Brandon University, which gave Theo Fleury an honorary degree for shining a light on child sexual abuse in junior hockey, released a statement Tuesday expressing its disappointment in the former NHLer for spreading conspiracy theories about vaccine passports.

In particular, the Canadian school called his latest inflammatory social media post "reprehensible." Fleury said vaccine passports would allow pedophiles to "know where your kids are at all times."

"Fleury's significant contributions to exposing the rot in junior hockey, and to supporting other survivors of child sexual abuse through recovery, continue to deserve respect," the university wrote.

"It is understandable that he may struggle to trust authority, and that he may see dark motives in others' actions. His recent statements, however, go beyond reasonable distrust and are a stain on his legacy, which saddens us."

The school then called on Fleury to show self-awareness and educate himself about the value of vaccinations.

"One of the tragedies of abuse is how it perpetuates itself across generations. We call on Fleury to recognize that he is now a person in a position of authority, and to recognize that his actions as an authority put him in a place where he can cause harm to others," the statement reads.

"We hope he takes advantage of the resources at his disposal and seeks greater understanding of the science behind the pandemic and the essential public health role of vaccines."

After Fleury received criticism for his since-deleted tweet, he responded by sharing a screenshot showing some of his achievements, including the honorary doctorate BU gave him in 2015.

The university emphasized Tuesday that honorary degrees aren't academic credentials and are handed out to acknowledge a person's accomplishments or contributions.

Fleury revealed in 2009 that he was abused by his former junior hockey coach, Graham James, who was found guilty after the now-53-year-old filed a criminal complaint.

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After playing just three games in the 2020-21 campaign and battling COVID-19 this offseason, Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin is pleased to report that he's in a healthier spot.

"I can confidently say that I can do pretty much 98% of the things in the gym now, which is really exciting," Seguin told Saad Yousuf of The Athletic. "It has taken a long time to get here. There are certain things like sprinting that have been a little bothersome but, on the ice, I feel pretty much back to normal, which is exciting for me."

Seguin missed the majority of the shortened campaign after undergoing hip surgery last November. He made his season debut May 3 and scored two goals, but the Stars missed the playoffs after making the Stanley Cup Final in 2019-20.

However, his health battles weren't over. Seguin, who is fully vaccinated, tested positive for COVID-19 while at home in recent weeks. He had been feeling a little sick and opted to get tested.

"I was like, 'I can't believe it, but I got COVID.' That knocked me on my ass for a couple of weeks," he said.

The 30-year-old said his symptoms kept him "in the doghouse" for a week, and he's still trying to get his sense of smell and his lungs back to normal. Fortunately, Seguin said he feels "better every day."

"Just another eye-opener for me, just realizing that this thing is still real and affects so many people. It's a crazy time right now. It was honestly confusing because I'm double vaccinated. I wasn't doing anything stupid or anything like that but maybe you have a little bit of ignorance thinking you're more invincible being double-vaxxed."

Seguin added that the experience "humbled" him. He hit the ice for the first time in 14 days last Wednesday and battled cramps, while his nose and lungs felt like they were "on fire."

The alternate captain expects to be back at 100% by the end of the week. Training camp is set to kick off in two weeks.

"No matter what, it's hard not to have a smile on my face when competing and being back on the ice," Seguin said.

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The Vancouver Canucks struggled both on and off the ice last season en route to a last-place finish in the North Division, and head coach Travis Green wants to tackle his team's issues head-on.

"We were on the right road going into the bubble year and we've been taking steps, but last year was tough. We're not going to hide from that. We didn't have a very good season, and I expect a bounce-back year," Green said, according to The Province's Ben Kuzma.

"This is the most excited I've been coming into a season as a coach," he added.

The scariest part of the Canucks' 2020-21 campaign came via a brutal bout with COVID-19 throughout March and April that forced the rescheduling of several games. Now, Green is looking forward to a return to semi-normalcy with training camp set to kick off Sept. 23.

"Getting back to regular hockey - or as close as we can be - with a full camp and fans in the building and the changes we've made along with the evolution of our young group, I expect them to be better," he said.

