Signing college free agents is rare NHL business going onVideo
Colton Poolman had a good feeling about what was to come. He and his North Dakota teammates were ranked third in the country with the conference tournament coming up. They felt they had as good a chance as anyone to win the NCAA title until the season was abruptly canceled...
NHL’s top draft prospect staying patient amid uncertaintyVideo
Alexis Lafreniere never could have envisioned ending his prolific junior hockey career in such an anticlimactic setting. There was no final buzzer, and the NHL’s projected top draft prospect was nowhere near an ice rink Wednesday. Lafreniere instead was sitting at home in suburban Montreal as he opened a conference...
Getting home: Hockey players travel scrambled by coronavirusVideo
Ryan Stanton would pull off the highway every few hours to give his pregnant wife, Kirsten, a chance to stretch her legs. That’s usually when Kirsten and her mother-in-law would switch places to tend to the Stantons’ 18-month-old daughter in the backseat of the pickup truck during a 27-hour drive...
NHL doctor warns of patchwork protocols across 31 marketsVideo
The NHL’s chief medical officer said Wednesday he expects the coronavirus pandemic to get worse before it gets better in North America and differences across 31 markets are likely to affect when players might get back on the ice. Dr. Winne Meeuwisse said it is difficult to predict when cases...
Online sports bettors turn to pingpong as leagues postpone seasons
At a time when bettors would typically be placing wagers on March Madness brackets and NHL playoff favorites, Pennsylvania sports enthusiasts are instead putting their money on Russian pingpong. That’s according to figures released Tuesday by Rush Street Interactive, which operates the Bet
Rivers.com app, the online and mobile sports betting...
First Call: Watt brothers and Wisniewski brighten spirits, Patriots bring back ex-Steelers QB, NHL money crunch
Monday’s “First Call” features two new Steelers bringing a rare smile to our faces these days. New NFL Draft plans. A former Steeler goes back to the New England Patriots. And the financial woes of the NHL may be worse than we thought after the league-wide shutdown. Now that’s a...
Half of NBA and NHL coronavirus cases are linked to Staples Center. What happened?
LOS ANGELES — The NBA’s reach extends across the globe, broadcasting to more than 200 countries and territories while generating almost $9 billion in annual revenue. Its top players are the most powerful in sports, able to reach tens of millions and spark change with a single social media post....
Ottawa player is 1st in NHL to test positive for covid-19Video
An Ottawa Senators player tested positive for the new coronavirus, the first known case in the NHL. The team announced late Tuesday an unidentified player tested positive for covid-19. The Senators said the player has mild symptoms, is in isolation and they were notifying anyone who had close contact with...
Sabres agree to 2-year deal with Penn State captain Brandon BiroVideo
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres agreed to an entry-level contract with undrafted forward Brandon Biro of Penn State. The two-year deal was announced Wednesday. The 22-year-old Biro helped lead the Nittany Lions to a Big Ten-best 12-8-4 record while serving as the captain for his senior season. The Nittany...
First Call: Laughing at Tom Brady leaving; Bengals big signing; bad NHL schedule idea
In “First Call” Wednesday, people are laughing at New England’s pain. The NHL player proposal to restart the season stinks. And Marc-Andre Fleury looks like he is in the weeds of a quarantine. Now it is our turn No one is making this easy on New England. Legendary quarterback Tom...
Gary Bettman: NHL players in isolation while season is on holdVideo
The NHL is telling its players and staff to stay away from the rink and self-isolate while hockey is on a hiatus of unknown length during the coronavirus pandemic. Commissioner Gary Bettman said Friday he was not aware of any player or league employee testing positive for the new coronavirus,...
First Call: Gronk to WWE?; NFL overtime may change; Penguins get help; Duquesne basketball snubs
Wednesday’s “First Call” features a new gig for Gronk. Is NFL overtime changing again? Gerrit Cole basks in Yankees stardom. The Penguins get some help in the Metro Division. Gronk to wrestling? The Steelers need a tight end. Well, there is a pretty good one from Woodland Hills that’s getting...
NHL, MLB, NBA, MLS close locker room access amid coronavirus outbreakVideo
MIAMI — The NBA, NHL, Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer are closing access to locker rooms and clubhouses to all non-essential personnel in response to the coronavirus crisis, the leagues announced in a joint statement Monday night. The leagues said they made the decision “after consultation with infectious...
