National Sports

TORONTO — Milos Raonic was not going to miss another Davis Cup tie. Not if he could help it. The Canadian will play in his first Davis Cup tie since 2015 when he takes the court against Thiemo de Bakker of the Netherlands on Friday afternoon.

TORONTO — The Toronto Maple Leafs will be allowed to show up for work a little scruffier this season. Just don't expect Mitch Marner to be among those taking advantage of the team's new facial hair policy.

CALGARY — Now that a new price tag has been put on a possible Calgary bid for the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games, a comparison to the most recent games in Canada is inevitable. The bid corporation Calgary 2026 has put forth a $5.

EDMONTON — Head coach Todd McLellan, with his Edmonton Oilers coming off an embarrassing season, says the first order of training camp is demanding specific answers to one existential question.

HALIFAX — The National Lacrosse League is coming to Halifax. The NLL announced Thursday that the Rochester Knighthawks will be relocating to Halifax, becoming the league's fifth Canadian franchise.

TORONTO — Nine points out of the playoff picture with seven games remaining, things are looking bleak for defending MLS champion Toronto FC. And at least in one quarter, the writing is on the wall.

TORONTO — The Toronto Maple Leafs have heard the noise and appreciate the kind words. That doesn't mean they plan on paying attention to the opinions of oddsmakers and opponents — mainly the ones pegging them as Stanley Cup favourites.

Montreal Alouettes defensive co-ordinator Rich Stubler will be playing hurt Friday night. Stubler was riding his bike in the city earlier in the week when he crashed into an open car door. He suffered five broken ribs and a broken hand.

MONTREAL — A healthy Johnny Manziel is wondering why he's not starting for the Montreal Alouettes.

BROSSARD, Que. — Tomas Tatar and Karl Alzner are two different players — one a scoring winger, the other a bruising defenceman. But they can relate to each other this season.