THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2017 SPORTS Nations turn to Plan B for hockey at Olympics with no NHL NEW YORL: The morning after the NHL is true even in European professional player pool “as deep as it has ever been,” Renney said. In a recent interview, Renney that. Assuming European leagues do give announced it wasn’t going to the 2018 leagues. and executive Jim Johannson - who could said Hockey Canada has already pursued players permission or stop their seasons, Olympics, some Americans playing in The result in coming months may be be tasked with putting the team together its Plan B and will be nimble enough to the player pool for the U.S., Canada and Europe started wondering if they should nations navigating a wild set of complica- - said the US will “have 25 great stories on adjust to any changes to rules concerning other countries could grow if potential keep their schedules open for next tions in putting their Olympic teams the ice in South Korea and will go to the eligible players. Two-time Canadian borderline NHL free agents choose to go February. “Myself and couple other together. If Patrick Kane, Jonathan Quick, Olympics with medal expectations.” Olympic gold-medal winner Jonathan abroad next season for a chance to play in Americans, Deron Quint and Dave Leggio, Jack Eichel and Auston Matthews aren’t Toews expects top junior and college and the Olympics. were joking around to not make any plans available, USA Hockey will likely look to GOLD-MEDAL EXPECTATIONS a lot of European players to make up Russia is likely to be the gold medal over the Olympic break next year because Americans playing Europe to fill the bulk Two-time defending Olympic champi- Canada’s roster. favorite thanks to former NHL stars like they might need us to play,” said Keith of its roster and mix in a handful of col- on Canada always has gold-medal expec- “There are some really good players Pavel Datsyuk and Ilya Kovalchuk playing Aucoin, a 38-year-old former NHL forward lege players. Former NHL forward Mark tations but is arguably hurt the most of playing in Europe,” the Chicago in the KHL and being available. Alex who is playing in Germany. Arcobello leads the top Swiss league in any country by the NHL not going. Blackhawks’ captain said.. “They’re guys, Ovechkin intends to go to the Olympics No joking, they might. In the aftermath scoring, Aucoin is among the leaders in Canada’s benefit is that it has depth of tal- you look at them, and you’re surprised anyway, and Washington Capitals team- of the NHL’s decision, USA Hockey and Germany, and former NHL defenseman ent that spills over into the AHL and they’re not playing here and making big mates Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry other national federations insisted they Matt Gilroy and Jonathon Blum are piling European professional leagues. money. Canadian hockey, obviously I’m Orlov said they plan to join him. have a Plan B - but it’s not clear how to up points in the Kontintental Hockey It’s not the elite of the elite, but there biased, we’ve proven we’re the best over Finland, the Czech Republic and proceed. League based primarily in Russia. are more than 550 Canadians playing in the course of time. The amount of talent Slovakia could benefit from the absence Just because the NHL doesn’t stop its Goaltending options for the Americans the AHL and more than 200 across Europe, and players we’ve produced out of of NHL stars because of the players they season to participate in South Korea does- could include Leggio and Jerry Kuhn play- including former NHL goalie Ben Scrivens, Canada is so great, that we could ice a have in Europe. Big goalie Mikko Koskinen n’t mean some players won’t try to go ing in Germany, Ryan Zapolski from the defensemen Cam Barker and Brendan good team whether we had NHL players isn’t Tuukka Rask but would give the Finns anyway, and the league hasn’t decided if it KHL, Notre Dame’s Cal Peters and Tyler Mikkelson and forwards Derek Roy, Daniel or not.” Although the International a chance, and the Czechs could get stable will allow teams to give players permis- Parsons of the Ontario Hockey League’s Paille and Jonathan Cheechoo. Olympic Committee said “players from all goaltending from KHL stars Dominik Furch sion to leave. The federations can’t just London Knights, who just led the US to “We have developed both a Plan A and the other professional ice hockey leagues and Pavel Francouz - plus maybe Jaromir raid the American Hockey League - many world junior gold. USA Hockey executive a Plan B, and will be ready to move for- will participate” in Pyeongchang, there’s Jagr goes home at age 45 for one last players have NHL contracts - and the same director Dave Ogrean called the country’s ward,” Hockey Canada president Tom even a small amount of uncertainty about Olympic chance.