HOCKEY

In what could spell the end of his illustrious NHL career, Jaromir Jagr has been placed on waivers by the Calgary Flames.

Two people with direct knowledge of the move confirmed it to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Sunday because the team had not announced the transaction. The second-leading scorer in league history is on regular waivers, though one person told the AP that if the 45-year-old Jagr clears, he will be placed on unconditional waivers Monday for the purpose of terminating his NHL contract so he can return to Europe to finish the season.

Jagr is the active NHL leader with 1,733 games played, 766 goals, 1,555 assists and 1,921 points, and trails only Wayne Gretzky on the all-time scoring list.

SOCCER

NWSL: The National Women’s Soccer League announced that the Boston Breakers will cease operations in advance of the 2018 season.

Many players were told last week that the team was folding, but no official league announcement was made and rumors circulated over the weekend that an investor or group of investors might step forward to save the team.

The NWSL now embarks on its sixth season with nine teams. FC Kansas City also folded following the 2017 season, but its players went to a new team in Utah associated with Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake.

FA CUP: Manchester City faces an anxious wait over Leroy Sane after the winger was injured during a fourth-round match at second-tier Cardiff.

Sane left with an ankle injury after he was scythed down by Joe Bennett, who was fortunate to receive just a yellow card.

City won, 2-0.

“(Sane) will be out for a while – minimum two weeks, three weeks, one month, we will see tomorrow (Monday) exactly,” said City Manager Pep Guardiola.

SPANISH LEAGUE: Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi came to the rescue again by scoring late as Barcelona avoided an upset at home, winning 2-1 against Alaves to maintain its comfortable lead in the Spanish league.

The result extended Barcelona’s unbeaten streak in the league to 21 matches, its best mark since the 2009-10 season. Barcelona remained 11 points in front of Atletico Madrid, which defeated Las Palmas 3-0 at home.

• Espanyol defender Mario Hermoso had no reason to celebrate his unusual “hat trick” Sunday.

Hermoso scored three times in a 3-2 loss at Leganes, but only one goal counted for his team. He was responsible for two own goals, one while trying to intercept a low cross in the 11th minute, and another while trying to clear a cross in the 82nd.

SKIING

WOMEN’S WORLD CUP: Mikaela Shiffrin skied off course near the end of her second run in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, while leading by a full second, ending her six-race slalom winning streak.

Shiffrin’s error handed victory to Petra Vlhova of Slovakia in the last slalom before the PyeongChang Olympics.

MEN’S WORLD CUP: Marcel Hirscher claimed his 55th career victory by finishing well ahead of his rivals in a giant slalom race at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

The six-time overall champion was fastest in both runs for a combined time of 2 minutes, 40.18 seconds – 1.57 seconds faster than Austrian compatriot Manuel Feller and 1.69 quicker than Ted Ligety of the United States.

– News service report