for a record-extending eighth time on Monday after fulfilling his life’s ambition by leading Argentina to the World Cup title in Qatar last year.
Adding to his silverware the one major trophy that eluded him in his storied career was the decisive factor in an otherwise quite mundane season — for his standards — at Paris Saint-Germain.
The 36-year-old Messi won ahead of Manchester City forward Erling Haaland and his former PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe.
Messi thanked his Argentina coach, teammates and staff for making his victory possible.
“Tonight I’m enjoying myself. It’s a pleasure that will never leave me, and I hope to be able to enjoy it for many years to come,” Messi said through a translator. “Becoming world champion was the title we were missing. I’d like to thank everyone who helped make Argentina the world champion team.”
Messi also paid tribute to the late Diego Maradona, who also helped Argentina win the World Cup, back in 1986.
“This title and this trophy," Messi said, "I share them with you and all our Argentina comrades.”
Aitana Bonmati won the women’s award for guiding Spain to victory at the Women’s World Cup in August. She also helped Barcelona win the Women's Champions League and Spanish league.
A year after missing out on the shortlist for the 2022 Ballon d’Or, and despite leaving top-level European soccer behind, Messi has recovered his crown.
He won the sport’s biggest individual prize due to his tremendous World Cup. In Qatar, Messi was involved in 10 goals for Argentina, scoring seven and assisting three. He scored twice in the final against France.
His final season with PSG was less shiny. Although PSG won a record-extending 11th French league, it again exited the Champions League in the round of 16.
Nobody else has won more than five Ballon d’Or. Cristiano Ronaldo has five, and Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten each won it three times.
Since moving to Inter Miami in the United States, Messi has already picked up his first silverware there by inspiring the team to victory in the U.S. Leagues Cup.
Messi's latest win marked the first time a Major League Soccer-based player got such recognition. Messi received the trophy from former Manchester United star David Beckham, who is one of the owners of his new club.
“I’m very happy with the decisions I’ve made and to be with Miami,” Messi said.
He succeeded Karim Benzema.
Mbappe hoped another Frenchman could win the Ballon d'Or after he scored a hat trick in the World Cup final, though France lost in a penalty shootout.
Haaland led City to a treble of trophies last season — Champions League, English Premier League, FA Cup — while scoring 52 goals.
Bonmati had already been awarded UEFA best women’s player and the Golden Ball for the top Women’s World Cup player. She scored three times and assisted twice at the tournament.
She followed in the footsteps of her teammate Alexia Putellas, who took the past two awards.
Bonmati won ahead of Sam Kerr and Salma Paralluelo.
“We are a country that lives football, intensely,” Bonmati said. “We have a unique talent in Spain.”
For the first time last year, the trophy awarded by France Football magazine was based on achievements from the past season. It was previously awarded based on performances through a calendar year. Stanley Matthews won the first Ballon d’Or in 1956.
The women’s trophy was created in 2018, and both were canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic.
In other awards, the best under-21 player was Jude Bellingham, while Haaland won the Gerd Müller award for the best striker of the year.
The Lev Yashin award for best goalkeeper went to Emiliano Martinez. In addition to his trophy, the Argentina goalkeeper collected boos and whistles from the audience at the Theatre du Chatelet that included Mbappe and France coach Didier Deschamps.
Martinez was criticized for the excessive tone of his World Cup celebrations. He carried a doll with Mbappe’s face on it while standing alongside teammate Messi as Argentina paraded the trophy back home. Martinez, who also made a crude gesture after winning the Golden Glove award for best goalkeeper, was filmed mocking Mbappe in the team dressing room after the game.
The humanitarian prize named after the late Brazil midfielder Socrates went to Vinicius Junior, for his involvement in the foundation he set up for underprivileged children. The Real Madrid player, who has been the target of racist abuse in the Spanish league, pledged to keep up the fight against racism.
Ice hockey players in England will be required to wear neck guards from the start of 2024 following the death of American player Adam Johnson in a game.
Johnson's neck was cut by a skate blade on Saturday.
Earlier Monday, Hayley Wickenheiser called for mandated neck protection at "every level in hockey."
Wickenheiser is a four-time Olympic women's hockey gold medallist who completed medical school after her playing career and currently works as an assistant general manager for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
She posted to X platform, formerly known as Twitter, that the risk is far too great not to wear neck protection, even if it doesn't pass the "cool factor."
