Mikael Backlund named finalist for King Clancy Award
Mikael Backlund was named a finalist for the King Clancy Award by the NHL Wednesday afternoon
Calgary Flames centre Mikael Backlund was named a finalist for the King Clancy Award by the NHL Wednesday.
Darnell Nurse of the Edmonton Oilers and Anders Lee of the New York Islanders are the other finalists for the award, given "“to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community,” the NHL said in a release.
Backlund supports the ALS Society of Alberta in honour of his late mother-in-law, who died from the disease when his wife Frida was 19 years old.
Flames assistant general manager Chris Snow has also been battling ALS for the past four years. Backlund and Frida have raised over $400,000 and welcomed close to 100 families impacted by ALS to Flames home games.
He's also an ambassador for Kids Cancer Care and Special Olympics Calgary – he has a childhood friend who was diagnosed with cancer and another born with Down syndrome – and has invited 500 people to Flames games.
Most recently, Backlund and his wife partnered to create Lily's Legacy, which allows kids in foster care to keep their pets while they are transitioning into care. It's named after the Backlunds' dog, who passed away in 2021.
“I’ve always been inspired by people who help others that struggle,” Backlund said, in a release. “I am aware that I have been given the opportunity to live a privileged life and know that a small gesture from me can mean the world to other people.”
Nurse is active in a number of community initiatives that focus on diversity and inclusion through the power of sports.
Lee is an active fundraiser for a foundation that helps individuals and families battling cancer.
The winner will be announced at the 2023 NHL Awards in Nashville on Monday, June 26.
They will receive a $25,000 donation to benefit a charity or charities of their choice.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
PM Trudeau apologizes for Parliament's recognition of Nazi veteran during Zelenskyy visit
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered 'unreserved apologies' Wednesday for Parliament's recognition of a man who fought for a Nazi unit during the Second World War and said the Canadian government has reached out to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the wake of the incident.
Feds, Quebec set to make major EV battery production announcement Thursday
The governments of Quebec and Canada are set to make a major announcement about the electric vehicle manufacturing supply chain, and rumours have been swirling for weeks a Swedish battery developer and manufacturer could be setting up shop in McMasterville, which is about 30km from Montreal.
IED believed to be on vehicle in Barrie, Ont. parking lot explodes, sparking evacuations and road closures
Police have locked down and evacuated a section of Barrie, Ont., Wednesday morning in the city's west end amid unconfirmed reports of an explosion.
Judge Chutkan denies Trump's request to recuse herself in federal election subversion case
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan said Wednesday she won't recuse herself from Donald Trump's 2020 election interference case in Washington, rejecting the former president's claims that her past comments raise doubts about whether she can be fair.
Researchers say action could have prevented thousands of premature cancer deaths in women in 2020
Prevention could have prevented nearly seven in 10 premature cancer deaths among women worldwide in 2020, new research has found.
Hyundai, Kia recall over 600,000 cars in Canada, drivers told to park away from buildings due to fire risk
Hyundai and Kia have issued a recall for several vehicle models and are urging drivers to park away from buildings due to the risk that the issue could start a fire.
Over 50 arrested after mobs ransacked Philadelphia stores. Dozens of liquor outlets are shut down
Dozens of people faced criminal charges Wednesday after a night of social media-fueled mayhem in which groups of thieves, apparently working together, smashed their way into stores in several areas of Philadelphia, stuffing plastic bags with merchandise and fleeing, authorities said.
'ET Canada' cancelled by Corus Entertainment, blames 'challenging' advertising market
The studio lights are going dark at 'ET Canada.' Corus Entertainment says it has decided to cease production on the long-running Canadian arts and entertainment news magazine after 18 seasons.
