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Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg Jets' Nikolaj Ehlers hot commodity as NHL free agency day looms
The clock is ticking and decision day is looming for pending unrestricted free agent Nikolaj Ehlers. The speculation surrounding the future of the Winnipeg Jets dynamic winger has been virtually non-stop on social media since the season ended and it won't take that much longer before we figure out if Ehlers is going to stay or if he's going to go. Should he get to market, Ehlers is going to be one of the most highly sought-after players available on July 1 and a strong playoff — after returning from an unlucky lower-body injury — only enhanced his value. PAUL VERNON / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers is an unrestricted free agent and will be one of the most highly sought-after players if he makes it to market on July 1, the NHL's free agency day. PAUL VERNON / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers is an unrestricted free agent and will be one of the most highly sought-after players if he makes it to market on July 1, the NHL's free agency day. Because he went directly to suit up for Denmark in the 2025 IIHF men's hockey championship, Ehlers hasn't shed much light on how he's viewing his first crack at unrestricted free agency. But in all likelihood, Ehlers probably wasn't going to leave many bread crumbs after his exit interview was complete either. In the world of negotiations — especially when you don't want them to occur publicly — some things are better left unsaid. Here are six teams that could/should pursue Nikolaj Ehlers if he makes it to free agency on July 1: Here are six teams that could/should pursue Nikolaj Ehlers if he makes it to free agency on July 1: Carolina Hurricanes: They're a perennial playoff team that hasn't scored enough when it's mattered most. Yes, they'll be in on the Mitch Marner sweepstakes, but Ehlers could be the type of dynamic forward that would mesh well with top-line centre Sebastian Aho. With more than US$26 million of cap space available, dollar and term won't be a concern here. Toronto Maple Leafs: When general manager Brad Treliving mentioned changing the DNA at his year-end press conference, it's easy to envision Ehlers being a target along with the likes of Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand of the Florida Panthers. By delivering the best post-season of his NHL career, adding Ehlers could make up for some of the offence lost with Marner expected to depart as a free agent. Montreal Canadiens: Since Ehlers was a star in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the Halifax Mooseheads, he often draws a crowd with the media during trips to la belle province. He's also the type of electrifying player with experience that could help the Canadiens as they look to take the next step in their development path. Reuniting with his close friend Patrik Laine (who has one more season left on his contract) would be a bonus. Columbus Blue Jackets: Another team on the rise, adding someone as explosive as Ehlers to a forward group could help push the Blue Jackets to a playoff berth after finishing one point shy this season. Top-line centre Sean Monahan is someone Ehlers showed good chemistry with after he was acquired from the Montreal Canadiens. They've got more than US$40 million in cap space available, so they could make a significant offer. Utah Mammoth: Speaking of significant offers, the team formerly known as Utah HC is set to make a splash — whether that's another big trade at the NHL draft at the end of the month and/or in free agency — and Ehlers is the kind of player that would bring star power and immediately be a fan favourite. Utah wants to be a playoff team next season and Ehlers could help them achieve that goal. Vancouver Canucks: There's still a segment of the Canucks fan base that can't believe Vancouver chose Jake Virtanen sixth overall in 2014 instead of Ehlers (who went ninth to the Jets). With the expected departure of Brock Boeser in free agency, the Canucks need help on the wings and his skating ability could pair well with Elias Pettersson. With just over US$12 million in cap space available, a corresponding move might have to be made, especially since the Canucks are likely going to need a second-line centre if they don't re-up Pius Suter. While he's spoken openly about loving his time in Winnipeg, Ehlers has kept his priorities for free agency close to the vest over the course of the last season and that's why the level of intrigue regarding his future is only on the rise. You can be sure that playing for a team with a chance to win ranks high for Ehlers, who was named as one of Denmark's first six players for the 2026 men's Olympic team on Monday. Nino Niederreiter, chosen by Switzerland, was the