NHL

As if 2020 couldn't get any worse for some people ... here's beloved Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty crushing a golf ball better than you ever will!!!

The video is nothing short of incredible -- the big orange thing took its talents to the driving range to rip some shots recently ... and Gritty unleashed some moon shots.

Seriously, even the golf bros in our office had to admit the mascot hit the ball better than they ever could!!

But, here's where it gets tricky -- some would say, "there's gotta be a PGA pro in that costume, right?!" and brush off the whole thing as a publicity stunt.

That would be easy to believe, except when you watch Gritty celebrate with its signature dance moves, which look very Gritty-esque. 🧐

We're used to seeing Gritty show off clever jabs at enemies like P.K. Subban and the Houston Astros ... but who woulda thought it could grip it and rip it like John Daly?!

Great drive, Gritty ... but how's your short game?!

The "Doc" is out.

Legendary hockey announcer Mike "Doc" Emrick -- widely known as "The Voice of the NHL" -- is retiring Monday after working games for nearly 50 years!

The 74-year-old began his career calling college and minor league games in the early '70s -- then got his shot, calling NHL games for the New Jersey Devils in 1982.

Turns out, he was GREAT -- and the rest is history.

Emrick ultimately called 22 Stanley Cup Finals and has been inducted into 7 different Halls of Fame -- including the Hockey Hall of Fame (2008).

"I hope I can handle retirement OK, especially since I've never done it before," Emrick told the New York Post.

"But I've just been extremely lucky for 50 years. And NBC has been so good to me, especially since the pandemic, when I was allowed to work from home in a studio NBC created."

"Now, into my golden years, this just seemed to be the time that was right. Plus, I’ve now accumulated enough frequent-flyer miles -- to not go anywhere."

Lindsey Vonn says she seriously considered switching sports from downhill ski racing to Formula 1 racing ... but claims a policy about pregnancy prevented it from happening.

The 35-year-old Olympic legend explained the whole thing on "In Depth with Graham Bensinger" ... saying she was specifically told she would need to make a 3-year commitment to NOT getting pregnant in order to get a shot as a pro driver.

"I was thinking about switching, going to Formula One. Like actually trying to be a racer, a driver. But, I couldn't because they wanted me to commit, what was it, 3 years? And, they're like you can't get pregnant, you can't do anything. I'm like hmm, I don't know if I really want to do that."

Vonn says the opportunity would have been with the Red Bull racing team -- and it's something she would have "loved to have done" ... but ultimately, she wasn't down to put off having a family.

BTW, Vonn is engaged to NHL star PK Subban -- and it's clear having kids is definitely on the table.

Lindsey is a huge fan of race car driving -- she's a natural behind the wheel. And, says if F1 didn't work out, jumping to NASCAR was also a possibility.

During the interview, which airs on TV this weekend, Vonn also mentions how much MONEY race car drivers make compared to skiers.

"Probably the salary of one racer is probably the total amount of money that ski racing has for their annual budget as a sport. [Lewis Hamilton] makes more money than all of ski racing combined!"

What is ... INCREDIBLE?!!?

How about this video of legendary "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek making a surprise video for the 2020 NHL Draft on Tuesday, announcing the Ottawa Senators' 1st-round pick?!

Yep, the 80-year-old Canadian quiz show legend -- who's battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer -- is also a HUGE hockey superfan. So, when the opportunity came to make a cameo for the 2020 Draft, Trebek accepted!

The Senators had the 3rd overall pick in the Draft -- and Alex set up the announcement from the "Jeopardy!" stage, with some help from the show's announcer Johnny Gilbert.

The Category: "The NHL"

The Clue: "With the 3rd pick in the 2020 NHL Draft the Ottawa Senators choose this player."

The Correct Response: "Who is Tim Stützle."

FYI, Stützle is an 18-year-old prodigy from Germany, who can play both center or wing.

Connor McDavid -- arguably the best player in the NHL -- has tested positive for COVID-19, his team announced.

The Edmonton Oilers issued a statement Thursday evening confirming the 23-year-old tested positive on Monday.

"Since that time, he has been in voluntary self-quarantine at his home," the Oilers said. McDavid is quarantining in the Toronto area, where he lives in the offseason.

"He will continue to be monitored and will follow all associated health protocols."

The good news ... McDavid is currently "feeling well" -- though he is experiencing mild symptoms.

The NHL season just wrapped up last week -- with the Tampa Bay Lightning winning the Stanley Cup after the league played the remainder of the season in "hub cities" to reduce COVID exposure.

