{allcanada} Barnes has career-high 35 points as Raptors beat Pacers

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TORONTO — Scottie Barnes had a career-high 35 points as Toronto held off the Indiana Pacers 122-111 on Tuesday after the Raptors led by as many as 24 points.

Barnes had nine assists and six rebounds as Toronto (7-15) won back-to-back games and three of their past four.

RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., just missed out on his fourth consecutive game at Scotiabank Arena with 30 or more points, finishing with 29 for Toronto. Jakob Poeltl had a double-double with 17 points and 10 boards.

Rookie guard Ja'Kobe Walter started in his fourth consecutive game for the Raptors. He had two points and a rebound in 17 minutes filling in for Gradey Dick (calf).

Tyrese Haliburton scored 30 points, six assists and four rebounds as Indiana (9-13) dropped its third straight. Montreal's Bennedict Mathurin had 17 points.

Andrew Nembhard of nearby Aurora, Ont., played in his second game for the Pacers since missing 12 games with right-knee inflammation. He finished with six points and four assists.

Toronto head coach Darko Rajakovic said before the game that Dick is nearing a return to the lineup but that the team wanted him to get in a full practice first.

The Raptors improved to 1-3 in the group stage of the NBA Cup but will not advance to the single-elimination round of the in-season tournament. Indiana went 0-4 in East Group B.

TAKEAWAYS

Pacers: Indiana looked largely disinterested through the first half, but came alive in the third quarter. Haliburton had 12 points as the Pacers outscored the Raptors 36-28 in the period. Significantly improved three-point shooting made the difference, with Indiana making 6-of-12 attempts from beyond the arc in the third compared to 4-of-11 three-point shooting in the first two quarters.

Raptors: Toronto looked like two different teams before and after intermission. After dominating all facets of the game in the first half, including 25 for 45 (55.6 per cent) shooting on field goals, 10 for 20 (50 per cent) shooting on three pointers, the Raptors lost focus in the second half, 19 for 36 (52.7 per cent) on field goals and 3 for 13 (23 per cent) on three-pointers

KEY MOMENT

An 8-0 Indiana run in the middle of the fourth quarter cut Toronto's once sizable lead down to 105-103 with 6:36 left to play.

KEY STAT

Barnes had a career-high 35 points on 13-of-20 field-goal attempts, including 3 for 7 on three-pointers. He also made six of eight free throws. His previous high was 32 points, made twice, most recently against the Utah Jazz on Dec. 23, 2023. It was his 10th career 30-point game.

UP NEXT

Toronto: Hosts MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from Hamilton and his Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday.

Indiana: Continues its road trip with a stop in Brooklyn against the Nets on Wednesday.

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{allcanada} Flames beat the Blue Jackets 3-0 following a tribute to the late Gaudreau brothers

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CALGARY, Alberta (AP) Rasmus Andersson and Kevin Bahl scored power-play goals and Calgary beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0 Tuesday night after the Flames honored the late Johnny Gaudreau with a pregame tribute.

Dan Vladar had a 16-save shutout, Yegor Sharangovich scored into an empty net and Mikael Backlund had two assists for Calgary.

Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins stopped 19 of 21 shots.

Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau were honored before the game with the Gaudreau family in attendance. Players on both teams had the name Gaudreau and Johnny's No. 13 on their pregame jerseys.

The brothers were struck by a vehicle and killed while cycling together Aug. 29 in New Jersey.

Johnny Gaudreau played eight seasons with the the Flames before playing two seasons with Columbus. His father, Gus, skated with the Flames on Monday and Tuesday.

The Saddledome chanted "Johnny" during the tribute and "Johnny Hockey" after the Flames took a 2-0 lead late in the third.

Blue Jackets: Didn't make Vladar work hard enough with 16 shots - just three in the second period - and few chances generated from close range. Took four penalties to Calgary's one.

Flames: Recovered quicker than the Blue Jackets from the game's emotional start. Played disciplined with one penalty and spent more sustained time in the offensive zone than Columbus.

Andersson, who was a close friend of Gaudreau's, pointed to his family seated in a Saddledome box after scoring for the Flames.

The Flames extended their home win streak to six games for the first time since 2021-22, when they matched the franchise record of 11 games, which was first accomplished in 2015-16.

The Blue Jackets travel to Edmonton to take on the Oilers on Thursday, while the Flames host the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.

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{allcanada} Barbashev's goal and Hill's 28 saves lead Golden Knights to 1-0 win over Oilers

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LAS VEGAS (AP) Ivan Barbashev scored on a rush midway through the second period and Adin Hill made 28 saves as the Vegas Golden Knights shut out Edmonton 1-0 on Tuesday night to end the Oilers' three-game win streak.

Leon Draisaitl's backward pass went right to Barbashev to initiate the breakaway. He attempted to pass to teammate Jack Eichel on a two-on-one rush when the puck bounced off Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard right back to Barbashev, who then scored.

