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There have been a lot of interesting signings this NHL offseason, with the Flyers forcing the Ducks to pay top dollar for Leo Carlsson, Patrick Kane signing a nice deal to return to the Blackhawks and Macklin Celebrini getting the big money from the San Jose Sharks.But the most intriguing deal may have come from the Pittsburgh Penguins, who signed a player with just 47 career games to an eight-year, $32 million deal after he registered 7 points (2G, 5A) in 39 games last season.Reread those numbers if you need to, but your eyes did not deceive you. That’s the deal Penguins GM Kyle Dubas gave Finnish forward Ville Koivunen on Thursday.CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGENow, first of all, this is awesome for Koivunen. But Dubas may as well be wearing a stars-and-stripes jumpsuit, because this deal has an Evel Knievel-level risk.That’s because while the salary cap and therefore player contracts are going up, paying a player with that kind of production an AAV of $4 million is a massive gamble.Sure, the numbers come from a small sample, but they’re still not blowing any minds.Still, the Penguins like what they see enough to keep him around long-term. That…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The bodies of an Illinois couple, both 20, who had gone missing on a kayaking trip in Lake Michigan near a strait called Death’s Door in Wisconsin were recovered earlier this week.David Thalman, 20, and Francesca Warick, 20, were found on Monday morning off Washington Island after they went missing over the weekend, according to a joint press release from the Door County Sheriff’s Office and Washington Island Police Department.Washington Island is located across from the Door Peninsula. Kayakers leaving from the Door Peninsula must cross the Death’s Door strait, which is known for being turbulent, to reach Washington Island.Authorities don’t believe either one was wearing life jackets.10-YEAR-OLD BOY’S BODY PULLED FROM NEW JERSEY RIVER AS RESCUERS SEARCH FOR HIS SISTER Hundreds of shipwrecks are believed to have happened in the notorious strait since the 19th century.The Door County Sheriff’s Office said it had assumed command of the search after it turned into a recovery operation on Sunday.Jane Lee, broker-owner of a RE/MAX office in Chicago suburb Lake Bluff, told FOX 32 that Thalman was a great employee.”You don’t see a lot of young people like that anymore today,” she said. “He’s…

It’s a time of change for the Tennessee Titans. The team has a new stadium getting ready to open next year, and recently showed off some new threads that really scream, “Yeah, we used to be the Houston Oilers. What of it?”So, with so much change, reimagining and upgrading happening within the organization, apparently they decided that the team’s mascot, T-Rac, an anthropomorphic raccoon, needed a makeover as well.And, as you may have expected, the citizens of social media had some thoughts.JOSH ALLEN DELIVERS FULL-THROATED UNSOLICITED DEFENSE OF BUFFALO BILLS’ HIDEOUS NEW UNIFORMSNow, while the T-Rac revamp had likely been in the works for quite some time, the Titans couldn’t have picked a better time to unveil it.Why? Because raccoon stock has never been higher, what with internet sensation Jimothy taking over to the point of getting his own theme night at a Seattle Mariners game. So, now people are really into raccoons, even if all they usually do is pick through garbage bins and spread the contents all over the alley behind my house.CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGEBut, to that point, fans have strong feelings when it comes to the change, and while some liked T-Rac 2.0,…

Long before Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham challenged the conversation surrounding women’s sports, Payton McNabb was living its consequences.A high school volleyball match changed McNabb’s life. Years later, she sees Cunningham taking on a fight that has followed her all the way to Capitol Hill.WATCH PAYTON MCNABB’S FULL INTERVIEW WITH OUTKICK:After suffering a traumatic brain injury and partial paralysis on her right side from a ball spiked by a biological male opponent, McNabb took her fight from a North Carolina volleyball court to Washington, where she has testified before lawmakers in defense of women’s sports and Title IX. JD VANCE PRAISES SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM FOR ‘SAVE WOMEN’S SPORTS’ ACTIVISMNow 21, McNabb sees that same battle reaching the WNBA and believes the league’s response is exposing a glaring double standard.Speaking exclusively with OutKick, McNabb applauded Cunningham for taking a stand, ripped Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve over her support for transgender inclusion and explained why Caitlin Clark’s voice could carry enormous weight with the next generation of female athletes.”I started speaking out when I was 18,” McNabb told OutKick. “I’m 21 now, but within the last few years, why have I had to go in front of Congress and explain that…

In an effort to fill its ranks, the Air National Guard is appealing to eligible service members to remain in uniform with a $7,500 bonus in exchange for a three-year reenlistment. The “Summer Surge Incentive,” announced this week with other recruiting reforms, is open to current members who reenlist and airmen transferring from active duty or the Air Force Reserve. The incentive, first reported by Task & Purpose, comes as other services are offering large bonuses to retain talent. The Army is offering bonuses exceeding $200,000 to keep aviation warrant officers in the ranks, and the Navy is offering up to $150,000 for select aviation roles.In addition to the bonus, the Guard said that it is now sending its highest-performing recruiters to wings struggling to meet recruiting goals, rather than limiting them to their home states. Other initiatives include a 179% increase in local market funding and a social media collaborator program.U.S. Air Force Col. Mark Williams, director of Recruiting and Retention for the Air National Guard, said the changes are meant to modernize the force.“It is all part of an effort to continue reaching individuals seeking purpose, growth and the opportunity to make a lasting impact,” he said. The…

*NOTE: Some names, locations, techniques and information have been withheld due to their sensitive nature.You often don’t realize you’re in a fight for your soul until you’re deep in it.As my loyal readers and viewers have realized, I have been fairly off the grid for roughly the past week.Why?It was time for my annual trip to Las Vegas, but unlike previous trips, this one was happening with the looming threat of the Iran War, death threats and the IRGC. Things were different for this working-class man this time around.While I’m not going to get into specifics, there’s no question that due to a heightened alert status and ever-evolving threat matrices, precautions that never had been taken before were going to be necessary. It turns out some people aren’t fans of my outspoken ways, and unlike people who claim to be “threatened” by blue hair liberals (literally comical to even consider dangerous), being under the threat from a state-backed actor is a totally different ball game.No box could go unchecked. Wheels up to Las Vegas for a working-class vacation.The first decision that was made was that I would move to the airport under the cover of darkness.There are a couple of…

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Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving recently received an apology from ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith regarding his decision to remain unvaxxed during the pandemic, which cost him millions of dollars. For some, these statements were a welcomed piece of accountability not normally seen in the media. It also got me thinking about what other COVID-era athletes deserve apologies from the media, and recognition for their courage during a time in which being unvaxxed was essentially a crime in the eyes of the media. STEPHEN A. SMITH ONLY SPEAKS UP ABOUT IMPORTANT SOCIETAL ISSUES ONLY WHEN IT’S POLITICALLY ACCEPTABLENovak Djokovic No athlete became more synonymous with the vaccine debate than the greatest tennis player of all-time, Novak Djokovic. (I like to refer to him as Novax when discussing this insane era of sports history).Although Djokovic repeatedly rejected the label of being “anti-vaccine,” he consistently maintained that medical decisions should remain a matter of personal choice. He consistently preached a message of bodily autonomy in regards to COVID-19.In 2020, he stated, “I am opposed to vaccination if someone is forcing me to take a vaccine in order to travel.” Two years later, following his deportation from Melbourne, Australia, home of the Australian Open,…