Iain Henderson has taken over from fellow Ireland forward Rory Best as skipper of Pro14 side Ulster.

The versatile 27-year-old, who is currently in Ireland's World Cup training squad, has represented his home province on 105 occasions.

"I'm incredibly proud and excited to be appointed as club captain," he said.

"I had a good chat with [Ulster coach] Dan McFarland and I think we're closely aligned in terms of how we see Ulster moving forward."

Henderson has won 44 international caps and played in four of Ireland's games during the Six Nations Grand Slam success of 2018, while he also featured in 2014 and 2015 Championship wins.

His excellent form at club and international level was rewarded with a call up to the British & Irish Lions tour of New Zealand in 2017.

"When I've captained Ulster on previous occasions, it's been made a lot easier because of the presence of a number of great leaders around me," added Henderson.

"Our squad has a very low age profile and one of the most exciting things for me is seeing the hunger within the group and the players' desire to improve."

McFarland said Henderson "has demonstrated his ability to command respect through his professionalism and talismanic play".

He added: "Iain has a deep love for his province. He understands exactly what it means to wear the Ulster jersey and this rubs off on those around him."

It has been quite a World Cup journey for Merthyr coach Dale McIntosh.

Four years ago he filled a 2015 World Cup security role, looking after the Wales, France and Argentina squads at the Vale of Glamorgan resort.

McIntosh will travel to the 2019 edition in Japan as the Namibia defence coach.

McIntosh will link up with Welshman and his former Cardiff Blues boss, Phil Davies, as Namibia face the daunting prospect of trying to stop reigning champions New Zealand and South Africa in their pool.

The 49-year-old admits life has changed following his departure from Blues in June 2015.

"My reaction probably would have been disbelief if you had told me then I would be in this situation now, but I always backed myself as a coach," said McIntosh.

"I had been coaching the Blues and it was tough when I left. I took a bit of a kick in the guts. I learned from that, don't regret my time and came away a better person.

"During the last World Cup I was doing security - I was looking after Wales, France and Argentina down the Vale.

"It was different and I enjoyed it. The Welsh squad were my mates, so I was looking after my friends and that was easy.

"I had spent time in the Welsh camp as an invited guest before so it was no surprise to see they were so well organised.

"It was interesting to learn the different cultures of the teams. I saw things I would have not before and was able to measure sides against each other.

"I took a lot from that experience in relation to where I went as a coach and can take a bit of that into this tournament."

McIntosh says "it is an honour" to be involved in the World Cup in Japan after being granted time away by his club side Merthyr, where he will return after the tournament.

Namibia are not expected to win a game in a pool which features the All Blacks, Springboks, Canada and Italy.

Defence coach is perhaps the hardest role of all, but McIntosh says he is not going there to make up the numbers.

"It was not something I had to think over for a long time," he said.

"It's a great achievement to say to your grandkids you have coached in a World Cup.

"It is an opportunity for myself and Merthyr to have one of their coaches at the World Cup. That is unheard of.

"I realise it is a massive challenge but life is about challenges.

"I back myself as a person and coach. We won't reinvent the wheel but will look at minimal changes and areas we can improve.

"The main thing is to get better but personally I would like to win a game. I know how extreme that statement is in a group that includes New Zealand and South Africa, but that's the type of person I am. I don't go anywhere to be second.

"So I don't want it just to be a nice experience. I don't want to be an outsider from Wales who just went there to jump on the World Cup bandwagon. I want people to say he came in and made a difference."

McIntosh has become an adopted Welshman since arriving from New Zealand in 1989 as a teenager and never returning home.

He achieved cult hero status as a no-nonsense number eight with Pontypridd, acquiring the nickname 'Chief', and won two caps for Wales in 1996 and 1997 after qualifying on residency.

But McIntosh admits coaching against his native New Zealand could top the lot as he recalls the inaugural 1987 tournament which the All Blacks won on home soil.

"I will be very proud," said McIntosh.

"My family didn't know where Namibia is in relation to the world map but they don't really care.

"They definitely know where it is now.

"They will be watching on television and will be proud. The All Blacks is all that I lived for in relation to sport. Every time you are playing the All Blacks, you are playing your World Cup final.

