National Basketball Association
Toronto Raptors 129 San Antonio Spurs 104
Fred VanVleet had 33 points for the Raptors who have won 3 in a row
Pascal Siakam had a double-double with 18 points & 12 rebounds.
Toronto is 17 & 17 and tied with Charlotte for 8th in the Eastern Conference heading to their game tonight at Milwaukee.
Phoenix Suns 123 New Orleans Pelicans 110
Devin Booker scored 33 points for the Suns
Phoenix is a 1/2 game back of Golden State for 1st in the Western Conference.
Memphis Grizzlies 110 Cleveland Cavaliers 106
New York Knicks 104 Indiana Pacers 94
Los Angeles Lakers 122 Sacramento Kings 114
Tonight
Toronto Raptors at Milwaukee Bucks 8 pm
Detroit Pistons at Charlotte Hornets 7 pm
Philadelphia 76ers at Orlando Magic 7 pm
Houston Rockets at Washington Wizards 7 pm
San Antonio Spurs at Boston Celtics 7:30 pm
Golden State Warriors at Dallas Mavericks 7:30 pm
Brooklyn Nets at Indiana Pacers 7:30 pm
Oklahoma City Thunder at Minnesota Timberwolves 8 pm
Utah Jazz at Denver Nuggets 10 pm
Miami Heat at Portland Trail Blazers 10 pm
Atlanta Hawks at Sacramento Kings 10 pm
National Hockey League
Florida Panthers 6 Calgary Flames 2
Patric Hornqvist scored twice for the Panthers
Winnipeg Jets 3 Arizona Coyotes 1
Connor Hellebuyck stopped 26 shots
Tampa Bay Lightning 7 Columbus Blue Jackets 2
Boston Bruins 5 New Jersey Devils 3
Detroit Red Wings 6 San Jose Sharks 2
Colorado Avalanche 4 Chicago Blackhawks 3 (OT)
Anaheim Ducks 4 Philadelphia Flyers 1
Nashville Predators 3 Vegas Golden Knights 2
Washington Capitals at Montreal Canadiens (ppd)
New York Islanders at Seattle Kraken (ppd)
Tonight
Edmonton Oilers at Toronto Maple Leafs 7 pm
St. Louis Blues at Pittsburgh Penguins 7:30 pm
New York Islanders at Vancouver Canucks (ppd)
Ontario Hockey League
Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds 6 Sudbury Wolves 1
Tye Kartye had a power play goal for the Greyhounds
Kartye leads the league with 25 goals, 15 of which are power play markers.
Sault Ste Marie moves to 38 points and leads the Western Conference by 2 points over Guelph
The Greyhounds will play their next 4 games at home including a doubleheader against the Attack January 15 & 16.
Tonight
Windsor Spitfires at Guelph Storm, 7:00pm
Flint Firebirds at Saginaw Spirit, 7:05pm
Barrie Colts at Owen Sound Attack (ppd)
Friday, the Owen Sound Attack are scheduled to be at Guelph to meet the Storm
You can hear Friday’s game live ( if played ) on 560 CFOS with Kia of Owen Sound-Terry’s Trailer Service Bearadio
Bearadio is brought to you in part Sprucedale Agromart
WESTERN CONFERENCE STANDINGS
SOO 30 18 10 2 0 38
GUE 27 17 8 1 1 36
LDN 26 17 8 1 0 35
WSR 27 14 9 2 2 32
FLNT 26 14 10 0 2 30
KIT 26 13 12 1 0 27
SAG 28 13 14 1 0 27
OS 25 12 10 1 2 27
SAR 25 10 12 3 0 23
ER 26 8 16 1 1 18
EASTERN CONFERENCE STANDINGS
MISS 28 19 7 1 1 40
KGN 25 17 5 3 0 37
NB 31 16 11 2 2 36
HAM 29 16 9 2 2 36
BAR 23 14 7 2 0 30
OSH 26 13 10 1 2 29
OTT 32 13 17 1 1 28
PBO 26 9 15 2 0 20
SBY 26 8 16 2 0 18
NIAG 24 7 16 0 1 15
The Ontario Hockey League General Managers met yesterday.
According to Attack General Manager Dale DeGray the session didn’t include anything newsworthy other than procedure should an Ontario based player contact COVID-19 while playing at Erie, Flint or Saginaw.
The Attack game scheduled for tonight against Barrie was postponed a week ago.
This weekend, reports relate the Attack could play 3 times, but DeGray won’t be certain until Friday as to how many players the Attack could field, so those games, especially the home and home with Guelph, remain in question.
