Canada & World

Vancouver Canucks’ Alexander Edler (23), of Sweden, hauls down St. Louis Blues’ Ryan O’Reilly (90) in front of goalie Jacob Markstrom, back, of Sweden, during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, on Tuesday November 5, 2019. The Canucks meet the Minnesota Wild in 2020 ‘play-in’ series action. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Who’s ready for a little NHL action in August?

Podcast: Preview of Stanley Cup ‘play-in’ series amid COVID-19 pandemic

Vancouver Canucks’ Alexander Edler (23), of Sweden, hauls down St. Louis Blues’ Ryan O’Reilly (90) in front of goalie Jacob Markstrom, back, of Sweden, during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, on Tuesday November 5, 2019. The Canucks meet the Minnesota Wild in 2020 ‘play-in’ series action. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Winnipeg Jets’ Neal Pionk (4) battles hard against Vancouver Canucks’ Elias Pettersson (40) in front of Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck during second period NHL exhibition game action in Edmonton, on Wednesday, July 29, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Codie McLachlan

Hellebuyck backstops Jets to 4-1 win over Canucks in NHL exhibition play

Vancouver will meet Minnesota Wild in play-in series

Winnipeg Jets’ Neal Pionk (4) battles hard against Vancouver Canucks’ Elias Pettersson (40) in front of Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck during second period NHL exhibition game action in Edmonton, on Wednesday, July 29, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Codie McLachlan
A security guard peers out from behind NHL branded fencing at the entrance where players arrive at Toronto’s Royal York hotel, which is acting as the “bubble” ahead of the return of the league’s season following disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in Toronto, Sunday, July 26, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

NHL announces no positive COVID-19 tests over final week of Phase 3

All 24 teams have entered the secure zones in the hub cities of Edmonton and Toronto

A security guard peers out from behind NHL branded fencing at the entrance where players arrive at Toronto’s Royal York hotel, which is acting as the “bubble” ahead of the return of the league’s season following disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in Toronto, Sunday, July 26, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
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A server pulls a pint of beer at Station Sports bar in Montreal, Saturday, July 25, 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues in Canada and around the world. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Return of baseball, basketball brings customers back to sports bars

Sergakis said bars will need government help to get through the coming months to avoid major closures in Montreal

A server pulls a pint of beer at Station Sports bar in Montreal, Saturday, July 25, 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues in Canada and around the world. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
FILE - In this Oct. 11, 2012, file photo from Toronto , former Toronto Maple Leafs player Johnny Bower, right, looks at Eddie Shack’s personalized miniature Stanley Cup from the 1962 championship. Shack, one of the NHL’s most colorful players on and off the ice, has died. He was 83. The Maple Leafs announced the news in a tweet Sunday, July 26, 2020. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Aaron Vincent Elkaim, File)

Former Maple Leafs star Eddie Shack dies at 83

Shack had 239 goals, 465 points and 1,431 penalty minutes in 1,047 NHL games

FILE - In this Oct. 11, 2012, file photo from Toronto , former Toronto Maple Leafs player Johnny Bower, right, looks at Eddie Shack’s personalized miniature Stanley Cup from the 1962 championship. Shack, one of the NHL’s most colorful players on and off the ice, has died. He was 83. The Maple Leafs announced the news in a tweet Sunday, July 26, 2020. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Aaron Vincent Elkaim, File)
Vancouver Canucks crawl on the ice after losing a split-squad scrimmage during the NHL hockey team’s training camp in Vancouver, on Wednesday, July 15, 2020. The 24 teams playing for the Stanley Cup arrived Sunday in the hub cities of Toronto and Edmonton. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

NHL players take assortment of creature comforts with them to hub cities

Players armed themselves for a potentially lengthy stay with a few of their favourite things

Vancouver Canucks crawl on the ice after losing a split-squad scrimmage during the NHL hockey team’s training camp in Vancouver, on Wednesday, July 15, 2020. The 24 teams playing for the Stanley Cup arrived Sunday in the hub cities of Toronto and Edmonton. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
The NHL unveiled the name of its 32nd team, the Seattle Kraken. (Seattle Kraken)

