ESPN wants to make a lot of money. Many people do. It’s the compromise part that’s sometimes difficult. It’s when something so awful occurs that in total, coldblooded, unyielding pursuit of the cash you ignore that terrible thing. Just act like it didn’t happen. Not your responsibility. Just grab the big check and run.

That’s what ESPN is doing now when it comes to the ugly, despicable, bigoted case of UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland, who this week, while speaking to the media prior to UFC 297 this weekend, went on an anti-LGBTQ rant after a reporter asked about his previous claims that having a gay son meant he failed as a father.

What Strickland said was obviously wrong (more on what that was exactly in a moment). What’s most shocking isn’t that there are anti-gay and anti-trans bigots in the world. We know those people are out there. Small, insecure, bullies and tiny, tiny people. What’s more shocking was ESPN’s reaction to it. Let me explain.

After reading about what Strickland said, I sent an email to one of the ESPN PR representatives who works with the UFC. I asked a simple question: would ESPN be putting out any kind of statement denouncing what Strickland said?

The response: ‘I’d suggest you speak with UFC since Strickland is a UFC employee and they handle athlete relations.’

Huh?

Did you hear that sound?

That was ESPN washing its hands of this sordid mess.

ESPN can’t have it multiple ways. The network can’t make money off advertising revenue from its seven-year contract with the UFC worth about $300 million per year, and then when an athlete does what Strickland did, bury its head in that cash. With that money comes some semblance of responsibility.

All ESPN has to say is it doesn’t condone that type of behavior and language. It’s that simple. Think of it this way. What do you think would happen if a white NFL player, just days before he and his team were set to play on ESPN’s Monday night broadcast, repeatedly called Black Americans racial slurs during a press conference? The network would address it in numerous ways. They would never let it go unmentioned. Various ESPN properties would obliterate that player.

But a UFC bully attacks a marginalized community and there’s basically crickets from ESPN.

I don’t expect the UFC to do the right thing. But doesn’t ESPN have a higher standard? Why is a media superpower so afraid to blast this type of hatred?

And I understand it’s not ESPN’s duty to comment on every remark every athlete that appears on its air makes. But there are certain moments when that is indeed required and this is one of them. ESPN is partners with the UFC and the fight this weekend isn’t just some small event. It’s a huge deal.

I’ve made mistakes and said dumb things but if I ever went on any type of rant like that, numerous news organizations and other journalists would condemn it. It wouldn’t matter if we worked at the same places or not.

What exactly did Strickland say? Among other things, in what was goon-like behavior against a journalist who asked about Strickland’s past anti-trans attacks, Strickland criticized the UFC for partnering with Bud Light. Extremists launched an anti-trans boycott of the beermaker.

“Here’s the thing about Bud Light, 10 years ago, to be trans was a mental (expletive) illness,” Strickland said. “And now, all of a sudden, people like you have (expletive) weaseled your way in the world. You are an infection. You are the definition of weakness. Everything that is wrong with the world is because of (expletive) you.”

He added: “And the best thing is the world’s not buying it. The world’s not buying your (expletive)…you’re (expletive) peddling. The world is not saying, ‘You know what? You’re right. (Expletive) chicks have (expletive).’ The world’s not saying that. The world’s saying, ‘No, there are two genders. I don’t want my kids being taught about who they could (expletive) in school. I don’t want my kids being taught about their sexual preference.’”

All ESPN has to say is: this is terrible. We don’t condone it.

But they won’t because the money’s too good.

Ohio State has named Bill O’Brien as its new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, the school announced Friday.

O’Brien, who coached Penn State for two years following the firing of longtime coach Joe Paterno, served as offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots this season.

O’Brien, 54, is expected to have enough autonomy on offense to allow coach Ryan Day to step away from play-calling duties. Though Day named wide receivers coach Brian Hartline the team’s offensive coordinator a year ago, Day called plays.

‘He brings with him a wealth of knowledge – and a tremendous amount of success – at both the NFL and collegiate levels,’ Day said in a statement. ‘He is an excellent and experienced offensive coach who has run NFL and Power 5 programs and developed some truly elite players throughout his career. He’ll be an excellent teacher and recruiter for us, and he absolutely strengthens our staff.’

O’Brien will replace Corey Dennis on coach Ryan Day’s staff. Dennis, the son-in-law of former OSU coach Urban Meyer, has been the Buckeyes’ quarterbacks coach for the last four years. Dennis was on the road recruiting as recently as Wednesday.

A news release said it is anticipated that Dennis will transition into an undetermined role with the program. Hartline will be the co-offensive coordinator in addition to receivers coach.

O’Brien coached Penn State in 2012 and ’13 before he was hired as the Houston Texans’ head coach. He was there for seven years, leading the Texans to three playoff berths. He was fired when the team started 0-4 in 2020.

Nick Saban then hired him to be the Alabama offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. In 2021, Alabama ranked sixth nationally in scoring, averaging 39.9 points. Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young won the Heisman Trophy that year under O’Brien’s tutelage. In 2022, the Crimson Tide ranked fourth nationally, averaging 41.1 points.

This year, he oversaw a Patriots offense that averaged only 13.9 points per game, tied with Carolina for worst in the league.

O’Brien is a Massachusetts native who played football at Brown. He began his coaching career at his alma mater before moving on to Georgia Tech, Maryland and Duke. His first NFL coaching job was with the Patriots. He was with the team for five years in that stint, advancing to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach working with Tom Brady. In O’Brien’s final year, the Patriots lost in the Super Bowl to the New York Giants.

He was then hired by Penn State to succeed Paterno, who’d been fired in the aftermath of a sexual abuse scandal involving defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.

O’Brien was named Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2012 for leading the Nittany Lions to an 8-4 record while the program was reeling from the Sandusky scandal and the sanctions caused by it.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Novak Djokovic is starting to feel better about his health and his game, winning in straight sets Friday for the first time this tournament with a 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (2) victory over Tomas Martin Etcheverry in his 100th Australian Open match.

The 24-time major winner is 92-8 at Melbourne Park, where he’s won the title 10 times and is on a 31-match winning streak.

Only Roger Federer (117) and Serena Williams (105) have played more matches at the season’s first major.

Next up he faces 35-year-old Frenchman Adrian Mannarino, who won a five-setter for the third straight round to advance 7-6 (4), 1-6, 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-4 over U.S. Open semifinalist Ben Shelton.

“I played better than I did in the first two rounds, so that’s a positive change, I guess.” Djokovic said. “Starting to feel better game-wise and physically, as well. It’s positive signs (but) I still haven’t been playing at my best.”

