NHL

Taylor Swift won't be showing her face banner anymore when the Los Angeles Kings are in town -- 'cause the fans don't wanna see it ... and the team is obliging.

L.A.'s pro hockey team made the announcement over the weekend ... saying that, going forward, the Kings will be covering up Taylor's banner during their home games at STAPLES Center. It's hanging in the rafters next to Lakers banners and retired jerseys.

A marketing rep for the Kings told Arash Markazi of the L.A. Times that fans just weren't digging it, so the team wants to show 'em they're listening. Michael Altieri says, "The connection to our fans is our highest priority and through our engagement they have made it clear that the banner shouldn’t be part of their Kings game experience."

NHL vet Mark Letestu didn't need a hot dog to enjoy his mustard on Thursday ... 'cause the Winnipeg Jets center downed that yellow stuff straight outta the packet!!

The 34-year-old Canadian turned heads when he was spotted chuggin' some mustard on the bench during the Jets' preseason game against the Edmonton Oilers ... leaving a lot of people wondering what the hell was going on.

Turns out ... it's all in the name of SCIENCE!!! 'cause apparently, mustard has some ingredients like turmeric and vinegar that help prevent cramps.

Hey ... we get it. It's preseason. A lotta dudes are probably cramping up on the ice out there after the offseason. But, it doesn't make it any less weird to see the guy straight-up dowinin' mustard like that.

It's actually not the first time this has been a thing ... NFLer Kerryon Johnson was spotted chugging mustard on the sidelines during his Madison Academy high school game back in 2014.

The woman accusing Auston Matthews of dropping his pants in front of her was LIVID over the whole situation ... saying of the NHL star, "What the f**k were you thinking?!"

It's all in new police video obtained by TMZ Sports ... in which the female security guard tells an officer all about a May 26 incident where she says Matthews and his friends played a VERY unfunny joke on her.

She claims she was working a night shift at Matthews' residence in Scottsdale, AZ, when the hockey player and 2 of his friends tried to open her locked car door at around 2 AM.

As a military veteran ... she says she was legitimately frightened by the actions -- and then outraged when 22-year-old Matthews and his friends told her it was all just a joke.

"The minute you try to invade my space, what the f**k were you thinking saying, 'We wanted to see how you'd react if we got into the back of your car'?" the woman says.

"Are you serious right now?!? And then, they thought, 'Oh, you're a veteran so you're packing?' None of this s**t is funny!"

The woman also told the officer all about the scene where Matthews pulled down his pants ... saying one of Auston's friends tried to make her laugh over the whole thing.

"He turns around and he's like, 'You see that s**t he's doing? He's been doing that up and down Scottsdale Road. I keep telling him that he can get arrested by cops. And, he's like he doesn't give a s**t.'"

The woman adds, "And, he's laughing because he thinks I would laugh at the fact that his pants are down."

The woman also says Matthews' father tried to accuse her of lying about the whole situation when the condo's manager brought it up with him ... but said they were able to show him video of it all.

Eventually, the woman tells the cop she wants to press charges against Matthews.

In more police footage obtained by TMZ Sports ... you can see an officer try to interview the Maple Leafs star at his condo -- but he doesn't respond to the knocks.

Matthews is now fighting a disorderly conduct charge in Scottsdale ... and he said of the whole incident to reporters on Wednesday, "I regret any of my actions that would ever put a distraction on the team or distress any individual."

He added, "I take a lot of pride in preparing myself for the season and representing the Toronto Maple Leafs as well as I can. Unfortunately, due to the situation, I’m afraid I can’t really make any other comments."

NHL superstar Auston Matthews is facing disorderly conduct charges in AZ ... after the Maple Leafs center allegedly dropped trou and grabbed his ass in front of a female security guard, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to the police report ... the guard was sitting in her vehicle outside Matthews' condo complex in Scottsdale around 2 AM on May 26 ... when the 22-year-old and his friends tried to open the locked car door.

The guard -- who claims the group appeared to be drunk -- says the guys thought it would be funny ... but she didn't consider it a laughing matter.

In the report, the guard claims Matthews started to walk away when he dropped his pants to his ankles and grabbed his butt cheeks -- while keeping his skivvies on.

