MISSISSAUGA, Ontario -- Peel Regional Police confirmed they are investigating a 2014 sexual assault allegation involving eight former Ontario Hockey League players.

TSN/CTV first reported the allegations in October. Peel police said Wednesday their special victims unit is conducting an ongoing investigation into the matter.

In 2014, according to the original report, the then-22-year-old complainant was in a relationship with a 19-year-old Mississauga Steelheads player. The report said that in November of that year, she went over to watch television, and when she got there, eight team members were present.

According to the TSN/CTV report, after she and the player she was dating started getting intimate in a basement bathroom, the other players entered the small room and took turns assaulting her for 90 minutes.

None of the players have been named, and none of the allegations have been tested in court.

The Ontario Hockey League said in October it was taking the allegations "very seriously" and would cooperate with any police investigation.

The Steelheads moved from Mississauga to Brampton in June.

Jordan Greenway is staying in Buffalo after the team re-signed the 28-year-old winger to a two-year contract extension worth $8 million.

Greenway is now under contract with the Sabres through the 2026-27 season. He was previously set to be an unrestricted free agent in July.

A rough-and-tumble veteran who can play the tough minutes in the corners for a playoff contender, Greenway drew interest on the trade market. He was in the final weeks of a three-year deal that carried a salary cap hit of $3 million.

He won't light up the score sheet on any team -- he had only three goals and seven points for the Sabres at the 4 Nations Face-Off break -- but he can be counted on for about 16 minutes per game and is unafraid to drop the gloves and fight an opponent.

The Chicago Blackhawks are a lot closer to being a problem than many would like to believe. With Seth Jones' contract cleared from the books and two premium assets acquired in return after his trade to Florida, Chicago has many key components of a Stanley Cup contender.

The reason they seem far from that description? Many of those components are not of legal drinking age in the United States. Much has been made of Connor Bedard's frustration this season, but he's a 19-year-old phenom who is used to dominating and having team success. This type of losing is new for someone as ultracompetitive as Bedard. Patience is a virtue.

But the potential for Chicago's results to improve quickly is high, especially with the rising NHL salary cap giving the team the ability to sign high-impact free agents to complement Bedard and the rest of the young group.

"You need a lot to win a Cup. To have a puncher's chance, you need an elite center [or two], an elite defenseman, a reliable second pair and good goaltender," an Eastern Conference executive said. "That's a good formula to go on. You can have a lot of good pieces, but if you don't have the key pieces, you're in trouble. The prevailing belief in hockey is that elite talent is hard to come by, unless you draft it."

Based on drafting early in the first round for the past few seasons, the Blackhawks appear to have found what could be a championship core. A former team executive noted that while it's good to be aggressive in free agency, nailing draft picks is the most critical part of team-building.

"It is rare that a Jack Eichel or a Sam Reinhart become available. Look at Tampa. They've made changes, but they don't win a single Cup without the guys they drafted. Stamkos, Hedman, Vasilevskiy, Point, Kucherov and Cirelli. Not just first-round guys, you have to find guys outside the first round, too," the executive said. "[Chicago] have had plenty of top picks and I expect many of those players to be impact players in this league. If they can bring along some of their midround picks, they'll be in business."

BEDARD CHECKS ALL the boxes as an elite center. He's still developing and there's a long way to go until he reaches his potential, but no one should be doubting the centerpiece of Chicago's organization.

Bedard's development this season has been fun to watch. His defensive game will need to improve, but he's starting to put the offensive side of his game together with very little help. Nathan MacKinnon wasn't a point-per-game player until his fifth season. He scored 38 in 64 games during his second season, and Bedard has 49 through 61 through his. Not everyone is going to be Connor McDavid the moment they step into the league, and the Avalanche will be the first to tell you that patience is worth it for players such as MacKinnon and Bedard.

The second piece for a Cup contender is an elite defenseman. With Jones gone, there will be plenty of opportunity for Chicago's young defensemen to get important minutes.

Artyom Levshunov -- the No. 2 pick in 2024 -- has really come along in the AHL this season, and his production is starting to reflect it. The 6-foot-2, right-handed defenseman has recorded 21 points through 48 games, and makes quality defensive plays on a nightly basis. His skating is a tremendous asset, enabling him to track down some of the league's quickest skaters. He's playing major minutes at even strength and on both special teams, and is learning to impose his will on opponents. There is no need to rush him to the NHL because if he continues on this path, there is a real chance he's a staple on Chicago's top pair for a long time.

