#toronto articles

[reviewed-rated]

Freedom Convoy found guilty

​Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, key organizers of the 2022 “Freedom Convoy” protest in Ottawa, have been found guilty of mischief for their roles in the demonstration. Ontario Court Justice Heather Perkins-McVey delivered the verdict on April 3, 2025, concluding that both individuals knowingly encouraged participants to remain in Ottawa despite the protest’s adverse effects on residents and…

[queen-street-news]

New Post has been published on https://bloornews.com/blog-toronto/jordan-peterson-shows-bill-maher-why-justin-trudeau-is-bad/

Jordan Peterson shows Bill Maher why Justin Trudeau is BAD

[thingsreadinthedark]

Morning reads: an intriguing piece from the Toronto Star News today detailing the Justice Minister recently cut in Justin Trudeau’s cabinet shuffle.

It sounds like he was making progress. However, it also sounds like there were too many issues regarding bail reform, amongst other things, that caused him to get dropped. 🤔

Always interesting to take a closer look at the people who make up the government’s cabinet of ministers and leaders.

[toronto-credit-card-processing]

320 Permit Parking spaces removed by Brad Bradford in the Beaches

Details of City Of Toronto Transportation Services Report This staff report is about a matter that Community Council has delegated authority from City Council to make a final decision. Transportation Services is reporting on the results of the permit parking poll undertaken on Pine Crescent, Glen Ames, Long Crescent, Glen Oak Drive, Balsam Road, Pine Glen Road and Glen Stewart Crescent. As…

[intheupside]

Crosby to be Canada's 'security blanket' as captain at 4 Nations Face-Off

Indeed, is anyone more deserving of the title of Captain Canada?

“He’s up there,” Tocchet said. “And look, I don’t want to embarrass Sid. But from sitting in the locker room across from Wayne Gretzky, the way Wayne’s demeanor is, the way he acted around his teammates, the way he acted in front of the public, Sid’s got that.

“And then you’ve got the Mark Messier type, not afraid to say things to your teammates if needed at the right time. And I’ve seen Sid do that too, using his voice to let them know something is unacceptable. He’s willing to do that. That to me is a great leader. In all facets. One hundred percent.

“The bottom line: When he puts that jersey on, you can sense the calmness come over the entire country of Canada. It’s almost like he’s our security blanket.”

“From the time I first met him, it’s just the way he always looks to raise the bar,” Bergeron said. “We’ve been teammates and linemates in a lot of these tournaments, and he’s never satisfied. He’s always looking to the next thing. He’s able to enjoy the success but at the same time wanting more. It’s his drive, his determination, there’s a lot of reasons why he’s been so clutch and so important in, what you could say, [is] history.

“He commands respect. I think the country is proud of who he is as a person and how he represents us on the international stage. There’s no missteps. It’s been going on since he’s been 14 years old when they started aiming cameras on him. He’s never had a misstep.”

Bergeron is considered one of the top leaders of his era and won the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award in 2021, an honor Crosby received in 2010.

“I accomplished a lot in my career,” Bergeron said. “But I have to say, I’m so proud that in my time playing, that Sidney was the face of our league and for Canadian hockey. Well deserved.”

Crosby already had his eyes on the 4 Nations prize five months ago, long before he would officially be given the “C” for Team Canada.

Back in early September, Crosby helped organize an unofficial training camp of sorts under the watchful eye of Andy O’Brien, his longtime trainer, in Vail, Colorado. Among those invited to the event were some of Canada’s top players, including Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, who like Crosby is from Cole Harbour; Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid; and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner.

Crosby insists it wasn’t an official Canada team-bonding exercise, pointing out that there were players from other countries there as well. At the same time, he admits it was productive for some of the Canadians on hand to get the opportunity to develop chemistry and play together, something that could come in handy at the 4 Nations and the 2026 Olympics.

Marner, for one, was appreciative of the invite extended him by Crosby and O’Brien.

“It was great,” he said. “Getting to know Sid and some of those guys both on and off the ice, well, I was grateful that they asked me to join them.

“You get to know them on and off the ice a bit. Such great guys. And so much talent out there with guys like Sid, MacKinnon and McDavid.”

And, according to Team Canada and Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper, it was just another example of Crosby’s leadership ability to bring players together for a common goal.

“It’s what he does,” Cooper said. “It’s who he is.

“Look at what he did [last] month when we were in Pittsburgh.”

Cooper was referring to a postgame scene after his team had defeated Crosby and the Penguins 5-2 on Jan. 12, a game in which Tampa Bay scored three goals in the final 3:03 to break a 2-2 tie. The uber-competitive Crosby was upset that victory had eluded the Penguins, but still took time to see Cooper afterward to chat about the 4 Nations.

At one point, Crosby asked Cooper to bring out Lightning forwards Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli, his future 4 Nations teammates, to talk about the upcoming tournament.

“He here is, angry that his team had just lost a game, and he put that aside to talk Team Canada with them,” Cooper said. “They sat there for 20 minutes. They were like kids in a candy store.