Hill recorded his second shutout this season and the ninth of his career. The Oilers are 5-0-1 in their last six games, and Hill has started all of them.

Stuart Skinner stopped 15 shots for the Oilers, who were shut out for the fourth time this season.

Oilers: Edmonton had its opportunities in the second period with seven high-danger chances, according to Natural Stat Trick, and nine shots on goal.

Golden Knights: Vegas spent the third period trying to hang on as the Oilers dominated puck possession. The Golden Knights were outshot 16-2 in the period, but their defense shined and limited Edmonton to three high-danger chances.

The Oilers had a 6-on-5 advantage in the final two minutes when Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a chance to tie the game. But his rebound shot went off Hill with 1:25 left.

8 - The number of combined shots on goal in the first period. That's the second-lowest total of comined shots in a first period and tied for the second fewest of any period this season.

The Oilers host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, and the Golden Knights are at the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday.

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{allcanada} Kaprizov scores late in OT and NHL-leading Wild rally for 3-2 win over Canucks

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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Kirill Kaprizov scored with 23.4 seconds left in overtime and the Minnesota Wild rallied to beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 on Tuesday night for their sixth victory in eight games.

Frederick Gaudreau and Jake Middleton also scored for Minnesota, and Filip Gustavsson made 30 saves. The Wild improved to 17-4-4, giving them an NHL-best 38 points.

Brock Boeser nearly won it for Vancouver on a two-on-none break, but his shot hit the right post. A lively bounce went out to Marco Rossi, who carried the puck into the Canucks zone and fed Kaprizov for a one-timer at the end of a lengthy shift. His 16th goal of the season was his ninth career OT winner.

Quinn Hughes and Jake DeBrusk scored for Vancouver, and Elias Pettersson had two assists. Kevin Lankinen made 26 saves but lost for the first time in 11 road starts.

DeBrusk scored with 41 seconds left in the second period for a 2-1 lead, but Middleton tied it less than two minutes into the third.

Canucks: Hughes scored midway through the first and has two goals and eight assists in his past five games. It was the first power-play goal by a Canucks defenseman this season.

Wild: Won for the first time in six chances when trailing after the second period and improved to 3-4 in overtime.

Lankinen stopped Joel Eriksson Ek on a breakaway 30 seconds into overtime before Gustavsson robbed Erik Brannstrom less than two minutes later.

DeBrusk leads Vancouver with 11 goals. Eight have come in his past six games, including a hat trick Sunday in Detroit.

Vancouver opens a six-game homestand Friday against Columbus. Minnesota starts a three-game road trip Friday at Anaheim.

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{allcanada} Kyrou scores 2, Holloway has goal and assist as Blues ground struggling Jets 4-1

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WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) Jordan Kyrou scored twice and Dylan Holloway had a goal and assist to help lift the St. Louis Blues to a 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.

Robert Thomas also had an empty-net goal for the Blues, who are on a four-game point streak.

Kyrou and Holloway gave the Blues a 2-0 lead and scored 39 seconds apart during four-on-four play in the second period. Kyrou scored with 1:56 left in the period after his rebound went off Mark Scheifele's skate, and Holloway notched his eighth goal of the season when he put in his own rebound past Connor Hellebuyck with 1:17 remaining.

Kyrou made it 3-0 at 6:38 of the third when Holloway, who was sitting on the ice, sent him a pass in the high slot.

Holloway extended his point streak to four games (four goals and three assists).

Joel Hofer made 22 saves for St. Louis, and Hellebuyck stopped 28 of the 31 shots he faced for the Jets.

Scheifele was the lone goal-scorer for the Jets, who have lost four consecutive games and are 1-5-0 in their past six.

Blues: Holloway and Kyrou were the engines propelling St. Louis. Kyrou finished with seven shots on goal and hit a post.

Jets: Winnipeg only won 36.2% of faceoffs and had a hard time getting pucks on net as the Blues blocked 14 shots.

The Jets were already having a sluggish second period when Kyrou and Holloway scored 39 seconds apart.

The Blues have picked up points in their past four games (3-0-1) - all under new head coach Jim Montgomery since he was hired on Nov. 24.

The Jets visit the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, the same day the Blues visit the Calgary Flames.

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{allcanada} Laine scores in Montreal debut, Suzuki gets OT winner and Canadiens edge Islanders 3-2

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MONTREAL (AP) Patrik Laine scored in his highly anticipated Montreal debut, Nick Suzuki scored in overtime, and the Canadiens beat the New York Islanders 2-1 on Tuesday night.

Laine, playing his first regular-season game in nearly a year, opened the scoring on the power play 7:23 into the second period.

Suzuki scored at 2:39 of overtime, following up his own rebound. Sam Montembeault stopped 30 shots.

Anders Lee scored for New York, which lost for the fourth time in its last five games. Ilya Sorokin made 25 saves.

