Steve Milton: National search for young athletic talent sets up at McMaster University

RBC Training Ground, the Canadian Olympic Committee's official talent search, is coming to McMaster's David Braley Athletic Centre Saturday, Jan. 28 to scout for potential Olympic-sport athletes. The cross-country search was last here three years ago.

All local athletes between the ages of 14 and 25 are invited to the Training Ground, the COC's talent-identification and athlete-funding program. There are 12 Olympic sports recruiting potential athletes: boxing, canoe-kayak, cycling, freestyle (skiing), luge, rowing, rugby, speed skating, triathlon, volleyball, wrestling and climbing. The search last came to Hamilton in 2020 and in its eight-year history has found and funded seven Olympic medallists including 2020 cycling sprint gold medallist Kelsey Mitchell, who hadn't considered the sport until she competed in the 2017 search event and found that her athletic abilities were cut out for velodrome racing.

Athletes will be tested for speed, strength, power and endurance capabilities. Interested athletes are advised to preregister at RBCTrainingground.ca, but anyone who shows up on testing day (assessments start at 9 a.m.) will also be welcomed. Hamilton Olympic hockey champion Saran Nurse will there to cheer on competitors.

Former Sabres in PHF

Waterford's Elaine Chuli, a graduate of the Stoney Creek Sabres, ranks third in the Premier Hockey Federation with a 2.72 goals against average for Geraldine Heaney's Toronto Six, and is tied for second with seven wins. The Six host the Metropolitan Riveters at North York's Canlan Sports Saturday and Sunday. Another Sabres' grad, Christina Putigna, has four goals and four assists for the league-leading Boston Pride, who sit three points up on the second-place Six. Talented Taylor Accursi of Ancaster, who played with the Sabres and Burlington Barracudas and was captain of the Buffalo Beauts last year, moved to the Pride as a free agent but has played only two games so far. Forward Alyssa Holmes of Burlington, who also skated for the Barracudas and Sabres, is a first-year pro with the Montreal Force.

A Rock-y road

Tom Schreiber moved into sixth place in the NLL goal-scoring derby after he scored five goals and added a pair of assists in the Rock's 17-8 demolition of Halifax at FirstOntario Centre Saturday night. Schreiber has 14 goals, six back of No. 1 Josh Byrne of Buffalo. Schreiber's 30 points ties him for ninth overall. After visiting Philadelphia and Calgary the next two weekends, the Rock return home Feb. 4 against the New York Riptide for their Kidz Night Charity Game which benefits SmileZone Foundation and St. Joseph's Hospital. One adult ticket purchased gets a free kids seat and as part of the evening's fundraising efforts, the team will wear its Steel City jerseys for the final time this season before auctioning the sweaters off.

Indoor games

Local elementary and high school coaches and teachers still have time to enter their track and field athletes in the Hamilton Indoor Games, which will return to FirstOntario Centre on Feb. 15 and 16. This will be the 95th edition of the games, run by the 91st Highlanders, but the first since 2019. They were cancelled in 2020 because of a labour dispute and in the next two years because of the pandemic. Registration and event information is at 91.track.ca.

Local rivalries

It's a big night for the Glanbrook Rangers Wednesday when archrival Grimsby Peach Kings come into the Glanbrook Arena (7:30 p.m.). In Grimsby Jan. 6 the Peach Kings beat the Rangers 2-1 in overtime to end a Glanbrook winning streak which ran all the way back to to Oct. 13. The Rangers, at 25-2-1, have the third-highest winning percentage in the 60-team PJHL and lead the Jr. C loop's South Bloomfield Division by seven points over Grimsby.

Meanwhile, motoring along at a .797 clip, the Kilty B's also have the third-best winning percentage in their league, the Jr. B GOJHL, behind the St. Catharines Falcons' .853 and Stratford's .833. Hamilton still leads the Golden Horseshoe Conference by one point over the Falcons, who have three games in hand. The Kilty's host the Falcons Thursday night at Dave Andreychuk Arena (7 p.m.).

Also of note: Waterdown's Carter Verhaeghe scored his 20th goal of the season and added an assist in the Florida Panthers' win in Buffalo Monday. His career-high is 24 goals, established last year. Teammate Brandon Montour also scored, to give him eight, and 36 points one shy of his best season ... Hamilton's Darnell Nurse leads the Oilers by large margins in both time on ice, and plus-minus ... Former Bulldog Nick Caamano of Ancaster cleared waivers and on Monday, Dallas loaned him to its AHL affiliate Texas Stars. After September back surgery, he hasn't played this season ... Buffalo will induct outstanding goalie Ryan Miller and his No. 30 into the Sabres Hall of Fame Thursday night in a 6 p.m. ceremony that precedes their home game against the Islanders ... The Ticats will likely lose some defensive backs to free agency and have signed American RJ Rountree, out of Virginia Union University, and Canadian Zach Herzog, Saskatchewan's 2022 seventh round draft choice who attended the Riders training camp last spring ... Three Rock players are in the NLL's Top 11 in loose ball retrievals, TD Irelan at No. 5, Mitch de Snoo (6) and Brad Kri (11).

Steve Milton is a Hamilton-based sports columnist at The Spectator. Reach him via email: smilton@thespec.com