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• There are 50 days left until the Winter Olympics begin in Pyeongchang. The newly built high-speed rail line from Seoul to Pyeongchang makes its first public run tomorrow, and the organizing committee is holding a three-day festival in Seoul this weekend to let the public try some of the Olympic sports, such as hockey, curling and figure skating.

• Most winter sports are dark this weekend in advance of Christmas, but the freestyle skiers are competing in Thaiwoo, China. Mikael Kingsbury earned his second World Cup victory of the season today in the moguls. Andi Naude finished third in the women’s event and Justine Dufour-Lapointe was fourth. There is another moguls competition tomorrow. There is also a World Cup ski slopestyle final in southern France on Saturday.

• Canada’s world junior team scored five goals over six minutes in the third period to dismantle the Czech Republic 9-0 in London, Ont., last night. Lightning prospect Taylor Raddysh led Canada with two goals and two assists, Blues draftee Robert Thomas also had four points and Carter Hart made 18 saves for the shutout. The Canadians play Switzerland in a final tuneup game in Hamilton, Ont., tomorrow night before opening the tournament against Finland next Tuesday afternoon in Buffalo.

• Toronto FC midfielder Benoit Cheyrou retired today as an MLS champion. Cheyrou, 36, came to Toronto in 2015 after playing 16 years in his native France and won soccer’s Canadian championship, the MLS regular-season title and the MLS Cup with the Reds this season. His time with the club will be remembered for the extra-time goal he scored in the 2016 Eastern Conference final to lift TFC over archrivals Montreal and into the title match. He plans to stick around in a coaching role with the TFC Academy.

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• Five teams have clinched their NFL playoff spots after 15 weeks, which leaves six teams capable of earning a spot this week while the five already in can improve their lot.

AFC East champion New England (11-3) can clinch home field in the AFC with a win plus a loss by Pittsburgh and a loss by Jacksonville.

The Steelers (11-3), the AFC North champion, can earn a bye with a win and a loss by Jacksonville.

The Jaguars (10-4) can secure the AFC South title with a win or a Tennessee loss.

The Titans (8-6) can earn a playoff spot with a win and losses by Baltimore and Buffalo.

Kansas City (8-6) can lock up the AFC West with a win or a loss by the Chargers.

In the NFC, East champion Philadelphia (12-2) can clinch home field in the conference with a win or a loss by Minnesota.

The Vikings (11-3) can earn a first-round bye with a win and a loss by Carolina.

The L.A. Rams (10-4) can secure the NFC West with a win or a Seattle loss. They can also clinch a playoff berth if Detroit, Carolina and Atlanta all lose.

In the hotly contested NFC South, New Orleans (10-4) can claim the division title with a win. The Panthers (10-4) and Atlanta (9-5) can each clinch a playoff spot with a win.

• Concerns are emerging about Andy Murray’s ailing hip. Reports indicate he is in a headlong rush to get fit to kick off his 2018 season at the Brisbane International, which starts Dec. 31. He had planned to arrive in Australia before Christmas to acclimate himself to the weather and the time change, but he remains in the U.K., continuing to rehab the injury, which has kept him off tour since a quarter-final loss at Wimbledon.

• Bosco, the Russian clothing company, is protesting the country’s official banishment from the Pyeongchang Games by seeking to delay its contract to supply clothing for the IOC, which was set to kick in at the beginning of 2018. Mikhail Kusnirovich, Bosco’s founder and chairman, told Reuters he doesn’t want the brand associated with a Russia-free Games. He’s willing to let the IOC keep and use the clothing already delivered, but he doesn’t want any of its advertising to appear.

“Even such beautiful chic clothes — let them keep them, but the Bosco brand and what we own … I will ask for that not to be activated,” he said.

• Another group that doesn’t want to participate in these Olympics: Norway’s anti-doping officials. Anti-doping officials from around the world who work at the Olympics are not compensated by the IOC. Norway, for one, is tired of footing the bill, according to InsideTheGames.biz, citing a report in the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten.

