The University of Michigan has created a winning culture in baseball, hockey, basketball, soccer, and football in recent years, and professional sports leagues have taken notice.

Veteran forward Patrick Kane has agreed to a one-year contract extension with an average value of $3 million with the Detroit Red Wings.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Alex Ovechkin for setting an “outstanding record” as the NHL’s all time top goal-scorer.

WWE continues to expand its social media reach as its successful blend of wrestling and celebrities took center stage at its Royal Rumble premium live event over the weekend.

According to Sportico.com, the Detroit Pistons and the Detroit Red Wings will remain on Bally Sports Detroit through at least the 2024-25 seasons after Diamond Sports Group reached an agreement with the NHL and the NBA teams.

Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney is ready to go with a goaltender rotation again next season if the team can make the math work.

Saturday marks the beginning of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the NHL, and for the eighth consecutive season, the Detroit Red Wings will not be participating.

The Detroit Red Wings pressed pause on their playoff push to share their love of hockey with Special Olympics athletes.

Italian officials want to hold the hockey games at brand new 16,000-seat arena in Milan (which is co-hosting along with Cortina d’Ampezzo), but in what’s become a theme of other construction efforts for the 2026 Games, the Italians are doing things at the last minute and better hope no delays occur.

A new women’s pro hockey league will begin competing in North America as early as January.

Commissioner Gary Bettman says the NHL is still committed to Arizona after Tempe voters rejected a referendum for a Coyotes arena.

Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid each scored twice and the Edmonton Oilers tied their Western Conference semifinal series at one game apiece with a 5-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.

Odd terms, items or non-players that one team gave up to acquire a player.

A new 70-page report is out detailing serious allegations inside the University of Michigan’s storied men’s hockey program. Former players and coaches describe a toxic culture within the program, rewarding silence while also punishing those who spoke out.

Al Sobotka said the Detroit Red Wings employee who turned him in for urinating in a drain while working has taken over as the team’s new Zamboni driver since Sobotka’s termination.

Former Detroit Red Wings Zamboni driver Al Sobotka spoke one-on-one with Local 4 about the urinating incident, being fired by the team, his current mental state and whether he would go back to his old job, if asked.

Longtime Zamboni driver Al Sobotka was fired by the Detroit Red Wings because he urinated into an ice pit while working, according to a wrongful termination lawsuit.

Longtime Zamboni driver Al Sobotka is suing the Detroit Red Wings, claiming he was wrongly fired because a medical condition forced him to urinate in an ice pit while working.

Longtime Detroit Red Wings zamboni driver Al Sobotka has been fired.

The Detroit Red Wings have placed alternate captain Danny DeKeyser on waivers on his birthday.

No National Hockey League participation and a COVID-halted World Juniors have lent a mix of desperation and release to men's hockey at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Eric Staal is relishing the opportunity to captain Canada's men's hockey team at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Jake Chelios has a very familiar name to hockey fans, but the Chicago-born son of NHL legend Chris Chelios is on the Team China roster as name Jieke Kailiaosi.

Longtime NHLer Eric Staal will serve as the captain of Canada's Olympic men's hockey team at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

In order to make it to the NHL, O’Ree had to keep a little secret from the Bruins.

Matthew Stafford and Justin Verlander aren't the only former Detroit athletes thriving. Here are 13 players who have left the city in the last decade and found greater success with other teams.

There seems to be a light at the end of the long, dark tunnel Detroit sports fans have been stuck in for the better part of a decade.

The Detroit Red Wings have placed goaltender Thomas Greiss in the league’s COVID-19 protocol.

The Detroit Red Wings game against the New York Islanders scheduled for Wednesday (Dec. 29) has been postponed due to COVID concerns for both teams.

The NHL pushed back its return from an already extended holiday break an extra day by postponing its entire 14-game Monday schedule for COVID-19 testing reasons.

Just as Americans and Europeans were eagerly awaiting their most normal holiday season in a couple of years, the omicron variant has unleashed a fresh round of fear and uncertainty — for travelers, shoppers, party-goers and their economies as a whole.

NHL players will not be participating at the 2022 Winter Olympics after all due to growing COVID-19 concerns.

A quiz to test your knowledge of festive sports traditions!

