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INDIANAPOLIS — Cole Custer will return to NASCAR’s Cup Series next season as the driver for Haas Factory, the team announced Saturday before Brickyard 400 qualifying.

The 26-year-old, who was the 2020 Cup Series Rookie of the Year, will drive the No. 41 Ford. Team officials said they would have a technical alliance with RFK Racing with additional help coming from Ford Performance.

“I’ve grown up with Haas Automation and having their name on my firesuit is something I take a tremendous amount of pride in,” Custer said. “I’m driven to win for Gene and everyone at Haas Automation because they’ve been such a big part of my career.”

Custer is the defending Xfinity Series champion and current points leader after earning his first win of the season last weekend at Pocono. He has 22 career wins across multiple series, getting his first Cup win at Kentucky in his 20th career start.

But Custer lost his Cup ride at Stewart-Haas Racing after the 2022 season and spent the past two seasons racing in the second-tier Xfinity series.

This year, he’s back with SHR, which will shutter after this season. That team is run primarily run by Joe Custer, Cole’s father. The elder Custer will remain president of Haas Factory Team.

“Cole has represented Haas Automation for more than half his life and he’s delivered results every step of the way,” team owner Gene Haas said in a statement. “He just wins, and he’s proven that repeatedly. He brings home trophies and he races people clean. He’s earned a lot of respect from his peers, and he’s a genuine personality whose hard work resonates with our customers.”

Custer got his first win for Haas Automation in 2011 as part of a USAC series designed for young drivers.

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Flames’ Zary gets 2 games for elbowing Pettersson

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Flames' Zary gets 2 games for elbowing Pettersson

NEW YORK — Calgary forward Connor Zary was suspended two games without pay Thursday for elbowing Vancouver defenseman Elias Pettersson during the Canucks’ 4-3 shootout victory over the Flames.

Zary, 23, was assessed a minor penalty for interference on the play at 11:19 of the first period Wednesday night. The suspension will cost him $8,993 in salary.

After Pettersson knocked Calgary center Nazem Kadri off his skates just as Kadri unloaded the puck and crossed the blue line, Zary retaliated with a blindside hit that led to the penalty.

Pettersson had the tying goal with 6:44 remaining in regulation and scored in the first round of the shootout. Conor Garland added the winner in the fourth round of the shootout.

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Devils’ Hamilton out for regular season, GM says

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Devils' Hamilton out for regular season, GM says

New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton will miss the remainder of the regular season and “possibly” the playoffs due to a lower-body injury, general manager Tom Fitzgerald said.

When pressed if Hamilton could return if the Devils reach the second round of the postseason, Fitzgerald wasn’t too optimistic on Wednesday.

“We’re not planning on it, how’s that?” Fitzgerald said during an appearance on the “Krackin’ Canuckleheads” podcast.

Hamilton has been sidelined since he was tangled up with Stars forward Mason Marchment in the first period of a 4-3 loss to Dallas on March 4.

Hamilton, 31, has 40 points (nine goals, 31 assists) in 63 games this season. He is competing in the fourth campaign of his seven-year, $63 million contract.

Hamilton has totaled 501 points (151 goals, 350 assists) in 834 career games with the Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes and Devils.

Hamilton was selected by the Bruins with the ninth overall pick of the 2011 NHL draft.

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Devers: Willing to do whatever Red Sox want

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Devers: Willing to do whatever Red Sox want

Rafael Devers told reporters Thursday that he’s “good to do whatever” the Boston Red Sox want him to do, an indication that he’s willing to move away from third base and serve as the team’s designated hitter this season.

A switch of roles didn’t seem likely last month, when Devers balked at the idea at moving to DH in the wake of Boston signing Alex Bregman.

“Third base is my position,” Devers said then.

But the three-time All-Star said Thursday that he spoke with manager Alex Cora and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow a few weeks ago and told them “I’m good to do whatever they want me to do.

“I’m here to help,” he said through his interpreter, according to The Athletic. “I’ve already spoken with them about that and they know where I stand, but I’m just ready to play.

“I’m not going to share what we talked about here just because it would make me come off … those are private conversations. So I told them everything of my point of view, how I see things, and they know that.”

Devers has yet to appear in an official spring training game for Boston. It was supposed to happen Tuesday but got pushed back to this weekend. He battled soreness in both of his shoulders last season and spent the first couple of weeks of spring training trying to strengthen them ahead of the regular season.

He did play in an intrasquad game Thursday in Fort Myers, Florida, before he spoke with the media, and had a home run off new Red Sox starter Walker Buehler.

Asked if he expects to be ready for Opening Day against the Rangers on March 27 in Texas, Devers said: “I expect to be there.”

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