The Attack, in accordance with the Provincial Government’s announcement on restrictions, will have zero fan attendance at home games until at least January 26th
The Attack Ticketing team is working on solutions for all ticket holders and will communicate with fans when more information is available.
OHL ANNOUNCES TOP PERFORMERS OF THE MONTH FOR DECEMBER
The Ontario Hockey League today announced the Top OHL Performers of the Month for regular season games played in December 2021, including Windsor Spitfires forward Wyatt Johnston, Mississauga Steelheads defenceman Ethan Del Mastro, Flint Firebirds forward Coulson Pitre and Barrie Colts goaltender Mack Guzda.
OHL Player of the Month – Wyatt Johnston (Windsor Spitfires):
Dallas Stars prospect Wyatt Johnston of the Windsor Spitfires is the OHL Player of the Month for December, sitting tied for the League lead with 19 points including seven goals and 12 assists over eight games to go with a plus/minus rating of plus-13. Johnston recorded points in seven of his eight outings as the Spitfires played to a December mark of 6-1-1-0, holding down second place in the West Division. Johnston opened the month with three assists, going 14-for-17 in the faceoff circle in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Erie Otters on Dec. 2nd. He built off that performance a night later, recording a career-high six points (2-4–6) as the Spitfires defeated the Sarnia Sting 7-5. The six points were the most in a single game by a Spitfires player since Josh Ho-Sang on Feb. 9, 2014. Johnston would proceed to post three more multi-point efforts, doing so with three point showings on Dec. 16th and 17th as Windsor defeated Sault Ste. Marie and Saginaw. Johnston rounded-out December on a five-game goal-scoring streak. He’s the first Spitfires player to claim OHL Player of the Month honours since Brendan Lemieux in December 2015.
An 18-year-old native of Toronto, Ont., Johnston sits fourth in OHL scoring with 46 points (18-28–46) in 27 games along with a plus/minus rating of plus-17. He currently leads all OHL players, having received recognition in the three stars of the game on 12 different occasions. Johnston was a first round (23rd overall) pick of the Dallas Stars in the 2021 NHL Draft, and signed a three-year entry level NHL contract with the club on Sept. 28, 2021. A former World Under-18 Hockey Championship gold medalist with Team Canada, Johnston was Windsor’s first round (6th overall) pick in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection.
OHL Defenceman of the Month – Ethan Del Mastro (Mississauga Steelheads):
Chicago Blackhawks prospect Ethan Del Mastro of the Mississauga Steelheads is the OHL Defenceman of the Month for December, leading OHL rearguards with 11 points, all assists, in nine games to go with a plus/minus rating of plus-9. Del Mastro helped the Steelheads ascend to first place in the OHL standings with assists in seven of his nine outings as Mississauga played to a December record of 8-1-0-0. The 6-foot-4, 206Ib. defender finished the month with six points in his last two contests, recording a pair of helpers in Wednesday’s 5-4 win over visiting North Bay. He racked up a career-high four assists in a first star performance on New Year’s Eve as the Steelheads defeated the Sudbury Wolves 8-2 on the road. Del Mastro is the first Steelheads blueliner to earn Defenceman of the Month honours since Nicolas Hague in March 2018.
An 18-year-old native of Freelton, Ont., Del Mastro has 21 points (4-17–21) through 28 games in his second OHL season. The Steelheads’ captain also boasts a League-leading plus-28 plus/minus rating. Del Mastro was Chicago’s fourth round (105th overall) pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. The former Canadian National Under-18 Team gold medalist was selected by the Steelheads with the 12th overall pick of the 2019 OHL Priority Selection.
OHL Rookie of the Month – Coulson Pitre (Flint Firebirds):
Flint Firebirds forward Coulson Pitre is the OHL Rookie of the Month for December, recording four goals, seven assists and 11 points over eight games with a plus/minus rating of plus-6. Pitre posted four different multi-point efforts as the Firebirds went 4-3-0-1 in December, opening the month with goals in three consecutive games. Pitre recorded the first of two three-point efforts on Dec. 4th with a goal and two helpers in a 7-4 win over Owen Sound. He recorded three assists on Dec. 8th as Flint defeated the Erie Otters 9-6. Pitre is the first Firebirds player to ever earn OHL Rookie of the Month honours.
A 17-year-old native of Stouffville, Ont., Pitre sits tied for fourth among OHL rookies with 21 points (9-12–21) in 20 games with the Firebirds. Formerly a fourth round (73rd overall) pick by the Windsor Spitfires in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection, Pitre was acquired by Flint in September 2021.
