AP PHOTOS: The U.S. Women's Open
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2 hours ago
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Goalie market dries up as NHL teams scramble to secure netminders
FILE - Calgary Flames goaltender Dan Vladar (80) looks on during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals, Feb. 25, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File) FILE - Los Angeles Kings goaltender David Rittich deflects a shot during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Calgary Flames, April 17, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File) FILE - Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko (35) watches a shot go wide of the net as Conor Garland (8) helps against pressure from Dallas Stars right wing Evgenii Dadonov (63) in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Dallas, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File) FILE - Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko (35) watches a shot go wide of the net as Conor Garland (8) helps against pressure from Dallas Stars right wing Evgenii Dadonov (63) in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Dallas, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File) FILE - Calgary Flames goaltender Dan Vladar (80) looks on during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals, Feb. 25, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File) FILE - Los Angeles Kings goaltender David Rittich deflects a shot during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Calgary Flames, April 17, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File) FILE - Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko (35) watches a shot go wide of the net as Conor Garland (8) helps against pressure from Dallas Stars right wing Evgenii Dadonov (63) in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Dallas, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File) It is not a good time to be an NHL team in need of a goaltender. Fewer than a dozen who played in the league last season were available as unrestricted free agents, Detroit acquired John Gibson from Anaheim over the weekend after years of trade rumors and that left a handful of veteran backups to sign Tuesday. Advertisement New Jersey kept Jake Allen, Thatcher Demko stayed in Vancouver, Philadelphia added Dan Vladar and the New York Islanders signed David Rittich. 'Really, you sort of take a look at the landscape and see what's out there,' said Allen, who re-signed with the Devils for $9 million over five years. 'Yeah, there were some spots, but at the same time, my situation in Jersey was good." Two-time defending Western Conference champion Edmonton might have lost out in the game of musical goalies and could have little choice but to stick with Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. They combined for a save percentage of .888 in the playoffs, ranking 13th out of 16 teams, dropping to .866 in the Stanley Cup Final loss to Florida. Allen was not really an option for the Oilers because he wanted to stay on the East Coast regardless. Advertisement The Canucks have a rare surplus at the most important position in hockey after extending Demko for $8.5 million a year through 2029. They also have Kevin Lankinen under contract at $4.5 million annually through 2030, and Arturs Silovs backstopped Abbotsford of the American Hockey League to the Calder Cup after playing well in the playoffs for Vancouver last year. Demko is a franchise No. 1, so he's not going anywhere. 'Probably we have the best goalie tandem in the league,' said winger Conor Garland, who also signed a long-term extension with the Canucks. 'For Demmer just coming back being healthy and the presence he is in the room, what a competitor he is. He has kind of an aura about him of just being one of the top goalies in the league and how hard he practices and what that does for our room on a day-to-day basis having a guy like that, it's a huge impact.' Vladar, who turns 28 in August, signed for $6.7 million over the next two years to join the Flyers' mix. He figures to split time with Samuel Ersson. Advertisement Rittich joins the Islanders as depth behind unquestioned starter Ilya Sorokin. Semyon Varlamov is under contract for two more seasons but has been injured. Elsewhere in the Metropolitan Division, Carolina signed 25-year-old Amir Miftakhov after he put up some strong numbers in the KHL. With Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov already in place, Miftakhov is a potential low-risk, high-reward addition at the league minimum of $775,000 and the chance for him to play with AHL Chicago if needed. 'Amir has put together a number of solid seasons in the KHL and is ready to return to professional hockey in North America,' general manager Eric Tulsky said. 'It's important to have goaltending depth, and we look forward to having him in our organization.' While Miftakhov only has AHL and ECHL experience, Gibson was the most proven netminder available, especially with the Ducks going to his successor, Lukas Dostal. He's not sure why the goalie market became so thin, but he's happy to be going to the Red Wings to perhaps revitalize his career at 31. Advertisement 'It's a new chapter, fresh start, kind of going in excited to prove myself,' Gibson said. 'It's just an exciting opportunity to go to a team and an organization that really wants to get back and to playoff hockey.' ___ AP Hockey Writer John Wawrow contributed. ___ AP NHL:
