Maple Leafs sign William Nylander to $92 million, 8-year extension
TORONTO — William Nylander will wear a Toronto Maple Leafs sweater for years to come. Nylander has agreed to a $92 million, eight-year contract extension with the Maple Leafs, the team said Monday. It is the largest contract in franchise history by total value and includes a no-movement clause. The...
Virginia lawmakers set to take up proposal to help fund new arena for Capitals, Wizards
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Advocates of Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s plan to build a new professional sports arena and entertainment district in northern Virginia say the project would be a generational job-creator so lucrative it will pay for itself. Critics, meanwhile, argue the proposal to lure the NBA’s Washington Wizards and...
Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard breaks jaw, goes on injured reserve
CHICAGO — The Chicago Blackhawks placed rookie center Connor Bedard on injured reserve on Saturday with a broken jaw. Bedard got hurt when he was leveled by New Jersey defenseman Brendan Smith midway through the first period of Friday night’s 4-2 loss to the Devils. Nick Foligno also went on...
NHL unveils initial All-Star rosters; fan vote to determine the rest of the All-StarsVideo
Sidney Crosby was named an NHL All-Star for the 10th time, as the league unveiled its initial rosters Thursday night for the event next month in Toronto. The Pittsburgh Penguins captain was one of the first 32 All-Stars chosen by the league’s hockey operations department. One player from each team...
Joey Daccord posts 2nd career shutout as Seattle topples Vegas 3-0 in Winter ClassicVideo
SEATTLE — Joey Daccord made 35 saves for his second career shutout, Eeli Tolvanen had a goal and an assist and the Seattle Kraken beat the Vegas Golden Knights, 3-0, on Monday in the NHL Winter Classic. A crowd of 47,313 at T-Mobile Park watched the Kraken dominate the reigning...
Marc-Andre Fleury can’t help but smile about his career in goal, even if he’d rather skip the fussVideo
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The two decades Marc-Andre Fleury has spent in the NHL have passed as quickly for him as the airborne pucks that speed toward him in the net each time he takes the ice. Now the fourth goalie in history to appear in 1,000 games, a mark...
Marc-Andre Fleury becomes 4th goalie to play in 1,000 NHL gamesVideo
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Marc-Andre Fleury became the fourth goalie in NHL history to play in 1,000 games on Sunday in the Minnesota Wild’s game against the Winnipeg Jets. Martin Brodeur (1,266 games), Roberto Luongo (1,044) and Patrick Roy (1,029) are the only goalies to have played in more games...
Senators fire coach D.J. Smith, replace him with former Penguins assistant Jacques Martin
The Ottawa Senators fired coach D.J. Smith on Monday, replacing him on an interim basis with Jacques Martin and adding Hall of Famer and former captain Daniel Alfredsson to the staff as an assistant. It’s the latest shakeup for the NHL team in Canada’s capital city in three months since...
Death of Adam Johnson sparks renewed interest in guard mandates for youth hockey
SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn. — A day after professional hockey player Adam Johnson suffered a fatal cut to his throat during a game in England, Dan Sacco went out and ordered his 10-year-old twins new neck guards. Colton and Harper Sacco play together as squirts — 9- and 10-year-olds — for...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Keep NHL players away from ’26 Winter Olympics
The NHL is mooting whether to send players to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. It’s at the final discretion of the league, not the players. Big fail by the NHL Players Association, though pressing for control would have served just a small percentage of the membership. I’m against it....
Blackhawks say Corey Perry engaged in unacceptable conduct, move to terminate contract
CHICAGO — The Chicago Blackhawks said Corey Perry engaged in unacceptable conduct and took a step Tuesday toward terminating his contract, the latest twist involving the veteran winger who mysteriously was scratched and sent home last week without explanation. The Blackhawks in a statement said an internal investigation showed Perry...
Patrick Kane is signing with the Detroit Red Wings, an AP source says
Patrick Kane is joining the Detroit Red Wings for the rest of the season, choosing the championship-rich franchise over other suitors for the four-time All-Star’s return to the NHL from hip surgery. A person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Kane has agreed to...
Marc-Andre Fleury defies NHL, wears custom mask on Native American Heritage night
Marc-Andre Fleury wore a custom mask for the Minnesota Wild’s Native American Heritage night Friday after being told by the NHL it was not allowed. Fleury took the ice for the team’s game against the Colorado Avalanche wearing the specially designed mask. Agent Allan Walsh confirmed earlier in the day...
