SEATTLE — Oliver Bjorkstrand scored twice and Philipp Grubauer made 33 saves as the Seattle Kraken beat the Boston Bruins 5-1 on Thursday night. Jaden Schwartz and Vince Dunn also scored for the Kraken. Jared McCann had an empty-net goal and an assist, and Shane Wright added two assists. Brad Marchand scored on a penalty shot for Boston in the second period. Seattle jumped to a 2-0 lead early in the first. Bjorkstrand scored on a power play 24 seconds into the game, just eight seconds after David Pastrnak took a double minor for high-sticking. Schwartz backhanded the puck over goalie Joonas Korpisalo about five minutes later. Dunn batted the puck into Boston’s net early in the third period and the goal stood after a replay review. Seattle made it 4-1 when Wright set up Bjorkstrand for his 11th goal at 9:16. Zegras has knee surgery: Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras will be out for six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. Five Star General, the winner of the last two Longacres Miles at Emerald Downs, has been retired from racing and will not attempt to become the first three-time winner of the most prestigious horse race in the Northwest. Five Star General owner Ken Alhadeff, whose grandfather created the Longacres Mile in 1935, has sold half-interest in the horse to Covilar, a racing and breeding operation in Virginia. The horse will begin a career as a stallion next year at Covilar’s Owl Hollow Farm near Floyd, Va. Five Star General became the fifth horse to win the Longacres Mile twice and finished in the top three the past five years. No other horse has finished in the top three of the race more than three times, and he tied the record for oldest winner last year when he won at 8. BOULDER, Colo. — Travis Hunter is the The Associated Press college football player of the year, receiving 26 of 43 votes Thursday from a panel of AP Top 25 voters. Boise State tailback Ashton Jeanty finished second with 16 votes and Arizona State running back Cameron Skattebo received one vote. Hunter kept piling up the hardware later Thursday night. He won the Walter Camp Award as player of the year along with the Chuck Bednarik Award as the top defensive player and the Biletnikoff Award for the best wide receiver. The Jim Thorpe Award as the best defensive back went to Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron, who led the SEC with five interceptions. Jeanty won the Maxwell Award as college football’s top player and the Doak Walker Award for the nation’s top running back after leading the nation with 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns. Miami’s Cam Ward was the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Year award winner with a nation-best 36 passing touchdowns along with 4,123 passing yards. The coach of the year was Indiana’s Curt Cignetti, who led his team to the playoffs after being picked to finish 17th of 18 Big Ten teams. South Carolina defensive end Kyle Kennard captured the Bronco Nagurski Trophy as the top defensive player. Georgia’s Jalon Walker won the Butkus Award as the nation’s best linebacker. Ohio State center Seth McLaughlin won the Rimington Trophy. Texas left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. was the Outland Trophy winner as the top interior lineman. The top punter was USC’s Eddie Czaplicki, who captured the Ray Guy Award. Louisiana’s Kenneth Almendares was picked as the top placekicker, winning the Lou Groza Award. Rodriguez returning to West Virginia: Rich Rodriguez is returning to West Virginia for a second stint as head coach at his alma mater. UNLV hires Mullen: UNLV is hiring former Florida and Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen as head coach. FCS title game going back to Tennessee: The NCAA is taking its Football Championship Subdivision title game back to Tennessee, with games at the end of the 2025 and 2026 seasons played in Nashville on the Vanderbilt campus. Basketball: LeBron James was ruled out of the Lakers’ game at Minnesota on Friday due to soreness in his left foot. College: Louisville approved a five-year contract extension for AD Josh Heird . Pro football: The Broncos signed left tackle Garett Bolles to a four-year extension. ... Houston receiver Nico Collins was fined about $5,000 for throwing a football into the stands after a touchdown. Court: Raiders player Charles Snowden was “passed out” behind the wheel of a Jeep Cherokee with its engine running before his arrest on a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence of alcohol. ... The West Coast Conference is suing Grand Canyon University over breach of contract after the school changed course and decided to join the Mountain West Conference. ... The trial against Rays shortstop Wander Franco was postponed and scheduled to resume June 2, 2025. Motor sports: Front Row Motorsports , one of two teams suing NASCAR in federal court, accused the stock car series of rejecting the planned purchase of a charter from Stewart-Haas Racing unless the lawsuit was dropped. Golf: Pro Shop , the new golf media company led by “Full Swing” executive producer Chad Mumm , announced a deal with the PGA Tour that brings back The Skins Game for the first time since 2008. ... Andy Sullivan shot 8-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead at the Alfred Dunhill Championship. Tennis: Three-time major champion Stan Wawrinka was among nine wild-card entries awarded for the Australian Open in January.