“If you sell TV rights for this arrangement for billions of dollars, then we think it’s wrong that we pay for Norwegian doping controllers to help with the controls,” Anders Solheim, Norway’s anti-doping chief, said in the report. “An inspector should receive a reasonable salary and his trip paid for the three weeks he or she will be there. … It is downplaying the priority of our work, and we are tired of it.” Sweden, apparently, agrees but will still send its representatives.

• One of the greatest teams in NCAA women’s basketball history, the Connecticut Huskies, will be in Toronto on Friday to play a sold-out game against Duquesne as a part of Ryerson’s Hoopfest. UConn, which is 9-0 and ranked No. 1 this season, features Canadian national team player Kia Nurse. The senior guard from Hamilton scored 33 points on the same Mattamy Athletic Centre floor when she led Canada to an 81-73 win over the U.S. in the final of the 2015 Pan Am Games. This season, Nurse is averaging 33.5 minutes and 15.6 points per game.

The game against Duquesne (10-2) is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. Tonight, UConn coach Geno Auriemma will headline a coaching clinic from 6-9 p.m.

• The NHL announced the headline musical act for the Winter Classic on Jan. 1 between the New York state-rival Sabres and Rangers. The Goo Goo Dolls, a Buffalo band that had a hit called Broadway 17 years ago, will playing during the first intermission out at Citi Field in Queens.

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Nutritional analysis

AP’s Tim Reynolds wrote this week that legendary basketball coach Red Auerbach “never wanted his Boston Celtics to play a Christmas home game because team staff and arena workers would lose family time on the holiday. The Celtics often played on Christmas, but never at home. A ‘home’ game on Dec. 25, 1964 against Detroit was played at Madison Square Garden in New York as part of a doubleheader.”

It’s the 70th anniversary of the NBA’s attempt to corner the market on Christmas Day, but the league has a little competition this season as the NFL has scheduled two games on Monday: Oakland at Philadelphia in the usual Monday night time slot, and Pittsburgh at Houston in a late-afternoon contest. The NBA has scheduled its usual slate of five games for the 10th straight year, involving its biggest markets (New York and Los Angeles) and its best teams (Cleveland, Golden State, Boston and Houston).

Christmas will once again be Raptor-free, although DeMar DeRozan will play his fifth career Boxing Day game on Tuesday. Of course, the Raptors have never played any of those five Canada-exclusive-holiday games at home. This year they are in Dallas.

Here are some other facts and figures about the NBA on Christmas Day.

Best Christmas performers, single game, individual: The Knicks’ Bernard King scored 60 points in a 120-114 loss at home to the Nets in 1984, shooting 19 of 30 from the field and 22 of 26 from the free-throw line. Rick Barry, playing for the San Francisco Warriors in 1966, scored 50 points to best Oscar Robertson and the Cincinnati Royals. The list of players who have topped 40 points on Christmas Day includes Tracy McGrady (2000, 2002, 2003), Jerry West (1963, 1965), Robertson (1961), Dominique Wilkins (1987), Michael Jordan (1992), Kobe Bryant (2004), Dwyane Wade (2006) and Kevin Durant (2010). (Caveat: Basketball-Reference’s complete searchable database only goes back to the 1963-64 season.)

Best Christmas performer, career, individual: Robertson’s Cincinnati Royals (now the Sacramento Kings) frequently played on Christmas Day and the Hall of Famer scored 414 points in 13 holiday appearances. Bryant played 16 times on Christmas Day, scoring 395 points. LeBron James (11 appearances) and Wade (12) each have recorded 301 points.

Best Christmas performer, team, career: The Miami Heat are 10-2 on Christmas Day; Portland is 14-3 and Washington is 16-7. The Wizards will travel to Boston for the first true Christmas Day game there on Monday.

