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Anne Stevenson plans to run again for Edmonton city council and represent Ward O’Day’min for a second term
In a phone call with Postmedia on Saturday
and she officially announced her plan on Sunday at ArtsHub Ortona in downtown Edmonton
it’s been an incredible experience,” said Stevenson
“I feel so lucky to be able to serve over the last four years and to work with my colleagues and really helping navigate a challenging time.”
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Stevenson was part of a city council that had several fresh faces
The city has gone through many ups and downs and faced challenges that brought on many tough decisions
but Stevenson said she is proud of the work that she and her council members have done
“The first two-and-a-half years really felt like a constant crisis
There were so many external factors thrown at us
and so many things happening in the community that we were having to respond to,” said Stevenson
“I’m happy how we responded… we’ve charted it as well as we could in many way
and we need to continue to put Edmontonians first
Stevenson said she’s really proud of the work she’s been able to do around affordable housing
She championed removing property taxes for affordable housing to help keep rents lower
which is key — especially with the large population growth the city has seen over the last several years and there being a demand for more affordable housing
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“Creating more opportunities for homes in the city
whether that was through a new zoning bylaw… and just ensuring Edmonton is more affordable even though we’ve seen incredible population growth over the past couple years,” said Stevenson
“We’ve seen the population growth of nearly two Red Deers move into Edmonton
we’ve been able to maintain our level of affordability and that comes down to the environment we’ve created
and we’re seeing the opportunity for new homes.“
she and the rest of the elected council will be working with a new mayor at the helm
who took a leave of absence to run for the Liberal Party in last month’s Federal Election
Sohi was defeated by losing the Edmonton Southeast riding to Conservative candidate and lawyer Jagsharan Singh Mahal
Sohi confirmed he won’t seek re-election as mayor
He’s been an exceptional leader during his time in a very powerful way
I’ve learned so much from his leadership style
His level of collaboration and kindness and he’s been able to accomplish a lot in his term — I will miss working with him,” said Stevenson
“I’d be excited to work with anyone in that role
there’s an opportunity to build continuity
you need to collaborate with their colleagues
they need to demonstrate that team-building capacity with whoever is on council.“
Stevenson said she continues to hear concerns from her constituents about the societal challenges of homelessness and encampments
and that will be one of her biggest focuses if she’s to serve a second term
“The ward and downtown in particular is where the broader social issues we’re grappling with are most visible,” said Stevenson
“Obviously homelessness and seeing encampments in our community has been top of mind for people I represent
and it’s been the most prevalent in this term
and there is a lot of work that needs to be done.”
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Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch had Stuart Skinner in the starter’s net at Sunday’s practice
We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentKnoblauch has said he’ll make his decision on which goalie will start against Vegas before the game
“I feel that we have two goalies that can give us a great game and win us that night every single time
I’d say I’m very fortunate to have that opportunity.”
Draisaitl – McDavid – Perry Kane – RNH – Hyman Frederic – Henrique – Brown Podkolzin – Janmark – Arvidsson
Nurse – Bouchard Walman – Klingberg Kulak – Emberson
Winning the next game is all that matters in the playoffs
and whatever games he’s playing now in practice in order to unsettle Las Vegas
It’s hard to imagine that the Oilers will move away from Calvin Pickard
who just won four straight games to help vanquish the Los Angeles Kings
who lost the first two games against the Kings
Pickard let in an iffy goal on an outside shot from Brandt Clarke early in Game 6
but he then stopped seven straight Grade A shots in a row from the Kings early in the game
That included huge saves on Trevor Moore’s breakaway
He made a huge stop off a rebound with five minutes left
That bad early goal against had me wondering if there was a Game 7 whether Skinner might play
But Pickard’s big saves the rest of the game made a huge statement
I strongly suspect the Oilers will go with a “win and you’re in” mentality for the Vegas series
one advantage that Edmonton has over 2023 when they lost to Vegas is that the team is willing to quickly turn to the second goalie if the first one isn’t getting the job done
the Oilers had little trust in Jack Campbell so stuck with Skinner
Pickard has proven himself to the equal to Skinner for now
But both goalies can get hot and provide solid netminding
In four games Pickard had a .893 save percentage
while Skinner had an .810 save percentage in two games
this favours Pickard getting the next game
The Oilers are evidently sticking with Darnell Nurse and Evan Bouchard in the top-pairing
Brett Kulak did not make one major mistake on a goal against the Kings at even strength
Nurse and Bouchard both combined to make major mistakes
Not sure why Oilers defensive coach Paul Coffey doesn’t change things up
The Oilers could also bring back Troy Stecher to the line-up and pair him with Nurse
The two were solid enough in the regular season
EdmontonNewsWestJet suspends direct flight from Edmonton to Atlanta this summer as demand for U.S. travel dropsBy CTVNewsEdmonton.ca StaffPublished: May 05, 2025 at 1:04PM EDT
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There’s a major difference between contenders and pretenders
a difference that was evident in both Vegas’ and Edmonton’s first-round series
the Golden Knights and Oilers showed exactly why they’ve been frequent fliers past the first round — and why the Minnesota Wild and Los Angeles Kings were first-round fodder once again
Now comes the true test: a battle between two teams equally equipped to win it all
The Oilers start with a modest 52-48 edge in this series
but there are a lot of variables that could tilt the scales in either direction
The main one is the status of Pavel Dorofeyev
which is one reason the Oilers are favored
the Golden Knights’ odds would improve to 49 percent
There’s also the matter of Edmonton’s goaltending situation
As admirable as Calvin Pickard’s performance was against the Kings
he’s still far from a safe bet as a career backup
but his game has higher highs — enough to be considered a stronger option
but more starts for Skinner would increase Edmonton’s odds further
The teams weren’t all that different at five-on-five this year
They both hovered around the 54 percent mark in expected goals to round out the top five in the league
Their expected goal creation and suppression weren’t far off each other
either — Vegas just had better results on both ends of the ice
Scoring goals wasn’t a problem for Edmonton in Round 1
The Oilers poured chances on the Kings with a league-high rate of 3.44 xGF/60 (and scored 2.83 per 60
Vegas generated some good looks against Minnesota
there may be an opportunity to do more damage at five-on-five
which was one of the highest-scoring power plays in the regular season
were red hot on the advantage in the playoffs
so this may come down to whose penalty kill can return to form after a leaky first round
The Oilers’ and Golden Knights’ expected goals against each jumped by more than three goals per 60 in Round 1 compared to the regular season
The difference was Vegas’ goaltending controlled chaos with only three goals against in six games
Can Vegas’ defense slow down Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl
It stands to reason that having Minnesota as their first-round opponent was
an ideal bit of practice for the Golden Knights
the Wild have sublime offensive talents at the top of the forward group and then
Vegas should hope its top pair learned a lesson
With Alex Pietrangelo and Noah Hanifin on the ice together at five-on-five
Vegas was outscored 5-2 and controlled just 43 percent of the expected goals
That’s probably not going to work against McDavid and Draisaitl
It’s also a bit of deviation from Pietrangelo/Hanifin’s regular-season numbers; in more than 770 minutes together
they solidly controlled the run of play with an expected goal share of about 55 percent
Vegas was outscored 38-32 with them on the ice
but that had plenty to do with goaltending
If the Games 3-5 version of Adin Hill shows up for the Golden Knights
What should be a bit more concerning for Vegas is that it wasn’t always Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy doing the damage against Pietrangelo/Hanifin
A lot of it came with Ryan Hartman on the ice — Minnesota held a 3-1 goal edge and 60/40 expected goal share with him on the ice against Pietrangelo
The Shea Theodore-Brayden McNabb pair also got plenty of minutes against the top line and did an OK job territorially — playing to about an even split in expected goals — but was outscored 4-2 with Kaprizov on the ice
even if it’s only forced upon the Golden Knights when they’re on the road
and Theodore individually was outstanding against Minnesota
It’ll also be interesting to see if Bruce Cassidy sticks with the pairings he rolled out for Game 6 against Minnesota
but was chasing the puck for most of the night
Pietrangelo’s most frequent partner was Zach Whitecloud; in about 10 minutes together
Minnesota outshot Vegas 8-2 and scored a goal
Theodore-McNabb was the only pairing to win its minutes overall
but still lost in scoring attempts (8-5) and shot attempts (21-12)
It’s ultimately a two-pronged issue for the Golden Knights
Stopping McDavid and Draisaitl is one thing; we know teams can survive simply by not letting those two run wild
taking their lumps and truly handling business with the rest of the forwards group
showed real signs of scoring depth in the first round against one of the best defensive teams in the league
but it’s fair to wonder whether it’s equipped to handle a team with two of the world’s best at the top of the lineup and a handful of competent players dotting the rest of it
Are we witnessing a John Klingberg renaissance
who do you think had the highest average Game Score for Edmonton in the first round
If you guessed someone — anyone — other than John Klingberg
whether it was a flash in the pan or a legitimate sign he’d turned back the clock
finished the series against Los Angeles with three really strong outings
Edmonton outscored the Kings 4-1 with Klingberg on the ice and controlled more than 63 percent of the expected goals
When Klingberg was paired with Jake Walman
The two of them (or even just Klingberg) managing something similar against the Golden Knights would be a major development
That Klingberg is contributing at all to a playoff team in 2025 is a development in itself; he missed more than a year after double hip surgery and spent years in decline before that
he was a force as a skater and playmaker along the blue line
injuries and chaotic defensive play seemingly took their toll
and Edmonton’s signing of him in January seemed like a Hail Mary
We all know exactly why the Oilers win games
The two best players in the world are an unstoppable force capable of dragging an otherwise middling (if that) roster to some very high places
Edmonton’s top duo has a combined projected Net Rating of plus-51
If you ever wondered how good a team would be with the two best players in the world and an otherwise average lineup
their combined plus-5.9 Net Rating in six games translates to plus-81 per 82 games
As gruesome as the rest of the roster looks on paper
they actually delivered when it mattered in the opening round
That’s sparked some real optimism in Edmonton
Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins finally looked closer to their usual selves with five points apiece and Hyman earning 66 percent of the expected goals
Evander Kane provided a vital offensive spark after a year on the shelf
Corey Perry and Vasily Podkolzin all found the scoresheet at least three times
with Brown earning a surprising five points
Mattias Janmark scored as many goals in six games as he did in 80 games this season
And Adam Henrique was a stabilizing defensive presence in the bottom six
For a team whose top concern was forward depth going into the playoffs
the Oilers couldn’t have scripted a better opening round for the entire group
While the expectation should still be that the depth is probably a weakness
their ability to rise to the occasion and elevate their games when it matters most is extremely notable
It makes the Oilers much more difficult to game plan against
as they’re starting to prove they are capable beyond McDavid and Draisaitl
It was especially true in the final two games; those very depth players combined for eight goals while McDavid and Draisaitl sat back and relaxed with a single assist between them
That duo may have brought the Oilers back from the brink
but the team’s depth put them over the top
where the depth stepped up in Mattias Ekholm’s absence; Walman
Klingberg and Brett Kulak all played incredible hockey against the Kings
The new concern: Can Evan Bouchard and Darnell Nurse handle the heat at the top of the lineup
that pair has been on the ice for seven goals in 58 minutes with a middling xG percentage
The Oilers allowed only seven goals in 254 minutes otherwise (1.65 GA/60)
Bouchard at least added enough individual offense to make up for it
the team’s top pair has not been good enough
allowing 3.24 xGA/60 is a recipe for disaster given each player’s penchant for adventurous chaos
but their performance so far shows just how valuable Ekholm is — as a stabilizing presence next to Bouchard and as someone who allows Nurse to thrive in secondary matchups
Vegas’ top four is as solid as it gets with four legit top-pair options
Where Vegas’ blue line differs from Los Angeles’ is in the amount of offense coming from the back end
the Golden Knights have the horses to go toe-to-toe with Edmonton’s dynamic blue line
They can keep up with the run-and-gun hockey in a way the Kings couldn’t and are also stable enough defensively to hold the fort
it’s noticeable how defensively sound everyone is from top to bottom
Mark Stone and William Karlsson — are complete players
The difference between Vegas’ best and Los Angeles’ best up front
is that their offensive game is more reliable
Eichel is obviously a massive part of that
a true franchise player capable of putting up 90 points
It’s not just about slowing down Edmonton’s best
Eichel is better equipped for that than any Kings player
Eichel and Stone struggled early in the series at five-on-five
but were dynamite once Karlsson moved up to the top line
Can Vegas afford to stack the deck like that against the Oilers
That probably depends on how the Oilers line up and whether they choose to split up McDavid and Draisaitl
the Golden Knights do have real depth down the lineup
Tomas Hertl is still an effective top-line player anchoring the second line while Ivan Barbashev
Brandon Saad and Nicolas Roy provide an edge in the middle six
It’s those players that need to be the difference in this series for Vegas
They need to be able to make up for whatever damage McDavid and Draisaitl do
The top guys can only do so much in that battle
the biggest question mark for Vegas right now might be between the pipes
The Oilers made a Vezina finalist look mortal
and Adin Hill hasn’t exactly been sharp in these playoffs
His .880 save percentage and minus-1.3 GSAx ranked third last in the playoffs among starters