Release the Kraken: Seattle unveils name for NHL franchise

Team will play out of Seattle

The NHL unveiled the name of its 32nd team, the Seattle Kraken. (Seattle Kraken)
The Cleveland Indians and the Pittsburgh Pirates play an exhibition baseball game at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Saturday, July 18, 2020. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

UPDATE: Pennsylvania won’t allow Toronto Blue Jays to play at PNC Park in Pittsburgh

Canada already denied Jays’ request to play 2020 MLB home games Toronto

The Cleveland Indians and the Pittsburgh Pirates play an exhibition baseball game at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Saturday, July 18, 2020. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
B.C. Lions’ Hunter Steward (67) tries to tackle Edmonton Eskimos’ Christion Jones (22) during first half CFL action in Edmonton on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Edmonton’s CFL team drops ‘Eskimos’ name, will begin search for new name

Critics say the Edmonton team’s name is a derogatory, colonial-era term for Inuit

B.C. Lions’ Hunter Steward (67) tries to tackle Edmonton Eskimos’ Christion Jones (22) during first half CFL action in Edmonton on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
Vancouver Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom (25), of Sweden, stops Vancouver Canucks’ Chris Tanev (8) as Brock Boeser (6) watches during the NHL hockey team’s training camp in Vancouver, B.C., Wednesday, July 15, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

‘Some wild hockey’: NHLers say fans can expect some entertaining summer games

Players don’t think it will take long for the 24 mostly healthy teams involved in the resumption to find their groove

Vancouver Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom (25), of Sweden, stops Vancouver Canucks’ Chris Tanev (8) as Brock Boeser (6) watches during the NHL hockey team’s training camp in Vancouver, B.C., Wednesday, July 15, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Vancouver Whitecaps players including Patrick Metcalfe (centre) work out in a gym in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. on Monday, July 13, 2020. Vancouver’s wait ended at the MLS is Back Tournament against the San Jose Earthquakes on July 15. Vancouver, the last team to see action, was originally slated to open July 9 against FC Dallas but the game was scrapped when Dallas withdrew due to a rash of COVID-19 positive tests. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-MLS Mandatory Credit

Whitecaps fall 4-3 to Earthquakes at MLS is Back tournament

Vancouver side gives up 2-0 and 3-1 leads in wild tilt against San Jose

Vancouver Whitecaps players including Patrick Metcalfe (centre) work out in a gym in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. on Monday, July 13, 2020. Vancouver’s wait ended at the MLS is Back Tournament against the San Jose Earthquakes on July 15. Vancouver, the last team to see action, was originally slated to open July 9 against FC Dallas but the game was scrapped when Dallas withdrew due to a rash of COVID-19 positive tests. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-MLS Mandatory Credit
Oilers fans pack the square during the Edmonton Oilers’ Orange Crush community rally in Sir Winston Churchill Square in Edmonton on Thursday, April 20, 2017. Hockey fans in Canadian cities with NHL teams have a reputation for expressing their exhuberance in the streets during the playoffs, and some admit the temptation to ignore physical-distancing guidlines may prove too great as the pandemic-postponed season resumes next month. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Codie McLachlan

As postponed NHL season resumes, some fans say the lure of parties will be strong

The players themselves aren’t to have any contact with the general public

Oilers fans pack the square during the Edmonton Oilers’ Orange Crush community rally in Sir Winston Churchill Square in Edmonton on Thursday, April 20, 2017. Hockey fans in Canadian cities with NHL teams have a reputation for expressing their exhuberance in the streets during the playoffs, and some admit the temptation to ignore physical-distancing guidlines may prove too great as the pandemic-postponed season resumes next month. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Codie McLachlan
Signs for the Washington Redskins are displayed outside FedEx Field in Landover, Md., Monday, July 13, 2020. The Washington NFL franchise announced Monday that it will drop the “Redskins” name and Indian head logo immediately, bowing to decades of criticism that they are offensive to Native Americans. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Washington’s NFL team drops ‘Redskins’ name after 87 years