"I have huge memories of the 1987 World Cup when I was about 16.

"My childhood hero was Wayne 'Buck' Shelford and he was a massive contributor to that World Cup win and also to New Zealand and Maori rugby."

McIntosh and Davies will be among a string of Welsh coaches at the World Cup, where they will be joined by Lyn Jones and Shaun Connor (Russia) and Kingsley Jones and Gruff Rees (Canada).

It is quite a contrast to domestic rugby, with no homegrown head coach at any of Wales' four regions.

"The talent is there but regional rugby is a tough business," said McIntosh.

"I don't think there is enough trust and faith in some of the Welsh coaches.

"I don't blame the regions, but there is a tendency to look outside when there are some good coaches here in Wales."

Wasps back-row forward Brad Shields has left England's World Cup training camp in Italy after injuring ligaments in his foot.

The New Zealand-born player, who won eight caps and featured in England's Six Nations squad, had been tipped to make the final World Cup squad.

Eddie Jones' side are in Treviso for intensive training before a warm-up game game against Wales on 11 August.

Harlequins' Alex Dombrandt will replace Shields in the squad.

The World Cup takes place in Japan from September to November, with Jones set to finalise his World Cup party the day after the game with Wales at Twickenham.

England will also play Wales in Cardiff and Ireland at Twickenham, before their final pre-World Cup game against Italy in Newcastle on 6 September.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Steve Earwood, who in 1992 realized a lifelong dream with his purchase of Rockingham Dragway, was recognized Tuesday on the floor of the North Carolina General Assembly for his contributions to the state, Richmond County and the city of Rockingham.

Senate President Pro-Tem Phil Berger and State Senator Tom McInnis presented Earwood a certificate of acknowledgement expressing appreciation and gratitude for his 27-year stewardship of the track located on U.S. Highway 1 north of Rockingham.

“It was an honor to have Steve Earwood at the North Carolina General Assembly to recognize him for his contributions to drag racing and Richmond County,” Senator McInnis said. “During (his) ownership of the track, hundreds of millions of dollars have been brought to and invested in North Carolina.”

RELATED: Steve Earwood: Running ‘The Rock’

The 2016 recipient of the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame’s Founder’s Award, Earwood also is a member of both the East Coast Drag Racing Hall of Fame and the NHRA Southeast Division Hall of Fame.  He is a founding member of the North Carolina Motorsports Association and has served on the Governor’s Motorsports Advisory Council.

After directing NHRA’s national media program for eleven seasons as Media Relations Director, Earwood was Marketing Vice-President at Billy Meyer’s Texas Motorplex outside Dallas and Vice-President and General Manager of Atlanta Dragway before buying Rockingham.

Under his direction, the NHRA Winston Invitational, which was contested at the track from 1992 through 1998, became the most successful All-Star event in drag racing history leading, in 1994, to his acceptance of the NHRA’s Man of the Year Award in the Southeast region.

His tireless effort to keep the track viable in an ever-changing marketplace and to promote Carolina tourism also led to his acceptance, in 2010, of Richmond County’s Citizen of the Year award.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – DGR-Crosley announced Thursday that dirt modified racer Kyle Strickler will drive the team’s No. 54 Toyota Tundra entry in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Eldora Dirt Derby at Eldora Speedway.

“I’m really excited for the opportunity to work with David [Gilliland] and the guys at DGR-Crosley,” said Strickler. “I feel like things are coming full circle. My first job in NASCAR was working in a fab shop for a team that David was racing for. He won that year in Kentucky, and that win helped propel him into the Cup Series. So, to say it’s cool that I now have a shot at winning for David is an understatement.”

A regular in a dirt late model, Strickler recently ran in Eldora Speedway’s Dirt Late Model Dream where he started on the pole, led for more than 40 laps before earning two top-15 finishes. Strickler is also a two-time World Short Track Champion at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.

Although he races dirt late models full time, Strickler does have one Truck Series start, which occurred last season at Eldora. In his lone Truck Series start, he was involved in an accident that relegated him to a 31st place finish.