“That right there is what true leadership is.”

And, according to Tocchet, what Crosby is all about.

“It’s unbelievable,” Tocchet said. “He’s a guy that carries the torch, and is willing to pass the torch on when he’s done.

“That’s what he’s doing with Cirelli, Hagel, those guys. He basically comes in and says, ‘Hey, you guys are my teammates in a month, I just want to get to know you real quick and let you know what’s at stake.’ He’s done it with other players. I just think it goes so far with his teammates. They legitimately badly want to play with him, to be his teammate.”

[dontforgetukraine]

"It is our responsibility to categorically reject any attempts to excuse or rehabilitate the Russian war crimes being committed in Ukraine, and to ensure that the suffering of Russia’s victims is neither forgotten nor minimized — it’s the very least we can do for the tens of thousands of Ukrainians whose lives they stole and destroyed."

—Kate Tsurkan, Kyiv Independent Reporter

Source: Opinion: Russian soldiers in Ukraine are ‘ordinary guys’ who commit horrific war crimes

[philinprint]

Toronto Telegram • Thu, Aug 12, 1965

[tiger-balm]

dewey stand up routine 🔜

[nottodayjustin]

April 1st 2024 best hockey tweet(s) of the day

[reviewed-rated]

Trudeau government's invocation of the Emergencies Act in February 2022—to end the Freedom Convoy protests—was unreasonable and violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 

On January 23, 2024, Justice Richard Mosley of the Federal Court of Canada ruled that the Trudeau government’s invocation of the Emergencies Act in February 2022—to end the Freedom Convoy protests—was unreasonable and violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.     Key Points from the Ruling: – The court found that the legal threshold for invoking the Emergencies Act was not met. –…

[queen-street-news]

New Post has been published on https://bloornews.com/blog-toronto/significant-covid-19-vaccine-study-censored-by-medical-journal-within-24-hours/

Significant COVID-19 Vaccine Study Censored by Medical Journal Within 24 Hours

A systematic review of 325 autopsies showing COVID-19 vaccination caused or significantly contributed to 74 percent of deaths was removed from The Lancet’s preprint SSRN server within 24 hours, adding to an increasing number of censored studies on the potential harms of COVID-19 vaccines.

The study, published July 5, examined all autopsies published in peer-reviewed literature to determine whether COVID-19 vaccination caused or contributed to the person’s death.

Researchers searched all published autopsy and necropsy reports related to COVID-19 vaccination through May 18, 2023, resulting in 678 studies. After implementing inclusion criteria, they chose 44 papers containing 325 autopsy cases and one necropsy case. A panel of three expert physicians independently reviewed each case to determine whether COVID-19 vaccination was a direct cause or significant factor in each death.

Of 325 autopsies reviewed, 240 deaths, or 74 percent, were independently adjudicated as “directly due to or significantly contributed to by COVID-19 vaccination.”

Findings showed the most affected organ system in COVID-19 vaccine-associated death was the cardiovascular system at 53 percent, followed by the hematological system at 17 percent, the respiratory system at 8 percent, and multiple organ systems at 7 percent. Three or more organ systems were affected in 21 cases. The mean time from vaccination to death was 14.3 days—with most deaths occurring within a week of the last vaccine dose.

by Megan Redshaw 

[toronto-credit-card-processing]

Mayoral Hopeful Brad Bradford Robs Beach Residents of Parking on Pine Crescent

Authorize the removal of the overnight on-street permit parking program on Pine Crescent, between Balsam Avenue and Glen Manor Road East Authorize the removal of the overnight on-street permit parking program on Pine Glen Road, between Glen Manor Drive East and Pine Crescent City Of Toronto Report Other Media Other Sites Other Sites TV Mayoral Hopeful Brad Bradford Robs Beach Residents of…

[grainelevator]

Beavers are a keystone species that can help control areas (like California) that are affected by droughts, wildfires and floods by creating wetlands

[dontforgetukraine]

TIFF: And so it continues...

Update to Russians at War Screenings Effectively immediately, TIFF is forced to pause the upcoming screenings of Russians at War on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday as we have been made aware of significant threats to festival operations and public safety. While we stand firm on our statement shared yesterday, this decision has been made in order to ensure the safety of all festival guests, staff, and volunteers. This is an unprecedented move for TIFF. As a cultural institution, we support civil discourse about and through films, including differences of opinion, and we fully support peaceful assembly. However, we have received reports indicating potential activity in the coming days that pose significant risk; given the severity of these concerns, we cannot proceed as planned. This has been an incredibly difficult decision. When we select films, we’re guided by TIFF’s Mission, our Values, and our programming principles. We believe this film has earned a place in our Festival’s lineup, and we are committed to screening it when it is safe to do so. Effectively immediately, TIFF is forced to pause the upcoming screenings of Russians at War on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday as we have been made aware of significant threats to festival operations and public safety. While we stand firm on our statement shared yesterday, this decision has been made in order to ensure the safety of all festival guests, staff, and volunteers. This is an unprecedented move for TIFF. As a cultural institution, we support civil discourse about and through films, including differences of opinion, and we fully support peaceful assembly. However, we have received reports indicating potential activity in the coming days that pose significant risk; given the severity of these concerns, we cannot proceed as planned. This has been an incredibly difficult decision. When we select films, we’re guided by TIFF’s Mission, our Values, and our programming principles. We believe this film has earned a place in our Festival’s lineup, and we are committed to screening it when it is safe to do so.