Police agencies deny jurisdictional fight delayed Hardeep Nijjar murder investigation
Law enforcement agencies have denied allegations that a dispute over jurisdiction delayed the investigation into the murder of Surrey, B.C., Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Edmonton
-
Alta. premier, health minister non-committal on getting COVID-19 shot this fall
As COVID-19 cases in Canada rise and updated vaccines make headlines once again, Alberta’s premier and health minister were non-committal about getting the shot this fall when speaking on Wednesday.
-
Dog is foster mother to litter of kittens northwest of Edmonton
A dog on a ranch near Barrhead, Alta., is feline fine about mothering abandoned kittens.
-
Hyundai, Kia recall over 600,000 cars in Canada, drivers told to park away from buildings due to fire risk
Hyundai and Kia have issued a recall for several vehicle models and are urging drivers to park away from buildings due to the risk that the issue could start a fire.
Vancouver
-
Is the homelessness crisis in Abbotsford growing? A look inside an encampment
Take a drive along the Trans-Canada Highway through Abbotsford and you will see a community faced with a homelessness crisis that it cannot change alone.
-
'Continuous' masking returning to B.C. hospitals, clinics, care homes
Some health-care workers in British Columbia have started receiving notification that they will once again be expected to wear masks in medical settings, but the language is ambiguous about what exactly will be required and for whom.
-
Calls for traffic lights at 'dangerous intersection' on Vancouver's steepest street
Residents living at the bottom of Vancouver’s steepest street say it’s becoming increasingly dangerous, and they’re calling on the city to install traffic lights before someone is seriously hurt.
Atlantic
-
Will they or won't they?: Speculation grows over the possibility of a fall election in New Brunswick
It's a question of will they won't they when it comes to calling an election this fall in New Brunswick
-
‘They quite literally have nowhere else to go’: 16 dogs evacuated from N.W.T. come to Nova Scotia
Sixteen dogs who were evacuated from Hay River, N.W.T., after wildfires devastated the town, have been taken in by the Nova Scotia SPCA.
-
Nova Scotia government promises 222 public housing units to address long waiting list
Nova Scotia's Progressive Conservative government is joining with Ottawa to fund 222 public housing units as the province battles an ongoing shortage of affordable residences.
Vancouver Island
-
Developers and advocates weigh in on B.C.'s housing targets
B.C. cities aren’t in the business of building homes; that’s what private developers do. And those private developers are preparing to get to work.
-
Bylaw change could allow physician assistants to work in B.C. emergency rooms
The B.C. Ministry of Health says a proposed bylaw change by the body that regulates doctors could allow physician assistants to work in provincial emergency rooms.
-
Vancouver Island water restrictions lifted after 'significant rainfall' helps restore fish habitat
After significant rainfall in some regions of Vancouver Island, the British Columbia government is rescinding water restrictions for the Koksilah and Tsolum river watersheds.
Toronto
-
BREAKINGBREAKING OSSTF members approve deal to avoid strike through binding arbitration
Ontario public high school teachers voted in favour of a deal with the province and their union that would see a strike avoided through the use of voluntary binding arbitration.
-
Ontario launches review into workplace injury pay after Jamaican migrant workers win legal battle
The provincial government is reviewing how workplace safety claims filed by seasonal farm workers are handled following a years-long appeal by four Jamaican migrants who were permanently injured on the job.
-
BREAKING
BREAKING 10-year-old girl dies after being struck by a vehicle north of Toronto
A 10-year-old girl has died after being struck by a vehicle north of Toronto Wednesday afternoon.
Montreal
-
Quebec coroner hears from grieving families; concern over gunman's medication change
The older brother of a mentally ill man who killed three people at random during a 24-hour shooting spree in the Montreal area last year told a coroner Wednesday he questions why his medication regime had been changed before the killings.
-
Police investigating double homicide after 2 women found dead in Longueuil apartment
Police said Wednesday evening they have opened a double homicide investigation after the bodies of two women were found in an apartment on Montreal's South Shore.
-
Quebec restaurants concerned about looming deadline to repay CEBA loan
Many restaurants in Quebec say they're struggling to pay back loans they got from the federal government during the pandemic.
