{allcanada} QMJHL: Keller stops 25 shots as Titan earn victory over Mooseheads

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HALIFAX — Antoine Keller stopped 25 shots for the shutout as the Acadie-Bathurst Titan defeated the Halifax Mooseheads 2-0 in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League on Thursday night.

Keller registered his second shutout of the season for the Titan (26-27-3-3). Colby Huggan took care of Acadie-Bathurst's offence, scoring both goals for the winners in the third period.

In other action, it was: Baie-Comeau Drakkar 5, Moncton Wildcats 1; and Shawinigan Cataractes 4, Val-d'Or Foreurs 0.

Mathis Rousseau was stellar in goal for Halifax (38-15-7-1), making 32 saves.

Drakkar 5 Wildcats 1

At Moncton, Matyas Melovsky had two goals to lead Baie-Comeau (47-8-2-1) to victory. Justin Poirier, Felix Gagnon and Julien Paille had the other goals and Charles-Edward Gravel stopped 26 shots. Connor Trenholm scored for the Wildcats (32-19-4-3).

Cataractes 4 Foreurs 0

At Shawinigan, Que., Felix Hamel stopped 19 shots for the shutout for the Cataractes (25-30-2-1). Jordan Forget, Isaac Menard, Felix Lacerte and Justin Lemay had the goals. Emile Beaunoyer stopped four of the seven shots he faced for Val-d'Or (15-37-3-2) while William Blackburn made 40 saves.

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{allcanada} OHL: Romani, Wakely lead Battalion past Sting

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NORTH BAY, Ont. — Anthony Romani and Dalyn Wakely were too much for the Sarnia Sting on Thursday night.

Romani had two goals and three assists while Wakely also scored twice and added two assists to lead the North Bay Battalion to a 6-2 win over the Sting in Ontario Hockey League action Thursday night.

Andrew LeLeBlanc and Owen Van Steensel had the other goals for North Bay (31-19-6-2). Goalie Dom DiVincentiis stopped 23 shots.

In other action, it was: Ottawa 67's 8, Niagara IceDogs 2; Erie Otters 4, Peterborough Petes 2; and Flint Firebirds 5, Windsor Spitfires 4.

In North Bay, Ont., the Battalion took control of the contest early, storming out to a 2-0 lead in the first period after outshooting Sarnia 17-1 in the frame.

67's 8 IceDogs 2

At St. Catharines, Ont., Cooper Foster scored twice to lead Ottawa (30-10-5-2). Henry Mews, Frankie Marrelli, Derek Smyth, Matthew Mayich, Luca Pinelli and Braeden Kressler had the other goals while Jacob Maillet had four assists. Ryan Roobroeck and Kevin He scored for the IceDogs (16-35-6-1) as goaltenders Owen Flores and Charlie Robertson combined for 27 saves.

Otters 4 Petes 2

At Peterborough, Ont.., Carey Terrance, Wesley Royston, Sam Alfano and Martin Misiak had goals to pace Erie (26-27-4-1) while goalie Ethan Fraser stopped 39 shots. Caden Taylor and Ryder McIntyre replied for the Petes (17-33-6-1).

Firebirds 5 Spitfires 4

At Windsor, Ont., Coulson Pitre scored two goals to lead Flint (25-28-3-1) to the narrow victory. Connor Clattenburg, Roberto Mancini and Nathan Aspinall had the other goals. Cole Davis led the way for the Spitfires (18-32-4-3) with two goals. Carson Woodall and Noah Morneau also scored.

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{allcanada} CFL commissioner defends investigation process into allegations against Argos, Kelly

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VANCOUVER — CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie is defending his organization's approach to handling an investigation into allegations against the Toronto Argonauts and quarterback Chad Kelly.

The investigation comes after a lawsuit from a former Argonauts strength-and-conditioning coach was launched against the club for wrongful dismissal and Kelly for alleged violations of the Ontario Human Rights Code.

Ambrosie laid out a timeline for reporters Thursday about the league's investigation into the allegations.

"On Thursday last week we were advised by the Argos that a complaint had been registered. Thursday afternoon and into the evening, work was done by my staff to understand the background behind the complaint. By the time I went home for the evening I had authorized an investigation," Ambrosie said.

He added that a process plan was created Friday, with an independent investigator was hired by the league, with the Argos and the CFL Players Association notified.

On Monday, the parties were formally notified, written notification went out on Tuesday and the league made a public announcement on Wednesday.

"The most important thing is we have a proper independent investigation done," Ambrosie said.

Ambrosie said it was too soon to pass judgment or speculate on any sort of punishment.

"I'm not going to speculate on what the outcome of this could be. It's not fair to the process, it's not fair to the investigation, you have to let those things happen first," he said.

The complainant in the lawsuit filed a statement of claim with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice last week, alleging a pattern of harassment by Kelly, beginning with unwanted romantic advances and escalating into instances of threatening language.

She also said the Argos did not act when told of Kelly's behaviour and claims assistant general manager John Murphy said she "opened a can of worms that didn't need to be opened."

The complainant said she was told Jan. 29 that her contract would not be renewed. She had joined the Argonauts in 2018 and said her contract had previously been continually renewed.

The complainant is seeking $80,000 from Kelly and a total of $85,714 from the Argonauts. The Canadian Press does not publish the names of alleged victims of harassment or sexual assault unless granted permission.

The allegations have not been tested in court.

Ambrosie was questioned about how the Argos handled the initial complaint, and whether the league's investigation would also examine the team's actions.