While it's great this propaganda film was suspended (not cancelled), TIFF still double downed on their original stance.

What's not great is TIFF's insinuation that the supposed threats they received came from protesters and groups from the Ukrainian-Canadian community.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Toronto police had this to say:

Toronto police said TIFF's decision to pause the screenings was "made independently by the event organizers and was not based on any recommendation" from police. "We were aware of the potential for protests and had planned to have officers present to ensure public safety," a police spokesperson wrote in an email. (Source)

So, it smells strongly like TIFF lied about the threats. If there were threats, they should have been reported, and when asked about it the police would hopefully be transparent enough to say they gave the recommendation.

Then there's this. My guess is they can't secure the theater from any sort of disruption, and they see protesting as a threat.

Protest outside media screening Large crowds gathered outside a Tuesday screening for media and industry members to take part in a protest organized by Ukrainian community groups and attended by officials, including Ukrainian Consul General Oleh Nikolenko. Demonstrators handed out pamphlets that criticized the film's attempts to "'humanize' the military of the aggressor country."  TIFF staff did not allow attendees to carry those pamphlets inside, though during the screening at least one woman handed them out to audience members in the theatre. Midway through the film, a man forced his way inside, shouting "You're watching a f--king propaganda film" before he was escorted out by security. (Source)

Meanwhile a statement from the producers of "Russian's at War" was released.

TIFF's decision to pause its screenings of "Russians at War" due to extreme security concerns is heartbreaking for us as filmmakers and Canadian Citizens. Our priority as producers, through this production, has been the safety and security of our courageous director, Anastasia Trofimova, despite her steadfast acceptance of these risks to make her documentary. We had assumed those risks would originate within Russia, not Canada. This is not a win for Canadians, including Ukrainian-Canadians. We condemn Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, Ukraine Ambassador to Canada Yuliya Kovaliv, Consul General of Ukraine in Toronto Oleh Nikolenko, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Senators Donna Dasko and Stanley Kutcher, MP Yvan Baker (Etobicoke Centre) MPP Christine Hogarth (Etobicoke-Lakeshore) and other political and community "leaders." Their irresponsible, dishonest, and inflammatory public statements have incited the violent hate that has led to TIFF's painful decision to pause its presentation of "Russians at War". This temporary suppression is shockingly unCanadian. We call on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to fully investigate this affront, from within a sovereign government, to our democratic values and a free media. We are firmly commited to giving Canada the opportunity to watch and reflect upon "Russians at War". We believe reason and truth will prevail. —The producers of "Russians at War" (Source)

Zero self-reflection, as expected.

I find it disgusting when they say "We had assumed those risks would originate within Russia, not Canada" as if what the FSB would do is equivalent to whatever could happen to them in Canada.... As if they'll be treated like how Russia treats Ukrainians, Crimean Tatars, POWs, journalists, political opponents, etc... :)

"Their irresponsible, dishonest, and inflammatory public statements have incited the violent hate..."

Outrage from a people that have currently and historically been victims of Russian propaganda, aggression, racism, and imperialism is not violent hate. People pointing out the propaganda is not hate. The protests at TIFF are not hate. I don't know where the other producers are from, but they sure do play the Russian victim frame of mind well.

Also, the Ukrainian community leaders are not being dishonest, irresponsible, hateful, or inflammatory.

THE PROPAGANDA IS IN YOUR TRAILER.

The people in the film have been MARINATING in it for their ENTIRE LIVES.

---

Even though the film has been suspended, the planned protest for the first public screening will still go on. Rightly so.

UCC Toronto: On Friday, Sept 13 we will meet in front of Scotiabank Theatre at 1:30pm for a peaceful protest against TIFF's decision to screen "Russians at War". This is the first public screening of the film and the director and some of the team will be present.

But some damage has already been done.

Headline of an article by Marsha Lederman reads: "Russians at War is an exceptional documentary and needs to be seen"

I will make a separate post about this article here. I started reading it and there is a line that made me gasp and almost fall over.

To be continued...

---

Please excuse the transcription of the images. I know they make the post longer, but I'm too aware of images on tumblr not loading. :/ Also, screen readers.

[chirpingfromthebox]

The Sceptres' Post-game Press Session from 2/11/2025 - MIN at TOR

The Toronto Sceptres' post-game press session from their home game against the Minnesota Frost on Feb. 11th, 2025.

At the table were head coach Troy Ryan and forwards Renata Fast and Natalie Spooner.

