DeBoer showing why he was ‘the guy’ for Bama
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Chris Low, ESPN Senior Writer
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Kalen DeBoer called the entire day “special,” and as Alabama wrapped up its first spring practice with DeBoer as coach in its annual A-Day Game, his players said they can’t wait to see what’s next.
Quarterback Jalen Milroe and offensive guard Tyler Booker both said the positivity, confidence and energy that DeBoer and the new coaching staff have exhibited since their arrival has been exactly what the program needed with Nick Saban calling it quits after his legendary coaching career.
Booker has yet to see his new coach flinch from the time he first met with the team.
“That’s why he was the right guy for the job,” Booker said. “I feel like whoever took this job had to have heart because they knew who they were succeeding after Coach Saban. So just to be able to have the wherewithal to take this job and have the pride to do so … he had my respect. Anybody who took this job would have my respect.
“He just continues to earn it and continues to prove why he was the guy for this job.”
A crowd of 72,358 turned out Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium for DeBoer’s debut in an offense-versus-defense scrimmage that saw the offense build a 31-0 lead and then hold on for a 34-28 victory in a specially designed scoring system. Saban, who watched the game from a suite with his family, attended the A-Day Walk of Fame ceremony before the game and joked, “I’m one of you. I’m one of the fans now.”
DeBoer had Saban speak to the team for the first time this spring, and while DeBoer has been keenly focused on his team, he acknowledged that it “really hit him” Saturday seeing the passion of the fans and soaking in everything that is Alabama football.
“I think today was probably the day where you just really felt it, seeing the guys come on the Walk of Champions, just seeing that and feeling the energy, the excitement of what it would be on a Saturday,” DeBoer said. “That was a lot of fun, and being in the locker room, just the excitement.
“And I thought the guys, as hard as they were playing, they were out there looking out for each other, too. I don’t care if it was offense or defense, but most importantly offense and defense playing the game the way it’s supposed to be played and the energy wanting to go out there and make the plays, but also not putting the team at risk.”
As DeBoer left the field, he stopped to sign autographs for fans reaching out from the stands and even took a selfie with a fan who handed the coach his phone.
“It’s been special to have him here because of who he is as a person,” Milroe said. “You want to play for a coach like this, how personal he is with us. He has power and reinforcement behind the criticism as far as getting us better and putting us in position to be successful. I’m super excited to play under Coach DeBoer because I’ve learned so much playing quarterback here with him because he’s offensive-minded. So that’s special for me to have a coach that’s offensive-minded, and it’s going to push me to be great and push me to be successful.”
Milroe, who finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting last season, connected twice on big gains early in the scrimmage with transfer receiver Germie Bernard, who followed DeBoer from Washington. Bernard was dynamic after the catch, and Alabama is looking for playmakers at the receiver position after losing its top two receivers from a year ago, Isaiah Bond and Jermaine Burton.
“I think he had a great day,” DeBoer said of Bernard. “I mean, you saw it right away. The one that stuck out to me was the catch in contact. He high-pointed the ball. … That’s what he does. He’s a physical guy. If the ball’s in the air, it’s his. That’s his mindset.”
Milroe’s mindset is that he’s “starving” to take it to another level this season after accounting for 35 touchdowns last season and bouncing back from being benched in Week 3 against South Florida. He said the staff’s confidence in him has made him even hungrier.
“There are some things I can get better at from last year, so each and every day I’m trying to get my best me every single time I come into the facility, and I’m challenged to do that each and every day,” Milroe said. “I have goals that I’ve set for myself, short-term goals and long-term goals that I need to do to be the best quarterback in the country this season. So I’m passionate. I’m starving to be great, and it’s going to come with preparation through this offseason.”
Even though the offensive production waned during the second part of Saturday’s scrimmage, DeBoer said one of the things he liked best about the spring was that the quarterbacks didn’t throw any interceptions during scrimmages. He also liked what he saw from his three running backs — Jam Miller, Justice Haynes and Richard Young. All three had impressive moments Saturday and were especially good after contact.
“I thought they did a better job of when they saw a hole today, they hit it and especially early on there were some seams, and they were not dancing, which means they’re getting more and more comfortable with the schemes, trusting the offensive line,” DeBoer said.