other Jets player to receive that honour. The two-hour meeting with agent Andre Rufener that Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff referenced was obviously a good sign, but you can't ignore the fact that Winnipeg remains the only team that can negotiate with Ehlers' camp until free agency officially opens. The point remains the same: you don't spend two hours chatting at this point of the proceedings unless you're genuinely considering sticking around. However, when you're two weeks away from having 31 other teams make their best pitch, it's easy to understand why you would at least listen to what else is out there. The projections on Ehlers' next contract remain somewhere between US$8 million and slightly north of US$9 million on a deal that's going to be at least six years long. As an eight-time 20-goal scorer, Ehlers is someone that all teams looking for scoring will have on their wish list. Barring a sign and trade (which is unlikely), the Jets are the only team that can offer that eighth year and we'll see if that bonus year could be one of the reasons Ehlers decides to remain in the organization. Should the Jets get to the point where they offer Ehlers eight years for somewhere around US$8.5 million, it would be nearly impossible for any other team to meet or exceed the total amount of the contract. After turning 29 in February, this is going to be the biggest ticket Ehlers signs and he's guaranteed to be getting a raise from the US$6 million he made on the seven-year deal that's set to expire. As an eight-time 20-goal scorer, Ehlers is someone that all teams looking for scoring will have on their wish list. That he's yet to hit 30 goals or exceed 64 points in a single season is surprising when you consider his skill, will and ability. Yet, that probably has more to do with the injuries he's dealt with and that he's only truly had one season of regular time with the top power-play unit (last season) as he moved to the pop position in the slot. Ehlers attacked that promotion with vigour and connected for six power-play goals and 16 assists for 22 points with the man advantage. No matter how things get resolved, Ehlers is someone that was incredibly productive and accountable. As a point of reference, Ehlers had no goals and seven helpers on the power play the previous season. Knowing Jets head coach Scott Arniel has that role in mind for him is surely something Ehlers would see as a positive and while there isn't a clear path to top-line minutes alongside Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor, the Danish forward is likely in line for a bump in ice time — whether that's in Winnipeg or somewhere else. There are going to be teams that could offer a higher AAV (average annual value) or entice him with chatter of moving to the top line while remaining on the top power-play unit. That might end up being the deciding factor, only Ehlers knows for sure. No matter how things get resolved, Ehlers is someone that was incredibly productive and accountable. FRED GREENSLADE / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Winnipeg Jets' Nikolaj Ehlers (left) had the pivotal dying-seconds pass that set up teammate Cole Perfetti's 'Manitoba Miracle' Game 7 equalizer against the St. Louis Blues in May. FRED GREENSLADE / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Winnipeg Jets' Nikolaj Ehlers (left) had the pivotal dying-seconds pass that set up teammate Cole Perfetti's 'Manitoba Miracle' Game 7 equalizer against the St. Louis Blues in May. He plays the game with unbridled passion and when you couple that with his explosiveness and ability to provide highlight-reel moments, Ehlers quickly became a fan favourite. The ninth overall pick in the 2014 NHL draft made the team as a 19-year-old and matured both on and off the ice during the past decade. The one narrative he wanted to erase was the one that involved his uneven playoff performance and that mission was accomplished this spring. Although Ehlers would have gladly sacrificed a few goals or points for an opportunity to move onto the third round and beyond, his ability to deliver five goals and seven points in eight games after returning from injury was another example of why he'll be in demand on July 1. If Ehlers ultimately decides to move on, the asset management crowd will turn up the volume on the belief that the Jets should have traded him before the deadline to not 'lose him for nothing.' What happens with Ehlers over the course of the next two weeks is one of the decisions that is going to shape how the off-season goes for Cheveldayoff and the Jets. When you're leading the NHL (and ultimately win the Presidents' Trophy as the top team during the regular season), you don't trade one of your most impactful players — unless the return includes someone along the lines of Mikko Rantanen, who was