Canada

Get used to the concept of pods and pucks if the NHL is going to have any chance of completing its season, with the most-likely scenarios calling for games in empty, air-conditioned arenas during the dog days of summer. What is emerging as the leading plan involves bringing teams back in a few empty NHL

The NHL is offering Maple Leafs fans — and fans of all 31 teams — a chance to play safe during the coronavirus pandemic while showing off their favourite team’s colours. The league announced Tuesday it was selling NHL-licensed cloth face coverings, with proceeds going to food banks in Canada and the U.S. “The health,

CALGARY—The Hlinka Gretzky Cup, a tournament featuring the world’s top under-18 male hockey players, has been cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The eight-country tournament was scheduled for Aug. 3-8 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta. “Although this was a difficult decision to make, we believe it is in the best interest of everyone involved

Philadelphia Flyers left-winger Oskar Lindblom is nearing the end of his cancer treatments and “feels great,” the team’s assistant general manager said. Brent Flahr told The Philadelphia Inquirer that the 23-year-old is progressing in his fight with Ewing’s sarcoma, a form of bone cancer. Lindblom was diagnosed in December. At the time, the Swede had

Goaltender Pekka Rinne scratched scoring a goal off his NHL bucket list this season. Winning the Stanley Cup? That remains on the list with the season suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic amid concerns that next season will be affected, too. Rinne, a three-time All-Star and former Vezina Trophy winner, keeps dreaming about winning his

CHICAGO—The Chicago Blackhawks fired team president John McDonough on Monday, cutting ties with a key figure in the most successful decade in team history and raising questions about the direction of one of the NHL’s marquee franchises. The surprising move, coming with the season suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic, could have a domino effect

The Chicago Blackhawks fired team president John McDonough on Monday, ending a wildly successful run that included three Stanley Cup championships. The surprising move, coming with the NHL season on pause because of the coronavirus pandemic, raises all sorts of questions about the direction of one of the league’s marquee franchises. McDonough had been supportive

There’s nothing wrong with being forced by extraordinary circumstances to come up with creative answers. As the various North American pro leagues ponder a variety of unusual scenarios to get their seasons started, or restarted, it’s worth remembering some of the makeshift solutions to unexpected problems over the course of sports history. In 1932, freezing

Vancouver Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom is using a tennis ball machine as part of his training to stay sharp. Columbus Blue Jackets counterpart Joonas Korpisalo doesn’t have that technology at his disposal during the COVID-19 pandemic, so a wall has had to do the trick. Toronto Maple Leafs netminder Frederik Andersen, meanwhile, might have the

Vancouver Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom is using a tennis ball machine as part of his training to stay sharp. Columbus Blue Jackets counterpart Joonas Korpisalo doesn’t have that technology at his disposal during the COVID-19 pandemic, so a wall has had to do the trick. Toronto Maple Leafs netminder Frederik Andersen, meanwhile, might have the

Professional women’s hockey is set to return to Canada, with the National Women’s Hockey League announcing Wednesday it is expanding into Toronto. The yet-to-be-named franchise has an ownership group led by former Harvard captain Johanna Boynton, features former Brown coach Margaret (Digit) Murphy as its president and already has five players under contract, the NWHL

Brad Treliving will be paying close attention to the NFL draft. And not because he’s curious to see if Joe Burrow does indeed go No. 1 to the Cincinnati Bengals or where fellow quarterback Tua Tagovailoa winds up. The general manager of the Calgary Flames is planning to focus on how his football counterparts deal

Montreal Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher thinks there will be hockey this summer. And that belief comes from what he knows about one of the men in charge. Speaking on a conference call with reporters Thursday, Gallagher said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is “very motivated” when it comes to completing the 2019-20 campaign. The league paused

CALGARY—Where, when and how are Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving’s questions for the NHL as the league considers a hub-city concept to resume the season. There were 189 games left March 12 when the NHL suspended the regular season in the face of the oncoming COVID-19 pandemic. The league is kicking the tires on

The Montreal Canadiens have signed goaltender Vasili Demchenko to a one-year entry-level contract. The deal is worth $700,000 US in the NHL and $70,000 in the American Hockey League, with a signing bonus of $92,500. Demchenko, 26, played 36 games with Chelyabinsk and Magnitogorsk in the KHL in 2019-20, compiling nine wins, a 2.77 goals-against

Chris Bolton loves hockey, but he feels the message that hockey will return is the wrong one to be sending while the dangers of the coronavirus remain strong. Bolton was the creator and star of the TV series “Rent-a-Goalie,” which ran from 2006 to 2008 and included such guest stars as Phil Esposito, Darryl Sittler,

If the NHL is able to return from its pandemic-induced pause, Gary Bettman says it will be “on some basis that is fair and has integrity.” The commissioner spoke in a wide-ranging interview with Sportsnet’s Ron MacLean on Wednesday night, where they covered off topics from return to play, to league revenues and the draft

The Regina Pats finalized their selection of forward Connor Bedard with the first pick in Wednesday’s WHL Bantam Draft. The announcement was a formality, as the Pats had already stated their intention to select Bedard first overall. Bedard, 14, is the first player to ever be awarded exceptional player status for the WHL, meaning he