Laine missed the first 24 games of the regular season after sustaining a left knee sprain during preseason play against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sept. 28.

Laine, who the Canadiens acquired before the season, hadn't played since last Dec. 14 with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Islanders: The Islanders continued to struggle with the man advantage, going 0 for 3. New York entered the game with the league's second-worst power play at 12.9%.

Canadiens: Laine finished with one goal, two shots and two hits in 17 minutes, 27 seconds. He skated on the Canadiens' second line with Kirby Dach and Juraj Slafkovsky and started on Montreal's top power-play unit, which went 1 for 2.

Laine received the puck and had all the time in the world to turn and pick his spot on Sorokin. He pumped his fists as teammates swarmed him.

355 - The number of days since Laine's last regular-season game. Laine scored a goal against the Maple Leafs but broke his clavicle. He later entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program on Jan. 28 to prioritize his mental health and was cleared to return on July 26, three weeks before his trade to Montreal.

The Canadiens play host to the Nashville Predators on Thursday night and the Islanders return home to play the Seattle Kraken.

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{allcanada} Canadian women wrap up eventful year with lopsided win over South Korea

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MURCIA, Spain — The Canadian women wrapped up a tumultuous year with a lopsided 5-1 win over 19th-ranked South Korea on Tuesday, setting the stage for a fresh start under a new coach in 2025.

Marie-Yasmine Alidou, Olivia Smith, Vanessa Gilles and Adriana Leon scored for sixth-ranked Canada, which also benefitted from a Korean own goal. Lee Hyok-yeong scored Korea's goal in the second half, narrowing the deficit to 3-1.

It was job done for Cindy Tye, the under-20 coach put in interim charge of the senior side for an international window that opened Friday with a scoreless draw with No. 13 Iceland also at the Pinatar Arena.

"We set an objective, of course, to finish out the year strong and I'm really happy that they got to do it their way," said Tye.

Tye made seven changes to her lineup with only Alidou, Gilles, Janine Beckie and Ashley Lawrence retaining their places with captain Jessie Fleming and fellow veterans Kailen Sheridan, Gabby Carle and Deanne Rose among those slotting in.

There was a debut for 28-year-old Angel City defender Megan Reid, a California native who qualifies for Canada through her Ottawa-born mother. And Jeneva Hernandez Gray, an 18-year-old midfielder from the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls elite team, and 19-year-old Nyah Rose, the younger sister of Canadian international Jade Rose, came in off the bench for their first senior caps.

"Whenever you get a chance to get a win and then make three debuts in one game, I think that's a win for the program," said Tye.

Canada dominated play, outshooting Korea 22-4 (9-1 in shots on target) and had 60 per cent possession.

The game was played against a backdrop of unrest more than 10,000 kilometres away in South Korea after president Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law Tuesday accusing the opposition of insurgency. Korean lawmakers adopted a resolution demanding that martial law be lifted while protesters clashed with police outside.

The Canadian women finished the year with a 9-0-7 record, with three of those draws turning into penalty shootout losses to Germany (in the Paris Olympics quarterfinal) and the top-ranked United States (in the SheBelieves Cup final and the CONCACAF W Gold Cup semifinal).

Another draw produced a shootout win over Brazil (in the SheBelieves Cup semifinal).

Tuesday's game marked the end of a headline-filled year that saw defending champion Canada caught cheating at the Paris Olympics and Canada Soccer, once again, looking in the mirror.

The governing body is searching for a new women's head coach after shedding Bev Priestman in the wake of the recent independent report into the Olympic drone-spying scandal. Priestman, assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joey Lombardi are currently serving one-year suspensions from FIFA, with Lombardi having already resigned his Canada Soccer position.

Former Canada coach John Herdman, who did not speak to the author of the report, stepped down as Toronto FC coach last week. While Herdman denied any involvement in spying at past Olympics or World Cups, his resignation was seen as a bid to diffuse an investigation into any past culture of cheating within Canada Soccer.

The Canadian women improved to 8-1-1 all-time against South Korea, unbeaten in their last six meetings.

Canada went ahead in the 22nd minute when Smith's shot from a tight angle deflected in off defender Lim Seon-joo past Korean goalkeeper Kim Kyeong-hee on the short side. Fleming set up the goal with an artful flick ahead to an onrushing Smith after taking a pass from Lawrence.

Alidou made it 2-0 in the 52d minute, hammering a swerving shot just underneath the crossbar from well outside the penalty box in the 52nd minute. It was the second goal in five appearances (and third start) for Alidou, who plays her club football in Portugal for Benfica.

Smith made it 3-0 in the 58th minute, outmuscling two defenders before firing a low shot into the corner of goal from just inside the penalty box. The 20-year-old forward, who has turned heads with Liverpool this season, was dangerous all game in leading the attack in just her fourth start and 13th senior appearance.