Looking ahead to the 2025 draft, if Chicago wins the lottery and gets to select No. 1, there's an impact defenseman available. By adding Erie Otters blueliner Matthew Schaefer, my No. 1 prospect, they will be set for more than a decade on the back end. Schaefer is expected to be an elite, all-situations defenseman in the NHL, meaning that Chicago might be looking at the next Cale Makar/Nathan MacKinnon type of dynamic duo.

Pairing Schaefer with Levshunov has the potential to be one of the best tandems in the NHL if both players reach 85% of their projected ceiling. Even without Schaefer, Levshunov is capable of being the elite defenseman that a Cup contender needs.

The third part of the equation is a reliable second pair. Alex Vlasic has shown he's more than capable of playing big minutes and is exactly the type of player you want anchoring the second pair. He's playing admirably on the top pair, and could be a long-term solution with Levshunov. He's signed through 2029-30 with a $4.6 million average annual value -- a great deal for the Blackhawks, given the rising salary cap.

Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro are also contenders to be part of a quality second pair. Del Mastro is holding his own in that spot as a 22-year-old, and could be a shutdown type with his size and skating ability. Korchinski is an excellent skater who can produce points. The 20-year-old is an effective defender in transition and makes quality plays under pressure. His puck-moving abilities should see him become an effective second-pair defender who can score 40-plus points per season, if his defensive zone play continues to improve.

A GOOD GOALTENDER is important, especially in the playoffs. Sergei Bobrovsky, Adin Hill and Andrei Vasilevskiy were standouts for their respective teams in their recent Stanley Cup wins.

Chicago has a few goaltenders in the system who have potential, but the acquisition of Spencer Knight is a major step forward for the organization. He was fantastic in his first start, making 41 saves in a 5-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings.

In his 23-year-old season, Knight has a .912 save percentage in 24 games, good for ninth in the NHL. He's most certainly going to face more difficult shots and scoring chances in Chicago than he did in Florida, but Knight has developed into a solid goaltender. He's capable of being a platoon starter and there is potential for him to become a quality No. 1 in the next two seasons.

Arvid Soderblom has a respectable .906 this season and could be a capable 1B to Knight. Drew Commesso and Adam Gajan are in the system but might be a few years away. Goaltending development is difficult to project, but the more cracks you have at it, the better off the organization will be.

SERIOUS CONTENDERS NEED good players beyond that core group. Chicago has a few young players who are already playing in the NHL, and an extensive group of prospects on the cusp.

• Frank Nazar has potential to be an impactful offensive player. He was over a point-per-game pace in the AHL, and has scored 14 points in 32 NHL games.

• Colton Dach and Lukas Reichel are finding their way as complementary players in the bottom six.

• Oliver Moore, Sacha Boisvert and Nick Lardis could become middle-six forwards for Chicago, with well-rounded offensive toolboxes and in Moore's case, breakneck speed.

• Sam Rinzel is a big defenseman with a solid transition game who could fit nicely on Chicago's bottom pair in the next couple of seasons.

Chicago has the key pieces that many contenders want to have -- and none of them are older than 23. The team is incredibly young, with stocked prospect cupboards that can be used to acquire proven NHL talent via trade.

Not only that, but with the amount of cap space at their disposal, the Blackhawks will be able to go after big-name free agents should the likes of Mitch Marner or Mikko Rantanen be available July 1. There is a real possibility that Chicago is much better next season, especially if it makes a splash in free agency.

If the Blackhawks don't, they still will take a step forward, with eyes on contending for a playoff spot in 2026-27. At that point, Bedard and Levshunov will be 21, Knight will be 25 and whomever they draft in 2025 will be 19 or 20. The window for the Blackhawks hasn't opened yet, but it's coming soon. And when it does, it might be open for a very long time.

The trade deadline for the 2024-25 NHL season is 3 p.m. ET on March 7. But the deals have been flying since the start of the season.

You'll find information on every trade made since Oct. 6 here, including grades on all of the major ones. Follow along all the way through the deadline for the latest moves.

