National Sports

VANCOUVER — The B.C. Lions released veteran American defensive back Loucheiz Purifoy on Wednesday.

HALIFAX — Latvia maintained its spot in the top tier of world junior hockey with a 4-2 win over Austria on Wednesday.

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Canada's 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez opened her 2023 season with an emphatic 6-1, 6-1 win Monday over 15-year-old Brenda Fruhvirtova in the first round of the ASB Classic.

OSHAWA, Ont. — Ice dancers Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, gold medallists at last month's ISU Grand Prix Final, will miss next week's Canadian figure skating championships after Gilles underwent an appendectomy.

SANTOS, Brazil (AP) — Brazil said a final farewell to Pelé on Tuesday, burying the legend who unified the bitterly divided country.

VANCOUVER — Yet again, boos rained down on the Vancouver Canucks as they left the ice Tuesday night. In their first game of the New Year, old mistakes plagued the team as they dropped a 6-2 decision to the New York Islanders on home ice.

SASKATOON — Grayden Siepmann scored 53 seconds into overtime and the visiting Calgary Hitmen pulled off the comeback in defeating the Saskatoon Blades 3-2 in Western Hockey League action on Tuesday night.

EDMONTON — It didn’t take long for the Seattle Kraken to get a full measure of revenge on the Edmonton Oilers after suffering a 7-2 drubbing last Friday.

WINNIPEG — Sam Gagner showed he can make a heads-up move while playing in his 1,002 NHL career game.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Mattias Ekholm, Tommy Novak and Roman Josi each had a goal and an assist to lead the Nashville Predators to a 6-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.