Canada’s Snowbirds will take to the skies over Moose Jaw, Sask., on Saturday for the Tutor jet’s final hometown performance before the fleet is retired from service.

In May, federal Defence Minister David McGuinty announced the aerial performers’ CT-114 Tutor jets are being replaced with CT-157 Siskin II, and the fleet is being temporarily grounded after this summer for the new planes’ procurement.

“This season is, quite frankly, pretty special. The best analogy I can find is watching your children go to university. One part of you is sad to see them leave, just like we’re going to be sad to see the Tutor leave,” said Lt.-Col. Guillaume Paquet, commanding officer of the Canadian Forces Snowbirds.

“The positive side is we’re going to get new airplanes.”

Paquet said being able to give back to the Moose Jaw community, who have supported the Snowbirds for 55 years, “is a privilege.”

Dan Dempsey was the commanding officer of the squadron in 1989 and 1990. He was a Snowbird in 1979 and 1980.

“The legacy of the Snowbirds is what they provide to the country (as) an inspiration and pride,” said Dempsey, who described the squad as “unifiers.”

“Nobody flies the Canadian flag better than the Snowbirds or, most importantly, to as many locations as the Snowbirds. And if we lose the Snowbirds, we lose the capacity to influence young boys and girls at a young age.”

He said he believes the Tutor jets are repairable, or at least can make it until the early 2030s, when Ottawa estimates the new aircraft will be ready for takeoff.

Former Moose Jaw mayor, and president of the city’s flying club, Roger Blager told Global News he’s optimistic for the Snowbirds’ future, even if the decision to ground them felt sudden.

“To have the final thing come down as quickly as it did, it was a shock,” Blager said, adding he’d heard rumblings in the community before the May announcement.

“There was some discussion that precipitated the actual announcement with McGuinty (having his) feet on the ground and making it official, but there was speculation that this would happen,” Blager said.

“People were thinking it was misinformation, but sure enough, it proved to be true. And this will have an impact on the community.”

Seeing the Snowbirds up above evokes feelings of national pride, he said.

“I don’t think I know anybody, whether that’s in private or military aviation, in Canada that the Snowbirds weren’t some kind of influence,” he said, describing the performers as “very important and inspirational” for Moose Jaw residents.

“I have absolute faith that they will come back, but most people around here don’t. There’s a lot of skepticism.”

The Snowbirds’ first performance in Moose Jaw was July 11, 1971. The team has been based at 15 Wing Moose Jaw ever since.

At the news conference announcing the temporary performance pause, McGuinty said the team will remain at that base when the new planes arrive in the early 2030s.

“The announcement came out and it was a little shocking for us here in Moose Jaw,” Melissa Maclean, a Moose Jaw resident and member of the Keep Them Flying movement, said. Her grandfather was also a pilot at the base at 15 Wing Moose Jaw, where she met with Global News.

Keep Them Flying is a campaign created by locals to keep the Snowbirds flying during the transition period between aircraft. The group is calling on concerned citizens to send a postcard or email to Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Maclean said the original plan was to distribute the postcards in the community, but as the word spread, more Canadians wanted to help.

More than 25,000 postcards have been distributed so far, she said.

“It’s just one of those things. When people see the Snowbirds, they think Canada. And across Canada that’s always been the way it is,” Maclean said, comparing the Royal Canadian Air Force performers to other iconic Canadian symbols – including maple syrup, beavers and poutine.

“Whether it’s an airshow or it’s a fly-past, when people look up, they see them. They’re easily recognizable. Not just in Canada, but around the world, and there’s an attachment to that. People get excited when they see (the Snowbirds).”

Tickets for the Tutor jets’ final hometown show in Moose Jaw sold out within minutes. The Snowbirds will complete their scheduled performances this summer before the aircraft are officially grounded.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Veteran mediator Vince Ready has been appointed to try to help settle the British Columbia nurses’ dispute as the union steps up its job action.

Labour Minister Jennifer Whiteside said in a statement on Friday that Ready and Amanda Rogers will act as special mediators to work with the parties for 10 days to help try to reach a settlement.

The statement says that if necessary, they will provide recommendations to the minister to end the dispute.

Ready has a long history in the province of troubleshooting some of the most fractious disputes.

Nurses announced on Thursday that they would step up their job action with an expansion of pickets to additional care centres across the province.

