SIMMONS SAYS: Don't take anthem-booing personally, Team USA. It's aimed at your country's leader

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THIS AND THAT

Watching Mitch Marner in large moments for Team Canada, and watching the clear confidence that Matthews is playing with on Team USA, there is this abstract thought: Can an experience such as the 4 Nations tournament translate to success for the Maple Leafs in the Stanley Cup playoffs? The Leafs have been eliminated early in the playoffs in eight straight seasons of Matthews and Marner in Toronto. Worse than that, Matthews has just one goal in those eight games, three of them went to overtime. And Marner has not scored in any of those games. Matthews’ stats from the elimination bouts: One goal, three assists. Marner’s stats: No goals, two assists … By comparison, McDavid has been eliminated from the playoffs five straight years. In those elimination games, he has three goals and four assists … Have to wonder how different Team Finland would have played in the tournament had the great Miro Heiskanen been healthy and playing half the game on defence, and had Juuse Saros supplied anything resembling competent goaltending in their opening loss to the U.S. … Have always liked Mike Sullivan as a coach. It took him little time in Game 1 against the Finns to pair the Tkachuk brothers on a powerful line with Jack Eichel … It was perfect having Mario Lemieux, who grew up in Montreal, played his junior seasons just outside Montreal in Laval, standing at centre ice when the 4 Nations began the other night at the Bell Centre. And considering the political state of affairs, it was also perfect that Wayne Gretzky was in a TNT studio talking hockey rather than being presented to Canadians … It’ll be interesting to see what, if anything, the NHL does with Bobby Orr when the tournament shifts to Boston. Wouldn’t be surprised if Orr is passed over to see Raymond Bourque or Patrice Bergeron passing out awards post-game … Canada and USA is not a new rivalry in hockey but it has grown over time because of the manner and speed with which Americans are now developing talent. But Canada did play Team USA in the final of the World Cup in 1996; in the gold-medal games of the Olympics in 2002 and 2010 and in the semifinals of the 2014 Games in Sochi. So this 4 Nations game is big for now, but not big historically speaking when considering the history … Clearly, the Team Canada brass doesn’t think much of Edmonton’s Evan Bouchard. They picked their original seven defenceman and didn’t include Bouchard. Then, when Alex Pietrangelo pulled out, they added the future Hall of Famer Drew Doughty, who has barely played this season. And now that Shea Theodore is out of the tournament and Cale Makar was possibly ill for Saturday night’s game, the Canadians had pseudo-Canadian Thomas Harley on hold. Bouchard, owner of a booming slapshot, will have to have a giant playoffs with the Oilers, as he did last year, to get any kind of consideration for next year’s Olympic team.

HEAR AND THERE

The MLB Network rates the top 100 players in baseball before every season begins. Last year, the Blue Jays had three players listed: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and George Springer. This year, with the Jays expected to be a better team, they have just two on the list. Guerrero, at No. 13, and Anthony Santander at 53. Bichette and Springer are not listed for the first time in years … And this should make you wonder about Blue Jays management, if you weren’t already wondering: If they have just two of the top 100 players in baseball, how come they have seven of the top 100 paid players in the game: Guerrero, Springer, Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, Jose Berrios, Bichette and Santander … The Dodgers open camp with nine of the top 100, followed by the Atlanta Braves with seven and the New York Yankees with six … By their own mismanagement, the Blue Jays have badly misplayed the Guerrero contract negotiations. They should have pulled an Alex Anthopoulos and signed him years ago. Now, after huge-money offers for Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto, they are all but forced to wildly overpay if they are to keep Vladdy. And if they can’t keep him and aren’t contending, they’ll have to trade him. And really, do you trust Ross Atkins to get that one right? … One other thing to remember: Guerrero had a terrific 2024 season. And with that, the Blue Jays still finished last in the American League East … So little talk around baseball about Bichette with spring training beginning. Do we really know who or what he is anymore? I expect him to have a bounce-back season, whether signed beyond this year or not. But then again, I once invested in JDS Uniphase, a stock I bought for around $100 a share and wound up selling at around $3 … It’s hard not to like Bichette and his approach to the game. He’s only 26 years old. If anyone deserves a comeback season, it is him … Very happy to see Jose Bautista appropriately recognized by the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. But wouldn’t it have been better to have Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion inducted together in the Canadian Hall? Both are deserving … So, already Marcus Stroman, who can’t help himself, is making noise at Yankees camp. He wants to start. He insists he is not a relief pitcher. Last time I checked, doesn’t the manager make that determination?

