National Sports

MONTREAL — Antti Niemi experienced two firsts in net for the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night. First, Niemi made a career-high 52 stops as the Canadiens extended their win streak to three games with a 5-1 victory over the Florida Panthers.

REGINA — Saskatchewan Roughriders coach/GM Chris Jones is leaving the CFL team to take a coaching job with the NFL's Cleveland Browns.

DENTON, Texas — John Wetteland, a former All-Star and World Series MVP, has been charged in Texas with continuous sex abuse of a child under age 14.

Newcastle advanced to the fourth round of the FA Cup on Tuesday, though coach Rafa Benitez doesn't seem too keen on making a deep run in the competition.

CALGARY — Considerable grumbling emanated from Flames Nation when defenceman Mark Giordano was passed over for the NHL all-star game. The snub could turn out to be an advantage for the Flames.

TORONTO — Apart from the all-world skill displayed on a nightly basis, Mikko Rantanen has a simple explanation for why he works so well with Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog. They get along away from the rink.

VICTORIA — Pacific FC has signed former Canadian under-17 players Alessandro Hojabpour, Matthew Baldisimo and Terran Campbell.

WINNIPEG — The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have signed star linebacker Adam Bighill to a three-year extension.

TORONTO — All-star offensive lineman Ryan Bomben has inked a three-year extension with the Toronto Argonauts. The 31-year-old native of Burlington, Ont.

It can be easy to forget that Canada's Eugenie Bouchard may very well have a long and fruitful tennis career ahead of her. A seemingly endless slump sent her tumbling down the rankings but there have been signs of a return to form.