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Steelhead LNG announced it has signed an agreement with Höegh LNG, for that company and Bechtel to perform the pre-front end engineering and design (pre-FEED) work for its proposed Malahat LNG project. The Malahat LNG project consists of floating natural gas liquefaction and export facilities located on the shoreline of Malahat Nation-owned land, south of […]
BROSSARD, Que. — When the Montreal Canadiens announced that Alex Galchenyuk will play centre this season, most assumed David Desharnais would be the one moved to left wing.
Not so. It was Lars Eller, the team's dependable third line pivot who has been a centre for nearly all his five seasons in Montreal, who was bumped to the wing on what coach Michel Therrien hopes will be a strong second line with Galchenyuk and new right-winger Alex Semin.
For the 26-year-old Dane, it must have felt like a promotion and a setback at the same time.
"I'm not going to go into what my feelings were at the time," Eller said Thursday. "All I'm going to say is I'm excited to be in this position and I think it can be really good.
"I've played wing before. The majority of time I've played centre but it's not unfamiliar territory for me."
The line that has been lighting it up in training camp scrimmages was scheduled to see its first pre-season action Thursday night against Washington.
The move makes sense all around and, if it works, the Canadiens may end up with a second consistent scoring threat behind the top unit of wingers Max Pacioretty and Brendan Gallagher, with either with veteran Tomas Plekanec or Desharnais.
The Canadiens feel they are getting close to Stanley Cup contention with Hart and Vezina trophy winner Carey Price in goal and a solid defence led by P.K. Subban, Andrei Markov and Jeff Petry.
A weak spot was the attack, where they were 20th in the 30-team NHL in goals scored with 214 and 23rd on the power play at 16.5 per cent last season.
They addressed the power play by putting assistant coach Jean-Jacques Daigneault in charge, with help from new consultant Craig Ramsay, and moving Dan Lacroix to handle penalty killing.
Boosting the attack meant Galchenyuk moving to centre after spending most of his three NHL campaigns on left wing. The 21-year-old drafted third overall in 2012 has the skills to be a top point producer, and now he's been put in the hotseat as centre of one of the top two lines.
"Each day I'm learning the position more," he said. "I'm really focused on it and I'm really enjoying it."
The Canadiens signed Semin to a one-year contract worth US$1.1 million in hope he can rediscover the touch he used to produce 40 goals and 84 points with Washington in 2009-10. The 31-year-old had an awful 2014-15 season with Carolina, scoring just six goals in 57 games, although he was coming off wrist surgery.
"He brings so much skill and he's so dangerous in the offensive zone," said Galchenyuk. "We're trying to make room for him because he'll make sure he's open and ready for the shot.
"We all have skill and we're pretty good skaters, but we still have to go out and compete and not just rely on our skill. Still, it's a pretty exciting line."
All three were first-round draft picks, with Eller going 13th overall to St. Louis in 2007 and Semin 13th overall to the Capitals in 2002.
Eller has never scored more than 16 goals in a season, but he is strong in the corners and on the defensive side. He can also move back to centre should Galchenyuk falter.
"We can all pass and we can all finish," Eller said. "We're all three good skaters. Semin has shown in the past he can shoot. One of his strongest assets is his ability to finish and to do unexpected things that few players can."
Bill Beacon, The Canadian Press
CALGARY — An oilsands environmental monitoring group has voted not to disband despite having no secure source of revenue next year.
The Fort McMurray, Alta.,-based Cumulative Environmental Management Association learned this past summer that the province would make industry funding of the group optional next year.
The organization relies on industry funding for almost all of its $5-million budget.
CEMA spokeswoman Carol Christian confirmed the vote to dissolve was defeated, but she declined to release the voting results citing confidentiality rules.
In recent years industry has argued against funding the group, saying other initiatives like the Joint Oil Sands Monitoring program and the Canadian Oil Sands Innovation Alliance fulfil a similar role.
CEMA has argued it is the only independent monitoring group and better represents aboriginal stakeholders.
The Canadian Press
SAINT-JEROME, Que. — Jurors at Guy Turcotte's first-degree murder trial have been shown two knives that were found near where his two slain children were discovered.
The former cardiologist is charged in the deaths of Olivier, 5, and Anne-Sophie, 3, in a residence north of Montreal in February 2009.
He pleaded not guilty on Tuesday.
One of the knives displayed today by Quebec provincial police investigator Sylvain Harvey was found underneath Olivier, while the other was located on the side of a bathtub in a bathroom adjacent to Turcotte's bedroom.
He testified that both children were in their beds and covered in wounds to the stomach and abdomen.
