YOKOHAMA, Japan — Nissan announced its long-term commitment to the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship racing through to the end the 12^th season for the all-electric series in 2025-’26.

The Gen3 era of the championship begins in season nine — the 2022-23 season — and will feature even more powerful and faster cars.

Nissan races in this world championship to bring the excitement and fun of zero-emission electric vehicles to a global audience.

“Nissan’s vision for cars goes far beyond simply modes of transport,” said Ashwani Gupta, Nissan’s chief operating officer. “We aim to design and build electric vehicles that transform the way communities connect and move and inspire us all to work towards a sustainable society. For Nissan, Formula E helps us bring excitement, energy and the environment to the forefront as we deliver this vision of the future to an ever-growing, new, young and diverse audience.”

In the first two seasons in Formula E, Nissan focused on its “Phase One – road-to-track” technical objectives, which took experience and learnings from the LEAF, Nissan’s most recognizable road-going EV, to develop the performance of the Nissan e.dams race car.

As the team races in the current 2020-2021 season seven and looks toward the Gen3 era from season nine, it embarks on “Phase Two – track-to-road” of its technology transfer goals, where the technically fast-moving championship will help Nissan showcase features that aim to encourage consumer adoption of its EVs.

“We’ve achieved great results during our first two seasons and renewing our long-term commitment to Formula E is a key step,” said Tommaso Volpe, Nissan’s global motorsport director. “We entered the sport with a “road-to-track”technical transfer approach, and by extending our racing program through the Gen3 era, we have the opportunity to close the circle with “track-to-road” technical transfer. We believe that, as one of the most global manufacturers involved in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, this sport is the perfect platform to promote our expertise in electrification and demonstrate our commitment to more sustainable mobility solutions.”

Olivier and Gregory Driot, team principals of Nissan e.dams, added this joint statement: “Nissan’s commitment to the Gen3 era of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship shows the strength of the all-electric racing series and its pursuit of success in the next phase. The new Gen3 cars will be faster and more powerful, and this constant evolution of racing performance that we continue to see in Formula E is great for the fans and the sport.”

BROWNSTOWN, Ind. — The first big non-winged sprint car races of the Midwest racing season are scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Brownstown Speedway and SPEED SPORT Network affiliate Dirt2Media will provide livestreaming coverage, culminating with Saturday’s No Way Out 40.

Originally run at Twin Cities Raceway Park, the No Way Out 40 moved to Brownstown Speedway in 2013 and has been run at the quarter-mile dirt track ever since. Last year’s event was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kyle Cummins won the event in 2019 and has confirmed his entry to chase this year’s $7,500-to-win top prize. Other entries include Robert Ballou, Brandon Mattox, Kevin Thomas Jr., Carson Short and A.J. Hopkins.

Nic Faas won the inaugural No Way Out 40 in 2009 and other winners include Jesse Hockett, Dave Darland, Thomas Meseraull, Christopher Bell, Bryan Clauson, Ballou, Chad Boespflug, Thomas and Cummins.

The weekend kicks off with the All In 25 on Friday night, with $2,000 earmarked to the winner. Super late models and modifieds complete the Friday night card.

Saturday’s purse of more than $25,000 offers $7,500 to win and $400 to start in the sprint car division. Pro late models and modifieds complete the program.

Coverage is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. EST each night on Dirt2Media. Cost is $24.99 per night.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Roger Penske remains hopeful that 250,000 fans can attend the 105^th Indianapolis 500 on May 30.

But the winningest team owner in Indy 500 history with 18 victories who now owns IndyCar, IMS and the Indianapolis 500 isn’t ready to bank on it.

“We’re not making any predictions at all because anything I would say today could be completely wrong,” Penske said earlier this week. “Our goal is to have 250,000. That’s what we want to have.

“It’s outside. We’ve got the biggest stadium in the world here and it’s a matter of where we’re going to be with the CDC (Center for Disease Control) and the Governor (Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb) and the Mayor (Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett), so I don’t have any number that I’d want to hang my hat on,” he continued. “It just shows you the interest in the race and we’ve got a lot of people that are waiting. We have our general admission and what else we normally do on that weekend, but I think the good news is we’re going to have the race and it will be limited or be open based on what the current numbers are.”

