EDMONTON – Nikita Kucherov had two goals and two assists to move two points ahead of Connor McDavid for the league scoring lead as the Tampa Bay Lightning won their third game in a row, defeating the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 on Saturday.

Anthony Cirelli had a pair of goals and Jake Guentzel also scored for the Lightning (43-21-4) who have won four of their last five.

Connor McDavid and Josh Samanski replied for the Oilers (34-28-9) who have lost two straight and missed out on a glorious opportunity to entrench themselves in the playoff race with most of their key rivals also losing earlier in the day.

The Oilers remained without star forward Leon Draisaitl, out for the rest of the regular season with a lower-body injury.

Andrei Vasilevskiy recorded 25 saves to earn the win in the Tampa net, while Connor Ingram made 22 stops for Edmonton.

TAKEAWAYS

Lightning: Kucherov has been nothing short of stellar of late with 12 points in his last three games and 22 points in his last eight contests. In 29 games in the 2026 calendar year, he has logged 67 points, 20 more than McDavid. Kucherov now has 37 points in 20 games against Edmonton.

Oilers: McDavid remains just shy of three milestones. He is now one goal from 400 in his career, one assist from 800 and two points short of 1,200.

KEY MOMENT

The Lightning went up 3-1 with three minutes remaining in the second period as Kucherov emerged from the penalty box at the end of the first half of an Edmonton five-on-three advantage and J.J. Moser sprung him on a short-handed breakaway which he converted for his 39th of the season and his first career short-handed marker.

WEIRD ONE

Edmonton got a bizarre goal on a play where they didn’t even shoot the puck with 12:44 to play in the third period. The teams were fighting for the puck along the sideboards when it was dug out by Tampa’s Oliver Bjorkstrand toward his own net and then hit the stick of Emil Lilleberg and trickled past Vasilevskiy. The goal was credited to rookie Samanski for his first career NHL goal.

KEY STAT

Between them, the Lightning (three times) and the Oilers (twice) have appeared in five of the last six Stanley Cup finals.

UP NEXT

Lightning: Visit the Calgary Flames on Sunday.

Oilers: Visit the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 21, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

OTTAWA – The Ottawa Senators had a dominant game against their provincial rivals Saturday night beating the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2.

The Senators (36-24-9) dominated play from start to finish, scoring the game’s first three goals.

Anthony Stolarz was expected to get the start but took a puck to the throat during warm-ups and was sent to hospital for precautionary imaging putting Joseph Woll back in action. Woll faced 36 shots in a 4-3 overtime loss to Carolina Friday night.

Trailing 3-1 to start the third the Leafs (29-29-13) made it close with a goal by Easton Cowan.

The Senators regained the two-goal lead midway through the period when Michael Amadio, with his 12th, tucked in a Jordan Spence rebound. On an odd-man rush Dylan Cozens found Ridly Greig in the slot and he beat Woll, who stopped 39 shots.

Linus Ullmark made a big glove save on Matias Maccelli early in the second to preserve Ottawa’s 1-0 lead.

The Senators made it 2-0 midway through the period when Claude Giroux grabbed a Tyler Kleven rebound and backhanded it past Woll.

Warren Foegele made it 3-0 with just over two minutes remaining when his shot deflected off Benoit, but 21 seconds later John Tavares completed the give-and-go with Cowan and beat Ullmark under the arm.

Ottawa opened the scoring at 14:58 of the first with a power-play goal. Tim Stutzle stepped into the faceoff circle and wristed a shot clean past Woll.

Morgan Rielly missed the game and is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

TAKEAWAYS

Senators: The Senators tested Woll often and had good net-front presence to jump on rebounds.

Leafs: Toronto struggled with Ottawa’s forecheck in the second period and were held to five shots.

KEY STAT

John Tavares tallied his 519th career goal to pass Dale Hawerchuk (518) for 41st place on the NHL’s all-time list.

UP NEXT

Maple Leafs: Visit the Boston Bruins on Tuesday.

Senators: Visit the New York Rangers on Monday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 21, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Tensions flared Saturday in Quebec City as Christine Fréchette and Bernard Drainville faced off in the first debate to succeed Premier François Legault as leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec.

