Canada has drawn into a group with Spain and Poland at the upcoming Billie Jean King Cup.

The international women's team tennis tournament held its draw on Wednesday.

Canada, third-seeded Spain, and Poland will compete in a round-robin tournament in Seville, Spain, Nov. 7-12.

The Billie Jean King Cup is the World Cup of women's tennis.

Previously known as the Fed Cup, it's the largest annual international team competition in women's sport, with a record 134 nations entered in 2023.

Switzerland beat Australia 2-0 to win last year's championship.

Canada reached the round-robin stage of the tournament in 2022.

Five games kick off the Merchant Media Slo-Pitch season here in Thompson tonight.

There are three games slated for 6:30.     At the Juniper field, The Challengers take on the Brew Jays.  The Bad News Beers take on The Brick at the Red Sangster Diamond.    The Hawks and Willy's Warriors are competing at Rec 2.

Then at 8, at the Red Sangster diamond, it's Mitts and Sticks against Wayne's World and at Rec 2, the Dreamcatchers play I'd Hit That.

For the latest schedule, go to the Merchant Media Slopitch facebook page.

Organizers of the Paris Olympics say they have sold 6.8 million tickets out of 10 million available with 14 months left before the opening ceremony.

They have also brushed off criticism that prices are too high. Organizing committee president Tony Estanguet says the second ticketing phase that ended last week exceeded expectations despite some fans and athletes complaining about hefty prices.

The most expensive tickets are 2,700 euros ($2,900) for the opening ceremony, and the sports with the highest prices are the athletics, swimming and basketball finals.

The cheapest tickets are 24 euros ($26) and were quickly snapped up, leaving just 200,000 low-cost seats available in a later round to the frustration of many buyers.

The Calgary Flames promoted from within and have given former player Craig Conroy his first job as an NHL general manager.

The Flames announced the 51-year-old from Potsdam, N.Y., as the team's next GM in a release Tuesday.

The Flames also announced that former Toronto Maple Leafs GM Dave Nonis has joined the team as senior vice-president of hockey operations and assistant GM.

Conroy was an assistant GM of the Flames for nine seasons after playing just over 1,000 NHL games, half of them with Calgary.

Naming a new coach will be Conroy's first order of business to steady a team that's had its share of organizational drama recently.

Darryl Sutter was fired May 1 less than two weeks after the Flames announced former GM Brad Treliving had left.

Tyler Myers scored the winning goal just over four minutes into the third period as Canada ended preliminary-round play at the men's world hockey championship Tuesday with a 3-1 win over Czechia.

Peyton Krebs and Lawson Crouse, into an empty net, also scored for Canada. Scott Laughton had two assists, while Samuel Montembeault faced just 17 shots.

Martin Kaut replied for Czechia, which got 41 saves from Karel Vejmelka.

Canada finished second in Group B with 15 points (four regulation wins, one overtime win, one overtime loss, one regulation loss), two more than the third-place Czechs.

Switzerland, which played its final preliminary-round game later against co-host Latvia, had already clinched top spot in the group with 18 points from six regulation victories.

Canada will face defending champion and co-host Finland, which was locked into third in Group A heading into Tuesday's games, in the quarterfinals.

Former Canadian Olympic sprinter Donovan Bailey is joining the bid led by Los Angeles-based producer Neko Sparks to buy the NHL's Ottawa Senators, the 55-year-old announced on Twitter.

Bailey won gold medals in the men's 100-metre dash and the 4x100-metre relay at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

He joins rapper Snoop Dogg on the list of high-profile names to join Sparks's bid, which is aiming to be the first Black-led ownership group in the NHL.

On Wednesday, Quebec First Nation community Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg confirmed it was endorsing Sparks's bid. The community has a land claim on LeBreton Flats, one of the locations where the Senators are considering building a new arena.

The board of directors of Senators Sports & Entertainment announced in November that a process had been initiated to sell the club. Monday was the deadline to submit bids to purchase the team, of which there are reportedly four.

Senators owner Eugene Melnyk died March 28, 2022, at age 62 after battling an illness. He left the team to his daughters, Anna and Olivia.

Canadian tennis player Eugenie Bouchard is out of the Firenze Ladies Open after she retired from her quarterfinal match against Italy's Sara Errani.

Bouchard, took three medical timeouts during the match before retiring with Errani leading 6-3, 1-0.