Vegas has the goaltending edge no matter who starts for the Oilers
the Golden Knights will need Hill’s best self
The last time the Oilers and Golden Knights faced off in the playoffs
Eichel and McDavid didn’t see much of each other at five-on-five
Neither team opted for a power-versus-power matchup
Eichel’s all-around game has taken strides over the last couple of years
and now he takes on matchup minutes for the Golden Knights
McDavid always sees his opponents’ best shutdown talents
but few have the offensive game that Eichel brings
These are elite skaters in transition who can play end-to-end against each other
It should make for a star-powered battle between two of the West’s best centers
If you’re more about depth and “heavy hockey,” you’re with Vegas
Stylistic differences can make for great entertainment
and everything about this series suggests it’ll deliver in a big way
How these projections work
Understanding projection uncertainty
Evolving Hockey
Natural Stat Trick
Hockey Reference
NHL
All Three Zones Tracking by Corey Sznajder
(Top photo of Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
2025) – The National Hockey League announced today
the schedule for the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The Pacific Division champion Vegas Golden Knights will face the Edmonton Oilers in a best-of-seven series that opens on Tuesday
Puck drop between Vegas and Edmonton on Tuesday for Game 1 is scheduled for 6:30 p.m
Fans can watch the series on ESPN or TBS (U.S.) and Sportsnet or TVA (Canada)
All seven games will be broadcast on the VGK Radio Network presented by Lee’s Discount Liquor
1340 AM) and in Spanish on Deportes Vegas (1460 AM)
EdmontonNews4 people, including 2 teens, killed in central Alberta crashBy Diego RomeroPublished: May 05, 2025 at 12:24PM EDT
EdmontonNewsOld Strathcona Farmers’ Market ‘full, crowded’ on first Sunday of businessBy Craig EllingsonPublished: May 04, 2025 at 6:33PM EDT
The Edmonton Oilers entered the postseason with more roster questions than any true Stanley Cup contender this spring
ineffective play from veterans was a real concern and the goaltending was a question mark
coach Kris Knoblauch found solutions from the available roster players
Goaltending was solved by inserting backup Calvin Pickard
Knoblauch did it during the Vancouver Canucks series one year ago
so the transition from Stuart Skinner to Pickard wasn’t shocking to anyone
What has been a surprise is the quality of Pickard’s performances
and Skinner’s return date is unknown (although likely if the team continues deep into the playoffs)
Perhaps the biggest concern surrounded how to replace injured defenceman Mattias Ekholm
He’s slated to return to the roster at some point this spring
but the team needs to win games without him in the interim
After the completion of the six-game series against Los Angeles
the questions about how to replace Ekholm remain
Ekholm is a strong two-way player and the ideal partner for Evan Bouchard
Edmonton’s outstanding puck-moving defenceman
In the first two games of the playoff series versus the Los Angeles Kings
Knoblauch and his staff (the defence is led by coaches Paul Coffey and Mark Stuart) came under heavy criticism for the deployment of the defensive pairings at five-on-five
Fans were unhappy with the Darnell Nurse and Bouchard pairing due mostly to coverage problems for the tandem
Both men allowed Los Angeles forwards to wander behind them
and the club paid in full during the early portion of the series
The obvious solution was to move Jake Walman to the Bouchard pairing and check down Nurse to play with Brett Kulak
the only change Knoblauch made early came when switching out Josh Brown after Game 1 and inserting John Klingberg (the numbers above for the pairing are from a single game)
the coaching staff had some decisions to make
Here are the pairings for Game 3 and Game 4 combined:
owing at least in part to facing tougher competition
the second and third pairings shone like a diamond
The pairing of Walman and Klingberg has been exceptional
the duo scorched Los Angeles 16-4 shots five-on-five with a 94 percent expected goal share in the metric
The team’s outlets have been tweaked in at least a couple of ways
the team is deploying an old-timey strategy in having the centre come down low (with speed) and take a handoff from the defenceman in possession of the puck
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl can easily beat the forecheck going full speed
and have the advantage of less traffic once hitting the neutral zone
the passing by defencemen from deep in the zone is more effective because there is often more than one attractive passing option
The Oilers don’t have two forwards lingering in the neutral zone in search of a jailbreak pass
The result is more control, and more consistent breakouts since the start of Game 3. How much have the changes improved the results? Meghan Chayka from Stathletes tracks the evidence
and it was devastating for the Kings in the middle games of the series
Knoblauch and his staff deployed seven unique pairings that played three or more minutes together
The dizzying changes may also be impacted by the lack of response from Los Angeles
but the results in Game 5 didn’t identify a true weak link among the seven pairings:
it appeared the pairings worked and the coverage plus outlet passing issues were solved
but there are questions about the defence as the team prepares for the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round
The performances were decidedly less impressive than in Games 3 through 5:
The most used pairing in the closing game of the series matched what fans were demanding
but both the first and second pairings struggled against a determined Los Angeles squad
Nurse-Bouchard had solid numbers during the game (although the actual results were poor)
giving the coaches another combination to ponder
It’s difficult to look at a series clinching victory with a negative eye
but the reads and gaps will need to be much better in the next series
As the team sets the lines and pairings for Vegas
there are several things that should be addressed
Nurse had a high event series with some loose coverage that is reflected by eye and math
When the big defenceman was on the ice at five-on-five during the Kings’ series
Evan Bouchard had similar totals: 8-3 goals for Edmonton when Bouchard was at rest
outscored 11-7 when Bouchard was on the ice
the pairing delivered 3-7 goals on the ice at five-on-five
That reflects coverage issues and misreads by the pairing
Nurse and Bouchard have the same weakness (read and react
The questions around the defence appear to have gone full circle in one six-game series
The easy answer is placing Ekholm on the Bouchard pairing
and then running the strongest combination of Nurse
Ekholm could return from injury at some point during May
Knoblauch’s ongoing search for what works receives another best-of-seven series to continue the experiments. A good guess has Nurse and Bouchard on separate pairings in Game 1 against the Golden Knights
Kevin Fiala and Evan Bouchard: Perry Nelson / Imagn Images)
Allan Mitchell is a contributor to The Athletic's Oilers coverage. Veteran radio broadcast. His blog, Lowetide, has chronicled the team since 2005. Follow Allan on Twitter @Lowetide
Edmonton Oilers defenceman Ty Emberson has a unique role with the team this spring
Emberson’s five-on-five ice time is about five minutes less than in the regular season
played in all games during the recently completed series against the Los Angeles Kings
but isn’t part of the regular rotation at five-on-five
Part of the deployment is no doubt Emberson’s lack of NHL experience
Here’s a look into the Oilers coaching staff
what is valued and where those missing minutes are landing
Emberson delivered two minutes per game and once again beat the rest of Edmonton’s defencemen in goal suppression
so Emberson’s GA-60 (13.74) was inflated drastically compared to the regular season
the results (16.17 GA-60) were even more frightening
The Oilers coaching staff values Emberson on the penalty kill
A quick comparison of the playoff numbers reflects a clear top three PK men
Emberson’s spot in the starting lineup is secure based on these numbers
and even in a period where the short-handed crews struggled against the Kings
Emberson’s five-on-five minutes have declined during the postseason
He’s being used sparingly compared to the regular season in the game state:
Emberson’s 51 minutes five-on-five has seen Edmonton score two goals and allow one
Small samples will produce such conflicting numbers
but the regression suggested by the shot share is significant
Emberson will probably take on more minutes next regular season and be a stronger option in the 2025 postseason
Where are those minutes previously given to Emberson landing
Enter Brett Kulak. He has emerged as a super utility player
Coach Kris Knoblauch has identified two interesting wrinkles in his defensive units
the exceptional performance of the Jake Walman and John Klingberg pairing has held sway
convincing the coaches that that duo is a key element in team success
Any efforts to split up the pairing seem fleeting
and the duo quickly returns to working together
Kulak has emerged as an elevated fifth defenceman
gobbling up the Emberson minutes in an effort to outscore opponents
Here are the top seven pairings by ice time during the Kings series
The numbers are solid and those results come in a depth role
The Kulak-Emberson duo is slightly under 50 percent in expected goals
nothing alarming about that number for a third pairing
it’s noteworthy that this tandem is the only one in the group that is below 50 percent expected goals
Kulak can be found on three pairings of 29 minutes or more
His 124 five-on-five minutes ranked him No
2 (Darnell Nurse) among Edmonton’s defencemen in the third round
the expected goal share suggested that regression should be expected
Some fans are frustrated with the coaching staff’s seeming stubbornness about the duo
but the underlying numbers endorse staying the course
Emberson’s minutes during this postseason are not guaranteed
but his future with the organization looks to be safe
He recently signed a two-year extension ($1.3 million annually) and figures to be in the mix for regular work next season
but it’s a valuable piece of the puzzle for the Oilers coaching staff
Taking advantage of Kulak’s tireless skating
and improving the puck movement ability of the defence makes this deployment effective
Emberson fits in perfectly due to his penalty-killing goal suppression
He has provided enough quality play to stay in the lineup
Why is Emberson playing less at five-on-five
The Oilers’ current success is heavily based on moving the puck into the neutral zone (and enemy territory) quickly
Kulak is taking Emberson’s minutes because he’s fast
and (most importantly) play either side of a pairing effectively
Moving Emberson down the depth chart can be justified if it’s working
and Kulak went 5-3 goals (64 percent expected) with various defensive partners during the Los Angeles series
The stars of the show during that run were Walman-Klingberg
who outscored opponents 3-0 in 55 minutes in the first round this spring
Knoblauch and his staff are so enamored with that pairing that the club is willing to deal with some uneven play from the Nurse-Bouchard pair
The pairing may face even more difficult challenges against the Vegas Golden Knights in the next series
and the coaching staff likely to run Nurse-Bouchard and Walman-Klingberg as the top two pairings
the role of Kulak becomes even more important
Troy Stecher may be inserted into the lineup at some point
with the Oilers possibly running seven defencemen in games
All of this is designed to keep the club in the playoffs until Ekholm returns
the Oilers will run the pairings envisioned at the trade deadline
AB – The NHL has announced the schedule for the second-round series between the Oilers and Golden Knights
which is set to begin on Tuesday at 7:30pm MT at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
Edmonton and Vegas will meet in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second time in three years after the Golden Knights eliminated the Oilers in six games in 2023 en route to capturing the first Stanley Cup title in their franchise history
A limited number of tickets for home playoff games are now available at EdmontonOilers.com/Tickets
Tickets for the Rogers Road Game Watch Party for Games 1 and 2 inside Rogers Place are now available at EdmontonOilers.com/WatchParty
The Panel recaps the Kings series & looks ahead to Round 2 vs
EdmontonNewsAlberta NDP votes to allow opting out of federal party membershipBy The Canadian PressUpdated: May 04, 2025 at 9:48PM EDT
National Post had sent the video to the Liberal campaign on Thursday seeking its response to the comments
After multiple requests for a response over several hours
the campaign finally responded Thursday evening that Loyola was out
Loyola is no longer our candidate for Edmonton Gateway,” wrote Liberal campaign spokesperson Isabella Orozco-Madison in an email
Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format
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then a rapper with a group called People’s Poets
said in the 2009 video that Hamas and Hezbollah
both listed terrorist organizations in Canada
“Organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas really are trying to stand up for their people and that needs to be recognized
These are movements for national liberation
not terrorists,” said Loyola — under the stage name Rosouljah — at the start of the set
He and a bandmate were performing on the steps of Edmonton’s Churchill Square
for a “Canada out of Afghanistan and say no to NATO” rally marking the military alliance’s 60th anniversary
The National Post sent a request to comment on the video to Loyola’s personal email address on Thursday morning
but didn’t get a response by the end of the day
“(Carney) is the man of the hour that we need
especially to stand up to Donald Trump south of the border,” said Loyola at his March 29 campaign launch
Loyola has drawn criticism for the past for his public support of autocratic Latin American political strongmen including Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro
saying he believed that Cuba and Venezuela were more enlightened than Canada in some respects
“It’s not necessarily saying that I want us to become the next Venezuela or the next Cuba… I’m just saying that we can learn from how they stress particular rights,” said Loyola
which was billed as “an opportunity to express solidarity with the Venezuelan people and support for the Bolivarian Revolution.”
“The event will also share with the media and local community the hard work
dedication and achievements of President Hugo Chávez and his government,” read the description
“Essentially we’re talking about communities that are trying to defend themselves from these economic systems and the oppression that those economic systems have created,” Loyola told the magazine
Loyola ran in the 2014 Alberta NDP leadership election
finishing last with two per cent of the vote
Carney confirmed at a Friday media appearance that Loyola is no longer the Liberal party’s candidate for Edmonton Gateway but didn’t say why his candidacy was pulled
that Loyola was allowed to run under the banner of both the NDP and Liberals
“The fact that Loyola got this far into the process is appalling
But it’s also rather revealing in that radical Islamist views and progressive politics have become increasingly aligned in recent years on matters related to Israel and the Jewish world,” said Babb
“This is — unfortunately — another example of someone who harbours dangerous ideologies looking at a progressive collective and thinking ‘I’d be a good fit here.’ This needs to change and people need to do a better job at vetting.”
