Dallas Stars CEO Jim Lites is far from impressed with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn this season, and went on the record Friday with a profanity-laced rant to describe their recent performances.
“They are fucking horseshit, I don’t know how else to put it,” Lites said, according to The Athletic's Sean Shapiro. “The team was OK. But Seguin and Benn were terrible.”
Surprisingly, the comments came after the Stars beat the Nashville Predators 2-0 on Thursday, a game in which Benn and Seguin were held pointless for the second straight night.
“We are a stars-driven league, and our stars aren’t getting it done,” Lites added, urging Shapiro to publish his comments. “It’s embarrassing, and no one writes it. Write it!”
Frustration within the organization first boiled over Thursday morning when head coach Jim Montgomery described the team's first skate back after the Christmas break as "fucking embarrassing."
“These guys are not good enough. They’re not good enough for me, they’re not good enough for the owner, and they’re certainly not good enough for the general manager," Lites continued.
"These guys were signed to big contracts because they were the third- and sixth-leading scorers in the National Hockey League over the past five years. They get their money, we expect them to not be outplayed every game we play in."
Seguin leads the Stars with 32 points in 38 games and has an eight-year, $78.8-millon contract that kicks in next year.
Benn has the fourth-highest salary in the NHL at $13 million (cap hit of $9.5 million) and has 30 points this season.
Nathan Oystrick will no longer serve behind the bench or in the front office for the Humboldt Broncos.
I have stepped away from the Humboldt Broncos. Despite the extreme stress and constant pressure of working with the organization, I gave them everything I possibly could and am proud of their performance, and mine, this season. I will issue a proper statement shortly.
Oystrick was hired as head coach and general manager in early July, taking over for the late Darcy Haugan, who was killed along with 15 other members of the Broncos organization in the April bus crash that took place near Armley, Saskatchewan.
The club confirmed later Friday afternoon that Scott Barney will replace him on an interim basis for the rest of the 2018-19 season, according to The Canadian Press.
Oystrick led the Broncos to a 21-13-2-1 record, the second-best mark in their division and fourth-best in the SJHL so far this season.
With 2018 winding down, theScore looked back at the previous 12 months and voted on the top 25 sportspeople of the year. Here's the second instalment, highlighting Nos. 20-16.
Already the winningest cross-country skier in history entering PyeongChang, Marit Bjoergen's GOAT status in her sport wasn't in doubt. But she sought a greater level of achievement, and, after claiming two golds, a silver, and two bronzes in South Korea to bring her career Olympic medal total to 15, she wrestled the crown of most decorated Winter Olympian away from fellow Norwegian legend Ole Einar Bjoerndalen. Bjoergen's dominance boosted Norway, a nation with about as many citizens as Greater Boston, to the top of the medal table. Michael Phelps of the snow? Maybe he's the Bjoergen of the water. - David P. Woods
19. Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints
Chris Graythen / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Although Drew Brees will likely be denied an MVP award once again, this time by Patrick Mahomes, that oversight does nothing to diminish what the future Hall of Famer has accomplished, and still can accomplish, in his age-39 season. The longtime Saints superstar earned his most prestigious personal record yet back in Week 5 when he surpassed Peyton Manning to become the NFL's all-time leader in passing yards, and it's been Brees' elite play over the course of the season, arguably the most efficient of his 18-year career, that's led the Saints to the NFC's No. 1 seed. A second Super Bowl ring is well within reach, and, if his continued dominance is any indication, perhaps Brees has his eyes on several more Lombardi Trophies before he calls it a career. - Dan Wilkins
18. Daniel Cormier, UFC
Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC / UFC / Getty
2018 was the year Daniel Cormier finally emerged from the shadow of his longtime rival Jon Jones. Once cast as a villain, DC flipped that narrative and became the UFC's second-ever double champion with an astounding first-round knockout of heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic in July. He also added two dominant title defenses against Volkan Oezdemir, at light heavyweight, and Derrick Lewis, at heavyweight, in January and November, respectively, to seal his place as an all-time MMA great. His retirement in March is fast approaching, but with a farewell fight against Brock Lesnar or perhaps even Jones in the cards, DC could leave the Octagon on a legacy-altering streak like few before him. - Jack Browne
17. Arike Ogunbowale, G, Notre Dame
Andy Lyons / Getty Images Sport / Getty
It often takes something special to topple the giant that UConn is in women's college basketball, and Arike Ogunbowale delivered just that during March Madness. The Notre Dame star was a force all night in the national semifinal between the two programs but saved her best moment for overtime. With the score tied as the seconds ticked away, Ogunbowale drilled a deep jumper with one tick left, sealing the upset win for the Fighting Irish.
That bucket would be the pinnacle of most athlete's careers, but Ogunbowale wasn't done there, ending the ensuing national championship in the most dramatic way possible, forever etching her name into basketball lore. - Dane Belbeck
Novak Djokovic began the year in the deepest funk of his career, losing six of his first 12 matches and failing to even reach a quarterfinal until May, tumbling out of the top 20 in the process.
