Canada

It's awfully quiet in Canucksville lately ever since Alain Vigneault and his two assistant coaches were let go on May 22. In the span of almost a month Mike Gillis has re-signed Tom Sestito to a 2-year deal worth $750,000 per year, and the team moved their affiliate AHL team to Utica, New York. Image from news.sportslogos.net Sweet jerseys. Love the logo. That's a long, long way for players to travel when they get called up or sent down. You almost couldn't go any farther away than that. I was reading a while back that this affiliate location will not be long-term, as perhaps the Canucks are waiting to strike a deal to move it to Abbotsford. That is a far from certain thing. Anyway, the people in the Utica area love it. They have already sold over 1000 season tickets. The biggest efforts from management since May 22 was to find a new coaching staff, and they are taking their time in doing so. John Tortorella is getting a second interview this week, if he hasn't already. Reports out there are that the Canucks want Torts to chill out in front of the media if he is to get the job here. I find that amusing. Can you really teach an old dog new tricks? Can you really see Tortorella biting his tongue for a long period of time with this crazy media in Vancouver? That's like telling Kim Kardashian to keep her legs closed, or Justin Bieber to write a good song. As far as Tortorella as a coach goes, I am more and more open to him coaching this team. These Canucks players have had it too good for too long. It worked in recent years, but not anymore. Bring in the Hitler. It would be a blast: The Canucks are rumored to be interviewing John Stevens for a second time as well. So I guess it's down to those two. The coaching search seems to be all that Canucks brass is focusing on lately. The clock is ticking. So much to do in so little time. The NHL Entry Draft is on June 30th. 11 days away. The deadline to sign pending free agents is July 5. Tick tock. It's gonna be a crazy ride over the next while. Speaking of the free agents... Mason Raymond, a chair on the Scotiabank Vancouver 5K Marathon Charity run (to be held this coming Sunday), has not heard from the Canucks regarding a contract, according to his agent JP Barry. According to Sportsnet, Manny Malhotra is not calling it a career, even though the Canucks retired him early this season. His agent, Paul Krepelka, says Manny is excited about hitting the free agent market this summer. That is all that needs to be said about how Malhotra must have felt when Gillis told him he was not to play anymore because of his eye problem. It sure freed up some cap space though, didn't it? Ahem! Recently, Maxim Lapierre told TVA Sports that he has not heard from the Canucks either. He told the station that the Canucks are first to address the coaching and goaltending situation before they talk contract with him. Lappy also told TVA that at his current age he would like a little more security with his next contract in regards to duration. He is looking for at least a 3-4 year deal. We'll see what happens there. A lot of gossip going around the internet today that Lapierre could follow Alain Vigneault to the Rangers, because, you know, he was a fave of Vigneault. I would like him to play here again, but only if he gets more yappy amd comes at an affordable price for a guy playing bottom 6 minutes with what appears to be limited scoring ability. Keith Ballard's agent told the Vancouver Sun today that a compliance buy-out for Keith would be the best thing for him so that he can get a fresh start elsewhere. If Alexander Edler is not traded, and the Canucks keep their current top 4 defencemen in Edler-Garrison-Bieksa-Hamhuis, then I 100% agree with Ballard's agent. Kudos to Ballard for being such a class act in his dire times in Vancouver. An interesting quote from Ballard's agent in that article: "My guess is they are going to push the trade front as hard as they can, probably up to the (Ju

