There were certainly no shortage of headlines coming out of the world of sports this week. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images, Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images/Yahoo Canada Illustration)
We hope you were able to catch up on some sleep after the Winter Olympics, because the Paralympics are here to have us all waving the Canadian flag for another week.
Beyond the hot start in Milano Cortina, the Toronto Maple Leafs underwhelmed in what was a relatively quiet NHL trade deadline, Canada is already facing an uphill battle at the World Baseball Classic, and the Toronto Raptors have found themselves in a serious battle for an automatic playoff berth. Also out of the NBA, Canadian Dillon Brooks was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Elsewhere, arguably Canada’s greatest skip ever Brad Gushue bid farewell to curling at the 2026 Brier, Victoria Mboko and Felix Auger-Aliassime both impressed at the Indian Wells Masters, and the Canada women’s soccer team wrapped up play in the SheBelives Cup.
Here’s everything that happened in and around Canadians in the world of sport over the past week:
Team Canada off to hot start at Winter Paralympics
Silver Medalist Mark Arendz auf Team Canada celebrates during the medal ceremony for the Men´s Individual Competition Standing on day two of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games at Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium on March 8, 2026 in Val di Fiemme, Italy. (Photo by Daniel Kopatsch/VOIGT/GettyImages)
(Daniel Kopatsch/VOIGT via Getty Images)
Natalie Wilkie topped off what was a memorable opening weekend for Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Paralympics by winning gold in the women’s individual para biathlon competition. It was her second medal of these Games, having already picked up a silver medal in the para biathlon women’s sprint.
Mark Arendz also won a silver medal in the standing individual biathlon competition, which accounted for his 13th Paralympics medal. This is Arendz’s fifth Games and he comfortably sits as one of Canada’s most decorated Paralympians. Arendz now has two gold, five silver, and six bronze medals to his name.
After just a couple days in Milan, Canada has one gold, three silvers and two bronze medals at the Winter Games.
The 2026 Paralympics in Milano Cortina will conclude on March 15.
Maple Leafs underwhelm at quiet NHL trade deadline
Maple Leafs General Manager Brad Treliving chats to the media with Head Coach Craig Berube to the left. The Toronto Maple Leafs held a media availability prior to to their first skate of the season tomorrow at their practice facility at the Ford Performance Centre. September 17 2025 Richard Lautens/Toronto Star (Photo by Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
(Richard Lautens via Getty Images)
Ahead of the March 6 trade deadline, the Maple Leafs only managed to net a conditional third-round pick in dealing Scott Laughton — a player they once surrendered their own first-rounder for. In a season that is blowing up in flames, they were in desperate need of some salvaging via the trade deadline, but that clearly wasn’t to be.
The Leafs currently sit last in the Atlantic Division with a seven-game losing streak, their longest skid since the 2015 season. Toronto has made the playoffs every year since 2016, but don’t seem poised for another postseason berth with the way things are going.
“The market speaks,” Treliving said after the trade deadline. “We were trying to be as active as we could to obtain and acquire as many young assets as we could. We were able to do what we were able to do.”
Speaking of flames, Calgary re-ignited Nazem Kadri’s hopes of competing for another Stanley Cup by trading him to the Colorado Avalanche for forward Victor Olofsson, prospect Maxmilian Curran, a conditional 2028 first-round pick and a conditional 2027 second-round pick.
All in all, this was the least active deadline since 2021 when there were 17 deals involving 26 players. This deadline featured 20 trades with 33 players changing places.
Dillon Brooks arrested for suspected DUI
Phoenix Suns guard and Mississauga, Ont., native Dillon Brooks was arrested on suspicion of DUI in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Brooks has been out of action of late due to a broken hand that required surgery. He has been a critical component of a Suns team that has surprised many this season and is in the thick of the playoff picture.
Video of the exchange between him and the police officer was released, where the officer can be heard saying Brooks’ car smelled like a “dispensary” and also confirming that Brooks blew a zero on the breathalyzer.
Canada starts 1-1 at World Baseball Classic
Bo Naylor #23 of Team Canada reacts after scoring in the fourth inning the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool A game presented by Capital One between Team Panama and Team Canada at Hiram Bithorn Stadium on Sunday, March 8, 2026 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
(Mary DeCicco via Getty Images)
It’s not quite the start Canada was hoping for at the World Baseball Classic, following up a resounding 8-2 win over Colombia in the opening game with a nailbiting 4-3 loss to Panama in the second game.
Owen Caissie homered against Colombia while the Naylor brothers, Bo and Josh, each drove in a run. Michael Soroka looked strong in his three innings of work to pick up the win. It was largely expected that Canada would come away with the win in this contest but a lot of the hope in terms of advancing from the pool stage was hanging on the second game.
In a bit of fun before Canada versus Panama got underway, there was a stand-off after the national anthems between the two Logan Allens, which Panama’s Allen won. Perhaps that was foreshadowing.
The game was marred by a significant rain delay and, after taking an early 2-1 lead, the red and white lost grip of the contest as Panama put up a three-run sixth. Errors proved costly for the Canadians, as all three runs conceded were unearned.
Panama was 0-2 entering this game with losses to Cuba and hosts Puerto Rico. Only the top two from each group advance, so Canadian manager Ernie Whitt’s squad is going to have their work cut out for themselves going into games against Puerto Rico on March 10 and Cuba on March 11.
Canada has never advanced out of the pool stage at the World Baseball Classic.