“DGR-Crosley has a lot of really great people within their organization – many of them with a lot of dirt racing experience,” Strickler remarked. “Knowing that I’m going to Eldora in top-notch equipment is a great feeling. The dirt racing community has been so supportive and excited for me to get this opportunity. I’ve had a bunch of individual chip in to make this possible, and I can’t thank everyone enough.”

Jerovetz Shock Service, Donaldson Grading, JRS Competition Finishes, Canady’s Pest Control, Glen Miller Demolition and G-Style Transport have all partnered with Strickler for Thursday’s event.

Strickler will have veteran Crew Chief Frank Kerr coaching from atop the pit box. Kerr, a retired sprint car driver, has won four track championships at Eldora Speedway, four All-Star championships and five Ohio Speed Week championships.

“It’s really awesome that Kyle is racing for us at DGR-Crosley,” said Kerr. “I worked with him a lot early in his modified career, and we won a lot of races together. I’m excited to be reunited with him and work with him on the NASCAR side at Eldora, a track that means a lot to me personally. I think Kyle is going to do a great job.”

IRWINDALE, Calif. – The second appearance this year at Irwindale Speedway by the SPEARS Southwest Tour super late model series and touring SPEARS Modified Series presented by Lucas Oil took place Saturday.

Derek Thorn, 33, won a $25,425 SWT non-stop 100-lap feature.

It was the second time R.J. Allen Inc. presented by Pinnacle Peak Steakhouses sponsored a SPEARS race at the Irwindale Speedway banked half-mile. About 5,000 spectators watched the touring drivers display amazing racing skills on a mid-70s evening. No drivers were lapped until late in the race and 23 of 26 starters finished on the lead lap.

Thorn, the four-time SPEARS SRL and two-time NASCAR K&N West champion from Bakersfield, is the SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour series all-time most prolific main event winner with 39. It was his fourth SPEARS Southwest Tour triumph at Irwindale and his third victory in five Spears SRL point races at five speedways this season. He won the $5,000 winner’s bonus from Performance Friction Brakes.

Dylan Cappello, a past Lucas Oil Modified champion and Irwindale feature winner, won the 80-lap modified main. It was divided into two 40-lap segments. The overall winner was the driver with the best combined finishes in both segments. Cappello, from Peoria, Ariz., became a back to back SPEARS Modified 2019 feature winner. He also is the fourth different winner in six series point races this season.

Cappello, driving the No. 11c STR chassis as usual, finished second in a 15-car opening 40-lap race won by fastest qualifier Christian McGhee. Cappello won the second 40 in an exciting, lead-swapping duel with newlywed Ryan Partridge, an Irwindale multi-series champion and winner of 60 IS main events.

The third class on the all-touring series program was the Southwest Tour Trucks. Nine drivers raced a 30-lap main event slotted between the two modified 40-lap races. The Southwest Tour 100-lap feature concluded racing at 10:38 p.m. Unusual events, including a medical emergency in the grandstand and several red flags to clear the track after wrecks, delayed racing during the evening.

Ironically, the SPEARS doubleheader winners on March 23 were not present. Preston Peltier, from Colorado, won the Southwest Tour race and Trevor Cristiani, rom Boise, Idaho, won the modified feature. Cristiani is now racing at speedways closer to his Idaho home. The No. 18 raced by Peltier in March was not present.

SWT 100: The eight fastest qualifiers in a 26-car field drew for starting positions in the first four rows. Linny White and Dylan Lupton occupied the pole and outside row one. Following in order were Kyle Neveau, Craig Raudman, Trevor Huddleston, point leader Cole Moore, Bobby Hodges and Thorn.

Lupton led the first seven laps. White, Huddleston and Thorn traded second place from laps two through five. Thorn used an inside pass in turn four on lap 8 and officially led through lap 100. He won by 6.496 seconds over White, who drove Earl Robbins’ No. 99.

Point leader C. Moore, the 2018 Southwest Tour rookie of the year, finished .001 seconds behind White and collected $1,250. He expanded his series point lead (eight points) after second and third ranked drivers finished outside the top-10. P. 4 Neveau was 7.432 seconds off the lead and earned $1,000. John Moore, father of the point leader, placed fifth, 14-seconds in back of the winner. The top five finishing cars went to post-race tech inspection and passed.