“I did not think that an intro at a hip-hop segment 16 years later would get me ‘cancelled’ after close to a decade of serving as an elected representative at the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Loyola said in the statement that he’s against all forms of violent terrorism
”I want to be clear: I unequivocally condemn brutal killings
and abduction – whoever does it,” he wrote
Loyala added that he now plans to run as an independent candidate in neighbouring Edmonton Southeast
citing the Palestinian cause as one reason he’s continuing on
“Just as (Canadians) are standing together against the threat that is Donald Trump… the Palestinian people
are standing up to the same threat of Trump’s proposed annexation of Gaza and his de facto support for Netanyahu to commit endless violence against a civilian population.”
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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith congratulated Prime Minister Mark Carney on winning the federal election and invited him to work with the province to “reset” the relationship between Ottawa and Alberta
“The federal government has taken hostile actions against Alberta and against the Constitution and against our right to develop our resources
and every action we have taken has been to reassert that the Constitution matters
the division of powers matters,” Smith said
is going to be able to change course remains to be seen
but he said different things in different forms to different people in different parts of the country
I think what we put on the table is very reasonable and very much in sync with the idea of being an energy superpower and finding new markets
The ball will be in his court to see how he responds to that.”
Smith said she will continue to fight for Alberta and will no longer tolerate industries being “threatened” and “resources landlocked” by Ottawa
“A large majority of Albertans are deeply frustrated that the same government that overtly attacked our provincial economy almost unabated for the past 10 years has been returned to government,” Smith said
I will not permit the status quo to continue.”
Smith also gave a nod to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre
who she said is a “true friend of Alberta” and boasted about his election campaign which highlighted Alberta’s energy sector
Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi has floated the idea of breaking ties with the federal NDP and said the decision will come this weekend at the party’s provincial convention where members will be able to vote on the future of the relationship with the federal NDP
“What we really learned in doing that is we’re already financially independent
which is if you are a member of the provincial party you are automatically a member of the federal party,” Nenshi said
He said despite policy differences he’s had with federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh over the years
Singh can walk away with his “head held high.”
“He is a tremendous public servant and if it wasn’t for Jagmeet Singh
then Albertans and Canadians struggling with the cost of living every day would not have affordable childcare
dental care and would not have the beginnings of a national PharmaCare system
So while politically this was a tough night for him
I think he can look back with some satisfaction on what he’s been able to do for Canadians,” Nenshi said
he called for unity in Canada and enforced the need for Alberta to work with the federal government
“She’s gambling with the future of the country over plastic straws
My country is worth more than plastic straws,” Nenshi said
As final results for the federal election continue to roll in
disgruntled former MP Preston Manning suggests a fourth Liberal term may be doing harm to disgruntled Western provinces
who is also the founder of the Reform Party of Canada
said polling is currently being done to determine whether a Liberal government is pushing Canadians in Western Canada away
“Consultations are being held on the merits and means of organizing a Canada west assembly to provide a democratic forum for the presentation
analysis and debate of the options facing Western Canada (not just Alberta),” Manning said
“Only time will tell whether the newly elected Carney government ignores or addresses the root causes of national disunity
But whether it does so or not will positively or negatively influence the direction in which the responses of the Western provinces and the proposed Canada west assembly will point.”
When Smith was asked whether or not the door is open to Alberta separating
she said “not by me” but pointed to citizen-initiated referendum processes that would allow Albertans to put a question on a ballot and if enough people sign the petition then those questions would be put forward again
“I believe in Alberta’s sovereignty within a united Canada,” Smith said
The government will be holding a caucus meeting on Friday to discuss the results of the election and what’s to come
behind the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village
Friday said evacuations started for those living on Range Road 195
“Anyone with residences not yet affected by the evacuation
is advised to prepare an evacuation kit and to be ready should the need arise to spread the evacuation zone,” said Fort Saskatchewan RCMP
Fort Saskatchewan RCMP learned that a grass fire had started east of Elk Island National Park
The fire was spreading and not considered under control
Highway 16 was shut down between the entrance to Elk Island National Park and Range Road 194 in both directions
“The public is asked to avoid the area and find alternate routes of travel,” said RCMP
“The evacuation order has been lifted and Highway 16 is now open for travel
Emergency crews will still be in the area fighting what is left of the fires and the public is asked to remain vigilant and to please avoid any actions that could contribute to lowering the effectiveness of their work,” said RCMP
Fort Saskatchewan RCMP confirmed that the fire had spread to structures in the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village
“The situation is evolving rapidly and the extent of the damages can’t be confirmed at this time,” said RCMP
supplying a number of photographs from the site
showing extensive damage to multiple structures
AB – The Edmonton Oilers announced Sunday they have signed defenceman Atro Leppänen to a one-year entry-level contract for the 2025-26 season
The 26-year-old is coming off a remarkable season for Vaasan Sport in Finland's Liiga
recording a league-high 63 points (21 goals
which set an all-time Liiga recod for points by a defenceman
His 42 assists were also tops among all blueliners while his 21 goals ranked second
He also added three assists in eight post-season contests
Through two seasons in Finland's top league
the left-shot rearguard has appeared in 115 games
piling up 33 goals with 58 assists for 91 points
EDMONTON -- With the Edmonton Oilers dealing with injuries to several key players down the stretch of the regular season, captain Connor McDavid said it would be a mistake to discount his team's chances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs
McDavid is confident most of the injured players will return for Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round against the Los Angeles Kings
“I don’t like the theory that people are counting us out,” McDavid said Tuesday
We’ve had bumps and bruises along the way here
but we’re a dangerous team when we’re rolling and we’re healthy
I think you’ll see that over the next little while and we’re looking forward to showing that.”
The Oilers (48-29-5) will finish third in the Pacific Division behind the Kings (48-24-9)
After concluding its regular season with a 3-0 win against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday
Edmonton will begin the playoffs at Los Angeles
It’s the fourth straight season the teams will face each other in the first round
with the Oilers winning the previous three series
McDavid had an assist against the Sharks to reach 100 points for the eighth time in 10 NHL seasons -- and the fifth straight season -- and will be ready for Game 1
The center missed eight games with a lower-body injury sustained in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets on March 20
He returned to play three games and had nine assists before sitting out Monday for precautionary reasons in the second game of a back-to-back and Edmonton’s third game in four days
night and day better from before the injury just in terms of rest,” McDavid said
“Not getting a break for the 4 Nations (Face-Off
I feel night and day better since the injury.”
McDavid has 100 points (26 goals, 74 assists) in 67 games. He missed three games after sustaining an ankle injury at the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 28 and was suspended for three for cross-checking Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland on Jan
Draisaitl missed four games with an undisclosed injury from March 20-27
returned for three games and was injured again in a 3-2 win at San Jose on April 3
He missed his eighth straight game Wednesday
Draisaitl leads the NHL with 52 goals and is tied with Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak for third with 106 points (54 assists) in 71 games
“I feel Leon is going to feel the same way [as me],” McDavid said
“Everybody is going to feel the same way coming out of that
The Oilers will enter the playoffs looking to return to the Stanley Cup Final
where they lost 2-1 in Game 7 to the Florida Panthers last season
They’ve been fortunate to avoid too many injuries the past few seasons
Evander Kane has been out all season after the forward had surgery to repair a sports hernia and a knee injury
but he could be ready to rejoin the Oilers in the playoffs
Frederic was acquired from the Boston Bruins in a three-team trade also involving the New Jersey Devils on March 6
He made his Edmonton debut at Los Angeles on April 5 but was limited to 7:10 of ice time before reaggravating a high ankle sprain
The Oilers do not expect him to be available for Game 1 against the Kings
kind of unprecedented for our group,” McDavid said
“We’ve had a great string of health for a long time
and I saw [coach Kris Knoblauch] allude to it
It is true; guys are healthier than it may seem
I think guys have kind of this aura about us that we’re the walking wounded
everybody is doing whatever they can to be back.”
Ekholm is one player not expected back in the first round
He has been dealing with his injury since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off
Ekholm had missed 13 of 17 games since March 4 before returning against San Jose on April 11
He was ruled out of the first round by Knoblauch on Monday
but it’s obviously disappointing,” McDavid said
he’s going to do everything he can to get healthy whenever that may be
maybe the best all-around defenseman there is
“… Would it have been nice to get some games with a full lineup
but that’s not the case we’re dealing with
everyone is doing everything they can possible and not everything is as it seems.”
AB – The Edmonton Oilers announced today they have signed forward David Tomasek to a one-year
$1.2 million contract for the 2025-26 season
The 29-year-old centreman has competed in the Czech Extraliga
bringing his offensive talents to the Oilers after most recently dressing in 99 games for Sweden's Färjestad BK over the past two seasons
collecting 49 goals and 53 assists for 102 points
Czechia led the entire SHL in points (57) and assists (33) this past season while ranking third in goals (24) to help Färjestad capture its first regular-season league title since 2018-19
Tomasek appeared in 10 games for Czechia at the 2024 IIHF World Championship
scoring once and adding three assists for the gold medal-winning squad
Prior to embarking upon his professional career
Tomasek played two major junior seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with the Belleville Bulls in 2013-14 and 2014-15
EDMONTON -- Connor McDavid is expected to return before the end of the regular season despite not traveling with the Edmonton Oilers for the start of an upcoming four-game road trip
McDavid, who is tied with Kyle Connor of the Winnipeg Jets for sixth in the NHL with 90 points
has missed the past four games with a lower-body injury sustained in a 4-3 overtime loss against the Winnipeg Jets on March 20
“We know a ballpark point where it’s going to be and it’s not going to be the next game or two
We feel it should be before the regular season ends
because that’s what we have left in our season
but he’ll be [back] before the regular season is over.”
who has 26 goals and 64 assists in 63 games this season
also missed three games after sustaining an ankle injury in a 6-1 loss at the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct
and was suspended three games for cross-checking Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland in a 3-2 loss Jan
“I think the most important thing is that he is healthy and 100 percent for the playoffs,” Knoblauch said
“To say the regular season is not that important and we’re not playing for anything and putting in time is a little far-fetched
but we’re not going to push something that might get worse.”
The Oilers (42-26-5) are third in the Pacific Division
two points behind the Los Angeles Kings (41-23-9)
Forward Leon Draisaitl
returned for Edmonton against the Calgary Flames on Saturday after missing the previous four games with an undisclosed injury and scored the tying and winning goals
Draisaitl sustained the injury during a 7-1 win against the Utah Hockey Club on March 18
He has 51 goals and 53 assists in 69 games and became the first player to reach 50 goals this season
The Oilers begin their road trip at the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday (10 p.m
then travel to face the San Jose Sharks on Thursday
the Kings on Saturday and the Anaheim Ducks on April 7
Edmonton has nine games remaining in the regular season
Along with McDavid, Edmonton will start the road trip without goalie Stuart Skinner (head) and defensemen Mattias Ekholm (undisclosed) and John Klingberg (lower body)
Forward Evander Kane (sports hernia, knee) is on long-term injured reserve but is skating with the Oilers and will travel. He is not expected to be activated until the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Forward Trent Frederic (ankle) will also travel on the road trip
Frederic was acquired by Edmonton from the Boston Bruins as part of a three-team trade also involving the New Jersey Devils on March 6 and has yet to play a game for the Oilers
we were very fortunate what we went through was minimal
possibly your best defenseman and numerous other guys
I think worst-case scenario would be those guys aren’t ready for playoffs and I think we’re very fortunate that none of those guys -- besides Evander -- I think everybody will be with us before the regular season is over.”
averages 22:08 of ice time per game and has nine power-play goals for the Oilers this season
His minutes are being spread around the rest of the Edmonton forwards
“I think we have to fill the hole collectively as a group and every guy has to kind of elevate a little bit,” Oilers forward Jeff Skinner said Sunday
guys that have been around for a while and know the situation and are ready for the opportunity to contribute as much as we can.”
Edmonton concludes the regular season at San Jose on April 16
The Oilers are nine points behind the Golden Knights for first place in the Pacific and would play the Kings in the first round for the fourth consecutive season if the standings remain
Edmonton advanced to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last season
“Everyone’s been on teams where guys go down and if guys go down
you need to step up and take advantage of that opportunity they’re given,” Jeff Skinner said
“Obviously we’d like to get [McDavid] back as quick as possible
we have to work together and step up a little bit.”