OHL Goaltender of the Month – Mack Guzda (Barrie Colts):
Mack Guzda of the Barrie Colts is the OHL Goaltender of the Month for December, playing to a 4-0-0-0 record with a league-best 1.45 goals-against average and .952 save percentage with one shutout. Guzda made at least 30 saves in three of his four wins, starting the month with back-to-back 32-save performances on Dec. 2nd and 11th as the Colts defeated Hamilton and North Bay on home ice. He recorded a 26-save shutout, his first as a Colt, on Dec. 12th in a 1-0 road win over the Battalion. Guzda finished December with a 30-save road win over Ottawa as the Colts skated to a 5-2 decision. Guzda is the first Barrie netminder to earn OHL Goaltender of the Month honours since Mackenzie Blackwood last did so in November 2015.
A 20-year-old native of Knoxville, Tenn., Guzda owns an overall record of 11-5-0-1 with a 2.77 goals-against average and .918 save percentage in 17 games between the Colts and Owen Sound Attack this season. Since joining Barrie on Nov. 19th, Guzda has played to a 6-1-0-0 mark. The 6-foot-5, 205Ib. fourth-year veteran owns a career OHL record of 69-50-10-7 with a 3.28 goals-against average and .892 save percentage with six shutouts over 147 regular season games. Owen Sound’s second round (31st overall) pick in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection, Guzda attended rookie camp with the Buffalo Sabres last September.
2021-22 OHL Performers of the Month:
Player of the Month:
December – Wyatt Johnston (Windsor Spitfires)
November – Kyle Jackson (North Bay Battalion)
October – Sasha Pastujov (Guelph Storm)
Defenceman of the Month:
December – Ethan Del Mastro (Mississauga Steelheads)
November – Nathan Staios (Hamilton Bulldogs)
October – Jack Thompson (Sudbury Wolves)
Rookie of the Month:
December – Coulson Pitre (Flint Firebirds)
November – Owen Beck (Mississauga Steelheads)
October – Calum Ritchie (Oshawa Generals)
Goaltender of the Month:
December – Mack Guzda (Barrie Colts)
November – Joe Vrbetic (North Bay Battalion)
October – Brett Brochu (London Knights)
Ontario Junior Hockey League
Burlington Cougars 5 Georgetown Raiders 2
Aurora Tigers at Collingwood Blues (ppd )
The Ontario Junior Hockey League announced that due to the Ontario Provincial Government’s direction of implementing a time-limited modified Phase 2 Reopening, the OJHL is mandated to temporarily pause all games starting January 5, 2022 until January 26, 2022.
“The OJHL is committed to completing a full OJHL regular season and playoff schedule for the 2021-2022 season and we have put together various operational scenarios to allow us to do so,” said Marty Savoy, Commissioner of the OJHL. “With the current mandated pause, the OJHL has multiple scenarios developed, which will allow us to get our full season and playoffs in this season.”
“The league will continue to monitor the direction from the Provincial Government and will announce any adjustments to the OJHL schedule if or when they may be required. Although the Provincial Government has not yet declared Junior A hockey within Ontario as Elite level of sport, the OJHL is lobbying our various governing bodies in an effort to have this level of the sport included within this classification”
The OJHL would like to thank all of our teams, players, parents, staff, volunteers and supporters for their continued commitment in providing a comprehensive OJHL COVID-19 Safety Plan for our players.
North Division Standings
Pickering 31 21 8 0 2 44
Aurora 30 18 10 0 2 38
Collingwood 30 15 12 0 3 33
Markham 31 5 24 0 2 12
Stouffville 29 4 23 1 1 10
Greater Metro Junior Hockey League
Season on ” Pause ” until January 26th
North Division Standings
Temiscaming 25 24 1 0 0 48
Bradford Rattlers 26 22 2 0 2 46
Meaford Knights 24 14 6 0 4 32
Bradford Bulls 23 14 7 0 2 30
Ville-Marie 22 12 8 0 2 26
Bancroft 28 11 16 0 1 23
New Tecumseth 27 8 17 0 2 18
West Nipissing 26 8 16 0 2 18
South Muskoka 27 8 19 0 0 16
Almaguin 24 4 18 0 2 10
South Division Standings
North York 24 21 3 0 0 42
St. George 26 19 6 0 1 39
Durham 21 19 2 0 0 38
Niagara 24 19 5 0 0 38
Plattsville 27 11 16 0 0 22
Nrthmberland 24 9 14 0 1 19
Windsor 28 7 21 0 0 14
Streetsville 25 5 20 0 0 10
Tottenham 25 3 21 0 1 7
PJHL Update
The Provincial Junior Hockey League will follow the provincial mandate and suspend play from January 5th through to the 27th. We are very hopeful that we will be able to resume play soon after the 27th. Plans and schedules are being reviewed and amended as required to ensure we are able to complete our season and compete for the Schmalz Cup.