A makeover was needed after the Canucks gave up the sixth-most goals in the NHL. Among the new additions for Vancouver are forwards Conor Garland and Jason Dickinson, defensemen Tucker Poolman, Luke Schenn, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, as well as goaltender Jaroslav Halak. Additionally, top prospect Vasili Podkolzin looks primed to make a splash this season.

"We've added some different players, but after the season we had, we have to be better in all areas of our game - defensively and offensively," Green said. "I don't think there's any team that goes into training camp without concerns. Winning isn't easy. A lot of teams expect to make the playoffs, but you can't get ahead of yourself."

Before the regular season begins, the Canucks have major questions to answer regarding new deals for restricted free agents Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes.

"We understand that sometimes these contracts take a little while and probably longer than the player or team wants," Green said. "I'm confident they'll get things sorted out and be in camp."

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After a summer spent walking the complicated line between tragedy and joy, Columbus Blue Jackets netminder Elvis Merzlikins is entering the fall with a renewed sense of focus and motivation.

Now, Merzlikins has his newborn son to think about. Knox Matiss Merzlikins was born in August - just one month after Merzlikins witnessed the death of close friend and fellow goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks during a freak fireworks accident on July 4.

"At the end of the day, my peace is that I told (Matiss) everything. The only thing I didn’t tell him was … after the Fourth of July I was going to ask him to be a godfather for Knox," Merzlikins said in an interview with The Athletic's Aaron Portzline. "This is the only piece where I feel, not guilty, but I missed saying something to him."

Merzlikins credited Kivlenieks with saving his family's life and said making Knox's middle name "Matiss" was "the least I could do" to pay tribute.

However, there's one more way Merzlikins plans to honor "little brother" Kivlenieks' memory: Become the league's top goaltender.

"It's another stem of motivation, to do it better for Matiss because he's not going to be able to do that," he said. "I'm gonna win a f------ Vezina for him. We can't make promises because this is hockey, and we don't know how the season can go, but this is my goal. I believe I'm going to reach it. I'm not going to have any limits. I'm just gonna go all-in."

The 27-year-old said he's "grateful" for the Blue Jackets' support and is still talking to a doctor, which he added has been helpful with navigating his grief.

"I’m not in pain. Obviously, I miss my friend. But this is what surprises me ... it’s not disturbing me to focus on my life. I’m happy that I can move on," Merzlikins said. "When I talk about him, it comes from my heart, and you want to cry, but I cry from happiness, not from sadness.

"I believe he made me stronger."

Merzlikins is expected to split the crease with Joonas Korpisalo this campaign behind a new-look blue line.

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The Ottawa Senators have signed general manager Pierre Dorion to an extension through the 2024-25 campaign. The new deal also includes a team option for the 2025-26 season.

"We're very pleased to sign Pierre to a second extension as Senators general manager," Sens owner Eugene Melnyk said. "Dating to when he was named GM in 2016, Pierre has worked tirelessly toward building an organization that can compete with the National Hockey League's best.

"He's dedicated, detailed, and (he) maintains a sound hockey mind. Under Pierre's leadership, we have the utmost confidence that this team will soon be recognized as one that is consistently meriting success."

The Senators made it to the conference finals in Dorion's first season as GM in 2016-17. After a disappointing 2017-18 campaign, he's used his scouting background to help build one of the league's strongest prospect pipelines.

Dorion, an Ottawa native, ranks third in team history with 149 wins as GM, trailing only John Muckler (240) and Bryan Murray (339).

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Former Vancouver Canucks winger Jake Virtanen has signed a one-year deal with the KHL's Spartak Moscow.

Virtanen spent six seasons in Vancouver after the Canucks selected him sixth overall in 2014. He enjoyed a career year in 2019-20, tallying 18 goals and 18 assists over 69 games. However, he recorded just five points across 38 contests last season.

The 25-year-old was sued for sexual assault in May. The Canucks placed him on leave for the rest of the season before buying out the remainder of his contract in July.

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