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Toronto Maple Leafs
Morgan Rielly will be back in the lineup when the Maple Leafs host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, SN, BSSN).
The defenseman has missed the past four games with an upper-body injury sustained during a 2-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on March 24. He has 51 points (seven goals, 44 assists) in 65 games this season.
“I feel good,” Rielly said Tuesday. “It’s just day by day right now so we will see for tomorrow. But I feel good. It’s nothing major, nothing I really want to get into. It’s just about making sure you’re right for playoffs.”
Rielly was paired with Ilya Lyubushkin at the morning skate Wednesday.
Forward Mitch Marner likely will return this weekend; he has missed 11 games with a high ankle sprain. Marner has 76 points (25 goals, 51 assists) in 62 games.
“I haven’t had a chance to discuss with him here yet since he’s come off the ice, but with him we are just going to feel it out and talk to him and likely make it more of a target for the weekend,” Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said.
Toronto (43-22-9) can clinch a Stanley Cup Playoff berth with one point Wednesday. — Dave McCarthy
Vegas Golden Knights
Tomas Hertl could make his Golden Knights debut against the Arizona Coyotes on Friday.
The 30-year-old forward, who has been skating on his own, hasn’t played since Jan. 27 and opted to have surgery to clean out loose cartilage in his left knee Feb. 12. He said March 11 he was hoping to be back on the ice with Vegas in two weeks.
Hertl practiced in a regular white jersey with the Golden Knights for the first time Tuesday but did not play in a 6-3 win against the Vancouver Canucks.
“I don’t know the answer (when he will play),” Cassidy said. “I’m not saying no (to Friday) because he’s full. If he’s not playing, I don’t know if he’ll travel or if they want him to go. Again full contact. The next step is playing, so I’ve not ruled him out for Friday or putting him in, but he’s progressing.”
The Golden Knights (42-25-8) are third in the Pacific Division, five points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings.
“It’s important for [Hertl] to get around his teammates and that type of environment,” Cassidy said after practice Monday. “He’s been skating on his own here a little bit while we were away. I think it’s great for him to start interacting, see what it looks like, how we practice. … This is good for him, and obviously he’s getting closer.”
Hertl, who sustained the injury with the San Jose Sharks, was acquired by Vegas prior to the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline on March 8 for forward David Edstrom and a first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. The Golden Knights also received a third-round pick in the 2025 and 2027 NHL Draft in the deal.
Hertl, who has 34 points (15 goals, 19 assists) in 48 games this season, has six seasons remaining on an eight-year contract he signed with San Jose on March 16, 2022. He had to waive his no-movement clause in order to be acquired by Vegas. — Paul Delos Santos
Winnipeg Jets
Nino Niederreiter will miss roughly one week after sustaining a deep cut on his lower leg.
The forward left the game in the third period in a 4-3 win against the Kings on Monday.
“It’s a pretty deep gash, and it could have been a lot worse had it gone any deeper,” Jets coach Rick Bowness said after practice Wednesday. “Those (Kevlar) socks probably saved him. The blades are so sharp out there today. I think every player should be wearing those, and the wristbands as well.”
Niederreiter has 33 points (18 goals, 15 assists) in 75 games this season.
Winnipeg (45-24-6), which is third in the Central Division, completes a five-game homestand against the Calgary Flames on Thursday.
Forward Tyler Toffoli, who missed the game Monday with an illness, will take Niederreiter’s spot on the third line alongside Adam Lowry and Mason Appleton.
“[Toffoli] has played a lot of left wing and he’s got 30 goals, [so] let’s see what it looks like,” Bowness said. — Darrin Bauming
Dallas Stars
Chris Tanev is expected to play when the Stars host the Edmonton Oilers at American Airlines Center on Wednesday (9:30 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SNW, SN360).
The defenseman appeared to sustain a significant injury in a collision into the boards on a hit by Seattle Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson in the third period of a 3-0 win Saturday.
“It was an awkward hit. Weird motion going into the boards like that,” Tanev said after practice Tuesday. “Good to be out there today and take it day by day. If you can get out there and play and help the team, then you’re going to do that.”
Tanev has a goal and an assist in 12 games with Dallas since being acquired in a three-way trade with the Flames and New Jersey Devils on Feb. 28.
“You listen to the guys in Calgary when he was playing there, and everyone admired his courage and his durability. His willingness to play through pain and block shots and do whatever it took,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “Most guys wouldn’t have come back in that game. Not only did he come back, he came back and played. Most guys wouldn’t be out here at practice today, and he’s out here at practice and he’s the first guy on and the last guy off. That’s great leadership.”
Dallas (47-19-9) is first in the Central, three points ahead of the Colorado Avalanche. — Taylor Baird
Minnesota Wild
Marcus Foligno will miss the remainder of the regular season for the Wild after undergoing core muscle surgery Tuesday.
The 32-year-old forward, who had not played since March 23, is expected to be ready for the start of training camp in September.
Foligno had 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 55 games this season for Minnesota (36-29-9), which is six points behind the Kings for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference.
Washington Capitals
T.J. Oshie did not participate in an optional practice Wednesday after missing a 6-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday because of an upper-body injury.
Capitals coach Spencer Carbery did not have an update on the forward, who has 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in 47 games. Oshie played 19:07 in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday.
