Good afternoon from Canadian Press Sports! (sorry for the delay)
Advisories will hit the wire around 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. ET on weekdays and will also be sent to editors by email. The AP sports digest will be sent out around 3 p.m. On weekends and holidays, the advisories will move at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. If you'd like to be added to the email list (or removed) please contact sports@thecanadianpress.com. All Times Eastern.
HOCKEY
Kane asks fans to keep an open mind as controversial forward joins Oilers
HKN-OILERS-KANE
EDMONTON - Evander Kane knows signing with the Edmonton Oilers won't be a move universally loved by the team’s fans. Edmonton will be his fifth NHL city, and the Oilers the fourth franchise, for which the 30-year-old has played. There will be questions about his past — from suspensions due to violations of COVID protocols, a bankruptcy and self-confessed gambling problems. His contract was voided by the San Jose Sharks 700 words. By Steven Sandor. MOVED. PHOTO
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QMJHL set to resume activities Feb. 3
HKO-QMJHL-COVID
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League will resume activities Feb. 3 following a weeks-long hiatus due to COVID-19 complications. 200 words. MOVED.
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BASKETBALL
NBA beckons teenage Canadian basketball star Sharpe
BKO-NCAA-SHARPE
Jan. 28, 2022 - Shaedon Sharpe has a tough decision to make. The 18-year-old from London, Ont., who just arrived on the University of Kentucky campus could very shortly leave with the allure of the NBA enticing him. Whether he stays in college or leaves early for untold millions, he's gambling with his future. 930 words By Steven Loung. MOVED. PHOTO
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UFC
Canada's Misha Cirkunov gets new opponent for February UFC card in Las Vegas
MMA-UFC-Cirkunov
Canadian middleweight Misha Cirkunov has a new opponent for a televised UFC Fight Night card Feb. 26 in Las Vegas. Brazil's Wellington (The Prodigy) Turman is replacing the injured Makhmud Muradov of Uzbekistan. 130 words. MOVED
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FOOTBALL
Lions re-sign star receiver Burnham
FBO-CFL-Lions-Burnham
The B.C. Lions have signed star wide receiver Bryan Burnham to a contract extension. The 31-year-old has been a CFL all-star in each of his last four seasons. 162 words. MOVED
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SirVincent Rogers signs one-day contract to retire as Redblack
FBO-CFL-SIRVINCENT-RETIRES
Offensive lineman SirVincent Rogers has signed a one-day contract with the Ottawa Redblacks so he may retire as a member of the team. The 35-year-old played four seasons in Ottawa from 2015-18. He helped the Redblacks to a Grey Cup title in 2016. 170 words. MOVeD
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Stampeders re-sign linebacker Sopik
FBO-CFL-Stampeders-Moves
The Calgary Stampeders have re-signed Canadian linebacker Fraser Sopik. The Toronto native played all 14 regular-season games for the Stampeders in 2021 and finished second on the team with 13 special-teams tackles. He also had four defensive tackles. 150 words. MOVED.
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Ticats re-sign star linebacker Simoni Lawrence
FBO-CFL-Ticats-Lawrence
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have re-signed star linebacker Simoni Lawrence. The 32-year-old was the East Division's nominee for the 2021 CFL outstanding defensive player after posting 73 defensive tackles, three interceptions and two defensive touchdowns over the pandemic-shortened 14-game season. Also Friday, the Ticats announced a two-year extension with running back Don Jackson. 240 words. MOVED. PHOTO
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CURLING
CUR-Scotties
The Canadian women's curling championship kicks off today in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Kerri Einarson's rink from Gimli, Manitoba, is the two-time defending Scotties champion and will compete as Team Canada. Opening draw is at 7 pm ET. 750 words. By Jim Morris. ETA 10 p.m. PHOTO
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Skip Tracy Fleury enters COVID-19 protocol, will miss start of Tournament of Hearts
CUR-Scotties-COVID
Skip Tracy Fleury will sit out the start of the Canadian women's curling championship in COVID-19 protocol. Fleury, the skip of a wild-card team, was one of two participants at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts who tested positive for the virus before departing for Thunder Bay, Ont.. 420 words. MOVED. PHOTO
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SOCCER
Source: TFC gets Mexico defender Carlos Salcedo
SOC-MLS-Toronto-Salcedo
Toronto FC has acquired Mexican international defender Carlos Salcedo from Mexico's Tigres UANL as a designated player through 2024, with Venezuelan international winger Yeferson Soteldo going the other way, according to a source. The source, granted anonymity because the deals have yet to be announced, said they are two separate transactions. MOVED. By Neil Davidson. Will be updated.
