Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli is expected to miss eight weeks due to a calf laceration, the team announced Wednesday.
A skate cut Fantilli's leg during Sunday's loss to the Seattle Kraken.
The injury halts what's been an excellent rookie season for the 19-year-old, who was drafted third overall by Columbus last June. Fantilli has been one of the Blue Jackets' only bright spots this year, tallying 12 goals and 27 points in 49 games. He's tied for third among rookies in goals and sits fourth in points.
The Blue Jackets won't begin life without their young star until Feb. 10, when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning to begin the second half of the season.
Free-agent forward Joonas Donskoi announced his retirement from professional hockey Sunday after battling concussions throughout his seven-season career.
The 31-year-old suffered what ended up being a career-ending concussion during a preseason game last year. Donskoi missed the entire 2022-23 season due to the injury.
Drafted by the Florida Panthers in the fourth round (99th overall) in 2010, Donskoi spent his first six professional seasons playing in his native Finland before signing an NHL deal with the San Jose Sharks ahead of the 2015-16 campaign. He helped the Sharks reach the Stanley Cup Final as a rookie, scoring 12 points in 24 playoff games. Donskoi also netted the overtime winner for San Jose in Game 3 of the 2016 final.
Donskoi spent four years with the Sharks before moving to the Colorado Avalanche as a free agent in 2019. The Seattle Kraken selected him in the expansion draft two years later, and he scored two goals in 75 games during the club's inaugural season.
He tallied 80 goals and 208 points over his NHL career, plus 32 playoff points. Donskoi also represented Finland on the international stage seven times, earning a bronze medal at the 2010 World Under-18 Championships and a fourth-place finish at the 2012 World Juniors.
Athletes from across the sports world reacted with anger, shock, and sadness after a video went viral showing Jacob Blake, an unarmed Black man, being shot multiple times by police officers in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Sunday.
Blake is now in hospital and is listed in serious condition. The officers involved are on administrative leave, according to CNN's Eliott C. McLaughlin and Amir Vera.
NFL
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers voiced his anger on Monday, telling reporters: "There's a systemic problem, and until the problem is fixed, this is going to be an all-too-common sighting in this country."
Aaron Rodgers’ full two-minute, 20-second response to the shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin yesterday captured on video: pic.twitter.com/LAl2QsCJJz
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James was quick to voice his anger Monday.
"And y'all wonder why we say what we say about the Police!!" James tweeted. "Someone please tell me WTF is this???!!! Exactly another black man being targeted. This shit is so wrong and so sad!! Feel so sorry for him, his family and OUR PEOPLE!! We want JUSTICE."
"F THE GAMES AND PLAYOFFS!!!" Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell wrote. "THIS IS SICK AND IS A REAL PROBLEM WE DEMAND JUSTICE! ITS CRAZY I DONT HAVE ANY WORDS BUT WTF MAN! THIS IS WHY WE DONT FEEL SAFE!!!!"
Members of the Milwaukee Bucks reacted Monday after their playoff game in the NBA bubble.
"Watching stuff that happened in Wisconsin the other day really breaks my heart," Bucks guard George Hill said, according to Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "We're down here playing in the bubble to do these things for social justice and all that, and to see it all still going on and we're just playing the games like it's nothing, it's just a really messed up situation right now. ...
"I don't think we should be talking about basketball today. We should talk about the Blake family and what's going on. It's devastating and basketball shouldn't even be on our mind right now. We're thankful for the win, but none of this really matters."
They put 7 rounds into Jacob Blake in front of his children. I watched the video, you telling me he can’t be tazed? He immediately has to be shot? Smh apparently black lives still don’t matter. I am outraged this morning.
Prayers up for Jacob Blake. If you watch that video and don’t see the problem...then you’re part of the problem. No body cam footage. Unarmed black man. Thank god for the video from across the street. Open your eyes people. Try a little empathy. This shit is sickening! #BLM
Hockey players were quick to vocalize their anger after watching the video.
"Wish I could say I can't believe what I'm seeing," San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane tweeted. "THIS HAS TO STOP! How does anyone think this is right?! We NEED CONSEQUENCES for these sick acts of violence from the people who are suppose to be protecting us!"
"I can barely stomach watching this video but I think it's necessary for everyone to see the absurdity of this act and feel the disgust I do!" wrote Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba. "This shits gotta stop! Pray for Jacob Blake. #BlackLivesMatter."
Add another name to the list of Hall of Famers the Montreal Expos developed.
Youppi!, the beloved orange furball who spent over 20 years as the face of MLB's Expos before jumping to the NHL's Montreal Canadiens, was officially inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame on Sunday. Youppi! is the first Canadian mascot to receive the honor.
Youppi! was presented with a Class of 2020 induction ring from the Mascot Hall of Fame, which is located in Whiting, Indiana.
