NHL Metropolitan

New York Knicks and New York Rangers owner James Dolan said Friday that he has no intention of selling either team.

"I have no plans whatsoever to sell at this point," Dolan said when asked if he would sell if the right offer came along, per ESPN's Tim Bontemps. "I'm not retiring anytime soon. It's a family-controlled asset, so someone in the family will own it."

Dolan, executive chairman and CEO of Madison Square Garden Sports and Madison Square Garden Entertainment, has been in charge of the NBA and NHL franchises since the 1990s.

The Knicks haven't won an NBA title since 1973 and haven't reached the NBA Finals since 1999 when they fell to the San Antonio Spurs in five games. The Rangers, on the other hand, have found more success, reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2014, but they haven't won a title since 1994.

Both teams also don't appear to be legitimate title contenders this year, though the Rangers have a better chance. The Knicks sit seventh in the NBA's Eastern Conference with a 27-23 record, and the Rangers sit third in the NHL's Metropolitan Division with a 26-14-8 record.

Rumors surfaced over the summer regarding Dolan exploring a sale of the teams, but MSG quickly rebuffed those reports with a statement saying there were no plans to sell either team.

Amid his ongoing attempts to ban attorneys whose firms are involved in lawsuits against him from attending events by using facial recognition technology at Madison Square Garden, James Dolan is also feuding with the New York State Liquor Authority.

In an interview with Good Day New York, Dolan threatened to halt liquor sales at an upcoming New York Rangers game to send a message to the New York State Liquor Authority.

Dolan's tirade is in response to the agency threatening disciplinary action in response to the facial recognition fiasco.

Per Justin Birnbaum of Forbes, the New York State Liquor Authority issued an advisory letter to Madison Square Garden last month that stated, "groups or individuals cannot be excluded on the basis of criteria that are not directly related to the your duties under your [liquor] license."

The letter noted the state agency could take "disciplinary action" on MSG's liquor license if it finds any violations have occurred.

"We are confident that our policy is in compliance with all applicable laws including the New York State Liquor Authority," a spokesperson for MSG told Birnbaum.

Delaware Chancery Court Judge Kathaleen McCormick called Dolan's use of the technology to ban his legal opponents from attending events at MSG "the stupidest thing I've ever read" during a Zoom hearing Nov. 2.

Alexis Majano, a Long Island-based attorney who wasn't allowed to attend a Nov. 5 game between the Knicks and Boston Celtics after getting flagged by the technology, told Jeanette Settembre of the New York Post he worked for a law firm that filed suit on behalf of a fan who fell from a skybox at MSG during a Billy Joel concert.

"He [an MSG employee] handed me a list of 20 to 30 pages of random names and firms. He asked me … 'Do you work for Sahn Ward? Are you an attorney?' I said yes," Majano said. "They explained very briefly: Any firms with litigation against MSG are banned. I was shocked."

Majano, who noted he wasn't directly involved in the lawsuit, said the employee told him he was identified through facial recognition technology.

"I was fairly certain they were right because I didn't show ID—the tickets didn't have my name on them," he said.

Dolan said on Good Day New York he's not concerned fans won't show up if there aren't any liquor sales because "we don't make all our money on alcohol."

Philadelphia Flyers' head coach John Tortorella stood up for Ivan Provorov after the defenseman made the decision to boycott the organization's Pride night for religious reasons.

"Provy did nothing wrong," Tortorella told reporters Thursday. "Just because you don't agree with his decision doesn't mean he did anything wrong."

Tortorella's comments were met with backlash:

While Tortorella did say in 2016 that he would bench any player who didn't stand for the playing of the national anthem, he attempted to walk back those comments in 2020.

"I would hope that if one of my players wanted to protest during the anthem, he would bring it to me and we would talk about it, tell me his thoughts and what he wanted to do," he said. "From there, we would bring it to the team to discuss it, much like it's being discussed in our country right now," he said.

He further clarified his feelings on that particular situation on Thursday.

"I learned a lot through that experience," Tortorella said. "My feelings toward any type of protest to the flag during the anthem, it disgusts me; to this day, it disgusts me. It shouldn't be done. Those are my feelings. I can't push those feelings onto someone else. So I was wrong in saying that back then. I didn't realize I was But once I went through it all, who am I to push my feelings onto someone else? Same situation here."

Provorov, who is Russian Orthodox, sat out the team's warmups before Tuesday's matchup against the Anaheim Ducks because the Flyers wore Pride-themed jerseys and wrapped their sticks in rainbow tape.

"My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion," he told reporters after the fact. "That's all I'm going to say."

The Flyers were aware ahead of time that Provorov was planning to boycott the warmups and Tortorella said he never considered benching him for the game.

"Why would I bench him? Because of a decision he's making on his beliefs and his religion?" he said. "It turned out to be a great night for Pride night."

Alexander Ovechkin has put together one of the most distinguished careers in NHL history, and he added another milestone to his collection Friday.

