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Sidney Crosby, who has missed the Pittsburgh Penguins' last two games with an apparent left arm injury, "hopes to play" for Team Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off.

ESPN's Emily Kaplan reported the news. Kaplan described Crosby as "desperate to play in the tournament."

TSN's Darren Dreger wrote earlier Sunday that Crosby is traveling to Montreal to join Team Canada, and will skate Monday "as part of Canada's ongoing evaluation."

4 Nations Face-Off rosters must be finalized by 5 p.m. ET Monday, according to Dreger. Canada is set to open the tournament against Sweden on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.

Crosby was injured in a Tuesday night game against the New Jersey Devils when his arm was pinned awkwardly between two opponents.

After immediately leaving the ice following the collision, Crosby returned for the rest of the Devils game and skated in both the overtime period and shootout.

But he did not join the Penguins for either side of the team's back-to-back set this weekend, sitting out both a Friday win over the New York Rangers and Saturday loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. It was his first time missing a Penguins game since the 2022 postseason.

After missing practice earlier this week, Crosby did participate in an optional skate ahead of Saturday's game in Philadelphia:

Sidney Crosby on the ice this morning at Flyers practice facility. https://t.co/K8wHm5V4U5

— Adam Kimelman (@NHLAdamK) February 8, 2025

Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan, who has identified Crosby's injury only as an "upper-body" issue, said Saturday when asked about the Penguins captain's tournament status that the team would "take each day as it comes."

"He skated for a long time this morning," Sullivan said Saturday. "He felt significantly better today than he did yesterday, and that's really encouraging."

The Penguins, who are already missing Evgeni Malkin on a week-to-week basis, have had their depth strained by the absence of their two star centers. Crosby's injury is also particularly concerning given his history of left wrist injuries.

But Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman the team plans to leave any injury management decisions up to their captain.

"They have said, 'If you want to play in this, it's your decision, and we will support it,'" Friedman said about the Penguins' communication with Crosby.

Crosby, who helped Canada win Olympic gold in the 2010 Vancouver Games and 2014 Sochi Olympics, last represented his country in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He was named Team Canada's captain for the 4 Nations Face-Off on Jan. 30.

If Crosby is unable to play this week, alternate captain Connor McDavid could get the nod to lead the team, while Mark Scheifele could fill in his roster spot. But Team Canada will hope to see their captain back on the ice in time for Crosby to wear the C during Wednesday's tournament opener.

A new international hockey tournament calls for new goalie masks.

Some of the masks that will be worn by netminders during the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off in Montreal and Boston were revealed Friday.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck will represent Team USA in a custom red, white and blue mask celebrating his love of fishing.

The mask by Eye Candy Air's Steve Nash features images of both Hellebuyck and a bald eagle catching fish.

Photo set of Connor Hellebuyck’s goalie mask for Team USA 🇺🇸 in the 4 Nations Face-Off 2025

🎨 Hand drawn and airbrushed by Steve Nash of @Eyecandyair#ConnorHellebuyck #4Nations  #4Nations2025 #TeamUSA #NHL pic.twitter.com/oKbxFg7xEo

— EYECANDYAIR (@Eyecandyair) February 7, 2025

🎨Fresh paint!! 360 view of Connor Hellebuyck’s goalie mask for Team USA 🇺🇸 in the 4 Nations Face-Off 2025

Check it out here with music: https://t.co/fUyuq4TwIN

✍🏻 Hand drawn and airbrushed by Steve Nash of @Eyecandyair#ConnorHellebuyck #4Nations #4Nations2025 #TeamUSA #NHL pic.twitter.com/ADZY074fIh

— EYECANDYAIR (@Eyecandyair) February 7, 2025

The Dallas Stars' Jake Oettinger will meanwhile represent both the United States and his nickname by wearing a mask featuring an otter dressed up like the Statue of Liberty.

The mask was painted by David Gunnarsson of DaveArt, per The Athletic's Jesse Granger.

Jake Oettinger‘a mask for 4 Nations will feature an Otter dressed as the Statue of Liberty.

Heck yes.

