National Sports

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Brad Gushue's curling team bound for Beijing's Winter Olympics in February has recruited Marc Kennedy as alternate.

TORONTO — The Toronto Raptors have stopped practising as a team, instead working with coaches individually.

NEW YORK — Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin, St. Louis Blues sniper Vladimir Tarasenko and Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers have been named the NHL's three stars of the week.

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Maggie Mac Neil is the new world record holder in the women's 50-metre backstroke. The Canadian, who won gold in the 100-metre butterfly at the Tokyo Olympics, finished in 25.

INNICHEN, Italy — Canada's Marielle Thompson earned bronze in women's ski cross on Monday in the final World Cup race of 2021. Sweden's Sandra Naeslund won the race, with Switzerland's Fanny Smith taking silver.

CALGARY — Hockey Canada has withdrawn its team from the Spengler Cup. Canada often competes in the European club-based tournament based in Davos, Switzerland, sending a squad of Canadians selected off European pro teams along with some free agents.

BRUSSELS (AP) — The Belgian soccer federation opened an investigation Monday after Anderlecht coach Vincent Kompany accused rival fans of racially abusing him and his players during a league game over the weekend.

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai has denied saying she was sexually assaulted, despite a November social media post attributed to her that accused a former top Communist Party official of forcing her into sex.

The NHL has postponed any cross-border games through the Dec. 23 start of the holiday break amid the crush of COVID-19 cases in the league, and the chance of the NHL's presence at the Beijing Olympics appears to be dwindling.

The NBA on Sunday postponed a total of five games involving nine teams in response to rising coronavirus numbers, raising the number of contests that have been pushed back this season to seven.