Man City gains edge in Premier League
LIVERPOOL, England — Manchester City climbed atop the Premier League standings — at least provisionally — for the first time since December by beating Everton 2-0 on Wednesday, heaping more pressure on main title rival Liverpool.
Aymeric Laporte and Gabriel Jesus scored for City during injury time in either half as the hosts went above Liverpool on goal difference — although Juergen Klopp’s team has a game in hand. City’s game at Everton, the only Premier League game played Wednesday, was rescheduled because of the English League Cup final on Feb. 24, when Pep Guardiola’s team faces Chelsea at Wembley.
City trailed Liverpool by seven points at the start of the year but beat Klopp’s side on Jan. 3 and is now level with the Reds on 62 points, five points ahead of thirdplace Tottenham.
Wickenheiser gets Hall honour
Her impact on hockey deep and far-reaching, Hayley Wickenheiser will be inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Hall of Fame this year.
The 40-year-old from Shaunavon, Sask., is one of five players entering the hall May 26 during the world men’s championship in Bratislava, Slovakia. American forward Mike Modano, Sweden’s Jorgen Jonsson and Slovak stars Zigmund Palffy and Miroslav Satan were also members of the 2019 induction class announced Wednesday by the IIHF.
The IIHF is hustling Wickenheiser into its hall, given that she retired from playing just over two years ago on Jan. 13, 2017. During her 23 years playing for Canada, she won four Olympic gold medals and seven world championships. Wickenheiser is Canada’s all-time leading scorer with 168 goals and 211 assists in 276 games for Canada.
Predators add Boyle for playoff drive
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Nashville Predators made a pair of deals Wednesday, adding a veteran presence with playoff experience by acquiring centre Brian Boyle in a trade with the New Jersey Devils, as well as re-acquiring ex-Pred Cody McLeod from the New York Rangers.
The Devils received a second-round draft pick in the upcoming June draft, while the Rangers get a seventh-round pick in the 2020 draft. Boyle, 34, has scored 13 goals with 19 points for the Devils this season. The cancer survivor, who is in his 12th NHL season, played in the Stanley Cup Final with both the Rangers in 2014 and the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2015.
Knicks still NBA’s most valuable team
NEW YORK — The New York Knicks are worth US$4 billion, making them the most valuable NBA team for the fourth straight year, according to Forbes. That’s despite having the worst record among the league’s 30 teams.
In its annual rankings, Forbes said the Knicks’ value increased 11 per cent from last year because of a $1 billion renovation of Madison Square Garden, completed in 2013, that has produced a series of new revenue streams. Forbes says the Los Angeles Lakers remain in second place with a value of $3.7 billion, up 12 per cent.
Rounding out the top five are the Golden State Warriors ($3.5 billion), Chicago Bulls ($2.9 billion) and Boston Celtics ($2.8 billion). The Toronto Raptors are 11th at $1.7 billion. Toronto is also ranked
fifth in value increase during the last five years at 222 per cent. The average NBA team is worth $1.9 billion, up 13 per cent from last year. Snow volleyball wants spot in Games
Snow volleyball has scheduled two events in a first-ever world tour as the new discipline attempts to gain a global footing.
Two tournaments that had been part of the European circuit will now welcome teams from outside the continent and be part of the FIVB Snow Volleyball World Tour. Volleyball’s international governing body has sanctioned the tour with an eye toward adding the sport to the Winter Olympics. That would make volleyball the first sport in both the Summer and Winter Games.
The 2019 stops will be in Austria and Italy. A third event is being considered in Argentina. What started as an exhibition for guests at European ski resorts has grown into a continental tour.