My transcription is under the break.

[Video begins]

Reporter:

Natalie, it’s been a long road back to being on the ice in a full game. What was it like to get back on the ice and how do you feel?

NATALIE SPOONER:

Oh, it was awesome. I mean, definitely an adjustment and I think it will take a few games to get really back feeling like myself. But just to get out there with the girls, to get that win, felt really good. So, excited for the next one now.

Reporter:

It seemed like you and Hannah [Miller] kind of just picked up where you left off last year, really clicking together. How much easier does it make it knowing that you’re gonna be on a line with her and you guys already have that chemistry from last season?

NATALIE SPOONER:

Yeah, I mean I loved playing with her last season. I think last season, like, I’d say she was one of the best passers on our team and was setting me up. But this year she’s scoring all the goals. So I think I gotta be the one passing to her now [laughs]. But I mean she’s an amazing player so I know she’s gonna, you know, bury those pucks. She’s gonna win battles, make plays. She’s a lot of fun to play with.

Reporter:

Does that net front still feel real familiar?

NATALIE SPOONER:

For sure. Yeah, I like being around there. Got a few pucks in there today, they didn’t quite go in, but yeah, just kind of getting comfortable with my timing and where to be when pucks are coming in. Might take a little bit of time, but it felt good to be back there. Felt at home.

Reporter:

How did tonight compare to your expectations over the weeks and months?

NATALIE SPOONER:

Yeah, I mean obviously, like, coming back from pregnancy I kind of had a similar experience and I think having that I can kind of, in a sense, give myself grace. And I would say the first period definitely didn’t feel great. But kind of in the second period I thought I settled in a little bit more. But yeah, to be honest it felt a little bit of a blur so I’ll have to go back and watch a bit of the game and see. I’ve got a lot to work on still. Could feel it out there already so just kind of take it a game at a time and hopefully after a few games I kind of get back to that timing and that rhythm of the game.

Reporter:

Did you surpass- or did you get back quicker than you might even have thought you might have gotten back? Or was this a little later than you were thinking that you would?

NATALIE SPOONER:

As a high-performance athlete I think you want to get back as soon as you can. So I probably would have liked to have been back earlier. But at the same time I think it was the right time. The strides that I was making week after week, I think, were important. And to be able to go out there and feel safe and feel strong, I think was important. Today I felt good physically, so now it’s just getting that speed and that timing back.

Reporter:

Renata, is there a different feel with Natalie back in the lineup?

RENATA FAST:

Yeah, definitely. I mean, you can feel it the moment we got to the rink this morning- this afternoon, Spooner’s energy already in the locker room. I think Spoons just brings so much on ice, off the ice. Her presence, like you said, the net front, I think all us D were like, “If you see Spoons in front of the net just shoot the puck.” Because she’s just so good in front of there. Yeah, just such a valuable part of our team. It’s nice to have her back.

Reporter:

Troy, what did you think of Natalie’s performance in her first game back?

TROY RYAN:

I thought it was great. You know I mentioned to- in media before the game that it’s- you know our team would just be so excited to have her back. The presence she has off the ice, the presence she has on the ice. Had a great, probably our best scoring chance in the first period and none of it really surprises me. Doesn’t surprise me that she got back as early as she did. It’s like the best- it’s almost like a trade acquisition you make at this point in the year. And it’s the best trade we potentially could make getting Spooner back into our lineup at this point in the year. We’re excited.

Reporter:

In retrospect what did that time away feel like for you given you guys fought so hard to have this league? What was it like to watch from the stands in those games? Especially after the season you had last year.

NATALIE SPOONER:

Yeah, yeah, I mean, yeah, it’s never easy, I think, to show up at the rink every day, but not like be able to practice with your team. And be grinding out and rehabbing; it’s not where you want to be. But I think, you know, I just took it a day at a time. And standing in the stands at the same time I got to see kind of the perspective of the fans and how amazing the league is from that perspective. Which I think was really neat. Just kind of brought a really big appreciation for, you know, the city of Toronto. And they’re showing up for us every single day. So to be able to play in front of them today was kind of extra special because I had then seen that other side that when you’re on the ice you don’t really get to see.

Reporter:

Troy, it seemed that this was, for both teams, but seems like neither team was able to get shots until it opened up a little in the third. Why do you think that was the case? Especially for you guys. And why do- how do you want to make that adjustment moving forward?

TROY RYAN:

Yeah, I think there’s many reasons, many factors. Like obviously a lot of players on both of these teams were just away with their national team. So that’s gonna have some impact. Fatigue would be part; it’s a quick turnaround and it’s the first game after that international break. And it’s not just that, you know, there’s players not just the Canada/US, there’s the international players that did international travel and then a quick turnaround to get into this game. And then the players that weren’t away with the national teams, there’s a bit of a break there, right? So you get away from the flow of what games look like on a regular basis. You try to create game-like situations, but it’s really difficult when one half of your team is not there and some of your staff. So I think that’s- it’s just a quick turnaround. We knew that it was going to be ugly at times, but I think that’s what’s special about getting a win like that. Is that you can find different ways to win and our group just found a way to stick with it. So I think that’s one of the ones that when I look back at the end of this year I’m gonna be proud of, because you know, it’s just you’re finding a way to get it done.

