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ATLANTA — Ronald Acuna Jr. is emboldened at the start of his journey through a second major knee surgery and recovery by the knowledge he enjoyed such a successful comeback from his first procedure.

Acuña said Thursday that hasn’t stopped the tears from flowing as he adjusts to the reality his season ended when he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee Sunday in Pittsburgh.

After the Braves announced Sunday night that an MRI showed a complete tear in the ligament, support started to come in for Acuña, the reigning National League MVP.

“I haven’t gotten around to replying to a lot of those messages because those messages come from a place of support,” Acuña said through an interpreter. “I just sort of break down and start crying. … I know they just want what’s best for me.”

This is Acuña’s second season-ending knee injury. He tore his right ACL on July 20, 2021, and came back strong with his 2023 MVP season. Even though few players have had to recover from torn ACLs in both knees, he said his familiarity with the surgery and rehab gives him confidence.

“I think it has been easier to process this go-around because I went through the process two years ago,” Acuña said.

Acuña said the surgery will be performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles on Tuesday. ElAttrache also was the surgeon for the 2021 procedure. Acuña expects to spend a least one month in Los Angeles as he begins his rehabilitation with hopes of returning for the start of the 2025 season.

Acuña was hurt after opening Sunday’s 8-1 win over the Pirates with a double and then breaking from second base on a stolen base attempt. His left knee gave way when he stopped in an attempt to return to second base.

Acuña is a native of Venezuela, and another native of his home country, former catcher Wilson Ramos, is one of the few players to continue playing following ACL repairs to both knees. Ramos injured his left knee in 2012 and his right knee in 2016, each time with Washington, and then hurt his left knee again in 2021 with Cleveland.

Acuña said he has not reached out to Ramos or any other player for advice.

“Fortunately for me it feels the same because I’ve already been through it,” he said.

Acuña said that despite “overwhelming” good wishes from fans, teammates and coaches, “all that support finds me at home crying by myself because I feel like I’m the one abandoning the team,” he said. “It feels like I’m the one letting everyone down.”

Manager Brian Snitker said he worries more about Acuña than the team.

“He loves to play and it’s tough because he does know what he’s in for,” Snitker said. “It’s good and bad.”

Snitker expects a successful recovery for Acuña, 26.

“He’s done it before and he’ll do it again,” Snitker said. “He’s young and strong.”

The Braves have lost two key players to season-ending injuries. All-Star right-hander Spencer Strider’s season ended on April 13 when he had internal brace surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow.

“I’m going to take everything in stride,” Acuña said. “It’s another opportunity. Who knows? Maybe I can come back and win another MVP.”

Acuña said “the best of all” reminders is that the team won the 2021 World Series following his first injury. The offense has struggled during a sluggish showing in May.

“We’re here for a reason; every player on that roster is here for a reason,” Acuña said. “They’re certainly capable. They don’t need me to win a World Series.”

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Canes reach 3-year, $9.5M extension with Hall

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Canes reach 3-year, .5M extension with Hall

The Carolina Hurricanes have reached a three-year, $9.5 million extension with forward Taylor Hall through the 2027-28 season.

The team announced the signing Wednesday, a day after the Hurricanes closed out the New Jersey Devils in their first-round playoff series. It marked the seventh straight year that Carolina has won at least one postseason series.

Hall, 33, acquired in a blockbuster January deal that included Mikko Rantanen‘s arrival, scored the first of Carolina’s four second-period goals that helped it erase a 3-0 deficit before winning in double overtime. He’s a 15-year veteran who won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s MVP in the 2017-18 season.

“Taylor has proven to be an outstanding fit for our team, and we are thrilled that he is excited to make Raleigh his home for another three seasons,” general manager Eric Tulsky said in a statement. “He’s been a solid veteran presence in the locker room and a difference maker on the ice.”

Hall had 18 goals and 24 assists in 77 regular-season games between Chicago and Carolina, and also had two assists in the five-game series win against New Jersey. He had missed most of the previous season due to knee surgery and was making $6 million this year with free agency looming, then led Carolina skaters with four power-play goals in the regular season after his arrival.

The Hurricanes acquired the 2010 No. 1 overall draft pick on Jan. 24 in the three-team deal that snagged Rantanen from Colorado, though they later sent Rantanen to Dallas with forward Logan Stankoven as the primary trade-deadline return when it became clear Rantanen was unlikely to sign long-term to stay with Carolina.

