National Sports

MONTREAL — Eric Staal says he got goosebumps as he drove toward the Canadian border to start the next chapter of his NHL career.

The complexities of executing sporting events in a global pandemic were illustrated Sunday when Canada's World Cup qualifier against the Cayman Islands was pushed back a day to Monday.

DUNEDIN, Fla. — Tyler Wright hit a solo homer and Logan Warmoth had a two-run double in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Toronto Blue Jays salvaged a 4-4 tie with the Detroit Tigers in spring training action Sunday.

SAKHIR, Bahrain — World champion Lewis Hamilton just managed to hold off Max Verstappen to win the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix and clinch the 96th Formula One win of his career on Sunday.

Lucas Dias has long been ahead of the game. At eight or nine, he was playing with kids two years older at the Sporting FC Academy in Toronto. Moving to Portugal at 11, he was the youngest at Sporting CPs academy in Lisbon.

SILVAPLANA, Switzerland — Canada's Liam Brearley captured a silver medal at a World Cup snowboard slopestyle event on Sunday. The 18-year-old Brearley, from Gravenhurst, Ont., finished behind 2021 world champion Marcus Kleveland of Norway.

CALGARY — Johnny Gaudreau responded to a barb from his coach with a pair of assists for the Calgary Flames in a 4-2 win Saturday over the visiting Winnipeg Jets.

KAMLOOPS, B.C. — Logan Stankoven scored twice and the Kamloops Blazers clawed their way out of a deficit to down the Prince George Cougars 5-4 in Western Hockey League action on Saturday.

MIAMI — Canada's Denis Shapovalov didn't get the start he wanted Saturday, but he still managed to grit out a win in second round action at the Miami Open. The 21-year-old native of Richmond Hill, Ont.

TORONTO — Auston Matthews has seen shots clank off the post and others seemingly destined for the back of the net plucked out of mid-air time and again in recent weeks.