Co-host France throws scare into Canada
Marc-Edouard Vlasic scored the winner as Canada survived a scare in a 3-2 win over co-host France on Thursday at the world hockey championship in Paris. Canada improved its record to 4-0.
The Canadians fell behind for the first time in the tournament when Damien Fleury put France up 2-1 on the power play at 1:37 of the second period. Claude Giroux replied on a Canadian power play to send the teams to the dressing room tied 2-2.
Vlasic was credited with the winner at 2:22 of the third after a bouncing puck deflected past French netminder Florian Hardy.
Canada plays Switzerland on Saturday.
Olympians invited to camp
Golden-goal scorer Marie-Philip Poulin and three-time Olympian Meghan Agosta were among the 28 players invited to try out for the Canadian Olympic women’s hockey team.
Those players who don’t live in Calgary will move to the city Aug. 1 to begin training fulltime together.
Canada can take 20 skaters and three goaltenders to the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. The team is expected to be announced in late December.
TENNIS Murray bounced in Madrid
Andy Murray’s struggles continued with a 6-3, 6-3 loss to Borna Coric in the third round of the Madrid Open, while defending champion Novak Djokovic and four-time champion Rafael Nadal made it to the quarter-finals.
Ninth-seeded David Goffin of Belgium cruised to a 6-4, 6-2 win over fifth-seeded Milos Raonic of Canada.
On the women’s side, eighth-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia easily beat Canadian Eugenie Bouchard 6-4, 6-0.
SOCCER Team fined over rat tossers
Brondby fans who threw three dead rats at opposing players during a game have earned their club a US$17,300 fine from the Denmark football federation. The fine was also for fans using fireworks.
Brondby fans threw the dead rodents toward two FC Copenhagen players during an April 17 game. Copenhagen, which this month retained its Superliga title, won 1-0.
FOOTBALL NFL denies Gordon’s plea
Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon has been denied reinstatement by the NFL, although he can apply for reinstatement in the fall.
Gordon, who led the NFL in yards receiving in 2013, has been suspended several times for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
Gordon, 26, entered a rehab facility last September.