While many of the 60,000 unionized nurses are covered under essential-service agreements, those not on the job have been picketing in front of care centres in Surrey and Vancouver.

The union implemented targeted action last week with a ban on non-nursing duties and non-essential overtime.

Premier David Eby announced a mediator would be stepping into the dispute on Friday at an unrelated news conference in Prince George.

“I don’t want to prejudge any conversations that will take place at the table,” Eby said. “I know we have a shared goal of ensuring nurses are respected and appreciated in our system, and are able to return to work fully to support patients in British Columbia, and that will be our goal at the table.”

The labour dispute has drawn attention to nursing issues, such as working conditions and safety, among others, he said.

The premier said that while government has taken steps to try to mitigate some of those pressures, such as nurse-to-patient ratios and security, there are still issues that need to be addressed.

“Nurses are the glue that hold an incredibly strained system together, and they deserve to be recognized for that,” he said.

No one from the BC Nurses’ Union was immediately available to comment on the appointment of the mediators.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) has provided more details on the circumstances that led to a police shooting near the town of Irricana, about an hour northeast of Calgary, on July 3, 2026.

In a press release issued a week after the shooting, ASIRT said two RCMP officers were responding to a domestic call at a rural home near Irricana when the shooting happened.

Airdrie RCMP received a 911 call at about  6:20 p.m. from a woman who reported a domestic disturbance involving her boyfriend.

When officers arrived, they heard yelling coming from inside the residence before a woman exited the front door, the release said.

The officers stayed near the entrance and called for the person inside to come out, but they did not respond.

A few minutes later, a man exited and began walking toward the two officers, holding what appeared to be a handgun, according to the release.

During the interaction that followed, ASIRT said one officer fired his pistol multiple times, striking the man.

They then provided first aid and called for emergency medical services, but ASIRT said paramedics pronounced the man dead at the scene.

The agency said the shooting was captured on the body cameras of both officers. Neither of the officers was injured.

ASIRT is conducting an independent investigation to examine whether the use of force by police was appropriate.

RCMP said an internal review process has also been launched to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident, including police response, training, policy and the involved officer’s duty status.

A large section of Highway 9 on the edge of Irricana, northeast of Calgary, was cordoned off with police tape following the shooting.

STARS Air Ambulance confirmed it also responded to the scene but did not transport anyone.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Camp Courage, a Nova Scotia camp that encourages young women and gender-diverse youth to explore careers in firefighting and other emergency services, is marking 20 years.

Founder and executive director, Andréa Speranza, says more than 36 per cent of participants go on to work in emergency services.

And many, she says, stay in the industry.

“They have (at the camp) … an entire family behind them, so they have a lot more support, and I think sometimes even if you just have somebody you can ask questions to and somebody that can mentor you, I think that makes a big difference,” said Speranza.

Camper Kinleigh MacDougall says the program was the perfect fit for her because she’s always wanted to be a firefighter.

“I decided this would be a great opportunity to see … how everything works,” she said.

Through hands-on experiences and mentorship, the goal is to show the campers that anything is possible.

“Something that I have learned here is that you should always push yourself to your fullest, and that was maybe not something I had always experienced,” said camper Ruhab Sandhu. “But here, everyone is beyond encouraging for you to try your best, even in little, little things.”

Speranza says the goal now is to roll the program out nationally.

For more on this story, watch the video above.

— with a file from Global News’ Rebecca Lau

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Ontario lost thousands of jobs in June, but can still boast positive job creation for the past three months after a particularly strong performance in early spring.

New figures released by Statistics Canada revealed Ontario lost 16,700 jobs in the past month, keeping its unemployment rate steady and above the national average.

They come after gains of more than 84,000 in April and May.

Ontario NDP MPP Catherine Fife said the latest data showed the Ford government was failing to deliver on the economy.

“Our province’s workforce is shrinking at an alarming rate. This Premier and his Conservative government are simply not creating opportunities for people,” she wrote in a statement.

“Hard-working people are struggling to put food on the table for their families, or to keep a roof over their heads. The good jobs they need are disappearing.”

The fall in jobs in Ontario means the unemployment rate in the province sits steady at seven per cent, above the national average of 6.5 per cent.

A spokesperson for the government pointed to the ongoing trade war with the United States as part of the reason for the difficult figures.

