Monday, January 31, 2022

Ireland Rugby game on NZ All Blacks

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Ireland face New Zealand on Saturday for the first time since their 2019 World Cup defeat to them in Tokyo.

Andy Farrell's side kicked off their Autumn Tests with an impressive 60-5 win over Japan last weekend, but they know the All Blacks will be a much tougher challenge.

Farrell has made just one change to the team that defeated the Cherry Blossoms for the Dublin clash, with Iain Henderson replacing Tadhg Beirne.

Meanwhile, after naming a much-changed line-up for last weekend’s win in Italy, New Zealand coach Ian Foster has brought back his star names.

The team contains 14 players who started the thumping 54-16 victory over Wales a fortnight ago, with winger Sevu Reece the sole survivor from Rome.

Monday, December 6, 2021

Hockey Canada announces world junior hockey team selection camp roster

 Forwards Ridly Greig and defencemen Owen Power and Kaiden Guhle headline Canada’s 35-player selection camp roster for the 2022 world junior men’s hockey championship.

Hockey Canada will choose its 25-player roster following selection camp Dec. 9-12 in Calgary.

Canada opens the IIHF men’s under-20 tournament Dec. 26 versus the Czech Republic in Edmonton.

Red Deer, Alta., is a co-host city. Austria, Germany and Finland are also in Canada’s pool.

The selection camp roster was chosen by Hockey Canada director of player personnel Alan Millar and under-20 management group lead James Boyd.

Canada will take three goaltenders to Edmonton, so Brett Brochu of the London Knights, Dylan Garand of the Kamloops Blazers and Sebastian Cossa of the Edmonton Oil Kings will represent Canada.

Guhle of the Prince Albert Raiders was a member of the Canadian squad that lost 2-0 to the United States in the 2021 world junior final in Edmonton. Manitoba Moose centre Cole Perfetti, who was named to this year’s selection camp roster, was also on that team.

Click to play video: 'Edmonton producer filmed a World Juniors documentary in the bubble'Edmonton producer filmed a World Juniors documentary in the bubble
Edmonton producer filmed a World Juniors documentary in the bubble – Apr 8, 2021

Power, a University of Michigan defenceman, has already won world men’s championship gold with Canada in June in Riga, Latvia.

He was named to the selection camp roster last year, but the Wolverines did not release him to Hockey Canada. 

Greig, a first-round draft pick of the Ottawa Senators, has 12 goals, 11 assists in 16 game this season for the Brandon Wheat Kings.

Regina Pats forward Connor Bedard, 16, and Kingston Frontenacs forward Shane Wright, 17, were also among selection camp invitees.

Ottawa 67’s head coach Dave Cameron will coach Canada in Edmonton. He was also head coach in 2011, when Canada lost the final 5-3 to Russia, in Buffalo, N.Y.

World Juniors Live Canada will play pre-tournament exhibition games Dec. 19 against Switzerland, Dec. 20 versus Sweden and Dec. 22 against Russia.

Edmonton was the host city of the 2021 tournament, which was played without fans because of COVID-19. Fully-vaccinated ticket buyers can attend games in Edmonton and Red Deer.

2022 World Junior Championship Team Sweden Preview

 Lately, the World Junior Championship live has become synonymous with disappointment for Sweden. Despite owning the longest undefeated streak in tournament history at 54 round-robin games — which was snapped by Russia last year — and being the third-winningest nation in tournament history, they haven’t won a gold medal since 2012. They haven’t been completely shut out, winning three silvers and two bronzes, but they’ve gone medal-less five times in 10 years. For one of the world’s premier hockey nations, that’s an upsetting record.

Will this year be different? Major pieces of last year’s roster are ineligible to return, including leading scorer Noel Gunler and captain Philip Broberg, but they’ll be replaced by an incredibly strong crop of first-timers. The Swedes also possess arguably one of the best goalie prospects in the world in Jesper Wallstedt, who’s returning for his second tournament. Better yet, this year’s Group B is on the weaker side, as the Americans and Russians both look less intimidating. Slovakia and Switzerland look stronger than before but still don’t have the talent to overtake Sweden.

The World Junior Championship is always an unpredictable tournament and anything can happen, but Sweden will look to re-establish dominance this year after their streak was broken and will also want to prevent their gold drought from extending into double digits. Here’s a look at who could be responsible for that task.

Forwards: Sweden Has High End Skill Even Without Raymond

The big question surrounding Team Sweden is whether Lucas Raymond and Alexander Holtz will be allowed to return to the World Juniors. The pair, nicknamed “The Terror Twins” after their dominance when playing together, have been two of the most exciting rookies in the NHL this season. Raymond has been electric with the Detroit Red Wings, scoring 21 points in 22 games, and although Holtz has mainly spent 2021-22 in the minors, he so far has six goals in seven games. At this time, it looks like just Holtz will be allowed to return to the tournament. It will be tough to see the “Twins” broken up, but it still gives Sweden an incredible goal-scoring presence up front.

Alexander Holtz, New Jersey Devils

Alexander Holtz has played six games with the New Jersey Devils this season (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

However, the Swedes won’t fret too much over the loss of Raymond. Oskar Olausson, a first-round pick by the Colorado Avalanche, is having a breakout season with the Ontario Hockey League’s Barrie Colts and will return for his second tournament. He’ll likely man the first line with Holtz and William Eklund, who is finally playing in his first World Juniors. He was expected to play last year, but a positive COVID-19 test cancelled those plans. The 2022 tournament was also up in the air after he started the season with the San Jose Sharks, but he since has been loaned back to Sweden where he’ll almost certainly join the national team before too long.