While Youppi! wore Canadiens gear into the Hall on Sunday, the furry creature is most famous for serving as the Expos' mascot from 1979 until 2004, when the team moved to Washington. Youppi! was perhaps the most popular and visible member of the Expos franchise, and was involved in several notable incidents.
On Aug. 23, 1989, Youppi! became the first mascot in baseball history to be ejected from a game. After drawing the ire of Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda while dancing on the opposing dugout, umpire Bob Davidson gave Youppi! the boot.
When the Nationals didn't bring Youppi! with them to Washington, Montreal's hockey team adopted the lovable monster, making Youppi! the first mascot to separately represent two professional sports teams.
Baltimore's famous Oriole Bird, Boomer of the NBA's Indiana Pacers, and Blue of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts join Youppi! in the Mascot Hall of Fame's Class of 2020. All four inductees were honored in a virtual ceremony when they received congratulations from a host of notable fans, including the governor of Indiana.
Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.
Acting U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf signed an order Friday exempting foreign-born professional athletes from being denied entry into the country.
"Professional sporting events provide much-needed economic benefits, but equally important, they provide community pride and national unity," Wolf wrote. "In today's environment, Americans need their sports. It's time to reopen the economy and it's time we get our professional athletes back to work."
Wolf's order specifically mentions Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, the Women's National Basketball Association, the PGA and LPGA tours, and the ATP and WTA tennis tours. In addition to athletes, the order also exempts each league's "essential staff and their dependents."
MLB, the NBA, and the NHL are all working on plans to either begin or resume their seasons amid the pandemic.
It was reported Friday that MLB safety protocols will not require players to quarantine if they are returning to the U.S. from abroad; some foreign-born players returned to their respective home countries when the league halted spring training in mid-March.
Some in the NBA are apparently hoping players will be allowed to report directly to potential game sites in order to avoid quarantining. Orlando's Disney World is reportedly emerging as a top site to host the resumed basketball season.
Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.
Acting U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf signed an order Friday exempting foreign-born professional athletes from being denied entry into the country.
"Professional sporting events provide much-needed economic benefits, but equally important, they provide community pride and national unity," Wolf wrote. "In today's environment, Americans need their sports. It's time to reopen the economy and it's time we get our professional athletes back to work."
Wolf's order specifically mentions Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, the Women's National Basketball Association, the PGA and LPGA tours, and the ATP and WTA tennis tours. In addition to athletes, the order also exempts each league's "essential staff and their dependents."
MLB, the NBA, and the NHL are all working on plans to either begin or resume their seasons amid the pandemic.
It was reported Friday that MLB safety protocols will not require players to quarantine if they are returning to the U.S. from abroad; some foreign-born players returned to their respective home countries when the league halted spring training in mid-March.
Some in the NBA are apparently hoping players will be allowed to report directly to potential game sites in order to avoid quarantining. Orlando's Disney World is reportedly emerging as a top site to host the resumed basketball season.
Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.
Two more states are getting ready to welcome back professional sports.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday that professional sports will be allowed to reopen in his state May 31, according to Karina Kling of Spectrum News Austin.
Seven professional sports - basketball, baseball, auto racing, football, golf, softball, and tennis - were given the green light to resume in Texas, pending approval from the Department of State Health Services (DSHS), according to Jori Epstein of USA Today. Hockey and soccer were not mentioned; it's unclear if that will mean a longer wait time for the National Hockey League's Dallas Stars or Major League Soccer's FC Dallas and Houston Dynamo.
Abbott's office detailed a list of requirements that professional leagues must meet before being allowed to resume in Texas. All leagues must first present "a plan that incorporates applicable minimum standard health protocols" to the state, which will then be reviewed by both the DSHS and the governor's office.
Out west, Gov. Gavin Newsom stated California is hoping to allow sports events beginning in the first week of June.
Newsom cautioned, however, that early June is merely a target at this time. There would also be "modifications and very prescriptive conditions" required to host events in California.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom says the state could see pro sports return by the first week of June without fans. pic.twitter.com/j4PPg56Yn7
In both states, pro sports would resume without fans in attendance.
Texas and California are the latest states to either reopen for sports or contemplate doing so. Both Florida and Arizona officially welcomed professional sports into their borders last week; New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo encouraged his state's teams to start planning for a reopening without fans.
Texas and California play host to a combined 29 sports franchises spread across the four major professional leagues, MLS, and the WNBA.
Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced Tuesday that major professional sports can resume playing in the state as of Saturday.
If any sports leagues were to resume in the state, they would have to do so without fans.
