SOCCER

Tribunal denies expedited hearing in turf case — Players who are protesting the plan to play the 2015 Women’s World Cup on artificial turf were denied a fast-tracked hearing in Canada over the dispute, but were instead offered early mediation with the Canadian Soccer Association. The ruling by the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario came Friday, the same day a group of U.S. senators wrote soccer’s international governing body, FIFA, urging it to reconsider the decision. FIFA and the CSA are overseeing the World Cup, which will be played in six Canadian cities next June and July.

HOCKEY

Official predicts NHL players back at Olympics — A senior Canadian ice hockey official believes NHL players will return to the Winter Olympics, and is urging an early decision this time. The participation of NHL players in the Olympics is contentious because of disruption to the league season and teams’ concerns over injury risks. Bob Nicholson, a vice president of the International Ice Hockey Federation and former Hockey Canada chief, was asked Friday about the prospect of NHL players competing at the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. He said “if everyone agrees to take some and leave some on the table, I think we’ll see NHL players in the future.”

FOOTBALL

Seahawks’ Johnson likely to get 1st career start — Safety Jeron Johnson is expected to get his first career start in place of the injured Kam Chancellor this Sunday against the New York Giants. Chancellor is likely to miss his second straight game after injuring his groin in practice last week. Johnson has spent the last four years serving as the primary backup to Chancellor at strong safety. However, a concussion kept Johnson out as well for last week’s game against the Raiders, which took away his first chance to start.

— From wire reports