National Sports

TORONTO — The opportunity at hand is not lost on Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares. And he says it’s a great one for his team to rise to.

TORONTO — It took 40 games for Bo Bichette to reach five home runs last season. This year, it took him just 24. Bichette had a homer and two RBI singles as the Toronto Blue Jays swept the Chicago White Sox with an 8-0 victory on Wednesday afternoon.

Tavius Robinson is neither anxious nor nervous about the 2023 NFL draft.

Confused looks. Bewildered players. Irate fans. Pundits weighing in. Coaches searching for an explanation. The annual discussion about officiating in the NHL playoffs is well underway.

BURNABY, B.C.

MADRID — Montreal's Eugenie Bouchard downed Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska 6-7 (6), 6-2, 6-2 on Wednesday to advance to the second round of the Madrid Open clay-court tennis tournament.

TORONTO — Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe says he'll be rolling with the lineup he's had in Toronto's three consecutive first-round playoff wins against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

EDMONTON — The Edmonton Oilers have the upper hand in their playoff series with the Los Angeles Kings. If the Oilers can keep it, the chance to close it out Saturday in Los Angeles is there.

Multiple Canadians being called in the NFL draft is a trend agent Murphy McGuire doesn't see ending any time soon. Five Canadians are projected to be selected in this year's draft, which begins Thursday night in Kansas City.

A near-win at the ISPS Handa Championship has Canada's Aaron Cockerill dreaming of the first major of his career. Cockerill lost to Australia's Lucas Herbert in a two-hole playoff at PGM Ishioka Golf Club in Omitama, Japan, on Sunday.