National Sports

EXETER, N.H. — A Canadian plant has produced skates honouring the NHL's first Black player as part of Black History Month. Bauer Hockey says the Bauer Innovation Centre in Blainville, Que.

CALGARY — Kerri Einarson will miss having her twin daughters ask her when can they go to the hotel pool.

TORONTO — New Toronto FC coach Chris Armas named his coaching staff Wednesday, with goalkeeper coach Jon Conway the lone holdover from Greg Vanney's era. Conway is joined by Javier Perez, Ian Russell and Ewan Sharp.

CALGARY — A capsule look at the 18 teams competing in the Canadian women's curling championship Feb. 19-28 in Calgary (team members listed skip to lead).

NEW YORK — NBA All-Star Chris Paul has an off-court project in the works: His first book. Paul's “Sixty-One: Life Lessons from Papa, On and Off the Court” will come out in September, St. Martin’s Press announced Wednesday.

TOKYO — Japan launched its coronavirus vaccination campaign Wednesday, months after other major economies started giving shots and amid questions about whether the drive would would reach enough people quickly enough to save a Summer Olympics already

MELBOURNE, Australia — Canada's Bianca Andreescu is heading to the semifinals of the Phillip Island Trophy. The No. 2 seed, from Mississauga, Ont., beat world No. 74 Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(5) in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

MILWAUKEE — Fred VanVleet scored 33 points, Pascal Siakam added 23 and the Toronto Raptors withstood the loss of Kyle Lowry to beat the slumping Milwaukee Bucks 124-113 on Tuesday night.

WINNIPEG — Calle Rosen scored twice, Nick Robertson scored his first American Hockey League goal as part of a four-goal second period, and the Toronto Marlies cruised to a 6-2 win over the Manitoba Moose on Tuesday.

MONTREAL — Filip Gustavsson stopped 25 shots as the Belleville Senators downed the Laval Rocket 4-1 on Tuesday for their first win of the 2020-21 American Hockey League season.