The Los Angeles Kings will play the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs
Los Angeles (46-24-9) is second in the Pacific Division
two points ahead of Edmonton (47-28-5) with one game in hand
The team that finishes higher will have home-ice advantage in the best-of-7 series
The teams will meet in the first round for the fourth straight season
with Edmonton winning each of the previous three
eliminating Los Angeles in five games last season
Goalie Darcy Kuemper is 30-11-7 with a 2.05 goals-against average, .921 save percentage and five shutouts in 49 games. David Rittich is 15-13-2 with a 2.71 GAA and .890 save percentage in 31 games (29 starts)
The Oilers are led by centers Leon Draisaitl (52 goals, 106 points in 71 games) and Connor McDavid (26 goals, 99 points in 66 games). Defenseman Evan Bouchard has 67 points (14 goals
Goalie Stuart Skinner is 25-18-4 with a 2.87 GAA and .894 save percentage in 50 games (49 starts), and Calvin Pickard is a 22-9-1 with a 2.63 GAA and .902 save percentage in 35 games (30 starts)
The Kings lead the season series 2-1-0, with each team winning on home ice and one game remaining in Edmonton on Monday. Los Angeles won 4-3 in overtime on Dec. 28, and 3-0 on April 5. Edmonton won 1-0 on Jan. 13. Byfield (two goals, one assist), Warren Foegele (one goal, two assists) and Jordan Spence (three assists) each had three points
Kuemper started all three games and had a 1.33 GAA and .952 save percentage
one assist) and Draisaitl (two assists) were the only Oilers to have more than one point against the Kings this season
Skinner was 1-0-1 with a 1.95 GAA and .932 save percentage
and Pickard allowed two goals on 28 shots in the 3-0 loss on April 5
The Oilers and Kings have played 10 times in the playoffs
Los Angeles has not defeated Edmonton in the playoffs since 1989
The Oilers advanced to the Stanley Cup Final last season
losing to the Florida Panthers in seven games
The Kings have lost in the first round each of their past five trips to the postseason
Their last series win was when they defeated the New York Rangers in five games to win the Stanley Cup in 2014
and NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news
Mattias Ekholm will not play for the Oilers against the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Second Round
The defenseman is out with an undisclosed injury and will not be available in the best-of-7 series
Ekholm missed the entire first round against the Los Angeles Kings
The Oilers eliminated the Kings with a 6-4 win in Game 6 at Rogers Place on Thursday
The 34-year-old had 33 points (nine goals, 24 assists) in 65 games this season and averaged 22:12 minutes of ice time on the Oilers top defensive pair mainly alongside Evan Bouchard
Ekholm has not played an entire game since a 4-3 win against the Dallas Stars on March 26
He missed the next seven games and returned in a 4-2 win against the San Jose Sharks on April 11 but left after playing 1:52
He did not play in the last three games of the season
five assists) in 25 playoff games last season
helping the Oilers reach Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final where they lost 2-1 to the Florida Panthers
Jason Robertson skated with the Stars for the first time since sustaining an injury
but did not play in the 4-2 win against the Colorado Avalanche in Game 7 of the Western Conference First Round on Saturday
who led the Stars with 35 goals in the regular season
sustained a lower-body injury at the Nashville Predators on April 16 and has not played since
He was ruled week to week but has since been upgraded to day to day
incorporating with the group," Stars coach Peter DeBoer said Saturday
Miro Heiskanen
is skating with the team but remains out with a lower-body injury and did not play in Game 7
TORONTO - Three of the four second-round NHL playoff matchups have starting dates
The Toronto Maple Leafs, who needed six games to knock off the Ottawa Senators in round one, host the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in Game 1 on Monday
Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Wednesday, with Games 3 and 4 in Sunrise, Fla., on Friday and Sunday. The Panthers eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games
The Edmonton Oilers, fresh off their six-game series victory against the Los Angeles Kings, open their second round in Las Vegas on Tuesday against the Golden Knights, who dispatched the Minnesota Wild in six games
with Games 3 and 4 in Edmonton next Saturday and Monday
The Washington Capitals, who bounced the Montreal Canadiens in five games, host the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 on Tuesday
with Games 3 and 4 in Carolina next Saturday and Monday
The Hurricanes needed five games to eliminate the New Jersey Devils
The Dallas Stars, who beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 in Game 7 on Saturday, await the winner of the Winnipeg Jets-St. Louis Blues series
Game 7 is set for Sunday in the Manitoba capital
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 3
In a pin-drop-quiet visitors’ dressing room inside Edmonton’s Rogers Place on Thursday night
Adrian Kempe offered a reminder of just how close the Los Angeles Kings had come to finally getting past the Edmonton Oilers in the playoffs
the Kings lost four consecutive games to the Oilers
perhaps none more crushing than the season-ending Game 6
It was a series that spilled out of their hands when it could have been in the firmest of grips
“I think this year it was because we couldn’t close the games out,” Kempe said
We had about nine or 10 tries at it where we didn’t get it
But it would have been different momentum going into Game 5 and Game 6
I think that was the biggest difference-maker
The Kings played well enough to beat the Oilers — until they didn’t
thanks in part to questionable player usage by coach Jim Hiller
Instead of playing Edmonton in Game 7 at home on Saturday
or even preparing for Game 1 of the second round against the Vegas Golden Knights
And what do you do when the objective of playoff advancement once again isn’t met
Exit meetings are expected to occur on Monday
as the Kings head into the offseason searching for more answers after a fourth consecutive first-round exit
Let’s look at five key areas that must be addressed before training camp
The Kings’ last management change took place one day after the 2016-17 season
when Dean Lombardi was ousted as general manager (along with head coach Darryl Sutter) and Rob Blake was promoted from his assistant GM role
who doesn’t have a playoff series win during his eight-year tenure
And if there is a desire to move on from Hiller
given that seven other NHL teams are already conducting searches and are holding interviews with their candidates
But if the Kings are confident in continuing with Hiller as their coach
so as to quell any uncertainty over his future following a rough series
the Kings could have a hole to fill on the staff if assistant coach D.J
Hiller brought Smith in when he took over for Todd McLellan midway through last season
who coached the Ottawa Senators for four seasons
There is a connection between him and Penguins GM Kyle Dubas
While others will be taken into consideration
The Kings’ track record with this in 2024-25 was mixed
Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere had their roles further elevated
The linemates formed a productive trio with Kevin Fiala
one that became their most dangerous offensive grouping at times
two-way center who started to get prime defensive matchups
Laferriere became an effective middle-six winger
Brandt Clarke and Jordan Spence took back seats at different times
Both played a lot when Drew Doughty was sidelined during the first half of the season while recovering from a surgically repaired broken ankle
Both remained in the lineup but saw their ice time diminish after Doughty returned
And it dropped even further in the playoffs
with Spence especially getting scant action and being scratched for a game
But Alex Turcotte was reduced to part-time status and was pulled out of the lineup in favor of Trevor Lewis at a time when Turcotte’s younger legs could have been utilized
All are homegrown players who should take on importance
particularly with the Kings’ farm system lacking in NHL-ready prospects
Some of this started in the second half of the season
with Byfield getting some of the matchup minutes that previously belonged to Anze Kopitar or Phillip Danault
And while Doughty averaged 24 minutes per game following his return at the end of January
the Kings shuffled him to the second power-play unit when Andrei Kuzmenko arrived
and they had success using five forwards on the first unit
The Kings must move further in that direction
Kopitar and Doughty can’t play forever — certainly not at the highest of levels — and the club needs to lessen its reliance on their franchise bookends
If Doughty was fine with a diminished power-play role
then the team should discuss a scenario in which fewer minutes would increase his effectiveness as he moves further out from surgery
1 center role and slot Kopitar behind him for what might be his final season
and now it’s time to see if he’ll sink or swim as the featured pivot
Let him and Kempe produce in a less taxing role
or see if Kempe can build chemistry with Byfield and Fiala
$22-million contract extension that Kempe signed in 2022 has been an unmitigated bargain
His 139 goals over the last four seasons are 45 more than the next highest goal-scorer on the Kings
That total puts Kempe in the top 20 among all NHL players over that span
who can be an unrestricted free agent in 2026
The Kings can start negotiations with his camp on July 1
The good news for the Kings is that his next contract comes at a time when the salary cap rises from $95.5 million to $113.5 million over the next three seasons
but he has moved into a tier where he’s at or near the level of Nashville Predators star Filip Forsberg
who signed an eight-year extension worth $68 million in 2022
Kempe stands to approach that — or equal it — even if he hasn’t quite reached Forsberg’s heights offensively
“I think he’s a big guy that’s been working with his body
and I think you see that it’s paying off right now,” Edmonton defenseman John Klingberg said of Kempe
“I know he’s in the summers working with skills coaches and stuff
But I feel like he’s doing everything at a higher pace now
And I think it also comes with feeling comfortable around the team
Around the other leaders of the team and he’s becoming a leader as well.”
Blake said the Kings were working on an extension for Vladislav Gavrikov with significant term
There was confidence expressed in getting the shutdown blueliner signed
and there seemed to be momentum as Gavrikov switched agents
a longtime friend of team president Luc Robitaille
Perhaps both sides decided to wait until after the season so that the focus would be on the stretch run and the playoffs
but it’s fair to think a deal could have been worked out before then — if they were close
This could be Gavrikov’s home-run contract
after the two-year extension Blake signed him to after his successful integration after joining the Kings at the 2023 trade deadline
excelling in a career-best season in which he played all 82 games while averaging 23 minutes
he stands to possibly reset the market for shutdown defenders
It will be interesting to see what AAV number he comes in at — and whether the Kings will keep him or shift gears
NHL.com's fantasy staff continues to cover the latest trends and storylines in the League through the lens of NHL EDGE puck and player tracker stats. Throughout the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs
we identify the leaders in key advanced metrics
The Edmonton Oilers center has the top skating speed of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs so far
reaching 23.92 miles per hour on an end-to-end rush early in the third period of their Game 2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings
who had the fastest speed burst of the 2024 postseason (23.85 mph in Game 3 against Dallas Stars in Western Conference Final)
also leads the NHL in 20-plus mph speed bursts (49 in six games) and 22-plus mph bursts (12) this postseason
McDavid is tied for third in the entire NHL with 11 points (two goals
nine assists) through six games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and his 53 points (10 goals
43 assists) in 31 playoff games since the start of the 2024 postseason are the most in the NHL over that span
The Winnipeg Jets defenseman leads the League in top shot speed (99.74 mph) this postseason, with a close second in the category being Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (99.20)
Miller ranked fourth in the NHL in top shot speed during the regular season (103.08 mph)
Hintz also ranks highly this postseason in top skating speed (23.67 mph; second)
20-plus mph speed bursts (42; third) and 22-plus mph speed bursts (nine; second)
Hintz has scored two of Dallas' eight high-danger goals so far this postseason; the 28-year-old ranked in the 94th percentile in both high-danger SOG (74) and high-danger goals (18) during the regular season
Oettinger had a save percentage greater than .900 in five of the seven games against the Avalanche (most such games in NHL this postseason)
The Carolina Hurricanes defenseman leads the NHL in offensive zone time percentage (51.8 in five games) among players whose teams have advanced in the postseason
three assists) including three on the power play in the series
has already exceeded his point total (three in 15 games) from his last Stanley Cup Playoff appearance with the Hurricanes in 2023
Gostisbehere led all NHL players in offensive zone time percentage during the regular season (51.3)
as he was joined by four of his teammates in the top six of this category:
The Hurricanes lead all teams this postseason in offensive zone time percentage (45.1), just as they did during the regular season (47.2), as they begin the Second Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Tuesday against the Washington Capitals
More: NHL EDGE stats player comparison
EdmontonNewsOilers, Golden Knights start second-round NHL playoff series on Tuesday in VegasBy Craig EllingsonUpdated: May 04, 2025 at 2:35PM EDT
EDMONTON — The Edmonton Oilers lost a heartbreaking series to the Vegas Golden Knights two years ago
and now they’re expecting a different outcome in the rematch
as nine skaters and one goalie are expected to dress in Game 1 for the Oilers who were part of that 2023 matchup
who wasn’t behind the bench for the Oilers two years ago
it’s time for the key question: Are the Oilers in a more advantageous position to beat the Golden Knights now
Here are five points and counterpoints to consider
Why they’re worse off: Not having Mattias Ekholm in this series truly hurts
Knoblauch ruled him out on Saturday after deeming him doubtful for the matchup 36 hours earlier
The Oilers will continue to manage without arguably their best blueliner
an all-situations defender who plays against top-end competition
Why they’re better off: The Oilers are in an improved position to handle Ekholm’s absence than they would have been in the last two playoffs
Jake Walman isn’t believed to be 100 percent following a late-season injury
but he’s still a good all-around defenceman who can skate
though he wasn’t used in that situation to close out the Los Angeles series
John Klingberg has appeared in 68 playoff games and was impressive last round after he got into the lineup for Game 2
Troy Stecher is healthy and waiting in the wings
All that is before mentioning that Darnell Nurse and Brett Kulak both probably had the best seasons of their NHL careers
with Kulak’s work coming in an increased and varied role
the Oilers rounded out their D corps with Cody Ceci and the still-green duo of Vincent Desharnais and Philip Broberg
Those three remained in the picture last year
Why they’re worse off: Their power play isn’t as proficient
The Oilers owned the best power play in NHL history since the stat was first recorded in 1977-78 by capitalizing 32.4 percent of the time during the 2022-23 season
They were successful 42.6 percent of their chances over the 12 games
including a 39.1 percent rate in the six contests against the Golden Knights
They struggled mightily early in the season to the point where they considered removing Evan Bouchard
Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins off the high-profile top unit
There was a rotating cast of characters on the power play down the stretch due to injuries
The good news for the Oilers is they scored on five of their last eight chances on the man advantage to close out the Kings after going 0-for-5 through the first two games
Having Corey Perry time-share the net-front spot with Hyman has given them another look to throw at opponents
Why they’re better off: They’re just as good
It’s not like the Oilers were terrible in that capacity two years ago
They were 12th in the NHL with a 53 percent goal share
they were outscored 26-24 in that situation in the 2023 playoffs
including 15-9 by the Golden Knights despite an expected-goals percentage of 53 in that series
so the Oilers weren’t effective enough at either end of the ice
There’s reason to believe they’re a more effective club now
though results have always been easy to come by
Though they were outscored 171-168 in the regular season at five-on-five
they possessed a 54 expected goals percentage
That was good for third in the league and up more than three percentage points from their 2022-23 data
The Oilers topped the Kings by only a 15-14 margin in that game state
but their 60 expected goals percentage is the best of any team in the playoffs
It’ll come down to the Oilers finishing off more chances and getting more saves
but it’s a good sign they’re driving play at five-on-five
considering how few penalties they drew in the first round
The Oilers had just 13 power-play opportunities in six games against the Kings
Why they’re worse off: Their starting goalie isn’t starting the series
Kudos to Calvin Pickard for providing good enough goaltending over the last four games
and the Oilers might not still be playing without his contributions
there was a plan in the early days of the season to chart the best course for Stuart Skinner to be prepared for the playoffs
Skinner’s inconsistent play and concussion suffered in March had the coaching staff ready for the possibility of needing Pickard
