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A22    sports
                  Tuesday 28 January 2020
            NHL players in favor of 'international flavor' All-Star idea




            ST.  LOUIS  (AP)  —  Nathan                                                                                         think it's always an honor to
            MacKinnon  enjoyed  when                                                                                            play for your country."
            the  NHL  All-Star  Game                                                                                            After   the   International
            featured  North  America                                                                                            Olympic  Committee  didn't
            against  the  World  in  the                                                                                        give the NHL the same insur-
            late 1990s and early 2000s.                                                                                         ance,  travel  and  accom-
            Something similar could be                                                                                          modations benefits in 2018
            coming  back  next  year,                                                                                           as the previous five games,
            but with a twist.                                                                                                   the league ended its streak
            The  league  is  in  talks  with                                                                                    of  participating.  And  de-
            players to bring what Com-                                                                                          spite significant investment
            missioner  Gary  Bettman                                                                                            in and fascination with the
            called  a  "distinct  interna-                                                                                      Chinese market, there's no
            tional flavor" to 2021 All-Star                                                                                     guarantee  NHL  players  go
            Weekend  in  South  Florida.                                                                                        to Beijing in 2022.
            Not  quite  North  America                                                                                          "I  can't  say  that  with  cer-
            versus  the  World  but  more                                                                                       tainty — not to give people
            like a miniature 3-on-3 tour-                                                                                       false  hope,"  Bettman  said.
            nament  with  players  rep-                                                                                         "From  our  standpoint,  we
            resenting  the  U.S.,  Cana-                                                                                        believe  and  our  experi-
            da  and  other  top  hockey                                                                                         ence  both  with  going  to
            countries.                                                                                                          five Olympics and then not
            It's  not  a  replacement  for   Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) reaches back to block a shot by Edmonton   going to Pyeongchang tells
            the  Olympics,  but  players   Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) in the NHL hockey All Star final game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020,   us  that  going  is  extraordi-
            are largely in favor of spic-  in St. Louis.                                                                        narily disruptive to the sea-
            ing up All-Star festivities and                                                                    Associated Press  son."
            playing for more than divi-                                                                                         Because  the  2016  World
            sional pride.                Eichel,  or  Sweden's  Victor  holding  a  3-on-3  All-Star  Given  the  success  of  the  Cup of Hockey featured a
            "Ooh, that would be cool,"  Hedman,  Elias  Pettersson  tournament by division. The  3-on-3,  it  would  be  silly  to  Team North American with
            Canada-born  Dallas  Stars  and  Filip  Forsberg  facing  winning  team  gets  to  split  abandon  it  now.  But  af-  the best age 23 and under
            center  Tyler  Seguin  said.  "I  off  against  Finland's  Patrik  $1  million,  and  the  wide-  ter  the  league  and  play-  players  from  the  U.S.  and
            wonder if that would get it  Laine,  Aleksander  Barkov  open ice has proven more  ers  couldn't  come  to  an  Canada, Crosby, McDavid
            even more competitive. I'm  and Mikko Rantanen.           entertaining  than  the  old  agreement  on  holding  a  and MacKinnon have nev-
            not sure. It would be inter-  "I  think  any  time  you  get  format.                  World Cup of Hockey in the  er  played  together,  and
            esting."                     some  country  rivalries  go-  "I like the 3-on-3 the most,"  winter  of  2021,  an  interna-  neither  have  Matthews,
            Think  about  MacKinnon,  ing, there'll be a little more  said Seguin, who has made  tional  All-Star  tournament  Kane and Eichel. Doing so
            Connor  McDavid  and  Sid-   aggressiveness,"  U.S.-born  six  All-Star  appearances.  "I  would  be  a  consolation  at All-Star Weekend would
            ney  Crosby  playing  for  Carolina Hurricanes defen-     played  in  a  couple  of  the  prize."I don't think anything  provide  some  entertain-
            Canada  against  Ameri-      seman Jaccob Slavin said.  5-on-5  games  and  they  really  means  as  much  as  ment, but Kane is still hold-
            cans  Auston  Matthews,  "It would be cool."              were  fun,  but  I  think  the  the Olympics, to be honest  ing  out  hope  that  it  can
            Patrick  Kane  and  Jack  The  NHL  is  five  years  into  3-on-3 is the best."        with you," Kane said. "But I  happen for real in Beijing.q


            Diggins-Smith wants to leave Dallas and play elsewhere



                                                                      Diggins-Smith  missed  last  the  opportunity  to  trade  Diggins-Smith has been the
                                                                      season after giving birth to  her on the 16th day of next  face of the franchise since
                                                                      a son last spring.           season."                     she  was  drafted  third  in
                                                                      Dallas Wings President and  Bibb  said  he  believes  that  2013  when  the  team  was
                                                                      CEO Greg Bibb told the AP  both  sides  would  rather  still in Tulsa. She's averaged
                                                                      on Monday that the team  work out an agreement to  15.9  points  and  4.9  assists
                                                                      has  given  their  four-time  find  Diggins-Smith  a  new  in her career. She won the
                                                                      All-Star a core designation.  team.                       league's  most  improved
                                                                      That  means  the  franchise  It's the second consecutive  player  award  in  2014  and
                                                                      still controls her rights for the  year  that  the  Wings  could  guided  the  Wings  to  the
                                                                      upcoming season and can  potentially lose one of their  playoffs in 2017 and 2018.
                                                                      potentially  sign  and  trade  marquee players. Liz Cam-  "Skylar  has  been  the  face
                                                                      her instead of losing her as  bage  was  traded  before  of  the  organization  and
                                                                      an unrestricted free agent.  last season to Las Vegas.    most  prominent  player  on
                                                                      "It gives us a lot of options,"  "Every  situation  is  different,  the  roster,"  Bibb  said.  "We
                                                                      Bibb  said  in  a  phone  call.  including this one and Liz,"  do have a number of play-
             In this Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, file photo, Dallas Wings guard
            Skylar Diggins-Smith, center, looks to pass against Chicago Sky   "We  could  negotiate  a  Bibb  said.  "Like  Liz  landing  ers  who,  if  Skylar  does  in
            forward Jessica Breland, left, and guard Cappie Pondexter dur-  multiyear  agreement  to  in a place she felt comfort-  fact  leave  the  organiza-
            ing the second half of a WNBA basketball game in Rosemont, Ill.   stay  in  Dallas,  work  with  able  going,  we  hope  to  tion,  can  ascend  into  that
                                                                      her  on  a  sign-and-trade  exit  this  process  with  both  higher role with the team."
            By DOUG FEINBERG             Dallas  next  year,"  Diggins-  agreement  to  send  her  to  sides  satisfied.  That  would  Dallas has the No. 2 pick in
            HARTFORD,  Conn.  (AP)  —  Smith  told  The  Associated  another team. Or we could  include  Skylar  playing  in  a  this  year's  draft  as  well  as
            Skylar  Diggins-Smith  wants  Press  in  a  phone  interview  execute the one-year core  city  where  she  wanted  to  the  ninth  selection.  Arike
            to find a new team to play  Sunday.  "I'm  happy  to  be  designation  and  she'd  re-  play  and  us  getting  a  re-  Ogunbowale  was  the  run-
            for next season.             playing in this league and I  main with us. If none of that  turn of equitable assets for  ner-up  for  league's  rookie
            "I  don't  plan  on  playing  in  want to play."          gets done, we would have  her playing rights."            of the year.q
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