Detroit native Everette Fitzhugh has been following his professional hockey dreams without even having to lace up his skates. He now works as a broadcaster for the Seattle Kraken.

Florida Panthers coach Joel Quenneville says he'll meet with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on Thursday to discuss his involvement in the Chicago Blackhawks’ sexual abuse scandal.

Learn more about the history of hockey ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

Can you help us settle a little newsroom debate? Which Detroit sports team will have the best winning percentage next season?

Officials have released three 911 calls from the moments after an NHL player was fatally struck by a firework this weekend in Novi.

A goalie from the National Hockey League was killed this weekend in Novi when a firework struck him in the chest, an autopsy reveled.

The Latvian Ice Hockey Federation says the death of Blue Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks is a loss to the entire country of Latvia.

Here are tonight's top stories.

A goalie from the National Hockey League was killed this weekend in Novi when a firework struck him in the chest, an autopsy reveled.

Here's what's coming up on Local 4 News at 5.

Here’s what you missed Local 4 News at 4:

A goalie from the National Hockey League was killed this weekend in Novi when a firework struck him in the chest, an autopsy revealed.

I think it’s safe to say he’s a world class playmaker, first and foremost.

The National Hockey League is coming to TNT.

Turner Sports is the surprise winner of the National Hockey League’s second television package.

Todd Bertuzzi #44 of the Detroit Red Wings skates against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center on January 9, 2014 in San Jose, California. AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Former Detroit Red Wing Todd Bertuzzi has been charged for driving drunk in Auburn Hills last month, according to police. Bertuzzi failed roadside sobriety evaluations and was arrested for operating while intoxicated, Auburn Hills police said. He was taken to the Auburn Hills Police Department and refused a breath test, officials said. Bertuzzi was taken to the Oakland County Jail and released after 12 hours, pending toxicology results, police said.

BUFFALO, NY - MARCH 21: referee Tim Peel #20 waves off a goal as the Buffalo Sabres face the the Montreal Canadiens during their NHL game at First Niagara Center on March 21, 2012 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Dave Sandford/Getty Images)The NHL has decided to fire a game official who was caught on audio saying he “wanted to get” a penalty against the Nashville Predators during the team’s game Tuesday night against the Detroit Red Wings. https://t.co/mrnDc61W5P pic.twitter.com/tKsg2SwGh8 — NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 24, 2021The Predators won, 2-0. Both teams received three penalties, then the Predators got a fourth for putting the puck over the glass. Nashville was 1-2 on the power play while Detroit came up empty in three power play opportunities.

PITTSBURGH - MAY 04: The NHL logo behind the net during the game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Rangers prior to game five of the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2008 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 4, 2008 at the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)The National Hockey League (NHL) announced Wednesday a new TV and streaming deal with the Walt Disney Co. and ESPN. The NHL said the deal includes:Exclusive coverage of the Stanley Cup Final on ABC in four of the seven years of the agreement, with the ability to simulcast/megacast on ESPN+ and additional ESPN networksThe return of live NHL action to ESPN networks with 25 exclusive national regular-season games on ABC or ESPN75 national regular-season games per season produced by ESPN that will stream exclusively on both ESPN+ and HuluHalf of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on ABC and ESPN each season; and coverage annually of NHL’s Face-off (opening night games)The NHL All-Star Game and Skills Challenge, plus other NHL special events each season. The NHL’s out-of-market streaming package will now be available for fans to stream only as part of an ESPN+ subscription.

Is the Matthew Stafford deal the biggest trade in Detroit sports over the last 20 years?

___Boston College has postponed two men’s basketball games this week because of positive COVID-19 tests, prompting the Atlantic Coast Conference to juggle its schedule. Carolina, Dallas, Florida, Nashville and Tampa Bay have all had games postponed because of the pandemic. ___The Chattanooga Mocs have postponed a pair of men’s basketball games after a positive COVID-19 test among the team’s Tier 1 personnel. ___The Southern Conference postponed three games because of positive COVID-19 tests within the Furman and Chattanooga men’s basketball programs. Furman’s next scheduled game is Feb. 3 at Samford, while Chattanooga is slated to return to the court at Western Carolina the same day.