The league had zero positive COVID tests while doing the “hub city” thing. Though McDavid wasn’t in the NHL bubble very long since Edmonton lost in the qualifying round of the playoffs.

McDavid -- the #1 overall pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft -- has led the league in scoring twice and was named the league's most outstanding player in 2017.

The man in the LA Kings' "Bailey" mascot costume has just been CANNED ... after the team investigated sexual harassment claims made by a female employee.

We broke the story ... a woman using the pseudonym "Jane Doe" filed a lawsuit back in August claiming Tim Smith -- who has regularly played the role of Bailey at public events for years -- was repeatedly inappropriate toward her.

In her lawsuit, the woman accused Smith of making sexually-charged comments, jokes and leering at "her breasts and buttocks." She claims she was fired after complaining to management.

After Doe filed her suit, the organization suspended Smith -- who worked for the Kings since 2007. The team also launched an investigation into the allegations.

Now, the Kings have announced they're parting ways with Smith --  saying on Friday, "Today, the LA Kings terminated the employment of Tim Smith."

"We are not in a position to provide further details or comments on this matter due to pending litigation."

FILE UNDER -- things you should NOT do during a pandemic!

Here's video of Tampa Bay Lightning players completely ignoring COVID-19 guidelines ... passing around the Stanley Cup to fans and allowing them to drink from it.

Yeah, not ideal.

Just hours after the team had its parade to celebrate its championship win over the Dallas Stars -- Alex Killorn and Nikita Kucherov took Lord Stanley to Tampa streets.

And, in a complete brain fart given the state of the coronavirus, they gathered in crowds of mask-less people ... and poured booze from the top of the trophy into people's mouths.

Obviously, it's a big no-no during pandemic times ... but even if COVID-19 were under control, it's probably not the most sanitary thing to do.

We've reached out to the Lightning over the videos ... but so far, no word back yet.

Meanwhile, it doesn't seem like the Lightning players -- who were all locked away in the NHL bubble throughout their playoff run -- have plans of stopping their party anytime soon.

Killorn got on the mic and shouted out Florida governor Ron DeSantis for opening up bars to allow celebrations to continue.

Love the enthusiasm ... but guys, please be safe!!

Tampa Bay Lightning star Mikhail Sergachev is clearly winning both on AND off the ice ... check out how his GF reacted to his Stanley Cup victory Monday -- she was crying tears of joy!!

Elizaveta Fedotova -- a smokin' hot yoga instructor -- posted footage of her watching her BF win his first-ever NHL championship ... and it's pretty touching.

Fedotova was catching the game on a small laptop ... and when the Lightning sealed the 2-0 victory to give them the series win over the Dallas Stars -- she started bawling!!!

"Simply the best morning this year!" she said in a caption after the win on a photo of a celebrating Sergachev. "My love! My champion."

Fedotova also posted a picture of her FaceTiming with the Lightning defenseman right on the ice after the win ... and it's adorable.

The two have been dating for years ... and they seem to have an amazing relationship -- Sergachev has even posted about how he takes yoga classes with her.

Great time for the 22-year-old, huh?!

COVID-19 pandemic, step aside ... the TB Lightning partied like it was 2019 after beating Dallas -- going insane in the locker room and chugging booze straight from the Stanley Cup!!!

The celebration all went down Monday night, after Tampa Bay earned a 4-2 series victory over the Stars ... and the scene was wild!!!

Lightning players poured a grip of champagne and beer into Lord Stanley -- and then got after it ... opening their throats and throwing booze straight down the hatch.

Check out video of the celly ... winger Pat Maroon and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk were the chugging all-stars -- while others on the squad enjoyed some sips from the cup as well.

And, we know what you're thinking ... but NHL players have been locked away in a bubble with daily COVID testing the last couple months -- so this is all safe!!!

Of course, the Lightning earned every bit of this moment ... they were heartbreakingly swept out of the playoffs last season despite being the favorite, so the win Monday meant a helluva lot.

But, some Lightning fans weren't as careful as the players with their Cup parties ... take a look at people PACKING the streets in Tampa to celebrate the win.

Ex-NHL star Matthew Barnaby is off the hook in his bar fight case ... TMZ Sports has learned the former Dallas Star had his charges officially dropped Monday.

Barnaby was accused of choking a bouncer in a skirmish at a downtown Nashville, TN bar in March ... and the scene, according to cops, was pretty wild.