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Goalkeeping journey takes Ranjitsingh home
SOC-MLS-Toronto-Ranjitsingh
UNDATED — Greg Ranjitsingh has been a nomadic goalkeeper with stops in Orlando City, Minnesota United, the Philadelphia Union and Los Angeles FC and time as an MLS pool 'keeper. That road has led him home, where he is trying to win a job with Toronto FC. 700 words. By Neil Davidson. PHOTO. Expected by 3 p.m. ET
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Former Canadian assistant coach joins NWSL Thorns
SOC-NWSL-Portland-Norris
Former Canadian women's goalkeeper coach Mike Norris has joined the NWSL's Portland Thorns as an assistant coach. 250 words. MOVED
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CRICKET
COVID sidelines Canada at U19 Cricket World Cup
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A COVID-19 outbreak has sidelined the Canadian team at the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean. 370 words. By Neil Davidson. MOVED. PHOTO
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OLYMPICS
Canada represented by 215 athletes at Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games
OLY-CANADA-FULL-TEAM
Five-time Olympic gold medallist Charles Hamelin is back to compete in his fifth and final Winter Olympic Games as part of a 215-athlete delegation Canada is sending to Beijing.Hamelin, the decorated short-track speedskater from Sainte-Julie Que., is one of 45 Olympic medallists on the team looking for another trip to the podium. 373 words. MOVED. PHOTO
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COC announces five members in COVID protocol
OLY-Canada-COVID
Five members of Team Canada's delegation in Beijing for the 2022 Winter Olympics are currently in COVID-19 protocol, the Canadian Olympic Committee said Friday. MOVED. WIll be updated.
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FOR OLYMPIC PREMIUM SUBSCRIBERS
Canada's 2018 men's Olympic hockey team looks back: 'It's not your fault the NHL didn't go'
OLY-HKO-Canada-Men-2018
UNDATED — Maxim Lapierre remembers the phone call coming out of the blue. A veteran of more than 700 NHL games playing his third season for Switzerland's HC Lugano, there was an enticing offer to consider. Canada wanted him at the Spengler Cup — the annual December tournament that would serve as a final audition for European-based pros hoping to make country's 2018 men's Olympic team. 1,100 words. By Joshua Clipperton. MOVED. PHOTO
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AP TOP STORIES
All times EDT
TOP STORIES
TEN--AUSTRALIAN OPEN
MELBOURNE, Australia — Top-ranked Ash Barty aims to be the first Australian woman to win her home Grand Slam singles title since 1978 when she takes on Danielle Collins in the final of the Australian Open. Barty has won majors on grass at Wimbledon and on clay at Roland Garros. She's aiming for her first on a hard court. Collins, a 28-year-old American, is in a Grand Slam final for the first time. By John Pye. UPCOMING: 850 words, photos. Match starts 3:30 a.m.
FBN--AFC CHAMPIONSHIP
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs are ready to host their record fourth consecutive AFC championship game. As for the Bengals, who visit Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday with a Super Bowl berth on the line, this will be a whole new experience. Only a couple of special teams players were even alive the last time Cincinnati played in a conference championship game. Both teams are coming off dramatic wins in the divisional round. The Bengals needed a last-second kick from rookie Evan McPherson to beat the top-seeded Titans on the road. The Chiefs rallied to beat the Bills in overtime in yet another playoff classic. By Dave Skretta. SENT: 930 words, photos.
FBN--NFC CHAMPIONSHIP
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Los Angeles Rams will host the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game. The matchup is the resumption of an NFC West rivalry that has been tilted heavily in the 49ers' favor for the past six meetings, all won by San Francisco. The Rams made several bold moves this season to build a team capable of winning it all, and now they’re one step away from playing in a Super Bowl in their home stadium. The 49ers feel a related urgency heading back to SoFi Stadium, where they rallied from an early 17-point deficit and surged to yet another impressive victory over their California archrivals just three weeks ago. By Greg Beacham. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.
Also:
— FBN--Pro Picks-Conference Championship: Rematches in conference title games. Same results? Read on (sent).
OLY--SBD-STILL SECOND FIDDLE
All the other action on the mountain was canceled due to gusty, dangerous winds, but the women’s snowboarders were told to carry on. Jamie Anderson won that contest four years ago at the Pyeongchang Games, but it remains a sore point among snowboarders who wonder, nearly a quarter-century after their inclusion in the Olympics, why they’re still being treated like second-class citizens. By Eddie Pells. SENT: 1,670 words, photos.
