Sports

Soccer

Vitor Munhoz / Northern Super League
Evelyn Badu leaps into the arms of her teammate at Stade Boréale. Badu had a hat trick last Saturday against the Vancouver Rise.

Around the NSL: Wild’s new bench boss; Badu hat trick; Maroons still mighty

Grace Anne Paizen 4 minute read Friday, Jul. 10, 2026

It was inevitable the Calgary Wild were going to replace Sinead McSharry. The club announced the hiring of Aussie Leah Blayney as head coach the day after dropping Sunday’s game 3-1 to Ottawa, with McSharry returning to her original role of assistant coach with the club.

In fairness to the Wild here, though, to only lose 3-1 to the Rapid — which has launched itself into team-to-beat status this season — in enemy territory isn’t that bad. Yes, a loss is a loss, but this time it wasn’t for lack of effort. Calgary came out of halftime with energy and Meggie Dougherty Howard cut Ottawa’s lead in half in the 65th minute. And the Rapid’s cushion was only padded two minutes into stoppage time by Jazmine Wilkinson.

It’s understandable something had to change, but with the regular season nearing its halfway mark, is this bench-boss changeup too little, too late?

Northern Super League superfans should find out Saturday when the club hosts the Vancouver Rise (6 p.m. CT, TSN+). But before we get to Week 12, here’s other storylines from Week 11.

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Soccer

FERNANDO LLANO / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
England’s Jude Bellingham has transformed into a dominating box-to-box presence for his country.

Almost impossible not to look ahead to World Cup semifinals

Jerrad Peters 6 minute read Preview

Almost impossible not to look ahead to World Cup semifinals

Jerrad Peters 6 minute read Friday, Jul. 10, 2026

It is oh-so-very tempting to look ahead to next week Wednesday and the semifinal showdown everyone wants to see. Everyone, that is, except the Norwegians and the Swiss, whose national teams could also square off in Atlanta on July 15.

If that happened, the World Cup would be guaranteed a debut finalist — something that’s happened just four times in 60 years — and FIFA president Gianni Infantino would be outraged. So maybe Norway-Switzerland is the match-up most of us should want. You know, for the plot.

But then we’d be deprived of the tantalizing prospect of England-Argentina.

Yes, we’re getting ahead of ourselves, but it’s almost impossible not to.

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Friday, Jul. 10, 2026

Soccer

NSL PHOTO
Ottawa Rapid goalkeeper Melissa Dagenais punches the ball away during NSL action.

Around the NSL: Rapid on top; Battle for second; Week 11 kicks off Saturday

Grace Anne Paizen 3 minute read Preview

Around the NSL: Rapid on top; Battle for second; Week 11 kicks off Saturday

Grace Anne Paizen 3 minute read Friday, Jul. 3, 2026

IT’S footy mayhem in this country at the moment.

Between covering the relentless men’s FIFA World Cup schedule and making time to watch the Northern Super League, yours truly has had a whirlwind three weeks (with 16 more days to go).

This edition is brief, but here are storylines from the week that was around the NSL.

Highlight of the week

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Friday, Jul. 3, 2026

Soccer

ASHLEY LANDIS / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Two very different clubs will hit the pitch Saturday since the last time the two sides met at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Jonathan Osorio is one of the players for the Canadian side who started the match three-and-a-half years ago.

Canada gets its chance ‘to go after a giant’

Jerrad Peters 5 minute read Preview

Canada gets its chance ‘to go after a giant’

Jerrad Peters 5 minute read Friday, Jul. 3, 2026

A very different Canada will take on Morocco in today’s World Cup rematch (12 p.m., TSN & CTV). Different in personnel; different in preparation. And very, very different in what it expects of itself.

Three-and-a-half years ago, the Canadian men’s soccer team wrapped up its group stage campaign with a 2-1 loss to the Moroccans in Qatar. Having already been beaten by Belgium and Croatia, it caught the next flight home. The Atlas Lions, meanwhile, roared into the semifinals.

Now, three-and-a-half years might not seem all that long, but when Canada takes the pitch just prior to noon in Houston its lineup will include two, possibly three players — tops — who started that game at Al Thumama Stadium.

Goalkeeper Milan Borjan has since retired from the national team, and defender Steven Vitória is assistant manager of Indonesia.

