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Vancouver Sun
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Reinforcements coming as recovering Vancouver Whitecaps hit the road
Tristan Blackmon's pre-game meal included some unusual sides on Sunday — pickle juice, caffeine pills and Red Bull. After battling a gastrointestinal illness that took out about half of the Vancouver Whitecaps squad earlier in the week, the veteran defender was ready to ingest whatever it took to get his energy levels back before a matchup with his team's regional rivals, the Seattle Sounders. The additions worked. Blackmon was a force as the 'Caps (10-1-5) blanked the Sounders 3-0. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'It was weird circumstances. I didn't train all week. I trained the day before the game because I wasn't feeling that great,' Blackmon said of the lead up. 'But I just told the staff that I wanted to be there and help the guys out as much as I could. 'Definitely got a little winded towards the end of the game, but happy we got the result.' The result extended Vancouver's club-record unbeaten streak in Major League Soccer play to 11 games (6-0-5). The 'Caps will look to stretch the mark further on Saturday when they visit the Columbus Crew (7-3-7). Players and staff continued to recover this week, but the team was able to train more this week, said head coach Jesper Sorensen. 'We can see in training sessions, (players) have more energy now, and they get a little better every day,' he said. 'We can see it in the faces and the eyes … I think that everybody looks a little bit better than they did a week ago. And, yeah, they couldn't look any worse anyway, so it could only go one direction.' Vancouver announced Thursday that it will be without defender Sam Adekugbe for the rest of the season after he tore his Achilles tendon while playing for Canada on Tuesday. The club will also miss four players to international duty come Sunday. Forward Jayden Nelson and midfielder Ali Ahmed are with Canada as the team prepares for its Gold Cup opener against Honduras in Vancouver on Tuesday. Striker Brian White and midfielder Sebastian Berhalter are with the U.S. team for the same tournament. The Whitecaps will get four players back from international duty, though. Midfielder Pedro Vite is back after helping Ecuador secure a spot in next summer's World Cup, while defensive midfielder Andres Cubas and Paraguay inched closer to the same goal. Defender Giuseppe Bovalina (Australia U-23) and Tate Johnson (U.S. U-20) have also returned. The Whitecaps weren't far from Johnson's mind when he was with his national team in Egypt. Despite the distance, he still made a point of watching Sunday's game. 'It was at 4 a.m. where I was, so I work up at 4 and watched it and then went back to bed for a little bit,' he said. 'It was awesome to be able to get a win. … So I was trying to be quiet in my room. But I was excited.' All four returnees will figure into Saturday's game, Sorensen said. 'I think they come back with a lot of positive energy and it's always good for the group,' he said. 'We also saw last week that we also have players who really can step up when need be. So I think that it's good we have a lot of competition.' In Ohio, Vancouver will meet a Columbus side looking to rebound from a 5-1 loss to Inter Miami last weekend. The result stretched the Crew's winless skid to six games (0-2-4). The Whitecaps aren't taking the opponent lightly, though. 'Another tough game away against a really good team that likes keep the ball a lot, have dangerous players,' Blackmon said of the matchup. 'So we're going to go there with the guys we have _ we don't have everybody available, people are gone for international break. But we're confident in the guys we have.' VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (10-1-5) AT COLUMBUS CREW (7-3-7) Field, Saturday HISTORY BOOKS: The Whitecaps hold a 5-3-3 edge in all-time meetings with the Crew, and have gone 4-2-0 in previous appearances at Field. The club's last trip to Ohio didn't end well, though, with Columbus blanking the 'Caps 4-0 back on Feb. 22, 2022. LEAGUE LEADERS: Not only does Vancouver sit atop the MLS standings, the club is also No. 1 in points per game (2.19), goal differential (+18) and expected goals (36.99) TERRIFIC TANDEM: Whitecaps defenders Blackmon and Ranko Veselinovic are set to make their 100th start together for Vancouver across all competitions. Their first start together came in Columbus back in February 2022.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Reinforcements coming as recovering Vancouver Whitecaps hit the road
VANCOUVER — Tristan Blackmon's pre-game meal included some unusual sides on Sunday — pickle juice, caffeine pills and Red Bull. After battling a gastrointestinal illness that took out about half of the Vancouver Whitecaps squad earlier in the week, the veteran defender was ready to ingest whatever it took to get his energy levels back ahead of a matchup with his team's regional rivals, the Seattle Sounders. Advertisement The additions worked. Blackmon was a force as the 'Caps (10-1-5) blanked the Sounders 3-0. 'It was weird circumstances. I didn't train all week. I trained the day before the game because I wasn't feeling that great," Blackmon said of the lead up. "But I just told the staff that I wanted to be there and help the guys out as much as I could. "Definitely got a little winded towards the end of the game, but happy we got the result.' The result extended Vancouver's club-record unbeaten streak in Major League Soccer play to 11 games (6-0-5). The 'Caps will look to stretch the mark further on Saturday when they visit the Columbus Crew (7-3-7). Advertisement Players and staff continued to recover this week, but the team was able to train more this week, said head coach Jesper Sorensen. 