The 37-year-old scored his 801st and 802nd career goals during the Washington Capitals' 4-1 home win against the Winnipeg Jets at Capital One Arena, tying and then passing the legendary Gordie Howe for second on the NHL's all-time scoring list.

Ovechkin gave the Caps a 1-0 lead with a snap shot at the top of the right faceoff circle in the first period before adding an empty-netter late in the third to grab second place by himself and cap the evening's scoring.

Ovechkin now trails only Wayne Gretzky, who scored 894 goals in his career. Gretzky is also the all-time leader in assists with 1,963, over 700 more than the next-closest player in the category, Ron Francis (1,249).

Ovechkin won't be getting anywhere near either player in that category, with just 649 in his career.

As for whether he might catch Gretzky in goals, it's still a possibility. He's under contract with the Capitals through the 2025-26 season and has scored 46 or more goals in a campaign 12 times in his career, including 50 last year and 20 through 35 games this season heading into Friday.

It isn't out of the question that Ovechkin might catch Gretzky during his current contract. Granted, at some point, the Russian is going to slow down. And he may simply choose to retire before mounting a serious push for the all-time goals record.

One thing is for certain: If he does catch the Great One, that will be all she wrote for Ovechkin's career.

"You're probably never going to see me on the ice again," he joked during an ESPN interview in 2019 when asked what he would do if he surpassed Gretzky's record (h/t NHL.com). "Right away. See ya."

After becoming the third player in NHL history to score at least 800 career goals, Alex Ovechkin is marketing his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky.

Per ESPN's Emily Kaplan, the Washington Capitals star has trademarked "THE GR8 CHASE" as he goes after the NHL's all-time goals scored record.

Kaplan noted the first phase of Ovechkin's "THE GR8 CHASE" merchandise will be available to fans during Thursday's home game against the Dallas Stars.

"Ovechkin's family was heavily involved in the creation of the logo, as well as the trademark name," Kaplan wrote. "'THE GR8 CHASE' is a triple entendre, alluding to Ovechkin's nickname ('The Great Eight'), Gretzky's nickname ('The Great One') and Ovechkin's chase of history."

Ovechkin's hat trick in Tuesday's 7-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks gave him 800 for his storied career.

Gretzky (894 goals) and Gordie Howe (801) are the only players ahead of Ovechkin on the all-time scoring list. He hit the 800-goal mark in 1,305 career games, while Gretzky scored his 800th in his 1,116th game.

If Ovechkin continues at his career pace, he could surpass Gretzky during the 2024-25 season. He signed a five-year contract extension with the Capitals in July 2021 that runs through the 2025-26 campaign.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang is out indefinitely after suffering a stroke Monday, the team announced Wednesday.

Letang also suffered a stroke in 2014 and missed about two months of the season before returning in time for the playoffs.

The Penguins announced the 35-year-old is "not experiencing any lasting effects" from the latest stroke and "will continue to undergo a series of tests over the next week."

"Kris reported symptoms to the training staff on Monday and was immediately taken to the hospital for testing," general manager Ron Hextall said in a statement. "The test results were shocking to hear, but we are grateful that Kris is doing well."

Letang previously discussed the circumstances surrounding his stroke in 2014 when he was 26 years old.

"I woke up and my wife found me on the ground," he said. "The day before I was totally fine. I was practicing. I woke up that morning not expecting that would happen."

Testing at the time revealed a hole in the wall of Letang's heart, which usually closes for most people.

Letang has been productive since returning to the ice eight years ago, playing 543 regular-season games since his initial stroke. The 17-year veteran has earned two All-Star selections in his career while helping the Penguins win two Stanley Cups.

Last year, he scored 10 goals to go with a career-high 58 assists while finishing seventh in voting for the Norris Trophy.

Through 21 games in 2022-23, Letang has one goal and 11 assists while leading the team with 23:54 average time on the ice.

Now the player will step away from the sport while focusing on getting healthy.

"While it is difficult to navigate this issue publicly, I am hopeful it can raise awareness," Letang said. "It is important for me that my teammates, family and the fans know that I am OK. I am optimistic that I will be back on the ice soon."

Washington Capitals superstar winger Alexander Ovechkin made history Tuesday night, breaking the NHL record for most career goals scored on the road.

According to ESPN, Ovechkin scored twice in a 5-1 road win against the Vancouver Canucks, giving him the 402nd and 403rd road goals of his career and surpassing the record previously held by legendary Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky.

Regarding the new mark, Ovechkin said: "It's always nice when you beat The Great One. It doesn't matter what kind of milestone it is. It's history."

The 37-year-old Ovechkin moved into third place on the NHL's all-time goals list last season, and he continues to inch closer to Gordie Howe for second.

Ovechkin's two goals Tuesday gave him 793, putting him just eight behind Howe.

On Nov. 5, Ovechkin set a record at Howe's expense, scoring his 787th career goal with the same team. Howe previously held the record with 786 goals scored as a member of the Detroit Red Wings.

The two goals against Vancouver also inched Ovechkin ever closer to Gretzky's all-time goal-scoring record of 894, which was set during a historic 20-year NHL career with the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers.