moved twice in blockbuster deals before the deadline in March. There's no question that hanging onto Ehlers was the right decision, even if the Jets ended up 10 wins shy of the 16 required to capture the Stanley Cup. What happens with Ehlers over the course of the next two weeks is one of the decisions that is going to shape how the off-season goes for Cheveldayoff and the Jets. If the Jets can't convince Ehlers to stick around, finding a reasonable facsimile — as difficult as that may be — will be a top priority for a team that is already going to be looking for some subtle upgrades for them to ensure they remain a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. X and Bluesky: @WiebesWorld Ken WiebeReporter Ken Wiebe is a sports reporter for the Free Press, with an emphasis on the Winnipeg Jets. He has covered hockey and provided analysis in this market since 2000 for the Winnipeg Sun, The Athletic, and TSN. Ken was a summer intern at the Free Press in 1999 and returned to the Free Press in a full-time capacity in September of 2023. Read more about Ken. Every piece of reporting Ken produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
DW
28-05-2025
- Business
- DW
EU plans new 'maritime security hub' in Black Sea region – DW – 05/28/2025
The war in Ukraine has raised geopolitical stakes in the Black Sea region. Now the EU wants a maritime security hub to guard critical infrastructure and shipping there. But details remain vague. The European Commission wants to increase EU clout in the strategically important Black Sea region, countering Russian influence through closer collaboration with Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia. "Against a backdrop of Russia breaching airspace, attacking ports and shipping routes, ... front and center of this work is improving security in the region," EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas told reporters in Brussels on Wednesday, unveiling a new strategy for the region. The Black Sea is a body of water bordering seven countries with its coast spanning two EU member states — Bulgaria and Romania— as well as EU accession candidates Georgia, Turkey and Ukraine, plus Russia. Moldova, another aspiring EU state, also has access via the Danube River. The EU says the Black Sea is 'an area of significant geostrategic importance, bridging Europe to Asia' Image: ASSOCIATED PRESS/picture alliance Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Black Sea has been both a theatre of combat and the site of Russian blockades of Ukrainian grain exports, which are key to world food security. More recently, the EU has grown concerned about potential Russian attacks on critical undersea infrastructure like cables needed for Internet and communications as well as so-called "shadow fleet" shipping that helps Russia skirt EU sanctions on its oil exports, Kallas said. What is the EU proposing? In general the plan is to further build on trade, energy and transport cooperation. The most concrete aspect of the new proposal is to set up a "maritime security hub" to enhance "situational awareness and information sharing on the Black Sea, real-time monitoring from space to seabed, and early warning of potential threats and malicious activities," according to the strategy document. Kallas said it could also help monitor a potential future ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Another goal is to support the buildup of regional transport infrastructure, in part "to improve military mobility so troops and equipment can be where they are needed, when they are needed," Kallas said. However where the hub would be based and which countries would be involved is not clear, nor is there any clarity on which financial resources would be allocated to it. How might Black Sea countries respond? While most Black Sea countries apart from Russia are on cooperative terms with the EU, some are more more closely aligned with the 27-country bloc's agenda than others. The governments of Ukraine and Moldova are striving to join the EU. Georgia and Turkey are also EU candidate countries although their bids to join are currently frozen. Armenia has drawn closer to the EU in recent years while Azerbaijan has a complex relationship with Russia and the EU. Turkey is a close partner of the EU and member of the miltary alliance NATO but as a strong regional player, it also has its own interests to consider. Black Sea truce effort fails to stop Russian drone attacks To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Like Russia, Turkey also has an interest in keeping the US and other NATO countries out of the Black Sea region, Stefan Meister, head of the center for order and governance in Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia at the German Council on Foreign Relations, or DGAP, said. Ankara is hedging its bets, fulfilling its obligations