Inter are on tenterhooks after reports Canada international Tajon Buchanan was taken away by ambulance following a serious injury in training.
The 25-year-old is currently participating in the Copa America with his country and was expected to start the next match.
Instead, he could be out for a significant amount of time, as during training ground drills today he suffered a serious injury to the lower leg following a coming together.
It was so bad that he had to be stretchered off and taken by ambulance to a local hospital in Dallas for an MRI scan.
According to TSN Sports, the mood in the Canada camp was ‘sombre’ following the devastating setback.
Canada defender Alistair Johnston even told TSN the injury could be ‘heard’ as soon as it happened, which might suggest a fracture.
Initial reports suggest if the fracture needs surgery, he’ll be out for four to six months.
If the right-back is out for a long time, then Inter might have to seek a replacement on the transfer market, which was not part of their budget or strategy.
He was brought in effectively to replace Juan Cuadrado, who has now left as a free agent.
Canada training was called off after Tajon Buchanan sustained a serious shin injury.@joshuakloke discusses the injury and what it means for the #CANMNT 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/cXdUJUt9Rx
Two days after the first exchange of volleys in the Tour de France GC war, the first major blow was landed as the race hit its second-highest point atop the Col du Galibier.
It was Tadej Pogačar who landed it – if not a knockout to his main rival Jonas Vingegaard at this early stage, then at least a body blow of a full 50 seconds. Pogačar gained 37 seconds on the road in Valloire, in addition to three bonus seconds at 2,600 metres high atop the Galibier and another 10 at the finish line.
The Slovenian, seeking a third Tour victory, just as Vingegaard is, called the full, hefty resources of his UAE Team Emirates squad – on paper the strongest in the race – into action on the Galibier, with Nils Politt, Tim Wellens and Pavel Sivakov driving hard on the early slopes of the mountain.
Racing into a headwind on the way up didn't stop the squad from blowing the race apart, with Adam Yates, Juan Ayuso, and João Almeida taking over the mantle 6km from the top as GC contender after GC contender fell away before Pogačar's winning move was made 800 metres before cresting the top and flying on the descent.
"You need really big balls to ride on the front like we did today," Pogačar concluded in the post-stage press conference. "If you look from Briançon to the top of Galibier and to the finish, there was a really strong headwind. So really hats off to the whole team.
"For sure, we showed today that we have one of the strongest teams here. It's super crazy to ride like we did today and we did a super amazing job. We need to continue like this and be happy."
His team, furnished with near enough half a dozen men who could feasibly lead many of the teams lined up at this year's Tour, had done the hard work in whittling down the lead group to just eight riders – including three from UAE – before it came Pogačar's turn to finish things off.
Only Vingegaard could respond when he turned on the afterburners inside the final kilometre of the 23 towards the summit. The Visma-Lease a Bike leader held the wheel until he didn't, 400 metres from the peak. Pogačar was alone, a few seconds up the road for the first time since the Grand Colombier – days before the disasters at Combloux and Courchevel – last summer.
But with the descent to the finish remaining, there'd be a further 20km to gain time, and so he did, with Vingegaard falling further and further back and into the clutches of the chasing group and out of the bonus seconds at the finish.
"I didn’t want to go too early because of the wind," Pogačar explained. "I had to make all the difference I could in the last few hundred metres, and then I knew the downhill, but I was a little surprised to see the wet road on the first few corners, so it was a bit scary. This descent is super-fast, so if you know the road it’s a big help.
"I know this stage really well – I’ve been training a lot of weeks already and it felt like a home stage passing Sestriere and Montgenèvre. I had confidence at the start and I had good legs, so I had to try."
Despite 50 seconds gained on Vingegaard, his main rival, as well as 45 on Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep), and 53 on Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) – all sizeable amounts of time – Pogačar said that the stage, still dauntingly early in the race, hadn't meant the GC picture is set for the weeks ahead.
"I think it's not really decided who is where," he said. "For sure, you see the level a little bit. But for sure, in three weeks some days can be better for others, and some can be better for others.
"Maybe today someone wasn't feeling great or super good. In three weeks, this can change a lot. I see Jonas is super, super good and in top shape. We'll see in the next stages and also in the TT. We'll see day by day."
