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DENVER — Mikko Rantanen went out to dinner Saturday night with some of his former Colorado Avalanche teammates to catch up. He stepped onto the ice Sunday with them as his newest rivals.

Returning to Ball Arena for the first time as a visitor was a surreal experience for Rantanen. The new Dallas Stars forward took it all in — and now is moving on.

“Playing against them is not that fun because they’re obviously good players and a good team,” Rantanen said after Cale Makar scored 34 seconds into overtime to give Colorado a 4-3 win.

Rantanen appreciated the fan support throughout the game. He tapped his heart as the video screen showed highlights in the first period of his decade-long Avalanche career, culminating with him hoisting the Stanley Cup.

The crowd greeted Rantanen with a mixture of cheers of “Moose” — his nickname — and, of course, some boos. Once a fan favorite, Rantanen is now a fierce Central Division rival after his arrival with the Stars.

“Obviously, the video and reception from the fans, I’ll never forget that,” said Rantanen, who also watched a pregame tribute to former linemate Nathan MacKinnon in celebration of the Avalanche forward reaching 1,000 career points. “The fans had my back for 10 years, so it means a lot.”

No surprise, Rantanen heard the most boos when his name was announced on an assist to set up the first goal of the game for the Stars.

“I thought he handled it exceptionally well,” Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said of Rantanen’s return. “I’m proud of how he played tonight, considering the circumstances. He’s just going to get better and better for us.”

Makar was one of the players to have dinner with Rantanen on Saturday night.

“We had to fight for him to pay the bill,” Makar said jokingly. “It’s always good to see Mikko. It’s unfortunate that we’ll be seeing a lot more of him now, but, yeah, it’s good.

“He’s an amazing guy. We all love him and I know he loves us, too.”

It has been a whirlwind of emotions for Rantanen since he was traded to Carolina on Jan. 24. The move caught him off guard. Rantanen, the 10th overall selection by Colorado in 2015, was set to be a free agent this summer and figured the sides were simply negotiating.

“At the end of the day, I always wanted to stay in Colorado,” Rantanen said Saturday. “That was the plan, and that’s what I told the front office, too. I told them face-to-face that I was going to be flexible, but I understand. Better players than me have been traded in the history of the NHL. So it happens. It’s part of the business.”

Rantanen was a popular figure in the Colorado locker room and helped the Avalanche to the 2022 Stanley Cup title. His name remains all over the franchise’s career leaders list, including the sixth-most goals with 287.

As part of a three-team trade that landed Rantanen in Carolina, the Avalanche received forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury.

“I went there with an open mind to play there long term,” Rantanen said. “I tried my best.”

He played in 13 games with the Hurricanes and had two goals and four assists.

On March 7, Carolina sent Rantanen to the Stars for forward Logan Stankoven and draft picks. Rantanen agreed to an eight-year, $96 million contract with Dallas.

“I’m very happy to be here now,” said Rantanen, who has two goals and two assists in four games with the Stars. “It’s a good team, and they’ve been good, successful the last couple years. They have a good, young core, great coach, so it’s good.”

Stars teammate Matt Duchene, who also started his career with the Avalanche, was impressed with how Rantanen handled the emotions of his Colorado return. Not only that, but how he’s fitting in after the trade to Dallas.

“I’ve seen what he can do. We’ve all seen it, and we’ve seen glimpses of it,” Duchene said. “As he continues to get comfortable, he’ll take right off.”

The way it’s shaping up, the Stars and Avalanche could square off in the first round of the playoffs. The teams met last season in a second-round series that Dallas captured in six games.

“It’s two good teams,” Rantanen said. “It will be a good one, for sure.”

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Fired Moore in custody, suspect in alleged assault

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Fired Moore in custody, suspect in alleged assault

Sherrone Moore was in custody in the Washtenaw (Michigan) County Jail on Wednesday night as a suspect in an alleged assault, just hours after he was fired as Michigan’s football coach for having what the school said was an “inappropriate relationship with a staff member.”

Moore was initially detained by police in Saline, Michigan, on Wednesday and turned over to authorities in Pittsfield Township “for investigation into potential charges.”