The proposed “third link” bridge connecting Quebec City and Lévis quickly moved to the centre of the clash.

Fréchette accused Drainville’s preferred route of serving his “ego,” while Drainville countered that she was blocking the project with too many conditions.

“To sum it up: I’ll do it, and Christine is putting it on hold because she’s imposing so many conditions that it won’t happen,” he said.

The “third link” refers to a long‑proposed transportation project to build a new highway link, likely a bridge‑tunnel, across the St. Lawrence River between Quebec City and Lévis — a city on the south shore of the river — to improve mobility and freight access and reduce pressure on the two existing inter‑river crossings.

Fréchette, who proposes a corridor farther east in partnership with the private sector, said she had consulted local residents and found little support for Drainville’s route.

“I called people to consult them, and very quickly I was told that no one had ever been asked, even in Lévis,” she said. “The route is chosen for them, for the people here, not for you, not for your ego.”

Drainville responded: “I don’t think it’s a good idea to get into personal attacks. I think we need to stay respectful because we’re going to have to work together afterward.”

Drainville and Fréchette are the only two candidates vying for the top role, which opened up when Legault announced in January he was stepping down as leader.

On shale gas, Drainville said he supported natural resource development but opposes hydraulic fracturing.

“If you ask me to choose between water and gas, I will always choose water,” he said.

Fréchette said she is open to reopening the discussion but would prioritize social acceptance and environmental standards.

“The proposal I made is to discuss it, to debate it. The context has changed a lot in recent months, even in recent days, with the conflict in Iran,” she said.

Both candidates agreed on the need to shrink the size of government. Drainville said he would reduce the cabinet to 20 members, though he declined to say which ministers would be cut. Fréchette did not give a number but emphasized efficiency and promised that Drainville would have a role at the cabinet table if she won.

Drainville pledged to make Fréchette deputy premier if he became CAQ leader.

Both candidates outlined their broader plans. Fréchette said she aimed to build a “more sustainable and efficient public sector,” while Drainville highlighted his focus on reducing government bureaucracy and supporting regional development.

About 300 people attended the debate at the Espace Saint-Grégoire, a former church in Quebec City converted into an event hall. The event was also streamed online.

Just before the debate, Treasury Board president France-Élaine Duranceau endorsed Fréchette.

“We share the same vision of a more effective state, focused on its core missions. A government that fully leverages its tools, including public contracts, to support our (small and medium-sized enterprises) and our economy,” se said on social media.

This was the first of at least two debates in the CAQ leadership race, with the next scheduled for Laval next week. The party has just under 20,600 members eligible to vote in a party-wide membership vote.

The deadline to join and secure the right to vote was March 13, and the new leader is expected to be announced on April 12.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

More than two years after a Toronto father vanished without a trace, his sister is speaking out, pleading for answers as police continue to investigate his disappearance as a homicide.

Taron Stepanyan, 40, was last seen leaving his apartment building near Chichester Place on Dec. 23, 2023.

On Saturday, his sister, Tatev Stepanyan, spoke with Global News during a visit to Toronto, where she has travelled from Armenia in search of answers.

“Till now we have no answer… what happened to him, where is he… is he alive?” she said.

Stepanyan said the last time she spoke with her brother was just days before Christmas.

“He going to celebrate Christmas with his son, with his friends… yes, it was the last time,” she said

When her family stopped hearing from him, she said they immediately knew something was wrong.

“Oh, maybe every day… if not with me, with my mother,” she said, describing how often he would check in.

Taron, a father, had been living in Canada since 2013 after moving with his wife and son in search of a better life.

His sister described him as a devoted family man, saying it is “impossible” he would suddenly cut off contact.

“It’s just impossible… he go without any reason, without any call,” she said.

In January, Toronto police upgraded the case to a homicide investigation, saying there is a strong possibility foul play was involved. Investigators have not released details about what led to the shift.

More than two years later, there have been no arrests and no clear answers for the family.

“But we don’t want to believe… we have a little bit hope that maybe he’s somewhere,” Stepanyan said.

She added she is determined to find answers for herself and her mother.