Pogačar's victory – his 15th win of the year and 12th stage triumph at the Tour – ranks among his best, he said. He intends for more to follow before reaching Nice, of course, but added that it may rank differently by the time July 21 rolls around.
"I remember all the victories," Pogačar said. "Let's say that this one was I don't know... for sure one of the top five, I would say.
"Maybe after the Tour, I'll place it differently. But it's one of the best victories in the Tour de France, that's for sure."
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This year’s regular season campaign will begin on the road with back-to-back games, opening the season on Wednesday, October 9 when the Maple Leafs take on the Montréal Canadiens at Bell Centre followed by a meeting with the New Jersey Devils on Thursday, October 10 at Prudential Center. Toronto will wrap their 2024-25 regular season at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday, April 17 against the Detroit Red Wings.
REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE NOTES
Longest home stand: Four games (3x) – October 12 to October 21, November 5 to November 12, March 13 to March 19
Longest road stretch: Four games (2x) – February 1 to February 8, February 23 to March 2
Number of back-to-back games: 16
Busiest month: 15 games – December and March
Busiest home month: Nine games – December
Busiest road month: Nine games – March
Busiest day of the week: Saturday – 24 games (12 home, 12 road)
MAPLE LEAFS 2024-25 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN
Following a wild opening day of free agency on Monday that saw more than $1 billion spent on contracts, the list of available players has dwindled significantly.
Let's take a closer look at some of the best players remaining in free agency.
Vladimir Tarasenko Florida Panthers
Veteran winger Vladimir Tarasenko is looking for a new contract after winning the second Stanley Cup of his career last month as a member of the Florida Panthers.
The 32-year-old Russian totaled 23 goals and 32 assists over 76 games split between the Ottawa Senators and Panthers in 2023-24. Tarasenko added five goals and four assists over 22 playoff games during Florida's memorable run.
Tarasenko is coming off an eight-year contract that paid him $7.5 million per season.
After being selected 16th overall in the 2010 NHL Draft, Tarasenko has recorded 293 goals and 336 assists over 751 career games with the Blues, New York Rangers, Senators and Panthers.
Ryan Suter Dallas Stars
Veteran American defenceman Ryan Suter is looking for a new home to finish his NHL career after being bought out for the second time.
After three seasons with the Dallas Stars, Suter was bought out last week following their run to the Western Conference Final with one year remaining on his four-year, $14.6 million contract. The Minnesota Wild also bought out the last four years of his contract in 2021.
The 39-year-old blueliner had two goals and 15 assists over 82 games this past season, adding four points in 19 games during the postseason.
Suter has 105 goals and 576 assists over 1,444 career games with the Nashville Predators, Wild and Stars.
After playing over three seasons in Columbus, the 27-year-old forward was traded to the Rangers ahead of the deadline, adding two goals and six assists over 16 playoff games during New York's run to the Eastern Conference Final.
Roslovic was selected 25th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in 2015 and has recorded 80 goals with 141 assists over 445 career games with the Jets, Jackets and Rangers.
Roslovic is coming off a two-year, $8 million contract.
Kevin Lankinen Nashville Predators
Kevin Lankinen is arguably the best goalie remaining on the free agent market after recording a 2.82 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage over 24 games in a backup role with the Nashville Predators.
The 29-year-old native of Finland is coming off a one-year, $2 million deal.
Winnipeg Jets
Nate Schmidt was placed on buyout waivers over the weekend after a three-year run with the Winnipeg Jets. He had one season remaining on his six-year, $35.7 million contract when he was bought out.
The 32-year-old American defenceman had two goals and 12 assists over 63 games in 2023-24.
Marchessault signed a five-year, $27.5 million contract with the Predators ($5.5 million AAV) after he and the Vegas Golden Knights were unable to reach an agreement on a contract. An original member of the Golden Knights, the 33-year-old said he was disappointed he could not re-sign with Vegas, but told TSN, "I turned the page an hour ago. We move on. A new chapter, a new challenge for me and my family."
Marchessault, the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP in 2023, when he helped the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup, had 69 points (42 goals, 27 assists) in 82 games last season and four points (two goals, two assists) in seven playoff games. He has 487 points (230 goals, 257 assists) in 638 regular-season games for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Lightning, Florida Panthers and Golden Knights, and 76 points (36 goals, 40 assists) in 102 playoff games.