With the first third of the season now complete, NHL teams have had time to evaluate their playoff chances and their rosters. Statistically speaking, the Montreal Canadiens are still “in the mix” and a strong run could enhance their chances of securing a playoff spot. Realistically speaking, they are still a long shot. The Habs management team of Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes does not want to appear as if they are giving up on the season and trading veterans could certainly give that impression. But holding on to veterans, falling short of the playoffs and losing three or four players to free agency is also a risk. The Canadiens are walking a bit of a tightrope here. The Value of Leadership The argument can be made that keeping these veterans on the roster for their leadership qualities is worth something, but how much? The Canadiens may only be able to hold on to these players until season end and could lose them for nothing. That means that the leadership provided by this group could conceivably end with the last game of the regular season. Among the “young veterans” the defence has already gained a lot of experience and continues to do so. Forwards like Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and now Patrik Laine have also begun to establish themselves as leaders. In addition, players acquired in trades, some could possibly bring NHL experience with them; acquisitions don’t always have to be prospects and draft picks. Upon further review keeping the group of veterans who are pending free agents may not be critical and could actually be detrimental in the long run if the Canadiens lose them, getting nothing in return. Template for a Trade Using that framework, we can see the kind of trade the Canadiens might be open to making. It is intended only as an example of how Kent Hughes might proceed. The first step would be to analyze what the Canadiens need. Christian Dvorak may be heading for the exits, so a left-shot center comes to mind, preferably one who has the potential to play in the top six. A physical right shot defenceman is another need, at least in the short term. Given that David Reinbacher likely won’t be ready for next season, a player with a year or two left on his contract would be ideal. Other than that, quality prospects and draft picks are always welcome. The second step is to consider who the team might be open to trading, and the Canadiens have a host of veterans that could be available. That group includes David Savard, Jake Evans, Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia and others. The team also boasts a solid pipeline of prospects and a wealth of draft picks. Because NHL teams are limited to a roster of 23 players and an NHL contract limit of 50 players, it would not be a stretch to say that some of these assets are also available. The Canadiens also have some cap room, particularly in the short term, that could be used as an incentive as could salary retention on one contract. The final step is to identify a dance partner. Teams that are legitimate playoff or Stanley Cup contenders are obvious candidates. Among that group, teams that could benefit from what the Canadiens have to offer rise to the top. Those teams would have to be able to provide a return that would interest Montreal, shortening the list even more. Enter the Vancouver Canucks. The discussion on Sportsnet 650 this morning revolved around the need for the Canucks to add a right shot defenceman and a right shot center capable of playing in the bottom six. The names of Savard and Evans immediately come to mind. Potential Trade Pieces It’s a situation worth examining, but the salary cap immediately becomes an issue. The Canucks only have about $2.5 million in current cap space while Savard’s contract is for $3.5 million and Evans’ is for $1.7 million. Montreal could help solve that problem by accepting Vincent Desharnais and his $2.0 million contract as part of the return. He is at best a bottom pairing defenceman and maybe more suited to the AHL but his contract is only for one more season and the Canadiens could probably live with it for that long. Montreal would be doing Vancouver a favour here as Desharnais simply hasn’t worked out for them. If Desharnais was part of the trade, it could still leave the Canucks relatively tight to the cap. Montreal could retain salary on Savard, but I suspect they would be loathe to do that, preferring to use salary retention in a trade that involved Dvorak or Armia. One option would be to include 29-year-old Danton Heinen in the deal, swapping his $2.25 million contract for that of 26-year-old Michael Pezzetta and his $812.5k contract. Apparently the Canucks have been deeply disappointed in Heinen’s play and while has been a more productive player than Pezzetta, it does remove about $1.4 million of cap liability for them; cap space that could be used at the deadline if the opportunity arose. The inclusion of Heinen would be a long shot. The key to this hypothetical trade, however, would be Aatu Raty, a 6-2 190 left hand center who was acquired from the Islanders in the Bo Horvat trade. At one point, Raty