National Sports

HALIFAX — When Guelph Storm defenceman Sean Durzi found out his NHL rights had been traded in late January, he knew exactly which teammate to turn to for some advice.

BROOKS, Alta. — Simon Boyko scored twice, including the eventual winner, as the Brooks Bandits beat the Prince George Spruce Kings 4-3 on Sunday to win Canada's men's junior-A hockey championship.

INDIANAPOLIS — Fernando Alonso did everything in his power to put McLaren in the Indianapolis 500. He drove flat-out when his car was loose, when it wouldn't steer and when it had a punctured tire.

SAN JOSE, Calif. — From last in the league in early January all the way to the brink of their first Stanley Cup Final in nearly a half-century, it has been quite a ride for the St. Louis Blues.

CHICAGO — Following a slow start, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is showing why he's one of the top prospects in the majors.

TORONTO — Despite pre-game talk of lineup changes, Raptors coach Nick Nurse stuck with the same starting five for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final against the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday night.

CALGARY — A veteran of 10 seasons in the CFL, all with the Calgary Stampeders, Brandon Smith can't recall meeting so many new people on the opening day of training camp.

KAMLOOPS, B.C. — Mike Reilly knows he and his B.C. Lions teammates are going to get sick of each other over the next three weeks of training camp.

BRENTWOOD, Calif. — Former San Francisco 49ers centre Jeremy Newberry says vandals have destroyed nearly half of the 4,000 cherry trees recently planted at his Northern California orchard.

ROME — Rafael Nadal is right back where he wants to be.