And for Vancouver general manager Jim Benning, the situation is less than ideal. Luongo’s retirement last summer meant the Canucks are on the hook for over $3 million in annual salary-cap recapture penalties over the next three years. Meanwhile, Luongo’s back to drawing paychecks from the Panthers. “I wanted to voice our displeasure with the whole thing,” Benning told the Vancouver Sun’s Ben Kuzma. MORE: Panthers to retire Luongo’s No....

The (Vancouver) Province reported Monday that Kesler would turn down a deal to the Jackets, but the reasons weren’t made clear. The Province, though, noted that Kesler and Umberger didn’t get along when they were teammates for a season at Ohio State. The animosity, according to the report, continued well after the two reached the NHL. MORE: Trade tracker | Bobby Lu and Timmy teammates Umberger told reporters on Tuesday that his issues with Kesler are in the past....

By the time everything was said and done, GM Jim Rutherford, assistant GMs Tom Fitzgerald and Bill Guerin, and several others had talked for nearly an hour. At times, the discussion got animated. Understandable enough — the team had just spent the better part of a weekend trying to add a top-six winger like Phil Kessel, and it hadn’t worked out. They were headed home with four draft picks and not much else....

“Bill spoke very highly of both players, he really likes both players,” Flames general manager Brad Treliving said at the conclusion of the NHL Draft, “but I think you have to be careful. . . . We’ve got scouts that go and watch the games and they’re paid for one thing and coaches are paid for another. “But, obviously, we talked to Bill. It was a great resource to have....

In the opulent cool of a glass-and-steel office building on the shores of the gulf, Mohammad Al Gergawi exudes confidence. “The world is changing, and a lot of people think this part of the world will be the last to change,” he says. “But we are lucky enough to live in a place called Dubai.” After the emirate announced the creation of Dubai Internet City in October 1999, no expense was spared to make it happen....

“I don’t think he’s going to play,” the elder Chubb said, via Dawgnation.com. “He’s got that high ankle sprain. He twisted it trying to make a cut against Ole Miss. He’s in good spirits and all. He understands it. The doctor said he’d need a couple weeks, so he’ll probably play next week.” MORE: Week 5 TV schedule (UPDATE: Georgia coach Kirby Smart contradicted Henry Chubb on Friday, telling Paul Feinbaum that Nick Chubb remains a game-time decision....

The Australian eighth seeds had the opportunity to close the contest out in straight sets but eventually were overwhelmed 3-6 7-6(6) 7-6(8) by 11th-seed duo Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara. In their first pairing at a major since winning the Australian Open, Kyrgios and Kokkinakis raced to a comfortable lead in the match, claiming the first set 6-3. MORE: Nick Kyrgios US Open champion? Draw opens up for on-fire Australian star...

While they’re both Aussies and capable of beating anyone at the top of their game, that’s pretty much where the similarities between the two players end. Kyrgios is a fiery player on and off the court, capable of mind-blowing shots but also allowing his temper to get the best of him. De Minaur, on the other hand, rarely loses his cool, keeps his shots simple and makes up for a lack of overwhelming power with sheer hard work....

Saban, during his weekly radio show, said his players are typically more excited to play Tennessee in the Third Saturday in October than they are to play the Tigers in the Iron Bowl. MORE: CFB’s hottest rivalries “I don’t think there’s any question about it,” Saban said, via BamaOnline.com. “I think you get, very quickly, a feel for what your own players on your own team, even that were here before you came here, what’s important to them....

That observation? Alabama’s Nick Saban and Ohio State’s Urban Meyer — college football’s unquestioned masters of recruiting — have some company on the trail for once. What caught our attention? 247Sports.com gave 26 recruits in the 2018 class a five-star ranking. Clemson, Georgia and Penn State combined to haul in 13 of those commitments on Wednesday, and that’s with seven players still undecided. Alabama and Ohio State, meanwhile, combined for four five-star commits....

Slovenia was just one basket away from almost certainly locking up a win against France when Klemen Prepelic, who had been on fire with seven points in the fourth quarter, went up for a layup with four seconds remaining in the Olympic semifinal game. But Nicolas Batum met him at the rim, swatting the ball against the glass, allowing it to rebound into the hands of Rudy Gobert, who sealed the win for France on Thursday....

