Sports

FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2006, file photo, former Oakland Raiders coach John Madden gestures toward a bust of himself during his enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. After a decade run as a successful coach of the Raiders, Madden made his biggest impact on the game after moving to the broadcast booth at CBS in 1979. He became the network’s lead analyst two years later and provided the sound track for NFL games for most of the next three decades, entertaining millions with his interjections of “Boom!” and “Doink!” throughout games, while educating them with his use of the telestrator and ability to describe what was happening in the trenches. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan, File)

John Madden, Hall of Fame coach and broadcaster, dies at 85

John Madden inspired series of popular video games

FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2006, file photo, former Oakland Raiders coach John Madden gestures toward a bust of himself during his enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. After a decade run as a successful coach of the Raiders, Madden made his biggest impact on the game after moving to the broadcast booth at CBS in 1979. He became the network’s lead analyst two years later and provided the sound track for NFL games for most of the next three decades, entertaining millions with his interjections of “Boom!” and “Doink!” throughout games, while educating them with his use of the telestrator and ability to describe what was happening in the trenches. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan, File)
Players from the Montreal Canadiens and the Philadelphia Flyers skate before an empty arena prior to an NHL game in Montreal, Thursday, December 16, 2021. The NHL has postponed five home games for the Montreal Canadiens due to measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Stricter Canadian COVID rules complicate NHL push through pandemic

U.S. has shortened quarantine but Canada has not done so

Players from the Montreal Canadiens and the Philadelphia Flyers skate before an empty arena prior to an NHL game in Montreal, Thursday, December 16, 2021. The NHL has postponed five home games for the Montreal Canadiens due to measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Leylah Fernandez, of Canada, returns a shot to Shelby Rogers at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021, in Indian Wells, Calif. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Mark J. Terrill

Tennis player Leylah Fernandez named The Canadian Press female athlete of the year

Fernandez finished the year with a 25-17 record and she earned US$1.77 million in prize money

Leylah Fernandez, of Canada, returns a shot to Shelby Rogers at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021, in Indian Wells, Calif. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Mark J. Terrill
Germany’s Jan Munzenberger (27) chases Switzerland’s Noah Meier (24) during third period IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship action in Edmonton on Wednesday, December 30, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

U.S. forfeits world juniors game against Switzerland due to COVID-19 quarantine

Yet to be determined if U.S. can play Sweden on Dec. 29

Germany’s Jan Munzenberger (27) chases Switzerland’s Noah Meier (24) during third period IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship action in Edmonton on Wednesday, December 30, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
The Giants dropped a 3-1 decision Monday to the Victoria Royals in their first game back from the holiday break. (Gary Ahuja, Langley Events Centre/Special to Langley Advance Times)

VIDEO: Vancouver Giants fall to Victoria Royals

Giants have now lost seven of their past eight games

The Giants dropped a 3-1 decision Monday to the Victoria Royals in their first game back from the holiday break. (Gary Ahuja, Langley Events Centre/Special to Langley Advance Times)
Vegas Golden Knights center Mattias Janmark (26) eyes the puck after colliding withTampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/L.E. Baskow)

NHL set to resume after 6-day break, eyes new CDC guidance

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cut the recommended isolation period from 10 days to five

Vegas Golden Knights center Mattias Janmark (26) eyes the puck after colliding withTampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/L.E. Baskow)
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Reilly Smith (19) crashes to the ice after being tripped by Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/L.E. Baskow)

NHL brings back taxi squads in effort to keep season going; 3 more games postponed

Each team will be allowed to have a taxi squad of up to 6 players

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Reilly Smith (19) crashes to the ice after being tripped by Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/L.E. Baskow)
Canada’s Owen Power (25) is stopped by Czech Republic’s goalie Jakub Malek (1) as Jan Mysak (19) defends during first period IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship action in Edmonton on Sunday, December 26, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Power nets 3 as Canada roars back for 6-3 win over Czechs at world junior hockey tourney

Buffalo prospect the first Canadian defenceman to score hat trick in tournament

Canada’s Owen Power (25) is stopped by Czech Republic’s goalie Jakub Malek (1) as Jan Mysak (19) defends during first period IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship action in Edmonton on Sunday, December 26, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
Fans watch as Canada and Russia warm up before first period IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship exhibition action in Edmonton, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021. Alberta is about to host a third pandemic International Ice Hockey Federation tournament armed with experience from the first two, but with the ice still shifting underfoot. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Hockey Canada, Alberta put pandemic hockey know-how to the test again in Edmonton

The Omicron variant and allowing of fans into arenas for this tournament are adding new variables

Fans watch as Canada and Russia warm up before first period IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship exhibition action in Edmonton, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021. Alberta is about to host a third pandemic International Ice Hockey Federation tournament armed with experience from the first two, but with the ice still shifting underfoot. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
Team Jacobs skip, Brad Jacobs encourages sweepers as a rock glides towards the rings during men’s final of the 2021 Canadian Olympic curling trials against Team Gushue, in Saskatoon, Sask., Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Rick Elvin

