Update on the latest sports
APNHL-KRAKEN-COACH
Expansion Seattle Kraken hire Dave Hakstol as first coach
SEATTLE (AP) — The NHL’s newest team now has a coach. The expansion Seattle Kraken hired Dave Hakstol on Thursday to take charge of the team that will play its first NHL season beginning in the fall.
It’s Hakstol’s second NHL head-coaching job after three-plus seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers. Hakstol coached the Flyers to two playoff appearances and was fired midway through his fourth season. The longtime college coach at North Dakota spent the past two seasons as a Toronto Maple Leafs assistant.
Hakstol got the Seattle job over former Arizona coach Rick Tocchet (TAH’-keht) and others who interviewed multiple times.
NHL PLAYOFFS-GOLDEN KNIGHTS/CANADIENS
Vegas tries to avoid elimination in Montreal
MONTREAL (AP) — Montreal’s smothering defense and opportunistic offense are frustrating the Vegas Golden Knights in their Stanley Cup semifinal series. The Canadiens have a 3-2 series lead as they return home for Game 6 on Thursday night.
The Golden Knights are running out of time to find answers to address an anemic offense and power-play unit. Vegas defensemen account for seven of the team’s 11 goals, and the power play has gone 0 of 15 during the series. Montreal has won 10 of 12 and is one victory away from clinching its first Stanley Cup Final berth since winning the championship in 1993.
NBA PLAYOFFS-SUNS/CLIPPERS
History hangs over Clippers as they host Suns in Game 3
LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s not simply the Los Angeles Clippers vs. the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Finals. The Clippers are fighting the franchise’s own fraught playoff history. For the third straight series, LA is down 0-2 as this series shifts to Staples Center. The Clippers came back to win against Dallas and Utah and reach the West Finals for the first time. LA had been close in previous years, owning 3-1 series leads while poised to reach the conference finals only to fail.
Chris Paul is expected to play for Phoenix Thursday night in Game 3. Paul was upgraded to available from probable on the league’s injury report and participated in the team’s shootaround Thursday afternoon. He missed the first two games while in the NBA’s health and safety protocols since June 16.
NBA-PACERS-CARLISLE
Carlisle takes over Pacers for 2nd time after leaving Mavs
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Longtime Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle is returning to Indiana to coach the Pacers, the team that relaunched his head coaching career almost two decades ago.
The 61-year-old NBA veteran confirmed the decision to The Associated Press, though the team hasn’t announced it.
Carlisle will get a chance to make a quick fix with the same organization he led from 2003 to 2007 and took to the Eastern Conference finals in his first season with the team. He becomes the third Pacers coach in less than 12 months.
Nate McMillan was fired last August following his fourth straight first-round playoff exit and just weeks after signing a contract extension. His replacement, Nate Bjorkgren, lasted just one tumultuous season in his first NBA head coaching gig before he was fired this month.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Judge, Sánchez drive Yanks to blowout win over Royals
UNDATED (AP) — Aaron Judge homered for the first of his three hits, Gary Sánchez connected for the second straight game and the New York Yankees got their first blowout victory in a month, beating the Kansas City Royals 8-1.
Judge got New York started with a solo shot in the first, Luke Voit had another in the third and Sánchez blew the game open with a three-run drive in the sixth. It was the first time New York won by more than four runs since May 22, when the Yankees routed the Chicago White Sox 7-0.
Jameson Taillon matched a season high by pitching 6 1/3 innings.
MLB-FIERS
Oakland’s Fiers likely not throwing another month
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Oakland Athletics right-hander Mike Fiers (FY’-urz) likely won’t throw for at least another four weeks after an injection for his sprained right elbow.
Manager Bob Melvin says that Fiers, who last pitched May 6, won’t need surgery after he felt discomfort when trying to resume throwing this week. Fiers, who has made only two starts this season and hasn’t pitched since May 6, visited with Dr. James Andrews on Wednesday.
Fiers missed the first 22 games of the season because of a lumbar strain before his debut April 30 and made his only other start May 6. He went on the 10-day IL on May 8 because of the elbow injury, and was later moved to the 60-day IL.
Melvin said the A’s still believe there is a possibility for the 36-year-old Fiers to pitch again this season.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-SPORTS
Steelers stay home for training camp for 2nd straight year
UNDATED (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers are staying home for training camp. The team announced Thursday it will not go to Saint Vincent College for the second straight summer after the NFL declined the organization’s plan.
Steelers spokesman Burt Lauten said the club is “disappointed” it will not return to the small school in Latrobe — about an hour east of downtown Pittsburgh — that has served as the team’s camp since 1966. He said in a statement that the plan to host training camp on campus with fans wasn’t approved due to NFL’s COVID-19 protocols.
The Steelers will instead split time between Heinz Field and their training complex in the city’s South Side. The team does plan to allow fans at select practices once their practice schedule is set.
In other pandemic-related news:
— The head of the Imperial Palace in Japan says Emperor Naruhito is “extremely worried” that the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics could accelerate the spread of the coronavirus. The games will bring thousands of foreign athletes, officials, sponsors and journalists to Japan during a pandemic despite caution raised by experts about the risk of infections and the public’s persistent calls for cancellation or further postponement. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is determined to hold the Olympics despite widespread concern and opposition. The delayed games open July 23 and the Paralympics begin a month later.
— Danish health officials say at least seven people have tested positive for the coronavirus after attending European Championship soccer games in Copenhagen. Officials have urged thousands of fans who were at Denmark’s game against Belgium on June 17 to get checked after at least five people were found to be positive with the delta variant. The other two positive cases stemmed from the team’s game against Russia on Monday. All those who attended the three Euro 2020 games in Copenhagen had to provide valid documents showing they were not infected with COVID-19 before being allowed to enter Parken Stadium.
— Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton says he is concerned about fans visiting next month’s British Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver calls the decision to allow a full capacity crowd at Silverstone “a bit premature” amid the rising number of coronavirus cases. Silverstone organizers confirmed that the British GP was included in the latest phase of the government’s ”Event Research Program” and will be able to host all ticket holders to the race.
US TRACK TRIALS-TRANSGENDER
Eligibility rule keeps transgender runner out of trials
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Transgender runner CeCe Telfer will not be allowed to compete in the women’s 400-meter hurdles at U.S. Olympic trials because Telfer has not met the conditions World Athletics established in its eligibility regulations for certain women’s events.
Telfer was entered in this week’s trials but was ultimately not allowed to compete because of guidelines World Athletics released in 2019 that closed off international women’s events of between 400 meters and a mile to athletes who did not meet the eligibility requirements. Among those requirements was that their testosterone levels had to be below 5 nonomoles per liter for a span of 12 months.
Telfer’s manager, David McFarland, said Telfer would respect the decision.
Telfer competed for the men’s team at Division II Franklin Pierce, but took time off, then came back to compete for the women’s team. In 2019, Telfer won the NCAA title.
