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Why Alexandre Texier had the best finish of the week
Alexandre Texier did something many fans would have never seen before in a shootout victory over the Florida Panthers. It was certainly enough to stand out in a week full of spectacular goals.
Alexandre Texier did something many fans would have never seen before in a shootout victory over the Florida Panthers. It was certainly enough to stand out in a week full of spectacular goals.
It is the longest suspension handed down to a player under the domestic violence policy.
Tiger Woods "said he did not know" how he crashed in Southern California last week, and that he "did not even remember driving."
Griffin has reportedly drawn interest from most of the top playoff contenders.
All the focus will be on new coach Darryl Sutter, but it will be on the players to turn the tide in Calgary.
Walter Gretzky, a blue-collar symbol of a devoted hockey parent in a country filled with them, has died.
Former Toronto Argonauts and Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Chris Schultz has died at the age of 61, the CFL team announced on Friday.
Josh Palacios had a home run, triple and double and ace Hyun Jin Ryu allowed one run in two innings in his spring-training debut as the Jays beat the Orioles 13-4.
Brent Seabrook is hanging up his skates due to injury, leaving behind a legacy as one of Chicago's all-time great defensemen.
An Arlington High School fan said he punched the opposing team's coach several times after a semifinals game this week, landing the coach in the hospital.
Alex Smith offered insight last month into his comeback and a lack of support from the team.
Maia Chaka was named to the NFL Officiating Development Program in 2014.
Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares reflects on the news of Walter Gretzky's passing, which was announced in a statement by his son Wayne Gretzky on Thursday.
It’s an exciting week ahead in the Premier League as the battle for Champions League qualification spots heats up.
DETROIT — Spencer Torkelson's spring training began with an early setback when he cut his finger. A rookie mistake by a player who hasn't even made his major league debut yet. “I was in charge of dinner that night, and I was making this little corn salsa, and there was a can of beans to put in it," the Detroit infield prospect said. "The Airbnb didn’t have a can opener, and we tried to improvise, and we learned our lesson.” Torkelson reacted with good humour to that mishap, and it hasn't changed his outlook for the season. He started at third base in Friday's 1-1 tie with the New York Yankees — and anything he does in these next few weeks will take on added significance. The Tigers are now well into their rebuilding process, and they have a handful of promising prospects. That includes two of the last three players selected No. 1 overall in the draft — Torkelson and right-hander Casey Mize. If everything goes as planned, those two may be at the centre of the next successful era of Detroit baseball. It's easy to compare Torkelson and Mize to previous No. 1 picks like Carlos Correa, Stephen Strasburg and Gerrit Cole. Tigers fans would love if they panned out that well, but it's important to remember that a player's development isn't necessarily linear. There can be progress and setbacks — plus injuries that hold a prospect back. The top pick in the 2018 draft, Mize was called up to the majors during last year's abbreviated season. That was an exciting moment for the franchise, but he looked like a work in progress, going 0-3 with a 6.99 ERA in seven starts. He said he's rewatched games he pitched in an effort to improve at reading hitters. “Just kind of replayed through my head what I could have done differently," Mize said. "Just reading swings — easy example, if they’re late on things, what are you going to come back with after that, or if they’re early, what are you going to come back with after that pitch?” Mize also said he's worked on elevating four-seam fastballs. “I think pushing yourself out of your comfort zone allows for some perspective, just in different areas of life," Mize said. "I’m definitely trying some new things on the mound for sure, so I think that’s a little bit out of my comfort zone, but I think it’s going to lead to success.” Mize says this spring training is different, since he knows he has a better chance to break camp with the team. That's less likely for Torkelson, the top pick in the 2020 draft. He spent time at the team's alternate training location during that unusual year. “My mindset is, you’re trying to make the team," Torkelson said. "I know that the chances are very unlikely, but if my mindset’s that, I’ll put in the work, and everything will fall into place, and I’ll become a better baseball player at every aspect of the game.” Torkelson described this spring as a bit more laid back than his summer camp experience last year, and manager AJ Hinch said the former Arizona State slugger should be able to handle what comes his way as he pursues his pro career amid high expectations. “He’s been under the spotlight for a long time," Hinch said. "I think the attention, the media, the fans, the opposing players — he’s hit in the middle of every order he’s ever been in. That to me has kind of built his foundation for handling this type of stuff.” Of course, there are moments when patience is in order — like when he hurt his finger. And there are moments when Torkelson sounds, well, exactly like you might expect a 21-year-old to sound at spring training. It's all part of a young player's journey. “There’s cool moments every day," he said. "One of the craziest moments was showing up to the field for the away game, and my bag was already packed. I’m not used to that. That was pretty sweet.” ___ Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Noah Trister, The Associated Press
"Y'all wilding he push me"
Both police and the district attorney have declined to reveal the allegations against Miller.