Pickard’s services were needed before the playoffs were six periods old
It calls into question both when Skinner will play again and what state he’ll be in if he’s called upon
Why they’re better off: The coaching staff has a more trusted option behind Skinner
Skinner followed up an excellent rookie season in which he was the Calder Trophy runner-up by struggling in his first playoff experience
including three of the last four games in the Vegas series
He never lost his starting gig because the coaching staff
with former bench boss Jay Woodcroft at the helm
That’s certainly not the case when it comes to Pickard
who’s now led the team onto the ice six times and counting over the last two postseasons
Why they’re worse off: Aside from Leon Draisaitl
the top end of the forward group probably isn’t as elite
Draisaitl is coming off the best and most complete season of his NHL career and is in the running to win his second Hart Trophy
Connor McDavid has gone from 153 points down to 100
although no one is denying he’s still a game-changer
Nugent-Hopkins has fallen from 104 points to 49
but he’s just five games into his return from a season-long absence
There’s no denying the Oilers still have high-calibre scoring options up front
but most haven’t been at the same level this season that they were in 2022-23
Why they’re better off: Their depth is much stronger
A major reason why the Golden Knights knocked off the Oilers two years ago was that they rolled four lines
Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy had a heavy bottom six that he trusted and deployed
He used 11 forwards and seven defencemen in that series
The Oilers’ third and fourth lines are completely revamped from two years ago
Just one player expected to start the series in that capacity remains: Mattias Janmark
There are truculent wingers Trent Frederic and Vasily Podkolzin
and the useful-and-experienced Adam Henrique
the ultra pest Perry will surely get some shifts in the bottom six
“We have a huge advantage on our team that we can play any line against any line,” Brown said after the Oilers closed out the Kings
Why they’re worse off: The Oilers aren’t as rested
Ekholm told The Athletic in March how much of a toll the 2024 playoff run took on the Oilers and how the Golden Knights were in a better position to win the division
The reason: They had more down and recovery time after losing in the first round
the Golden Knights secured that top seed in the Pacific Division
which means the matchup is starting in Las Vegas
At least they’re healthier than they’ve been in weeks
with everyone accounted for other than Ekholm
Why they’re better off: The Oilers are more battle-tested
Losing in 2023 to Vegas pissed off the Oilers
They didn’t think they fell to a superior opponent
they believed they gave away the series by crumpling at key times
one that vowed not to repeat in the next year’s playoffs
The Oilers reaching Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final is proof they learned some valuable lessons
That they just won a series in which they trailed 2-0 and were behind in the third period of games 3 and 4 shows they still don’t fold the tent when the going gets tough
— All advanced statistics in this story are from Natural Stat Trick
(Photo of William Karlsson and Connor McDavid: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
Daniel Nugent-Bowman is a staff writer who covers the Edmonton Oilers for The Athletic. Daniel has written about hockey for Sportsnet, The Hockey News, Yahoo Canada Sports and the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. Follow Daniel on Twitter @DNBsports
Goaltending is an integral part of the Stanley Cup Playoffs
To better understand the strengths and weaknesses of each goaltender
the last 100 goals allowed for each goaltender in the regular season and every goal in the playoffs were charted to see what patterns emerge
The Western Conference Second Round between the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers features a Stanley Cup-winning goalie in Vegas starter Adin Hill against Calvin Pickard
who will be starting a Stanley Cup Playoff series in the NHL for the first time in his 10th season
The stark difference in playoff experience mirrors the significant contrast in styles and tendencies between the two goalies
Hill’s ascent to NHL starter and Cup winner started with a relief appearance against the Oilers in the second round of the 2023 playoffs
so there should still be a level of familiarity on both sides of the puck
And while goalies continue to evolve over the years
many of the scoring trends from two years ago remain relevant now
right side: Rebounds were the primary factor on 21 goals
which is well above the average of 11.7 percent for the over 8,500 goals tracked for this project since 2017
Almost all goalies move better one way than the other
and for most it’s typically worse to the blocker side
reach and even dive in that direction than he is recovering to his glove side
This is reflected in the higher number of goals along the ice outside his right pad (14) compared to his left (7)
Add in a tendency to kick at low shots with the right pad
which adds a delay to recovery and puts more rebounds into the middle rather than angling them into the corner
along with softer pads that tend to keep the puck inside the dots
leading to traditional pass-off-pad rush chances producing several goals this season
With the biggest numbers in both the regular season and playoff goal chart over the glove
don’t be surprised to see the Oilers targeting the glove side on open looks and rush chances
Hill uses a traditional ‘handshake’ glove position
and can leave his elbow behind his body at times
making high glove a better target than over the pad
Laterals up high: Hill has long excelled against east-west attacks
with above average results on dangerous plays across the middle of the ice that force a goalie to move side to side
It’s partly a function of playing deeper in his crease than many of his peers
which creates shorter paths and pushes on the side-to-side passes below the hash marks
come further out and time his retreats on rush chances
so making early passes higher in the zone increase both the distance he must travel across the ice to beat the pass and the odds of scoring
Pickard took over for Stuart Skinner in the third period of Game 1 of the first round against the Los Angeles Kings and subsequently won the next four starts to eliminate the Kings and stake his claim to the starting job to start the second round
His backup status in the regular season means there are only 85 goals to look at
but the popular Pickard produced great results behind a team that appears to battle as hard for him defensively as he does for them in the crease
Traffic jams: Pickard reads and anticipates well
so it’s not shocking to see that taking away his line of vision leads to more goals
More than one-quarter (24) of the 85 goals he gave up in the regular season involved a screen
and the Kings added four more goals with traffic in the first round
both well above the tracked average of 15.1 percent
Screen goals weren’t limited to in-zone plays either
with five in the regular season and one in the playoffs coming off the rush
often with Oilers defensemen not helping with loose gap control that allowed opponents to use them to hide their shot release
Part of the in-zone results are physical: at 6-foot-1 with a narrower butterfly
He also tends to drift back as he drops behind traffic
opening more net and limiting coverage to cut off deflections
which accounted for eight screened goals in the regular season and two more in the first round
Where to shoot also depends on where you are shooting from: Pickard uses a high stance to look over traffic when the puck is at the point
so quick low shots can be effective from distance
but he lowers and tends to slide more mid zone
so elevated shots against the grain led to 13 screen goals
The goal chart shows a discrepancy that might suggest shooting high glove side but it’s important to remember those don’t represent a save percentage
Seven of the 10 clean-look goals Pickard gave up in the regular season were on the blocker side (four were low shots
and the Kings scored two of their four clean-shot goals high blocker as well
The two Los Angeles goals were near perfect shots just under the bar
but a tendency to turn and pull back with the blocker and blocker-side shoulder rather than cutting pucks off in front may make blocker side a preferred target
High glove moving or screened: Of the 18 high-glove goals in the regular season
four were screened and 12 involved plays that got Pickard moving
taking advantage of a tendency to drop his glove from a high
fingers-up position in his static stance when he is moving
whether it’s side-to-side on his skates or knees
or on low-high passes that accounted for 11 goals
East-West depends on direction: Pickard manages dangerous lateral plays across the middle of the ice well
with his 15 goals (17.6 percent) in regular season well below the tracked average of 22.1 percent
and none surrendered in four games against the Kings
While these types of east-west plays are typically the hardest for goalies
Pickard’s play reading has allowed him to make momentum changing saves when facing them
His goal results are balanced in both directions but the goals along the ice to his right are a sign of better success attacking in that direction below the hash marks
while right-to-left can produce better results higher in the zone
including the above-mentioned tendency to lower his glove while moving that way
NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi speaks after being acclaimed as the party's candidate for Edmonton-Strathcona in Edmonton
Alberta’s New Democrats will vote today on whether or not to allow new members to opt out of joining the federal NDP
EDMONTON - Alberta’s New Democratic Party has voted overwhelmingly to cut traditional membership ties with its federal counterpart
Delegates in Edmonton voted Saturday to allow provincial members to opt out of joining the federal NDP
a move Leader Naheed Nenshi campaigned on last year
the party is shedding what many considered a political albatross
Nenshi told reporters the party's longtime practice of automatically signing up members to the federal party was a sticking point that scared some potential voters and members away
very many thousands and thousands of Albertans who really like what the Alberta NDP have to say
but don't necessarily agree with the federal party — and this now gives them that choice," he said
"We will welcome those people into our movement
While you'll still have the option of joining the federal New Democrats
Nenshi said his NDP is financially independent and dictates its own policy
saying they needed a better answer when voters at the door tied them to the federal party's positions during the 2023 provincial election
The membership practice has long been a target for the governing United Conservatives
who say Nenshi's party answers to political masters in Ottawa that don't support Alberta’s oil and gas industry
said the weekend vote suggested Nenshi's party wants to distance itself from a "damaged brand" after the federal NDP lost 17 seats and its official party status in Monday's election
remains skeptical the policy change will shield the Alberta NDP from what they called disingenuous attacks
"The premier treats Albertans with contempt
She thinks that we'll fall for the most obvious lies
and I believe that Albertans are so much smarter than that," he said
Saturday's vote required more than two-thirds approval from delegates
some two or three dozen delegates in a crowd of more than 1,000 stood firmly against the move
Some warned that allowing those who don't share New Democrat values into the fold spells trouble
and that it could divide the political movement across the country
saying the decision is ultimately unifying
a bump up from the 86 per cent he secured in the first ballot of the party's leadership contest to replace Rachel Notley last June
Saturday's policy shift also represents a rejection of Notley's allegiance to the federal brand
Notley called dissociating short-sighted and superficial
But some of the loudest applause Saturday came when Nenshi got patriotic
he asked the crowd of supporters whether Smith is a separatist
hundreds of supporters who want the province to secede from Canada gathered at the Alberta legislature grounds
with some saying the fire was lit when the Liberals won a fourth consecutive federal term earlier this week
It comes after Smith's government introduced legislation early this week that would lower the threshold for citizens to call for a referendum on Alberta's place in Canada
sparking a vocal tide of organizers pushing for a petition
Premier Smith has said she supports a sovereign Alberta within a United Canada
and Albertans can petition for any ballot question they please
A growing group of Indigenous leaders have warned talk of separatism risks violating treaties
and some have accused Smith of attempting to manufacture a national unity crisis by enabling a referendum
Nenshi said Smith is dragging Alberta away from the rest of the country to feed their "extremist fringe agenda," and addressed her directly
"Stop pretending that it's just a citizen-initiated process and you're just standing around watching," he said in a mocking tone during his convention speech
ever let Danielle Smith tear (this) country down," he said to a wave of cheers
— With files from Rob Drinkwater in Edmonton
This story from The Canadian Press was first published May 3
as well as Americans Wyndham Clark a…
Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Washington
The Canadian Press is a member of the International Fact-Checking Network
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EdmontonNewsOilers-Kings revisited: NHL playoff series recapBy CTVNewsEdmonton.ca StaffPublished: May 03, 2025 at 7:22PM EDT
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NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi speaks after being acclaimed as the party’s candidate for Edmonton-Strathcona in Edmonton
Nenshi told reporters the party’s longtime practice of automatically signing up members to the federal party was a sticking point that scared some potential voters and members away
“It’s a great movement for the very
but don’t necessarily agree with the federal party — and this now gives them that choice,” he said
“We will welcome those people into our movement
While you’ll still have the option of joining the federal New Democrats
saying they needed a better answer when voters at the door tied them to the federal party’s positions during the 2023 provincial election
who say Nenshi’s party answers to political masters in Ottawa that don’t support Alberta’s oil and gas industry
said the weekend vote suggested Nenshi’s party wants to distance itself from a “damaged brand” after the federal NDP lost 17 seats and its official party status in Monday’s election
“The premier treats Albertans with contempt
She thinks that we’ll fall for the most obvious lies
and I believe that Albertans are so much smarter than that,” he said
Saturday’s vote required more than two-thirds approval from delegates
Some warned that allowing those who don’t share New Democrat values into the fold spells trouble
a bump up from the 86 per cent he secured in the first ballot of the party’s leadership contest to replace Rachel Notley last June
Saturday’s policy shift also represents a rejection of Notley’s allegiance to the federal brand
It comes after Smith’s government introduced legislation early this week that would lower the threshold for citizens to call for a referendum on Alberta’s place in Canada
Nenshi said Smith is dragging Alberta away from the rest of the country to feed their “extremist fringe agenda,” and addressed her directly
“Stop pretending that it’s just a citizen-initiated process and you’re just standing around watching,” he said in a mocking tone during his convention speech
ever let Danielle Smith tear (this) country down,” he said to a wave of cheers
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Premier Danielle Smith called for direct talks with Ottawa to unravel what she calls "destructive legislation" in an address Monday
CTV News Edmonton's Chelan Skulski reports
Ottawa needs to unwind 'destructive legislation': Smith in address
City of Leduc paying $9.5M in class action suit
Fire crews working to put out flames in Sturgeon County
Remembering missing and murdered Indigenous people
Wildfire near Grande Prairie nearly contained
New infrastructure and upgrades for Alberta Hospital Edmonton
Extended: 'We just want to be free': Premier Danielle Smith addresses province
Red Deer hospital project will not proceed as a public-private partnership
Vandal damages Alberta RCMP vehicles with a trackhoe
3 Canadian teams advance to Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs
WestJet reducing flights to American destinations from Edmonton
Old Strathcona Farmers' Market expands to Sundays
‘Smith is leading Alberta and listening to both sides': Drumheller Mayor on Bill 54
2nd-degree murder charge laid in fatal shooting of Saskatoon man in Edmonton
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Tensions ran high as a rally for Alberta independence Saturday drew hundreds to the legislative grounds in support of the province separating from Canada following the federal election earlier this week
organized by members of Alberta’s Indigenous community
“We’re hoping to inform Albertans why independence is important for Alberta,” said Jeevan Mangat
“For too long—60 years—I’ve grown up in Alberta
and we have been dominated by eastern politicians and eastern politics
Our resources have been landlocked since Justin Trudeau got in
“Your family came here from somewhere else; your ancestors came here from somewhere else
one of the spokespeople for the Rally for Alberta Independence
says the group is focused on collecting enough signatures to trigger a referendum
The movement has been acknowledged by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and has gained momentum since the federal election results
“The purpose of this rally is that we’re totally focused on the independence of Alberta first,” said Mangat
we have to sit and negotiate with them after the referendum passes—and in turn
they have to come and talk to us as well.”
