Avalanche’s Cale Makar out with head injury after collision with Penguins’ Jeff CarterVideo
TAMPA, Fla. — Colorado Avalanche star defenseman Cale Makar will miss the final two games of a current road trip with a head injury. Colorado coach Jared Bednar announced the news before Thursday night’s game at the Tampa Bay Lightning. Makar will also miss Saturday’s matchup at Florida and will...
First Call: Former Steelers coach goes to Patriots; Tom Brady’s future open-ended; big hits, fights between Rangers-Flames
Tuesday’s “First Call” sees a former Pittsburgh Steelers coach return to the NFL after a short stint in college. Tom Brady seems to want to keep all of us guessing. There was madness at the Garden as hockey resumed after the All-Star break. Pitt should be in a good position...
Bruins rolling, rest of NHL making final push for playoffsVideo
SUNRISE, Fla. — Bruce Cassidy’s Vegas Golden Knights lost eight of 10 games going into the All-Star break after leading the Pacific Division at the midway point of the NHL season. They’re still safely in a playoff spot in the Western Conference, but they can’t keep it up. “We’re still...
MVP Matthew Tkachuk lifts Atlantic to NHL All-Star Game winVideo
SUNRISE, Fla. — Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk was right at home at the NHL All-Star Game. Again. Detroit’s Dylan Larkin had a hat trick, Toronto’s Mitch Marner had three assists and the Atlantic Division topped the Central Division, 7-5, in the All-Star Game final on Saturday. All-Star Game MVP Tkachuk —...
Sidney Crosby dunked, Alex Ovechkin’s son takes ice at NHL skills competitionVideo
SUNRISE, Fla. — Sidney Crosby got dunked into a tank of water, Nick Suzuki holed a golf ball with a hockey stick and the NHL made hockey an outdoor sport for its skills showcase in South Florida. Two new events outside in the sun highlighted the league’s annual skills competition...
Support growing in NHL for longer 3-on-3 OT, fewer shootouts
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Troy Terry made his name in hockey with his shootout heroics for the U.S. in the 2017 world junior championship against Russia, much like T.J. Oshie did at the Olympics a few years earlier. Still, the Anaheim Ducks All-Star wouldn’t mind seeing fewer of them decide...
All-Star festivities showcase next generation of NHL stars
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. — New Jersey Devils players watch from the bench often and marvel at some of the things Jack Hughes can do on the ice. “Every game, at least a couple times, I’ll be like, ‘Oh my God, that guy’s amazing,’” forward Michael McLeod said. “He just gets...
Hall of Famer Bobby Hull, the Golden Jet, dies at age 84
CHICAGO — When Bobby Hull got the puck, he was tough to stop. He had blazing speed, a hard slap shot and tons of confidence. Long before today’s biggest stars took the ice, “The Golden Jet” put on quite a show. Hull, a Hall of Fame winger and two-time NHL...
Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews out at least 3 weeks with knee injury
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews will miss at least three weeks with a sprained knee. The team announced the reigning MVP’s anticipated absence Friday, two days after Matthews was injured in Toronto’s victory against the New York Rangers. Matthews is expected to miss at least six games and could...
U mad, bro?: Readers angry about Steelers criticism, Tremaine Edmunds speculation, Ivan Provorov column
Pittsburgh Steelers fans are still trying to rationalize another season without a playoff win. We’re already making excuses for the team chumping out in free agency. Some Pirates fans are dubious of Andrew McCutchen’s return. And my Ivan Provorov column was a big hit! What I mean by that is...
NHL All-Star skills to feature golf event, beach dunk tank
NEW YORK — The NHL All-Star Skills Competition is set to feature two new outdoor events in South Florida: a mix of hockey and golf and a dunk tank on the beach. The league announced details Tuesday for the opening of All-Star Weekend, which is set for Feb. 3-4 in...
Indigenous hockey cards shed light on First Nations playersVideo
Ted Nolan finally has his rookie card more than 40 years after making his NHL debut. Better late than never, particularly because it includes a nod to his First Nations heritage. Upper Deck this month unveiled a “First Peoples Rookie Cards” set featuring eight Indigenous hockey players who did not...
Canucks fire coach Boudreau, hire Tocchet as replacement
Bruce Boudreau has been fired as coach of the Vancouver Canucks, who are again on track to miss the playoffs with another underachieving season. The team announced the change Sunday, less than a week since president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford said “major surgery” was needed to fix the Canucks,...
