National Sports

TORONTO — Nik Ledgerwood went to Europe in 2003 in search of soccer employment. He was 18, excited and a little scared. "It was all those kind of emotions. You didn't know what to expect going there," he recalled.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Bianca Farella scored four tries and Julia Greenshields added three more as Canada won all three of its games Thursday on Day 1 of the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens.

STOCKHOLM — British-born Italian hockey player Thomas Larkin was charged with assault for blindsiding an opponent during a game last year, a Swedish prosecutor said Thursday.

TOKYO — Sheikh Ahmad al Fahad al Sabah, who has stepped away temporarily from the presidency of an Olympic umbrella group to fight a criminal court case in Switzerland, was praised by IOC President Thomas Bach on Thursday.

TOKYO — Two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan will miss the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final due to a right ankle injury, the Japan Skating Federation said Thursday.

Wednesday's Games NHL Detroit 4 St.

Wednesday's Games NHL Detroit 4 St.

CALGARY — Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn took full advantage of a poor defensive effort by the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night.

TORONTO — Auston Matthews says the last month has been torture watching his Toronto Maple Leafs. The team's star centre jumped right back in the action without missing a beat Wednesday.

TORONTO — Logan Couture doesn't like how his team has played on its current road trip. And he's tired of waiting for the Sharks to turn things around.