Five players from Champions Cup finalists Leinster and Saracens comprise the entire shortlist for the EPCR European Player of the Year award.

Leinster's nominees are Sean Cronin, Tadhg Furlong and Garry Ringrose, while Saracens have Alex Goode and Mako Vunipola.

Leone Nakarawa of Racing 92 won in 2018.

The winner will be named following the European Champions Cup final at St James' Park on 11 May.

The chosen player will receive the Anthony Foley Memorial Trophy.

Leinster are seeking to defend the Champions Cup and win it for a fifth time overall.

SPRINGFIELD, Mich. — When you ask a car guy, why he collects cars, the answer is generally because of a dedication to a certain brand or a memory that the car triggers.

For Jeff Begg, it was the love of engineering. Growing up in Michigan with the “Big Three” car manufacturers close by, there was always a car event or race in the area. Begg had many memories of fixing cars to race them later that night or just cruising. It was all this automotive activity that triggered his love of engineering and led to his creating what is now known as the JAB Collection.

Begg went to college for engineering and then went to work for Parker Hannifin as an engineer in the company’s hydraulics division. In 1976, he left and started his own business in the basement of his dad’s veterinary clinic.

His first product was a basic wooden battery box for Clark Forklifts. Begg loved British motorcycles. He would say, “Anyone can have an Indian, but a British bike is special.”

He saw them as engineering marvels and in-turn honored his love of British and unique bikes by naming his companies after them. Marshall Excelsior Company, was the name of his first company, after Excelsior Henderson motorcycles. The company grew forcing him to move out of the basement into a Quonset building next to the in Marshall, Mich.

Pictures, video and an inventory list of the JAB Collection are available from www.vanderbrinkauctions.com, or by calling 605-201-7005. Everything will be sold on June 15.

Begg began producing propane fittings and valves. The Quonset building was a good starting point, but wasn’t the best or prettiest location. Begg was often at odds with the city of Marshall, which owned the building. They saw it as an eyesore and wanted it gone.

Eventually, the city evicted him and in exchange sold him a lot in a nearby industrial park for $1.

In 1999, he built a new building for his business on that same lot.

Begg wasn’t one to draw attention to himself, but through some unusual twists he became known as John Begg, which was his younger brother’s name, in the propane world. He would be at trade shows and his girlfriend would call him Jeff and nobody would know who that was.

Not only did he get a kick out that, he was able to keep some anonymity. It wasn’t till he sold the business in 2017, that he told his brother about the charade.

As the business grew, he acquired more product lines and businesses to better serve his customers. If you ever used a propane tank, one of his fittings, valves or regulators was probably on it. He acquired part of Lincoln Brass Works and named this company after another British Motorcycle — Matchless Valve Company.

Begg was extremely competitive and wanted always to be on the cutting edge. He found out a competing business in town had developed a machine to make similar fittings cheaper. Not backing down or settling for second place, he grabbed one of his engineers and marched into their plant and started taking notes until they were shown the door by security.

If you met Begg on the street, you’d have never known he was a hugely successful business man. Most of the time, he was in tattered or stained clothes driving an old Cadillac. He constantly surrounded himself with books and education.

His mind was going 50 different directions all the time. He had a daughter, Megan, and to be better at “girl time,” he would read gossip mags and learn what she liked. If she liked a particular film, he would learn about it and take her to see it. She was the love of his life and enjoyed spending time with her.

It was crazy, this rough around the edges man would bring her the perfect dress and know everything about it. He was excited to learn he was going to be a grandpa, but sadly died a month before the birth.

Begg lost his wife, Barbara, in 2003. She was an enthusiastic eBay buyer, so he had to close out her affairs. Little did he know that process would start a new love — the thrill of being the “winning bidder.”

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – After sitting out the first portion of the season to focus on his education, Cole Glasson is ready to get back in a race car.

The 18-year-old, who has maintained a 4.0 GPA at Liberty University, will make his second ARCA Menards Series start on May 23 at Charlotte Motor Speedway for Win-Tron Racing.

Glasson’s race car will carry support from Sparrow Ranch on the Island and AM Technical Solutions.

“I’ve been busy focusing on my education, but I’m excited to get back in a race car to compete at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May,” said Glasson. “With summer coming up I knew I wanted to get back to racing, so I can’t thank Kevin Cywinski and Win-Tron Racing enough for having me back for another race.”