Blaine Rocha, three-time NASCAR Whelen Series track and California champion Huddleston, SPEARS 14-year old rookie and open-wheel rising star Jesse Love, 2015 NASCAR K&N West champion Chris Eggleston and Keith Spangler completed the top-10.

The 56-minute race averaged only 53.287 mph because of five yellow flags and a 10-minute red flag on lap 79 to clear wreckage from a two-car crash near turn one.

MODIFIEDS 1ST 40: Fastest qualifier Christian McGhee made his first start in Cristiani’s March 23 Irwindale winning No. 24 modified. The eight fastest qualifiers drew for starting positions in the first four rows. McGhee started third. Cappello started second and led the first 27 laps.

Ninth starter Travis Thirkettle, a past IS champion, led lap 28 after battling for the lead with Cappello from lap 20. Cappello led lap 29 with Ryan Partridge and Thirkettle trading second place a length behind the leader. On lap 31 Thirkettle’s car got into Partridge, who spun and drove to the infield work area. Under caution, Thirkettle also went to the work area with a flat right front tire.

McGhee passed Cappello for the lead on the lap 31 restart and led the final ten laps. He edged Cappello by 1.354. Jeremy Kay, Ryan Schartau and rookie Kyle Keller, 14, from Las Vegas, completed the top five in a 20-mintue event. Partridge returned from the work area four laps down and placed 13th. Cody Kay dropped out on lap 31 with damage.

MODIFIEDS 2ND 40: The first seven finishers in the first 40 were inverted by finishing positions for the second 40. Doug Carpenter and William Guevara were on the front row. Two cars were unable to start, so 13 cars took the green flag at 8:34 p.m. Guevara led the initial three laps. Sixth starter Cappello led laps 4-16. Tenth starter Partridge led laps 17-35 after charging past Cappello on the inside approaching the third turn. He drove his own No. 9 Racecar Factory-built car sponsored by Sunrise Ford.

The entertaining Partridge-Cappello duel continued with Partridge on the outside and Cappello inside. That was a reversal of their track positions when Cappello was leading. On lap 36 Cappello shot past Partridge on the inside at turn four and took the lead for good. Cappello opened a ten-yard advantage during the closing laps and beat Partridge by .762.

The second modified 40 had four yellow flags for spins or debris and one red flag on lap three for a multi-car crash. Keller spun high in turn three and involved Jerry Toporek, whose car hit the third turn wall and had to be towed to the pits. The crash also sidelined first 40 winner McGhee, ending his chance for the overall victory.

The final caution flag on lap 34 involved the brothers Kay, from Reno. Cody was third and younger brother Jeremy was fourth when he hit Cody Kay’s ex-No. 51A series championship car of Austin Barnes. Cody spun into the fourth turn infield grass. Jeremy was penalized to the back by Spears officials for causing the incident. Both Kays returned, charged forward from the back during the final seven laps, and finished in the top five.

Third through ninth place drivers completed 40 laps. Guevara, C. Kay, J. Kay, Carpenter, rookie Travis McCullough, Jeff Longman and Keller all finished within 6.029 seconds of winner Cappello, who ran the fastest lap of 19.290 (93.313 mph).

Max McLaughlin is gearing up for Friday’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series event at Iowa Speedway, where he’ll have a unique pit crew helping him chase his first series victory.

LEXINGTON, Ohio – Turn 3 Motorsport will make its debut in the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires this weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with driver Antoine Comeau.

The rookie team is led by Peter Dempsey, a nine time race winner and previous vice champion of the Star Mazda (now known as Indy Pro 2000) Championship.

In addition to competing in the Road to Indy, Dempsey has worked as a driver coach and engineer across the ladder series over the past several years. Working alongside Dempsey at T3M is Emanuel Talquenca who has been a part of the ladder series for many seasons as a mechanic, crew chief, and engineer. The pair have worked together previously to achieve multiple race wins and championship titles in the Indy Pro 2000 Championship, bringing multilevel skills and experience to the team’s new venture.

“It’s great to be back to being a part of the Road to Indy ladder,” said Team Owner Peter Dempsey. “Antoine (Comeau) has been working really hard over the past year to adapt to the Indy Pro 2000 car. We had a very successful test here at Mid-Ohio a few weeks ago, and I’m really looking forward to using that as a platform to keep improving throughout the weekend.”

