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TORONTO — Steven Lorentz shocked his new wife pretty good when he leapt out of bed in the seventh inning with a clap and a holler to celebrate George Springerâ€s ALCS-winning home run.

“As soon as it left his bat, I knew it was gone,†the Toronto Blue Jays fan disguised as a Maple Leafs player said excitedly Tuesday morning. “She was kind of rolled over trying to sleep, and I think I woke her up.

“Iâ€ve definitely got a little bit more excitement for this Jays group this year than I have in previous years.â€

Lorentz is all of us in this hockey Mecca turned baseball town.

“I think a lot of people in Canada probably had a similar night last night, watching our Jays move on to the World Series. First time in, what, thirty-something years?†the Ontario native continues. So that’s great to see. “Weâ€re happy for them. But like Vladdy said, the jobâ€s not done for them. So, they still got some work to do.â€

For too many Octobers, the work of the Maple Leafs has dominated Page 1 of the Toronto newspapers†sports section.

The magic of the Jays†post-season run has flipped priorities like Bautista twig — in a way that benefits all involved.

The middling Leafs have five regular-season games scheduled to go head-to-head with the best-of-seven between the Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

You get one guess as to which will be the cheaper ticket.

“Itâ€s an easy team to cheer for,†Morgan Rielly marvels. “Weâ€ve been talking about them all morning.â€

The longest serving Maple Leaf grew up in Vancouver as the son of a Yankees fan; a young Rielly and his father would drive south to Seattle and root against the Mariners when the pinstripes were in town. But Rielly has been wearing Blue Jays caps for years.

Heâ€s all in, even if the sweetness of a Toronto championship series comes with a sting.

“Thereâ€s a small part of you that youâ€re envious of them. Youâ€re a bit jealous at what theyâ€re doing, just because of Toronto. You watch it firsthand. Youâ€re obviously happy for them. Itâ€s a great moment for the city. But we want to be able to do that and have a run like that. We felt that when the Raptors did it, too,†Rielly explains.

“So, you look at the passion that theyâ€re playing with, and thatâ€s contagious. And you want to be able to also bring that when your time comes.â€

To a man, the Leafs spoke glowingly about the baseball clubâ€s formula of simultaneously getting valuable contributions from their depth players as well as showtime moments from their high-paid superstars.

None more impressive than ALCS MVP Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who strode into Rogers Centre on the eve of Game 7 decked out in a No. 34 Leafs replica sweater.

“I think Vladdy broke the curse by wearing Auston Matthews†jersey here today,†Jays manager John Schneider said, following the 4-3 home win.

“Yeah, that’s pretty cool. Iâ€m sure Tone was pretty fired up about that,†enthuses Toronto native Chris Tanev, who played competitive ball through Grade 12.

“Itâ€s really impressive to see the city rallying behind them, and just an amazing comeback from down 2-0 to start the series, and down 3-2, and down in the game as well. So, itâ€s just a lot of relentless efforts.â€

Tanev is a master of smart positioning. He makes subtle, nifty outlet passes and is willing to take abuse to make the right play. So, it should be no surprise that he showers the Jays†role players with credit for contributing small details that lead to the big moment.

“The (Andrés) Giménez bunt probably no one talks about because Springer hit a home run. But no one bunts, really, anymore, and he laid a great bunt. Or (Addison) Barger walking to get on. Little things like that. Not trying to hit a home run and being happy to get on base, to let his teammates help him get home and make the game closer,†Tanev says.

“Itâ€s just like little things like that go into a hockey game, so you sort of watch and learn from that.â€

Craig Berube grew up a baseball-loving kid in Calahoo, Alta. Itâ€s the sport that most closely rivals hockey as his passion. The Leafs coach visited the clubhouse and met with Schneider in September. Heâ€s been studying the post-season at home, quietly rooting for the Jays.Â

“I watch their guy, Vladdy, closely. I watch how he interacts with all the guys and how much energy he brings all the time and happiness for his teammates when they do something well,†Berube says.

“Heâ€s always got a lot of energy and a lot of positive vibe around him, you know? Which a lot of them do. But heâ€s their main guy, and he brings that — and I think the whole team feeds off it.â€

Torontonian Max Domi says itâ€s not only Guerrero Jr.â€s performance at the plate that impresses; itâ€s also his presence in the post-game conversations.Â

“You see his interviews and how emotional he got — what this city means to him. It’s great to see him, and Iâ€m so happy for him and his entire team,†Domi explains.

“It’s inspiring, man. I think if youâ€re not a baseball fan, it doesn’t matter. Youâ€re watching that game, youâ€re watching that interview — everyoneâ€s got chills. If you don’t, then you’re missing a heartbeat, for sure.

“Taking that and seeing how the city responds to it, and listening to each guyâ€s interview is really cool for me as an athlete on a team, to really see how much they love each other, and thatâ€s what got them to where they are. Of course, theyâ€ve got the skill, they got the talent, theyâ€ve got everything. But they all seem to think that the most important thing is how tight they are.â€

The parallels here are blatantly obvious to the Toronto fan.