Trades are listed here, with the most recent ones first on the list.

More: Big Board
Contender flaws, solutions
Team-by-team guides
Grades for big trades

March 5

Lightning gets:
C Yanni Gourde, RW Oliver Bjorkstrand, D Kyle Aucoin, 2026 fifth-round pick, retain 50% of Gourde's salary

Kraken get:
C Michael Eyssimont, 2025 second-round pick (TOR), 2026 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick

Red Wings get:
Conditional 2025 fourth-round pick (TB or EDM), retain 25% of Gourde's salary

Grades for the trade

Panthers get:
G Vitek Vanecek

Sharks get:
F Patrick Giles

March 4

Oilers get:
F Trent Frederic, F Max Jones, rights to prospect Petr Hauser

Bruins get:
D Max Wanner, 2025 second-round pick, 2026 fourth-round pick

Devils get:
Rights to prospect Shane Lachance

Grades for the trade

March 1

Panthers get:
D Seth Jones, 2026 fourth-round pick

Blackhawks get:
G Spencer Knight, conditional 2026 first-round pick

Grades for the trade

Wild gets:
RW Gustav Nyquist

Predators get:
2026 second-round pick

Grades for the trade

Avalanche gets:
D Ryan Lindgren, LW Jimmy Vesey, rights to prospect Hank Kempf

Rangers get:
D Calvin de Haan, C Juuso Parssinen, 2025 second-round pick, 2025 fourth-round pick

Grades for the trade

Feb. 27

Wild get:
C Tyler Madden

Kings get:
D Joseph Cecconi

Feb. 26

Predators get:
RW Jesse Ylonen

Lightning get:
C Anthony Angello

Feb. 25

Ducks get:
G Ville Husso

Red Wings get:
Future considerations

Feb. 18

Predators get:
LW Grigori Denisenko

Golden Knights get:
Future considerations

Feb. 13

Blues get:
RW Corey Andonovski

Penguins get:
RW Mathias Laferriere

Feb. 7

Predators get:
D Mark Friedman

Canucks get:
Future considerations

Feb. 3

Hockey Club gets:
C Sammy Walker

Wild gets:
Future considerations

Feb. 1

Stars get:
C Mikael Granlund, D Cody Ceci

Sharks get:
2025 first-round pick, conditional 2025 third-round pick

Grades for the trade

Jan. 31

Canucks get:
LW Drew O'Connor, D Marcus Pettersson

Penguins get:
D Vincent Desharnais, LW Danton Heinen, RW Melvin Fernstrom, 2025 first-round pick (NYR, top-13 protected)

Rangers get:
C J.T. Miller, D Erik Brannstrom, D Jackson Dorrington

Canucks get:
C Filip Chytil, D Victor Mancini, 2025 first-round pick (top-13 protected)

Grades for the trade

Flames get:
LW Joel Farabee, C Morgan Frost

Flyers get:
LW Andrei Kuzmenko, LW Jakob Pelletier, 2025 second-round pick, 2028 seventh-round pick

Grades for the trade

Jan. 27

Islanders get:
D Scott Perunovich

Blues get:
2026 fifth-round pick

Jan. 25

Hurricanes get:
RW Mikko Rantanen, LW Taylor Hall, RW Nils Juntorp

Avalanche gets:
C Martin Necas, C Jack Drury, 2025 second-round pick, 2026 fourth-round pick

Blackhawks get:
2025 third-round pick (CAR)

Grades for the trade

Rangers get:
RW Lucas Edmonds

Lightning gets:
C Ryder Korczak

Jan. 22

Ducks get:
RW Justin Bailey

Sharks get:
LW Pavol Regenda

Jan. 15

Blackhawks get:
D Dmitry Kuzmin

Jets get:
D Isaak Phillips

Dec. 28

Avalanche gets:
C Juuso Parssinen, 2026 seventh-round pick

Predators get:
C Ondrej Pavel, 2027 third-round pick

Dec. 18

Canadiens get:
D Alexandre Carrier

Predators get:
D Justin Barron

Penguins get:
D Pierre-Olivier Joseph

Blues get:
Future considerations

Kraken get:
RW Kaapo Kakko

Rangers get:
D Will Borgen, 2025 third-round pick, 2025 sixth-round pick

Grades for the trade

Dec. 14

Blues get:
D Cam Fowler, 2027 fourth-round pick

Ducks get:
D Jeremie Biakabatuka, 2027 second-round pick

Grades for the trade

Dec. 9

Avalanche gets:
G Mackenzie Blackwood, RW Givani Smith, 2027 fifth-round pick

Sharks get:
G Alexandar Georgiev, RW Nikolai Kovalenko, 2025 fifth-round pick, 2026 second-round pick