Jason Spezza would have jumped at the opportunity to voice his support for women’s hockey even if he didn’t have four daughters growing up at home. The veteran Maple Leafs forward was a big fan of the women’s game long before he was married, dating to years ago when Spezza attended a pre-Winter Games tune-up between Canada and the United States at a rink in suburban Toronto. “It was one of the best hockey games I’ve watched,” he recalled this week. “There were 6,000 people packed in the building. And it didn’t matter that it was males or females. It was just a great hockey game.” That memory, coupled with the invested personal interest he has for his children, helped prompt Spezza to be one of numerous NHL players to participate in the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association’s latest campaign promoting the need to establish a new North American women’s league. “I think regardless if I have daughters or not, I think it’s a really important cause,” Spezza said. “But it definitely hits more close to home for me with having four daughters and a wife, and women’s rights and talking about equality, which we talk about quite a a bit about in our house.” Titled “Stick In The Ground,” a one-minute video released last week features U.S. and Canadian women’s national team players, NHL players, tennis great Billie Jean King and even Toronto Mayor John Tory discussing the importance of planting a stick to benefit the future of women’s hockey. As PWHPA executive and Hockey Hall of Fame member Jayna Hefford says in the video: “Every young girl deserves to have the same visible hockey role models as every young boy.” It was a message echoed by Edmonton Oilers forward Kyle Turris, who participated in the video. “I have two sons and a daughter, and yeah, I think it’s important,” Turris said. “I want my daughter to grow up thinking she can run the world if she wants to do as well.” Founded in May 2019 following the demise of the Canadian Hockey League, the PWHPA is made up of the world’s top female players united in a bid to establish a single North American professional league — ideally backed by the NHL — with a long-term sustainable economic model. The association’s members have balked at playing for the U.S.-based six-team National Women’s Hockey League, and instead have been holding a series of barnstorming weekend events called the “Dream Gap Tour.” This year’s tour opened with New Hampshire and Minnesota playing two games, including one at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, which was televised nationally in both the U.S. and Canada. This weekend, the two PWHPA U.S. hub teams will play two games at Chicago, including a contest at the United Center on Saturday that will be televised on NBC Sports Network. The games represent a homecoming of sorts to U.S. national team member Brianna Decker, who grew up a Blackhawks fan in Wisconsin. “I’m super exited to play there,” the two-time Olympian said, adding, “my brothers are definitely jealous.” Decker is particularly impressed by the support the PWHPA has generated from NHL players and its franchises. “Kyle Turris saying he wants his daughter to have the same opportunities as himself, that’s what we’re striving to do,” she said. “Right now, we have college hockey. And if you’re at the elite level, you make the national team. But after college, you’re usually just done playing, which is sad.” Decker played at Wisconsin, where she had more access to resources and training facilities than when she played in either the CWHL or NWHL. “There should be something bigger and better out there for us once you’re done with college,” she said, referring to a dedicated dressing room to being able to do your laundry at the rink. “Those are some little things that we’re striving for, aside from a financial backing.” And that’s where PWHPA members say the NHL needs to step in. The league has provided some monetary support in the past, while also increasing the visibility of top female players by including them in each of the past two All-Star weekend festivities. The NHL, however, has stopped short at committing to back a women’s pro league. Commissioner Gary Bettman has previously said the league is open to establishing a league, but not at the expense of forcing an existing league like the NWHL out of business. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league’s position hasn’t changed. “I think the league and our board are supportive of women’s hockey, period,” Daly wrote in an email to The Associated Press on Friday. “We understand it’s importance to the game generally and the growth of our game going forward. But as you are seeing, that support can (and does) take a variety of forms.” The NHL Players’ Association has also been on board in providing the PWHPA both monetary and organizational support, including attracting corporate sponsors. Timing is becoming an issue, with the PWHPA hoping it can align the launch of a league with the quadrennial boost women’s hockey gains from Olympic competition. The Beijing Games are a year away. “We want the NHL to step in and be like, `We’re going to support your league.' We want that and we wish it was that easy,” Decker said. “Hopefully, Gary Bettman and the NHL can figure out a way to have our league started and get going, and have something that’s going to be long-term for us soon.” ___ More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports John Wawrow, The Associated Press