“To me, it’s an organizational win for today,” Trotz said. “But we don’t play the game on paper. Our lineup looks better, but we’ve got to be a better team. Plain and simple. You saw last year it took some time. This year it will take some time for some guys. We’ve got players from different organizations that don’t quite play the same way, but I think their DNA allows them to play the way we want them to play. We’ve got to give them a little time, and then hopefully we can get our feet off the ground and into training camp. I’m really excited about that.”
Trotz said his biggest priority heading into free agency was to address the void in the lineup left after Nashville traded defenseman Ryan McDonagh to Tampa Bay on May 21.
“A, he’s a good defender, and B, he’s a leadership guy,” Trotz said of McDonagh. “If I had to prioritize, I said I needed to fix the back end because I told our players I was going to do that.”
The Predators believe they did that with Skjei, whom they signed to a seven-year, $49 million contract ($7 million AAV). The 30-year-old had an NHL career-high 47 points (13 goals, 34 assists) in 80 games for the Carolina Hurricanes last season and nine points (one goal, eight assists) in 11 playoff games.
Selected by the New York Rangers in the first round (No. 28) of the 2012 NHL Draft, Skjei has 247 points (68 goals, 179 assists) in 609 regular-season games for the Hurricanes and Rangers, and 25 points (seven goals, 18 assists) in 76 playoff games.
The Predators also re-signed defenseman Alexandre Carrier to a three-year, $11.25 million contract ($3.75 million AAV) and signed goaltender Juuse Saros to an eight-year, $61.92 million contract ($7.74 million AAV) that will begin with the 2025-26 season.
Saros, 29, has one season remaining on a four-year, $20 million contract ($5 million AAV) he signed with Nashville on Aug. 16, 2021. He was 35-24-5 with a 2.86 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage in 64 games last season and 2-4 with a 2.02 GAA and .900 save percentage in six playoff games.
Carrier, 27, had 20 points (four goals, 16 assists) in 73 games last season and three points (one goal, two assists) in three playoff games.
Wedgewood signed a two-year, $3 million contract ($1.5 million AAV) to compete to be Saros’ backup. He was 16-7-5 with a 2.85 GAA and .899 save percentage in 32 regular-season games (28 starts) for the Dallas Stars last season and had a 2.28 GAA and .862 save percentage in three games off the bench in the playoffs (no decisions) -- his only NHL postseason experience.
A third-round pick (No. 84) by the New Jersey Devils in the 2010 NHL Draft, the 31-year-old is 48-48-22 with a 2.98 GAA and .899 save percentage in 130 NHL regular-season games (114 starts) for the Devils, Arizona Coyotes and Stars.
Goaltender Yaroslav Askarov, selected by Nashville with the No. 11 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, will also vie for the backup role at training camp. He has played three NHL games.
The Predators believe their additions in free agency have given them the necessary components to compete in the playoffs.
“I’ve been on championship-winning teams in the past in Tampa,” Stamkos said. “You see those teams that have won recently, there’s always a mix of a really good goaltender, an elite defenseman and some elite forwards. Even before today with the signings, Nashville checked those boxes. Obviously, a great goalie. (Defenseman) Roman Josi, he speaks for himself. You’ve got [forwards Filip Forsberg, Ryan O'Reilly and Gustav Nyquist], that line was dynamic last year. And they’ve got a great mix of younger players, too.”
The Predators haven’t yet determined where Stamkos, Marchessault and Skjei will fit into the lineup, but Stamkos and Marchessault will likely be top-six forwards. Skjei could play with Josi on Nashville’s top pair.
“We’re so excited to be part of this amazing franchise,” Stamkos said. “We saw what happened today with some of the other signings. A great day to be a Nashville Predators fan. Very, very excited to be part of that.”
While plenty of NHL teams went deep sea fishing on Monday, the Winnipeg Jets stayed close to shore and barely dipped their toes into the free agent waters.