Both countries - preparing for their outing in the global showpiece - are scheduled to meet for the first time at the Municipal Stadium Wroclaw on Friday. Poland will begin their 2018 Fifa World Cup campaign against Senegal at the Otkritie Arena on June 19. And the former Arsenal shot-stopper has highlighted how the encounter against the three-time Africa Cup of Nations champions can help Adam Nawalka’s team who also have Colombia and Japan to contend with in Group H....

After getting off to a disappointing start in the World Cup - losing 2-0 to Croatia on Saturday, the Super Eagles will hope for a rather positive feat when they take on the Europeans on Friday. A win against over Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side would revive their hopes of progressing from Group D and the Atlanta ‘96 hero urges the players to ’talk to themselves’ and give their all in Volgograd....

The 60-second ad, which aired following the Warriors’ 129-120 Game 5 victory over the Cavaliers, features a roundtable of critics highlighting Durant’s flaws from his freshman year at Texas through his 2014 MVP season with the Thunder. Durant is called soft and a poor defender, and his leadership is questioned. MORE: NBA’s greatest championship duos | How would Dubs fare vs. greatest? When it is announced in the ad that he’d signed with Golden State, the critics begin calling him a traitor, and images of Oklahoma City fans holding cupcake signs are shown in the background....

When Obama paid a visit to Nike’s headquarters in Beaverton, Ore., last week, he received a pair of exclusive Jordans in a custom presidential box. And they’re super fancy. MORE: Classic photos of Jordan smoking | Game-worn Jordan shoes sell for $70,000 | What’s next for the Hornets? The sneakers are none other than the new Air Jordan 11Lab4’s, retailing at a hefty price of $250 as of May 1....

Discovered by Resetera user Link83, the FCC filing reveals plans for a wireless SNES-like controller for the Nintendo Switch. The filing states that this controller will have bluetooth capability and its model number - HAC-042 - is in line with other Nintendo Switch controllers. The Nintendo Switch’s model number is HAC-001, while the wireless NES controllers are HAC-033 and HAC-034 respectively. he filing references the controller as simply “wireless game device,” but the image found in the document looks so much like an SNES controller that it’s unlikely to be anything else....

Elden sued in August, claiming that the band’s use of his image—taken when he was 4 months old—was “child pornography” and “trafficking” whose publication affected him for life. He has sued the band for that, alleging that they had made millions off of his image while Elden hasn’t seen any profit from it. But the band’s lawyers say that Elden’s lawsuit should be dismissed, adding that he had also used his picture on the album to “pick up women....

New Jersey state Senate President Steve Sweeney said no discussion as to whether to move with the bill to ban smoking sitting in the state Legislature have been had. Recently re-elected Democratic Governor Phil Murphy said he will sign the bill if it is approved by lawmakers, The Associated Press reported. However, Sweeney, who was defeated in the re-election, didn’t appear to be in any hurry to consider it Thursday....

Hiroshi Tanahashi entered the 2018 G1 Climax as a man barely clinging to his status as the Ace of NJPW after losing to Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP title earlier this year. Few expected him to make the run he did and find his way into the G1 Finals against Kota Ibushi. But a magnificent match with Okada saw him escape the A Block with a draw. The only thing standing in his way of appearing in the main event of WK 13 was Ibushi, who blazed through the stronger B Block and beat fellow Golden Lover and IWGP champion Kenny Omega to punch his ticket to the finals....

The second-best nine innings that Yusmeiro Petit has ever pitched came over the past week and a half, a two-hitter in which he recorded two of the biggest wins of the Giants’ playoff run. MORE: Must-see NLCS photos | Adams’ adventures cost Cardinals | NLCS schedule Petit, who pitched six innings of one-hit ball in Game 2 of the NLDS in Washington — the 12th through the 17th innings of a game that the Giants won in 18 — worked three innings of scoreless relief Wednesday night, again allowing just one hit, as San Francisco earned a 6-4 comeback win over the Cardinals to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven NLCS....