OK, let’s get this out of the way: Yes, 2020 was a dumpster fire.
But it wasn’t all doom and gloom.
With 2020 nearly behind us, let’s focus on the highlights with a look back at the 12 best Canadian sports moments of the year.
Matt Dumba makes game-changing BLM speech
This was a highlight that started as a lowlight.
Heading into its Aug. 1 restart, the NHL was taking heat for its response to the Black Lives Matter protests, which exploded after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. The league’s efforts had fallen short of those from their peers in the WNBA, NWSL, NBA and even MLB.
Then in stepped the Minnesota Wild’s Matt Dumba.
It was a burden the Regina-born defenceman shouldn’t have had to shoulder as a player of colour, especially given the potential consequences, but he did, delivering an unforgettable and impassioned speech about social and racial justice, and becoming the first NHL player to kneel during the national anthem.
“So I stand in front of you today on behalf of those groups and promise you that … we will fight against injustice and fight for what is right. I hope this inspires a new generation of hockey players and hockey fans because Black lives matter. Breonna Taylor’s life matters.
“Hockey is a great game. But it could be a whole lot greater, and it starts with all of us.”
Dumba and the Hockey Diversity Alliance also played a key role in getting the NHL to postpone playoff games as other major sports leagues joined a second wave of protests at the end of August after the shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, Wis.
Jeff Roberson/AP
Canadian women steal the show at NHL All-Star Weekend
Speaking of making the game of hockey greater.
After years of tinkering and countless permutations, the NHL injected some real heat into its 2020 All-Star Weekend, adding one of the greatest rivalries in sports to the mid-season classic: a matchup between Canada and the U.S. in the first-ever Women’s Elite 3-on-3 contest.
In a high-intensity showdown — perhaps just a notch below their Olympic encounters — Canada eked out a 2–1 victory thanks to goals from Melodie Daoust and Rebecca Johnston, as well as some clutch goaltending from Ann-Renee Desbiens, who stoned Alex Carpenter with just over a minute to go.
And, in retrospect, with the CWHL folding the year prior and the NWHL being forced to cancel its season due to COVID-19 several months later, it provided a much-needed boost for the women’s game amid a very tough stretch.
David Ayres becomes a legend
Before there was a pandemic. Before many people had even heard of COVID-19, the most improbable thing to happen in 2020 was a 42-year-old Zamboni driver backstopping the Carolina Hurricanes to victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
But that’s the story of David Ayres.
The practice goalie with the Leafs and AHL Marlies got the call as an emergency backup goalie after not one, but two of the Hurricanes netminders got hurt, and became the oldest goalie in NHL history to win his regular-season debut in a 6-3 triumph over Toronto on Feb. 22.
Ayres allowed goals on the Leafs’ first two shots, but stopped the next eight, including a glove save at the buzzer for the perfect end to his storybook evening.
It’s a performance the Whitby, Ont., native and the hockey world won’t soon forget.
“These guys, how great they were to me. The crowd in Toronto was unreal. Even though I was on the other team they were so receptive. Every time I made a save I could hear them cheering for me.
“Awesome.”
Raptors, Jamal Murray at forefront of league-wide protests
In June, as the NBA discussed the resumption of its 2019–20 season, an unprecedented wave of protests against systemic racism and social injustice was occurring across the country and around the world.
With its players being majority Black, many of them were in opposition to a return to play, fearing they could potentially distract from a movement that had sprung up to bring about necessary change in society at large and save lives from police brutality in their communities.
Ultimately, players returned to the court, with owners making financial contributions to racial equality and social justice efforts, and the league allowing them to wear messages of support on their jerseys and emblazoning “Black Lives Matter” along the sidelines.
But the Aug. 23 shooting of Jacob Blake induced renewed heartache and frustration. And four days later, the Milwaukee Bucks opted to sit out their playoff game against the Orlando Magic.
The Toronto Raptors and the Boston Celtics joined in solidarity, boycotting Game 1 of their conference semifinal, as did other teams around the league, and the NBA schedule ground to a halt.
While the Raptors will not be credited in the history books as the authors of the moment, they should be recognized for taking a stand as part of a movement that had a ripple effect across the world of sports, prompting similar boycotts in other leagues.
“Sports brings us all together. We have the ability to address these issues head-on and galvanize and hope for change and try to create that change,” said team president Masai Ujiri, per NBA reporter Taylor Rooks. “We have to be in that space, and the bubble was that space at that time.”
It would be remiss not to also acknowledge Kitchener’s Jamal Murray, who, after the NBA returned to the court, delivered an emotional post-game interview after scoring 50 points in the Denver Nuggets' must-win playoff tilt against the Utah Jazz while wearing shoes honouring Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.
