Aleck Skeie reports ...

Loonie worries NHL teams

TORONTO -- The recent unpredictable nature of the Canadian dollar means the NHL's six Canadian teams are involved in a high-stakes contest of financial chicken, trying to stay one step ahead of the loonie at all times.
Only a year ago, the Canadian dollar reached US$1.10, and still hovered above par with its American counterpart in May. But last month the once-mighty loonie plunged below US 80 cents, and it could keep falling, according to market experts.
Not surprisingly, NHL owners north of the border are monitoring this situation closely.
NHL teams pay their players in American currency, which means the plummeting loonie has serious ramifications on the league's Canadian clubs, whose revenues are in Canadian dollars.
For example, the Edmonton Oilers' payroll for the 2008-09 season stands at US $54.25 million ó that's when the loonie is at par with the U.S. dollar. But if the Canadian dollar continues to trade at US 80 cents, the Oilers' payroll balloons to C$65.11-million, a difference of $10.8 million.
Similarly, the Calgary Flames' payroll for this season is US $57.09 million, but it shoots up to C$68.5 million when the dollar is at US 80 cents.
Ditto for the Toronto Maple Leafs ($9.6 million extra), Montreal Canadiens ($11.4 million), Ottawa Senators ($10.6 million), and the Vancouver Canucks ($9.6 million), all of whom would have to pay significantly more sums of money in player salaries this season if the Canadian dollar remains critically low.
The fluctuating nature of the loonie makes it more difficult for Canadian teams to operate, forcing them into a guessing game in the off-season when they try to draft their new budgets.

Bertuzziís big night

CALGARY -- Calgary's signing of Todd Bertuzzi last July was a lightning rod for controversy, with public opinion on whether he was good or bad for the team split down the middle.
Three games into the NHL season, Bertuzzi already has three goals, fan sentiment is now firmly on his side, and playing alongside Jarome Iginla, the 33-year-old has entrenched himself as one of the Flames' most important players.
On Oct 15, Bertuzzi's second goal of the game ended up the game-winner as Calgary collected its first win of the season, hanging on for a 5-4 victory over the still winless Colorado Avalanche.
Calgary finally won after opening the season with a pair of losses, one in overtime, to the Vancouver Canucks.
"Todd played an excellent game for us, the whole line had jump and you could see that he's recapturing the form that we've seen in the past and that's exciting for our team and our fans," said Flames coach Mike Keenan.

Raptors end preseason

EDMONTON -- It was an ugly end to a forgettable pre-season. The Toronto Raptors turned the ball over 20 times and shot just 46 percent from the field Oct 22 to lose its final NBA pre-season game 105-94 to the Denver Nuggets before 17,534 fans at Rexall Place.
"It is what it is. We've got to work on things," said Toronto forward Chris Bosh, who shot 5-for-8 from the field for 17 points. "Turnovers are one of the things we have to work on. That's very uncharacteristic of us."
Toronto finished the pre-season at 4-4 and opened the regular season Oct  29 in Philadelphia against the 76ers.
"For whatever reason we're not shooting the ball very well," said Toronto head coach Sam Mitchell. "Our defence is not that great, but it's not that bad. We're just not making the shots."
The game was the first NBA contest in the Alberta capital since 1999, when the Raptors defeated the then-Vancouver (now Memphis) Grizzlies 110-84.

Grand Prix discussions

MONTREAL -- The mayor of Montreal and federal and provincial cabinet ministers left for London Oct 22 to plead the case to save the Canadian Grand Prix.
Mayor Gerald Tremblay was accompanied by federal International Trade Minister Michael Fortier and Quebec Economic Development Minister Raymond Bachand for a meeting with Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone in an attempt to save the event.
The Canadian GP, which draws an estimated $100 million per year in revenues and economic spinoffs to Montreal, was dropped from F1's 2009 calendar on Oct 7 and replaced by a race in Abu Dhabi.
The Turkish Grand Prix was also moved into Montreal's June 5-7 dates.
Tremblay said recently there is a contractual difference of $10 million to $20 million between F1 and race promoter F1 Grand Prix du Canada.
The Canadian delegation says there is support in the Formula One community for a race in Montreal, saying it is the only North American racing showcase for such manufacturers as Toyota, Honda, BMW, Ferrari and Mercedes.