Consider this: On a record-setting day when the other 31 clubs combined for more than $1.1 billion in new contracts, the Jets reeled in a depth defenceman and two goaltenders to compete for the backup spot: D Colin Miller (two years, US $1.5 million per season), G Eric Comrie (two years, US $825,000 per season) and G Kaapo Kahkonen (one year, US $1 million).
Not exactly the July 1 “frenzy” that many other markets experienced.
Former Buffalo Sabres goaltender Eric Comrie is back with the Winnipeg Jets after signing a two-year deal. (Jeffrey T. Barnes / The Associated Press files)
“For us, we’re sitting here on July 1 and there’s a little ways to training camp and there’s lots of different thought processes that we’ll certainly take a look at,” said general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, who added he still had a “few other things on the go” which might pan out.
One of those is believed to be interest in veteran centre Adam Henrique, who joined the Edmonton Oilers at the trade deadline but was not re-signed. The Jets have a glaring need up the middle that he could help fill.
The biggest storyline around the Jets Monday wasn’t what they added, but what they lost, as four UFA skaters who were part of last year’s 110-point team quickly found new homes.
Second-line centre Sean Monahan, obtained prior to last year’s trade deadline for a first-round draft pick, signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets for five years at US $5.5 million per season. The Jets were in the bidding right up until the final moments.
“I had a great time in Winnipeg. Some great friendships. It was a brief stint and definitely something I was trying to decide on,” Monahan told the Free Press in a Zoom interview. “It was not an easy decision.”
Monahan, 29, said it came down to family and wanting to play in the Eastern Conference and re-unite with former Calgary Flames teammate Johnny Gaudreau. His wife, who is great friends with Gaudreau’s spouse, just gave birth to their first child a month ago.
Goaltender Laurent Brossoit, who excelled as Hellebuyck’s backup last year and essentially priced himself out of Winnipeg, inked a deal with the Chicago Blackhawks for two years at US $3.3 million, where he’ll get a chance to perhaps be the No. 1 behind Connor Bedard and company.
“It was not an easy decision.”–Sean Monahan
Rugged defenceman Brenden Dillon is now a member of the New Jersey Devils (four years at US $4 million), while trade-deadline addition Tyler Toffoli went to the San Jose Sharks (four years at US $6 million).
The Jets also officially bought out the final year of Nate Schmidt’s contract on Monday, making him an unrestricted free agent and clearing yet another spot on the blue-line.
“Obviously it was a tough decision, but we wanted to open up some opportunities within the organization for some of the players that have been here more,” said Cheveldayoff.
“But even more so I didn’t want to have to put Nate through the situation where if he’s a veteran guy that’s getting scratched, it just wasn’t right. So we talked about it and that’s why we as a group, including talking to Nate’s representatives, made that decision.”
The lack of activity, at least so far, would appear to be good news for promising prospects such as Brad Lambert, Nikita Chibrikov, Ville Heinola, Elias Salomonsson and Simon Lundmark.
“If I’m a young player in the Jets organization today, I’m pretty excited about the opportunities that are in front of me and I’m working pretty hard in the offseason to make sure that I take full advantage,” said Cheveldayoff.
Another option to boost the roster could be finding a team that blew its budget and now is in a world of hurt when it comes to complying with the US $88-million salary cap and needs to shed a player or two at a discount rate.
Goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen signed a one-year deal with the Winnipeg Jets that pays him US $1 million. (John Woods / Canadian Press files)
Winnipeg currently has more than US $9 million of cap space available, although some of that will be taken up with new contracts needed for restricted free agents Heinola, Cole Perfetti, David Gustafsson and Logan Stanley.
“I can guarantee you, because I’ve been on the other side, as exhilarating as it can be to be make some of those deals, sometimes you wake up the next morning and kind of wonder what did I just do,” said Cheveldayoff.
“The one thing about free agency is that it doesn’t just stop on free agency day. Once the dust settles, you go through the different teams and you may find some needs for trades or different things of the like in some organizations. We’ll take a look at all of that.”
As for the three players Winnipeg inked, two are familiar faces.
Miller, 31, was obtained at the trade deadline last year from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round draft pick, but barely played under then head coach Rick Bowness (five regular-season games and one playoff game). The right-hander will get a bigger chance under new bench boss Scott Arniel.
Comrie, 28, is back for a fourth stint with the organization that drafted him 59th-overall in 2013.