says she is very happy with the results of the federal election
She says she will continue to voice her support for Alberta remaining part of Canada
It was the Indigenous vote that was the deciding vote,” said Taz
and who understands the need to represent Canada at our treaty talks.”
Smith tabled a bill that would lower the number of required signatures to trigger a referendum from 20 percent of eligible voters to 10 percent—177,000 signatures
Two First Nations chiefs issued a statement opposing separation talks
saying the premier is attempting to manufacture a national unity crisis
There has not yet been any confirmation from Smith that a referendum will
Premier Danielle Smith says she will address Albertans Monday on a "path forward with the federal government" after a meeting with her caucus
Calgary police have laid charges in the stabbing death of a young man outside a downtown bar last month
A condo complex in Calgary's Beltline community is increasingly concerned with the increasing number of calls they are making to emergency services
Rayn Rashid speaks with the condo board president
A major gap in sports field space is being tackled in Calgary’s NW with the launch of Rocky Ridge Athletic Park
The $25m project brings more room to play for growing communities
On the same day as the Alberta Rally for Independence
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith appeared on her radio show
is facing numerous charges after fleeing a traffic stop and crashing into a house in Calgary’s Radisson area late Friday night
The annual Calgary Bike Swap filled downtown Calgary with bike buzz on Saturday
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EdmontonNewsMan killed in single-vehicle crash on Anthony Henday DriveBy Diego RomeroPublished: May 05, 2025 at 12:09PM EDT
Receive exclusive ticket offers and the latest entertainment news from Rogers Place & ICE District
2025) –––Comedian Jo Koy announced his fall leg of his JO KOY: JUST BEING KOY TOUR that will include a stop at the Rogers Place on August 30
Ticket will be available to purchase at: Ticketmaste.ca
As one of today’s premiere stand-up comedians
Jo Koy has come a long way from his modest beginnings performing in a Las Vegas coffee house
Jo’s uniquely relatable comedy pulls inspiration from his colorful family that has reached all kinds of people and has translated into sold-out arenas around the world
The comedian continues to be one of the top 10 grossing stand-up comedians each year according to Pollstar and Billboard
he continues selling out and breaking sales records at some of the most prestigious venues around the world including Mall of Asia Arena (Manila
and American Airlines Arena (Dallas) to name a few
Koy kicked off his Funny Is Funny World Tour by selling-out the Climate Pledge Arena (over 14,000 tickets) in his hometown of Seattle and ended the tour with a sold-out show at Tacoma Dome (over 19,000 tickets)
Koy broke a record for the most tickets sold by a single artist at 23,000 tickets and 11 sold-out shows at The Neal S
the mayor’s office in Honolulu proclaimed November 24th as “Jo Koy Day.”
Koy starred in the 2022 Universal Picture comedy Easter Sunday
the film takes place around a struggling single father that returns to his hometown of Daly City
CA to survive a chaotic Easter with his family
The film is a love letter to his Filipino roots and is loosely based on Jo Koy’s life experiences and stand-up comedy
Easter Sunday was produced by Steven Spielberg’s production company Amblin Partners and is the first motion picture film to feature an all-Filipino cast and be produced by a major studio
Daly City gave Jo the Keys To The City and declared July 22nd “Jo Koy Day.”
Koy appeared in Disney’s Haunted Mansion and voiced characters in Netflix’s animated films
he was most recently heard voicing the character Monkey King in the Paramount+ film
Iglesias and Comedy Central’s Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens
it was announced that he inked a two-special deal with Netflix with the first special releasing in 2024
sharing his unfiltered opinions on social media
aging and moving into a new phase of his life; his zaddy phase
Filmed at the historic King’s Theatre in Brooklyn
Jo Koy: Live From Brooklyn premiered globally on June 4th
2024 only on Netflix and reached the Top 10 within the first week
His other Netflix stand-up specials include Live From The Los Angeles Forum
Koy has had seven highly rated and successful specials on Comedy Central and Netflix
the comedian released his first variety special
Jo Koy: In His Elements on Netflix in which Koy brings the laughs and beats to Manila
spotlighting local culture in a one-of-a-kind show featuring Filipino-American comedians
Koy continues to push for representation in Hollywood and shine a light on Filipino talent
a documentary from Emmy-winning director Michele Josue
The film explores the little-known history and humanity of the unsung Filipino nurses who risked their lives on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic while facing a resurgence of anti-Asian hate in the streets
Jo came on as a producer for the David Byrne-Fatboy Slim musical
Here Lies Love told the story of Imelda Marcos’ rise to power and subsequent fall at the hands of the Philippine People Power Revolution
The show received four Tony Award nominations during its run and was the first to feature an all-Filipino cast on Broadway
Koy was once again acknowledged for his advocacy for more representation in entertainment and was given the proclamation in Los Angeles that October 7th would be declared “Jo Koy Day.”
Mixed Plate: Chronicles of an All-American Combo with Harper Collins Publishers to raved reviews
Koy uncovers the stories behind his stand-up: the conflict
the drama and the laughter as he struggles to find his place in the entertainment industry
Jo is currently on his Jo Koy: Just Being Koy Tour
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EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she will hold a referendum on provincial separation next year if citizens gather the required signatures on a petition
said she wants a sovereign Alberta within a united Canada but there is a growing number of Albertans who are unhappy with Confederation
and are organizing petitions to push for an exit
“The vast majority of these individuals are not fringe voices to be marginalized or vilified
Smith’s United Conservative government introduced legislation that
would sharply reduce the bar petitioners need to meet to trigger a provincial referendum
The bill would change citizen-initiated referendum rules to require a petition signed by 10 per cent of the eligible voters in a previous general election — down from 20 per cent of total registered voters
to collect the required 177,000 signatures
Smith said Alberta has no choice but to take steps to combat a decade of hostile federal Liberal policies she says have not only taken an unfair share of Alberta’s wealth but in doing so have also undermined the oil and gas industry that drives its economy
As Prime Minister Mark Carney prepares to meet U.S
President Donald Trump in person in Washington on Tuesday to discuss the tariff trade war and other issues
Smith said Liberal rule has turned Canada into an international laughingstock
"We have the most abundant and accessible natural resources of any country on Earth
sell what we do produce to a single customer to the south of us while enabling polluting dictatorships to eat our lunch," she said
Smith said the election results indicate a rise in popular support for infrastructure projects like pipelines across Canada
and she will continue working on negotiating a fair deal with the prime minister "in good faith."
her government is to appoint a new negotiation team to try to bring an end to federal policies that have long irritated the province
and to demand guaranteed access to tidewater for Alberta's resource exports including oil and gas
Smith said she will also chair what she's now calling an Alberta Next panel
hosting a series of town halls to hear ideas and grievances from Albertans
"It is likely we will place some of the more popular ideas discussed with the panel to a provincial referendum so that all Albertans can vote on them sometime in 2026," she said
hundreds of people rallied at the Alberta legislature to support seceding from Canada
with some saying they were prompted by federal election results that saw the Liberals win their fourth consecutive term
Smith said Monday a majority of Albertans are angry
but it's not in response to the fact their preferred candidate
with almost all the same ministers responsible for our nation's inflation
and that oversaw the attack on our provincial economy for the past 10 years
Smith said she's committed to protecting and upholding the inherent rights of First Nations
but did not offer details about how she would do so
That comes in response to First Nations leaders
who represent the national Assembly of First Nations and Alberta communities in Treaty 6
being vocal in warning against any talk of provincial separation
Many have noted the treaties predate the province
and that Alberta doesn't have the authority to separate lands protected by those agreements
Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said Monday that Smith is coddling those who want to tear the nation apart at a time when Canada is under threat from the United States
and we cannot win that fight if we think the fight is with Ottawa
with our fellow Canadians or with our fellow Albertans," he said in a video posted to social media
He reiterated that instead of subjecting Albertans to endless panels stacked with UCP "cronies," and stoking anger and scaring away business investment
Smith should call a referendum immediately and let Albertans decide
The premier is expected to hold a press conference and take questions from reporters at noon on Tuesday
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5
In the just-completed first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings
the Edmonton Oilers ran the best roster players on the same line for 75 minutes at five-on-five
The total represented about 65 percent of the overall playing time for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in the game state over the course of the series
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch often mentions that the team has the freedom to roll four lines and make the opponent worry about how Edmonton deploys its lines
the next opponent is the Vegas Golden Knights
has more than one outscoring line and plays a difficult suppression style
Should Knoblauch play McDavid and Draisaitl together at five-on-five in the Vegas series
The Oilers faced the Golden Knights in the 2023 second round
Draisaitl delivered monster performances early in that series
but Jack Eichel owned the heart of that heavyweight six-game set
Math remains convinced the coaching staff erred by not playing Ryan McLeod’s line against Eichel despite a small sample
The eye test identified a phantom hook in Game 5 by Philip Broberg
A high-sticking call followed immediately against Mattias Janmark
The lesson for the Oilers from that series
It’s going to be close and everything is important
He may use a controversial option in an effort to sway the series
Jay Woodcroft was the coach in the 2023 series against the Golden Knights
and McLeod is now a member of the Buffalo Sabres
Fans may wonder if Eichel is the key to the series
and hope for a hard match of the McDavid line with the top Vegas unit
Knoblauch may run the league’s best line (McDavid with Draisaitl) heavily during the coming series
McDavid-Draisaitl (in 75 minutes) delivered a 5-3 goal advantage versus Los Angeles
the coaching staff should be able to count on a goal per game from the top line when both are deployed
Knoblauch did tweak a little during the first round
moving Evan Bouchard and his partner in and out of the five-on-five minutes with the No
Here’s what happened with three different partners alongside Bouchard:
The Nurse-Bouchard minutes were riddled with coverage issues
but the expected goal share across all three pairings suggests success
What the three defensive combinations have in common is mobile defencemen partnered with Bouchard
The key to the scoring success of the line against Los Angeles came from not playing as much in the defensive zone
skate the puck out or pass it effectively all mean the top line is not in the Oilers zone often
Knoblauch and his coaching staff had real success with a pairing that did not include Bouchard
had a 1-0 goal edge and 78 percent expected goals in 14 minutes five-on-five during the Los Angeles games
Mobile defencemen took precedence when looking at McDavid-Draisaitl’s minutes at five-on-five
If Knoblauch can deploy a built-in five-on-five combination that looks like a power play
that could be key for Edmonton against the Golden Knights
McDavid-Draisaitl with all defencemen (and assorted right wingers) outshot the Kings 54-22 (71 percent)
The average SA-60 for the two men at five-on-five was 2.39
McDavid played 33 minutes at five-on-five away from Draisaitl against the Kings
with Edmonton getting outscored 3-1 (expected goal share just past 50 percent)
Draisaitl without McDavid played 35 minutes
going 0-1 goals and also producing about 50 percent of the expected goals
This speaks to the possibility that one or both men need each other to keep the handsome outscoring results at five-on-five
played well enough for the coach to roll Draisaitl-McDavid-Corey Perry at five-on-five
When the big line was needed for a big shift to change momentum (or to find the tying goal)
there was enough left in the tank due to the impressive support lines:
All four lines scored at 50 percent or better against Los Angeles
The top two lines were deployed more often
but all four lines were present in each game and gave Knoblauch the kind of depth Woodcroft didn’t enjoy against Vegas in 2023
In the first round of this year’s playoffs
McDavid-Draisaitl were fire on the power play
Five power-play goals in six games (17.54 GF-60) is an outstanding number against a playoff team
helping the Oilers to a 3-2 shot advantage while surrendering one goal
In a series that projects to be tight and close
McDavid on the penalty kill could be an interesting weapon against the Golden Knights
Oilers fans have been discussing McDavid-Draisaitl at five-on-five for a decade
running the two best players on the team isn’t the smart play
Giving Vegas one line to focus on makes the job of suppressing the Oilers’ offence easier
There are two items that may swing the balance in favour of running the captain and Draisaitl together at five-on-five
Knoblauch can check down and split his two best players
Edmonton needs at least two lines that flourish in the desert
both men are all-time greats but are also exiting what can be considered their peak performance
The idea of running these two men together has always been attractive
It’s like having a power play at even strength
it may become necessary in order to have the edge in goal share
with the roster healthy and all four lines firing
Knoblauch and his staff may try to get the jump on the opposition by loading up the roster
It runs counter to established best practices
but the Oilers are a different crew this year and the improved depth might finally allow the Oilers to run the best line on the planet at five-on-five