Promoting black hockey history

BIRMINGHAM -- Canadian hockey enthusiast Garry Glave spoke to a crowd of hockey fans again this year about the long history of the sport in Canada which, more than a century ago, included a black hockey team.
Speaking at the Afro Caribbean Millennium on Oct 20, Glave described how his favourite game developed in Eastern Canada in the early 1800s and then flourished throughout North America and now Europe.
He also detailed the fascinating but little explored history of a group of black men in Nova Scotia who in the 19th century formed the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes.
"Internationally, Canada has won the most championships of all the participating countries in men's hockey," Glave said. "Moreover the country has produced great players including great black Canadian players like Ray Emery, Jerome Iginla, and Grant Fuhr.
"When I was growing up in Canada, hockey was the sport I played the most," said the Toronto-born Glave, whose parents were Jamaica-born.
And now his passion for the game continues here in Britain where, among other competitions, Glave joins fellow street hockey players every year for the annual Canada Day celebrations in Trafalgar Square in London.

2010 Olympic tickets go on sale

VANCOUVER -- Tickets for the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver and Whistler went on sale Oct 3. But the first batch of tickets aren't being sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. Instead, ticket applications will be accepted online until November 7.
Potential ticket-buyers can set up an account on Vancouver2010.com. Paper applications will also be accepted, but Olympic organizers say decisions about who gets to buy which tickets won't be made until after the deadline.
"A request submitted on October 3 will be considered the same as a request submitted November 7," said the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) website.
Olympic officials are hoping the application process will cut down on ticket scalping.
"The whole system has been built around fairness and accessibility," Caley Denton, VANOC vice-president of ticketing and consumer marketing, told CTV's Canada AM from Vancouver.
Organisers are expecting to make about $230 million from ticket sales.
The 2010 Winter Games will take place in Vancouver and Whistler, from Feb  12-28. The Paralympic Games will follow from March 12-21.

Toronto FC eliminated from playoffs

TORONTO -- English midfielder Rohan Ricketts scored twice Oct 18 to lift Toronto to a 3-2 win over the Chicago Fire in its final home game of the Major League Soccer campaign.
However, the Canadian club was officially eliminated from playoff contention when both the Kansas City Wizards and the New York Red Bulls won their respective contests. The Wizards defeated the San Jose Earthquakes 3-2 at home, while the Red Bulls earned a 3-1 win over the visiting Columbus Crew.
This means that for the second straight year, Toronto will not participate in the playoffs.
Unbeaten in its last four games (two wins and two draws), Toronto could have secured a playoff spot ahead of its final home game if not for a particularly bad stretch from June to September that saw the team win just two games.
Captain Jim Brennan was at a loss as to why Toronto has only turned it on in the last four weeks.

Pound apologizes for remark

MONTREAL -- One of Canada's most high-profile Olympic officials apologized Oct 22 for unintentionally angering First Nations with comments that some interpreted as him calling them savages.
Richard Pound told The Canadian Press Oct 22 that he never intended to be derogatory when he used a French-language phrase that was interpreted as calling Canada a "land of savages" 400 years ago.
"I apologize for any unintentional harm that was caused ó absolutely," he said. "That was not my intention in any way, shape or form."
Pound made the comments in an August interview with a French-language newspaper about whether China should have been awarded the Olympics because of its human rights record.
He used the phrase "pays de sauvage" when talking about Canada being a young country compared to China.
"That is the term that has been used in French, which means something entirely different than savages in English for close to 400 years," Pound said in an interview.
"It's fallen out of favour now and I probably should have been more alert to the change in vocabulary. It's not derogatory."
Sauvage, in French, can mean either wild or savage.
"It just means that they were societies that to Europeans were in the wilderness," Pound said.
Pound, a former Olympic competitor, a member of the International Olympic Committee and the board of directors for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Vancouver, said this is the first time in his life he's been called a racist and he is disturbed by the allegations.
Some aboriginal groups had called for his resignation from the Vancouver organizing committee and as chancellor of McGill University in Montreal.
McGill University distanced itself from the remarks and BC Premier Gordon Campbell had urged an apology.