My deepest condolences to Adam's family and the extended hockey family.<br>Such a terrible loss of a young life.<br><br>I know it may not pass the 'cool' factor but it's time for mandatory neck protection at every level in hockey. The risk is far too great not to. <a href="https://t.co/YvUoMn7qTl">https://t.co/YvUoMn7qTl</a>
In the EIHA, neck guards will be mandatory from Jan. 1 for all on-ice activities. The EIHA said it was its "strong recommendation" that all players start wearing a neck guard, effective immediately. The body added neck guards would not be mandatory immediately because of anticipated supply issues.
"It is unacceptable for any player to lose their life while playing sport," the EIHA said. "Our responsibility is not only to avert the recurrence of such a heartbreaking accident, but also to pre-emptively address other foreseeable incidents in the future."
Players in the U.K. are allowed to play without neck guards after they turn 18.
Neck guards are not mandatory in the NHL. The Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League mandate players to wear neck guards. Hockey Canada also requires players registered in minor or women's hockey to wear neck protection.
The Western Hockey League said Monday it is reviewing its position on mandatory neck guards following Johnson's death.
WATCH | Adam Johnson's death reignites debate over mandated neck protection:
Former NHL player killed in hockey accident in England
22 hours ago
Duration 1:58
Featured VideoFormer NHL player Adam Johnson is dead after his neck was cut by a skate in an on-ice collision during a game in Sheffield, England. The accident has some asking if neck guards should be mandatory.
The 29-year-old Johnson was playing for the Nottingham Panthers against the Sheffield Steelers when he suffered the skate cut in a Champions Cup game. He was a Minnesota native who appeared in 13 NHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2019 and 2020.
Within 12 months, the EIHA said it would conduct a "thorough" review of player safety equipment "including, but not limited to, the use of helmets, mouthguards/gumshields and facial protection."
All clubs will have to demonstrate they "proactively manage player safety."
Wickenheiser, seen in 2019, is calling for mandatory neck protection in all levels of hockey. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)
The body said its actions aligned with Ice Hockey UK and Scottish Ice Hockey.
"We are firmly committed to our obligation to exhaust every possible means to ensure that a tragic incident of this nature never befalls our sport again," the EIHA said.
"Undoubtedly, this moment in time casts a sombre shadow upon our global sporting community, serving as a stark reminder of our collective responsibilities as custodians of the sport. As in all sports, the safety of our players must take precedence above all else."
Sam Lafferty, a former Penguin now playing in Vancouver, assisted on Johnson's first and only NHL goal.
"Good for them for taking action," he said. "When we're kids, we wear neck guards for a reason, it's something worth looking into [for the NHL]."
"I remember [Johnson's goal] clearly. I can still see the look on his face. Pure elation, pure joy."
Several members of the Providence Bruins, Boston's American Hockey League affiliate, wore neck guards in their game against the Springfield Thunderbirds on Sunday.
Lafferty said NHL players may also start thinking about wearing protection in light of his former teammate's death.
"I think so. We started looking at that for wrists, and the socks we wear underneath our skates, they're cut-proof," said Lafferty. "I can see that being the next step."
'Slow sport to change'
Canucks defenceman Ian Cole noted the dangers of the sport and said players are "very fortunate" serious injuries don't happen more often.
"There's skates flying all over the place," he said. "I can't tell you how many times I've looked at my visor and had a skate slashed right through it and I had no idea a skate was near my face.
"We're a slow sport to change, maybe sometimes for the good, maybe sometimes for the bad. It's not going to happen overnight but I think there will be some conversations about what we can do to prevent stuff like that."
Winnipeg Jets interim head coach Scott Arniel was a forward for the Buffalo Sabres when his teammate, goalie Clint Malarchuk, took a skate blade to the neck on March 22, 1989.
"I was firsthand and I saw this happen in a game myself, and it's one of the scariest things I've ever seen," Arniel told reporters in Winnipeg. "Where it goes next, I know in minor hockey that it's already a rule and in junior hockey, so we'll see.
"The league is probably going to look into this and they'll make a decision moving forward."
Malarchuk survived the life-threatening injury but developed post-traumatic stress disorder. Former Montreal Canadiens forward Richard Zednik suffered a similar incident in 2008.
Boston Bruins forward Jakub Lauko avoided a serious injury as recently as last Tuesday when he took a skate blade near his left eye after falling to the ice against Chicago.
Maple Leafs captain John Tavares said he's thought about the use of neck protection before and suggested it might be a next step in making the game safer.
