National Sports

TORONTO — The Maple Leafs didn't change their goal song for five full seasons. They've had two in two games to start the 2023-24 campaign — and there are more to come.

NEW YORK — Toronto centre Auston Matthews has been named the NHL's first star of its opening week of the 2023-24 season after he posted hat tricks in the Maple Leafs' first two games.

Flag football will become an Olympic sport for the first time in 2028, and Jim Mullin can see a day when the tackle game follows suit.

TORONTO — The six teams in the Professional Women’s Hockey League will open training camps on Nov. 15 in advance of the league's inaugural season.

A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Tuesday: EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFYING GROUP C A European Championship spot is within reach for England as Gareth Southgate's team hosts scandal-hit Italy at Wembley in a repeat of the 2021 final.

HOUSTON (AP) — Jordan Montgomery outdueled Justin Verlander and the Texas Rangers received a big boost from their youngest player to open the AL Championship Series with a 2-0 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday night.

TOKYO — Felix Auger-Aliassime took a while to find his game at the Japan Open Tennis Championships on Monday, but when the Montreal athlete did it was enough to net him a first-round singles victory over resilient Australian Aleksandar Vukic.

OTTAWA — It’s only the third game, but the Ottawa Senators are playing the kind of hockey they talked about before the NHL regular season started and it’s reaping rewards.

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. — The Saskatoon Blades scored two power-play goals and then outlasted the Prince Albert Raiders in a shootout to record a 3-2 Western Hockey League victory on Sunday night.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Tom Kim now has something in common with Byron Nelson as the only players to have won the same PGA Tour event twice in the same season.