According to the report ... the whole interaction is on video, showing a man walking towards the building's elevator with his pants around his ankles.

The guard filed a complaint with cops a few days later ... and was ultimately charged with 1 count of disorderly conduct.

Matthews -- the #1 overall pick in 2016 -- has a hearing later this week.

Matthews is a STUD on the ice -- he's had more than 200 points in 3 seasons and just inked a $58 million contract extension earlier this year.

Matthews' NHL squad released a statement on Tuesday ... saying “The Toronto Maple Leafs are aware of the complaint of disturbing the peace against forward Auston Matthews."

"Auston is cooperating fully with the relevant authorities but neither he nor the Club will comment any further out of respect for the process involved.”

NHL legend Mike Richter -- one of the best U.S. goalies EVER -- is pleading with Donald Trump to take climate change seriously ... telling TMZ Sports the crisis is real and it's affecting hockey!!

Richter was in Washington D.C. this week giving a speech to the Senate Committee about climate change when we got him out and asked why he's so passionate about the cause.

That's when he told us he believes everyday life is being affected by the changes ... including people who want to play pond hockey in America!!!

As for his message to Trump -- a noted non-believer in climate change -- Richter tells us he wishes No. 45 would start taking a bigger role to help ease the issue.

"My problem is with people with solutions in their hand not taking advantage of them," Richter says.

Mike tells us if Trump would get onboard with making a bigger effort ... he thinks it could help tremendously, telling us, "The moment he does that, the moment we're in a better place."

Wanna see the most adorable video ever?!

Here's Boston Bruins star Charlie Coyle's cute new puppy wrestling with his hockey bag ... and, AWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!

Coyle's pup appears to be a golden retriever ... and the way he attacks Coyle's gear is just flat-out precious.

The dog is a little more than a couple months old -- Coyle and his girlfriend adopted him in early July -- and he's already killin' it in the human world.

According to Coyle's girlfriend, "Bodie is officially in 1st place for the most popular of the three of us when we walk around Boston."

Not exactly an easy feat ... 'cause Coyle was a playoff hero just this past June, helping lead the Bruins to the Stanley Cup final.

Coyle's been in the league for 8 years and has scored 248 points in 500 games. But, his best accomplishment might just be Bodie ... because, well, LOOK AT HIM!!!!

Washington Capitals star Evgeny Kuznetsov -- one of the biggest stars in hockey -- has been suspended from international play after testing positive for booger sugar.

... and after a video surfaced showing Evgeny in a hotel room with lines of white powder chopped up on a table, it's really no surprise to anyone.

Here's the deal ... back in May, the footage surfaced on social media showing Evgeny in a room with a woman with white lines on a table next to a rolled up dollar bill.

27-year-old Evgeny addressed the video at the time and insisted he had NEVER taken illegal drugs -- and neither the NHL nor the Washington Capitals took action.

But, the International Ice Hockey Federation -- which oversees everything from the Olympics to the World Championships -- does things a bit differently and on Friday they slapped Evgeny with a 4-YEAR SUSPENSION after the positive coke test.

In other words, he can't represent his home country, Russia, in international tournaments until 2023.

So, how will this affect his NHL career? It won't.

The NHL put out a statement saying, "Unlike the IIHF, cocaine is not considered a performance enhancing drug and is therefore not a Prohibited Substance under the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program."

"Instead, it is considered a drug of abuse that is tested for and for which intervention, evaluation and mandatory treatment can occur in appropriate cases."

"Here, we understand that Mr. Kuznetsov has voluntarily sought help through the education and counseling program provided for in the NHL and NHLPA collective bargaining agreement and has agreed to a regular testing protocol relating to his involvement with that program."

The NHL is working to get the "Jackie Robinson of Ice Hockey" the Congressional Gold Medal -- and Willie O'Ree tells TMZ Sports he's THRILLED to be considered for the recognition.

O'Ree is a sports legend -- he became the first African-American NHL player back in 1958 when he took the ice for the Boston Bruins.

There's a movement in Washington to bestow the honor to 83-year-old O'Ree -- and several NHL execs flew into the Capitol to help the cause.