Reporter:

You mentioned some of the international prey- play, bringing back Laura [Kluge] after her training camp and what has the process been like over the past couple of months here? And bringing her back what does she bring to this team?

Troy Ryan:

Yeah, she’s gonna be a great addition. You know, Gina [Kingsbury]’s done a lot of hard work to make that happen and obviously Laura as well on her end. You know, the one thing that I think’s really important to note is that it’s kind of getting grouped in with the [Sarah] Nurse being on long-term injury: they’re not connected at all. Laura was coming in to be a part of our team and it just happened to align with the same time that Nurse got- and I know that’s a bit of a side note, but I think it’s important for everybody to know that it was always the plan to bring in Laura and when we got the opportunity it just coincided with Nurse’s injury.

Reporter:

Just to piggyback on that, were you guys always looking for her to come after the international break? I know her and Germany were trying to qualify for the Olympics. Was that kind of the time frame you guys were looking at?

TROY RYAN:

Yeah, I mean you might have to ask Gina on the exact details of it. I just know it was always work but there was some work with her to do in Germany to get cleared and be able to be eligible for us to have signed her.

Reporter:

Renata, it’s taken a long time to get to your goal-

RENATA FAST:

Oh, it’s all good. [laughs]

Reporter:

Did you realize there was so little time left on the clock? And maybe a little bit of your description on what you saw there?

[For the record it took 6min and 41 seconds to ask Fast about her game-winning overtime goal. Just so you know!]

RENATA FAST:

Yeah, no I actually had no idea of the time on the clock. But, yeah, I was just telling them that I’ve had a couple of breakaways in overtime where I’ve shot the puck over the net or things like that. So I just went in just like, telling myself, “Don’t shoot over the net.” And that’s what happened. But yeah, I had no idea of the time.

Reporter:

Do you think the 3-on-3 suits your game?

RENATA FAST:

Yeah, I like when there’s lots of space on the ice, so I think it suits my game.

Reporter:

With the week- I mean, you’re coming back from Rivalry Series and can’t be really totally fresh, but you still had gas to go, at that point in the game, after- I mean, you were at your own end for almost the full 5 minutes, where do you find that?

RENATA FAST:

Yeah, well, I mean you see open ice in front of you and your eyes get big, you just go. But no, I think all of us were a little bit tired from the week that we had, but yeah, you just find it in yourself to play a game that you can play given the energy levels you have and go when you can and stay back when you don’t have it. So I think just managing it throughout the game allows you to still have a jump at the end.

Reporter:

Do you feel you were kind of owed this one? I mean you’ve had a lot of games where you guys have dominated play, and they kind of well they did dominate the overtime, and then to just steal one away. Do you almost feel like you’re owed this one?

RENATA FAST:

It definitely felt good. I mean, yeah we’ve had quite a few close games, overtime games, that haven’t gone our way in the last little bit. So, yeah, I think our team was happy with this one to finally get the win.

Reporter:

You mentioned earlier about not having Sarah [Nurse]. How much does that hurt not having her in the lineup for the next stretch?

TROY RYAN:

Yeah, it’s gonna be tough. She’s a big part of our team. A big part of our success. And obviously it’s gonna be difficult for a few weeks without her in our lineup, but I think there’s plenty of players that will make the most of the opportunity and hopefully we don’t miss a beat.

Reporter:

Can you guys also just talk about Kirk’s performance in the overtime? We talked a lot about it and then she made a couple big saves for you guys. Can you just talk a little about your thoughts on her during the game and especially during that overtime?

NATALIE SPOONER:

I mean, I thought she was solid. I’ve got to watch her from, you know, the stands, but to be out there- She made some huge saves and I think, you know, diving saves sometimes. Like, they were just desperation saves, but I think those were the saves we needed. She was able to make them in a timely time when we needed them and keep us in that game and eventually get Renata down the ice. So, yeah, we needed those big saves and she was able to give them to us tonight.

Reporter:

And Natalie, obviously, you know, the two big stories is no Nurse in the lineup and then you joining the lineup. Does- Do you think that puts any pressure on you getting back up to speed quicker here knowing that, you know, a big part of the team like Nurse is gonna be out for the foreseeable future?

NATALIE SPOONER:

I mean, I’m not trying to put any more pressure on myself, no. But I mean, I also play with Nursey so I was pretty disappointed, obviously, with her getting hurt. And I’ve played with her for many, many years now. And she’s kind of a comfortable person that I can play with. So definitely disappointed that, you know, I don’t have her there beside me, but I know she’ll be back soon enough. And hopefully we can pick up also where we left off, but yeah, I mean, she’s still a huge part of this team and she’ll still be around. So it’s just making sure that we’re winning games so that when she comes back we’re in a good spot.

