NHL

A Boston Bruins fan says he was beat up and called homophobic slurs at an Avalanche game in Denver last week ... and cops have confirmed to TMZ Sports they're now investigating it all.

Cadien Shaw told ABC 7 the interaction with Colorado fans at Ball Arena following the Bruins' loss to the Avs on Jan. 26 began innocently ... but then he claims it soon got heated.

Shaw said 3 men approached him ... and after some words, they began to make inappropriate comments about his sexuality.

"It turned to aggressive homophobic slurs," Shaw said.

Soon after, Shaw said the men tackled him, kicked him, and repeatedly called him anti-gay slurs. Shaw said he suffered knee, elbow, and head injuries in the altercation.

Cops tell us they are investigating the alleged incident, saying its Bias Motivated Crime Unit is handling the probe. Police added they're urging any witnesses to contact them.

NHL star Nathan MacKinnon suffered both a broken face and a concussion from the violent hit that left him a bloody mess on Wednesday night.

Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar just announced the update to media members ... saying he's not sure when the Colorado center will be able to return to game action.

Bednar did say, though, that he expected MacKinnon to miss at least the team's next 3 games.

If you missed it ... the hit was scary as hell -- as MacKinnon was going up the ice in the Avs' game against the Bruins, Taylor Hall's shoulder collided with his face.

Video of the play shows MacKinnon's stick ended up wacking him in the nose ... 'causing him to bleed everywhere.

Somehow, MacKinnon got up and skated off the ice under his own power.

Colorado will miss the star while he's out ... he's been one of the best players in the league this season, tallying nine goals and 34 assists in 31 games.

Scary moment on the NHL ice on Wednesday ... Nathan MacKinnon -- one of the league's best players -- gushed blood everywhere following a violent hit, and had to leave his game early.

The gnarly scene all went down just minutes into the Avalanche's tilt with the Bruins in Denver ... when MacKinnon was trucked by Boston winger Taylor Hall as he tried to get after a puck.

Video shows Hall's shoulder went right into MacKinnon's face, and, unfortunately for the Avs star, his own stick caught him in the nose during the play as well.

The 26-year-old lay on the ice for several minutes ... bleeding all over the place, before he was eventually helped off by trainers into the locker room.

MacKinnon never returned to the game, and it's unclear the extent of his injuries. The Avs only said that he had an "upper-body" ailment.

Seems pretty clear from the images, though, that the guy might need to get his face fixed soon.

Former NHL player Chris Pronger went full-blown Stone Cold Steve Austin Monday night ... 'cause the former defenseman chugged a beer in the middle of his own jersey retirement ceremony.

The St. Louis Blues raised Pronger's #44 to the rafters at the Enterprise Center ... a celebration that was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pronger made up for the wait by whipping out a can of Bud Light to commemorate the occasion ... taking a sip while addressing the crowd.

"And to you all," Chris said as a toast to the fans before chuggin' down the brewski ... going on to thank the fans for embracing his style of play and molding him into the man he became.

Of course, the St. Louis faithful ate up the gesture ... as you can audibly hear cheers and applause once the beer made its grand entrance.

47-year-old Pronger had a remarkable career ... playing for various teams throughout his NHL tenure.

Pronger -- who spent 9 of his 18 seasons in the NHL with the Blues -- played in 1,167 career games ... winning both the Norris and Hart Trophy. Chris also won his only Stanley Cup in 2007 with the Anaheim Ducks.

Unfortunately, Chris's career came to an abrupt halt after he sustained a scary concussion while a member of the Flyers org in 2011. Pronger has since opened up about the post-concussion syndrome he's endured.

Kodak Black's twerking partner is setting the record straight on their raunchy moment in a luxury suite at an NHL game, saying it wasn't sexual in the slightest -- despite what your eyes were telling you.

The woman from the viral video is actually an up-and-coming rapper who goes by the stage name VVsnce, and she tells us her relationship with Kodak is NOT sexual, it's all biz.

VVsnce says she and Kodak are laughing at the people calling them out for having sex in the suite. Interestingly, she told us exactly where they would've done the deed ... IF that was the plan, and it wouldn't have been out in the open.

Fact is, VVscne is signing to Kodak's Sniper Game label and they'd hit up the Florida Panthers game after a long day in the studio ... simply looking to cut loose and have some fun.

Some folks say the twerk sesh was too much for a public event with lots of kids nearby ... but VVsnce is clapping back and schooling critics on today's youth.

Kodak Black isn't in any sort of legal trouble over his NHL game grind sesh ... cops tell TMZ Sports there's no investigation into the matter because "they were not having sex."

The rapper was spotted at the Florida Panthers game on Tuesday enjoying a lapful of butt from his lady friend in a box suite ... and many thought the two were actually getting it on.

Video shot from across the arena showed the couple grinding on each other ... though a more zoomed-in angle of the action seemed to show they were only dancing.

A spokesperson for the Sunrise Police Dept. tells us officers were present in the suite at the time of the action ... and insist the two were not having sex.

