Rangers, Vesey agree on a deal
The New York Rangers yesterday agreed to a twoyear contract with restricted free agent forward Jimmy Vesey. The deal carries an average annual value of $2.275 million.
Vesey has 33 goals and 22 assists in 159 games in the past two seasons. He had 17 goals and 11 assists in 79 games last season. He tied for the team lead in game-winning goals (four) and was third in evenstrength goals (16).
Vesey, who won the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in collegiate hockey in 2015-16, was signed out of Harvard by the Rangers as a free agent on Aug. 19, 2016. The North Reading native was originally selected by Nashville in the third round of the 2012 draft.
Mbappe donates World Cup bonus
Teenage World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe is giving his bonus to an association that puts sports in the lives of hospitalized children.
The head of Premiers de Cordee (First in Line), Sebastien Ruffin, said two weeks before France clinched the World Cup he was informed that Mbappe would give the group his bonus if the team qualified for the quarterfinals.
French Football Federation chief Noel Le Graet confirmed that other associations also would benefit from the France forward’s largesse — about $350,000 . . . .
Football Federation Australia has responded cautiously to reports that eight-time Olympic sprint gold medalist Usain Bolt hopes to play for the Central Coast Mariners in the A-League.
French cyclist wins Tour stage
Julian Alaphilippe became the first French winner of a stage at this year’s Tour de France, while Greg Van Avermaet kept the overall lead for a seventh consecutive day.
Alaphilippe won the 98.5-mile ride from Lake Annecy that included climbs over four major Alpine passes before a descent to Le Grand-Bornand in around 41⁄2 hours.
Olympic champion Van Avermaet got into an early breakaway and held on to increase his lead over Geraint Thomas, a Sky teammate of defending champion Chris Froome, to 2 minutes, 22 seconds.
Tom Stephens, an original Patriot, dead
Tom Stephens, an original member of the Patriots, has died at 82. According to a funeral announcement, he died at his home last week in Naples, Fla. No cause was given.
Stephens signed with the Patriots for their inaugural season in 1960 and played five seasons, appearing in 49 games as a tight end and defensive back.
After the NFL, Stephens coached at Harvard and Curry College, spending 23 years as the Colonels’ athletic director. He was inducted into Curry’s Hall of Fame in 1995.
He is survived by his wife, Lonnie, and children
Lynda and Thomas ....
Gabe Rivera, the overpowering “Senor Sack” lineman for Texas Tech who was paralyzed in a car accident while a Pittsburgh Steelers rookie, has died. He was 57.