“As President (Donald) Trump’s tariffs and tariff threats continue to disrupt supply chains and pose unprecedented challenges for workers and businesses on both sides of the border, our government is taking action to build a more resilient and self-reliant economy,” they wrote in a statement.

“In 2025, we saw 750 companies invest $35 billion in our economy, and we will continue to take action to give businesses the certainty they need to invest and grow in Ontario.”

The figures from Statistics Canada confirm worrying data put out by the Financial Accountability Office (FAO) of Ontario at the beginning of June.

In that report, the FAO suggested the province had seen its workforce fall at the sharpest rate since 1976, with the exception of the COVID-19 pandemic. It tracked a labour force decline of 0.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2026.

Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said the province had made the wrong choices when it came to public funding for the economy.

“The Ford government could create jobs now by investing made-in-Ontario renewable energy, by creating a real EV strategy that will bring manufacturing jobs back to the province and by legalizing gentle density to build more homes now,” he wrote in a statement.

“The Ford government needs to stop putting corporate giveaways ahead of the people of Ontario and start taking real action to create jobs and make life easier and more affordable for everyday people.”

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

A second suspect is wanted in connection with a fatal tent fire in Greater Sudbury that police are investigating as a homicide.

Detectives have identified 31-year-old Bryan Eshquib as a suspect in the June 11 fire at Energy Court that claimed a life, according to a Sudbury police news release.

He is wanted on charges of first-degree murder, arson with disregard for human life and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

Emergency crews were called to two tents on fire at Energy Court encampment at about 3:40 a.m. on June 11.

After the flames were extinguished, firefighters found a deceased person inside one of the tents.

The victim was later identified as a 41-year-old Greater Sudbury man. His name has not been released.

Police previously arrested 33-year-old Brandon Gramling-McEwan in connection with the case.

He was charged with first-degree murder, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, two counts of arson with disregard for human life, two counts of arson causing property damage and possession of incendiary material.

Police are asking anyone with information about Eshquib’s whereabouts to contact investigators or Crime Stoppers.

The allegations have not been proven in court.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

It will be four years before a new natural gas-fired power plant north of Edmonton is operating and able to serve the massive data centre Meta Platforms Inc. is planning to build nearby.

But the tech giant has a plan for power in the meantime.

Meta expects the $13-billion-plus data centre will be online in the next two to three years, spokesperson Stacey Yip said Friday.

Before the Greenlight Electricity Centre starts up in the second half of 2030, Meta has rights to connect to Alberta’s grid and can tap other suppliers if needed, Yip added.

Last year, Alberta’s grid operator set aside a total of 1,200 megawatts of capacity for large-load projects like data centres until 2028 to ensure the province’s electrical system is not overburdened.

The partners behind the Greenlight Electricity Centre power plant — Pembina Pipeline Corp., Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners and Kineticor Asset Management — have snapped up a chunk of that.

“Enabling that grid connection – was crucial in giving Meta the speed to market they needed,” RJ Sigurdson, Alberta’s minister of affordability and utilities, told a news conference this week.

The first phase of the data centre project will draw 970 megawatts from the grid under a long-term contract with a “wholesale power provider,” Sigurdson said.

“Without this grid-connected pathway, Alberta may not have landed this massive new tenant.”

Also this week, Edmonton-based utility Capital Power Corp. announced a long-term energy supply agreement for the Meta data centre, with 250 megawatts of electricity available in the second half of 2028.

“This agreement is exactly the kind of opportunity we’ve been preparing for — AI infrastructure will be built where power is available, reliable and scalable and, with the support of Capital Power’s fleet, Alberta meets the mark,” CEO Avik Dey said in a news release.

The $4.6-billion Greenlight Electricity Centre is expected to produce 932 megawatts of power in the second half of 2030, with permits in hand to eventually double that.

Data centres house the computing hardware needed for a variety of tech applications.

With the boom in artificial intelligence, the facilities have grown to mind-boggling scales to meet the vast computing demands needed to train and run those models.

Their thirst for power is voracious, giving rise to community concerns over pollution, power bills and water use.

Alberta has been courting big tech heavyweights to set up shop in the province, setting up a “concierge” service to help navigate the regulatory process.

It has said it aims to have $100 billion in data centres under construction by decade’s end.

Given the limited slack in Alberta’s power grid, the province is prioritizing projects that build or contract their own power.

The province has said Meta’s investment would help reduce transmission costs on Albertans’ utility bills by up to six per cent.

