What happened to NHL teams when internal turmoil was resolved?
Written for Canucks Army
The Ugly: Erik Karlsson and Mike Hoffman (2018)
The Ottawa Senators entered the 2017–18 season fresh off a Cinderella run to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they suffered a heartbreaking Game 7 overtime loss to the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Led by superstar blueliner Erik Karlsson, the Senators hoped to carry the momentum of their unlikely run into the following season. Also crucial to the team’s success was Mike Hoffman, who had finished the previous season with a career-high 61 points, ranking second on the team in scoring behind Karlsson.
These allegations led to lawsuits, and by June of that year, Hoffman was traded to the San Jose Sharks. Just months later, Karlsson was also traded. Within a single calendar year, the Senators lost two of their biggest assets.
The Good: Evander Kane vs. Dustin Byfuglien (The Infamous Tracksuit Incident of 2015)
What happens when a young, immensely talented forward with maturity issues runs afoul of a veteran defenceman tired of his antics? You get a tracksuit floating in a hot tub, of course.
In 2015, this incident dominated the hockey press. While the public knew Byfuglien was frustrated with Kane’s behaviour, the details surrounding the infamous tracksuit incident remained sparse.
The Bad: Saku Koivu and Mike Ribeiro (2006)
Lessons for the Canucks
Rourke Re-Loading For 2025 Bounce Back
If you walk into the BC Lions’ practice facility, you’ll likely run into quarterback Nathan Rourke. The Leos’ signal-caller has been hard at work grinding away in the weight room, meticulously watching film and learning new head coach Buck Pierce’s offence. When Rourke’s not grinding way within the facility, you can find him on the field, perfecting his craft with trainer Rob Williams.
This return of stability and routine is something the quarterback hasn’t experienced since he left for the NFL in 2023. From the day he signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in January of that year to August of 2024, when his time down south came to an end in Atlanta, the signal caller’s life was a whirlwind, to say the least. Rourke was on four different rosters in a year and a half and wasn’t ever able to settle in.
“You’re literally just learning a new language wherever you go and that was difficult because I always felt like I was behind,” Rourke said.
“Being a leader at the quarterback position, you’re always trying to get to know your teammates and when you’re always the new guy, it’s hard when you walk into that situation.”
After navigating four changes of scenery, four new playbooks and four new sets of teammates while doing whatever he could to stay afloat and earn a roster spot in the NFL, Rourke decided to head back to the CFL last August. And it was indeed a whirlwind.
He was thrust into the starting role after less than a week of practice due to injuries to the team’s quarterback room. After not having many meaningful snaps in more than a year, Rourke didn’t play up to his lofty standards for himself.
“I certainly had higher expectations, probably thought that I could go in and just pick up where I left off, but I hadn’t played a ton of meaningful snaps in the time that I was gone,” he said.
“You’re humbled really quickly when you go down south and you bury yourself on the depth chart. I think it took me a minute to regain a little bit of my swagger, that kind of self-confidence in myself.”
When talking to Rourke, it’s apparent that he’s regained that lost swagger. He attributes a big part of his regained confidence to the Lions organization’s trust and belief in his abilities, something the 2022 Most Outstanding Canadian award winner doesn’t take for granted.
“There are people who believe in me and are giving me the keys and that’s exciting. That’s what you work hard for, right? And at the end of the day, I’m just excited to be in a place where I feel like I can grow and they’re going to invest in my growth,” Rourke said.
“My experience down south has led me to really appreciate that kind of belief from an organization. It doesn’t happen all the time. It’s very rare. There are only so many people on the planet that get that and I feel very lucky to be in a position.”
Nathan isn’t the only Rourke with a front office investing in his future. His brother Kurtis was just drafted in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. The Rourke family gathered in Kurtis’s home in Cincinnati together over the weekend and nervously watched on the edge of their seats as they waited for Kurtis’s name to be called.
“We weren’t really sure what to expect. There was a wide margin of where he could go. And every time that kind of team came up on day three, we were kind of on edge and kind of waiting,” said Nathan on the family watch party.
“The phone rang and everyone got really quiet and was listening. He was getting emotional and when he said it was the 49ers who were up on the clock, everyone went nuts.”