Grades for the trade

Dec. 6

Rangers get:
D Urho Vaakanainen, 2025 fourth-round pick

Ducks get:
D Jacob Trouba

Grades for the trade

Canadiens get:
D Noel Hoefenmayer

Oilers get:
RW Jacob Perreault

Nov. 30

Wild gets:
D David Jiricek, 2025 fifth-round pick

Blue Jackets get:
D Daemon Hunt, 2025 first-round pick, 2026 third-round pick, 2026 fourth-round pick, 2027 second-round pick

Grades for the trade

Predators get:
G Justus Annunen, 2025 sixth-round pick

Avalanche gets:
G Scott Wedgewood

Nov. 27

Predators get:
RW Ryder Rolston

Blackhawks get:
Future considerations

Nov. 25

Penguins get:
C Philip Tomasino

Predators get:
2027 fourth-round pick

Nov. 12

Capitals get:
C Lars Eller

Penguins get:
2025 fifth-round pick, 2027 third-round pick

Nov. 10

Kraken get:
RW Daniel Sprong

Canucks get:
Future considerations

Nov. 4

Oilers get:
D Ronnie Attard

Flyers get:
D Ben Gleason

Oct. 31

Hockey Club gets:
D Olli Maatta

Red Wings get:
2025 third-round pick

Oct. 30

Sharks get:
D Timothy Liljegren

Maple Leafs get:
2025 third-round pick, 2026 sixth-round pick

Oct. 6

Avalanche gets:
D Tucker Poolman, 2025 fourth-round pick

Canucks get:
D Erik Brannstrom

The NHL trade deadline is Friday, but a lot of business has already unfolded.

The Avalanche made the shocking decision to trade Mikko Rantanen to Carolina -- and already executed a follow-up deal to shore up depth. The Rangers began their roster reconstruction before Christmas by trading captain Jacob Trouba and 2019 No. 2 pick Kaapo Kakko before making a splash in acquiring J.T. Miller.

And when Seth Jones began voicing his displeasure, Chicago's front office moved quickly -- despite limited leverage -- and completed a deal with Florida, which brought the Blackhawks their new goalie of the future, Spencer Knight. Even the Bruins got started on their retool, trading Trent Frederic on Tuesday.

There are still moves to be made this week, but NHL executives across the league have all echoed one thing: Just wait until the summer. With salary cap projections released for the next three seasons that include sizable jumps, teams are going to feel friskier. Free agency should be a doozy. There could be multiple offer sheets. And "hockey trades" featuring high-profile players are about to be a lot more common.

Agents and front office executives say everyone is settling in to the new financial reality.

So what's in store the next few days? Here are a few trends we're tracking.

Any big splashes left?

The big question on everyone's mind: What is going to happen with Rantanen? The Carolina Hurricanes traded for the 28-year-old on Jan. 24. Like their acquisition of Jake Guentzel last year, the Canes made a move to acquire an unrestricted free agent without an extension in place. But I think Carolina had a different approach this time. With Guentzel, the Canes were too far apart before it was too late. Plus, the Canes said they had intel that they were a team Rantanen was interested in before making the trade. So they made him a sizable contract offer over the 4 Nations break. Rantanen wasn't ready.

Now, look at the situation from Rantanen's perspective. He thought he was going to spend his entire career in Colorado and the trade left him completely shell shocked. Rantanen barely got any time with the Canes before the 4 Nations break. The winger is methodical, and he's viewing it as a two-step process: Does he want to sign in Raleigh? And if so, what does that contract look like? At the time of the offer, he was still on Step 1. And free agency is now just four months away.

Many teams are wondering whether Carolina -- never afraid to do the brash and unexpected -- would flip Rantanen, considering how much it gave up to acquire him. If Carolina double-retained, a team could have Rantanen for just over $2 million for the rest of the season. There would be plenty of takers.

