The mercy pull came midway through the second period. By then, Scott Wedgewood was down and dazed in the crease, his bare head buried in his hands after being run over by a Russian forward following a breakaway goal. In some ways, it was a fitting image for what it’s like to be a Team…

PYEONGCHANG, Korea, Republic Of — The cold is back for the Winter Games. After two straight balmy Olympics where some might have wondered if it was even winter, let alone the world’s pre-eminent freeze-dependent sporting event, athletes and visitors alike will finally experience a serious chill in their bones during the games in mountainous Pyeongchang.…

As far as predictions are concerned, Kailer Yamamoto is not guaranteeing another gold medal for Team USA at the world junior hockey championships. Nor is he promising that he will lead the tournament in scoring. But the 19-year-old is willing to go out on a limb when it concerns the Edmonton Oilers. They’re making the…

SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Giants acquired infielder Evan Longoria and cash from the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday for outfielder Denard Span, infielder Christian Arroyo and two minor league pitchers. The 32-year-old Longoria leaves Tampa as the longest-tenured player in franchise history, after spending nearly 10 seasons in a Rays uniform. He is…

In this Oct. 18, 2005 file photo, Toronto Raptors forward Charlie Villanueva takes a break during a game against the New Jersey Nets. Photograph by: David Lucas Your midday sports snack. Toast points • The Sportsnet account @SNstats tweeted out the breaking news yesterday that the Maple Leafs had scored their 20,000th regular-season goal in…

When the Russian Olympic team was barred from the coming Winter Games for running a doping program, the ruling by the International Olympic Committee raised a host of important questions. Can it be considered the most elaborate doping conspiracy in sports history? How many Olympic events were corrupted by Russian athletes using illicit substances? And,…