NHL

"Why would you wanna watch someone play a video game?!"

Ninja's heard that question a lot recently ... and the eSports legend says his answer to his hating-ass haters is simple -- 'cause he's really freakin' good at it.

In fact ... the Fortnite prodigy says it's actually similar to why people watch NFL, MLB or NHL players!!!

"There's so many people like, 'Well, why do you watch people play video games when you can go play video games yourself?' And, it's like, can you do that? Can you compete at that high of level and be entertaining?"

"You watch the NFL and things like that because you want to watch people do things that you know you can't. It's the same thing with gaming and streaming."

Ninja made the statements Monday night on 'The Tonight Show' to Jimmy Fallon ... and it's pretty clear he's growing tired of people questioning his insane online popularity.

"Dude, it's so funny, man. Why would you want to watch the best of the best play football, soccer, hockey??"

It's a great point ... and Ninja's clearly proving it every day -- the guy has 12.5 MILLION followers on Twitch, AND over 20 MILLION subscribers on YouTube!!!

NHL star Evander Kane is calling out "Jane Doe" -- claiming the woman accusing him of stiffing her out of $3 MILLION for aborting his child must reveal her REAL NAME if she's gonna proceed with her lawsuit.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... the accuser filed a lawsuit against Kane claiming she's been dating the 27-year-old on-and-off since 2015 and had 2 abortions during their relationship.

But, in May 2018, the woman claims she got pregnant for the 3rd time -- but decided she wanted to keep the baby. It wasn't until Kane offered a $3 million check that she agreed to terminate.

In her suit, Doe claims she went through with the procedure but Kane never ponied up the dough -- so she sued.

Kane has previously denied the allegations -- and now he's filed new legal docs asking the judge to throw out the case.

In his papers, Kane argues that even if he did agree to the $3 million deal, it was made in a private, consensual sexual setting and the court has no authority to enforce it.

He also argues that since he's not accused of committing a crime, the accuser should not be able to hide behind an alias -- and if the case moves forward, she should use her real name instead of Jane Doe.

Kane's strategy is obvious -- if the judge forces her to reveal her name, Kane believes she would be more likely to drop the suit out of fear of embarrassment.

What's cuter than a puppy playing hockey with the St. Louis Blues??

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ... 'cause this is the most freakin' adorable thing you'll ever see!!!

The Blues adopted a Labrador Retriever just a few weeks ago ... and they finally let him hit the ice with the squad Thursday -- and the ensuing cuteness was uncontrollable.

The pup -- named Barclay, or Barc for short -- showed off his speed AND his stick-handling skills ... all while his ears flopped in the chill and his big paws tore up the ice.

LOOK AT HIM!!!!!!!

The Blues have big plans for the pup -- who was named after legendary Blues defenseman Barclay Plager -- 'cause the squad says they're going to train him to be a future assistance dog.

In the meantime ... he'll forever remain the cutest member of the Blues.

Eat your heart out, Alex Pietrangelo.

Former NHL star Sheldon Souray's dog allegedly bit a young girl -- injuring her -- and now the stud defenseman is facing a lawsuit.

Souray played 13 seasons in the NHL -- for the Devils, Canadiens, Oilers, Stars and Ducks -- and was known for his ridiculously hard slap shot.

In the civil suit -- filed last week in L.A. County Court -- Souray is accused of failing to control his dog ... and as a result, the animal allegedly bit the kid in the hallway of her Beverly Hills apartment building in October 2017.

According to the lawsuit, Souray should've known about his dog's "unpredictable and violent/dangerous propensities."

Interesting to note ... 2 months after the alleged incident, Souray posted a picture of his dog on Instagram, with the caption ... "Dougie’s been in bad boy school for 6 weeks. Comes home next week. Gonna be a party."

It's unclear if Dougie is the dog involved in the alleged incident ... or if the alleged incident had anything to do with him being sent to "bad boy school."

The alleged victim is asking for over $25k from Souray ... but the exact amount is unclear.

10:56 AM PT -- Evander Kane and his attorney have issued a statement adamantly denying the allegations in the suit.

"We’ve received notice of the filing of a lawsuit by someone referred to as Jane Doe alleging a breach of contract against Evander Kane," the statement reads.

"We firmly believe that this lawsuit is baseless both factually and legally. We will aggressively defend this claim in court on Evander’s behalf and assert all applicable counterclaims."

NHL superstar Evander Kane is being sued by a woman who claims he promised to pay her $3 MILLION to abort their child ... so she did ... but he never ponied up the dough.

It's all in a lawsuit filed by a woman using the alias "Jane Doe" to protect her identity. In the suit, the woman claims she started dating Kane in 2015.

Doe claims Kane got her pregnant in 2016 -- but they both agreed to get an abortion.

They continued to have a sexual relationship and he knocked her up again in 2017. Doe claims Kane pressured her to abort again because a baby would damage his hockey career ... and also ruin the relationship he had with his official "girlfriend."

The woman ultimately agreed to a 2nd abortion.

Then in May 2018, Doe claims Kane got her pregnant for a 3rd time -- even though she had used Plan B as a last-ditch attempt at birth control.