According to Penske, the COVID positivity rate is about 3.1 percent in Indiana’s Marion County. He believes that is a good number.

“It’s way down (the virus) and I think with that it will, hopefully, be a big number (for attendance at the Indy 500),” Penske said. “That’s what our hope is, but what we’ve done in the meantime, we’ve been doing vaccinations here (at IMS).

“We did 16,000 in three days (at IMS) and we’re getting ready to do a mass vaccination in April.  We haven’t worked out the details yet with the state, but we think there’s an opportunity to make a big impact here, where we could give back to the community. With the size of our facility and what we were able to accomplish just in three days, we think we can really help this whole area here — the city of Indianapolis and the surrounding counties.”

A crowd of 250,000 fans for the annual Memorial Day weekend classic tops Penske’s wish list. This year, the race will return to its traditional date after moving to Aug. 23 last year because of the pandemic.

That race was held without spectators.

“The good news is we’re going to have a race on Memorial Day this year, which is exactly what we want, not have to wait until August,” Penske said.

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HOLLY, Mich. – Must See Racing is set to begin the most ambitious schedule in the 12-year history of the sanctioning body starting next month.

The Must See Racing Sprint Car Series presented by Engine Pro and the Maxima Racing Oil Must See Racing Midwest Lights Series each kick off their new seasons in April.

Maxima Racing Oil has come on board as the new title sponsor for the second year of the Must See Racing Lights Series.

Must See Racing has seen many changes over the off season. The Must See Racing Sprint Car Series will now entertain several multi-day events contested at the same track. The idea behind the new format is to help curb travel expenses for the teams.

While running the same number of events as in past seasons, doing two-day weekends will cut the number of weekends teams normally have run in the past by half.

The season-long championship chase format has been replaced by the Engine Pro Fast Car Dash mini-series, with a points fund to be awarded at the year-end banquet. Additionally, traditional points fund money normally paid at season’s end will be paid out in the form of bonuses, incentives and travel guarantees during these multi-day weekends.

With many changes, there is also stability. American Racer Tire remains the official tire supplier for the series for the 11th consecutive season and Engine Pro, along with their product partners, returns for the 12th consecutive season.

In addition, the fifth year of the marketing and broadcast partnership with SPEED SPORT will showcase selected events to a national television audience on MAVTV.

The Maxima Racing Oil Midwest Lights returns for a second consecutive season, and with it, a very healthy schedule. The season will kick off April 17 at Lorain Raceway Park in South Amherst, Ohio for the first of five visits to Lorain this season.

Other events will include visits to Shady Bowl Speedway in DeGraff, Ohio, twice; a lone visit to M-40 Raceway in Jones, Mich., and a stop at Kalamazoo (Mich.) Speedway May 28.

The May 28 event will be part of the inaugural American Speed U.S. Nationals, which will also include the Must See Racing 410 sprints and the Midwest Supermodified Series. In all, the series will include nine dates in two states.

The national Must See Racing schedule will kick off April 23-24 with a two-day event at Anderson Motor Speedway in Williamston, S.C. The series will then head to Kalamazoo for arguably the biggest event in series history, the American Speed U.S. Nationals.

The two-day event is expected to draw cars from all over the country, with both nights racing action being featured on MAVTV. The series and Steadfast Indiana-Homes for Vets Corp. will honor America’s veterans with a special warbird flyover during Saturday’s opening ceremonies.

The American Speed US. Nationals is billed as a true national winged pavement sprint car event.

Other events on the Must See Racing schedule include visits to Michigan’s M-40 Speedway and Lorain Raceway Park. The series will head to Montgomery (Ala.) Motor Speedway for the first time to close out the season with a two-day event Oct. 8-9.

The most anticipated event on the new Must See Racing schedule may be the inaugural INDYANA SHOOTOUT June 4-5 at the Indianapolis Speedrome.

The 100-lap event will feature a $25,850 total purse. In addition, a speed trial-style qualifying format will see winged sprint cars and winged late models go head-to-head for a $5,000 winner-take-all event.

Another new event on the Must See Racing calendar will be the Pink Lady Classic Sept. 24-25 at Meridian (Idaho) Speedway.

The 20,000-to-win event pays homage to one of the most famous pavement sprint cars in the country: a 1968 Grant King-built pink sprint car that Kenny Hamilton campaigned around the country for more than five decades.