“Antoine has done a fantastic job in the Radical Cup this year,” continued Dempsey. “Joining the Indy Pro 2000 series presents a new challenge for him. We are looking to build on this weekend and finish out the rest of the 2019 season with the goal of competing in a full season campaign in 2020.”

Comeau, a Radical Cup North America champion and the current series points leader, has been testing the Tatuus PM-18 over the past several months in preparation for his entry into the Indy Pro 2000 Championship.

By the end of the summer, this is what the typical St. Louis Blues player will have done:

• You hoist the Stanley Cup for the franchise's first time before walking through a car wash's volume of champagne and beer in the dressing room, and then having an all-night celebration with teammates.

• A few hazy days later, you attend a parade in your honor, as hundreds of thousands of St. Louis neighbors flood the streets to acknowledge your accomplishment and general greatness.

• You travel to Vegas with teammates, where the Stanley Cup becomes a Sin City skeleton key, unlocking doors that many a bachelor party had tried and failed to break down with a battering ram.

• After a few days, you arrive back in your small hometown (based on the percentages, in Canada) where family and friends treat you with the awe and reverence of an astronaut who just splashed down back to Earth after walking on Mars. The town organizes a day in your name, featuring parades and packed auditoriums and photo opportunities with the Stanley Cup, which you later use to both feed chow to your dog and ice cream to your cousins, though not at the same time.

• You text a photo of you sleeping next to the Cup to everyone you've ever known or met tangentially, and briefly make it your Tinder profile shot.

• After all of this, you actually get to exhale in a way 30 other teams of players never get to this summer, because for a brief moment you can take solace in the notion that you lived the dream instead of wondering what might have been, like the rest of those losers.

So tell me: Who wouldn't want to feel all of that again a year from now?

Ask anyone who has won the Cup about getting back there again. The response amounts to being awakened from the greatest reverie and dedicating every living moment to return to euphoria. The Blues are, we imagine, no different. The desire will be there.

The question is whether this team has the stuff to win back-to-back Stanley Cups.

As it stands, the Blues are ranked sixth in the latest ESPN NHL Power Rankings. They are tied for sixth with the Dallas Stars at 14-to-1 to win the Stanley Cup next season, per the Caesars sportsbook. (The Tampa Bay Lightning, who didn't win a game in the playoffs last season, are naturally No. 1 in both.) This is around what you'd expect for a defending champion that returns most of its roster: The Washington Capitals were at 14-to-1 last summer.

And they lasted one round in last season's playoffs.

What about the Blues? Can they do it again? Here are some reasons to believe, and reasons to doubt, that we'll hear "Gloria" played on the last night of the 2019-20 season:

The Blues won't repeat because it's really, really hard to repeat. The Pittsburgh Penguins' back-to-back championships in 2016 and 2017 were the only ones of the salary-cap era and the first since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998. Previously, back-to-back wins were actually commonplace: In that dynastic period from 1974 through 1992, it happened 10 times. Then the NHL grew from 21 teams to 31 teams, talent was no longer consolidated and was further dispersed by the salary cap, while the postseason remained at 16 teams.

Oh, and teams that repeat do so after playing more meaningful hockey in a year than many of them ever have before, and being asked to win that war of attrition a second time. In the Blues' case, it's after having played some of the "heaviest" hockey in the NHL last season, and basically having a playoff pace from January on after the early-season ditch they dug for themselves.

The Blues will repeat because, on average, teams that win the Stanley Cup return with strong follow-up seasons. From 1998 to 2017, and excluding the lockout years, teams that won the Cup have averaged 102.5 points in the standings in the next season. That would have won the Central Division last season.

The Blues won't repeat because they were lightning in a bottle. You know the drill by now: The Blues were dead last in the NHL on Jan. 3, and then rallied with a new coach and a hot goalie to earn a playoff spot -- a run that included a 10-game winning streak -- and then roll through the postseason. The chances of those stars aligning in consecutive seasons? The chances that they get those breaks the following year? Ask the Vegas Golden Knights about that.