It was San Francisco quarterback coach Mick Lombardi who called the younger Rourke with the exciting news. Now, Kurtis has a legitimate shot to compete for the 49ers’ backup spot. He also happens to have a brother in Nathan, who’s been through the process of NFL training camp and can lean on him for guidance.
“I was asking him, ‘What did you do when you got to Indiana?’ I think he had all the right answers. He talked about earning people’s respect, not going there thinking that you deserve anything, working your tail off, and then earning your voice,” Nathan said.
“He also talked about treating everyone with respect in the building, your athletic therapists, your equipment staff, your training staff, nutritionists, anyone you come across, coaches, front office, you know, treating them with respect and showing face,” he continued.
“He did all those things in Indiana and I just kind of said, ‘hey, don’t change anything.’ I know that if he goes in with that approach, he’s going to have success.”
After a weekend away celebrating his brother’s big moment, Rourke is back in the Lions’ facility, mere hours after his return flight home had landed. He says hello to everyone in the building on his way to battling post-flight legs in the weight room during his lift.
With camp less than a week away, the grind doesn’t stop for the Lions’ starting quarterback and neither does his excitement for the start of the 2025 campaign. Rourke says he’s “fired up” to get to work with his teammates as they learn more about Pierce’s offence, build chemistry, and timing for when the bullets start flying in June. As the Lions do, they’ll have Rourke at the helm with his swagger back as camp is set to ensue.
Buckle up. It could be the sequel to Nathan’s outstanding ten-game sample size in 2022.
Bene and RP Embark On Next Chapter With Lions
Written by Nic Hauka with files from Matt Baker from bclions.com- The relationship between player and coach is one of the most special things about sports. The best coaches help their players grow not only on the field but also off it, building lifelong connections along the way. Nearly twenty years ago, as the Lions started training camp in Chilliwack, Mike Benevides and Ryan Phillips began to form that bond.
Back then, in 2005, things were very different for the pair. Benevides was a linebackers coach and special teams coordinator working to make a name for himself in the CFL. Phillips was just trying to make the Lions’ roster after being discovered at a free-agent camp. Benevides started getting a read on Phillips as the season progressed and saw a special individual.
“I wasn’t sure, because you could tell he had swag about him, but he didn’t say a lot. He wouldn’t say much, but you could see that mind really turning. Once he came out of that shell, you found him to be one of the great teammates in the room,” said Benevides.
“Ryan would get along with everyone, could joke with anyone, you know, he’d try and dance and be the best dancer and the best dresser, all this kind of stuff. But he is someone who is an excellent communicator, and he’s kind, and he could get along with anyone.”
Photo Credit: Brian Johnson, BC Lions.
The duo is here in Kamloops doing what they do best. Benevides is back for another stint as defensive coordinator, the position held by Phillips each of the last three seasons. Head coach Buck Pierce calls it “icing on the cake” to be able to retain Phillips in the role of secondary coach and pass game coordinator. Each of them has spent time away from the Lions. But the fact that they returned to the franchise along the way speaks volumes. Even if the beginning of the relationship saw a difference in philosophy.
Phillips could see early on why Benevides would become so successful as a coach, even if he didn’t agree on where he was placed on his future head coaches’ kickoff unit.
“I’ve always seen that he was a fiery, edgy guy who had a high demand, definitely wanted his expectations to be met. He was always detail-oriented. As a rookie, the way that you make the team is special teams,’ Phillips remembered.
“The thing I found weird was, in my rookie year, we had certain positions on kickoff. The L5 position is usually like a meathead guy that kind of runs down, and he’s in the middle of the kickoff,” he continued.
Well, he (Mike) puts me there. And I’m 190 pounds. I’m like, man, this is supposed to be for somebody that’s 220, 230. So I kind of look at him and I’m like, ‘I don’t think this is for me.’ This is crazy. So first preseason game, I’m just flying down there, I’m zigzagging through everything, right,” he recalled.
“So I’m zigzagging through everyone on kickoff and trying to make a play from that aspect. That was kind of my welcome, right? They just wanted to see my willingness to do it. For him to even trust me in that position and so forth was huge. I didn’t even see my ability from that aspect. Some people have a knack for being able to do that. It was definitely a first welcome experience between me and him, for sure.”