SCENE AND HEARD

What do the Raptors know about Brandon Ingram that the rest of the NBA doesn’t seem to know? The Raps have already committed $40 million a season for the next three years to Ingram, the sometime all-star wingman who has missed 20 games, 21 games, 27, 37 and 18 games the past five seasons. And that’s not counting the 37 he’s already missed this year. On average, that’s 26 missed games a season since becoming a New Orleans Pelican … Brian MacLellan, no longer general manager of the Washington Capitals, should win GM of the year in the NHL this season … I’ve been fortunate to attend international hockey games of consequence across Canada in Toronto, Montreal, Hamilton, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg and Vancouver. Montreal would rank first on my list of best places for hockey atmosphere, followed by the extreme crowds at the Vancouver Olympics. Surprisingly good in its day: Copps Coliseum in Hamilton … So the giant Pickleball Slam event is taking place with tennis legends Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf teaming up against Grand Slam winner Andy Roddick and Genie Bouchard. Wonder how Genie got chosen along with those great ones … There was never anything wrong with Denis Shapovalov’s game that emotional maturity and steely eyed focus couldn’t solve. His tournament win last week in Dallas ranks among the best of his career, with wins over highly ranked players Casper Ruud, Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz. So we ask: Is this the new Shapovalov or was this a one-week sensation? … Vince McMahon belongs in the WWE Hall of Fame, as silly as the WWE Hall of Fame may be. The Undertaker’s Wife, Michelle McCool, does not … There’s still such a long way to go for hockey on mainstream American television, even with ESPN and TNT doing such great work on the 4 Nations tournament along with the NHL Network. The morning after Team USA’s 6-1 win over Finland, you wouldn’t know it by tuning into the first half of SportsCenter. It opened with a halfway look at the NBA season, then an item on Aaron Rodgers and NFL free-agent quarterbacks; then a look at the Philadelphia Eagles parade scheduled for that day; then a discussion about NBA MVP at the all-star break (which included some Shai Gilgeous-Alexander talk); then another item on NFL free agents. I gave up before there were any hockey highlights in the program … Not sure this is possible, but if I’m the Florida Panthers, I’m doing everything I can to see if I can get Brady Tkachuk out of Ottawa. Imagine the Tkachuk brothers together on one team for more than just tournament hockey.

AND ANOTHER THING

It seems all we talk about in football these days are quarterbacks and the legacy of quarterbacks. And when we see a game such as last Sunday’s Super Bowl — where it was all about a defensive line completely and utterly dominating an offensive line — we present the MVP to the quarterback, Jalen Hurts. There is no award for a defensive line or a defensive co-ordinator but there should have been last week … When you think of the Super Bowls Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes lost, why did they happen? Mostly because they had no time to throw the ball. Mahomes had no time to think, let alone throw against the swarming Philadelphia defence … And here’s what’s potentially damaging for the rest of the NFL: Philadelphia is one of the few teams that has managed its salary cap well enough to have money to spend on Myles Garrett, who has asked to be traded. Imagine adding Garrett to that lineup … The Argos have lost some quality from their defence — in particular linemen Robbie Smith and Jake Ceresna and safety Royce Metchie, but they did maintain their quarterbacks, keeping Chad Kelly, Grey Cup MVP Nick Arbuckle and early-season starter Cameron Dukes. Coach Ryan Dinwiddie wasn’t sure at their Grey Cup celebration if they were going to be able to pull that off … One year from Monday, the playoff round begins at the Olympic hockey tournament in Milan. The men’s final is on Feb. 22, 2026. If Russia — or whatever they’ll call the team — isn’t allowed to play in next year’s Olympics, the U.S. will be in a draw with France, Slovakia and Latvia. Finland has a reasonable draw with Germany, Czechia and Denmark. Team Canada has the tougher preliminary schedule with games against Sweden, Switzerland and the host team from Italy … Condolences to the family of Jerome Drayton on the passing of Canada’s best marathon runner, the most recent Canadian to win the famed Boston Marathon. Drayton was 80 … My late friend, the big man, Chris Schultz would have turned 65 on Sunday … And a happy birthday to Jaromir Jagr (53), John McEnroe (66), Lanny McDonald (72), Craig Simpson (58), Russell Martin (42), Jerome Bettis (53), Darrell Green (65), The Weeknd (35), Ron Cey (77), Brian Propp (66) and Ugueth Urbina (51) … And hey, whatever became of Dan Hamhuis?