The Blues will repeat because it's not that they turned into something they're not, but because they became the team they were built to become. Ryan O'Reilly put it this way to me at the NHL Awards: "It took us a while to come together and find that identity. But once we did, we became a team that was very tough to play against."

They weren't necessarily punching above their weight. They weren't riding the PDO train, as they were 13th in the NHL (1.002) in that metric that measures, for lack of a better word, how lucky a team is. Once they found the right coach and the right goalie, they just became a solid, hardworking, efficient hockey team.

The Blues won't repeat because Jordan Binnington won't be Jordan Binnington again. C'mon: Only five regulation losses in 32 games, a 1.89 goals-against average, a .927 save percentage, 13.11 goals saved above average, .667 quality starts percentage ... these are preposterously good numbers for any goalie, let alone a rookie. No amount of ice water in his veins -- and, having covered him for months, it's like the Arctic Ocean is pumping through his body -- can chill the concern that the rest of the league will be more prepared for him now.

The Blues will repeat because who cares if he's not Jordan Binnington again? The Blues had a .906 team save percentage and ended up with a points percentage of .604. The key to their run wasn't just Binnington solidifying the crease, but the Blues playing worlds better defensively under coach Craig Berube than they had under Mike Yeo, when it looked like they were getting paid commission on every odd-man rush surrendered to opponents. They were the third-best defensive team in hockey last season in expected goals against (137.49), and were sixth best (138.7) in 2017-18. So, in essence, a really good defensive team became great, and then became excellent thanks to the value added by Binnngton. If he gives them average but consistent play, and they defend as well as they can defend, they'll still be fine. (Heck, that scenario is basically how they won the Cup.)

The Blues won't repeat because the Craig Berube Effect can't be repeated. Berube, who finally had the interim tag lifted with a new contract weeks after the Blues won the Cup, went 38-19-6 after taking over from Yeo. He was the perfect contrast to Yeo: a meat and potatoes players' coach whose even temperament was just the sort of thing the Blues needed when, say, an entire officiating crew misses a hand pass to cost them a conference final game in overtime. Sometimes a coaching change can be like a shot of adrenaline to the heart of a team. But now he's the full-time coach.

The Blues will repeat because ... OK, that's a fair point actually, and the message of a coach gets quieter and quieter as time progresses. But in his second stint in the NHL, Berube certainly looked like he picked up a trick or two last season, and has the total buy-in from the players entering next season.

The Blues won't repeat because O'Reilly probably isn't doing that again. The winner of the Selke and the Conn Smythe trophies had a career-high 77 points last season in a wire-to-wire performance for the ages. That's a 0.94 points-per-game average, light years beyond what he has done previously. This isn't to say that one of the best two-way players in hockey will all of a sudden become fat and happy after a Cup, but you can't ignore the additional motivation O'Reilly had after escaping Buffalo last season.

The Blues will repeat because it's not just about O'Reilly. "This team showed a lot of character all year long, and then they found their footing," Blues general manager Doug Armstrong told me after the Cup win. "They didn't care who scored. Or who the stars were." Vladimir Tarasenko, Jaden Schwartz and Brayden Schenn up front, with Robert Thomas, Zach Sanford and Jordan Kyrou as the next wave. Alex Pietrangelo and Colton Parayko eating up minutes on the back end. Yes, O'Reilly was arguably the glue that held it all together. And there's no reason to believe he can't be that again, even if he doesn't break offensive records in the process.

The Blues won't repeat because the West is a meat grinder. Matt Duchene is in Nashville. Joe Pavelski is in Dallas. Nazem Kadri is in Colorado. Phil Kessel is in Arizona. Vegas is Vegas. Calgary is Calgary The Sharks are, for the most part, still the Sharks. The Jets aren't the same Jets, but still dangerous. Good luck, St. Louis.

The Blues will repeat because, to paraphrase Arby's, they have the meat. The "heavy hockey" the team played in winning the Cup had the expected copycat effect for some teams -- looking at you, Milan Lucic and the Flames -- because the Blues showed that's the kind of "by any means necessary" play you need to advance in the West. Well, that and some outstanding offensive talents and an all-world goalie. They help too.

