Calgary Flames sign goaltending prospect Arsenii Sergeev
The 22-year-old Russian shot-stopper just finished off an exceptional season in the NCAA with the Penn State Nittany Lions and put pen-to-paper on a two-year, two-way contract on Monday morning. The deal kicks in for the 2025-26 season and is valued at US$866,250 annually.
Sergeev was a seventh-round pick, 205th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft and after spending two years at UConn transferred to Penn State this year.
The move proved fruitful.
Sergeev played in 33 games for the Nittany Lions this year, posting a .919 save-percentage, a 2.54 goals-against average and a 19-9-4 record. His 19 wins saw him lead all goaltenders in the Big 10 and he posted a conference-best four shutouts, too.
'What he's going through right now, it's just going to make him better and get him more ready for pro hockey,' the Flames' director of goaltending, Jordan Sigalet, told Postmedia last month. 'We have seen a lot of growth in his maturity, his consistency and just his game overall.
'Everywhere he goes, he's just loved by his teammates because of his compete level. He's a unique goalie. There's not a lot of style with him, but he has this very unique awareness for where pucks are and he'll do anything to get a piece of his body on it.'
The Flames are well-stocked at the goaltending position with Sergeev signed. Dustin Wolf has locked-down the starting job for the NHL club this season and looks like he could be starring in the crease for the next decade or so, while Walttieri Ignatjew, Devin Cooley and Connor Murphy are all playing well in the minors. Dan Vladar has been solid as the backup at the the NHL level, although he is an unrestricted free-agent this summer.
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The Hill
21 minutes ago
- The Hill
Trans athletes face uncertain future after Penn strikes deal with Trump administration
The University of Pennsylvania's decision this week to sign an agreement with the Trump administration committing to barring transgender athletes from its women's sports teams is raising questions about whether other schools might do the same faced with the weight of the federal government. Penn, President Trump's alma mater, is the first to sign such an agreement, which the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) proposed following an investigation that found the university violated Title IX, the federal law against sex discrimination in schools, when it allowed Lia Thomas to join the women's swim team for the 2021-22 season. Thomas broke three of the six Penn women's swimming and diving individual freestyle records that year, which the university removed from its leaderboard as part of its agreement with the Trump administration. An addendum to Penn's women's swimming all-time school records now reads, 'Competing under eligibility rules in effect at the time, Lia Thomas set program records in the 100, 200 and 500 freestyle during the 2021-22 season.' Penn's agreement with the OCR also required it to issue a public statement, to be displayed 'in a prominent location on its main website,' pledging compliance with Title IX, which the administration has said prohibits transgender girls from girls' sports, and specifying that it would not allow transgender women to participate in women's sports or enter women's athletic facilities, such as locker rooms. The Ivy League institution was also made to personally apologize to Thomas's former teammates and adopt 'biology-based' definitions of the terms 'male' and 'female,' consistent with two executive orders Trump signed during his first weeks in office — one that proclaims the U.S. recognizes only two unchangeable sexes, and another stating the federal government opposes trans athletes' participation in girls' and women's sports. The NCAA, which oversees sports at more than 1,000 colleges and universities nationwide, barred transgender women from participating in women's college sports shortly after Trump signed the order on trans athletes. The organization's president, Charlie Baker, had testified before a Senate panel in December that fewer than 10 known NCAA athletes are transgender. 'There is nothing legitimate about what the Trump administration is doing here in targeting trans-inclusive sports policies,' said Shiwali Patel, director of safe and inclusive schools at the National Women's Law Center. 'I don't think we should be giving any sort of legitimacy — I don't think institutions should, by signing these resolution agreements,' Patel said. In a letter addressed to the Penn community on Tuesday, J. Larry Jameson, the university's president, wrote that the school's commitment to fostering a welcoming environment for its students is 'unwavering,' but that it is also bound by federal requirements, including executive orders and NCAA eligibility rules. 