Edmonton Journal from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada • C1

SPORTS Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamil- ton said Thursday he did not plan on retir- ing from Formula One any time soon. The Briton, who races for Mercedes, signed a two-year contract with the team last year, keeping him at the outfit until the end of 2023 at least. Speaking to reporters ahead of Japanese Grand Prix, Hamilton, pictured, said he would race beyond the end of that deal. plan on staying Hamilton said at the Su- zuka circuit, adding he definitely wanted to remain with Mercedes in some role for life. just not set in stone how run of four successive titles came to an end last year when Red Bull rival Max Verstappen denied him an un- precedented eighth championship on the last lap of the season finale.

Hamilton, 37, been in the hunt this year and is still searching for his first win to add to his record 103-victory career haul. Reuters HAMILTON PLANS TO KEEP RACING Think the streak that seen the Edmonton Elks win a home game since 2019 is long? How about the one been on since last taking any sort of kick return back for a touch- down? For that one, have to look all the way back to Chris first time as a head coach in Edmonton, during the 2015 Grey Cup championship season. Since then, the Elks return game has looked like been, as one member in the Bryan Hall Media Centre once put it, held together by duct tape and the shadow of the legendary Henry (Gizmo) Williams. But while special teams had been lagging behind the other two phases, safe to say caught up to the offence and defence during the two years the Elks have been buried at the bottom of the West Division. And it has apparently taken hitting rock bottom for the return units to be able to rebound, which we have been seeing during the past month, to the point where punt returner Christian Saulsberry came up with gains of 34 and 35 yards on back-to-back efforts to put offence in position to score late in last 25-18 loss to the Montreal Alouettes.

teams has been great, especially over the past five, six said Elks quarterback Taylor Cornelius. coming in, provided a differ- ent spark to that return unit. been unbelievable, putting us in easy field position stuff, coming away with points. got to be better, even when he puts us in those situa- tions. You turn the ball over and just get it in the end done a real nice job, got all kinds of said Elks head coach and general manager Chris Jones.

last three weeks, had some explosive plays in our return game and we need him to contin- ue to do To credit, he also found a promising returner in fellow rookie Dillon Mitchell, who has since been plucked by the offence amid injuries to some receivers, which could go to show as much about the system finally being put in place as it is the one returning the ball. huge. The punt return and kickoff return unit can not only flip the field, as they say, but also flip a game in said Mike Scheper, who is the latest in been a revolving door of special teams co-ordinators that has seen five different ones come in during the last three seasons. in our case, very fortunate with that recently emerging. And a testament to, I believe, us as a staff and with our players working as one, cohesively.

Identifying the right guys, not only the returners, done their part very well, especially in our last few outings, but also the right blockers that are in front of him, that make up our kickoff return and punt return unit. are, gladly, some core pillars that are starting to emerge on our recent film over the last number of games. And the biggest things that are jumping out are fanatical effort and will outweighing sheer skill. in professional a skilful, talented play- er, but our will is starting to show itself in both those sets of our return Saulsberry sits in the top five among regular returners with an average of 11.6 yards per punt. Not bad for someone who was cut by the team at the end of the pre-season.

came back around Aug. 17 after being out for two months getting cut from said the 5-foot-8, 188-pound West Alabama product. the situ- ation and how the going, they wanted a guy to come in and be that spark on special As for bringing one to the house, Saulsberry said his last touchdown return happened in his final season of university football in 2019. been seeing a couple of articles about Saulsberry said of the drought. been one of my goals.

a guy that accepts a challenge, not going to run from any opportunity thrown my way because only so many going to get in this still time left in the sea- son for Saulsberry to help end a couple of streaks, should he score a touchdown to end the home losing skid. will feel good definitely, most he said of scor- ing a touchdown return. I definitely want to win at the home stadium, SPECIAL TEAMS A BRIGHT LIGHT FOR LOWLY ELKS Elks punt returner Christian Saulsberry is hoping for a punt or kickoff return for a touchdown before the season ends, something Edmonton done since 2015. DAV I Training camp is the worst. Without a doubt, usually the most tedious, protracted and belaboured part of the entire season.

All of the players have been in top shape for months. The veterans need only three games to get fully up to speed. The team is 95 per cent picked based on contracts and any open spots are largely inconsequential places at the bottom end of the lineup. Every once in a while, though, something comes along and injects some genuine drama in the pre-season. That something, of course, is Dylan Holloway.

A blue-chip prospect and for- mer NCAA star, Holloway is fully expected to be an impact player for the Oilers one day. just that nobody really expected that that day might be Oct. 12 when the regular season opens against Vancouver. But Holloway is doing exactly what a player with his natural abilities, in his position, is sup- posed to do force his way into the conversation and make it very difficult for the organization to tell him not ready yet. He has single-handedly made this training camp worth watching, even worth getting excited about.

This is a kid who might actually be able to step into one of the best top sixes in the NHL and produce. And this is no longer a situa- tion, as Connor McDavid said last week, where the Oilers are so thin that first-round picks are gifted roster spots out of necessi- ty. Holloway has earned his keep so far, blending skill and tenacity and already drawing high praise from potential linemates who seem more than ready to have him on their wing. That Holloway lined up next to Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman for game against Vancouver (putting up three goals and an assist) and was with McDavid and Hyman for rematch in Abbots- ford tells you how serious head coach Jay Woodcroft is about this. premium ice late in the pre-season.

If Holloway is for real, a massive score for the cap- stretched Oilers. A top-six winger with size and speed who thinks the game at an elite level and has a $925,000 cap hit is like winning the lottery. The excitement end there, either, in this rarest of compelling NHL training camps. Both of goalten- ders from last September are gone, meaning Jack Campbell and Stuart Skinner are not only a clean slate, but an unproven tandem. How they perform is even more important than what Holloway does.

No good goalies, no Stanley Cup run. So far both off to good starts. Skinner already turned in some rock-solid performances (like the 33-save win over Winni- peg last Saturday) while Camp- bell stopped 28 of 30 shots in a third-star performance Monday against the Canucks. a long season and the true measure of goaltending is consis- tency, but Oilers fans can exhale for now. twitter: Blue-chipper Holloway injects excitement into camp A I A 7 2 0 2 2 I RY RT KOW I Direct Cremation $1375 plus GST (includes: Registration, Transfer of Deceased, Cremation Container, Cremation Fee, 12 Death Certificates Permits)in your time of we keep it simple www.simplycremations.com Sherwood Park 2008D Sherwood Dr.

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