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HOCKEY
Former Canuck Virtanen charged with sexual assault
HKN-Canucks-Virtanen-Charged
Former Vancouver Canucks forward Jake Virtanen has been charged with sexual assault following a police investigation. Vancouver police said Thursday the B.C. Prosecution Service approved one count of sexual assault against Virtanen, 25, in relation to an incident that occurred on Sept. 26, 2017, when Virtanen was playing for the Canucks. Police launched an investigation in May 2021 after a 23-year-old woman filed a complaint. 475 words. MOVED. PHOTO
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ECHL player Panetta suspended for 'racial gesture'
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The ECHL has suspended former Jacksonville Icemen forward Jacob Panetta for the remainder of the season for a "racial gesture" directed toward South Carolina Stingrays defenceman Jordan Subban in a game on Saturday. The suspension amounts to 38 games. 300 words. MOVED. PHOTO
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Senators sign defenceman Holden to extension
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The Ottawa Senators have signed defenceman Nick Holden to a one-year contract extension worth US$1.3 million. 185 words. MOVED. PHOTO
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BASKETBALL
Raptors' Champagnie, Hornets' Washington fined
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Toronto Raptors rookie Justin Champagnie and Charlotte Hornets forward PJ Washington have both been fined US$15,000 for an on-court altercation during a game, the NBA announced Thursday. 133 words. MOVED. PHOTO.
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CURLING
No fans at Scotties disappoints hometown rink
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To prepare for this year’s Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Krista McCarville and her northern Ontario rink from Thunder Bay, Ont., spent time with a sports psychologist learning how to cope with the excitement and pressure of playing for the Canadian women’s curling championship in front of a hometown crowd. Instead, because of concerns created by the Omicron variant, the stands at the Fort Williams Gardens will be empty when McCarville’s team steps on the ice for its first game Friday night against Chelsey Carey’s Wild Card 2 rink from Regina. By Jim Morris. 900 words. PHOTO. ETA 10 a.m.
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A capsule look at teams competing in the Scotties
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A capsule look at the 18 teams entered in the Jan. 28 to Feb. 6 Scotties Tournament of Hearts Canadian women’s curling championships at the Fort Williams Gardens in Thunder Bay, Ont. (team members listed skip to lead with home club location). By Jim Morris. 800 words. PHOTO. MOVED
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Curling Notebook: Moskowy to return to Team Dunstone at Saskatchewan playdowns
CUR-Notebook
Team Matt Dunstone will have its regular lineup back together for the upcoming Saskatchewan provincial playdowns. Vice-skip Braeden Moskowy withdrew from Canada's Olympic trials last November on the eve of the competition. The team cited personal reasons for his absence. By Gregory Strong. 440 words. PHOTO. MOVED
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SOCCER
Sinclair signs contract extension with Portland
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UNDATED — Canada captain Christine Sinclair has signed a contract extension with the Portland Thorns through 2022, with an option for the 2023 NWSL season. 550 words. By Neil Davidson. PHOTO. MOVED.
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Canadian men return to the scene of the crime
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UNDATED — Memories of San Pedro Sula are hard to shake. For members of the Canadian men's team who were there Oct. 16, 2012, for a decisive World Cup qualifying game against Honduras, the 8-1 loss at the Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano is like an ugly, hard-to-remove tattoo. 1,300 words. By Neil Davidson. PHOTO. Stands as early story to 8:05 p.m. Canada-Honduras match. MOVED.
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Canada looks to extend unbeaten World Cup qualifying run
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SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras — Canada looks to extend its unbeaten run in the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying when it takes on struggling Honduras in the first of three matches in a week. 800 words. PHOTO. Game kicks off at 8:05 p.m. ET.
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Giovinco back in camp with Toronto FC
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TORONTO — Former MLS MVP Sebastian Giovinco is back with Toronto FC, training with the team without a contract at present. The Italian star, who turned 35 on Wednesday, left the MLS club in January 2019 when Toronto, unwilling to meet his contract demands, sold him to Saudi Arabian's Al-Hilal FC. But the fact he is with TFC in camp does not mean he will be back in red this season. 460 words. By Neil Davidson. Will be updated
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FOOTBALL
Ticats and star receiver Banks part ways
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Star receiver Brandon Banks is leaving the Hamilton Tiger-Cats after eight seasons with the CFL club. Banks, who said in an outgoing message that he "will always bleed black and gold," played 111 games over eight seasons with the Tiger-Cats and was named the CFL's outstanding player in 2019. 162 words. MOVED. PHOTO
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RUGBY
Jamie Levchuk named Rugby Canada interim CEO
Rugby Canada has appointed Jamie Levchuk interim chief executive officer while the search continues for a permanent successor for Allen Vansen. Levchuk has served as the governing body's managing director of business operations since 2020, and held senior positions with Rugby Canada and the HSBC Canada Sevens since 2015. By Neil Davidson. 300 words. MOVED.