Henri Richard, winner of 11 Cups with Canadiens, dies at 84Video
MONTREAL — Henri Richard, the speedy center who won a record 11 Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens, died Friday. He was 84. His death was announced by the team. Richard had Alzheimer’s disease. Richard was captain of the Canadiens from 1971 to his retirement in 1975, succeeding the legendary...
First Call: T.J. Watt’s new commercial, NHL player takes skate to face, Duquesne owns overtime
The NFL’s Watt brothers start off Wednesday’s “First Call.” Why wouldn’t they? They are everywhere else. Also, we check out what happened in the rest of the Eastern Conference while the Penguins finally got back on the winning track. An NHL player gets a skate to the face. Duquesne owns...
First Call: Tight end for Steelers?; Tom Brady wants Antonio Brown; Bud Dupree update; Tom Wilson bobblehead
Tuesday’s “First Call” features a potential tight end target for the Steelers. Also, updates on Bud Dupree’s franchise tag and Tom Brady’s free agency. It looks like Antonio Brown is still on Brady’s radar. A one-time Penguins prospect is coming to PPG Paints Arena in a different uniform. And the...
First Call: Watt brothers exchange jabs on Twitter; Alex Ovechkin keeps scoring for Capitals
Today’s “First Call” features a little brotherly love. Pfft! No. Not from Philadelphia. Why would we ever subject you to that? Naw. This is from Pittsburgh. And… Houston. J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans tweeted this video of himself working out. Watt is trying to return to top form after...
Emergency goalie protocol talk on tap for NHL GMs meetingVideo
When a 42-year-old Zamboni driver entered as an emergency goaltender and won an NHL game, it became one of the best stories in sports. But David Ayres going from practicing with the Toronto Maple Leafs to playing against them in the thick of a playoff race also generated debate about...
Blues rule out Jay Bouwmeester for remainder of season, playoffsVideo
ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester was ruled out from returning to play in the regular season or in the playoffs. General manager Doug Armstrong made the announcement on Wednesday. In a news conference at Enterprise Center, Bouwmeester spoke to reporters for the first time since he...
First Call: Steelers talk with WR; Le’Veon Bell staying with Jets?; Zamboni goalie honoredVideo
Wednesday’s “First Call” is packed. The Steelers talked with a high-profile wide receiver at the NFL Scouting Combine. A radio host in Cleveland got suspended for ripping Baker Mayfield. “Zamboni Goalie” David Ayers was honored in Carolina. Le’Veon Bell may be staying in New York after all. And all of...
Trades juice up arms race in deep Metropolitan DivisionVideo
The Metropolitan Division was already the deepest and most competitive in the NHL. Now the race to the finish is getting juiced up. Nearly every Metro contender made a move ahead of Monday’s trade deadline to gear up for the playoff push. The first-place Washington Capitals got it started by...
Capitals acquire Ilya Kovalchuk from Canadiens for 3rd-rounderVideo
WASHINGTON — The Capitals on Sunday acquired winger Ilya Kovalchuk from the Montreal Canadiens for a 2020 third-round pick. Washington made the move to get another top-nine forward hours after its second victory in eight games. Montreal will retain 50% of Kovalchuk’s $700,000 salary and cap hit. The 36-year-old Kovalchuk...
700 club: Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin scores for milestone goalVideo
NEWARK, N.J. — With power and a prodigious shot, Alex Ovechkin stands where few in hockey have been. He became the eighth NHL player to score 700 career goals, reaching the milestone in the third period of the Washington’ Capitals’ 3-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. “It’s...
In Lake Placid, a miracle from 40 years ago still inspiresVideo
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — The woman had been waiting for her opportunity for more than an hour, which was no big deal because, technically, she had been waiting 40 years. She went to the Lake Placid Center for the Arts on a frigid night earlier this week with a folder...
NHL teams get jump on deadline with flurry of early tradesVideo
Tom Fitzgerald changed teams twice at the NHL trade deadline as a player and knows how it feels. As interim general manager of the New Jersey Devils, he didn’t wait until deadline day to trade captain Andy Greene or forward Blake Coleman. Beating the buzzer by more than a week,...