Korea pulled a goal back in the 76th minute with Hyok-yeong heading in a rebound off the crossbar from a Korean corner. Gilles made it 4-1 with a header off a free kick two minutes later with Leon scoring her 41st goal for Canada in stoppage time.

It was a fifth straight loss for South Korea, which named Shin Sang-woo as coach in October.

The Canadian starting 11 went into Tuesday's game with a combined 645 caps, compared to 772 caps for the Iceland contest which saw starts for veterans Shelina Zadorsky, Nichelle Prince and Leon, who have 326 caps between them.

Midfielder Emma Regan won her fourth cap in her second start.

Goalkeeper Lysianne Proulx and Jayde Riviere came on to start the second half with Zadorsky and Leon following off the bench. Riviere's appearance was a short one after jarring a knee.

Canada was missing the injured Kadeisha Buchanan, Sydney Collins, Cloe Lacasse, Evelyne Viens, Jade Rose and Quinn. Jordyn Huitema was unavailable due to personal reasons.

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{allcanada} Lions name Pierce as team's head coach

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VANCOUVER — Buck Pierce started his CFL career in Vancouver as a player, and that's where he will return for his first job as a head coach.

The Lions announced Tuesday that the former quarterback has been hired as the 28th coach in franchise history.

He replaces Rick Campbell, who was fired after the Lions posted a disappointing 9-9 record this past season and lost in the West Division semifinal in a year Vancouver hosted the Grey Cup.

"Buck was a candidate we identified early in this process as someone who is ready to step in and lead our franchise," Lions general manager Ryan Rigmaiden said in a release. "His track record in the Canadian Football League as both a player and a coach says it all."

The Lions are expected to hold a press conference Wednesday morning to introduce their new coach.

Pierce comes to the Lions after nine seasons on the coaching staff of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, where he had been offensive co-ordinator since 2020.

He helped the Bombers win Grey Cup titles in 2019 and '21 and presided over an offence that included star quarterback Zach Collaros and Canadian rushing leader and 2024 most outstanding player Brady Oliveira.

Collaros thrived after joining the Blue Bombers in 2019, when Pierce was quarterbacks coach. He was a CFL all star and the league's outstanding player in 2021 and 2022.

For the 43-year-old Pierce, it's a chance to run a team and return to the city where he started his career.

The former quarterback joined the Lions as a free agent in 2005 and spent five seasons there — winning a Grey Cup in 2006 — before being released.

He signed with Winnipeg and spent parts of four seasons there before being traded back to B.C. part way through the 2013 campaign.

He joined the Bombers staff as running backs coach after announcing his retirement following that season.

"I'm extremely excited and honoured to take this next step in my coaching career with the organization that originally brought me here nearly 20 years ago," Pierce said in the release.

"The building blocks are in place here and we look forward to getting to work as we strive to bring the Grey Cup back to British Columbia," he added.

Pierce sits tenth on the Lions' all-time list with 8,964 passing yards, while his 713 completions are good for eighth spot. The Lions went 22-12-1 with Pierce as the starting quarterback.

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{allcanada} Canucks D Hronek to be out eight weeks after successful procedure

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Vancouver Canucks defenceman Filip Hronek is set to miss approximately eight weeks following a successful procedure on his lower body, general manager Patrik Allvin annouced Tuesday.

In 21 games for the Canucks this year, the 27-year-old blue liner has registered one goal and eight assists, helping Vancouver to the third spot in the Pacific Division.

He signed an eight-year, $58 million extension with the team this past off-season.

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{allcanada} Ehlers likely sidelined 7-10 days for Jets

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Nikolaj Ehlers was placed on injured reserve Tuesday retroactive to Nov. 29 with a lower-body injury.

The forward left a 4-3 loss against the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday early in the second period following a collision with Golden Knights forward Pavel Dorofeyev, who appeared to step on Ehlers' foot during the play.

"We got home, he was able to see our doctors," Jets coach Scott Arniel said. "Lower body, a little bit worse than [we thought] at first. We'll just see. He'll probably be out a week to 10 days, but hopefully less than that. We'll just kind of monitor him every day."

Ehlers, who ranks third in scoring for the Jets this season with 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists) in 24 games, did not play in a 3-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on Sunday.

Forward Brad Lambert was recalled from Manitoba of the American Hockey League on Tuesday. He has 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 16 AHL games.

"We saw him in training camp," Arniel said. "He had a real good camp for us. It's him coming up and doing what he needs to do best. He's a skater, he has great offensive instincts. There's stuff that we will go over about how we play without the puck. This is an opportunity for him again to go out and show the organization and his teammates that he can help us."

Winnipeg hosts the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; TSN3, FDSNMW).

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{allcanada} Alexander, Crawford lead deep Canadian men's downhill ski team into season

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CALGARY — The Canadian men's downhill ski team opens an important racing season intent on making a multi-pronged push for the podium.

