The team will be located in Lake Tahoe, Nevada and part of the ECHL. The expansion franchise will be the 29th team in the league and will start playing in 2024-25.
Tebow actually already owns minority stakes in two other ECHL teams: the Savannah Ghost Pirates and the Jacksonville Icemen.
“It is an honor and a privilege to steward this new franchise for the community,” Tebow’s co-owner, Dave Hodges, said in a statement. “Tim and I are excited to be able to share this new team with the community. We look forward to engaging the fans as we name the team, design the logos and eventually drop the puck in October of 2024.
“We believe in the power of sports to bring communities together and there’s no better place than the South Lake Tahoe region. With this new ECHL team, we’re committed to delivering unforgettable games, making lasting memories and impacting this community positively.”
Tebow played for the Broncos from 2010-2011, posting an 8-6 win-loss record as a starter.
The Tampa Bay Lightning won their second-straight Stanley Cup after shutting out Montreal 1-0 on Wednesday night. The Lightning didn’t have any former Notre Dame players on their squad each of the last two seasons but six different former Fighting Irish players have had their names etched on the Stanley Cup over the years.
Who are they and who did they win the greatest trophy in sports with?
While the 2023 NHL All-Star Skills Competition was mostly a dud on Friday night, Nurse gave fans something to cheer for after pulling quite the move on Igor Shesterkin. During the Tendy Tandem event — where NHL goalies and women’s hockey players teamed up to score the most points — Nurse completely fooled Shesterkin with a smooth Forsberg deke.
Nurse is no stranger to scoring gorgeous goals — as she’s become quite the star on Canada’s Olympic team for her prolific scoring touch — but this one was quite the masterpiece. Even better was Nurse’s reaction on her way back after scoring, as she had a nice little chuckle to herself for pulling that off on national television.
Now, the NHL is incorporating the game of golf into its All-Star weekend festivities. Which might be a natural considering how many NHL players dabble in golf in their free time.
The 2023 NHL All-Star Skills, which will take place Feb. 3 in Sunrise, Florida, will have three new events: the Discover NHL Tendy Tandem, the Enterprise NHL Splash Shot and the Chipotle NHL Pitch ‘n Puck.
According to the NHL’s website, the NHL Pitch ‘n Puck “will have players combine their hockey and golf skills on a par-4 golf hole featuring an island green. Six players will participate, the winner being the one who successfully sinks the puck/ball in the hole with the fewest shots using a combination of hockey and golf shots. If there’s a tie, the longest drive determines the winner.”
The NHL Skills will be on ESPN at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 3. The league hasn’t announced who will participate.
The NFL’s Pro Bowl activities are spread over two days, Thursday, Feb. 2 and Sunday, Feb. 5, in Las Vegas.
Just because it wasn’t goal doesn’t mean we’re not still in awe
Diehard NHL fans of the mid-aughts might remember the name Teemu Hartikainen.
The 32-year-old forward was the 163rd overall pick of the 2008 NHL draft by the Edmonton Oilers and spent the next few years going back-and-forth between Edmonton and their Oklahoma City affiliate.
In all, Hartikainen played 52 games in the NHL, scoring six goals with seven assists before returning overseas to play in the KHL—though he has won two gold medals at the Olympics and World Championships with Finland.
That lack of production on the NHL stage will no longer be Hartikainen legacy. Not after what he nearly pulled off this weekend with Finland’s national team in a Euro Hockey Tour matchup against Sweden.
After the contest went to a shootout, Hartikainen took the ice and put a dazzling spin on the lacrosse move that features an absurd amount of wrist strength and coordination.
Sweden’s goalie had no chance—and yet Hartikainen couldn’t put the puck past him.
One or two members of the club said they had no interest in hockey, but that might change with a hometown team to root for.
Grant Fuhr, who knows plenty about hockey and golf, has a quick answer for why so many hockey players are also good golfers.
“We get summers off,” said Fuhr, a five-time Stanley Cup-winning goalie with the Edmonton Oilers and a Hockey Hall of Famer. “So you get a chance to play golf.”
That may be true in areas like Canada and the Midwest and Northeast of the United States, where winter is a time to focus on hockey with golf courses under a few feet of snow. But for the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the desert’s newest professional team, the hockey season is also prime golf season. So it’s natural that the Firebirds and the golf world would cross paths.
One such crossing came Wednesday when front office members of the Firebirds appeared at Marrakesh Country Club in Palm Desert, where the men’s club was holding its first tournament of the new season. It’s the kind of community outreach, especially in a golf community full of snowbirds from Canada and the Pacific Northwest, that the Firebirds crave.
“It’s crucial. I think you take for granted sometimes that you come in and you think everybody knows,” said Troy Bodie, director of hockey operations for the Firebirds after finishing his round Wednesday. “But especially in this community where everything is seasonal, it’s tough to get that word out sometimes and get people on your mailing list. So just getting out in the community that you are around and you are ready to go.”
Bodie and Fuhr, who will do some television and radio work for the Firebirds this year and who dabbled in professional golf after his playing days, were met with a receptive crowd at Marrakesh.
People walk around the putting greens during Shots in the Night at Indian Wells Golf Resort in Indian Wells, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022. (Photo by Taya Gray/Desert Sun/USA Today Network
The Firebirds made a pitch for season tickets, half-season tickets and group sales, though some members at the club have already bought season tickets for the Firebirds. Others seemed not to know what the Firebirds even were, but were willing to learn. One or two members of the club said they had no interest in hockey, but that might change with a hometown team to root for.
