OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Claude Giroux is returning to the Ottawa Senators after agreeing to terms Tuesday on a contract for next season with a $2 million salary that can be worth up to $5 million in bonuses.
“Claude took his time to evaluate his options, and his decision to re-sign with us shows his belief and commitment to our group,” Ottawa general manager Steve Staios said. “He is the consummate professional and brings veteran experience to our core on an off the ice.”
Giroux, 38, was linked in free agency to the Philadelphia Flyers this summer, but a reunion did not materialize. He spent his first 15-plus NHL seasons with them from 2008-22 before getting traded at the deadline to Florida.
The Hearst, Ontario, native played the past four seasons with the Senators. Going back to Ottawa makes Giroux a candidate to succeed Brady Tkachuk as captain, following his trade last month to the Panthers to play with his brother, Matthew.
“I chose to come back because I want to be here," Giroux said. "Being around those guys for four years, we got really close. This team feels like a family. I just care for those players.”
Giroux's 1,165 regular-season points rank 60th in league history and are the eighth-most among active players.
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FILE - Ottawa Senators' Claude Giroux (28) waits for a face-off against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period of an Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Saturday, April 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker,File)
U.S. airlines spent $6.66 billion on jet fuel in May, the second straight month that fuel costs topped $6 billion, according to government data released Tuesday.
The May figure was 84% higher than a year earlier. Airlines spent $6.47 billion on fuel in April, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics said.
The higher year-over-year spending has been driven mostly by pricier jet fuel rather than a significant increase in how much of it airlines consumed. U.S. carriers used 1.627 billion gallons in May, down 0.6% from May 2025. Consumption was also slightly lower in April compared with a year earlier.
The average price airlines paid for fuel in May was $4.09 per gallon, down slightly from $4.11 in April but 85% higher than the $2.21 they paid in May 2025, the agency said.
Airlines worldwide have responded to the jump in fuel prices by raising fares and fees and trimming flight schedules. Fuel is typically one of the industry’s largest operating costs, leaving carriers particularly vulnerable to swings in energy prices.
The latest figures show the continued impact of the sharp rise in energy costs after the conflict in the Middle East started this year and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global crude and fuel supplies.
Fuel prices have eased from their spring highs after the U.S. and Iran reached an interim ceasefire agreement, offering some relief to airlines after a costly spring. But the truce remains fragile.
Three tankers were struck by projectiles Tuesday in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the British military, and the U.S. revoked a license that had allowed Iranian oil sales under the agreement.
Delta Air Lines is set to report its second-quarter financial results on Friday, kicking off a wave of earnings reports from U.S. carriers. Executives are expected to discuss how recent declines in fuel prices could affect the industry’s finances going forward.
The average price for a gallon of jet fuel was $2.88 across the key airline hubs of Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and New York on Tuesday, according to the Argus U.S. Jet Fuel Index. The price fell under $3 a gallon June 15 for the first time since early March and has remained below since.
FILE - An American Eagle plane is parked at a gate at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va., June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