FILE - In this March 12, 2020, file photo, goals used by the NHL hockey club Nashville Predators are stored in a hallway in Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. The National Hockey League and players reached a tentative deal Friday, Dec. 18, 2020, to hold a 56-game season in 2021, pending the approval of each side's executive board and Canadian health officials. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)TORONTO, ONT – The NHL believes all seven Canadian teams will be able to start the season playing in their home arenas. The league has been involved in discussions with the five provincial governments that have NHL teams to try to gain approval to start play Jan. 13. The NHL realigned its divisions for the season so that the North Division — which features all seven Canadian teams — would not have to cross the U.S.-Canada border, which remains closed to non-essential travel until at least Jan. 21.

The league released a first-of-its kind schedule Wednesday featuring four realigned divisions based on geography and limited to division play only. Each team will play 56 regular-season games, which will be squeezed into what’s tentatively scheduled as a 116-day stretch ending on May 8. It includes an NHL first: An all-Canadian North Division made up the nation’s seven teams will play each other nine or 10 times. The NHL took into account the possibility of the ban being extended by having the Sharks open with eight straight road games. Arizona’s schedule features the Coyotes playing a league-high 10 consecutive home games, though the Coyotes will also play eight straight on the road at one point.

The National Hockey League and players reached a tentative deal Friday, Dec. 18, 2020, to hold a 56-game season in 2021, pending the approval of each side's executive board and Canadian health officials. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)Hockey is set to return Jan. 13 after the NHL and players completed a deal Sunday to hold a 56-game season that would include playoffs lasting into July to award the Stanley Cup. The league's Board of Governors voted to approve the agreement that was backed by the NHL Players' Association executive board Friday night. The NHL completed last season in bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton, Alberta, with players, coaches and staff isolated from the general public and virus-tested daily. In the three U.S. divisions, teams will play eight times against each other.

FILE - In this March 12, 2020, file photo, goals used by the NHL hockey club Nashville Predators are stored in a hallway in Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)The NHL is preparing for a pandemic-altered regular season limited to divisional play while trying to determine if the league’s seven Canadian teams will be allowed to play in their country. The deal has already received support from the NHL Players’ Association, and features a 56-game regular season beginning Jan. 13. In an email to the AP, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly deferred questions to the Sharks regarding their status. As for the issues affecting the Canadian teams — Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver — Daly said they remain unresolved.

The National Hockey League and players reached a tentative deal Friday, Dec. 18, 2020, to hold a 56-game season in 2021, pending the approval of each side's executive board and Canadian health officials. The NHL and players reached a tentative deal Friday to hold a 56-game season that would begin Jan. 13. Players on the NHLPA’s executive board call Friday night supported moving forward with the agreed upon terms, according to a person with knowledge of the meeting. Approval from health officials in the five Canadian provinces that have teams is still needed before the NHL can go ahead with the season. The NHL, like the NBA, finished its previous season in a quarantined bubble — two of them, one each in Toronto and Edmonton, Alberta.

The NHL’s Thursday and Friday playoff games have been postponed in response to the outcry for racial injustice awareness after a Black man was shot by police in Wisconsin. The league said this was the decision of the players not to play the games and that the NHL honors that decision. The NHLPA and the NHL are committed to working to foster more inclusive and welcoming environments within our arenas, offices and beyond.”Statement from the National Hockey League Players’ Association and National Hockey League. The NHL, meanwhile, went ahead with its Stanley Cup playoff games on Wednesday. NHL players did not boycott, and the league allowed the players to make that decision.

Theyre easily one of the worst franchises in the NBA since 2009, making two fleeting playoff appearances as the No. Despite being one of the few cities with all four major professional sports teams, Detroit has had basically nothing to get excited about for years. Miguel Cabrera #24 of the Detroit Tigers reacts after grounding out in the first inning while playing the Cleveland Indians at Comerica Park on August 14, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. Then the sporting world delivered a not-so-subtle reminder that, no, Detroit, your suffering is not over just yet. Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal and whichever other prospects the Tigers decide to call up before the end of the 2020 season are the only reason for Detroit fans to tune in now, other than the sheer love of the game.

FILE - In this Feb. 20, 2020, file photo, Edmonton Oilers goalie Mike Smith warms up for the team's NHL hockey game against the Winnipeg Jets in Edmonton, Alberta. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press on Sunday, July 5, that the NHL and NHL Players Association have agreed on protocols to resume the season. Daly said the sides are still negotiating a collective bargaining agreement extension. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP, File)The National Hockey League and NHL Players Association have reached a tentative agreement to return to play this season and extend their collective bargaining agreement. Training camps would open July 13 and games would resume Aug. 1 if approved by the leagues board of governors and players executive committee and full membership.