Against Etcheverry, he didn’t even face a breakpoint.

Not that No. 30 seed didn’t challenge him, really going for his ground strokes and chasing down drop shots — to the point where he had to veer off court to avoid the net in the third set and nearly crashed into the umpire’s chair.

Djokovic, as he got closer to victory, started to put his index finger to his ear after hitting winners, bringing more support and noise from the Rod Laver Arena crowd.

After closing with a pair of aces to move into the fourth round here for the 16th time, his celebration was calm.

“It was a great match,” Djokovic said. ‘The best performance I had during this tournament. I’m pleased with he way I played, particularly the first two sets.

“He raised his level in the third set (and) we went toe-to-toe.”

Djokovic took to the court when the match between lefthanders Mannarino and Shelton was going into the second set. He was in a post-match news news conference when the result of that match was relayed to him. Noted.

Djokovic copied Shelton’s “Hang up the phone!” celebration gesture after that win, and comments in the French media earlier this week confirmed he did mock it in retaliation to some unsporting provocation.

He elaborated Friday that Shelton was going on court believing he can challenge the best players in the world and “I don’t dislike that at all.”

“But there is obviously some kind of line, non-visible line, of acceptable behavior I guess towards the other player,” he said. ‘If a player steps over that line, then obviously it starts being annoying. That’s when you react or you don’t react, whatever. It just depends. That rematch will have to wait for another time.

Potential quarterfinalists in that section are 2023 Australian runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas, who beat Luca Van Assche 6-3, 6-0, 6-4, and No. 12 Taylor Fritz, who held off Fabian Morozsan 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.

No. 4 Jannik Sinner is in hot form in the bottom of this half of the draw, advancing to the round of 16 without losing a set after a 6-0, 6-1, 6-3 victory over Sebastian Baez. He next faces 15th-seeded Karen Khachanov, who beat Tomas Machac 6-4, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (5).

In another night match, local hope Alex de Minaur continued his run with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-1. win over Flavio Cobolli.

Former Washington coach Jay Gruden and quarterback Robert Griffin III disagreed on the time they spent together with the franchise and took their grievances out on social media.

Gruden, who coached the team during Griffin’s final two seasons in 2014 and 2015, commented on the Philadelphia Eagles’ inability to protect Jalen Hurts during their Wild Card loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Gruden went 35-49-1 in six seasons as Washington’s head coach and was fired after the team got off to a 0-5 start in 2019.

“If I ever put a QB through what Philly is putting Jalen through, I apologize,” Gruden posted on social media. “Pick up a blitz!”

Griffin apparently wasn’t amused in responding, “Say WHATTTT?”

Gruden then came back, asking: “U weren’t prepared, Robert?”

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The back-and-forth insults were just getting started.

 “You told me you didn’t know how to coach a QB who could throw and run like me, so looks like you weren’t prepared Jay,’ Griffin said.

“You are right. We didn’t have a good enough staff,’ Gruden said. ‘Sorry. Hope all is well with ya.”

Griffin then told a story about how Gruden wanted him to challenge teammates publicly and didn’t have his back when Griffin was ripped for doing so.

“There was a moment that happened in D.C. that is vividly remembered,” Griffin said. “Jay Gruden went to a press conference and he undressed me at that press conference in a way a coach should never undress his starting quarterback. It was after a game and I said in the press conference that ‘the best players in the NFL have the guys around them play at an extremely high level. No one is out there doing it on their own.’

‘It’s the fact that he has zero self-awareness and zero integrity, because even though he asked me to do something he didn’t have the balls to have my back,” Griffin added.

 “You really wanna play this game?” Gruden said in response.

“I’m not playing any games, I’m retired. You have a free invite to come on the show and discuss. Face to face. I know where all your bodies are buried Jay. Don’t play with me,’ Griffin said.

“You weren’t good enough. Kirk [Cousins] was better. Cleveland didn’t want you. Baltimore [didn’t] either. Quit blaming me,’ Gruden added in a post, which was later deleted, and ended the conversation by telling Griffin to “go race a pigeon.’

The University of Akron Department of Athletics announced Thursday the death of former Zips standout Shawn Barber.

Barber, a world champion pole vaulter, Olympian and three-time NCAA champ during his time at Akron, died at his home Wednesday in Kingwood, Texas, from medical complications. Barber was 29.

UA said Barber had fallen ill and had been experiencing poor health for some time.

“More than just an incredible athlete, Shawn was such a good-hearted person that always put others ahead of himself,” his agent, Paul Doyle, told the Associated Press on Thursday. “It’s tragic to lose such a good person at such a young age.”

Dennis Mitchell, the former Akron men’s and women’s track and field and cross country coach, described Barber to the Akron Beacon Journal on Thursday as ‘extremely smart’ and ‘the nicest guy ever.’

Barber, a dual citizen of the United States and Canada, competed for Canada at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, finishing 10th. He won three NCAA Division I pole vault championships as a member of the Akron track and field program from 2013-2015.

Barber became the first male individual national champion in Zips history, capturing the 2014 NCAA Division I indoor championship in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Barber then won both the NCAA Division I indoor and outdoor titles in 2015, clearing 19-4¾ in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and 18-4½ in Eugene, Oregon, respectively, en route to becoming a finalist for both the Bowerman and Sullivan awards. 

His winning clearance on his final attempt at the 2015 NCAA indoor championships broke not only his own collegiate record, but also set a then-NCAA championship meet standard that bested Jacob Davis’ record of 19-2¼ set in 1999.

Barber won the 2015 IAAF World Championship in Beijing, China, with a clearance of 19-4¼, topping defending world champion Raphael Holzdeppe of Germany, France Olympic champion and world record holder Renaud Lavillenie and Poland stars Piotr Lisek and Pawel Wojciechowsk. He earned the gold medal at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada with a winning jump of 19-¼.

Barber’s best vault was 19-8¼ on Jan. 15, 2016, in Reno, Nevada. The mark remains the Canadian record.

Barber is survived by his mother, Ann; father, George; and brother, David.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

John ‘Jack’ Joseph Burke Jr. won 17 times on the PGA Tour, including two majors in 1956 – the Masters and PGA Championship – earning him Player of the Year honors. In 1952, he won four tournaments in a row, along with the Vardon Trophy, which is awarded for low scoring average. He played on five Ryder Cup teams during the 1950s, captained twice and hosted another at his own course.

Burke died on Friday at the age of 100.

