It’s been a bad couple of days for the racists and bigots who thought Caitlin Clark was one of them.

First Clark said she recognizes there is an element of white privilege to her stardom, that the Black women who laid the foundation for this current explosion in interest in women’s sports were never afforded a spotlight as bright and intense as the one that shines on her. Then, when conservative crank Megyn Kelly criticized her for saying that, Clark doubled down.

“I feel like I’ve earned every single thing that’s happened to me over the course of my career. But also, I grew up a fan of this league from a very young age,” Clark said Wednesday when asked about Kelly’s comments.

“My favorite player was Maya Moore. I know what this league was about.”

For those unaware, Moore was transcendent when she was running roughshod over the WNBA, leading the Minnesota Lynx to four titles in seven years and winning MVP honors in both the regular season (2014) and WNBA Finals (2013). Add in her Olympic gold medals and her titles and player of the year honors at UConn, and she’s quite possibly the best there’s ever been.

But Moore’s impact went beyond the court as a cornerstone of the WNBA’s social justice efforts. She and the Lynx were among the first athletes to protest the racist policing of Black and brown people, and she retired early to work on reversing the wrongful conviction of the man who is now her husband.

Clark has talked often of the influence Moore had on her, and it is clear she didn’t just mean on the court.

“Like I said, (the WNBA) has only been around 25-plus years. I know there’s been so many amazing Black women that have been in this league, and continuing to uplift them I think is very important. That’s something I’m very aware of,” Clark told Maria Taylor during an interview at the “A Year in TIME” event. Clark was the magazine’s athlete of the year.

Few athletes, especially at a young age, can be as thoughtful or as direct as LeBron James and the U.S. women’s national soccer team in calling out hate and the marginalization of minorities. That seemed during the season to include Clark, whose criticism of the racism and homophobia spewed at other WNBA players by some people claiming to be her fans often came only when she was asked directly about it.

But if those lowlifes, like the woman who wrote Clark’s number on the paper talons she wore to a playoff game to mock Black players, thought they had Clark’s tacit approval, they are now seeing just how wrong they are. So, too, those who thought Clark was too naïve to understand why what was being done and said in her name was so problematic.

She saw it. All of it. And she wants no part of it.

“I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a white person, there is privilege,” Clark told TIME in the player of the year story. “A lot of those players in the league that have been really good have been Black players. This league has kind of been built on them. The more we can appreciate that, highlight that, talk about that, and then continue to have brands and companies invest in those players that have made this league incredible, I think it’s very important.

“I have to continue to try to change that,” she added. “The more we can elevate Black women, that’s going to be a beautiful thing.”

This isn’t “self-flagellation,” as Kelly sneered. This isn’t “condescending” or “fake.” This is a young woman recognizing that while, yes, she’s worked her ass off to get where she is and deserves every bit of the spotlight she commands, she is also the beneficiary of an American society that continues to give white people primacy.

People like Kelly, and unfortunately there are many like her these days, seem to think it’s a character flaw to acknowledge that. That if they recognize privilege exists, it means they aren’t deserving of what they’ve accomplished. That if they say privilege is real, they aren’t as exceptional as they think.

Which very well could be true!

But privilege is simply the recognition that if you are white, male or appear to be cisgender, society unconsciously gives you a head start. It is why a white person can walk into a store and be greeted with a smile and a Black person gets followed around. It is why a man is assumed to be capable of doing a job and a woman is deemed to be unqualified no matter what her resume says. It is why someone who appears to be straight can live their life without judgment while someone who is gay or transgender has their body and personal life policed.

It is why a straight, white woman who can knock down logo 3s at will is celebrated and Black women who are equally talented and charismatic play in the shadows. Particularly Black women who are also LGBTQ.

Women’s basketball is already better for Caitlin Clark. Her comments this week are an indication the world will be, too. While that might outrage Kelly and some other of her so-called fans, it will do Moore proud.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.

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San Francisco 49ers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell took his helmet, walked off the field and refused to play during his team’s crushing 12-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on ‘Thursday Night Football’ to start off Week 15 of the NFL schedule. Perhaps he didn’t realize then that this decision, in the midst of San Francisco’s playoff hopes taking another devastating blow, would lead to ridicule from all corners of the sport.

Niners coach Kyle Shanahan revealed after the game, when asked about why Campbell left for the locker room, that Campbell ‘said he didn’t want to play today’ during the third quarter. Campbell had started 12 of the team’s first 13 games this season, but he had been replaced in the lineup by linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who returned from a torn Achilles he suffered in last year’s Super Bowl.

Criticism towards Campbell came swiftly and bluntly from around the league.

‘You quit on your team and you can’t do that in the National Football League,’ former NFL cornerback Richard Sherman said on the Amazon Prime postgame show. ‘I’d be surprised if he’s on the team after today.’

That was just the beginning of the fallout for Campbell. Shanahan has indeed indicated the 49ers will move on from Campbell, whether by releasing him or suspending him in the near future. But the final damage to Campbell’s reputation remains to be seen. Here’s a look at some of the notable reactions sparked by his decision to leave in the middle of Thursday’s 49ers vs. Rams game:

All things 49ers: Latest San Francisco 49ers news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

De’Vondre Campbell ‘quit’: NFL, sports world react to 49ers LB

But more than that, each pointed out that Campbell left the 49ers in a bad spot when two linebackers went down with injury during Thursday’s game. The team could have suited up a player willing to take the field in Campbell’s place. Ward mentioned in the locker room immediately after the game that Campbell was ‘probably going to be cut.’