The franchise was given the name back in 1933, when it was still in Boston

Signs for the Washington Redskins are displayed outside FedEx Field in Landover, Md., Monday, July 13, 2020. The Washington NFL franchise announced Monday that it will drop the “Redskins” name and Indian head logo immediately, bowing to decades of criticism that they are offensive to Native Americans. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
The 562 yard, par 5, 15th hole at Cabot Cliffs in Inverness, N.S. on June 1, 2016. If it seems like it’s been harder to get a tee time this summer, it’s not just your imagination.Golf Canada reports that there were 17 per cent more scores registered with the national sport body this June compared to the same month last year. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

Canadians playing more golf in 2020 – once COVID-19 restrictions lifted

The upward trend comes even as Golf Canada had to cancel all of its amateur and professional championships

The 562 yard, par 5, 15th hole at Cabot Cliffs in Inverness, N.S. on June 1, 2016. If it seems like it’s been harder to get a tee time this summer, it’s not just your imagination.Golf Canada reports that there were 17 per cent more scores registered with the national sport body this June compared to the same month last year. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
Fresh surfaced ice at Scotiabank Arena, home of the Toronto Maple Leafs, is shown in Toronto on March 12, 2020. The NHL says 35 total players have tested positive for the novel coronavirus over roughly the past month. The league says 23 of 396 players checked for COVID-19 at team facilities have tested positive since voluntary workouts began June 8, a 5% rate. In that same period of time, it is aware of 12 additional positive test results. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Joshua Clipperton

NHL says 35 players have tested positive for COVID-19 since June 8

Positive rate for the league is just under 6%

Fresh surfaced ice at Scotiabank Arena, home of the Toronto Maple Leafs, is shown in Toronto on March 12, 2020. The NHL says 35 total players have tested positive for the novel coronavirus over roughly the past month. The league says 23 of 396 players checked for COVID-19 at team facilities have tested positive since voluntary workouts began June 8, a 5% rate. In that same period of time, it is aware of 12 additional positive test results. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Joshua Clipperton
Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse directs play from courtside during first half NBA basketball action against the Brooklyn Nets, in Toronto, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020. Nurse wasn’t sure to expect from his players after nearly four months off, but the Toronto Raptors coach said they “look fantastic,” particularly the “chiseled Marc” Gasol. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

Raptors coach Nurse says despite layoff, his players ‘look fantastic’

Many players said it’s been the longest they’ve gone without playing

Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse directs play from courtside during first half NBA basketball action against the Brooklyn Nets, in Toronto, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020. Nurse wasn’t sure to expect from his players after nearly four months off, but the Toronto Raptors coach said they “look fantastic,” particularly the “chiseled Marc” Gasol. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)

Baseball’s back: MLB sets 60-game schedule

Play to resume July 23 or July 24 in empty ballparks

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)
People walk on the Dunsmuir Viaduct as large photographs of Vancouver Canucks players Jacob Markstrom, Jake Virtanen, Quinn Hughes, Brock Boeser, Bo Horvat and Elias Pettersson are seen on the outside of Rogers Arena, home to the NHL hockey team, in Vancouver, on Monday, June 22, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Sportsnet considering computer-generated imagery, pumped-in noise if NHL resumes

The NHL paused the regular season March 12

People walk on the Dunsmuir Viaduct as large photographs of Vancouver Canucks players Jacob Markstrom, Jake Virtanen, Quinn Hughes, Brock Boeser, Bo Horvat and Elias Pettersson are seen on the outside of Rogers Arena, home to the NHL hockey team, in Vancouver, on Monday, June 22, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Rogers Arena, home to the Vancouver Canucks NHL hockey team, is seen in Vancouver, on Monday, June 22, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

NHL pares down hub city shortlist, Vancouver still in the running

The NHL has said it will select two hub cities

Rogers Arena, home to the Vancouver Canucks NHL hockey team, is seen in Vancouver, on Monday, June 22, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Driver Bubba Wallace wears a Black Lives Matter shirt as he prepares for a NASCAR Cup Series auto race Wednesday, June 10, 2020, in Martinsville, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

FBI investigating noose left in NASCAR stall of Black driver

NASCAR president says they will “rid this type of behaviour” from the sport

Driver Bubba Wallace wears a Black Lives Matter shirt as he prepares for a NASCAR Cup Series auto race Wednesday, June 10, 2020, in Martinsville, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)