While still at the peak of his abilities, he retired from the Tour and built one of the country’s first golf-only clubs – Champions Golf Club in Houston – with his former childhood babysitter and closest friend, fellow World Golf Hall of Famer Jimmy Demaret.

Burke grew up on River Oaks Country Club in Texas during the Great Depression, where his father, Jack, served as the first club pro in the state’s history and mentored the likes of Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Jack Grout and Harvey Penick. Young Jackie suffered from asthma and couldn’t play other sports so at age 7 he began sitting and listening at the feet of his father, who is himself a member of the Texas Golf Hall of Fame.

By age 12, Burke Jr. could break par and a year later gave his first lesson to John P. Fusler, who paid him $350 when Burke helped lower his scores from 100 to 85.

“He thought I was the greatest teacher in the world, but all I was doing was relating what I had heard at the dinner table,” Burke told the USGA’s Golf Journal in 1995.

He landed a job as a teaching professional at Galveston Country Club in Houston before he turned 20, and would later hold jobs at Hollywood Golf Club in New Jersey and Metropolis Country Club in New York. One time, in the company of Demaret and his golf buddy Bob Hope, the comedian innocently asked Burke, “What do you do?”

“I’m a golf professional,” Burke answered.

“Where?” Hope asked. “At Boys Town?”

The finest hour as a player for “the pro from Boys Town,” as Burke was affectionately called, may have been the final round of the 1956 Masters, which is still widely considered to be the toughest conditions of cold, wind and rain in tournament history. Somehow, Burke held it together against the elements to shoot 71 and erase an eight-stroke deficit as amateur Ken Venturi ballooned to an 80.

“He handed me the trophy,” said Burke, overlooking the fact that he tied for the low round of the day to finish at 1-over 289, still tied for the highest winning score in tournament history. “I thank him a lot for that.”

Burke, who was paired in the final round with Mike Souchak, always was known for his stellar putting and his short stick was his sword and his shield at Augusta National as he relied on a short, tap putting stroke.

‘Sand had blown out of the bunkers all over the green,’ he told Golf Digest in 2002 of a critical birdie putt he holed at 17. ‘I’d putted on sand greens in east Texas that were really fast, and factored that in, but I still thought I’d hit it about halfway — till the wind blew it right in the center of the cup. Mike’s a cheerleader-type guy, and he ran to pick the ball out of the cup and then clapped me so hard on the back I had to walk around on the 18th tee to recover. I put my second shot on 18 in the right bunker and had to make a downhill four-footer to save my par. It still makes me almost ill to think about that putt with the outcome riding on it.’

Burke won the 1956 PGA Championship at Blue Hill Golf & Country Club in Canton, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston, back when it was contested at match play, defeating Ted Kroll, 3 and 2, in the final.

“I beat eight guys to win the PGA,” Burke recalled. “Each day you felt like you’re standing on the edge of a cliff and some guy was going to push you off. I never felt like I was going to win the PGA. Never.”

Indeed, Burke needed two extra holes to prevail over Fred Haas in the third round and was five down after 14 holes in the 36-hole semifinals before rallying to knock off Ed Furgol on the 37th hole. And for good measure, he trailed three down midway into the finals before edging Kroll.

At the time, the life of a Tour pro was a meager existence, even during a banner year. Many years later, Burke claimed that he received more for attending the Champions Dinner at the Masters than he did for winning it.

‘I won the PGA in Boston and my check was hot,’ Burke once told the Houston Chronicle. ‘I couldn’t cash my check for $6,000. The PGA had to guarantee my check.’

It led Burke to consider scaling back his tournament schedule to spend more time with his family. He and Demaret, a three-time winner of the Masters who died in 1983, shared a mutual interest in creating a haven for hardcore golfers that would capitalize on the knowledge and experience they’d gained from playing the game around the world.

“Golf is really in your blood when you drive through a strange area and start envisioning golf holes on every piece of property around the next bend,” Burke said in his autobiography, “It’s Only a Game.”

“This is what happened with Jimmy and me when we envisioned Champions. We looked at several pieces of property, but the land here looked just right for a golf course.”

They acquired 500 acres (at $500 per) in Northwest Houston in 1957, out in what was then a forest of pine and oak trees in the middle of nowhere, to build two courses – Cypress Creek and Jackrabbit – and hired Ralph Plummer as the architect.

On April 21, 1959, celebrities Bing Crosby, Mickey Mantle and James Garner joined Ben Hogan, Jay Hebert, Bob Rosburg and Souchak among the more than 6,000 who attended the grand opening. A day earlier, Burke and Julius Boros battled in an 18-hole playoff at the Houston Classic. Boros shot a 3-under-par 69 at Memorial Park…and lost by five.

‘I believe we should have a saliva test on Jackie,’ Boros said at the time. ‘As soon as he is available, I would like to sign up for a series of lessons.’

Burke’s reputation as “America’s grand golf sage” helped attract numerous prominent competitions to the club and tested golf’s elite amateurs and pros ever since. The Cypress Creek Course was home of the Tour Championship five times between 1990 and 2003, hosted tour events from 1966-’71 – Ben Hogan chose the course for his final tournament appearance of his career at the 1971 Houston Champions International – the 1967 Ryder Cup, 1969 U.S. Open, 1993 U.S. Amateur, 1998 and 2017 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, and 2020 U.S. Women’s Open. Burke was one of five Champions members who have won the PGA Championship, along with Steve Elkington, Hal Sutton and the late Dave Marr and Jay Hebert. When a local sportscaster asked Burke if that’s unusual, he said, ‘Hell, we’ve got three members who walked on the moon,’ referring to astronauts Alan Shepard, who hit a golf ball there, Gene Cernan and Charles Duke.

Burke continued to foster the same atmosphere that his father promoted at River Oaks. Golf is it at Champions. In fact, he was so dedicated to protecting the spirit of competition that he refused to consider members who have a handicap higher than 15.

‘You play your way in, you don’t buy your way in,’ Burke once said.

Burke claimed that a country club where no one plays the game seriously “is like a yacht club where no one can sail a boat.”

Champions Club likely will be his most lasting legacy, which is just how Burke always wanted it.

“My dad said to me once, ‘Son, before you leave this planet, you try and leave more than two footprints here. So, I said, ‘I will do that,’ ” he said. ‘This is my footprint.’

Burke, who served in the Marines during World War II and fathered six children, was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2000, and in 2004 received the Bob Jones Award from the U.S. Golf Association, which is considered its highest honor and awarded for distinguished sportsmanship.