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch is addressing the elephant in the room - the state of his team's goaltending as they head into the 2nd round against the Vegas Golden Knights
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The enigmatic Evander Kane has been one of the NHL’s most polarizing figures
But he’s carved out something closer to stability in Edmonton with the Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are fresh off another series win over the Los Angeles Kings
and they will now meet up with the Vegas Golden Knights
Edmonton is coming into this matchup very confident
and they are looking to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals
Before the playoffs began, I wrote a piece about Edmonton Oilers’ netminder Calvin Pickard, highlighting how his resilience throughout his career is paying off, especially after he was named the team’s nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy last month
The NHL began awarding the Conn Smythe Trophy to the most valuable player of the postseason beginning in the 1965 season
How many of the past winners can you name in six minutes
The Edmonton Oilers may be playing coy with their goaltending plans ahead of Game 1 against the Vegas Golden Knights
but make no mistake — the outcome of this second-round series won’t hinge on who starts in net
and the league added two teams to get up to 32 in the not-too-distant past
The Edmonton Oilers are currently focused on defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the playoffs
after taking out the Los Angeles Kings in the first round for the fourth consecutive season
Don’t expect many changes from the Edmonton Oilers heading into Game 1 of their second-round series
aside from maybe just this major one — the team apparently
Entering this NHL postseason, the feel-good story for the Edmonton Oilers was that of veteran forward Jeff Skinner finally making his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut
Edmonton Oilers fans are on edge following reports that goaltender Stuart Skinner could be named the Game 1 starter in their upcoming series against the Vegas Golden Knights
Leon Draisaitl and the Edmonton Oilers are fresh off a sensational come-from-behind series win against the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs
The Oilers lost the first two games of that series before finding their groove and stitching together four victories in a row to eliminate Los Angeles in six games
The Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights will meet again in the Stanley Cup Playoffs starting Tuesday
setting the stage for a rematch of their 2023 second-round clash that ended in heartbreak for Edmonton
The Edmonton Oilers are absolutely rolling
storming ahead with their first four-game winning streak since mid-January
After losing the first two games in their first-round series against the L.A. Kings, it was the top guns that drove the Edmonton Oilers to victory in Games 3 and 4, with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl combining for 11 points while Evan Bouchard scored four goals
It took about one minute on Thursday (May 1) after the Edmonton Oilers won their first-round series in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs by defeating the Los Angeles Kings before speculation began about whether injured Oilers defenceman Mattias Ekholm would be able to suit up for Round 2
It’s been a rollercoaster of a season for the Edmonton Oilers
After falling just one game shy of winning the Stanley Cup a year ago
they entered the 2024-25 campaign as the heavy favourites to win their first championship since 1990
the Edmonton Oilers have been eliminated by the eventual Stanley Cup Champions
they were swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Finals
The Edmonton Oilers won four straight games from Games 3 to 6 to take a fourth consecutive first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings
While the Oilers came back from a two-game deficit to beat Los Angeles in the first round
they won’t be getting any reinforcements on the back end for their next series against Vegas
There is good news and not-so-good news regarding the status of defenseman Mattias Ekholm
The Stanley Cup playoffs featured four Game 6's on Thursday and three series wins
Here are some key takeaways from the night's action
The Edmonton Oilers announced on Friday that the club has signed defenseman Alec Regula to a two-year
two-way contract extension that carries a $775,000
According to Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch
and being upset with refereeing.” And that third certainty has felt particularly pointed during the Oilers’ first-round matchup against the Los Angeles Kings
Connor Brown scored once in a three-point game and the Edmonton Oilers advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, again at the expense of the Los Angeles Kings, thanks to a 6-4 home-ice victory in Game 6 on Thursday.
The Edmonton Oilers earned a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings Tuesday night, giving them a 3-2 series lead after losing the first two games of the first-round matchup.
As the Edmonton Oilers take a 3-2 series lead in their heated first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings, several players the Oilers didn’t have for most of the season are stepping up.
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
ambitious visions of a Paris on the Prairies
the focus is not on city-building so much as city-fixing — a natural instinct
that comes from being an engineer by trade
That’s a decidedly unsexy way to run a campaign
but it may also be the game plan Edmonton needs right now
directly and with a confidence born of two terms under the city hall pyramids
It felt like the kind of speech he’s been waiting to give for seven years
and it easily allowed him to pass the eye and ear test as a mayoral figure
it’s still mostly in the plans-to-make-plans stage without a lot of specifics
in what became the unofficial tagline of the event
“I want to surround myself with people who want to get sh– done
Not talkers who want to talk about what should happen.”
Excessive restraint can carry as much risk as ambition
but Cartmell is likely right to sense a mood among voters for modesty
I suspect we will soon hear similar refrains from other candidates
there is simply too much uncertainty these days
what can be promised these days that isn’t subject to considerable doubt
And even if these broader political pressures eased
the city’s internal financial struggles still don’t allow for much investment
Cartmell’s major promise Thursday was to appoint a blue-ribbon panel to dig into the city’s budget line by line and help make Edmonton’s taxes more competitive
(That suggests a significant tweak to the city’s new zoning bylaw
which has increased density allowances throughout Edmonton)
But they’re the foundation of a functioning city,” he said
“We can’t afford to be the city that almost got it right.”
parts of the speech came across as an indictment of the current mayor and council
“We should have slowed our roll on a few things we approved.”
That was refreshing to hear and yet I think there will be questions as to whether Cartmell’s accountability goes far enough
Despite his opposition to recent high tax hikes
it’s fair to ask about spending choices — police
and whether he made sufficient efforts to find savings
Those won’t be easy conversations with voters
Another intriguing moment came when Cartmell talked about plans for building a party
His comments revealed a further evolution of his views on municipal parties
which have moved from initially decrying their introduction to reluctantly embracing their financial advantages to now touting some political benefits as well
Cartmell argued city hall can be more effective if it is governed by a bunch of teammates that have been practicing together for months ahead of time rather than having a collection of strangers try to figure it out together
I don’t know that I entirely agree with that diagnosis
The current council has certainly had its dysfunctions at times
perhaps in part due to a heavy presence of rookies over veterans
but that situation is something of an anomaly among the council dynamics I’ve observed over the years
it was interesting to see Cartmell vehemently push back against any ideological or political characterizations that might pin him down
the label he seems to covet most is that of engineer
“A pothole doesn’t know if it’s liberal or conservative,” he said
while acknowledging Cartmell still has a lot of holes to fill in his policy platform
Thursday’s speech was still a tonally strong start to the campaign — particularly in his focus on fixing the old over fabricating the new
we don’t want this to kickstart a race to the bottom
and yet serious candidates should feel a responsibility to keep their commitments contained
there is merit in making this the election of modest promises
kgerein@postmedia.com
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council is scheduled to discuss travel budgets and expenses
Meetings stream live on YouTube on the Chamber channel and River Valley Room channel
Also: What issues do you care about as you consider who to vote for in the 2025 municipal election, and why? The 2025 municipal elections are approaching. Let us know what matters, and read more about what we plan to do with what we gather
We're cranking up the chaos for an evening so wildly unhinged
you'll be talking about it long after the curtain falls
keeping Artists on stage and audiences on the edge of their seats
Get your tickets
With council passing a motion to make the transition from physical EPark machines to an app easier, Ward Dene Coun. Aaron Paquette joined the hosts of Episode 305 of Speaking Municipally to provide more context
The transition to mobile-only parking payments was criticized in an op-ed from Cheryll Watson of the Downtown Revitalization Coalition
Watson called for the city to make downtown parking free on evenings and weekends to help downtown businesses
Paquette said he has asked administration to determine how much extra parking revenue has been earned since the city started charging for parking on evenings and weekends
and they're looking into it right now," he said
Co-hosts Mack Male and Troy Pavlek identified several issues with the HotSpot parking app: Users can't access the app's wallet
the option to refund unused parking time is turned off
and most of the listed FAQs don't apply to Edmonton
Paquette told the co-hosts that he has talked to administration about these issues
"I have been reassured that they are going as fast as possible
working with HotSpot in order to address these concerns — time will tell," he said
Paquette added that if the issues aren't fixed in the next few months
he will introduce a motion in council chambers calling for specific app fixes
"I may have to wade in there and make a very specific motion
you want to give people a chance to actually do their work before strong-arming them with a motion on something that they may already have planned to do."
The transition to mobile-only payments for parking was taken to save the city money. The city's rationale for the shift is that upgrades required for the machines to accept chip and pin payments would cost $2.8 million, plus annual operating costs. But Paquette said people are starting to feel cuts to services, especially with the city retiring programs like Front Yards in Bloom and the City Farm
we've passed the point of diminishing returns
where this is affecting quality of life for folks," Paquette said
but every effort should be made to make the changes more palatable
"One of my big frustrations is that if you're going to roll out something so fundamentally different
front load your effort with impeccable communications and tools that actually function and function well."
The May 2 episode of Taproot's civic affairs podcast also discussed how Edmonton fared in the federal election and changes to how votes will be counted in the upcoming municipal election, and included an update from the Taproot newsroom. Speaking Municipally comes out on Fridays. Listening and subscription options are all right here
Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area
And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:
Visit the beta version of the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region
Rental electric scooter (e-scooter) injuries among adults are increasingly common in a large Canadian city
Men and women are presenting to emergency departments (EDs) in Edmonton with multiple injuries that represent “substantial burdens” to patients and the Canadian healthcare system
Most e-scooter use in Edmonton involves rentals
as the use of privately owned e-scooters on city property is prohibited
“We were surprised by the high percentage of ambulance use (20%)
as well as the required post-ED visit follow-up
with 30% of patients requiring further follow-up and almost 10% of patients requiring surgery within 30 days of presenting to an ED following an e-scooter injury,” lead author Erin Bristow
an emergency medicine doctor at University of Alberta Hospital
“The incidence of head injuries was notable (17%)
as was the high rate of fractures (32%) among the patients studied,” she said
The study was published on April 17 in the Canadian Journal of Surgery
To determine the incidence and severity of injuries from rentable e-scooters among adults presenting to Edmonton EDs
researchers investigated 759 e-scooter–related injury presentations during three summer seasons (2019-2021)
Men and women were almost equally represented
About 20% of patients presented by ambulance
Most patients (61.5%) had multiple injuries
and fractures (31.9%) and head injuries (17%) were common
but concomitant substance use was common (26.4%)
Most patients (76.3%) underwent investigations during their ED visit
and 11% required a consulting service while in the ED
Only 5.5% of patients were admitted to the hospital
This group included 9.1% of patients requiring surgery within 30 days of their primary visit to an ED
and 9.7% requiring a formal outpatient follow-up visit
No deaths were documented during the study period
The study was limited by its focus on rental e-scooter injuries among adults
the catchment population was in a single municipality
potentially limiting the generalizability of the results
the prevalence of e-scooter injuries could have been underestimated due to missing triage text or inadequate chart coding
“This is not a benign activity,” Bristow noted
Potential preventive strategies could include mandatory helmet regulations
e-scooter speed restrictions beyond the current local restriction of 20 km/h
and user education regarding the risks of e-scooter use while intoxicated
Clinicians can help by providing patient education in the ED and in the office and by advocating for injury prevention strategies to be implemented by municipalities that license the use of rentable e-scooters
the Canada Research Chair in Medical Decision Sciences and a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto
said that the findings are typical of his experience as a physician in the trauma center at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
at least in part because e-scooters are a relatively new technology
“In the same way that we’re seeing fewer patients with injuries from falling off a horse
we’re bound to see more injuries from patients falling off of e-scooters
and users are often unfamiliar with the device.”
