Rangers, Spooner agree to 2-yr deal
Forsling out
NEW YORK, Aug 1, (AP): The New York Rangers have agreed to a twoyear, $8 million contract with restricted free agent Ryan Spooner.
Spooner, acquired from Boston in the Rick Nash deal at the trade deadline last season, was scheduled for an arbitration hearing this Saturday.
Blackhawks defenseman Gustav Forsling will miss the start of the season because of a right wrist injury.
The 22-year-old Swede had surgery on Tuesday. Team physician Dr Michael Terry says the expected recovery time is 14 weeks.
Rick Middleton’s No. 16 is headed to the TD Garden Rafters.
The Bruins say Middleton’s sweater will be retired by the team on Nov 29, before its game against the New York Islanders.
Middleton becomes the 11th player in franchise history to have his number retired by Boston. He joins Lionel Hitchman, Aubrey Clapper, Edward Shore, Milton Schmidt, Bobby Orr, John Bucyk, Phil Esposito, Ray Bourque, Terence O’Reilly and Cam Neely.
Lions loose forward Kwagga Smith does not see Saturday’s Super Rugby final as a chance for redemption but rather an opportunity after being sent off in last year’s decider and seeing his side lose at home.
Smith will be one of the key players again for the South African side as they meet the Canterbury Crusaders in Christchurch 12 months after losing at home in the final.
Hooker Dane Coles is likely to return to the field with his province Wellington before turning out for the All Blacks’ final two rugby Championship clashes away to Argentina and South Africa, coach Steve Hansen said on Wednesday.
Inside centre Sonny Bill Williams, who joined Coles in the All Blacks training camp in Christchurch this week, is also still on the comeback trail after a shoulder injury and likely to miss the first two tests against Australia.
Testing positive for cocaine twice and being banned from rugby for two months had been embarrassing but it also allowed James Slipper to address his mental health issues, the Wallabies prop said on Wednesday as he prepares for a return to the field.
The 29-year-old tested positive for the drug on two separate occasions earlier this year. He was given the minimum mandatory two-month ban in May and fined A$27,500.
England’s Sam Curran bats during the first day of the first Test cricket match between England and India at Edgbaston in Birmingham, England on Aug 1. (AP)
BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom, Aug 1, (AFP): Joe Root’s run out by opposing captain Virat Kohli sparked an England collapse against India on the opening day of the first Test at Edgbaston on Wednesday and may well have set the tone for the series after the tourists’ skipper gave him a colourful and controversial send-off.
At stumps, England were 285 for nine in what is their 1,000th Test.
However, the action may yet be overshadowed by suggestions that Kohli swore at Root and mocked the home skipper’s ‘mic drop’ celebration in a one-day clash between the two sides last month.
England had been well-placed at