"At one point goalies weren't wearing helmets, and the game has evolved and continues to get safer and safer," Tavares told reporters in Toronto. "That's certainly probably an aspect that needs to continue to be looked at further, as one incident like that is too many."
Increased conversations at NHL level
Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis, who coached his sons in Connecticut before taking the Montreal job, was close to a similar situation when 16-year-old high school player Teddy Balkind died in Greenwich, Conn., after his neck was cut by another player's skate.
St. Louis said he's strongly in favour of requiring under-18 and under-20 players to wear neck protection, but isn't sure we'll see it in the NHL.
"Maybe yes, but I don't think it will in the NHL, but that's my opinion," said St. Louis. "I'd be really in favour of under-18 and under-20-year-olds having more protection because accidents happen, especially having been close to it two years ago."
Jets centre Mark Scheifele expects there to be many conversations about increased neck protection in the coming days, much like after Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane sustained a severe wrist injury due to a skate blade cut last year.
"When Evander Kane got his wrist cut, we obviously evaluated more wrist protections and stuff like that," Scheifele said. "I'm sure there's going to be talks about it and it'll come down to kind of more of an individual decision on what to do."
The NHL and NHLPA had not made any announcements regarding protective neck gear as of Monday afternoon.
Canadian surfer Sanoa Dempfle-Olin qualified for next summer's Olympic Games in Paris by reaching the Pan American Games women's shortboard final Monday in Pichilem, Chile.
The 18-year-old from Tofino, B.C., was then outpointed 12.33-10.13 by Brazil's Tatiana Weston-Webb, who previously qualified for Paris earlier this year as a top finisher on the World Surf League Championship Tour.
In her silver-medal performance, Dempfle-Olin posted scores of 5.30 on her first wave and 4.83 on her second .
She advanced to the gold-medal round by scoring 4.5 and 5.5 on her respective waves for 10 points while Leilani McGonagle of Costa Rica mustered only 4.2.
All earned Olympic slots are subject to nomination by the Canadian Olympic Committee and meeting the International Surfing Association Olympic eligibility requirements. For Dempfle-Olin, that means attending the World Surfing Games, the final Games qualifier, from Feb. 22 to March 2 in Puerto Rico.
Canada didn't have a surfer in the sport's Olympic debut in Tokyo two years ago.
Olin's older sister Mathea won Pan Am Games bronze in Lima, Peru in 2019.
In April, Sanoa Dempfle-Olin clinched a spot at the Pan Am Games placing fourth at the Pan American Surfing Games in Santa Catalina, Panama.
Last month, she won women's shortboard on the North American Qualifying Series in Nags Head, N.C., for her first victory in three finals this year. Mathea edged her in February at the SLO CAL Open at Morro Bay, Calif.
Vancouver's Spencer Finn earned a bronze medal in men's stand-up paddleboard (SUP) surfing at Punta de Lobos, southwest of Chile's host city Santiago.
WATCH | Highlights of Marino bronze-medal tennis match & other Sunday action:
Santiago 2023 Pan American Games: Day 11 early highlights
2 hours ago
Duration 26:07
Featured VideoWatch some of the best performances from the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.
Toronto's Shady El Nahas can now share Pan Am medals with his brother and fellow judoka.
Making his Pan Am Games debut, El Nahas defeated Thomas Briceño of Chile on Monday by ippon with 22 seconds remaining in their four-minute, gold-medal match in the men's under 100-kilogram weight class.
WATCH | El Nahas catches Chilean opponent off guard to win gold:
GOLD MEDAL: Toronto's Shady El Nahas wins Pan Am Games men's -100 kg championship bout
1 hour ago
Duration 7:47
Featured VideoToronto's Shady El Nahas beat Chile's Thomas Briceño in the men's judo -100 kg gold medal bout at the Pan American Games in Santiago.
Mohab El Nahas won 2019 Pan Am bronze in Lima.
Shady El Nahas, who is ranked fifth in the world in his weight bracket, has won nine IJF Grand Slam medals.
A week ago, the 25-year-old earned bronze at a Grand Slam event in Abu Dhabi. It followed his winning performance in early September at the Senior Pan American Oceania Judo Championship in Calgary, where he defended his 2022 title.
El Nahas was fifth in his 2021 Olympic debut in Tokyo.
Briceño, 30, is the first Chilean athlete to appear in a judo final at these Games.
WATCH | El Nahas captures gold at Calgary competition by ippon:
Shady El Nahas grabs Pan American Oceania judo gold
1 month ago
Duration 7:49
Featured VideoCanada's Shady El Nahas beat Brazil's Leonardo Goncalves by ippon in the men's -100 kg gold medal bout at the 2023 Senior Pan American Oceania Judo Championship in Calgary.
