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‘I’m torn’: Kraken’s Canadian contingent having allegiances tested in ALCS

The Regina native has always supported Canada’s only Major League Baseball team. Eberle is also captain of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken.

And that makes the American League Championship Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Seattle Mariners tricky viewing.

“I’m actually torn,” Eberle said Saturday morning. “I’m a western Canadian. Seattle is closer to me and they have more Canadians on the roster than Toronto does … it’s a win-win. I’d love to see the city of Seattle move on to the World Series. I’d love to see the Jays move on.”

The Mariners scored five runs in the eighth inning Friday to top the Jays 6-2 and take a 3-2 lead in the ALCS. Game 6 goes Sunday at Rogers Centre — just down the street from Scotiabank Arena where the Kraken faced the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. Game 7, if necessary, would be Monday.

  • Watch the Blue Jays in the ALCS on Sportsnet
  • Watch the Blue Jays in the ALCS on Sportsnet

    The Toronto Blue Jays will face the Seattle Mariners in Game 5 of the ALCS with a chance to take their first lead of the series on Friday at 6:08 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT. Catch the game on Sportsnet or Sportsnet+.

    Broadcast schedule

Kraken defenceman and Toronto native Jamie Oleksiak said he remains a Jays fan despite getting caught up in Seattle’s run on the diamond. The hulking blueliner was in attendance when the Mariners beat the Detroit Tigers in 15 innings last week to advance to the franchise’s first ALCS since 2001.

“I’m always cheering for the Jays,” said Oleksiak, who watched Friday’s game with his family. “I’m happy either way, I guess … it’s been competitive and entertaining.”

Like many Jays fans, he tried to put on a brave face after an ugly bullpen implosion in Seattle roughly 12 hours earlier pushed Toronto to the brink of elimination.

“Still some series left,” Oleksiak said.

Fellow defenceman Vince Dunn, who grew up in Mississauga, Ont., said he’s been conflicted watching the Mariners, who have never played in a World Series, and the Jays go toe-to-toe in a compelling matchup.

“The Mariners not ever having won a championship, it’s maybe something that you’re hoping for and can rally around,” he said. “The teams in Seattle are pretty supportive of each other. I can only do my part and support them as well.

“Whoever wins, it’s a happy home for me.”

  • Watch Hockey Night in Canada on Sportsnet
  • Watch Hockey Night in Canada on Sportsnet

    Watch Hockey Night in Canada on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ all season long. This Saturday, catch the Maple Leafs vs. the Kraken, the Canadiens vs. the Rangers, the Jets vs. the Predators and Flames vs. the Golden Knights.

    Broadcast schedule

First-year Kraken head coach Lane Lambert — an associate with the Leafs last season — said his support is firmly planted in the Mariners’ corner.

“It’s crazy,” said the Melfort, Sask., product. “Both cities, I was just in one and (now) in Seattle. I’m a homer. It was a heck of a game (Friday) night.”

A member of the Kraken since the club’s inaugural 2021-22 season and named the second captain in franchise history last October, Eberle has grown to appreciate his adopted city’s passion for its teams, including the NFL’s Seahawks and the Sounders of Major League Soccer.

“I love Seattle sports fans,” he said. “But I know how the Jays fans are, too.”

Eberle is also keenly aware the team that advances from the ALCS will face a potential buzz saw with the Shohei Ohtani-led Los Angeles Dodgers already waiting after completing their sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series.

“It’s gonna be awesome,” Eberle said. “But either way, they’re gonna have their hands full.”

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Hockey

How Each Canadian NHL Team Looks After One Week

After exactly one week of regular-season NHL action, the seven Canadian teams are spread out throughout the standings already.

From the first impressions to the early trends from the start of this season, each Canadian squad looks different. Let’s dive in.

Calgary Flames

After three games, the Calgary Flames have a 1-2-0 record and are tied for last in the Western Conference. Their only win came in overtime against their provincial rivals, the Edmonton Oilers, in the season opener.

Going into this season, The Hockey News†Yearbook predicted the Flames to be a ‘mushy middle†team, finishing sixth in the Pacific Division. Following that prediction, Calgary seems to be on the right path to being the team that most expected them to be.

One storyline to watch is the play of Dustin Wolf. The 24-year-old sophomore is the bona fide starter, but he’s allowed 12 goals in three games with a .865 save percentage and minus-3.9 goals saved above expected, according to moneypuck.com. Only the Ottawa Senators’ Linus Ullmark has a worse GSAE rating at minus-5.4, but more on that later.