Glasson made his ARCA Menards Series debut last year driving for Win-Tron Racing in the season finale at Kansas Speedway. He raced in the top-10 throughout the evening, and was in the top-five late in the race when he ran through some fluid on the track and bounced off the wall.

Despite the damage, Glasson managed to pilot his No. 33 Chevrolet to a 10th-place finish in his first ARCA start. He’ll look to improve upon that finish on May 23 at Charlotte Motor Speedway during the General Tire 150.

In preparation, Glasson is scheduled to take part in the ARCA Menards Series open test at Charlotte on May 7.

“We had such a fast car last year at Kansas,” added Glasson. “We should have finished in the top-five, but that contact with the wall late in the race cost us. I know Win-Tron Racing is capable of preparing incredible race cars and I have no doubt I’ll be able to do that again when we get to Charlotte.”

Between now and his second ARCA start Glasson is going to remain busy. He still has a few weeks left of school before summer vacation starts.

Once he’s out of school for the summer he’ll rejoin Lee Faulk Racing and Development – the same team that he has raced late models for in years past – for a test before he competes at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway on May 11.

“I’ve really missed being in a race car,” Glasson said. “On top of getting to run the ARCA race at Charlotte I also plan to run a few races with LFR in a Late Model when my schedule allows.

“Hopefully I’ll be able to add a few more ARCA races to my schedule this summer, but for now we’re going to focus on Charlotte.”

Win-Tron Racing team owner Kevin Cywinski is excited to have Glasson back on the team after his strong debut last fall at Kansas.

“Cole did an incredible job in his first ARCA race with us last year, so I’m thrilled to welcome him back for another race at Charlotte in May,” offered Cywinski. “We’ll get him up to speed during the open test in a few weeks and based on his effort at Kansas, we’re confident he’ll be competitive again at Charlotte. He’s a smart young man, so we know he’ll do a great job.”

CONCORD, N.C. — Speedway Motorsports Inc. officials announced Thursday that Sonic Financial Corp., a company owned by O. Bruton Smith and his family, has made a non-binding offer to purchase all outstanding shares of SMI common stock.

Smith is the founder and majority stakeholder of SMI, which operates eight tracks holding dates on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule.

The offer is similar in nature to an offer made by NASCAR in November to acquire all outstanding shares of Class A and Class B stock of International Speedway Corp., with the intention of taking that track-operation company private.

If Sonic’s offer of $18 per share is accepted and approved, it would make Speedway Motorsports a privately held company. The offer must be approved by the holders of a majority of the common stock not owned by the Smith family.

SMI’s board has formed a special committee — comprised of Mark M. Gambill, James P. Holden and Tom E. Smith — to consider the Sonic offer.

Of note, Tom E. Smith is not related to Bruton Smith or his family.

Sonic Financial Corp. spelled out reasoning for making its offer in a letter to the SMI Board of Directors.

“As you know, NASCAR racing has faced several challenges in recent years, and the company has been impacted by these challenges,” read the letter. “NASCAR has indicated the sport would benefit from structural change.”

In addition to the approval of a majority of the common stockholders, a special committee of independent and disinterested directors must also approve the sale of stock.

SMI will continue to operate as it has in the past until both conditions are met.

“The company cautions stockholders and others considering trading in its securities that the Board has only received the non-binding proposal letter from Sonic Financial, and no decisions have been made by the Special Committee with respect to the company’s response to the proposal,” read an SMI release.

“There can be no assurance that any definitive offer will be made, that any agreement will be executed or that this or any other transaction will be approved or consummated.”

FRENCHTOWN, N.J. — In racing, there’s always a hot new idea or trend that everyone just has to have.

A new part or chassis design will come along and once someone wins with it, everyone will instantly jump on board. It could be something completely unheard of or something old that’s made its way back around again.

It can be something as simple as the graphic styles on the race car or something more complex like the design of the rear suspension.

Just like anything else in life, it’s all about staying ahead of the curve and paying attention to the trends.

The biggest recent development in dirt modified racing is that J-Bars and 4-links have made their way back into the picture. These are things that some people were winning races with two decades ago.

