National Sports

Quebec's premier and Manitoba's top doctor are expressing optimism about a potential NHL plan to stage a 2020-21 season during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

TORONTO — Expansion Austin FC will pick first in the Jan.

MONTREAL — The Montreal Alouettes restructured the contract of starting quarterback Vernon Adams Jr., and re-signed top receiver Eugene Lewis to a one-year deal on Wednesday.

Minnesota Twins communications boss Dustin Morse has been awarded the Robert O. Fishel Award for Public Relations Excellence by Major League Baseball.

VANCOUVER — The Whitecaps are doubling up on their esports talent in 2021 with Alex (Exraa) Gonzalez and Erfan (Skill Shack) Hosseini both representing the Vancouver MLS team.

AROSA, Switzerland — Canada had two podium finishes Wednesday in World Cup ski cross action. Marielle Thompson of Whistler, B.C., the 2014 Olympic champion, took silver in women's competition after finishing second in the big final.

GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Awesome Again, one of the top Canadian-bred thoroughbred race horses in history, has died. The horse died Tuesday at age 26, Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Homes in Kentucky said.

LONDON — Chris (Hollywood) Dobey rallied from a two-set deficit to oust Canadian Jeff (The Silencer) Smith 3-2 in second-round play Wednesday at the William Hill World Darts Championship.

HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka — The Jaffna Stallions, whose ownership group includes Calgary-born Rahul Sood, defeated the Galle Gladiators by 53 runs Wednesday to win the inaugural Lanka Premier League title.

CALGARY — The Calgary Flames have hired Jason Labarbera as the NHL club's new goaltending coach and promoted Jordan Sigalet to the new role of director of goaltending.