Four host venues have been selected for Canada Soccer’s 2026 and 2027 Youth National Championships, with St. John’s (U-17 Cup) and Surrey (U-15 Cup) to welcome the nation in 2026 and then Montréal (U-17 Cup) and Cape Breton (U-15 Cup) to welcome the nation in 2027. The four host venues will help deliver Canada Soccer’s pinnacle event open to all provincial and territorial member associations from coast to coast to coast across the country.

As Canada’s most accessible sport, soccer welcomes more than 750,000 registered players across the nation. This past year alone, 580 youth teams took part in qualifying for the National Championships in the U-17 and U-15 age groups for both boys and girls. From that group, 12 youth teams qualified in each of the four divisions, with each venue hosting 24 qualified teams across the week-long event heading into the Canadian Finals on Thanksgiving Monday.

“Canada Soccer is proud to announce St. John’s, Surrey, Montréal, and Cape Breton as host communities for our 2026 and 2027 Youth National Championships,” said Peter Augruso, Canada Soccer President. “As part of Canada Soccer’s Youth Competitions Network, the National Championships showcase our commitment to delivering inclusive, high-quality national competitions from coast to coast to coast across the nation. With hundreds of youth teams participating in qualifying each year, the National Championships showcase the depth of talent in our game while creating lasting sport and community legacies in each host city. We look forward to welcoming players, coaches, officials, volunteers, and families to four outstanding destinations that will help make these events memorable for everyone involved.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Canada’s top youth soccer talent to St. John’s for the U-17 Cup in 2026,” said the Honourable Andrea Barbour, Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation. “This is an incredible opportunity to showcase our province’s vibrant culture, breathtaking landscapes, and warm hospitality to athletes, families, and fans from across the country. Supporting this event, through Celebrate NL, reflects our commitment to growing sport tourism and creating unforgettable experiences for visitors while contributing to the growth of soccer in Canada.”

“It’s a privilege for Surrey to host Canada Soccer’s 2026 U-15 Cup,” said Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke. “This national event highlights our strong soccer community and our commitment to supporting young athletes as they grow and compete. We look forward to welcoming teams and families from across Canada and showcasing the energy, diversity, and hospitality that make Surrey a fantastic host city.”

“Montréal is proud to be selected as the host destination for the U-17 Cup at the 2027 National Championships,” said Vincent Dumas, Manager – Sports Market, Sports Events Montréal. “As the host destination, Montréal brings together a passionate sports community, world-class venues, and an unforgettable atmosphere to deliver an experience that goes far beyond the game of soccer.”

“We are thrilled to welcome players, coaches and families from across Canada to the Cape Breton Regional Municipality for the 2027 National Championships U-15 Cup,” said Cecil P. Clarke, Mayor for Cape Breton Regional Municipality. “Hosting this event is a wonderful opportunity to showcase our beautiful communities, rich culture, and warm hospitality, while giving visitors an unforgettable Cape Breton experience.”

As part of the Youth Competitions Network, an enhanced schedule for the Youth National Championships was introduced in 2025 whereby each division now features 12 qualified teams. Group matches are played Wednesday through Friday followed by knockout and playoff matches from Saturday through Monday. Each host welcomes the qualified teams to their community with a unique Opening Ceremony, friendly volunteers at each of the competition venues, transportation to and from the team hotels, and a Finals Day atmosphere whereby all teams are in attendance for the Canadian Finals.

Canada Soccer’s National Championships are hosted each October across multiple divisions and venues, with other host cities to be announced in the coming months. As Canada Soccer’s largest national event featuring clubs from coast to coast to coast, the National Championships provide a meaningful week-long soccer experience for host cities and participating teams, as well as the players, coaches, support staff, officials, and volunteers.

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The sporting goods manufacturer CCM Hockey has established a long-term collaborative agreement with both the Montreal Canadiens organization and its charitable arm — the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation. The aim is to lower the financial and logistical barriers to entry for the sport, thereby promoting greater participation and fostering inclusivity within local communities.

