
Wild trade for Tarasenko, Islanders extend Romanov on eve of NHL free agency
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The Wild acquired winger Vladimir Tarasenko from the Detroit Red Wings on Monday for future considerations.
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The Islanders re-signed defenceman Alexander Romanov to an eight-year contract that a person with knowledge of the extension said is worth $50 million.
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The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because terms were not disclosed. Romanov will count $6.25 million against the salary cap through the 2032-33 season.
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Tarasenko, 33, has one year left on his contract at a salary cap hit of $4.75 million.
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He helped Florida win the Cup last year after being a key part of St. Louis' championship run in 2019.
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The Utah Mammoth also traded young forward Matias Maccelli to Toronto for a conditional 2027 third-round pick. It turns into a second-rounder in 2029 if Maccelli has 51-plus points and the Maple Leafs make the playoffs next season.
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'We appreciate everything that Matias has done for the organization,' Utah general manager Bill Armstrong said. 'He is a great person, consummate professional, and we wish him all the best.'
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The moves came with the league awaiting what happens with the Leafs' pending free-agent Mitch Marner and who the back-to-back defending champion Panthers are able to bring back between Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad. They already re-signed Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sam Bennett to an eight-year, $64-million contract.
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CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
New Steve Prefontaine biography reveals man behind mythic distance runner
Social Sharing The late American distance runner Steve Prefontaine never won an Olympic medal, a world championship, or even held a world record. Yet, half a century after his untimely death in a car wreck at the age of 24, "Pre," as he came to be known, remains an iconic, almost saint-like figure, of track and field. Many would argue that Prefontaine is regarded as the most charismatic runner of all-time, often credited with igniting the worldwide running boom of the 1970's, not to mention being the first face of the multi-billion dollar Nike brand of athletic gear. In a new biography, "The Front Runner - The Life of Steve Prefontaine," author Brendan O'Meara re-examines his legacy on the cusp of the 50th anniversary of the international athletics gathering that bears his name. This year's "Pre Classic" at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., will feature more than 20 Olympic gold medallists and countless world champions. It is one of, if not the most, star-studded fields in the history of professional track and field outside an Olympic Games. O'Meara suggests that, in many ways, the annual pilgrimage of these outstanding, runners, jumpers, and throwers from every corner of the world, to a small, university city in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, is one of Prefontaine's greatest contributions to the sport. A local hero from the coastal logging town of Coos Bay, Prefontaine once held every American record from 2,000 to 10,000 metres. And he set many of those records and won most of his important races at the University of Oregon's fabled track at Hayward Field. He was idolized as a child prodigy from a rough and tumble background who was outspoken and had the audacity to take on the best in the world while defying them to race flat out instead of languishing in the rear and concocting last-minute, or contrived, victories. He was, as O'Meara explains, the quintessential front runner from an athletic perspective. In the biggest race Prefontaine ever took on, the Olympic 5,000m final at the 1972 Munich Games, he was by far the smallest and youngest contestant in the field. And yet, the confident and brash American was undaunted, leading into the final lap while duelling magnificently with the likes of the statuesque Finn, Lasse Viren, who eventually won the gold medal, and 1968 Olympic champion Mohammed Gammoudi of Tunisia who claimed silver. Prefontaine, totally spent, ran out of gas over the last few metres and was narrowly beaten for the bronze medal by Great Britain's hard charging Ian Stewart. Distraught, Prefontaine bowed his head, removed his spikes, and walked barefoot off the track in front of the astonished fans in the jam-packed stadium. For many people of a certain generation, it was a vivid and lasting first recollection of the crucible of Olympic competition. Prefontaine was the upstart kid with the flowing blond hair who came so close to knocking off the Goliaths from afar. He presented the teasing promise of the thrill of victory which gave way to the reality of a fourth-place finish and the agony of defeat. O'Meara chronicles Prefontaine's life based on more than 150 interviews with teammates, friends, and rivals who knew the enigmatic high school and collegiate phenom. And while there is a certain mythology surrounding "Pre" and his faithful followers known as "Pre's People," O'Meara gives his subject a human quality which is more decipherable. Referring to him as "Steve" throughout, the author discovers that behind the bravado was a sensitive young man who was most comfortable in familiar surroundings and often wrestled with self–doubt. Moreover, Prefontaine is portrayed as less of a philosopher king and more likely driven by a simpler set of principles — he wanted to run hard and fast and compete against the best in the world on his own terms, not to mention his home turf. WATCH | Oregon's iconic Hayward Field: Oregon's iconic Hayward Field home of the 2022 World Athletics Championships 3 years ago Duration 10:54 There are also stories of Prefontaine being a practical joker, a wild and crazy driver of sports cars, and a prodigious guzzler of beer. The way O'Meara tells it, Prefontaine revelled in the attention of his fans, but he might have foregone future fame and fortune for a more modest life, which included owning and operating his dream bar called "The Sub Four," in reference to his achievement of running a sub four-minute mile. In fact, Prefontaine did resist offers of lucrative contracts from the blossoming professional International Track Association (ITA), choosing instead to protect his amateur status and pursue his dream of winning an Olympic title in Montreal in 1976 against the best competition from around the world. While it is true, as O'Meara acknowledges, that Prefontaine fought for athlete self-determination and freedom from the restrictive bonds of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), he did it not out of a desire for personal financial gain but instead to have the opportunity to race against the premier athletes in the sport at the most opportune times. In this sense, Prefontaine was not only a front runner he was a forerunner in a world where athletes would eventually have greater control over their own destinies. In short "Pre" was an idealist who was well ahead of his time. His death came after midnight on May 30,1975 following the final track meet in Eugene of what was known as "The Finn Tour." It was an invitational series of events run on a shoestring budget that Prefontaine envisioned and organized. It gave the hometown hero a chance to take on world-class, European rivals before his faithful supporters. He won that last race over 5,000 metres at Hayward Field, serving notice to the local fans that the possibilities were endless for this young man who hailed from their own backyard and that the gold medal at the Montreal Olympics was most certainly within reach. At the end of the telling of Prefontaine's story, the author concludes that his subject was uncompromising in his self belief while reflecting the hopes and aspirations of his many disciples. "Steve would often express, especially as his career began to take off, how running was a means of personal discovery," O'Meara writes in the last paragraphs. "As he broke the tape, the people roared once more, and the shadows lengthened over the track. Steve aglow by the setting of the sun."


CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
U.S. college bans transgender athletes following swimming furor
Pennsylvania's Lia Thomas waits for results after swimming the women's 200 freestyle final at the NCAA swimming and diving championships Friday, March 18, 2022, at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Thomas finished tied for fifth place. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) WASHINGTON — The University of Pennsylvania has agreed to ban transgender athletes from its women's sports teams, settling a federal civil rights case stemming from the furor around swimmer Lia Thomas, the U.S. government said Tuesday. The U.S. Department of Education said in a statement that UPenn had entered into a resolution agreement vowing to comply with Title IX, the federal law which prohibits sex-based discrimination in any educational program. It follows an investigation by the department's Office for Civil Rights which found the university had violated Title IX by allowing transgender swimmer Thomas to compete in women's competitions in 2021-2022. U.S. President Donald Trump, who campaigned on the issue of trans athletes, has worked to prohibit them from competing in girls and women's sports since returning to office. Trump issued an executive order in February aimed at banning transgender athletes, allowing federal agencies to halt funding to any institution that does not consider birth-assigned genders in determining sex. U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement on Tuesday the resolution of the UPenn case marked a 'great victory for women and girls ... across our nation.' 'The Department commends UPenn for rectifying its past harms against women and girls, and we will continue to fight relentlessly to restore Title IX's proper application and enforce it to the fullest extent of the law.' Under the terms of the settlement, UPenn will restore all individual swimming records and titles to female athletes affected by Thomas's participation. The university will also send a 'personalized letter of apology' to each swimmer impacted by the case. The college will also be required to issue a public statement specifying it will 'not allow males to compete in female athletic programs' or use Penn Athletics facilities for women, such as locker rooms. Thomas became a lightning rod around the debate of transgender athletes in women's sport after competing in female collegiate competitions in 2022. She had earlier swam on UPenn's men's team while undergoing hormone replacement therapy. Her participation in women's events sparked widespread outrage, with critics and some fellow swimmers saying she should not have been allowed to compete due to an unfair physiological advantage. Her supporters argued she should be allowed to compete as a woman. One of Thomas's competitors, Riley Gaines, welcomed Tuesday's announcement. Gaines has been a long-time critic of Thomas's participation in women's collegiate swimming, and tied for fifth place with her in the 200-yard freestyle at a national collegiate meeting in 2022. 'It is my hope that today demonstrates to educational institutions that they will no longer be allowed to trample upon women's civil rights, and renews hope in every female athlete that their country's highest leadership will not relent until they have the dignity, safety, and fairness they deserve,' Gaines said in a statement. AFP


Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
Nikolaj Ehlers remains unsigned going into Day 2 of NHL free agency
Nikolaj Ehlers could choose his destination as soon as Wednesday after letting the start of NHL free agency pass without signing a contract. Ehlers became one of the rare top players available not to sign on the first day of free agency, opting instead to sit back and consider his options. Carolina, Tampa Bay and Washington were considered among the teams interested in pursuing the 29-year-old from Denmark who played his first nine seasons with Winnipeg. 'We've had talks with his agent,' Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky said. 'He's taking his time to field offers. He's obviously a very popular person right now, and we're waiting to see where that goes.' Ehlers and his camp watched Tuesday as fellow winger Brock Boeser re-signed in Vancouver for just over $50 million and older forward Mikael Granlund got $7 million annually from Anaheim. With the salary cap increasing a record amount to $95.5 million and a lack of high-end talent available, Ehlers could sign the most lucrative contract among players changing teams this summer. Story continues below advertisement Ehlers going unsigned is almost certainly holding things up for players like Andrew Mangiapane, Anthony Beauvillier, and Jeff Skinner, who could be part of a plan B or C for those who don't land their first choice. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Defensemen Dmitry Orlov, Brent Burns and Matt Grzelcyk, forwards Jack Roslovic and Mason Appleton and goaltenders Ilya Samsonov and Alexandar Georgiev are also still available. 'Day 1 is always a little bit hectic and crazy,' said San Jose GM Mike Grier, who made multiple moves but still needs to spend more to get to the salary floor. 'We'll kind of see how things shake out. After (Tuesday night), things will settle down and teams will kind of regroup and see what's out there and the free agents will do the same.'