Pittsburgh
Fans lined the victory parade route more than 10 deep as the players, coaches, their families and support staff rolled by in pickup trucks, convertibles and amphibious duck boats.
“We were slow at one time but, man, were we fast when we finished,” general manager Jim Rutherford told the crowd at the end of the parade route.
The parade was held seven years to the day that the 2009 team also celebrated its Stanley Cup championship with a downtown victory lap. That parade drew about 375,000 spectators and city and county public safety officials said this one topped out at 400,000.
“Well the one thing I’ve learned is this is one crazy sports town,” said head coach Mike Sullivan, hired to replace Mike Johnston when the team was out of playoff contention in December.
Detroit
Howe’s son, Murray, began the service with a eulogy Wednesday that emphasized his father’s toughness and generosity.
“How do I do justice to the life of a living legend — my own hero? I still pinch myself at the realization that he was my father,” Murray Howe said to a rapt crowd at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, about six miles from the home of Howe’s longtime team, the Detroit Red Wings.
Dozens of fans stood in line a couple hours before the funeral, which was streamed online by the Red Wings from the cathedral that has a capacity of about 900. Ted Lindsay — part of Detroit’s famed “Production Line” with Howe and Sid Abel — was on hand, and so was Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman. The rugged Hall of Famer died Friday at the age of 88.
Raleigh, n.c.
Carolina sent a second-round pick in this month’s draft, the 50th overall, and a third-round pick next year to Chicago, which saves significant salary-cap space. Carolina had acquired that second-round pick in the February deal that sent longtime Hurricanes star Eric Staal to the New York Rangers.
Bickell, who split time between Chicago and the AHL’s Rockford last season, has one year left on his contract, at a cap hit of $4 million. The 30-year-old was considered a buyout candidate with the window opening Wednesday.
Omaha, Neb.
The NCAA’s decision to allow beer and wine sales in all seating areas at TD Ameritrade Park was made primarily in response to requests from fans and stadium officials and secondarily for the creation of a new revenue stream, managing director of championships and alliances Ron Prettyman told The Associated Press.
Levy Restaurants, the concessionaire, projects 400 alcoholic beverages will be sold for every 1,000 fans, according to Kristi Andersen, spokeswoman for the agency that operates the stadium.
Alcohol has been sold in premium seating areas at the CWS since 2013, when the NCAA relaxed its prohibition of alcohol sales at championship events.
Pretoria, South Africa
Prosecutors have called for a 15-year jail sentence for Pistorius, the minimum sentence for murder in South Africa. However, a judge can reduce that in some circumstances.
Pistorius’ defense lawyer has argued there are “compelling” circumstances in Pistorius’ case and has asked Judge Thokozile Masipa for leniency. Pistorius’ defense wants him to be spared a jail sentence and be allowed to do community work with children.
Judge Masipa adjourned the case on Wednesday after three days of testimony and arguments in Pistorius’ sentencing hearing.
Pistorius is currently under house arrest after serving one year in jail for an initial manslaughter conviction in Steenkamp’s shooting death. That manslaughter conviction was changed by an appeals court to a more serious murder conviction.
Sacramento, Calif.
Deputy Kern County Coroner Christopher Frank said in the report that he found another note and a picture of Phillips and an unnamed child tucked into Phillips’ left sock. The “Do Not Resuscitate” note had been written on a small piece of paper that had been torn in half.
Phillips, 40, was found in his Kern Valley State Prison cell Jan. 13 with a torn bed sheet tied to a television shelf and tied tightly around his neck, the report said.