Reporter:

Natalie, you mentioned being excited earlier, to come back and make the return, but how much does the win make the moment and the night that much sweeter for you?

NATALIE SPOONER:

Yeah, I mean it’s- Obviously you go out there, you want to win and you give it all. Just to come away with that win? It felt really good. So hopefully we can kind of build off that. It was definitely not a pretty win, but just kind of take that energy into the next little stretch of games we have and keep improving every game I think is really the goal coming down the stretch.

Reporter:

When did you know that tonight would be the game that you would make your return?

NATALIE SPOONER:

I mean, the timeline was kind of always constantly changing. But last week I had a few tests and was able to pass them and just kind of, I guess, talking with my surgeon and medical staff and it was like, Okay, you’re good to go. Passed everything. And then they were like, hey, that can be the game then. I mean, I’d always hoped for either this game or maybe a game earlier, but, you know. This one was the good game. You know, against Minnesota, I guess you can’t write any better, against Minnesota, got hurt against them. You know it seemed like the right time I guess.

Reporter:

You’ve taken some contact from practice already. Was there much, and again forgive me if I missed it, but it didn’t look like you got hit too much tonight?

NATALIE SPOONER:

No. Yeah, there was definitely- I think I got beat up a few times by our skills coach [laughs]. Getting ready and even some of the other girls that we were back training with me. So I was ready, but I’m sure once, maybe there’s a big hit, I dunno. We’ll see. But I think I’m ready for it now.

Reporter:

You also made the trip with the team going to Minnesota and then Montréal. Can you talk about how that helped your process getting back? You know, kind of getting back into schedule and to routine?

NATALIE SPOONER:

Yeah, just getting used to, I guess, the travel and everything. Being on the road. Just, you know, hanging out with the girls a lot more. I think it was a lot of fun for me. But yeah, even coming to the rink today I was like, What do I do? What time am I supposed to be ready at? You know? What do I drink? What do I eat before the game now? So there were a few things that I was like, Where do I stand? But, no, it’s all kind of coming back to me and it was nice to get that first one under my belt.

Reporter:

Troy, you have Megan [Carter] and Natalie out of the lineup for so much of the season, they finally come back and now Sarah’s out. Is there a frustration of not having a full healthy group? Or is it rolling with the punches at this point in the season?

TROY RYAN:

Yeah, I think it’s still rolling with the punches. Those things are stuff that we can’t control. Now obviously with Spooner back and obviously Carter now is getting a lot more comfortable and, you know, we have Scamurra, like you can just start to see what this lineup potentially could look like and I like that, you know, in the last number of games, I mean, you alluded to it, that outplaying a lot of our opponents recently now it’s gone from outplaying them to finding ways to get points. Or finding ways to get wins. So it’s just good if we just keep kind of chugging along and then when the group gets back together I think we’re gonna be very dangerous.

[End of video.]

[annieqattheperipheral]

for reference here's michael nylander's hockeydb

for my willy babes💕 here u go:

- - - - - - -

STOCKHOLM — About 35 minutes outside Stockholm sits the place that always felt most like home for William Nylander.

It is the long-time offseason home of former NHLer Michael Nylander, and it’s where the Nylander family has been congregating every summer since William Nylander was a boy.

There’s the main house, the guest house and the barn where William practically lived from the time he was old enough to hold a hockey stick. It isn’t the kind of barn where you might house cows, horses and piles of hay. It’s nicer than that, William says. There are wooden floors and, as you might expect in a household of hockey players, two hockey nets.

William and his younger brother Alex would be holed up there for hours, day after day, every summer when they were kids.

Alex would play goalie and William would fire shots. Sticks would be thrown. Fights would ensue.

“But then after the fight, no matter what happened,” Alex said, “we would be best friends again.”

Then they might step and fire pucks on the shooting ramp Michael built in the yard by the soccer nets. After that, zip the 30 seconds it took to the nearby dock for a jump in the lake. Then, a visit to the sauna.

As boys, William and Alex would often make their way over to their father’s gym, where they would watch Dad go through his offseason workouts in preparation for another NHL season.

Then, the summer would come to an end and young William, and the rest of the family, would follow Dad back to North America. Somewhere in North America.

William Nylander’s life has been forever split between two worlds and two homes.

- - - - - - -

Almost every fall, it seemed, Dad’s NHL jersey changed.

Which meant a new city, new school, new friends, new home, new minor hockey team and new hockey heroes for William (outside of Dad, of course).

William Nylander was born in Calgary while his dad was playing for the Flames. Michael was traded there from Hartford. He spent parts of five seasons with the Flames before they dealt him to Tampa Bay. Michael played only 35 games for the Lightning before another deal sent him — and the family — to Chicago.

Trades weren’t talked about in the singular, but rather, the “we.” Michael Nylander wasn’t getting traded. The Nylanders were.

