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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The NHL All-Star Game brought together 44 of hockey’s greatest players, offering an ideal chance to gather their opinions on a variety of topics on and off the ice.

Here are 13 All-Stars on whether they’d change NHL rules or the Stanley Cup Playoff format; where they’d add the next expansion franchise; their favorite non-hockey athlete, cheat meals and other points of interest.

But first, we asked them to give some love to their own teammates.


Player on your own team who is underrated/underappreciated?

Josh Morrissey, Winnipeg Jets: I would say [Connor Hellebuyck], actually. I know he’s here [as an All Star] and has that recognition. But we’re not in the place we are without him every night. Especially as a defenseman, I appreciate how good he is and what he does for our team.

Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres: I would say Casey Mittelstadt is never getting any credit. He’s always doing the right things out there.

Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs: I don’t know if it’s underrated, but obviously 88 [William Nylander], just what he’s done this year has been awesome to be a part of. He’s made our team very successful. I don’t know if it’s undercover or anything, but Willy’s obviously done some great things for us.

Johnny Gaudreau, Columbus Blue Jackets: You’ve got Nick Blankenburg, Kent Johnson, Yegor Chinakhov; there’s Kirill Marchenko. I think they have the opportunity and the ability to be at [All-Star] weekends like this.


Should the NHL expand the playoff field?

Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche: I think keep it at 16 teams. You have to make it really hard to make it. I think 16 is a good number. Eight and eight.

Brock Nelson, New York Islanders: I like it the way it is. I don’t know how much more expanding it would bring to it, but I’m open-minded.

Andrei Svechnikov, Carolina Hurricanes: I think 16 is good. You gotta deserve the spot in the playoffs. That’s the reality.

Troy Terry, Anaheim Ducks: I think more, as a sports fan in general, watching the NBA format with the play-in game, it would be fun to watch [that way]. It does bring an extra round of excitement. It’s not a full seven-game series, but I think when they play one game in that elimination [format] in that little play-in game, I think it’s exciting.

Chandler Stephenson, Vegas Golden Knights: I think 16 is good. You’re pretty beat up and exhausted at the end of it. It’s a good sweet spot that they found.

Morrissey: That’s an interesting proposition. There’s an argument around how deep our league is now and all the parity. If you look at the teams just outside of the playoffs, there’s some teams that, if they got in, could challenge. You see that every year. It could be an option, for sure. But I think that’s out of my jurisdiction.


If the NHL expands again, what city deserves a team?

Nazem Kadri, Calgary Flames: Anywhere in Canada, really. Quebec is always intriguing to a lot of people, but I’d like to see it in a bigger town too, maybe like Houston. Expand the game and market the game in a big state.

Stephenson: That’s a tough one. I haven’t done a whole lot of traveling. I guess somewhere tropical. Just being [in South Florida], obviously a hockey team is here with this weather. And in Vegas, one of the things you love about it is the weather and how nice it is.

Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings: I’d love to see an NHL game in Mexico City, whether it’s a Global Series or whatever.

Terry: I went to Quebec City when I was a peewee. That was always a city I found really cool. I think there’s even a new rink there now. But regardless, just the city and the history and everything I found really cool.

Seth Jones, Chicago Blackhawks: I’ll stick with America. … Shoot, I don’t know. Somewhere warm weather I’d imagine. [Reporter: “Honolulu?”] Hawai’i? The travel would be insane. I was trying to make it more realistic.

Morrissey: It would be nice to see more teams in Canada. Quebec City has been wanting one for a while. I’ve heard Houston tossed around. When I played in the minors, Austin was a great city that’s growing like crazy too.

Nelson: I’d say Houston. I’m a big fan of Dallas, so let’s go with Houston.

Gaudreau: I got to play in Quebec at the [2016] World Cup of Hockey for an exhibition game. They had awesome fans, it was a great city to play in. So I think that’d be pretty cool.

Svechnikov: Good question. Anywhere in the United States. It’s a hard one, to be honest, because I only go where we’re playing against other teams.


Commissioner for a day: What rule do you change?

Marner: I think all the rules make a lot of sense. But if you wanted it to be a bit crazy, you could definitely do no offside and have it kind of free-flowing and people cheating a little more for offense and maybe get the games a little more offensive.