Their World Cup speed season kicks off in Beaver Creek, Colo., with Friday's downhill and Saturday's super-G.

Like the "Crazy Canucks" of the last century and the "Canadian Cowboys" earlier this century, Alpine Canada's downhillers boast more than one man capable of winning races and challenging for the season's overall crystal globes — provided they can stay on their skis and away from the crash nets in a high-speed sport.

"Our goals are to keep them healthy, first and foremost, and every weekend we want to go out and we want to challenge for podiums, world championship medals and Olympic medals," said head coach John Kucera, the 2009 world men's downhill champion with the Canadian Cowboys.

"The ultimate goal for some athletes in this group is to put themselves in a position to be consistent enough to compete for globes. They're in elite company, a number of them.

"For me, what's important is that we just keep pushing to bring the consistency necessary to be threats every weekend."

Led by reigning world super-G champion James (Jack) Crawford of Toronto and 2023 world downhill bronze medallist Cam Alexander of North Vancouver, B.C., the men embark on the last full season of World Cup racing before the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina, Italy.

This is a season in which they can punch their Olympic tickets with the right combination of results at the world championship and on the World Cup circuit.

Calgary's Jeff Read, son of Crazy Canuck Ken Read, earned his first World Cup medal with a super-G silver in February.

Brodie Seger of North Vancouver, B.C., has been a top-10 finisher in world championship and Olympic Games. He's worked his way back from a knee injury at the 2023 world championship.

Crawford's alpine combined Olympic bronze medal in 2022 in Beijing was Canada's first medal in men's alpine skiing since Jan Hudec's super-G bronze in 2014.

Broderick Thompson of Whistler, B.C., isn't expected to race this season, Kucera said.

Thompson, the brother of Olympic champion ski cross racer Marielle Thompson, is still recovering from a training-run crash last year at Beaver Creek where he suffered a brain injury and broken bones.

"He's for sure not racing this year. We'll assess where we're at come spring," Kucera said. "This is one of those things. It's just going to take some time."

The world alpine ski championships Feb. 4-16 in Saalbach, Austria, and the World Cup on the men's Olympic course Dec. 26-29 in Bormio are of interest this season.

But Kucera cautions that Bormio in December is not Bormio in February, when the Olympic Games will be held in 2026.

"The one thing that is interesting about Bormio is it is a much easier mountain to ski in February than it is in December," Kucera said. "It's in the sun in February, whereas in December it's one of the darkest places to race.

"It is one of the iciest and bumpiest tracks. With the dark light, it's incredibly demanding."

Alexander was third in downhill last year in Bormio and Crawford second in 2022.

"It's a hill these guys have had quite a few years on," Kucera said. "It's not a one-off event. It's a race we hit every year and it's a race these guys enjoy. They enjoy how difficult it is. They enjoy the challenge of it."

February's world championship in Austria will be a performance-on-demand dress rehearsal for 2026, Kucera said.

"It's another opportunity for these guys to keep figuring out what it takes to put it together when it matters," he said. "Those are the kinds of skills and experiences that's required to then show up to an Olympic Games every four years and get it done on that day."

The men's alpine team has a pair of slalom racers under its umbrella — Asher Jordan of North Vancouver, B.C. and Liam Wallace of Banff, Alta.

"Due to the injuries that the guys unfortunately had to battle through, they're in a bit of a rebuild so they're with our developmental group targeting Nor Am races at the start of the year just to get their points and their rankings back to where they need to be," Kucera said.

Two-time Olympian Erik Read wasn't named to the alpine team for this season, so the 33-year-old Calgarian is self-funding his World Cup season.

Erik has yet to qualify for a second run after a pair of slalom races and one giant slalom. A GS race is scheduled for Sunday in Beaver Creek following the speed events.

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{allcanada} Canada will open 2025 Davis Cup play against Hungary in first-round qualifier

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LONDON — Canada will open 2025 Davis Cup play with a first-round qualifier tie against Hungary, the International Tennis Federation said Monday.

As one of the nations that reached the Davis Cup Final 8 last month, Canada will host the tie at a venue to be determined.

Team rosters and the playing surface will also be announced at a later date, Tennis Canada said in a statement. The tie will be held either Jan. 31-Feb. 1 or Feb. 1-2.

Two singles matches will be played on the first day, followed by a doubles match and two singles matches on Day 2.

It will be the first-ever meeting between Canada and Hungary at the men's team tennis tournament.

Third-ranked Canada, which won the Davis Cup in 2022, dropped a 2-0 decision to Germany in the quarterfinals on Nov. 20 in Malaga, Spain.

Montreal's Gabriel Diallo and Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., both lost singles matches. Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime, Canada's highest-ranked singles player at No. 29, was not available to play.

Hungary, ranked No. 22, qualified for the first-round qualifier tie by defeating Egypt in World Group 1 play.

Organizers have dropped the group stage from the tournament starting next year.

