National Sports

TORONTO — With an off day to clear his head, Auston Matthews made a point of unplugging his hockey brain. "Just chill," the Maple Leafs centre said of the approach to 24 hours away from the rink. "Put on a nice show, go for a walk, go for dinner.

MONTREAL — The Montreal Impact will not be bringing back head coach Wilmer Cabrera for the next Major League Soccer season. The Impact announced Thursday that Cabrera's contract has expired and will not be extended.

TORONTO — The sudden death of Saskatchewan curler Aly Jenkins is shedding light on a devastating complication of childbirth that some doctors say could benefit from a national surveillance system to track maternal deaths and suggest fixes.

CALGARY — Toronto four-piece the Beaches will play at the Grey Cup kickoff show in Calgary next month. The opening festivities will also feature the Calgary Stampede Showband and a young guest vocalist performing the national anthem.

HAMILTON — Simoni Lawrence is good with being public Enemy No. 1 across most of the CFL. Like him or not, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats' colourful linebacker is a leading contender for the league's outstanding defensive player award.

Dozens of Twitter users are echoing a hand-written message that hails teen tennis phenom Bianca Andreescu as an inspiration to Canadian kids.

PHILADELPHIA — A person familiar with the deal says the Philadelphia Phillies are hiring former Yankees manager Joe Girardi to replace Gabe Kapler.

Canada climbed six places to No. 69 in the latest FIFA rankings, leapfrogging El Salvador to crack the top six in the CONCACAF region. The move, powered by a famous 2-0 upset win over the U.S. on Oct.

BUSAN, Korea, Republic Of — Minjee Lee overcame changing weather conditions at the Buick Ladies Championship to take a one-stroke lead with a bogey-free 6-under 66 after the first round of the LPGA tournament in South Korea.

HOUSTON — Stephen Strasburg's time had come. Famously held out of the post-season seven years ago, Strasburg delivered on the biggest stage of all Wednesday night.