The non-points special event will also be tape-delayed for a national television audience on MAVTV and co-sanctioned by both the NSRA and Speed Tour Regional Sprint Car Series.

The new-look format with new venues and events promises one the most exciting seasons for Must See Racing in recent seasons. It all kicks off next month.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Advance Auto Parts, a leading automotive aftermarket parts retailer and the entitlement sponsor of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, has announced the Advance My Track Challenge, an innovative grassroots program.

The new initiative celebrates the connection between NASCAR’s local short tracks, their communities and passionate racing fans.

The Advance My Track Challenge showcases 22 tracks throughout the United States and Canada. Beginning March 24 and running through Tuesday, April 27, fans have an opportunity to vote for their favorite track on AdvanceMyTrack.com.

Fans are invited to vote up to three times daily, and upon voting, will be entered to win NAAPWS-branded prizes.

The six tracks that receive the most votes after April 27 will be part of a two-day final round of voting, scheduled to begin Sunday, May 9. The track receiving the most votes in the final round will receive a $50,000 grand prize for track facility enhancements and community-based programs.

The track finishing with the second-most votes receives $15,000, with the third-place track winning $10,000.

“When we announced our Weekly Series partnership last June, our primary objective was to advance local communities where we live and serve,” said Jason McDonell, Advance’s chief marketing officer. “Through the ‘Advance My Track Challenge,’ we invite racing fans to show their support for their favorite NASCAR short track while bringing awareness to the great work each track is doing within their respective communities.

“Race fans have a tremendous amount of pride and passion around their local track, and we’re excited to see this on full display.”

To support the program launch, Advance My Track Challenge branding will be featured on Team Penske’s No. 12 Advance Auto Parts Ford driven by last weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series winner, Ryan Blaney, in Sunday’s dirt race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

“Advance is committed to growing local racing, and this is an awesome opportunity for fans to support their hometown tracks,” said Blaney, who began his career racing on short tracks across the Southeast. “It just feels right to unveil this program the week of the Bristol dirt race, an event that has its own unique grassroots connection. I look forward to representing Advance and NASCAR’s local tracks in our ‘Advance My Track Challenge’ Ford Mustang at what is going to be a can’t-miss race.”

“We’re pleased to create an authentic connection between Ryan, Team Penske and our Weekly Series partnership,” said McDonell. “Ryan and Team Penske have been incredibly supportive of the program, and we look forward to cheering on Ryan and the No. 12 team as they look to capture the checkered flag at Bristol just like they did at Atlanta on Sunday.”

Earlier this year, Advance announced a unique partnership with Team Penske. The automotive aftermarket retailer is using its associate sponsorship of Blaney’s No. 12 Ford to showcase NASCAR-sanctioned short tracks across the United States and Canada.

Each week, two different tracks are featured on Blaney’s car. For every Blaney Cup Series victory, the winning track(s) featured on his car will receive $1,200 from Advance.

Through this program, Florence Motor Speedway in Timmonsville, S.C., and Greenville-Pickens Speedway in Easley, S.C., each won $1,200 following Blaney’s win last Sunday at Atlanta.

Francesco Pinelli had been looking forward to the 2020-21 hockey season his entire life. Pinelli, a 17-year-old from Hamilton, Ontario, is a top prospect for the 2021 NHL draft. In October, NHL Central Scouting named Pinelli to its preliminary players to watch list; the Kitchener Rangers (Ontario Hockey League) center was one of 31 players with an "A" rating, projecting as a potential first-round selection. But the OHL, like so many leagues across North America, has been on pause because of the pandemic this fall and winter.

As the start date remained murky, Pinelli became antsy.

Local restrictions, plus the saturation of players without a league to play in, made finding ice time difficult. Pinelli was lucky to get skill training in with five or 10 players. This entire season was supposed to be an audition for NHL evaluators, but Pinelli worried his development was going to stall. "I just really wanted the opportunity to compete, to stay in shape," he said. "I just wanted to play the game I love."

Pinelli talked it over with his agent, who explored options. There weren't many. With the closure of so many leagues, supply and demand were skewed. Plenty of East Coast Hockey League and American Hockey League players were also scrambling for spots on European teams, and since those players had more experience than a 17-year-old, they took precedent. Teams had all the leverage, especially since Pinelli was hoping for flexibility of returning to the OHL if the season started this spring.