But, this time, Doe claims she did not want to abort -- which caused problems with Kane.

In her suit, Doe claims Kane told her proceeding with the pregnancy would be a "huge mistake" so he started "bullying" her into seeking a 3rd abortion.

When she refused, Doe claims Kane offered her $1 million to change her mind. She told him no. So, Kane came back with a $3 million offer ... and it was an offer Doe admits she couldn't refuse.

Doe claims she had the abortion in June 2018 -- but Kane never made good on the $3 million payment.

When she followed up with him, Doe claims Kane strung her along ... until finally telling her he wasn't going to make the payment.

She claims Kane tried to turn the tables and accused her of extortion -- and ultimately instructed her to solely deal with his attorney.

The woman is suing for more than $6 MILLION for the $3 million payment -- AND other damages including intentional infliction of emotional distress.

We've reached out to Kane's attorney for comment -- so far, no word back.

27-year-old Kane is one of the best hockey players in the NHL -- and recently signed a 7-year, $49 million contract extension.

Kane was the 4th overall pick in the 2009 NHL Draft and went on to score 190 goals in his career ever since.

The Pittsburgh Penguins will honor the victims and families of those affected by this weekend's Synagogue shooting by wearing a special "Stronger Than Hate" patch on their jerseys Tuesday night.

The team says it will also donate $50,000 to help victims -- and will give all proceeds from the evening's 50/50 raffle to the cause.

There's more ... each player -- from Sidney Crosby to Evgeni Malkin -- will sign their jerseys after the game against the New York Islanders and donate them to be auctioned off with proceeds helping the victims.

As we previously reported ... 11 people were murdered after an anti-Semitic shooter opened fire inside the Tree of Life synagogue on Saturday.

Because of Max Pacioretty's trade to Vegas ... somebody else in Florida won't have to fear 'The Purge' -- 'cause the NHL superstar just sold his safe room mansion FOR $3.1 MIL!!!

Max used to play for the Canadians up in Montreal ... and obviously needed a snow escape -- so he took off to Boca Raton to catch rays on off days.

But, with his move to the Golden Knights this offseason ... no need for a sun house anymore -- so the winger punted the palace.

It's too bad ... 'cause Max couldn't have been more protected in the mansion -- it featured smart house technology, weather resistant roofing and a freakin' SAFE ROOM!!!

The crib also had a salt water pool AND a basketball court ... obviously for use on days when the house's protection wasn't necessary.

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare won't have to worry about helmet hair when the NHL season kicks off Thursday night ... 'cause the Vegas Golden Knights star got a fresh bald haircut from some tough ladies battling cancer!!

The French winger joined a ferocious group of breast cancer patients for a head-shaving bash outside T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday ... as part of the beginning Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Not only does P.E.B. go all the way in with the fresh cut ... he returns the favor and puts his barber skills to use as well!!

Bellemare loved it. The women loved it. We're loving it.

And, if this gesture wasn't awesome enough for you ... the event raised $20,000 for the American Cancer Society (click here to donate).

The Capitals' first-ever Stanley Cup came with boobs, booze, F-bombs and even a baby for captain Alex Ovechkin ... and on Monday night -- it came with a boat-load of diamonds too!!!

Ovi, T.J. Oshie and the rest of the squad picked up their championship rings -- and yeah, they're icy.

The team says they feature 252 diamonds, 35 rubies and a big-ass sapphire ... all set into a 14-karat white and yellow gold ring.

The inside is engraved with the scores of the series that led them to the cup too. Pretty cool, right??

It's the diamond-topper to a Washington summer that kicked off with a boob flash during the cup ceremony ... followed by an F-bomb-laced parade -- and finished with LOTS of booze.

Philadelphia Flyers forward Jori Lehtera is DENYING any involvement with a suspected Finnish coke ring -- after authorities raided a cottage he owns in his home country.

Details are sketchy at this point, but Finnish news outlets say 7 people have already been locked up in connection to the suspected drug ring.

Local news outlets are saying cops are focusing on 2 kilos of cocaine (worth about $25k each). Unclear if they found the load during the raids or if that's what they suspect is being distributed.

Officials have reportedly seized more than $700,000 in jewelry and other valuables and have more than 23 persons of interest in the case.

30-year-old Jori was not at the cottage when it was raided over the summer. No charges have been filed against him and he's reportedly denied all wrongdoing.

Jori is a decent NHL player. He's in the middle of a 3-year, $14.1 million contract.

TMZ Sports has obtained police video showing a drunk Richard Panik getting arrested at an Arizona bar back in April ... and name dropping his NHL team to try to get out of trouble.

The Arizona Coyotes winger was busted for trespassing outside of Bevvy on April 8. Bar staffers told cops the 27-year-old was so intoxicated when he arrived around 8:50 PM, they wouldn't even let him inside.

Panik allegedly tried to shove his way past security -- so bar staffers called the cops. That's when the video starts.

Once the Scottsdale P.D. arrived, the video shows Panik being standoffish and refusing to leave. He also appears to be pretty hammered.