Ottawa
-
Scallops, lamb and pouding chomeur: Speaker's cancelled garden party food donated to Ottawa Mission
The Ottawa Mission has received a donation of some high-end food from a party at the Speaker of the House's official residence, which was cancelled at the last minute when Anthony Rota resigned.
-
Cine Starz Orleans permanently closes in Orleans
Cine Starz Orléans confirms to CTV News Ottawa the lease for the Orléans location ended in June, and the theatre permanently closed on Tuesday after talks with the management company to extend the lease ended.
-
Bruce Springsteen postpones all 2023 shows, including in Ottawa
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band announced Wednesday afternoon that all 2023 tour dates will be postponed until 2024 as Springsteen continues to recover from peptic ulcer disease.
Kitchener
-
Melinda Vasilije's family speaks as killer sentenced to 16 years
Ager Hasan, the man who stabbed his ex-girlfriend Melinda Vasilije to death in 2017, will spend 16 years in custody before becoming eligible for parole.
-
Driver in fatal hit and run confessed to daughter in conversation taped by police
A driver convicted of killing an Ont. teen then fleeing the scene told his daughter he “would have done the exact same thing” even if he had been sober.
-
Man dead after shooting in Kitchener
A man in his mid 20s is dead after a shooting in Kitchener and police are working to piece together what happened.
Saskatoon
-
'They called me racist': Saskatoon guard saw life 'nearly collapse' after arrest video
The security guard who arrested a woman outside a Saskatoon grocery store says he watched “his life and livelihood nearly collapse,” after the altercation was caught on camera and shared online.
-
Saskatoon shelter's move to bar drug users increases chances of 'people dying,' advocate says
Saskatoon harm reduction advocate Kayla DeMong says the Saskatoon Tribal Council’s decision to force high-needs drug users from its shelter increases the odds that people will die outdoors this winter.
-
Saskatoon councillors clash over final vote to rename John A. MacDonald Road
Saskatoon city council finalized the street name change from John A. Macdonald Road to miyo-wâhkôhtowin Road Wednesday.
Northern Ontario
-
Manitoulin drug dealer deemed dangerous offender in child sexual abuse case
A drug dealer from Manitoulin Island has been declared a dangerous offender after being convicted of more sex crimes against children.
-
Housing protest for international students was a ‘publicity stunt,’ northern Ont. college says
The president of a college in North Bay, Ont., says a recent protest at the school that saw students sleeping in tents was a “publicity stunt” organized by an outside group.
-
Residents in Rota’s riding express sadness, disappointment following resignation
There was no hustle and bustle outside of Nipissing-Timiskaming MP Anthony Rota’s North Bay constituency office on Wednesday.
Winnipeg
-
New blockade leading to Brady Landfill set up
Another blockade leading to the Brady Landfill has appeared as conversations around searching the Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of two Indigenous women continues in the province.
-
Manitoba Progressive Conservatives 'pulling out stops' with attack ads: analyst
Manitoba's Progressive Conservatives are continuing to be dogged by mounting disapproval for taking out billboard and newspaper ads that highlights the province's decision not to search a landfill for the remains of two First Nations women.
-
Impaired driving charge laid in fatal hit-and-run: Winnipeg police
A Winnipeg man is facing several charges in connection with a fatal hit-and-run in St. Vital on Tuesday night.
Regina
-
'I expect more': Why some Indigenous people in Sask. want land acknowledgements to change
It has become common to hear a land acknowledgement at the beginning of any event or meeting. However, some people believe it is time to put the words into action.
-
Regina city hall fences to be removed
The fences around Regina's city hall courtyard will be removed, according to city manager Niki Anderson.
-
Man who fatally struck Sask. Mountie with stolen vehicle pleads guilty to manslaughter
A Winnipeg man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and theft of a motor vehicle in connection to the 2021 death of Saskatchewan RCMP Officer Shelby Patton.
