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Hockey

Players union, Penny part ways

TORONTO - Ian Penny is out as interim executive director of the NHL Players' Association. The NHLPA says in a statement that Penny contends he has been "constructively dismissed," and can no longer work in the present circumstances. There was no immediate word on his replacement. Penny was named to the position after the NHLPA's executive board relieved Paul Kelly of his duties on Aug. 31. Kelly had succeeded Ted Saskin, who was let go in May 2007 amid allegations of monitoring players' e-mail. Saskin had taken over when Bob Goodenow stepped down in July 2005, shortly after a collective bargaining agreement was signed to end the lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 season. The NHLPA has appeared to be split into factions since the lockout, when for the first time a salary cap was accepted by the players.

Racing

Earnhardt gets to keep crew chief

TALLADEGA, Ala. - Lance McGrew had the interim tag removed from his crew chief title Friday when Hendrick Motorsports said he'll stay with Dale Earnhardt Jr. next season. McGrew replaced Tony Eury Jr. in late May in an effort to save Earnhardt's sinking season. Team owner Rick Hendrick used the rest of the year to evaluate the No. 88 team, and decided McGrew is the best fit for the long-term direction of NASCAR's most popular driver. "I have total faith in Lance and what he's capable of accomplishing with Dale Jr.," Hendrick said. "There was a lot of pressure with how he came into this deal, and the way he's handled it has been extremely impressive. Lance is confident in himself and in his decisions, and all the outside distractions aren't going to faze him. "He's a strong-willed guy who will keep his eye on the ball and not settle." His first task is restoring Earnhardt's shaken confidence. He's in the midst of a 53-race winless streak dating to last season, and is currently 24th in the standings.

MLB

Gaston to coach Jays next season

TORONTO - The Toronto Blue Jays set the stage for manager Cito Gaston's departure Friday, saying he will fulfil the last year of his contract in 2010 and then serve as a consultant. The 65-year-old Gaston was the source of controversy at the end of the season with players complaining about the way he treated them. Players cited Gaston's "constant negativity," poor communication and old-school approach, saying the problems stretch back to last June when he replaced the fired John Gibbons. There were also complaints about Gaston's hands-off, in-game decision-making. As of 2011, Gaston will begin a four-year deal as a consultant, advising in all areas of baseball operations, spring training, minor league operations and scouting, the club said. The decision comes three days after Paul Beeston accepted a three-year term as president and CEO of the Blue Jays. General Manager J.P Ricciardi was fired the final week of the season. Alex Anthopoulos was named his replacement. Gaston coached Toronto to back-to-back championships.

Olympics

The torch has arrived

VICTORIA - It was to the glory of Games past that Vancouver organizers turned to Friday to launch the journey toward the 2010 Winter Olympics. Together, former gold medallists Catriona Le May Doan and Simon Whitfield held the first 2010 torch and tipped it into the Olympic cauldron to mark the start of the torch relay. Whitfield said the experience was spectacular, especially running in Victoria where he trains and has lived. He said the emotion of the moment really hit him when he started to run, Le May Doan at his side, because it brought back images of watching runners in Calgary in 1988 with his parents. "When the torch lit, it hit me," said Whitfield. "But to be actually starting to jog, it really hit me." Whitfield, 34, is a three-time Olympian. The triathlete won gold at the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, Australia, and silver in the 2008 Beijing Games. Le May Doan, 38, is a two-time gold medallist. She's the only Canadian to win consecutive gold medals at the Games.

Medicine

Olympians wait in line for vaccine

CALGARY - If Canada's Olympic athletes want the H1N1 vaccine, they'll stand in line for hours with everybody else, even though the Canadian Olympic Committee's chief medical officer says they are a high-risk group and should be at the front of the queue for swine flu vaccine. "I know of a very small number of athletes who have gotten it," Bob McCormack said Friday from Toronto. "People basically have to put aside half a day.-Let's just say we haven't achieved our goals of getting the team immunized. We still are working to make sure they don't miss the vaccination opportunity altogether because they leave Canada for competitions in Europe and Asia and are gone for a few months." Many of Canada's athletes have either left or are leaving this month to begin their seasons. They'll travel extensively over the next few weeks. They are in the age range susceptible to contracting strong cases of swine flu, McCormack says, and because they train to exhaustion, their immune systems are suppressed.