National Sports

TORONTO — The busy Toronto Blue Jays agreed Friday to a minor league contract to keep second baseman Joe Panik, who will report to big league spring training. The 30-year-old hit .

MONTREAL — Joseph Blandisi scored twice and Cayden Primeau stopped 22 shots as the Laval Rocket topped the Belleville Senators 5-1 on Friday in the American Hockey League season opener for both teams.

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Baseball's Hall of Fame has cancelled its traditional outdoor induction ceremony for the second straight summer because of the pandemic and plans an indoor, televised event for Derek Jeter and others being honoured .

CALGARY — The Western Hockey League says it has approval from the Saskatchewan government to play a 24-game East Division season in a hub in Regina starting next month.

Harness racing is set to resume next week at Woodbine Mohawk Park after the Ontario government announced the loosening of COVID-19 restrictions in Halton Region. Woodbine Entertainment said in a release that live racing will resume next Thursday.

TORONTO — The Toronto Argonauts' defensive line will be a little older the next time it takes the field. According to sack leader Charleston Hughes, it will also be a lot hungrier.

HEERENVEEN — Canadian speedskater Laurent Dubreuil is the men's world 500-metre champion after claiming the title Friday. Dubreuil posted a winning time of 34.

Canada's men's water polo team had already gathered in Europe a year ago at this time for its final push for a berth in the Tokyo Olympics, but the qualifying tournament was cancelled due to COVID-19.

Desiree Scott has been waiting a long time for her next game. The 33-year-old midfielder from Winnipeg didn't play in the NWSL's Challenge Cup last summer due to family commitments and opted out of the league's Fall Series.

Masks, nasal swabs and empty seats have all become the norm in NHL rinks. Hockey may be back on the ice, but the conditions are far from ordinary — not only inside the arenas, but around them, too.