Baring it for cash

CALGARY -- Members of the Canadian women's biathlon team are taking their clothes off to raise money for training and competition expenses heading into the 2010 Olympic Games.
Canada's five elite female biathletes launched a nude calendar Oct 22 by roller-skiing through downtown Calgary. They were clad in shorts, tank tops and race bibs and had their rifles strapped to their backs.
The 14-month calendar themed Bold Beautiful Biathlon features photos of Zina Kocher of Red Deer, Alta, Calgary's Sandra Keith, Rosanna Crawford of Canmore, Alta, Megan Imrie of Falcon Lake, Man, and Megan Tandy of Prince George, BC.
Crawford is the younger sister of Chandra Crawford, an Olympic gold medallist in cross-country skiing.
On the website, the team said it is "in dire need of funding" and that they hoped the calendar would "empower women and girls through inspiring quotes and expressing the beauty of an athletic body."
The biathletes follow a number of athletes who have posed nude for calendars to raise money for their sport or for charitable organizations.
The third edition of a curling calendar was released last month featuring curlers from several countries, including Canadians Christine Keshen and Chrissy Cadorin.
The Canadian women's rugby team has also published a 24-month calendar with rugby balls and Canadian flags strategically placed on their otherwise bare bodies.
The biathlon calendar goes on sale Nov 1 for $25.

Five swimmers retire

MONTREAL -- The Canadian women's synchronized swimming team will a have big job rebuilding next year following the official retirements of five members on Oct 16, including captain Marie-Pierre Gagné of Montreal.
Gagné was a veteran of two Olympic Games, three world championships and two Pan-American Games during her 10-year tenure with the national team.
Jessika Dubuc of Mercier, Que, Jennifer Song of Calgary, Dominika Kopcik of Surrey, BC, and Megan Poss of Waterloo, Ont, are also leaving the team.
"The contributions made by these athletes to the national team program has been exceptional," said Catherine Gosselin-Després, chief operating officer of Synchro Canada. "Hopefully, we will be able to keep these individuals involved in the organization and use their personal experience to benefit our young swimmers."

Toronto & 2015 Pan Am Games

TORONTO -- New Olympic-sized swimming pools, a competitive cycling velodrome, and track and sports training facilities will all be built in Ontario if Toronto clinches the 2015 Pan Am Games, says Premier Dalton McGuinty.
"I think we've got a really good chance, I'm feeling very optimistic based on the reception we had," McGuinty said. "We've got a great product to sell, we didn't have to make any of this stuff up. Toronto and the region is incredibly diverse, we've got some magnificent facilities already there."
McGuinty made a formal presentation and mingled with delegates over several days at the annual meeting of the Pan American Sports Organization.
The $1.77-billion bid involves Toronto and at least 11 other municipalities throughout the Golden Horseshoe and as far north as Barrie.
About $2 billion in economic activity, 17,000 new jobs, 250,000 visitors and several thousand athletes would be expected for the Games, and McGuinty expressed excitement for new building projects that would complement already popular Toronto facilities.
The federal government has already pledged $500 million in support for the Games, while the province has agreed to pony up funds to cover any cost overruns. McGuinty said he's confident money won't be an issue.
The next step in the bid process involves submitting detailed plans by the end of April and giving an on-the-ground tour to an evaluation committee.
In September 2009, the province will make one last formal presentation in Guadalajara ó site of the 2011 Games ó before a vote.
Winnipeg was the last Canadian city to host the Games, in 1999.

Money to medal winners

TORONTO -- The Canadian Olympic Committee rewarded Beijing Olympic medal winners for the first time in its history on Oct 11 by presenting 34 athletes with cheques for their accomplishments.
A total of $515,000 was handed out under the Athlete Excellence Fund, a financial incentive program unveiled last November.
Under the fund, Canadian Olympians received $20,000 for each gold medal won, $15,000 for each silver and $10,000 for each bronze.
Lou Ragagnin, the committee's chief operating officer, praised the group of athletes who gathered.
He called the money a "well deserved" and "small token of our appreciation," before saying he hopes in the future the committee will distribute even more cash.