Worst Christmas performer, team, career: The Raptors lost their only Christmas Day appearance in 2001, dropping a 102-94 decision in New York. New Orleans is 0-2. Minnesota had never been scheduled for Christmas Day before last season, when it lost 112-100 in Oklahoma City. Teams based in Charlotte and the Grizzlies (both Vancouver and Memphis) have never been invited to showcase their teams on the holiday.

This year’s lineup of games, four on Sportsnet and one on TSN2, is in the TV listings below.

Photo of the day

Here’s Raptors-era Vince Carter to get you in the holiday spirit.

At nationalpost.com

• Remember Canada’s third-period implosion against Russia in the 2011 world junior final? Or the 6-1 lead they spotted Russia in the 2012 semis? Or the 6-5 loss to Finland in the 2016 quarters? Goaltending wasn’t the only issue in those crushing, untimely defeats, but as Michael Traikos writes, it’s a big reason Canada has only one gold medal from the last eight tournaments. Can Carter Hart change the narrative this year in Buffalo?

• Each member of basketball’s infamous Ball family is known for something: dad LaVar quarrelled with Donald Trump, Lakers rookie Lonzo is shooting 34 per cent from the field, ex-UCLA freshman LiAngelo was detained for shoplifting in China, and 16-year-old LaMelo once cherry-picked his way to 92 points. Now, Andrew Keh writes, the younger two brothers are turning pro — in the unsuspecting Lithuanian town of Prienai, home to 9,000 people and five newly employed team marketing staff.

TV this weekend

All times Eastern

Thursday

7 p.m. NHL
— Columbus at Pittsburgh Sportsnet, TVAS
— Winnipeg at Boston TSN3
7 p.m. NBA: Toronto at Philadelphia SN One
7:30 p.m. NHL: Ottawa at Tampa Bay TSN5, RDS
8 p.m. NCAA Football: Gasparilla Bowl, Temple vs. Florida International TSN1
9 p.m. NHL: St. Louis at Edmonton SN West
9 p.m. NCAA Basketball: Connecticut at Arizona TSN4
10:30 p.m. NHL: Vancouver at San Jose SN Pacific
10:30 p.m. NBA: San Antonio at Utah SN One
11 p.m. NCAA Basketball: Kansas vs. Stanford TSN4

Friday

Noon Hockey: Canadian women’s Olympic roster announcement TSN1
12:30 p.m. NCAA Football: Bahamas Bowl, UAB vs. Ohio TSN2
2:45 p.m. Soccer: Premier League, Arsenal vs. Liverpool TSN1,3-5
4 p.m. NCAA Football: Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Central Michigan vs. Wyoming TSN2
7 p.m. NHL: Philadelphia at Buffalo Sportsnet, SN One
7 p.m. Hockey: World junior exhibition, Switzerland vs. Canada TSN1,3-5
7 p.m. NBA: New York at Detroit NBATV
9 p.m. NHL: Montreal at Calgary TSN2, SN West, RDS
10 p.m. NBA: Denver at Portland NBATV
10:30 p.m. NBA: LA Lakers at Golden State TSN1,3

