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The board of directors of Senators Sports & Entertainment announced Tuesday that a group led by Michael Andlauer has entered into an agreement to purchase the controlling interest of the Ottawa Senators.

Although the board has not disclosed the terms of the deal, multiple reports put the purchase price at nearly $1 billion.

The transaction next goes before the NHL’s board of governors, to whom Andlauer is familiar. He owns a 10% stake in the Montreal Canadiens and is an alternate governor. He also owns the Ontario Hockey League’s Brantford Bulldogs.

Andlauer, 57, would divest his stake in the Montreal franchise before being fully approved to take over the Senators. He agreed to terms of the sale, which prohibited moving the team from Ottawa, and shared plans for a new arena as part of his bid.

“My family and I are very excited to be part of the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club,” Andlauer said in a statement. “I believe that the Senators’ fanbase is one of the most passionate in the league, and I’m excited to take the franchise’s success — both on and off the ice — to the next level.

“The short- and long-term future of the team is incredibly bright, and I look forward to getting to know the team, the fanbase and the community.”

“Michael represents everything we could have hoped to find coming into this process — a passionate owner who is committed to Ottawa,” said Sheldon Plener, chairman and governor of the Senators.

Andlauer’s offer edged a joint effort by Jeffrey and Michael Kimel of Harlo Capital to purchase the Senators. The Ottawa Sun reported that the bid submitted by Los Angeles-based producer Neko Sparks was “underfunded,” and Toronto-based billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos dropped out of the bidding.

Previous owner Eugene Melnyk purchased the team out of bankruptcy in 2003. He died in March 2022, and his daughters, Anna and Olivia Melnyk, inherited the franchise. They will retain a 10% interest in the club.

Andlauer is the CEO of the Andlauer Healthcare Group Inc. and has 35 years of experience in the transportation industry in Canada. He also founded Bulldog Capital partners, a merchant bank based in Toronto.

One of seven NHL franchises based in Canada, the Ottawa Senators returned to the league in 1992 after a 58-year absence. The modern-day Senators have captured four titles in the Northeast Division and, in 2002-03, a Presidents’ Trophy.

Information from Reuters contributed to this report.

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Rich Rod bans Mountaineers from TikTok dancing

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Rich Rod bans Mountaineers from TikTok dancing

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez, like all football coaches, wants his players to show up on time, work hard and play their best.

Oh, and another thing: Don’t dance on TikTok.

“They’re going to be on it, so I’m not banning them from it,” he said Monday. “I’m just banning them from dancing on it. It’s like, look, we try to have a hard edge or whatever, and you’re in there in your tights dancing on TikTok, ain’t quite the image of our program that I want.”

Making TikTok dance videos is a popular activity among high school- and college-age users of the social media platform. Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, Boise State star Ashton Jeanty and Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola are among college football players who have posted dance videos.

Rodriguez is beginning his second stint as Mountaineers coach. He said he has talked to his players about the tendency in society to emphasize the individual rather than the team and that banning TikTok dancing is something he can do to put the focus where he thinks it belongs.

“I’m allowed to do that. I can have rules,” he said. “Twenty years from now, if they want to be sitting in their pajamas in the basement eating Cheetos and watching TikTok or whatever the hell, they can go at it, smoking cannabis, whatever. Knock yourself out.”

As for now, he said: “I hope our focus can be on winning football games. How about let’s win the football game and not worry about winning the TikTok?”

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Battle, DB star at USC and former Jet, dies at 78

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Battle, DB star at USC and former Jet, dies at 78

LOS ANGELES — Mike Battle, an All-American defensive back and a member of USC‘s 1967 national championship team who later played two seasons for the New York Jets, has died. He was 78.

He died of natural causes on March 6 in Nellysford, Virginia, the school said Tuesday.

In 1967, Battle led a USC defense that allowed only 87 points all season. The Trojans were 26-6-1 and won three conference titles during his three-year career. Battle played in the 1967, 1968 and 1969 Rose Bowl games, all won by the Trojans.

Battle was USC’s annual punt return leader in each of his three seasons and still owns the school record for most punts returned in a season. He was the NCAA statistical champion in 1967, when he had 49 returns for 608 yards, a 12.4-yard average. He also holds the school mark for most punts returned, with 99 during his three years.

He was chosen in the 12th round of the 1969 NFL draft by the Jets and played for two seasons in 1969 and 1970.

Battle appeared in the 1970 film “C.C. and Company,” a biker film starring Jets teammate Joe Namath and actor Ann-Margret.

He is survived by his wife Laura and children Christian Michael, Hunter, Frank, Michael, Kathleen, Murphy and Annie.

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Stars forward Hintz out a week with facial injury

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Stars forward Hintz out a week with facial injury

Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz will be sidelined for a week with a facial injury but avoided a fracture.

General manager Jim Nill said Tuesday that Hintz has to keep his heart rate down for 5-7 days to avoid pressure or swelling.

Hintz, 28, was struck in the face by a puck midway through the second period in Saturday’s 5-4 loss at Edmonton. He did not return.

Hintz is tied for second on the Stars in goals (25) and is fourth in points (52) through 59 games this season.

He has 362 points (172 goals, 190 assists) in 451 career games in seven NHL seasons. Dallas drafted him in the second round in 2015.

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