Photo credit: Paul Yates BC Lions
That year, Phillips went from L5 on the kickoff team to becoming a starter on the Lions’ defence. As his career trajectory quickly progressed, so did Benevides’.
“I went from becoming a starter in my rookie year. And then at that point, I started having some success as a player. He went from being a linebacker coach and a special teams coordinator to becoming a defensive coordinator. So as he was making transitions, I was too. We were able to do that together,” said Phillips.
The pair would go on to have great team and individual successes with the club, winning Grey Cups in 2006 and 2011. Phillips would set multiple Lions defensive records and be selected as a CFL All-Star four times. As for Benevides, he would be elevated after serving as defensive coordinator from 2008- 2011 to head coach of the Lions in 2012.
Along both of their paths to success, the two formed a tight-knit bond. A connection that goes beyond the game of football.
“My best memories, honestly, of him, are just seeing him be a dad, you know, with his family, his wife, and things like that,” Phillips remembered.
“He tried to incorporate them into everything. Seeing him be around, you know, having them at the games that we play, bringing him into the family room after games, like those things are huge, right?” he continued.
“You only get so many moments. Now I’m living it myself because my two kids are getting older. So you try to take every moment for what it is. Football is great, but to see him still be there and be a cornerstone and a backbone of his family, that’s always going to be a fond memory for me. I think that he would probably say the same, for sure.”
Phillips knows Benevides well.
“I’ve been doing this for 25 years, it’s one of the joys of my life, to be honest with you, watching these guys just trying to play and being knuckleheads when they’re young and as they then mature to having long-term relationships to having children. You’re watching them grow and mature. You want what’s best for these guys. It’s a huge pleasure to watch that for sure,” said Benevides.
Photo Credit: Brian Johnson, BC Lions.
The two have gone from player and coach to co-coaches. Phillips is Benevides right-hand man as the team’s defensive back coach and passing game coordinator, something Benevides is very excited about, as he knows Phillips has a bright future as a coach.
“I think it’s great because he’ll see it through the eyes of playing that position. And I go through the experience of calling 12,000 plays, you know what I mean? So I think it’s a great fit,” said Benevides.
“At his core, he’s a kind, good person and a person of character. And those people survive. Those people learn to grow. And if they are not a person of character, they will not last in pro football. I’ve always seen him as a person of high character.”
Benevides watched as Phillips went from a young free agent camp signing to a CFL superstar, leader and Father. Now the two defensive coaches have the opportunity to mould the next generation of BC Lions together on and off the field.
SFU Sprinter Emma Cannan enjoying breakout season in 2025
Iron sharpens iron; how training with fellow teammate/olympian has helped Cannan reach new heights.
Emma Cannan has burst onto the scene and is enjoying her breakout season for Simon Fraser University’s track and field team. The Junior from Kelowna started her athletic journey playing hockey growing up before trading in her pair of Skates for running shoes and falling in love with track and field.
Cannan has been steadily cutting her times down by the year since joining SFU. She saw her improvements further materialize in a second-place finish at the GNAC indoor conference meet in the 200-meter event. Just in front of her was Olympian Marie-Héloise Leclair, Cannan’s fellow teammate who’s been shattering team and NCAA Division II records.
“I knew she’d be coming up on me near the end, and I just knew to hold on to her, hang in there, and I was surprised how close I was with her at the end,” said Cannan.
Leclair is more than just a teammate of Cannan’s.
“She is my best friend. We hang out all the time on and off the track, but she also pushes me a lot in training. She always seemed to have a sense of what I was capable of on the track,” Canann said.
The two sprinters push each other and get the most out of one another during training according to Cannan. She gives Leclair credit for leading by example and unlocking the potential within herself that she didn’t think was possible.
“She believed in me more than I did in myself the last few years, so she’s been really pushing me a lot, and I think she’s the reason that I am where I am right now,” Emma Cannan, SFU Track and Field sprinter.
Red Leafs Sprint and Hurdles Coach Tom Dickson echoed Cannan’s sentiment.
“Marie is a top person in the country and an Olympian, so training with her is training with the best in the NCAA.”
Dickson says Cannan has really turned a page in the last two years and is seeing the sprinter’s confidence at a different level than in prior years.
