Former UMaine captain named to AHL All-Star team
Former University of Maine standout defenseman and captain Will O’Neill has been named a second team American Hockey League All-Star.
The Salem, Massachusetts native has registered eight goals and 38 assists in 68 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the top affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
He is the league’s fifth leading point-getter among defensemen.
The 27-year-old O’Neill, who registered 101 points (19 goals, 82 assists) during his four-year career at Maine, is in his fourth full season as a pro.
He was originally drafted by the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers in the seventh round and he spent the previous three seasons with the AHL’s St. John’s IceCaps.
He was the IceCaps’ leading scorer a year ago with a career-high 48 points on 10 goals and 38 assists.
O’Neill and the Penguins entered Friday night’s game against Lehigh Valley with six regular season games remaining. Center Steven Swavely, who captained this past season’s UMaine team, has played nine games for Lehigh Valley and scored his first professional goal.
Cubs’ Schwarber sidelined for rest of season
Chicago Cubs left fielder Kyle Schwarber will be sidelined for the rest of the season after tearing two ligaments in his left knee in an outfield collision during Thursday night’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Schwarber tore both the ACL and LCL and also severely sprained his ankle, the Cubs announced Friday.
Schwarber and center field Dexter Fowler collided while chasing a ball in the left-center-field gap hit by Arizona second baseman Jean Segura. Fowler rammed into Schwarber’s legs and the 23-year-old writhed in pain on the warning track as Segura circled the bases for an inside-the-park homer.
Jorge Soler will start in left field against the Diamondbacks on Friday. Versatile Munenori Kawasaki was recalled from Triple-A Iowa to fill Schwarber’s roster spot.
Four players suspended for four games
Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Aaron Colvin was one of four NFL players who were suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season on Friday for violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances.
Also drawing suspensions were Atlanta Falcons cornerback Jalen Collins, Green Bay Packers cornerback Demetri Goodson and Tennessee Titans receiver Andrew Turzilli. The suspensions are without pay.
Colvin, entering his third season, is coming off a solid campaign in which he had 73 tackles and four sacks.
Collins started two games last season as a rookie after being a second-round pick out of LSU.
Goodson is a backup on the Packers’ defense while Turzilli caught two passes for the Titans as a rookie.
Hynes to coach U.S. National Team
USA Hockey named John Hynes of the New Jersey Devils as head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team that will compete in the 2016 International Ice Hockey Federation Men’s World Championship next month.
The 2016 IIHF Men’s World Championship will include teams from 16 nations on May 6-22 in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia.
Currently finishing his first year as an NHL head coach with a 37-36-8 record (one game remaining in the 2015-16 season), Hynes joined the Devils after six years with the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League.