Kraken's Wright to play for Canada
Canada's junior hockey team is getting another big boost from the NHL.
Hockey Canada says the Seattle Kraken have loaned forward Shane Wright to the team before the start of its selection camp in Moncton, N.B., for the upcoming world junior championship.
The Kraken picked Wright fourth overall in the 2022 NHL draft.
He recently returned from a conditioning stint in the AHL and scored his first NHL goal Tuesday against visiting Montreal.
Wright was on Canada's team at the 2022 world junior championship that was postponed due to an outbreak of COVID-19. He did not play in August's rescheduled tournament in Edmonton.
He helped Canada win gold at the 2021 under-18 championship and finished the tournament tied with teammate Connor Bedard for second in scoring with 14 points in five games.
Wright's addition comes a day after the Los Angeles Kings loaned defenceman Brandt Clarke, another key member of the 2021 U18 squad, to the junior team.
The world junior championship starts Dec. 26 in Moncton and Halifax.
Fred Vanvleet says his recent social media activity has nothing to do with his shooting slump.
The Raptors guard raised a stir when he unfollowed his teammates on Instagram this week, but Vanvleet laughed it off after Wednesday's 126-113 win over the Lakers.
“I unfollowed my mom, too; they didn't care about that part,” Vanvleet said with a laugh.
Vanvleet said he was trying to “fight the algorithms” after seeing numerous suggested accounts on his feed.
“I'm going up and down my feed, there's so many things I'm not following that's just suggestion, suggestion, suggestion, so stupid me, let's unfollow everybody and see if it helps,” he said.
“It didn't help, somebody caught wind of that, and said oh, I unfollowed all my teammates.”
Vanvleet has been mired in a slump, shooting just 3-for-12 from three-point range against L.A., and has averaged 18.7 per cent from long distance during the past five games.
Free agent shortstop Xander Bogaerts agreed to an 11-year, Us$280-million deal with the Padres, according to multiple reports.
San Diego already possessed a star-studded left side of the infield with third baseman Manny Machado, a former all-star shortstop, and shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr., who missed the entire 2022 season due to a wrist injury and then an 80-game suspension after testing positive for a banned substance.
One of Machado, Bogaerts or Tatis figures to move to another position or serve as the team's designated hitter.
Bogaerts, 30, is a fourtime all-star, five-time Silver Slugger winner and a two-time World Series champion with the Red Sox.