'We can see in training sessions, (players) have more energy now, and they get a little better every day," he said. "We can see it in the faces and the eyes … I think that everybody looks a little bit better than they did a week ago. And, yeah, they couldn't look any worse anyway, so it could only go one direction." Vancouver announced Thursday that it will be without defender Sam Adekugbe for the rest of the season after he tore his Achilles tendon while playing for Canada on Tuesday. The club will also miss four players to international duty come Sunday. Forward Jayden Nelson and midfielder Ali Ahmed are with Canada as the team prepares for its Gold Cup opener against Honduras in Vancouver on Tuesday. Striker Brian White and midfielder Sebastian Berhalter are with the U.S. team for the same tournament. Advertisement The Whitecaps will get four players back from international duty, though. Midfielder Pedro Vite is back after helping Ecuador secure a spot in next summer's World Cup, while defensive midfielder Andres Cubas and Paraguay inched closer to the same goal. Defender Giuseppe Bovalina (Australia U-23) and Tate Johnson (U.S. U-20) have also returned. The Whitecaps weren't far from Johnson's mind when he was with his national team in Egypt. Despite the distance, he still made a point of watching Sunday's game. "It was at 4 a.m. where I was, so I work up at 4 and watched it and then went back to bed for a little bit," he said. "It was awesome to be able to get a win. … So I was trying to be quiet in my room. But I was excited." Advertisement All four returnees will figure into Saturday's game, Sorensen said. "I think they come back with a lot of positive energy and it's always good for the group," he said. "We also saw last week that we also have players who really can step up when need be. So I think that it's good we have a lot of competition." In Ohio, Vancouver will meet a Columbus side looking to rebound from a 5-1 loss to Inter Miami last weekend. The result stretched the Crew's winless skid to six games (0-2-4). The Whitecaps aren't taking the opponent lightly, though. 'Another tough game away against a really good team that likes keep the ball a lot, have dangerous players," Blackmon said of the matchup. "So we're going to go there with the guys we have — we don't have everybody available, people are gone for international break. But we're confident in the guys we have.' Advertisement VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (10-1-5) AT COLUMBUS CREW (7-3-7) Field, Saturday HISTORY BOOKS: The Whitecaps hold a 5-3-3 edge in all-time meetings with the Crew, and have gone 4-2-0 in previous appearances at Field. The club's last trip to Ohio didn't end well, though, with Columbus blanking the 'Caps 4-0 back on Feb. 22, 2022. LEAGUE LEADERS: Not only does Vancouver sit atop the MLS standings, the club is also No. 1 in points per game (2.19), goal differential (+18) and expected goals (36.99) TERRIFIC TANDEM: Whitecaps defenders Blackmon and Ranko Veselinovic are set to make their 100th start together for Vancouver across all competitions. Their first start together came in Columbus back in February 2022. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 13, 2025. Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press


Hamilton Spectator
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Reinforcements coming as recovering Vancouver Whitecaps hit the road
VANCOUVER - Tristan Blackmon's pre-game meal included some unusual sides on Sunday — pickle juice, caffeine pills and Red Bull. After battling a gastrointestinal illness that took out about half of the Vancouver Whitecaps squad earlier in the week, the veteran defender was ready to ingest whatever it took to get his energy levels back ahead of a matchup with his team's regional rivals, the Seattle Sounders. The additions worked. Blackmon was a force as the 'Caps (10-1-5) blanked the Sounders 3-0. 'It was weird circumstances. I didn't train all week. I trained the day before the game because I wasn't feeling that great,' Blackmon said of the lead up. 'But I just told the staff that I wanted to be there and help the guys out as much as I could. 'Definitely got a little winded towards the end of the game, but happy we got the result.' The result extended Vancouver's club-record unbeaten streak in Major League Soccer play to 11 games (6-0-5). The 'Caps will look to stretch the mark further on Saturday when they visit the Columbus Crew (7-3-7). Players and staff continued to recover this week, but the team was able to train more this week, said head coach Jesper Sorensen. 'We can see in training sessions, (players) have more energy now, and they get a little better every day,' he said. 