Retest doping samples: Tuft

VANCOUVER -- Canada's silver medal cyclist at the recent world championships said he thinks doping samples taken at that competition should be retested.
"I think it's fair," said Svein Tuft, who finished second in the time trial in Varese, Italy, in September. "If they're that serious about cleaning up the sport, then I'm for retesting."
The Langley BC native, taking a break after a hectic season, was responding to a recent decision by the International Olympic Committee to take a second look at blood tests gathered from hundreds of athletes in a variety of sports in Beijing.
IOC officials are trying to detect users of CERA, a new type of blood-boosting hormone similar to EPO. The substance was discovered during this year's Tour de France and found in the samples of three prominent riders. The IOC says it will target samples from several endurance events, and that would likely include cycling.
The International Cycling Union, the sport's governing body, has the power to decide whether samples taken at the world championships will be retested.
Tuft, who was seventh in the time trial in Beijing, said he fears cycling might be pushed out of the Olympics if many riders are exposed as cheaters in this latest pothole for the sport. Road racer Isabel Moreno of Spain was caught using EPO a few days before the Beijing competition started.
Tuft, 31, is optimistic that cycling's doping culture might soon come to an end.
"I personally believe it's changing for the better," he said. "The younger guys in Europe have a different attitude to doping, but it (doping culture) is frustrating."

Norwegian coach for cross-country skiers

CALGARY -- Canada's cross-country program is the latest winter sport organization to dip into the international coaching pool in an effort to top the world in 2010.
The team announced Oct 9 the hiring of Arild Monsen of Norway to guide Olympic medallists Chandra Crawford and Sara Renner and the rest of the team into the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.
The Canadian luge team hired head coach Wolfgang Staudinger from Germany a year ago.
Money for the new coaches came from Own the Podium, a $120-million, five-year initiative designed to help Canada top the medal standings in Vancouver.
"Canada's cross-country skiers have been on a steady rise up the international rankings and are now regularly knocking on the door of the international podium at all levels," said Al Maddox, executive director of Cross Country Canada. "Through the generous support and leadership of Own the Podium, we can now deliver the world-leading resources our athletes need to gain a competitive advantage and better prepare to reach our goal of regularly climbing onto the podium with the leading nations in our sport."
Dave Wood, who has served as head coach of the cross-country team for a decade, has moved into the position of team leader and will oversee its operations in travel, training and competition.
Monsen, who competed on the Norwegian national team from 1982 to 1990, had been coaching developmental team skiers in that country.
The Canadian cross-country ski team captured two medals at the 2006 Olympics in Turin. Crawford won gold in the women's 1.1-kilometre sprint, and Renner and Beckie Scott took silver in the women's team sprint.

Ski jumper joins 2010 lawsuit

VANCOUVER -- A 17-year-old female ski jumper has become the first active Canadian athlete to join a lawsuit over the sport's exclusion from the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Zoya Lynch is among 10 female athletes -- most from the United States and Europe -- suing Vancouver Olympic organizers (VANOC) because female ski jumping isn't on the lineup for the 2010 Games.
Lynch, who has been ski jumping since she was a young girl and is now a member of the Canadian national team, says the case is about fighting for women's equality.
The athletes filed the suit with the BC Supreme Court in May 2008, arguing that if female ski jumpers are excluded from the Olympics then the men's competition should also be cancelled.
The only other Canadian connection has been Marie-Pierre Morin, a 26-year-old retired ski jumper who was among the first to join the lawsuit.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted in 2006 to exclude women's ski jumping in 2010, saying the sport has not yet developed enough and that it didn't meet basic criteria for inclusion. Local organizers in Vancouver say they are simply following that decision.
The plaintiffs argue that allowing men's ski jumping but not women's violates their equality rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
While the Charter normally regulates only government actions, the suit claims the Olympics should be included because various levels of government are involved.
CTV Olympic host Brian Williams said even if the IOC doesn't deem the sport developed enough, it should at least make women's ski jumping a "demonstration sport" in Vancouver.
Demonstration sports, suspended in 1992 from Olympic Games, allow events to be showcased but medals don't officially count.
The lack of female competitors in Olympic ski jumping is an accident of history. Any new Olympic event added since 1991 must include a competition for men and women.
But ski jumping has been an Olympic sport since the 1924 Olympics, excluding the sport from the gender-equality requirement.

