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Ukrainian-born NHL agent says clients are wrongly being targeted amid Russia-Ukraine war: ‘They want peace’

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Ukrainian-born NHL agent says clients are wrongly being targeted amid Russia-Ukraine war: ‘They want peace’

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Whereas a number of worldwide sports activities federations have answered international calls to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, one Ukrainian-born NHL agent believes the overwhelming anger and concern felt by many is being wrongly directed at gamers he calls “contributing members of society” who share their view of the conflict. 

Dan Milstein, who represents many of the NHL’s Russian-born gamers, advised Fox Information Digital in a telephone interview that a number of of his shoppers have been focused for the reason that assault on Ukraine started. He defined that whereas they don’t help the conflict, lots of them can’t communicate out on it due to concern of retribution. 

“What’s unlucky for my shoppers is that the exact same individuals who had been going to call their children after my shoppers are these ones wishing them loss of life 5 seconds later,” he mentioned. “I’m towards the conflict and I would like peace. My childhood dwelling in Kyiv is being focused proper now. However, on the similar time, these guys which can be skilled hockey gamers. … They’re contributing members of society.”

“The exact same individuals who had been going to call their children after my shoppers are these ones wishing them loss of life 5 seconds later.”

— Dan Milstein, NHL participant agent

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Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning celebrates a win towards the Ottawa Senators at Amalie Area, March 1, 2022, in Tampa, Florida. 
(Getty Pictures)

Milstein was born in Kyiv however got here to the US at 16 as a political refugee in 1991. He has a singular understanding of the scenario. He says he has personally been focused since defending his shoppers in an interview final week with ESPN. 

‘Individuals don’t know my historical past’

“I’ve been a giant goal as a result of I communicate up and other people don’t know my historical past being a political refugee who escaped the Soviet Union on the final day of its existence,” he advised Fox Information Digital. “Individuals both don’t know the reality – or don’t appear to – or don’t know my story or do not appear to care an excessive amount of about it.”

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Milstein’s checklist of shoppers contains NHL stars just like the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy and former Detroit Crimson Wings heart Pavel Datsyuk, who most not too long ago performed within the KHL. 

Milstein mentioned he finds irony behind the latest assaults on his shoppers that come amid a concentrate on psychological well being.

“The exact same folks which can be involved with posting the once-a-year hashtag on Twitter as a result of it’s part of our cultural acceptance, these are the exact same folks which can be destroying psychological well being for hockey gamers, their households and all people else [involved],” he mentioned, referring to Bell Let’s Speak Day, a Canadian-based initiative centered on bringing consciousness to psychological well being sicknesses.  

Just like his shoppers, Milstein mentioned there are those that will not communicate out regardless of sharing his view.

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‘Afraid for their very own lives’

“Behind closed doorways, I’m getting help from many sports activities executives in numerous leagues, however they’re telling me that they’ll’t publicly communicate as a result of they’d be afraid for their very own lives, and other people might be calling for his or her jobs too.”

Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at Amalie Arena March 3, 2022 

Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning towards the Pittsburgh Penguins through the second interval at Amalie Area March 3, 2022 
(Getty Pictures)

The NHL launched an announcement final week condemning Russia’s unprovoked assaults on Ukraine. However, amid a world motion to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from worldwide competitors, the league stood agency behind its gamers. 

“The Nationwide Hockey League condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and urges a peaceable decision as shortly as attainable,” the assertion mentioned. “Efficient instantly, we’re suspending {our relationships} with our enterprise companions in Russia, and we’re pausing our Russian language social and digital media websites. As well as, we’re discontinuing any consideration of Russia as a location for any future competitions involving the NHL.

“We additionally stay involved in regards to the well-being of the gamers from Russia who play within the NHL on behalf of their NHL Golf equipment and never on behalf of Russia. We perceive they and their households are being positioned in a particularly tough place.”

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Overwhelming help

Milstein echoed that sentiment, including that his shoppers have obtained overwhelming help from their teammates and the league in its entirety. 

“They really feel super help from their teammates. The NHL, NHLPA and groups have achieved a fantastic job supporting and providing additional safety and counseling when wanted,” Milstein added. 

“The Nationwide Hockey League is the league the place one of the best gamers from everywhere in the world are taking part in the sport. … They characterize the person golf equipment and the NHL. … They do not characterize their international locations.”

“The Nationwide Hockey League is the league the place one of the best gamers from everywhere in the world are taking part in the sport. … They characterize the person golf equipment and the NHL. … They do not characterize their international locations.”

— Dan Milstein, NHL participant agent

Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals looks on against the Ottawa Senators during the second period of a game at Capital One Arena Feb. 13, 2022, in Washington, D.C. 

Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals appears on towards the Ottawa Senators through the second interval of a recreation at Capital One Area Feb. 13, 2022, in Washington, D.C. 
(Getty Pictures)

Talking for himself and the gamers he represents, Milstein reiterated his requires an finish to the battle. 

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“My shoppers need world peace,” he advised Fox Information Digital. “I don’t help the conflict, none of my shoppers do. We wish peace and it’s extremely unlucky. I remorse what I’m seeing taking place to the nation the place I’m from and the place I lived for 16 years of my life.”