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2 hours ago
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Mexican driver Daniel Suárez out of NASCAR ride at Trackhouse Racing at end of 2025 season
FILE - Cars drive past the flag of Mexico placed at the fence during the NASCAR Busch series auto race at the Hermanos Rodriguez racetrack in Mexico City, Mexico, on Sunday, March 5, 2006.(AP Photo/Gregory Bull, file) FILE - Cars drive past the flag of Mexico placed at the fence during the NASCAR Busch series auto race at the Hermanos Rodriguez racetrack in Mexico City, Mexico, on Sunday, March 5, 2006.(AP Photo/Gregory Bull, file) CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Daniel Suárez, the only Mexican-born driver to win a NASCAR national series race, is out at Trackhouse Racing at the end of the 2025 season. Trackhouse and Suárez officially called the parting a 'mutual decision' that allows the driver an earlier opportunity to pursue a new ride for next season. Advertisement While Trackhouse did not name a replacement in the No. 99 Chevrolet, Suárez's departure opened the door for the team to promote teen sensation Connor Zilisch into the ride. Zilisch, who drives in the Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports, has run three Cup races for Trackhouse this season, including Saturday night at Atlanta. Suárez has just two wins in 305 career Cup starts, and is a distant 29th in the points standings this season. The 33-year-old Suarez is in his fifth season with Trackhouse Racing and was the team's first driver in 2021. He made NASCAR's playoffs two times with Trackhouse. 'We took a team nobody had even heard of in 2021 and in just a couple of years we were winning races and running upfront on a weekly basis,' Suárez wrote on social media. 'Just like the seasons in a year, sometimes things change and we have agreed to each go in our own direction.' Trackhouse founder and owner Justin Marks thanked Suárez for his contributions. Advertisement 'The role Daniel has played in the Trackhouse origin story and its first five years will remain a valued part of the company's history forever,' Marks said. 'His commitment, work ethic and dedication to the effort is one of the most impressive things I personally have seen in my career.' Trackhouse Racing also has Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen under contract, along with Zilisch is its development driver. Chastain has six career wins and was the 2022 Cup Series runner-up while van Gisbergen has a win this year and is in the playoffs. Suárez, who became an American citizen last year, also has three Xfinity Series wins and one Truck Series win. His 2016 championship in the second-tier Xfinity Series made him the only foreign-born driver to win a national series title. He made a triumphant return last month to his home country when he won the Xfinity Series race in Mexico City driving for JR Motorsports at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Advertisement Yet the balance of celebrating a homecoming with looming contract negotiations weighed on Suárez. 'It's not the first time that I've been in this position. Definitely the first time with the Mexico race, but it's not the first time that I've been in the position that we have to win or in the position that we have a contract negotiation in the middle of the season,' Suárez said. 'It's definitely a distraction. I won't sit here and tell you that it doesn't really matter. I'm trying to be as smart as possible and to put all this stuff on the side and just do my thing on the track.' He'll do his thing at the track in 2026 with yet another new team. Suarez started his Cup career with Joe Gibbs Racing and has raced for Stewart-Haas Racing and Gaunt Brothers Racing. He has Cup wins in 2022 at Sonoma and last year in Atlanta. ___ AP auto racing:
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8 hours ago
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LPGA giving diversity a new meaning with a record 17 different winners to start the season
Mao Saigo, of Japan, putts on the fifth hole during the fourth round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at Erin Hills Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Erin, Wis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) Nelly Korda hits an approach shot on the first hole during the final round of the Women's PGA Championship golf tournament Sunday, June 22, 2025, in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero) Mao Saigo, of Japan, putts on the fifth hole during the fourth round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at Erin Hills Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Erin, Wis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) Nelly Korda hits an approach shot on the first hole during the final round of the Women's PGA Championship golf tournament Sunday, June 22, 2025, in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero) The