William was just starting the first grade when the Blackhawks traded his dad yet again, after only nine games in the fall of 2002, to Washington. The Capitals flipped Michael to Boston not long before the 2004 trade deadline.

Michael signed with the New York Rangers not long before the 2004-05 lockout. After two seasons there, the family trekked back to Washington, where Michael signed as a free agent.

Over 17 years, Michael Nylander played for seven teams – none lasting longer than a 239-game run with the Blackhawks. He also suited up in Sweden, Switzerland, Russia and Finland, as well as minor league outposts in Rochester and Grand Rapids.

“Moving around – it’s been like that since I was born,” William said. “It’s just the way it was. And actually, every time we moved somewhere, we thought it was fun.”

Moving came to feel normal. The first week at a new school was nerve-wracking, but also familiar. So was making new friends in Chicago, Washington, and New York, the three spots that occupied most of William’s childhood.

It helped that William and Alex always had each other, along with four sisters. Alex was born in Calgary two years after William. They did everything together.

“Willy and Alex, they’re like stuck,” said Rasmus Sandin, the former Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman and a close friend of the Nylander family. “They’re together all the time.”

Alex says William is a little quieter than he is, a little less goofy, and more similar to their dad.

Thommy Nylander, Michael’s younger brother and William’s uncle, thinks William inherited his father’s mentality, among other things. Thommy trains William every summer (he’s also a chiropractor and often treats William) and said his thoroughness in preparation is very much like Michael’s.

“He’s so warm and a nice guy, but when you get to the gym, he’s very serious about working,” Thommy said. “He’s probably the best player, but he’s still doing the hours and he’s serious. He doesn’t want to waste time.”

Anders Sorensen, who coached William when he was a kid in Chicago, saw him do things that seemed beyond the comprehension for someone his age. Like the time William dropped the puck behind his own net and took off.

“What are you doing?” Sorensen asked.

“Well, we’re breaking out!” Nylander responded. “It’s a power play!”

He was unmistakably the son of an NHLer.

Michael would bring William and Alex around to the rink often. They thought it was the coolest thing imaginable, being there with Dad where actual NHL hockey was being played.

William would hop onto the ice with Alex and shoot pucks before practice. Then he would retreat, on Dad’s orders, to the ping-pong lounge. From there, they would amble over to the dressing room and inspect the sticks of their father’s teammates – stars like Tony Amonte and Doug Gilmour in Chicago or Jaromir Jagr and Peter Bondra in Washington.

When Michael played for the Rangers, the Nylanders lived for a time in Greenwich Village — about a half-hour’s walk from Madison Square Garden. William’s mother, Camilla, would walk the kids around midtown Manhattan before Michael’s games and then walk up the stairs into the arena.

The “green room” at MSG was particularly special.

“I guess it’s called a family room,” William said. “But me and my brother called it the green room. ‘We’re going to the green room!’ Go smash a Coke every period and watch the game.”

In the green room, they could sip as much Coca-Cola as they wanted.

“It’s like ‘Mom, can I have a Coke?’ ‘No. Today’s not Saturday.’ There you don’t even have to ask mom,” William said.

Their mini sticks were with them always. William and Alex didn’t need much to create a playing ground. A doorway for a goal was all it took.

That’s what made their house in Washington so thrilling: It had a big basement that was perfect for hockey. And because their dad just happened to play in the NHL, those games grew to include actual NHL players.

Fellow Swede Nicklas Backstrom visited the Nylander home for dinner frequently. Backstrom says he felt like another one of Michael’s kids. For William and Alex, Backstrom was their dad’s work colleague and also an honourary sibling.

At one Thanksgiving dinner, the Nylanders — with chef Michael doing the cooking — hosted Backstrom and his even starrier Capitals teammate, Alex Ovechkin.

Life amongst the stars was just part of the deal for William growing up. There was that one time he looked up in the elevator at MSG and saw Mario Lemieux standing across from him.

- - - - - - -

Michael taught William the game. At first, he just let William and Alex play for fun. But as they grew older and more serious about the sport, he would instruct them on how to shoot, how to skate, how to do everything on the ice. They would watch, take notes and try to do it all the same.

“Growing up, we would follow him around and stuff, but it wasn’t like he was pushing us or anything,” William said. “But once we decided that we wanted to play, he helped us out a lot and pushed us in the right way.”

Dan Houck, who coached William when he lived in Washington, saw the same thing in him that he did with all the sons of the Capitals he coached. They all seemed to come fully stocked with a certain hockey intelligence.

William saw the ice just like his dad, Thommy Nylander says.

“William was front-row to some of the most dynamic offensive talents in the NHL,” Houck said. “I think that was formidable for him in his development as a player.”

Backstrom remembers watching William and Alex both play for a local youth team. “I knew they were special players, for sure,” he said. “They were dominant.”

“I always looked up to my dad and wanted to be like my dad,” William said.

But William never played much like his dad. Michael was a pure setup man. He didn’t have William’s power as a skater or shooter.