Saturday

7 a.m. Soccer: La Liga, Real Madrid vs. FC Barcelona beIN Sports
7:30 a.m. Soccer: Premier League, Everton vs. Chelsea TSN1,4,5
10 a.m. Soccer: Premier League
— Manchester City vs. Bournemouth Sportsnet
— Swansea vs. Crystal Palace TSN1
— West Ham vs. Newcastle TSN4
— Southampton vs. Huddersfield TSN5
— Stoke vs. West Brom SN One
— Brighton vs. Watford SN World
Noon NCAA Football: Birmingham Bowl, Texas Tech vs. South Florida TSN1
12:30 p.m. Soccer: Premier League, Burnley vs. Tottenham NBC, SN One
1 p.m. NHL
— Detroit at Boston Sportsnet
— Winnipeg at NY Islanders TSN3
1:30 p.m. NCAA Basketball: Ohio State vs. North Carolina CBS
2:45 p.m. Soccer: Premier League, Leicester vs. Manchester United NBC, SN World
4 p.m. NCAA Basketball: Kentucky vs. UCLA CBS
4:30 p.m. NFL: Indianapolis at Baltimore TSN1,3-5, RDS
5 p.m. NBA: Philadelphia at Toronto TSN2
7 p.m. NHL
— Toronto at NY Rangers CBC
— Montreal at Edmonton Sportsnet, TVAS
— Ottawa at Florida SN 360, City
7:30 p.m. NBA: Chicago at Boston SN One
8:30 p.m. NFL Football: Minnesota at Green Bay NBC, TSN1,3-5, RDS
8:30 p.m. NBA: Denver at Golden State TSN2
9:30 p.m. NBA: Portland at LA Lakers NBATV
10 p.m. NHL: St. Louis at Vancouver CBC, Sportsnet

Sunday

1 p.m. NFL:
— Detroit at Cincinnati TSN1,3-5, FOX (regional)
— LA Rams at Tennessee CTV (B.C., Alberta, Winnipeg), FOX (regional)
— Buffalo at New England CTV (Sask., Ontario, Montreal, Atlantic), CBS (regional)
— Atlanta at New Orleans CTV (Ottawa), FOX (regional), RDS
— Denver at Washington CBS (regional)
— Miami at Kansas City CBS (regional)
— Cleveland at Chicago CBS (regional)
4 p.m. NFL: Jacksonville at San Francisco TSN1,3-5, CBS (regional)
4:25 p.m. NFL:
— Seattle at Dallas CTV (Ontario west), CTV Two (Atlantic), FOX (regional), RDS
— NY Giants at Arizona CTV (Montreal), FOX (regional)

Monday (Christmas Day)

Noon NBA: Philadelphia at New York Sportsnet, SN One
3 p.m. NBA: Cleveland at Golden State Sportsnet, SN One
4:30 p.m. NFL: Pittsburgh at Houston NBC, TSN1,3-5, RDS
5:30 p.m. NBA: Washington at Boston TSN2
8 p.m. NBA: Houston at Oklahoma City Sportsnet, SN One
8:30 p.m. NFL: Oakland at Philadelphia TSN1,3-5, RDS
10:30 p.m. NBA: Minnesota at LA Lakers Sportsnet, SN One

Tuesday (Boxing Day)

7 a.m. Soccer: Premier League, Tottenham vs. Southampton Sportsnet
9 a.m. Hockey: Spengler Cup, Dinamo Riga vs. Switzerland TSN2
10 a.m. Soccer: Premier League
— West Brom vs. Everton Sportsnet
— Chelsea vs. Brighton TSN1
— Bournemouth vs. West Ham TSN3
— Manchester United vs. Burnley TSN4
— Watford vs. Leicester TSN5
— Huddersfield vs. Stoke SN World
Noon Hockey: World junior, Russia vs. Czech Republic TSN1,3-5
Noon Soccer: Premier League, Liverpool vs. Swansea Sportsnet
2 p.m. Hockey: Spengler Cup, Mountfield HK vs. Canada TSN2
4 p.m. Hockey: World junior, Finland vs. Canada TSN1,3-5
5:15 p.m. NCAA Football: Quick Lane Bowl, Duke vs. Northern Illinois TSN2
7 p.m. NBA: Toronto at Dallas SN One, Sportsnet
8 p.m. Hockey: World junior, U.S. vs. Denmark TSN1,3-5
9 p.m. NCAA Football: Cactus Bowl, Kansas State vs. UCLA TSN2
9 p.m. NBA: Utah at Denver NBATV
10:30 p.m. NBA: Sacramento at LA Clippers SN One

Hot Buttered Post, usually served Monday through Thursday, will return Dec. 27.