"I use these shoes as a symbol to keep fighting," he said. "It's not going to take one night. We've been trying to fight for 400 years. But these shoes give me life. Even though these people are gone. They give me life. They help me find the strength to keep fighting in this world."
OG Anunoby saves Raptors' season
It feels a bit like cheating to have a second Raptors entry on the list, but OG Anunoby’s buzzer-beating three-pointer to give Toronto a 104–103 win in Game 3 of their series against the Celtics was one of the most unbelievable shots in franchise history, arguably second to only The Shot.
Seriously — my Twitter timeline afterwards was just a string of single-word expletives. People were speechless.
Down 103–101 with 0.5 seconds left — after what seemed like a dagger on an uncontested dunk from Daniel Theis — Kyle Lowry found Anunoby in the corner with a perfect, two-handed cross-court heave from the sidelines over seven-foot-five Tacko Fall, and Anunoby shortened his release to beat the buzzer on a three.
Delirium followed — at least for his teammates — who mobbed the impassive and unflappable 23-year-old.
“I expected to make it,” said Anunoby after the game. “I don't shoot trying to miss. I wasn't surprised.”
Like I said, unbelievable.
While the Raptors eventually fell to the Celtics in seven games, ending Toronto’s hopes of repeating, Anunoby’s buzzer-beater is one for the books.
Canada’s women’s basketball team clinches berth to Olympics
While it was just the start, it’s hard not to get excited about the prospects of Canada’s women’s basketball team going forward.
With the men’s team failing to lock down a berth to the Tokyo Olympics at the World Cup in the fall, the women stepped up. Led by Kia Nurse and Natalie Achonwa, the Canadians punched their ticket to the Olympics for the third consecutive time by routing Sweden in a Feb. 8 qualifying game. The Canadians lost just once — to the top-ranked Americans — across 12 games in FIBA’s new three-tournament qualifying format.
Ranking an all-time best of fourth in the world, the Canadian women have their sights set on their first podium appearance in history — and first for the country since 1936 — in Tokyo after being eliminated in the quarterfinals of both the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.
“Having some expectations of being there tempers a little bit of the excitement right now. When we think back to 2012, we were losing our minds (with excitement after qualifying),” head coach Lisa Thomaidis said at the time. “But I think there’s high expectations on this team and this group, so it does temper it. But I can tell ya we’re a pretty excited group right now.”
Julian Finney/Getty
Alphonso Davies makes history in Champions League
Alphonso Davies had, perhaps, the greatest year of any Canadian athlete, and he didn’t turn 20 until a month ago.
The blazing-fast Bayern Munich defender earned almost too many honours to count. Among them: Bundesliga rookie of the year; finalist for Major League Soccer’s “The 25 Greatest”; Canadian Men's Player of the Year; a third-place finish for the Golden Boy award for top young player in Europe; Kicker magazine named him to its Bundesliga team of the season; ESPN ranked him as the second-best left fullback in the world; and he was shortlisted as a nominee for UEFA's Team of the Year and Defender of the Year.
But his crowning achievement came on Aug. 23 as Bayern edged Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the Champions League final, making Davies the first Canadian men’s player to lift the European Cup.
“Who would've ever thought — a guy from Canada, playing at a club like Bayern Munich, winning Champions League? Never would’ve guessed it,” Davies said in a post-match interview. “I think two years, if someone had told me this, I would’ve said, ‘Yeah, you're lying.’ But I mean, dreams do come true. And I just want to say thank you everyone for supporting me back home.”
Christine Sinclair sets goal-scoring record
Christine Sinclair is the greatest scorer in the history of international soccer. Period.
In an 11–0 rout of St. Kitts and Nevis at the Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship back in January, the 36-year-old scored her 184th and 185th goals to wrest the title from retired American striker Abby Wambach.
The feat came nearly 20 years after she scored her first career goal in her debut for Canada as a 16-year-old at the 2000 Algarve Cup.
The all-time leading goal scorer in international soccer is Canadian!
Here's a breakdown of Christine Sinclair's goal-scoring record. pic.twitter.com/yhFXgvJjkm— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 29, 2020
She made history with her second marker of the game, a tap-in in the 26th minute, but in her typically modest manner, Sinclair appeared more relieved than anything.
“With the tournament that we’re in right now, there’s some big things to focus on, and it’s just nice to get it out of the way in the opening game so now that we can focus on getting better and qualifying for the Olympics,” she said after the match.