‘I’ve never been around anybody who does that,’ Kittle said, ‘and I hope I’m not around anybody who does it again’

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said on ‘First Take’ that Campbell ‘should be ashamed of himself. There’s no excuse for what he did.’ Smith speculated that Campbell’s NFL career should be in jeopardy based on his actions Thursday. As did former NFL defensive back Ryan Clark during an appearance on ‘Get Up.’

Former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Ocho of FOX Sports brought up the history of San Francisco 49ers players past and present playing through injuries and called Campbell a ‘traitor’ and ‘double agent’ for leaving the field in the middle of the game with ‘a bruised ego.’ Former Green Bay Packers wide receiver James Jones referred to Campbell’s actions as ‘some sucka stuff.’

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Put a prize, big or small, in front of some of the world’s most competitive athletes, and they will want to win it.

The NBA suspected that when it created the NBA Cup, and that’s been the case for the event now in its second year. Players want to win this event, and it’s showing in the competitiveness of the games.

The NBA Cup semifinals are Saturday with the Atlanta Hawks playing the Milwaukee Bucks (4:30 p.m. ET, TNT) and the Oklahoma City Thunder playing the Houston Rockets (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The winners play in the final Tuesday (8:30 p.m., ABC).

The East features a matchup of two teams that have begun to turn around their seasons after rough starts, and the West features two of the league’s best teams, both young and primed for sustained success.

Here’s what you need to know about the NBA Cup semifinals:

What’s at stake for Bucks, Hawks, Thunder, Rockets in NBA Cup?

Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks reached the semifinals by winning the East’s Group C with victories against Cleveland and Boston – the top two teams in the East – and then beating New York in the quarterfinals. Their success in Cup play has reinvigorated a season that opened 4-7. They are 10-5 since, including seven wins in their past eight games, and have moved into seventh place in the East, just 1½ games behind the fourth-place Knicks. That success coincides with Bogdan Bogdanovic’s return from an injury. Eight players score at least 10 points per game led by Trae Young (21 ppg, 12.2 assists per game), Jalen Johnson (19.8 ppg, 10.1 rebounds per game) and De’Andre Hunter (19.6 ppg). Johnson is an emerging star with rookie Zaccharie Risacher (11.2 ppg), and Dyson Daniels (13.5 ppg, 3.0 spg) is delivering what the Hawks expected when they traded Dejounte Murray for him in the offseason.

Milwaukee Bucks

A month ago, the Bucks were 2-8. They’re now 13-11 with nine victories in their past 11 games. The recent return of Khris Middleton has helped, and the Giannis Antetokounmpo-Damian Lillard combination is flourishing. Antetokounmpo (32.7 ppg) and Lillard (25.8 ppg) are the highest scoring duo in the NBA. Lillard has found a nice rhythm offensively, and the Bucks are building depth beyond Bobby Portis Jr. (13.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg), and Brook Lopez (11 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.1 bpg) with Gary Trent Jr. (9.3 ppg), AJ Green (8.0 ppg) and Taurean Prince (7.9 ppg).

Oklahoma City Thunder

Even with Chet Holmgren out with an injury, the Thunder are winning – thanks to a deep and talented roster led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (30.2 ppg, 6.3 apg, 5.4 rpg) and Jalen Williams (21.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 5.0 apg). Last season, the Thunder won 57 games and were perhaps a year ahead of schedule, losing to Dallas in the West semifinals. But there’s no doubt the Thunder were headed for success and they’re trying to capitalize on those expectations this season. Playing in a big game is important for the Thunder, who are atop the West at 19-5. Isaiah Hartenstein, Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, Alex Caruso, Ajay Mitchell add to a versatile rotation. The Thunder are No. 8 offensively, No. 1 defensively and No. 1 in net rating at plus-12 points per 100 possessions.

Houston Rockets

Rockets general manager Rafael Stone deserves credit for putting together this roster – a blend of veterans and young players and those young players (most of them 23 and younger) are talented enough to make the 17-8 Rockets a contender. Jalen Green (19.2 ppg, 1.2 spg) is 22 years old, Alperen Sengun (18.8 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 5.3 apg) is 22, Jabari Smith (11.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg) is 21, Amen Thompson (11.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.1 spg) is 21 and Tari Eason (11.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg) is 23. Reed Sheppard, the No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft, is 20. The Rockets are No. 2 defensively and No. 15 offensively and No. 5 in net rating. Veterans Dillon Brooks, Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams are perfect for one of the league’s most enviable rosters.

How to watch the NBA Cup semifinals: Times, TV info

Saturday, Dec. 14

Atlanta Hawks vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 4:30 p.m. ET, TNT

Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC

NBA Cup semifinal odds, moneyline, over/under

Atlanta-Milwaukee

Spread: Bucks (-3.5)
Moneyline: Hawks (+140); Bucks (-165)
Over/under: 228.5

Houston-Oklahoma City

Spread: Thunder (-5.5)
Moneyline: Rockets (+185); Thunder (-225)
Over/under: 212.5

What is the financial prize pool for the NBA Cup?

Players on losing quarterfinal teams: $51,497

Players on losing semifinal teams: $102,994

Players on losing team in championship game: $205,988

Players on winning team in NBA Cup championship game: $514,970

The prize money increased because the players and the league agreed on it in the 2023 collective bargaining agreement as long as basketball-related income grows.

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The New York Yankees vowed they’d be aggressive after losing a bidding war for Juan Soto, struck again Friday by acquiring two-time All-Star closer Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Brewers will receive veteran starter Nestor Cortés, infield prospect Caleb Durbin and $2 million cash in the deal.