Painted by @daveartofficial pic.twitter.com/tCVLDoDs9K

— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) February 7, 2025

The Boston Bruins shared a video of Jeremy Swayman explaining the mask he will be wearing with Team USA, which was also painted by Gunnarsson.

"We came up with some things that basically represent USA the best," Swayman said, before pointing out an image from the 2006 movie "Talladega Nights."

A mask for America 🇺🇸 @JeremySwayman | @NHL pic.twitter.com/9SUPaRCfC6

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) February 7, 2025

Swayman's former Bruins teammate, Ottawa Senators netminder Linus Ullmark, will represent Team Sweden in a Gunnarsson-painted helmet inspired by Norse mythology.

The helmet features mythological figures including Sleipnir, Odin's eight-legged horse, and Jörmungandr the giant serpent, per Granger.

Here’s the mask Linus Ullmark will wear for Team Sweden at 4 Nations.

Ullmark’s children helped come up with the design, which is based off Norse mythology. One side has Oden’s horse, Sleipnir, while the other has Jörmungandr the sea serpent.

Painted by @daveartofficial pic.twitter.com/6dts3nAIgR

— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) February 7, 2025

Also painted by Gunnarsson is Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen's helmet for Team Finland.

The design, which features the lion shown on Finland's coat of arms, was inspired by the colors in Lankinen's Canucks helmet, according to Gunnarsson.

Here’s Kevin Lankinen’s mask for Team Finland at the 4 Nations.

Painted by @daveartofficial pic.twitter.com/SxovflmYAn

— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) February 7, 2025

Gunnarsson additionally painted the mask Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros will wear to represent Team Finland.

The mask features the skyline of Helsinki as well as the Finnish coat of arms, per Gunnarsson.

Juuse Saros’ Team Finland mask for 4 Nations has a lion overlooking the Helsinki skyline, and the Suomi logo on each side.

Painted by @daveartofficial pic.twitter.com/kIH8PSnHR4

— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) February 7, 2025

The 4 Nations Face-Off will open next Wednesday when Canada and Sweden face off in Montreal. The four teams will compete for a spot in the Feb. 20 championship game at Boston's TD Garden.

Sidney Crosby will not be in the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup on Friday night against the New York Rangers.

The star center was ruled out of the game after appearing to suffer an upper-body injury during the team's 3-2 shootout loss to the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night. He notably missed Wednesday's practice but did practice on Thursday and participated in Friday's morning skate.

Sidney Crosby is OUT for the Penguins on Friday, when they’ll play the Rangers.

Crosby appeared to sustain an upper-body injury on Tuesday against the Devils. pic.twitter.com/obC9PtLdVV

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 7, 2025

Crosby is set to serve as the captain for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face Off that will begin on Feb. 7. His status remains uncertain for the tournament.

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This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis.

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Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, has been sentenced to 57 months in prison after stealing nearly $17 million from his ex-employer's bank account to pay off gambling debts.

Sam Blum of The Athletic provided details.

The Judge specifically noted Ippei Mizuhara’s pre-sentence letter to the court.

The Judge said Mizuhara misled the court and omitted key facts.

Mizuhara apologized to Ohtani and others in a brief statement before sentencing.

— Sam Blum (@SamBlum3) February 6, 2025

Per ESPN's Tisha Thompson, U.S. District Judge John W. Holcomb also ordered Mizuhara to pay $1.1 million to the IRS.

Thompson initially broke the news regarding Mizuhara's activities in March, leading to his firing from the Dodgers.

In April, the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California revealed that Mizuhara was charged with bank fraud.

"According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, from November 2021 to January 2024, Mizuhara wired more than $16 million in unauthorized transfers from a checking account belong to an MLB player identified in the affidavit as "Victim A," who in fact is MLB star Shohei Ohtani," the statement read.

"The transfers from this bank account allegedly were made from devices and IP addresses associated with Mizuhara, who served as Ohtani's translator and de facto manager."

Mizuhara later admitted to placing 19,000 bets with an illegal bookmaker and amassing over $40 million in debt. In addition, Mizuhara also placed a false tax return with the IRS.