BOSTON -- Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy is aware that Boston fans sometimes have a love-hate relationship with longtime goaltender Tuukka Rask.

After Rask's resounding Game 7 performance on Tuesday night, Cassidy said: "Hopefully he's converted a few.

"I hope fans recognize what he did tonight. I think you have to, as a fan, acknowledge when a player plays well. I know in this town when you don't, you hear about it -- that's fine, too. But tonight he played well, and hopefully the people get behind him."

Rask stopped 32 of 33 shots as Boston defeated Toronto, 5-1, in Game 7 of their first-round series. It's the second straight year Toronto's season ended in this fashion.

Boston's first three goals were scored by bottom-six forwards -- Joakim Nordstrom, Marcus Johansson and Sean Kuraly -- but the star of the night was Rask, the 32-year-old Finn.

"Hopefully, he can continue to build on his playoff legacy. It's a big Game 7 win," Cassidy said. "I believe he was our best player."

Rask's cap hit is $7 million, which is the fourth-highest among goalies in the league. Despite winning a Vezina Trophy in 2014, leading Boston to consistent regular-season success and long playoff runs, Rask is often polarizing among fans. It began in the 2010 playoffs, when Rask allowed 15 goals in four games as the Flyers became the third team in NHL history to come back from a deficit of 0-3 to win a playoff series.

When asked if a Game 7 will help cement his legacy, Rask said: "The big audience will decide that. I just try to prepare myself the same way every game. It helps with experience, you don't want to get too high or too low."

Rask posted a .928 save percentage in the seven-game series, with a 2.32 GAA.

The Bruins limited Rask's workload this season, thanks in part to strong play from backup Jaroslav Halak. Rask took a brief leave of absence for personal reasons in November and also missed 12 days in January after sustaining a concussion. Rask started only 45 games -- his fewest since becoming Boston's regular starter. It was down from his 53 starts last season and significantly down from his career-high of 67 starts (and 70 appearances) in 2014-15.

"We limited his workload this year and wondered how it was going to affect him in the playoffs," Cassidy said. "And I think tonight, hopefully, we got some residual effects of that."

"The workload hasn't been too much," Rask said. "So I feel fresh."

Rask especially shined in the second period, as Toronto amped up the pressure with 13 shots on goal. "We broke down, we had a tough time getting the puck out of our own zone," Cassidy said. "He was there for us."

Added captain Zdeno Chara: "They were putting a lot of pucks on net, in the slot, a lot of shots, rebounds, and I thought he was in good position and controlling the rebounds and the shots. I thought he was obviously a difference-maker."

Toronto has lost each of its last three Game 7s -- all against the Bruins. No team in Stanley Cup playoff history has lost three straight winner-take-all games to the same opponent. The only other team in NHL, MLB and NBA playoff history to lose three consecutive winner-take-all games to the same opponent is the Pat Riley-led Miami Heat against the Knicks from 1998 to 2000.

The Bruins will now face the Columbus Blue Jackets in the second round, with Game 1 on Thursday night. The Blue Jackets beat the NHL's top-seeded Tampa Bay Lightning in a shocking first-round sweep. Tampa Bay had matched the NHL record for regular-season wins, with 62.

BOSTON -- The Boston Bruins were amped up for Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night -- then got an extra boost late in the first period from a famous fan.

With 4:29 remaining in the first period, the jumbotron at TD Garden panned to New England Patriots wide receiver and Super Bowl LIII MVP Julian Edelman, who chugged a beer with impressive focus. The crowd began roaring -- and apparently the Bruins' bench did, too.

"Julian Edelman chugging a beer was awesome," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said after the game, when asked about the crowd environment. "Probably got everyone fired up -- including us. Good for him."

The Bruins were leading 1-0 at the time, and went on to defeat the Maple Leafs, 5-1, to advance to the second round. It's the second straight year Boston knocked out Toronto in a Game 7.

"We'll return the favor, at some point down the road," Cassidy said of Edelman's chug. "But I thought it was outstanding. That's Game 7 playoff hockey for you, right there."

Edelman was the honorary banner captain for the Bruins before the game, along with Special Olympics Massachusetts athlete Meghan Colby.

