National Sports

VANCOUVER — Some of the world's best young hockey talents will go head-to-head in Victoria and Vancouver next week. The 2019 world junior hockey championship kicks off on Tuesday, featuring dozens of athletes likely to carve out careers in the NHL.

TORONTO — Auston Matthews isn't one to get nervous. The star centre for the Toronto Maple Leafs is used to suiting up in front of packed arenas under the bright lights with 20,000 sets of eyes trained on his every move.

MONTREAL — There has been no improvement in Adonis Stevenson's condition since doctors sedated him and placed him on mechanical ventilation after a Dec. 1 knockout loss, the boxer's promoter said Thursday.

OTTAWA — The Ottawa Redblacks have signed two key American defensive players to one-year extensions. The reigning East Division champs inked defensive lineman Jonathan Newsome and defensive back Sherrod Baltimore to deals on Thursday.

TORONTO — The Canadian Football League will stage a regular-season game in Atlantic Canada in 2019, continuing the drive to put a franchise in Halifax within a few years.

OTTAWA — Mark Borowiecki hopes Ottawa will one day have a downtown arena. As an Ottawa native and a defenceman for the NHL's Senators, he said a new facility in the city's core would be a boon for its citizens.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Former Ottawa Senators assistant general manager Randy Lee pleaded guilty Thursday to harassing a 19-year-old male hotel shuttle driver.

TORONTO — The Canadian Hockey League began its holiday break on Monday with half the season already in the books.

CALGARY — Former Vancouver Canucks top defenceman Kevin Bieksa will bring plenty of NHL experience to Canada's blue line as the country seeks to win its fourth straight Spengler Cup title.

The Vancouver Whitecaps will kick off their 2019 MLS season by hosting Minnesota United while Toronto FC and the Montreal Impact open on the road — at Philadelphia and San Jose, respectively. All three games will take place March 2.