Pinelli's agent came back with a proposal. There was a professional team willing to give Pinelli a short-term spot, for exposure and experience. He wouldn't get compensation, but the team would pick up the tab for travel and accommodation. The one caveat: It was in Slovenia.

The teenager's reaction: "I was ready to go. I didn't know what to expect. I was going to a different country, and I wasn't really familiar with the country. But I took it right away, for sure."

In January, Pinelli's parents drove him to the airport for the 16-hour flight.

"We were happy to send him off," his mother, Daniela, said. "It's not about what's in our comfort zone. He seemed very comfortable to go take that on, to go travel by himself, and he was excited to go play."

Pinelli hit a few early obstacles. At 17, he wasn't legally able to drive in Slovenia. He didn't speak the language, and there were no North American players on HDD Jesenice's roster (the team plays in the Alps league, which also features teams based in Austria and Italy). The average Jesenice player was 25, and the captain was 36 -- more than double Pinelli's age.

"A lot of the guys had kids on the team, so when we had practice there were a bunch of kids running around the dressing room," he said. "I definitely wasn't used to that."

Pinelli had also never lived alone. He would show up at the market, and if nobody spoke English, he would have to get by just pointing. No freezer meant he was buying everything fresh. Pinelli often called Daniela, known for her Italian cooking, asking for tips in the kitchen.

"The first two weeks I was just doing simple stuff, chicken, potatoes, pasta with red sauces," he said. "By the end I was doing shrimp pasta, mixing it up, cooking up all sorts of things. You don't realize how much time cooking takes up. And cleaning."

He found some comforts of home. Hamilton is known as the steel capital of Canada. Jesenice, tucked just under the Austrian border, is known for the same.

"There was a huge steel factory in the middle of the little town," Pinelli said. "It's really beautiful; there was a little church in the middle of the lake."

The team set Pinelli up in a small apartment, with his bedroom window overlooking a mountain. Not a bad setting to take online high school classes, which Pinelli did most hours when he wasn't playing.

Pinelli often bummed rides to the rink from "Dr. Tom" -- 25-year-old Tom Cvetkovic, the team's 25-year-old doctor, who took the Canadian import under his wing. "I guess he felt bad or whatever because I would have been stuck in my apartment most days, because I didn't have a car," Pinelli says. "And then we clicked, so he would take me to the rink on off days to play pingpong, which was really fun."

Pinelli hadn't played in an ice hockey game in nearly a year, and was worried he would be rusty. "Adjusting to the European[-sized] ice, I learned it was more of a skating game, and hard work," Pinelli said. "The guys worked a lot harder."

Pinelli's parents streamed the games from home. The Alps league is relatively new, formed in 2016. The skill level isn't as competitive as a lot of Europe's top leagues, but it's still a jump up from the OHL, which features 16- to 21-year-olds.

"It was a bit nerve-wracking for us as parents, knowing he was 17 years old, obviously he is still physically getting stronger and developing, and he was playing against grown men," Pinelli's father, Frank, said. "So safety was a concern. But he was confident, and he really adjusted to the European ice."

Also helping the transition: Nearly all of his teammates spoke English.

"There was only one guy who didn't," Pinelli said. "We were on the power play together, and when he scored it was funny because I didn't really know what to say to him. So I would just say, like, 'Bravo!'"

The locker room vibe was much different than a junior team. "They listen to a lot of throwbacks, like Eminem," he said. "They definitely liked hip-hop. Then there was a lot of Serbian and Croatian music."

Before each practice, a teammate had to tell a joke. "They didn't say it in English, because it wouldn't be as funny," Pinelli said. "So a guy would say a joke and everyone was dying, and I was like, All right guys, what's going on? My locker buddy would translate, but jokes being translated to English didn't always make sense."

Bus trips were also different, often winding around the Alps. "The scenery was awesome, but there were a lot of turns," Pinelli said. The rookie was soon taught that chewing on a lemon eases motion sickness.

"I am so grateful for the organization: the coaches, the players, all the staff, they made me feel so welcome," Pinelli said. "I really learned a lot about what it takes to be a professional."