"I want a thorough, complete investigation of the entire incident and all of its connecting issues," he said.

The Argos said in a statement yesterday that they will co-operate with the CFL's investigation.

"The Toronto Argonauts share the CFL's commitment to providing healthy and positive work environments," the CFL club said. "The organization will reserve any further comment until the conclusion of the league's investigation."

Ambrosie was speaking to reporters to announce a slate of sponsors for the upcoming 2024 Grey Cup, being held in Vancouver.

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{allcanada} TFC signs former Newcastle midfielder Longstaff

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Toronto FC is turning to England for an addition to its midfield.

The team announced the signing of former Newcastle midfielder Matty Longstaff on Thursday.

Longstaff, 23, joins on a two-year deal with an option for 2026. He is a Magpies academy product and made 14 Premier League appearances for the club in four senior seasons, scoring twice.

"I'm thrilled to welcome Matty to our squad," TFC manager John Herdman said in a statement. "His Premier League experience and dynamic playing style will add depth to our midfield and complement our tactical blueprint.

After loan spells at Aberdeen, Mansfield Town and Colchester United, Longstaff has been out of contract following an ACL tear incurred in December of 2022.

Internationally, Longstaff made two appearances for the England Under-20 side.

Longstaff is the younger brother of Toon midfielder Sean Longstaff.

The Reds opened their 2024 season last Sunday with a scoreless draw at FC Cincinnati. The team returns to action on Sunday with a visit to the New England Revolution.

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{allcanada} Hanifin's future with Flames uncertain after Tanev deal

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Inquiring minds want to know if the Flames will now be aggressive in finding a trade partner for defenseman Noah Hanifin after trading defenseman Chris Tanev to the Dallas Stars on Wednesday.

"Right now, we just worked through this and we're just going to kind of work our way along the path here," Flames general manager Craig Conroy told NHL.com. "We've got three more games before (March 8), and I'll just continue to work the phones and try to find the best deal I can for the Calgary Flames."

Hanifin, like Tanev, can become an unrestricted free agent after the season. His name has been mentioned in several trade reports during the week. The 27-year-old is in the final season of a six-year, $29.7 million contract ($4.95 million average annual value) he signed with the Flames on Aug. 30, 2018. He has 34 points (11 goals, 23 assists) in 59 games and is averaging 23:44 of ice time per game.

Hanifin has a modified no-trade clause in his contract and can submit an eight-team no-trade list, which somewhat limits where the Flames are able to deal him.

"If you're looking to add a left-handed defenseman, Hanifin would be at the top of your list," NHL analyst Bruce Boudreau told NHL Network Radio on Thursday. "He's a great-skating defenseman who has finally found some offensive upside. He's always been known as a good defender but now he's really added to offensive part to his game."

The Flames (29-25-5) have won four in a row and trail the Nashville Predators by five points for the second wild card from the Western Conference with one game in hand.

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{allcanada} McDavid scores in OT to end 10-game drought as Oilers rally to beat Blues 3-2

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EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) Connor McDavid scored 4:34 into overtime and also had two assists to rally the Edmonton Oilers to a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday night.

Zach Hyman scored twice to give him 40 for the season as Edmonton won its second straight. Stuart Skinner finished with 30 saves.

Late in the extra period, McDavid danced past a couple of defenders before chipping a shot past Binnington for his 22nd of the season to snap a 10-game goal-scoring drought. He had 25 between goals.

"There was no one to pass to," McDavid said, laughing about having to put the puck in himself. "There was not much going on that play. I just tried to get it to the net somehow and fortunately that went in."

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch was glad to see his star player finally get another goal.

"The timing was excellent," Knoblauch said. "He's been doing everything but scoring and he's been on the scoresheet two, three times almost every single night through that stretch. And wow, what a goal he provided in overtime."

Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich scored for the Blues, who have lost three straight and five of six. Jordan Binnington had 31 saves.

"Tough back-to-back for us, getting in late and playing a team that is so fast and dynamic," Thomas said. "I think we did a really good job, I don't think we can be upset with ourselves, we were in that game right to the end, we did a ton of good things and had our chances."

Binnington said McDavid's overtime goal was a tough one to allow, but there were still plenty of positives on the night.

"He went wide and kind of chipped it back far side and it kind of got a lot of my jersey, which is kind of weird, but sometimes bounces go like that when a guy works that hard, it happens," he said.

The Blues had a terrific start to the game, scoring on the first shot just 2:19 in. Awarded an early power play when the Oilers' Leon Draisaitl was sent off for high-sticking, Thomas picked the top left corner past Skinner with a wrister from the top of the circle. It was Thomas' 20th, tying his career high. It was the seventh time in the last eight games that the Oilers surrendered the first goal.

St. Louis added to its lead on its third shot at 4:49 as Jordan Kyrou made a nice pass from behind the net to allow Buchnevich to score his 24th on a point-blank shot.

Edmonton got one back on a power play of its own with 1:44 remaining in the first as McDavid fed a pass through to Hyman in tight and he sent his team-leading 39th past Binnington. It was Hyman's sixth consecutive game with a goal. McDavid extended his home-game point streak to 24 games, his personal-best streak of that ilk.

The Oilers tied the game up five minutes into the second period as McDavid sent it back to Hyman on a 2-on-1 and he shoveled in his second of the game and eighth in the last six. It is the first time in Hyman's career that he has hit the 40-goal mark, becoming the 13th player in Oilers history to do so.