“I love everything about Winnipeg, I love the guys and it always feel special back there because I’ve had such great fond memories being there for a long time.”–Eric Comrie
“I love everything about Winnipeg, I love the guys and it always feel special back there because I’ve had such great fond memories being there for a long time,” Comrie, 28, said in a phone interview. “An unbelievable organization, they treat their players as good as any team I’ve been on, and I’ve been on a few so I know how well they treat their guys.”
Comrie has 57 games of NHL experience with a 24-26-2 record, 3.38 goals-against-average and .893 save-percentage. His best season in the big leagues came in 2021-22 with the Jets, when he appeared in 19 games with a 10-5-1 record, 2.58 GAA and .920 SV%.
“I just have a very good working relationship with Helly. I think myself and him get along really well, and he’s the best in the world, so it’s amazing to learn from him, watching him every single game and in practice,” said Comrie, who spent the past two years with the Buffalo Sabres bouncing between the NHL and AHL.
“And they have one of the best goalie coaches in the world, if not the best (Wade Flaherty). He’s unbelievable at what he does. How much my game grows when I’m with him and how sharp he keeps my game, it doesn’t matter how much you’re playing or when you’re playing, he knows how to keep goalies ready to go and keep them sharp.”
Kahkonen, 27, was drafted by the Minnesota Wild and split last season with the San Jose Sharks and New Jersey Devils. He has appeared in 139 NHL games in his career and has a 49-67-15 record, 3.33 goals-against average, and .899 save percentage.
Thomas Milic had a terrific rookie season with the Manitoba Moose, so the organization wants a more veteran presence to work with him. Whether that’s Comrie or Kahkonen remains to be seen.
The Winnipeg obtained Colin Miller at the trade deadline last year from the New Jersey Devils but he only appeared in five regular-season games and one playoff game for the Jets. (Fred Greenslade / Canadian Press files)
“Obviously you’ve got to go to camp and earn a job and that’s my main thing, to go there and earn a job and just work as hard as I can and try and secure that position,” said Comrie.
mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca
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Mike McIntyre Sports reporter
Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike.
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The first time we considered this possibility was back in 2016, before Stamkos signed an eight-year deal worth $68 million with the Tampa Bay Lightning two days before July 1. But this time is different. Both Stamkos' agent Don Meehan and Lightning GM Julien BriseBois have indicated that the star forward is "going to July 1" this summer.
How we got here: Before the season, Stamkos publicly addressed his frustration over a lack of substantive contract extension talks with the Lightning. BriseBois said he wanted to wait until after the season to see what the Tampa Bay roster needed, and then would offer Stamkos something within the financial confines of addressing those needs.
The contract he offered Stamkos wasn't sufficient to re-sign him. Nor did it increase as the Lightning cleared out cap space and free agency neared. The general manager told Meehan that "it's the best interest of our organization to explore all options in the coming days, whether it be via trades or by getting into free agency."
OTTAWA — The Ottawa REDBLACKS were due for a win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and they got just that on Sunday night at TD Place Stadium. The REDBLACKS came out on top 24-22 in a hard-fought battle to keep the Ticats winless in 2024 and snapped a 10-game losing streak against the Tabbies.
Lewis Ward‘s walk-off field goal was the difference as Ottawa ended the drought against their East Division counterpart, not having defeated Hamilton since the 2018 postseason.
Ottawa’s Dru Brown compiled 265 yards through the air and a touchdown pass to Justin Hardy. Jaelon Acklin led the way for the receiving group with seven catches for 90 yards.
On the other end, Bo Levi Mitchell had 322 passing yards and two touchdown passes. Tim White finished the game with a touchdown catch, eight receptions and 118 receiving yards.
DeVonte Dedmon fumbled on the game’s opening kickoff, giving the Tiger-Cats strong field positioning to begin the game. On second down, Mitchell found White in the end zone to give the Ticats a very early 7-0 lead just over a minute into the contest.
A 43-yard return for Dedmon on his second return of the evening helped the REDBLACKS on their next drive. Ryquell Armstead’s 25-yard catch-and-run got Ottawa just outside Hamilton’s end zone and then Dustin Crum ran the football in from the one-yard line. Ward missed his attempted kick, leaving the score at 7-6.