First-round qualifier winners will advance to the 14-team second-round qualifier in September. The seven winning nations from that round will join defending champion Italy in the 2025 Final 8 in November at Bologna.

As 2024 Final 8 runner-up, the Netherlands received a wild-card entry to the second-round qualifier and will play either Norway or Argentina in September.

The draw for the 2025 qualifiers was held Monday at the ITF offices.

First-round qualifier losers will fall into World Group 1 play in September and will need to win to remain in contention for the following year's Davis Cup Final 8.

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{allcanada} Celebrini leads 3 Stars of the Week

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NEW YORK – San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes and Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun have been named the NHL's "Three Stars" presented by GEICO for the week ending Dec. 1.

FIRST STAR – MACKLIN CELEBRINI, C, SAN JOSE SHARKS

Celebrini, who on Sunday was named the NHL's "Rookie of the Month" for November, notched 4‑3—7 and two game-winning goals in four appearances to guide the Sharks (9-13-5, 23 points) to a trio of victories. The No. 1 overall pick from the 2024 NHL Draft registered 2-1—3, highlighted by his second career decisive tally (also Nov. 18 vs. DET), in a 7-2 triumph versus the Los Angeles Kings Nov. 25. At 18 years, 165 days, he became the youngest player in franchise history with a three-point game – besting Patrick Marleau's previous team mark (18 years, 171 days on March 5, 1998 vs. DET: 1-2—3). Celebrini then scored once in a 4-3 loss to the Ottawa Senators Nov. 27 before collecting 1-1—2, including another game-winning goal, in an 8-5 victory against the Seattle Kraken Nov. 29. He ended the week with one assist (on the eventual decisive goal) in a 4-2 win over the Kraken Nov. 30. Celebrini sits third among rookies with 8-6—14 through 15 total contests this season despite missing 12 games due to injury. He also ranks among the leading rookies in game-winning goals (t-1st; 3), goals (2nd; 8), average time on ice (2nd; 19:48), shots on goal (3rd; 47), shooting percentage (minimum: 1 SOG/GP – 4th; 17.0%) and assists (t-6th; 6).

SECOND STAR – QUINN HUGHES, D, VANCOUVER CANUCKS

Hughes paced the NHL with eight assists and nine points in four games (1-8—9) to propel the Canucks (13-7-3, 29 points) to a 3-1-0 week. Hughes, who also shared the League lead with four helpers on the man-advantage, picked up an assist on the decisive power-play goal in a 2-0 triumph over the Boston Bruins Nov. 26. He followed that with 1-2—3, his second three-point outing of the season (also Nov. 5 at ANA: 0-3—3), in a 5-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins Nov. 27. Hughes added a pair of helpers, including the primary assist on Conor Garland's overtime winner, in a 4-3 victory against the Buffalo Sabres Nov. 29. He capped the week with 0-3—3, again assisting on the decisive overtime tally, in a 5-4 win versus the Detroit Red Wings Dec. 1 to surpass Alexander Edler for the most helpers by a defenseman in franchise history. The 25-year-old Hughes, the reigning James Norris Memorial Trophy winner, ranks second among NHL blueliners with 5-23—28 through 23 total contests this season. He also places among the top defensemen in power-play assists (t-1st; 11), assists (2nd; 23), power-play points (t-3rd; 11), shots on goal (5th; 77), average time on ice (9th; 24:52) and goals (t-9th; 5).

THIRD STAR – JAKOB CHYCHRUN, D, WASHINGTON CAPITALS

Chychrun recorded 3-4—7 and a pair of game-winning goals in four appearances to lift the Capitals (17-6-1, 35 points) into first place in the Metropolitan Division on the strength of a perfect week. He posted his eighth career three-point performance and first in nearly a year (last Dec. 15, 2023 at DAL: 0-3—3) with 1-2—3, including the decisive tally, in a 4-1 victory against the Florida Panthers Nov. 25. Chychrun notched the primary assist on Tom Wilson's tiebreaking goal with 3:26 remaining in regulation in a 5-4 comeback win over the Tampa Bay Lightning Nov. 27 before collecting 1-1—2, highlighted by his third career overtime goal, as Washington again rallied from a third-period deficit for a 5-4 triumph versus the New York Islanders Nov. 29. He closed the week with another tally, his eighth of the season (tied for first among NHL defensemen), in a 6-5 victory over the New Jersey Devils Nov. 30. The 26-year-old Chychrun, who was acquired by the Capitals during the offseason, has produced 8-7—15 and a +10 rating through 19 total contests in 2024-25.

GEICO and the NHL have launched the "NHL Fourth Star presented by GEICO," a fan appreciation program that recognizes one dedicated hockey fan alongside the NHL's monthly "Three Stars" players. November's "Fourth Star" is longtime Washington Capitals fan Tony Alatis, who has been attending Capitals games since 1975. Click here to watch a video that showcases the passion and energy Tony brings to every game to provide his team with a "Fan Advantage."

