Sports Express | Sep 17, 2026 Hellebuyck Suspended by Jets After Failing to Report to Camp

Hellebuyck Suspended by Jets After Failing to Report to Training Camp

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck did not report to training camp on Wednesday and has been suspended by the team. The three-time Vezina Trophy winner said on Aug. 27 that he had requested a trade earlier in the offseason.

"I have tried to handle the situation quietly and respectfully while giving the organization time to explore its options," Hellebuyck said in a statement released by his agent, Ray Petkau. "With training camp approaching, I felt it was important to publicly confirm my request. My position has not changed. I believe moving on is the best path forward for me and my family."

Captain Adam Lowry told NHL.com on Sept. 8 that the Jets could not afford to dwell on the situation. Winnipeg (35-35-12) missed the playoffs last season, finishing seventh in the Central Division and eight points behind the Los Angeles Kings for the second Western Conference wild card. Hellebuyck went 23-23-11 with a 2.86 goals-against average and .895 save percentage in 57 games, the first time since the shortened 2020-21 season he did not play at least 60 games; he missed four weeks after arthroscopic knee surgery before returning Dec. 13. He also helped the United States win gold at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics, going 5-0 with a 1.18 GAA and .956 save percentage. The 33-year-old is in the third season of a seven-year, $59.5 million contract ($8.5 million AAV) signed Oct. 9, 2023.

Source

Travis Kelce Named a Victim in Multimillion-Dollar Ponzi Scheme

Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce was named in federal court Tuesday as one of the people defrauded in a massive Ponzi scheme. Siddharth Jawahar was sentenced to 11 years in prison for a fraud prosecutors say took in more than $35 million from investors.

Jawahar pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and was ordered to pay more than $31 million in restitution. According to the feds, he ran Swiftarc Capital LLC and funneled nearly all of his clients' money into one investment — Philip Morris Pakistan. When that bet went south, prosecutors say, he lied to investors about how their money was performing while using new investor cash to pay earlier clients, and lived large on private jets, luxury hotels, restaurants, shopping and pricey apartments.

Kelce's exact losses were not disclosed, and prosecutors made clear he was a victim, not accused of any wrongdoing. His name had previously been linked to a venture fund, though authorities did not spell out exactly how his investment was tied to the scheme.

Source

Alex Ovechkin Appears in Ad Backing Putin's United Russia Party

Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin, the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer, appeared in an ad backing Russian President Vladimir Putin, drawing renewed attention to his longtime support for the Russian leader. The TV spot came to light this week, showing Ovechkin standing in a group that included Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and retired Detroit Red Wings defenseman Viacheslav "Slava" Fetisov, professing support for Putin's United Russia party.

The Capitals confirmed Ovechkin appeared in the spot and said his off-ice political work would have no impact on the coming NHL season. "This summer, while in Russia, he was asked by his country to participate in a video campaign," team spokesman Sergey Kocharov said in a statement Wednesday.

Ovechkin launched the "Putin Team" social movement in 2017. Hall of Fame goaltender Dominik Hašek has been particularly outspoken against the Putin regime, and this week circled Ovechkin's face in a picture of campaign supporters on X, writing, "Because of each of them, many Ukrainians and Russians will be killed." Ovechkin, a three-time Hart Trophy winner who turns 41 this week, has 929 goals in 21 NHL seasons, all with Washington. The Capitals open training camp Thursday.

Source

Batherson Signs Eight-Year, $86 Million Contract With Senators

Ottawa Senators forward Drake Batherson signed an eight-year, $86 million contract on Tuesday. It begins next season and carries an average annual value of $10.75 million. The 28-year-old is entering the final season of a six-year, $29.85 million deal ($4.975 million AAV) he signed Sept. 3, 2021.

Batherson set NHL career highs with 33 goals and 71 points in 79 games last season and had four points (three goals, one assist) in four playoff games. "Really excited," Batherson said. "They've been working at it pretty much all summer and I'm excited it got done before training camp... My mind just kept coming back to wanting to get a deal done in Ottawa."

"Drake exemplifies what it is to be an Ottawa Senator," general manager Steve Staios said. Since his first full NHL season (2020-21), Batherson ranks second for Ottawa with 141 power-play points (55 goals), trailing only Tim Stutzle (145). He was selected by Ottawa in the fourth round (No. 121) of the 2017 NHL Draft and has 364 points (149 goals, 215 assists) in 470 regular-season games.

Source

Blue Jays Edge Tigers to End Six-Game Skid, Still 1.5 Back in AL Wild Card

The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Detroit Tigers in Wednesday's series finale, ending Detroit's six-game winning streak. Max Scherzer allowed one run in five innings for his second win in four starts, while Myles Straw had two hits and an RBI and Brett Bateman had two hits and scored a run as Toronto avoided a sweep.

The Blue Jays (76-77) remain 1.5 games behind the White Sox for the final postseason spot. Cleveland moved into first place in the AL Central with a 6-3 win over Chicago, as Petey Halpin hit a three-run homer in the sixth and Parker Messick struck out eight. The Guardians (78-75) hold a half-game lead over Chicago (77-75), the first time since July 3 Cleveland has had sole possession of the top spot.