However, Rantanen hasn't told Carolina no. If the Canes get any indication he doesn't want to re-sign with them at all, they would recalculate. If it's still up in the air, my gut says the Canes keep Rantanen and bet that he'll help them get over the playoff hump and ultimately decide Carolina is where he wants to play.

Sidney Crosby's name is going to surface in rumors as long as the Pittsburgh Penguins are out of the playoff picture. We all know Crosby cares about winning and wants a more realistic shot at the Stanley Cup. However, I also know Crosby understands what he signed up for when he inked a two-year extension in September. Pittsburgh has some retooling to do, and for now, Crosby appears committed to that journey.

And then there is Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand, who becomes a free agent this summer. Boston is beginning its retool, and seems to be listening on a lot of players. I'm not sure anyone outside of David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy is safe. Marchand has been steadfast that he wants to remain in Boston. The Bruins want that too -- just at the right price and term -- and have been negotiating with his camp all season. The sense around the league is that Marchand will stay in Boston, though it's not guaranteed.

The wild card, as always, is the Tampa Bay Lightning. By nature, GM Julien BriseBois always wants to go for it -- and to go for the unexpected, though forwards seem to be the area of focus. Placing veteran Cam Atkinson on waivers on Tuesday could foreshadow new flexibility. The Lightning don't have a first-round pick in the 2025 draft, but the consensus among executives is that the 2026 class is deeper.

And if there's a team that's going to make an unexpected splash, keep an eye on Vegas. The Golden Knights are always all-in.

The East is wide open

Many East teams have referred to 2025 as a sellers' market. There are eight teams within six points of the wild-card spots. Every time I talk to executives in that mix, they feel the spots are up for grabs and anyone could emerge. But that also means few feel confident about going all-in.

As of Tuesday, New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes was still getting second opinions on his upper-body injury and the best course of treatment. Either way, he's expected to be out for a bit. Before the injury, the Devils were buyers -- looking to shore up center and forward depth. I expect them to still look at forwards, especially ones that could help their biggest issue: 5-on-5 scoring. But given the circumstances I now think they could be in on rentals, too.

The New York Rangers are in a gray area. They've already made a handful of trades, the latest a deal with the Avs in which they unloaded Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey in return for Juuso Parssinen, Calvin de Haan and second- and fourth-round picks in this year's draft. I'm also told there are several teams in on UFA Reilly Smith, who remains sidelined until a deal is complete. However, the Rangers refuse to wave the white towel, which is why they've brought in roster replacements as part of their deals. Even though GM Chris Drury signaled he didn't feel his opening-night roster could win it all, a spot in the postseason, and that all-important playoff revenue, is still attainable in a season of transition. New York is likely to be very active this summer. Look for the team to take big swings.

Lou Lamoriello is extremely patient. He always has been. This season, Lamoriello waited as long as possible to make a decision on which direction the Islanders are headed. All season, other teams have told me they expect pending UFAs Brock Nelson (the top center available) and Kyle Palmieri to be available. But it's never official until Lou says it is. Nelson's postgame interview with Shannon Hogan on Tuesday -- in which he got emotional -- led me to believe he's processing the reality that his Islanders tenure could be coming to an end.

The Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators are itching to take the next step in their rebuilds. Detroit has looked at defensemen. The Senators have looked at depth forwards. I think both would like to add and give themselves a chance here.

Some teams aren't going to trade for the sake of trading

The Capitals have been the darlings of the Eastern Conference this season. The word I got was that they weren't going to tinker for the sake of tinkering. They know they hit on some good hockey trades and are open to more. (The common theme for players Washington has brought in recently: They're all in their mid-20s.) However, there's no need to fuss with what has been a terrific season. Now that Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren are re-signed, Washington has seven pending UFAs. GM Chris Patrick has had conversations with all of their representatives, but even if they're not close on a contract -- sounds like there's mutual interest between Jakob Chychrun and the team, but still work to be done -- I don't expect any to get traded. There is also possible movement for Ethan Bear, who has been playing very well for Hershey of the AHL. With Dylan McIlrath and Alexander Alexeyev sitting as scratches on the big roster (the Caps have remained very healthy), Bear's path appears blocked. If there's an NHL opportunity for Bear, Washington could make a move to facilitate that.