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OLYMPICS
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Canada's men's hockey team bonding on and off ice
Canada's men's Olympic hockey team has made coming together as a unit in a short time top priority ahead of the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing. With two weeks before Canada opens its Olympic tournament against Germany on Feb. 10, players are trying to familiarize themselves with their teammates, on the ice and off it, in order to create better unity. 750 words. By Steven Loung. MOVED PHOTO
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Four more added to Canadian Olympic snowboard team
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Four more snowboarders were added to the Canadian Olympic team Thursday. Following an internal appeal, Canada Snowboard and the Canadian Olympic Committee have chosen Sebastien Beaulieu of St-Ferreol-les-Neiges, Que., Kaylie Buck of Oakville, Ont., Toronto's Jennifer Hawkrigg and Montreal's Jules Lefebvre to join 19 other Beijing-bound Canadian snowboarders selected to the team Jan. 19. The new members will compete in parallel giant slalom with Megan Farrell of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Arnaud Gaudet of Montcalm, Que. 112 words. MOVED
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FOR OLYMPIC PREMIUM SUBSCRIBERS
Moving athletes, volunteers and gear to Beijing is not an easy task during pandemic
OLY-CANADA-GEAR
UNDATED – Transporting athletes and their gear to Beijing during a pandemic has proven proving to be a logistical nightmare for the Canadian Olympic Committee and others heading the Winter Games. Athletes, staff members, media, and other Games participants had to scramble to find travel when most commercial flights to Beijing have been suspended. Temporary flights have been added, although COVID-19 restrictions in Beijing require passengers to travel through one of four preferred global hubs of Paris, Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong.. 860 words. By Lori Ewing. PHOTO MOVED
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Colourful luge coach set for last Olympics with Canada: 'Everything comes to an end'
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UNDATED — Sam Edney remembers the first time he exchanged words with his future coach. It was the fall of 2006 and Wolfgang Staudinger was in talks to lead Canada's luge program with the country set to host the Olympics in a little over three years. Edney was in the zone, preparing for a run on the Cesana Pariol track that staged sliding events at the Winter Games in Turin, Italy, eight months earlier. "Wolf was at the start," he recalled. "And he said something like, 'Edney are you gonna pull a fast one here?'" 1,250 words. By Joshua Clipperton. PHOTO MOVED
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COMING LATER
SOCCER: Story from Thursday's Canada vs Honduras World Cup qualifying game. 8 p.m. start. (CP - Neil Davidson)
HOCKEY: Anaheim Ducks at Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m. (CP); Carolina Hurricanes at Ottawa Senators, 7 p.m. (CP); Vancouver Canucks at Winnipeg Jets, 8 p.m. (CP); Calgary Flames at St. Louis Blues, 8 p.m. (AP); Nashville Predators at Edmonton Oilers, 9 p.m. (CP)
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AP TOP STORIES
TOP STORIES
TEN--AUSTRALIAN OPEN
MELBOURNE, Australia — Rafael Nadal continues his bid for a men's record 21st Grand Slam singles title when he plays Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini in the Australian Open semifinals. U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev continues his bid for back-to-back major titles when he takes on French Open runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas. By John Pye. UPCOMING: 850 words, photos. Nadal/Berrettini match starts 10:30 p.m., Medvedev/Tsisipas match starts 3:30 a.m.
US--ATHLETE COMPENSATION
It is a man’s world six months after the NCAA cleared the way for college athletes to earn money on their celebrity. Men lead the way in total name, image and likeness compensation and have more NIL activities than women. That's according to third-party data from July 1 through Dec. 31 for some 125,000 athletes — about a quarter of nearly the 500,000 in the NCAA. By Erica Hunzinger. UPCOMING: 1,000 words, photos by 6 p.m. With US--Athlete Compensation-Glance (upcoming).
FBN--COOP AND DEEBO
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Cooper Kupp led the NFL in every major receiving category this season, while Deebo Samuel cemented his reputation as one of the most electrifying playmakers in football. The Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers probably wouldn't be in the NFC championship game without two of the game's top receivers driving their offenses forward. By Greg Beacham. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 8 p.m. With FBN--Rams-Stafford’s Moment (sent).
FBN--BENGALS-TAYLOR
CINCINNATI — Bengals owner Mike Brown stuck with first-time head coach Zac Taylor through two dismal seasons in which he compiled a 6-25-1 record. Brown’s patience paid off in the third year, as the surprising Bengals are one step away from going back to the Super Bowl for the first time in 33 years. By Mitch Stacy. SENT: 730 words, photos. With FBN--Chiefs-The Cool Cat (upcoming).