"I'm so happy for him," McDavid said of Hyman's milestone. "He is a guy who brings it every single day with a positive attitude and a smile on his face. Even when things aren't going well, he shows up and is the same every day. It is great to see him get rewarded. He has been playing great this year. He's banging in goals left, right and center. It has been great for our team."

Blues defenseman Justin Faulk played his second game in two nights after missing the previous 12 games because of a lower-body injury.

Edmonton's Evan Bouchard had an assist on Hyman's goal, giving him 57 points for the the most by an Oilers defenseman since Paul Coffey had 67 points in 1986-87.

UP NEXT

Blues: Return home to host Minnesota on Saturday.

Oilers: At Seattle on Saturday.

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{allcanada} OHL roundup: Torrance scores twice in Generals win

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LONDON, Ont. — Luke Torrance scored twice as the Oshawa Generals topped the London Knights.

Calum Ritchie, Connor Punnett, Matthew Buckley and Luca D'Amato all scored for Oshawa.

Jacob Oster stopped 37 of the 41 shots he faced for the Generals.

Denver Barkey scored twice while Oliver Bonk and Kasper Halttunen scored once for London.

Knights goaltender Michael Simpson stopped 24 of 29 shots.

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COLTS 7 WOLVES 3

SUDBURY - Riley Patterson scored twice as Barrie Colts defeated the Sudbury Wolves.

Beau Jelsma scored twice while Chris Grisolia, Jack Brauti and Michael Derbidge had goals for Barrie.

Colts goaltender Ben West stopped 41 of 44 shots.

David Goyette, Kocha Delic and Nathan Villeneuve all scored once for Sudbury.

Wolves starting netminder Jakub Vondras kicked out five of eight shots before Marcus Vandenberg was put in, with the backup saving 17 of 20 shots.

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{allcanada} Flames trade veteran defenceman Chris Tanev to Stars

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CALGARY — The Calgary Flames have traded defenceman Chris Tanev to the Dallas Stars for prospect Artem Grushnikov, a 2024 second-round NHL draft pick and a conditional 2026 third-round pick in a three-way deal involving the New Jersey Devils.

Calgary will retain 50 per cent of Tanev's remaining salary.

To obtain the Stars' fourth-round pick in 2026, New Jersey agreed to cover 25 per cent of Tanev's remaining contract this season and traded to Calgary the rights to unsigned drafted goaltender Cole Brady.

The 34-year-old Tanev will become an unrestricted free agent after this season.

Tanev's developed a reputation as a smart, leathery player who shrugs off dings, dents and bloody facial injuries to keep playing.

He has 10 goals and 57 assists in 259 regular-season games for Calgary since he signed as a free agent in 2020. Tanev also suited up for eight playoff games in 2022.

The right-handed shot from Toronto spent 10 seasons with the Vancouver Canucks before he became a Flame.

Grushnikov has a goal and four assists in 44 games this season for the AHL's Texas Stars.

The Russian defenceman spent two seasons with the OHL's Hamilton Bulldogs and amassed 13 goals and 16 assists.

The Flames have been popular in March 8 trade deadline speculation because of prominent impending free agents.

Calgary dealt top centre Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks on Feb. 1 for Andrei Kuzmenko, Vancouver's first-round draft pick this year and a conditional fourth-round pick, as well as defensive prospects Hunter Brzustewicz and Joni Jurmo.

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{allcanada} CFL announces investigation into Kelly

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The Canadian Football League announced Wednesday the league has opened an investigation into the allegations surrounding Toronto Argonauts and quarterback Chad Kelly.

The announcement comes on the heels of a former Argos strength and conditioning coach filing a wrongful dismissal lawsuit against the team and Kelly that alleges she was dismissed after rejecting Kelly's advances.

"The CFL is committed to creating healthy and positive working and playing environments for all those associated with the league and its member clubs," commissioner Randy Ambrosie said in a statement. ​"We take the allegations against the Toronto Argonauts and Mr. Kelly very seriously and we have opened an investigation in accordance with the league's Gender-based Violence Policy. ​Out of respect for this process and all the parties involved, we will not be able to provide further comment until our investigation has been completed."

As first reported by TSN Senior Correspondent Rick Westhead, the suit was filed in Ontario Superior Court on Feb. 21.

"[The plaintiff] reported the harassment she was experiencing from Chad to her superiors," the coach's lawsuit says. "[The] Argonauts failed to address [her] legitimate concerns and then terminated her employment."

The plaintiff is seeking $50,000 from Kelly for alleged violations of the Ontario Human Rights Code and $85,714 from the Argos in a wrongful dismissal claim.

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

A native of Buffalo, Kelly is the nephew of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Kelly.

After NFL stints with the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts out of Ole Miss, Kelly joined the Argos in 2022 and became the team's starting quarterback in 2023.

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{allcanada} Roughriders apologize to fans for 'Girl Math' marketing campaign ad

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REGINA — The Saskatchewan Roughriders apologized Wednesday for issuing an email to season-ticket holders that resulted in a backlash from fans.

In the email to season-ticket holders entitled, "Girl Math is When Cheaper Tickets = Free Drinks!", the marketing campaign featured an ad that in part read, "Proficient in girl math it's basically free."

It also includes the phrases, "Literally the best excuse for cute matching outfits," and "Take the stairs. Earn the seltzers."

Some Riders fans, many women, suggested the ad promoted negative stereotypes and hinted at body-shaming and toxic diet culture. The campaign was also criticized as being patronizing and demeaning to women.