Per the U.S. Attorney's Office, Mizuhara also purchased roughly 1,000 baseball cards on eBay and Whatnot for about $325,000 using money from Ohtani's bank account.

After the sentencing, Mizuhara's lawyer, Michael G. Freedman, stated that "it is virtually certain" his client will be deported to his home country of Japan after his incarceration, per Brittny Mejia of the Los Angeles Times.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred pushed back against the notion are breaking baseball and making the sport worse

"I don't agree with that. The Dodgers are a really well-run, successful organization. Everything that they do and have done is consistent with our rules," he said Thursday, per The Athletic's Evan Drellich. "They're trying to give their fans the best possible product. Those are all positives. I recognize, however, and my email certainly reflects it: there are fans in other markets who are concerned about their team's ability to compete, and we always have to be concerned when our fans are concerned about something. But pinning it on the Dodgers, not in that camp.

The Dodgers have drawn the ire of a lot of fans for refusing to rest on their laurels in the wake of their World Series triumph. Their payroll is on track to be $375 million, per FanGraphs, after they signed 2023 Cy Young award winner Blake Snell, Japanese ace Rōki Sasaki and 2024 All-Star reliever Tanner Scott among others.

The complaints aren't limited to fans, either.

New York Yankees chairman chairman Hal Steinbrenner lamented in January that "it's difficult for most of us owners to be able to do the kind of things that they're doing." Baltimore Orioles principal owner David Rubenstein asserted the need for a salary cap, a longtime goal for MLB owners across the board.

Dodgers fans and others have pushed back against the criticism to argue the lack of spending from a lot of franchises poses a bigger issue to MLB.

There isn't a compelling reason why the Cleveland Guardians, Tampa Bay Rays, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago White Sox, Athletics and Miami Marlins should run sub-$100 million payrolls. The Guardians are coming off an ALCS appearance, yet relief pitcher Paul Sewald is their one big offseason addition.

In general, this discourse is likely to settle down somewhat once spring training starts.

One problem is that there isn't a whole lot to talk about right now when it comes to baseball. The biggest free-agent moves have happened, and we're more than a month out from Opening Day.

Having actual games to discuss will take some of the focus off the Dodgers.

Fans will also waste no time turning this all around on L.A. if the team has a slow start to the season. The once-bemoaned Goliath on the West Coast would become a regular source of mockery.

The reactions from Steinbrenner and Rubenstein, however, were notable because they hint at some division within the ranks of MLB ownership when they'll eventually need to put on a unified front for negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement.

The New York Mets reportedly agreed to re-sign first baseman Pete Alonso to a two-year, $54 million deal on Wednesday, keeping a fan favorite in New York.

Pete Alonso's deal with the New York Mets, which is pending physical, is for two years and includes an opt-out after the first season. He'll make $30 million this year.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 6, 2025

Breaking: Pete Alonso is returning to the Mets. $54M, 2 years, $10M signing bonus

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 6, 2025

The Mets are now loaded with star potential at the top of the order, headlined by Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto and Alonso.

And the rest of the potential batting lineup isn't too shabby either:

A look at the potential lineup for the Mets in 2025 👀

via @fangraphs pic.twitter.com/gb2mSeQhL7

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) February 6, 2025

The Mets, as currently constructed, won't be cheap. Per Spotrac, the team is now looking at a tax payroll of right around $322 million, trailing only the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Pete Alonso's 2 year, $54 million contract to return to the #Mets includes $30M in 2025 ($10M signing bonus), plus a $24M player option in 2026.

The $27M APY salary increases the Mets projected opening day tax payroll to $322.5M, second only to the #Dodgers ($382M)

— Spotrac (@spotrac) February 6, 2025

The luxury tax bill will be a projected $62.5 million, per Spotrac, still well short of the Dodgers' $128.3 million.

New York largely cut payroll in advance of the 2024 season and it seemed like the team was prepared for a soft rebuild. But the Mets exceeded expectations, reaching the NLCS, and the team hasn't wasted any time in splashing major cash to put a contender together ahead of the 2025 campaign.

