One of the striking observations from the otherwise uneventful #nhldraft2022 was how homogenous the kids were from a social POV. These weren’t humble farm boys and blue-collar sloggers. This wasn’t J.C. Tremblay, one of 13 kids from Bagotville, Quebec, or Gordie Howe from tiny Floral, Saskatchewan. These prospects were middle-, upper-middle class products of a multi-million dollar development process. It’s not a sport for paupers.

With the grinding war in Ukraine showing no signs of ceasing and Biden-led sanctions doing nothing tangible to deter Vladimir Putin, Russia’s image in the West has rarely been this low. So now might be a good time to ask if the NHL is prepared for a Russian to become the greatest goal scorer in league history.

Why in the name of Aurel Joliat would a sports organization want to put itself in the hands of the McHale’s Navy of governments? Namely, Justin Trudeau’s faculty lounge. But that’s what Hockey Canada has done. Its neglect and incompetence in a recent sexual assault allegation against members of the 2018 WJC champion team seems to have been asking for trouble.

After watching this year’s turbo-charged NHL playoffs perhaps it’s time to amend the old cliché to now say “lack of speed kills”. If there’s one takeaway from the Colorado Avalanche’s Top Gun performance en route to a Stanley Cup it’s that you can’t win in today’s NHL without blazing speed.

After two years of government-enforced shutdowns the Canadian Open golf championship still couldn’t buy a break. Despite having five of the Top 10 men’s players in the world in the field this past weekend at St. George’s G & CC—and a rip-snorting finish from Rory McIlroy— the Open was overshadowed by a week of turbulent news from the upstart LIV league.

There is evidence that with Don Cherry gone and Maclean playing Goodbye Mr. Chips that a sea change is occurring on at least two fronts at HNIC. One is the emergence of former Canuck Kevin Bieksa as the new tone-setter of the editorial. The other is the embrace of betting on the show.

But now a Connor McDavid can sign an NIL contract at 14 years old, play in the NCAA and— rich already— still be drafted No. 1 overall. Yes, college hockey has a lower profile and fewer opportunities for endorsements. Some will want the CHL’s experience. But a McDavid-type player would be a prize catch for an equipment company or a video game manufacturer. Or even as an influencer. All things currently not allowed in the CHL.

The SI Swimsuit edition was created in the 1960s to defeat a stereotype that fit sportswomen were tomboys, unattractive and vaguely butch. In their own way, the early SI models destroyed those stereotypes while pleasuring hetero men. They convinced women that muscles aren’t a bringdown. The 2022 edition is not that.

Whether the NHL can see beyond its cherished myths of grinders and role players to admit it has a goalie problem is the question. A question that, as long as Gary Bettman is commissioner, will likely never be answered.

In the coming years we will learn— despite the strenuous efforts of the guilty— that elected officials and drug manufacturers hid far worse outcomes about their vaccines. They’ll reluctantly do this because all vaccine users signed off on their products as experimental. They can’t be sued— government saw to that.

The West stands at the precipice of a major disaster in Ukraine. North Americans are perplexed that it’s gotten this far. It might best if they could instead be like the Poles at the hockey game in Tychy. Generous and welcoming to people in distress. But ever wary of strangers bearing narratives.

What’s just as interesting as the Canadian Cup chase will be the contest for the Hart Trophy as the most valuable player to his team. In the years since Patrick Roy led the Habs to the 1993 championship, going 10-0 in OT games, there has not been a year with a trio of Canadian-based players like this. Toronto’s Auston Matthews. Edmonton’s Connor McDavid. Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau.. They’re key reasons why their teams have a chance at the Cup.

The MLB season is just two weeks old, and already baseball’s pig-headed decision not to use virtual technology to call balls/ strikes is looking like a massive blunder. While it jimmied with the DH rules and promised to use a pitch clock next season, MLB leaves the single greatest threat to the sport’s integrity unchanged.

Live audio has always been the final frontier of sports broadcasting. Lip reading is the best we could hope for. And here it was; the Joey Votto conversation was akin to hearing The Jazz Singer in 1927.

The excitement for this World Cup and the 2026 World Cup— which Canada is to co-host with the U.S. and Mexico— is making some people see dollar signs. Specifically, the politicians in the Canadian cities interested in hosting a sliver of the WC 2026 are seeing the huge price tags for two weeks of excitement.

There are truisms. Never eat at a place called Mom’s. Never play cards with a guy whose name is the same as a president. And don’t try to fake goaltending in hockey.

Many saw last week’s controversial performance by transgendered University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas as simply a swimming contest. In reality it was yet another political show trial for progressive corporate, media and political overlords who now want to add sports to their quiver. There are lessons to be learned. Just not the ones you think.

Imagine there are two banks across the street from each other. One bank left the door to its vault open. The other— with twice much money inside— had a sophisticated lock on its vault. But bank robbers only wanted to rob the bank with the larger payday, not the easier target. Ladies and gentlemen: The Shift in MLB.

In our new book Inexact Science, my son Evan and I recall how the Detroit Red Wings, under chief scout Neil Smith, cracked the bias against Soviet (Russian) players in the historic 1989 draft as they poached a Hall of Fame defence man from Sweden and two Russian stars— Sergei Fedorov and Vladimir Konstantinov, in the middle rounds of that draft. And how it could have been much greater with a third Russian who got away.

Getting Phil Mickelson to front your dream league was like having Tiger Woods give driving lessons. No player in his right mind will now go near his pipe dream for a long time. The only upside is that the Tour has been nudged into giving larger purses to the stars of the sport. But that’s better than what’s happening to Roman Abramovich at Chelsea.