National Sports

VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Canucks acquired forward Ilya Safonov from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for future considerations on Saturday.

OTTAWA — The Ottawa Redblacks are sticking with quarterback Dustin Crum for the second straight game as they await the return of injured starter Dru Brown.

PAWTUCKET — Fijian winger Paula Balekana scored two tries and Dan Hollinshead kicked 13 points Saturday as the New England Free Jacks won their third straight Major League Rugby championship with a 28-22 win over the Houston SaberCats.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Dave Parker, a hard-hitting outfielder who was set to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame next month, has died, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced Saturday. He was 74.

MINNEAPOLIS — Dayne St. Clair has earned the starting job in goal for 30th-ranked Canada against No. 106 Guatemala in Sunday's quarterfinal at the CONCACAF Gold Cup. St. Clair started in the 6-0 win over No. 75 Honduras and 1-1 draw with No.

LOS ANGELES — Matthew Schaefer stood up when his name was called. The emotion was too much. Thinking about the person he wished more than anything could be by his side overwhelmed the 17-year-old defenceman. The tears flowed soon after.

The Detroit Red Wings acquired John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, a trade of the veteran goaltender that could start the dominos falling around the NHL with several teams looking for help in net.

The Toronto Blue Jays have recalled infielder Will Wagner from Triple-A Buffalo. In a corresponding move, the Jays optioned outfielder Alan Roden to Buffalo.

OTTAWA — The Ottawa Senators acquired defenceman Jordan Spence from the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday. In exchange, the Senators are sending a 2025 third-round selection (67th overall) and a 2026 sixth-round selection (via Colorado).

WINNIPEG — The Winnipeg Jets have signed defenceman Haydn Fleury to a two-year contract, the team announced Saturday. The deal carries an annual average value of US$950,000.