Toronto holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Guardians but lost the season series to the White Sox, so it would need to finish one game up on Chicago to grab the final playoff spot if Cleveland holds the division. Elsewhere, the Yankees pulled star slugger Aaron Judge in the sixth inning with tightness in his lower right leg, and Texas moved into a tie with Houston atop the AL West.

Source

Female Athletes Hit Back at Sydney Sweeney's Naked Betting Ad

Professional cyclists are among the female athletes around the world who have hit back at a recent advert featuring U.S. actor Sydney Sweeney, which they say sexualises women's sport. Double Tour de France champion Demi Vollering, Olympic track champion Sophie Capewell and gravel pro Maddy Nutt all commented, saying the ad undermines progress in normalising women's sport.

The ad, for a sports betting company, stars Sweeney naked, with strategically placed sports equipment. It had huge reach, with Sweeney posting some of it to her 25 million Instagram followers.

"Maybe it's good that it started a conversation," Vollering wrote on Instagram. "But it's also sad that women still need to have this conversation. For a very long time, women have fought to be seen for what they can DO, not only for how they look." Nutt, who won the Traka 560 and was second at Unbound XL this year, posted a video captioned "Dear Sydney Sweeney, this is what a female athlete looks like." "I thought we were way past the sexualisation of women in sport," she told Cyclingnews.

Source

NCAA: Western Michigan Would Have Beaten Michigan Had Replay Protocols Been Followed

The NCAA's FBS Oversight Committee said Wednesday that had proper replay protocols been followed, Western Michigan would have beaten Michigan in Week 1. The NCAA released a statement after the committee met to discuss how Michigan was granted an extra second of game time for its improbable Hail Mary in a 13-12 win over Western Michigan.

The committee reaffirmed it had no ability to overturn the result. "The committee confirmed that it does not have the authority to overturn the contest," the statement said, citing Rules 1-1-3-b and 5-2-9, under which no appeal of a final outcome is permitted. "Had the protocols been followed, the outcome of the game would have been different," it added.

The Big Ten added a second back to the clock after Michigan's initial Hail Mary attempt fell incomplete, using a stadium clock (showing 0:01) rather than the clock embedded in the replay feed (showing 0:00 when a Western Michigan player touched the ball). After that second was added, Bryce Underwood hit JJ Buchanan for a 47-yard touchdown. The MAC had requested that Western Michigan be recognized as the winner.

Source

Alphonso Davies to Miss Canada's World Cup Homecoming Due to Marriage and Honeymoon

Canada captain Alphonso Davies will not join Jesse Marsch's national team for an upcoming 16-day, three-game window billed as "The Homecoming," listed as "unavailable for selection due to the celebration of his marriage and honeymoon," according to Canada Soccer's release of a 26-man squad Tuesday morning. The window includes a Sept. 26 test against Chile in Toronto and a Montreal meeting with Peru, followed by a trip south to face the U.S.

Canada lit up the country at the 2026 World Cup, but Davies played just 17 minutes there amid weeks of confusing medical forecasting and off-field speculation. He married partner Sheyenne Jen in late July in France, then rejoined Bayern Munich and worked his way back to fitness, starting two of Bayern's last three games and scoring a rocket in the Champions League last week.

The initial confirmation drew some negative reaction. Goalkeeper Max Crépeau is unavailable after the recent passing of his father, and defender Alfie Jones was forced to withdraw with an injury minutes before Marsch spoke to media. Because of repeated fitness setbacks and little at stake across the three matches, Davies skipping them makes medical and sporting sense — but the article argued the messaging, listing "honeymoon" as the official reason a captain is not leading his country, felt off. Davies, dealing with a torn ACL suffered in March 2025, has featured in just three of Canada's last 25 games.

Source

Ottawa Invests $76 Million in New National Basketball Centre in Toronto

A new national basketball centre will be built in Toronto with a $76 million investment from the federal government. Humber Polytechnic's North Campus will be the future home of Canada Basketball, with six gymnasiums for provincial, national and international play.

"For more than 40 years, Humber Polytechnic has provided temporary training space for Canada Basketball's national team athletes, but today we lay a permanent foundation for basketball in Canada," Canada Basketball president and CEO Michael Bartlett said in a statement Wednesday.

Canada's men ranked fifth in the world and its women seventh Wednesday; the women's three-on-three team ranked sixth. The Toronto facility will include a high-performance training centre, a domed playing field and spaces for community, academic and athletic uses. The federal money comes from the Build Communities Strong Fund, which provides $51 billion over the next 10 years and $3 billion per year after that. It comes as Ottawa rolls out $755 million over five years in April, plus another $118 million annually, to host international events, support athletes and boost participation.

Source

Colts' Keenan Allen Formally Charged in DWI Case

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Keenan Allen has been formally charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated and operating a vehicle with an alcohol concentration equivalent to 0.15 or more. Allen was arrested for DWI in late August and could face a suspension from the NFL, though when that might come is unclear.

For now, Allen will continue to play significant snaps for the Colts. In Week 1 against the Ravens, he caught all six of his targets for 32 yards while running a route on 73 percent of the team's dropbacks.

Source