Can the Blues repeat? Absolutely. Will the Blues repeat? You'll have to come back to this spot in two months, when we do our predictions, to find out. No sense in making that kind of proclamation when there are still players' dogs out there that need to eat out of the Stanley Cup.

Jersey Fouls

From earlier this year:

The reason the @GoldenKnights lost is because this crap #SJvsVGK pic.twitter.com/LJu3amB9N3

- Trevor bloom (@bloom1123) April 24, 2019

This actually falls under the "Protest Jersey" exception in the Jersey Foul rulebook, as it's a clear troll job of a hated opponent combined with support of the local team. There's something delightfully punk rock about it, declaring the Los Angeles Kings as old and busted and the Vegas Golden Knights as the new hotness. Not a Foul.

Are you dead or alive?

As summer hockey distractions go, mega kudos to @GameTimeArt for this wonderful puzzler:

The best hockey player born on your birthday has to score on a penalty shot to save your life. The goalie he's facing is the starter of the Stanley Cup champs the year you graduated high school.

Do you get to see tomorrow?

- Noted Hockey Fan (@GameTimeArt) July 24, 2019

I was born on March 20. So the players I have to choose from include Valtteri Filppula, Sergei Kostitsyn, Justin Faulk, Dennis Wideman ... oh, and some guy named Bobby Orr.

Ah, but I graduated high school in 1995, so he'll be shooting on none other than Martin Brodeur.

I think I'll see tomorrow. Maybe.

For what it's worth, my daughter has either Mark Stone or P.K. Subban shooting against Antti Niemi, so at least someone will be around to carry on the family legacy.

Listen To ESPN On Ice

The full season archive of our podcast can be found on iTunes. Honestly, if you're lounging at the pool, nothing is better than listening to two people who have had it up to here about playoff officiating.

Four incredible things about Phil Kessel's house listing

Kessel, America's sweetheart. will ply his trade in Glendale, Arizona, next season, which means it's time for him to put his $2.1 million house in the Pittsburgh area on the market. To the delight of literally everyone, the realtor put photos of said house on the internet. Here are four incredible things about Phil Kessel's old house:

I have so many questions. https://t.co/fyT96TPhXe

- Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) July 24, 2019

1. The movie room. There's a chance that this single chair facing the protection screen was placed there by the staging people in order to try to better sell the house. Or, there's a chance that Phil's screening room featured a single chair, for Phil and only Phil, because no one else wanted to come over and watch what we assume is a steady stream of Adam Sandler comedies and films about talking animals.

2. Those posters. In the screening room are the kinds of posters you'd expect to see, like "Rounders" for example. And then there's this:

Computer e n h a n c e https://t.co/9J02BmZTby pic.twitter.com/vND8vZLJ4P

- king husband (@elanpin) July 24, 2019

Yes, a poster for the all-time Mariah Carey bomb "Glitter," and one that appears to have a personalized inscription for Phil. As friend Barry Petchesky said: "If Coyotes beat writers don't ask about this before literally anything else they should be fired."

3. The wine cellar. Phil's house had a temperature-controlled room that appeared ready to house a few hundred bottles of the good stuff. It appears Phil may have mostly used it to house his finest vintages of Bailey's Irish Cream.

4. His office. Phil apparently used to keep his replica Stanley Cups on the windowsill of his office, much like the dad in "A Christmas Story" put that leg lamp in the window of their house. These are all major awards!

Puck headlines

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We have a Matt Moulson sighting!

Roberto Luongo makes a WWE cameo appearance. We see no reason why Lou vs. The Goon can't main event Mania.

"Using the best contracts in hockey to create the optimal NHL team," aka "Eh, who needs goalies?" ($)

Is this the 50th anniversary Buffalo Sabres jersey leak and when, exactly, can we get our hands on one?

Looking at the Winnipeg Jets' unsigned players and future plans.

The Battle Creek Rumble Bees is an early contender for hockey name of the year.

Making heads or tails about that David Clarkson trade with the Leafs and Knights.

The NHL makes an interesting hire when it comes to sports wagering and its place in the game.

Hockey tl;dr (too long; didn't read)

Round 10 billion of the analytics vs. eye-test debate.

In case you missed this from your friends at ESPN

My extensive look at the restricted free agents who have and haven't signed yet.