The reason for Bouchard's decision not to continue was not immediately clear, but the 29-year-old from Westmount, Que., has been beset by injuries over the last couple of years.

Bouchard returned from a 17-month layoff recovering from right shoulder surgery at the Odlum Brown VanOpen last August before suffering an undisclosed injury in a doubles match a month later.

Her latest setback comes a week before the French Open.

Bouchard has appeared in five WTA tournaments this year, including coming out of qualifying and winning a first-round match at the WTA 1000 Madrid Open.

The N-H-L playoffs continue tonight with the series opener of the Western Conference final. The Dallas Stars visit the top-seed Vegas Golden Knights. Vegas last played Sunday, having ousted the Edmonton Oilers in six games. Meanwhile, Dallas finished off the Seattle Kraken in seven on Monday.

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Matthew Tkachuk scored the game-winning goal with 13 seconds left in quadruple overtime and the Florida Panthers topped the Carolina Panthers 3-2 last night. The Panthers took a 1-0 edge in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference final series with the win. The game marked the 15th four-overtime game in N-H-L history.

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The Toronto Blue Jays are back in action tonight, hosting another American League East rival in the Baltimore Orioles. Toronto fell 4-2 to A-L East foe New York Yankees last night, going 1-and-3 in their four-game series. Yusei Kikuchi  is scheduled to start for the Blue Jays, while Kyle Gibson will be on the mound for the Orioles.

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Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals is set to go tonight in the N-B-A. The Heat will look to steal another game on the road from the Boston Celtics and take a 2-0 series lead heading back to Miami. The Heat took the opener 123-116 on Wednesday, led by Jimmy Butler's 35-point effort.

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Canada's Jamal Murray scored 23 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Denver Nuggets to a 108-103 comeback win over the Los Angeles Lakers last night. Denver took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference final series. Murray, from Kitchener, Ontario, is averaging 27.2 points through 13 games in the N-B-A playoffs.

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Canada's Corey Conners is near the top of the leaderboard entering today's second round at the P-G-A Championship. The Listowel, Ontario native went three under yesterday to be in a tie for third, two shots back of the lead. Eric Cole was five under through 14 holes before play was suspended.

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Kyle Dubas is out as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The team said Friday that it is “parting ways” with the 37-year-old, whose contract was scheduled to expire June 30.

The Leafs won a playoff series for the first time in nearly two decades this spring when they defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning before bowing out to the underdog Florida Panthers in a disappointing second-round showing.

An emotional Dubas said at his end-of-season press conference he wasn't sure if he would continue on as GM, citing the stress on his young family.

Dubas joined the Leafs in 2014 as an assistant GM at age 28 in 2014 and managed the American Hockey League's Toronto Marlies to a Calder Cup title in 2017-18.

He took over as Toronto general manager from Lou Lamoriello in May 2018 as part of a succession plan under the direction of team president Brendan Shanahan.

 The Saskatchewan Roughriders signed Australian punter Adam Korsak on Friday.

The six-foot, 185-pound Korsak was Saskatchewan's first pick, third overall, of the 2023 CFL global draft. The Australian joins the Riders after attending rookie minicamps with the Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Korsak, 25, captured the Ray Guy award last season at Rutgers as American college football's top punter. His net punting average of 43.4 yards was third in the NCAA ranks but he held opponents to minus-11 returns yards (tops in NCAA) and allowed just one positive return over 75 attempts.

Korsak also had 32 punts inside the opposition's 20-yard line, third-best in the NCAA. He finished his tenure at Rutgers as the NCAA career leader in punts (349) and yards (15,318).

Korsak was a team captain for three years and twice named special-teams MVP.

A Manitoba-born First Nations hockey player is set to return to his home province this weekend as the Winnipeg Jets take on the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round of Stanley Cup playoffs.

Zach Whitecloud and the Golden Knights tied the series at 1-1 after their 5-2 win over the Jets last night.

Whitecloud is from Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, west of Brandon.

The 26-year-old defenceman has been with the Vegas team since 2018.

Whitecloud says the support he has received from the community has played a large role in the success he has achieved.

Chief Jennifer Bone says Sioux Valley doesn't have a dedicated hockey program but it takes great pride in providing financial support for members who play in nearby communities.

Whitecloud spent his childhood cheering for the Jets and says he's well-prepared for what awaits his team when they play at the Canada Life Centre on Saturday.

