Blackhawks’ Toews out indefinitely with illness
Chicago Black hawks captain Jonathan Toews will miss the start of training camp because of an illness, and there is no timetable for his return.
The 32-year- old Toews said Tuesday he has been experiencing symptoms that have left him feeling “drained and lethargic.”
“I am extremely disappointed, but it wouldn’t be fair to myself or my teammates to attempt to play in my current condition,” Toews said in a release.
The loss of Toews is the biggest blow in a tough stretch for Chicago heading into the 56-game season, which begins on Jan. 13. The veteran center, a three- time Stanley Cup winner with the Blackhawks, had 18 goals and 42 assists in 70 games last season, but he also is one of the team’s best defensive forwards and face-off options.
The announcement of Toews’ illness comes in the wake of injuries for Kirby Dach and Alex Nylander that could sidelined the young forwards for the entire season. Dach had surgery Monday after he fractured his right wrist while playing for Canada’s world junior team during an exhibition last week. Nylander had surgery on Dec. 21 for a meniscus tear in his left knee.
The Blackhawks made the playoffs last season for the first time since 2017, but they were eliminated by Vegas in the first round.
“Jonathan’s health is our top priority as he deals with this medical issue,” president of hockey operations Stan Bowman said. “The Chicago Blackhawks organization and our medical staff will provide all necessary resources to help him return to playing hockey. While he will not report to training camp on January 3 and will be out indefinitely, we will continue to support him as he is an important part of our family.”
Tennis
INDIAN WELLS TOURNAMENT DELAYED >> The BNP
Paribas Open, featuring the men’s and women’s pro tennis tours, won’t be held in March in Indian Wells as originally scheduled.
Tournament organizers said they are working with the ATP and WTA tours as well as the title sponsor to confirm dates later in 2021 for the event. It was originally set for March 8-21 at Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
The decision to postpone the event was made after consulting with state and local public health officials and tournament owner Larry Ellison.
This year’s tournament was the first major U. S. sporting event called off after a case of COVID-19 was confirmed in the Coachella Valley in March.
The Australian Open, the year’s first Grand Slam event, has been postponed to Feb. 8-21, three weeks later than usual in order to allow players and officials 14 days to quarantine after they arrive Down Under.
Football
POLYNESIAN HALL OF FAME HONORS LOS GATOS COACH CHARLIE WEDEMEYER >> The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame unveiled its Class of 2021, with the late Charlie Wedemeyer, the former Los Gatos High coach, selected. Wedemeyer, of Hawaiian ancestry, is one of three inductees selected from a list of 10 finalists.
Former NFL players Al Noga of Samoan ancestry and Niko Noga of Samoan ancestry were also chosen.
The Class of 2021 will be honored during the 2022 Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend on Jan. 21-22, 2022.
Wedemeyer led Los Gatos High to 78-18-1 record and taught and coached for 30 years at Los Gatos after being diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease).
Baseball
DODGERS GET PITCHER IN 3-WAY TRADE WITH RAYS, PHILLIES >> The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired pitcher Garrett Cleavinger from the Phillies in a three-way trade Tuesday involving Tampa Bay and Philadelphia.
The Dodgers will send minor league infielder Dillon Paulson and a player to be named or cash to Tampa Bay, while the Rays will send left-handed pitcher José Alvarado to Philadelphia to complete the transaction.
Cleavinger, a 26-year-old left-hander, made his major league debut last season for the Phillies, tossing two-thirds of an inning with one strikeout on Sept. 17 against the Mets.
Alvarado was limited to nine appearances last season because of left shoulder inflammation. PADRES FINALIZE DEAL ACQUIRING ACE SNELL FROM RAYS >> The San Diego Padres finalized their acquisition of ace left-hander Blake Snell from the Tampa Bay Rays, sending four prospects in exchange for the 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner.
The Rays will receive right-handers Luis Patiño and Cole Wilcox and catchers Francisco Mejía and Blake Hunt in the deal announced Tuesday.
Snell went 4-1 with a 3.24 ERA in 11 starts during the pandemic- shortened 2020 regular season, then went 2-2 with a 3.03 ERA in six postseason starts for the American League champions.
Winter sports
SWISS SKIER END SSH IFFR IN-V L HO VA SLALOM STRANGLEHOLD >> Michelle Gisin earned her maiden World Cup win, becoming the first Swiss skier to win a women’s slalom in nearly 19 years.
Gisin trailed first-run leader Mikaela Shiffrin by two-hundredths of a second in Semmering, Austria, but posted the secondfastest time in the final run as the American dropped to third, 0.57 behind.
Gisin’s win ended a streak of 28 slaloms that were won by either Shiffrin, who triumphed 19 times, or Petra Vlhova. That streak started in January 2017.
The result meant that Shiffrin failed to win a slalom in a whole calendar year for the first time since her maiden World Cup triumph in 2012.
Soccer
AFTER TOUGH 2020, MLS INVOKES CLAUSE TO RENEGO
TIATE CONTRACTS >> Major League Soccer is invoking a clause to renegotiate its collective bargaining agreement with the players’ union after the COVID-19 pandemic cost it nearly $1 billion in 2020.
MLS avoided a lockout in June when its players ratified the CBA, which contained a 5% pay cut for players and a force majeure clause, which the league invoked to compel players and the league now to renegotiate the deal for 30 days. If a new agreement cannot be reached within a month, the contract will be terminated.
The MLS Players Association condemned the move.
“After a 2020 season of extreme sacrifice, immeasurable risk to personal health, and a remarkable league-wide effort to successfully return to play, this tone-deaf action by the league discredits the previous sacrifices made by players and the enormous challenges they overcame in 2020,” the MLSPA said in a statement.
PSG CONFIRMS FIRING OF COACH, CLEARING PATH FOR POCHETTINO >> Paris Saint- Germain fired coach Thomas Tuchel on Tuesday, paving the way for the expected hiring of Mauricio Pochettino. The confirmation of Tuchel’s dismissal came after days of reports that the German would be replaced by Pochettino, the former Tottenham coach.