Pittsfield police released a statement Wednesday night saying they responded at 4:10 p.m. to the 3000 block of Ann Arbor Saline Road “for the purposes of investigating an alleged assault. … A suspect in this case was taken into custody. This incident does not appear to be random in nature, and there appears to be no ongoing threat to the community.

“The suspect was lodged at the Washtenaw County Jail pending review of charges by the Washtenaw County Prosecutor,” the statement continued. “At this time, the investigation is ongoing. Given the nature of the allegations, the need to maintain the integrity of the investigation, and its current status at this time, we are prohibited from releasing additional details.”

Pittsfield police did not name the suspect in its statement.

Earlier, Saline police stated they “assisted in locating and detaining former University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore. Mr. Moore was turned over to the Pittsfield Township Police Department for investigation into potential charges.”

Michigan fired Moore on Wednesday following an investigation into his conduct with a staff member.

“U-M head football coach Sherrone Moore has been terminated, with cause, effective immediately,” the school said in a statement. “Following a University investigation, credible evidence was found that Coach Moore engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.”

Moore, 39, spent two seasons as Michigan’s coach, after serving as the team’s offensive coordinator.

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Braves sign vet OF Yastrzemski to 2-year deal

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Braves sign vet OF Yastrzemski to 2-year deal

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves signed veteran outfielder Mike Yastrzemski to a two-year deal Wednesday that includes a club option for 2028.

The 35-year-old Yastrzemski hit .233 with 17 home runs and 46 RBIs in 146 games last year between San Francisco and Kansas City.

Yastrzemski, who spent the first six-plus seasons of his career with the Giants before being sent to the Royals in July, will make $9 million in 2026 and $10 million in 2027. Atlanta holds a club option for 2028. Yastrzemski will make $7 million if the Braves pick up the option. He will receive a $4 million buyout if they do not.

The versatile Yastrzemski, the grandson of Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, can play all three outfield positions and is a career .238 hitter. His best season came in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign, when he batted .297 with 10 homers in 54 games and finished in the top 10 in NL MVP voting.

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Rule 5: Yanks pick Winquest, Rockies get Petit

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Rule 5: Yanks pick Winquest, Rockies get Petit

ORLANDO, Fla. — The New York Yankees made their first selection in a Rule 5 draft since 2011 on Wednesday, taking right-hander Cade Winquest from the St. Louis Cardinals.

Winquest was one of 13 players — and 12 right-handed pitchers — chosen in the major league portion of the draft.

The Rockies took RJ Petit, a 6-foot-8 reliever, with the first pick from the Detroit Tigers. Petit, 26, had a 2.44 ERA in 45 relief appearances and two starts between Double A and Triple A last season. The Minnesota Twins chose the only position player, selecting catcher Daniel Susac from the Athletics.

Clubs pay $100,000 to select a player and must keep him on the active major league roster for the entire following season unless he lands on the injured list. Players taken off the roster must be offered back to the former club for $50,000.

The 25-year-old Winquest recorded a 4.58 ERA with a 48% groundball rate in 106 innings across 25 games, including 23 starts, between Single A and Double A last season. He features a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and touches 98 mph plus a curveball, cutter and sweeper. He is expected to compete for a spot in the Yankees’ bullpen next season.

Right-hander Brad Meyers was the last player the Yankees had chosen in a Rule 5 draft. He suffered a right shoulder injury in spring training and was on the injured list for the entire 2012 season before he was offered back to the Washington Nationals. He never appeared in a major league game.

Also picked were right-hander Jedixson Paez (Colorado from Boston), right-hander Griff McGarry (Washington from Philadelphia), catcher Carter Baumler (Pittsburgh from Baltimore), right-hander Ryan Watson (Athletics from San Francisco), right-hander Matthew Pushard (St. Louis from Miami), right-hander Roddery Munoz (Houston from Cincinnati), right-hander Peyton Pallette (Cleveland from Chicago White Sox), right-hander Spencer Miles (Toronto from San Francisco), right-hander Zach McCambley (Philadelphia from Miami) and right-hander Alexander Alberto (White Sox from Tampa Bay).

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