'This is a complex issue, and I am pleased that we were able to reach a resolution through the standard OCR process for concluding Title IX investigations,' he wrote. Jameson added that Penn has never had a transgender student-athlete policy of its own and was in compliance with federal law and NCAA rules when Thomas was a student. But refusing to sign the Trump administration's agreement 'could have had significant and lasting implications for the University of Pennsylvania,' he wrote. The administration had suspended $175 million in federal contracts awarded to Penn in March, citing Thomas's participation on the women's swim team three years ago. That money was released to the university after it signed the agreement,a White House official told The Hill. Patel said she worries Penn, by signing the agreement, is setting a precedent for other schools to follow, despite having what she said is 'a clear legal claim' to challenge the administration if it were to pull a college or university's funding over its trans athletes. 'I'm worried that other schools might follow, but I hope they push back,' she said. 'If they don't challenge it, then I think that this is going to make the Trump administration think, 'Well, this is a winnable approach, you know, let's keep at it and be more aggressive.' I worry that they'll continue on this.' Since Trump's return to office in January, the Education Department has opened more than two dozen investigations into states, school districts and athletic associations that it says are violating Title IX by allowing transgender students to compete. In April, the department joined forces with the Department of Justice to establish a Title IX 'special investigations team' in response to what either agency described as a 'staggering volume' of new complaints. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has also initiated Title IX investigations related to transgender athletes under the second Trump administration, one of which found the state of Maine in violation of the federal civil rights law. That investigation was later referred to the Justice Department, which filed a civil lawsuit against the state's Education Department in April. The Justice Department is also investigating California, whose funding Trump threatened in May over a transgender 16-year-old's participation in a state track-and-field championship. While several universities have also seen their federal funding threatened or frozen by the Trump administration, Penn is so far the only school to have its funding paused over its handling of transgender athletes. On separate issues, schools have challenged the administration: Harvard University and the Trump administration continue to lock horns in an escalating battle that began in April, when the White House froze more than $2.2 billion in federal grants to Harvard over the school's refusal to implement policies that it claims exceed the government's lawful authority and violate its constitutional rights. Penn's agreement with the administration on Tuesday signals that other schools may not have the desire, or the resources, to enter costly and high-profile litigation with the government. They may also lack the appetite to go to bat for transgender students at the risk of losing hundreds of millions in federal financial assistance. 'No school wants to lose their federal funding, so I do think that we're going to see schools probably adopt more restrictive eligibility policies around transgender athlete participation, particularly in states that already have laws that exclude trans athlete participation,' said Leah Reynolds, principle consultant at Distinct Consulting Solutions, which advises schools on Title IX compliance. Twenty-seven Republican-led states since 2020 have adopted laws that bar trans students from competing in line with their gender identity, according to the Movement Advancement Project, which tracks LGBTQ laws. Court orders are blocking six of them, in Arizona, Idaho, Utah and West Virginia, from taking effect, and a narrow ruling in New Hampshire allows only the two students challenging the law to continue competing on their schools' girls' sports teams. A federal judge allowed the two high school students to expand their legal challenge to include the Trump administration in February. 'Right now, if you're following the industry, you can see there's a clear divide,' said Reynolds. 'Some schools, like schools in California or Maine, appear to be resistant to federal pressure to restrict trans athletes. There's probably going to be a divide until some of the court cases that are happening right now start resolving themselves.' On Thursday, the Supreme Court agreed to weigh during its next term whether state laws banning transgender athletes from girls' and women's school sports teams violate Title IX and the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. The court's conservative majority ruled last month that a Tennessee law banning gender-affirming care for minors does not violate the U.S. Constitution or discriminate based on sex or transgender status.