Judokas add five gold

MONTREAL -- Canadian judokas won five gold medals Oct 5 at the Rendez-Vous Canada judo competition, increasing their medal total at the tournament to 28.
Isabel Latulippe of St-Hubert, Que, earned her third victory in as many weeks in women's 48-kilogram event defeating Natalie Laffon of the U.S., by Ippon.
Maude-Hélene Benôit of Quebec City beat Jennie Bonsant, also of Quebec, for the win in women's 63 kg.
In women's 70 kg, Kelita Zupancic of Whitby, Ont, beat Gaelle Possamai of France in the final.
In the men's 60 kg final, Sergio Pessoa Jr of Montreal beat Olympian Frazer Will of Star City, Sask. And in the men's 66 kg final, Michal Popiel of Montreal defeated Jean-Philippe Gagnon of Baie-Comeau, Que, by a Koka.
Olympian Nicholas Tritton of Perth, Ont, was defeated in the 73 kg final by De Souza Miranda of Brazil.

Commish rips T.O. rumour

CHICAGO -- Gary Bettman doesn't know where it came from, but he denies there's been talk of the National Hockey League putting another franchise in Toronto.
"I don't believe everything I read," said the NHL commissioner. "I certainly don't believe things that cite anonymous sources. I'm always skeptical as to who an anonymous source might be or whether an anonymous source really exists.
"The story is absolutely incorrect. We're not looking to relocate and we're not looking to expand. Anybody suggesting that we are doing any of those two things is kind of making it up as they go along."
Stories have come out of Toronto that Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie wants to buy an NHL franchise and relocate it to Toronto.
While the economic situation in the U.S. is currently bleak, Bettman said there aren't any franchises in immediate trouble.
"We are obviously aware of what's going on in the economy," Bettman said. "We have no doubt that if this continues to get worse it will impact every business. Right now we have not seen any material impact with what's going on. That doesn't mean we think we're immune, because I think at some point it's going to impact everything, including us. But our attendance is up, our season tickets are up, we're still selling sponsorships, we're developing important relationships and our business side is very strong. We're still in a growth mode," he said. "We've been in a growth mode for the last three seasons, since we came back from the work stoppage."

Yzerman heads Olympic team

OTTAWA -- Steve Yzerman has accepted the job of executive director for the 2010 Canadian Olympic men's hockey team.
In doing so, he has agreed to become the face of this country's entry at one of the most anticipated international hockey tournaments ever played. And he knows exactly what's at stake. "I understand what the goal is. Each and every one of us up here ... all fully understand the expectations. We understand the passion that all Canadians have and we share in that passion -- we're one in the same. Our goals are no different than yours. We understand that a gold medal is the expectation and we're prepared for that."
He'll have a strong management staff to assist in the quest for gold.
Veteran executives Ken Holland and Kevin Lowe will serve as associate directors to Yzerman while Doug Armstrong will be the director of player personnel. Wayne Gretzky, who held the executive director's job at the past two Olympics, will serve as an adviser.
Those four men have combined to win 15 Stanley Cups as either players or executives and have been part of too many Canadian national teams to count. Yzerman will lean heavily on each of them over the next 16 months.
Six different countries have played for gold in the three Olympic Games involving NHL players. More than anything else, Gretzky believes that depth will pose the biggest challenge to Yzerman's team in 2010.
"It's a tough situation because there's so many good teams now," Gretzky said in Montreal. "There's six teams now that could probably win a gold medal if their goaltender plays at the level he's capable of."
"It's the opportunity of a lifetime," Yzerman said of the job. "I'm excited about being a part of this and I want to do this. I understand the disappointment if we don't win but it won't be because we weren't prepared. I'm not worried about the (expectations), I'll deal with that."

