Knights extend Fleury deal
It didn’t take long for Marc-Andre Fleury to fall in love with his new hometown during his first season with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Now, it looks as though he’ll spend the rest of his career here.
The Golden Knights agreed to terms yesterday with the threetime Stanley Cup champion goalie on a three-year contract extension worth an average $7 million a year.
Fleury had one year remaining on his contract. The extension would keep him with Vegas through the 2021-22 season, meaning the 33-year-old could end his career with the Golden Knights.
“This organization gave me a chance to play, to play a lot of games, they believed in me,” Fleury said yesterday. “The success that we had over the season, winning always makes everything better.”
The Golden Knights selected Fleury in the 2017 expansion draft from the Penguins. He won 29 games, including the 400th of his career. He had the best statistical regular season of his career with a 2.24 goals-against average and .927 save percentage. He has 404 career wins, 11th best in NHL history.
Fleury helped the Golden Knights to the Pacific Division title and an appearance in the 2018 Stanley Cup final in their inaugural season. He appeared in all 20 games for the Golden Knights in the playoffs, where Vegas’ storybook season ended with a loss to the Washington Capitals in the Stanley Cup final . ...
The Dallas Stars re-signed forward Devin Shore to a $4.6 million, two-year contract. In all 82 games last season, the 23-year-old center had 11 goals and 21 assists. It was the second year in a row that Shore skated in every game during the regular season . . . .
The federal judge overseeing the NHL concussion case denied classaction status for the former players suing the league over head injuries. U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson issued her 46-page order yesterday, the first significant victory for the league in a landmark lawsuit that was filed almost five years ago.
The judge declined to certify either of the proposed classes by the ex-players. They sought to create one group of all living former NHL players and one group of all retired players diagnosed with a neurological disease, disorder or condition.
NASCAR: Truex grabs pole
Defending champion Martin Truex Jr. won the pole yesterday for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta. Truex clocked 188.890 mph to earn his first Kentucky pole and 19th of his career. He led 152-of-274 laps in winning this race last July.
Truex’s No. 78 Toyota led a frontrow sweep of Camrys for the 400mile race tonight. Erik Jones, who earned his first career Cup win last week at Daytona, will start second after turning a lap of 188.739 mph in the No. 20 Toyota.
Kevin Harvick (188.547) and three-time Kentucky winner Brad Keselowski (188.390) were next in Ford Fusions. Points leader Kyle Busch, a two-time Kentucky champ, rounded out the top five at 188.206 mph in the No. 18 Toyota.
Colleges: Playoff bowls set
The College Football Playoff agreements for the Cotton Bowl Classic, Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl have been extended six years through 2026.
The three bowl games will host a CFP game every year during the six-year period: the semifinals twice, and other non-playoff games assigned by the CFP selection committee four times.
The Orange, Rose and Sugar Bowls were previously announced as semifinals hosts on a rotating basis through 2026 . . . .
The University of Louisville is removing Papa John’s from its football stadium’s name after a report that the pizza chain’s founder recently used a racial slur. The company’s logo has been on Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium since it was built 20 years ago.
Papa John’s John Schnatter, who also resigned from the university’s board of trustees, apologized this week for using the racial slur during a company conference call held in May.