Burke has tutored the likes of Crenshaw, Elkington, Sutton and Phil Mickelson. Crenshaw once described a lesson with Burke as ‘a full-contact sport,’ and former touring pro turned Golf Channel commentator Billy Ray Brown is living proof of that. Brown, a former University of Houston star, missed a putt at the start of a lesson from Brown and received a whack alongside the head for it.

‘Son,’ Burke said, ‘I want you to feel pain when you miss a putt.’

When Mickelson made his first pilgrimage to Champions for a lesson from Burke, he was challenged to pass Burke’s putting-pressure test: holing 100 straight three-footers. In typical Mickelson fashion, he bet Burke dinner at Houston’s finest restaurant in town that he could do it on the first try. Mickelson missed his fourth putt and wanted to double down.

In recounting the story to Golf Digest, Burke said, ‘Man, I can’t eat that much.’ During his heyday, Burke would make the 100 putts every night before allowing himself dinner. ‘You’d get to 89 and you were a little tired and hungry. The key is to strike a carpenter’s 90, with the blade square to the line, and concern yourself less with sinking putts. Losers are result-oriented — winners are execution-oriented. On long putts, your target is that three-foot cup. You need mental aids.’

“Being with him was like a tonic for the soul,” Crenshaw said.

Sutton, who made Burke one of his assistant captains to the 2004 U.S. Ryder Cup team, said the smartest decision he made as a young pro was buying a house next door to Burke, who he considered one of the few people who really understood the game in its entirety.

“He’s seen all the great players, he knows how they hit it. He understands the golf swing, he’s made it happen and he’s been a great player in his own day,” said Sutton, who looked at Burke as a spiritual advisor, sports psychologist, sounding board, confidante, cheerleader and surrogate parent. “Without even knowing it, he did a great deal to make me a better, more well-rounded person.”

Seven weeks remain before the NHL trade deadline on March 8.

There have been several trades and plenty of other transactions this season. The latest trade was between the Anaheim Ducks and Philadelphia Flyers.

General managers will be guided by another year of a tight salary cap, but it’s expected to rise next season to $87.7 million. Last summer, a lot of players signed low-cost, one-year deals, increasing the pool of potential unrestricted free agents who could be moved out for draft picks or prospects.

Follow along this season for news and analysis on deals, major transactions and other announcements that have happened in the months leading up the trade deadline:

When is the 2024 NHL trade deadline?

The NHL trade deadline is at 3 p.m. ET on March 8.

What transactions took place before the March 8 trade deadline?

Jan. 19: Ottawa Senators sign Shane Pinto to one-year deal

Shane Pinto, who was suspended for 41 games early this season for violating the NHL’s sports wagering rules, signed a one-year deal worth $775,000. The Senators restricted free agent had been unsigned at the time of the suspension and will be eligible to return on Sunday. The league never said what he did to earn the suspension but said its ‘investigation found no evidence that Pinto made any wagers on NHL games.’ Pinto, 23, had a career-best 20 goals, 15 assists and 35 points last season.

Also: The Carolina Hurricanes, missing goalies Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov, claimed goalie Spencer Martin off waivers from the Columbus Blue Jackets. … The Washington Capitals signed Aliaksei Protas to a five-year, $16.875 million contract extension that keeps the 6-6 forward under contract with Washington through the 2028-29 season. Protas, 23, has 18 points in 42 games this season. … The Vancouver Canucks gave a three-year contract extension to president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford.

Jan. 18: Minnesota Wild’s Jared Spurgeon to have season-ending surgery

The Minnesota Wild have shut down captain Jared Spurgeon for the season. The defenseman is scheduled to have hip surgery on Feb. 6 and then have back surgery four weeks later. He had missed the first month of the season, plus seven games in December, with injuries and hasn’t played since Jan. 2. He’s expected to be fully recovered by the beginning of next season.

Jan. 16: Chicago Blackhawks’ Jason Dickinson gets two-year extension

The deal is worth $8.5 million over two years. He joins Nick Foligno (two years, $9 million) as Blackhawks signing recent extensions. Dickinson is second on the team with 14 goals and third with 21 points.

Jan. 15: Colorado Avalanche’s Valeri Nichushkin enters assistance program

Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin has entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. The league and union announced Monday that Nichushkin will return once he’s cleared by program administrators. No other information was provided.

Nichushkin, 28, becomes the second Avalanche player to enter the Player Assistance Program this season. Defenseman Samuel Girard announced in November that anxiety and depression led to alcohol abuse and to him seeking treatment from the program. Girard returned in mid-December.

Nichushkin was away from the team in the playoffs last season for what the team explained at the time were personal reasons. He missed the final five postseason games of a first-round loss to Seattle.

His absence started after officers responded to a crisis call at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seattle the afternoon before Game 3 on April 22. A 28-year-old woman was in an ambulance when officers arrived, and medics were told to speak with an Avalanche team physician to gather more details.

The report, obtained at the time from the Seattle Police Department by The Associated Press, said the Avalanche physician told officers that team employees found the woman when they were checking in on Nichushkin. The physician told officers the woman appeared to be heavily intoxicated – too intoxicated to have left the hotel “in a ride share or cab service,” and requested EMS assistance. – Associated Press

Jan. 12: Chicago Blackhawks sign Nick Foligno to two-year extension

Gritty forward Nick Foligno, 36, landed a two-year, $9 million extension from the Chicago Blackhawks. He had been acquired with Taylor Hall from the Boston Bruins last summer to surround No. 1 pick Connor Bedard with veteran leadership and was making $4 million this season. He ranked fourth on the Blackhawks with 17 points, including five power-play goals, and second with 39 penalty minutes.

“The impact Nick has already had on our team in such a short time is a testament to his work ethic and dedication to helping the players around him succeed,” Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said. 

Foligno is out with a fractured finger after fighting New Jersey Devils defenseman Brendan Smith, whose hit had given Bedard a broken jaw.

Jan. 10: Anaheim Ducks claim Gustav Lindstrom off waivers

The Anaheim Ducks were in need of a defenseman after trading Jamie Drysdale to the Philadelphia Flyers earlier in the week. Gustav Lindstrom, 25, claimed from the Montreal Canadiens, is a right shot like Drysdale, 21, though he doesn’t have his offensive upside. Lindstrom has 29 points in 142 career games, compared to 45 in 123 for Drysdale. Lindstrom’s best season is three goals with Montreal this season and 13 points in 2021-22 with the Detroit Red Wings.

