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A14 sports
Saturday 9 april 2022
Power signs with Sabres as Michigan to NHL exodus begins

By STEPHEN WHYNO expansion Seattle Kraken
AP Hockey Writer after they took him second
Owen Power is trading in in the draft, while Brisson
Michigan maize and blue was a 2020 first-round pick
for the blue and gold of by Vegas.
the Buffalo Sabres, and he Goaltender Erik Portillo (Buf-
is far from the only Wolver- falo), defensemen Luke
ine making the leap to the Hughes and Ethan Edwards
NHL. (New Jersey) and Jacob
The Michigan exodus is un- Truscott (Vancouver), for-
derway less than 24 hours wards Thomas Bordeleau
after the loaded Wolver- (San Jose), John Beecher
ines were knocked out of (Boston), Eric Ciccolini
the Frozen Four short of a (New York Rangers), Mack-
national title. ie Samoskevich (Florida)
Before Power inked his and Dylan Duke (Tampa
deal with Buffalo on Friday, Bay) are the other Michi-
teammates Kent John- gan players with rights al-
son and Nick Blankenburg ready owned by NHL clubs.
signed with the Columbus Adams said he also spoke
Blue Jackets. Matty Beniers with Portillo, who was in
and Brendan Brisson might goal for the loss to Denver.
not be too far behind in the It was not clear what Porti-
aftermath of Michigan’s Michigan players react after losing to Denver in overtime during an NCAA men’s Frozen Four llo’s path forward might be,
overtime loss to Denver semifinal hockey game, Thursday, April 7, 2022, in Boston. Associated Press but the Sabres did not have
in the NCAA Tournament much doubt Power would
semifinals. some valuable experience bres uniform.” 2022 Olympics representing join them and play in the
Sabres general manager by suiting up with the Sa- Johnson signed a three- Canada. NHL quickly.
Kevyn Adams said Power bres, who will not make the year, entry-level contract “Kent Johnson is a remark- “This stretch of games until
is expected to join Buffalo playoffs for the 11th con- like Power while Blanken- able young man both the end of the season is so
in Florida on Saturday and secutive season. burg got a one-year deal. on and off the ice,” Blue critical for him because you
is tentatively scheduled to “When you add it all up, it They are expected to Jackets general manager feel the NHL game, you get
make his debut Tuesday at was a great development join their new team Mon- Jarmo Kekalainen said. “He a good understanding of
Toronto. year for him,” Adams said. day and could also get is a highly-skilled and cre- what you need to do to
The 6-foot-6, 214-pound de- “Regardless of how talent- plugged into the Blue Jack- ative player who can bring prepare yourself to play,
fenseman was more than ed he is, he’s still a young ets lineup right away. you out of your seat when- the speed of the game,
a point-a-game player for player and we want to Blankenburg was a free ever he’s on the ice.” physicality — all of it,” Ad-
Michigan, had a hat trick keep helping him get bet- agent, while Johnson was There are similarly high ams said.
at the world junior champi- ter and better and set him the fifth pick in the 2021 hopes for Beniers and Bris- “He’ll take that into his off-
onship before it was called up for success. Really am draft. The skilled 19-year- son, who starred for the season and just the way
off and played almost 22 proud of how he handled old forward had 17 goals U.S. at the Olympics on a he’s wired (he) is the type
minutes a game for Cana- himself during this season and 47 assists in his final col- team featuring more than of kid who processes things
da at the Winter Olympics on and off the ice and just lege season and had five a dozen college players. very quickly and he’ll learn
in Beijing. Power will get excited to get him in a Sa- points in four games at the Beniers could soon join the quickly.”q

Bencic tops 2nd-seeded Badosa to

reach Charleston semifinals

Bencic took a 5-4 lead and games with the wind. I felt straight year. She actually
held on to force the tie- like I needed to get my had two strong weeks in
breaker. She took control game together and make Charleston in 2021 with her
there, winning five of the it harder for her.” semifinal run at this tourna-
final six points to tie up the Bencic did that when it ment, then a trip to the fi-
match. mattered most. nals a week later at a sec-
The final set was tied at “I really had nothing to ond clay-court event at
4-all when Bencic, who lose,” said Bencic, ranked this facility where she was
won Olympic gold in sin- 21st in the world. beaten by Australian Astra
gles at Tokyo last summer, It’s the second trip to the Sharma in three sets.
Belinda Bencic returns the ball to Madison Keys at the Charleston took control for good. She semifinals here Bencic, the Jabeur appears just as
Open tennis tournament in Charleston, S.C., Thursday, April 7, hit a service winner to set 10th seed. The first came in comfortable and confident
2022. up match point then cel- her initial appearance at this time around. She hasn’t
Associated Press
ebrated when Babosa’s fi- the season’s opening clay- lost a set in three matches
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — reached the final four in nal shot went into the net. court tournament in 2014. here, winning all of them by
Belinda Bencic rallied to the season’s opening clay- It was Bencic’s first win over Bencic will play the winner 6-3, 6-2 scores. She’s been
beat second-seeded Pau- court event, beating Anhe- the world’s third-ranked of a match between Mag- on court a total of three
la Badosa 2-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4 lina Kalinina 6-3, 6-2. player in four tries. da Linette and Ekaterina hours, 17 minutes.
on Friday to advance to Badosa, of Spain, was up “I felt very uncomfortable Alexandrova. Jabeur will face the winner
the semifinals of the Credit a set and 4-2 in the sec- the first set and half,” Ben- Jabeur, of Tunisia, had lit- of a match between Amer-
One Charleston Open. ond when Bencic, of Swit- cic said. “I was just trying tle trouble advancing into icans CoCo Vandeweghe
No. 4 Ons Jabeur also zerland, found her rhythm. to hang on to my service the semis for the second and Amanda Anisimova.q