National Sports

After helping Finland capture bronze at the world junior hockey championship this week in Edmonton, Ville Heinola was ready for a bit of a break. An entire week off from hockey wasn't quite what he had in mind.

EDMONTON — Curling Alberta has cancelled plans to hold its provincial championships later this month in Sylvan Lake, Alta., due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The NexSource Centre was tabbed to host the Jan. 25-Feb.

Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro raced home from practice on Friday to watch themselves win the pair short program at the Skate Canada Challenge.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.

The NHL said Friday that six Dallas Stars players and two staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 in a development that will push back the opener for the defending Western Conference champions by nearly a week.

The NHL's one-time-only, all-Canadian division cleared its final hurdle Friday. Developments south of the border related to COVID-19, however, were far less encouraging.

EDMONTON — American receiver Derel Walker is back with the Edmonton Football Team. Walker returned to Edmonton on Friday. He spent the 2019 season with the Toronto Argonauts.

The team that emerges from the limited-time-only West Division should enter the Stanley Cup semifinals in prime, title-winning position.

The Ohio State Buckeyes haven't lost sight of Canadian receiver John Metchie III's place in Alabama's high-octane offence. Top-ranked Alabama (12-0) faces No. 3 Ohio State (7-0) in U.S. college football's championship game Monday night.

TORONTO — With Ontario still in lockdown and COVID-19 cases at a record high, Woodbine Entertainment CEO Jim Lawson is wondering why the provincial government signed off on NHL games being played at a time when many other sports aren't allowed to ope