And:
— FBN--NFC Matchups: Old West rivals meet for Super Bowl berth (sent; for weekend use).
— FBN--AFC Matchups: Newbie Bengals visit perennial contender Chiefs (sent; for weekend use).
OLY--JUM-FAT DON'T FLY
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — Fat don’t fly. The crude phrase is well known in ski jumping circles, and it has historically led to eating disorders in a sport that is trying to address the problem with rule changes and access to nutritionists. Maren Lundby of Norway decided she was not going to defend her gold in ski jumping because she didn’t want to make the sacrifices to fight her body’s natural changes. By Larry Lage. SENT : 800 words, photos.
OLY--FIG-AGE OLD QUESTION
Tara Lipinski was a sprightly 15-year-old when she won Olympic gold in Nagano. Sarah Hughes was a year older when she did the same in Salt Lake City. Indeed, just about every Olympic champion in women’s figure skating going back decades has been a teenager, feather light and carefree. And that begs the question: Will a 20-something such as American skaters Karen Chen and Mariah Bell ever contend for the gold medal again? By Dave Skretta. SENT: 870 words, photos.
NOTABLE
FBN--STEELERS-ROETHLISBERGER RETIRES
PITTSBURGH — No more comebacks for Ben Roethlisberger. The longtime Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback announces his retirement, saying it's “time to clean out my locker, hang up my cleats” after 18 seasons, two Super Bowls, countless team records and a spot in the Hall of Fame all but secure. By Will Graves. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.
Also:
— FBN--Bears-Eberflus: Bears hire Colts DC Matt Eberflus as head coach, source says (sent).
—FBN--Broncos-Hackett: Broncos finalizing deal with Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett, source says (sent).
BKN--ALL-STAR STARTERS
NEW YORK — The starters for next month's NBA All-Star Game are announced. Mainstays such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant are expected to be voted in, while Memphis guard Ja Morant is hoping to be for the first time. By Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos. Developing from 7:15 p.m. announcement.
BKC--IMPACT TRANSFERS
ACC top scorer Alondes Willliams and Pac-12 leader Terrell Brown Jr. are senior transfers. Same for the leading scorers for four of the 10 teams in the Big 12. The transfer portal and extra season of eligibility because of COVID-19 have shaken up rosters nationwide, and a lot of old newcomers are pacing their teams. By Stephen Hawkins. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 6 p.m.
BKW--T25-MISSISSIPPI-SOUTH CAROLINA
COLUMBIA, S.C. — No. 1 South Carolina looks to improve to 9-0 this season against ranked teams when it takes on No. 24 Mississippi. By Pete Iacobelli. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos. Game starts 6 p.m.
SOC--WCUP-EL SALVADOR-US
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The temperature is expected to be in the 20s, the lowest for a U.S. World Cup qualifier, when the Americans play El Salvador. By Ronald Blum. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos. Game starts 7 p.m.
SOC--BRAZIL-TEEN SENSATION
MADRID — Fifteen-year-old Endrick has become the latest Brazilian soccer sensation, attracting attention from European clubs after thriving in one of Brazil's most traditional youth tournaments. The Palmeiras player scored in the final and won MVP and best goal at the under-21 competition. By Tales Azzoni. SENT: 500 words.
CAR--IMSA-DAYTONA-ROLEX 24
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Robert Wickens will at last get a chance to race again for the first time since he was paralyzed in an IndyCar crash in 2018. Wickens will compete Friday at Daytona International Speedway and has a full-season ride with Bryan Herta Autosport. His race car has a special steering wheel. By Auto Racing Writer Jenna Fryer. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos by 6 p.m.
MORE ON OLYMPICS
OLY--BEIJING-2008 VS. 2022-CRACKDOWNS
BEIJING — From the crushing of Beijing’s 1989 pro-democracy protests to the suppression of Hong Kong’s opposition four decades later, China’s Communist Party has demonstrated a determination and ability to stay in power that is seemingly impervious to Western criticism. By Ken Moritsugu. SENT: 1,060 words, photos.
OLY--IOC-SHARING REVENUE
GENEVA — For China, turning a profit from the 2022 Beijing Games was not a priority even before the coronavirus pandemic wiped out some expected sources of income. Chinese President Xi Jinping set a goal in 2015 to create a new tourism industry in the country. By Graham Dunbar. SENT: 920 words, photos.
OLY--BEIJING-THE BUBBLE
Athletes and others coming to China for the Winter Olympics enter a pandemic bubble from the moment they arrive to isolate them from the general public. A look at how the bubble works through the eyes of an AP photographer and an AP photo editor covering the Games. SENT: 650 words, photos
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 27, 2022
The Canadian Press
