National Sports

VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Whitecaps will start the Major League Soccer season in Utah. The club confirmed Wednesday that it will play out of Real Salt Lake's home, Rio Tinto Stadium, in Sandy, Utah, just outside of Salt Lake City.

CF Montreal will 'host' Toronto FC in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on April 17 to kick off its 2021 Major League Soccer season while the Vancouver Whitecaps entertain the Portland Timbers the next day in Sandy, Utah.

TORONTO — Ontario's sport minister is optimistic the Ontario Hockey League will get approval to stage a 2021 season during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lisa MacLeod says she's "feeling great" about the OHL's chances of playing games.

Toronto Raptors senior basketball adviser Wayne Embry is one of three winners of an award recognizing a commitment to social justice.

The National Hockey League and ESPN are together again: The two sides announced a seven-year agreement Wednesday beginning next season that includes four Stanley Cup Finals, the NHL All-Star game and comprehensive streaming rights.

Bobby Webster didn't feel comfortable sitting in the stands during the Toronto Raptors' five-game west coast road trip last March, the final few days before the sports world was turned upside down.

DOHA, Qatar — Denis Shapovalov beat Vasek Pospisil 7-5, 6-4 in an all-Canadian second-round match at the Qatar Open on Wednesday. The fourth-seeded Shapovalov, from Richmond Hill, Ont., never faced a break point against Pospisil.

CALGARY — Matt Dunstone's curling team continued to parlay the generosity of a Saskatchewan small town into its strong start at the Canadian men's championship. Dunstone's foursome downed Quebec 9-6 on Tuesday for a third straight win.

TORONTO — The Winnipeg Jets could have dissected every goal against and mistake made in the aftermath of a forgettable night in Montreal. The team's veteran roster instead did what it's done a lot this season — they flushed it and moved forward.

OTTAWA — Canada's horse-racing industry is calling for special protections as legislators weigh a private member's bill to allow one-game sports betting. Betting on single games or competitions is currently illegal for all sports except horse-racing.