An interesting aspect of the deal is that both pitchers surrendered gut-wrenching late-inning homers in the 2024 postseason. Williams gave up a three-run, ninth-inning homer to Mets first baseman Pete Alonso in Game 3 of the NL wild-card series, costing the Brewers a chance to advance to the NLDS. Cortés gave up a walk-off grand slam to Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman in Game 1 of the World Series.

The Brewers had planned to keep Williams, who’s eligible for free agency, at least until the trade deadline but found the deal was too good to resist.

The Yankees, who lost part-time closer Clay Holmes in free agency, had been in talks with free-agent closer Tanner Scott, but pivoted to Williams. Williams, who missed the first half of the 2024 season with stress fractures in his back, saved 65 games with 221 strikeouts in 141 innings over the past three seasons. The 2020 NL Rookie of the Year, Williams has a 1.83 ERA in 241 career games, averaging 14.3 strikeouts per nine.

Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.

Cortés, who’s also a free agent after the 2025 season, was 9-10 with a 3.77 ERA for the Yankees last season, pitching 174 ⅓ innings. He immediately becomes one of the Brewers’ front-line starters.

Durbin, 24, was selected as the Arizona Fall League’s Breakout Prospect of the Year, hitting .312 and stealing 29 baes and was recently added to the Yankees’ 40-man roster. He was considered a strong candidate to make the team on opening day.

“I think he’s a stud, frankly,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters last month. “Great bat-to-ball [skill], elite ability on the bases as a base stealer, a good defender in the middle of the diamond at second base. He’s really started over the last year-plus to create some position flexibility, too. …

“Really competitive, kind of that hard-nosed, tough player.’

The Yankees, in the wake of losing Soto to the Mets, have now signed left-handed starter Max Fried to an 8-year, $218 million contract,  acquired Williams, and are in trade talks with the Houston Astros for outfielder Kyle Tucker while also negotiating with free agent first baseman Christian Walker.

They plan to fill in holes throughout the roster, they said, with the money they didn’t spend on Soto in hopes to return to the World Series.

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

This story has been updated to include new information.

The Houston Astros traded All-Star right fielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs on Friday in a deal could create a domino effect that could reverberate throughout the game.

It leads to the probable departure of All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman from Houston and the Cubs with former MVP Cody Bellinger.

The Astros are receiving third baseman Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski and third-base prospect Cam Smith for Tucker.

Just like that, it signals the Astros have given up on their pursuit of re-signing Bregman. They offered him a six-year, $156 million contract but he’s seeking in excess of $200 million.

The New York Yankees now are expected to put on a full-court press to sign Bregman and move Jazz Chisholm to second base, in what would be their latest big move since losing Juan Soto to the New York Mets in free agency.

Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.

The Yankees also could turn around and trade for Bellinger, who’s being openly shopped, to play first base. The Yankees and Cubs have been in talks, but the Yankees want the Cubs to pay at least $10 million of the $32.5 million that Bellinger is owed for the 2025 season and his $25 million salary or $5 million buyout in 2026.

The Yankees had engaged in serious trade talks with the Astros for Tucker, but balked at their demand for Rookie of the Year Luis Gil and second-base prospect George Lombard Jr.

The Cubs’ deal for Tucker is reminiscent of the Yankees’ acquisition of Juan Soto a year ago, knowing that it might be only for one season. Tucker, 27, is expected to seek a contract north of $500 million next winter.

Certainly, the Yankees haven’t sat back and wallowed in their misery since losing out on Soto. They acquired All-Star closer Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers earlier in the day for starter Nestor Cortes, infield prospect Caleb Durbin and $2 million, signed left-handed starter Max Fried to an eight-year, $218 million deal last week, re-signed right-hander Jonathan Loaisga and now are in position to now land Bregman and Bellinger.

For the Cubs, who want to stay beneath the luxury tax, now have one of the premier players in the game in Tucker. Tucker averaged 30 homers with 104 RBI in 2021-2023 with an .870 OPS before playing in only 78 games last season because of a fractured shin.

The Astros, who have won two World Series, four pennants and reached the postseason eight consecutive years, believe the trade will enable them to still continue their dominance in the AL West. They now have a third baseman in Paredes who’s a dead pull hitter and can take advantage of the short left field porch in Houston, while acquiring a top prospect in Smith, the No. 14 overall pick in the 2024 draft. They also got pitching depth in Wesneski, 27, who has a career 3.93 ERA in 68 games.

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By now, it’s well-documented that Bill Belichick is in a new element.

The six-time Super Bowl-winning champion coach was hired and introduced as North Carolina’s newest football coach on Thursday. It’s a move that sent a shock throughout college football given Belichick’s age of 72 and his lack of coaching experience in college football.

Former Alabama coach Nick Saban was asked about Belichick’s decision to take over the Tar Heels program Friday during ESPN’s ‘The Pat McAfee Show.’

‘I’m happy for Bill. I think he probably wanted a new challenge and this is certainly going to be a great challenge for him,’ Saban said Friday. ‘North Carolina is a great academic institution, as well as it’s got plenty of athletic tradition there in basketball and football. Bill’s a great coach.’

On top of being two giants in their profession, Saban and Belichick have a long-lasting relationship with each other — which was well documented in the HBO Sports’ documentary ‘Belichick & Saban: The Art of Coaching.’ Saban served as Belichick’s defensive coordinator with the Cleveland Browns from 1991-94, Saban’s first coordinator position in the NFL.

Saban, who had served as a head coach in both the NFL and college, continued on what he believes will be Belichick’s biggest challenge coaching at UNC and in college football: recruiting. His biggest point of emphasis was the time put into college football recruiting — which is different from when Belichick recruited, signed and acquired players for the Patriots as the team’s general manager.