After a slow start, Pinelli began finding his game, and scored 11 points in his last nine games. He returned to Canada this month, as the OHL is aiming to get back on the ice for a condensed season.

"Going to Slovenia, I felt like it even further prepared me because now I proved I can play against men, and can compete against men," Pinelli said. "I got to showcase both aspects of my game: playing against kids my age, and guys that were 15, 20 years older than me. It taught me a lot. I'm so grateful I could have that experience this year."

We're past the midseason mark of this abridged 56-game 2021 NHL season, and the April 12 trade deadline is just around the corner. For this week's NHL Power Rankings, we offer up bold predictions for all 31 teams.

How we rank: The ESPN hockey editorial staff submits selections ranking teams 1 to 31 -- taking into account game results, injuries and upcoming schedule -- and those results are tabulated in the list featured here.

Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to our Week 9 edition, published on March 17. Points percentages are through the games of March 23.

1. Tampa Bay Lightning

Previous ranking: 3
Points percentage: .781
Next seven days: @ DAL (March 25); @ CAR (March 27, 28); vs. CBJ (March 30)

The Lightning are 4-0-1 in the second half of a back-to-back set of games this season. Look for Tampa Bay to go the entire season without losing in regulation when playing the day before. If any team can do it, it's the defending champs.

2. Vegas Golden Knights

Previous ranking: 4
Points percentage: .750
Next seven days: @ COL (March 25, 27); vs. LA (March 29)

Max Pacioretty has led the Golden Knights in the goal department for most of the season, but Alex Tuch will make a late push to finish ahead. The 24-year-old Tuch can be a streaky scorer, and he's having a great season so far, with 13 goals to Pacioretty's 16.

3. Carolina Hurricanes

Previous ranking: 2
Points percentage: .726
Next seven days: @ CBJ (March 25); vs. TB (March 27, 28); @ CHI (March 30)

Martin Necas has been a delight to watch, and he has especially thrived when given the opportunity with Sebastian Aho on the top line. For the second half of the season, look for Necas to score the most of any Canes player not named Aho.

4. Florida Panthers

Previous ranking: 1
Points percentage: .688
Next seven days: @ CHI (March 25); @ DAL (March 27, 28); vs. DET (March 30)

Aaron Ekblad finishes as a Norris Trophy finalist. This is not what anyone would have predicted heading into the season, but the 25-year-old defenseman has been just that good for a very good Panthers team.

5. Colorado Avalanche

Previous ranking: 10
Points percentage: .694
Next seven days: vs. VGS (March 25, 27); vs. ANA (March 29)

Philipp Grubauer will finish as a Vezina Trophy finalist. He's been sensational of late; in 11 March starts, he has nine wins (including three shutouts) and a .943 save percentage. Expect the Avs to ride Grubauer heavily down the stretch, especially if they can't land another backup at the deadline.

6. Washington Capitals

Previous ranking: 6
Points percentage: .710
Next seven days: vs. NJ (March 25, 26); vs. NYR (March 28); @ NYR (March 30)

The Rangers are the only team against which the Caps have a sub-.500 record this season (Washington is 1-3). The Caps have four more games against the Blueshirts but can't find a way to even the score.

7. New York Islanders

Previous ranking: 5
Points percentage: .697
Next seven days: @ BOS (March 25); @ PIT (March 27, 29)

The Isles are going to find a way to replace captain Anders Lee (out for the season with an ACL injury) before the trade deadline. But Lou Lamoriello never telegraphs his moves, so expect the replacement to be someone unexpected.

8. Toronto Maple Leafs

Previous ranking: 9
Points percentage: .656
Next seven days: @ OTT (March 25); vs. EDM (March 27, 29)

Frederik Andersen hasn't been at his best this season, and he has a nagging lower-body injury. Instead of acquiring a goalie, the Maple Leafs will finish the season and ride into the playoffs with Jack Campbell as their No. 1.

9. Minnesota Wild

Previous ranking: 7
Points percentage: .650
Next seven days: vs. ANA (March 24); vs. STL (March 25); @ SJ (March 29)

The Wild look like a different team this season. Not only will Minnesota qualify for the postseason, but the Wild will win a playoff round for the first time since 2015; they are on their fourth coach and third GM since then, but the Dean Evason-Bill Guerin combo seems to have found a winning formula.