Jan. 8: Toronto Maple Leafs sign William Nylander to eight-year, $92 million extension

His $11.5 million cap hit, which kicks in next season, will place him second on the team behind Auston Matthews (league-record $13.25 million) and ahead of John Tavares ($11 million) and Mitch Marner ($10,903,000). Those four will take up 53% of the projected $87.7 million salary cap. Marner and Tavares will be unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2025.

According to The Athletic, the contract includes $69 million in signing bonuses and has a full no-movement clause in all eight years.

Jan. 8: Anaheim Ducks, Philadelphia Flyers make trade

Cutter Gauthier, 19, voted the top forward at the world junior championships for gold-medal-winning USA, is heading to Anaheim for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick. Both were top-six draft picks. Flyers general manager Daniel Briere said the Boston College forward wasn’t interested in signing with Philadelphia, and he called Drysdale, 21, a ‘pretty special’ and ‘exciting’ player. Drysdale is the first year of a three-year contract but missed all but eight games last season and has played only 10 games this season because of injuries. He had 32 points in his lone full season.

Jan. 6: Chicago Blackhawks place Connor Bedard, Nick Foligno on injured list, add two forwards

The Chicago Blackhawks placed star rookie Connor Bedard and forward Nick Foligno on the injured list Saturday. Bedard suffered a fractured jaw on a hit from New Jersey Devils defenseman Brendan Smith and Foligno broke his finger in a subsequent fight with Smith. The Blackhawks now have nine players on the injured list.

With the Blackhawks in need of healthy players, they acquired forward Rem Pitlick from the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 2026 seventh-round pick. He has spent this season in the American Hockey League. They also claimed forward Zach Sanford off waivers from the Arizona Coyotes. He has two points in 11 games this season.

Also: Devils All-Star forward Jack Hughes, who left Friday’s game early, sat out Saturday’s game with an upper-body injury. … Los Angeles Kings goalie Pheonix Copley had season-ending ACL surgery.

Jan. 4: Calgary Flames’ Oliver Kylington takes step toward return from season off

The Calgary Flames sent defenseman Oliver Kylington to a conditioning assignment with the Calgary Wranglers, a key step in his return from taking more than a season off for personal reasons. ‘I feel I’m in a good place with my mental health and ready to take another step forward,’ Kylington said in a statement. ‘Returning to Calgary has been the right decision.’ Kylington, 26, set career highs in 2021-22 with nine goals, 22 assists and 31 points, but returned to Sweden last season. He began skating in Calgary last month. ‘We are so happy that he has made positive progression with his mental well-being, and we will continue to support Oliver through this process,’ general manager Craig Conroy said.

Also: The San Jose Sharks announced that defenseman Matt Benning had hip surgery. He’s expected to miss the rest of the season but be fine for training camp. … Montreal Canadiens forward Christian Dvorak will have season-ending surgery for a torn pectoral muscle. … Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Nieto (knee surgery) will be out six to eight weeks.

Jan. 1: Toronto Maple Leafs send down goalie Ilya Samsonov

The Toronto Maple Leafs loaned veteran goaltender Ilya Samsonov to the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League after he cleared waivers. They called up Dennis Hildeby. Samsonov, 26, has struggled in his second season with the Maple Leafs, recording a 3.94 goals-against average and .862 save percentage. He has given up 17 goals in his last three games and was pulled in one of them. Samsonov filed for salary arbitration last summer and was awarded a $3.55 million contract. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Also: The Buffalo Sabres assigned Eric Comrie to Rochester (New York) of the AHL after he cleared waivers. The Sabres had been carrying three goalies this season. Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen remain with the Sabres. Comrie is 1-5-0 this season.

Dec. 28: New Jersey Devils send down goalie Akira Schmid

The New Jersey Devils, who have lacked consistent goaltending this season, sent Akira Schmid to Utica (New York) of the American Hockey League. Schmid, 23, helped the Devils win their first-round series last season, but is 5-7-1 with a 3.26 goals-against average and .893 save percentage. Coach Lindy Ruff wants him to play more games and ‘get into a rhythm.’

‘Our goalies can give us more saves at times,’ Ruff said. ‘But we haven’t been as good a team in front of our goalies, either, so it’s kind of a two-way street.’

Nico Daws, who has returned from hip surgery, will back up Vitek Vanecek.

Dec. 28: Washington Capitals sign defenseman Ethan Bear

Ethan Bear will average $2.0625 million for the two-year deal. He is coming off shoulder surgery and had been working out with the Capitals. Bear, 26, has 16 goals and 47 assists in 251 career games with the Vancouver Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers. He kills penalties and blocks shots. The Capitals could be getting additional help, too, because offseason signee Max Pacioretty (Achilles surgery) has resumed skating.

Dec. 27: Carolina Hurricanes recall veteran goalie Antti Raanta

The Carolina Hurricanes recalled veteran goalie Antti Raanta from a two-game stint in the American Hockey League. Raanta, 34, went 1-0-1 with a 2.90 goals-against average and a .890 save percentage with the Chicago Wolves during his first AHL appearance since the 2019-20 season. Raanta was sent down after seeing his numbers drop to a 3.61 goals-against average and a .854 save percentage from last season’s 2.23 and .910. He is fourth to last in MoneyPuck’s goals saved against expected. Pyotr Kochetkov is expected to get the start Wednesday in Nashville. Carolina reassigned goaltender Yaniv Perets to the Norfolk (Virginia) Admirals of the ECHL.

Dec. 22: Colorado Avalanche’s Samuel Girard cleared to practice after stint in assistance program

The NHL and NHL Players’ Association said defenseman Samuel Girard has been cleared to resume practicing with the Colorado Avalanche after spending time in the player assistance program. Girard, 25, had announced last month through his agent that his severe anxiety and depression had gone untreated too long and had led to alcohol abuse. He now is in the aftercare phase but hasn’t been cleared to play in games.

Also: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman upheld the six-game suspension to Detroit Red Wings forward David Perron for cross-checking Ottawa Senators defenseman Artem Zub in the head. Perron, who had been reacting to an injury to captain Dylan Larkin, has served the six games and was set to return in Friday’s game.

Dec. 19: Banged-up Detroit Red Wings sign goalie Michael Hutchinson to NHL contract

Tuesday was a good day for Michael Hutchinson: He got himself an NHL contract, five days before Christmas.

The one-year, two-way contract (worth $775,000 at the NHL level) came about because the Detroit Red Wings need Hutchinson’s services at least through the end of the week; neither Ville Husso nor Alex Lyon is available, leaving James Reimer the lone goalie standing. Husso is week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Coach Derek Lalonde described it as, ‘Ville will be unavailable to us for a while here.’ He added: ‘Alex, I do not see him available to us till probably after Christmas.’