The Crown has said it intends to prove that Olivier was stabbed 27 times and Anne-Sophie 19 times.
Quebec Superior Court Justice Andre Vincent has ordered that witnesses not be allowed in the courtroom before they testify. They will after they have taken the stand.
The Crown has said the children's mother, Isabelle Gaston, will testify early in the trial.
The Canadian Press
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A group of media outlets is asking a Florida judge to make records in the Hulk Hogan sex video case public.
Hogan, a former WWE wrestler whose real name is Terry Bollea, is suing the news
Gawker and its owner, Nick Denton, maintain that the New York-based company had the right to publish the sex video of Hogan because the wrestler lost any expectation of privacy after making sexually explicit comments during media appearances. Hogan is suing for $100 million.
The trial is scheduled for March 2016 in Pinellas County Court in St. Petersburg.
The video was delivered to Gawker anonymously in 2012, and the FBI investigated the leak. Gawker filed a public records request in federal court for more information about the investigation, and the judge ordered it released. But when it was put into public record in the civil suit, the judge sealed the records.
Media companies, including the Associated Press, asked Thursday to open those records.
"It's highly unusual for this much secrecy to surround a civil proceeding," said Charles Tobin, a lawyer for Holland and Knight who is representing the media companies. "Ordinarily, whether it's a celebrity or an average citizen, once you ask the court to help solve a dispute you open the proceedings up to public review. What's going on in Hulk Hogan's case certainly is not the norm when it comes to public transparency of the courts."
Hogan, perhaps the biggest star in WWE's five-decade history, was the main draw for the first WrestleMania in 1985 and was a fixture for years in its signature event, facing everyone from Andre The Giant and Randy Savage to The Rock and even company chairman Vince McMahon.
He won six WWE championships and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.
But he was able to transcend his "Hulkamania" fan base to become a celebrity outside the wrestling world, appearing in numerous movies and television shows, including a reality show about his life on VH1, "Hogan Knows Best."
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Follow Tamara Lush on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tamaralush
Tamara Lush, The Associated Press
TORONTO — Justin Palardy is back in the CFL.
The Toronto Argonauts added the veteran kicker/punter to their practice roster Thursday.
The five-year veteran has spent time in the CFL with Hamilton, Winnipeg, Ottawa and Saskatchewan, making 114-of-139 career field goals (82 per cent).
Palardy also sports a 42.1-yard career punting average.
With veteran kicker/punter Swayze Waters (groin) injured, Toronto (6-5) is looking for options heading into a crucial game Saturday against the Ottawa Redblacks (7-4).
The Argos also have punter/kicker Michael Palardy — no relation to Justin — on their roster.
The Canadian Press
TORONTO — On the ice at the junior level, Mitch Marner is an electrifying talent who can put up points seemingly at will. Off the ice at his first NHL training camp with the Toronto Maple Leafs, he's far more subdued.
"When I came in here I was really shy," Marner said. "I didn't really know how to talk to anyone. You're kind of scared to talk to the older guys, the vets."
So one of those older vets took it upon himself to make a connection to Marner. On the Leafs' flight to Halifax at the start of camp, captain Dion Phaneuf invited Marner to sit next to him and spent more than an hour talking to the 18-year-old about his family, his draft experience and his time with the OHL's London Knights.
"For him to come up right away and introduce himself to me was kind of special," Marner said. "He said he's always going to be there for me and help me out whenever I need it. It's special having that kind of bond with a captain of an NHL team."
Phaneuf is often maligned for his leadership style, but new coach Mike Babcock spelled out in no uncertain terms that even though he's an easy target, the 30-year-old was his captain.
"I think he's got great intentions," Babcock said. "He's our leader right now and we can really help him with the leadership side of things and we'll help him be the best he can be just like everyone else."
Reaching out to Marner was a peek into Phaneuf's behind-the-scenes approach with teammates that fans don't ever get to see and rarely hear about.
"I've been in his shoes, and that's why I do it," Phaneuf said. "I know coming into camp at a young age, it can be intimidating. ... For a new guy coming into his first camp, there could be some nerves. I just wanted to get to know him a little bit better, and I did that."
Phaneuf, who's going into his sixth season wearing the "C" for Toronto, doesn't consider what he did for Marner anything special. He said he does it all the time.
"For me, it's nothing to do with being the captain," Phaneuf said. "It's about trying to welcome him into our group and make him feel as comfortable as possible to allow him to have a really good camp."
Marner has high expectations as the fourth pick in the draft, even though he'll likely go back to the Knights for at least another season. The Leafs want their top prospects to develop before they reach the NHL, and the six-foot, 170-pound Marner has some growing to do before he should be physically ready.