Every time I've talked to Philadelphia Flyers GM Danny Briere over the past two seasons, he reiterates that the team is in building mode. Once again, there has been interest in defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen and center Scott Laughton. As coach John Tortorella mentioned, if they trade Ristolainen, who is replacing the big, right-shot defenseman? Philadelphia would make a move only if the return is right. Same goes for Laughton, a heart-and-soul player who has told the Flyers that he'd like to stay. Laughton responded to the trade rumors with a cheeky photo on social media in which he used a recent team dinner to recreate "The Last Supper." There has been much more interest in Laughton, though the Flyers will make a move only if it makes sense for them. (I think a first-round pick would be enticing.)

Chicago Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson said he felt less pressure than in years past to get a first-round pick at this deadline, though he did pick one up in the Jones trade -- giving them nine picks across the first and second rounds over the next two years. Chicago is likely to move Ryan Donato, considering there's a ton of interest. The Blackhawks also may try to find a new home for Petr Mrazek, now that they have Knight. But other than that, the next few months are all about giving their young players the right exposure and development. Then, expect Chicago to be a big player over the summer. The Blackhawks can't have another season like this one. It's time to get going.

Plans have changed for a few teams

When the Columbus Blue Jackets opened training camp in September, GM Don Waddell had an idea of what his trade deadline would look like: sell, sell, sell. Big picture, the team is in building mode, and this season was going to be a challenging one as they grieved the unimaginable loss of Johnny Gaudreau. The season opened, and the injury bug was relentless: Sean Monahan, Boone Jenner, Kent Johnson, Erik Gudbranson, the list goes on and on. Through it all, Columbus has persevered and finds itself in the playoff picture. And it has created a conundrum.

Waddell told me he couldn't fall asleep last week as he contemplated what to do. In any other season, he'd stick to the plan and sell, because he knows this team isn't realistically a Stanley Cup contender. But he's not sure that's the right thing to do. How could he remove any players from a locker room that has created such a special bond? The Jackets signed Mathieu Olivier, who would have been an attractive target, to an extension Wednesday morning. Ivan Provorov, a pending UFA, is the player Waddell is getting the most calls on. Waddell isn't sure he'll be able to re-sign Provorov; he'll continue to try again this week. Unless it's an offer Waddell can't refuse, there's a good chance Provorov stays. And there's a good possibility the Blue Jackets add, too. They've been scouting for forward depth.

The Dallas Stars got going on their business early, acquiring Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci, out of necessity. They had injuries -- especially on the blueline ahead of 4 Nations -- and they had holes to fill. They're not necessarily done. Miro Heiskanen and Tyler Seguin are out long term, and their timelines remain unclear. Dallas has room to add complementary pieces. Keep in mind, though, that this is a front office that drafts extremely well -- and it has already traded away its 2025 first-, second- and fourth-round picks.

The Florida Panthers were poised to have a quiet trade deadline. Yes, they're going for it again, but they didn't have a ton of assets to give up. Then Seth Jones became available, and he answered their need on the right side of the blue line. And now, Matthew Tkachuk is out for the rest of the regular season with an injury he sustained at 4 Nations. With cap space to play with, everyone around the league is betting on the Panthers bringing on someone else as well.

No matter who they bring in, the question for Dallas and Florida: Will Heiskanen or Tkachuk be available for Day 1 of the playoffs?

Lyon coach Paulo Fonseca has been suspended for nine months by the French Professional Football League (FLP), following his confrontation with referee Benoit Millot during his team's recent 2-1 Ligue 1 victory over Brest.

The FLP said in a statement on Wednesday that Fonseca will be barred from accessing the bench, the officials' dressing- rooms, and participating in any official functions before, during, or after matches until Nov. 30.

Fonseca was sent off deep into stoppage time for angrily reacting to a potential Brest penalty.

After being red-carded, an irate Fonseca then confronted Millot and leaned in very close to his face before being pushed away by Lyon captain Corentin Tolisso. Fonseca tried to confront the referee a second time and was restrained by a couple of Lyon players.

Lyon said they were concerned by the severity and rapid sanction imposed on Fonseca.

They criticised the decision, saying that the manager was not judged solely on his actions, which they described as an emotional reaction without intent to harm the referee.

