Kraken add Marshawn Lynch, Macklemore as minority ownersVideo
SEATTLE — The expansion Seattle Kraken are adding some additional star power to their ownership group. The Kraken announced Monday that Grammy winner Macklemore and former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch are joining the minority investor group. The two are taking small stakes in the franchise but bringing big ideas...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Remembering Mike Bossy as the 2nd-purest goal scorer ever
Mike Bossy was like a metronome. Nonstop. Inexorable. He scored, then scored again. The New York Islanders right wing netted 573 times in 752 regular-season games, 85 times in 129 playoff games, 13 times in 15 international games. That’s 671 goals of some gravitas, and a ton looked the same:...
NHLPA investigation: Donald Fehr not at fault in Blackhawks situationVideo
An independent investigation commissioned by the NHL Players’ Association found that executive director Don Fehr and others were not responsible for wrongdoing when they failed to act on a report that a Chicago Blackhawks player was sexually assaulted by a staff member in 2010. A law firm hired to look...
Mike Bossy, Islanders great, 4-time Cup champion, dies at 65
Mike Bossy, one of hockey’s most prolific goal-scorers and a star for the New York Islanders during their 1980s dynasty, has died after a battle with lung cancer. He was 65. The Islanders and TVA Sports, the French-language network in Canada where he worked as a hockey analyst, confirmed Bossy...
First Call: Kenny Pickett won’t attend NFL Draft bash in Vegas; ex-Pirates pitching battle; Penguins get help in standings
In Friday’s “First Call,” we reveal the players who will be at the NFL Draft in Las Vegas at the end of the month. The Pittsburgh Penguins got some favorable results on Thursday, beyond their own victory. We also celebrate an anniversary for the team that history occasionally overlooks. And...
First Call: Josh Dobbs speaks about going to Cleveland from Steelers; ex-Penguins star nets a hat trick
In Monday’s “First Call,” former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Josh Dobbs discusses his move to Cleveland. A former Penguin puts up a hat trick. The Washington Capitals keep winning. And we reflect on the loss of a former Penn State football standout. Change of allegiance New Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh Dobbs...
Ryan Getzlaf to retire after 17 seasons with Anaheim Ducks
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf will retire at the conclusion of the regular season, ending his 17-year NHL career spent entirely with one club. The 36-year-old Getzlaf made his announcement Tuesday. The Ducks (28-31-12) have 11 games left in what’s almost certain to be their fourth consecutive...
First Call: Ravens lose out on free-agent target; ex-Pitt star may grab St. Peter’s job; RMU coach tired of ‘Coach K’ coverage
In Friday’s “First Call,” the Baltimore Ravens miss out on a star free agent signing. A Pitt basketball legend may be getting his first head coaching gig. Robert Morris’ head coach is no fan of the hype surrounding Mike Krzyzewski’s last trip to the Final Four. And we recap another...
Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk dies from illness at 62
OTTAWA, Ontario — Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk has died from an illness, the team said Monday night. He was 62. The team announced Melnyk’s death with a statement from his family that mentioned “an illness he faced with determination and courage.” The statement did not explain what the illness...
First Call: Mike Tomlin on his long-term coaching plans; ex-Steeler helps at Sam Howell’s pro day
In Tuesday’s “First Call,” Mike Tomlin answers questions about his long-term future with the Pittsburgh Steelers. An ex-Steeler was spotted helping out a potential draft choice at his pro day. A wild game atop the Metropolitan Division. And Chris Archer has a new home. No focus on future For 50...
NHL GMs meeting centers on safety, inclusion, respectVideo
MANALAPAN, Fla. — Sheldon Kennedy never envisioned a moment like this two decades ago. Kim Davis didn’t see it coming as recently as 2018. The pair led a discussion Monday with the NHL’s 32 general managers at their annual meeting — their first in-person gathering since March 2020 because of...
Wild go all in at deadline to get Fleury, back up GM beliefVideo
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild have raved all season about their chemistry, as much of an asset for them as Kirill Kaprizov’s deft scoring touch, the size of their second line or their newly created veteran goaltending tandem. General manager Bill Guerin believed in the team’s intangible strength...