He added it should be a fun place to play but will not let the atmosphere or crowd distract him.

Canada's Shapovalov ousted from Barcelona Open in straight sets by Greece's Tsitsipas

BARCELONA, Spain - Canada's Denis Shapovalov has been bounced from the Barcelona Open.

He lost in straight sets to Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas in the clay court tournament's Round of 16 on Thursday.

The second-seeded Tsitsipas beat Shapovalov 6-3, 6-2 in less than 80 minutes.

Shapovalov was the only Canadian competing in the ATP Tour event.

The 14th-seeded Shapovalov, from Richmond Hill, Ont., had five aces to Tsitsipas's one.

But Shapovalov had 12 double faults to Tsitsipas's three.

Tsitsipas was also more accurate with his serve, winning 70 per cent on his first serve and 89 per cent on his second, compared to 66 and 60 respectively for Shapovalov.

Badminton keeps barring Russia as Olympic qualifying begins

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -

Badminton has upheld its ban on Russian and Belarusian players in international competitions on the eve of the start of Olympic qualifying.

The Badminton World Federation cites security concerns and says it needs “more clarity” on proposals from the International Olympic Committee to readmit athletes from Russia and Belarus.

The governing body of modern pentathlon says it will set up a “pathway” to allow athletes from the two countries back but hasn't committed to a date.

The IOC favors allowing some Russians and Belarusians to compete as neutral athletes if they aren't part of the military and haven't publicly backed the war in Ukraine.

Five things to know about the NHL playoffs

The Edmonton Oilers bounced back in a big way last night, something the Toronto Maple Leafs will try to replicate.

Here are five things to know as we head into tonight's post-season action:

BUNTING'S OUT, BUT TAMPA'S HURTING

If the Maple Leafs are hoping to get under the Tampa Bay Lightning's skin in Game 2 tonight, they'll have to do so without usual agitator Michael Bunting.

The NHL handed the Maple Leafs forward a three-game suspension for his hit to the head on Lightning defenceman Erik Cernak in Game 1, which Tampa Bay won 7-3 - meaning there's a chance Bunting won't appear in another game these playoffs should Toronto get swept.

The Maple Leafs may be without Bunting, but the Lightning might've been hit harder after Game 1. Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper said Cernak and forward Michael Eyssimont are out tonight, while top defenceman Victor Hedman is a game-time decision.

CAN JETS STAY PERFECT?

The Winnipeg Jets are looking to remain the only unbeaten Canadian team these playoffs despite being the lowest seed of the three.

Eighth-seed Winnipeg put on an impressive display against top-seed Vegas in Game 1, and will try to carry that momentum into tonight's Game 2. Forward Morgan Barron is expected to play after receiving over 75 stitches on Tuesday, but the status of forward Nikolaj Ehlers is still up in the air.

Ehlers, who has been out with an upper-body injury, insisted he was ready to play before Game 1, but head coach Rick Bowness kept him out of the lineup for medical reasons. Bowness said yesterday, more than once, that the shifty forward remains day-to-day.

NEAR DEJA VU IN EDMONTON

The Edmonton Oilers thoroughly outplayed the Los Angeles Kings and led 2-0 after the first period in Game 2, just like Game 1.

The Oilers gave up that two-goal lead in Game 2, just like Game 1.

But unlike Game 1, Edmonton rallied to re-take the lead and win Game 2, evening the series at one game apiece.

Klim Kostin scored the game-winner early in the third period after Edmonton gave up its two-goal lead in the second. It was Kostin's first career NHL playoff goal.

Leon Draisaitl had three points, and Connor McDavid found the scoresheet after he was held scoreless on Monday. Game 3 is Friday in Los Angeles.

HITS KEEP COMING FOR 'CANES FORWARDS

Another top-end forward is on the injury list in Carolina.

Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour announced after last night's win over the New York Islanders that Teuvo Teravainen suffered a broken hand after a slash and will need surgery.

It's the latest in a run of bad injury luck for Carolina. Earlier this season, forward Max Pacioretty returned from an Achilles injury only to suffer the same injury two weeks later. Forward Andrei Svechnikov underwent season-ending knee surgery in March

The Hurricanes, up 2-0 in their first-round series, will have to move on in the playoffs without three of their five highest-paid forwards.