to NATO while trying not to provoke Moscow, he notes. Ankara "understands Russia as a security threat, supports Ukraine in the war and does not agree with Russian annexation of Crimea," Meister told DW. "But it benefits from the Western sanctions, still buys Russian resources and benefits from the trade with Ukraine." EU relationship with Black Sea region has changed The EU first started taking a keener interest in the Black Sea region, which was traditionally dominated by Russia and Turkey, after Bulgaria and Romania joined the bloc in 2007. It is not alone: China has also increased its footprint there. Last year the Georgian government awarded the tender to construct a deep sea port at Anaklia to a Chinese conglomerate that includes entities under US sanctions. "Ten years ago EU engagement was less strategic and China's footprint was smaller," Tinatin Akhvlediani, a foreign policy research fellow at the Brussels-based Center for European Policy Studies, explained. "Today failing to deepen ties here would come at a real cost to Europe's security and economic weight," the expert told DW. According to DGAP expert Meister, the Black Sea is now "at the center of European security and crucial for connectivity with other regions like the South Caucasus, the Caspian Sea, Central Asia and the Middle East." Macron has been pushing plans for a 'reassurance force' to keep a future peace between Russia and Ukraine Image:Meister says it is a good thing that the EU is looking to take a more active role in security in the Black Sea with a monitoring hub. But much was still unclear, he stressed, referring to the lack of further details on participation, financing and resources for the new secuirty hub. On Wednesday the European Commission said the next step would be to gather ministers from EU member states and Black Sea countries to discuss how to take the proposal forward.
New York Post
10-05-2025
- New York Post
Advanced forensic methods used to ID Gilgo Beach vics could resolve lingering Lindbergh baby mystery
The same forensic science recently used to ID victims of the Gilgo Beach serial killer could now determine whether German immigrant Bruno Hauptmann notoriously murdered the Lindbergh baby nearly more than 90 years ago. This month, three people — a history professor, retired teacher and developmental psychologist — filed a lawsuit against the New Jersey State Police, seeking access to ransom notes the Lindberghs received in 1932, Newsday reported. The lawsuit cites a genetic genealogist, who said 'it has only been recently that DNA testing and analysis have evolved with the potential of testing those envelopes to produce definitive investigative leads that could resolve lingering uncertainties.' The same technique the plaintiffs hope will finally decide who licked the Lindbergh stamps was recently used to identify the remains of Valerie Mack, Karen Vergata and Tanya Denise Jackson and her young daughter, Tatiana. The four bodies were among the 11 found along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach in Suffolk County with between December 2010 and April 2011. 4 The toddler was kidnapped from his crib inside the Lindbergh's home. ASSOCIATED PRESS Architect Rex Heuermann has been charged with the murders of seven of the 11 Gilgo Beach victims. Over the years, historians have argued someone close to Charles Lindbergh — a household name after completing the first solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927 from Long Island's Roosevelt Field — had to have been involved in his son's March 1, 1932 kidnapping. Even after the famous aviator paid $70,000 in ransom, the 20-month-old wasn't returned — in a mystery that captivated the nation. 4 Charles A. Lindbergh Jr. was found in a shallow grave in the woods of Hopewell, N.J. ASSOCIATED PRESS Eleven days later, the boy's bludgeoned remains were found dumped in woods not far from Lindbergh's home. Hauptmann, who lived in the Bronx, was convicted for the crime in 1935 and electrocuted on April 3, 1936. But some have long-maintained Hauptmann's innocence. 4 Rex Heuermann was linked to the Gilgo Beach killings using advanced genealogy techniques. Newsday If provided with the envelopes, the trio will look to lift DNA from the undersides of the stamps, in hopes of identifying the sender using advanced genetic genealogy research, according to Newsday. 4 Heuermann has been charged with seven of the Gilgo Beach murders. Suffolk County Police Department Heuermann has not been criminally charged with killing Vergata or Jackson and her child. During a press conference last month, Nassau Country Homicide Det. Lt. Stephen Fitzpatrick was asked if investigators believe Heuermann was involved in their murders. 'We're not saying it's him, but we're not saying it's not him,' Fitzpatrick said. 'We are proceeding as if it's not related.'