One fan posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter: "What are you thinking?! This is abhorrent, disrespectful, misogynistic and disgusting. Full retraction, fire whoever did this and do some heavy-duty trust rebuilding cuz you have lost this lifelong fan."

Another posted: "Do better! There is no place for misogynistic ads! Shame on you!"

The Roughriders issued a statement Wednesday apologizing for the contents of the ad.

"(On Tuesday) the Saskatchewan Roughrider sent an email to members of the fan base that missed the mark," Jacqueline Hurlbert, the Riders' director of marketing, said in the statement. "(On Wednesday) we emailed them again unequivocally apologizing for it.

"The Roughriders' staff is made up of 50 per cent women, and the 'girl math' email was imagined, developed and deployed by women within our marketing team, but we heard from our female fans that this message did not resonate with them. We will use this as a learning opportunity to be better in the future.

"We value contributions from women in our fan base, in football, and in our community and thank them for their guidance and feedback."

Girl math is a reference often seen on Tik Tok, a social media outlet.

It's used to describe accounting decisions that don't add up in terms of the bottom line.

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{allcanada} WHL: Rebels topple league-leading Blades

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SASKATOON — Chase Wutzke earned a 36-save shutout in helping lift the Red Deer Rebels to a 5-0 win over the Saskatoon Blades in Western Hockey League action on Tuesday.

Kai Uchacz, with two goals, Ollie Josephson, Frantisek Formanek and Talon Brigley scored for Red Deer (30-20-2-6).

The two goals helped Uchacz reach 40 goals on the season, making him one of eight players to hit the mark in the WHL in 2023-24.

Austin Elliott gave up three goals on 12 shots before exiting the game 13:07 into the second period. Evan Gardner stopped six of the eight shots he faced in relief for Saskatoon (42-10-2-3), which sits atop the WHL with 89 points.

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THUNDERBIRDS 5 PATS 1

SEATTLE - Braeden Cootes led the way with two goals as the Seattle Thunderbirds topped the Regina Pats 5-1.

Sam Popowich, Simon Lovsin and Jeremy Hanzel added the others for Seattle (20-34-2).

Zane Rowan had the lone goal for Regina (21-31-4-2).

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{allcanada} Report: Five accused 2018 WJC players choose trial by jury

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The five former Canadian world junior hockey players accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a hotel room have chosen to have a trial by jury, the Globe and Mail reported Wednesday.

The Globe's Robyn Doolittle reported that the players will be tried as a group and were granted their request for a jury trial during a court appearance Tuesday in London, Ont. It's not clear whether the court appearance was via video conferencing or in person. In the first court appearance in this case, on Feb. 5, none of the five players appeared in person or virtually; their lawyers all appeared virtually.

In late January, London police charged NHL players Michael McLeod, Dillon Dubé, Carter Hart, Cal Foote and former NHLer Alex Formenton with sexual assault. Through their lawyers, each has denied the accusations, although no pleas have yet been entered in court.

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{allcanada} Flames top Kings 4-2 to stay hot with fourth consecutive victory

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CALGARY, Alberta (AP) Yegor Sharangovich scored the go-ahead goal at 12:09 of the third period as the Calgary Flames earned their fourth straight win, 4-2, over the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night.

Andrew Mangiapane, Blake Coleman and Mikael Backlund, into an empty net, also scored for Calgary, while Chris Tanev chipped in a pair of assists. The Flames remain five points back of Nashville for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Jacob Markstrom had 21 stops and an assist.

Phillip Danault and Kevin Fiala provided the offense for Los Angeles, which has dropped the first two of its three-game Western Canada road trip. The Kings are tied in points with Nashville, but hold down the first wild-card spot having two games in hand.

Making his first start in four games, former Flame Cam Talbot had 33 saves for the Kings.

On the go-ahead score, Sharangovich took a pass from Dryden Hunt, strode over the Los Angeles blue line and ripped a shot inside the goalpost on Talbot's glove side.

Scoreless through the first half of the game, the Kings opened the scoring at 12:08 of the second period when Danault picked the top corner with a slap shot from 40 feet out.

The lead was short-lived, however, with Calgary responding 48 seconds later.

Noah Hanifin's long pass found Mangiapane behind the Kings defense and on the breakaway, he fooled Talbot with a backhand-to-forehand deke that left him with an empty net to slam his 12th goal of the season into.

Continuing the sudden rapid-fire scoring barrage, 56 seconds after that, the Flames took their first lead with Coleman knocking in a Jonathan Huberdeau rebound at 13:52.

Fiala evened the scored with 1:06 remaining in the middle frame, backhanding in a rebound after Markstrom could not control Anze Kopitar's initial shot.

With Los Angeles playing its second game in as many nights, Calgary started strong. The Flames outshot the Kings 10-3 in the opening 20 minutes, but the game remained scoreless thanks to a Los Angeles penalty kill that bent, but didn't break.

Mangiapane played in career game No. 400. Drafted by Calgary in the sixth round (166th overall) of the 2015 draft, he's one of only 13 active players drafted in the sixth round who has reached 400 games. He's also the first from the sixth round of his draft class to reach that mark.

With his assist on Mangiapane's goal, Markstrom has five assists on the season. No other NHL goalie has more than two.

UP NEXT

Kings: Finish a three-game road trip at Vancouver on Thursday.

Flames: Host Pittsburgh on Saturday night.

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{allcanada} Canada's Leylah Fernandez exits match in San Diego with shoulder injury

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Canada's Leylah Fernandez retired from her first-round match against Germany's Tatjana Maria at the San Diego Open with an apparent shoulder injury in the second set on Tuesday.

