National Sports

EDMONTON — Goaltender Thatcher Demko has gone from riding the bench to crafting a storybook playoff season in the span of 72 hours and he's taking the Vancouver Canucks along for the ride.

Canadian kicker Lirim Hajrullahu and former CFL linebacker Derrick Moncrief were both released by the Los Angeles Rams on Friday. The Rams still have 62 players on their roster. NFL teams have until 4 p.m. ET on Saturday to reach the 53-man limit.

VANCOUVER — Despite a losing skid and an offensive dry spell, coach Marc Dos Santos says his Vancouver Whitecaps remain resilient heading into another tough test against a Canadian rival.

Kyle Lowry had to sit down on the court for a few seconds to take it all in. He grinned and giggled like a kid.

OG Anunoby's nonchalant reaction to his audacious game-winning three pointer in Game 3 of the Toronto Raptors' second-round NBA series with Boston garnered almost as much social media attention Thursday night as the shot itself.

OTTAWA — The Ottawa Aces have added French front-rower Clement Boyer to their inaugural 2021 roster. The 26-year-old has spent the bulk of his career with Toulouse Olympique, making more than 110 appearances since joining in 2012.

One of the first things the University of Manitoba Bisons football team will learn when training camp opens is how to form a socially-distanced huddle.

The Montreal Impact have revamped their academy structure, creating a reserve under-23 squad under coach Jason Di Tullio. The new team will sit atop the MLS franchise's development pyramid, above the existing under-14, -15 and -17 academy squads.

WHITEHORSE — The Canadian side of the Yukon Quest dog-sled race has been cancelled for 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yukon Quest says the annual 1,600-kilometre race had already been facing several challenges because of Canada-U.S.

Getting to the UFC or any high-level sport is so hard, you better enjoy it when you get there, says Canadian bantamweight Cole (The Cole Train) Smith. "I'm very blessed. I couldn't imagine doing a nine-to-five job," said Smith.