While Gretzky's goal record once seemed unbreakable, it is appearing more and more likely that Ovechkin will pass him and perhaps reach the 900-goal mark.

Despite closing in on age 40 and having been an NHL player for 18 seasons, the Russian star is showing no signs of slowing down.

Just last season, Ovechkin recorded the ninth 50-goal season of his career, and his 90 points were the most he had since the 2009-10 season.

In 24 games this season, Ovechkin is producing at nearly a point-per-game pace with 13 goals and 10 assists for 23 points.

At that rate, Ovechkin is slated to finish with over 40 goals this season, which would put him well over 800 for his career and within striking distance of Gretzky in the next couple of years.

The all-time goals mark is likely the primary focus for the future Hall of Famer as far as records go, but the fact that Ovechkin is routinely surpassing Gretzky and Howe in the record books speaks to how special his career has been already.

The New Jersey Devils announced Thursday they've promoted Hall of Fame goalie Martin Brodeur to executive vice president of hockey operations and signed him to a multiyear contract extension.

Brodeur, who played for the Devils from 1991 through 2014, joined the NHL team's front office in 2018 in a business role and became an advisor for hockey operations in 2020 under general manager Tom Fitzgerald.

"Working with Tom's group for the past few years, I have seen firsthand what he and our managing partners, David Blitzer and Josh Harris, are building," Brodeur said. "I've been fortunate to help them in that time, as we move in the right direction toward consistent, sustained success. This decision allows me to commit all my time to the hockey side and focus on achieving the ultimate goal for our players, tremendous fans and entire organization."

The 50-year-old Canadian backstopped a golden age of Devils hockey that was highlighted by Stanley Cup championships in 1995, 2000 and 2003.

His 691 regular-season wins are the most by a goalie in NHL history, a remarkable 140 ahead of the next closest netminder, Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche legend Patrick Roy (551).

Brodeur's other accolades include nine All-Star selections, four Vezina Trophies as the NHL's best goaltender and the 1994 Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie. He also won Olympic gold medals in 2002 and 2010 as part of Team Canada.

Now he's part of the group tasked with getting New Jersey into another set of glory years.

"Marty has been a tremendous resource to me in my time as general manager with his experience, input, foresight, and relationships throughout the hockey world," Fitzgerald said. "It makes sense to formalize and give clarity to his roles and responsibilities within the organization. I am excited that he has committed to staying with us, as we all work to continue to return New Jersey to the levels of success that Marty reached here as a player."

The Devils are off to a terrific start to the 2022-23 season with a 10-3-0 record. Their 20 points are third in the NHL behind only the Vegas Golden Knights (24) and Boston Bruins (22).

Their underlying numbers are also strong, ranking first in expected goals (62.3 percent) and second in Fenwick (60.6 percent) at five-on-five, per MoneyPuck.

The front office may get tested in the coming weeks as the Devils look to fill a couple key holes, though. Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood is expected to miss 3-to-6 weeks with a knee injury, while winger Ondrej Palat is sidelined for at least two months after groin surgery.

Next up for New Jersey is a home game against the Ottawa Senators (4-8-0) on Thursday night.

On Thursday night, Alex Ovechkin tied Gordie Howe for the most goals scored with one NHL franchise (786), and on Saturday night, the Washington Capitals star set the record with his 787th goal.

During Saturday's game against the Arizona Coyotes, Ovechkin netted his record-setting goal on the power play in the second period to give Washington a 1-0 lead.

"It's pretty cool," Ovechkin told reporters after tying Howe on Thursday. "It's a great accomplishment."

Howe scored 786 goals with the Detroit Red Wings from 1946-1971. The Hall of Famer finished his career with the Hartford Whalers, bringing his total number of goals scored to 801.

Only Ovechkin and Howe have scored at least 700 goals with one NHL franchise:

1. Alex Ovechkin (Capitals): 787 goals
2. Gordie Howe (Red Wings): 786 goals
3. Steve Yzerman (Red Wings): 692 goals
4. Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins): 690 goals
5. Joe Sakic (Colorado Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques): 625 goals
6. Bobby Hull (Chicago Blackhawks): 604 goals

Howe once set the record for most goals scored, but Wayne Gretzky rewrote the history books when he tallied 894 goals in his 20-year career with the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers.

Ovechkin has spent his entire 18-year career with the Capitals after being selected first overall in the 2004 NHL draft.

The 37-year-old is a Stanley Cup champion, 12-time All-Star, three-time Hart trophy winner and a nine-time Rocket Richard trophy winner. He'll undoubtedly be selected for the Hall of Fame when eligible.

Ovechkin's best season came in 2007-08 when he notched 65 goals and 47 assists for 112 points in 82 games. He earned the Rocket Richard, Hart, Ted Lindsay and Art Ross trophies that year.

Ovechkin, who put together a 50-goal 2021-22 season, entered Saturday's game having tallied six goals and four assists for 10 points in 12 games for the 5-5-2 Capitals. He'll likely be a contender for the Rocket Richard trophy later this season.