Our number one concern is the mental and physical health of our players, coaches, staff and fans. Please refer to https://www.ementalhealth.ca/ for resources and support for mental health. All of us want to be able to have a safe return to hockey. As the COVID situation continues to evolve we will be monitoring and preparing ourselves to be ready to return to the game.
As the largest Junior Hockey League in the world, the PJHL takes its responsibility very seriously to ensure the safety of all participants and we will continue to work with our governing bodies, local health units and facilities to provide the safest environment possible.
Thank you to everyone involved with the PJHL, players, staff, officials, volunteers and fans, for your continued support.
Pollock Division Standings
Hanover Barons 24 19 3 1 1 0 0 40
Mitchell Hawks 24 19 3 2 0 0 0 40
Mount Forest Patriots 23 13 8 1 1 0 0 28
Wingham Ironmen 23 14 9 0 0 0 0 28
Kincardine Bulldogs 22 10 10 1 1 0 0 22
Walkerton Hawks 25 4 18 2 1 0 0 11
Goderich Flyers 23 1 22 0 0 0 0 2
Carruthers Division Standings
Stayner Siskins 19 16 3 0 0 0 0 32
Alliston Hornets 23 15 6 1 1 0 0 32
Schomberg Cougars 21 15 5 0 1 0 0 31
Orillia Terriers 20 14 5 1 0 0 0 29
Penetang Kings 19 9 8 2 0 0 0 20
Caledon Golden Hawks 20 6 13 1 0 0 0 13
Midland Flyers 21 4 17 0 0 0 0 8
Huntsville Otters 21 2 18 1 0 0 0 5
WOAA Update
The WOAA Senior Hockey League is halting league activities for 3 weeks
The pause is temporary in light of the latest provincial guidelines which have closed municipal facilities including arenas
The league anticipates conducting a meeting in the short term with the intention of continuing the season once the pause in activities has been completed.
WOAA Senior Hockey Standings
Ripley Wolves 14 11 2 0 1 0 23
Seaforth Centenaires 13 10 3 0 0 0 20
Saugeen Winterhawks 15 9 4 0 1 1 20
Durham Thundercats 15 9 6 0 0 0 18
Tavistock Royals 13 8 4 0 0 1 17
Clinton Radars 13 8 5 0 0 0 16
Minto 81’s 12 8 4 0 0 0 16
Shelburne Muskies 17 8 9 0 0 0 16
Creemore Coyotes 17 5 12 0 0 0 10
Lucknow Lancers 15 5 10 0 0 0 10
Petrolia Squires 13 4 7 0 1 1 10
Shallow Lake Crushers 14 4 9 0 1 0 9
Milverton 4 Wheel Drives 13 3 9 0 1 0 7
ATP Cup
at Australia
Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated Great Britain’s Jamie Murray and Joe Salisbury 6-4 & 6-1 in the deciding doubles match.
Both teams split their singles matches.
Auger-Aliassime defeated Cameron Norrie 7-6 & 6-3
Shapovalov was defeated by Daniel Evans 6-4 & 6-4
WTA
at Adelaide, Australia
7:30 pm
Leylah Annie Fernandez vs Iga Swiatek
Smith Wins 10K
Julian Smith had another great race Saturday, December 18th. Smith won the 10 km classic race at the Eastern Canada Cup #3/4 held at Mte. St. Anne, Quebec. Despite the cold day and the hilly course, Smith clocked the race in 23 minutes & 51.7 seconds which was 24 seconds ahead of second place.
Smith was home in Oxenden for a brief family Christmas celebration, but due to lack of snow, headed back up to Thunder Bay to train at Lappe Nordic Ski Centre. He and his team mates flew out to Canmore, Alberta, on December 31st to prepare for Olympic Trials and World Junior Trials.
Smith will race two sprint courses, a 15 km classic and a 30 km skate mass start.
TFC Signing
Toronto FC is about to officially land Italian star Lorenzo Insigne
It’s expected he will join the club in July on a 5 & 1/2 year contract that will be signed this week,
While nothing had been signed yet, talks were in the “final stages,”