National Sports

Paul Maurice has led hundreds of meetings across a long coaching career. The video rolls. There are points of emphasis. Players get their marching orders.

Canada climbed one spot to an all-time best No. 30 in the latest FIFA rankings released Thursday. The Canadian men had reached their previous high in November after climbing four places to No. 31. They were unchanged in the end-of-year December list.

TORONTO — John Tavares put the puck in the net off a slick William Nylander feed. Mitch Marner then finished a nice setup from Auston Matthews before finding Matthew Knies with a breathtaking stretch pass that led to a breakaway goal.

SASKATOON — Ben Kindel's hat trick helped the Calgary Hitmen rout the Saskatoon Blades 6-2 on Wednesday and complete a four-game sweep in their first-round Western Hockey League playoff series.

VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Canucks went into Wednesday night’s game against the Seattle Kraken knowing that they needed every point they could get to stay alive in the NHL’s Western Conference playoff race.

VANCOUVER — It might not be the position the Vancouver Whitecaps want to be in but it’s one they have been in before after they conceded a late goal and had to settle for a 1-1 draw with Pumas UNAM on Wednesday in the opening game of their CONCACAF C

VANCOUVER — Joey Daccord stopped all 25 shots he faced as the Seattle Kraken blanked Vancouver 5-0 on Wednesday to deal the Canucks' playoff hopes a blow.

MOOSE JAW, Sask. — Only one team is consistently throwing in the 90s at the BKT World Men's Curling Championship. When it's your skipper who's leading the way, the victories will follow.

Mael St-Denis's power-play goal early in the second period stood as the winner as the Rimouski Oceanic beat the Charlottetown Islanders 4-1 to complete their four-game sweep in the first round of the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League playoffs.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Alex Ovechkin took another step closer to breaking Wayne Gretzky's NHL record by scoring his 892nd career goal in the Washington Capitals' 5-1 loss at the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night.