WILD GOALIE GAMBLE

Filip Gustavsson made a franchise-record 51 saves to help the Minnesota Wild take a 1-0 series lead over the Dallas Stars - then head coach Dean Evason threw a curveball and played veteran Marc-Andre Fleury in Game 2.

Evason might take that decision back, even if Gustavsson needed a break after his overtime heroics in Game 1.

A well-rested Fleury allowed seven goals on 31 shots as Minnesota fell to Dallas 7-3 and gave up its edge in the series.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 20, 2023.

Matteo Polisi scored twice as TSS Rovers FC, a semi-pro side that plays in League1 B.C., upset Winnipeg's Valour FC of the Canadian Premier League 3-1 Wednesday in preliminary-round play in the Canadian Championship.

Ivan Mejia also scored for the third-tier Rovers, who will visit either Pacific FC or Cavalry FC in the May 9-11 quarterfinals.

It marked the first time a semi-pro side has eliminated a pro club in the Canadian cup competition.

Valour pulled one back in the 88th minute on an Anthony Novak penalty at Swangard Stadium.

Polisi, a former Pacific FC player, put the home side ahead in the 39th minute after a poor Valour clearance. The ball dropped to Polisi who shifted it from one foot to another before using the left to slot it into the corner of the goal.

Three minutes later, a Rovers cross found Mejia in the penalty box. His shot squibbed against the goalpost but bounced in.

Sixteen-year-old Summer McIntosh of Toronto has set a world record in the women's 400-metre freestyle event at the Canadian swimming trials.

McIntosh finished the 400-metre event in three minutes, 56.08 seconds, breaking the record of 3:56.40 that was set last year by Australia's Ariarne Titmus.

McIntosh previously held the Canadian record in the event at 3:59.32.

McIntosh, who earned silver in the 400 freestyle at last year's world championships, won two gold and a bronze at the same world meet.

McIntosh first attracted national attention when she competed at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 as a 14-year-old, ending up fourth in the 400-metre freestyle event.

The Canadian swimming trials, which opened Tuesday, are being held to select athletes for the world championships and Pan American Games later this year.

Defending champion Canada will face Italy, Sweden and Chile in the group stage of the 2023 Davis Cup men's tennis tournament.

Canada, the No. 1 country in the Davis Cup rankings, was selected as the top seed of Group A, which will play its matches at Unipol Arena in Bologna, Italy, from Sept. 12-17.

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the knockout stages (quarterfinals, semifinals, and final) in Malaga, Spain.

Canada won its first Davis Cup title when a team led by Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Vancouver's Vasek Pospisil defeated Australia 2-0 in last year's championship tie in Malaga.

Canada advanced to the 2022 final with a 2-1 semifinal victory over Italy.

No. 2 Australia was drawn with host Britain, France and Switzerland into Group B, which will be hosted in Manchester, England.

Canada's Kerri Einarson closed her round-robin schedule with an 11-5 loss to Denmark's Madeleine Dupont but still managed to secure a playoff berth at the women's world curling championship.

Her Manitoba-based rink of Val Sweeting, Shannon Birchard and Briane Harris, which defeated Turkey's Dilsat Yildiz 10-4 earlier Friday, made the six-team playoff cut at 7-5.

After conceding to Denmark after eight ends, Canada locked up a spot in a qualification game a short time later when Tabitha Peterson of the United States dropped a 10-6 decision to South Korea's Seungyoun Ha.

Canada will learn its seeding position when the last round-robin draw is completed later Friday at the Goransson Arena.

The top two seeds earn direct berths in the semifinals. The other playoff teams will play qualification games on Saturday morning.

Medal games are scheduled for Sunday.

Canada's Kerri Einarson dropped an 8-3 decision to Germany's Daniela Jentsch in round-robin play at the women's world curling championship.

Einarson and her Manitoba-based team of Val Sweeting, Shannon Birchard and Briane Harris conceded after giving up four points in the eighth end.

Canada will play South Korea's Seungyoun Ha later Wednesday at the Goransson Arena.

Einarson shot just 61 per cent against Germany and was 53 per cent on her takeouts. Her teammates all shot at least 80 per cent overall.

The result left both teams with 5-3 records. Switzerland's Silvana Tirinzoni (7-0) leads the 13-team field.

Round-robin play continues through Friday night. The final is scheduled for Sunday.