lingering question for the last three months on the LPGA Tour was when Nelly Korda finally would win this year. Now the question should be who's going to win next? The latest entrants into the 2025 winner's ledgers were Somi Lee and Jin Hee Im at the Dow Championship, the only official team event on the LPGA schedule. That made it 17 straight tournaments with different winners. Advertisement The LPGA has not seen this level of parity — or maybe it's lack of dominance — in its 75-year history. The previous record to start a season was 15 different winners in 2017 and 1991. Perhaps even more telling was this amazing streak of different winners was assured long before the South Korean duo birdied the first playoff hole to beat out Lexi Thompson and Megan Khang. That's because no one from the top 16 teams on the leaderboard at the Dow Championship had won this year. And to think it was a year ago when Korda ran off five straight victories to tie an LPGA record and ended the season with seven wins and as the dominant figure in women's golf. It would be asking a lot for her to repeat that (Scottie Scheffler is nodding his head), though it's still somewhat surprising that Korda hasn't registered a win halfway through the season. 'It's golf,' Korda said going into the KPMG Women's PGA Championship two weeks ago, where she was on the fringe of contention until the wind blew her into reverse. "Every year is just so different. Last year coming into this event, I had five wins. I think even Hannah Green had multiple wins under her belt, too. Advertisement 'It's just ... it's just golf,' she said. 'You kind of just have to ride the wave, and the competition is getting better and better every year. To win once, to win twice, it's really good.' The competition certainly is more diverse. The top 10 players in the women's world ranking represent eight countries. The 17 tournaments this year have been won by players from eight countries — including South Korea with four wins, and three each for the United States, Sweden and the potentially emerging power of Japan. But the parity is best illustrated by comparisons to the other streaks of different winners. Advertisement There have been five first-time winners on the LPGA (six including both Lee and Im from the Dow Championship), and only three winners came into this year with at least five career victories on the LPGA. When the 2017 season began with 15 different winners, all of them previously had won on the LPGA and eight of them already had at least five wins. In 1991, which also featured 15 different winners to start the year, there were two first-time winners — one of them was World Golf Hall of Fame member Meg Mallon — and nine of those players already had five-plus LPGA wins. 'I think winning out here is getting tougher and tougher,' Carlota Ciganda said after winning the Meijer LPGA Classic, her first LPGA title in more than eight years. 'Lots of really good players, especially lots of youngster. Also good Japanese and Korean and Asians, and even Americans. Like, I think it's not easy." It's either parity or it's simply cyclical, and these things have a way of working themselves out. Advertisement The 2017 season ended with nine multiple winners, none with more than two victories. South Korean rookie Sung-hyun Park and So Yeon Ryu shared the points-based LPGA player of the year, the first time for a tie since the award began in 1966. Four players left the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship with a trophy of some variety. That was some serious parity. In 1991, Mallon went on to win two majors and tied with Pat Bradley with four wins apiece. Bradley swept all the big awards by leading the money list and the Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average and winning LPGA player of the year. There still are 15 tournaments on the LPGA schedule this year. Two of them are majors, starting next week with the Evian Championship in France. Advertisement Lee was asked what she would take away from her first LPGA win and replied, 'Just same feel and same thing. Should be this win and forget and then again try to win.' The previous 16 winners surely were thinking along those lines. Instead, the LPGA has witnessed a record with 17 straight tournaments and now multiple winners to start a season. Stranger still is a glance at the races for LPGA player of the year. Mao Saigo, who won the first major at the Chevron Championship and tied for fourth in the U.S. Women's Open, has a five-point lead over Women's PGA champion Minjee Lee, who is three points clear of Jeeno Thitikul. Advertisement Korda is at No. 11 and could move to No. 1 in the points race if she wins either the Evian Championship or the Women's British Open three weeks later. There's a lot of time left for the season to get some definition, and for Korda to reassert herself as the dominant player in women's golf. That's what Scheffler has done on the men's tour, running off three wins in four tournaments, including a major. For now, a victory by Korda or Green or Ruoning Yin at No. 4 in the world would only add to a level of diversity the LPGA has never seen. ___ On The Fringe analyzes the biggest topics in golf during the season. AP golf:
