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All the buzz about leaner Lowry as Toronto Raptors prepare to open camp

TORONTO — Eyes turned and followed Kyle Lowry when he strode into the Air Canada Centre practice gym on Monday. Who's the skinny guy in Lowry's jersey, someone joked.

The Toronto Raptors' traditional season-opening media day had an air of newness. But nothing was as remarkable as the new and improved Lowry, who had teammates and media alike marvelling at his off-season metamorphosis.

"I see him in the locker-room the other day. And I'm like 'Man, I've never seen this before. You've always been this short, chunky, bulldog-fat kid that I've known since my first year in the NBA,'" Patrick Patterson recounted, prompting laughter from reporters. "I'm like 'Seeing you like this, it's like the evil twin brother or something. I don't know.'

"It's just weird but I'm happy for him. He looks great. Talking to him, he said he feels great so I'm proud of him."

The Raptors point guard is coming off a roller-coaster season that saw him earn NBA all-star honours then struggle down the stretch. The Raptors set a franchise record with 49 wins, and won the Atlantic Division title. But they were swept by the Washington Wizards in the opening round of the playoffs.

Lowry went into the off-season vowing to turn things around. His body was a big part of that. 

"Sometimes you get older, you've got to change your body a little bit. And I'm not a young pup no more, but it's just about the future for me, it's about being healthy," Lowry said.

The 29-year-old, who's listed at six foot one and 196 pounds, hired a nutritionist, and said he changed the way he ate. He wouldn't say how much weight he'd lost, but it was a couple of belt loops at least.

"None of my pants fit, I can tell you that much. Dead serious," he said.

The change was clear in his lean face, cut arms and narrow waist. 

"I feel faster, I feel a lot lighter, I feel quicker, I feel sharper. I still feel strong because when I go in the weight room, I still move the same weight I've always moved," he said — then added to a reporter: "I can still bench press you."

His wife is a fan.

"It's nice having abs, I can walk around with my shirt off, my wife's like 'wow.' She likes me," he said, laughing.

Lowry averaged 17.8 points a night last season, his best games coming before February's all-star game. His playoff numbers told the tale of his disappointing second half of the season: 12.3 points a game, down from 21.1 a year earlier.

Raptors coach Dwane Casey believes Lowry's fitness will help him sustain a high level of play throughout the season, and applauded his hard work.

"Believe me, Kyle put his nose to the grind and did that all himself. He's the one who had his own trainer. He had his own regimen that he went through this summer that most of our guys probably couldn't make it through," Casey said. "He ran the hills in Vegas, he did a lot of stuff that he did on his own.

"And my hat is off to him for doing that because he could've relaxed and took the summer off but he didn't. He knew what he had to do and he did it."

Like Patterson, DeMar DeRozan first learned of Lowry's transformation via a photo posted on Instagram.

"It was a shock, it was a shock to everybody, it was a shock to me so I made him come see me in L.A. to make sure it's real," DeRozan said. "That's big. That takes a lot of discipline, when you play at a certain size your whole career in the league, to be able to drop that much weight. When he came to see me in L.A. I didn't believe it when I seen him. But he did it.

"I think he's trying to be more athletic, trying to play above the rim or something. . . he's a lot quicker, a lot more aerodynamic," he added, with a devilish grin. 

The sting of last season's ugly ending lingered for a while for DeRozan and Lowry, but the two said the best thing to do was learn from it and move on.

"Nobody wanted to go out like that, especially with how we started off the season and expectations everybody had for us," DeRozan said.

Raptors GM Masai Ujiri certainly didn't want the team to go out like that, and thus made several off-season changes.

Among the new faces in camp, which opens Tuesday in Vancouver: forwards DeMarre Carroll and Luis Scola, and Canadians Cory Joseph and Anthony Bennett.

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Follow Lori Ewing on Twitter @Ewingsports 

 

Lori Ewing, The Canadian Press

Parents call death of three kids in car crash ‘worst nightmare’

VAUGHAN, Ont. — The parents of three young children who died in a crash involving an alleged drunk driver north of Toronto said Monday they are in shock and called it their "worst nightmare."

The children's mother, Jennifer Neville-Lake, who also lost her father in the crash, told Toronto television station CP24 the news hasn't fully sunk in yet.