The No. 8 seed, from Laval, Ont., was down 4-0 in the second set after winning a lengthy first set 7-6 (7).

Stephanie Myles of OpenCourt.ca reported Fernandez, 21, received treatment on her left shoulder after the first-set tiebreak.

Fernandez, ranked 32nd in the world, was playing her first match in North America this year.

It marks the first time she has lost a first-round match in four tournaments in 2024.

The injury for Fernandez continued a bit of a rough week for Canadian tennis. Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime lost first-round matches in Dubai and Acapulco, Mexico, respectively.

Canadian teen Marina Stakusic won her first career WTA 500 match over a fellow qualifier on Monday in San Diego. Her second-round match will be Wednesday or Thursday.

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{allcanada} Eugene Levy Joins ‘Only Murders In The Building’ Season 4 As Recurring

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Hulu's Only Murders In The Building continues to assemble an all-star Season 4 cast, with Emmy winner Eugene Levy as the latest addition. In his first TV acting role since Schitt's Creek, Levy is set to recur on Only Murders In the Building next season. He joins series stars/executive producers Steve Martin, who also co-created the mystery comedy, Martin Short and Selena Gomez as well as new recurring players Molly Shannon and Eva Longoria and returning Meryl Streep.

All new characters will be integral to the twists and turns of the investigation into the murder of Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch), Charles-Haden Savage's (Martin) stunt double from his years on the series Brazzos and its 2020 revival.

The casting reunites Levy with his old friend Short. The two hail from the same Canadian hometown, got their start on SCTV and have collaborated on multiple occasions. Levy also did cameos alongside both Martin and Short in the Father of the Bride movies.

Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich revealed in a recent Deadline interview that the Only Murders In the Building trio, Charles, Oliver (Short) and Mabel (Gomez), will kick off the new season with a trip to Los Angeles before returning to The Arconia in their search of Sazz's killer.

The Season 3 finale saw Loretta (Streep), Oliver and Mabel all contemplating a move to LA.

Produced by 20th Television, OMITB, Hulu's most watched original comedy series, is co-created and co-written by Martin and John Hoffman who also executive produce alongside Short, Gomez, Dan Fogelman and Jess Rosenthal.

Levy co-created with his son Dan Schitt's Creek and also starred in the CBC/Pop series which swept the 2020 Emmys with nine wins, including Outstanding Comedy Series and acting trophies for Eugene Levy and the other three principal cast members (Levy also won an Emmy for the role in 2019.)

Currently, Levy serves as host and executive producer of Apple TV+'s The Reluctant Traveler whose second season is set to premiere March 8. He is repped by UTA, Jared Levine of Yorn, Levine and Barnes, Hunter Brand Management.

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{allcanada} Sandra Oh To Lead Off Broadway Production Of Lucy Kirkwood’s ‘The Welkin’ American Premiere

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Grey's Anatomy and Quiz Lady actor Sandra Oh will star in the Off Broadway American premiere of Lucy Kirkwood's The Welkin this summer.

The American Theater Company production begins previews Thursday, May 16, and will open Wednesday, June 12 for a limited engagement through Sunday, June 30.

Directed by Sarah Benson (Obie Award winner, Fairview), The Welkin is set in Rural Suffolk, England, 1759, as the country waits for Halley's Comet. A young woman is sentenced to hang for a heinous murder, and when she claims to be pregnant, a jury of twelve matrons are taken from their housework to decide whether she's telling the truth or simply trying to escape the noose. Only midwife Lizzy Luke (Oh) is prepared to defend the girl against a mob baying for blood, matrons wrestling with their new authority and the devil in their midst.

Atlantic describes the work as a "dark, fierce, funny play about democracy and housework."

Also starring in the production are b (Off Broadway's Toros, TV's WeCrashed); Tilly Botsford (Off Broadway debut), Paige Gilbert (A Raisin In The Sun, Skin of Our Teeth), Ann Harada (Into the Woods, Avenue Q), Jenn Kidwell (Underground Railroad Game), Mary McCann (Harper Regan, TV's The Chair), Emily Cass McDonnell (I'm Revolting, The Thin Place), MacKenzie Mercer (Frozen National Tour), Dale Soules (Orange Is The New Black, Hair), Danny Wolohan (Camelot, To Kill a Mockingbird) and Haley Wong (Mary Gets Hers at MCC).

Additional casting will be announced soon.

The Welkin will feature sets by dots, costumes by Kaye Voyce, lights by Stacey Derosier, sound by Palmer Hefferan, special effects by Jeremy Chernick, hair & wigs by Cookie Jordan, makeup by Gabrielle Vincent, movement by David Neumann, and intimacy direction by Crista Marie Jackson.

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{allcanada} Toronto FC plans to manage Insigne's minutes this season to help keep him healthy

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TORONTO — Lorenzo Insigne saw a little more than an hour's action in Toronto FC's season-opening scoreless draw at FC Cincinnati.

And there is a question mark over what role the Italian star will play Sunday, if any, when TFC faces the New England Revolution on Gillette Stadium's artificial turf.

After a 2023 season that saw the 32-year-old Insigne appear in just 20 of Toronto's 34 league games due to a rash of injuries, Toronto coach John Herdman plans to handle the former Napoli captain carefully this year.

"We've got to manage him like he's a Ferrari and make sure he's looked after in that way," Herdman said ahead of kickoff.

Insigne, whose salary of US$15.4 million was second only to Lionel Messi's US$20.4 million with Miami last season, had four goals and five assists in 2023.