Hall and Tulsky are scheduled to address reporters by Zoom later Wednesday.

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Avs’ MacKinnon finalist for Ted Lindsay Award

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Avs' MacKinnon finalist for Ted Lindsay Award

Colorado Avalanche standout Nathan MacKinnon is in contention to repeat as the recipient of the Ted Lindsay Award.

MacKinnon was named a finalist for the award on Wednesday along with Avalanche teammate Cale Makar and Tampa Bay Lightning star forward Nikita Kucherov.

The award is presented annually to the most outstanding player in the NHL as voted by fellow members of the NHL Players’ Association.

MacKinnon, 29, tied Kucherov for the NHL assists lead with 84 and totaled 116 points this season. MacKinnon is the reigning Hart Trophy recipient as the league’s MVP.

Makar, 26, is a first-time finalist for this award and is also up for the Norris Trophy, which was announced Tuesday. He led all defensemen this season in goals (30), assists (62) and points (92).

Kucherov, 31, won his second straight Art Ross Trophy after leading the NHL in scoring with 121 points (37 goals, 84 assists).

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Mammoth gaffe? Utah mum on name after leak

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Mammoth gaffe? Utah mum on name after leak

Utah Hockey Club officials wouldn’t confirm whether “Mammoth” was their new name after it allegedly leaked on the team’s official YouTube channel Tuesday night.

Fans and media noticed that the channel’s handle was changed from “@UtahHockeyClub” to “@UtahMammoth,” on both its landing page and URL. The channel was soon deactivated and remained so on Wednesday morning, but not before screenshots of the name change went viral.

Utah Mammoth was one of three finalists featured in a fan vote at Delta Center to help determine the permanent name of the team, which played its inaugural season in 2024-25 after SEG purchased and relocated the former Arizona Coyotes franchise. Fans voted with iPads located at stations around the arena that featured the names, logos and potential branding for each option.

Originally, the three names voted on were Utah Mammoth, Utah Hockey Club and Utah Wasatch, which was quickly swapped out for Utah Outlaws after the team saw early vote returns.

Mammoth made the final four in the initial fan vote last year.

Utah HC executives wouldn’t confirm or deny that Mammoth will be the team’s new nickname.

Mike Maughan, an executive with Utah HC owner Smith Entertainment Group, said on Wednesday that “progress continues on exploring all three of the name options that were chosen as finalists by our fans. We’re fully on track to announce a permanent name and identity ahead of the 25-26 NHL season and look forward to sharing that with our fans when we do.”

When pressed for an explanation on the alleged YouTube leak, Maughan would only say, “We’re fully on track to announce a permanent name and identity ahead of the 25-26 NHL season.”

One NHL source told ESPN that the revelation for the team’s new name and logo could come before the NHL draft in late June. This year’s draft is a “decentralized” event, meaning that teams will be making selections from their own sites rather than in one central location. That opens the door for Utah to have an event in Salt Lake City with team officials around the draft.

In other Utah HC news, the team announced Wednesday that Delta Center, home to Utah HC and the Utah Jazz, will be undergoing a renovation to optimize hockey sightlines while maintaining the proximity of basketball fans to the court using a state-of-the-art retractable seating system. It’s a multiyear project that will also create a new main entrance and outdoor plaza.

The first-of-its-kind seating system accommodates a nearly 12-foot variance in elevation between rink and court endlines to offer optimal sightlines for both the NBA and NHL. Every seat in the lower bowl will have a complete view of the ice at the start of next season — the team estimates that 400 seats currently can only see one goal net during games.

The new hockey configuration adds capacity behind the goals and above and around the event tunnels on the north and south side of the lower bowl and improves access to seating behind the boards.

When all renovations are complete, seating capacity for hockey will increase from 11,131 to approximately 17,000 — with every seat in the upper and lower bowls having full views of both goals — and capacity for basketball will increase from 18,206 to nearly 19,000 seats.

“Delta Center was built for basketball. When you come and put the size of an ice sheet in that venue with those sight lines, the geometry just doesn’t work. So that’s where you come up with the riser system configuration. You come up with raising the floor 2 feet,” said Jim Olson, president of the Jazz and executive representing SEG on all facilities projects.

“We are absolutely protecting the basketball experience, but then also creating a great hockey experience where all the seats can see all the ice,” he said.

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