The 2023 QMJHL draft is officially the worst in NHL

The 2023 QMJHL draft is officially the worst in NHL draft history

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NASHVILLE | NHL scouts have long predicted, and they were right: the 2023 draft is officially the worst draft in QMJHL history.

• Also read: No QMJHL player was selected in the first round

• Also read: NHL Draft: Would you have picked the top 2 QMJHL players or Alex Newhook?

A total of 12 players from the Cecchini circuit were named in one or the other of the seven rounds of the draft. Five of them are Quebecers.

The old mediocrity record was 14, set in 2016 and 2017.

“Of course we still have a lot to do,” assured the commissioner of the QMJHL, Mario Cecchini. This is not the cuvée you want. There are several levers we will work on.

“It’s very cyclical, though,” the commissioner annoyed. We may be disappointed, but don’t panic.

There are several factors to consider

It’s quite a construction site. The development of ice hockey in Quebec is a topic that has long polarized people.

“In the short term we have to see what we can improve. I had the opportunity this week to have face-to-face meetings with the General Managers of the National League. I also sat down with our coaches and business leaders. I would say that in 15 or 20 meetings there are 10 or 12 different opinions. You have to take the time to look at all of this. […] There is nothing that is not analyzed. Everyone is at the same point and that makes me happy, there is no polarization in the discourse. Everyone recognizes the elements that we can work on.”

Among the possible solutions Cecchini is considering is the difference between one player from the QMJHL — and the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) in general — and another from the NCAA in the time that teams offer them a first pro contract must. Keep in mind that a CHL player must sign a maximum of two years after selection if the team wants to retain their rights, while in the NCAA the deadline is four seasons.

“I’m not saying it’s a problem, but we’ll definitely look into it.”

Other elements that are incorrect include the large number of NHL teams that do not have scouts in Quebec.

“Someone on an NHL team told me yesterday that when he took office not long ago, there were no scouts in Quebec. That breaks my heart. That’s unacceptable,” he admitted.

The QMJHL viewed from above?

What we also often hear is that the QMJHL is often not treated on an equal footing with other leagues, both in Canada and elsewhere. According to Cecchini, this is not the case.

“I’ve spent a lot of time with Dan Marr, NHL Central’s director of scouting, and that’s not his analysis at all.” I put the question to him, very, very frankly.

In addition, the commissioner of the QMJHL does not plan to reduce the regular season schedule in the short term.

QMJHL PLAYER SELECTED SINCE 2010

  • 2010: 22
  • 2011: 22
  • 2012: 19
  • 2013: 31
  • 2014: 17
  • 2015: 30
  • 2016: 14
  • 2017: 14
  • 2018: 23
  • 2019: 18
  • 2020: 20
  • 2021: 24
  • 2022: 19
  • 2023: 12

QMJHL player selected

2 (37) Ethan Gauthier (Drummondville) Tampa Bay

2 (48) Etienne Morin (Moncton) Calgary

3 (77) Mathieu Cataford (Halifax) Vegas

3 (83) Dylan MacKinnon (Halifax) Nashville

4 (116) Andrei Loshko (Chicoutimi) Seattle

4 (122) Cam Squires (Cape Breton) New Jersey

4 (128) Quentin Miller (Quebec) Montreal

5 (131) Marcel Marcel (Gatineau) Chicago

5 (145) Justin Gill (Baie Comeau) NY Islanders

6 (191) Luke Coughlin (Rimouski) Florida

7 (199) Matteo Mann (Chicoutimi) Philadelphia

7 (224) Tyler Peddle (Drummondville) Columbus

· Gabriel Perreault of the US National Development Program was picked 23rd overall by the New York Rangers in the first round.

· Charles-Alexis Legault of Quinnipiac University was selected in the fifth round by the Carolina Hurricanes.

· A native of Pointe-Claire but playing in the US, Rudy Guimond was selected in the sixth round by the Detroit Red Wings.