David Pickup, who leads the electricity program at the Pembina Institute — an environmental think tank that’s unrelated to Pembina Pipeline — said Alberta is locking itself into demand for natural gas at the expense of cleaner, and often cheaper, alternatives.

“It doesn’t have to be this way,” he said in a news release earlier this week.

“Already, other jurisdictions and operators have chosen a different path: to power these operations with renewables first and foremost.”

Researchers at York University’s Schulich School of Business have been mapping Canada’s emerging data centre landscape and have found that Alberta is at the epicentre of the boom.

That province accounts for 92 per cent of planned new capacity, while it represents 10 per cent of facilities currently active, said their paper.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

The Curator independently decides what topics and products we feature. When you purchase an item through our links, we may earn a commission. Promotions and products are subject to availability and retailer terms.

Was this just another summer gadget destined to collect dust in a drawer, or could this tiny device actually make unbearable heat a little more manageable? I decided to put the Shark ChillPill to the test.

I’ll admit it: when I first heard about a wearable cooling device, I was skeptical. A fan I can carry around? Sure. A misting system? Maybe. But a tiny colourful gadget promising to cool me down instantly during hot days? It sounded like the kind of thing that would be exciting for five minutes before ending up forgotten in a kitchen drawer next to old chargers and random batteries.

But after spending time with the Shark ChillPill, I quickly realized this wasn’t just a mini fan — it’s more like a personal cooling system designed for those moments when the heat feels impossible to escape. Whether I was sitting outside, walking around, stuck in a warm car, or just trying to survive a particularly humid day, this little device became the thing I reached for when I needed quick relief.

After charging it up, filling the mist reservoir, and experimenting with the different settings, I put it through real-life testing. My verdict? It’s surprisingly practical — especially if you’re someone who spends a lot of time outdoors, travels to warm climates or struggles with summer heat. Let’s break down what stood out.

 

 

Pros

3-in-1 cooling power

The biggest selling point of the Shark ChillPill is that it doesn’t rely on just one cooling method. You get a high-speed fan, a dry-touch evaporative mist, and the InstaChill Cooling Plate in one compact device.

The fan delivers a powerful stream of air, while the mist adds a refreshing boost without leaving your skin feeling wet or sticky. Beyond just cooling down, the misting feature feels like a little beauty ritual on hot days — a quick hydration-like refresh when your skin is craving relief from heat, dryness, or that uncomfortable “summer face” feeling after being outside too long. It’s the kind of pick-me-up you’d normally reach for a facial mist for, but with the added benefit of instant cooling.

But the feature that really caught my attention was the InstaChill Cooling Plate. A quick touch creates that immediate “ahh” moment you want when you’re overheated. It’s a surprisingly satisfying way to reset when the temperature starts climbing.

Instant InstaChill relief

The InstaChill Cooling Plate is easily the most unique feature. According to Shark, it can lower skin temperatures within seconds of contact, making it ideal for those moments when you need cooling right away.

For me, this was the feature I didn’t know I needed. A fan helps circulate air, but having direct cooling on your skin feels much more immediate — especially after walking outside, sitting in a hot car, or dealing with a heat wave.

Powerful airflow for such a compact device

Don’t let the size fool you — this little gadget has some serious airflow. The high-speed fan pushes air up to 25 feet per second, which makes it feel much more powerful than the typical handheld fan.

It’s the difference between waving a tiny breeze around your face and actually feeling cooled down. It’s especially useful when you’re on the move and don’t have access to a traditional fan or air conditioning.

Dry-touch misting

I’ve tried portable misters before that left everything around me slightly damp, which isn’t exactly ideal when you’re trying to stay comfortable.

The Shark ChillPill uses evaporative dry-touch mist, meaning you get the refreshing effect without feeling like you sprayed yourself with a water bottle. You can choose between continuous or interval misting, depending on how much cooling you need.

The reservoir provides up to 10 minutes of mist, which is plenty for quick bursts of relief.

Hands-free design

One of my favourite details is that it’s designed to be worn, clipped, or twisted into tabletop mode. Instead of having to constantly hold it, you can attach it and keep your hands free — perfect for walking, travelling, outdoor events, or commuting.

Battery life

The rechargeable battery lasts up to 11 hours on the lowest speed, which is impressive for something this compact. If you’re using the highest setting, expect around 1.5 hours of maximum cooling before needing a recharge.