As for that seemingly easy transition for athletes from the ice to the golf course, Fuhr said there are some natural carryovers from one sport to the other.
“If you look at the way a guy shoots a puck, and the way the golf swing is at the bottom, they are pretty similar,” said Fuhr, a long-time desert resident.
New season, old friends
As much as it was a chance for the Firebirds to make their introductions, the day also was about kicking off a new season for Marrakesh, which opened from overseeding less than a week before the event. It was a chance for golfers who had just returned to the desert to renew acquaintances over a round and a lunch as well as learn about how the desert is changing with the Firebirds coming to town for their home opener Dec. 18.
It was not unheard of on the day for a foursome to have one player in his 60s, another in his 70s, another in his 80s and still another in his 90s. It was a scene that is being repeated throughout the desert in November as courses reopen from overseeding and snowbirds return to the desert for a few weeks before the holidays.
As for the influence of golf on the Firebirds, Bodie laughingly said the team will take care of that.
“I’m a big believer in letting people do whatever they do away from the rink and enjoy themselves,” Bodie said with a smile. “But we certainly judge them for what they do in the rink and on the ice if something else is distracting you, we deal with that.”
Larry Bohannan is the golf writer for The Desert Sun. You can contact him at (760) 778-4633 or at larry.bohannan@desertsun.com. Follow him on Facebook or on Twitter at @larry_bohannan. Support local journalism. Subscribe to The Desert Sun.
The seventh-place squad in the Western Conference, the Chicago Blackhawks (4-3-0), host the 10th-ranked Minnesota Wild (3-3-1) at United Center on Sunday at 7:00 PM ET. Minnesota lost 2-1 on the road in its last game on October 29 against the …
The seventh-place squad in the Western Conference, the Chicago Blackhawks (4-3-0), host the 10th-ranked Minnesota Wild (3-3-1) at United Center on Sunday at 7:00 PM ET.
Minnesota lost 2-1 on the road in its last game on October 29 against the Detroit Red Wings.
Chicago’s most recent game was a road overtime loss, 4-3, to the Buffalo Sabres on October 29.
As hockey matchups continue, prepare for the outing with what you need to know before Sunday’s game.
Minnesota Wild vs. Chicago Blackhawks Odds and Betting Lines
Favorite: Wild (-184)
Underdog: Blackhawks (+154)
Over/under: 6.5
Want some action on the latest NHL games? Place your legal sports bets on this game or others in CO and NJ at Tipico Sportsbook.
Wild Stats and Trends
Minnesota has been victorious in three of the six games it’s played as the moneyline favorite this season.
Through one game with moneyline odds lower than -184 this season, the Wild have won every time.
There is a 64.8% chance that Minnesota wins this contest, per the moneyline.
Minnesota and its opponent have combined to score more than 6.5 goals in five of eight games this season.
They have averaged 3.4 goals per game (27 total) over that time.
Over on the defensive end, the Wild have given up 31 goals (3.9 per game) in those 10 matchups.
Blackhawks Stats and Trends
The Blackhawks have claimed an upset victory in four of the eight games they have played while the underdog this season.
Chicago has a record of 1-4 in games when sportsbooks list them +154 or longer on the moneyline.
Oddsmakers have implied, based on the moneyline for this matchup, that the Blackhawks have a 39.4% chance to win.
So far this season, 75.0% of Chicago’s games (6/8) have had more goals than Sunday’s over/under of 6.5.
They are scoring at a 3.5 goals-per-game average (28 total) during that stretch.
Over on the defensive end, the Blackhawks have given up 27 goals (3.4 per game) in those 10 outings.
Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Anaheim Ducks take the ice in NHL action at Honda Center on Sunday, October 30 at 8:00 PM ET. The game airs on ESPN+, TSN4, and BSSC. Toronto’s last game was a 4-3 overtime road loss to the San Jose Sharks on October 27. …
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Anaheim Ducks take the ice in NHL action at Honda Center on Sunday, October 30 at 8:00 PM ET. The game airs on ESPN+, TSN4, and BSSC.
Toronto’s last game was a 4-3 overtime road loss to the San Jose Sharks on October 27.
Anaheim’s last game was a road loss, 4-0, to the Vegas Golden Knights on October 28.
Ahead of this matchup, here is everything you need to get ready for Sunday’s hockey action.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Anaheim Ducks Odds and Betting Lines
Favorite: Maple Leafs (-183)
Underdog: Ducks (+154)
Over/under: 6.5
Want some action on the latest NHL games? Place your legal sports bets on this game or others in CO and NJ at Tipico Sportsbook.
Maple Leafs Stats and Trends
Toronto has been victorious in four of the eight games it’s played as the moneyline favorite this season.
The Maple Leafs have a record of 3-3 this season while playing with their moneyline odds shorter than -183.
Toronto has a 64.7% chance of winning this game, per the moneyline odds.
Toronto has combined with its opponent to put up more than 6.5 goals just twice this season.
They have totaled 22 goals during that stretch.
Defensively, the Maple Leafs have allowed 21 goals (2.6 per game) in those 10 outings.
Ducks Stats and Trends
The Ducks have been an underdog seven times, and has no upset wins.
Anaheim has been an underdog with +154 odds or longer four times this season, and lost each of those games.
The moneyline set in this outing implies a 39.4% chance for the Ducks to win.
So far this season, 37.5% of Anaheim’s games (3/8) have had more goals than Sunday’s over/under of 6.5.
They have averaged 2.0 goals per game (16 total) during that span.
Over on the defensive end, the Ducks have allowed 4.2 goals per game (34 total) in those 10 matchups.
Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).
