As the world of sport continues to grow, Canadians and their teams are front and centre as they make their mark around the globe — and in no small way. This past week, there were numerous major moments featuring Canadian talent, and some highlights from across pro sports that are just too good to ignore.
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will take on the Vancouver Whitecaps in the MLS Cup final, Sidney Crosby moved into 15th on the NHL’s all-time goals list, and the Toronto Raptors will host the New York Knicks in the NBA Cup east quarterfinal.
Also, Rachel Homan and Brad Jacobs will represent the women and men’s curling teams at the Milano-Cortina Olympic Games, the Canadian women’s soccer team dropped their fourth-straight game in a loss against Japan, and Canadian speedskaters William Dandjinou and Courtney Sarault each earned Crystal Globe titles this past weekend.
With that being said, here’s an update on some of the things you might’ve missed from our Canadians last week, and what you should have marked on your calendar moving forward.
Whitecaps looking to stand in way of Lionel Messi’s all-time season in MLS Cup Final
Lionel Messi has done it all throughout his 22-year senior career.
From Ballon d’Or’s to Champions League titles, the Argentine international has found success in nearly all aspects of world soccer. Next Saturday, he’ll have a chance to earn his first MLS title; but it’ll have to come against arguably the hottest team in the league, the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Led by Ali Ahmed’s terrific pressing and Brian White’s two goals, the Whitecaps took a 3-1 victory over San Diego FC to earn their first-ever MLS Cup final appearance. Vancouver is now off to their third final of the year, and they’ll have a chance to grab another title. They made the CONCACAF Champions Cup final in June, and won the Canadian Championship in October.
This match will also mark another meeting between legends, with Thomas Muller playing against Messi once again. The two stars had notable matches against each other at the 2010 and 2014 editions of the World Cup, with Muller’s side getting the better of Messi’s in both of those games.
Like the Whitecaps, this will also be the first MLS final appearance for Inter Miami, who’ve never made it past the opening postseason round in any of its first five seasons. Vancouver has had Miami’s number this season, going 2-0 against them in their eventual run to the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Kick-off is scheduled for Saturday Dec. 6th at 2:30 p.m. EDT.
Keepin’ up with Crosby: Captain Canada moves into 15th on all-time NHL goals list
It’s year 21 for Sidney Crosby, but judging by the way he’s playing, you’d never guess it.
On Friday, Crosby scored his 641st career goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs to pass Dave Andreychuk for 15th on the NHL’s all-time goal scoring list. The 38-year-old took advantage of a sleepy Leafs defence, getting in behind before poking the puck past Joseph Woll.
Crosby has shown no signs of slowing down despite being in his 21st NHL season. The former number one overall pick is fourth in the league in goals with 16, and he’s also added 11 assists through 24 games this season. He’s registered at least 90 points in three consecutive seasons, and he’s on pace to have 92 this season with his blazing start.
Sid the Kid will look to continue to etch his name in the league record books tonight, as the Penguins will take on the Flyers in Philadelphia. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. EDT.
Raptors to host Knicks in NBA Cup East quarterfinal
The Toronto Raptors will host the New York Knicks in the NBA Cup east quarterfinal next Tuesday, Dec. 9.
It’ll be their first taste of elimination-style basketball since 2023, when they lost to the Chicago Bulls in the play-in tournament. Having gone 4-0 with a plus-55 point differential in group play, Toronto officially secured the No. 2 seed on the East side. The only team above them in the conference are the Orlando Magic, who also went 4-0, but had a point differential of plus-64 in their group.
The Raptors did fall short in their early test against the Knicks on Saturday, losing 116-94 at Madison Square Garden. The game proved to be a tough one for the Raps, who’ve now lost back-to-back games after winning nine in a row. This is also the ninth straight loss to the Knicks for Darko Rajakovic’s side.
The schedule will only get tougher for Toronto as well, as six of their next ten opponents will have records over .500. On the plus side, they’ll hope to have RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl back in the lineup by then, as both players have been out due to injury.
Rachel Homan’s and Brad Jacobs’ teams to represent Canada at Milano-Cortina Olympics
It’s the season of returns for Canadian curling, as both Rachel Homan and Brad Jacobs’ teams will represent Canada at the Milano-Cortina Olympic Games in February.
For Jacobs, it will be his first Olympic appearance since his team won Gold at the 2014 Sochi Games. Meanwhile, Homan will headline the women’s side for the first time since her debut at Pyeongchang 2018, where her team finished 6th.
After taking a loss in their opening match, Jacobs’ side bounced back with a string of wins heading into the men’s final. And on Saturday, the Calgary-based team held off Matt Dunstone’s Winnipeg group with a two-game sweep in the best-of-three series. Jacobs will be joined by his lead Ben Herbert, second Brett Gallant and third Marc Kennedy.
