National Sports

TORONTO — Canada's best men's basketball players were left wanting more in 2024. Hamilton's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished second in NBA MVP voting for the 2023-24 season, the best performance among a record-high 27 Canadians in the league.

DETROIT — Montreal executive vice-president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton says he has “no concern” about members of the Canadiens’ front office travelling to Russia amid the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Canadian right-hander Michael Soroka agreed to a $9 million contract for the 2025 season with the Washington Nationals, who are in need of pitching as their rebuild continues and hope the 2019 NL All-Star can show the form he displa

LONDON — Canadian Matt (Ginja Ninja) Campbell never trailed but still had to hold off Serbian-Austrian Mensur (The Gentle) Suljovic to win his first-round match Thursday at the Paddy Power World Darts Championship. The tournament has a purse of 2.

VANCOUVER — The B.C. Lions have signed star defensive lineman Mathieu Betts to a two-year contract extension, the CFL club announced Thursday. Betts was eligible to become a free agent this February.

CHICAGO (AP) — Sammy Sosa appeared to acknowledge using performance enhancing drugs during a career in which he hit more than 600 home runs, and the Chicago Cubs said they were ready to welcome back their former star.

The Vancouver Whitecaps face a busy start to the 2025 season, visiting Costa Rica for a Feb. 20 CONCACAF Champions Cup game with Deportivo Saprissa before opening the MLS season three days later in Portland.

CALGARY — Valerie Salkeld remembers her then-boyfriend picking her up after work one cold day in January 1990 and heading over to Olympic Plaza in downtown Calgary to watch people skating.

TORONTO — Lille forward Jonathan David, Nice defender Moïse Bombito and Celtic fullback Alistair Johnston are the men's finalists for Canada Soccer Player of the Year.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Mikhail Sergachev scored 4:48 into overtime to lift the Utah Hockey Club to a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night. Clayton Keller and Dylan Guenther scored for Utah in the third period to force overtime.