10. Boston Bruins

Previous ranking: 11
Points percentage: .643
Next seven days: vs. NYI (March 25); vs. BUF (March 27); vs. NJ (March 28, 30)

Ahead of the trade deadline, rumors about the Bruins are flying: Mattias Ekholm, Taylor Hall, P.K. Subban and Kyle Palmieri have all been speculatively shipped to town. Watch the Bruins ... do absolutely nothing, and stick with the team they have.

11. Winnipeg Jets

Previous ranking: 12
Points percentage: .625
Next seven days: @ VAN (March 24); @ CGY (March 26, 27, 29)

Kyle Connor will finish among the top five in the NHL goal-scoring race. The 24-year-old Michigan native is just on the outside looking in right now. Since 2017-18, Connor quietly ranks No. 7 in the NHL in goals scored, above Patrick Kane and Steven Stamkos.

12. Pittsburgh Penguins

Previous ranking: 8
Points percentage: .625
Next seven days: vs. BUF (March 24, 25); vs. NYI (March 27, 29)

Despite being tight on cap space, the Penguins will find a way to add to their roster ahead of the trade deadline. It will probably be a depth player, nothing splashy, but execs Ron Hextall and Brian Burke want to put their stamp on the roster.

13. Edmonton Oilers

Previous ranking: 14
Points percentage: .618
Next seven days: @ TOR (March 27, 29)

Connor McDavid became the fastest player to reach 60 points since Mario Lemieux in 2002-03. Saying that McDavid will reach 100 points in this 56-game season isn't even that bold of a prediction, because he's nearly on pace.

14. St. Louis Blues

Previous ranking: 13
Points percentage: .578
Next seven days: @ MIN (March 25); vs. ANA (March 26, 28)

David Perron will finish among the top 10 in the NHL in points. He's just on the outside looking in right now but has been a force along with linemate Ryan O'Reilly. Perron is averaging higher than a point-per-game pace for the first time in his 14-year NHL career.

15. Philadelphia Flyers

Previous ranking: 16
Points percentage: .548
Next seven days: vs. NYR (March 25, 27); @ BUF (March 29)

A lot of folks are ready to write the Flyers off this season. Are we not forgetting the second-half run Philly went on in 2019-20, in which they went on a 19-6-1 run to get within one point of first place at the pause? The prediction here is that they go on a similar run this season.

16. Montreal Canadiens

Previous ranking: 15
Points percentage: .597
Next seven days: @ OTT (March 30)

Carey Price had a sub-.900 save percentage through his first 12 starts, and it cost longtime goaltending coach Stephane Waite his job. But Price (now under the tutelage of Sean Burke) will figure it out and look dominant in the second half.

17. New York Rangers

Previous ranking: 21
Points percentage: .516
Next seven days: @ PHI (March 25, 27); @ WSH (March 28); vs. WSH (March 30)

Pavel Buchnevich will finish as the team MVP of the Rangers' season. The 25-year-old is having a major breakthrough while leading the team in points, and 22 of 29 of them have come at even strength.

18. Los Angeles Kings

Previous ranking: 19
Points percentage: .516
Next seven days: @ SJ (March 24); @ VGS (March 29)

The Kings have quietly built through the draft. Still, over the next few months, they'll present Buffalo with a massive offer for Jack Eichel ... which will be turned down, and we'll only hear details about it three years from now.

19. Chicago Blackhawks

Previous ranking: 18
Points percentage: .530
Next seven days: vs. FLA (March 25); vs. NSH (March 27, 28); vs. CAR (March 30)

Kirby Dach will provide an immediate spark for the Blackhawks. He will score seven points within his first 10 games, adding an extra wrinkle to Chicago's playoff push this spring.

20. Columbus Blue Jackets

Previous ranking: 23
Points percentage: .500
Next seven days: vs. CAR (March 25); @ DET (March 27, 28); @ TB (March 30)

The Blue Jackets have started to turn the corner in March. Since the fourth Central Division playoff spot is well within reach, Columbus will not be a seller at the trade deadline after all.

