Sports News Roundup: NHL: Kadri, Avalanche bury Blues; Shapovalov down Tsitsipas in next-gen battle and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

NHL roundup: Kadri, Avalanche bury Blues

Nazem Kadri scored twice as the Colorado Avalanche ended a six-game losing streak to St. Louis by beating the Blues 7-3 in Denver. The Avalanche won for just the second time in their last seven games (2-4-1). The Western Conference-leading Blues have lost back-to-back games on the heels of an eight-game winning streak.

Shapovalov downs Tsitsipas in next-gen battle, Zverev wilts

Denis Shapovalov won the battle of the next generation against Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas to help Canada to an emphatic 3-0 victory in the inaugural ATP Cup men's team event in Brisbane on Friday. Shapovalov, the baby-faced 20-year-old left-hander, gave Canada an unassailable 2-0 lead in the tie with a 7-6(6) 7-6(4) win over world number six Tsitsipas at the Patrick Rafter Arena.

Ohio State's Young enters NFL draft

Ohio State edge rusher Chase Young became the third member of the school's productive junior class to declare for the 2020 NFL Draft. He posted his emotional announcement on Twitter on Friday.

NBA roundup: Heat win again at home

Rookie Tyler Herro scored 11 straight second-half points as the Miami Heat ran their home record to an NBA-best 16-1 by defeating the Toronto Raptors 84-76 on Thursday night. Toronto shot a season-low 31.5 percent, including 6 of 42 on 3-pointers (14.3 percent). Miami shot just 40.7 percent, including 12 of 37 on 3-pointers (32.4 percent).

Brady, Brees headline wild card weekend clashes

Veteran quarterbacks Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Russell Wilson will headline the NFL's wild card weekend, while young upstarts such as the Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen and Houston Texans' Deshaun Watson look to make their mark in the post-season. The New England Patriots' Brady has landed in unfamiliar territory, with the team headed into its first wild card round in a decade after an embarrassing loss against the Miami Dolphins in their final regular-season game.

Djokovic and Nadal rally for merger of ATP Cup and Davis Cup

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal urged organizers of the ATP Cup and Davis Cup Finals to consider a possible merger, saying it makes little sense to have two men's team competitions on the tennis calendar. The ATP Cup, which begins on Friday, will feature 24 nations contesting in Perth, Brisbane, and Sydney over 10 days for the first time and will give the top men's players a solid platform to prepare for the Australian Open.

Dakar poses biggest challenge yet for rookie Alonso

Fernando Alonso will make history as the first Formula One champion to compete in the Dakar Rally when the world's toughest endurance event enters a new era in Saudi Arabia on Sunday and the star rookie has no illusions about the challenge. Nothing in the 38-year-old Spaniard's track career compares to the obstacles ahead, including 250 meter high dunes, over thousands of kilometers from Jeddah to the finish in Qiddiya on Jan.

17. Australian sports rallies behind bushfire relief

Australian sports stars, sparked in part by a call to action from tennis player Nick Kyrgios, have rallied to raise funds in support of relief and recovery efforts for victims of the country's bushfire catastrophe. Hundreds of wildfires have scorched more than 5.25 million hectares (13 million acres) of bushland and destroyed over 1,000 homes over the last few months.

Niemann's Presidents Cup confidence sparks hot start at Sentry Tournament

Chilean Joaquin Niemann, fresh from mixing it with the best in last month's Presidents Cup, fired a seven-under-par 66 on Thursday to grab the first-round lead at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Kapalua, Hawaii. The 21-year-old enjoyed a bogey-free round to grab a one-stroke advantage over world No. 4 Justin Thomas.

Bears hand S Jackson $58.4 million contract

Chicago Bears safety Eddie Jackson agreed to a four-year contract worth $58.4 million, making him the NFL's highest-paid player in average annual value at the position. The deal with the Pro Bowl defensive back averages $14.6 million a year.