Minnesota Wild acquire Marc-Andre Fleury from Chicago
The Minnesota Wild addressed their inconsistent goaltending situation by acquiring Marc-Andre Fleury in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday. Minnesota gave up a conditional first-round pick in this year’s draft to acquire the 37-year-old. The Wild are in the midst of a tightly contested Western Conference playoff race...
Flyers trade longtime captain Claude Giroux to PanthersVideo
PHILADELPHIA — After 1,000 games and a reign as the longest-serving team captain in Flyers history, Claude Giroux is off to Florida to try to win his first Stanley Cup. Philadelphia traded Giroux on Saturday in a deal that sent this season’s All-Star game MVP to Florida in a move...
NHL trade deadline could be full of last-minute deals
Don Waddell’s phone is not ringing much right now. The seasoned NHL executive expects that to change this weekend. “It always does,” he said. Waddell’s Carolina Hurricanes are among the many contenders with limited salary cap space that could wait until much closer to the trade deadline Monday to stockpile...
Ovechkin scores 767th goal, passes Jagr for 3rd on NHL listVideo
WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin scored his 767th NHL goal, passing Jaromir Jagr for third on the career list. Ovechkin beat fellow Russian Semyon Varlamov for the goal with 4 minutes, 58 seconds left in the third period of the Washington Capitals’ game against the New York Islanders on Tuesday night....
Maple Leafs’ Matthews suspended 2 games for cross-checking
NEW YORK — NHL leading goal scorer Auston Matthews will miss the Toronto Maple Leafs’ next two games after being suspended for cross-checking Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin in the neck. Matthews retaliated against Dahlin by shoving his stick upward into the Sabres defenseman’s neck late in the Heritage Classic outdoor game...
Flyers give Rasmus Ristolainen 5-year contract extension
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Flyers signed defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen to a five-year contract extension, the team announced Thursday. The deal is worth $5.1 million a year, Flyers president of hockey operations and general manager Chuck Fletcher said. It comes 11 days before the NHL trade deadline. “Rasmus is an important...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans dig at Aaron Rodgers coverage, defend Najee Harris, pile on Russian hockey talk
I’m so upset that Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers isn’t joining the Steelers. If he did, this weekly column could’ve written itself for his entire career in Pittsburgh. But we aren’t going to be all quarterbacks, all the time. Our readers are upset about other things, too. Much like...
Golden Knights center Jack Eichel at ease as he returns to BuffaloVideo
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Whatever butterflies Jack Eichel felt during his first visit back to Buffalo gradually dissipated as the Vegas Golden Knights’ practice came to a close Wednesday. Completing the final team drill at one end of the ice, Eichel skated to the empty end and began snapping pucks into...
Caps’ Ovechkin ties Jagr for 3rd on NHL career goals list
CALGARY, Alberta — Alex Ovechkin scored twice and moved into a tie for third place on the NHL’s career goals list, and Nic Dowd scored the go-ahead goal as the Washington Capitals rallied in the third period to beat the Calgary Flames 5-4 on Tuesday night. Ovechkin’s second goal, into...
Kraken sign F Jared McCann to 5-year contract extensionVideo
SEATTLE — The Seattle Kraken have made it clear they see forward Jared McCann as a key part of their core moving forward. The Kraken signed McCann to a five-year, $25 million contract extension Tuesday, locking up a young player who has emerged during the expansion team’s first season. McCann...
NHL suspends agreement with Russia-based KHLVideo
The NHL suspended its dealings with the Russia-based KHL on Monday, a move that could make it more difficult for teams to sign players from there. The NHL told its teams to cease contact with KHL counterparts and Russia-based agents as part of the suspension of the memorandum of understanding...
Rift appears to widen between 2 women’s pro hockey groups
Hockey Hall of Fame member Angela James opened what could become a widening rift between North America’s top two women’s professional hockey organizations on the eve of joining the new ownership group of the Premier Hockey Federation’s Toronto Six. Days before the PHF officially announced the sale on Monday, James...
Capitals to visit Hurricanes in 2023 outdoor game in RaleighVideo
WASHINGTON — The Washington Capitals will be the Carolina Hurricanes’ opponent in the NHL’s outdoor Stadium Series game next season. The game is scheduled to take place Feb. 18, 2023, at N.C. State’s Carter-Finley Stadium across the parking lot from the Hurricanes’ home arena in Raleigh, N.C. The league announced...