Latest news with #Koepke


Chicago Tribune
04-07-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Aurora Lions Club event featuring vision and hearing screenings focuses on seniors
The Aurora Lions Club, in conjunction with DeKalb-based Lions of Illinois Foundation, turned its attention to seniors on Wednesday by offering free screenings for hearing loss and retinal eye diseases in Aurora. The four-hour event was held at the Senior Services Associates parking lot, 2111 Plum St., in Aurora. The event was formerly held at Lutheran Social Services at 31 S. Edgelawn Drive in Aurora. Mary Leifheit of Aurora was able to get free vision and hearing screenings at the event, 'I've never had a screening from the Lions Club and I know I could spend $100 with an optometrist but this won't cost anything,' she said. 'I was having problems seeing and the hearing – I don't remember how long it's been. I found out about this at our senior center. As a senior – having this available – I'm getting older and you never know. My mother had hearing problems.' Aurora Lions Club President Randy Brown noted that the screening services 'remain part of the Lions' mission' and that it is something important to offer to the community. 'The screenings are one of the main pillars of Lions International. A lot of time (seniors) don't have the ability to get out and go to an eye doctor,' Brown said. 'This gives them an idea if they need to reach out further to an eye doctor to follow up from what we give them.' Former president of the Aurora Lions Club Susan Koepke said a traveling van was on hand Wednesday to conduct the vision and hearing screenings at the Senior Services Associates site. '(Senior Services) actually scheduled the appointments for us, so people know when they are supposed to be here and won't have to wait around,' she said. Koepke said the Lions of Illinois Foundation vehicle on site was a brand new one that was just secured last year. 'This mobile unit we are bringing in, it is geared more toward adults because it's looking for macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, up to four or five things,' she said. Koepke said the hearing test portion of the unit, in particular, has been significantly updated. Senior testing, she said, 'fell down a little bit for a while but we've picked it up again,' adding that 'last year, we did it twice and we're targeted to do it twice again this year.' 'If I can find a place where I can get a group I will do it as many times as I can fit it in the calendar,' she said. In addition to the screenings, eyeglasses, cellphones, hearing aids and sneakers were collected for recycling at the event. Frankie Fisher of Aurora said she heard about the screening event through a local Bingo program and said while she isn't having any issues, 'I wanted to get things checked out.' 'I know most of the screening the Lions do are for kids, and I was surprised there was something like this for seniors,' Fisher said. 'It's a good opportunity and I'm glad they offer this. It's nice this has been added too.' Verna Corbin, also from Aurora, said she had a screening done a year ago and wanted to follow up 'because sometimes, I get blurred vision.' 'I'm concerned about both hearing and vision – my mom had glaucoma, so I want to know what's going on. It's good to get tested every year,' Corbin said.


Global News
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Global News
Winnipeg Jets add 2 forwards via NHL free agency, make Toews signing official
The Winnipeg Jets signed left-wingers Tanner Pearson and Cole Koepke to matching one-year deals for US$1 million on the opening day of NHL free agency. Pearson will turn 33 in August and is coming off a 12-goal, 15-assist, 27-point performance in 78 games with Vegas during the 2024-25 season, his 12th in the National Hockey League after previous stops with Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Vancouver and Montreal. 'It happened pretty quick. They offered, and then talked it out with my family and agent and decided it was a good fit,' Pearson told a group of reporters via speaker phone. 'Obviously a heckuva hockey club and gives me another chance at winning.' The Kitchener, Ont., native has 150 goals and 162 assists for 312 points in 722 career NHL games, including a Stanley Cup championship in 2014 with the Los Angeles Kings. Story continues below advertisement Koepke is 27 years old and played two of his three seasons for the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs with Jets defenceman Dylan Samberg. The six-foot-one, 207-pound Two Harbors, Minn., native played his first full NHL season in 2024-25 with Boston and totalled 10 goals, seven assists and 17 points in 72 games with the Bruins. 