Mark Madden: Don’t cancel Jack Edwards for harmless Pat Maroon fat jokes
Pat Maroon is maybe five pounds overweight. He’s a professional hockey player. How fat could he be? But the Tampa Bay winger nonetheless became a martyr for the overweight via an incident that took petty and self-righteous to a whole new level. Jack Edwards does play-by-play for Boston Bruins games...
First Call: Lamar Jackson health update as Steelers game nears; Penguins host ‘streaky’ Blues; NHL star on fire
Friday’s “First Call” previews the next opponent for the Pittsburgh Penguins. We check out the hottest player in the NHL. Lamar Jackson is trying to stay healthy in Baltimore as a game against the Steelers looms. Also, the Pitt and Duquesne men’s basketball teams look to keep their winning ways...
First Call: Could Tom Brady return to New England? Aaron Donald out; Phil Kessel back to face Pens
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ upcoming opponent got some bad news. Aaron Donald is injured. Phil Kessel is slumping. Joey Porter’s son is going pro. And could Tom Brady really go back to New England? All that and more in Thursday’s “First Call.” Donald down Former Pitt Panther Aaron Donald is going...
First Call: Ex-Steeler drafts Martavis Bryant in XFL; Penguins to face another former teammate in goal; Ja’Marr Chase update
Thursday’s “First Call” features the latest attempt to reignite the football career of former Steelers project Martavis Bryant. Antonio Brown is back performing in Pittsburgh. Ja’Marr Chase may not be back against the Steelers. But next week is a possibility. The Penguins aren’t done facing old teammates in goal. And...
First Call: Bengals health updates before Steelers matchup; Pat McAfee jabs Bill Cowher; Matt Murray to start vs. Penguins
In Tuesday’s “First Call,” the Pittsburgh Steelers will be keeping an eye on health updates coming out of Cincinnati in advance of Sunday’s showdown against the Bengals. The Ravens are getting healthy. Pat McAfee is defending the Jeff Saturday hire — and returning shots at Bill Cowher for criticizing it....
NHL, NHLPA call off plans to hold World Cup of Hockey in ’24
The NHL and NHL Players’ Association have abandoned plans to hold a World Cup of Hockey in 2024. They made the announcement in a joint statement Friday, saying it was not feasible to hold the tournament in February as they had hoped. The league and union said they hope to...
First Call: Jalen Hurts thought he was going to be a Steeler; Saints injury update; Matt Murray not ready for Pens vs. Leafs
NFL MVP candidate Jalen Hurts says he thought he was going to be a Pittsburgh Steeler coming out of college. Pat Freiermuth sings the praises of Heath Miller. The Saints are dealing with plenty of injuries as they head up to Pittsburgh. Matt Murray won’t be healthy enough to play...
Oilers’ Evander Kane out 3-4 months after wrist cut by skateVideo
EDMONTON, Alberta — Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane will miss three to four months after being cut on the left wrist by a skate blade, the team announced Wednesday. The injury occurred during Edmonton’s 3-2 win at Tampa Bay on Tuesday night. Kane got tangled with Lightning defenseman Philippe Myers...
Bruins’ Neely: Team ‘dropped the ball’ in signing Miller
BOSTON — Bruins President Cam Neely said Monday the team “dropped the ball” with its internal vetting of Mitchell Miller, ultimately leading to the decision to rescind its contract offer to the defenseman. The 20-year-old Miller was selected by Arizona in the fourth round of the 2020 draft, but the...
Senators are up for sale, buyer must keep team in Ottawa
OTTAWA, Ontario — The Ottawa Senators are on the market. The board of directors of Senators Sports & Entertainment said Friday a process has been initiated for the sale of the NHL club. The board retained Galatioto Sports Partners, a firm specializing in the sports finance and advisory business, as...
Andrew Duncan, ‘Slap Shot’ announcer Jim Carr, dies
Actor Andrew Duncan, better known to Johnstown hockey fans as fictional Charlestown Chiefs broadcaster Jim Carr, has died, according to Second City Theater, which announced the news on Monday. His age and cause of death had not been announced as of Tuesday, but Duncan told The Tribune-Democrat he was 90...
Bruce Boudreau adapts on way to 600 wins as an NHL coach
When Bruce Boudreau finally got his first chance to be an NHL coach with Washington in 2007, he took over a staff with only a few assistants. George McPhee told Boudreau to coach the way he wanted to coach and he’d be there a while. Boudreau did that, helped the...
