DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz left the ice without putting any weight on his left leg after Edmonton defender Darnell Nurse slashed him on top of his skate in the third period of the Oilers' 3-0 victory in Game 2 of the Western Conference final Friday night.
Hintz went down to the ice in front of the Edmonton net, and immediately reached toward his foot. Nurse was given a minor penalty for slashing after officials reviewed for a potential major penalty.
Stars coach Pete DeBoer said afterward that he didn't have an update on the injury to Hintz, but responded with a pointed question when asked what he thought about the play and the decision by officials.
“Does anyone in this room think if Connor McDavid gets carried off the ice like that it’s not a five-minute major?,” DeBoer said.
Stars forward Mason Marchment said he felt there “was some intent, obviously" in Nurse's actions.
“He’s one of our best players and now he’s done for the game, right?,” Marchment said. “I don’t really want to tell them what they should do or what they should have called, but that’s one of our best players, and I don’t think it was enough.”
When asked about Marchment's contention, DeBeor repeated a similar response to his first one.
“Again, you know, if that’s 97 (McDavid) carried off the ice in the same situation, I think we all know the answer to what that looks like for us,” the coach said.
An athletic trainer came out to check on Hintz, who stayed down for a couple of minutes before being helped off the ice. He didn't put his left foot down while teammates Mikael Granlund and Lian Bicshel guided him to the bench. Hintz then went down the tunnel toward the locker room.
Edmonton, which evened the series, hosts Game 3 on Sunday.
AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) defends the goal against Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (24) during the first period in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Friday, May 23, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Enzo Maresca left his post as Chelsea head coach on Thursday after a reported deterioration in his relationship with the Premier League club’s hierarchy.
The Italian coach was midway through his second season in charge. In his first season, he won the Conference League and Club World Cup.
Last month, Maresca said he had experienced his “worst” 48 hours at Chelsea and expressed his unhappiness at a lack of support at the club, but didn’t go into specific reasons.
Chelsea is in fifth place in the Premier League, but has won just one of its last seven league matches, and has advanced to the English League Cup semifinals, where it will play Arsenal over two legs.
“With key objectives still to play for across four competitions including qualification for Champions League football," Chelsea said in a statement, "Enzo and the club believe a change gives the team the best chance of getting the season back on track.”
Chelsea is coming off a 2-2 home draw against Bournemouth in the league on Tuesday, and next plays second-place Manchester City away on Sunday.
The club said Chelsea's achievements under Maresca “will remain an important part of the club’s recent history, and we thank him for his contributions to the club.”
There was no immediate word on his potential successor, with Chelsea seeking a fifth full-time manager since the takeover of the club by American investors, fronted by Todd Boehly, in May 2022.
In the past 3 1/2 years, Chelsea has spent hundreds of million of pounds (dollars) in what looked from the outside a chaotic bid to sign players to refresh its squad. It now has one of the youngest and most talented squads in the Premier League, with star players including Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez and Estevao, but managers have struggled to get the players to gel as a team after so many changes.
Out of all the managers to have led Chelsea in that period — and they include Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino, the current coaches of England and the United States, respectively — Maresca appeared to have handled the chaos the best.
Yet he reportedly didn't feel appreciated given the tough working conditions and, according to the BBC, recently switched agents. A few weeks ago, media reports in England linked Maresca with a possible move to Man City — where he briefly worked under Pep Guardiola — should Guardiola eventually leave, though Maresca played the reports down.
Chelsea's results have taken a downturn in recent weeks, since a 3-0 win over Barcelona in the Champions League in November.
The team's only league win in the past month was a 2-0 over Everton. There have been draws with Arsenal, Newcastle and Bournemouth (twice) and losses to Leeds and Aston Villa.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
FILE - Chelsea's head coach Enzo Maresca reacts during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Atalanta and Chelsea, in Bergamo, Italy, on Dec. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni, File)
FILE - Chelsea's head coach Enzo Maresca sits on a bench ahead of the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Qarabag and Chelsea in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Nov. 5, 2025. (AP Photo, File)
Chelsea's head coach Enzo Maresca, left, gives instructions to Estevao during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Bournemouth in London, England, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