And the Maple Leafs, who play just a couple Barger relay throws east of the Dome, feel like the sports cityâ€s positive energy could be contagious.

“Itâ€s almost like a little bit of outside motivation, you can look at it, right?†Lorentz says. “Like, you see when that teamâ€s doing well, when our teamâ€s doing well, when it comes to playoff time, thereâ€s extra bodies in the seats. Thereâ€s extra bodies outside. Iâ€m sure the bars are all filled up with people who are rooting and cheering.

“I had some buddies out, and you could see the Instagrams and the Snapchats of people going nuts when Springer hit that home run. So, the Jays get that. We get that when weâ€re doing well, too.Â

“Itâ€s nice that we can kind of feed off that energy that the Jays are bringing, that buzz to the city.â€

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WWE legend The Rock has discussed John Cena’s final opponent in WWE and who should make the decision to choose his opponent.

During his recent appearance on the “New Heights” podcast hosted by Travis and Jason Kelce, The Rock initially joked that it should be him to face Cena in his final match. He, though, put the ball in Cena’s court, arguing how Cena has earned the right to decide whom he wants to face in his final match.

“I have a tiny bit of influence in the booking of it. But it really is just whoever John wants,” The Rock said. “Really, that’s what it comes down to. Whoever he wants, that should be [it]. It’s not me or Nick Khan, or Triple H [to decide]. It’s just whoever John wants. That guy has earned it.”Â

The Rock praised his former on-screen ally and rival, lauding the 17-time world champion’s authenticity.

“The best part about John is, he comes as advertised. So who you think he is, that’s who he is. And he’s a good dude. And I love that guy,” he added.

While The Rock and Triple H have claimed that it’s down to whom Cena wants to face in his retirement run, Cena himself has said that he doesn’t choose whom he faces, leaving that decision to WWE management.Â

Cena’s last match will take place at Saturday Night’s Main Event in the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., on December 13. One person who will not be a part of Cena’s retirement tour — or his final match — is AEW’s Adam Copeland, aka Edge in WWE, who was one of Cena’s greatest rivals. The name that’s been doing the rounds is former WWE World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER, who has been on the sidelines since his match at SummerSlam.

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Tyler Dibling? More like Tyler Dribbling…

That’s what Thomas Müller might say if ever asked about the Everton youngster in a press conference.

Landing the ex-Southampton youngster this summer was perhaps the Toffees’ second-best transfer in recent times, after Jack Grealish on a season-long loan, of course.

In a way, David Moyes robbed Football League spectators of what could have been one of the most ‘streets won’t forget’ seasons from Dibling in a Southampton shirt, but we’re happy to have him in the Premier League.

This is not a replay Tyler Dibling scored THREE almost identical goals in Southampton’s 4-2 win over Newcastle in the Premier League 2 pic.twitter.com/vzuni9A4XKApril 26, 2022

The Everton teenager has an excellent command of the ball at his feet, not breaking stride, smoothly moving through the gears in a way which suggests he should be stoppable, but often isn’t.

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Dibling eats ground in an elegant manner, carrying the ball seamlessly; he was a particularly useful outlet for a Southampton side who found themselves hemmed into their own half throughout 2024/25.

‘Give Tyler the ball and get your rest’, may as well have been Ivan Jurić’s primary tactic with the team already several goals down in some cases.

Dibling featured in over 2,000 minutes of senior football for that doomed Saints side last season, making 33 Premier League appearances, which is pretty out of the ordinary in any top five European league, never mind the most physically demanding one.

What is ‘The Boy’s A Bit Special’?

FourFourTwo’s long-running ‘The Boy’s A Bit Special’ feature has been going since the magazine’s first issue, highlighting the best young players in the United Kingdom and abroad.

As of September 2025, we’ve given it a revamp. Our youth football expert Joe Donnohue will be profiling four teenagers each month, explaining why they’re, well, a bit special.

Tyler Dibling is awaiting his chance at the Hill Dickinson Stadium (Image credit: Getty Images)

At Everton, he’s going to learn from the best and I don’t mean to suggest Moyes was a marauding wide player in his day. Grealish’s breakthrough at Aston Villa saw the Brummy Beckham hacked and chopped at by Premier League defences, so much so that only Wilfried Zaha really rivals the England international for fouls won over the past decade. Dibling, in this case, is the young pretender.

The 19-year-old will become a key player for this new cohort of England Under-21s, too, for whom many of their established wingers have outgrown the age group. So, don’t rule out a senior bow in years to come, either.

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QUEBEC CITY — For Ottawa Senators star defenceman Thomas Chabot, it was a homecoming playing in front of his family and friends this week.Â

“Itâ€s obviously a little bit of a dream,” said Chabot, “playing in front of your friends in your hometown.”