TORONTO — As expected, Toronto FC will join the Raptors and Blue Jays in Florida for the start of the Major League Soccer season.Toronto will stay in the Orlando area, training at the Omni Resort at ChampionsGate some 35 kilometres southwest of Orlando Airport. The team said it can play home matches in both Orlando and Tampa.Orlando City SC plays at Exploria Stadium while the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the USL Championship play at the 7,500-seat Al Lang Stadium in nearby St. Petersburg, where CF Montreal has held its training camp in the past,The team said its stay in Florida will be contingent upon health and safety regulations as borders reopen in Canada.“We are unable to make BMO Field in Toronto our home for the start of the MLS season,” TFC GM Ali Curtis said in a statement Friday. "But we will continue to work with local and federal officials to monitor the situation back home and return as soon as possible.”The Raptors are playing out of Amalie Arena in Tampa while the Blue Jays, who played in Buffalo, N.Y., last season, are holding their first two homestands in nearby Dunedin. TFC finished out the 2020 season in East Hartford, Conn., due to pandemic-related border restrictions. The team played just four games at BMO Field last season.The team is no stranger to ChampionsGate, having held part of its pre-season camp there in past years. A short walk across the hotel golf course leads to training fields.TFC is currently training under the bubble at the club's north Toronto training centre and at BMO Field, whose pitch has underground heating.The team was granted permission to open camp early, on Feb. 17, to prepare for the Canadian Championship final against Hamilton's Forge FC. The winner of that match advances to a two-legged Scotiabank Champions League round-of-16 tie against Mexico's Club Leon. The return leg is April 14.The MLS regular season is slated to kick off April 17.The date and venue of the Canadian Championship final have yet to be announced, although March 20 has been floated. Time is short given the March 22-30 FIFA international window features both World Cup and Olympic qualifying. ---Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 5, 2021 Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California officials will allow people to attend Major League Baseball games and other outdoor sporting events, go to Disneyland and watch live performances in limited capacities starting April 1. The rules announced Friday coincide with baseball’s opening day. The San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels and Oakland Athletics all have home games scheduled for April 1. Dr. Mark Ghaly, California’s top public health official, said the state is acting now because the rates of new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations are declining while the number of people receiving the vaccine is increasing. “Today’s announcement is focused on building in some of the compelling science about how the virus behaves, and how activities when done a certain way can reduce risk,” Ghaly said. California divides its counties into four colour-coded tiers based on the spread of the virus. The purple tier is the most restrictive, followed by red, orange and yellow. Attendance limits are based on what tier a county is in. Theme parks can open in the red tier at 15% capacity and only people who live in California can buy tickets. Attendance limits increase to 25% in the orange tier and 35% in the yellow tier. Indoor rides are allowed because they are short and allow for proper spacing. Andrea Zinder, president of the local United Food and Commercial Workers Union, said Disneyland employees are “heartened by this good news.” “They have been furloughed or out of a job for a year now and are excited to go back to work to provide Californians with a bit more magic in their lives,” Zinder said. Outdoor sports are limited to 100 people in the purple tier. Those limits increase to 20% capacity in the red tier, 33% in the orange tier and 67% in the yellow tier. Teams