Husso was injured in the first period of Monday’s 4-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. Lyon suffered an upper-body injury Saturday night in Philadelphia. The Red Wings play three games before the three-day holiday break.

– Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press

Dec. 18: Ottawa Senators fire D.J. Smith, name Jacques Martin interim coach

Jacques Martin was hired earlier this season by the Ottawa Senators as a consultant for coach D.J. Smith. Now, he will run the team on an interim basis after Smith was fired on Monday.

Martin, 71, is the Senators’ all-time leader in coaching wins during the regular season (341) and playoffs (31). Daniel Alfredsson, the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, was named an assistant coach, replacing Davis Payne.

Smith, who had never finished better than sixth in the division, was fired amid a four-game losing streak that included blown leads in the last two. The Senators sit in last place in the Eastern Conference.

‘I think we’re all looking for more consistency, more detail to our game, more structure,’ president of hockey operations Steve Staios told reporters.

Also: Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger is week-to-week with a lower-body injury. … The Boston Bruins loaned forward Matthew Poitras to the Canadian national team for the world junior championships.

Dec. 16: Carolina Hurricanes place goalie Antti Raanta on waivers

The Carolina Hurricanes have placed veteran goalie Antti Raanta on waivers a day after he gave up six goals in a loss to the Nashville Predators. He cleared waivers and was sent to Chicago of the American Hockey League on Sunday. Carolina recalled ECHL goalie Yaniv Perets, who won an NCAA title with Quinnipiac last season. Raanta, 34, who gave up eight goals in a loss last month to the Tampa Bay Lightning, has seen his numbers drop to a 3.61 goals-against average and .854 save percentage from last season’s 2.23, .910 and is second to last in MoneyPuck’s goals saved against expected. Pyotr Kochetkov has been the better goalie since No. 1 goalie Frederik Andersen was sidelined with a blood-clotting issue. Andersen remains out indefinitely.

Dec. 15: Seattle Kraken acquire forward Tomas Tatar from Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche receive a fifth-round pick in the trade. The Kraken rank near the bottom of the league in scoring, and they’re hoping for the Tomas Tatar of previous seasons, not this season. He’s a seven-time 20-goal scorer who has just one goal this season after not getting a free agent contract until September. But he’s a veteran of 810 games with 212 career goals, including 50 on the power play. He’ll help Seattle deal with injuries among its forwards. The team placed Jaden Schwartz on long-term injured reserve.

In a depth trade Friday, the San Jose Sharks acquired center Jack Studnicka from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for defenseman Nick Cicek and a sixth-round pick.

Dec. 15: Columbus Blue Jackets’ Patrik Laine suffers fractured clavicle

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine, who has had problems recently staying healthy, will be out six weeks after suffering a fracture clavicle during a win against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team announced Friday. He left the ice holding his shoulder in the second period after he was tripped by Toronto’s William Lagesson and slid into the boards. Laine had scored his sixth goal of the season during the first period. He was in his second game back after missing three games with an illness. He missed nine games early this season with a concussion and also was a healthy scratch once. Last season, Laine was limited to 55 games by injury or illness and played only 56 the season before.

Dec. 12: St. Louis Blues fire coach Craig Berube, name Drew Bannister as interim

General manager Doug Armstrong said he started having sleepless nights after a Dec. 8 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. After the short-handed Detroit Red Wings rallied to hand St. Louis its fourth consecutive loss, Armstrong fired Craig Berube and named Drew Bannister, head of their American Hockey League affiliate, the interim coach. ‘Your mind is starting to work when you’re everybody’s homecoming game,’ Armstrong told reporters on Wednesday, a day after making the move.

Coaching changes have turned around the fortunes of the Edmonton Oilers and Minnesota Wild this season, and Berube took a last-place Blues team to the 2019 Stanley Cup title after his midseason hire. Bannister isn’t necessarily the coach for the rest of the season, though. Armstrong said he is looking for a full-time coach but didn’t have a timetable on when he’ll make a hire.

The Blues rank near the bottom of the league in power play and goals per game. They traded Robert Bortuzzo and waived Jakub Vrana, who’s headed to the AHL with Mackenzie MacEachern being recalled. Armstrong said he and the players share in the blame for the team’s performance. ‘Nobody should feel safe in our group,’ he said.

Dec. 8: New York Islanders acquire St. Louis Blues’ Robert Bortuzzo

The New York Islanders acquired defenseman Robert Bortuzzo from the St. Louis Blues on Friday in exchange for a seventh-round pick. The trade was announced after the team said Ryan Pulock (lower body) was going on the injured list, joining fellow defensemen Adam Pelech and Sebastian Aho. Bortuzzo, 34, won a Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019 but has been limited to four games this season and often was a healthy scratch. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Dec. 7: Nashville Predators’ Tyson Barrie discusses trade request

Nashville Predators defenseman Tyson Barrie knew he was about to be uncomfortable with the questions that were going to come his way Thursday, ones about him requesting a trade after being a healthy scratch last weekend. About the Predators granting him permission to talk with other teams.

‘I’m trying not to really air it out in the media,’ Barrie said.

As much as he might have wanted to, Barrie didn’t exactly bury any hatchets, either.

‘Well, if we’re getting into it, I’m in the stands so it doesn’t really feel like a great fit,’ he said. ‘My goal is to be playing hockey. Whether that’s here or elsewhere is up for the powers that be to decide.’ – Paul Skrbina, The Tennessean

Dec. 6: Detroit Red Wings announce when Patrick Kane is expected to make debut

Star Patrick Kane is scheduled to make his Detroit Red Wings debut on Thursday at home against the San Jose Sharks, coach Derek Lalonde told reporters. Kane was signed last week to a one-year, $2.75 million contract after offseason hip resurfacing surgery. Lalonde plans to play him with former Chicago Blackhawks teammate Alex DeBrincat and will try the pair with different centers. Kane’s minutes will be monitored. ‘There’s a lot of unknowns still there so we’ll all be patient with it and kind of let it play out a little bit,’ Lalonde said.

