Blue Jays Face Two-Win Elimination Test at Home as Dodgers Clinch NL Pennant and NHL Heats Up
The Toronto Blue Jays return home with no margin left — two wins in two nights at Rogers Centre is now the only path to the World Series. Seattle’s late push in Game 5 reignited debate around John Schneider’s bullpen decisions and flipped the pressure back on Toronto ahead of Sunday. At the same time, the Dodgers are already through after an Ohtani-powered sweep, the NHL standings are tilting early, and Calgary may quietly be drifting toward the Gavin McKenna conversation far sooner than expected.
CALGARY — The Toronto Blue Jays enter Sunday facing the cleanest math in sports: win twice at home or watch the World Series without them. After dragging the ALCS back to even, Seattle seized Game 5 on Friday with a decisive eighth-inning surge to tilt the series back their way. That loss has put renewed focus on John Schneider’s bullpen decisions, after two of Toronto’s best arms never left the bench.
Game 6 goes Sunday at Rogers Centre. If the Jays extend the series, Game 7 would also be in Toronto on Monday with a World Series berth on the line.
Around the NHL, Colorado leads the league in points and Carolina remains undefeated. Vegas continues to look like a heavyweight, with Jack Eichel pacing league scoring and the Golden Knights holding three of the top nine spots league-wide. Alexander Ovechkin scored career goal 898 on Friday, while Buffalo delivered a 3–0 shutout of the defending champion Panthers, with Josh Doan scoring the winner on the power play.
In Calgary, the Flames sit last with two points and visit Vegas tonight. According to Tankathon, the Flames currently hold the highest lottery odds for 2026, positioning them in range for Gavin McKenna — the Whitehorse-born phenom now playing NCAA Division I at Penn State after a 129-point WHL season. The Wranglers open a two-game set in Tucson after back-to-back losses to Colorado; Dryden Hunt leads Calgary in goals.
In the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers swept Milwaukee to win the NLCS, with Shohei Ohtani crushing three home runs in the clincher. The World Series begins Friday with the Dodgers awaiting the winner of Toronto and Seattle.
Blue Jays advance to ALCS as Flames win Battle of Alberta and Wolf dominates early season
CALGARY — It was a defining week for Canadian sports — and once again, Calgary was right in the centre of it.
The Toronto Blue Jays punched their ticket to the American League Championship Series with a convincing win over the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Toronto now awaits the winner of Tigers–Mariners Game 5, which will decide who they face when the ALCS opens Sunday at 6 p.m. Mountain.
Back in Alberta, the Flames delivered an early-season statement. Down 3–0 to the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary stormed back to win 4–3 in an eight-round shootout, taking the first Battle of Alberta of the season. Matvei Gridin, Connor Zary, and Blake Coleman provided the regulation goals, with Coleman capitalizing on yet another misplay by Stuart Skinner. Nazem Kadri scored the shootout winner and added an assist, while Adam Klapka and Matt Coronato also picked up helpers.
Goaltender Dustin Wolf once again proved why he’s the cornerstone of Calgary’s crease, stopping 32 of 35 shots through regulation and overtime — plus seven more in the shootout — for a .914 save percentage. Despite being the difference-maker, Wolf was curiously left off the game’s three stars list.
For Edmonton, the same narrative continues. With two of the league’s top forwards, the Oilers’ ongoing goaltending instability remains their biggest barrier to serious contention.
Calgary dropped the second half of their back-to-back the following night in Vancouver, falling 5–1 to the Canucks. Morgan Frost notched the lone goal for the Flames, assisted by Yegor Sharangovich and Joel Farabee.
The Flames return home to the Scotiabank Saddledome for their home opener Saturday at 2 p.m. against the St. Louis Blues, aiming to climb back above .500 for the second time this season. Meanwhile, the Calgary Wranglers kick off their AHL campaign with a two-game set in Colorado against the Eagles.
Between the Jays chasing a pennant and the Flames showing early-season resilience, Canada’s sports momentum is surging — and in Calgary, the fire’s only getting brighter.
Blue Jays Clinch AL East Crown as Flames Continue Preseason
CALGARY -- Twenty more wins than a year ago has lifted the Toronto Blue Jays to the American League East crown. The turnaround season ended with Toronto securing its place in the American League Division Series, where the Jays will face either the Yankees or Red Sox once the Wild Card is settled.
While Toronto fans celebrated baseball success, Calgary hockey fans were focused on NHL preseason action. The Flames opened their slate with split-squad games against Edmonton, earning a 3–2 overtime win on the road behind two goals from Morgan Frost, while dropping the home half 3–0. Back at the Dome, they beat Seattle 4–1, then fell 3–1 in Abbotsford against Vancouver. Most recently, in Winnipeg, the Flames came up short 4–2, with goals coming from 2024 first-round draft picks Zayne Parekh, 9th overall, and Matvei Gridin, 28th overall.
Frost has been Calgary’s most consistent forward, leading the team with five points through four appearances. His overtime winner in Edmonton stood out, but his steady production throughout camp has been just as important.
The Flames’ preseason record may not turn heads, but the combination of veteran contributors and first-rounders hitting the scoresheet is giving head coach Ryan Huska a clearer picture as roster cuts continue. For Huska, the emphasis remains less on results and more on which players will be ready when the games count.
Calgary closes out the preseason this week against Seattle, Vancouver, and Winnipeg before opening the regular season October 8 in Edmonton against the Oilers, last year’s Western Conference champions.
Canadian sports fans now find themselves in one of the best stretches of the calendar: the Blue Jays preparing for October baseball and the Flames moving closer to opening night.