"It's like the worst nightmare, as a daughter, as a parent, to have to go through and just know it was caused by someone's stupidity... It just kills me," she said.

Daniel Neville-Lake, 9, his brother Harrison, 5, and sister Milly, 2, died after the crash that took place Sunday afternoon in Vaughan, Ont.

Jennifer Neville-Lake said her father often took care of the children because she and her husband both work full time.

Daniel was devoted to dance, having taken ballet for several years, and went to Cubs meetings every week, his mother said. He loved to play strategy games, she said.

Harrison — nicknamed Harry — was a bilateral hand amputee and was often sick, Jennifer Neville-Lake said. He also had a developmental delay, she said.

"Harry was just so happy. He loved beauty, loved to dance, loved long flowing hair and dresses and pink and My Little Pony," she said.

Milly, she said, was "feisty" and loved to play outside.

The two youngest siblings died together in hospital, holding hands, as their grandmother — who was driving the van and suffered serious injuries — sang to them over the phone, Neville-Lake said.

"She didn't know that my dad had died," she said. "She was driving and was pinned in the car and was screaming the kids' names and she couldn't...there was no answer.

"At first she thought it was her hearing but it wasn't until I called her from Sick Kids and I said, 'Mommy the babies are dying, I need you to sing to them please,' so she did, she sang to each of them, and then she found out about my dad." 

Police said all were travelling in the same vehicle when their car was struck by another car. Fire officials said they were T-boned by the other car. A third vehicle was also involved in the crash but its two occupants were not injured.

A 29-year-old man was charged with a dozen impaired-driving offences and appeared briefly in court Monday. Marco Muzzo of King Township, Ont., also faces six charges related to the dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

He is due in court for a bail hearing Friday. Crown attorney Brian McCallion said he will be contesting Muzzo's release.

Muzzo's lawyer Rudi Covre would only say that his client is struggling.

"I'm sure you can appreciate that this is a very tough time for him," he said outside the courthouse after the hearing.

"It's a difficult period in his life right now. We're going to have to get through it."

The two boys were students at St. Joachim Elementary School in Brampton, Ont. — Daniel was in Grade 4 and Harrison in senior kindergarten, according to the school board.

Grief counsellors are at the Catholic school and Tuesday's mass will be dedicated to the siblings, spokesman Bruce Campbell said. A memory table has also been set up in the foyer for students to share their feelings and recollections, he said.

"It's obviously a shock," he said.

Meanwhile, hundreds of people moved by the tragedy sought to help the family by donating to an online fundraiser in their name. By mid-afternoon Monday, more than $60,000 had been raised through the GoFundMe campaign.

Many expressed their condolences on the site.

"Such a sad story. I taught one of the boys a few years back in daycare and can't imagine this happening to such a wonderful, loving family," one woman wrote.

"I pray that this family can deal with this most horrific event. The loss of your father and all three of your children is absolutely heart-wrenching. My condolences xo," said another.

MADD Canada said there are somewhere between 1,250 and 1,500 deaths related to impaired driving in Canada each year. Andrew Murie, the organization's CEO, said both the federal and provincial governments need to increase penalties for impaired drivers.

The Canadian Press

New Raptors like the city but not the traffic gridlock that comes with it

Toronto's restaurants are already getting a thumbs-up from new Toronto Raptor DeMarre Carroll. But the city's traffic is definitely a downer.

"There's a lot of good food," the six-foot-eight 215-pound Carroll said Monday at the Raptors' media day. "I'm an Italian (food) guy myself, so I've been in a lot of restaurants.

"The people here are nice. Wherever I go, people say 'Hey, DeMarre.' So it's kind of cool, man, to have this many fans, have this many people who recognize you and understand what you did, and how much they love you."

Carroll joins the Raptors from Atlanta after stints with Memphis, Houston, Denver and Utah.

Argentine veteran Luis Scola, who had previous NBA stops in Houston, Phoenix and Indiana, also spoke highly of his new home.

"I think the city is amazing," he said. "I thought the city was amazing before I got here and I'm actually even more impressed with the city. I think it's probably the best city in the NBA to play (on).