Jones: I would change the shootout. Extend the overtime. Make overtime 10 minutes, keep it 3-on-3. I think you’d see a lot of games end.

Nelson: I actually think extending overtime would be pretty cool.


Who’s a non-hockey athlete you love?

Kadri: LeBron [James] is up there. You talk about longevity, the guy is [almost] 40 years old and still putting up amazing numbers. As an athlete, I know how hard that is and I respect it. I just try to watch him as much as I can because he’s a living legend. The game is going to miss him when he’s gone.

Morrisey: I love watching Tiger Woods. In recent years, Rory McIlroy too. Steph Curry, I’m a big fan of his. I love sports in general, so you could probably go to any sport and I could have a favorite guy.

Dahlin: I like soccer. I like the World Cup. I like to see all the best guys. [Kylian Mbappé] is up there. He’s a lot of fun to watch. I don’t know if this guy is going to keep playing but [Zlatan Ibrahimovic], he’s top of my list.

Gaudreau: I like to watch the Eagles, I like to watch Jalen Hurts. Love to watch Joel Embiid and the Sixers. And then golfers. I got to play with Corey Conners [at an event] and it was just crazy to see how good he was.

Stephenson: I’d say either [Michael Jordan] or Tiger. I like golf. And ever since that “Last Dance” documentary came out on MJ, it was pretty spectacular what he did. Just kind of the dynasty that they had in Chicago.

Kevin Fiala, Los Angeles Kings: Roger Federer was always my idol. He’s not active anymore, but he’s always been the big icon for me.

Nelson: Probably Rafael Nadal. I’m big tennis guy. How hard he works. How hard he grinds. He goes out there and he competes and he never gives up on anything. It looks like he’s having a good time. Might have been the logo, too — big fan of the headband. As a lefty, he has a different style. Federer is an all-timer too, but I pull for Nadal.

Morrissey: Big golf fan, even though we don’t get the chance too often during the season in Winnipeg to hit the links and keep our game sharp. Loved Tiger over the years. Love Rory McIlroy. In the NBA, I’m a big Steph Curry fan. Those are the guys, I think.


What’s your go-to cheat meal?

Marner: This body can eat a lot of cheat meals, to be honest with you. It burns a lot of calories. I can eat a lot. So the go-to cheat meal is always a burger for me, [from] Five Guys or Burger Priest. A nice bacon cheeseburger always fills my spot.

Nelson: Chick-fil-A. Spicy chicken and some fries. Can’t pass up the waffle fries.

Fiala: There’s a lot I like in L.A. So many good Mexican restaurants. But I like In-n-Out, you know? I like to get it after games sometimes. Just a standard Double-Double [burger].

Morrissey: Well, you know it’s all about trying to get pucks in deep. But there are definitely times you can enjoy a cheat meal. [Laughs] I think the usual stuff. Some pizza. I also have a little bit of a sweet tooth, so I try to stay away from that before it gets the better of me. Not so much a candy guy as pastries and things like that.

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Nats slugger Wood commits to Home Run Derby

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Nats slugger Wood commits to Home Run Derby

Washington Nationals slugger James Wood will bring his massive power to the big stage, becoming the third player to commit to the July 14 Home Run Derby in Atlanta.

Wood, 22, has delivered 22 home runs in 86 games during his first full major league season. He was acquired by the Nationals in 2022 as part of the package of top prospects Washington received in the trade that sent Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres.

Wood announced the commitment on Instagram, with a video montage of himself, along with video clips of former Atlanta Braves star Hank Aaron hitting his record 714th home run in 1974. The video included the words, “Derby bound.”

Wood has 12 homers that have been hit harder than 110 mph. It’s the second most in the league behind Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani‘s 13. Wood also has four dingers that have been launched longer than 445 feet.

The Seattle MarinersCal Raleigh and the Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. also have committed to the event, with five more participants still to be named.

Raleigh, who would become the first catcher to win the event, has a major-league-best 33 home runs. Acuna has nine home runs in 36 games after returning from a torn left ACL that also limited him to 49 games last season.

Defending champion Teoscar Hernandez of the Los Angeles Dodgers already has said he will not defend his Home Run Derby crown.

Field Level Media and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Astros GM: Alvarez setback not as bad as feared

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Astros GM: Alvarez setback not as bad as feared

DENVER — Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez‘s setback to his recovery from a fractured right hand is not as serious as first feared, general manager Dana Brown said Thursday.