was considered to be among the top three picks available in the 2021 entry draft. His stock fell going into the draft as his skating was considered a weakness and the Islanders eventually selected him in the second round at 52nd overall. In 134 AHL games spread over four seasons, Raty has amassed 30 goals and 56 assists along with 44 minutes in penalties. While those aren’t earth shattering numbers they aren’t bad for a young player who has bounced between organizations and leagues over the last four seasons. Given that he was a key piece in the Horvat trade, Raty is an even longer shot that Heinen to be included in a trade. It’s hard to see the Canucks giving up on him. Trade Probabilities Multi-player trades typically take place in the off-season, making the likelihood of anything close to this trade between these two teams this season close to zero. It might be too many assets to be included in one trade, it could be that one team would have to include additional assets or it might be the wrong assets altogether. It could also possibly be the kind of trade Kent Hughes is willing to make. But would Vancouver? This hypothetical trade was put forward only to create some discussion around what factors could be considered when the Canadiens are in trade negotiations. As the fortunes of NHL teams rise and fall in the coming weeks, look for more trade speculation. This article first appeared on The Sick Podcast and was syndicated with permission.Broncos activate Drew Sanders while Greg Dulcich claimed by Giants
BBC pundit Shaun Murphy accuses Mark Allen of 'old-school tactic' to unsettle opponent in gruelling UK Championship semi-finalAnthony Albanese is slammed over 'tone deaf' comment to Jewish community leaders READ MORE: Greens senator slams one of her own over synagogue post By BRETT LACKEY FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA and AAP Published: 23:22, 12 December 2024 | Updated: 00:02, 13 December 2024 e-mail 35 View comments Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been criticised as tone deaf after telling Jewish community leaders that 'Arabs are doing it really tough at the moment'. The PM made the comments after an antisemitic attack in Woollahra last month, in which graffiti was sprayed on cars and buildings, including celebrity chef Matt Moran 's Chiswick restaurant, and one car was torched. Since then there have been two more attacks, one involving the firebombing of the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne on December 6 as Jews gathered to pray, injuring one person, and another graffiti and car fire attack in Woollahra on December 11. The Jewish leaders were reportedly taken aback by Mr Albanese's words and commented on them, but the PM's office said he had been calling for unity and the quote did not convey the tone of the conversation. Sky News host Sharri Markson said on social media the Prime Minister's comment highlighted the Labor leader's 'instinctive sentiment to talk about how tough the Arab community is doing it when the country is experiencing an antisemitism crisis'. Viewers has similar opinions with one saying he 'just can't help himself'. 'A limp PM... allowing hate speech on the streets and lumping our pain in with the Arabs. Shows a complete lack of understanding,' another wrote. 'Isn't it that we are just seeing the tip of the underlying iceberg of antisemitism?' a third added. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been slammed after telling Jewish leaders 'Arabs were doing it tough' The PM made the comments after an attack in November in Sydney's Woollahra in which a car was torched (pictured) Anti-Israel graffiti was also spray painted on cars and on a popular Sydney restaurant in November On Tuesday, Mr Albanese met with the Jewish community outside the Adass Israel Synagogue in Ripponlea and was greeted with a prickly reception, including one woman yelling from the crowd that his appearance was 'cheap and late'. 'People have come to Australia because we are a country that is peaceful,' Mr Albanese told the crowd. 'We are a country that respects people of different faith and are enriched by our diversity here.' His government this week reaffirmed its commitment to the Jewish community, including announcing $32.5million in funding for Executive Council of Australian Jewry to improve security at locations such as schools and synagogues. 'This is a time where the country should be looking for national unity, not looking for areas of distinction and difference over every issue,' Mr Albanese said. 'I would have thought that every Australian would be horrified by what occurred last Friday and would be equally prepared to condemn it and oppose it. It's un-Australian, I've said that. It's designed to create fear in the community, and it should be opposed.' On Thursday, the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to support a permanent and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, the release of hostages, the delivery of humanitarian aid, and the protection of children and civilians. The motion passed with 158 members, including Australia, voting in support and nine against, with 13 abstaining at an emergency session. Australia's ambassador to the UN James Larsen said the demand for full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian assistance to Gaza was urgent. 