National Sports

THREE HILLS — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is winning applause but also facing pointed questions from party members ahead of three byelections.

Bianca Andreescu had a winning start to her grass-court tennis season with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Taiwan's Joanna Garland in women's first-round action Tuesday at the Libema Open.

OTTAWA — Curling Canada has announced its pool of candidates for its 2026 Paralympic Winter Games team. Canadians have finished in the medals in five straight Paralympic Games, with gold in 2006, 2010 and 2014, and bronze in 2018 and 2022.

An undersized defenceman chosen 62nd in his draft class was named the NHL's rookie of the year Tuesday. Lane Hutson is the first Montreal Canadiens player to win the Calder Memorial Trophy since goaltender Ken Dryden in 1972.

NEW YORK — The NHL has fined Edmonton defenceman Jake Walman a total of US$10,000 for his role in two separate incidents in the Oilers' 6-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final.

TORONTO — B.C. Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke, Montreal Alouettes linebacker Tyrice Beverette and the Saskatchewan Roughriders' offensive line all earned top marks in the CFL's first weekly honour roll.

An injury has forced Canadian bantamweight Charles (Air) Jourdain off Saturday's UFC Fight Night card in Atlanta.

As two of Canada's most experienced Olympians, Miranda Ayim and Erica Wiebe have made careers out of playing sports at the highest levels of competition. But some of their most formative memories are of playing as children with almost no stakes.

SUNRISE — Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had the puck with Sergei Bobrovsky at his mercy.

NEWMARKET — With the Oilers in the Stanley Cup final again this year, the decision to bring back "Connor McDavid Square" in the hometown of Edmonton's star forward was a no-brainer for Newmarket Mayor John Taylor.