Chabot grew up 45 minutes from Quebecâ€s capital, in Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce. In an effort to grow the Senators brand, the team played two pre-season games in Quebec City, where Chabot was the star attraction. He conducted dozens of interviews and returned to his primary school at 8 a.m. on Monday to inspire the next generation of hockey hopefuls. He also convinced teammates Tim Stutzle, Brady Tkachuk, Claude Giroux, David Perron and Drake Batherson to wake up at an early hour to join him.Â

The children of Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce were able to see the NHL up close, thanks to Chabot. All class.

“Never expected to have the chance to play in my hometown, or at least close to it,†Chabot said. “The whole trip has been amazing.â€

Home is where the heart is, they say. It also moulds you into the person you eventually become, in Chabotâ€s case, on and off the ice. The good, the bad and the scoring ugly.

If you ask Chabotâ€s teammates, they gleam with joy about their beloved teammate.

“I think everybody rallies behind Chabot,†said Jake Sanderson. “It’s cool to get in the playoffs, not just as a team, but for him, going through so many years without it.

“In the locker room too, just he’s a louder guy, in between periods, he’s always talking. So, yeah, a lot to love.”

“He welcomed me from Day 1,†said Tkachuk. “(I) felt we were best buddies, right from Day 1.â€

In Quebec City, Chabot was his teammates†tour guide.

“I was telling him,†said Shane Pinto, “he does it right, like he makes sure all the boys are taken care of. He gives us all the restaurants, all the spots. He’s just an awesome, awesome host.â€

However, for years on the ice, Chabot was part of the fabric of a Senators team with a losing culture. And many believed he was part of the problem. For all of Chabotâ€s flare, penchant for high-flying rushes and offensive dynamism, the defensive side of the game was amiss, which was part of the Senators’ problem as a run-and-gun losing team.

After the 2023-24 season — the Senators†seventh straight missing the post-season — a significant portion of the blame was laid directly on Chabotâ€s shoulders.

Even Senators coach Travis Green says he wasnâ€t sold on Chabot at the time.

“When I became the coach of the Senators, Chabot probably had a little bit of a stigma around him. I wasn’t sure what to expect,†said Green.

“’Stigma’ might not be the right word, but just if you would have asked me, ‘What do you think of Thomas Chabot?†I probably would have thought he was a very offensive defenceman that isn’t great in his own zone.â€

The coachâ€s opinion of the 28-year-old changed leaps and bounds within a year, especially on the defensive side of the puck.

“Right from our first conversation, he’s been impressive,†said Green. “He changed his game.”

In less than one season, Ottawa went from one of the worst defensive teams in the league to the top half, with Chabot becoming an analytics darling, earning his first career positive as a plus-17. At the same time, Chabot took a lesser role on the power play, quarterbacking the second unit and ceding the first to Sanderson.Â

Meanwhile, Chabot also killed penalties for the first time in his career.

“Understanding that they’re also part of the problem as well,†said Green about his coaching to Chabot and his Senators teammates. â€œAnd until they change to commit to being winning hockey players, nothingâ€s going to change, and (Chabot) is a big part of that.â€

In leading the Senators back to the playoffs, Chabot posted a resurgent 45 points, the most since his sophomore season a pandemic ago. Meanwhile, in the regular season, he was fifth in the league in wins above replacement among defencemen, and 19th overall, according to Evolving Hockey.

“He stopped playing on the move, and just a little more stop-and-start to his game, not trying to cheat for offence,†said Green.

“And, again, he doesn’t have to (cheat for offence). He’s such a good skater. He gets up the ice as good as anyone. His gap can be as good as anyone in the league. And he’s one of those guys, he likes coaching, he brings energy, he’s passionate, and that’s important.â€

One of the kids Chabot met at his primary school asked him if he always loved hockey.

Without hesitation, Chabot said, “Yes.â€

Itâ€s easier to change your game when you love it.

When Chabot was a young boy, he was watching the NHL with his mother, Claude, and he told her that one day heâ€d be on TV. Now, heâ€s inspiring the next generation from his hometown to know itâ€s possible.

“This is where I grew up. This is where I came to school for many years,†said Chabot. “This is where my dad was teaching for years and years. It means a lot. Like, it’s home, right? Like, everybody says there’s no place like home.â€

Chabot and his teammates signed autographs and took pictures for almost 30 minutes after speaking to the kids so that every fan got their chance to meet the NHL stars.Â

In a similar vein, throughout pre-season, Chabot has been mentoring and playing alongside the next would-be star Senators defenceman, Carter Yakemchuk. They played excellently as a pair, with Chabot almost succeeding on a glitzy end-to-end rush against New Jersey on Sunday.

“Saving them for this season,” Chabot said, joking.

Yakemchuk, 20, credited Chabot for taking him under his wing, with “little pointers†throughout last seasonâ€s camp and into this campaign. Yakemchukâ€s coach said his best day of camp was Sunday, paired with … guess who?

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