'Israel must take urgent action to alleviate this humanitarian crisis,' he said. The PM talking to members of the local Jewish community during a visit to the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne on December 10 The shell of the synagogue after it was set alight as Jews gathered to pray on December 6 Minister for Housing Clare O'Neil leaves flowers at the synagogue on December 10 The Executive Council of Australian Jewry slammed the motion, saying an unconditional ceasefire meant Israel would have to abandon hostages 'and allow the Hamas terrorists to re-establish themselves as the de facto rulers of Gaza'. 'No country in the world should be expected to betray its own citizens as Israel is being called upon to do,' President Daniel Aghion said. Australia also voted to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in a second motion that passed with 159 in support, nine against and 11 abstaining. The motion called for the Israeli Knesset to reverse laws banning the agency from operating in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which included Gaza and the West Bank. Foreign Minister Penny Wong has repeatedly stated the agency was the only one with the capability to distribute aid at the scale needed in Gaza. 'For the past year, the world has been calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and the immediate and unconditional release of hostages.Today 158 countries voted in favour of this, including Australia, the UK, NZ, Canada, Japan and Germany. 'We want this war to end and the hostages home.' Anthony Albanese Matt Moran Share or comment on this article: Anthony Albanese is slammed over 'tone deaf' comment to Jewish community leaders e-mail Add commentMichigan, Ohio State fight broken up with police pepper spray after Wolverines stun Buckeyes 13-10Nominates Bentina Chisolm Terry and Leland Weaver to Join Board of Directors Two Long-Tenured Directors to Retire at Upcoming 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders ATLANTA, Dec. 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mueller Water Products, Inc. (NYSE: MWA) announced that its Board of Directors has nominated Bentina Chisolm Terry and Leland Weaver to join the Board for election at the Company’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders on February 6, 2025. As part of the previously announced Board refreshment plan, Dr. Lydia Thomas and Ms. Shirley Franklin will retire from the Board at the Annual Meeting. “On behalf of the entire Board, I extend my gratitude to Lydia and Shirley for their contributions to Mueller and many years of service on the Board. Lydia’s and Shirley’s leadership, wisdom and expertise during their service have been enormously valuable to the Company and our management team as we have executed on our strategy to create value for shareholders. We also thank Brian Slobodow and Niclas Ytterdahl for their service,” said Stephen C. Van Arsdell, Non-Executive Chair of the Board. Mr. Van Arsdell continued, “Today’s announcement reflects our strong governance as we continue to drive value creation across our business. The continuing evolution of the Board is a testament to our commitment to bringing new viewpoints to the boardroom while continuing to benefit from the guidance and experience of our more tenured directors. With the addition of Bentina and Leland, who most recently joined us as Board Observers, we are on course to complete our board refreshment plan next year. We are confident that each of our new directors will bring significant value to our diverse Board.” The Board’s slate for the Annual Meeting is comprised of Christian A. Garcia, Thomas J. Hansen, Brian C. Healy, Christine Ortiz, Jeffery S. Sharritts, Bentina Chisolm Terry, Stephen C. Van Arsdell, Leland G. Weaver, and Marietta Edmunds Zakas. Following the Annual Meeting, the Board will comprise nine directors, eight of whom are independent and eight of whom will have been elected in the last six years. About Bentina Chisolm Terry Ms. Bentina Chisolm Terry currently serves as the President and CEO of Southern Linc and Southern Telecom, providing mission-critical LTE wireless and dark fiber networks and services to Southern Company electric utilities and external customers. She is an accomplished senior executive with more than 25 years of experience leading across a range of functions in the utility industry and a strong track record of driving growth and innovation. Prior to Southern Linc and Southern Telecom, Ms. Terry served as Senior Vice President of Customer Strategy and Solutions at Georgia Power. She joined Georgia Power in 2001, holding roles of increasing responsibility across multiple departments. Ms. Terry has led multiple environmental initiatives and has been responsible for health and safety. During her time serving as General Counsel for Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Ms. Terry led the Company to receiving