Also: The Buffalo Sabres acquired winger Eric Robinson from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick in 2025. The fourth-liner has 82 points in 266 career games, including one goal in seven games this season. The Blue Jackets later placed defenseman Adam Boqvist, goalie Elvis Merzlikins and forward Cole Sillinger on the injured list. Boqvist (shoulder) is expected to miss four weeks. … The Toronto Maple Leafs announced defenseman John Klingberg will have season-ending hip surgery. He signed a one-year, $4.15 million deal in the offseason but hasn’t played since Nov. 11. The Maple Leafs, also missing defensemen Mark Giordano and Timothy Liljegren, are looking for a replacement through a trade. ‘It’s no secret we’ve investigated what the market is, what those costs could be,’ general manager Brad Trevling told reporters. … Jacques Martin, who has been a head coach for nearly 1,300 NHL games (692 with Ottawa), was named an advisor to the Senators’ coaching staff.

Dec. 4: Winnipeg Jets sign Nino Niederreiter to three-year extension

He’ll average $4 million in the contract that kicks in next season. He is the third player signed long-term since the Jets moved out Pierre-Luc Dubois and Blake Wheeler during the summer, following Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck. Niederreiter, 31, is tied for fourth on the Jets with six goals and is sixth with 14 points.

Dec. 1: Simon Nemec called up amid New Jersey Devils’ issues on defense

Simon Nemec, the No. 2 pick of the 2022 NHL draft, made his NHL debut after being called up amid the team’s major absences on defense. He played 22:38, had two assists and three shots, and was a minus 2 in the 6-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks. Before the game, the Devils announced that top defenseman Dougie Hamilton is out indefinitely after having surgery on his left pectoral muscle. Also, defenseman Brendan Smith was suspended for two games for slashing Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny. He will forfeit $11,458.34 in pay and Konecny was fined $5,000 for his cross-check on Smith. The Devils also announced that forward Tomas Nosek had surgery on his right foot.

Also: The Montreal Canadiens and goalie Sam Montembeault agreed to a three-year, $9.45 million extension. The Quebec native had been claimed off waivers from the Florida Panthers in 2021

Nov. 30: Vancouver Canucks acquire defenseman Nikita Zadorov

The Vancouver Canucks got stronger on defense by adding rugged 6-foot-6, 248-pound defenseman Nikita Zadorov from the Calgary Flames. The Canucks gave up the fifth-round pick they acquired a day earlier in the Anthony Beauvillier trade, plus a 2026 third-round pick. Calgary’s return doesn’t seem high for a player who led the Flames in hits and is going to a division rival, but Zadorov had requested a trade and is a pending unrestricted free agent. The Flames, who have pushed closer to a playoff position after a tough start, also have forward Elias Lindholm and defensemen Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev in the final years of their contracts.

Nov. 28: Chicago Blackhawks waive Corey Perry, trade for Anthony Beauvillier

The Chicago Blackhawks placed Corey Perry on unconditional waivers on Tuesday in order to terminate his contract. The team said it determined that Perry ‘engaged in conduct that is unacceptable, and in violation of both the terms of his Standard Player’s Contract and the Blackhawks’ internal policies intended to promote professional and safe work environments.’ The Beauvillier trade happened later. The Vancouver Canucks, who acquired Beauvillier last season in the Bo Horvat trade, will receive a fifth-round draft pick. More important for Vancouver, the Blackhawks take on his entire $4.15 million cap hit, giving them flexibility before the trade deadline. Beauvillier, a winger like Perry, has two goals and six assists in 22 games this season.

Perry issued an apology Thursday for his ‘inappropriate and wrong’ behavior.

BLACKHAWKS: More details on why Chicago is cutting ties with Corey Perry

Nov. 28: Detroit Red Wings sign Patrick Kane

The one-year, $2.75 million deal will reunite Patrick Kane with Detroit’s Alex DeBrincat, his former linemate on the Chicago Blackhawks. DeBrincat had two 40-goal seasons while in Chicago. The question is how Kane will perform after hip resurfacing surgery during the offseason.  Though recent videos showed Kane going through intense workouts, Capitals star Nicklas Backstrom is taking a leave of absence to determine his future after having the same surgery during the 2022 offseason. Considering Kane wanted to play for a contender, that says something about his faith in the Red Wings’ direction after they try to end a seven-year playoff drought. Daniel Sprong is giving up his No. 88 for Kane and will wear No. 17 instead.

Also: The Buffalo Sabres loaned rookie goalie Devon Levi to Rochester (New York) of the American Hockey League. He had been in a three-goalie system with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Eric Comrie and his numbers were down from the strong start he had last season after leaving Northeastern University. The move allows Levi to see more action than he would in the NHL. “We’re super excited about Devon, believe in him,’ general manager Kevyn Adams told reporters on Wednesday. ‘This is an opportunity for him to get in a rhythm, get sharpened up.”

Nov. 27: Minnesota Wild fire coach Dean Evason, hire John Hynes

John Hynes is back in the NHL after being hired to replace fired Minnesota Wild coach Dean Evason on Monday. The Wild made the switch after a 5-10-4 start in which the team struggled defensively and especially on the penalty kill. Hynes, who knows Wild general manager Bill Guerin from their days in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, was a midseason replacement previously with the Nashville Predators. He was fired last summer after missing the playoffs. He also coached the New Jersey Devils and has a 284-255-63 NHL record, making the playoffs four times.

Nov. 25: Chicago Blackhawks’ Corey Perry to be away from team for foreseeable future

Corey Perry will be away from the Chicago Blackhawks for the foreseeable future, general manager Kyle Davidson said Saturday. Perry, 38, hasn’t played since a 3-2 loss to Buffalo last Sunday. He was a healthy scratch for the last two games.

“It’s been a team decision so far to hold him out, and that’s about all I’m able to provide,” Davidson said.

In a statement provided to Hockey Night in Canada, Pat Morris, Perry’s agent, said the forward stepped away from the team to attend to personal matters.

Perry was acquired from Tampa Bay in a June trade, then agreed to a one-year, $4 million contract. He has four goals and five assists in 16 games. His absence comes as the Blackhawks deal with a series of injuries among their forwards. Taylor Hall, another offseason acquisition, is scheduled for right knee surgery on Monday in Minnesota. – Associated Press

Also: The New York Islanders claimed veteran defenseman Mike Reilly off waivers from the Florida Panthers and placed defenseman Adam Pelech (upper body) on long term injured reserve.

Nov. 24: Colorado Avalanche’s Samuel Girard enters mental health treatment

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard is entering the NHL/NHL Players’ Association Player Assistance Program. He announced through his agent that his severe anxiety and depression had gone untreated too long and had led to alcohol abuse.

‘Taking care of your mental health is of the utmost importance, and I encourage everyone to speak up and seek help should you feel like you need it,’ he said in a statement.