NBA, NHL and MLB unveil a 30-second ad promoting responsible sports bettingVideo
NEW YORK — The NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball have joined forces to produce a 30-second ad promoting responsible sports betting. The “Never Know What’s Next” commercial unveiled Tuesday is a coordination of the three leagues, sportsbook operators DraftKings, Fanatics, FanDuel, PENN Entertainment and the National Council on Problem...
Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic pleads not guilty to assaulting wife
BOSTON — Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic was released on personal recognizance bail Tuesday after pleading not guilty to assaulting his wife. According to a Boston Police Department report, Lucic appeared intoxicated when officers arrived at his North End apartment early Saturday after his wife reported that he tried to...
Adam Johnson’s UK team retires his jersey number after skate-cut death
NOTTINGHAM, England — The English hockey team that Adam Johnson played for retired his No. 47 jersey Saturday as part of a memorial game honoring the American who died after an opposing player’s skate cut his neck during a game. Nottingham Panthers players appeared to be wearing neck guards, too,...
A man arrested over death of Adam Johnson whose neck was cut with skate blade is released on bail
LONDON — A man who was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in the death of American ice hockey player Adam Johnson, whose neck was cut by a skate during a game, was released on bail Wednesday. Johnson, 29, was playing for the Nottingham Panthers against the Sheffield Steelers on Oct....
Oilers fire coach Jay Woodcroft, name Kris Knoblauch replacementVideo
Jay Woodcroft is out as coach of the Edmonton Oilers after a team that was supposed to be a Stanley Cup contender lost 10 of its first 13 games. Woodcroft was fired Sunday at the end of the team’s road trip, which wrapped up with a 4-1 win at Seattle...
Capitals’ Nicklas Backstrom unlikely to play again this season
ARLINGTON, Va. — Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said it’s unlikely Nicklas Backstrom plays again this season after the Swedish center stepped away from the team last week, citing the ongoing issues with his surgically repaired left hip. MacLellan stopped short of ruling Backstrom out for the remainder of...
First Call: DeAndre Hopkins expected to play vs. Steelers; watch Logan Cooley’s first NHL goal
Thursday’s “First Call” has an important injury update for this evening’s Steelers-Titans game. We have more details about that reported Steelers trade with the Bears that never happened on Tuesday. A Pittsburgh-area NHL player just notched his first goal. And we remember a Pittsburgh connection to the late Bobby Knight....
Ottawa’s Shane Pinto suspended 41 games, becomes 1st modern NHL player banned for gambling
The NHL suspended Ottawa Senators forward Shane Pinto for 41 games on Thursday, making the 22-year-old American the first modern-day player banned for sports gambling. The league said the half-season ban was for “activities relating to sports wagering” and that its investigation found no evidence Pinto bet on NHL games....
NHL rescinds ban on rainbow-colored Pride tape, allowing players to use it on the ice this season
NHL players will be allowed to use Pride tape this season after all with the reversal of a ban that sparked a backlash around hockey and among LGBTQ+ advocates in sports. The league, players’ union and a committee on inclusion agreed to give players the option to represent social causes...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Barry Melrose belongs in Hockey Hall of Fame
We’ve lost the plot when it comes to Halls of Fame. Halls of Fame used to be grandiose and special. Look at the Baseball Hall of Fame’s first class: Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Honus Wagner and Babe Ruth. Unimpeachable. It was a special honor for special athletes. Halls...
Flames prospect Topi Ronni, 19, being investigated for rape in native FinlandVideo
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Calgary Flames prospect Topi Ronni informed his Finnish Elite League team on Thursday that he is under investigation for a rape allegation that occurred two years ago in his native Finland. In an announcement posted on its website, Tappara Tampere said Ronni is stepping away from team...
First Call: Steelers reportedly move on from Desmond King; Evgeni Malkin snubbed from another Top 100 list
Wednesday’s “First Call” starts with a surprising move by the Pittsburgh Steelers and a surprising omission for the Penguins from an ESPN list. Plus, it was a memorable night for a former Penguin, and an ex-Pirates executive may land a big-time job back in Major League Baseball. Well, that was...
