The Chicago Blackhawks released a statement Tuesday regarding their team name and logo.

"The Chicago Blackhawks name and logo symbolize an important and historic person, Black Hawk of Illinois' Sac and Fox Nation, whose leadership and life has inspired generations of Native Americans, veterans, and the public," the team said, according to The Athletic's Scott Powers.

The franchise has donned variations of the same name and logo since its inception in 1926. The name was tweaked in 1986 from "Black Hawks" to its current form.

"We celebrate Black Hawk's legacy by offering ongoing reverent examples of Native American culture, traditions and contributions, providing a platform for genuine dialogue with local and national Native American groups," the team added. "As the team's popularity grew over the past decade, so did that platform and our work with these organizations.

"We recognize there is a fine line between respect and disrespect, and we commend other teams for their willingness to engage in that conversation. Moving forward, we are committed to raising the bar even higher to expand awareness of Black Hawk and the important contributions of all Native American people. We will continue to serve as stewards of our name and identity, and will do so with a commitment to evolve. Our endeavors in this area have been sincere and multifaceted, and the path forward will draw on that experience to grow as an organization and expand our efforts."

The NFL's Washington Redskins and MLB's Cleveland Indians have long faced backlash over their team nicknames. Washington announced last week that the franchise will undergo a "thorough review" of its name.

Cleveland also announced its willingness to discuss changing the team's nickname. The organization plans to consult with the Native American community before making a final decision. Club manager Terry Francona and star shortstop Francisco Lindor each expressed their support for a new nickname.

The CFL's Edmonton Eskimos were warned Tuesday by one of their sponsors that it intends to cut ties with the franchise if it doesn't change its name.

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The NHL plans to schedule three games per day in the two reported hub cities of Edmonton and Toronto if plays resumes this summer, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie.

Games would be played at 12 p.m., 4 p.m., and 8 p.m. local time, though that template may be tweaked slightly due to TV scheduling, McKenzie adds. The six contests would be spread out over a 15-hour window each day due to the different time zones.

The top four teams in each conference are set to play a round-robin tournament to determine seeds one through four for the 16-team playoff. They would play in the 4 p.m. slot, according to McKenzie. Regular-season overtime rules will apply if those contests need extra time.

On Monday, the NHL and players' association came to a tentative agreement on a four-year extension of the current collective bargaining agreement and return-to-play protocols for Phases 3 and 4. The deal must still be ratified by both the players and owners. That process is expected to take place over the next couple of days.

Training camps will begin July 13, and teams will travel to their respective hub cities on July 26 before the qualifying round of the 24-team playoff starts Aug. 1.

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Justin Williams is determined to add a fourth Stanley Cup ring.

The 38-year-old sat out the majority of the 2019-20 season as he pondered his future, but he returned to the Carolina Hurricanes for 20 games before the campaign was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I didn't come back to play 20 games," he said on a video call, according to The Athletic's Sara Civian. "I came back for a chance to win a Stanley Cup."

The Hurricanes finished the season as the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, setting up a qualifying-round matchup against the 11th-seeded New York Rangers. The Canes lost all four games against the Rangers in the regular season by a combined score of 17-9, but Williams isn't concerned.

"Washington had our numbers last year, also. Playoff hockey is very different," he said, per Michael Smith of Hurricanes.com. "We're a Stanley Cup contender and we know that."

The Hurricanes went on a Cinderella run to the conference finals last year, beating the defending champion Capitals in seven games and sweeping the New York Islanders before being swept by the Boston Bruins.

Williams, a former Conn Smythe Trophy winner known as "Mr. Game 7" for his playoff heroics with the Los Angeles Kings, remained productive with eight goals and three assists in 20 games this season.

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The NHL and players' association reached a memorandum of understanding on a return-to-play plan and a four-year extension of the current collective bargaining agreement, the league announced Monday.

The deal must now be ratified by the NHL's board of governors and the union's executive board followed by the full NHLPA membership. If ratified, the CBA will run through the 2025-26 campaign. The review and approval process will take place over the next few days, the league adds.

Training camps will begin July 13, and teams will travel to their respective hub cities July 26 before the qualifying round starts Aug. 1.