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Heisman straw poll: Ashton Jeanty has one more chance to change minds as Travis Hunter sits

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Heisman straw poll: Ashton Jeanty has one more chance to change minds as Travis Hunter sits

Colorado receiver/cornerback/flawed Heisman poser/presumed Heisman winner Travis Hunter has achieved perfection in The Athletic’s Heisman Trophy straw poll.

Of the 27 writers and editors who voted this week, all 27 voted Hunter first, giving him the maximum possible 81 points. Two first-place votes for Ashton Jeanty and one for Cam Ward in the previous poll switched this week to Hunter, who wrapped up his Colorado season with three touchdown catches, an interception and two pass break-ups in a 52-0 rout of Oklahoma State.

Hunter “clinched the Heisman,” coach Deion Sanders said afterward, and while that may not be officially true, Hunter couldn’t have gone out with a stronger closing statement — other than the fact that his Heisman pose still needs work to better emulate the trophy itself. In all seriousness, it would have helped him with naysayers focused on team success for the Buffaloes to get the help necessary to make the Big 12 title game. They didn’t.

And the fact that Jeanty gets to play Friday for No. 11 Boise State (11-1) against No. 22 UNLV (10-2) in the Mountain West title game for a national Fox audience at least gives him the final word. It will have to be the running back performance equivalent of “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” Like, how about 341 yards to reach 2,629 on the season and break Barry Sanders’ single-season NCAA rushing record? Would that do it?

Maybe? Jeanty lost ground in the straw poll this week after going for 226 yards and a touchdown in a win over Oregon State so … the bar is high. The pathway to change hearts and minds is narrow. The nation’s leading rusher got 25 second-place votes and two third-place votes for a total of 50 points.

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The Athletic follows the same voting protocol as that of the Heisman: three points for a first-place vote, two points for a second-place vote, one point for a third-place vote.

Player Team Pos 1st 2nd 3rd Pts

Travis Hunter

WR/DB

27

0

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0

81

Ashton Jeanty

RB

0

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25

2

52

Tyler Warren

TE

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0

0

8

8

Dillon Gabriel

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QB

0

1

5

7

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Cam Ward

QB

0

0

6

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6

Cam Skattebo

RB

0

0

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5

5

Kaleb Johnson

RB

0

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1

0

2

LaNorris Sellers

QB

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0

0

1

1

At the least, Jeanty knows he’s going to New York and should be a lock to come in second by a safe margin. There’s no obvious third place this year, which will make the voting and the number of candidates invited to New York interesting.

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Miami quarterback Cam Ward fell from 15 points to six in the poll after Saturday’s loss at Syracuse, dropping him to fifth place behind Penn State tight end Tyler Warren (eight points) and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel (seven points).

That also means no ACC title game platform for Ward while Warren and Gabriel will face each other for the Big Ten championship in Indianapolis, thanks to Ohio State’s shocking loss to Michigan to let the Nittany Lions sneak in the back door.

The poll’s rising No. 6 vote-getter, Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo (five points), also gets an opportunity to make his case when the surprising Sun Devils take on Iowa State for the Big 12 title.

Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson (two points) is the third running back among the eight vote-getters. That’s the same as the number of quarterbacks — and there’s a new quarterback, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, picking up a third-place vote.

Sellers will not make it to New York this year. But that’s a hint of things to come in 2025 when he should be high on the list of preseason hopefuls for the award.

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(Photo of Ashton Jeanty: Brian Losness / Imagn Images)

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Michigan fires offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell despite team's upset win over Ohio State

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Michigan fires offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell despite team's upset win over Ohio State

The Michigan Wolverines pulled off a massive upset on the road Saturday, beating Ohio State to continue their recent dominance in the rivalry. 

Despite the win, Michigan made a big coaching change. 

Kirk Campbell, the Wolverines’ offensive coordinator, was fired by head coach Sherrone Moore Tuesday.

The university released a statement, saying Moore would conduct a national search to find Campbell’s replacement. 

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Michigan offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell reacts to a play against Ohio State during the second half at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (Imagn)

“After a thorough assessment of our offense, I made the decision to relieve Kirk Campbell of his duties and move in a different direction,” Moore said in the statement. “This was a decision that I felt was in the best interest of our football program. I want to thank Kirk for his hard work and dedication to the university, Michigan Football and our student-athletes. I wish him well in his future coaching endeavors.”

Tight ends coach Steve Casula will serve as interim offensive coordinator for the remainder of the season, the statement said.

FOX NEWS DIGITAL SPORTS’ COLLEGE FOOTBALL WINNERS AND LOSERS: WEEK 14

The Wolverines’ offense struggled after winning the national championship and the departure of Jim Harbaugh as head coach. Moore was Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator. 

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Michigan did lose key offensive players, including quarterback J.J. McCarthy, running back Blake Corum and receiver Roman Wilson. But the team is 7-5 after 12 games. 

Kirk Campbell talks to quarterback

Michigan offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell talks to quarterback Davis Warren (16) during a timeout against Ohio State in the second half at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (Imagn)

The Wolverines are near the bottom of the NCAA in yards per game, sitting at 128th out of 134 FBS schools. They are also 125th in first downs per game and 111th in points. 