21. Dallas Stars

Previous ranking: 22
Points percentage: .483
Next seven days: vs. TB (March 25); vs. FLA (March 27, 28); @ NSH (March 30)

The Stars have been lagging all season, but they have also played the fewest games of any team in the league. They'll still make a desperate push and qualify for the playoffs, with Tyler Seguin and Ben Bishop making immediate impacts.

22. Calgary Flames

Previous ranking: 17
Points percentage: .500
Next seven days: @ OTT (March 24); vs. WPG (March 26, 27, 29)

Milan Lucic's ice time is already up nearly three minutes per game since coach Darryl Sutter took control. Look for Lucic to inherit an even bigger role down the stretch, as he's no longer as big of a defensive liability.

23. Vancouver Canucks

Previous ranking: 25
Points percentage: .486
Next seven days: vs. WPG (March 24)

The Canucks have already made waiver claims on two Toronto forwards this season: Jimmy Vesey and Travis Boyd. It's not outrageous that Canucks GM Jim Benning will go for No. 3 -- and then owe Leafs GM Kyle Dubas big time for making his life a lot easier.

24. Arizona Coyotes

Previous ranking: 20
Points percentage: .500
Next seven days: vs. SJ (March 26, 27)

With Conor Garland's $775,000-per-year salary expiring this summer, and the Coyotes worried about a new contract, they'll trade their 25-year-old leading scorer for a package of draft picks and/or prospects.

25. Nashville Predators

Previous ranking: 26
Points percentage: .470
Next seven days: vs. DET (March 25); @ CHI (March 27, 28); vs. DAL (March 30)

Mattias Ekholm is the Predators player everyone expects to be traded. But the Predators will also find new homes for Mikael Granlund and Brad Richardson, too. There will be some chatter about Filip Forsberg, but he'll ultimately stay put.

26. San Jose Sharks

Previous ranking: 24
Points percentage: .467
Next seven days: vs. LA (March 24); @ ARI (March 26, 27); vs. MIN (March 29)

The Sharks will get at least one trade offer on Patrick Marleau, and it will be considered. But ultimately the 41-year-old stays in San Jose and breaks Gordie Howe's all-time games played record on April 19.

27. New Jersey Devils

Previous ranking: 27
Points percentage: .467
Next seven days: @ WSH (March 25, 26); @ BOS (March 28, 30)

Only the Sabres have a worse home record than the Devils this season. The Devils have 11 home games remaining, and we don't have much confidence that they can win more than four of them.

28. Detroit Red Wings

Previous ranking: 30
Points percentage: .364
Next seven days: @ NSH (March 25); vs. CBJ (March 27, 28); @ FLA (March 30)

It's yet another year of the Red Wings selling at the trade deadline. "At some point here, hopefully we're not in this position for much longer," Dylan Larkin said. Bold prediction: The selling ends next season.

29. Ottawa Senators

Previous ranking: 28
Points percentage: .368
Next seven days: vs. CGY (March 24); vs. TOR (March 25); vs. MTL (March 30)

Drake Batherson will get to 25 goals on the season. He's already at 11 now -- with all but one of them being scored after Feb. 15. If he keeps up this pace, the 22-year-old should have no trouble hitting the total.

30. Anaheim Ducks

Previous ranking: 29
Points percentage: .364
Next seven days: @ MIN (March 24); @ STL (March 26, 28); @ COL (March 29)

No Ducks player will crack 40 points this season -- which four NHL players have already reached at the midway point. And if Rickard Rakell is traded, make it that no Ducks player will crack 35 points (a threshold already reached by 11 skaters). It's been just that bleak for Anaheim offensively.

31. Buffalo Sabres

Previous ranking: 31
Points percentage: .267
Next seven days: @ PIT (March 24, 25); @ BOS (March 27); vs. PHI (March 29)

Nearly everything has been doom and gloom in Buffalo. Jack Eichel (neck injury) won't be rushing back in another lost season, but the bold prediction is that he'll return at some point, giving the Sabres something to build on for next season.

Juventus forward Alvaro Morata has said the day will come when footballers speak to psychologists about mental health issues as part of their regular training.

Morata, 28, has revealed he came close to suffering depression during his first season at Chelsea and has seen a psychologist to help him cope with the day-to-day pressure ever since.

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"I've never had a depression and I hope I never do but I came close," Morata told EL Mundo. "I don't believe it is given the importance that it has.