Related: THW 2022 World Juniors streaming Guide

Zion Nybeck and Theodor Niederbach are two other returnees who will give Sweden a huge boost on offence. Nybeck was expected to have a big tournament last year but put up just one assist in five games. This year should be different, though, as he’s already the national team’s leading scorer among forwards. That confidence, paired with his previous experience, should make him one to watch this year. Niederbach is another one to keep an eye on, as he’s in his second season in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), and has incredible on-ice intelligence on and off the puck.

Despite having just four players eligible to return, the Swedes are still loaded with game-breaking talent. Boston Bruins first-rounder Fabian Lysell has been playing with the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Vancouver Giants and averaging a point per game to start the season. Isak Rosén, a Buffalo Sabres pick, is a natural playmaker and has been one of the best U20 players in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) this season with Leksands IF. Winnipeg Jets’ selection Daniel Torgersson is a big, strong forward with excellent vision who has been a mainstay on the Swedish U20 National Team this season.

Hockey Canada released the schedule for the 2022 World Junior Hockey Championships

On Thursday, the International Ice Hockey Federation and Hockey Canada released the schedule for the 2022 World Junior Hockey Championships, which are set to be held in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta.

The 2022 World Juniors game schedule for the 10-team tournament is confirmed on Thursday from Boxing day. This is the 46th edition of the Junior Ice Hockey tournament takes place from December 26, 2021, to January 5, 2022, in two different locations at Rogers Place in Edmonton and the Peavey Mart Centrium in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada.

When is World Juniors 2022?

The 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship is scheduled from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta, Canada.

When is World Juniors gold medal game?

The World Juniors championship game is the gold medal game that takes place on Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022, at 8 p.m. ET at Edmonton.

How many matches in the 2022 world juniors have?

There are 31 matches that will be played in the 2022 world juniors tournament from Dec. 26, 2021, to Jan. 5, 2022, in Canada take place at Rogers Place in Edmonton and the Peavey Mart Centrium in Red Deer, Alberta.


The thirty-one game tournament will return to it's usual Boxing Day start date after the 2021 World Juniors began on Christmas Day.

"The World Juniors is a marquee event for Canadian hockey fans, and the unveiling of the schedule is a sign of how close the event is to getting underway in Edmonton and Red Deer this holiday season," said Riley Wiwchar, executive director of the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship. "We look forward to bringing the World Juniors to both communities while showcasing some of the best international hockey to fans, both locally in these two communities, as well as across the country and around the world."

Let's dive into the schedule and look Canada's games, as well as some of the key games to circle on the calendar.

December 26th at 4:30pm ET/2:30pm MT: Sweden vs Russia.
December 26th at 7pm ET/5pm MT: Canada vs Czech Republic.
December 28th at 7pm ET/5pm MT: Canada vs Austria.
December 29th at 2pm ET/12pm MT: Czech Republic vs Finland.
December 29th at 7pm ET/5pm MT: Germany vs Canada.
December 29th at 9:30pm ET/7:30 MT: United States vs Sweden.
December 31st at 7pm ET/5pm MT: Finland vs Canada.
December 31st at 9:30pm ET/7:30pm MT: Russia vs United States.

Playoff round and relegation games begin on Sunday, January 2nd and will wrap up on Wednesday, January 5th with the bronze and World Juniors gold medal games.

The full schedule can be found below.

2022 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship schedule
Hockey Canada press release

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Gold Coast confirmed to host Tim Tszyu vs Takeshi Inoue

Big-time boxing will return to the Gold Coast later this year when Australia's golden boy of the ring Tim Tszyu takes on Takeshi Inoue on November 17. Tim Tszyu Boxing 2021

The Gold Coast Convention Centre will play host to the fight which Tszyu admits is the biggest test of his career to date.

Tszyu is 19-0 in his professional career and has risen the super-welterweight ranks to put his name in world title contention.

As the current mandatory for Brian Castano's WBO title, Tszyu could have sat out and waited for his shot, instead he's taking on former world title challenger Inoue (17-1-1).

The pair faced off in a virtual press conference on Thursday, with both fighters promising fireworks.

"Tszyu is a very good fighter but I’m very confident in my ability," Inoue said.

"This is an exciting opportunity for me to make a mark on the world stage and I truly believe I will finish Tszyu with a knock-out in this fight."

Tszyu, who has finished his last five opponents, said he was keen to put on a show.

"Inoue is a very accomplished and talented fighter.  He is crafty in the ring and like all Japanese boxers, very brave," Tszyu said.

"He will need to be though because I know he has never fought anyone like me before. 

"I’m putting in the hard work now and come fight night, I’m going to be ready to show the world once again just what I can do."

Despite spending plenty of time on the Gold Coast, it will be Tszyu's first fight in Queensland since 2018.

"The Gold Coast is a sports-lovers paradise and we are delighted to have the opportunity to bring Tim Tszyu back for this blockbuster event," No Limit Boxing's George Rose said.

“Tim has a lot of fans in Queensland and with a large Japanese community also based in the Gold Coast region, this is certain to be one of the biggest events of the year."

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate also spoke of his excitement about bringing the bout to boxing fans on the coast. Tszyu vs Inoue fight online

"We are a big events city and this fight fits the bill perfectly," Tate said.

"Tim is our adopted son. He loves being on the Gold Coast when away from Sydney and he has established our city as his second training base.

"I applaud promoters and Major Events Gold Coast for bringing this mega fight together. I’ll be ringside when the bell rings."

Tickets go on sale to the general public through Ticketek at 2pm on Tuesday, September 28th.

Ireland Rugby game on NZ All Blacks

Follow my blog with Bloglovin Ireland face New Zealand on Saturday for the first time since their 2019 World Cup defeat to them in Tokyo. ...