Sports briefs
Penguins set preseason schedule
The Pittsburgh Penguins will open their six-game preseason schedule against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sept. 27 at PPG Paints Arena. Pittsburgh’s preseason schedule features six games: three at PPG Paints Arena and three on the road.
The Penguins will play the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 1 at KeyBank Center, then return for two home games, Oct. 3 against the Detroit Red Wings and Oct. 5 against the Sabres.
The Penguins will conclude the preseason with road games Oct. 7 at Detroit and Oct. 9 at Columbus.
Television and radio information will be released at a later date.
Gymnastics alternate tests prositive
Kara Eaker, an alternate on the United States women’s gymnastics team, has tested positive for COVID-19 in an Olympic training camp in Japan.
Al Fong, the personal coach for both Eaker and fellow Olympic alternate Leanne Wong, confirmed the positive test in an email to The Associated Press on Monday. The coach said Eaker, 18, was vaccinated against the novel coronavirus two months ago.
Eaker and Wong have been placed in isolation.
The positive test was the latest in a growing line of daily reports of athletes and others testing positive at the pandemic-delayed Olympics. Eaker is the first American to test positive.
- Michael Phelps will be part of NBC’s Olympics coverage as a correspondent and swimming commentator, the network announced Monday.
Phelps – who has won the most medals (28) and gold medals (23) in Olympic history – will call selected swimming events with Dan Hicks and Rowdy Gaines and contribute features as a correspondent during primetime coverage. Phelps, who swam in five Games from 2000-16, did some work for NBC during its coverage of last month’s U.S. swimming trials.
In the NHL
A Nashville Predators prospect has come out as gay, a milestone moment for the sport of hockey as the first player signed to an NHL contract to make that declaration publicly.
Luke Prokop said he was proud to say he is gay. The 19-year-old Canadian who was a third-round pick in the 2020 draft last fall, posted his announcement to Twitter Monday.
“It has been quite the journey to get to this point in my life, but I cannot be happier with my decision to come out,” he said. “From a young age I have dreamed of being an NHL player, and I believe that living my authentic life will allow me to bring my whole self to the rink improve my chances for filling my dreams.”
No active NHL player has come out as gay. Prokop said he hopes his example shows that gay people are welcome in the hockey community.