National Sports

Edmonton’s devastating power play looks like it is as potent as ever heading into another season.

OTTAWA — Coaches don’t put much stock in the pre-season, but Toronto Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe and Ottawa Senators coach D.J. Smith agree that it's a time for peripheral players to step up.

TORONTO — It might have been just a pre-season game, but to the Toronto Raptors and their fans, Monday night's pre-season opener against the visiting Philadelphia 76ers felt like so much more. The Raptors were home — finally.

WINNIPEG — Wide receiver Kenny Lawler has been suspended by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers after he told the team he had been arrested for drunk driving. Lawler will miss Friday's game when the Edmonton Elks visit Winnipeg.

TORONTO — Canadian flyweight Malcolm (X) Gordon and featherweight Gavin (Guv'nor) Tucker have been added to the UFC Fight Night card Nov. 20 in Las Vegas. Gordon takes on Ukraine's Denys (Psycho) Bondar while Tucker tackles American Pat Sabatini.

Pierre-Luc Dubois was in the middle of his workout. The televisions perched throughout the gym usually show an endless loop of sports highlights from the previous night's action. On this August morning, however, the game was live.

Canada is getting reinforcements for its World Cup qualifying showdown with Chile in the form of former captain Tyler Ardron. The 30-year-old from Lakefield, Ont., who plays in France for Castres Olympique, has arrived in B.C.

TORONTO — The CFL's one-game suspension to B.C. Lions defensive back Garry Peters for verbal abuse was adjusted to a maximum fine on appeal, the league announced Monday. The amount of the fine, in keeping with league policy, was not disclosed.

TORONTO — A storybook ending to a most unusual regular season was within reach for the Toronto Blue Jays, who used a September surge to make things very interesting down the stretch.

TORONTO — McLeod Bethel-Thompson wants to help the Toronto Argonauts achieve something they've yet to do this year. Bethel-Thompson will make a second straight start Wednesday night when Toronto (4-3) hosts the Ottawa Redblacks (2-5) at BMO Field.