Panik tries to sass the officers saying, "I know my law" -- to which the cop responds, "You might know your law, but I'm a law enforcement officer so I think I know what I'm talking about."

The officer finally decides he's had enough and orders Panik into custody warning, "Don't fight with me me or you'll go on the ground real hard."

Panik mentions playing for the Coyotes multiple times -- but the cops don't really give a crap.

He was eventually arrested for trespassing and hauled to a nearby jail.

Panik appeared in court on Wednesday and pled guilty to criminal trespass. He's been ordered to complete a diversion program (most likely an alcohol education course).

It's a good deal for Panik considering he was facing up to 30 days in jail. He's due back in court on Sept. 5.

P.K. Subban learned the hard way Tuesday the turf ain't the ice ... 'cause the hockey superstar just got DUSTED by Terrell Owens in a sprint!!

It all went down at UCLA's track in Drake Stadium ... where the two gym rats decided to get a workout in.

At some point ... the stretching and hurdling moves turned toward sprinting -- and that's when the 44-year-old T.O. had to show the 29-year-old Subban the jets.

Owens jumps out to a big lead ... then cruises to the finish line -- leaving Subban with nothing left to say other than, "#Subbanator vs #halloffamer .... Hall of Fame always wins!"

Owens has been angling for a football comeback for a while now -- and after eating Owens' dust ... count Subban in as a believer.

NHL star Alex Ovechkin is still livin' the dream -- on top of winning his first Stanley Cup ... he's now welcomed his first child to the world.

The Washington Caps' captain is a new dad after his wife, Nastya Ovechkina, gave birth to a son Saturday ... and his name is Sergei Aleksandrovich Ovechkin.

He's reportedly named after Alex's uncle, who died when he was 10.

Ovechkin's kid was born in South Florida, meaning he'll have both Russian and American citizenship.

The Conn Smythe winner took to Instagram to post a pic holding his son's foot and thanking his wife, writing ... "Thank you my girl for the very best day of my life."

Ex-NHL superstar Bryan Berard -- the 1st overall pick in the '95 Draft -- is suing the NHL claiming the league failed to protect him from brain injuries during his 12-year career.

The lawsuit is similar to the ones pro football players filed against the NFL -- essentially saying the NHL concealed the risks of traumatic brain injuries resulting from pro hockey and failing to take adequate steps to protect the players.

In his suit, Berard says he sustained "repetitive brain injuries" during his career and now has serious medical problems as a result.

Berard says the NHL had a duty to "cease their patent glorification of, and profiting from, fist-fighting and violence in the league"

He adds, "The time has come for the NHL to not only care for those former players on whose backs and brains the League reaped billions of dollars, but also finally to put long-term player safety over profit."

In his suit, Berard says he suffered at least 5 concussions and became blind in one eye during his career (though the blindness was due to a hockey stick to the eye from a 2000 game).

He's suing for unspecified damages.

Berard's suit says he's also filing in memory of "the late Jeff Parker, a former NHL player who was posthumously diagnosed with having Stage 3 CTE."

Stan Mikita -- a Chicago Blackhawks legend and one of hockey's all-time greats -- passed away Tuesday, his family confirmed.

"With great sorrow, the Mikita family announces that Stan passed away," Stan's loved ones said in a statement.

"He was surrounded by his loving family whom he fiercely loved."

The NHL Hall of Famer -- who was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2015 -- is considered one of the 100 best hockey players that's ever lived ... playing his entire 22-year career with the Blackhawks.

Mikita also had a big pop culture moment back in the '90s -- "Stan Mikita's Donuts" was the main coffee shop in "Wayne's World" where Wayne and Garth hung out.

Despite retiring after the 1979-80 season, Mikita is still Chicago's all-time leader in points (1,467) and games played (1,396). He's also a huge reason the team hoisted the Stanley Cup in 1961.

"There are no words to describe our sadness over Stan's passing," Blackhawks Chairman Rocky Wirtz said.

"He meant so much to the Chicago Blackhawks, to the game of hockey, and to all of Chicago."

Nashville Predators forward Austin Watson just got a slap on the wrist in his domestic violence case -- after admitting to roughing up his baby mama at a Tennessee gas station.

As we previously reported, the 26-year-old -- who was a first-round pick in the 2010 NHL Draft -- was arrested on June 16 after admitting that he pushed his girlfriend during a heated argument.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ Sports, Watson told police that he and his GF were arguing about her drinking and not being able to attend a wedding when things got physical.

Watson admitted to pushing the woman and cops found red marks on her chest.

Watson was arrested for misdemeanor domestic assault and was facing 12 months in jail.

But, Watson appeared in court on Tuesday and cut a deal with prosecutors in which he pled no contest to the charge ... and in exchange got probation.

He was also ordered to complete a 26-week battery intervention program. If he violates probation, the judge can throw Watson behind bars for up to a year.

If he completes the program and keeps his nose clean, the conviction will be expunged from his record.

Watson scored 14 goals and logged five assists in 76 games for the Preds last season.

The NHL and the Predators have said they were reviewing the matter. Unclear if they will impose a punishment as well.