Edmonton and Toronto are expected to be named the hub cities, with the former reportedly hosting the conference finals and Stanley Cup Final.

The following details of the tentative agreement were reported by TSN's Frank Seravalli on Saturday:

• Any player wishing to opt out of the league's return plan can do so without facing any discipline.
• The salary cap upper limit will be frozen at $81.5 million until hockey-related revenue hits $4.8 billion - the amount projected for the current season before the pandemic.
• NHLers will participate in the Beijing (2022) and Milan (2026) Olympics pending an agreement with the IOC.
• Escrow for players will be capped at 20% next season, and that total will dip to 6% by 2025-26.
• Players will defer 10% of salary and signing bonuses next season, which will be paid back in three installments in 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26.
• All no-trade and no-move clauses will follow players to their new teams if they are dealt, even if the clause hasn't kicked in yet.

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Nine NHL players have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past seven days, the league announced Monday.

Eight players who reported for voluntary workouts in Phase 2 of the league's return-to-play plan have had results come back positive, as has one player who did not report.

A total of 35 players have tested positive since Phase 2 began on June 8. There have been 23 positive results from over 2,900 tests administered to players who reported for workouts after 15 players tested positive last week. Twelve players who did not report have also tested positive.

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With Olympic participation reportedly included in the NHL and NHLPA's modified collective bargaining agreement, it's time for hockey fans to think about what the tournament may look like. This edition forecasts Team Sweden's roster.

The Swedes have performed relatively well in Olympic Games involving NHL players. Canada has won three of the last four gold medals (2014, 2010, 2002), but Sweden was victorious in 2006 and grabbed silver in 2014.

Others in this series:
Canada
USA
Finland
Czech Republic - July 10
Russia - July 12

Sweden

Head coach: Rikard Gronborg

Gronborg led Tre Kronor to back-to-back gold medals at the 2017 and 2018 World Championships. He's even made some noise about becoming the NHL's first European head coach in nearly 20 years.

Forwards

(All ages as of February 2022)

Extra: Adrian Kempe (25)

This would arguably be Sweden's deepest group of forwards since the 2006 team. The timing is excellent, too, as the majority of these players will be in their primes in 2022. Backstrom is an exception, but the intelligent playmaker should age gracefully, and Zibanejad and Pettersson would be able to shoulder the load down the middle of the ice.

The last three spots were tough decisions. Burakovsky's combination of size and speed - along with his breakout season with the Colorado Avalanche - earned him a position. Wanting to take a defensive center, we project Eriksson Ek will be more effective in that role than Mikael Backlund in 2022. Continuing with the youth movement, Kempe earned a job over veteran wingers like Jakob Silfverberg and Gustav Nyquist.

Just missed the cut: Backlund (32), Silfverberg (31), Nyquist (32), Jesper Bratt (23), Calle Jarnkrok (30)

Defense

Extra: Oscar Klefbom (28)

While the forwards are impressive, Sweden's blue line remains its bread and butter. It's arguably the best group of any nation. Injuries have slowed down Karlsson, but he can still be a difference-maker if healthy. Hedman, Klingberg, and Dahlin were all locks, but we could've gone in many directions for the last four spots.

Brodin and Lindholm aren't flashy and don't get much media attention, but they're two of the best defensive rearguards in the game. The shutdown pairing complements the dynamic top four very nicely.

Chicago Blackhawks phenom Adam Boqvist could force his way on this team with a hot start next season - and it helps that he's right-handed - but he came up just short with so much experience available elsewhere.

Just missed the cut: Boqvist (21), Mattias Ekholm (31), Niklas Hjalmarsson (34), Adam Larsson (29)

Goaltending

Extra: Linus Ullmark (28)

It's a passing of the torch in Sweden's goal. Henrik Lundqvist will be 39 for this tournament, so he wasn't a legitimate consideration. But the Swedes are still in good shape. Lehner is one of the best goalies in the NHL, and Markstrom, who just had his best season, isn't too far behind.

Ullmark is coming off a breakout year and could contend for the backup role.

Just missed the cut: None

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