National Sports

OTTAWA — Defenceman Axel Sandin Pellikka scored a natural hat trick as Sweden kicked off the 2025 world junior hockey championship with a 5-2 rout of Slovakia on Thursday.

Long the standard by which Canadian running backs are measured in the NFL, Rueben Mayes is hoping Chuba Hubbard can set that bar even higher.

The Detroit Red Wings fired coach Derek Lalonde on Thursday and named Todd McLellan as his replacement, a major change by general manager Steve Yzerman more than a third of the way through another disappointing season in the place known as “Hockeytow

The Professional Women's Hockey League played a first season and started a second, the Northern Super League fired its engines for an all-Canadian women's soccer launch, and the WNBA announced its arrival in Canada.

No explanation required was the consensus among voters for The Canadian Press award for 2024 female athlete of the year.

OTTAWA — Canada kicks off its quest for a 21st title when it takes on Finland tonight to headline the opening day of the 2025 world junior hockey championship.

NEW YORK (AP) — Mikal Bridges scored a season-high 41 points, and the New York Knicks overcame 42 from Victor Wembanyama in a monster Christmas debut to edge the San Antonio Spurs 117-114 on Wednesday.

Wednesday's Scoreboard NFL Kansas City 29 Pittsburgh 10 Baltimore 31 Houston 2 --- NBA New York 117 San Antonio 114 Philadelphia 118 Boston 114 Minnesota 105 Dallas 99 L.A. Lakers 115 Golden State 113 Phoenix 110 Denver 100 --- The Canadian Press

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Patrick Mahomes passed for 320 yards and three touchdowns and the Kansas City Chiefs locked up the top seed in the AFC for the fourth time in seven seasons with a 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Andy Reid donned a Santa Claus suit in a giddy Kansas City Chiefs locker room on Christmas Day, then handed his team a present it increasingly looks like it deserves: home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.