—AP CRICKET India’s Kohli, Pakistan’s Misbah and Younis, get Wisden honours LONDON: India captain Virat Kohli has performances during Pakistan’s 2-2 Test been named as the Leading Cricketer in the series draw in England-a result that saw World in the 2017 edition of the respected Pakistan, under Misbah’s captaincy, briefly Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, — ‘cricket’s rise to number one in the world Test rank- bible’-published this week. ings. “Misbah-ul-Haq was central to one of Meanwhile Pakistan’s Misbah-ul-Haq the most riveting series in England for and Younis Khan were named as two of years,” wrote Booth. Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year. “His century in the First Test at Lord’s set According to editor Lawrence Booth, Kohli a benchmark for his team-mates, while his had “the year of his dreams” in 2016, “aver- celebratory press-ups became one of the aging more with the bat in each of the motifs of the year. three formats than anyone: 75 in Tests, 92 “Against the odds, he led Pakistan, with- in one-day internationals and 106 in out a home Test since 2009, to the top of Twenty20 internationals”. the rankings-and all at the age of 42.” Under Kohli, India won series trophies in Turning to Younis, he added: “With the all three formats against England in pressure on, Younis Khan delivered. His 2016/17. Booth said the star batsman’s 235 classy 218 in the final Test of the summer, at in the fourth Test against England at The Oval, helped Pakistan square the series Mumbai confirmed him as the “spiritual after successive defeats had left them in successor to Sachin Tendulkar”. danger of squandering their win at Lord’s. Kohli is the third Indian to win an award “It was his 32nd Test hundred-and a that has only been in existence since 2003 reminder that his struggles earlier in the and is designed to recognise achievement series had been a blip rather than part of a in all forms of the international game in the decline.” England all-rounder Chris Woakes, previous calendar year. who enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2016 Dynamic opener Virender Sehwag won that included 26 wickets at 16 apiece in twice, in 2008 and 2009, with Tendulkar four Tests against Pakistan, was also one of himself awarded the title in 2010. Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year. The 2017 women’s award was won by Middlesex’s Toby Roland-Jones, whose Australia’s Ellyse Perry. While the Leading hat-trick against Yorkshire at Lord’s sealed Cricketer of the Year award is a relatively the County Championship title for the new concept by the standards of Wisden-a London club, and Northamptonshire bats- British-based publication which has man Ben Duckett, who scored 2,706 runs in appeared every year since 1864, with not all formats during a prolific season, com- BOSTON: Jake Dotchin #59 of the Tampa Bay Lightning defends David Backes #42 of the Boston Bruins during the third period at TD Garden on even the First and Second World Wars halt- pleted the quintet. April 4, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Bruins defeat the Lightning 4-0. — AFP ing its print run-the Five Cricketers of the Reflecting on other topics, Booth said Year is a tradition that dates back 128 years. Alastair Cook had chosen “the right time to NHL The usual criteria for inclusion in that go” in resigning as England’s Test captain award, which can only be won once in a following the 4-0 series loss in India. player’s career, is the impact a player had However, he added: “That his team lost on the preceding English season. only four of his 17 Test series in charge was Bruins clinch playoff berth testament to a very English grit: understat- ‘RIVETING’ ENGLAND-PAKISTAN SERIES ed, occasionally self-conscious, always Veteran batsmen Misbah and Younis bloody-minded. It proved an exhausting with 4-0 win over Lightning were both honoured in the context of their combination.” —AFP BOSTON: Tuukka Rask continued his late-season Catch live action of VIVO 2017 IPL surge, making 28 saves for his second shutout in NHL results/standings four starts in leading the Boston Bruins to a sixth exclusively on OSN Sports Cricket HD straight win with a 4-0 victory over the Tampa Los Angeles 6, Edmonton 4; San Jose 3, Vancouver 1; Anaheim 3, Calgary 1; Colorado 4, Chicago 3 (OT); Dallas 3, Bay Lightning.