Homan’s side didn’t run into much trouble during their run. They lost just a single round-robin game, making them the heavy favourite to earn the Olympic berth. And in the final, they more than delivered, following a close Game 1 with a 12-3 rout in Game 2 to complete the sweep in the best-of-three.
A five-time Scotties Tournament of Hearts champion and three-time world champion, the only thing missing from Homan’s glowing resume is an Olympic medal.
Canadian women’s soccer team drops 4th straight game in loss against Japan
It’s been a rough stretch for the Canadian women’s national soccer team, as they lost their fourth straight game on Saturday.
Unable to find any rhythm, the ninth-ranked Canadians fell 3-0 to Japan in a friendly in Nagasaki. The two teams will meet again at Transcosmos Stadium on Tuesday, which will be Canada’s final outing of the calendar year.
Canada is now 4-9-4 all-time against Japan, with their last victory against them coming back in 2018. This is also the Canadians’ fourth straight game without a goal.
Canada has been unable to turn the tide in a little while. July was the start of this tough time, having lost 3-0 to the United States, before dropping games to Switzerland and the Netherlands. If they lose their next game, it would be Canada’s first five-game losing streak since 2005.
They’ll have a chance to put this patch behind them on Tuesday, Dec. 2. Kick-off is scheduled for 12 a.m. EDT.
Canadian speedskaters William Dandjinou and Courtney Sarault sweep Crystal Globes
Two members of the Canadian Ice Maples added some more hardware to their resumes on Saturday.
William Dandijnou earned his second-straight Crystal Globe title, while Courtney Sarault earned her first on the last day of competition in the fourth and final stop of the World Tour circuit.
Dandjinou earned his title with a victory in the men’s 1500 metre A-final on Saturday. The victory gives him his third gold in four races this season. He finished with 876 points, 212 more than Italy’s Pietro Sighel, who placed second. Last season, Dandinjou dethroned two-time champion Park Ji-Won to become Canada’s first-ever Crystal Globe winner.
As for Sarault, she entered the final day of competition 100 points ahead of Corinne Stoddard with just the 500 and 1500 metre races left to go. Both skaters were in the A Final, but during the race, an illegal inside pass was made by Hanne Desmet, which led to a chain reaction and a crash out from Stoddard. The Monton, N.B. native took advantage, finishing in second to widen her lead.
And to seal the deal, Sarault finished with Gold in the 500 metre race, solidifying her spot as the Crystal Globe winner.
Headlining the Canadian national team as the “Canadian Ice Maples,” Dandjinou and Sarault are expected to be prime medal candidates for the Milano-Cortina Olympic Games. The Canadian high program is expected to name the ten members (five men and women) that will represent Canada at the Milano-Cortina Olympic Games sometime in the next few weeks.
Canadian Teams in the NHL: Where do they stand?
Each of the Canadian seven are an integral part of the NHL. But sometimes, some stand out more than others.
This past week was a bit different though, as most of the Canadian teams are in a range of spots. Here’s a look at some of the teams so far:
Montreal Canadiens
Currently the best Canadian team in the NHL, the Montreal Canadiens ended November on a tough note with a 7-2 loss to the red-hot Colorado Avalanche. On a positive note, it was their third game in four days and they also entered the game on a three-game winning streak.
Ottawa Senators
Similar to the Habs, the Senators also had a rough end to November with a 6-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on Sunday. However, Ottawa finishes the month with a 6-4-3 record, making it the first time they’ve been .500 or better in the month since the 2019-20 season.
DALLAS, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 30: Jake Sanderson #85 of the Ottawa Senators celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the second period against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center on November 30, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers have had a tricky start to the 2025-26 season. They capped November with a 4-0 win over the Seattle Kraken, but just days before, they suffered one of their worst home losses in franchise history against the Stars.
It’s still early, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see this team make some moves ahead of the trade deadline.
Winnipeg Jets
A win against the Nashville Predators on Saturday snapped a four-game losing streak for the Winnipeg Jets.
Winnipeg has been without Connor Hellebuyck for the past four games, after the Vezina and Hart trophy winner underwent surgery on his knee. His absence has been felt early, but they’ll have to figure out a way to manage until his eventual return sometime in the new year.
Toronto Maple Leafs
For the most part, the Leafs have had a middling start to their 2025 campaign.
A major 7-2 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday definitely softens the feeling, but this team has consistently been on an up-and-down trajectory so far. Craig Berube’s bunch is still dealing with various injuries, so it’ll be interesting to see how they handle what could be a difficult December.
Vancouver Canucks
Things haven’t been so great for the Vancouver Canucks. They’re second last in the Pacific division and they’ve now lost five of their last six, after losing their second-straight road game.
Things won’t get any easier in their next matchup, as they’ll take on the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.
Calgary Flames
Despite having the second lowest point total in the Western Conference, the Flames should have their spirits up.
They went 2-2 this past week, including a victory against the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. They also went 7-6-2 in the month of November, earning them the 16th best point total during that span.