For everyday use, the battery life feels more than sufficient — especially since most people will likely use it in short bursts rather than running it continuously all day.

Cons

Accessories sold separately

While the wearable design is one of the biggest reasons to buy this product, some of the accessories that make it even more convenient — like cross-body lanyards, clamps, and the travel case — are sold separately.

The device works on its own, but if you want the full hands-free experience, you may end up spending extra.

Not a replacement for air conditioning

As impressive as the Shark ChillPill is, it’s still a personal cooling device. It’s designed to cool you, not an entire room.

If you’re expecting it to replace a fan or air conditioner during extreme heat, you’ll probably be disappointed. But as a portable way to make hot moments more comfortable, it delivers.

Mist runtime is limited

The mist function is refreshing, but the reservoir only provides around 10 minutes of misting. That’s enough for quick cooling sessions, but you’ll need to refill it if you’re hoping for continuous mist throughout the day.

After using the Shark ChillPill, I have to admit I was more impressed than I expected. What seemed like a novelty at first quickly became one of those small summer essentials you appreciate when the temperature starts climbing.

It’s not trying to cool your entire home — it’s designed for those specific moments when you’re outside, overheated, travelling, or simply wishing you had a little burst of relief within reach. The combination of powerful airflow, instant cooling from the InstaChill plate, and a hands-free design makes it feel like a genuinely useful upgrade from a standard handheld fan.

Is it a must-have for everyone? Probably not. But for anyone who spends time outdoors, travels frequently, or wants a personal escape from summer heat, the Shark ChillPill feels less like a gimmick and more like a smart little companion for hot days. Sometimes the smallest comforts make the biggest difference — and having your own pocket-sized cool-down button is a pretty satisfying one.

You may also like:

The Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Portable Misting Fan is designed for on-the-go use, so you can take it to the backyard, beach, campsite, or patio with ease thanks to its lightweight, cordless build. It features a built-in water tank for misting, multiple speed settings, and a water-resistant design that’s made for both indoor and outdoor conditions.[/product_listing]

 

The DREO tower fan’s 90° oscillating angle helps spread airflow widely across the room, so it cools more evenly instead of blasting one spot. It’s also designed to stay extremely quiet, making it a great choice for bedrooms where you want steady airflow without distracting noise.[/product_listing]

 

A cult-favourite for a reason. With bladeless technology, this fan wraps comfortably around your neck and pushes air through 78 small vents for an even, soft breeze. It’s super lightweight, rechargeable via USB-C, and runs for up to 16 hours on a single charge.[/product_listing]

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

A passenger on a flight operated by Ryanair subsidiary Malta Air was partially sucked out of a broken window shortly after take-off from Thessaloniki in Greece on Friday, Reuters and the Associated Press reported, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing.

The aircraft was supposed to fly from Thessaloniki to Memmingen Airport near Munich in Germany but returned to Thessaloniki Friday morning “when a passenger window dislodged inflight,” Ryanair said in a statement to the British news agency.

“The aircraft landed normally, and passengers returned to the terminal,” Ryanair added.

The 61-year-old passenger suffered neck and shoulder injuries and friction burns, according to a Greek hospital official who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Global News reached out to the airline to independently verify the details but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Local Greek media reported that a piece of the plane flew off and broke a window shortly after takeoff on Friday, causing the cabin oxygen masks to drop and sucking one passenger’s head and shoulders out of the window.

Two airport sources with ​knowledge of the incident reported the same details to Reuters, it said. The BBC and The Guardian also reported those details. Ryanair told Reuters that it is unclear what caused the broken window.

Passengers also told Greek media that they heard a loud bang, that oxygen masks dropped and that the plane began descending, the Associated Press said.

“Most people had fallen asleep, we had closed our eyes. We heard a sound, I’d describe it like a tire bursting, … but very loud,” a passenger, identified by the AP as Christina, told Thessaloniki radio.

“We knew straight away we lost pressure because we lost altitude. … Screams, shrieks, shouting,” she added

Unverified videos circulating on social media from inside the plane showed a broken window and oxygen masks hanging from the ceiling.

FlightRadar24 showed a Boeing 737 NG jet en route to Memmingen diverted back to Thessaloniki on Friday morning.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that a window broke on Friday’s flight and said it was ready to support the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) and the NTSB ​in the investigation.