Jeff Marek and Matt Marchese share their condolences to Adam Johnson's family, teammates and everyone involved, delving deep into their hope that his tragic death leads to real conversations about mandatory neck protection in entire hockey community.
Fans get ready to watch the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames Heritage Classic game on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023 in Edmonton. Greg Southam-PostmediaPhoto by Greg Southam /Greg Southam
Fans get ready to watch the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames Heritage Classic game on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023 in Edmonton. Greg Southam-PostmediaPhoto by Greg Southam /Greg Southam
Jeff Ottmeir (left) and Raymond Jackson (right) get ready to watch the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames Heritage Classic game on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023 in Edmonton. Greg Southam-PostmediaPhoto by Greg Southam /Greg Southam
Fireworks go off prior to the game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames at the Heritage Classic hockey game on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023 in Edmonton. Greg Southam-PostmediaPhoto by Greg Southam /Greg Southam
EDMONTON, CANADA - OCTOBER 29: Connor McDavid #97 and Leon Draisaitl #29 of the Edmonton Oilers arrive at the 2023 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic - Calgary Flames v Edmonton Oilers at Commonwealth Stadium on October 29, 2023 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.Photo by Lawrence Scott /Getty Images
Members of the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames walk to the ice prior to the Heritage Classic hockey game on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023 in Edmonton. Greg Southam-PostmediaPhoto by Greg Southam /Greg Southam
The Edmonton Oilers arrive for the start of the Heritage Classic versus the Calgary Flames, in Edmonton Sunday Oct. 29, 2023. Photo by David BloomPhoto by David Bloom /David Bloom/Postmedia
The Edmonton Oilers' Zach Hyman (18) scores on Calgary Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom (25) during first period action at the Heritage Classic in Edmonton on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. Photo by David Bloom /Postmedia
Oilers fan Henry Stephens cheers outside Commonwealth Stadium hours before puck drop at the 2023 Heritage Classic on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. Photo by Jonny Wakefield /Postmedia
The Edmonton Oilers celebrate their third goal against the Calgary Flames during first period action at the Heritage Classic, in Edmonton Sunday Oct. 29, 2023. Photo by David BloomPhoto by David Bloom /David Bloom/Postmedia
The Edmonton Oilers' Vincent Desharnais (73) battles the Calgary Flames during second period action at the Heritage Classic, in Edmonton Sunday Oct. 29, 2023. Photo by David BloomPhoto by David Bloom /David Bloom/Postmedia
The Edmonton Oilers' Mattias Ekholm (14) battles the Calgary Flames' Dillon Dube (29) during second period action at the Heritage Classic, in Edmonton Sunday Oct. 29, 2023. Photo by David BloomPhoto by David Bloom /David Bloom/Postmedia
The Edmonton Oilers' Zach Hyman (18) battles the Calgary Flames' MacKenzie Weegar (52) during second period action at the Heritage Classic, in Edmonton Sunday Oct. 29, 2023. Photo by David BloomPhoto by David Bloom /David Bloom/Postmedia
The Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) battles the Calgary Flames' Noah Hanifin (55) in front of goalie Jacob Markstrom (25) during third period action at the Heritage Classic, in Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium Sunday Oct. 29, 2023. The Oilers won 5-2. Photo by David BloomPhoto by David Bloom /David Bloom/Postmedia
The Edmonton Oilers' Dylan Holloway (55) is stopped by battles the Calgary Flames' goalie Jacob Markstrom (25) during third period action at the Heritage Classic, in Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium Sunday Oct. 29, 2023. The Oilers won 5-2. Photo by David BloomPhoto by David Bloom /David Bloom/Postmedia
The Edmonton Oilers' Zach Hyman (18) battles the Calgary Flames' Ilya Solovyov (98) during third period action at the Heritage Classic, in Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium Sunday Oct. 29, 2023. The Oilers won 5-2. Photo by David BloomPhoto by David Bloom /David Bloom/Postmedia
The Edmonton Oilers' Zach Hyman (18) battles the Calgary Flames' Yegor Sharangovich (17) and Nikita Zadorov (16) during third period action at the Heritage Classic, in Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium Sunday Oct. 29, 2023. The Oilers won 5-2. Photo by David BloomPhoto by David Bloom /David Bloom/Postmedia
The Edmonton Oilers' Derek Ryan (10) and Warren Foegele (37) celebrate as they leave the ice following the Heritage Classic, in Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium Sunday Oct. 29, 2023. The Oilers beat the Calgary Flames 5-2. Photo by David BloomPhoto by David Bloom /David Bloom/Postmedia
Nickleback perform at the Heritage Classic, in Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium Sunday Oct. 29, 2023. Photo by David BloomPhoto by David Bloom /David Bloom/Postmedia
Nickelback performs during the second period intermission of the Heritage Classic hockey game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023 in Edmonton. Greg Southam-PostmediaPhoto by Greg Southam /Greg Southam
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The biggest fear the about the Edmonton Oilers playing outdoors is that it’s a dangerous place to be when the sky is falling.