This alliance designates CCM as the principal corporate backer for the Bleu Blanc Bouge skating program, which focuses on supporting access to the sport for youth from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. In this role, CCM Hockey will supply “helmets and skates to more than 650 underprivileged kids throughout Quebec to participate in a six-week learn-to-skate program.”

Additionally, CCM Hockey will contribute additional athletic gear to support the construction and operation of public ice rinks managed by the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation. This is known as the Foundation’s flagship program.

Image Credit: CCM Hockey

Published: Dec 20, 2025 6:50 am

Newtown Travel Basketball kicked off the season, participating in the Milford Knights Tip-Off Tournament that brought competition from 178 teams across four divisions over two weekends of play. Newtown had 17 teams, with six finishing in second place and two teams taking home championships.

Championship Winners:

Platinum Division — Grade 8 Boys’ Gold, coached by Pete Szklarz and Lynn Yeager.

Silver Division — Grade 5 Boys’ Blue, coached by Joe Brown.

Second Place Winners:

Platinum Division — Grade 4 Boys’ Gold, Grade 4 Girls’ Gold, Grade 7 Boys’ Gold, Grade 7 Girls’ Gold.

Silver Division — Grade 4 Boys’ Blue.

Bronze Division — Grade 6 Boys’ Blue.

Grade 8 Champs

The Newtown Grade 8 Boys’ Gold Travel team won the Milford Knights Tip-Off Tournament Platinum Division Championship. After a rough start in pool play, the boys found themselves down 24-4 in the first half to a hot-shooting Milford Knights team. They picked up the intensity on the defensive end with Kellan Kane as the leading rebounder and started moving the ball offensively and were able to cut the lead to four at the half. The second half was back and forth. The relentless effort on defense wore down the Knights, and the Nighthawks won by six. Leading scorers were Bryce Lowe with 17, Kevin Rancourt with 14, and Will Yeager with six.

The semifinal game featured a matchup against a good Westport team. It was back and forth the entire game. The Nighthawks executed down the stretch and hit key foul shots to pull out another close victory. It was a total team effort where everyone contributed on both ends of the floor. Leading scorers were Kevin Rancourt with 19, Bryce Lowe with 12, and Will Yeager with five.

In the championship game against Fairfield, scoring was at a premium for the first few minutes. Once the first basket was scored, Newtown was off and running. Once again the Nighthawk defense forced turnovers and allowed them to get out and score in transition. Offensively, the ball movement was great, which created a number of good looks. Once again it was a total team effort as Newtown cruised to victory by a score of 45-18.

Grade 5 Champs

The Grade 5 Boys’ Blue Nighthawks drew the FBA Demon Deacons and the FBA Hokies in the pool play portion of the Tip Off Classic in Milford. The Hawks split the two games, losing to the Demon Deacons 28-20 but bouncing back to beat the Hokies 26-20, setting the stage for a fantastic run to the championship.

The championship weekend started out with the Hawks facing the FBA Yellow Jackets in the semifinal game. The first half was back and forth, with both teams taking the lead multiple times, but saw the Hawks losing by two at halftime. That would be the last time the Hawks trailed in the game, going on a 18-0 run sparked by timely steals by Owen Boles and Joey Brown which turned into points, setting the tone for the rest of the game. The Hawks kept pressure on the Yellow Jackets until the final whistle, with Grey Antoinette and Owen Boles leading the team in scoring. Thomas Glovaski and Levi Garrison were beasts on the perimeter on defense, stifling the Yellow Jacket guards.