As a guest of the Washington Capitals for Game 5 of their first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Redskins linebacker Ryan Kerrigan also chugged a beer on camera. Kerrigan chugged his beer through his shirt -- the same way Capitals winger T.J. Oshie did it for the Capitals' Stanley Cup parade last summer.

San Jose Sharks captain Joe Pavelski had to be helped off the ice in the third period of Tuesday's Game 7 against the Vegas Golden Knights after his head hit the ice after he was cross-checked by Cody Eakin during a faceoff.

Eakin was given a five-minute major and a 10-minute game misconduct.

The incident happened at the 10:47 mark in the third. On a faceoff in San Jose's offensive zone, Eakin cross-checked Pavelski in the chest. Paul Stastny then hit Pavelski as he fell to the ice, with his helmet slamming down.

Pavelski appeared to be knocked out, and blood poured out of his mouth, which was injured after he took a puck to the face while scoring a goal in Game 1.

"You see our leader go down, he's out cold on the ice and it was kind of like he was seizuring up a little bit so tough to see," teammate Logan Couture said.

The officials huddled as a dazed Pavelski was helped to the locker room.

"He's the heart of this team, and to see him go down like that and suffer like that was heartbreaking for us," said center Joe Thornton. "That power-play unit, it won us the game. The boys got together and said this is for Pavs. We love him. It was just a matter of will, and we willed that one for him."

Trailing 3-0 at the time of the penalty, the Sharks rallied behind their captain, thanks to two goals from Logan Couture, one from Tomas Hertl and then the tiebreaker from Kevin Labanc, who assisted on the first three goals. It marked just the second time a team had scored four goals on one major power play in a playoff game.

After Vegas tied the score in the final minute to send the game to overtime, Barclay Goodrow clinched the series for the Sharks, scoring with 1:41 left to give San Jose a 5-4 win.

The Sharks will face Colorado in the Western Conference semifinals.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Jonathan Marchessault stood in the Vegas Golden Knights' locker room after their Game 7 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks, a defeat that ended the second-year franchise's season in astonishing fashion.

He expressed concern for Sharks captain Joe Pavelski, who bled profusely after he tumbled and slammed his head on the ice in the third period. But then Marchessault said, angrily and unequivocally, that the five-minute major penalty to Cody Eakin that resulted from that injury -- during which San Jose erased a 3-0 deficit with four quick power-play goals -- "stole" Game 7 from the Knights.

"It's a f---ing joke. To call five minutes for that? It changed the whole outcome of the game," Marchessault said after a 5-4 loss to the Sharks on Tuesday night. "Like, seriously, what is that? It's so disappointing. The game's not even close. It's 3-0. Call a [two-minute minor]? OK. But a five? For something you don't even see? You just call the outcome. It's a f---ing joke. It's embarrassing. That's what it is."

Here is the Cody Eakin five-minute major for cross-checking on #SJSharks captain Joe Pavelski #VGKvsSJS pic.twitter.com/mEGVgzpcOb

— SiriusXM NHL Network Radio (@SiriusXMNHL) April 24, 2019

In what Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said was "the craziest game I've ever seen," the Knights had a 3-0 lead in the third period with goalie Marc-Andre Fleury stopping everything in sight. A second-round date with the Colorado Avalanche seemed inevitable. But the Sharks had already shown during this series that there are no inevitabilities, rallying from a 3-1 series deficit and earning a Game 7 after a double-overtime win in Vegas.

Midway through the third period, Pavelski won a faceoff from Eakin, who then delivered a cross-check to the Sharks center's chest. Pavelski stumbled backward and collided with Vegas forward Paul Stastny, who knocked him off his skates. Pavelski fell straight to the ice on the right side of his head, his helmet slamming hard, and began bleeding. Brent Burns and other Sharks players surrounded their captain, calling for the training staff. Pavelski eventually sat up, and gingerly skated to the bench, his teammate Joe Thornton pressing a towel against his head. He was eventually helped to the locker room.

Neither of the two referees, Eric Furlatt or Dan O'Halloran, signaled for a penalty as play went on. But as Pavelski was being treated on the ice, a significant call was made: Eakin was given a major penalty for cross-checking and a game misconduct with 10:47 left in the period.

A major penalty for cross-checking, by rule, is "at the discretion of the referee based on the severity of the contact" on the play.