Girard, 25, has played all but five games of his seven-year NHL career with the Avalanche and had a career-best 37 points last season. He had one goal and three assists through 15 games this season and had missed the past two games for personal reasons.

Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said the team supports Girard going to get help.

“You’ve got to take care of yourself first before you’re able to come and help a team,’ he said.

Nov. 24: Winnipeg Jets coach Rick Bowness returns from leave of absence

Winnipeg Jets coach Rick Bowness returned behind the bench Friday for the first time since he took a leave of absence on Oct. 23 after his wife Judy had a seizure. He said she’s doing as well as expected with her new medication and will stay with their children when he’s on the road. Associate coach Scott Arniel went 9-2-2 in Bowness’ absence. The Jets beat the Florida Panthers 3-0 with Bowness behind the bench.

Also: Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson played his 10th NHL game on Friday, meaning he’s staying in the league and not being returned to his junior hockey team. Benson scored his first NHL goal on Wednesday with a spectacular move. … The Washington Capitals said forward T.J. Oshie won’t travel with the team after a hard collision in Friday’s 5-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.

Nov. 23: Chicago Blackhawks’ Taylor Hall to have ACL surgery

Chicago Blackhawks winger Taylor Hall, the former No. 1 overall pick who was acquired to mentor and play alongside rookie Connor Bedard, will have ACL surgery and is expected to miss the remainder of the season.

‘It came from an accumulation of a bunch of little injuries from the game and even in practice the other day,’ coach Luke Richardson told reporters. ‘It became unstable and we need to fix it.’

SABRES: Rookie Zach Benson scores first NHL goal in spectacular fashion

Hall had been limited to 10 games (four points) this season because of injuries.

“It’s heartbreaking — someone that loved to play so much and every game is so impactful, such a good hockey player and such a good person,’ Bedard said.

The Blackhawks also placed forward Andreas Athanasiou (groin muscle) on the injured list and called up Joey Anderson and Cole Guttman.

Nov. 17: Florida Panthers activate Brandon Montour, Aaron Ekblad

The defending Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers got off to a 10-5-1 record even with key absences. Now, they’re getting defensemen Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad back, activating them from the injured list after they recovered from offseason surgery for playoff injuries.

Montour set a franchise record for points by a defenseman (73) and was their top-scoring blueliner in the playoffs. Ekblad, like Montour a right-hand shot, was taken No. 1 overall in the 2014 draft. Defenseman Josh Mahura went on the injured list to make the salary cap situation work.

Nov. 12: Edmonton Oilers fire coach Jay Woodcroft

The Edmonton Oilers fired coach Jay Woodcroft on Sunday after a 3-9-1 start and replaced him with Kris Knoblauch, the Hartford Wolf Pack coach and Connor McDavid’s former junior hockey coach. That’s the third recent move with a connection to three-time MVP McDavid. His agent, Jeff Jackson, was hired earlier as CEO of hockey operations and the team also signed his former junior hockey linemate Connor Brown.

McDavid said Monday he was surprised by the move and said Woodcroft ‘never lost the room.’

The Oilers were a trendy pick to go far in the playoffs, but have disappointed this season. Last season’s No. 1-ranked offense is 26th this season, with McDavid possibly slowed by an injury that cost him two games. Their goaltending issues have been worse. Jack Campbell was sent to the American Hockey League in the second year of his five-year contract. Stuart Skinner, a rookie of the year finalist last season, ranks last in the league in goals saved above expected, according to MoneyPuck.

Knoblauch – and newly hired Oilers legend Paul Coffey coaching the defense – will be tasked with getting the Oilers back to a playoff spot. There’s precedent: Woodcroft went 26-9-3 down the stretch in 2021-22 as a midseason replacement and led the team to the Western Conference final. 

Also: The Colorado Avalanche announced that goalie Pavel Francouz (lower body) will miss the rest of the season. He has yet to play in 2023-24 and will return to the Czech Republic to be with his family. The team also signed forward Joel Kiviranta to a one-year deal.

Nov. 10: Pittsburgh Penguins to retire Jaromir Jagr’s number

Jaromir Jagr, drafted fifth overall in 1990, won Stanley Cup titles in his first two seasons and ranks fourth in franchise history with 1,079 points in 806 games. He played 11 seasons with Pittsburgh before being traded to the Washington Capitals. He ranks second all-time in NHL history in points and fourth in goals. His No. 68 will be retired on Feb. 18.

Nov. 8: Minnesota Wild trade Calen Addison to San Jose Sharks, acquire Zach Bogosian from Tampa Bay Lightning

Addison was sent to the San Jose Sharks for forward Adam Raska and a 2026 fifth-round draft pick. The defenseman is a power play specialist, but he is unreliable in his own zone. That led to him being a healthy scratch often down the stretch last season. With the Wild getting Jared Spurgeon back soon from injury (he was activated from long-term injured reserve on Friday), the power play opportunities will dwindle. Addison will be more valuable to the Sharks, who dealt Erik Karlsson last summer. He will be a restricted free agent at season’s end.

Bogosian lacks Addison’s offense, but the veteran takes care of his end of the ice. He’s a right-handed shot, like Addison.

“He’s a big guy,’ Minnesota general manager Bill Guerin told reporters. ‘He still skates well. He brings heaviness. He brings some grit and we need that.”

The trade buys the Lightning a little bit of salary cap breathing room. Bogosian, in the final season of a three-year contract, has a $850,000 cap hit.

Nov. 7: Edmonton Oilers place goalie Jack Campbell on waivers

Campbell, who signed a five-year, $25 million free agent deal in 2022, hasn’t played well since arriving. Stuart Skinner surpassed him last season and was a rookie of the year finalist. This season, Campbell was chased in the season opener and has gone 1-4 with a 4.50 goals-against average and .873 save percentage. He cleared waivers and will work on his game in the American Hockey League as the struggling Oilers try to get into a playoff spot. Edmonton recalled Calvin Pickard from Bakersfield (California) to back up Skinner.

Oct. 13: Colorado Avalanche sign defenseman Devon Toews to seven-year extension

He’ll average $7.25 million in the deal, which begins next season. Heading into the season, Toews led the league with a +120 plus-minus rating since he was acquired from the New York Islanders in 2020. He’s right behind defenseman Cale Makar in average ice time during that time.

Oct. 10: Carolina Hurricanes acquire forward Callahan Burke from the Colorado Avalanche for defenseman Caleb Jones

The Hurricanes loaded up on defense this offseason and Jones was the odd man out. Both players will play for the American Hockey League’s Colorado Eagles.