LOCAL SPORTS
AUS: With a 2-0 victory over the visiting St. Thomas Tommies, the X-Women hockey team picked up their 9th win in a row, and are tied with UNB atop the AUS women’s hockey standings. Kalle Hastman & Mackenzie Lothian scored for the X-Women. Bianca Zak earned the shutout with 20 saves on the night. The X-Women are back at the Keating Centre tonight, hosting Mount Allison at 7.
The X-Men hockey team are on the road tonight, facing off with the UPEI Panthers at 7. At Coach K Court, St. FX hosts Mount Allison, with the women playing at 6 pm & the men at 8.
Junior B: In Port Hawkesbury, the Pictou County Scotians defeated the Strait Pirates 3-1.
Maritime League: The Pictou County Weeks Crushers face Summerside at the Wellness Centre – game time is 7 pm.
U15: In action today, it’s the Wearwell Bombers hosting the Bandits at the Wellness Centre at 2 pm, then the Novas play the Wildcats at 3 pm in the Valley.
U18 Major: In Port Hood, the CB West Islanders host the Mustangs at 6, followed by the Weeks Majors vs the Macs in Halifax at 7.
High School: In Trenton, the North Nova Gryphons Boys’ team defeated the Dr. J.H. Gillis Royals 3-1, while the Royals girls team blanked the Gryphons 3-0. Tonight, the Northumberland Nighthawks Boys team face off with the Tigers in Westville at 6:30.
Maritime Major Female League: The Northern Subway Selects, currently second in the standings, take on the Lynx at 6 pm in Port Hawkesbury in the first of a weekend home-and-home series.
Rural League: St Croix 6 Outlaws 5 (OT) Pleasantdale 5 Heatherton 3
Pictou County’s Colin Chabassol is heading to the Invictus Games in Vancouver, which begin February 8. A 15-year army veteran, Chabassol will compete in wheelchair rugby, biathlon, indoor rowing, and skeleton.
Summerside, P-E-I has been awarded Baseball Canada’s 2026 Canada Cup for players 17 and under. It’s the first time in over 50 years of sports event hosting that Summerside will welcome this particular national championship. Next year’s tournament will take place August 5th through 9th and will see teams from all 10 provinces compete. Summerside will also host the 2026 Ray Carter Cup — the national 15-and-under championship, from August 20th through 23rd.
NATIONAL SPORTS
Early action is underway at the Australian Open in Melbourne. Canada’s Leylah Fernandez is scheduled to play her second-round doubles match in the wee hours. In third-round singles play, Iga Swiatek needed only 70 minutes to complete a 6-1, 6-love rout of Emma Raducanu.
It’s a first for an N-H-L goalie. Pittsburgh’s Alex Nedeljkovic had a goal and an assist in the Penguins’ 5-2 win over Buffalo. He had a secondary assist in the second period and scored by firing the puck into an empty net late in the third period. Carolina edged Vegas 3-2 in the other game.
Defenceman John Klingberg is returning to the N-H-L after a 14-month injury absence. He’s signing with the Edmonton Oilers. Klingberg spent part of last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He played in 14 games before undergoing hip surgery.
The Toronto Raptors’ modest two-game winning streak is over. They dropped a 130-112 decision to Milwaukee. Toronto has just one road victory this season. Denver beat Miami 133-113. Jimmy Butler returned for the Heat, who had suspended him for seven games and are trying to trade him. He had 18 points.
Toronto skip John Epping made a hit for two points for a 7-5 extra-end victory over Switzerland’s Marco Hoesli at the WFG Masters. Epping will play American Korey Dropkin on Saturday morning for a berth in the eight-team men’s playoff. Matt Dunstone’s Winnipeg-based team and Brad Jacobs’ Calgary-based rink led the men’s standings at 4-0. Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg and South Korea’s EunJung Kim shared first place in the women’s standings at 4-0. Play continues through Sunday at the Sleeman Centre.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are set to add another fearsome arm to their rotation. Japanese free agent Roki Sasaki says he has agreed to a deal with the World Series champions. He has until Thursday to officially sign the contract. Sasaki also considered the Toronto Blue Jays and San Diego Padres.
Ohio State and Notre Dame players are in Atlanta for preparations ahead of Monday’s U-S College Football Playoff national championship game. The Buckeyes are heavy favourites to beat the Fighting Irish. In the N-F-L, there are two divisional round games tomorrow and two more on Sunday.
Rumours about Tom Brady’s future in television continue to run rampant, even as he goes through his first post-season and prepares to call his first Super Bowl. Fox Sports’ executive producer Brad Zager says he understands the spotlight Brady and the network are under, but Brady is in it for the long haul. Brady has not been made available for media interviews this season.
Friday’s Scoreboard
NHL
Pittsburgh 5 Buffalo 2
Carolina 3 Vegas 2
PWHL
Montreal 4 Minnesota 2
NBA
Milwaukee 130 Toronto 112
Boston 121 Orlando 94
Minnesota 116 New York 99
Denver 133 Miami 113
Charlotte 125 Chicago 123
New Orleans 136 Utah 123
Dallas 106 Oklahoma City 98
Memphis 140 San Antonio 112
L.A. Lakers 102 Brooklyn 101
Saturday’s Games (All times Eastern)
NHL
Philadelphia at New Jersey, 12:30 p.m.
Boston at Ottawa, 3 p.m.
Dallas at Colorado, 4 p.m.
Anaheim at Florida, 6 p.m.
Calgary at Winnipeg, 7 p.m.
Columbus at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.
Detroit at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Washington, 7 p.m.
Toronto at Montreal, 7 p.m.
San Jose at N.Y. Islanders, 7:30 p.m.
Minnesota at Nashville, 8 p.m.
Vegas at Chicago, 8 p.m.
St. Louis at Utah, 9 p.m.
Edmonton at Vancouver, 10 p.m.
Los Angeles at Seattle, 10 p.m.
NFL Divisional Round Playoffs
AFC: Houston (4) at Kansas City (1), 4:30 p.m.
NFC: Washington (6) at Detroit (1), 8 p.m.
NBA
Phoenix at Detroit, 4 p.m.
Atlanta at Boston, 7 p.m.
Philadelphia at Indiana, 7 p.m.
Washington at Golden State, 8:30 p.m.
Cleveland at Minnesota, 9 p.m.
Houston at Portland, 10 p.m.