"It has some challenges — the winter obviously, the traffic obviously — but those are challenges you have in all the cities of the north. And those are challenges you have in any big city. And I'm from Buenos Aires so I've dealt with traffic since I was born. So it doesn't really bother me that much.

"So I'm happy to be here. I believe it's going to be a great outside basketball experience for me and my family, especially for my family. They have a chance to live in another country and get to know another culture and get to know another city."

Rookie Delon Wright has also noticed the city gridlock.

"I like it so far, besides the traffic," said the 23-year-old guard from the University of Utah. "It's be better if I walk but I have a car now. But I like the city, I love it."

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Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press

Senior boys volleyball team off to good start

Senators sign local defenceman Fraser to a one-year, two-way contract

OTTAWA — The Ottawa Senators have signed defenceman Mark Fraser to a one-year, two-way contract.

The deal will carry an annual value of $800,000 in the National Hockey League and $125,000 in the American Hockey League.

Fraser, 28, spent time with both the New Jersey Devils and the AHL's Albany Devils last season, recording four assists and 55 penalty minutes over 34 games with New Jersey. The Ottawa native registered three points (one goal) and 45 penalty minutes in 18 games with Albany.

Fraser will add depth to the blue line after the Senators suspended young defenceman Mikael Wikstrand for leaving training camp and returning to Sweden.

Originally drafted by New Jersey with their third-round pick (84th overall) in the 2005 NHL Draft, Fraser has played in 219 career NHL games with the Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers.

Fraser appeared in two pre-season games with Toronto on a professional tryout before being cut.

The Canadian Press

Photos appear to show cut-down trees housing Bald Eagle nest near Site C

Brad Fast named director of hockey operations at Michigan State

Chilliwack officer, formerly of Chetwynd, honoured with National Award from MADD

Court adjourned to October for accused in Taylor death

Canadian women’s volleyball team off to good start at NORCECA championship

Provincial politicians back at legislature today

UBCM convention supportive of Site C opponents

Shannon Miller, 2 other former UMD coaches to talk about discrimination allegations

DULUTH, Minn. — Former Canadian women's hockey team coach Shannon Miller and two other former University of Minnesota Duluth female coaches are planning a news conference to talk about possible legal action relating to discrimination.

Miller has alleged discrimination based on her gender and sexual orientation. After leading the Bulldogs to five NCAA national championships, the university cited a budget deficit when it informed her in December that her contract would not be renewed.

Jen Banford was also released as the team's director of hockey operations. She was offered a one-year contract to remain women's softball coach, but declined. Head women's basketball coach Annette Wiles resigned in June after seven seasons, citing an unhealthy work environment.

The university released a statement from Chancellor Lendley Black which says it has done an internal review of complaints raised and it disputes broad claims of discrimination.

Miller coached Canada to a gold medal at the 1997 IIHF World Women's Championship and silver at the 1998 Nagano Olympics.

The Associated Press

North West Junior Hockey League begins regular season

Eighteen soccer players take in goalie camp

NHL PREVIEW: Price makes Canadiens best hope to end Canada’s Stanley Cup drought

TORONTO — With individual accolades all around him at the NHL Awards in Las Vegas, Carey Price's mind was still on the Stanley Cup that had eluded him and his teammates.

"I'd trade all four of these in for that one," the star Montreal Canadiens goaltender said. "We have a lot of very good parts in Montreal and a very good hockey team. We're gaining experience and I'm very, very happy and very excited about our future."

Price is the biggest reason to be excited about the Canadiens' present and future. The reigning Hart and Vezina Trophy-winner is only one player, but his presence makes Montreal the most likely team to end Canada's Cup drought that currently sits at 21 seasons.

Oddsmakers give eight NHL teams better odds than the Habs (18-1), but they have the most realistic shot of any Canadian-based team. The Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets are 28-1, the Edmonton Oilers 33-1, Ottawa Senators 40-1, Vancouver Canucks 66-1 and Toronto Maple Leafs 100-1, according to the online sportsbook Bodog.ca.

If the Habs are going to lift the Cup for the first time since 1993, they'll need to do more to support a goaltender who is playing at the level of two-time Conn Smythe Trophy-winner Patrick Roy. Price led the league with 44 wins, a 1.96 goals-against average and .933 save percentage, but skaters have to score more and be better, too.