"In light of a sanction that seems to have been dictated by the negative context affecting French refereeing, [Lyon] announced that it is studying all possible avenues of appeal," the Ligue 1 club said in a statement.

The Portuguese coach apologised after the incident.

"I just want to say that I'm sorry for what I did. I should not do it," Fonseca told broadcaster DAZN. "Maybe we do things that are not right. I'm sorry."

The handball decision itself then went to VAR and a penalty was not given.

Millot said Fonseca's behavior was unacceptable.

"He rushed toward me with an intimidating attitude and I decided to send him off directly," he told sports daily L'Équipe. "There was, it seems, a slight contact with the nose. [It was] a particularly intimidating, aggressive attitude, which one can hardly imagine from a professional coach."

The French referees' union said last week its members would exercise their right to resign if they or their families were in danger after a match official faced an "outpouring of hatred" following comments made by Marseille president Pablo Longoria.

Information from Reuters contributed to this report.

MUNICH -- Manuel Neuer is a major doubt for Bayern Munich's Champions League round of 16 second-leg against Bayer Leverkusen after injuring himself celebrating Jamal Musiala's goal in a 3-0 first-leg win at the Allianz Arena.

Former Germany No. 1 Neuer, 38, was replaced by recent signing Jonas Urbig, who made his Bayern debut as a consequence, after appearing to hurt his calf after an over-exuberant response to Musiala's second-half goal.

Neuer was unable to continue and Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said his team will have to cope without the experienced keeper if the injury rules him out of next Tuesday's return leg.

"In this moment, I have no news about Manuel," Kompany said. "But it's true that when he celebrated the goal, he injured himself. It looks like his calf, but we will have to see now.

"I don't want to put too much pressure on Jonas [Urbig] or Manu. We have had times without Harry Kane, Musiala and Joshua Kimmich this season and we have also played without Manuel, so we will just have to do it without him again.

"We have talent in our team to continue. This was Jonas's debut and you could have easier matches of course, but in the first months with us, he seems really calm and controlled in his actions."

Bayern will travel to Leverkusen next Tuesday with one foot in the quarterfinals, but Kompany said the tie is still not over.

"We played well for one half, not of the game, but of the tie," he said. "In the second-half, in Leverkusen, we have to play the same way."

Alisson Becker has said his outstanding display in goal that helped Liverpool earn an unlikely 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday was possibly the best performance of his life.

Liverpool's No. 1 made nine saves to deny a rampant PSG side a deserved three points in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie before Harvey Elliott's 87th-minute winner gave Liverpool a narrow lead ahead of the return fixture at Anfield next week.

PSG have been in inspired form of late and fancied their chances of troubling Arne Slot's side who were uncharacteristically toothless on the night, but the hosts' vaunted attack that featured Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia could not find a way past the Liverpool goalkeeper.

Asked whether he felt it was his best performance of the season so far, Alisson told TNT Sports: "Yeah, probably of my life I think ... The manager was telling us how hard it would be to play against PSG, how good they are with the ball. We have to be ready to suffer. So when you see the clips as well from the opponent to know what is coming, so much quality on their side. But we as well, we work hard."

Alisson's nine saves were the most by a goalkeeper who also kept a clean sheet in a Champions League game this season.

"All the effort the team puts in and at the end, like Harvey coming in and scoring the goal, it's unbelievable," Alisson continued. "A great story for us, A great night."

Slot was full of praise for his goalkeeper after Liverpool's unlikely win in Paris.

"I don't think I've worked with a goalkeeper who has played at this level, which is normal [because] he is the best in the world," Slot said. "I've had some very good players as a manager, but I've never had the best goalkeeper in the world, and that I think he is. He showed that today."

Goalscorer Elliott praised his teammates after he provided the game's pivotal moment with his first touch, 47 seconds after he was introduced from the bench.

"It was full credit to the team to be honest," Elliott said. "You can see they've become a little bit tired towards the end, speaking about PSG, and that was due to the team's work rate, they were creating many chances, PSG, but obviously thanks to this man [Alisson] and the defence [we won]. It was a very solid game defensively, I thought, and it's just down to me to put the opportunity away and thankfully it went in."

Information from ESPN's Global Sports Research contributed to this report