OLY--BEIJING-WINTER SPORTS
Villagers in Yanqing, a sleepy farm area in rural Beijing that will host the downhill and other skiing events at the Winter Olympics, are riding an emerging winter sports wave in China, from becoming a ski coach to opening hostels for winter sports enthusiasts. The Chinese government is trying to use the Games as a catalyst to build a $150 billion winter sport industry that will attract 300 million people. SENT: 860 words, photos, video.
COMMENTARY
BKN--ON BASKETBALL-ALL-STAR VOTING
NBA players have the right to vote for the All-Star starters. Many exercised that right and many didn't take the chance seriously, once again. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. SENT: 700 words, photos.
NOTABLE
FBN--COWBOYS-COACHING STAFF
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, a candidate for several head coaching jobs, will instead remain in Dallas for “years to come." Jones also reiterates his support of head coach Mike McCarthy. By Stephen Hawkins. SENT: 480 words, photos.
FBN--49ERS-GOULD
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — When the San Francisco 49ers placed the franchise tag on Robbie Gould three years ago, the kicker had a decision to make. He could re-sign with the 49ers or hang up his cleats after a long, successful career. Gould opted to keep playing and it was for moments just like Saturday night when his 45-yard kick in cold, snowy Green Bay delivered the Niners a 13-10 victory that left them two wins shy of Gould's ultimate goal. By Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow. SENT: 600 words, photos.
BKN--LAKERS-HORNETS
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte Hornets return home to host the Lakers — LeBron James is day to day with a sore left knee — after scoring a franchise-record 158 points against the Pacers. By Steve Reed UPCOMING: 700 words, photos. Game starts 7:30 p.m.
HKN--DUCKS-TERRY
ANAHEIM, Calif. — A new jersey number and a change in attitude have led to Troy Terry having a breakout season and his first trip to the All-Star Game. The Ducks forward is sixth in the league in goals despite missing five games due to COVID-19. By Joe Reedy. SENT: 710 words, photos.
SOC--WCUP-US
COLUMBUS, Ohio — With forwards failing to score, the United States is relying on midfielders and defenders for the goals to reach the World Cup. Strikers haven’t found the net for six straight matches. By Ronald Blum. SENT: 720 words, photos.
US--NCAA-ATHLETE COMPENSATION
NCAA enforcement has inquired about how college athletes are earning money off their names, images and likenesses at multiple schools as it attempts to police activities that are ungoverned by detailed and uniform rules. NCAA Vice President of Enforcement Jon Duncan tells the AP that letters of inquiry have gone out over the last few months. By College Sports Writer Ralph D. Russo. UPCOMING: 750 words by 7 p.m.
CAR--IMSA-DAYTONA-ROLEX 24 PREVIEW
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Wayne Taylor Racing has 60 cars standing in its way of winning a fourth-consecutive Rolex 24 at Daytona. Among the top challengers is Chip Ganassi Racing, the last team to win three straight Daytona endurance races, and its two star-studded lineups. By Auto Racing Writer Jenna Fryer. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos by 7 p.m.
RAC--PEGASUS WORLD CUP-PREVIEW
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. — Knicks Go, in his final race before retirement, could hit $10 million in earnings on Saturday when he tries to win a second consecutive Pegasus World Cup. By Tim Reynolds. SENT: 780 words, photos.
MORE OLYMPICS
OLY--RUSSIA-INTERNATIONAL TENSION
Russia is heading to the Beijing Olympics against a backdrop of international tension. A build-up of Russian forces on the border with neighboring Ukraine is causing concern in Washington and among the United States’ NATO allies in Europe. Russia is sending 212 athletes to Beijing despite still being under doping-related sanctions that bar its name and flag from being displayed in official Olympic settings. Russian officials are hoping for one of the country’s biggest Winter Olympic medal hauls to date. By James Ellingworth. SENT: 700 words, photos.
CHINA-WINTER OLYMPICS-HUMAN RIGHTS
Human rights activists issued a call to action against the Beijing Olympics, imploring athletes and sponsors to speak out against what they call the “genocide games.” SENT: 490 words, photos.
OLY--OLYMPIC MASCOTS-PHOTO GALLERY
One was decided by a newspaper poll, one by a public vote and some others through a contest. The most recent was chosen from thousands of global entries of illustrations by children. Over the years, the mascots for the Winter Olympics have been abstract forms, animals and humans. And they have remained in the public memory. SENT: 280 words, 16 photos.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 28, 2022
The Canadian Press