First Call: Jason Kelce addresses Batman mask during blowout of Steelers; NHL honors for Marc-Andre Fleury
Tuesday’s “First Call” gets clarification about a sideline moment from the Steelers-Eagles game. Pitt is getting a watered-down version of Syracuse Saturday. A former Penguin gets NHL honors. And the Penguins are facing two of the Atlantic Division’s best this week. The Dark Knight recognizes Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce...
Arizona Coyotes ready to party at The MullettVideo
TEMPE, Ariz. — The Mullett will have a party in the front and the back Friday night. By far the NHL’s smallest venue, Mullett Arena takes its first spin in the national spotlight when the Arizona Coyotes host the Winnipeg Jets. It should be a rockin’ — howlin’? — good...
First Call: Tennessee is newest suggested trade spot for Chase Claypool; Phil Kessel, Marc-Andre Fleury make history
Wednesday’s “First Call” reveals the latest trade idea surrounding Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool. The Browns may deal a skill position player too. We look at the gambling odds for all of the AFC North games this week. And Phil Kessel hits two milestones in one night. Another name...
Knights’ Phil Kessel sets NHL ironman record, scores 400th goalVideo
LAS VEGAS — Vegas Golden Knights forward Phil Kessel isn’t a fan of attention. Regardless, the 17-year veteran found himself in the NHL spotlight on Tuesday night. After matching defenseman Keith Yandle’s record for consecutive games played on Monday against Toronto, Kessel broke the mark Tuesday night when he appeared...
First Call: Gene Steratore weighs in on 3 controversial calls from Steelers-Dolphins; Phil Kessel ties Ironman streak
Tuesday’s “First Call” offers up some analysis of a few controversial calls in the Steelers-Dolphins game from Sunday night. Phil Kessel is ready to set an NHL record. The Penguins have another tough test out west. And a former WPIAL star made a big play on “Monday Night Football.” Gene,...
Broad Street Bully? John Tortorella insists he’s tamed in PhiladelphiaVideo
PHILADELPHIA — John Tortorella coaches the kind of Philadelphia Flyers team that can drive their fans to drink. Maybe the players, too. Feisty enough to try and fight his way into a visiting team’s locker room, Tortorella is poised enough to send his team a mission statement not through a...
Capitals’ Hagelin has surgery on eve of NHL opening night
ARLINGTON, Va. — Carl Hagelin is out indefinitely after undergoing hip surgery, leaving the Washington Capitals without three veteran forwards as the season begins. The team said Hagelin had an arthroscopic procedure Monday that is intended to address his chronically injured left hip. Hagelin, 34, has not played since taking...
Core exercise: Avs follow pattern of Stanley Cup championsVideo
Joe Sakic adopted a very practical approach to the task of molding the Colorado Avalanche roster that will attempt to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. “We know we’re not going to be able to sign everybody,” the NHL’s reigning general manager of the year said not long after his team...
Nino Niederreiter scores in debut, Predators top Sharks in Prague
PRAGUE — The Nashville Predators’ new additions made a quick impact in the NHL’s first regular-season game. Nino Niederreiter scored his debut goal for Nashville, which beat the San Jose Sharks, 4-1, in the Czech capital on Friday night. Kiefer Sherwood, another newcomer, became the first player to score this...
NHL’s East ‘have nots’ hoping to start challenging the eliteVideo
Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin aren’t getting any younger, and New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald isn’t shy about hoping that age finally catches up to the NHL Eastern Conference’s elite players. At the same time, Fitzgerald can appreciate it takes more than hope and age to level the...
Tim Benz: Less than a year from returning, Robert Morris hockey programs ramping up for comeback
Robert Morris University hockey coach Derek Schooley is aware of how time is marching along. He has a countdown clock on his phone. He sees it every day. “I believe 450 days is when I started it,” Schooley said. “It seemed like it was going to take forever. Now that...
Coaching carousel leaves 10 NHL teams with new face on bench
The coaching carousel spun a little faster than usual across the NHL, meaning nearly a third of the league will have someone new behind the bench this season. And not just bottom-feeders making changes. Ten teams go into the season next month with a new coach, from Presidents’ Trophy-winning Florida...
‘It’s not right’: Players want more from NHL against racism
For too long, Matt Dumba felt he was on his own dealing with racial taunts directed at him as a youngster growing up in Saskatchewan. It was no different for Dumba as an adult, one of just a handful of minority players in the National Hockey League. Even in a...