The 2023 QMJHL draft is officially the worst in NHL draft history Read More »

Kidnapping of Madeleine McCann She would not have screamed confiding

Kidnapping of Madeleine McCann: She would not have ‘screamed’ confiding the suspect to a relative

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The prime suspect in the 2007 disappearance of little Madeleine McCann confided to a former friend that the girl hadn’t “screamed” when she was kidnapped, according to the man who denounced him in a first-ever public interview in 2008.

“I called Scotland Yard in 2008. On the phone number for Maddie. I said I knew someone who might have something to do with it and gave them the name. But nothing happened. Nothing! They never called me back,” Helge Busching said in an interview with Germany’s Bild newspaper and reported The Independent on Thursday.

In his first public interview, the person who could be an important witness to the disappearance of little Madeleine McCann in Portugal in May 2007 said that he met his old friend Christian Brückner in 2008 at a festival in Spain where the subject of the disappearance was discussed was addressed.

“I said, ‘Anyway, I don’t understand how the little one could have disappeared without a trace.’ Christian had drunk two or three beers and said to me: “She didn’t scream,” the man would have told the German media.

The latter clarified that he discovered the true nature of Christian Brueckner long before little McCann disappeared, after he stole videotapes and a firearm from his home, where he was seen sexually assaulting an elderly person and a teenager abused.

“That’s when I knew what kind of guy Brückner was,” continued the man who reported him to German authorities before a police officer told him to shut up.

It was in 2017, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the case, that the witness remembered the information when he had just been released from prison in Greece and decided to contact Scotland Yard again.

Christian Brückner, who was identified as the prime suspect in the case in 2020, is currently serving a prison sentence in Germany for raping a 72-year-old and has a criminal history of child abuse and drug trafficking, according to British media.

Kidnapping of Madeleine McCann: She would not have ‘screamed’ confiding the suspect to a relative Read More »

University vs Corinthians Copa Sudamericana playoff date and time confirmed

University vs. Corinthians: Copa Sudamericana playoff date and time confirmed

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Confirmed date and time for the University vs. Corinthians. Conmebol reported this Friday, June 30, when the duel between the Cremes and “Timao” for the playoffs of the round of 16 of the Copa Sudamericana 2023 will be played. The first game will be played in Brazil and will take place on July 11th from 19:30 (Peruvian time).

Jorge Fossati’s team will have the chance to team up with their fans to claim the decisive victory against the Brazilian team in Lima. The objective is to obtain a favorable result that will allow them to get the classification on Peruvian territory if they get it at the Monumental de Ate.

YOU CAN SEE: The exorbitant million sum Universitario collected at the box office in a match against Gimnasia

When is the first leg between Universitario vs. Corinthians?

The first leg clash between Universitario and Corinthians for the Copa Sudamericana round of 16 playoffs will take place on July 11. The game starts at 19:30 (Peruvian time).

When is the second leg between Universitario and Corinthians?

The reconfrontation between Universitario vs. Corinthians for the playoffs of the round of 16 of the Copa Sudamericana will take place a week later, on July 18 from 19:30 (Peruvian time) at the Monumental.

University vs Corinthians Copa Sudamericana playoff date and time confirmed

What are the Copa Sudamericana playoff fixtures?

  • Sporting Cristal vs. Emelec
  • Universitario vs. Corinthians
  • Students vs Barcelona SC
  • Fat vs. Ñublense
  • Botafogo vs Patronage
  • America Mineiro vs Round Round
  • Tigers vs Freedom
  • Saint Lawrence vs. Independent Medellín.