‘The difference in college is, how do you bring guys to the team? It’s different than drafting guys than it is to have to recruit them because recruiting is like a full-time relationship building 365 days a year, in terms of not only evaluating the players that you want but creating the relationships with them to get them,’ Saban said.

‘Now everybody says it’s like the NFL because they’re making money now, but it really still takes you to be able to sell them that you’re going to develop them. And I think Bill will be able to do that. But the biggest thing that will be a challenge for him is the time that you have to spend recruiting, making phone calls, talking to parents and all those types of things to get the kind of players that you need.’

He added: ‘I do think Bill will do a great job there of getting good players and he’ll do a great job of developing those players. The biggest adjustment for him will be the time spent recruiting.’

Belichick, along with Michael Lombardi, will be tasked with rebuilding the Tar Heels program and roster through the transfer portal. As of Friday, the Tar Heels have 11 players from last year’s team in the transfer portal, according to 247Sports.

At his introductory news conference Thursday, Belichick was asked if he had conversations with Saban during the interviewing process and if he sought help to prepare for the jump from the NFL to college. Belichick kept his response short.

‘Coach Saban and I have a long friendship and relationship. I have all the respect in the world (for him). Love Coach Saban,’ Belichick said Thursday. ‘In all honesty, I will keep our conversations private. I don’t think really those are to be shared publicly. I appreciate the question and there is nobody that I respect more than Coach Saban.

‘He’s been a great friend for 40 years.’

Belichick’s first game coaching UNC will be against the Big 12’s TCU on Saturday, Aug. 30 inside Kenan Memorial Stadium, as Tar Heels interim coach Freddie Kitchens will coach the team in the Fenway Bowl vs. UConn.

The NHL season is more than two months old, and there have been 10 trades, plus extensions signed by Igor Shesterkin, Jake Oettinger, Alexis Lafreniere, Linus Ullmark and others.

Other top players also remain eligible for extensions, including Mikko Rantanen, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and Brock Boeser.

There will be more trades as teams build toward a Stanley Cup run or make moves for their long-term future. Here are key dates to watch: the holiday roster freeze in December, the league’s break for the 4 Nations Face-Off in February and the trade deadline in early March.

Follow along here this season for signings, trades, transactions and other news from the NHL:

Dec. 13: Islanders waive Oliver Wahlstrom, Pierre Engvall

The New York Islanders have placed forwards Oliver Wahlstrom and Pierre Engvall on waivers, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports. The move happened after injured forwards Mat Barzal and Anthony Duclair returned to practice. Engvall, who signed a seven-year contract in 2023, passed through waivers earlier this season and played six games in the American Hockey League. He has six points in 20 games. Wahlstrom, a 2018 first-round pick, has four points in 27 games.

Also: The Minnesota Wild claimed defenseman Travis Dermott off waivers from the Edmonton Oilers. The Wild placed defenseman Jake Middleton on long-term injured reserve after he was hit in the hand by a shot on Thursday night.

Dec. 12: Canucks’ J.T. Miller returns from personal leave

Vancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller said he was returning from his personal leave and played Thursday night against the Florida Panthers. The Canucks announced his leave of absence on Nov. 19. The team went 5-3-2 while he was away.

Miller, who has 16 points in 17 games this season and topped 100 last season, said he wouldn’t answer questions about why he was away from the team.

‘I’m excited to play,’ he said. ‘I want to play and obviously a fun game against the defending champions. Just happy to be around the guys and looking forward to tonight.’

Miller skated a little more than 14 minutes, had two assists and won 60% of his faceoffs.

While he was away, he was named to Team USA for February’s 4 Nations Face-Off.

Also: Anaheim Ducks forward Travis Zegras had surgery for torn meniscus in his right knee and is expected to miss six weeks. … The Utah Hockey Club claimed defenseman Dakota Mermis off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Dec. 10: Kevin Shattenkirk announces retirement

Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk announced his retirement on Tuesday after 14 NHL seasons with seven teams. He won a Stanley Cup in 2020 with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Drafted 14th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in 2007, he also played for the St. Louis Blues (five 40-point seasons), Washington Capitals, New York Rangers and Anaheim Ducks before joining the Boston Bruins in 2023-24 for what would be his final season.

Shattenkirk, 35, finishes with 103 goals, 381 assists and 484 points in 952 career games, plus 48 points in 91 playoff games. He scored in overtime during Game 4 of the 2020 Stanley Cup Final.

Dec. 9: Avalanche land Mackenzie Blackwood in goalie trade with Sharks

The Colorado Avalanche’s season-opening goaltending tandem of Alexandar Georgiev and Justus Annunen is out after a subpar start. Now they’re running with Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood after separate trades with the San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators, respectively.

The Blackwood trade is the latest one and includes forward Givani Smith and a draft pick going to Colorado, while forward Nikolai Kovalenko and two picks go to San Jose. Blackwood has a .904 save percentage to Georgiev’s .874, and he made 49 saves in his last game. Georgiev was pulled in his second-to-last start.

GOALIE SWAP: Full details of Avalanche-Sharks trade

Dec. 6: Rangers trade Jacob Trouba, extend Igor Shesterkin

The sliding New York Rangers dominated the news Friday by trading captain Jacob Trouba and giving Igor Shesterkin an eight-year extension that makes him the highest-paid NHL goalie.

The Rangers officially announced the extension on Saturday.

