National Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball cancelled the first week of spring training games through March 4 on Friday in the first public acknowledgement of the disruption caused by the lockout.

LONDON (AP-CP) — Canada's 4x100-metre relay team stands to be upgraded to a silver medal from the Tokyo Summer Games after Britain was stripped of its silver medal due to C.J. Ujah's doping violation.

TORONTO — No one was taken aback when Mike Sheppard showed up at his day job with a shiner this week. No stranger to taking damage on the rugby field, the Toronto Arrows captain's black eye was courtesy of friendly fire.

TORONTO — Canada will host Jamaica's Reggae Boyz on March 27 at Toronto's BMO Field in its last home game in CONCACAF's final round of FIFA World Cup qualifying.

BEIJING — Cassie Sharpe described her devastating injury and the recovery that followed as going to hell and back. Now the Canadian has another Olympic medal to show for that tumultuous year that took a physical and mental toll.

TORONTO — Canadians Tristan (Boondock) Connelly and Yohan (White Lion) Lainesse have been added to an April 30 UFC Fight Night card in Las Vegas. Connelly (14-7-0) will face veteran American featherweight Darren (The Damage) Elkins (26-10-0).

TORONTO — The Toronto Maple Leafs signed forward Dmitry Ovchinnikov to a three-year, entry-level contract Friday. Ovchinnikov will join the AHL's Toronto Marlies upon the approval of his Canadian work permits.

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Patrick Ewing Jr. will serve as head coach/GM of the Newfoundland Growlers for the franchise's inaugural 2022 Canadian Elite Basketball League season. "Patrick Ewing Jr.

MONTREAL — The Montreal Canadiens added Nick Bobrov and former NHL star Vincent Lecavalier to their front office Friday. Bobrov will serve as co-director of amateur scouting while Lecavalier becomes a special adviser to hockey operations.

After earning his UFC contract with a win on Dana White's Contender Series, Alberta bantamweight Chad (The Monster) Anheliger makes his UFC debut Saturday against American Jesse (Sui Generis) Strader on the undercard of a Fight Night card.