“She really believes in herself, and it’s just made a massive improvement in the last two years since she’s been here. We have a new shirt that says, ‘B Leaf’, and it’s all about that. Trust the process and belief. She’s just totally bought into what we’re doing.”
This past season has been a whirlwind for Cannan. She’s rapidly climbed up the leaderboards and is now ranked fourth in the NCAA Division II in the 200-meter event. She continues taking everything day by day and she says everything still feels a bit surreal.
Despite not looking too far ahead, Cannan hopes one day to become an NCAA All-American. Dickson says that’s likely just the start for his sprinter because, for Cannan, the sky’s the limit.
Hyacks keeping head out of tackles and keeping players safe along the way
High school taking preventative measures against concussions
February marks national chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE awareness month. CTE is a disorder caused by repetitive trauma to the head and is often found in athletes who have suffered repeated concussions.
The Concussion Foundation of Canada says children and youth at higher risk of developing mental health issues following a concussion. The New Westminster Hyacks football program is well aware of these trends and are doing everything they can to keep their young athletes safe from concussions.
Darnell Sikorski has been a part of the Hyacks football program since 2007 both as a player and coach. He says the attitude and way head injuries are handled is monumentally different from his playing days. He says with current research the days of “Take a Tylenol and you’ll be ok,” are long over.
“Back when I played, which was the 2000s, I guess it’s, you know, while
people talked about concussions, and people were obviously understanding of concussions, it wasn’t obviously at the forefront,” Darnell Sikorski, New Westminster Hyacks assistant coach
The Hyacks staff puts a premium on teaching tackling in the safest way possible. Sikorski says coaches in B.C. are mandated to adhere to tackling techniques based on reducing impact to the head.
“When we were taught how to tackle a lot of it was through football Canada’s safe tackling, and what that was, you know, back then was heads up face up. So you wanted to lead with the face mask,” said Sikorski
“We’ve learned, through rugby style tackling, keeping the head out of it, keeping the head away from the body and having it more on the backside, just so that your head is literally not the one of the initial points of contact, right. I think that’s so much safer for the kids,” Sikorski stated.
As much as the program’s coaches do everything they can do keep players from getting hurt the reality is in contact sports injuries are still bound to happen. Sikorski says his team has professional trainers at every practice and game to evaluate players for suspected concussions.
If a player does suffer a concussion there’s a strict protocol in place for players to follow for return to play. This protocol doesn’t allow athletes to participate in any activity until all symptoms subside. Once they do players gradually work their way back with non-contact drills until ramping their way up back into contact. If at any time an injured player’s symptoms return the process starts again from step one.
The Hyacks football program will continue to adapt their practices and institute new techniques to keep their players safety at a paramount.
Hey Blue Bombers, what’s going on?
Since 2019, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers winning the west has been inevitable. After a loss this week to the Calgary Stampeders, the Bombers have now dropped to 0-4 to start the season.
Many may point to injuries to stars Kenny Lawler and Dalton Schoen for the teams’ early struggles, but I don’t believe that tells the whole story. Even before both stars went down something just seemed off with this usually dominant roster on both sides of the ball.
Offensive struggles
The Bombers offence has been like a well-oiled machine in years past. Every player’s skillset was used as a piece that perfectly fit offensive coordinator’s Paul LaPolice in 2019 and Buck Pierce’s puzzle ever since.
A nasty, physical offensive line paved the way for the likes of talented backs Andrew Harris and then Brady Oliveria to rack up yards on the ground. When defenses would respond by stacking the box to stop the run, good luck covering Lawler, or Schoen one on one down the field.
When the Bombers needed a big second down conversion and Lawler and or Schoen were doubled it was Nick Demski’s time to shine.
A savvy route runner, Demski has been incredible working the intermediate parts of the field and coming up with tough contested catches when the Bombers need him most.
This year the Bomber’s offence that has made moving the ball look effortless in years past, looks disjointed and moving the sticks consistently seems nearly impossible at times.
The Bombers run game they used to wear down opponents’ game after game has dissipated. Despite Oliveria missing only one game the Bombers rank 5th in the league in rushing with an average of 78.5 yards per game. That’s a far cry from their 139 per game they averaged last year.
Yes, losing Lawler in week one is bound to hurt, but the team managed to get by without him for almost the entire season last year. In two full games with Demski and Schoen healthy the passing attack was a far cry from its usual self. A team that finished the year second in passing last year averaging 278 yards per game, is dead last in the league with 229 per game.