the most significant rate increase in its history, ensuring continued service reliability and infrastructure upgrades. Ms. Terry received her Bachelor of Arts from North Carolina State University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan. About Leland Weaver Mr. Leland Weaver currently serves as the President of DuPont Water & Protection. He is an accomplished senior executive with extensive experience across various industries and global markets. As President of the DuPont Water & Protection business, a global business with $6 billion in revenue, Mr. Weaver oversees 34 manufacturing sites and 7,000 employees, as well as the strategy to deliver sustainable, technology-based products and solutions for water, shelter, and safety. He previously held leadership roles within Dupont’s investor relations and business strategy arm. Mr. Weaver has deep experience in both operational and manufacturing as well as growth strategy and transformation, managing relationships with institutional investors, and playing a pivotal role in significant corporate transformation initiatives, including the spin-off of DuPont’s Nutrition & Biosciences business and its merger with International Flavors and Fragrances. Mr. Weaver has a strong track record of building high-performance teams, managing large-scale operations, and driving significant financial growth. Mr. Weaver received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Alabama and his master’s degree in business from the University of Pennsylvania. About Mueller Water Products, Inc. Mueller Water Products, Inc. is a leading manufacturer and marketer of products and services used in the transmission, distribution and measurement of water in North America. Our broad product and service portfolio includes engineered valves, fire hydrants, pipe connection and repair products, metering products, leak detection, pipe condition assessment, pressure management products, and software that provides critical water system data. We help municipalities increase operational efficiencies, improve customer service and prioritize capital spending, demonstrating why Mueller Water Products is Where Intelligence Meets Infrastructure ® . Visit us at www.muellerwaterproducts.com. Mueller refers to one or more of Mueller Water Products, Inc. (MWP), a Delaware corporation, and its subsidiaries. MWP and each of its subsidiaries are legally separate and independent entities when providing products and services. MWP does not provide products or services to third parties. MWP and each of its subsidiaries are liable only for their own acts and omissions and not those of each other. Investor Relations Contact: Whit Kincaid 770-206-4116 wkincaid@muellerwp.com Media Contact: Jenny Barabas 470-806-5771 jbarabas@muellerwp.com
Sports on TV for Thursday, Dec. 19Swansea boss Luke Williams thought his side were second best for the majority of the contest despite earning a 2-1 win at Derby. The Swans stunned Pride Park into silence with less than two minutes on the clock when Zan Vipotnik sent a bullet past Jacob Widell Zetterstrom before Ronald slotted home his first of the season in the 14th minute. Cyrus Christie brought Tom Barkhuizen down inside the box and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing dispatched the resulting penalty to cut the deficit in half and, despite piling on the pressure, Derby succumbed to a second home defeat of the season. Williams told a press conference: “We started the game very well, we were good up until we scored the second goal then we lost the grip on the game and I thought Derby were the better team. “The next thing for us we have to be able to maintain that level throughout the game and we weren’t able to do that to be quite honest today. “They made it difficult, reacted very well after the second goal and didn’t go under, far from it.” Swansea leapfrogged their opponents into the top half of the table with their sixth win of the season and took three points back to south Wales following two last-minute defeats by Burnley and Leeds heading into the match. Williams added: “We’ve recently conceded late goals but they’re a very resilient group and we saw it out in the end. “We’ve dominated games a lot but probably failed to score when we’ve been that dominant and tonight we managed to score the goals when we were dominant. “We scored the goals at the right time today.” Derby had been unbeaten in their last three matches coming into this one but Paul Warne put defeat down to a poor start. He said: “We conceded two and didn’t get close enough, weren’t aggressive enough, not enough body contact and looked soft, that’s my fault. “Maybe I didn’t message it properly. Sometimes it doesn’t come down to shape and tactics but I thought that was what the difference was. “Credit Swansea for the win but after the 25 mins it looked like we would score. I really enjoyed it, that’s the truth. I had 70 minutes of a team giving everything, I don’t think we’ve had that many attempts in the Championship this season. “It’s a rude awakening, last year we would’ve won that 4-2.”
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