Canada’s Olympic mixed doubles curling trials cancelled due to COVID-19

Canada is the defending Olympic champion in mixed double

Team Jacobs skip, Brad Jacobs encourages sweepers as a rock glides towards the rings during men’s final of the 2021 Canadian Olympic curling trials against Team Gushue, in Saskatoon, Sask., Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Rick Elvin
Canada celebrates the win over Russia at the end of IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship exhibition action in Edmonton, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Canadians down Russia 6-4 in front of sparse crowd in world pre-tournament game

This game was not as close as the score might indicate

Canada celebrates the win over Russia at the end of IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship exhibition action in Edmonton, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
The league will be celebrating with an outdoor all-stars game in Penticton in January, 2023. (BCHL)

BCHL pushes 60th Anniversary in Penticton to 2023

The league decided to delay the game based on the province’s current COVID-19 situation

The league will be celebrating with an outdoor all-stars game in Penticton in January, 2023. (BCHL)
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman speaks during a news conference prior to Game 1 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final hockey game between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Washington Capitals, Monday, May 28, 2018, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

It’s official: NHL confirms it will not be going to the Beijing Olympics

NHL and NHLPA formally announce decision to skip the games due to COVID-19 concerns

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman speaks during a news conference prior to Game 1 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final hockey game between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Washington Capitals, Monday, May 28, 2018, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
FILE - The Vancouver Canucks play the Calgary Flames as the first period beings in an empty arena in NHL hockey action in Calgary, Monday, Jan. 18, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Calgary mayor says Flames intend to pull plug on Event Centre arena project

Calgary and the Flames originally agreed to terms in 2019 on deal to replace Scotiabank Saddledome

FILE - The Vancouver Canucks play the Calgary Flames as the first period beings in an empty arena in NHL hockey action in Calgary, Monday, Jan. 18, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Edmonton Oilers centre Connor McDavid (97) takes a faceoff against Toronto Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews (34) during first period NHL action in Toronto, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

NHL players not going to Beijing Olympics due to COVID-19 concerns

CP confirmed decision on the condition of anonymity because a formal announcement had yet to be made

Edmonton Oilers centre Connor McDavid (97) takes a faceoff against Toronto Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews (34) during first period NHL action in Toronto, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
The NFL’s approach to dealing with vaccinated, asymptomatic COVID cases will be closely watched. (Courtesy of the NFL)

NFL could become trend-setter for COVID-19 testing policies

Football league is scaling back testing for vaccinated players in alignment with CDC guidelines

The NFL’s approach to dealing with vaccinated, asymptomatic COVID cases will be closely watched. (Courtesy of the NFL)
The clock at the Bell Centre shows graphics before the postponement of an NHL hockey game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Edmonton Oilers, in Montreal on March 22, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

NHL announces league-wide shutdown from Wednesday to Christmas Day

String of COVID-19 postponements could pave the way for the league to pull out of the Olympics

The clock at the Bell Centre shows graphics before the postponement of an NHL hockey game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Edmonton Oilers, in Montreal on March 22, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson
Sunday afternoon, Dec. 19, at the Langley Events Centre, the Vancouver Giants (14-13-1-0) fell short in a 6-5 decision against the visiting Tri-City Americans (9-13-4-0). (Gary Ahuja, Langley Events Centre/Special to Langley Advance Times)

VIDEO: Vancouver Giants fall to Tri-City Americans

A hard-fought, narrow loss

Sunday afternoon, Dec. 19, at the Langley Events Centre, the Vancouver Giants (14-13-1-0) fell short in a 6-5 decision against the visiting Tri-City Americans (9-13-4-0). (Gary Ahuja, Langley Events Centre/Special to Langley Advance Times)
FILE - Peng Shuai of China reacts after scoring a point against Monica Niculescu of Romania during their women's singles match of the China Open tennis tournament at the Diamond Court in Beijing, Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2017. The head of the women’s professional tennis tour announced Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021, that all WTA tournaments would be suspended in China because of concerns about the safety of Peng Shuai, a Grand Slam doubles champion who accused a former high-ranking government official in that country of sexual assault.(AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)

Tennis star tells paper she never wrote of being assaulted by Chinese official

Peng Shuai denies highly detailed social media post accusing a former top Communist Party member

FILE - Peng Shuai of China reacts after scoring a point against Monica Niculescu of Romania during their women's singles match of the China Open tennis tournament at the Diamond Court in Beijing, Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2017. The head of the women’s professional tennis tour announced Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021, that all WTA tournaments would be suspended in China because of concerns about the safety of Peng Shuai, a Grand Slam doubles champion who accused a former high-ranking government official in that country of sexual assault.(AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)
Empty seats are seen at the Scotiabank Arena as the Toronto Raptors take on the Golden State Warriors in NBA basketball action in Toronto on Saturday, December 18, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Toronto Raptors game against visiting Magic postponed due to Orlando COVID-19 outbreak

Monday’s Raptors game was one of several that the NBA postponed

Empty seats are seen at the Scotiabank Arena as the Toronto Raptors take on the Golden State Warriors in NBA basketball action in Toronto on Saturday, December 18, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young