4:40 PM ET PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — The NHL’s cautious optimism about the next World Cup of Hockey arriving in February 2021 has turned into absolute fatalism. Commissioner Gary Bettman said there will not be a World Cup held 14 months from now, despite deputy commissioner Bill Daly’s speculation during the offseason that the sequel

4:21 PM ET Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury will return to the net for the Vegas Golden Knights Tuesday night against the Chicago Blackhawks. Coach Gerard Gallant announced his decision after the team’s morning skate. Fleury was granted personal leave by the team after the passing of his father. He last played Nov. 23, a 4-2 loss

10:09 PM ET PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — The NHL will create a platform for whistleblowers and an annual training program on diversity and inclusion in response to recent abuse scandals in its coaching community, commissioner Gary Bettman announced at the league’s Board of Governors meeting in Pebble Beach on Monday. “Our message is unequivocal: We

7:00 AM ET On the Pittsburgh Penguins team plane, John Marino challenges Sam Lafferty in Wordscapes, a fast-moving game they play on their mobile devices. They swipe different letter combinations into words, filling small crossword puzzles and earning points. If this sound like something a Harvard student would play to pass the time on a

12:00 PM ET Every week, we’ll mine the waiver wire for lesser-owned assets to help your squad, whether you favor dynasty or the redraft format, and we’ll also toss in some tips for DFS players out there. Finally, we will look at some former go-to fantasy assets who may be overvalued – in the short-

7:00 AM ET On Nov. 17, the Minnesota Wild fell to last place in the NHL. With just seven wins in their first 20 games, no team had fewer points (16) than Minnesota. The Wild were looking like a veteran team weighed down by too many bloated (and regrettable) contacts. Their big free-agent acquisition, Mats

2:21 PM ET Associated Press ARLINGTON, Va. — Nicklas Backstrom had a smile on his face and no concerns about missing another game. “I’m good to go,” Backstrom said. “It’s like that guy in ‘Mighty Ducks.’ I woke up, no pain.” Backstrom was referring to the fictional Adam Banks character who returned from a wrist

7:00 AM ET Coaches kicking their players in the back, or punching them in the head, is unacceptable. That’s a given, right? That a superior assaulting a subordinate is wrong? That these power dynamics discourage any pushback, because the victim risks a reduction in playing time, outright removal from the team or escalating physical and

7:15 PM ET Forward Gabriel Landeskog will return from a lower-body injury Thursday night when the Colorado Avalanche take on the Montreal Canadiens. Landeskog, 27, Colorado’s captain who missed 16 games, confirmed coach Jared Bednar’s decision before pregame warm-ups at Bell Centre. Throughout the course of the injury, the team was vague about details. Landeskog

4:53 PM ET Associated Press CALGARY, Alberta — The Calgary Flames have a deal for a new downtown arena, a 35-year agreement that keeps the NHL club in the city for that time. The team, the city and the Calgary Stampede rodeo signed an agreement Thursday to replace the 36-year-old Scotiabank Saddledome. The new 19,000-seat