FYI, the Congressional Gold Medal is awarded to people "who have performed an achievement that has an impact on American history and culture that is likely to be recognized as a major achievement in the recipient's field long after the achievement."

It's akin to the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- one of the top honors a civilian can receive -- but the CGM are only awarded by acts of Congress. Only 8 athletes have ever received the award.

So, when we spotted O'Ree on Capitol Hill on Thursday, we asked what receiving the award would mean to him.

"It would rank right at the top, the highest award probably that I'll ever get as far as my lifetime. I'm thrilled and if it happens, I'll be very honored to come back and receive this award."

One of the driving forces behind the movement is Senator Tim Scott -- who introduced the legislation to get O'Ree the Medal.

Sen. Scott met with O'Ree on Thursday and told him, “Thank you for being a trailblazer in a sport that I would imagine, even today, people are unaware of the significant role that you played in opening the door."

O'Ree was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame last year ... and the NHL named its annual Community Hero Award after him as well.

St. Louis Blues center Robby Fabbri's now serving spaghetti ... with a side of Stanley!!!

The NHL champion had his day with the cup Monday ... and he made sure to put it to use -- 'cause at a family cookout, he straight-up served his noodles inside the trophy!!!

It all went down in his hometown of Mississauga Ontario, where Robby took the Blues' newest award out for a spin.

The guy brought it to his old high school ... and then decided it needed a little parmesan and marinara at lunch time.

The meal looked great ... there were meatballs, spaghetti, salad and rolls. Even the family dogs loved it!!!

Of course, Robby also had some emotional moments with the cup ... he brought the (cleaned-out) trophy to his hospitalized grandpa during the day -- and the scene was pretty special.

Fabbri played in 32 games for the champs this season ... logging 2 goals and 4 assists -- and he also had the coolest celebration after the Blues won it all last month ...

File under: "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR DAMN MIND!?"

NHL great Jeremy Roenick -- known for his crazy-powerful slap shot -- decided to tee up a golf ball in his caddy's mouth Thursday ... and the video -- taken by a fan -- is INSANE!!!!

It all went down at the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe -- a celeb packed golf tourney.

Roenick was getting some practice in on the 7th hole when someone came up with the idea to put a tee in his caddy's mouth to see if the former Flyers star could pull off John Daly's famous party trick! 

Here's where it gets crazy ... the caddy was so nervous, he kept moving the tee around in his mouth, causing the ball to fall off multiple times while Roenick was getting ready to swing!!

But, the 49-year-old NHL great kept his composure ... kept his concentration ... and when it came time to swing, he CRUSHED IT! 

It might look easy, but do NOT try this at home -- we've seen stunts like this go south ... just as Playboy model Liz Dickson whose butt was obliterated by a radio DJ with a terrible swing. 

Luckily for JR's caddy, Roenick had better aim. 

Pro hockey players AJ Greer and Sonny Milano were arrested this weekend for allegedly beating up a guy ... this after the dude reportedly complained about a restaurant check. 

The two players -- who play for the Colorado Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets, respectively -- were taken into custody early Sunday morning in NYC and booked for assault. We're told they were both given desk appearance tickets, and are due in court at a later date.

According to reports, the altercation took place at a Manhattan apartment where a 28-year-old man claims they punched and kicked him. Some outlets are reporting that the guy was pissed about a bill from just hours earlier at 1 OAK, where the NHL players had been.

It's unclear what his gripe might've been, but he reportedly suffered jaw and rib pain, as well as injuries to his neck and bicep ... and refused medical attention after calling cops.

The Blue Jackets released a statement about Milano, saying they're aware of the situation and will be reviewing the facts without further comment. 

The woman who claims NHL star Evander Kane stiffed her out of $3 MIL for aborting his child was ordered to reveal her real name in court in order to proceed with the case ... so she's decided to unmask herself.

An L.A. County Superior Court judge ruled Hope Parker -- who had previously used the alias "Jane Doe" in her lawsuit against Kane -- cannot use the alias moving forward.

"There is no clear California law allowing her to remain anonymous," the judge said in a ruling.

But, instead of dropping the case and keeping her identity secret, Parker has filed new documents using her real name ... sending the message that she's not backing down.