'We can see it in the faces and the eyes … I think that everybody looks a little bit better than they did a week ago. And, yeah, they couldn't look any worse anyway, so it could only go one direction.' Vancouver announced Thursday that it will be without defender Sam Adekugbe for the rest of the season after he tore his Achilles tendon while playing for Canada on Tuesday. The club will also miss four players to international duty come Sunday. Forward Jayden Nelson and midfielder Ali Ahmed are with Canada as the team prepares for its Gold Cup opener against Honduras in Vancouver on Tuesday. Striker Brian White and midfielder Sebastian Berhalter are with the U.S. team for the same tournament. The Whitecaps will get four players back from international duty, though. Midfielder Pedro Vite is back after helping Ecuador secure a spot in next summer's World Cup, while defensive midfielder Andres Cubas and Paraguay inched closer to the same goal. Defender Giuseppe Bovalina (Australia U-23) and Tate Johnson (U.S. U-20) have also returned. The Whitecaps weren't far from Johnson's mind when he was with his national team in Egypt. Despite the distance, he still made a point of watching Sunday's game. 'It was at 4 a.m. where I was, so I work up at 4 and watched it and then went back to bed for a little bit,' he said. 'It was awesome to be able to get a win. … So I was trying to be quiet in my room. But I was excited.' All four returnees will figure into Saturday's game, Sorensen said. 'I think they come back with a lot of positive energy and it's always good for the group,' he said. 'We also saw last week that we also have players who really can step up when need be. So I think that it's good we have a lot of competition.' In Ohio, Vancouver will meet a Columbus side looking to rebound from a 5-1 loss to Inter Miami last weekend. The result stretched the Crew's winless skid to six games (0-2-4). The Whitecaps aren't taking the opponent lightly, though. 'Another tough game away against a really good team that likes keep the ball a lot, have dangerous players,' Blackmon said of the matchup. 'So we're going to go there with the guys we have — we don't have everybody available, people are gone for international break. But we're confident in the guys we have.' VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (10-1-5) AT COLUMBUS CREW (7-3-7) Field, Saturday HISTORY BOOKS: The Whitecaps hold a 5-3-3 edge in all-time meetings with the Crew, and have gone 4-2-0 in previous appearances at Field. The club's last trip to Ohio didn't end well, though, with Columbus blanking the 'Caps 4-0 back on Feb. 22, 2022. LEAGUE LEADERS: Not only does Vancouver sit atop the MLS standings, the club is also No. 1 in points per game (2.19), goal differential (+18) and expected goals (36.99) TERRIFIC TANDEM: Whitecaps defenders Blackmon and Ranko Veselinovic are set to make their 100th start together for Vancouver across all competitions. Their first start together came in Columbus back in February 2022. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 13, 2025.


Winnipeg Free Press
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Reinforcements coming as recovering Vancouver Whitecaps hit the road
VANCOUVER – Tristan Blackmon's pre-game meal included some unusual sides on Sunday — pickle juice, caffeine pills and Red Bull. After battling a gastrointestinal illness that took out about half of the Vancouver Whitecaps squad earlier in the week, the veteran defender was ready to ingest whatever it took to get his energy levels back ahead of a matchup with his team's regional rivals, the Seattle Sounders. The additions worked. Blackmon was a force as the 'Caps (10-1-5) blanked the Sounders 3-0. 'It was weird circumstances. I didn't train all week. I trained the day before the game because I wasn't feeling that great,' Blackmon said of the lead up. 'But I just told the staff that I wanted to be there and help the guys out as much as I could. 'Definitely got a little winded towards the end of the game, but happy we got the result.' The result extended Vancouver's club-record unbeaten streak in Major League Soccer play to 11 games (6-0-5). The 'Caps will look to stretch the mark further on Saturday when they visit the Columbus Crew (7-3-7). Players and staff continued to recover this week, but the team was able to train more this week, said head coach Jesper Sorensen. 'We can see in training sessions, (players) have more energy now, and they get a little better every day,' he said. 'We can see it in the faces and the eyes … I think that everybody looks a little bit better than they did a week ago. And, yeah, they couldn't look any worse anyway, so it could only go one direction.' Vancouver announced Thursday that it will be without defender Sam Adekugbe for the rest of the season after he tore his Achilles tendon while playing for Canada on Tuesday. The club will also miss four players to international duty come Sunday. Forward Jayden Nelson and midfielder Ali Ahmed are with Canada as the team prepares for its Gold Cup opener against Honduras in Vancouver on Tuesday. Striker Brian White and midfielder Sebastian Berhalter are with the U.S. team for the same tournament. The Whitecaps will get four players back from international duty, though. Midfielder Pedro Vite is back after helping Ecuador secure a spot in next summer's World Cup, while defensive midfielder Andres Cubas and Paraguay inched closer to the same goal. Defender Giuseppe Bovalina (Australia U-23) and Tate Johnson (U.S. U-20) have also returned. The Whitecaps weren't far from Johnson's mind when he was with his national team in Egypt. Despite the distance, he still made a point of watching Sunday's game. 'It was at 4 a.m. where I was, so I work up at 4 and watched it and then went back to bed for a little bit,' he said. 'It was awesome to be able to get a win. … So I was trying to be quiet in my room. But I was excited.' All four returnees will figure into Saturday's game, Sorensen said. 'I think they come back with a lot of positive energy and it's always good for the group,' he said. 