National Sports

MINSK, Belarus — Isabelle Weidemann kicked off the World Cup speedskating season with a victory, highlighting a three-medal day for Canada on Friday. Weidemann, from Ottawa, won the women's 3,000 metres.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Victoria's Nathan Riech won a gold medal the men's 1500-metre T38 finals Friday as the 2019 world para athletics championships drew to a close. Riech won the event in a championship-record time of four minutes 2.

MOSCOW — Canada's Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier are second after the rhythm dance at the Rostelecom Cup on Friday. Russian pair Victoria Snitsina and Nikita Katsalapov are in first with 86.09 points, 3.5 points ahead of the Canadians.

Rising tennis stars Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime have shown they're ready for the big stage. Their next big challenge will be to lead the Canadian entry at the Davis Cup Finals.

TORONTO — Auston Matthews issued an apology after a charge of disorderly conduct and disruptive behaviour against the Toronto Maple Leafs centre was dismissed in his hometown of Scottsdale, Ariz.

TORONTO — Kyle Dubas wants to see more diversity in hockey and he's starting with the front office of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Dubas spoke about needing a wider range of voices in hockey on Thursday night at the MLSE Foundation's speaker series.

TORONTO — Former CFL assistant coach Greg Quick was named the league's first director of global scouting on Friday.

Two trips to Asia produced 4-0 defeats for the Canadian women's soccer team — against Japan and Brazil, respectively.

Legendary defenceman Bobby Orr has blasted Sportsnet for firing Don Cherry. In an interview with Boston radio station WEEI on Thursday, Orr called the decision to sack his former Bruins coach "disgraceful.

Toronto Maple Leafs centre Alexander Kerfoot is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery to repair facial dental fractures. The Leafs say Kerfoot originally sustained the injury Nov. 5 during a game against the Los Angeles Kings.