Today, I’m announcing that pools, gyms and spas can reopen this Wednesday, May 13. Major league sports can resume limited reopening, without fans, this Saturday, May 16. 7/ pic.twitter.com/ltjzlVrTyN
North America's three major sports leagues currently in-season - Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, and the National Basketball Association - as well as the MLS and WNBA, are all currently on hiatus due to the pandemic. Each league has been pursuing alternate plans to either continue or begin their current seasons.
At one time, MLB was reportedly considering isolating all 30 teams in the Phoenix area to play the season across multiple spring-training facilities and the Diamondbacks' Chase Field. Fifteen baseball teams have their spring headquarters in Arizona.
The NHL's Arizona Coyotes said they "are aware of Governor Ducey’s announcement and will await direction from the NHL," according to a statement obtained by Mark McClune of CBS 5 Arizona.
The Arizona Cardinals responded by noting they still require a go-ahead from the NFL before resuming team activities at their facilities, according to McClune.
Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.
Unites States President Donald Trump has begun to lay out a potential road map for the post-coronavirus return of professional sports.
Trump expects that whenever sports leagues do return, they'll have to do so in empty facilities.
"Many of them are gonna be starting without the fans, so it'll be made for television. The good old days, made for television," Trump said, according to Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times. "And it'll go that way, and then the fans will start coming in, maybe they'll be separated by two seats. And then ultimately, we want to have packed arenas.
"When the virus is gone, we're going to have packed arenas, and we're gonna be back to enjoying sports the way they're supposed to be. ... So at a certain point in time, when the virus is gone, we're gonna be back to normal."
His remarks come one day after Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the chief medical experts on the administration's coronavirus task force, made similar comments about sports returning without fans.
The president also confirmed he sought the advice of the commissioners of "almost every sport" Wednesday, according to Aaron Rupar of Vox. Earlier this week, Trump announced he reached out to the commissioners of the four major sports leagues, as well as those of MLS, NASCAR, WWE, the WNBA, and the PGA Tour, among others.
Most pro sports leagues in North America are on hold due to the pandemic. At least one already has a plan to return, as the PGA announced Thursday that it will resume hosting golf tournaments without fans in June.
The National Hockey League announced the participants for Friday's All-Star Skills Competition in St. Louis, and some of the sport's biggest names will lace them up as part of the festivities.
Here are the players who will participate:
Fastest skater
Michael Martin / National Hockey League / Getty
Player
Team
Jack Eichel
Sabres
Nathan MacKinnon
Avalanche
Connor McDavid
Oilers
Mathew Barzal
Islanders
Chris Kreider
Rangers
Anthony Duclair
Senators
Travis Konecny
Flyers
Quinn Hughes
Canucks
Save streak
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Goalie
Team
David Rittich
Flames
Tristan Jarry
Penguins
Jordan Binnington
Blues
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Lightning
Frederik Andersen
Maple Leafs
Jacob Markstrom
Canucks
Braden Holtby
Capitals
Connor Hellebuyck
Jets
Accuracy shooting
Harry How / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Player
Team
Jaccob Slavin
Hurricanes
Tyler Bertuzzi
Red Wings
Leon Draisaitl
Oilers
Jonathan Huberdeau
Panthers
Nico Hischier
Devils
Tomas Hertl
Sharks
Alex Pietrangelo
Blues
Mark Scheifele
Jets
Hardest shot
Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Player
Team
Mark Giordano
Flames
Seth Jones
Blue Jackets
Shea Weber
Canadiens
Victor Hedman
Lightning
Elias Pettersson
Canucks
John Carlson
Capitals
Shooting Stars
Bill Smith / National Hockey League / Getty
The Shooting Stars competition will feature eight NHL players, one American elite women's All-Star, and one Canadian elite women's All-Star. Participants will attempt to hit targets positioned on the ice while standing on an elevated platform 30 feet above.
Player
Team
David Pastrnak
Bruins
Matthew Tkachuk
Flames
Patrick Kane
Blackhawks
Tyler Seguin
Stars
Brady Tkachuk
Senators
David Perron
Blues
Ryan O'Reilly
Blues
Mitch Marner
Maple Leafs
Canadian Women's All-Star
TBD
American Women's All-Star
TBD
The two women's All-Stars will be selected through a social media vote.
Elite Women's 3-on-3
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Some of the best in women's hockey from Canada and the United States will take the ice in a three-on-three game. The 20-minute contest will be played in two 10-minute periods, and the game will use a running clock.
Team Canada: Meghan Agosta, Melodie Daoust, Rebecca Johnston, Sarah Nurse, Marie-Philip Poulin, Natalie Spooner, Blayre Turnbull, Renata Fast, Laura Fortino, Ann-Renee Desbiens
Team USA: Alex Carpenter, Kendall Coyne Schofield, Brianna Decker, Amanda Kessel, Hilary Knight, Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson, Annie Pankowski, Kacey Bellamy, Lee Stecklein, Alex Cavallini