University vs. Corinthians: Copa Sudamericana playoff date and time confirmed Read More »

Dutch driver Dilano Van T Hoff 18 dies in a

Dutch driver Dilano Van ‘T Hoff, 18, dies in a racing car accident at Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium

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BREAKING NEWS: Dutch driver Dilano Van ‘T Hoff, 18, dies in a racing car crash at Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium during the Formula Regional European Championship

  • FRECA has confirmed the death of 18-year-old driver Dilano Van ‘T Hoff
  • The Dutch driver was involved in an accident in the second race at Spa-Francorchamps
  • After the accident, tributes poured out for the teenager from across the sport

By James Cohen for Web

Published: 12:24 PM, July 01, 2023 | Updated: 12:57 PM, July 1, 2023

The Formula Regional European Championship has confirmed the death of 18-year-old Dutch driver Dilano van ‘t Hoff following a crash at Spa-Francorchamps.

A full statement read: “Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine sadly announces the death of MP Motorsport driver Dilano Van ‘T Hoff.” The incident happened during the second race of Spa-Francorchamps.

“We would like to extend our sincere condolences to the family, team and friends.”

“The Royal Automobile Club of Belgium, Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps and SRO Motorsports Group, together with Alpine and ACI, extend their sincere condolences to the driver’s family, team and friends.”

The shocking incident happened during a wet final race at the Belgian circuit which saw the teenager involved in an accident. A video The course of the accident has surfaced on social media.

18-year-old Dutch driver Dilano Van 'T Hoff has died in a crash at Spa-Francorchamps

18-year-old Dutch driver Dilano Van ‘T Hoff has died in a crash at Spa-Francorchamps

Footage of the incident showed Van 'T Hoff spinning out of control before colliding with another car Both drivers were thrown off the track in rainy conditions

Van ‘T Hoff appeared to skid in the rain before another driver crashed into him

Footage showed the MP Motorsport driver losing control and skidding due to the rainy conditions on the track before another driver collided with him.

Van’t Hoff drove his second full race of the season in FRECA. He was on the podium once in his debut appearance at Barcelona and finished third at that event in 2022.

The tributes for the young driver are already pouring in, and Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali writes: “We are so sad to learn of the death of Dilano van ‘t Hoff today in Spa-Francorchamps.” Dilano died in the realization of his dream of reaching the top of motorsport.

“Along with the entire motorsport community, our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.”

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz wrote on social media: “Terrible news from Spa.” We have just learned that Dilano Van’t Hoff has passed away after a serious accident in Formula Regional.

“It is an extremely sad day for the entire motorsport family and my thoughts and condolences go out to his family and friends.” RIP Dilano’

In Austria, too, in the run-up to the F2 race, a minute’s silence was observed on the starting grid following the news.

Spa-Francorchamps was also the track where Formula 2 driver Anthoine Hubert died in a horrific 170mph collision at the 2019 Belgian Grand Prix.

1688212833 86 Dutch driver Dilano Van T Hoff 18 dies in a

He was just emerging from the well-known Eau Rouge section of the Spa high-speed circuit when he was believed to be involved in an accident that had occurred seconds earlier.

Continue…

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Mali UN ends peacekeeping mission US blames Russias Wagner

Mali: UN ends peacekeeping mission, US blames Russia’s Wagner – DW (German)

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The UN Security Council on Friday voted to end a ten-year-old peacekeeping mission in Mali, as requested by the country’s military junta.

The French-drafted resolution, passed 15-0, ordered the mission known as MINUSMA to begin immediately with the withdrawal of over 15,000 troops.

The withdrawal is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

The vote came two weeks after Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop called the UN operation a “failure” and called for its end.

Mali’s relations with the United Nations and western nations have deteriorated sharply since a military coup in the country in 2020.

The military regime also broke off defense cooperation with the former colonial power France.

Did Wagner influence Mali’s change?

Instead, the junta has backed Russia and brought the Wagner paramilitary group on board.

The mercenaries were also involved in Moscow’s war in Ukraine and last week were part of a short-lived mutiny against the Russian military led by Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin.

The US accused Prigozhin of helping to end the UN mission.

How might the Wagner Group insurgency affect Africa?

