Jan 24, 2022 3 min read

Blueger has surgery

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Teddy Blueger will miss 6-to-8 weeks after having surgery to repair a fractured jaw.

Blueger was injured when Winnipeg’s Brenden Dillon hit him into the glass Sunday in the first period of Pittsburgh’s 3-2 shootout victory over the Jets.

Blueger left a trail of blood as he skated slowly from behind the Winnipeg net to the Penguins’ bench. The game was delayed several minutes while crews cleaned up the ice.

The 27-year-old Blueger has eight goals and nine assists in 40 games while playing a vital role on Pittsburgh’s NHL-best penalty-killing unit and centering the fourth line.

Wild Things trade Balaguer

Washington Wild Things traded right-handed relief pitcher Jesus Balaguer to the Gastonia Honey Hunters of the Atlantic League for a player to be named.

Balaguer spent three Frontier League seasons in Washington. The Cuban-born pitcher arrived in Washington in 2018 and struck out 34 batters in 18 regular-season innings before shining in the 2018 postseason.

In 2019, Balaguer pitched his way to a 2.33 ERA and a 5-3 record in 35 appearances. He struck out 55 in 46.1 innings.

Balaguer helped the Wild Things to another division title and playoff appearance in 2021, pitching 43 innings and allowing only 31 hits with 48 strikeouts.

“It was important to assist Jesus in the next chapter of his playing career, getting him closer to his home in Tampa and in a league fitting his age bracket,” said Wild Things president and general manager Tony Buccilli. “We are so appreciative of the energy he brought to the ballpark, the mentorship he provided to the bullpen and his dominance on the mound over the years. Jesus is a special person, great teammate and we are proud to call him a Wild Thing.”

Vitale will miss rest of season

Dick Vitale announced Monday that he will not be appearing on ESPN for the remainder of the college basketball season because of ongoing treatment for precancerous dysplasia on his vocal cords.

Vitale first announced in late December that he needed to take a break to rest his ailing voice.

While Vitale said in a statement that the rest has helped, he will need surgery to treat the ulcerated lesions on his vocal cords. Vitale previously disclosed in October that he had been diagnosed with lymphoma and that he was undergoing chemotherapy treatments. He made an emotional return to the airwaves on Nov. 23 for the Gonzaga-UCLA game in Las Vegas.

Olympic team set

The 222-person U.S. Olympic roster revealed Monday includes four athletes making their fifth trip to the Games: Shaun White and Lindsey Jacobellis in snowboarding, Katie Uhlaender in skeleton and John Shuster in curling.

There are 115 men and 107 women on the roster, which ties for the second-biggest contingent the U.S. has ever sent to the Games. The opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics is Feb. 4, with some of the curling action beginning on Feb. 2.

In the NHL

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Keith Yandle tied retired center Doug Jarvis on Monday night for the NHL record of 964 consecutive games played.

The 35-year-old Yandle started his streak March 26, 2009, with Phoenix.

Troy Terry scored his team-leading 23rd goal, Ryan Getzlaf had a goal and set up another, and the Anaheim Ducks cooled off the Boston Bruins with a 5-3 victory.