The National Hockey League pre-season game between Montreal and Detroit on Wednesday produced two casualties in Canadiens defenseman Mathieu Carle and Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom
Carle was stretchered off the ice in the first period after he had been knocked to the ice by Red Wings right wing Tomas Kopecky after making a pass just five-and-a-half minutes into the contest.
“I think it was a clean hit, as clean as it can be,” Kopecky said. “I did not hit him with an elbow, I hit him straight with the shoulder. It might look bad, but it’s part of my game. I don’t want anybody to get hurt, but I know what’s my job on this team ... I felt bad for him, but shake it off and go from there.”
Carle, 20, lost and regained consciousness while lying on the ice for nearly 15 minutes before being carried off and taken to hospital.
“He was awake when he went to the hospital,” Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau said. “We gave him a couple of quick tests and he was fine ... And he’s going back [home] with us.”
Lidstrom, a 16-year NHL veteran, was also taken to hospital after he was struck in the face by the puck in the third period.
Defenseman Lidstrom, who helped the Red Wings win the Stanley Cup last season, was helped off the ice 3:05 into the third.
He needed stitches above his right eye and was taken to hospital for X-rays, the Red Wings said.
“It’s above his eye, so they’re going to send him over for some tests. [It has] nothing to do with his eye, so that’s obviously the most positive news,” Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. “He got hit in the face with a shot. It hurts, but it’s not in his eye, so that’s positive.”
The 38-year-old Red Wings captain recorded 10 goals and 60 assists in 76 games in 2007-2008.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was