The National Transportation Safety Board, the U.S. federal agency that investigates aviation accidents and other major transportation incidents, said it was notified that the flight returned due to “a right engine issue and cabin decompression.”

One of the Greek airport sources told Reuters that the aircraft is still on the ground in Thessaloniki while investigators look into the incident.

Flight records show that the aircraft climbed past 15,000 feet about six minutes after departure, then immediately descended to about 6,000 feet before returning to Thessaloniki about an hour after takeoff, Flightradar24 said.

— with files from Reuters and the Associated Press

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

TORONTO – A Toronto-based legal expert says he was surprised by the latest twist in the Toronto Raptors-Los Angeles Clippers trade saga.

The Raptors and Clippers announced in separate statements on Thursday that a proposed trade that would bring all-star forward Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto has been put on hold following the outcome of an investigation by the NBA into Leonard’s 2024 contract with L.A. Both statements said that the Raptors would assume the risk of any potential penalties that come out of the investigation.

Russell Sanders, a partner at Aird and Berlis, said he was taken aback by the deal being paused.

“I was frankly shocked. I would have thought that was an issue that would have been vetted internally on both sides before the transaction was announced,” said Sanders, who is a member of the firm’s sports and entertainment groups.

“I don’t want to speculate, obviously, on what the punishment would be or how what it would look like, but I don’t see the Raptors going through with anything if it would be so harsh that it wouldn’t be palatable for the team to take on a player like that.”

The pending deal would send Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks, a 2027 pick swap and two second-round picks to the Clippers for Leonard.

An investigation into Leonard’s current contract was opened by the NBA in September following allegations that Leonard signed a US$28-million “no-show” endorsement deal with Aspiration, an environmental financial technology company, that required no work beyond remaining with the Clippers. Aspiration later entered bankruptcy after its co-founder, Joe Sanberg, was charged with fraud, though Leonard has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

“The Raptors have no nexus to (the deal) whatsoever, so it would it would be pretty shocking if the Raptors had to assume that kind of liability associated with something that happened under another owner’s roof,” said Sanders, while allowing that Leonard could be facing a lengthy suspension that would make the trade no longer worthwhile or have his contract voided.

Sanders noted that there have been two significant salary cap circumvention controversies in the NHL and the NBA before.

Power forward Joe Smith, Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor and general manager Kevin McHale were embroiled in controversy after the 1999-2000 NBA season. Smith was allegedly promised a multimillion-dollar deal if he agreed to three consecutive one-year deals below his market value. That allowed the Timberwolves to retain his rights and exceed the cap to re-sign him. At the end of the last one-year contract, Smith could have signed a new long-term contract that would have paid as much as $86 million.

After that backroom deal was uncovered then-NBA commissioner David Stern fined the team $3.5 million, voided all three short-term contracts, barred Taylor from participating in the Timberwolves operations for a year, and forced McHale to take an unpaid leave of absence. Stern also stripped the team of five first-round draft picks: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005, although the ’03 and ’05 picks were eventually returned.

Similarly, hockey superstar Ilya Kovalchuk agreed to a 17-year, $102 million deal to stay with the New Jersey Devils in July 2010 after testing the free-agent market for 19 days. The contract was blocked by the NHL because it circumvented the league’s salary cap. An arbitrator heard the National Hockey League Players’ Association appeal and ultimately nullified the deal.

The Devils were fined $3 million, a third-round draft choice in the 2011 draft and one future first-round draft pick within the next four seasons. New Jersey used its first-round picks in 2011 and 2012 and therefore had to surrender its 2014 first-round selection. However, the NHL announced in March 2014 it would forgive part of the fine and grant the Devils the 30th pick in the first round of the 2014 draft.

Neither of those incidents involved a trade, changing the dynamic of any possible punishment doled out by the NBA or another professional sports league faced with a similar situation.

“I would probably use a useful business analogy here, where a buyer purchases a company that’s already under regulatory investigation, and the buyer may not have caused the underlying conduct, but it may inherit some of the consequences if the investigation later results in penalties,” said Sanders. “The NBA is trying to determine whether any potential fallout is tied solely to the Clippers’ conduct, or whether it is attached in some way to Kawhi’s contract and the playing status following the trade.”

The Raptors said they will wait until the investigation is complete before moving ahead with the trade.

The National Basketball Players Association did not immediately reply to a request for comment made by The Canadian Press.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 10, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press