Alberta HNIC entry golden

TORONTO -- After 14,871 entries flooded in and thousands of voters cast their ballots for each of the two finalists, a Celtic-themed piece was chosen to introduce Canada's longest-running television program.
Canadian Gold, composed by Colin Oberst, an elementary school teacher from Beaumont, Alta, is the new anthem for the CBC flagship sports program Hockey Night in Canada.
His victory was announced on the Oct 11 Hockey Night broadcast featuring Toronto hosting Montreal and Vancouver in Calgary.
Toronto teenager Robert Fraser Burke's Sticks to the Ice finished second.
"I'm thrilled that it's an ordinary Canadian whose passion for hockey will be forever associated with the show," said Scott Moore, executive director of CBC Sports. "The process has shown the passion that Canadians have for hockey, Hockey Night in Canada and for music. I think it's so appropriate that such a passionate hockey fan is the final winner."
Oberst also doubles as an avid music writer and member of an Edmonton band.
He takes home the $100,000 top prize and half of the lifetime royalties, with the other 50 percent invested by the CBC in minor hockey across the country.
Burke, the 13-year-old son of a music teacher, is a pianist who sings in a choir and performs in the school band.
The contest to find new theme music for Hockey Night in Canada was launched June 19 by CBC Sports after it didn't renew the rights to The Hockey Theme, which were subsequently purchased by CTV Inc.
Each of the five semifinalists in the anthem challenge were profiled on The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos and later on the Hockey Night In Canada Anthem Challenge special, when the original compositions ó produced by Bob Rock, a multiple Juno Award winner ó were played in their entirety.
"You just get this overwhelming sense of pride," Oberst said while working with Rock at the taping of the theme in Toronto. "Everything just jelled into this amazing song that went way over my expectations."

Rangers' prospect Cherepanov dead

NEW YORK -- New York Rangers draft pick Alexei Cherepanov died Oct 13 shortly after collapsing on the bench during a Continental Hockey League game in Russia. He was 19.
Rangers' officials said they had spoken with former captain Jaromir Jagr by phone and the veteran told them he had just finished a shift with the youngster for their Avangard Omsk club when Cherepanov lost consciousness.
Jay Grossman, Cherepanov's agent, was told the six-foot-one, 187-pound forward fell on the ice late in the third period.
There was apparently no collision that preceded the incident and Cherepanov had been playing well ó scoring a goal earlier in the contest.
Grossman added he wasn't aware of any health issues Cherepanov had.
"No," he said. "When he was drafted in '07 he went to the Rangers camp right thereafter. We certainly weren't aware of any sort of existing condition."
The Rangers announced the death of Cherepanov shortly before they played at home against the New Jersey Devils Oct 18. A pre-game moment of silence was observed at Madison Square Garden as Cherepanov's picture was displayed in the midst of a black background on the centre ice video board.
Cherepanov appeared in 14 games with Avangard Omsk this season, scoring seven goals and five assists.
Cherepanov, of Barnaul, Russia, was the Rangers' first-round choice (17th overall) in the 2007 NHL entry draft.
The National Hockey League Players' Association mourned the loss of a young player brimming with potential.
"The NHLPA is saddened to learn of the passing of Alexei Cherepanov," said executive director Paul Kelly in a statement. "Alexei was a tremendous young man and a highly-skilled hockey player whose promising career had no limits. His unexpected passing at such a young age is a great loss for the entire hockey community."
Last season, Cherepanov helped Russia win a bronze medal at the world junior hockey championship in the Czech Republic and the Rangers had hoped to bring Cherepanov to the NHL this season. But the winger had a year remaining on his contract with Avangard Omsk.
Cherepanov appeared in 106 career Russian Super League games with Omsk, registering 40 goals and 29 assists. Last season, he established a career high in assists (13) while finishing fourth in club scoring (28 points).
In 2006-07, Cherepanov set a league record for most goals by a rookie (18), eclipsing Pavel Bure's mark of 17.
Cherepanov had 29 points in his first season with Omsk, which was more than Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin, Washington's Alexander Ovechkin and Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk all registered in their first seasons in the Russian Super League.