The Trouba trade happened first Friday with the Rangers getting back defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a 2025 fourth-round pick. But the biggest part is the Anaheim Ducks took on Trouba’s $8 million cap hit, giving the Rangers flexibility. Trouba, who has struggled this season and didn’t waive his no-trade clause this summer, adds a veteran presence to the young Ducks. He and new teammate Radko Gudas are two of the hardest hitters in the league.

Shesterkin will average $11.5 million in his new deal, according to reports, moving him past Carey Price ($10.5 million) as the top-paid goaltender. The Rangers rely heavily on Shesterkin, who faces a lot of high-danger shots.

Also: The Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens pulled off a minor trade. Forward Jacob Perreault, son of former NHL player Yanic Perreault, heads to Edmonton for defenseman Noel Hoefenmayer. … The Carolina Hurricanes placed forward Brendan Lemieux on unconditional waivers to terminate his contract. He requested the move so he can pursue another opportunity, general manager Eric Tulsky told the team’s website.

Dec. 5: Blackhawks fire coach Luke Richardson

The last-place Chicago Blackhawks fired coach Luke Richardson. Anders Sorensen, coach of the Blackhawks’ Rockford IceHogs team in the American Hockey League, was named interim head coach.

The move happened with generational player Connor Bedard going through a sophomore slump and unhappy with his production. He recently ended a 12-game goal drought and didn’t make the Canadian roster for this season’s 4 Nations Face-Off.

‘As we have begun to take steps forward in our rebuilding process, we felt that the results did not match our expectations for a higher level of execution this season and ultimately came to the decision that a change was necessary,’ general manager Kyle Davidson said in a statement about the coaching move.

Richardson leaves Chicago with a 57-118-15 record.

Dec. 4: Stars’ Tyler Seguin to have hip surgery, miss 4-6 months

The Dallas Stars announced that forward Tyler Seguin will have surgery on his left hip on Thursday and is expected to miss four to six months. That timeline would have him out of the lineup until near the end of the regular season or into the playoffs. Seguin, 32, had been having a strong season, ranking third on the team with 20 points in 19 games.

4 NATIONS FACE-OFF: Rosters being announced

Nov. 30: Wild acquire defenseman David Jiricek from Blue Jackets

The Minnesota Wild acquired former first-round pick David Jiricek, 21, from the Columbus Blue Jackets for a package that includes 22-year-old defenseman Daemon Hunt and a package of draft picks including a top-five protected 2025 first-round pick. Jiricek, a 2022 sixth-overall pick who had been sent to American Hockey League, will report to the Wild’s AHL team. The other picks heading to Columbus: 2026 third- and fourth-rounders and a 2027 second-rounder. The Wild get a 2025 fifth-round pick.

Nov. 30: Predators, Avalanche swap goaltenders

The Colorado Avalanche acquired backup goalie Scott Wedgewood from the Nashville Predators for backup goalie Justus Annunen and a sixth-round pick. The Avalanche, who have the league’s third-worst team goals-against average, were expected to make some sort of goaltending move but not necessarily this one. Annunen, 24, has slightly better stats this season, but he’s a restricted free agent at the end of the season. Wedgewood, 32, who was signed in the offseason and played five games for the Predators, has another year left on his contract.

Also: The NHL fined Boston’s Nikita Zadorov and Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin $5,000 each for an exchange in Friday’s game. Zadorov poked Malkin with his stick from the bench, and the Penguins star responded with a slash toward the bench, hitting Mason Lohrei.

Nov. 25: Hurricanes goalie Pyotr Kochetkov in concussion protocol

Carolina Hurricanes goalie Pytor Kochetkov is in concussion protocol after being injured on a fluke play in Saturday’s game, coach Rod Brind’Amour told reporters. Kochetkov, who’s out indefinitely, was reaching out to make a poke check in overtime when he was accidentally knocked over by teammate Sean Walker, who was defending against the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Zach Werenski. Kochetkov replaced by Spencer Martin, who lost in a shootout.

Kochetkov’s injury means the Hurricanes are missing their top two goaltenders. Frederik Andersen had knee surgery and will be out eight to 12 weeks. Martin and Yaniv Perets are the goalie tandem for now as the team faces a tough stretch against the Dallas Stars, New York Rangers and back-to-back games against the Florida Panthers. But the Hurricanes will get back forward Seth Jarvis, who missed seven games with an upper-body injury.

Nov. 25: Penguins acquire Philip Tomasino from Predators

Philip Tomasino (one point in 11 games) is the final year of his contract so the struggling Nashville Predators get something in return, a 2027 fourth-round pick. The equally struggling Pittsburgh Penguins get another person for their bottom six. The former first-round pick’s best season was 32 points as a rookie in 2021-22.

Nov. 24: Blues fire coach Drew Bannister, hire Jim Montgomery

In a surprising move, the St. Louis Blues on Sunday fired Drew Bannister after less than a year as coach, replacing him with former Boston Bruins coach Jim Montgomery.

The announcement from Blues president and general manager Doug Armstrong comes with the team losing 13 of its first 22 games this year. Bannister had taken over for Stanley Cup-winning coach Craig Berube last season and had his interim tag removed at the end of the season.

Montgomery, a former assistant to Berube, has an overall regular-season record of 180-84-33 as a head coach with Boston and Dallas. He was just let go by the Bruins last week after they lost 12 of their first 20 games. – Steve Gardner

Nov. 23: Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov misses game with lower-body injury

Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov, who’s tied for the league lead in points, sat out Saturday’s game against the Calgary Flames because of a lower-body injury. Kaprizov went to the ice after a knee-on-knee hit from the Edmonton Oilers’ Drake Caggiula in Thursday’s game but the Wild star finished the game. The Athletic reported he had an MRI on Sunday, which found no serious injury, and he was at practice on Monday. Kaprizov entered Saturday’s games tied with Nathan MacKinnon with 34 points and has played in one less game than the Colorado Avalanche star.