Athlete of the Week: Natalie Wilkie
Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympics – Para Biathlon – Women’s Individual Standing – Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium, Lago, Italy – March 08, 2026. Gold medallist Natalie Wilkie of Canada celebrates after winning the women’s individual standing (REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier)
(REUTERS / Reuters)
Another gold adds to the growing legend of Wilkie’s Paralympics legacy, having won seven medals over her previous two appearances at the Games in 2018 and 2022. She had three gold medals, two silver, and two bronze already before adding to her tally here in Milano Cortina. Remarkably, she’s only 25-years-old.
Wilkie lost four fingers on her left hand in a school workshop incident in 2016, and then competed in her first Paralympics two years later as a 17-year-old. It’s so inspiring to think of what she’s accomplished since.
There’ll be a couple more medal opportunities for Canada’s opening ceremony flag bearer, still, at Milano Cortina.
Raptors have fallen into serious playoff battle
Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks drives against Scottie Barnes #4 of the Toronto Raptors during the second half of their NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on March 8, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
(Cole Burston via Getty Images)
Despite a win on Sunday over 2025’s top draft choice Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks, the Raptors are facing a serious battle to secure a direct playoff berth.
Currently fifth in the East at 36-27, the Miami Heat have won five straight and the Orlando Magic have won four straight to each pull within a game of the Raptors. Only the top six teams in each conference receive a guaranteed playoff spot as the teams ranked seventh through 10th have to battle it out in the Play-In Tournament.
Falling into that tournament would be a bitter pill to swallow for the Raptors having been in the top six for the vast majority of the season and even spending a decent chunk of it in the top four. As things stand, the Raptors in the five-seed would match up against a Cleveland Cavaliers team they are 3-0 against while falling to sixth would result in a matchup with the New York Knicks against whom Toronto is 0-4.
Aiding their cause moving forward should be what looks to be a fully healthy RJ Barrett. After struggling with a pair of injuries to the tune of missing 24 games, Barrett has played some of his best basketball over the last few games, culminating in a season-high 31-point performance in the win over the Mavs. Barrett also became just the eighth Canadian to score 8,000 points in the NBA, joining Steve Nash, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Andrew Wiggins, Jamal Murray, Rick Fox, Kelly Olynyk, and Dillon Brooks.
Toronto’s bid to hang onto fifth this week involves battling the Houston Rockets, New Orleans Pelicans, and Detroit Pistons.
Mboko, Auger-Aliassime advance in Indian Wells
Mar 6, 2026; Indian Wells, CA, USA; Victoria Mboko (CAN) waves to the crowd after winning her second round match against Kimberly Birrell (AUS) in the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / Reuters)
Victoria Mboko and Felix Auger-Aliassime have both made impressive starts at the Indian Wells Masters 1000 event.
Seeded 10th, Mboko defeated Kimberley Birrell 6-4, 7-6(5) in her opening match and then looked extremely convincing in a 6-4, 6-1 win over the 23rd seed Anna Kalinskaya. It gets a whole lot tougher in the Round of 16, where Mboko will take on 2025 U.S. Open finalist Amanda Anisimova. If she can win that, one of World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka or four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka will be awaiting her in the quarterfinals.
On the men’s side, Denis Shapovalov’s tournament came to an end with a 6-3, 6-2 loss to world no. 2 Jannik Sinner.
Meanwhile, Felix Auger-Aliassime has had to play a pair of tough three-setters to work his way into the Round of 16, first over veteran crowd favourite Gael Monfils and then against compatriot Gabriel Diallo.
Frankly, Auger-Aliassime probably loses that match to Monfils a year ago and it speaks to the strides he’s made over the last six months that he found a way to come through it. He now faces an intriguing fourth round challenge against up and coming Frenchman Arthur Fils.
It wasn’t all smiles for Auger-Aliassime this week, though, as after losing a bet over the Olympics men’s hockey final to world no. 37 Sebastian Korda — who hails from the United States — Auger-Aliassime had to begrudgingly wear some Team USA hockey apparel.
Canada women’s soccer wraps up play in SheBelieves Cup
Solana Pereyra #1 of Argentina jumps to stop a header by Jordyn Huitema #9 of Canada in the second half of the SheBelieves Cup 2026 against Canada at Sports Illustrated Stadium on March 7, 2026 in Harrison, New Jersey. (Photo by Ira L. Black/USSF/Getty Images)
(Ira L. Black/USSF via Getty Images)
The Canada women’s senior soccer team bounced back from a 1-0 loss to the U.S. with a penalty shootout win (3-2) over Argentina on Saturday.
Goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan was tremendous in the shootout, saving twice as captain Jessie Fleming, Janine Sosis, and Julia Grosso found the back of the net with their attempts. Canada dominated the second half but just couldn’t break the shackles. It was a goalless 90 minutes and tournament rules sent the match straight to a shootout without extra time.
The Canadian women won’t be back in action until April when they face Brazil, South Korea, and Zambia.
Brad Gushue ends legendary career at Brier
Curling – World Curling Championships – Men’s Final – Canada v Sweden – Schaffhausen, Switzerland – April 7, 2024 Canada’s Brad Gushue reacts REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
(REUTERS / Reuters)
Olympic curling gold medallist, former world champion, and six-time Brier champion bid farewell to the sport at the 2026 Brier event after being eliminated by the current Olympic gold medallist Brad Jacobs.
It’s rather special that Gushue was able to close out his career at home in Newfoundland along with his rink of Mark Nichols, Brendan Bottcher, and Geoff Walker.
Gushue wraps up his career as the winningest skip in Canadian men’s curling history.
As for the tournament itself, Manitoba’s Matt Dunstone defeated Alberta’s Kevin Koe 6-3 to clinch his first Brier title on Sunday. This was Dunstone’s eighth Brier appearance and his third final.
Dunstone had defeated Jacobs to make the final, avenging his Olympic trials defeat to the man who won the gold medal.