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{allcanada} Matthews scores first goal since return from injury, Maple Leafs beat Blackhawks 4-1

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TORONTO (AP) Auston Matthews scored his first goal since returning from injury as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 on Monday night.

John Tavares, Fraser Minten and Matthew Knies, into the empty net, provided the rest of the offense for Toronto. Anthony Stolarz made 27 saves. Mitch Marner had two assists in his 600th regular-season game.

Lukas Reichel scored for Chicago, which has lost three straight. Arvid Soderblom stopped 18 shots.

Matthews missed nine games with an upper-body injury before picking up two assists in his return to the lineup Saturday in a 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The 27-year-old center opened the scoring in the first period before Tavares doubled Toronto's lead on a deflected shot in the second. Reichel made it 2-1 early in the third, but Minten restored the home side's two-goal cushion 21 seconds later.

Leafs: Jake McCabe sat out after taking a puck to the head Saturday. The defenseman joined forwards Max Pacioretty, Max Domi, Bobby McMann, David Kampf and Calle Jarnkrok on the sidelines. Fellow blueliner Jani Hakanpaa, meanwhile, was added to injured reserve Monday with a lower-body issue.

Blackhawks: Connor Bedard, the top pick at the 2023 draft, entered with goals in two of his last three contests following a 12-game drought.

Matthews, who led the NHL with 69 goals last season, beat Soderblom five-hole off a slick William Nylander feed for his sixth of the campaign.

The Leafs had the league's second-best points percentage in November (8-3-1, .708). Toronto also allowed the fewest goals against - 27, including just 15 at 5-on-5 - over that 12-game span.

The Blackhawks start a two-game homestand against the Bruins on Wednesday, while the Maple Leafs host the Predators the same night.

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{allcanada} NHL fines Oilers F Skinner for embellishment

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NEW YORK — Edmonton Oilers forward Jeff Skinner has been fined US$2,000 for embellishment during a recent game against the New York Rangers, the NHL said Monday.

Skinner was issued a warning after a diving/embellishment incident in an Oct. 22 game against the Carolina Hurricanes, the league said.

His second citation, which triggered the fine, came in the second period of a 6-2 victory over the Rangers on Nov. 23.

Skinner was being followed by Rangers defenceman K'Andre Miller as he had the puck along the boards in the New York zone.

Skinner lost his footing and the puck despite minimal contact from Miller. The Oilers forward looked toward the referee as he got up but no penalty call was made on the play.

The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

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{allcanada} Blue Bombers agree to terms on one-year extension with star tackle Bryant

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WINNIPEG — The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have agreed to terms with left tackle Stanley Bryant on a one-year contract extension, the CFL team said Monday.

The six-foot-five 319-pound Bryant was scheduled to become a free agent in February.

The 2025 season will be his 10th campaign with the Blue Bombers and his 15th in the CFL. He spent his first five years in the league with the Calgary Stampeders.

A four-time winner of the CFL's most outstanding offensive lineman award, Bryant was named to the All-CFL Team for an eighth time this past season.

The 38-year-old native of Goldsboro, N.C., manned the left side of an offensive line in 2024 that helped running back Brady Oliveira capture his second consecutive rushing title and quarterback Zach Collaros throw for a career-best 4,336 yards.

Over the course of his CFL career, Bryant has suited up for 219 games – including 186 with the Blue Bombers – and has started all of them.

Bryant, who was scheduled to hold a media conference call on Tuesday, is also a three-time Grey Cup champion.

He won his first title in 2014 with the Stampeders and raised the trophy again in 2019 and '21 with the Blue Bombers.

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{allcanada} WHL roundup: Chiefs win sixth in a row, down Winterhawks

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SPOKANE, Wash. — Shea Van Olm scored twice and had an assist for the Spokane Chiefs in a 7-4 win over the Portland Winterhawks on Sunday in the Western Hockey League.

Berkly Catton and Saige Weinstein each contributed a goal and an assist in a sixth straight win for Spokane (18-9-0-0). Dawson Cowan stopped 23 saves in the Chiefs' net.

Kyle Chyzowski scored a hat trick for the Winterhawks (13-11-2-0), who got 33 saves from goalie Marek Schlenker.

HITMEN 9 WARRIORS 0

CALGARY - Tanner Howe scored a hat trick and goalie Anders Miller stopped all 19 shots he faced for Calgary.

Carson Wetsch scored twice and Axel Hurtig, Maxim Muranov, Oliver Tulk and Ethan Moore added singles for the Hitmen (13-8-3-1).

Jackson Unger made 42 saves for Moose Jaw (6-15-3-1).

WHEAT KINGS 5 OIL KINGS 1

EDMONTON - Brady Turko led Brandon with a pair of goals.