Sorensen wonders if William, raised on all those North American rinks, had more of a shooter’s mentality than his dad, who came up in Europe, where most players think pass first.

Sorensen coached William and his dad together for Södertälje in the Swedish Hockey League when William was 16 and Michael was almost 40. They would all chuckle at signs in the rink that said explicitly: “No parents allowed on the bench.”

Not only were they on the same bench, but often the same line, with William at right wing and Michael in the middle. During one game, William pleaded with his dad: “Pass me the puck instead of hanging onto it!”

Michael wasn’t an overbearing hockey dad. He even pushed his boys to explore other sports. He did like to ask lots of questions though.

“I call him ‘Wallander’ sometimes,” Sorensen said, referring to the fictional Swedish detective, “He’s always like, ‘Why is that? What do you think about that? Why did you do it this way? Why did you do it that way?’ He’s a smart man. He’s a very smart man. He cares for his family, he cares for people around him so I’ve always got along with him great.”

As Sorensen noted, it was usually Camilla who handled a large chunk of the duties when it came to getting William to the rink.

- - - - - - -

Even as a youngster, the skill always popped with William.

Houck remembers the first time he faced William, when he was 10 and playing for the Greenwich Jr. Blues. Houck’s squad was a year older, but they still trailed by a goal late and pulled their goalie. The puck popped up and hit the stick of the “wrong” player — William Nylander. He calmly shot it down the ice into the empty net.

“Not many kids at age 10 would have the wherewithal [to do that],” Houck says. “If you miss that and it’s an icing, then the puck’s pinned in your end again.”

Sorensen remembers a select tournament in Toronto when William faced off against future NHLers like Connor McDavid, Josh Ho-Sang and Robby Fabbri. Someone came up to Sorensen and said: “This Nylander kid, he’s right up there with all those other guys.”

Michael was a little surprised when he heard about it: “They really think he’s that good?”

Houck’s primary objective when he coached Nylander was to ensure he didn’t stifle that skill. He wanted to let those gifts shine as brightly as possible, especially in key spots with the game on the line.

What sticks out most in Houck’s memory of William is how he loved the game. This wasn’t a kid who played because of his dad. It was the opposite with William, who would even sneak onto the ice with Alex’s team whenever he could.

“We always just loved hockey from the first time we ever played it,” Alex said.

- - - - - - -

William still retreats to Sweden every offseason.

“Mostly what you miss about Sweden is the family,” he said.

The Nylanders are an especially tight bunch. Michael is one of seven siblings himself. It’s not uncommon for the Nylanders to make their way to Toronto. Thommy and his older brother, Peter, came to watch in April.

In his early years with the Leafs, William was announced at home games as hailing from Calgary. That changed a couple of seasons ago. Now, when he’s introduced, it’s “from Stockholm, Sweden.”

Stockholm became home on a more permanent basis at 14 when Michael’s NHL days came to an end and when William, with Canadian and Swedish citizenship, had to decide where he would play his hockey internationally. He and Alex both opted for Sweden. That’s when he and Alex could begin to enjoy the outdoor rinks in and around Stockholm and “play and play and play and never go home” as Alex remembered it.

For a long time, William stayed with his parents when he returned to Sweden in the summer. He’s since bought an apartment in Stockholm and invited Alex to live with him in the offseason. They take William’s two dogs for walks down by the water. They hit Ciccios for dinner or Brasserie Astoria next door, or Restaurant AG for a quality steak.

William will golf five days a week with Sandin during the offseason, forever finding space for a daily nap. William and Alex might have friends over and still William will dip out for his daily nap. “We both nap a lot,” Alex said, “but you’ll never see somebody who naps more than my brother. He’ll nap 365 days of the year.”

William is still trained at home by his dad through his Playmaker92 agency.

William and Alex will usually hit the gym around 8 a.m. By 10, it’s over to the ice with a much larger group that includes Sandin and his brother, Linus, for on-ice sessions lasting an hour and a half led by Michael.

Few, if any, NHL players are trained by their former NHL-playing fathers. Michael is known to be a master of the details, creating the kind of skill drills that only a former player of his calibre could.

Another bonus of returning home to Sweden for William is the chance to eat his dad’s cooking.

Michael has been something of a foodie dating back to his playing days. He prepares “gourmet” meals with a starter, main, and dessert. (Unprompted, Backstrom mentioned Michael’s excellent food.)

Sandin remembers a particularly delicious potato pancake and says the experience of eating a Michael Nylander meal is “like you’re going to a Michelin-star restaurant.”

That’s the thing about Sweden for William. It’s home. It’s family. It’s the place he could, and can still, always come back to. It’s the place where he’s able to find some distance from his hockey-playing life.

The days of hopscotching around North America have long been over. William has played the entirety of his career with the Leafs. Toronto has become his adopted second home. He rides the TTC to most home games these days.

He feels settled in Toronto, though, he adds with a big laugh, “With every year having a trade rumor.”

Two worlds. Two homes. Forever the life of William Nylander.

It’s how he was made.