“I promised her to find the answers,” she said.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Canadians are planning to sail to Gaza again as part of a flotilla that aims to deliver aid and break a nearly 20-year naval blockade months after six Canadians were detained by Israel for attempting a similar mission.

Safa Chebbi, spokesperson for the Canadian arm of the Global Sumud Flotilla, said more than 100 boats and 3,000 participants from around the globe are set to depart from Spanish and Italian ports on April 12, bound for Gaza.

Chebbi said health-care workers, journalists and builders hoping to provide aid and help in Gazan reconstruction efforts will sail on the fleet of ships, along with medicine and other life-saving supplies.

Hanging over the planned sailing is the possibility the boats will be intercepted by Israeli forces and passengers detained, as has been the case for dozens of ships in the past two decades, with none reaching Gaza since 2008.

Last fall, Israel took more than 400 activists, including Greta Thunberg and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, into custody during the first sailing of the Global Sumud Flotilla. Shortly after, six Canadians sailing in the Freedom Flotilla, which has been attempting to land ships in Gaza since 2010, were also detained before being deported back to Canada.

This year, the Freedom Flotilla has joined with the Global Sumud Flotilla for a joint sailing, says Ehad Lotayef, one of the founders of the Freedom Flotilla’s Canadian branch.

Lotayef spoke of detentions as a near foregone conclusion for the spring sailing. The Montreal poet said he experienced it himself in 2011, when he and other activists were held in Israel for a week after attempting to sail to Gaza.

“We are not trying to be martyrs, but we are also not ignorant to the realities,” he said, noting that participants receive training to prepare them for possible violence if they are taken into custody.

Dr. Suzanne Shoush, a Black and Indigenous family physician in Toronto who is hoping to sail with the flotilla again after participating last year, said she and many others are ready to put their own safety on the line for the chance to deliver aid.

“People are willing to take the risk,” she said. “There is so much hope that the flotilla will break the siege.”

“Yes, people expect that detention will be an outcome but it should not be,” she continued. “Gaza has the right to invite people … to its shores. Palestinians have the right to receive aid.”

Fida Alburini, a Palestinian-Canadian organizer, also hopes to sail to Gaza despite the safety concerns.

“We’re human, so we feel scared for sure,” she said. “But … the risk really shouldn’t be there because we’re sailing under international law in international waters. We have humanitarian aid. We have baby formula. We have medicine. We have doctors.”

“The risk exists because (Israel) decides to attack us illegally,” she added.

There’s debate over the legality of Israel enforcing its naval blockade in international waters, but some experts say international law protects the delivery of aid, regardless.

Israel says its naval blockade is needed to prevent Hamas from importing arms, while critics consider it collective punishment.

Aid is trickling into Gaza, though not at the level promised under the October 2025 ceasefire agreement, aid groups say. While the U.S.-brokered ceasefire halted major military operations, Israel has also continued to strike what it says are militants, often killing civilians.

A daily average of 225 trucks brought supplies into the Gaza Strip in January, the UN World Food Program said in its latest food security analysis, far below the promised 600 trucks per day.

Hunger is still acute in the region where the price of food has reportedly skyrocketed since the start of the Iran war.

Lotayef said the goal of the flotilla is not to solve the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, but to establish a maritime corridor to the region so more aid can flow, bypassing choked land crossings.

“The supplies we carry are more symbolic,” he said, adding that the ships in the flotilla are too small and too few to bring sufficient aid needed to make a meaningful impact.

“But the goal is to open a path to Gaza and to open the eyes of the world to what’s happening over there.”

Shoush, a member of the Leqʼá꞉mel First Nation, said Indigenous people see themselves in the plight of Palestinians, as people who have faced occupation and settler colonialism.

She says she has a duty to act, even if it means putting herself in harm’s way.

“At some point you pass this line where sitting there watching, knowing, and actually doing nothing is worse for you than anything else can be.”

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Canadians can expect to pay more for their Easter meals as pork and chicken join beef price surges on grocery store shelves.

Beef prices in Canada are up nearly 14 per cent compared to last year, according to the latest consumer price index data, continuing a trend that has seen costs surge in recent years.

While there are early signs that price growth may be slowing, experts say relief is still a long way off.