Miller, a junior, had a 48-yard gain and rushed for two touchdowns. Alabama’s defense was playing without injured starters linebacker Jihaad Campbell and defensive tackle Jaheim Oatis, but DeBoer said they both would have been able to play if spring practice had lasted another week or two.
“This team is passionate to play for our family, passionate to play for the state of Alabama, passionate to play for Coach DeBoer and our coaching staff,” Milroe said. “There are a lot of things we’re playing for and excited for what Coach DeBoer has in store for us.”
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Greg Wyshynski, ESPN
Vancouver Canucks right wing Brock Boeser is not expected to play in Game 7 of their second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday because of a blood-clotting issue, a source told ESPN, confirming a report.
There’s no timeline for his return to action. The Canucks had no comment on Boeser’s status.
Boeser didn’t skate in practice Sunday. Coach Rick Tocchet would only say at a media availability that “he needed the maintenance day.”
Boeser, 27, leads the Canucks in goals (7) and is tied for the lead in points (12) during the postseason. He established career highs in goals (40), points (73) and games played (81) during the regular season.
The Canucks winger has had some MVP moments during their playoff run. His hat trick in Game 4 against the Nashville Predators led them to a comeback win. Boeser’s three points in the first period of Game 3 led Vancouver to a win over Edmonton.
It’s the second significant injury for Vancouver in the playoffs after a regular season of relatively good health for the team’s core players. Starting goaltender Thatcher Demko, a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best netminder, hasn’t played since Game 1 of the first round because of a knee injury. Edmonton won Game 6 at home Saturday night to force Monday’s Game 7, the only seventh game of the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The winner faces the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference finals.
The Boeser injury news was first reported by Vancouver-based hockey journalist Irfaan Gaffar.
RALEIGH, N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes re-signed coach Rod Brind’Amour and his staff to multiyear contracts, keeping one of the best in the NHL behind the bench around for the long term.
The team announced the re-signings Sunday for Brind’Amour, assistants Jeff Daniels and Tim Gleason, goaltending coach Paul Schonfelder and video coach Chris Huffine.
“Rod has been instrumental to the success we’ve had over the last six seasons,” team president and general manager Don Waddell said. “Ever since he joined the organization 24 years ago, Rod has embodied what it means to be a Hurricane. We hope to keep him a Hurricane for life.”
Brind’Amour was in the final year of a deal reached in 2021, when he was the winner of the Jack Adams Award as the league’s top coach. His status had become a talking point around the NHL as jobs changed hands, though Brind’Amour — as well as Waddell — had expressed confidence that a deal would get done.
“I never had a doubt in my mind he [would] come back,” Carolina center Sebastian Aho said earlier in the day when asked about the reports of a deal. “Not surprised, I would say.”
Brind’Amour took over in 2018 to lead a franchise that had missed the playoffs for nine straight years. The Hurricanes have gone to the playoffs six times in as many seasons under the captain of Carolina’s 2006 Stanley Cup winner. Carolina has also won at least one series in each of the past six postseasons, marking the first time a team has accomplished that since the Detroit Red Wings did it from 1995 to 2000. The Canes also reached the Eastern Conference finals twice in the past six seasons.
Carolina finished three points behind the New York Rangers for the Metropolitan Division title and Presidents’ Trophy (presented to the league’s top regular-season team), another season in which it ranked among the NHL’s top teams with an aggressive forechecking style.
The Hurricanes beat the New York Islanders in five games in Round 1 then lost to the Rangers in a six-game second-round series after falling in a 3-0 hole.
Brind’Amour, 53, arrived in Raleigh in a January 2000 trade from the Philadelphia Flyers and played there until his retirement in 2010. He then spent seven seasons as an assistant coach before taking over as a first-time head coach.
Multiple players were asked earlier Sunday about Brind’Amour’s status during end-of-season interviews. None expressed concern that he wouldn’t return or that it had been any type of distraction.
“He’s one of the main pieces that turned this organization around from where it was when I first got here,” defenseman Jaccob Slavin said. “So I think anyone would want him to stay as well. I know he wants to be here. I’m confident it’ll get done.”
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