Alvarez, who suffered the injury on May 2, was shut down after experiencing pain in his right hand. He had taken some swings at the team’s spring training complex in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Monday and when he arrived there Tuesday, the area was sore.

He was examined by a specialist, who determined inflammation was the issue and not a setback with the fracture.

“It had nothing to do with the fracture, or the fracture not being healed,” Brown said before Houston’s game at Colorado. “The fracture at this point is a nonfactor, which we’re very glad about. And so during the process of him being examined by the specialist, we saw the inflammation, and Yordan did receive two shots in that area.”

Alvarez first experienced issues with his hand in late April but stayed in the lineup. He was initially diagnosed with a muscle strain but a small fracture was discovered at the end of May.

Brown said there has not been an update on the timetable for Alvarez’s return but said with the latest update it “could be in the near future.”

“Yordan is going to be in a position where he’s going to let rest and let the shot take effect, and then as long as he’s starting to feel better, we’ll put a bat in his hand before we start hitting, but we’ll just let him feel the bat feels like,” Brown said. “And then we’ll get into some swings in the near future, but I felt like it was encouraging news. Now, with this injection into the area that was inflamed, we feel a lot better.”

Alvarez, who averaged 34 home runs over the previous four seasons, has just three in 29 games this year and is batting .210. He was the 2021 ALCS MVP for the Astros and finished third in the AL MVP voting for 2022.

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Sources: Guardians’ Ortiz faces gambling inquiry

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Sources: Guardians' Ortiz faces gambling inquiry

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Luis Ortiz is under investigation by Major League Baseball after a betting-integrity firm flagged a pair of pitches that had received unusual gambling activity, sources told ESPN on Thursday.

Sources said betting-integrity firm IC360 sent an alert in June to sportsbook operators regarding Ortiz, whom MLB has placed on “non-disciplinary paid leave” through July 17.

The alert, according to sources who reviewed it, referenced action on Ortiz’s first pitches in select innings to be a ball or a hit batsman in two games: June 15 against the Seattle Mariners and June 27 against the St. Louis Cardinals. In both the bottom of the second inning against the Mariners and the top of the third inning against the Cardinals, Ortiz threw a first-pitch slider that was well outside the strike zone.

The alert on Ortiz’s first pitches flagged bets in Ohio, New York and New Jersey. Betting on the result of first pitches is offered by some sportsbooks, with such wagers commonly referred to as microbets.

Ortiz’s paid leave, which ends at the conclusion of the All-Star break, was negotiated between the league and the MLB Players Association. If the investigation remains open, the leave could be extended.

Ortiz had been scheduled to start Thursday night’s game against the Chicago Cubs.

“The Guardians have been notified that Luis Ortiz has been placed on leave per an agreement with the Players Association due to an ongoing league investigation,” the team said in a statement. “The Guardians are not permitted to comment further at this time and will respect the league’s confidential investigative process.”

The investigation into Ortiz’s potential violation of the league’s gambling policy comes a little more than a year after MLB levied a lifetime ban against San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano for placing nearly 400 bets on baseball. Four other players received one-year suspensions for gambling on baseball while in the minor leagues. In February, MLB fired umpire Pat Hoberg — widely recognized as the best ball-strike arbiter in the game — for “sharing” a legal sports betting account with a friend who bet on baseball and later deleting messages key to the investigation.

A 26-year-old starting pitcher, Ortiz was acquired by Cleveland from the Pittsburgh Pirates over the winter as part of the three-team trade in which the Guardians sent second baseman Andres Gimenez to the Toronto Blue Jays. With a 4-9 record and 4.36 ERA, Ortiz has been a staple in a Guardians rotation whose 4.13 ERA ranks 18th in MLB.

Ortiz’s leave comes amid a slide for the Guardians, who have lost six consecutive games to drop to 40-44. While Cleveland remains in second place in the American League Central, it trails first-place Detroit by 12½ games.

Ortiz signed with the Pirates in 2018 at 19 years old, far later than the typical prospect, and didn’t reach full-season ball until 2021. He quickly shot through the Pittsburgh organization and debuted in 2022, eventually throwing 238⅓ innings and posting a 3.93 ERA in his three seasons with the Pirates.

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