In an interview with Global News, Dalhousie University professor Sylvain Charlebois said prices are not expected to stabilize before mid-2027, pointing to low cattle inventory in both Canada and the United States.

“I don’t think it’s much of a surprise to listeners. Beef prices are up 13.9 per cent year to year, and we’re not expecting beef prices to stabilize before midyear 2027,” he said.

That supply crunch stems from years of challenges in the beef industry, including drought conditions in Western Canada that reduced herd sizes and limited production.

While cattle numbers have started to tick up slightly, it can take years to rebuild supply.

Other meats are also becoming more expensive as consumers respond to the surge. Pork prices are up 9.2 per cent year over year, meaning shoppers planning to buy ham for Easter could pay significantly more.

“For people who are going to be looking for ham in a couple of weeks for Easter weekend, expect to pay more, probably eight to 10 per cent more compared to last year,” Charlebois said.

Chicken prices also climbed in February, in part because consumers are shifting away from beef toward more affordable proteins.

“People are pivoting. They’re basically moving away from beef and demand for chicken has gone up,” he said.

But Charlebois warned there may be further pressure ahead. Rising energy costs could drive food prices even higher in the coming months, especially for products that rely on refrigeration and transportation.

“We’re likely going to see food inflation go up again in March, April… any products that would require a cold chain, including, of course, meat products,” he said.

Despite the higher prices, demand for beef remains strong, and experts say consumers are adapting by shopping more strategically, buying items on sale and adjusting when they make purchases.

Charlebois said there may yet be Easter bargains to be had, for consumers patient enough to wait for last-minute bargains in the meat aisle.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell scored in a shootout and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Winnipeg Jets 5-4 on Saturday.

Pittsburgh, which is jockeying for playoff positioning, earned an extra point in the shootout for the second time this season. The Penguins have points in seven of their last eight games and 21 of their last 25.

Arturs Silovs, who made 21 saves, stopped Jonathan Toews and Gustav Nyquist in the shootout.

Erik Karlsson scored two goals and has five in his last three games. Karlsson, who has four straight multi-point games, now has seven goals and 19 points in his last 12 games.

Egor Chinakhov earned his 100th NHL point with a goal and Rakell scored to continue a career-best eight-game point streak.

Parker Wotherspoon had two assists, while Bryan Rust, playing in his 700th NHL game, continued a six-game point streak with an assist.

Cole Koepke scored a short-handed goal, while Morgan Barron also scored for the Jets.

Brad Lambert had a goal and an assist, while Neal Pionk scored in his return after missing the last 23 games because of injury.

Connor Hellebuyck, making his 11th start in 12 games, had 26 saves for the Jets, who have lost three straight and five of their last seven games.

Chinakhov and Rakell scored in the first 2:02 of the game for Pittsburgh, but the Jets tied the game at 6:10 of the second period thanks to Koepke’s goal.

Pittsburgh has given up 11 short-handed goals, second-most in the league. The Penguins have allowed short-handed goals in back-to-back games and four this month.

The Jets trailed 3-2 entering the third period, but Pionk tied the game at 4:04 with a shot from the point. Lambert beat Silovs at 8:36 from a distance off the rush. Karlsson forced overtime when he beat Hellebuyck with a wrist shot from the top of the right circle.

Up next

Jets: Visit the New York Rangers on Sunday.

Penguins: Host Carolina on Sunday.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Seb Gatto’s blocker save on Cole Davis of the Windsor Spitfires sealed a 3-2 shootout victory for the London Knights on Friday at Canada Life Place.

Gatto made 40 saves through 65 minutes of regulation and overtime and three more in the shootout. And all of them allowed London to hang on to fourth place in the Western Conference standings, one point ahead of Sault Ste. Marie, who defeated the Saginaw Spirit 5-1.

Both the Knights and Greyhounds have one game remaining in the regular season.

London needs one point in Flint on Saturday to clinch home ice advantage against Sault Ste. Marie in their first round series.

The first goal of Friday’s game did not happen until the second period but it was worth the wait.