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 NFL Draft: 205,000 people attend 1st round at Lambeau Field, almost twice as many as Green Bay's population
Green Bay is the NFL's smallest market by a significant margin. The crowd for Thursday's first round of the NFL Draft dwarfed the town's population. Fans flocked to Lambeau Field on Thursday night, where the draft was conducted from a stage in the shadows of the revered football stadium. Advertisement At the start of Thursday's broadcast, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell estimated that 125,000 people had shown up, with more people filing in. "We have over 125,000 people here and still counting," Goodell announced. By the time the night was over, the official attendance number stood at 205,000. Fans wait for the start of the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) That's well more than the population of Green Bay, which stood at an estimated 105,744, per a 2023 U.S. census estimate. NFL vice president of communications Brian McCarthy cited a street sign in Green Bay touting a population of 107,395. Either way, more people showed up for the draft Thursday night that actually live in Green Bay. Advertisement Here's what an estimated 205,000 people standing outside a football stadium looks like. It's an impressive crowd, indeed. And one that event eventually reached capacity. But forgive Lions fans if they're not so impressed. Detroit hosted the draft for the first time in 2024. It drew a record crowd of 275,000 people downtown for last year's first round. When the three-day draft was over, more than 775,000 fans had shown up to the NFL's annual April showcase, which also stood as a record. Detroit's also a major American city with a population (633,218) six times that of Green Bay just in its city limits, and a metropolitan population of more than 4.3 million people that dwarfs the Wisconsin town. Green Bay doesn't project to challenge Detroit's record this weekend. But it drew an impressive crowd nonetheless, and one that's not likely to be challenged relative to size of the host city.
Boston Globe
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
US judge presses Trump administration on its refusal to return Maryland man deported to Salvadoran prison
'The Supreme Court has spoken,' Xinis said, adding that what was said in the Oval Office on Monday 'is not before the court.' The hearing came a day after White House advisers repeated the claim they lack the authority to bring back the Salvadoran national from his native country. The president of El Salvador also said Monday that he would not return Abrego Garcia, likening it to smuggling 'a terrorist into the United States.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Abrego Garcia's deportation has become a national flashpoint as President Trump follows up on campaign promises of mass deportations, including to a notorious prison in El Salvador. Advertisement An attorney for Abrego Garcia said contempt proceedings could be the logical next step after two weeks of discovery. 'This is still a win, and this is still progress,' Rina Ghandi said. 'We're not done yet, though.' Abrego Garcia's wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, said shortly before Tuesday's hearing that he was working hard to achieve the American dream for his family. Advertisement 'That dream was shattered on March 12th when he was abducted and disappeared by the United States government in front of our 5-year-old-child,' she said. 'Today is 34 days after his disappearance . . . I will not stop fighting until I see my husband alive.' Xinis had ordered the Trump administration in early April to bring Abrego Garcia back. And the Supreme Court agreed on Thursday that the government must 'facilitate' Abrego Garcia's release. But the White House has balked at trying to broker his return, arguing the courts can't intrude on the president's diplomacy powers. ASSOCIATED PRESS Governors push to ban candy, soft drinks from food stamp program LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Republican governors in Arkansas and Indiana moved Tuesday to ban soft drinks and candy from the program that helps low-income people pay for groceries, becoming the first states to ask the Trump administration to let them remove such items from the program long known as food stamps. Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said her state's request is aimed at improving the health of nearly 350,000 residents who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. 'Taxpayers are subsidizing poor health,' Sanders said at a Little Rock news conference with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. 