As we previously reported, Parker claims she had been dating Kane on-and-off from 2015 to 2018 ... and says she had two abortions during that time.

But, Parker says when she got pregnant for a THIRD time with the San Jose Sharks forward ... she did NOT want to abort it -- until he offered her $3 million.

She claims she went through with the procedure ... but when but Kane never ponied up the cash -- she sued, seeking over $6 MILLION in her lawsuit.

Kane filed legal docs of his own back in 2018 essentially saying that since he's not accused of committing a crime, the accuser should not be able to hide behind an alias.

The strategy was pretty clear -- if the judge forced her to reveal her name, Kane believed she would be more likely to drop the suit out of fear of embarrassment.

But, that's not the case ... Parker is actively working to amend her lawsuit to add her real name, according to court docs.

The St. Louis Blues' Stanley Cup run will HELP the city's baseball team ... so says Cardinals manager Mike Shildt, who tells TMZ Sports the hockey champs have "inspired" his guys!!!

Of course, nobody gave the Blues a chance to win Lord Stanley back when the season began ... but they improbably made their way through the league to hoist the trophy Wednesday.

When we got Shildt out in NYC just a couple days later ... he told us the Blues' season is motivating as hell -- and the Cardinals are definitely taking notice!!!

"We're always inspired by great stories," Schildt says ... "And the Blues are a great story."

Schildt added, "[The Blues] had heart and grit and kind of represent the city of St. Louis."

Remember that adorable puppy the St. Louis Blues adopted during the season and occasionally let loose on the ice??

... LOOK AT HIM NOW, HE'S ALL GROWN UP AND HE'S A CHAMPION!!!

If you're unfamiliar ... the Blues picked up Barclay, a Labrador Retriever, way back when he was the cutest puppy ever in October.

They let him skate around ... they played with him ... and adorable times were had by all.

But, turns out, the good boy ended up being a good luck charm ... because he helped the Blues' win the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history Wednesday night!!!

Now, STL is rewarding Barclay for the good job he did this season ... giving him a championship hat -- and lobbying for his name to be inscribed on Lord Stanley!

"Hey @NHL," the Blues wrote on Twitter on Thursday ... "Barclay was wondering if he gets his name on the Cup, too?"

Of course, Barclay won't be with the team for too much longer ... they say they're training him to be a service dog that will eventually leave the team to help people in need.

Sad he won't be around the ice anymore? Here's some photos of baby Barclay that'll cheer you up ...

AWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who chugs Pappy Van Winkle straight from the bottle!?!?!

... STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS DO!!!!

Just ask St. Louis Blues center Robby Fabbri -- who grabbed a bottle of the ultra-rare Pappy Van Winkle rye and slammed it right after beating the brakes off the Boston Bruins!

FYI, Pappy Van Winkle products are the most sought-after whiskeys in the world ... a bottle of PVW Rye can run you about $1,200 -- and that's if you can even find one in the first place!!!!

Most people sip this stuff by the glass ... and that ain't cheap either!

But screw it, it's the Cup and Fabbri was ready to party!

Back in the locker room, the players went crazy too -- and even took a low key shot at the Bruins by playing "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" by the Dropkick Murphys as they poured beers into the trophy.

It was a quick party for the Blues ... they hopped on the plane to get back to the fans with the shiny, new hardware ... and the Blues supporters lost their minds.

St. Louis Blues fans went absolutely bonkers after winning the first title in franchise history ... hitting the streets and attacking anything with wheels!!

The Blues finished off the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final ... and the fans flooded the streets and hit the roofs of OCCUPIED cars to celebrate ... and tried their best to knock over a golf cart.

The fans kept the party going all night ... which is a great thing, 'cause the players showed up early Thursday morning with their new friend, Lord Stanley!!

The Blues players wasted no time getting back to the home crowd, celebrating in the locker room briefly before hoppin' on their jet and flying to St. Louis.

But don't worry, they also had their fun on the ice as well before going home ... Robby Fabbri was CHUGGING whiskey straight out of the bottle like a boss.

Team captain Alex Pietrangelo showed off the trophy while the fans went crazy ... despite it being 4:30 in the morning.