Herdman said TFC has studied how Insigne was used by Napoli.

"He played 80 per cent of the games and rarely did he ever finish a game for Napoli," he said.

"We'll manage him so he can play as many games, start as many games as he can," Herdman added. "But games on (artificial) turf are a problem for him, for sure. The fans will just have to accept that. We just wanted him at his best. And I want him playing at home, every game."

While Insigne, whose talents lie in the attacking end of the field, started Sunday at TQL Stadium, Herdman suggested he may be a spectator on the road this season in favour of more defensive-minded players as TFC looks to improve its dismal road record.

Toronto (4-20-10) picked up just four of a possible 51 points away from home last season, posting an 0-13-4 record.

And with Toronto's home opener against Charlotte FC looming on March 9, Insigne could be held back from the New England game Sunday.

Foxborough evokes some bad memories for TFC. Dutch designated player Danny Koevermans wrecked his knee there in July 2012, tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in a collision with New England defender A.J. Soares.

Insigne played in just one of Toronto's four pre-season games, impressing in a 60-minute showing against Nashville SC in Florida in a Feb. 2 outing that saw both he and fellow Italian Federico Bernardeschi score.

"He literally dominated that game," Herdman said of Insigne. "So you see when he's in rhythm and he's clear and the guys around are clear on how we open (the opposition) up, he was just exceptional."

TFC brought in Greg Bay, a respected physiotherapist who is the Canadian men's team medical lead, as part of the "special support" to help look after Insigne. Herdman credits Bay for getting Canadian midfielder Stephen Eustaquio, who plays his club football in Portugal for FC Porto, "back to where he needed to be" after a serious knee injury.

Insigne's progress was slowed after having "a reaction" to training on artificial turf upon the team's return to Toronto from the second half of training camp in California.

Still, he showed flashes of his skills Sunday.

Insigne almost scored in the seventh minute, forcing a desperate lunging save from Roman Celentano off a free kick just outside the penalty box after Richie Laryea was fouled driving into the box.

And in first-half stoppage time, he fired a shot at goal, only to see it deflect off a defender and then hit teammate Prince Owusu.

Insigne was assessed at halftime when it was determined he could go a little longer.

"For him it's still pre-season," said Herdman.

"But this is about managing Lorenzo through the whole season," he added. "So we get him for as many home games as we can. There's other players, that when we're on the road, can do some of the work that has to be done to keep clean sheets and to get points on the road."

The good news is Insigne left the game on his own steam. Last season he limped off 34 minutes into the Feb. 25 season opener, a 3-2 loss at D.C. United. He missed the next six games.

"I've never had so many injuries in my career as I've had this past year and I hope I'm going to get better and in the new season we're all going to work hard together," Insigne said in October as the 2023 season wound down.

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{allcanada} Barnes records triple-double, Raptors beat Siakam, Pacers

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Toronto Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic promised his players a tasty reward when they finally strung together a three-game winning streak.

Now it's time to pay up.

With All-Star Scottie Barnes logging his fourth triple-double of the season and RJ Barrett scoring 24 points in Monday night's 130-122 victory, players responded to their longest winning streak of the season by chanting "piz-za."

"I told them that when we won three straight I'd take them to dinner," Rajakovic explained outside a joyous locker room. "But I told them this team's so humble, we could have pizza."

Whatever the meal preference, this young team again looked hungry — extending its post-All-Star break record to 3-0.

And it came with a pretty typical menu, too.

Barnes had 21 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists on a night seven Raptors scored in double figures. Rookie Gradey Dick had 18 points and made two key 3s late to break open the game while matching his season-high with four 3s.

"This is just the beginning," Rajakovic said, referring to Dick. "He's going to have good games, he's going to have bad games, but he needs to continue winning in those situations, continue to learn and get better."

Bennedict Mathurin kept the Pacers within reach by matching his career high with 34 points and nine rebounds. Two-time All-Star Pascal Siakam tormented his former team with 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Indiana acquired Siakam in a January trade.

But with the league's best shooting team and All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton having an off-night, the Pacers struggled. Haliburton had nine points and seven assists while going 2-of-11 from the field. The Pacers shot just 46 per cent as a team.

And the defence, at least in the opinion of Mathurin, was even worse.

"Defence was our main thing and I'll go ahead say it, I was really bad on defence tonight," said Mathurin, who drew the assignment on Barrett. "So I'm looking forward to the next game."

Toronto built a 61-56 lead after a back-and-forth first half, and then watched Indiana score six straight in the third quarter to make it 67-66.

The Raptors answered with an 11-0 run, only to see the Pacers charge back within 90-87 at the end of three, tie it on Mathurin's 3 to open the fourth and eventually take a 96-95 lead on Jalen Smith's put back with 10:04 to go.

Instead of pulling away, the Pacers let Toronto hang around and Dick's tiebreaking 3 with 8:01 left spurred a 10-2 run that gave the Raptors a 112-104 lead and Indiana never seriously challenged again.

UP NEXT

Raptors: Begin a three-game home stand Wednesday against the Dallas Mavericks.

Pacers: Close out a four-game home stand Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans.

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{allcanada} Canada's Marina Stakusic wins first career WTA 500 main-draw match

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Canada's Marina Stakusic didn't let rain or a scheduling delay change her focus Monday night as she bounced Marina Melnikova of Russia 6-4, 5-7, 6-1 in the opening round of women's singles at the San Diego Open.