Suzie McNeil to play at Grey Cup

MONTREAL -- Theory of a Deadman, Suzie McNeil and Andrée Watters will be the halftime entertainment at the Grey Cup game in Montreal on Nov 23, the Canadian Football League announced Oct 14. Theory of a Deadman, a rock band from North Delta, BC, has seven Top-10 singles and two platinum albums, and their newest release, Scars and Souvenirs, has already been certified gold. McNeil, from Mississauga, was the last woman standing on the CBS reality show Rock Star: INXS. Watters, 25, of Quebec City, is a two-time winner of the Quebec Felix Award, the French language version of the Junos.

26 medals at Youth Games

PUNE, India -- Canada wrapped up competition at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games on Oct 17 with four more medals, two gold and two silver, to bring its total medal count to 26.
Stuart Twardzik of Big River, Sask, captured the middleweight boxing championship with a 5-0 with over Satinder Satinder of India.
Mathieu Marineau of St-Andre-d'Argenteuil, Que, won gold in men's 85-kg weightlifting with a new Games record score of 239 kg after lifting 130 kg in the snatch and 163 kg in the clean and jerk.
The two gold medals left Canada with six, to go along with 10 silver and 10 bronze.
Canada won a medal in every sport it entered at the Games and finished fifth in the total medal count behind India with 74 (33 gold, 25 silver, 16 bronze), Australia with 64 (24 gold, 19 silver, 21 bronze), England with 41 (18 gold, nine silver, 14 bronze) and South Africa with 29 (seven gold, 13 silver, nine bronze).
"We are very proud of our athletes' performance at the Games," said Canadian chef de mission Shawnee Scatliffe. "We won medals in each sport that we entered, our athletes set many personal bests and more importantly, the team jelled together, which bodes well for our nation at future multi-sport games."

Canada out for 2010 World Cup

SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras -- Canada's road to the 2010 World Cup ended with a 3-1 loss on Oct 11, extending a men's soccer drought that dates back to 1986.
The defeat was the third straight for Dale Mitchell's team, which has managed just one draw in four outings in a tough group in this round of CONCACAF qualifying. The Canadian had two games remaining, including a date with Mexico, but they are meaningless.
Defender Andrew Hainault appeared to throw Canada (0-3-1) a lifeline in the 54th minute after Rob Friend's header from an Iain Hume free kick hit the crossbar then bounced off the onrushing Hainault's thigh into the goal. A tie would have kept Canada's razor-thin chances of qualification alive -- at least temporarily.
But Carlo Costly's spectacular long-range rocket into the top right corner beat Lars Hirschfeld to make it 2-1 in the 65th minute and prolong the World Cup misery for the Canadian men. Hendry Thomas rubbed salt in the wound with a close-range header in injury time.
"I believe our team performed well after the Honduras goal," said Mitchell. "We had a few situations where we could have scored. In the second half, we got the goal, but then the game changed when the goal was scored by Costly."
Canada is ranked fifth in CONCACAF and 84th in the world, compared to 50th for Honduras (third in CONCACAF). But it has not made it to the World Cup finals since 1986, where it failed to win a game or score a goal.

Matthews quits as Argos coach

TORONTO -- Don Matthews, the CFL's all-time winningest coach, resigned from the Toronto Argonauts on Oct 31, saying his days on the sidelines are over.
Matthews, 69, lost all eight games he coached after returning in September for his third stint with the Argos.
Taking over for Rich Stubler, who was fired after going 4-6 in his first year on the job, Matthews was at the helm as the Argos finished 4-14 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2001.
Toronto's season ended with a 45-38 home loss to Saskatchewan on Oct 30.
"Our owners are very passionate people, and I wish I could have given them more, because they live and breathe football," said Matthews. "I think my time has come."
He plans on returning to Oregon and resuming his retirement.
Matthews is the CFL's all-time leader with 231 regular-season wins, and is tied for the most Grey Cup victories with five. He earned another five championship rings as an assistant coach with Edmonton from 1978 to 1982.
He coached Toronto in 1990 and from 1996 to 1998.
Matthews had been out of football since 2006, when anxiety issues forced him to step down as head of the Montreal Alouettes.
In the ensuing years, he found a medication that helped control his anxiety and felt ready to resume coaching when the Argos came calling in September.