And then, in what felt like a blink, everything clicked back into place. A stirring five-set win over Rafael Nadal in the Wimbledon semis propelled Djokovic to his first major title in over two years. Then, he became the first player to win all nine Masters events by capturing his first-ever title in Cincinnati. Then, he captured his third US Open, and another Masters crown in Shanghai, and, by year's end, he'd reclaimed his long-lost status as the best in the world: No. 1, with a bullet. - Joe Wolfond
The Boston Bruins winger faces a hearing on Friday after catching the New Jersey Devils center with a shoulder to the head late in the third period of Thursday's game.
The deal includes a partial no-trade clause in the final two years, during which Guentzel can submit a 12-team no-trade list, according to TVA's Renaud Lavoie.
The 24-year-old Guentzel is enjoying a breakout season with 15 goals and 33 points in 36 games while averaging a career-high 18:41 of ice time per night. He was set to be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights at the end of this campaign.
"Jake established himself as an impact player for our team from the beginning, especially during 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs," general manager Jim Rutherford said. "He has become a core player on the team and we are thrilled to get Jake signed long-term with the Penguins."
In his short career, Guentzel's established himself as a clutch playoff performer with 23 goals and 42 points across 37 postseason contests. He helped Pittsburgh win the Stanley Cup in the 2016-17 campaign.
Based on the additional $6-million cap hit of Guentzel's contract, the Penguins are now projected to enter the upcoming offseason boasting just $5.13 million in cap space with six unrestricted free agents and three restricted free agents, according to CapFriendly.
St. Louis hasn't hosted the annual festivities since 1988; that game was highlight by a marvelous performance by Pittsburgh Penguins legend Mario Lemieux.
This 2020 NHL All-Star Game will be the first played in St. Louis since Feb. 9, 1988, when Pittsburgh's Mario Lemieux had six points (3G, 3A), including the game-winner in OT for 6–5 win for the Wales Conference. #stlblues
2020 would mark the third time St. Louis has played host to the All-Star Game. This year's showcase will take place at the San Jose Sharks' SAP Center.
Subban's missed the last 19 games with an upper-body ailment, while Arvidsson's been out for 21 contests with a broken thumb.
However, the Predators have managed to stay competitive without Subban, Arvidsson, and Filip Forsberg in the lineup. They sit four points behind the Winnipeg Jets for first place in the Central Division, albeit with one extra game played.
In a corresponding move, Nashville placed Yannick Weber on IR.
With 2018 winding down, theScore looked back at the previous 12 months and voted on the top 25 sportspeople of the year. Here's the first installment, highlighting Nos. 25-21.
After being without a mascot since the 1970s, the Philadelphia Flyers went all-in with a monstrous mess of terrifying tangerine fibers and bulbous eyes when they unveiled Gritty in September. As the antithesis of the cute and cuddly mascots running rampant across North American sports, Gritty came in like a wrecking ball and immediately built a singular online presence that's heavy on memes while distracting Flyers fans from the sorry state of their team. - Michael Chandler
24. Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir, Figure Skating
ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP / Getty
Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir entered the 2018 Olympic Games in PyeongChang as two of the biggest names in figure skating. They exited as the most decorated pair in the sport's Olympic history following a series of transcendent performances - including a world record in the short ice dance - that elevated figure skating into the mainstream for a few weeks. Virtue and Moir's chemistry may or may not extend beyond the ice, but that's irrelevant. Name a better duo - we'll wait. - Arun Srinivasan
23. Mookie Betts, OF, Boston Red Sox
Alex Trautwig / Major League Baseball / Getty
It's unlikely that Mookie Betts will ever have a better year than he did in 2018. The superstar outfielder filled his trophy case with both individual and team accolades while establishing himself as one of baseball's most dynamic players. Betts won his third Gold Glove, was named to his third All-Star team, claimed his second Silver Slugger, and became the second player in Boston Red Sox history to record a 30-30 season. If that wasn’t enough, Betts capped off his incredible year with a World Series title, an American League MVP Award, and the birth of his first child. - Brandon Wile
22. Lewis Hamilton, F1
Dan Istitene / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Lewis Hamilton roared to a fifth world championship in 2018 due to steely driving in treacherous rain, spectacular maneuvering in dire circumstances, and an error-free finish to the season. The 33-year-old also wowed fans with an audacious triple pass at the Bahrain Grand Prix and later showed the determination and poise of a champion at the German Grand Prix, winning from 14th place on the grid. Hamilton - who's already cemented himself as an all-time great Formula 1 driver - is now in position to break Michael Schumacher's record for the most wins (91) and titles (seven) in history. - Anthony Lopopolo
21. Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images Sport / Getty
The powerhouse that Nick Saban's built at Alabama is often thought to win regardless of its quarterback, but Tua Tagovailoa's done his best to prove that notion false this year. The Hawaiian-born standout arrived as a highly touted freshman and then announced himself to the nation with a monster second-half performance in relief of Jalen Hurts during the 2018 national championship game.
Three touchdown passes from Tagovailoa - including the overtime winner - helped Saban claim his fifth title with the Crimson Tide while continuing to build his legacy. Tagovailoa then took over as the starter this season and wowed the country on a weekly basis, throwing for a school-record 37 touchdowns despite playing almost no fourth-quarter snaps. Next, he'll have a chance to end 2018 the same way he started it, as Alabama's back in the College Football Playoff with a semifinal date versus Oklahoma on Dec. 29. - Dane Belbeck