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Friday, Jul. 3, 2026

Soccer

NSL PHOTO
Vancouver Rise’s Morgan McAslan makes a save on Thursday against the Halifax Tides.

Around the NSL: Goalie clinics; first career goals; Wild have life

Grace Anne Paizen 4 minute read Preview

Around the NSL: Goalie clinics; first career goals; Wild have life

Grace Anne Paizen 4 minute read Friday, Jun. 26, 2026

Is there such a thing as an exciting draw? Yes. Did it happen three times this past week in the Northern Super League? Absolutely.

An early Week 9 kicked off in Halifax last Thursday in the first of three goalie clinics that led to three 1-1 draws by Sunday evening.

While the draws meant there was no movement in the Week 9 standings, it was a promising week for all six clubs around the league.

Here’s another look back at the week that was around the NSL.

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Friday, Jun. 26, 2026

SUPPLIED
Steve Bradley with a nice late season muskellunge. Species of considerable length, like pike, muskies and large lake trout must be held horizontally across the front of the subject or seated and supported by the angler’s legs.

Fish handling tips for fishes’ welfare and better photos

Patrick Nolan 5 minute read Preview

Fish handling tips for fishes’ welfare and better photos

Patrick Nolan 5 minute read Friday, Jun. 26, 2026

Most of us who spend any appreciable time fishing have encountered those special moments when we want to capture a photograph of the catch that has just made it into the boat.

Numerous circumstances might be driving our desire to get that photo: a neophyte’s first fish, an exceptional catch, the so called “fish of a lifetime,” or any number of other factors that really can be determined only by the angler and the photographer.

Regrettably, many of us have also experienced varying levels of satisfaction with the images captured after we have released the fish to swim free, leaving the angler wishing for more, at which time it’s too late.

The good news is that with a little bit of forethought and planning, we can consistently take great photos of the fish we catch — with the fishes’ welfare of utmost interest, of course.

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Friday, Jun. 26, 2026

Opinion

ETHAN CAIRNS / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Just eight of the World Cup’s 48 teams entirely native-born. From left: Brampton’s Promise David, Nigerian-born, Mississauga product Tani Oluwaseyi, Toronto product Ali Ahmed and Langley, B.C., product Joel Waterman practise at Team Canada’s Friday camp.

World Cup a mosaic of the human experience

Jerrad Peters 5 minute read Preview

World Cup a mosaic of the human experience

Jerrad Peters 5 minute read Friday, Jun. 26, 2026

On June 13, the third day of the ongoing World Cup, Morocco played more than a quarter of its Group C match against Brazil without a single Moroccan-born footballer on the pitch.

Instead, the starting eleven deployed by manager Mohamed Ouahbi between the 64th and 89th minutes included players from Belgium, France, Spain, the Netherlands and Canada. (Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was born in Montreal.) Ouahbi, himself, hails from metropolitan Brussels.

According to the BBC, nearly 25 per cent of the players at this tournament were born in countries other than the ones they’re representing.

One of the more prominent examples of this experience is Luca Zidane.

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Friday, Jun. 26, 2026

Sports

Cassidy Dankochik / THE CARILLON FILES
Regina Pats forward Zach Lansard is ranked 70th on the NHL Central Scouting’s list of the top North American skaters.

All signs point to Ste. Anne’s Lansard being selected in second round of NHL draft

Cassidy Dankochik 6 minute read Preview

All signs point to Ste. Anne’s Lansard being selected in second round of NHL draft

Cassidy Dankochik 6 minute read Thursday, Jun. 25, 2026

A dream years in the making could come true Saturday, as Zach Lansard appears on pace to be selected during the 2026 NHL entry draft.

The Ste. Anne-born forward plays with the Regina Pats in the Western Hockey League. He had 56 points in 68 regular season games and even helped Regina steal a game in the playoffs against a heavily favoured Medicine Hat team. The Pats were eliminated April 4, leaving a tough wait for Lansard and his family between the end of the season and this week’s NHL draft.

“Obviously, I’m really excited,” Lansard told The Carillon during a phone interview a week before the draft.

“I feel like I had a very successful year this year, and it’s looking good for me to get my name called. These last few months have been a long wait but it’s a very exciting pressure to have.”

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Thursday, Jun. 25, 2026