Alongside the record-setting Soto contract, the team also signed A.J. Minter, Clay Holmes and Frankie Montas and and re-signed Sean Manea, Ryne Stanek and Jesse Winker. The Mets have been busy, and the return of Alonso will be very popular in Queens.

Veteran slugger Pete Alonso and the New York Mets have reportedly agreed to a two-year, $54 million contract that will keep him in Flushing through the 2026 season, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

The deal includes a $10 million signing bonus.

Will Sammon of The Athletic provided more details about the contract:

There’s no deferred money in Mets’ deal with Pete Alonso.

— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) February 6, 2025

According to Heyman, Alonso chose the two-year deal over an offer of three years for $71 million from the Mets.

The news comes as somewhat of a surprise after the Mets inked Juan Soto to a record-setting $765 million contract earlier in free agency.

Additionally, Alonso had long been linked to a trade out of New York. However, the 30-year-old told reporters after the 2023 campaign that he wanted to spend his entire career with the Mets, so it's no surprise the two sides ultimately struck an agreement.

"I love it here," Alonso said. "I definitely have envisioned myself being a lifelong Met, that's something I've definitely thought about. … I welcome the idea, but I can't predict the future."

Additionally, Will Sammon of The Athletic reported Jan. 10 that Alonso's camp had offered the Mets a three-year contract with opt-outs. The offer was only made available to the Mets, signaling Alonso's desire to remain with the franchise.

Alonso had a down year by his own lofty standards in 2023, slashing .217/.318/.504 with 46 home runs and 118 RBI. That likely contributed to the trade rumors that swirled throughout the campaign and continued to follow him into the 2024 season.

In 2024, Alonso hit .240/.329/.459 with 34 home runs and 88 RBI in 162 games, helping the Mets clinch a playoff berth for just the second time since 2017 and advance to the NLCS for the first time since 2015.

Given Alonso has been mostly consistent throughout his career, the Mets were obviously comfortable bringing him back for 2025 and beyond.

Now that he's remaining with the franchise for the foreseeable future, he'll continue to anchor a lineup that is now headlined by Soto and also includes Francisco Lindor, Brett Baty, Starling Marte and Francisco Álvarez.

The Athletic released its NHL player poll on Wednesday, asking 111 anonymous players their takes on a number of subjects, from which team would rank No. 1 on their no-trade list (the Winnipeg Jets, 48.7 percent) to the coach they'd most like to play for other than their own (the Tampa Bay Lightning's Jon Cooper, 23.5 percent).

Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella, on the other hand, easily topped the list of head coaches that players would least like to play under (38.4 percent).

Las Vegas Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy was a surprising runner-up (12.3 percent) given the team's 2022-23 Stanley Cup championship and consecutive playoff appearances on his watch.

"I haven't heard too many good things about the Vegas coach, Cassidy," a player told The Athletic. "I don't really know him that well, but I haven't heard anything good about him."

On a positive note, the Detroit Red Wings (24.5 percent of the vote) narrowly edged out the Seattle Kraken (21.88 percent) and Edmonton Oilers (20 percent) as the organization with the best facilities for opposing teams. No surprises there—Detroit's Little Caesars Arena, Seattle's Climate Pledge Arena and Edmonton's Rogers Place were all built in the past decade.

"Really, any of the new rinks," one player said.

"All of the newer buildings are great," another added.

The Carolina Hurricanes ran away with the vote for the worst facilities, however, at a whopping 65.7 percent.

"The visiting room sucks," a player said. "And the home room is basically the visiting room with some paint on the walls. So, yeah, pretty s--tty."

The players were also polled on whether they'd be in favor of an In-Season Tournament, similar to the one the NBA recently added, with 54.5 percent against it. Some players found the NBA Cup "gimmicky" and "corny," though others saw the appeal.

"I think it's good," one said. "Extra revenue. Gets fans more involved in the game. More rivalries."

Interestingly, 58.3 percent of the players polled said they didn't believe the 82-game season was too long, though many felt the preseason should be shortened and several didn't feel the league was particular concerned with player safety amidst talks of expanding to 84 games.