She got that out of the way, too, helping Canada book its ticket to Tokyo, where it has a shot at a third straight podium finish.
Blue Jays make a surprising return to playoffs
Yes, it was a shortened season. Yes, they got some help from an expanded playoff format. Yes, their aspirations were swiftly put to bed via a two-game sweep by the Tampa Bay Rays.
But none of that cheapens the achievement of breaking a four-year post-season dry spell, ahead of schedule for their young core, despite being vagabonds, forced to set up shop in Buffalo while barred from their home stadium due to the pandemic.
The Toronto Blue Jays making the 2020 MLB playoffs isn’t a feat that should be overlooked.
“Nobody expected us to be here. I’m so proud of these guys, our whole group. And like I said in the beginning, the guys that don’t complain will have a good chance to make it to the playoffs, and we never complained, not having a home and going through all the stuff they went through,” said manager Charlie Montoyo after his team was ousted by the AL East Champion Rays at the end of September.
The Blue Jays compiled a 32-28 record — a year after losing 95 games! — and claimed a wild-card berth to make their eighth post-season appearance.
Despite all the caveats, all the built-in excuses, they did it — and it was a whole lot of fun while it lasted.
Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP
Brooke Henderson nearly notches second major
It doesn’t get much closer than this.
Brooke Henderson, the most successful Canadian golfer — man or woman — in history, nearly added another trophy to her mantle at ANA Inspiration in September.
The 23-year-old came up just short in her bid to win a second LPGA major, losing to Mirim Lee after a three-way playoff at Mission Hills Country Club.
Despite the result, the native of Smith Falls, Ont., showed remarkable poise in the final round.
Having shot a tournament-best seven-under 65 on Saturday, she entered the last day of play tied for the lead. However, a double bogey on the 13th hole cost her that advantage.
Sitting one shot back on the 18th, Henderson birdied to finish with a 69 and joined the playoff with Lee and Nelly Korda.
“You’re playing against the best in the world out there, and it’s tough to lose that way," Henderson said at the time. “I felt like I missed a lot of putts…. But Mirim and Nelly played great, and I really fought my way around, so I’m happy.”
And she had every right to be. The tie for second was the seventh-best result of her career points-wise, and her best in 2020.
Ed Zurga/CP/AP
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif wins Super Bowl, opts out of season
What can’t this guy do?
The native of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que., started his year by winning Super Bowl LIV with the Kansas City Chiefs in February, before putting aside fame and fortune to work at a long-term care facility in his home province amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s wild to think that just 10 weeks earlier I played in the biggest game in sports,” Duvernay-Tardif said in April of his experience fighting the novel coronavirus on the frontlines. “I was reminded of that even at the facility, when one of the people training me turned and said, ‘You’re the football player, right?’ When I answered yes, he said, ‘Bro, you just won the Super Bowl.’ Indeed, I told him, and now I just want to help.”
In an amazing and inspiring act of self-sacrifice, the 29-year-old — who earned his medical degree at McGill University — committed even further to his off-field efforts, opting out of the 2020 NFL season on July 24 to continue working as an orderly at the facility.
“Being at the frontline during this off-season has given me a different perspective on the pandemic and the stress it puts on individuals and our healthcare system,” Duvernay-Tardif said at the time. “I cannot allow myself to potentially transmit the virus in our communities simply to play the sport that I love.
“If I am to take risks, I will do it caring for patients.”
Frank Franklin II/AP
Denis Shapovalov cracks the top 10
It was a banner year for Canadian tennis, despite the pandemic-interrupted season.
Felix Auger-Aliassime made three ATP finals, in addition to the fourth round of the U.S. Open; Milos Raonic and Vasek Pospisil both rebounded from injuries, earning nominations for ATP’s Comeback Player of the Year; and Eugenie Bouchard and Leylah Annie Fernandez both made runs to the third round at Roland Garros.
But Denis Shapovalov had the best year of them all.
The Richmond Hill, Ont., product made the quarters of the U.S. Open and the semis at the Rome Masters, culminating in his ascent to No. 10 in the world on Sept. 21, making him just the second Canadian to crack the top 10 after Raonic.
Shapovalov finished the year at No. 12, and at the age of 21, he is the youngest player in the top 20.
The future is bright.
Honourable mentions: Steven Stamkos returns from his seven-month injury absence to score in his first shot in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final; Jordan Huitema wins the Golden Boot after scoring a tournament-leading seven goals at the Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament last February; Kadeisha Buchanan captures her fourth Champions League title; Chase Claypool sets a Canadian record by scoring four touchdowns in an NFL game; Corey Conners records the lowest score by a Canadian at the Masters.