But whether it was the occasion lifting the Oilers, the Oilers rising to the occasion or a brilliant blend of both, the fresh-air spectacle at Commonwealth Stadium was exactly what they needed to breathe life back into their season.
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The fact they were able to plunge the slumping Calgary Flames into even further misery at the same time made Sunday’s Heritage Classic even more special.
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“That’s more of the hockey we expect out of ourselves,” said Oilers forward Leon Drasaitl after a convincing 5-2 triumph in front of 55,411 fans. “Through the entire lineup I thought we were really, really good. That’s the way we play. This night, with everything around makes it more special.
“All in all it was just a great night, but the two points, the win, make it a lot better. To everyone who set this up it was an amazing job.”
There is still a way to go for the 2-5-1 Oilers to make things right after their slow start, but the this is a big first step.
“We wanted to get back to the team we are,” said rambunctious winger Evander Kane. “The boys really embraced it, used it as some great fuel. Coming into this game there was a lot of talk and I thought were handled it well and got on top of them quick
“You want to enjoy the festivities, you want to embrace the atmosphere, but at the same time we were here for two points and we got it done.”
It was a perfect night for outdoor pond hockey, with Connor McDavid back in the Edmonton lineup, the temperature a crisp 2 degrees Celsius at puck drop — practically balmy compared with the -20C in 2003 — and all of the pre-game festivities going off without a hitch.
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It became evident very early on that there was no way the Oilers were going to let the occasion get the better of them. They stormed out hard and fast and put the Flames on their heels before the game was five minutes old.
It was 3-1 Edmonton at the end of the first period and at the halfway mark of the second period the shots were 22-7.
The only thing keeping Calgary alive was goaltender Jacob Markstrom. That turned out to be a problem for the Oilers because Calgary kept hanging around and hanging around and managed to make it 3-2 after 40 minutes, turning what could have been a blowout into a 20-minute sprint to the finish.
The Oilers responded by shutting the Flames down and scoring two goals of their own.
“We’ve been talking about (making the most of this) for a couple of days and we did it tonight,” said defenceman Darnell Nurse. “These games are a lot of fun to be a part of. The win at the end of the day makes the experience all the more positive.”
Now that it’s over, and they won, the Oilers can truly savour the experience. And they will in the limited time they have, which isn’t much. After this, the season moves back inside and they are still only 2-5-1.
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“It could be (the win that turns them around), but we can’t fall back into what we did the last couple of weeks,” said Draisaitl. “It’s a big night, a big win, but it’s only one game. We have some catching up to do. We’ll celebrate tonight and get ready for the next one.”
At first glance, the Oilers look a lot like a team that is finding its way and is about to make the push they need to get back in the NHL race. They needed this night, badly, and the fact they were able to rise up and make the most of it is a good sign.
So, we’ll see what happens.
“In a game like this, the stakes are higher, you put more into it,” said defenceman Mattias Ekholm. “There is more family. Everything is more. Everything is jacked up.
“It’s not a playoff game but it kind of has that vibe. If thought if we can get this one win it’s going to go a long way in the room. I thought we outplayed them for the most part of the game. I don’t think they had much five on five, which is a great sign for this team and hopefully something we can build off of.”
The poor Flames, meanwhile, have now lost five in a row and been outscored 16-5 over that stretch.
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KANE RUNS WILD
Once again, Kane was a physical force out there, playing the antagonistic bully role to perfection. The points had been slow to come this season but he’s been making his mark in these games and most certainly left a few marks on some Flames players.
He finished with one goal, two assists, two minor penalties, six hits, six shots, plus two and more scrums than anyone on either team.
“He brought a lot of emotion to the game,” said Nurse. “He was going into the corners, running guys over. It shows the kind of player that he is. As a team you draw a lot of him when he’s bringing energy like that.”
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