Sort of.
Though the Stanley Cup may still be dented and soaked from the Tampa Bay Lightning s second straight boat parade celebration to close 2020-21, the business of the NHL rolls on.
Not only do the expansion Seattle Kraken now have a coach, a rink and some players on the roster, the league as of Thursday evening has an official schedule of games for the 2021-22 season.
Things will return to something approaching their pre-pandemic normal, with the Canadian teams once again mixing with their American counterparts in the Atlantic, Metropolitan, Central and Pacific Divisions.
The Arizona Coyotes were moved to the Central to allow room for the Kraken in the Pacific, and the league s 32nd team will officially begin play on Oct. 12 in Las Vegas before making its home debut on Oct. 23 against the Vancouver Canucks.
Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press
Chicago White Sox star Jose Abreu is day-to-day after being removed from Friday s game against the Kansas City Royals in the second inning following a collision with Royals third baseman Hunter Dozier as he was trying to field a popup on the infield.
Chicago White Sox @whitesox
José Abreu is day-to-day after leaving the game with a facial contusion and laceration as well as a bruised left knee.
The initial assessment for a concussion was negative.
The Royals and White Sox are playing a doubleheader at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Abreu was a huge part of the White Sox s ascent to the playoffs last season for the first time since 2008. The Cuban star won the American League MVP award after posting a .317/.370/.617 slash line with 19 homers and 60 RBI.
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Kamaru Usman (left) fights Sean Strickland in 2017Associated Press
The weigh-ins are done, the fights are official, and three titles will be on the line at UFC 261 in front of a full capacity audience in Jacksonville, Florida.
Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal serve as the main event. The two welterweights will fight for the second time after Usman took the first fight by unanimous decision in July 2020. The Nigerian Nightmare has since defended his belt against Gilbert Burns, while Masvidal has not fought.
Two women s belts will also be up for grabs. Coming off an instant classic fight against Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Zheng Weili will defend her strap against another former champion in Rose Namajunas.
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Well, the glitz and glam of 2021 NBA free agency sure de-escalated quickly.
Initially expected to include stars galore, the upcoming pool of available players is far less tantalizing after Bam Adebayo, Giannis Antetokounmpo, OG Anunoby, De Aaron Fox, Paul George, Rudy Gobert, Jonathan Isaac, LeBron James and Jayson Tatum signed extensions, among others. Jrue Holiday (player option but extension-eligible) may soon join the off-the-market ranks as well.
Never fear, though. Plenty of worthwhile players are still scheduled to become free agents. And with intriguing talent comes a reason for teams to dig up more cap space.
This year s market is already slated to be richer than this past offseason s barren wasteland. A bunch of teams are tracking toward either near-max space or projected to be comfortably above mid-level-exception money.