The Mississauga, Ont., qualifier pounced on her opponent — also a qualifier — quickly in the opening set and only needed 49 minutes to wrap up the win. Both players appeared to be battling nerves and made several miscues before settling in.

It was Stakusic's first career win in a WTA Tour 500 event.

Melnikova gained some momentum and confidence in the second set, cut back on her unforced errors and earned a tense 7-5 victory in 55 minutes.

But Stakusic, 19, shook off the setback and dominated the third and decisive set, winning 6-1. The match took two hours, nine minutes to complete.

Stakusic finished with four aces, seven double faults, 10 of 16 break points saved, eight service games won and eight return games won. Melnikova had no ace, six double faults, 2 of 10 break points saved, six service games won and six return games won.

The unheralded Stakusic made headlines last November when she recorded three upset victories in singles and went 3-1 overall to help Canada capture the Billie Jean King Cup in Spain.

Stakusic hadn't played a competitive match since the BJK Cup Finals.

Her breakout performance there came after an injury-riddled season at lower levels, but she was in top form just prior to the event in Spain, winning a tournament in Toronto.

Stakusic will play the winner of Tuesday's match between seventh-seeded Donna Vekic of Croatia and 19-year-old wild card Katherine Hui of San Diego.

Eighth-seeded Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., is scheduled to play Tatjana Maria of Germany on Tuesday in first-round action.

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{allcanada} Argonauts sign veteran WR Bailey

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TORONTO — The Toronto Argonauts signed free-agent receiver Rasheed Bailey on Monday.

The 30-year-old American joins the Argos after four CFL seasons with Winnipeg. The six-foot-one, 217-pound Bailey had 46 catches for 508 yards and six TDs in 18 regular-season games with the Blue Bombers.

Bailey had 180 catches for 2,072 yards and 20 TDs in 58 regular-season games with Winnipeg. He also helped Winnipeg make four straight Grey Cup appearances, winning two.

Before coming to Canada, Bailey spent four seasons (2015-18) in the NFL with Philadelphia (twice), Jacksonville, San Diego, Cleveland, and Carolina.

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{allcanada} WHL roundup: Chadwick helps Hurricanes whip Hitmen

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CALGARY — Noah Chadwick scored twice and added two assists as the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes whipped the Calgary Hitmen 9-2 in Western Hockey League action on Sunday at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Logan Wormald scored twice, while Miguel Marques, Carter Dereniwsky, Brayden Edwards, Kash Andresen and Hayden Pakkala netted singles for the Hurricanes (26-26-5-0), who led 2-1 after the first period and 5-2 heading into the third.

Logan McCutcheon chipped in with three assists.

Ben Kindel scored both goals for the Hitmen (23-26-7-1), who were outshot 48-26. Maxim Muranov had two assists for the host squad.

Elsewhere in the WHL on Sunday:

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OIL KINGS 5 WILD 2

EDMONTON, Alta. — Ty Nash and Marshall Finnie each had a goal and assist as the Edmonton Oil Kings surprised the visiting Wenatchee Wild 5-2.

Gavin Hodnett, Rhys Pederson and Smyth Rebman also scored for the Oil Kings (21-33-2-1), who led 2-0 after the first period and 3-1 heading into the third.

Karter Prosofsky and Kenta Isogai scored for the Wild (30-24-4-0), who were outshot 28-26.

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THUNDERBIRDS 3 BLAZERS 2 (SO)

SEATTLE, Wash. — The Seattle Thunderbirds scored twice in the shootout to defeat the visiting Kamloops Blazers 3-2.

Jordan Gustafson had a goal and assist for the Thunderbirds (20-34-2-0), while Simon Lovsin netted a single.

Blake Swetlikoff had a goal and assist for the Blazers (18-33-3-3), while Jordan Keller added a single.

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{allcanada} QMJHL roundup: Phoenix rise to roll over visiting Sea Dogs

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SHERBROOKE, Que. — Lewis Gendron scored twice, Samuel St-Hilaire stopped all 25 shots he faced and the Sherbrooke Phoenix blanked the visiting Saint John Sea Dogs 3-0 in Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League action on Sunday.

Olivier Dubois also scored for the Phoenix (27-241-5), who went 1-for-2 on the power play. The Phoenix led 1-0 after the first period and the second frame was scoreless.

Justin Robinson stopped 43 of 45 shots for the Sea Dogs (17-32-5-3).

Elsewhere in the QMJHL on Sunday:

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TITAN 5 EAGLES 2

SYDNEY, N.S. — Milo Roelens and Alexandre Lallier both scored twice to lead the visiting Acadie-Bathurst Titan to a 5-2 win over the Cape Breton Eagles.

Igor Mburanumwe also scored for the Titan (25-27-3-3), while Antoine Keller stopped 27 shots.

Cam MacDonald and Cole Burbidge scored for the Eagles (30-24-1-2) and goaltender Jakub Milota made 27 saves.

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ISLANDERS 7 WILDCATS 2

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Michael Horth scored twice to lead the Charlottetown Islanders past the visiting Monton Wildcats 7-2.

Will Allen, Kyle Powers, Anthony Flanagan, Simon Hughes and Cole Huckins also scored for the Islanders (24-26-4-2).

Vincent Collard and Caleb Desnoyers scored for the Wildcats (32-18-4-3), who outshot the Islanders 35-29.

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MOOSEHEADS 3 REMPARTS 2

QUÉBEC CITY, Que. — Peter Reynolds scored the game-winning goal at 6:21 of the third period as the visiting Halifax Mooseheads edged the Quebec Remparts 3-2.