can sell tickets regionally in the purple tier and statewide in the other tiers. No concessions are allowed in the purple tier. In other tiers, concessions will be limited to in-seat purchases. Friday’s announcement only pertains to outdoor activities. Attendance for indoor events, including NBA games and concerts, are still prohibited. Coming up with rules for indoor events is “much more difficult,” said Dee Dee Myers, senior advisor to the governor and director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. “We will continue to work on that we’ll come back over the next couple of weeks and try to update this so that we can provide more visibility and a path forward for more businesses," Myers said. Adam Beam And Kathleen Ronayne, The Associated Press
Brent Seabrook gutted out injuries and played through pain to win the Stanley Cup three times for the Chicago Blackhawks and take home an Olympic gold medal with Team Canada. His physical style slowly took a toll and eventually ended his career. “I told my body to screw off for 15 years," Seabrook said. "It finally turned around and said, ‘I’m not going to do it anymore.’” Seabrook announced Friday that his career is over because of a right hip ailment that rendered him unable to walk just before Christmas and didn't let up when he tried skating again. The 35-year-old defenceman isn't technically retiring because there are three years left on his contract, but he knows he won't suit up in an NHL game again. “I think I could’ve made this decision a month ago,” Seabrook said. “I don’t know if it was a decision I made or my body made for me.” Seabrook put off surgeries throughout his career because Chicago was consistently making long playoff runs and he didn't want to miss the majority of the next season. His last NHL game was on Dec. 15, 2019. He had right shoulder surgery later that month, left hip surgery in January 2020 and right hip surgery last February. “We have tried all available conservative treatments, and nothing has worked well enough for him to live life as an athlete,” team physician Dr. Michael Terry said. “We support his decision to prioritize his long-term physical health.” An examination of Seabrook’s right hip showed zero cartilage left in it. Doctors advised a hip replacement at some point, and he’ll do what he can to manage the situation. Seabrook hopes to continue an active life and looks forward to skiing and snowboarding with his wife and daughter. The 6-foot-3 Seabrook was a key player and leader for Chicago for more than a decade. He had 103 goals and 361 assists in 1,114 games, plus 20 goals and 39 assists in 123 playoff appearances — all with the Blackhawks after they selected him 14th overall in the 2003 draft. He helped the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015, and his gold medal came from the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Three-time Cup-winning coach Joel Quenneville, who's now with Florida, called Seabrook “a stabilizing force for the team.” “He had a heck of a career,” Quenneville said. “He scored a lot of key goals for us at key times in big moments.” Seabrook, who turns 36 next month, tried to return last summer when the season resumed amid the pandemic. But he decided he didn’t have enough time to reach a level where he would be comfortable playing again. “In a lot of ways, he always put the team ahead of himself,” Blackhawks president of hockey operations and general manager Stan Bowman said. “Brent was very unique that way — to the point where he had injuries over the years which he probably could have or should have taken care of sooner, but he didn’t want to miss any time.” Preparing for this season was the best he'd felt in a long time until he woke up Dec. 21 unable to walk. Doctors and trainers tried what they could, but Seabrook gave up the comeback attempt and told longtime defence partner Duncan Keith and other teammates last weekend it was over. “It was throwing darts at a dartboard figuring out what was going to get me back skating and playing,” he said. “We did a lot of stuff with injections, cortisone, trying to get it back to manageable and something I can play with. It just sort of is what it is.” Seabrook is owed $15.5 million over the next three seasons before his contract expires. NHL rules allow Chicago to keep him and pay him without his $6.875 million salary-cap hit counting against the team's spending up to the $81.5 million limit. Bowman said Seabrook is on long-term injured reserve for now. “It’s something we’re going to work through as we go forward," he said. "It’s hard to map things out that far into the future.” ___ More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Jay Cohen And Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press