Blackhawks won't wear Pride jerseys Browns get Moore, Jets land Hardman Charlotte claims CBI championship No. 1-ranked Swiatek out with rib injury
The Chicago Blackhawks will not wear Pride-themed warmup jerseys before Sunday's Pride Night game against Vancouver because of security concerns involving a Russian law that expands restrictions on activities seen as promoting LGBTQ rights in the country.
The decision was made by the NHL organization following discussions with security officials within and outside the franchise, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke to the AP on Wednesday on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the move.
The Blackhawks have worn Pride warmup jerseys previously and donned special warmup jerseys on some other theme nights this season. There had been ongoing conversations about a Pride jersey with the players, according to the person who talked to the AP, but the organization made the decision to hold Pride Night without the jerseys this year.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law in December that significantly expands restrictions on activities seen as promoting LGBTQ rights in the country. Chicago defenseman Nikita Zaitsev is a Moscow native, and there are other players with family in Russia or other connections to the country.
The decision by the Blackhawks comes after San Jose Sharks goalie James Reimer and Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov refused to take part in warmups with Pridethemed jerseys. The New York Rangers opted not to wear Pride jerseys or use Pride stick tape as part of their night in January despite previously advertising that plan.
While Chicago will go without Pride warmup jerseys this year, the team has planned a variety of activities in conjunction with Sunday's game.
Elijah Moore wanted out of New York. The Browns wanted speed.
Both got their wish. Cleveland added another offensive playmaker and target for quarterback Deshaun Watson, acquiring Moore in a trade with the Jets, who have overhauled their receiving group this offseason — perhaps in advance of quarterback Aaron Rodgers' arrival.
The Browns have agreed to send the No. 42 pick in this year's draft to the Jets for Moore and the No. 74 selection. The deal's completion is pending a physical.
The Jets are parting ways with Moore, a second-round pick in 2021, shortly after agreeing to terms with former Kansas City wide receiver Mecole Hardman on a one-year deal, according to sources.
New York will have picks No. 42 and 43 — as well as No. 13 overall. Earlier in free agency, the Jets signed former Packers wide receiver Allen Lazard and have been working toward a possible deal for Rodgers.
Cleveland made its major quarterback move last year, sending three firstround picks to Houston for Watson in a controversial trade. Now they're adding a downfield threat for Watson in Moore, who can play in the slot, backfield or line up outside. He'll complement receivers Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones.
The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Moore had 37 catches for 446 yards and one touchdown last season, but was unhappy with his role and asked for a trade. He became disgruntled due to a lack of pass-catching opportunities and asked to be dealt in October.
The 25-year-old Hardman spent his first four seasons with the Chiefs after being a second-round draft pick out of Georgia in 2019. He has 151 catches for 2,088 yards and 16 touchdowns in his career.
• The Chargers re-signed Kemon Hall, a cornerback who appeared in two games for them last season.
Hall, 25, played in 16 games during the 2021 season, mostly on special teams, and then dropped down the depth chart after cornerbacks J.C. Jackson and Bryce Callahan were signed as free agents in 2022.
Hall, an unsigned free agent from North Texas who initially signed with the Chargers in 2019, spent most of this past season on their practice squad. He also has been with the practice squads of the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints during his NFL career.
He'll be a depth player heading into training camp.
— Elliott Teaford
• In other NFL moves: The Vikings agreed to terms with two free agents: wide receiver Brandon Powell and linebacker Troy Reeder, each of whom were on the Super Bowl champion Rams team in the 2021 season.
The Raiders might have found their replacement for Darren Waller, signing tight end Austin Hooper, who caught 41 passes for 444 yards and two TDs last season with the Titans. Las Vegas also announced the signing of cornerback David Long Jr., who played for the Rams the past four seasons.
Tight end Foster Moreau posted on Twitter that he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma during a physical with the New Orleans Saints. The 25-yearold Moreau added he was stepping away from football for now and vowed to beat the cancer “and get back to doing what I love!”
Aly Khalifa scored 14 of his 20 points in the first half, Montre' Gipson made three 3-pointer sin the second half, and No. 3-seeded Charlotte held off No. 8 Eastern Kentucky 71-68 in the championship game of the College Basketball Invitational.
The game was tight down the stretch.
Cooper Robb made a steal and hit a long 3-pointer to get EKU within 69-68 with 47.4 seconds left. Isaiah Folkes answered with a layup, off a nice pass by Gipson, for a three-point lead with 16 seconds left. After a timeout, Robb had a 3-point attempt blocked by Brice Williams and Tayshawn Comer had another attempt for EKU but it came up short.
The CBI trophy remains in the state of North Carolina after UNC Wilmington defeated Middle Tennessee last season.
Charlotte (22-14) finished the season with its most wins since 2000-01.
Eastern Kentucky (23-14) posted third-most wins in program history and was in the postseason for the first time since earning an atlarge bid to the 2013 NIT.
• Notre Dame is finalizing a deal to make Penn State's Micah Shrewsberry its new men's basketball coach, according to sources.
Shrewsberry, in his second season at Penn State (23-14), led the Nittany Lions to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2011 and a tournament victory for the first time since 2001.
Notre Dame has been searching for a replacement for Mike Brey, who spent the last 23 season as coach of the Fighting Irish.
• Ed Cooley is the new coach at Georgetown, and his task is to bring a oncestoried program back to prominence in a competitive conference that has three teams in the Sweet 16. Cooley's lofty aspirations go beyond lifting the Hoyas up from the bottom of the Big East Conference. After leaving Providence, which he took to the NCAA Tournament seven times in 12 years, he already is talking about trying to coach Georgetown to its first championship since 1984.
• Wichita State hired Paul Mills away from Oral Roberts in an attempt turn around its languishing program, landing what has been one of the hottest names among mid-major coaches.
The 50-year-old Mills led the Golden Eagles to two of the past three NCAA tournaments, engineering upsets of Ohio State and Florida as a No. 15 seed in 2021 before going 30-5 this past season and losing to Duke as a No. 5 seed.
He replaces Isaac Brown, who was fired after three seasons as the Shockers slowly slipped toward mediocrity.
No. 1-ranked and defending champion Iga Swiatek pulled out of the Miami Open because of a rib injury.
She was supposed to face Claire Liu in the second round today.
“I still have to run some tests and see what's going on. I don't know yet,” Swiatek said of her injury.