Mathieu Cataford and Lou-Félix Denis also scored for the Maritimes Division-leading Mooseheads (37-14-7-1).

Xavier Lebel and Daniel Agostino scored for the Remparts (19-34-4-0).

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ARMADA 4 FOREURS 1

BOISBRIAND, Que. — Thomas Paquet scored a goal and added an assist as the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada defeated the visiting Val-d'Or Foreurs 4-1.

Eliot Ogonowski, Matt Gosselin and Philippe Fauchon also scored for the Armada (25-26-4-1).

Philippe Veilleux scored for the Foreurs (15-36-3-2).

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DRAKKAR 3 OCEANIC 0

BAIE-COMEAU, Que. — Charles-Édward Gravel earned a shutout as the Baie-Comeau Drakkar beat the visiting Rimouski Oceanic 3-0.

Louis-Charles Plourde, Justin Gill and Félix Gagnon scored for the East Division-leading Drakkar (46-8-2-1).

Netminder Cédric Massé saved 27 of 30 shots for the Oceanic (30-24-5-0).

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HUSKIES 4 VOLTIGEURS 1

DRUMMONDVILLE, Que. — Daniil Bourash scored a goal and added an assist as the visiting Rouyn-Noranda Huskies defeated the Drummondville Voltigeurs 4-1.

Antonin Verreault, Andrei Loshko and Benjamin Brunelle also scored for the West Division-leading Huskies (38-14-1-4).

Sam Oliver scored for the Central Division-leading Voltigeurs (40-11-5-1).

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TIGRES 5 CATARACTES 3

SHAWINIGAN, Que. — Justin Larose scored a goal and added an assist as the visiting Victoriaville Tigres edged the Shawinigan Cataractes 5-3.

Alexis Bourque, Nikita Prishchepov, Tommy Cormier and Egor Goriunov also scored for the Tigres (36-17-3-0).

Félix Lacerte scored twice for the Cataractes (24-30-2-1), while Reece Peitzsche netted a single.

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{allcanada} Leon scores three goals as Canada defeats Paraguay at CONCACAF W Gold Cup

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HOUSTON — Adriana Leon scored three goals and teenage forward Olivia Smith celebrated her first senior start with a goal to help Canada defeat Paraguay 4-0 on Sunday and remain unbeaten at the CONCACAF W Gold Cup.

Captain Jessie Fleming had a chance to make it 5-0 from the penalty spot in second-half stoppage time, after substitute Simi Awujo was brought down, but sent her spot kick off the crossbar.

It was a first-ever senior meeting between 10th-ranked Canada and No. 50 Paraguay. And it proved to be a one-sided affair with Canada outshooting Paraguay 24-2 (12-1 in shots on target).

The South Americans stacked their defence but could only hold Canada off for so long.

"We had to adjust some things tactically," said Canada coach Bev Priestman.

"Paraguay are a good team and we came into this game knowing that and respecting that," she added. "We were working on defending just as much as attacking. But yeah, it was a really difficult (defensive) block to break down."

Leon, who had two goals in Canada's 6-0 opening win over No. 104 El Salvador on Thursday, scored in the 25th, 49th and 77th minute to boost her Canada total to 36 in 107 appearances.

Smith had opened her account with a goal off the bench against El Salvador.

The 19-year-old from Whitby, Ont., who plays in Portugal for Sporting CP, was rewarded Sunday with her first start and, after Leon's 25th-minute goal, recorded a highlight-reel strike.

After a fine run down the right flank, Jade Rose delivered a cross after that goalkeeper Cristina Recalde could not hold onto. The ball bounced to Smith, who sidestepped one defender and then fired a shot through another's legs to make it 2-0.

Leon's 25th-minute opener was equally impressive with the Aston Villa forward taking advantage of a skewed attempted clearance that bounced back toward the Paraguay goal. The ball dropped to an unmarked Leon, who neatly volleyed it home for her third goal at the tournament.

The goal was initially waved off, but was confirmed by Mexican referee Katia Garcia after video review.

Leon made it 3-0 in the 49th minute, knocking the ball home from close range after a Clarissa Larisey cross bounced off several defenders. She got her third in emphatic fashion, roofing a ball from a tight angle in the 57th minute.

An 85th-minute goal by Canada's Jordyn Huitema was negated by the offside flag.

Canada wraps up Group C play against Costa Rica on Wednesday. Costa Rica, beaten 1-0 by Paraguay in its first outing, defeated El Salvador 2-0 later Sunday at Shell Energy Stadium.

The Canadians have already assured themselves of a quarterfinal berth but will looking for a positive result against Costa Rica to improve their draw in the knockout round.

The El Salvador win cost Canada forward Nichelle Prince, who is out of the tournament after suffering a calf injury late in the first half. Prince, who has 16 goals in 97 senior appearances, joins Sydney Collins, Jayde Riviere, Janine Beckie and Desiree Scott on the Canadian injured list.

Priestman made five changes to her starting lineup with goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan, Vanessa Gilles, Ashley Lawrence, Deanne Rose and Smith slotting in.

Paraguay earned its invitation to the tournament by finishing fourth at the 2022 Women's Copa America.

The inaugural 12-country women's Gold Cup runs through March 10 in Houston, Los Angeles, San Diego and Carson. The group winners, runners-up and the two best third-place finishers will advance to the tournament's quarterfinals.

The men's CONCACAF Gold Cup has been held since 1991 with Canada winning in 2000.

CONCACAF covers North and Central America and the Caribbean.

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