National Sports

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — His psychologist has warned Robert Wickens to consider the worst possible scenarios as he recovers from a spinal cord injury.

Marcus Stroman pitched four scoreless innings in one game, Anthony Alford hit two home runs in another, and the Toronto Blue Jays downed the Pittsburgh Pirates in a pair of split-squad spring training games on Friday.

TORONTO — Avie's Flatter was installed as the early 3-1 Queen's Plate Winterbook favourite Friday.

Kevin Cheveldayoff joked the trade deadline was "just another Monday." It wasn't. The point the Winnipeg Jets general manager was attempting to make, however, was nothing comes easy in the NHL. Cheveldayoff was the busiest GM on Feb.

Winning is important to longtime football coach Greg Marshall, but not at the expense of player safety. Marshall has won plenty in the game.

TORONTO — He has played Canadian university football and coached the game, but Todd Smith is waiting before he lets his two sons get on the field.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Robert Wickens says he will be in a race car again, saying it's "all I know." Sitting in a wheelchair and looking to be in good spirits, the Canadian driver talked to media today ahead of Sunday's season-opening IndyCar race.

TORONTO — Shane Wright has become the sixth player to be admitted early entry into a Canadian Hockey League draft under the exceptional-player rule. The Ontario Hockey Federation announced Friday that the 15-year-old forward from Burlington, Ont.

BEIJING — Canada's Jennifer Abel captured two medals on Friday at the second Diving World Series event of the season. The 27-year-old native of Laval, Que.

MONTREAL — Given the Montreal Impact's continued struggles on the road, goalkeeper Evan Bush wanted to give his side a leg up — so he probed the opposition.