Comment on Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland finds “sweet spot” to keep Jonathan Drouin, raise club’s ceiling amid wild start to NHL free agenc

The Central Division had the best top-three teams in the NHL last season, but a terrible last-place club kept it from being the league’s best from top to bottom. That might change this season. It’s been a splashy start to the 2024 offseason around the league, but a few of the also-rans in the Central look much improved just a few days into July.

Alex Singleton forged his professional career in Canada, but his story belongs in an American novel. He is the player who couldn’t take a hint. He has been cut more times than his hands have fingers. He refused to go away and would go anywhere to play from Montana State to the Calgary Stampeders and Philadelphia Eagles. It wasn’t until he arrived in Denver that he finally earned his first multi-year contract.

TNT Sports and the Mountain West Conference announced a multi-year agreement Monday to broadcast some of the league’s football games beginning this season. Two of the Rams’ 2024 home contests at Canvas Stadium will be broadcast on TruTV, with the kickoff times for those games being announced as well. They are the Sept.

NEW YORK — Former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter will be charged with a federal felony connected to the sports betting scandal that spurred the NBA to ban him for life, court papers indicate. Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn filed what’s known as a criminal information sheet on Tuesday. The document doesn’t specify a court date or the charge or charges, but it does show the case is related to an existing prosecution of four men charged with scheming to cash in on tips from a player about his plans to exit two games early. The Associated Press sent voice and email messages Wednesday to Porter’s St.

By TIM BOOTH SEATTLE — Jessica Campbell will become the first woman to work on the bench of an NHL franchise after the Seattle Kraken hired her as an assistant coach Wednesday. Campbell has spent the past two seasons working as an assistant coach for Seattle’s AHL affiliate in Coachella Valley alongside head coach Dan Bylsma, who was hired in late May to take over the head job with the Kraken.

The Rockies had a miserable 2023 campaign, recording their first-ever 100-loss season. The silver lining? They received a high pick in the MLB draft. Colorado has the No. 3 pick in the first round of the draft, which takes place July 14-16 in Fort Worth, Texas. It’s the second-highest position they have selected from (Colorado selected pitcher Greg Reynolds with the No.