Mentally, Marner took a big step thanks to Phaneuf's gesture.
"It kind of opened my eyes that if I go back to junior that's the kind of leader I want to be, introducing guys around and kind of taking them under my wing," Marner said.
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Stephen Whyno, The Canadian Press
CALGARY — Employees at TransCanada were informed this week that more job cuts are coming as part of a major overhaul that includes shedding a fifth of senior leadership positions from the pipeline and energy company.
"Falling oil prices and the current environment are having a profound impact on our customers and we must do all we can to drive down costs and pursue our projects more efficiently and strategically," spokesman James Millar said in an emailed statement.
"We are now introducing significant changes that will make us a more nimble organization that will ensure each one of our three business units — natural gas pipelines, liquids pipelines and energy — are able to make the decisions necessary to maintain competitiveness and maximize shareholder value."
TransCanada's growth plan includes $46 billion in commercially secured projects that are set to be complete by the end of the decade.
Millar said about 20 per cent of senior leadership positions are expected to be cut when layoffs and retirements are taken into account.
After that, TransCanada will continue to analyze its organizational structure. It's not clear yet how many of TransCanada's 6,000 employees may ultimately lose their jobs.
TransCanada eliminated 185 positions from its major projects division in June, the first phase of a process that's expected to wrap up in November.
Earlier this week, U.S. presidential contender Hillary Clinton came out against TransCanada's (TSX:TRP) proposed Keystone XL pipeline, a cross-border oilsands conduit that has been stuck in U.S. regulatory limbo for seven years.
Meanwhile, U.S. benchmark crude prices are hovering below US$45 a barrel — about half of what they were a year ago and below what many producers need to turn a profit.
The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers has estimated 35,000 jobs in the oil and gas industry have been shed so far this year.
Follow @LaurenKrugel on Twitter.
Lauren Krugel, The Canadian Press
ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — The professor involved in a controversy at Memorial University of Newfoundland says a hearing-impaired student who claims she failed to accommodate him has "selective amnesia."
In a statement released to local radio station VOCM, history professor Ranee Panjabi says William Sears rebuffed her offer to discuss alternatives to the FM transmitter.
She says a 1996 agreement with the school allowing her to refuse to wear the device on religious grounds is binding.
Panjabi says Sears "regretfully displayed flashes of selective amnesia" as he accused her in the media of refusing to accommodate him.
She says her reputation is damaged and she has been vilified, threatened and subjected to "a witch hunt and a three-ring circus."
Panjabi further blames the university's Blundon Centre for Students with Disabilities for not properly informing her of the need for accommodation before Sears arrived at her class Sept. 10.
Sears is pursuing a complaint with the Newfoundland and Labrador Human Rights Commission.
The university has apologized to Sears and says it's reviewing how its accommodation procedures failed.
The Canadian Press
TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays are in control of their own destiny in the American League East. They are the favourites to win the division title and are a virtual lock to make their first playoff appearance in 22 years.
Here are five things to watch as the regular season winds down:
PRICE POSITION
The Blue Jays acquired ace David Price at the trade deadline to handle big games — especially against the New York Yankees — over the playoff push in the second half. With an 8-1 record and 1.95 earned-run average since joining Toronto, he has come as advertised.
His next start is scheduled for Saturday against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays and he'll get another start next week in Baltimore.
If the Blue Jays fall into a wild-card position, Price could be used in the Oct. 6 game on five days rest. But it's much more likely they'll take the East title and start him in the American League Division Series opener on Oct. 8.
Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey will start against the Rays on Friday night and veteran southpaw Mark Buehrle will close out the homestand on Sunday.
EAST FEAST
It has been an American League East-heavy schedule for the first-place Blue Jays of late and they'll continue that trend for the remaining 10 games.
After the home schedule is completed Sunday against the Rays, it's on to Baltimore for four games before wrapping the campaign with three games at Tampa Bay.
The second-place Yankees, who enter play Thursday 3 1/2 games behind the Blue Jays, are home for four-game sets against the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox before closing their season with a three-game series in Baltimore.
REST EASIER
The 162-game regular season is a long one and any time off around this time of year is precious.
The Yankees have games scheduled every day until their finale Oct. 4. The Blue Jays, who have played one more game than New York, get a break before kicking off their last home series against Tampa Bay on Friday night.
"That's got to help us, everybody is gassed this time of year," said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons. "So much intensity too, that wears on them."
POWER PLAY
Toronto's offence has cooled a bit of late but the team should still finish first in several offensive categories this season.
The Blue Jays lead the major leagues in runs scored, home runs, slugging percentage and OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging). Toronto also has three players — Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion — who have reached the 35-homer and 100-RBI plateau.