"Furlatt said, 'It looks pretty bad.' If it looks pretty bad, then clearly you did not see it," Marchessault said. "It's a faceoff. It's a push. Probably 50 percent of the faceoffs, players -- if they lose -- they probably give a small cross-check, right? If you want to call the cross-check, fine, call it. It's a cross-check. But seriously, he falls bad. It's unfortunate. Don't get me wrong: I'm a huge fan of Joe Pavelski. And he went down, and I really hope he's OK and he comes back. But that call changes the whole outcome. It changes the whole future of us and the outcome this year. It's a joke. I would be embarrassed if I was them."

The NHL, through a pool reporter at Game 7, issued a statement from series officiating supervisor Don Van Massenhoven: "The referees called a cross-checking penalty for an infraction that caused a significant injury. In their judgment, the infraction and its result merited a major penalty."

Requests by the pool reporter to further clarify which official made the call, or the process behind making it a major penalty, were denied.

Vegas coach Gerard Gallant said after the game that the on-ice officials described a scene that didn't actually occur.

"They said he cross-checked him across the face, and as we all saw, that didn't happen," Gallant said. "There was no high-stick that hit him in the face. When Stastny came out, he fell and banged his head on the ice. That's the unfortunate part of it. It was an awful call. We've all seen it. It's too bad we end up losing because of that because we're in control of the hockey game."

One team's frustration is another team's opportunity, even if the odds were stacked against them. According to MoneyPuck.com, the Sharks had a 1.19 percent chance to win the game when they were given the five-minute major.

But probabilities can't always account for variables, such as how San Jose used the Pavelski injury as a rallying cry on their bench.

"You see our leader go down. He's out cold on the ice, and it kind of looked like he was seizuring up a little bit. So tough to see, man. Real tough to see," Sharks center Logan Couture said. "But you've got to give credit to [Thornton]. As soon as we got to that bench, he said, 'You guys go out and you get f---ing three goals right now.' And I mean, when a guy that's played 20 years orders you around like that, bosses you around, you've got to go do it. So we did. We got four."

Vegas began losing control just six seconds into the penalty kill, as Couture sent a wrister that Fleury whiffed on to make it 3-1. Tomas Hertl followed that at 10:09, a deflection from the slot of an Erik Karlsson point shot, with Fleury completely screened by Timo Meier. Couture struck again at 12:53, and the Knights' lead had evaporated within 3 minutes, 33 seconds. Then it was Kevin Labanc, who earlier in the game was handcuffed by a bouncing puck and missed a gaping open net, converting for the 4-3 lead.

Four minutes and seven seconds of power-play time. Four goals, and a Game 7 lead, thanks to a power play that had been 4-for-25 entering the game. It was the first time all series that a team that had the lead ever trailed in a game in which it held it.

But that's the kind of effort the Sharks mustered when their captain went down.

"He's the heart of this team, and to see him go down like that and suffer like that, it was heartbreaking for us," Thornton said of Pavelski. "That power-play unit won us the game, but you know, the boys, they got together and they said, 'This is for Pav.' So we love him. It was just a matter of will, and we willed that one for him."

The Knights, however, still had a rally of their own, getting a goal from Marchessault with 47 seconds left in regulation with Fleury pulled for an extra skater. The game went to overtime, where both Fleury (43 saves) and San Jose goalie Martin Jones (34 saves) put on respective clinics. But spare forward Barclay Goodrow, on just his second shift of the overtime, scored at 18:19 to eliminate the Knights.

The Sharks became only the second team in NHL history to overcome a three-goal, third-period deficit to win a Game 7, joining the 2013 Boston Bruins.

"They scored four goals on the power play. They came clutch. They feed off the bad call, they come back, 4-3, and get the big goal in overtime. You have to give them credit at some point. They're a great hockey team," Marchessault said.

"But it's embarrassing."

He said this instant classic Game 7 has been tainted, comparing the plight of his team to that of the New Orleans Saints, and the infamous pass interference non-call in the NFC Championship Game that helped the Los Angeles Rams reach the Super Bowl.

"It's the same thing as with that football team. The Saints. It changes the whole outcome," Marchessault said.

"They called a bad call, and look where we are. Summer starts, and it's f---ing five months now until game one of the regular season starts. It's awful. You think we were ready to get our summer going here? We're a great team. It's unbelievable."