Flames Must Accomplish The Opposite Of Last Season To Avoid'Mushy Middle'
Flames Must Accomplish The Opposite Of Last Season To Avoid ‘Mushy Middle’
The Calgary Flames were a surprising team last season. While they didnâ€t make the Stanley Cup playoffs – that part was expected of them – the St. Louis Blues beat them out on a tie-breaker after the two teams levelled on points for the last wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers’ goal is clearly the Stanley Cup or bust. After two straight Cup final losses to the Florida Panthers and a short-term extension for Connor McDavid, the Oilers, specifically management, have a ton of pressure.

After some mediocre starts to the last two seasons, including a 5-12-1 run in 2023-24 that cost coach Jay Woodcroft his job, the Oilers would benefit from starting strong this time around.

In the pair of contests Edmonton has played, the star players ran the show. McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins have three points each.

Itâ€s a small sample size, but the Oilers appear to be right on track to get to where everyone believes they belong, with a 1-0-1 record. Their 1.94 expected goals against per 60 minutes is the best rate in the NHL, according to naturalstattrick.com.

Montreal Canadiens

Despite being the youngest team in the NHL, according to eliteprospects.com, the Montreal Canadiens have been a force to start this season.

They dropped their first game last Wednesday, but even in that loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs and the two wins that followed, the Habs have been a fast and exciting team. Their 75 speed bursts of between 20 and 22 miles per hour are the sixth-most in the league, according to NHL Edge.

Off-season acquisition Zachary Bolduc has had a hot start to his Montreal tenure. Heâ€s scored three goals and four points in three games. Captain Nick Suzuki leads the team in scoring with five points, all assists.

GM Kent Hughes also locked up defenseman Lane Hutson to a tidy eight-year contract worth $8.85 million annually on Monday.

While theyâ€re still a young team, the Canadiens will take a lot of points away from teams throughout this campaign and will be hunting for a second straight playoff berth.

Ottawa Senators

The Senators have some positives and a few concerns after one week.

Center Shane Pinto leads the team in points with four goals and five points in the first three games. Defensemen Artem Zub and Jake Sanderson and captain Brady Tkachuk have three points each.

Their strength is their forward depth. However, the Sens would like to have more consistent goaltending as Linus Ullmark has a 4.07 goals-against average and .842 save percentage in the first three contests.

The potential greater concern for Ottawa is Tkachuk’s injury he suffered in Monday’s game against the Nashville Predators. He’s expected to be out for at least four weeks, maybe longer.

The expectation for Ottawa is to make the playoffs, and thatâ€s no easy task in the mighty Atlantic Division.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs are without Mitch Marner for the first time since his rookie season in 2016-17, in case you forgot. He provided much of Torontoâ€s offense last year, with 102 points.

The Leafs will need to make up for all the lost scoring, which is even tougher considering Craig Berubeâ€s north-south and dump-and-chase style of play.

Toronto went 1-2-0 in the first seven days, losing twice to the Detroit Red Wings. Despite outshooting Detroit 40-15 on Monday, the Wings eked out a 3-2 win.

They’re also 0-for-6 on the power play.

With a major loss to their scoring touch, only time will tell if theyâ€ll be able to survive.

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‘He Always Has Good Feedback’: Maple Leafs’ Craig Berube Details What Conversations Are Like With William Nylander
If there’s anyone on the Toronto Maple Leafs who can come out on the good side of adversity, it’s William Nylander.

Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks and a few individuals on the team are looking for a major bounce-back year. After shockingly missing the playoffs last season, Vancouver is expected to get back into the post-season, and a lot of that falls on center Elias Pettersson.

Pettersson only scored 15 goals and 45 points in 64 games last season, despite scoring 89 and 102 points in the two campaigns before that. So far this season, he has one assist in three games as the Canucks are 1-2-0 to start the 2025-26 campaign.

Pettersson has a lot of say in how far Adam Footeâ€s Canucks go this year. In the meantime, Kiefer Sherwood leads the way with three goals, and Thatcher Demko has a 1.54 GAA and .944 SP in two starts.

Winnipeg Jets

After winning the Presidents†Trophy last season, no one expects anything less of another excellent regular season for the Winnipeg Jets. They’re 2-1-0 so far.

Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor each have three goals in three games. The two of them were particularly strong in Winnipegâ€s only loss this season against the Dallas Stars.

It was the season opener, and Connor netted himself a hat trick with Scheifele providing primary assists on all three of his goals. Unfortunately, it wasnâ€t enough as Dallas took it 5-4, but the Jets showed signs that they arenâ€t much different from last year.

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