The Wolverines scored just one touchdown in the win Saturday against Ohio State’s defense, which is one of the best in the country. 

Campbell worked his way through the Wolverines’ ranks, becoming the team’s quarterbacks coach in 2023 during the national championship run. When Moore took over as head coach after Harbaugh joined the Los Angeles Chargers, Campbell was quickly promoted again, but he only lasted one season.

Kirk Campbell walks on field

Michigan offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell watches warmups before the Oregon game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., Nov. 2, 2024. (Imagn)

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Michigan will look to make a big hire for this role, especially considering the commitment flip of quarterback Bryce Underwood, the Michigan native who is first overall in the Class of 2025 prospect rankings. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

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Prep basketball roundup: Westchester survives rally to beat Brentwood

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Prep basketball roundup: Westchester survives rally to beat Brentwood

Westchester started the high school basketball season with losses to Chatsworth, Crespi and Harvard-Westlake. The Comets, filled with transfer students, took out their frustration on unbeaten Brentwood on Tuesday night in the Redondo Union tournament, only to come within seconds of losing.

With Tajh Ariza leading the way, Westchester built up a 21-point lead going into the fourth quarter. Brentwood came back behind Shane Frazier, who made four threes in the quarter. The Eagles twice had the ball in the final seconds with a chance to take the lead before the Comets finally prevailed 74-72.

“We have to finish off games,” said Ariza, who finished with 21 points and is the son of former Westchester and NBA player Trevor Ariza.

Brentwood (7-1) received 21 points from AJ Okoh and 18 points from Frazier. The Eagles outscored Westchester 24-6 in the fourth quarter.

Brentwood got the ball back with 8.8 seconds left after Ariza missed two free throws. But the Eagles could not pull out the victory. It was a tough night for Gold Coast League teams, as the Eagles, Viewpoint and Windward all were beaten.

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Ty Ingram helped Westchester (1-3) with 17 points.

Harvard-Westlake 67, San Gabriel Academay 48: It was a bit of a struggle in the second half for the Wolverines (5-0) after building a 20-point halftime lead. Joe Sterling finished with 21 points and Nikolas Khamenia had 19. Sophomore Mahamadou Diop had 16 points for San Gabriel, which has lost to the Wolverines, Sierra Canyon and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame this season.

Long Beach Poly 62, Windward 60: The Jackrabbits continue to play a tough schedule and came away victorious behind Jovani Ruff, who had 13 points. JJ Harris scored 23 points for Windward.

Redondo Union 97, Oak Park 39: Brayden Miner, the son of former USC and NBA dunk champion Harold Miner, scored 27 points for Redondo Union (4-0).

Leuzinger 55, Crean Lutheran 51: Arnez Reynolds had 15 points for Crean Lutheran (3-1).

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Loyola 87, Hacienda Heights Wilson 35: Tyson Powell made four threes to finish with 12 points.

Crescenta Valley 90, University Prep Value 21: Vaughn Zargarian had 38 points for Crescenta Valley.

Damien 83, Orange Vista 63: Eli Garner had 27 points and Nate Garcia 23 for Damien.

JSerra 66, La Jolla Country Day 44: BJ Davis-Ray had 17 points for the Lions.

Moorpark 64, South Hills 51: Sophomore Levi Oaks had 27 points and freshman Logan Stotts added 13 points for Moorpark.

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Campbell Hall 89, Venice 56: The Vikings (4-0) received 29 points from Isaiah Johnson and 22 points from James Bass.

Murrieta Valley 72, Sun Valley Poly 70: JD Wyatt had 28 points in his season debut for Poly.

St. Francis 67, Lake Stevens (Wash.) 58: Freshman Luke Paulus scored 21 points and Noah Henry had 20 points and 10 rebounds for St. Francis.

Chaminade 54, Santa Monica 53: Koby Nichols led the way for the Eagles (8-0) with 14 points.

Canyon 63, Saugus 51: Max Guardado led Saugus with 22 points.

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Shalhevet 70, Viewpoint 69: A 31-point outburst from Aiden Bitran lifted Shalhevet to the win in double overtime.

Mater Dei 71, San Juan Hills 55: Luke Barnett scored 22 points to help coach Gary McKnight become the second winningest coach all-time.

Inglewood 95, St. Bernard 92: Jason Crowe Jr., cleared by the Southern Section to play, scored 43 points in Inglewood’s overtime victory.

Girls basketball

Mater Dei 80, King 22: Kaeli Wynn had 21 points and 10 assists for Mater Dei (5-0).

Redondo Union 38, Harvard-Westlake 32: Chloe Choy led Redondo Union with 13 points.

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Hart 65, Valencia 35: Morgan Mack finished with 27 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists for Hart.

Bishop Montgomery 67, Brentwood 57: Lev Feiman and Payton Sugar each scored 16 points for Brentwood.

Birmingham 62, Mira Costa 52: The Patriots won the Gold Division championship of the Battle of the Beach. Camille Newton had 17 points. Tournament MVP Lili Martinez had 16 points and 10 rebounds.

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