It's only the second time in franchise history that three players have accomplished the feat in the same year.
The 1998 Blue Jays boasted a power trio that included Jose Canseco (46 homers, 107 RBIs), Carlos Delgado (38-115) and Shawn Green (35-100).
Donaldson leads the way this year with 39 homers and 120 RBIs. Bautista has 36 homers — one more than Encarnacion — and both have 105 RBIs.
ALDS PLANS
The Blue Jays have an idea of the rotation they'd like to use in the best-of-five ALDS, but they don't want to get too far ahead of themselves.
If they win the division, expect Price to work two games with Dickey and Marcus Stroman likely to get starts as well. If that happens, the Blue Jays would then have to decide whether to go with Marco Estrada or Buehrle for the remaining nod.
The ALDS is a best-of-five affair from Oct. 8-14. The American League Championship Series is set for Oct. 16-24 and the World Series — also a best-of-seven series — goes Oct. 27-Nov. 4.
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Follow @GregoryStrongCP on Twitter.
Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press
How much responsibility should a sports organization bear for athletes about to retire or who have retired? A lot, says Hayley Wickenheiser.
"I think it's a massive responsibility," the Canadian women's hockey star said.
The caretaking of athletes is a subject close to Wickenheiser's heart.
She wrote a passionate essay earlier this year about her friend Steve Montador. One of the issues the former NHL player struggled with before his death at age 35, wrote Wickenheiser, was the end of his hockey career and livelihood.
The cause of Montador's death has not been released but researchers said after examining his brain that he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.
Wickenheiser wrote the hockey community as a whole needed to do more for athletes at risk.
"For me, where this really hits home is with Steve Montador — the transition skills, thinking about a life after the game while you're in the game," the six-time Olympian said. "What I saw in Steve and some other athletes I've known through the years is they don't think about that until it's over and then there's this real gap and the floundering that exists there.
"It is really hard to see athletes retire and kind of flounder and not know where they're going to go."
Wickenheiser sees similar struggles in her community of Olympic athletes. Swimmers, lugers, speedskaters, paddlers and cross-country skiers also wrestle with the major life change of retirement. Most don't have the financial cushion of pro athletes.
It's difficult to leave the sport community in which you've spent half your life to enter a world for which you feel ill-prepared.
The Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee and the country's network of sport centres and institutes are launching a new program Thursday that "we believe from inception will be the world's first high-performance wellness and transition program," COC chief executive officer Chris Overholt said.
"Game Plan" covers five areas: career management, networking, education, skill development and health.
The program includes life skills services already offered by Canadian sport centres and institutes across the country, but is broader in scope and designed to be accessible to athletes no matter where they are geographically.
"It's going to tackle a lot of areas: employment, life after sport, the mental side," Wickenheiser said. "It allows you to reach out to people who may be able to help you along the way.
"I think Game Plan is probably on the leading edge of what's out there right now currently for any transition program for athletes."
The COC and CPC worked with the professional service firm Deloitte to develop Game Plan. That partnership has been extended until 2032.
National team athletes and athletes up to two years after their retirement date are eligible for the program.
Game Plan's genesis was Overholt's meeting with a group of Olympians in Calgary a few months after the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
"I heard some stories from the athletes involved that were a bit mind-blowing for me — the issues they faced in transition out of sport and some of the challenges that came with that, whether it be professional transition or some of the mental-health challenges that came alongside that transition," Overholt said.
Decorated swimmer Benoit Huot faces the end of his career with some trepidation. His fifth Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro next year will be his last.
"I would lie if I would say the transition between being an athlete and the after-athlete life wouldn't be a concern for me," the 31-year-old from Montreal said. "It's a stress because I've been an athlete for the last 20 years or so. It's the place I've felt the most confident.
"I'm still in a certain uncomfortable zone knowing that I don't exactly know what I will be doing or what will be my next role or objective after sport."
So what's in it for the COC and the CPC, in taking on responsibility for athletes preparing to walk out from under their umbrellas?
Overholt cites a study by former Olympic rower Dr. Kirsten Barnes, in which athletes said worrying about their lives post-sport compromised their performance while they were actually competing. Taking away that concern could help them win medals.
Also, sport is a profession where athletes remain the faces of their teams long after retirement. Helping them be happy retirees is a good business practice.
"We're never going to be able to say that we can look after every one of our athletes in and through their retirements," Overholt said.
"If you're asking me do I feel we have a moral duty of care? Do I feel like we have a responsibility to help them, to be the best they can be on and off the field of play while they're competing and in helping them with those things, that we can set them up for an easier transition and for success in life after sport? Absolutely."
Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press