Later in the first quarter, a 34-yard pickup by Hardy propelled the REDBLACKS downfield. Ward’s field goal from 34 yards out was good to give the home team their first lead at 9-7.
With time winding down in the first frame, the Ticats looked to answer back. A 16-yard reception from Mitchell to White started the drive, with a nine-yard run from Hamilton’s quarterback giving the visitors a fresh set of downs at Ottawa’s 42-yard line. Switching sides of the field at the onset of the second quarter, the Ticats were forced to settle for a field goal after a couple of incompletions. Marc Liegghio‘s kick put his team back into the lead at 10-9.
A couple of strikes from Brown to Acklin brough the REDBLACKS into scoring range on their final drive of the first half. Brown looked his way once more on second-and-long, Acklin drew a pass interference call against Richard Leonard in the end zone. After a challenge from Tiger-Cats head coach Scott Milanovich, the call was overturned. Instead of setting up from the one-yard line, the REDBLACKS instead had to go for a field goal. Ward’s attempt from 36 was good to put the hosts up 12-10 at the half.
Mitchell came out of the dressing room searching for his favourite target in White. On the first play of the second half, the receiver caught the ball but coughed it up. Fullback James Tuck was able to recover the football to give the Ticats 20 yards. On the next play, Mitchell connected with Steven Dunbar Jr. for the first time in the game, gaining 39 yards to bring the Tabbies just outside of the red zone. The Ticats’ offence was stopped there though, as Lorenzo Mauldin IV sacked Mitchell for a seven-yard loss. Liegghio’s field goal from 36 yards out was a hit to give the Ticats a 13-12 advantage.
After the Ticats’ defence forced Ottawa into punts on three consecutive drives to start the half, Mitchell led his offence to another scoring drive after feeding Kiondre Smith and Dunbar with first-down catches. Mitchell missed the mark when looking White’s way in the end zone, meaning the Ticats had to go for a field goal on third down. Liegghio’s attempt from 28 yards was a success to give the away team a 16-12 lead.
A big 28-yard play to Acklin got Ottawa motoring on the game’s next drive but that possession would be limited to just four plays after Armstead came up short of a first down in Hamilton territory. Ward’s 42-yard field goal made it a one-point game with 10:56 to go in the ballgame.
After three scoreless drives, Dedmon delivered another deadly punt return to bring Brown and the REDBLACKS’ offence to Hamilton’s 54 just prior to the three-minute warning. Armstead broke free for consecutive 14 and 17-yard rushes up the middle to push the REDBLACKS into the red zone. Brown locked in on Hardy who was free in the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown. Rhymes couldn’t bring down Brown’s throw when Ottawa went for the two-point conversion, leaving the score at 21-16 with two minutes on the clock.
As time winded down, Mitchell had to try and manufacture a game-winning drive. With 57 seconds remaining, Mitchell got the ball to Dunbar for a 22-yard catch to bring the Ticats to Ottawa’s 10. Shemar Bridges got loose on the right side of the end zone to restore his team’s one-point advantage, with the two-point conversion unsuccessful.
Needing to put points on the board with just 18 seconds to go, the REDBLACKS marched down the field courtesy of clutch catches from Acklin and then Addison. On the final play of the game, Ward called game with a successful 46-yard field goal to give Ottawa their first win over Hamilton since 2018.
Next up, the Ottawa REDBLACKS travel to Winnipeg to face the Blue Bombers on Friday, July 5 in Week 5. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats will return home to battle against the BC Lions on Sunday, July 7.
OTTAWA — The Ottawa REDBLACKS were due for a win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and they got just that on Sunday night at TD Place Stadium. The REDBLACKS came out on top 24-22 in a hard-fought battle to keep the Ticats winless in 2024, and snap a 10-game losing streak against the Tabbies.
Lewis Ward‘s walk-off field goal was the difference as Ottawa ended the drought against their East Division counterpart, not having defeated Hamilton since the 2018 postseason.
Ottawa’s Dru Brown compiled 265 yards through the air and a touchdown pass to Justin Hardy. Jaelon Acklin led the way for the receiving group with seven catches for 90 yards.