Jaxon Cover and Kaeden Hawkins combined on a three-way passing play to find Maks Sokolovskii  in the slot, and Sokolovskii scored his second career OHL goal and his second goal in three games.

Both of Solokolvskii’s goals have come on Windsor goalie Joey Costanzo.

The Knights went ahead 2-0 at the 12;59 mark in the second on a wild rush by Will Nicholl as the Edmonton Oilers prospect sped through centre ice, cut wide to the right and then went hard to the net. Nicholl’s first try was denied by Costanzo but it produced a scrum in front of the Spitfires crease. Nicholl found the puck and whacked it home for his 14th goal of the season.

Windsor cut into that lead on a power play goal by Jack Nesbitt that came with 1:34 remaining in the middle period and the teams went into the final 20 minutes with London ahead 2-1.

As the time ticked down under two minutes, the Spitfires pulled Costanzo and got a bounce as a Liam Greentree pass hit a stick and came right back to him. The New York Rangers prospect tied the game with 1:29 to go.

Windsor recorded all three shots in overtime play, but Gatto turned them all aside. The ensuing shootout went five rounds, with Jaxon Cover scoring to put the Knights in front. Gatto made the final save.

The Spitfires outshot London 42-28.

The Knights were 0-for-1 on the power play.

Windsor went 1-for-2 on the man advantage.

Playoff series nearly set

Heading into the final two days of the OHL’s regular season, every series is set in the Eastern Conference. The series between the London Knights and the Soo Greyhounds is the only matchup has been cemented in the Western Conference.

In the East, Brantford will go up against Sudbury, Niagara will take on Barrie, the Ottawa 67’s will face Kingston, and North Bay and Peterborough will go head to head in the 4-5 matchup.

Up next

London will finish their regular season schedule in Flint, Mich., on Saturday, March 21.

The Knights are 1-2 against the Firebirds this year.

Game coverage Saturday will start at 6:30 p.m., on 980 CFPL, www.980cfpl.ca and on the iHeart Radio and Radioplayer Canada apps.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to airports across the country, escalating rhetoric over border security and immigration enforcement.

In a series of posts on social media Saturday, Trump accused Democrats of weakening national security amid a partial shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees screening agents at airports across the United States.

The political dispute means agents of the Transportation Security Administration are not getting paid, prompting long lineups at major airports.

Trump said ICE agents could be sent in to take over airport security functions.

“If the Democrats do not allow for just and proper security at our airports … ICE will do the job far better than ever done before,” Trump wrote.

He added that he has told ICE agents to “get ready,” signalling a possible move as early as Monday.

Trump also said ICE could carry out arrests at airports, including targeting undocumented immigrants, and made specific references to migrants from Somalia.

The comments come amid heightened tensions around immigration enforcement in the United States, including recent controversial ICE operations.

Earlier this year, the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens by ICE agents in Minneapolis sparked protests and political backlash, with local officials disputing federal accounts of the incident.

The incident intensified scrutiny of ICE’s expanded role in domestic enforcement and contributed to ongoing political divisions over immigration policy.

Trump has repeatedly defended ICE operations and signalled a willingness to expand their role, including deploying agents to major U.S. cities and potentially critical infrastructure.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

FREDERICTON – A group representing cattle farmers in New Brunswick say it takes issue with the province’s plan to axe government-run veterinary services.

The New Brunswick Cattle Producers Association says Premier Susan Holt’s Liberal government is taking a critical service for farmers and using it as a cost-cutting measure.

It says it will survey members and report back to the province on alternative paths forward.

The Holt government announced in its budget it would phase out provincially run field veterinary and laboratory services over three years, handing off animal medical care to private providers.

Agriculture Minister Pat Finnigan says delivering these services is expensive and cutting them is the only way the government can better fund health care and education, and lower the cost of living.

Progressive Conservative legislature member Kathy Bockus says the government has failed to consider the farmers who depend on accessible large-animal veterinary care.

“Eradicating the provincial large vet services hits hard the people who feed us,” Bockus told the house this week. “You’ve struck a devastating blow to the heart of New Brunswick’s agriculture community.”

New Brunswick is one of the only provinces still operating government-funded veterinary services, with Newfoundland and Labrador being the other.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 21, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press