Canada

Long before he would etch his name into history as the first Black player to compete in an NHL game, Willie O’Ree broke another race-related barrier of sorts. This wasn’t about playing hockey. It was about getting a proper haircut. And while there was no such thing as systemic segregation in O’Ree’s hometown of Fredericton,

Knowing the Western Hockey League plans to begin play again on Jan. 8 has brought a sigh of relief from Zack Ostapchuk and some of the other players he’s training with in St. Albert, Alta. “I think everybody is pretty excited,” said Ostapchuk, a 17-year-old forward with the Vancouver Giants. “We were all a little worried

SYDNEY, N.S. — Elliot Desnoyers scored four times as the Halifax Mooseheads beat the Cape Breton Eagles 10-2 in Cape Breton on Saturday evening. Desnoyers scored his first of the night in the opening period before scoring three times in the third. Landon Miron added two goals for Halifax (3-4-1). Zachary L’Heureux, Robert Orr, James

Surviving the COVID-19 pandemic has been harder for women’s pro sports than men’s because of the financial gap between the two. Women’s hockey in Canada was already in transition before the pandemic threatened to halt its progress. The Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association (PWHPA) will continue its pursuit of a pro league this winter with

CALGARY – The Calgary Flames and Russian defenceman Nikita Nesterov have agreed to a one-year contract. The deal is worth US$700,000, the NHL club said Friday in a statement. The 27-year-old from Chelyabinsk scored seven goals and assisted on 16 in 53 KHL games last season with CSKA Moscow. Nesterov, five foot 11 and 200

Claude Julien glanced down at some notes towards the end of his nearly hour-long video conference call with reporters Thursday. The Montreal Canadiens head coach was promptly asked — tongue firmly planted in cheek — if what was in front of him included the team’s roster, and if so, if he felt like sharing his

SYDNEY, N.S. – Defenceman Nathan Larose scored once and set up two more as the Cape Breton Eagles topped the Halifax Mooseheads 5-3 on Friday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Emile Hegarty-Aubin, Ryan Francis, Connor Trenholm and Felix Lafrance also found the back of the net for Cape Breton (3-4-0), which trailed 3-2

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed defenceman Travis Dermott to a one-year contract extension worth $874,125 US. The 23-year-old recorded 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 56 regular-season games in 2019-20 before adding one assist in five games during the Maple Leafs’ qualifying round series against Columbus. The native of Newmarket, Ont., has 41 points

LONGUEUIL, Que. – The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League announced Thursday that the Drummondville Voltigeurs have suspended team in-person activities a player tested positive for COVID-19. The league said in a release Voltigeurs players and hockey staff are being isolated and tested. It said public health officials from Centre-du-Quebec, the region northeast of Montreal where

It’s been a “heck of a year” for Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat. When he was handed the jersey with a C stitched over the heart just over a year ago, Horvat had no idea he’d soon be leading the Canucks through a season unlike any other, all while balancing his own growing family. “What

VANCOUVER – It’s been a “heck of a year” for Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat. When he was handed the jersey with a C stitched over the heart just over a year ago, Horvat had no idea he’d soon be leading the Canucks through a season unlike any other, all while balancing his own growing

The NHL has announced that its Winter Classic and all-star weekend will not be held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Winter Classic featuring the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues was scheduled for Jan. 1 at Target Field in Minneapolis. The Florida Panthers were to host the all-star weekend at the BB&T

SEATTLE—One-time NHL power forward Gary Roberts had a choice to make back in 1996 when a serious neck injury threatened to force him into early retirement at age 30. The longtime, rugged Calgary Flames winger, contemplating a return to play, realized the golf games he’d been enjoying would soon be a permanent fixture in his

The landscape on ice is changing rapidly. For years, hockey and figure skating have been dominated by white athletes, and to varying degrees, they still are today. But three Black competitors on the sixth season of Battle of the Blades — former NHLer Akim Aliu and figure skaters Asher Hill and Vanessa James — are

ARLINGTON, Va. – Kevin McCarthy joined Peter Laviolette’s Washington Capitals coaching staff Wednesday, and the team re-signed one of the defencemen he’ll be working with. Jonas Siegenthaler signed a one-year contract worth $800,000, a deal that should finalize Washington’s blue line. McCarthy will be in charge of defencemen under Laviolette, who is keeping the other

There has been a slight tweak to the schedule for the next world junior hockey championship. The 2021 tournament will start on Christmas Day for the first time since 2005, with the Canadians hitting the ice to defend their gold medal for the first time a day later against Germany. The schedule for the 2021

If you’re Jonathan Toews, this is the cruel reality of living out your days as a Chicago sporting great. You can be a living legend, the captain of three Stanley Cup winners, a veritable bronze statue in waiting, and no doubt the owner of a sweater that will ascend to the United Center rafters not

Mitch Marner texted Jake Muzzin the moment he heard rumblings Joe Thornton might be interested in signing with the Maple Leafs. Muzzin, who played against Thornton in the Western Conference and alongside him for Canada at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, confirmed the chatter. The Toronto defenceman quickly followed up by offering glowing reviews