"We're fortunate to have him, and obviously as players we want to help him out a little bit more than we did last year," centre Tomas Plekanec said. "A big part was Pricey, which is one thing that obviously we want to get better at and play better in front of him."

The Habs will have defenceman Jeff Petry for an entire season and should be better by having him on the second pairing behind one of hockey's most dynamic players in P.K. Subban. They also have a captain for the first time since Brian Gionta left in the summer of 2014, giving left-winger Max Pacioretty the honour. Talented forward Alex Galchenyuk moves to centre in the hopes of sparking his career.

For all the minor changes in Montreal, Price is the constant. And what a constant to have.

"My expectations for him are no different from what they've been since I started playing on this team and that's to remain and be one of the best goaltenders in the world," Subban said. "He proved that he could be that last year. He'll have to continue to prove that for our team to win a Stanley Cup."

Immediate Stanley Cup aspirations are hard to find elsewhere across Canada, though the Flames have real expectations on them this season after a surprise run to the playoffs ahead of schedule. With the addition of defenceman Dougie Hamilton, the return of captain Mark Giordano and the maturation of Sean Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Bennett, there's reason to believe the Flames are a legitimate playoff contender.

"On paper today, if you look at our roster, we do look like a deeper, better team than last year, but we have to, as players, bring that now and prove it on the ice," Giordano said.

On paper, the Jets aren't quite as formidable as they were in making their first playoff appearance since returning to Winnipeg. Gone are forwards Michael Frolik and Jim Slater and deadline pickups Lee Stempniak and Jiri Tlusty, and there will be an infusion of youth into the Jets' lineup.

The Jets were banged up beyond recognition when they were swept in the first round by the Anaheim Ducks. A healthy under coach Paul Maurice could provide better results this season, much like how the Tampa Bay Lightning rebounded following their 2014 first-round sweep.

"I guess I do feel more encouraged by it that you realize we're not that far off," said defenceman Jacob Trouba, who played with a broken bone in his left hand.

Adding phenom Connor McDavid, coach Todd McLellan, goaltender Cam Talbot and defenceman Andrej Sekera should make the Oilers substantially better. Centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said the Oilers are still young but trending away from that label, and new general manager Peter Chiarelli has certain expectations for improvement, even if he's not willing to share.

"What I can tell you is I believe the margins are very, very thin on making the playoffs," Chiarelli said. "There's a lot of new faces. I've got to see it."

There may not be much to see in Vancouver and Toronto come April, even after the Canucks made the playoffs in their first season under coach Willie Desjardins. Vancouver is a team in "transition," according to GM Jim Benning, while the Leafs hope they're on the way back up — eventually — with Mike Babcock behind the bench.

In Ottawa, the expectation is still the playoffs. But the Senators know they can't wait until mid-season to make a miraculous run like they did a year ago, thanks in large part to goaltender Andrew Hammond.

"What we did is one in a million," captain Erik Karlsson said. "I don't know if we could do it again."

With files from Lauren La Rose in Toronto and Donna Spencer in Calgary.

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Follow @SWhyno on Twitter

Stephen Whyno, The Canadian Press

Baseball-softball, karate, surfing, skateboarding and climbing proposed for Tokyo Olympics

TOKYO — Baseball and softball were joined by youth-oriented sports such as surfing and skateboarding as Japanese organizers on Monday recommended five additional sports with 18 events for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Karate and sports climbing were also on the list proposed by the Tokyo organizing committee. Bowling, squash and wushu failed to make the cut from among eight finalists.

The recommendation will be submitted to the International Olympic Committee, which will make a final decision in Rio de Janeiro in August 2016.

Under the "Olympic Agenda 2020" program adopted by the IOC last December, host cities are allowed to propose one or more additional sports for their games. That's on top of the 28 sports already on the program.

Tokyo had been generally expected to nominate one or two. By choosing five sports, organizers made sure to include those important to Japan — baseball and karate — as well as meet the IOC's call that additional sports have a strong youth appeal.

"It was quite a difficult task," said Toshiyuki Akiyama, vice governor of Tokyo and a member of the additional event program panel. "Baseball, softball and karate were proposed and supported by the Tokyo metropolitan assembly. As for skateboarding, sports climbing, surfing, the key word is youth."