Nov. 22: Golden Knights sign Brett Howden to five-year extension

Forward Brett Howden will average $2.5 million in the five-year contract extension. He plays in the Vegas Golden Knights’ bottom six and has eight goals this season.

After the Golden Knights lost free agents Jonathan Marchessault, Chandler Stephenson and others from their 2023 Stanley Cup title team this summer, they’ve been working to get extensions done early. Defensemen Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb signed recently. Goalie Adin Hill and Keegan Kolesar also are pending unrestricted free agents from that championship team.

Also: Forward Alex Nylander is joining All-Star older brother William on the Toronto Maple Leafs after signing a one-year, $775,000 NHL contract and getting recalled. He had been on an American Hockey League contract. The Maple Leafs placed forward Matthew Knies on the injured list after he absorbed a big hit from Vegas’ Zach Whitecloud this week. … Seattle Kraken captain Jordan Eberle had surgery on his pelvis and will be out at last three months.

Nov. 21: Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen to have knee surgery

This marks the fourth season in a row that Andersen has missed extended time. He was limited to 16 games last season with a blood-clotting issue and missed more than two months of 2022-23 with a lower-body injury. An injury kept him out of the 2022 playoffs.

Pyotr Kochetkov is the Hurricanes’ No. 1 goalie in Andersen’s absence. Andersen, 35, is in the final year of his contract.

Nov. 19: Canucks’ J.T. Miller out indefinitely for personal reasons

‘Right now, our sole focus is making sure that J.T. knows the entire organization is here to support him,’ general manager Patrik Allvin said. ‘Out of respect to J.T., we will have no further comment at this time.’

Miller ranks second on the Canucks and is their top-scoring forward with 16 points in 17 games. He scored 103 points last season.

Nov. 19: Boston Bruins fire coach Jim Montgomery

The Boston Bruins made Jim Montgomery the first coaching casualty of the 2024-25 NHL season, firing him less than two seasons after he was named coach of the year.

Associate coach Joe Sacco, a former Colorado Avalanche head coach, will take over behind the bench as the interim head coach.

The move came after a blowout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday. Montgomery, who was in the final year of his contract, was let go with the team sitting at 8-9-3 and sporting poor underlying numbers.

BRUINS: More details on coaching change

Nov. 19: Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin out with leg injury

Alex Ovechkin’s chase of Wayne Gretzky’s goal record is temporarily on hold after the Washington Capitals star left Monday night’s game with an injury.

The team announced Tuesday that Ovechkin is week-to-week with an injury to his lower leg after he absorbed a leg-on-leg hit from Utah Hockey Club forward Jack McBain during the third period.

Ovechkin had been on a torrid scoring pace this season. Before Monday’s injury, he had scored twice in the 6-2 win over Utah, giving him five goals in the last two games and a league-leading 15 goals in 18 games.

Also: The Edmonton Oilers claimed forward Kasperi Kapanen off waivers from the St. Louis Blues. He provides speed and depth to a team that hasn’t received much scoring from the wings this season.

Nov. 18: Islanders’ Mike Reilly to have procedure on heart

General manager Lou Lamoriello told reporters that the pre-existing heart condition was discovered during routine testing for a concussion that had sidelined the defenseman since Nov. 1.

‘It’s probably a blessing in disguise of what transpired,’ Lamoriello said. ‘They detected this, something that you’re sometimes born with, but never knew.’

He said Reilly has been cleared from the concussion.

Nov. 18: Sabres send down goalie; Sharks call one up

The Buffalo Sabres sent 22-year-old goalie Devon Levi to the American Hockey League to get him some playing time amid his recent struggles. The team will use Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and recently reacquired James Reimer as their tandem. Levi has given up 17 goals in his last four starts.

Meanwhile, the San Jose Sharks called up highly touted goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov, 22, after he went 6-3 with a 1.92 goals-against average in the AHL. He was acquired from the Nashville Predators in an offseason trade. Sharks goalie Vitek Vanecek had left Saturday’s game with an injury.

Also: The NHL announced that last month’s Carolina Hurricanes-Tampa Bay Lightning game, whichas was postponed by Hurricane Milton, has been rescheduled for Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. ET. … Philadelphia Flyers goalie Samuel Ersson (lower body) was placed on injured reserve.

Nov. 15: Avalanche’s Valeri Nichushkin returns from suspension

Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin returned Friday night from his six-month suspension. He was suspended during the playoffs last May under Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. He also was in the program for about two months earlier in the 2023-24 season and missed part of the 2023 playoffs for personal reasons. Nichushkin is a key offensive contributor with 28 goals in 54 games last season. Injured forwards Jonathan Drouin and Miles Wood also returned Friday.

Also: The Vegas Golden Knights signed defenseman Brayden McNabb, the franchise leader in games played, to a three-year contract extension that averages $3.65 million a year.

OILERS: Connor McDavid is fourth fastest to reach 1,000 points

Nov. 13: Sabres claim goalie James Reimer off waivers

The Buffalo Sabres claimed goaltender James Reimer off waivers, bringing him back to where he signed a free agent contract in the summer. Reimer was claimed by the Anaheim Ducks off waivers earlier this season when the Sabres tried to send him to the American Hockey League. The Ducks put him on waivers after the return of injured goalie John Gibson. Reimer, on a one-year, $1 million contract, played two games in Anaheim with a 4.50 goals-against average. No. 1 Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was hurt in Monday’s loss but hasn’t been ruled out for Thursday’s game.