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Prigozhin “helped” the withdrawal of peacekeeping forces to “advance Wagner’s interests,” US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in Washington.

“We know that senior Malian officials worked directly with Prighozin officials to inform the UN Secretary-General that Mali revoked consent to the MINUSMA mission,” he said.

German troops should withdraw faster, Russia promises support

After the vote, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said her country’s troops would withdraw from Mali faster than Berlin originally planned.

“The Bundeswehr will now withdraw faster and in an orderly manner

“The abrupt end of the entire UN mission is bitter news for the people of Mali, to whom the mission has given protection and hope.”

British Ambassador to the UN, Barbara Woodward, expressed regret that Mali wanted peacekeeping forces to withdraw at a time when the region was “confronted with increasing instability and humanitarian needs”.

“And we do not believe that the partnership with the Wagner Group will bring long-term stability or security to the Malian people,” she said.

Shortly after the vote, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called Diop and promised Mali “relentless support” in the military, humanitarian and economic spheres, the foreign ministry in Bamako said.

Mali faces formidable security challenges

Mali has been in turmoil for more than a decade, witnessing military coups and plagued by acute security concerns.

The situation is particularly bad in the northern and central parts of the country.

There, militants who have sworn allegiance to the terrorist groups “Islamic State” or al-Qaeda control large areas.

Germany continues development aid for Mali

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A French-led military operation in 2013 helped the government regain control of the country’s northern cities from extremist rebels.

However, they regrouped in the desert and began launching attacks on the Malian army and its allies.

A few months later, the UN peacekeeping mission began.

It was one of the most dangerous missions and the most costly for the UN at $1.2 billion a year.

Since its inception in 2013, many peacekeepers have died.

Around 13,000 soldiers and police officers were deployed to Mali as part of the operation.

sri/lo (AFP, AP, Portal, dpa)

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Why Virgin Galactic Is Spending 700M On New Spaceships

Why Virgin Galactic Is Spending $700M On New Spaceships

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Well, Galactic 01 is in the record books – and it was a great success for Virgin Galactic (SPCE -8.27%).

As Virgin MotherShip Eve departed Spaceport America in New Mexico just after 11 a.m. ET Thursday, she climbed to altitude and released her Virgin SpaceShip Unity at 11:33 a.m. ET, causing the latter to fire its engine and travel to the edge of space could fly. with three Virgin Galactic employees and three Italian Air Force passengers on board.

And it is important to emphasize this: the payment of the passengers of the Italian Air Force.

When Unity landed back at Spaceport America 16 minutes later, Virgin Galactic completed its first revenue-generating commercial space tourism flight, ushering in an era where not just one (Blue Origin) but two space companies (Blue and Virgin) now offer paid tourist flights to the All and back to.

Virgin Galactic math problem

Of course, it remains to be seen whether Virgin Galactic (or Blue Origin for that matter) can make a profit from this new type of tourism business.

As I have pointed out, Virgin Galactic is currently only capable of carrying a maximum of six passengers per space tourism flight. With a ticket price of no more than $250,000 and a frequency of flights no more than once a month (By the way, Virgin says that frequency will be reached in August), that only works out to about $1.5 million in revenue per month Virgin Galactic.

That’s not a lot of revenue to support a company that currently has operating expenses of about $500 million per year, $125 million per quarter, or more than $40 million per month. To offset the high cost of building a space tourism business, Virgin Galactic simply needs to increase the number of flights it can operate each month, quarter and year.

For that, Virgin Galactic will need many more spaceplanes. And each of these new spaceplanes will cost between $50 million and $60 million to build, according to Virgin Galactic.

Where will Virgin Galactic find the money?

Luckily for Virgin Galactic, there’s a solution to this problem, and it’s (perhaps unluckily for investors) in the form of selling more shares.

Last week, Virgin Galactic announced that the company had sold inventory – and plans to sell more to raise the cash needed to build its fleet of several new “Delta-class” spaceplanes. According to the company, Virgin Galactic has raised $300 million through the sale of nearly 60 million shares over the past 10 months. The company said it plans to sell another $400 million worth of shares in the future.