"They were just dancing very provocatively," the spokesperson said.

We're told cops asked Kodak and his partner to stop shortly after they began ... and the rapper complied with no issues whatsoever.

There were more than 15,000 people at the Florida Panthers game on Tuesday ... but no one had as good a time as Kodak Black -- who enjoyed a raunchy twerk sesh from a woman in a box suite during the action!!!

The rapper hit the NHL contest in Sunrise with some killer rinkside seats ... and video showed the dude had an absolute blast watching the Panthers take on the Vancouver Canucks.

He was mingling with fans, taking selfies and zooming in on the on-ice action ... before he hit a luxury box for a little alone time with his lady friend.

One fan spotted the two from afar in the suite -- and it actually appeared like they were getting it on just feet from Panthers execs and hockey fans.

But, a closer look revealed there was nothing X-rated about their actions ... Kodak was simply enjoying a bit of a lap dance!!!

Black posted the zoomed-in footage to his IG ... writing, "Fly Lifestyle."

Kodak and every other Panthers fan eventually left the arena happy ... 'cause Florida took care of Vancouver, 5-2.

Connecticut high school hockey player Teddy Balkind tragically died after a skate cut his neck during a game last week ... the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner announced Monday.

Officials formally ruled Balkind's death as an "accident" ... revealing the cause as an "incised wound of neck."

Balkind was just a 16-year-old sophomore.

As we previously reported, the horrifying incident happened during St. Luke's game vs. Brunswick School in Greenwich last Thursday ... when authorities say Balkind fell to the ice and was accidentally crashed into by an opponent.

According to the Greenwich Police Department, Balkind was taken to the hospital ... but died there from his injuries.

The two schools expressed deep remorse following the tragedy ... with Balkind's St. Luke's school closing on Friday and reopening on Monday with a "special schedule."

NHL teams and players, meanwhile, honored Balkind at their games over the last few days ... with the L.A. Kings holding a moment of silence for Teddy on Saturday.

A Connecticut high school hockey player tragically died after suffering injuries during a game on Thursday, police confirmed to TMZ Sports.

The incident happened during a contest between St. Luke's and Brunswick School in Greenwich ... when the Greenwich Police Department says a player fell to the ice.

According to police captain Mark Zuccerella, an opponent, who was unable to stop, collided with the player while he was down -- causing serious injuries.

The player was then taken to a nearby hospital ... but, sadly, according to Zuccerella, he died.

Mark Davis, the Head of School at St. Luke's, said in a statement to TMZ Sports on Friday that the program is mourning. Davis did not reveal the name of the student.

"Yesterday, we lost a precious young man in a tragic accident," Davis said. "Both St. Luke’s School and Brunswick School are in shock as we work to support our students and families."

Davis added, "St. Luke’s singular focus at this moment is to care for our devastated community."

The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference says it, too, is devastated by the unfortunate incident ... adding, "our thoughts and prayers are with all impacted by this tragedy."

Fresh off his first vacay with Kim Kardashian, Pete Davidson made a little time for his bros ... hitting up the L.A. Kings game for a guys' night out -- in some VERY good seats.

The comedian took in the action at Crypto.com Arena -- and while there was no Kim in site for this public outing, Davidson still looked like he was living the dream.

Pete and his boys had glass seats right behind one of the nets ... and the dudes appeared to have a great time all night while decked out in matching Kings jerseys.

The group caught some good puck too -- even though the Kings lost, it was still a tight 4-2 game against the Nashville Predators.

Of course, it all wraps up a really awesome start to 2022 for Pete -- who was just in the Bahamas with Kim earlier this week.

The two were all smiles on the quick trip ... and at one point during the getaway, Kim posted a sexy bikini shot with a caption that suggested she's REALLY happy with Pete.

The Chicago Blackhawks game against the Jets was postponed last Wednesday, so players Caleb Jones and Connor Murphy attempted to have a nice dinner ... but while in the restaurant, thieves allegedly stuck up the valet and jacked both players cars, TMZ Sports has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us 24-year-old Jones and 28-year-old Murphy were having dinner just blocks from the United Center on December 29 around 8 PM. We're told while the men were inside, thieves approached the valet and stuck an unknown object in their back, demanding the car keys.

Murphy's 2017 Porsche Panamera and Jones' 2021 Jeep Trackhawk were both taken. When new, the Panamera runs about $100K+ ... and the Trackhawk, $90K+.

Chicago police are currently investigating the alleged crimes.

It's unclear if Jones and Murphy were targeted ... or if the theft was random.

As for the player's careers ... Caleb, a defenseman, was the 117th overall pick (Edmonton Oilers) in the 2015 NHL Draft. He's played in 11 games for the Blackhawks this season ... his first with the organization.

Caleb comes from an athletic family. His brother Seth Jones is also a member of the Blackhawks ... and his dad is former NBA player, "Popeye" Jones.

Connor, also a defenseman, was the 20th overall pick of the Coyotes in 2011. He's played in 29 games for the team this season.

