National Sports

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Some hockey teams in western Newfoundland continue to line up for end-of-game handshakes, despite a decree from officials to end the practice because it sometimes led to altercations.

QUEBEC — After three weeks of training in the Russian mountains, boxing champion Artur Beterbiev is back in Canada and ready for a fight that's been months in the making.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Bill Belichick had a vision of building the kind of sustained championship football team that had rarely been seen before in the NFL when he was hired by the New England Patriots.

LOS ANGELES — Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic has been fined US$25,000 by the NBA for publicly criticizing the officiating. Rajakovic was punished for a lengthy rant after Toronto's 132-131 loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Coach John Herdman says Toronto FC players are looking for redemption after a dismal 4-20-10 season saw them finish in the Major League Soccer basement.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo Sabres leading scorer Jeff Skinner is out indefinitely with an upper body injury, the team announced on Thursday. The Sabres provided no details on the injury or when Skinner was hurt except to list him as week to week.

Now that Bill Belichick is out as coach of the New England Patriots after 24 seasons, the question turns to where will the six-time Super Bowl champion go next.

SHEFFIELD, United Kingdom — Canadian international forward Ike Ugbo has joined Sheffield Wednesday in England's second-tier Championship on loan from French Ligue 2 side Troyes for the rest of the season.

Canada's men have been drawn in Pool A with Argentina, South Africa and Spain for the Perth Sevens later this month. The Jan.

NEW YORK (AP) — Bud Harrelson, the scrappy and sure-handed shortstop who fought Pete Rose on the field during a playoff game and helped the New York Mets win an astonishing championship, died Wednesday night. He was 79.