Rasmus Sandin played after he was a late scratch Saturday with a lower-body injury.
The defenseman has 23 points (three goals, 20 assists) in 65 games and is second on the team with an average ice time of 21:19, behind defenseman John Carlson (25:43). — Heather Engel
The French league’s legal commission has ordered Paris Saint-Germain to pay Kylian Mbappé the 55 million euros ($61 million) in unpaid wages that he claims he’s entitled to, the league said Thursday.
The league confirmed the decision to The Associated Press without more details, a day after the France superstar rejected a mediation offer by the commission in his dispute with his former club.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former football star Reggie Bush was at his Encino home Tuesday night when three male suspects attempted to break in, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
“Everyone is safe,” Bush said in a text message to the newspaper.
The Los Angeles Police Dept. told the Times that a resident of the house reported hearing a window break and broken glass was found outside. Police said nothing was stolen and that three male suspects dressed in black were seen leaving the scene.
Bush starred at Southern California and in the NFL. The former running back was reinstated as the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner this year. He forfeited it in 2010 after USC was hit with sanctions partly related to Bush’s dealings with two aspiring sports marketers.
VANCOUVER – A fresh face has been gracing the B.C. Lions‘ highlight reels in recent weeks.
Midway through his second CFL campaign, wide receiver Ayden Eberhardt has contributed touchdowns in two consecutive games.
The 26-year-old wide receiver from Loveland, Colo., was the lone B.C. player to reel in a passing major in his team’s 37-23 victory over the league-leading Montreal Alouettes last Friday. The week before, he notched his first CFL touchdown in the Lions’ win over the Ottawa Redblacks.
“It’s been awesome. It’s been really good,” Eberhardt said of his recent play. “At the end of the day, the biggest stat to me is if we win. But who doesn’t love scoring?”
He’ll look to add to the tally Friday when the Leos (7-6) host the Toronto Argonauts.
Eberhardt signed with B.C. as a free agent in January 2023 and spent much of last season on the practice squad before cementing a role on the roster this year.
The six-foot-two, 195-pound University of Wyoming product has earned more opportunities in his second season, said Lions’ head coach and co-general manager Rick Campbell.
“He’s a super hard worker and very smart. He understands, has high football IQ, as we call it,” Campbell said.
The fact that Eberhardt can play virtually every receiving position helps.
“He could literally go into a game and we could throw him into a spot and he’d know exactly what he’s doing,” the coach said. “That allows him to play fast and earn the quarterback’s trust. And you see him making plays.”
Eberhardt credited his teammates, coaches and the rest of the Lions’ staff with helping him prepare for any situation he might face. They’ve all spent time teaching him the ins and outs of the Canadian game, or go over the playbook and run routes after practice, he said.
“I’ve played every single position on our offence in a game in the last two years, which is kind of crazy. But I love playing football,” he said. “I want to play any position that the team needs me to play.”
While B.C.’s lineup is studded with stars like running back William Stanback — who has a CFL-high 938 rushing yards — and wide receiver Justin McInnis — who leads the league in both receiving yards (1,074) and receiving TDs (seven) — versatility has been a critical part of the team’s back-to-back wins.
“I think we’ve got a lot of talented guys who deserve to get the ball and make big plays when they have the ball in their hands. So it’s really my job to get them the ball as much as possible,” said quarterback Nathan Rourke.
“I think that makes it easy when you can lean on those guys and, really, we’re in a situation where anyone can have a big game. And I think that’s a good place to be.”
Even with a talented lineup, the Lions face a tough test against an eager Argos side.
Toronto lost its second straight game Saturday when it dropped a 41-27 decision to Ottawa.
“We’ll have our hands full,” Rourke said. “We’ll have to adjust on the fly to whatever their game plan is. And no doubt, they’ll be ready to go so we’ll have to be as well.”
The two sides have already met once this season when the Argos handed the Lions a 35-27 loss in Toronto back on June 9.
A win on Friday would vault B.C. to the top of the West Division standings, over the 7-6 Winnipeg Blue Bombers who are on a bye week.
Collecting that victory isn’t assured, though, even with Toronto coming in on a two-game skid, Campbell said.
“They’ve hit a little bit of a rut, but they’re a really good team,” he said. “They’re very athletic. And you can really see (quarterback Chad Kelly’s) got zip on the ball. When you see him in there, he can make all the throws. So we’re expecting their best shot.”
TORONTO ARGONAUTS (6-6) AT B.C. LIONS (7-6)
Friday, B.C. Place
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: The Lions boast a 4-1 home record this season, including a 38-12 victory over the Redblacks at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, B.C., on Aug. 31. The Argos have struggled outside of BMO Field and hold a 1-5 away record. Trips to the West Coast haven’t been easy for Toronto in recent years — since 2003, the club is 4-14 in road games against B.C.
CENTURION: B.C. defensive back Garry Peters is set to appear in his 100th consecutive game. The 32-year-old from Conyers, Ga., is a two-time CFL all-star who has amassed 381 defensive tackles, 19 special teams tackles and 16 interceptions over seven seasons. “Just being on the field with the guys every day, running around, talking trash back and forth, it keeps me young,” Peters said. “It makes me feel good, and my body doesn’t really feel it. I’ve been blessed to be able to play 100 straight.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