If you’ve not already done so, you can subscribe to these daily listings and have them delivered to your inbox at 7am every morning. Alternatively, subscribe to Londonist Daily to hear about events further in the future. And help spread the word to your friends, who haven’t discovered us yet!  On Solid Ground photographic exhibition opens today at the Courtyard of St Martin in the Fields. Details below. BLOOD: Today’s opportunities to donate blood are at the Emirates Stadium and Bishopsgate Institute. Free, see site for terms and conditions PAINTED PARIS: A new summer exhibition at the Wallace Collection focuses on 19th century paintings of Paris. Free, just turn up, until 15 September SOLID GROUND: International Rescue Committee UK sent seven award-winning photographers to seven communities across the globe and asked refugees of disaster what home means to them. On Solid Ground: building a picture of home tells the stories of those starting afresh, rebuilding homes and embracing new means of survival. At the Courtyard of St Martin in the Fields, Trafalgar Square. Free, just turn up, until 31 July OPEN CITY DOCS: Check out the brightest and best new documentaries from around the world, and meet their makers at Open City Docs Festival. Check website for full listings, until 23 June COMMUNITY: The Space Between, a week long photographic exhibition to mark Refugee Week, is accompanied by a series of lunch-time talks by different female refugees who detail their particular experiences as refugees in the UK. Today Cynthia Masiyiwa, an award winning young community leader who fled her native Zimbabwe at 15 years old, discusses education, community work, and her experience as an asylum seeker. Free, RSVP to info.cara@isbu.ac.uk, 1pm POLISH LITERATURE: Litro Magazine, London’s leading short story mag, celebrates the publication of its Polish themed issue with an evening of readings, discussions and live music inspired by Polish literature, at St Pancras station. Free, just turn up, 6pm CRIME: Crime writers Christina James, Laura Ellen Joyce and Matthew Pritchard read from and talk about their books at Waterstones Gower Street. £5/£3, prebook, 6.30pm DLR FANS: Everyone’s favourite light railway of a docklands persuasion has its own meetup tonight. Or, rather, tweetup, for this event at The Parlour in Canada Square is for anyone who follows @DLRLondon or the Facebook page. The party includes free drinks for the first hour or so. Free, prebook, 6.30pm COMING TO AMERICA: The 1988 comedy film is 25 years old, and you can join in the celebrations at Stratford Picturehouse with African drummers, dancers, stallholders, a film quiz and then a screening of the film itself. Free, just turn up, 7pm DIY SCIENCE: Find out about garage biology, its historical relevance and what it is like to have a science lab in your basement, at Wellcome Collection. Free, prebook, 7pm CAMPFIRE: Katrina Larkin, co-founder of the incredibly successful Big Chill Festival, talks at Campfire at ditto TV studios tonight about her journey. Free, RSVP online, 7pm FUTURE DEATH: Dr John Troyer discusses the future of death at The Last Tuesday Society, and how new technologies will change how we deal with the dead. £7, prebook, 7pm KARAUKE: If you fancy singing to the backing of a live ukelele band, then Karauke is for you. Just head to The Royal George on Goslett Yard, pick your song and do your thing. The ukelele band take care of themselves. Free, just turn up, 7pm MUSIC: A summer season starts today at Brunel Museum’s Thames Tunnel Shaft, a concert hall hidden underground. Starting off the season tonight are the London Klezmer Quartet. £12/£10, prebook for cheaper tickets, 7.30pm MUSIC FESTIVAL: The Mill Hill Music Festival features local groups and musicians, check listings for all performances but tonight Stewart Curtis’ K-Groove perform quirky compositions and Klezmer arrangements. £11, prebook, 7.30pm SPOKEN WORD: Actual Jesse Armstrong of actual P

His team has lost the last two games of the Stanley Cup final, so, true to the ageless code of the NHL playoffs, Chicago Blackhaws coach Joel Quenneville must make changes.

Tuukka Rask leaned to his left, looked to the outside of Jonathan Toews, tried to look around the three bodies in front of him in overtime.

Once head coach Scott Milanovich sees all that he needs to see from his starters, he'll turn to his bench and ask the Argonauts' backups and prospects to close out the evening.

In normal circumstances, CFL veterans view the pre-season as a platform to familiarize themselves to a new system or get acquainted with new teammates in a competitive backdrop.

Photo by John Tavares in the blogTO Flickr pool

Nostalgia will be in the air Thursday night at Varsity, but a sense of a lost moment will be just as palpable. Varsity Stadium was once the home of the Argonauts, who have become basically homeless, a site of many iconic games and countless occasions that are entrenched in CFL lore.

Inside TD Garden, Boston Bruins fans were loving every minute of it savouring it, not wanting it to end.

Pat Watkins was given a standing ovation when he addressed his Double Blue teammates on Wednesday, a reception that speaks to Watkins' presence inside the team's locker room.