Oilers Battle Pressure, Braz Doping Ban, and New Women's League Formed: Complete Sports Update

The latest sports news features the Edmonton Oilers trying to avoid elimination, Olympic pole vault champion Thiago Braz facing a doping ban, and the launch of Canada's Northern Super League for women's soccer. Other highlights include tennis matchups, golf retirements, and MLB and NHL updates.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Wolves stay alive with Game 4 road win over Mavericks

That one was about pride. The next three are about history.

Out to avoid 3-1 hole, Oilers try to halt Stars' road success

The pressure is on the Edmonton Oilers as they prepare to host the Dallas Stars for Game 4 of the Western Conference final on Wednesday. Trailing 2-1 in the best-of-seven set and coming off a 5-3 home loss on Monday, the Oilers are aware of the importance of this clash and how their odds of advancing will drop significantly if they are put on the verge of elimination.

Athletics-Olympic pole vault champion Braz gets 16-month ban for doping

Brazilian former Olympic pole vault champion Thiago Braz has been banned for 16 months after he was found to have violated anti-doping regulations, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said in a statement on Tuesday. The 30-year-old, who won Olympic gold at the Rio Olympics in 2016, setting the Olympic record at 6.03 metres, and took bronze in Tokyo in 2021, will miss this year's Olympic Games in Paris.

Soccer-New Canadian women's league to be called Northern Super League

Canada's first professional women's soccer league will be known as the Northern Super League while Montreal and Ottawa will join four previously announced franchises for the inaugural 2025 season, it was announced on Tuesday. The league, created by retired Canada international Diana Matheson and business partner Thomas Gilbert at Project 8 Sports Inc, will debut in April 2025 and also include franchises in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Halifax.

Tennis-Big guns Swiatek and Osaka meet in early French Open showdown

Defending French Open champion Iga Swiatek will take on Naomi Osaka in a blockbuster second-round contest between the two most successful women in the Roland Garros draw, renewing a rivalry split down the middle after two years on Wednesday. Swiatek heads into the clash against her fellow four-times Grand Slam champion in the form of her life on clay, having captured titles in Madrid and Rome as she bids to lift the Suzanne Lenglen Cup for a fourth time.

Golf-Thompson to retire after 2024 LPGA season

American Lexi Thompson, a former major champion and two-time Olympian, will retire from full-time competitive golf following the 2024 season, the LPGA announced on Tuesday. The 29-year-old Thompson is an 11-time winner on the LPGA Tour and will be making her 18th consecutive start in a U.S. Women's Open when she tees off at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania on Thursday.

Tennis-Djokovic and Sabalenka ease through on rain-hit day at French Open

Rain put a dampener on the third day of the French Open but defending champion Novak Djokovic avoided getting bogged down as his quest for a professional era record-extending 25th Grand Slam title got off to a solid enough start on Tuesday. It was business-like rather than spectacular for Djokovic in the late match on Court Philippe Chatrier but earlier Casper Ruud and Aryna Sabalenka provided some bright spots on a grey Parisian day with impressive first-round wins.

Blue Jackets hire Don Waddell to lead turnaround

The Columbus Blue Jackets agreed to a multi-year deal Tuesday with Don Waddell to become the club's president of hockey operations, general manager and alternate governor. Waddell, 65, resigned as president and general manager of the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday after 10 seasons with the organization.

MLB roundup: Rockies break Guardians' 9-game win streak

Charlie Blackmon homered, doubled twice and drove in four runs and the Colorado Rockies used a six-run fourth inning to beat the red-hot Cleveland Guardians 8-6 in Denver on Monday. Cleveland had its nine-game winning streak snapped, the team's longest run since it won an American League-record 22 games in a row from Aug. 24 to Sept. 14, 2017.

Patriots sign first-round pick QB Drake Maye

The New England Patriots signed Drake Maye, their first-round draft pick and likely quarterback of the future, to his four-year rookie contract on Tuesday. The Patriots did not disclose financial terms, but based on the rookie wage scale, Maye is expected to receive a full guaranteed $36.63 million contract with a $23.46 million signing bonus as the third overall pick in April's draft.