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ST. JOHN’S, Newfoundland — Former NHL forward Terry Ryan celebrated his 47th birthday with a fist-flying return to professional hockey, dropping the gloves and fighting Sunday for the Newfoundland Growlers in the ECHL.

Playing professionally for the first time in some 20 years, Ryan traded punches with the Adirondack Thunder’s Zach Walker, a 25-year-old former Boston College player who got the upper hand at the end after Ryan lost his balance.

Ryan fought Walker midway through the third period in the Growlers’ 6-2 loss, also drawing an instigator penalty.

“I wasn’t planning on fighting … but I turn around and my teammate, my buddy’s got his helmet off,” Ryan said in a video posted by the Growlers. “What do I have to lose? I’m supposed to lose that fight like when I fought Tie Domi when I was 18.”

Ryan appears in the Canadian television comedy series “Shoresy” as Ted Hitchcock and has a popular hockey podcast. His book, “Tales of a First-Round Nothing: My Life as an NHL Footnote,” was published in 2014.

He was at a bar — “I was probably five or six pints in,” Ryan recounted — celebrating his birthday late Saturday night when he got the call from the Growlers to join the short-handed squad.

“I still skate four, five times a week and I play a lot of ball hockey,” Ryan said. “I just figured if I had the cardio, at least a fraction of it, that I wouldn’t embarrass.”

Drafted eighth overall by Montreal in 1995, Ryan got on the ice for only eight NHL games over three seasons with the Canadiens. He sustained a serious ankle injury in 2001 and last played professionally for the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones in 2002-03.

“I was joking with the guys, ‘You get sent down for two weeks, but two decades is a little much,'” Ryan said.

His 13-year-old daughter watched him play for the first time Sunday.

“I didn’t want to embarrass them,” Ryan said. “Before the game she gave me an extra-long hug.”

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Canes’ Andersen, 35, secures deal before Round 2

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Canes' Andersen, 35, secures deal before Round 2

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes have signed goaltender Frederik Andersen to a one-year contract for next season, worth $2.75 million for the 35-year-old veteran.

General manager Eric Tulsky announced the deal Saturday, a little over 48 hours before his team starts the second round of the playoffs against the Washington Capitals.

Andersen could earn up to $750,000 in incentives for games played and his participation in a potential run to the Eastern Conference finals next season. He would get $250,000 for playing 35 or more games, another $250,000 for getting to 40 and $250,000 if the Hurricanes reach the East finals and he plays in at least half of the playoff games.

“Frederik has played extremely well for us and ranks in the top 10 all-time for winning percentage by an NHL goalie,” Tulsky said. “We’re excited that he will be staying with the team for next season.”

Andersen and the Hurricanes, the No. 2 seed in the Metropolitan Division, advanced past the New Jersey Devils in Round 1 last week. They will meet the Capitals, who won the division crown, for the right to make the NHL’s final four.

Extending Andersen could give the team a goaltending tandem with Pyotr Kochetkov for less than $6 million combined.

Anderson, a Denmark native who previously played for the Anaheim Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs, has become coach Rod Brind’Amour’s most trusted option in net. He is expected to return to the starting role for Game 1 of the Capitals series after getting injured in the first round against New Jersey.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Sovereignty outduels Journalism to capture Derby

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Sovereignty outduels Journalism to capture Derby

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Sovereignty outdueled 3-1 favorite Journalism down the stretch to win the 151st Kentucky Derby in the slop on Saturday.

Trainer Bill Mott won his first Derby in 2019, also run on a sloppy track, when Country House was elevated to first after Maximum Security crossed the finish line first and was disqualified after a 22-minute delay.

This time, he knew right away.

Sovereignty won by 1½ lengths and snapped an 0-for-13 Derby skid for owner Godolphin, the racing stable of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

It was quite a weekend for the sheikh. His filly, Good Cheer, won the Kentucky Oaks on Friday and earlier Saturday, Ruling Court won the 2,000 Guineas in Britain.

Sovereignty covered 1¼ miles in 2:02.31 and paid $17.96 to win at 7-1 odds.

Journalism found trouble in the first turn and jockey Umberto Rispoli moved him to the outside. He and Sovereignty hooked up at the eighth pole before Sovereignty and jockey Junior Alvarado pulled away.

Baeza was third, Final Gambit was fourth and Owen Almighty finished fifth.

Rain made for a soggy day, with the Churchill Downs dirt strip listed as sloppy and horse racing fans protecting their fancy hats and clothing with clear plastic ponchos.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Zilisch to miss Xfinity race in Texas after wreck

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Zilisch to miss Xfinity race in Texas after wreck

FORT WORTH, Texas — Connor Zilisch, the 18-year-old driver already with two NASCAR Xfinity Series race wins, will miss Saturday’s race at Texas because of lower back injuries sustained in a last-lap wreck at Talladega.

Trackhouse Racing said Wednesday that its development driver will return as soon as possible to the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. The team didn’t provide any additional details about Zilisch’s injuries.

Cup Series regular Kyle Larson will drive the No. 88 in Texas. After that, the Xfinity Series has a two-week break before racing again May 24 at Charlotte.

Zilisch, sixth in points through the first 11 races, was driving for the win at Talladega Superspeedway when contact on the backstretch sent his car spinning, and head-on into inside wall.

Zilisch won in his Xfinity debut at Watkins Glen last Sept. 14. He added another win this year at Austin, the same weekend that he made his Cup Series debut. He has six top-10 finishes in his 15 Xfinity races.

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