On the other end, Bo Levi Mitchell had 322 passing yards and two touchdown passes. Tim White finished the game with a touchdown catch, eight receptions, and 118 receiving yards.
DeVonte Dedmon fumbled on the game’s opening kickoff, giving the Tiger-Cats strong field positioning to begin the game. On second down, Mitchell found White in the end zone to give the Ticats a very early 7-0 lead just over a minute into the contest.
A 43-yard return for Dedmon on his second return of the evening helped the REDBLACKS on their next drive. Ryquell Armstead’s 25-yard catch-and-run got Ottawa just outside Hamilton’s end zone and then Dustin Crum ran the football in from the one-yard line. Ward missed his attempted kick, leaving the score at 7-6.
Later in the first quarter, a 34-yard pickup by Hardy propelled the REDBLACKS downfield. Ward’s field goal from 34 yards out was good to give the home team their first lead at 9-7.
With time winding down in the first frame, the Ticats looked to answer back. A 16-yard reception from Mitchell to White started the drive, with a 9-yard run from Hamilton’s quarterback giving the visitors a fresh set of downs at Ottawa’s 42-yard line. Switching sides of the field at the onset of the second quarter, the Ticats were forced to settle for a field goal after a couple of incompletions. Marc Liegghio‘s kick put his team back into the lead at 10-9.
A couple of strikes from Brown to Acklin brough the REDBLACKS into scoring range on their final drive of the first half. Brown looked his way once more on second-and-long, Acklin drew a pass interference call against Richard Leonard in the end zone. After a challenge from Tiger-Cats head coach Scott Milanovich, the call was overturned. Instead of setting up from the one-yard line, the REDBLACKS instead had to go for a field goal. Ward’s attempt from 36 was good to put the hosts up 12-10 at the half.
Mitchell came out of the dressing room searching for his favourite target in White. On the first play of the second half, the receiver caught the ball but coughed it up. Tuck was able to recover the football to give the Ticats 20 yards. On the next play, Mitchell connected with Steven Dunbar Jr. for the first time in the game, gaining 39 yards to bring the Tabbies just outside of the red zone. The Ticats offence was stopped there though, as Lorenzo Mauldin IV sacked Mitchell for a seven-yard loss. Liegghio’s field goal from 36 yards out was a hit to give the Ticats a 13-12 advantage.
After the Ticats defence forced Ottawa into punts on three consecutive drives to start the half, Mitchell led his offence to another scoring drive after feeding Kiondre Smith and Dunbar with first-down catches. Mitchell missed the mark when looking White’s way in the end zone, meaning the Ticats had to go for a field goal on third down. Liegghio’s attempt from 28 yards was a success to give the away team a 16-12 lead.
A big 28-yard play to Acklin got Ottawa motoring on the game’s next drive but that possession would be limited to just four plays after Armstead came up short of a first down in Hamilton territory. Ward’s 42-yard field goal made it a one-point game with 10:56 to go in the ballgame.
After three scoreless drives, Dedmon delivered another deadly punt return to bring Brown and the REDBLACKS offence to Hamilton’s 54 just prior to the three-minute warning. Armstead broke free for consecutive 14 and 17-yard rushes up the middle to push the REDBLACKS into the red zone. Brown locked in on Hardy who was free in the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown. Rhymes couldn’t bring down Brown’s throw when Ottawa went for the two-point conversion, leaving the score at 21-16 with two minutes on the clock.
As time winded down, Mitchell had to try and manufacture a game-winning drive. With 57 seconds remaining, Mitchell got the ball to Dunbar for a 22-yard catch to bring the Ticats to Ottawa’s 10. Shemar Bridges got loose on the right side of the end zone to restore his team’s one-point advantage, with the two-point conversion unsuccessful.
Needing to put points on the board with just 18 seconds to go, the REDBLACKS marched down the field courtesy of clutch catches from Acklin and then Addison. On the final play of the game, Ward called game with a successful 46-yard field goal to give Ottawa their first win over Hamilton since 2018.
Next up, the Ottawa REDBLACKS travel to Winnipeg to face the Blue Bombers on Friday, July 5 in Week 5. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats will return home to battle against the BC Lions on Sunday, July 7.