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 'Boston, there was a lot of ups and downs throughout the season and a lot of turnover with players and coaching so that was all kind of a new experience,' said Koepke, who spent the first three-plus years of his professional career with Tampa Bay after being selected by the Lightning in the sixth round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. 'Winnipeg was about as consistent as they could be — Presidents Trophy winners. That's something that's very appealing, very exciting. Every player wants to win.' Winnipeg also 'officially' announced the signing of Jonathan Toews to a one-year deal for $2 million, plus incentive bonuses that could total another $5 million for the coming 2025-26 season. The 37-year-old Winnipegger is expected to be in his hometown for a formal news conference on Friday to discuss his plans for an NHL comeback. The three-time Stanley Cup Champion hasn't played since the end of the 2022-23 season, when he was still a member of the Chicago Blackhawks. Former Jet Brandon Tanev was the first of Winnipeg's three unrestricted free agents to find a new home, signing a three-year deal with Utah that has an average annual value of $2.5 million. Story continues below advertisement Nikolaj Ehlers and Mason Appleton also became free agents on July 1.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Jets Sign Pair Of Depth Forwards To One-Year Deals
The Winnipeg Jets have signed forwards Cole Koepke and Tanner Pearson to one-year, $1-million contracts. Koepke spent the 2024-25 season with the Boston Bruins, scoring 10 goals and 17 points in 73 games. The 27-year-old has played just 99 career NHL games but will serve as a safe depth forward for the Jets. Advertisement Unlike Koepke, Pearson comes with a bundle of experience. The 32-year-old has played in 722 games, winning a Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings. In the 2024-25 season, Pearson scored 12 goals and 27 points in 78 games playing on the Vegas Golden Knights' fourth line. The signings of Pearson and Koepke are safe moves that will help them combat the loss of Brandon Tanev, Rasmus Kupari and likely Mason Appleton. The low cap hits also benefit the Jets, leaving them ample space to re-sign their restricted free agents and possibly chase unrestricted free agents. The Jets now have just over $21-million to fill out their forward group and improve on their record-setting season, which resulted in a second-round loss in the playoffs. Advertisement Stay updated with the most interesting Jets stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story. Former Jets Tanev, Schmidt and Coghlan Sign Deals on Tuesday Former Jets Tanev, Schmidt and Coghlan Sign Deals on Tuesday Former two-time Winnipeg Jets forward Brandon Tanev has found a new home in Utah.


Boston Globe
09-03-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Who needs practice? Minnesota trio meshed well playing together for first time in Bruins' win over Lightning
In a season of so much gone wrong for the Bruins, Koepke, Mittelstadt and Lettieri at least for one afternoon delivered a motherlode of joy in the Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'Three Minnesota guys coming full circle, playing together in the NHL,' said a smiling Koepke, musing over the newly-minted 3M brotherhood, 'it's pretty cool.' Advertisement Until Saturday, the three Minnesotans never played on the same line at any level, be it as amateurs or pros. Koepke, from Two Harbors, often lined up against Mittelstadt, from Eden Prairie, in their high school hockey days. Lettieri, 30 years old and four years their senior, grew up in Excelsior. But in the global mix master of circumstance and caprice that is the NHL, Friday's acquisition of Mittelstadt, the slicker talent of the three, had the 3Ms shaking hands for the first time as teammates a mere three hours prior to puck drop on Saturday. Practice? Forget practice. They jumped out there for the pregame warmup, rolled through their line rushes as the few minutes allowed, and went to work — accumulating an aggregate 46:24 in ice time. It likely earned them the right to work together again Tuesday when the Related : Asked postgame Saturday if he would lobby GM Don Sweeney to import, say, a handful of other Minnesotans, a smiling Koepke said, 'Yeah, bring 'em all in!' Advertisement Vinni Lettieri congratulates Cole Koepke after Koepke gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead in the second period against the Lightning on only the Bruins, still clinging to the slim hope of locking down a wild-card playoff seed in the East, could dip into the Land of 10,000 Lakes to find all their answers over the remaining 17 games of the regular season. Even with the blanking of the Lightning, they awoke Sunday with their .508 points percentage ranking 13th in the conference. They have some serious leapfrogging to do in the standings to get into the top eight, and precious little time to leap. 