'We also saw last week that we also have players who really can step up when need be. So I think that it's good we have a lot of competition.' In Ohio, Vancouver will meet a Columbus side looking to rebound from a 5-1 loss to Inter Miami last weekend. The result stretched the Crew's winless skid to six games (0-2-4). The Whitecaps aren't taking the opponent lightly, though. 'Another tough game away against a really good team that likes keep the ball a lot, have dangerous players,' Blackmon said of the matchup. 'So we're going to go there with the guys we have — we don't have everybody available, people are gone for international break. But we're confident in the guys we have.' VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (10-1-5) AT COLUMBUS CREW (7-3-7) Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Field, Saturday HISTORY BOOKS: The Whitecaps hold a 5-3-3 edge in all-time meetings with the Crew, and have gone 4-2-0 in previous appearances at Field. The club's last trip to Ohio didn't end well, though, with Columbus blanking the 'Caps 4-0 back on Feb. 22, 2022. LEAGUE LEADERS: Not only does Vancouver sit atop the MLS standings, the club is also No. 1 in points per game (2.19), goal differential (+18) and expected goals (36.99) TERRIFIC TANDEM: Whitecaps defenders Blackmon and Ranko Veselinovic are set to make their 100th start together for Vancouver across all competitions. Their first start together came in Columbus back in February 2022. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 13, 2025.


NBC Sports
10-06-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
T.J. Oshie announces he's retiring
WASHINGTON — T.J. Oshie, who scored four shootout goals for the U.S. to beat host Russia at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and helped the Washington Capitals win the Stanley Cup in 2018, announced he is retiring after playing 16 NHL seasons. Oshie shared his news in front of hundreds of fans gathered at the fountains at Washington Harbour in Georgetown, seven years to the day of one of the most memorable Cup celebrations in hockey history when he and several teammates jumped into the fountains and took a dip. President of hockey operations Brian MacLellan, general manager Chris Patrick, coach Spencer Carbery and longtime teammates Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson came out to support Oshie as he called it a career. 'My only contribution was that this could be a good day and place to have (the ceremony),' Oshie said, adding, 'I can't thank the Caps enough. Another first-class move by them to have my retirement here, invite all the people out. It really made this day special.' The announcement had been expected for quite some time, with Oshie's contract expiring. The 38-year-old did not play this past season because of a nagging back injury that sidelined him off and on, going on long-term injured reserve instead. Oshie said in the spring of 2024 he would only return to the Capitals if he found a permanent solution or fix to the issue. His final game was at home on April 28 last year against the New York Rangers, a 4-2 loss in the first round that eliminated Washington in a sweep. 'I was fully prepared that could be my last game: I got the pictures taken of me taking off the skates to prove it,' Oshie said. 'I hadn't thought too much about (the end), honestly, besides that moment. Even before that moment, knowing how tough it was on really the whole team with me, what I was going through, actually saying the words out loud at the podium with my family in front of me and the Caps organization, my teammates, all my close friends, it was emotional.' Taken 24th in the 2005 draft by St. Louis, Oshie played 1,116 regular-season and playoff games in the league with the Blues and Capitals since making his debut in 2008. He had 336 goals and 428 assists for 764 points, including 21 points during Washington's Cup run. Oshie made an international name for himself at the Olympics, earning the nickname 'T.J. Sochi' for going 4 for 6 in shootout attempts against Sergei Bobrovsky during the U.S.-Russia preliminary round game in that tournament. U.S. Olympic coach Dan Bylsma figured one game would go to a shootout, hence the choice of bringing Oshie. Bylsma kept going back to him over and over. 'T.J. had been on fire that season in the shootout, and with the scouting report on Bobrovsky we felt T.J. would have a great chance against him,' Bylsma told The Associated Press by text message. 'Even when he didn't score, he had beaten Bob with his move, so we kept rolling with him.' In the NHL, his biggest impact came after he was traded from the Blues to the Capitals in 2015. Oshie took on an immediate leadership role as a key addition to the core of Alex Ovechkin, Backstrom and Carlson, helping the team make the playoffs in eight of his nine seasons in the nation's capital. 'I'll be the first to give credit to my teammates, because without them, I was nowhere near good enough to do it without a group like that,' Oshie said. Oshie's 76 power-play goals in D.C. are the fifth most in franchise history. He scored 49 times in the shootout, tied for third all time since it was implemented in 2005. 'I like to think that when I was playing, that I was playing for my teammates, for my coaches, for my family, for my fans. I rarely thought about my own accolades,' Oshie said. 'To be remembered (as a 'warrior' type of player) is a huge honor because that was my goal and the way I played the game.'