New York Times
31 minutes ago
- New York Times
Jonathan Toews' homecoming: ‘I couldn't see myself wearing any other jersey'
Jonathan Toews' homecoming press conference was celebratory in tone, beyond that of any Winnipeg Jets player signing that came before it. It was attended by Mayor Scott Gillingham, Premier Wab Kinew, Toews' parents, extended family and a group of Jets season-seat holders who won a contest — the first of its kind for Winnipeg, with the right to attend Toews' unveiling as the prize. The media contingent was outsized, buoyed in part by the Mayor and Premier's attendance — the first-ever player signing announcement that either had attended — larger than the contingent that covered Game 7 between Winnipeg and St. Louis. When Toews' name was announced, most of the gathered crowd cheered. Advertisement Such was the unveiling of Toews, a three-time Stanley Cup champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and immediately the Jets' most decorated signing. He was born and raised in Winnipeg, speaks English and French fluently and has as many Cup rings as the rest of Winnipeg's roster combined. Toews' name is on the Dakota Community Centre and a lake, some 95 kilometres north of Flin Flon and, from this day forward, it is on Jets jerseys stitched with the No. 19. After 15 years with the Chicago Blackhawks and two years spent searching the world for answers to his health problems, Winnipeg's most accomplished NHL hockey player has been unveiled as one of its own. Toews told the sizable audience that, despite interest from multiple teams, Winnipeg felt like the only choice. 'It really got to a point where I couldn't see myself wearing any other jersey,' Toews said. 'It wasn't something where you write down the pros and cons on a piece of paper. To me, it wasn't rational at all: It was more of an intuitive thing where it just felt right.' Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff was the first to speak at length, sharing a story from the press conference that first announced his hiring. Cheveldayoff recalled that, in a back room away from the gathered media, True North Chairman Mark Chipman had asked him: 'Do you think that Jonathan Toews would ever wear a Jets jersey? Do you ever think he would come home?' Cheveldayoff then shared his pride in sending Chipman a text last week confirming that Toews was a Jet. His voice broke as he did so, conveying the realization of a long-held Jets dream. One of the most decorated hockey players in the history of our province is coming home 💙 — Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) July 4, 2025 Toews, 37, may not be capable of delivering the Conn Smythe level of performance from 2010, back when he was 22 years old. His dream, at this stage of his career, is different. Toews nearly had his career taken away from him by Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome and symptoms of long COVID. His digestive system stopped working the way it was supposed to. There were times he couldn't get out of bed. 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When Toews talks about the challenge in front of him, his approach sounds like a homecoming on a personal and professional level. There were times when the demands of an NHL season lost their charm, particularly when his health was failing. Toews framed his homecoming in terms of gratitude, invoking his childhood joy upon discovering hockey as a passion before it became a career. 'The closer I got to making a decision, the reality started sinking in — how special it was,' Toews said. 'And all the memories flooded back from my childhood of why and when I fell in love with the game of hockey. It all started by being a young kid and going to the Winnipeg Arena.' Toews says he was caught up in the atmosphere of the Winnipeg Whiteout as a kid, even before fully understanding what was happening on the ice. A trip down memory lane with Tazer🔥 — Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) July 5, 2025 'It's just surreal to be sitting here right now, putting this jersey on,' Toews said. 'It's that new feeling, like you're getting drafted again. You're a young kid. There's definitely that excitement, that motivation to come in. I haven't played in a couple of years, so I'm just really, really blessed to be able to have the chance to play the game of hockey again at this level, let alone for the Winnipeg Jets.' Advertisement There are many levels on which Toews' homecoming has the potential to be a perfect story for Winnipeg. That he signed with the Jets at all bucks a trend among free agents. Nikolaj Ehlers' departure from the Hurricanes was emotional, for example — Scott Arniel said on Friday that Ehlers called him, almost in tears, to let him know he'd chosen a change of scenery — but it was still a departure. Toews, 37, may not be capable of the impact Ehlers has, but he's a Winnipegger who chose Winnipeg and is more accomplished by leaps and bounds. Friday's enormous media contingent, with interest from the mayor and premier, reflects the existing enormity of the story; if Toews proves himself capable of influencing the outcome of a playoff series like he could in his younger days, the story will grow well beyond its already large scope. Arniel felt thrilled when the possibility of signing Toews emerged — and again after speaking to captains Adam Lowry, Josh Morrissey and Mark Scheifele, among Winnipeg's other leaders. 