The Hawks couldn’t celebrate too long, having a small break before facing off in the championship game against the FBA Demon Deacons, setting up a chance at redemption for the Hawks from their pool play loss to the Demon Deacons the previous weekend. The game started with both teams playing tight defense, holding the game scoreless on both sides for the first six minutes. Eventually both teams found their rhythm, however, it was the Demon Deacons leading by four at half. The Hawks were able to regroup and keep the game close in the beginning of the second half, but the Demon Deacons extended the lead to six with under six minutes to play in the game. Even though the lead seemed out of reach at the time, the Hawks stuck together and played the best five minutes of basketball of the game at the end. Grey Antionette led the way, scoring six unanswered points and finding a cutting Brady Singer on a fast break, and Singer hit a jump shot to take the lead by two with one minute left. The Hawks stood tall on defense led by Joey Skura and Santi Puebla, holding the Demon Deacons to tough shots. The game was iced by two key free throws from Brady Singer on a 1-and-1 foul shot and second free throw to push the lead up to four with ten seconds left. The Hawks won 26-22. Hawks centers Billy Harrington and Paxton Rotas had their hands full on defense all game, having to guard players much larger than them but limiting their points and securing key rebounds.

The fifth grade Boys’ Blue team captured the Milford Knights Tip-Off Tourney title. Pictured are, from left, front: Thomas Glovaski, Joey Skura, Grey Antoinette, Santiago Puebla, Joey Brown, and Brady Singer; and back: Paxton Rotas, Levi Garrison, Coach Joe Brown, Owen Boles, and Billy Harrington. —photos courtesy Newtown Youth Basketball Association

The Grade 8 Boys’ Gold team won the tourney title. Pictured are, from left, front: Kellan Kane, Mikey Paloian, Reid Keil, Liam Cooney, Ryan Szklarz, Kevin Rancourt, Davis Gottschalk, and Cian Lahey; and back: Assistant Coach Lynn Yeager, Reed Sgagliardich, Will Yeager, Bryce Lowe, and Coach Pete Szklarz.

The family of Tyler Skaggs has settled a lawsuit with the Los Angeles Angeles after the pro baseball player died from a drug overdose in 2019. 

His family filed the civil suit in June 2021 after the pitcher died of a fentanyl and oxycodone overdose in Texas on July 1, 2019.

Two of the organization’s employees were also named as the family claimed Angels communications director Eric Kay supplied the illicit substances, and former Angels vice president of communications Tim Mead was or should have been aware of Kay’s alleged drug use and distribution of drugs to players on the team.

“The death of Tyler Skaggs remains a tragedy, and this trial sheds light on the dangers of opioid use and the devastating effects it can have,” a spokesperson for the Anaheim, Calif.-based Major League Baseball team said in a statement shared with PEOPLE on Friday, Dec. 19.

“Throughout the course of court proceedings, both parties searched for a path to a mutually agreed upon resolution and a confidential settlement has been reached,” the statement concluded.

PEOPLE reached out to Rusty Hardin, the attorney representing the Skaggs family, for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.

“The Skaggs family has reached a confidential settlement with Angels Baseball that brings to a close a difficult six-year process, allowing our families to focus on healing,” the family said in a statement provided to ESPN. 

“We are deeply grateful to the members of this jury, and to our legal team. Their engagement and focus gave us faith, and now we have finality. This trial exposed the truth and we hope Major League Baseball will now do its part in holding the Angels accountable. While nothing can bring Tyler back, we will continue to honor his memory.”

The late athlete’s family was seeking $118 million in potential lost earnings plus added damages, but the exact terms of the settlement have not been made public, according to the outlet.

At the time of his death, the Angels were scheduled to play the Texas Rangers in Arlington in the first game of a four-game series. The game was postponed following Skaggs’ death.

“It is with great sorrow that we report Tyler Skaggs passed away earlier today in Texas,” the Angels wrote in a post to its official X account. “Tyler has, and always will be, an important part of the Angels family. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Carli and his entire family during this devastating time.”

On the one-year anniversary of his death, Skaggs’ mother, Debbie Hetman, and his widow Carli spoke out in their first on-camera interview distributed through TMX.news.

“I’m sad all the time. Less numb, but sad, heartbroken that I don’t have my son here,” Hetman said. “It’s not gonna be the anniversary I look forward to ever.”

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Mead left the Angeles before Skaggs’ death to become president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, but later resigned from that position in April 2021.

In October 2022, Kay was sentenced to 22 years for his involvement in Skaggs’ fatal overdose.