At the company’s current share price of about $4.25, that means there are about 94 million more shares to come. Consider that Virgin Galactic, for example, only had about 258 million shares outstanding at the end of 2021 (according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence). This means that soon more than one in three Virgin Galactic stocks will be “new” Virgin Galactic stock, largely created and sold to raise the money needed to build the new fleet of Delta-class spaceplanes.

Will the money be enough?

Well, that probably sounds bad. The more new shares Virgin Galactic issues and sells, the more slices of Virgin Galactic’s “pie” will be sliced ​​- and the smaller slices will be left for those who bought into the stock prior to the dilution.

But there is both good and bad news here.

By my calculations, Virgin Galactic needs to build at least eight new Delta-class spaceplanes, each capable of flying once a week, to have any chance of generating enough revenue to offset its operating costs. So at $50 million to $60 million each — let’s say an average of $55 million — it’s going to cost Virgin Galactic $440 million to build the fleet it needs to be profitable.

So the good news is that the $300 million Virgin Galactic just raised, plus the additional $400 million the company plans to raise, should easily cover those construction costs — leaving $260 million left over , to cover the losses incurred by the company is expanding its fleet.

Combined with the roughly $830 million Virgin Galactic has in the bank and revenue from spaceflights with Unity, this could be enough money to keep Virgin Galactic in business through mid-2025, or (if Virgin Galactic finds a way ). to keep costs down even as operations ramp up) even in early 2026, when the first Delta-class spaceplanes are expected.

It’s going to be terribly close though. Personally, if I were an investor in Virgin Galactic, I would assume that at some point over the next two years, it will take at least one more stock sale worth hundreds of millions of dollars to close the gap and the remainder in Virgin stock Keeping Galactic on the road to profitability.

My advice: If you’re investing in the stock, keep this in mind and expect a little more dilution.

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Alan Arkin Remembered by Michael Douglas and Kominsky Method Co Stars

“Alan Arkin Remembered by Michael Douglas and ‘Kominsky Method’ Co-Stars Steve Carell, More “

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Alan Arkin was remembered by his friends and colleagues as a huge talent in film, television and theater, a man whose twisted paths in life seemed able to transform any role. But it was the small gestures that stood out the most, the small generosities that stuck in people’s memories for many years.

The many commemorations included some of Hollywood’s biggest names.

Michael Douglas paid tribute to Arkin’s long career.

“Today we lost a wonderful actor whose intelligence, comedy sense and absolute professionalism have left an indelible mark on our industry over the past 70 years. My experience with Alan was one of the most memorable. We will miss him. Sincere condolences to his wife Suzanne and family.”

Paul Reiser felt the loss of the world.

I feel so fortunate to have worked with the amazing, hilarious (and incredibly hilarious) Alan Arkin. #restinpeace condolences to Suzanne and all the family.

Sarah Baker recalled a magnetic presence.

“When I was with Alan, I couldn’t see anyone. People understandably treated him with reverence for being so in awe of his talent, but he liked to joke and do something. Nothing has made me happier than making him laugh. We formed a friendship that will always be dear to my heart. I wish I’d seen him again, but I’m glad he knew how much he meant to me. In his last email to me, he said, “I haven’t even taken off my Birkenstocks for three years.” I know that he lived a happy and peaceful life with his dear Suzanne, and today I am thinking of her, his family and Friends. i love you alan ♥️

Steve Carell recalled his memorable first meeting.

“When I first met Alan, he gave me a business card. It said, “Alan Arkin: Actor, Director, Musician.” Able to drive shift sticks. Owns his own tuxedo.’ He was my idol, my friend and I loved him.”

John Cusack met Arkin in New York.