Canada's Bianca Andreescu won a matchup of former U.S. Open champions and moved on to the second round of the Miami Open tennis tournament with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 win over Britain's Emma Raducanu on Wednesday,

Andreescu, from Mississauga, Ont., improved to 2-0 against Raducanu. She had seven aces to Raducanu's two and won 67.2 per cent of first serve points.

The Canadian, who won the U.S. Open in 2019, faced 12 break points, but defended all but one. She broke Raducanu three times on 11 chances.

Raducanu, who came into the tournament ranked 72nd in the world, won the U.S. Open in 2021 when she defeated Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., in the final.

Andreescu, ranked No. 31 in the world, improved to 7-6 on the season as she looks to progress past the second round of a tournament for just the second time this year.

She will next face seventh seed Maria Sakkari of Greece. Andreescu beat Sakkari in the semifinals of the 2021 Miami Open before retiring in the final against Ash Barty.

Vancouver's Rebecca Marino advanced to the second round of the Miami Open with a 7-6 (4), 6-2 win over Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan on Tuesday.

Marino didn't face break point and dominated on serve with 10 aces.

She converted two of 10 break point chances and won 62.7 per cent of available points in a dominant second set.

Marino will face sixth-seeded Coco Gauff next. The American beat Marino in the first round of the 2022 French Open in the only other meeting between the players.

Later Tuesday, qualifier Katherine Sebov of Toronto faced Linda Fruhvirtova of Czechia.

Three-time defending champion Switzerland remained undefeated at the women's world curling championship with a 7-6 win over Canada in Tuesday's afternoon draw.

Silvana Tirinzoni's squad led 6-4 following a three-point fifth end and a steal of one in the sixth.

After a blank seventh, Canada skip Einarson scored one in the eighth and tied the match 6-6 with a steal in the ninth.

With the hammer in the final end, Tirinzoni scored one to cement the win and improve to 6-0.

Einarson and teammates Val Sweeting, Shannon Birchard and Briane Harris, fell to 4-2. The team from Gimli, Man., entered Tuesday's late draw tied for second with Italy, South Korea and Norway.

Canada faced winless New Zealand (0-6) in the evening draw.

Kevin Gausman struck out six over five innings and Devonte Brown hit a three-run homer as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Detroit Tigers 5-0 in spring training baseball action Monday.

Gausman, who has yet to allow a run in 13 2/3 innings pitched over four starts this spring, scattered three hits and didn't allow a walk.

Luke Bard, Adam Cimber, Jay Jackson and Trent Thornton each pitched a shutout inning of relief as Detroit managed just five hits.

Cimber pitched the seventh and picked up the win when Toronto opened the scoring with two runs in the top of the eighth.

Wynton Bernard put the Jays up 1-0 with an RBI double, then stole home when Garrett Spain struck out on a foul tip.

Brown capped the scoring with his three-run shot in the ninth.

The CONCACAF Nations League finals will be held at Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium, CONCACAF announced Monday.

The four League A group winners will head to Las Vegas for semifinals on June 15 and a third-place match and final on June 18.

The U.S. won the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2021. Canada did not make the finals, finishing runner-up to the Americans in League A Group A on goal difference.

Canada (1-1-0) stands second in Group C this time around, sandwiched between Honduras (2-1-0) and Curacao (1-2-0).

The 53rd-ranked Canadian men visit No. 86 Curacao on Sunday before hosting No. 81 Honduras on March 28 at Toronto's BMO Field.

The four pool winners will be ranked according to their performance in the group stage with the highest-ranked team facing the lowest-ranked team and No. 2 facing No. 3 in the finals.

Canada Soccer defended its controversial deal with Canada Soccer Business under questioning on Parliament Hill by the House of Commons heritage committee.

The agreement allows the CSB to oversee marketing and broadcasting rights, with an annual payment to Canada Soccer. The arrangement provided Canada Soccer with a guaranteed income while helping fund the Canadian Premier League.

But Canada Soccer general secretary Earl Cochrane says the governing body is in negotiations to “modernize” the CSB agreement.

Cochrane also said the governing body had erred in cuts this year to the women's team program and was moving to remedy them.

Cochrane was accompanied by Canada Soccer board members Paul-Claude Berube and Stephanie J. Geosits. All three appeared via video conference.

Former Canada Soccer president Nick Bontis was invited to appear but was unable to attend.