NHL won’t terminate current labor deal

Citing what it called momentum from a sustained period of labor peace, the NHL said Friday it has informed the NHL Players’ Association it will not use its option to terminate the existing collective bargaining agreement next year.

The league announced its decision two days before its deadline to notify the union whether it would reopen collective bargaining talks. The union has until Sept. 15 to decide on whether to terminate the agreement as of September 2020, two years before the existing deal expires.

“We will continue to discuss this with our players as our September 15 decision approaches,” the union said.

If the players opt to reopen the CBA, it would set the clock ticking toward a potential third work stoppage in the sport since 2004. If the players choose not to terminate the agreement, it remains in effect until 2022. The next Winter Olympics are in Beijing earlier that year.

The players, however, have concerns, notably regarding the escrow issue, Olympic participation and the split of hockey-related revenue. The NHL and union agree on wanting more international competition and are in talks about holding another World Cup as early as February 2021.

Colleges: The State Medical Board of Ohio ignored credible evidence in 1996 that an Ohio State team doctor had been sexually abusing male students through genital exams for years and missed a chance to stop him, the governor and a review panel announced. A state working group that reviewed the old investigation said it couldn’t determine why the medical board never took action against Richard Strauss or reported the nowdeceased doctor to law enforcement, but it found no evidence the case was intentionally buried. Lawyers suing Ohio State over Strauss’ misconduct say they now represent over 300 accusers whose allegations span from 1979 to 1997 — nearly his entire career at the school. A law firm that separately investigated allegations for the school concluded officials learned of concerns about Strauss as early as 1979 but did little to stop him.

Golf: FedEx Cup champ Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland shot a 7under 63 to pull within a shot of the lead midway through the European Masters in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Gavin Green of Malaysia shot a 64 to move into first at 11-under 129. McIlroy was tied with four others . ... Michael Bradley fired a course-record 9-under 61 at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club to take a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the PGA Tour Champions’ Shaw Charity Classic in Calgary, Alberta.

Soccer: Juventus and Italy captain Giorgio Chiellini will undergo surgery after tearing the ACL in his right knee during training. Chiellini, 35, scored as Juventus began its bid for a ninth straight Serie A title with a 1-0 road win over Parma last week.