In the clip above Collaros drops back to pass and throws the ball to Schoen running an out route from the slot. Schoen clearly has a step on his defender but doesn’t go the the ball and attack it for a sure touchdown. He instead waits for the ball to hit him in the numbers, allowing the play to be broken up.
With Montreal sending pressure, Collaros steps up and throws a perfect pass to Schoen streaking up the seam. What looks to be a sure touchdown falls right out of the hands of Schoen.
Desperately needing a big play with the game on the line against the Lions, Collaros calls Demski’s number like he’s done so many times before. Collaros throws a perfect pass to a wide open Demski but the ball slips right through his hands.
Plays like this and the Schoen mishaps above never seemed to happen in the past. Collaros and his star receivers were almost always on the same page, especially when the team needed it most. That offensive line that’s been a brick wall for Zach Collaros for years has shown some cracks early on and Collaros has looked sped up because of it.
In the past Collaros has been very underrated in his ability to get away from free rushers and extend plays, driving defensive lineman crazy in the process. This year Collaros hasn’t been able to show off his Houdini impression while under duress and it’s reflected on the scoreboard.
With the game on the line against Ottawa, Collaros has no time to step up in the pocket and deliver the go ahead score.
Even against a B.C. Lions team that has struggled to get to the quarterback Collaros goes down. Despite only being sacked once in this particular game, the Lions were able to impact the pocket enough to make Collaros uncomfortable.
Even when Collaros isn’t sacked he’s been impacted. Montreal sends five at Collaros with a backer end twist. Shawn Lemon (Usually an edge rusher but lined up at inside backer) loops outside and has a free run at Collaros. With Schoen wide open for a touchdown, Collaros under throws the ball with Lemon in his face, allowing safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy to under cut the route for an interception in the endzone.
Defence
Jackson Jeffcoat’s retirement has affected this defence even more than expected. A front four that wreaked havoc and terrified quarterbacks on every drop back just isn’t the same. Wille Jefferson is still good, but isn’t his usual unblockable self.
The team that could get home rushing just four and cause absolute chaos with their pressure package is no more. Line stunts, five, six man pressures the Bombers are trying it all but no one’s getting home. Look at the difference from just a year ago.
The Bombers defence terrorizing the Lions in the Western Final last year. All five rushers explode of the ball either collapsing the pocket or straight up beating the lineman in front of them. Despite Vernon Adams Jr being one of the best scramblers in the league he has no where to escape to and goes down.
In comparison in week 3 the Bombers send six at Adams. There’s very little penetration in the interior of the line which allows Adams to step up under pressure and uncork a bomb to Alexander Hollins downfield. Adams didn’t have that long to throw the ball most of the time against the Bombers when they only sent four rushers last year.
The lack of pass rush and loss of Demerio Houston has exposed this secondary. Having to cover for much longer than usual, the secondary has given up far too many big plays. A team that was number one against the pass last year only giving up 210 yards a game, has given up a league high 1105 yards through the air this year. Receivers aren’t just winning more tough contested catches against this secondary their running scot-free down the field against them.
Last season the Bombers secondary capitalized off of the play of the front four. With a defensive tackle in Adams face early in his drop, he’s forced to gets rid of the ball earlier than he’d like. Demerio Houston Jumps the route for a beautiful interception.
This year Adams has time to pump fake, step up in the pocket and deliver a deep ball to a wide open Hollins rather comfortably.
The Bombers miscommunicate a switch leaving Justin Hardy wide open in the endzone.
In 2023 the Bombers backers and d line were suffocating against the run. Finishing with a league best 88.8 yards a game. This year opposing running backs have been able to break big chunk runs against the Bombers front seven as they’re giving up the fourth most rushing yards in the league with 94.5 a game.
Chunk runs like this one by Bralon Addison are much more prevalent this year.
An extra 5.7 yards a game may seem like nothing, but not being able to stop the run when you need to get the ball back in order to win is a big problem.
Father time is unmatched and eventually in sports every team’s reign of dominance ends. Will this be the year the Bombers finally fall off? Or will they pull a 2011 B.C. Lions and completely turn things around? Only time will tell.