We reached out to the Blackhawks ... but so far, no word back.

The NHL will pause its season on Wednesday ... as the league scrambles to figure out ways to manage the COVID outbreak it's currently experiencing.

The NHL released a joint statement with the NHLPA on Monday explaining the decision ... postponing games this week to try to get the surge in coronavirus cases to slow down through the holidays.

"Under the revised schedule," the league announced, "Dec. 22, Dec. 23, Dec. 24, and Dec. 25 (Christmas Day) shall be off days for all purposes -- including travel."

Of course, this announcement has been brewing for a few days ... as COVID cases continue to spike, not just in the hockey league but in the NFL and NBA as well.

As of this week, 11 NHL teams have suspended operations and 49 total games have been postponed, including the games affected by the pause starting Wednesday, according to a report by ESPN.

There's more -- the NHL also reintroduced stricter protocols this week for players ... which means more rigorous testing (daily, instead of once every three days), social distancing measures, and restrictions on where players can go when they're not playing.

"Players will report back to their Clubs on Dec. 26, which shall be used for testing, practice and/or travel only," the league's statement said.

"Upon return from the Holiday Break to team facilities, no individual in the team’s Traveling Party shall enter the facility (other than for testing purposes) until they have a negative test result. "

NHL star Zdeno Chara beat the hell out of his opponent so badly during an on-ice scrap on Thursday ... the dude needed seven stitches to stop the bleeding.

The fight all went down during the Islanders' game against the Predators ... when Chara began throwing haymakers at Yakov Trenin after the Nashville center had hit one of Chara's teammates.

You can see in footage of the play, 6-foot-9 Chara pulled Trenin's jersey over his head -- and then whaled on him with a violent flurry of punches.

All of the blows appeared to land flush -- and after refs separated the two ... Trenin's face looked like it had just been beaten by a golf club.

Trenin had to leave the ice to get his face sewn back together in the locker room ... but somehow, he ended up returning, and actually got the last laugh.

Trenin scored the game-tying goal in the third period, and Nashville ultimately won the contest in overtime.

Afterward, Trenin's coach praised him, saying, "I was really impressed with him."

Scary moment in the NHL on Tuesday ... Chicago Blackhawks winger Jujhar Khaira was knocked out after taking a violent shoulder to the face -- and he was eventually hospitalized.

The horrifying scene all went down in the second period of the Hawks' game against the Rangers in Chicago ... when Khaira was blindsided by New York star Jacob Trouba.

You can see in footage of the play, Khaira's head slammed hard off the ice after he took the hit ... and he was immediately knocked unconscious.

The 27-year-old laid motionless for several seconds -- and he was ultimately put on a stretcher and taken to a nearby medical facility.

Fortunately, the Blackhawks say Khaira is doing well ... with head coach Derek King telling media members, "He's up. He's talking. He's very responsive."

"I think he wants to get back on the ice," King added with a laugh.

Khaira -- who's played in 18 games for the Blackhawks this season -- is expected to undergo several more tests to figure out just how bad his injuries are.

Evander Kane just got a judge to order his estranged wife, Anna Kane, to stay the hell away from him ... after he said he's "afraid" of her following her gun video post last week.

It's all spelled out in new court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, in which Evander says he's fearful Anna might hurt him, his girlfriend, Mara Teigen, and his daughter in the wake of her recent social media activity.

As we previously reported, Anna posted a video of Evander with a gun on Instagram last Wednesday, saying it showed him recklessly pointing it at her in 2020.

In the vid's caption, Anna claimed the firearm was loaded ... and called Evander a "psycho path."

The San Jose Sharks star, though, said in the docs the gun was absolutely not loaded -- adding that he had only had it in his hand because he and Anna were doing a photo shoot with it.

Evander said in the docs he has the pictures of the two with the weapon that prove it was just a photo shoot.

Evander claims the social media post -- as well as other things Anna put on her Instagram last week -- was such a blatant attempt to hurt him, he's straight-up scared of her now.

The judge granted his request for a temporary restraining order, but Evander is now asking for another order that keeps Anna at least 300 yards away from him for the next three years.

A hearing on the matter has been set for Jan. 13, 2022.

The Philadelphia Flyers' season just got a whole lot crappier ... 'cause on the day they fired their head coach amid a losing skid, a police K-9 defecated all over their center-ice logo.

Just hours after the team canned Alain Vigneault, several dogs from the Philadelphia Police Dept. took a trip to Wells Fargo Center ... and you can see in video of their visit, things got messy quickly.

One of the dogs walked all the way out to the red line ... popped a squat and then let its bowels go.

The dog pooped for several seconds -- and then appeared to unleash even more on the logo!!

Of course, we're pretty sure it'll all get cleaned up in time for the Flyers' Monday evening game against the Colorado Avalanche ... but it's yet another reminder of how badly Philly's season has gone so far.

The team is currently in the midst of an 8-game losing streak ... and they've played so poorly recently, there's not a whole lot of optimism in the City Of Brotherly Love at the moment.