'If you keep playing the way we have the last couple of games, the bounces will go your way eventually,' said interim coach Joe Sacco, prior to boarding Saturday night's charter flight back to Boston. 'We got some … and we were able to extend our lead. That doesn't necessarily mean you can breathe easier [within a game], but it helps your psyche at times.' Koepke's first goal midway through the second period snapped the scoreless tie. Mark Kastelic provided a touch more oxygen with his goal, off a shot from outside the blueline, for the 2-0 lead, with 6:44 to go in regulation. The Bruins, their lineup turned inside out on Friday with all of Sweeney's deals, were a league-worst 1-6-2 in their prior nine games. The red-hot Lightning were 10-1 in their last 11. For those with the itch for the growing world of legalized sports gambling, good luck identifying dead-certain NHL wagers. 'We still have to look and see who fits where,' said Sacco, when asked to appraise the overall look of a remade roster, and what impressions his new lines made in Tampa. 'It's opportunity, right? They need to take advantage of it — and good for them today.' Advertisement *** Brandon Carlo, among the vets wheeled out Friday by Sweeney, made his Leafs debut Saturday in his home state of Colorado, where Charlie Coyle's Avalanche rolled up a big 7-4 win. Carlo logged 22:04 in ice time and led the Leafs with six blocked shots. Coyle (swapped for Mittelstadt), making his Avalanche debut, assisted on one of the seven goals and logged 11:44 . . . After an off-day Sunday, the Bruins return to work late Monday morning at Warrior, the start of a busy week that will see the Panthers (Tuesday) and Lightning (Saturday) come to town — around a quick up and back to Ottawa to face the Senators on Thursday … Decades ago, Minnesota delivered Tommy Williams to the Bruins. A proud son of the Iron Range (Duluth), the dynamic skating Williams was only 21 when he cracked the Bruins' roster for the start of the 1961-62 NHL season — a time when Americans occupied NHL roster spots on par with the frequency that snowflakes piled up on Miami Beach. Williams produced admirably (232 points in 391 games) across some very lean years on Causeway Street only to be dished to the expansion North Stars on May 7, 1969. Exactly one year and three days later, Derek Sanderson fed Bobby Orr for the goal that delivered the franchise's first Cup win in 29 years. Timing, ya know? Other than Ken Hodge, born in Birmingham, England, every member of that '70 Cup team was born in Canada. Advertisement Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at


Fox Sports
08-03-2025
- Business
- Fox Sports
New-look Bruins beat Lightning 4-0, day after making a flurry of rebuilding moves at trade deadline
Associated Press TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Boston Bruins got off to a good start in their new era. Cole Koepke had a career-high two goals to lead Boston in a 4-0 win over Tampa Bay on Saturday, one day after being active sellers at the NHL trade deadline. Koepke scored twice against his former team, Mark Kastelic and Nikita Zadorov also had goals. All three players are in their first season with the new-look Bruins. Boston's boldest move was dealing captain Brad Marchand, the last remaining player from its 2011 Stanley Cup championship team, to the Florida Panthers. 'It was a tough day,' said Bruins forward David Pastrnak, one of the last familiar faces still wearing the black and gold for the Boston Bruins. The rebuilding franchise will receive a second-round draft pick from Florida and the compensation could become a first-rounder if the Panthers win two rounds in the playoffs and the 36-year-old wing plays in half their playoff games games. Boston also sent forward Justin Brazeau to Minnesota, forward Charlie Coyle to Colorado and forward Marc McLaughlin to New Jersey along with defenseman Brandon Carlo to Toronto. Forward Trent Frederic was traded to Edmonton earlier in the week, sparking the start of the fire sale. 'We didn't burn it down," Bruins general manager Don Sweeney insisted. The Bruins are in a pack of teams with a potential chance to earn a wild card in the playoffs, but they will have to move on without a lot of familiar faces. 'That's the worst part of our business,' Pastrnak said on ABC during an intermission interview. Boston's management clearly decided it was time to move on. The Bruins earned 100-plus points in each of the last six non-pandemic seasons, including two years ago when they won an NHL-record 65 games, but their only extended playoff run was a trip to the 2019 Stanley Cup final. ___ AP NHL: recommended