"Sounds like Gary (Bettman) wants to expand even more," a player said. "We have to add more games. Is it too long? Is it very long? Yeah. Especially for the grind of hard skating is, how much toll it takes, the physicality. You look at basketball: They do significant load management for their big guys. They jog around half the game, fire up a couple threes and they're taking load management. Which is wild. And we're grinding through 82. The mentality, shot-blocking—it's not even the same stratosphere."

That's a pretty dramatic understatement on the wear-and-tear that comes with sprinting up and down a hardwood floor or the overall physicality of the NBA game, but it nonetheless speaks to the players overall concerns regarding safety.

After blocking a trade to the Houston Astros in December, Nolan Arenado is reportedly interested in a potential trade to the Boston Red Sox.

Per ESPN's Buster Olney, those close to the St. Louis Cardinals star said he "would really like the idea of going to the Red Sox." According to Olney, Arenado's mindset this offseason is "highly, highly motivated."

The report of Arenado's interest in the Red Sox comes after a Tuesday report from Jon Morosi of MLB Network stating that Boston and St. Louis "had recent communication." Morosi added in that report that "Cardinals' executive Chaim Bloom has close knowledge of Boston's prospects."

Bloom was Boston's chief baseball officer from 2019 to 2023.

The Red Sox have a solid list of prospects they could use in a trade for Arenado. Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter ranks Boston's farm system as No. 13, with star outfielder Roman Anthony and shortstop Marcelo Mayer being some of the most notable names.

The Cardinals appear to be in rebuild mode after going 83-79 and missing the postseason for a second consecutive season in 2024. Meanwhile, the Red Sox seem to be building a roster that can compete for a World Series soon, as they've had a busy offseason thus far.

Adding a veteran like Arenado could help Boston get closer to its dreams of once again being a championship contender.

Arenado, 33, struggled a bit in his fourth season with the Cardinals. He had just 16 homers, 71 RBI, 70 runs and a .719 OPS across 152 games—numbers that are not on par with his usual production. He also posted a .719 OPS, which is his worst since the 2013 season.

While he hasn't lived up to his own standards in St. Louis, getting a change of scenery this offseason could be what Arenado needs at this point in his career. After all, Olney reported that he's "highly motivated."

New York Yankees superstar outfielder Aaron Judge and his wife, Samantha Bracksieck, announced the birth of their daughter, Nora Rose, on Wednesday.

Judge revealed the news of their first child's birth, which occurred on Jan. 27, via Instagram.

Congratulations to Aaron Judge and his wife Samantha on the birth of their daughter, Nora Rose! 🫶

(via thejudge44/IG) pic.twitter.com/uqtFXoDIpw

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) February 5, 2025

"What an incredible week it's been, can't wait for the memories the three of us make," Judge wrote.

On Jan. 25, Judge was honored by the Baseball Writers' Association of America at its annual awards dinner after winning his second MVP award.

However, Judge could not attend the dinner, explaining why in a video message.

“I’m truly grateful and will cherish this moment forever.”

Aaron Judge accepts the 2024 AL MVP Award! pic.twitter.com/VTAq2dXkWK

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 26, 2025

"I'm truly humbled to be accepting the 2024 AL MVP Award," Judge said. "I want to start by apologizing for missing the awards dinner this evening. However, my wife, Samantha, and I are expecting our first child any day and unfortunately could not make it."

"Any day" was on the mark as their daughter was born just two days later.

Per Hannah Sacks of People Magazine, Judge and Bracksieck met at Linden High School (California) before heading to Fresno State. The two were married in Dec. 2021.

After Judge tied Roger Maris' American League record of 61 home runs in 2022 (en route to 62 total), Judge gave much credit his wife for her perseverance and calm nature, per Jaclyn Hendricks of the New York Post.

"My wife has been with me through it all and she's calm as a cucumber, that's for sure," Judge said.

Now the happy couple has welcomed their first child. This will certainly mark a busy time for Judge, as he's set to report for the Yankees' first full spring training workout on Feb. 17.