NO WNBA TEAM FOR T.O.

Basketball fans hoping for a Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) team in Toronto will have to put their dreams on hold. According to reports, Maple Leaf and Sports Entertainment (MLSE) pulled its bid for a Toronto-based WNBA expansion team amid varying levels of interest in a team among senior leadership. Given the costs and facility requirements associated with starting a WNBA team, MLSE’s cold feet may have shut the door on the WNBA in Toronto for the foreseeable future.

PWHL Toronto Takes Shape

After signing Sarah Nurse (Forward), Blayre Turnbull (F) and Renata Fast (Defence) during free agency, the Toronto Professional Women’s Hockey League (PHWL) team has added Maggie Connors (F), Rebecca Leslie (F), and Emma Maltais (F). While there are still more pieces to be added to this puzzle, PWHL Toronto general manager, Gina Kingsbury, appears to be putting together a serious contender. The six team, 24-game inaugural PWHL season begins in January 2024.

Dark Days for Darko?

On one hand, the Raptors have shown incredible signs of promise: Scottie Barnes is playing his best basketball to date, team chemistry appears to be high, and O.G. Anunoby’s defense is as stout as ever. On the other hand, the Raptors continue to turnover the ball and miss three pointers, making them one of the worst offensive teams in the league.

While most teams in the Eastern Conference made notable improvements to their rosters during the offseason, the Raptors opted to bring back most of its core team from last year. New head coach, Darko Rajaković, has some big challenges ahead of him if the Raptors are going to make a splash this year.

The Path to CONCACAF

On Nov. 21, the Canadian men’s national soccer team will face the Jamaican men’s national team at BMO Field. The match will be the second in a two-game head-to-head series (the first being in Jamaica on Nov. 17) and offers the winner a place in the CONCACAF Nations League finals next March. After a disappointing first-round exit in the 2022 FIFA World Cup and a 4-1 loss to Team Japan in October, the 44th-ranked Canadian team is looking to get its groove back against the 56th-ranked Jamaican team.

Will Leafs Withstand Defensive Woes?

The Toronto Maple Leafs started the season okay. Not great, not terrible. High-priced forwards like Auston Matthews, captain John Tavares and (lesser-paid) William Nylander are producing. Frustratingly for fans, that’s been more true on the road than at home. But there has been a lack of fight in the team. The defence is scarily thin and the penalty-kill is looking particularly bad. Even still, if their goal-scoring stays consistent, they have a decent chance of making the playoffs again.

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NBA

2023 #1 draft pick Victor Wembanyama is exceeding the high expectations that awaited him in the league. After only a handful of games, commentators and players alike agree the 19-year-old, seven-foot-four forward is a generational talent.

UFC

Heavyweight champion Jon Jones tore his left pectoral muscle in training and will be unable to fight for the foreseeable future. Given Jones’ age, some believe the injury may spell the end of his career.

NFL

While the Kansas City Chiefs are once again favourites to win the Superbowl, the Detroit Lions (who are typically terrible) have put together an excellent team this year that, along with a few other teams, poses a serious threat to Kansas City.

MLB

The Texas Rangers won the 2023 World Series after beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-1 in a best-of-seven series. The win marks the Rangers' first ever World Series title.

HOCKEY

The death of Adam Johnson, who previously played 13 games in the NHL, rocked the hockey world in October. Johnson died after being cut in the neck by a skate during a pro game in England. Many are now calling for mandatory neck guards at all levels of hockey. Some men’s leagues below the NHL have already made the move.

SPORTS.