The authors did not mention the fire hazard associated with the batteries
which have led some cities to ban all forms of e-scooters
Nor did they mention the potential collateral damage to pedestrians who are sometimes knocked over in a collision with an e-scooter
They’re too small and attractive and popular
And there’s inevitably a balance between safety and freedom.”
Redelmeier highlighted the importance of protective gear
“The fact that less than 10% of these individuals were wearing a helmet is a solvable problem that should be enforced
but you do make some requirement about mandatory helmets
protective gear involves more than helmets
The adage says that it’s better to sweat than to bleed
and this study certainly shows that there are a lot of superficial injuries
that could have been prevented easily with gloves and maybe elbow guards that are quite inexpensive.”
The study did not examine why the patients fell off their scooters in the first place
“That also applies for people who get injured on their bicycles
“One of the profound lessons about motor vehicle travel is that often you don’t know why the misadventure occurred
either because of associated amnesia or because the incident occurs so quickly that you have no idea why you ended up on the ground,” he said
you have no real way of learning from your past experiences to prevent it from happening in the future
And that’s why proactive forms of education are so important because you just can’t learn until it’s too late.”
This research received in-kind support from the Emergency Medicine Research Group in the Department of Emergency Medicine
College of Health Sciences at the University of Alberta
It also received financial support from a Scientific Director’s Grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to support data access
the project received financial support from the City of Edmonton and the Injury Prevention Centre at the University of Alberta
Bristow and Redelmeier reported having no relevant financial relationships
is an award-winning medical writer and editor whose work has appeared in numerous publications
including Medscape Medical News and its sister publication MDedge, The Lancet (where she was a contributing editor)
Send comments and news tips to news@medscape.net
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EDMONTON -- Connor McDavid said he believes the Edmonton Oilers are better equipped to face the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Second Round than they were two seasons ago
The six-game loss to Vegas in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs stung the Oilers and their captain
considering they had the lead in Game 5 with the series tied 2-2 and let it slip away to the eventual Cup champions
Edmonton is looking forward to its shot at redemption starting with Game 1 of the best-of-7 series at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday (9:30 p.m
“It’s definitely helpful when you’re going up against a veteran team like Vegas who is also more experienced and played a lot of playoff hockey and played in big moments
In 2023, Game 5 in Vegas proved to be the turning point in the series. Edmonton led 2-1 on first-period goals from McDavid and Zach Hyman and were in control through the middle of the second
However, a holding penalty assessed to defenseman Philip Broberg at 12:49 and a high-sticking minor to forward Mattias Janmark 44 seconds later put the Golden Knights on a two-man advantage
Forwards Mark Stone and Reilly Smith then scored power-play goals 29 seconds apart to give Vegas a 3-2 lead. A goal by forward Nicolas Hague a minute later made it 4-2 going into the third period
McDavid scored on the power play at 2:40 of the third to make it 4-3
but that was as close as Edmonton would get
The Oilers were eliminated with a 5-2 loss at home in Game 6 two nights later
Vegas then defeated the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final and the Florida Panthers in the Final to win the Stanley Cup
“It’s difficult anytime you lose in the playoffs
especially when you feel you had a good team,” McDavid said
and obviously they had a great team as well
We feel like we have another good team this year and we have as good a chance as anyone
We look forward to getting to Vegas and getting started.”
Edmonton advanced by defeating the Los Angeles Kings in six games in the first round
and Vegas also needed six games to eliminated the Minnesota Wild
Edmonton has played five playoff series since losing to Vegas in 2023
advanced to the Stanley Cup Final last season
where they lost 2-1 in Game 7 to the Panthers
“You learn from your failures and that [Vegas loss] was one of them,” McDavid said
“Definitely we changed some things systemwise from that series
The Oilers applied the lessons from the loss to the Golden Knights last season and are looking to put that knowledge to good use again
Edmonton was able to battle back from 2-0 series deficit against Los Angeles and win four consecutive games
understanding certain situations,” McDavid said
“I think about that Game 5 (against Vegas)
we had the lead and we found ourselves in a 5-on-3 and we can’t put ourselves in that position
We had to grab it there and gave up three in however minutes and the game kind of flipped
Those are all learning lessons along the way
and hopefully we can use them moving forward in this series.”
Edmonton was a playoff savvy team going into the series against Vegas in 2023
having made it to the Western Conference Final the previous season before being swept by the Colorado Avalanche
The Oilers are now a battle-hardened team after nearly winning the Stanley Cup last season
“They’re a division rival and they beat us and went on to win the Cup
so we definitely want to even things up,” Hyman said
“It’s different teams and different players
but when you lose against a team you want to win it the next time.”
Vegas is expected to present a different challenge to Edmonton than Los Angeles did in the first round
The Golden Knights are expected to press the issue a little harder
“They’re both really good teams and completely different
so we have to be really careful at the [blue] lines and make sure we have guys going back
They also play a completely different [defensive] zone
one plays man-on-man and the other kind of zone
Edmonton had a number of players recovering from injury heading into the series against Los Angels
and it took a while for the team to find its rhythm
Going into Vegas, Edmonton is healthy, with the exception of defenseman Mattias Ekholm
who was ruled out of the series by coach Kris Knoblauch because of an undisclosed injury
“I think Games 1 and 2 were definitely clunky with a lineup that hadn’t played together a whole lot,” McDavid said
“I think we’re getting more in the rhythm of things
guys are getting healthier and healthier and getting their timing back
It’s starting to look a little bit more like it’s supposed to look
and I expect our best coming into this series.”
SUMMERLIN, Nev. -- Bruce Cassidy is like every hockey fan. He notices when Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are on the ice for the Edmonton Oilers
The Vegas Golden Knights coach appreciates what the two star forwards bring to the game
“I think when they are on the ice together
it’s fun to watch -- if you are a fan,” Cassidy said Sunday
He is the man in charge of giving his team a game plan to contain the dynamic duo as the Golden Knights prepare for the start of a best-of-7-series in the Western Conference Second Round against the Oilers
Game 1 is at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday (9:30 p.m
McDavid is tied for second among all scorers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs after putting up 11 points (two goals
nine assists) in the six-game ouster of the Los Angeles Kings in the first round
“You have to make sure you have your ducks in a row
These two teams played in the second round two seasons ago
but not without a few scares from the top two forwards on the other side
“That’s a night of not getting much sleep as a coach,” Cassidy said
Draisaitl had one assist and McDavid had five points in the rest of the series as Vegas won three of the final four games to advance and eventually win its first Stanley Cup
“You learn from your failures and that was one of them,” McDavid said at practice Sunday
“[We’ve] definitely changed some things systemwise from that series
Those two players saw a pretty steady diet of Jack Eichel throughout the series
“They can hurt you a lot of different ways,” Eichel said
They can hurt you with the puck on their stick
they can create a lot for the other people on the ice with them
and we are going to need to account for them when they are on the ice
Understand that you need to contain them and do what you can to do that.”
“I think anytime you play against those two guys
you are in the spotlight having to defend,” Cassidy said
you should get a pat on the back because it’s not easy
You have to have the ability to do it and you have to be willing to do it
“Jack can skate and he’s strong enough to check against those players
We have two great defensive centers among other players
By the end of the six-game series against the Minnesota Wild in the first round, Eichel and Karlsson were on a line together with Mark Stone. It’s as loaded as when Draisaitl and McDavid play together.
The Wild took a 2-1 series lead because their first line dominated early. But Cassidy figured things out and eventually settled on the super line that neutralized Minnesota’s top line.
The same thing happened two years ago against Edmonton. Its first line came out guns blazing in the first couple of games but was muted as the series advanced.
“I’m not going to sit here and say we did a great job, but as the series got better, we did a better and better job,” Cassidy said.
It also helped that Vegas won the battle among the other lines because they were deeper. Cassidy hopes that remains the case.
That will be decided across the next four to seven games and the leading man on each side of the first-line showdown can’t wait for the show to begin.
“It’s difficult any time you lose in the playoffs, especially when you feel you had a good team,” McDavid said of two seasons ago. “We felt we had a good team then, and obviously they had a great team as well.
“We feel like we have another good team this year and we have as good a chance as anyone. We look forward to getting to Vegas and getting started.”
Edmonton is the defending Western Conference champions and came one game short of winning the Stanley Cup, losing in seven games to the Florida Panthers.
“It’s two good teams going at it, trying to win and having a desire to win and compete at a high level,” Eichel said. “That’s how I look at it. They are a good team and we consider ourselves a good team. We are just going to go out there and try to prove we are the better team. That is how I look at it.”
The sun shone bright in Edmonton on Sunday as a crowd of several hundred citizens gathered at Light Horse Park to observe the 80th anniversary of the Netherlands being liberated in the Second World War
the Canadian Army was tasked with liberating the Netherlands after years of Nazi occupation
Canadian forces fought bravely while sustaining heavy losses and ultimately accepted the Nazi surrender on May 4
which is recognized in the Netherlands as Liberation Day
Canada’s role in freeing the Dutch formed a long-lasting bond between the two countries forged in the brutality of war
Canada and the Netherlands continue to celebrate the liberation anniversary jointly 80 years later
Salma Lakhani opened the ceremony and talked about the unique challenge of the liberation campaign by the Canadian Army
while also highlighting the reverence for Canada that the Netherlands continues to have
“Anyone who has ever visited the Netherlands will tell you their affection for Canada is as strong as ever,” said Lakhani
“Today is a day to celebrate a hard-won victory of freedom over fascism
but it is also an occasion to remember that democracy can vanish very quickly
and that the fight against oppression and hate continues and must continue.”
which included current and former members of the Canadian Army
listened closely to speeches of remembrance
who was a young boy when the Canadians liberated his hometown in the north
telling the story of a Canadian soldier offering him and his friends their first stick of chewing gum before discussing again the deep respect from the Dutch towards Canadians
“You and I cannot repay them for the sacrifices they made
it is — it always will be — that the Canadians liberated them,” said van der Meulen
Several speakers at the ceremony referenced the nearly one million Canadians who claim Dutch heritage as proof of the two countries’ ongoing connection
Among the Canadian-Dutch citizens is John Assen
who was born in the Netherlands and sat with his wife Joyce in the sun
The two donated to the Anne Frank statue that stands in the park
and said they appreciate the chance to remember Canada’s role in the conflict
“They really were important,” said John Assen
recalling stories his father told him of Canadian soldiers calming the angered Dutch while handling the remaining Nazi soldiers after their surrender
“Those Canadians were the original peacekeepers,” Joyce Assen said
Commanding officer of the South Alberta Light Horse Regiment
Thomas Bradley said the Canadian military’s efforts in liberating the Netherlands turned Canada and the Dutch into something more than allies
“When it comes to the Netherlands and Canada
and that’s as a consequence of the friendship and the suffering that both sides took in 1944 and 1945 and through acts of remembrance such as today’s,” said Bradley
zdelaney@postmedia.com
This isn’t exactly the same thirst for revenge that the Los Angeles Kings just felt when they came face-to-face with the team that punted them out of the playoffs for three-straight years
Facing the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the playoffs means revisiting a few scars of their own
we definitely want to even things up,” said Oilers winger Zach Hyman
It was just two years ago that the Oilers were tied 2-2 in the series and leading 2-1 in the second period of Game 5 on the road when they gave up three goals in 1:29
dream-killing collapse from which they never recovered
whose as excited about the rematch as anyone
They’re a great team and it was only a couple of years ago that they beat us
There’s been a lot of playoff water under the bridge since that painful night
but you still can’t help wondering what might have been
Vegas blew through the rest of the playoffs
beating Dallas in six games (including 4-0 and 6-0 wins) and Florida in five to lift their first and only Stanley Cup
If the Oilers hadn’t let that series slip away
they might be the ones wearing the rings today
The next issue of Oil Spills will soon be in your inbox
What they do know is that they can’t let it happen again
“You have to learn from your failures and that was one of them,” said McDavid
adding it forced the Oilers to re-examine what they do as a team
“It definitely changed some things for us system-wise
we had the lead and found ourselves on a five-on-three (short-handed)
We gave up three in however many minutes and the game kind of flipped
All lessons learned along the way and hopefully we can use them in this series.”
Only nine of Edmonton’s 18 skaters remain from that series and the Oilers have a trip of their own to the Stanley Cup Final to draw from
and whichever team emerges from this will see its Stanley Cup odds improve dramatically
“We’re a totally different team with a lot of different players but this group is finding its identity,” said Hyman
“It’s the first time in a while that we’re healthy
We’re still missing a big piece (Mattias Ekholm)
but up front we have a lot of different looks we can run
We’re finding what our identity is and what makes us successful
We’re rounding our team into form at the right time.”
The Oilers do look a lot better going into Round 2 than they did going into Round 1
gaining momentum and feeling much more confident about what they are as a team
a lineup that hadn’t played together a whole lot,” said McDavid
guys are getting healthier and getting their timing back
“It’s starting to look a little bit like it’s supposed to look
I expect our best coming into this series.”
anything less than your best gets you sent packing
no matter who his team is playing in the second round
head coach Kris Knoblauch expects the exact same thirst
“I see a bunch of guys who are motivated no matter who our opponent is,” he said
“Maybe there was some hatred (toward Vegas)
but I would think that no matter who we were playing our guys would be in the same frame of mind they are right now.”