National Sports

TORONTO — David Rittich's celebration at the final buzzer could be heard throughout an empty Scotiabank Arena.

CALGARY — Ontario's Rachel Homan and defending champion Kerri Einarson were unbeaten, while Quebec's rookie team injected intrigue into their pool at the Canadian women's curling championship Monday.

MONTREAL — Ville Heinola scored his second goal of the night 53 seconds into overtime, and the Manitoba Moose edged the Laval Rocket 3-2 on Monday in American Hockey League action.

MINNEAPOLIS — When the Minnesota Timberwolves decided again to change coaches, president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas turned to one of the candidates he interviewed during the last search. The dossier on Chris Finch was still fresh.

In one 45-minute conversation, Kevin Mather undermined the Seattle Mariners far beyond being the organization with the longest playoff drought in baseball.

TORONTO — Shortstop Bo Bichette has big expectations for the upgraded Toronto Blue Jays. “I believe in the team, just like I did last year,” Bichette said Monday as the Blue Jays held their first full-squad workout in Dunedin, Florida.

TORONTO — The injuries are piling up for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Head coach Sheldon Keefe said at Monday's practice that defenceman Jake Muzzin has suffered a broken facial bone and will be out an undetermined amount of time.

Not playing football in 2020 hasn't stopped Montreal Carabins offensive lineman Pier-Olivier Lestage from being noticed. Canadian universities didn't play last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Four months after he lost Nate Bjorkgren to the Indiana Pacers, Nick Nurse finds himself short an assistant coach once again. Nurse's longtime friend Chris Finch is the new head coach of the struggling Minnesota Timberwolves.

TORONTO — The Toronto Argonauts have signed American defensive lineman Kony Ealy and American offensive lineman Blake Camper. Ealy, 29, was selected in the second round (60th overall) of the 2014 NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers.