The most intriguing Canadian sports storylines for 2022
CBC
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Some things across the sports world in 2021 weren't all that shocking: Tom Brady won another Super Bowl. Connor McDavid cemented his status as the best player in hockey. The Toronto Maple Leafs lost in the first round of the playoffs.
Others took us by surprise, like the Canadian women's soccer team winning Olympic gold, the Montreal Canadiens reaching the Stanley Cup Final and Leylah Fernandez playing for a U.S. Open title.
Here are some of the questions — even if we don't know their answers — that could define the next 365 days in Canadian sports:
How much more havoc will COVID-19 wreak?
Definitely some. If the past year — and especially the past month — taught us anything, it's that COVID-19 isn't going away any time soon. We already know the virus is to blame for the NHL pulling its players out of the Olympics, but the Games themselves seem like they could be tainted by positive tests knocking key athletes from competition. The virus remains, unfortunately, the defining question surrounding sports as we turn the page to 2022.
Who will be the breakout Olympic star?
Tokyo 2020 introduced the world to Maggie Mac Neil, the Canadian swimming star who appeared stunned to see she'd won gold. Pyeongchang 2018 thrust Canada's Kim Boutin into the spotlight for her grace in handling the social-media threats. Rio 2016 saw the debut of Canadian Olympic legends Penny Oleksiak and Andre De Grasse. All of which is to say that some little-known Canadian athlete will turn instantly iconic in Beijing. Some options: ice dancers Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier (looking to fill the rather large skates left behind by Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir), speed skaters Isabelle Weidemann and Laurent Dubreuil, bobsledder Cynthia Appiah. Among numerous possibilities.
How far can Canada's men's soccer team go?
Its story began in 2021, with unforgettable victories over Panama and Mexico helping lift the squad to the top of its regional World Cup qualifier. That success opens a world of possibilities for 2022. First things first though, Canada must hold its top-three position just to reach the World Cup in Qatar, which begins in November. Canada has played in the marquee tournament only once before — in 1986, when it failed to win a match or score a goal. But behind the likes of blossoming global stars Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David, the team seems primed to collect some firsts. Read more about the 2021 Canadian soccer breakthrough here.
How much progress is made on domestic women's pro sports leagues?
Canada's women's soccer team grew louder in its calls for one following its Olympic victory. The women's hockey team has been working toward one ever since the CWHL shuttered in 2019. The basketball team, backed by Drake, wants one too. The desire is clear — it's now on potential stakeholders to get the ball rolling on a sustainable plan. All it takes is one success story to open the door.
Leylah or Bianca? Felix or Shapo?
The Canadian tennis contingent has never been stronger, with a pair of rising stars on both the men's and women's tours that seem to constantly outdo each other. Fernandez stole the 2021 show with her run to the U.S. Open final, plus her first career WTA title. Auger-Aliassime reached the semifinals in New York and the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, with Shapovalov soaring to the semis in the latter. It was a tougher year for Andreescu, who battled injuries and COVID-19 but still managed to reach the Miami Open final. All four remain young, but 2022 may be crucial in determining who takes that next step to consistent Grand Slam contention.