Mark Madden: Ivan Provorov situation yet another example of why politics don’t belong in sports
When quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem, the left supported and the right got angry. When Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov refused to wear a pride-themed jersey during warmups, the left got angry and the right supported. Each man did the same thing, namely exercising freedom...
Flyers coach John Tortorella defends Ivan Provorov’s Pride boycottVideo
PHILADELPHIA — Flyers coach John Tortorella defended Russian defenseman Ivan Provorov’s decision to cite religious beliefs as his reason to boycott the team’s pregame Pride celebration. “Provy did nothing wrong,” Tortorella said Thursday. “Just because you don’t agree with his decision doesn’t mean he did anything wrong.” Before Tuesday’s game...
Flyers’ Ivan Provorov cites religion for boycott on Pride night
PHILADELPHIA — Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov cited his Russian Orthodox religion as the reason he did not participate in pregame warmups when the team wore Pride-themed jerseys and used sticks wrapped in rainbow Pride tape. The 26-year-old Provorov boycotted the pregame skate with his teammates before Tuesday night’s game against...
Vegas goalie Robin Lehner files for bankruptcy, cites $50M debtVideo
LAS VEGAS — Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner and his wife have filed for bankruptcy in Nevada, citing up to $50 million in debts to dozens of creditors. The Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing offers a glimpse into the couple’s financial problems, including money owed to no fewer than 50...
Wild sign Matt Boldy to $49M, 7-year contract extension
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild signed forward Matt Boldy to a seven-year, $49 million contract extension on Monday, making him the latest young player in the NHL to cash in early off his entry-level deal. Boldy will count $7 million against the salary cap through 2029-30 on the...
First Call: Steelers LB Devin Bush sends curious tweet; Ravens RB grumbles about carries after playoff loss; Pens need a winVideo
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Devin Bush sent an eyebrow-raising tweet over the weekend. A Baltimore Ravens running back is unhappy with his role in his team’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Penguins have a Monday game against a struggling opponent they need to beat. And we share an honor for...
First Call: Decisions in New England may impact Steelers coaching staff; Penguins face tough challenge; Pitt looks to rebound
Friday’s “First Call” has an update on a job hunt that involves a Pittsburgh Steelers assistant. The Metropolitan Division in the NHL had an interesting night. The Penguins were aided by some old friends. Also, the Winnipeg Jets are at PPG Paints Arena on Friday. And the Pitt hoops team...
Montgomery, Brind’Amour, DeBoer, Cassidy to coach NHL All-Stars
Boston’s Jim Montgomery will coach the Atlantic Division, Carolina’s Rod Brind’Amour the Metropolitan, Dallas’ Peter DeBoer the Central and Vegas’ Bruce Cassidy the Pacific at NHL All-Star Weekend. They were chosen because each of their teams is atop the division at the midway point of the season. The league announced...
First Call: Ben Roethlisberger wants this Steelers TE to get more involved; Ravens keep Roquan Smith; crazy night in Metro
Ben Roethlisberger wants a certain Pittsburgh Steelers pass catcher to have an increased role next season. Former Steeler James Washington may have a new home soon. Tuesday night was on tilt in the NHL’s Metropolitan Division. Pitt and Duquesne are both on the men’s basketball stage Wednesday. And the Baltimore...
Cardiac events a frightening, familiar sight in the NHL
The horror that swept across the NFL when Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin collapsed and went into cardiac arrest during a game this week in Cincinnati was all too familiar to members of the hockey community. Five players in the NHL over the past 25 years who collapsed during...
First Call: Fellow former Pitt player comes through for Damar Hamlin; huge day for Metro Division rivals
Wednesday’s “First Call” features a first-hand account of how a fellow Pitt Panthers alum aided Damar Hamlin’s mother in her time of need. An ESPN analyst had a very odd take on what happened to Hamlin Monday night. The Duquesne men’s basketball team looks to build on its conference home...
NHL Winter Classic to feature Seattle hosting Vegas in 2024
SEATTLE — Selling the NHL on bringing the 2024 Winter Classic to the Pacific Northwest required the purchase of a protection plan — a retractable roof. Next year’s version of the NHL’s New Year’s Day showcase will be played outdoors in Seattle with the Kraken hosting the Vegas Golden Knights...
