Image via Illustrator/Kagan McLeod
Let’s not beat around the bush—it’s been a difficult year that’s challenged each and every one of us at an unprecedented level. Real life has hit extremely hard and the escape that sports often provides was gone for an extended period.
Still, there was enough that happened around the world to give us an opportunity exhale, to immerse ourselves into a different world. Canadians did plenty to shine in the realm of athletics, kicking ass in nearly every sport. Here are the top 10 sports moments the Great White North has to be proud of in 2020.
10. Teoscar Hernández Wins Silver Slugger Award
Between mid-August and early September, it seemed as though there was just no way to pitch to the Toronto Blue Jays' Teoscar Hernández. Over a 21-game stretch—virtually half the season due to COVID-19—the 28-year-old belted eight home runs while hitting .321.
Hernández finished the season with 16 home runs and a .919 OPS to help give the Jays their first Silver Slugger award-winner since Josh Donaldson did it in back-to-back years in 2015 and 2016.
9. Alejandro Pozuelo Wins MLS MVP
Toronto FC may not have finished with the prize they most wanted but there was no doubt Alejandro Pozuelo did everything in his power to help get them there.
After a regular season that saw them finish second in the Eastern Conference but also wrap up with a first-round playoff exit, Pozuelo was rewarded for his individual brilliance with the MVP trophy. He finished with nine goals and 10 assists after starting all 23 matches for TFC, which was good enough to make him the second MVP for TFC joining Sebastian Govinco—who he effectively replaced a couple seasons ago.
8. Kia Nurse Wins Australian League MVP and Hits Game-Winner for Title-Clincher
If you’re a basketball player, there are no bigger dreams than winning the biggest team prize and MVP. Kia Nurse did just that this season when she raced down the court off a steal and pass by Kelsey Griffin to cap a 16-point comeback for the Canberra Capitals.
There wasn’t anywhere near that joy during her WNBA season with the New York Liberty as they finished 2-20 while Nurse battled a bad ankle injury all season. The Hamilton, Ontario native did play a role much bigger than basketball, though, contributing her voice and platform to the social justice movement and clamouring for justice for Breonna Taylor.
7. Jarome Iginla Enters Hockey Hall of Fame
One of Canada’s greats, Jarome Iginla’s stellar hockey career reached its peak with a Hockey Hall of Fame induction over the summer. He became the fourth Black person to do so, following in the footsteps of his idol Grant Fuhr.
The Calgary Flames legend was the first Black player to lead the NHL in goals and points and was the first Black male athlete in any sport to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics. Fans will fondly remember that he was the man who passed the puck to Sidney Crosby for the famous “Golden Goal.”
6. Chase Claypool Becomes First Steelers Rookie in Franchise History to Score Four Touchdowns in a Game
On a cool Sunday afternoon in October, Chase Claypool became the first Canadian-born player in NFL history to score four touchdowns in a game. From Abbotsford, BC, the 22-year-old also set a Pittsburgh Steelers franchise record for a rookie with the mark.
With eight touchdowns on the season, Claypool has helped the Steelers to a staggering 11-2 record thus far.
5. OG Anunoby Keeps Raptors' Post-Season Alive With Heart-Stopping Buzzer-Beater
It seemed all but doom and gloom for Toronto after Boston burned time on the clock and looked to have buried them with a dunk just before time expired for a two-point lead. But with half-a-second remaining, Kyle Lowry threw a miracle pass over 7-foot-5 Tacko Fall and OG Anunoby was ice-cool in the far corner.
There was nothing but net as the horn sounded, nothing but silence and stunned faces on the Celtics, and nothing but pure joy and pandemonium for the Raptors. They lost the series in seven, but the first playoff game-winning shot since Kawhi Leonard’s bounce shot during the championship run was a special one.
4. Christine Sinclair Becomes Soccer’s All-Time Leading Scorer
No human being has scored more international goals in the beautiful game. Looking for one last hurrah at the Olympics, Burnaby, British, Columbia's Sinclair broke the record with her 185th goal for Canada in a qualifying match against St. Kitts and Nevis.
The 36-year-old will be looking for one last hurrah at the Tokyo Olympics and it would be a perfect send-off to Canada’s most decorated soccer player if she could leave with a gold medal.
3. Jamal Murray Emerges as NBA Superstar in Orlando Bubble
Ontario's Jamal Murray made the entire world say "Kitchener Shuffle." Think about that. What Murray did through three rounds of the NBA playoffs won’t be forgotten for a very long time. He has teased stardom before, but this was an ascent into superstardom that no one could ignore.
He became a key voice in the fight against social injustice as well, showcasing great focus to take on the responsibilities of being a terrific basketball player and spokesman for the league.
2. Alphonso Davies and Kadeisha Buchanan Win Men’s and Women’s Champions League, Respectively
This year, Ghana-born, Edmonton-raised Alphonso Davies won the Lou Marsh Trophy, Canada’s highest annual individual sporting honour, as he capped off a brilliant season for Bayern Munich by helping them win club soccer’s biggest prize, the Champions League. On the women’s side, Brampton, Ontario's Kadeisha Buchanan helped French powerhouse Lyon capture their fourth consecutive Champions League while also going undefeated in the French League!
1. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif Wins Super Bowl LIV and Skips 2020 Season to Volunteer During Pandemic
Becoming a Super Bowl champion was a great accomplishment in and of itself, but in a time when we were reminded that there are aspects to life much larger than sport, Duvernay-Tardif exemplified that by foregoing the 2020 NFL season in order to volunteer as an orderly at a long-term care facility.
A medical school graduate out of McGill University, Duvernay-Tardif is now attempting to complete a Master’s program in Public Health at Harvard University. For all his efforts, he has been awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy, along with Davies. What else can you say, but bravo!