Also: Boston Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm will be out ‘weeks’ with a lower-body injury after blocking a shot, coach Jim Montgomery said.

Nov. 12: Capitals reacquire Lars Eller in trade with Penguins

Center Lars Eller, 35, is a familiar face for the Washington Capitals after playing in Washington from 2016-23 and winning a Stanley Cup there in 2018. He kills penalties and is strong in the faceoff circle. The Pittsburgh Penguins’ side of the trade might be more interesting. They get a 2027 third-round pick and a 2025 fifth-rounder, and this also could be an indication that the Penguins are shaking up the roster after a disappointing start. Eller’s trade will allow the team to give more ice time to younger players. He’s a pending unrestricted free agent.

Also: The Winnipeg Jets claimed goalie Kaapo Kahkonen off waivers from the Colorado Avalanche and loaned him to their American Hockey League affiliate. They had lost him on waivers to the Avalanche last month.

Nov. 11: Flames’ Anthony Mantha to have season-ending surgery

Also: The Colorado Avalanche placed goalie Kaapo Kahkonen on waivers. They had claimed him off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets last month.

Nov. 9: Penguins recall veteran goalie Tristan Jarry from minors

The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled two-time All-Star goalie Tristan Jarry from his conditioning stint in the American Hockey League. Jarry was loaned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Oct. 26 after recording a 5.37 goals-against average and .836 save percentage. His AHL numbers were 2.16, .926.

Also: The Philadelphia Flyers made rookie Matvei Michkov a healthy scratch for a second consecutive game.

Nov. 8: Kraken acquire Daniel Sprong from Canucks

The Seattle Kraken landed Daniel Sprong, one of their former players, in exchange for future considerations. The Kraken have struggled to score this season and Sprong had 21 goals for them two seasons ago. The forward has scored double-digit goals five times. He had one goal with Vancouver this season.

Nov. 7: Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov to be healthy scratch

Coach John Tortorella called the move ‘part of the process.’

‘With young guys, they can watch games, too, as far as development,’ he told reporters. ‘It’s trying to help them.’

Michkov, 19, has 10 points in 13 games and a minus-8 rating and was NHL rookie of the month in October. He had just one point in his last five games and his ice time dropped in the last four.

Nov. 4: Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini ready to return from injury

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft, is ready to return to action after aggravating an injury in the season opener, according to NHL.com.

He took part in practice Monday on the top line with Tyler Toffoli and Mikael Granlund and is looking to play his second game season Tuesday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Celebrini said he reinjured his hip on his first shift of the opener but played the full game and had a goal and assist. He has missed 12 games. The Sharks opened the season 0-7-2 but are 3-1 in their last four games.

Also: St. Louis Blues defenseman Philip Broberg will be out four to six weeks with a lower-body injury. He needed help getting off the ice Saturday after he was checked by the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Mitch Marner. … The Boston Bruins signed forward Tyler Johnson to a one-year, $775,000 contract. He won two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning and spent the last three seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Nov. 2: Islanders’ Mathew Barzal, Adam Pelech go on injured list

New York Islanders No. 1 center Mathew Barzal was placed on long-term injured reserve with an unspecified upper-body injury. He’ll be out four to six weeks. He had 80 points in 80 games last season but had been limited to five points in 10 games this season as the Islanders have struggled to score.

Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech also will be out four to six weeks after being hit in the face by a puck. He went on the injured list.

Oct. 30: Sharks acquire Timothy Liljegren from Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs get defenseman Matt Benning, a 2025 third-round pick and a 2026 sixth-rounder. Liljegren, 25, had been limited to one game in Toronto this season, and the Maple Leafs recently committed to blue-liner Jake McCabe with a five-year extension. But Liljegren should fit in well in San Jose, which is building around younger players. Benning, 30, and Liljegren are signed through 2025-26.

This is the second day with an NHL trade after none previously since the season opened in North America.

Oct. 29: Utah acquires defenseman Olli Maatta from Red Wings

The Utah Hockey Club gives up a third-round pick as it addresses a desperate need for a veteran defenseman. Sean Durzi and John Marino are out long-term after surgery. Utah has been leaking goals during a four-game losing streak, including blowing a 4-1 lead late in the third period against the previously winless San Jose Sharks. Maatta is solid defensively and has nearly 700 games of NHL experience.

Oct. 28: Maple Leafs sign Jake McCabe to five-year extension

The Toronto Maple Leafs signed defenseman Jake McCabe to a five-year extension with an annual average value of $4.51 million. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports there is some deferred money in the deal. McCabe, 31, had been acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks in a February 2023 trade and ranks fourth on the team in average ice time this season. He has three assists in nine games and a team-best plus-6 rating.

Also: The New York Rangers recalled rugged forward Matt Rempe from the American Hockey League after he played two games there. The Rangers play the Washington Capitals on Tuesday in what has become a feisty rivalry.

Oct. 26: Penguins send goalie Tristan Jarry to minors

The Pittsburgh Penguins sent two-time All-Star goaltender Tristan Jarry to their American Hockey League affiliate on a conditioning loan after his early season struggles. He had been sent home from the Penguins’ road trip to work on his game after recording a 5.47 goals-against average and .836 save percentage in three games. He was pulled from his last start on Oct. 16 and gave up six goals in the opener.

Jarry is in the second season of a five-year contract that carries a $5.375 million cap hit. Rookie Joel Blomqvist has had the most starts in the Penguins net this season and Alex Nedeljkovic recently returned from an injury.

Also: The New York Islanders signed rugged forward Matt Martin for the rest of the season. He had been to camp on a tryout agreement after spending 13 of his 15 seasons with the Islanders.