The proposed events would add 474 athletes to the games, a total that fits within the cap of 500 additional athletes set by the IOC.

To stay within the limits, the Tokyo committee cut baseball to six teams from eight, and limited sports such as surfing to two events, shortboard for men and women.

"We know younger people tend to stay indoors nowadays, and we believe we included events that will drive people outside," said Tomiaki Fukuda, the president of the Japan Wrestling Federation. "It will create a new image for the Olympic Games."

Fujio Mitarai, the honorary president of the organizing committee, noted that skateboarding is an urban sport, fitting for a metropolis like Tokyo.

The recommendations were welcomed by the IOC, which has not said how many sports it would add, if any.

"This is another concrete step forward in the implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020, showing a new, fresh and very exciting approach to the Olympic program," IOC spokesman Mark Adams said. "The proposal ... reflects ... a particular appeal to youth."

Twenty-six sports had originally applied for consideration. The eight sports made a short list that was announced in June.

Baseball and softball have been out of the Olympics since the 2008 Beijing Games, and their proposed inclusion as a joint bid had been considered a virtual certainty because of the high popularity of those sports in Japan.

"We've reached second base," World Baseball Softball Confederation president Riccardo Fraccari told The Associated Press in Italy. "Now we've got to wait until Rio to get home."

Under Tokyo's recommendations, the men's baseball tournament would consist of six teams and 144 total players, while the women's softball competition would have six teams and 90 players.

Fraccari had proposed an eight-team baseball tournament with two groups of four teams each playing over five days.

"With six teams we need to analyze what type of format we can arrange," Fraccari said. "We have to rearrange everything and see what we can propose."

There are still no assurances that U.S. major league players would take part.

"We're in discussions and we have a great relationship with MLB," Fraccari said. "We have plenty of time to discuss before 2020."

Karate would have eight men's and women's Kumite and Kata events and a total of 80 athletes; skateboarding proposes two street and two park events for 80 athletes; sports climbing has two events in bouldering, lead and speed combined for 40 athletes; and surfing would have two shortboard events for 40 competitors.

International Surfing Association president Fernando Aguerre called the announcement "an extraordinary moment for our sport."

"Surfing embodies a cool, playful lifestyle that would add a completely new element to the program," he said.

For squash, meanwhile, it marked the sport's latest in a series of rejections for Olympic inclusion over the past 12 years.

"I am utterly devastated ... that our dream of taking part in the Tokyo Games cannot now be realized," World Squash Federation president N. Ramachandran, adding that he would continue to push for inclusion in future Olympics.

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AP Sports Writer Andrew Dampf in Rome contributed to this report.

Ken Moritsugu, The Associated Press

Sepp Blatter back at work at FIFA HQ amid Swiss probe, due to address staff at meeting

ZURICH — Sepp Blatter is back at work at FIFA headquarters, three days after being interrogated there by Swiss investigators, and is due to address staff at the scandal-battered governing body later on Monday.

The FIFA president is scheduled to speak at a staff meeting, which is being characterized as a regular gathering that takes place at least once a month rather than the stage for a sudden announcement.

Blatter is awaiting a possible announcement from the FIFA ethics committee on whether he will be suspended as a result of the Swiss investigation into possible criminal mismanagement and misappropriation of FIFA money.

Blatter adviser Klaus Stoehlker told The Associated Press about the staff meeting, which is planned for 4 p.m. local time. Blatter is due to hand over power after February's election.

Rob Harris, The Associated Press

Raptors officially announce signing of Canadian forward Anthony Bennett

TORONTO — The Toronto Raptors have officially announced the signing of Canadian forward Anthony Bennett.

Bennett had said on Twitter that he signed with the team, but the deal wasn't made official until Monday.

The Brampton, Ont., forward reportedly signed a one-year, league-minimum deal.

Bennett had a rough two seasons in the NBA since he was the surprise No. 1 overall pick drafted by Cleveland in 2013.

He battled injuries in both his rookie season with the Cavaliers, and second season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he landed along with fellow Canadian Andrew Wiggins in the Kevin Love deal.

Bennett averaged 5.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 57 games for the Timberwolves last season.

He fellow Canadian Cory Joseph on the Raptors.

The Canadian Press