“Alan Arkin Remembered by Michael Douglas and ‘Kominsky Method’ Co-Stars Steve Carell, More “ Read More »

Austrian F1 GP Verstappen storms to sprint pole disaster for

Austrian F1 GP: Verstappen storms to sprint pole, disaster for Mercedes – Motorsport.com

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Red Bull’s Max Verstappen topped Sergio Perez and Lando Norris in F1’s second sprint shootout qualifying session, while Ferrari’s Austrian form faltered and Mercedes suffered disasters in Q1 and Q2.

The day started in rainy conditions at the Red Bull Ring and with sprint qualifying declared wet, the strict slick compound requirements for the compacted session were lifted and drivers were able to use whatever tires they wanted throughout.

In the end, apart from the fact that Williams did the first Q1 laps on intermediate tires, the drivers drove slicks throughout.

Verstappen made full use of the new soft tires he had saved and progressed smoothly in Friday’s qualifying to take the lead in the opening heats of the third quarter with a time of 1’04.613s ahead of Norris and Perez, where Carlos Sainz finished fourth and at that point new medium tires drove his lack of new softs.

Several drivers switched tire compounds for the final rounds of Q3, with Charles Leclerc leading the field after failing to set off immediately in Q3 to conserve his single set of new soft tyres.

That wasn’t enough to impress the front runners, however, as he couldn’t come close to matching his Friday night pace from pole position and at that point couldn’t even beat his teammate’s time on the harder rubber.

Verstappen then set the fastest time again in all three sectors and took pole for the sprint race. He was 0.173 seconds faster and clocked a time of 1:04.440 minutes.

Perez moved up to second while Norris was pushed back to third and Nico Hulkenberg shot brilliantly into fourth despite ending up carrying the Mediums.

Sainz switched to new soft tires for his second Q3 outing and although he improved he only managed fifth place. Leclerc completed a second run on the same soft tires which, while a personal best, was only fast enough for sixth place.

Then came Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, who also found time to switch to the mediums for the final Q3 runs.

Esteban Ocon and Kevin Magnussen completed the top 10.

In second qualifying, with Verstappen leading, Leclerc struggled late on as he was running on used soft tires and was 11th ahead of the closing times, but he did enough to progress – unlike Alex Albon, Pierre Gasly , Yuki Tsunoda and Nyck de Vries.

Gasly and Tsunoda, like Leclerc, showed their best on death but failed to advance into the top 10.

Tsunoda lost an earlier, even faster time due to a track limit violation, but was definitely not fast enough to get ahead of Hulkenberg into Q3.

George Russell also retired from his stage after suffering hydraulic failure at the end of the first quarter and although Mercedes mechanics were spotted working on his car in the middle section he did not go out on track.

In Q1, both Ferrari drivers faced opposing fates as Sainz spent most of the abridged 12-minute segment in the pits as his team had to fix a brake-by-wire problem at the rear of his car, which left him only the mechanics were available The system worked, the rear brakes overheated and began to smoke.

Sainz came out with 1:40 left and then shot brilliantly to the top of the stack in the opening section.

Leclerc was able to circulate and pitted late. After that, he struggled to get tire temperatures up compared to those who stayed outside.

He improved enough on his last attempt to jump out of the drop zone, but as the tide of final improvements began, he was moved back down the order and only progressed 0.001 seconds – faster, a fraction ahead of Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu.

Zhou had spun early in Q1 and clipped the still-wet inside curbs at Turn 9 and eventually retired ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who will now consider Sprint qualifying over to the race stewards as he appears to have finished at Turn 9 Leclerc was hampered Ferrari jumped into the pits late.

Hamilton was the worst injured in Q1 as he ran too far on the exit of Turn 10 and lost what would have been among the top times in the opening segment.

Then he was stuck in traffic and in a bizarre collision with Verstappen, who was driving down the pit lane, and the Brit failed to make the final attempt, leaving him stuck in 18th place.

Also eliminated in Q1 were Valtteri Bottas and Logan Sargeant.

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