Oct. 25: Rangers’ Alexis Lafreniere gets seven-year extension

The New York Rangers and Alexis Lafreniere have agreed to a seven-year extension as he builds on last season’s breakthrough. The 2020 No. 1 overall pick will average $7.45 million in the deal, according to lohud.com, part of the USA TODAY Network. That’s up from this year’s $2.325 million cap hit. Lafreniere, 23, broke through with 28 goals and 57 points last season and added eight goals and 14 points in the playoffs. He is averaging a point a game this season through seven games and scored his fourth goal of the season on Thursday. He is signed through 2031-32.

Oct. 24: Golden Knights’ Shea Theodore signs for seven years

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore will average $7.425 million in the extension, which kicks in next season and runs through 2031-32. Getting him signed now is important after the Golden Knights lost Jonathan Marchessault, Chandler Stephenson and others from their 2023 Stanley Cup team to free agency during the summer.

Theodore, 29, is the franchise’s top-scoring defenseman with 296 points and has opened this season with seven points in six games. Vegas’ top three defensemen (also Alex Pietrangelo and Noah Hanifin) are signed through at least 2026-27.

Oct. 23: Utah’s Sean Durzi, John Marino out long-term after surgery

The Utah Hockey Club, who beefed up their defense in the offseason, will be without two key blueliners long-term after they had surgery.

Sean Durzi, who was injured in an Oct. 15 game, will miss four to six months after shoulder surgery. John Marino, who has yet to play this season, is out three to four months after back surgery.

Utah added defensemen Mikhail Sergachev, Marino and Ian Cole in the offseason. Durzi, acquired last season when the team was in Arizona, signed a four-year, $24 million contract during the summer.

In other injury news, St. Louis Blues forward Robert Thomas has a fractured ankle and will be evaluated in six weeks.

Oct. 22: Panthers give coach Paul Maurice contract extension

Maurice, who joined the Panthers in 2022-23, went to the Stanley Cup Final in his first season and won it last year. His 29 playoff wins are a franchise record.

He has 98 regular-season wins with Florida and his 873 career wins rank fourth all time in NHL history.

Also: The Blues signed forward Jake Neighbours to a two-year, $7.5 million contract extension.

Oct. 17: Stars’ Jake Oettinger signs eight-year contract extension

The Dallas Stars signed goalie Jake Oettinger to an eight-year, $66 million contract extension that kicks in next season. The $8.25 million cap hit matches the deals recently signed by the Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman and Senators’ Linus Ullmark.

Oettinger has led the Stars to the Western Conference final the past two seasons.

Oct. 12: Aleksander Barkov, Macklin Celebrini are injured

The NHL season is young, but two prominent players are already out with injuries.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov will miss two to three weeks after crashing leg first into the boards while trying to prevent an empty net goal on Thursday. His stick had broken but he couldn’t stop Ottawa’s Tim Stutzle from scoring. The time frame should allow Barkov to participate in the two Global Series games against the Dallas Stars in Tampere, Finland, on Nov. 1-2. Barkov is the first Finnish NHL captain to win the Stanley Cup. He won the Selke Trophy last season for the second time as top defensive forward.

Meanwhile, the San Jose Sharks placed No. 1 overall pick Macklin Celebrini on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. Coach Ryan Warsofsky said Celebrini is week-to-week. He had been dealing with an injury in training camp but played in this week’s season opener, scoring a goal and an assist.

Oct. 11: Avalanche claim goalie Kaapo Kahkonen off waivers

In a busy day for goalie transactions, the Colorado Avalanche claimed Kaapo Kahkonen off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets. Colorado lost 8-4 in the opener, with Alexandar Georgiev giving up five goals and backup Justus Annunen giving up two goals on four shots. The Avalanche are Kahkonen’s fourth team in a year. He split time last season between the San Jose Sharks and New Jersey Devils.

In other moves, the Minnesota Wild called up Jesper Wallstedt, their goalie of future, who will join Game 1 winner Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury. The Nashville Predators sent down Matt Murray, who backed up Scott Wedgewood on Thursday with injured No. 1 goalie Juuse Saros unable to play.

Oct. 10: Hurricanes-Lightning game postponed because of Milton

Saturday’s game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning has been postponed as the Tampa Bay area recovers from Hurricane Milton. The league said a makeup date would be announced as soon as it can be confirmed.

The Lightning are playing their season opener in Carolina on Friday. Saturday’s game was to be the start of a three-game homestand (also Tuesday and Thursday).

Amalie Arena got through the storm fine, though Tropicana Field, home of MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Florida, suffered major damage to its roof.

Oct. 10: Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner has surgery

Jenner had shoulder surgery to repair an injury he suffered during training camp and could miss up to six months.

‘Our hope is he can return before the end of the season,’ said Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Waddell. ‘His loss will be felt by our club, but we have a strong leadership group in place and players will be given an opportunity to take on greater roles on and off the ice.’

Boone, who finished second on the Blue Jackets last season with 22 goals and is the franchise leader in games played, has been the team’s captain since 2021-22.

Oct. 9: Linus Ullmark, Joey Daccord get contract extensions

Ullmark, who won the Vezina Trophy with the Bruins in 2022-03, was traded to the Ottawa Senators this offseason so Boston had the room to re-sign Swayman. Ullmark will get four years, $33 million from the Senators and have the same $8.25 million cap as Swayman.

Meanwhile, Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord received a five-year, $25 million extension. He filled in for Philipp Grubauer after that goalie’s injury last season and got the NHL’s first shutout in the Winter Classic. Both contracts will take effect next season.