'It was unanimous,' Arniel said. 'It will be a big benefit for us both on the ice and off the ice. We just went through free agency, I mean, there's a lot of names at the top of the list of who is a free agent, but I'd like to think we got the best one.' Arniel declined to detail his plans for Toews' minutes, load management, and linemates, but admitted he's started to think about all of it. He shared that, during his first conversations with Toews, the 37-year-old Winnipegger insisted that he earn whatever opportunity he receives. ''I'll start on the fourth line,'' Arniel recalls Toews saying. 'I'm thinking, 'Yeah I don't think that will go over very well.'' Lowry's recovery from hip surgery creates an opening at centre, whether you refer to his job as second-line or third. Toews will most likely step into a middle-six role, with an abundance of wingers for Arniel to choose from, including Cole Perfetti, Gustav Nyquist, Alex Iafallo and Nino Niederreiter. For Toews, it doesn't matter who he plays with. It matters that he has the opportunity to play NHL hockey at all. He says he is not the same person or player that he used to be. At one point, while describing the challenges of his health journey, Toews said, 'Youth is wasted on the young.' He spoke to the way life can throw curveballs, while stressing that he doesn't see himself as a victim and wants to keep growing as a person. Advertisement 'I'm just happy to get the chance to play hockey again and just have that energy and that enthusiasm,' Toews said. 'Knowing that, regardless, we all retire at some point. Who knows when that will be, but for now, I get to go out and put this sweater on and be part of this team and just enjoy all the good, and maybe the not-so-good, of what it takes to be an NHL hockey player and knowing that the time is limited for all of us. Just really connecting with that childhood passion again is really important.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Canada's Savannah Sutherland is moving fast and breaking records
Canada's Savannah Sutherland now holds both the Canadian and NCAA record in the women's 400-metre hurdles. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images via Reuters - image credit) For the last year, Savannah Sutherland has been moving fast and breaking records. But for the next week, the 21-year-old hurdles phenom is taking a well-deserved break from preparing for Canadian nationals and the world championships. She's in her hometown of Borden, Sask., spending time with her family – and working on a new role. Advertisement "I'm an aunt as of February," Sutherland told CBC Sports. "My nephew [is] about five months old now, so that's really special to me. Family is huge to me." It marks a slower pace than Sutherland had been operating at for the past year. That started with her Olympic debut last summer in Paris and wrapped up with a spectacular performance to end her collegiate career with the University of Michigan at last month's NCAA outdoor championships. Sutherland captured her second NCAA title in the women's 400-metre hurdles by running a record-breaking time of 52.46 seconds at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. Not only did she better her own Canadian record (53.08), it was also an NCAA Championship meet record, a Big Ten record, and a new NCAA record. It was also the ninth-fastest time ever recorded in the event. Advertisement The previous NCAA best of 52.75 was set in 2018 by two-time Olympic champ – and current world No. 1 – Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. Sutherland and McLaughlin-Levrone are the only women's runners in NCAA history to break 53 seconds, and the Canadian is still coming to terms with being in such exclusive company. "Obviously, Sydney's the greatest to ever do it, so, it's kind of surreal to just have my name mentioned in the same conversations as hers, honestly," Sutherland said. "I don't think that that will ever fully sink in." Sutherland has already shared the track with McLaughlin-Levrone, when the Canadian reached the final in her Olympic debut, finishing seventh. That race marked another record-book moment for Sutherland, becoming the youngest-ever Canadian to reach an Olympic track final. Advertisement Records aside, making that final opened Sutherland's eyes to her own growing potential. "I think making the Olympic final last season really boosted my confidence," Sutherland said. "I think that that was the big difference this season, just knowing that the ceiling is higher than I expected it to be." "When I made the Paris Olympics, it sent the message to me that, today, no matter who's on the track, I belong there, I've earned my spot there because I've competed at the highest level. But now that I'm ninth all-time – typically there's nine lanes on the track – so now it's like whoever's on the track, I have earned my spot there." Not long after breaking McLaughlin-Levrone's record, Sutherland was named the NCAA's women's outdoor track athlete of the year. That made her Michigan's first athlete to ever earn a national honour in track and field. Advertisement "Michigan is definitely more of a distance [running] school, historically," she said. "You know, Saskatchewan isn't really a big track place either. So, I kind of have always been from a place where maybe it was a little bit more difficult, or maybe you had to work a little harder, drive a little farther, or compete indoors for a longer amount of time, than other places. "So [I] just kind of leaned into that and it kind of felt familiar in that sense." WATCH | Sutherland on NCAA record, going pro ahead of Tokyo worlds: Hometown support 'pushed me to the next level' Sutherland grew up in the village of Borden, which is about 50 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon. The population only numbers about 300 and Sutherland credits the "tight-knit community" with helping her get to where she is today. Advertisement "Everybody knows everything that goes on in each other's life – which can be both a blessing and a curse at times – [but] for me it was mostly a blessing because I always had the support of the entire community behind me," Sutherland said. "I think that it was a driving factor because it pushed me to want to represent these people that I know are supporting me. I think it just pushed me to the next level, knowing that I was running for everybody else and accomplishing all of these things for the entire community and not just myself." While she was aware of track and field sports from small meets in elementary school, Sutherland really took the first steps in her career by following in the footsteps of her older brother, Cole. "He's five years older than me, and I really looked up to him and was chasing after him in a lot of aspects," Sutherland said. "So, I would find myself enrolled in the sports that he was passionate about. I did volleyball as a result of that, then he also did track and ended up winning provincials one year as a discus thrower. Advertisement "And I said, 'hey, that's pretty cool. I want to try and do that.'" It was at a high school track meet in 2016 where a coach from a neighbouring town noticed Sutherland's raw talent and approached her with an offer. "[He] said, you know, 'hey, you're pretty fast. You should check out this track camp in the summer.' And I did, and then it ended up being selections for Team Saskatchewan," she said. "I ended up going and being selected for U16 nationals and doing the [100], the [200], the [300], and then both relays." The 13-year-old Sutherland made the final in the 100 at that event, but was mostly memorable for her because it was when she bought her first pair of track spikes and learned how to use the starting blocks. Advertisement Sutherland wasn't immediately drawn to the event she's now known for, but her talent was undeniable. "Yeah, hurdles in general was something that I didn't really want to do," she said with a laugh. "First, my coach [Lee Wolfater] told me to just check it out. So, I was very hesitant. "He said, 'we'll do it for two meets. And if it goes horribly, you never have to see a hurdle ever again in your life.'" Sutherland won both of those races in Saskatoon and would see many, many hurdles again, as she began to specialize in the 400m hurdles. It wasn't long until both Sutherland siblings made their mark in Saskatchewan track and field, evidence of which is still visible in their high school gymnasium. Advertisement "Now it's funny because our provincial banners are hanging next to each other on the wall of the gym," she said. "That's pretty special. I would definitely say [my brother was] the driving factor." Canada's Savannah Sutherland is shown in this 2023 file photo while competing in the women's 400m hurdles semifinal at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. (File/AFP via Getty Images) Her brother and parents still live in Borden, but Sutherland has a tangible connection to her family when she runs, in the form of a silver St. Christopher necklace. That "lucky necklace" is around Sutherland's neck every time she races, and she said it serves as a reminder of why she competes. "I look at it every time I'm in the blocks and just remind myself who I'm running for and why I'm doing what I do." Advertisement World championships on the horizon Sutherland's 2025 season will continue with a few more meets, including Canadian nationals, before culminating with September's world championships in Tokyo, where her goal is clear. "Honestly, [I'm] trying to keep my expectations low. [The] first thing is to make the final like I did last year," she said. "It's a super competitive event, right now and I feel like anything can happen, especially when there's hurdles involved. So I'm just kind of trying to keep my head on straight and hopefully finish higher than I did last year. "Just as long as I'm making forward progress, I think that's enough for me."