Easton Odut, Matteo Michels and Carter Klippenstein also scored for the Wheat Kings (12-8-3-1) with goalie Carson Bjarnason contributing 23 saves to the win.

Rylen Roersma scored the lone goal for Edmonton (12-12-1-1) and Oil Kings goalie Alex Worthington stopped 24 shots.

GIANTS 5 THUNDERBIRDS 2

VANCOUVER - Adam Titlbach scored and had an assist for the host Giants.

Cameron Schmidt, Connor Levis, Ty Halaburda and Will Subject also scored for Vancouver (11-9-4-0). Matthew Hutchison made 25 saves in the Giants' net.

Nishaan Parmar and Coster Dunn countered with goals for Seattle (9-15-2-1). T-Birds netminder Scott Ratzlaff stopped 28 of 32 shots.

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{allcanada} Troy Terry ties career high with 3 assists, scores in shootout as Ducks beat Senators 4-3

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ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Troy Terry tied a career high with three assists and scored the go-ahead goal in the shootout as the Anaheim Ducks beat the Ottawa Senators 4-3 on Sunday.

Terry — who has a four-game point streak with seven assists — scored in the second round of the shootout to put Anaheim in front. Trevor Zegras added another goal in the third round after Lukas Dostal stopped Ottawa's Tim Stützle and Josh Norris.

Anaheim's Frank Vatrano had two goals and an assist and Jackson LaCombe also scored. Ryan Strome had two assists and Dostal stopped 29 shots.

Ottawa's Brady Tkachuk had his second two-goal game of the season. Nick Cousins had the Senators' other goal and Linus Ullmark made 32 saves.

Stützle had an assist and extended his point streak to seven games to match his career high.

Takeaways

Senators: Stützle, who has 10 goals and 20 assists, became the fastest Ottawa skater to record 30 points in a season since Matt Duchene also did it in 24 games in 2018-19.

Ducks: Anaheim opened the scoring for the 16th time this season, tied with Minnesota for the most in the league. The Ducks are 9-4-3 when scoring first.

Key moment

Ottawa tied it at 3-all 71 seconds after Vatrano's second goal when Collins redirected Michael Amadio's shot on a rush to the net. Vatrano made it 3-2 4:37 into the third period when he got a loose puck in front of the net and put a wrist shot between Ullmark's legs.

Key stat

Vatrano and Terry both have eight three-point games since 2022-23, tied for the most on the Ducks over that span.

Up next

Senators host Detroit on Thursday, and Ducks host Vegas on Wednesday.

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{allcanada} Barrett stays hot at home, Raptors hang on to beat Heat

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TORONTO — Canadian RJ Barrett had a game-high 37 points as the Toronto Raptors held on for a 119-116 win over the Miami Heat on Sunday.

Scottie Barnes was an assist shy of a triple-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists as Toronto (6-15) split the home-and-home series with the Heat. Jakob Poeltl had his 12th double-double of the season with 17 points and 11 boards.

Raptors rookie Ja'Kobe Walter started in his third consecutive game in place of the injured Gradey Dick (calf). Walter finished with 12 points and three rebounds.

Tyler Herro led Miami (9-9) with 31 points and Jimmy Butler added 17. Terry Rozier III came off the bench for 17 points.

Although Toronto led by as many as 14 points, the Heat outscored them 14-8 in the final four minutes of the game to make it a one-possession game.

Takeaways

Miami: The Heat struggled mightily in the paint, getting outscored 68-46 around the rim. Starting centre Bam Adebayo was limited to 13 points, although he grabbed 20 rebounds. He is averaging 15.8 points per game so far this season.

Toronto: The Raptors squandered a 10-point lead in the second quarter with eight turnovers, leading to 13 Miami points. A 14-6 Toronto run closed out the half to restore a five-point lead by intermission but it was a costly period that allowed the Heat back in the game. Toronto entered the game tied with the Atlanta Hawks for fourth-most turnovers in the NBA with 15.7 per game. The Raptors finished the game with 16 turnovers — leading to 22 points — to the Heat's 14.

Key moment

Barrett drained a 25-foot three-pointer with 5:31 left in the third to give Toronto a 78-77 lead. That kicked off a 13-2 run for the next two minutes of play that put the Raptors ahead by nine points. Barrett scored six of those points as Toronto built a lead it wouldn't relinquish.

Key stat

Barrett, from neighbouring Mississauga, Ont., is thriving in Toronto. He's played seven games at Scotiabank Arena since returning from a sprained shoulder in the pre-season and he's had 30 or more points in five of them. Sunday's win was Barrett's third straight home game where he scored over 30 points.

Up next

The Raptors host the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night in Toronto's final game of the NBA Cup's group stage. With an 0-3 record in the in-season tournament, the Raptors are mathematically eliminated from advancing to the playoffs and will have a game added to their current homestand.

Miami continues its road trip Monday with a stop in Boston to face the NBA champion Celtics.

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