'We're paying for it on the front end and the back end.' In Indianapolis, Governor Mike Braun was joined by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Mehmet Oz, who leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, to announce sweeping changes to 'put the focus back on nutrition — not candy and soft drinks.' The two states are among several taking steps to strip the purchase of certain foods that may contribute to poor health through the federal program that spent $100 billion to serve nearly 42 million Americans in 2024. The restriction has been a key goal for Rollins and Kennedy and his 'Make America Healthy Again' agenda. Advertisement The Arkansas plan, which would take effect in July 2026, would exclude soda, including no- and low-calorie soda; fruit and vegetable drinks with less than 50 percent natural juice; 'unhealthy drinks;' candy, including confections made with flour, like Kit Kat bars; and artificially sweetened candy. It also would allow participants to use benefits to buy hot rotisserie chicken, which is excluded from the program now. The Indiana change would exclude candy and soft drinks from the list of foods eligible to be paid for with SNAP benefits. Braun also issued executive orders changing work requirements for SNAP participants; reinstating income and asset verification rules; and launching a review of 'improper payments and other administrative errors' to ensure that SNAP meets federal goals. ASSOCIATED PRESS US ordered to release billions for climate infrastructure projects A federal judge in Boston ordered the Trump administration to release billions of dollars meant to finance climate and infrastructure projects across the country. US District Judge Mary McElroy, who was appointed by President Trump during his first term, sided with conservation and nonprofit groups and issued a preliminary injunction until she rules on the merits of the lawsuit. The injunction is nationwide. McElroy concluded that the seven nonprofits demonstrated that the freeze was 'arbitrary and capricious' and that the powers asserted by the federal agencies, including the White House's Office of Management and Budget, in halting the payouts were not found in federal law. 'Agencies do not have unlimited authority to further a President's agenda, nor do they have unfettered power to hamstring in perpetuity two statutes passed by Congress during the previous administration,' she wrote. Advertisement The nonprofits said that an executive order issued by Trump resulted in projects funded by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act 2022 Inflation Reduction Act being put on hold. As a result, funding from many federal agencies has been frozen for everything from urban forestry projects to weatherization programs to lead pipe remediation and has resulted in 'serious and irreversible harm' to many groups. Diane Yentel, the president and chief executive of the National Council of Nonprofits and a plaintiff in the lawsuit, welcomed the decision. 'This funding freeze has already caused serious harm in communities, as nonprofits that provide critical services to our country's most vulnerable have been forced to scale back operations, cancel projects, and consider laying off staff,' Yentel said. The federal government responded that Congress gave agencies broad latitude to select recipients for the funding and that the plaintiffs failed to show that three of the seven agencies they sued have caused them any harm. They also argued that plaintiffs can't seek relief through this lawsuit since they are already pursuing a similar challenge in a different court. ASSOCIATED PRESS Former Mich. AG joins race for governor SAUGATUCK, Mich. — Former Michigan attorney general Mike Cox on Tuesday entered the 2026 governor's race, adding to a growing field of Republicans vying to succeed term-limited Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Cox served as attorney general from 2003 to 2011. He launched a gubernatorial bid near the end of his second term, eventually coming in third in the Republican primary. Cox is hoping for a different outcome this time around, launching a bid Tuesday that he said will 'Make Michigan Great Again.' He served as a Marine Corps infantry rifleman before becoming a prosecutor, according to his campaign website. He defeated Democratic Senator Gary Peters in 2002 to become the state's first Republican attorney general in over 40 years. Advertisement 'I've protected people my entire life, fought and beat the worst of the worst,' Cox said in a campaign video announcing his run. 'Let's not stand by and let radical politicians or woke bureaucrats undermine us any longer.' Cox joins Michigan Senate Republican leader Aric Nesbitt and US Reprresentative John James in the Republican primary. On the Democratic side, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II are facing off, with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan — formerly a Democrat — running as an independent. Republicans are aiming to retake the governor's office after eight years under Whitmer, who held full Democratic control of the Legislature from 2022 to 2024 and swiftly advanced her party's agenda. The GOP regained the state House in 2024, but both legislative chambers will be up for grabs next year. ASSOCIATED PRESS