The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The National Hockey League says a total of 26 players have reported testing positive for the new coronavirus since voluntary workouts began June 8. The league says its aware of 11 other players testing positive outside the voluntary workout protocol. The NHL said more than 250 players who worked out at team facilities were administered more than 1,450 COVID-19 tests. The league and players are in the final stages of agreeing to resume the season. NASCAR moved Champions Week to Nashville in 2019 from Las Vegas.

Commissioner Gary Bettman is expected to offer details on the NHLs return to play during a news conference at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. Insiders say Bettman will discuss the 24-team format agreement reached by the NHL and the NHLPA players union. From the NHL: ``National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman will make an announcement today at 4:30 p.m. Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) May 26, 2020PROGRAMMING NOTE:@NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman will appear on NBCSN today to make an announcement about the league's Return To Play Plan. ET NBCSN NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) May 26, 2020It is expected the details of the NHL draft and draft lottery timing/format will be part of todays big reveal by the NHL on RTP format(s).

TORONTO, ONT The NHL hopes to have players back in team facilities soon -- with plenty of precautions. It has not yet been determined when precisely Phase 2 will start or how long it may last, the said read. Teams are not allowed to require a player to return to a club's home city to complete any necessary quarantine measures before the workouts begin. The NHL/NHLPA Return to Play Committee has been hashing out details of what the game will look like if it's allowed to return this summer. Most NHL players have not been on the ice since the league halted its schedule, although some, including a number of Swedish players who returned home, have been skating in recent weeks.

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)Governors around the country are warming to the idea of the return of professional sports to their states, with two caveats: continued progress against the coronavirus and no spectators in the stands. The heads of California, Texas, New York and Pennsylvania spoke Monday of the return of professional sports to their states, possibly as soon as next month. Gavin Newsom tied the return of pro sports with the state's continued progress against the virus. He also urged the state's pro sports teams to begin planning to resume playing without fans. New York state will help those major sport franchises to do just that, Cuomo said.

The Red Wings were in Washington March 12th getting ready for a game with the Capitols when they heard the season was suspended. Justin Abdelkader said there werent any long goodbyes with teammates because they thought theyd be back soon. We are sitting here wondering if we will finish regular season. Theyre usually directed at Luke Glendening, the NHL Players Association Player representative for the Wings. He said of the Wings players, Anthony Mantha just might be the best.

The National Hockey League (NHL) has suspended the remainder of its 2019-20 season amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. According to reports, the NHL hopes to resume the season at some point. The Detroit Red Wings were scheduled to play Thursday night in D.C. against the Washington Capitals. Regular season NHL games were scheduled through April 4, with the Stanley Cup playoffs scheduled right after that. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement that the league would like to continue the season when it is “appropriate and prudent.”The NBA announced its decision to suspend the season on Wednesday night after one of its players tested positive for COVID-19.

The Arizona Coyotes has a new owner -- and the National Hockey League has its first Hispanic majority owner in league history -- after Alex Meruelo purchased a controlling interest in the team. PHOENIX - The Arizona Coyotes has a new owner -- and the National Hockey League has its first Hispanic majority owner in league history -- after Alex Meruelo purchased a controlling interest in the team. Meruelo, 55, purchased the controlling stake from Andrew Barroway, the team said in a statement. It makes him the new majority owner, chairman and governor of the Coyotes. "The Arizona Coyotes team is poised to do great things on and off the ice.

DETROIT A public visitation will be held this week for Detroit Red Wings legend Ted Lindsay, who died Monday morning at age 93. Public visitation will be held Friday from 9:07 a.m. to 7:07 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Memorial tributes can be sent to The Ted Lindsay Foundation, 1819 East Big Beaver Road, Troy, Michigan 48083. WATCH: 1965 Red Wings file footage of Ted LindsayWhile "Terrible Ted" might now be gone, his legacy will live on for generations. READ: Red Wings release statement on Ted LindsayThe National Hockey League exists as it is today, in part, because of Lindsay.