"When your head doesn't work well, you are your worst enemy. During those times, it doesn't matter what you do, you are always fighting against yourself.

"Depression is an illness just like breaking your ankle."

The Spain international added that mental health should be addressed in football.

"Just as we train in the gym or on the pitch to improve our technique and our tactical abilities, I believe the mind is something you also have to train," he said. "You have to be ready and that [seeing a psychologist] helps you a lot.

"Even for my generation, in recent years, it wasn't seen as something normal to see a psychologist. But inevitably, it has to be something normal. Today it is more common and there will be a day when it will be compulsory. There are people that go through difficult times..."

Morata revealed in 2018 during his second season at Chelsea that he was seeing a psychologist to help him deal with "pressure and emotions."

Chelsea had paid a then club-record £58 million to sign Morata from Real Madrid as Diego Costa's replacement in the summer of 2017.

"Had I had a professional, close to me during my time [first season] at Chelsea, I think it would have gone better for me," he said.

Morata, who left Chelsea in January 2019 and last summer rejoined Juventus on loan from Atletico Madrid, said he has regular sessions with a psychologist to feel better mentally.

"I do," he said. "But it's not a case of whether I will [mentally] fall or not again. It's about seeing a person and sharing your point of view with someone who is impartial, who is going to be honest with you. You can't clean your mind like you clean your teeth. You must get things out of your head. I think to talk to someone, and one that can understand you, is important."

The great-grandson of Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini has signed his first professional contract with Serie A team Lazio.

Romano Floriani Mussolini, 18, was called up to the Roman club's under-19 team in February and has featured in four of their past five matches, earning a three-year deal.

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The teenager, son of Alessandra Mussolini, a former member of the European parliament for the Forza Italia party, posted a picture of himself signing a contract on his Instagram page, where he goes by the name Romano Floriani.

"Thinking back to where I started, I'm very happy to have signed my first professional contract with Lazio, and to spend another three years in this shirt," he wrote.

Floriani Mussolini is the third child of Alessandra Mussolini and husband Mauro Floriani, and a great-grandson of Benito Mussolini, who was prime minister of Italy from 1922 to 1943 after a fascist coup.

The defender is in his final year at the St George's British International School in Rome, which is close to Lazio's training ground near Formello.

Floriani Mussolini, who has also had a spell in the Roma youth sector, has distanced himself from politics.

"Here at Lazio I'm judged only for the way I play and not because my surname is Mussolini," he told newspaper Il Messaggero.

A minority of hard-core Lazio fans, known as "ultras," have links to the far right and a history of racist behaviour.

The club were fined €50,000 by the Italian FA in 2018 after anti-Semitic stickers showing Holocaust victim Anne Frank wearing the shirt of city rivals AS Roma were distributed in the Stadio Olimpico.

In 2005, striker Paolo Di Canio gave a fascist salute to Lazio fans in the Curva Nord after a derby win against Roma.

Barcelona beat Manchester City 3-0 in Monza on Wednesday to put one foot in the Champions League semifinals.

Asisat Oshoala opened the scoring in the first half and then won a second-half penalty, which was converted by Mariona Caldentey.

City spurned the chance to score an away goal when Chloe Kelly's spot-kick was saved by Sandra Panos before Jenni Hermoso completed the scoring for Barca late on.

The game was played in Italy due to travel restrictions on flights into Spain from England, but City will benefit from home advantage when they attempt to turn the tie around in Manchester next week.

Barca and City have both invested heavily in their women's teams in recent years. Domestic honours have followed, but European success has so far eluded them. The Blaugrana, who have won all 20 of their league games this season, were runners-up in 2019 and beaten semifinalists last year, while City made the last four in 2017 and 2018.

Barca started strongly at the U-Power Stadium and City were indebted to goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck, who made impressive saves from Oshoala, Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas.

However, she couldn't keep out Oshoala's smart finish from 18-yards just before half-time and the tie drifted away from City when Mariona scored from the spot after Demi Stokes had fouled Oshoala.

City had an immediate chance to get back in the game but Panos saved Kelly's penalty after Maria Leon had brought down Lauren Hemp.

Gareth Taylor's side pushed for an away goal, with Sam Mewis coming close, but they were hit on the break late on when substitute Hermoso turned home after Putellas had hit the post.