In police docs, cops say witnesses told them then-46-year-old Barnaby, his girlfriend and other bargoers had gotten into a scrap ... when Matthew allegedly began choking a bouncer.

Cops added when they questioned the former hockey player about the incident ... they say he reeked of alcohol and had slurred speech and watery eyes.

Barnaby was arrested and eventually charged with misdemeanor public intoxication and misdemeanor assault ... and was facing jail time.

But, court records show the case was dismissed at a hearing Monday.

According to Barnaby's attorney, prosecutors said the alleged victim did not want to pursue the charges in the case -- so it was dropped.

HOW ADORABLE IS THIS?!?!?

An animal shelter in Texas was so grateful for the Dallas Stars' epic run to the Stanley Cup Finals this month ... it named four puppies after the team!!!

Meet Jamie, Benn, Kivi and Dallas ... four cute little pups who will forever be tied to the hockey team thanks to the heroics of the real-life Jamie Benn and Joel Kiviranta.

TMZ Sports has learned the shelter -- Operation Kindness in North Texas -- just made the names official ... and is now putting the dogs up for adoption.

Check out some pics of the doggos (plus a bonus shot of Dobby!) ... THEY'RE SO LITTLE!!!!!!!!!

As for the real-life Stars ... we're sure they're flattered by the naming -- but they've still got some work left to do in the playoffs to finish everything off.

Here's the CUTEST thing you'll see all day ...

Philadelphia Flyers winger Oskar Lindblom finally got to see his pup after being in the NHL bubble for most of this summer ... and the video of their reunion is unbelievably adorable!!!

Check out the clip Lindblom posted Wednesday ... his dog -- a mini-dachshund named Tage -- went ballistic seeing the 24-year-old hockey player for the first time in weeks, sprinting into the guy's arms and giving him tons of love!!

There were kisses, pets, tail wags and barks. It's all SOOO SWEET!

Lindblom had been locked away from Tage since he joined his team in the NHL bubble in Canada in early August ... but after Philly lost in the conference semi-finals this week, Lindblom was finally able to return home.

All in all, the reunion with Tage was a pretty good bow on what's been a trying season for Lindblom ... who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer last winter.

Oskar battled it all spring -- and finally beat it this summer ... and he was able to return to game action to an awesome ovation last week.

Recently fired Washington Capitals head coach Todd Reirden wasted NO time getting the hell outta town ... listing his D.C. mansion for $2.25 million.

Of course, Reirden was the Caps' head coach from 2018 to 2020 ... and was canned after Washington lost in the first round of the playoffs for 2 consecutive seasons.

Now that Reirden has a new gig as an assistant with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the coach is parting ways with his 6-bed, 8-bath, 6,352-square-foot Virginia pad.

The crib comes with an industrial chef kitchen, rec room, home theater, exercise/game room, and a walk-in wine cellar.

The owner's suite comes with all the bells and whistles ... including walk-in closets, gas fireplace and surround sound speaker system.

The outdoor area is decked out with a heated pool, kitchen and bar, cabana house and a playground that looks like any kid's dream come true.

The house was listed by Jordan Stuart of Keller Williams Capital Properties for $2.25 million just days ago.

And, if ya can't make it in person ... check out the virtual tour.

The NHL has launched a probe into ex-Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon over allegations he used racist language as recently as the past few months.

One source with knowledge of the investigation tells us the league is looking into multiple alleged incidents -- including a recent exchange that took place during Tallon's final few weeks as GM of the team.

The Panthers parted ways with Tallon earlier this month -- after the team's season came to an end following a loss to the Islanders.

But, according to FloridaHockeyNow.com, the league is actively looking into allegations Tallon used racial language while the Panthers were still competing in the Toronto hub.

We're told the scope of the investigation goes beyond the most recent alleged incident -- there are accusations he's used offensive language in years past.

There was no mention of racial allegations from the Panthers when the team let Tallon go on August 10.

In fact, team owner Vinnie Viola praised Tallon on the way out.

"For the last decade, Dale raised the team’s profile, attracted key players to South Florida and brought character and class to our franchise."

The NHL is following the MLB, NBA, WNBA and MLS' lead ... with the league officially postponing games following the Jacob Blake shooting.

"After much discussion, NHL Players believe that the best course of action would be to take a step back and not play tonight’s and tomorrow’s games as scheduled," the league announced Thursday.

The decision comes after several players -- including Matt Dumba and Evander Kane -- criticized the league's response to the boycotts sweeping the sports world.

The NHL says they support the players' wishes ... and will make up the games starting Saturday.

NHL continued ... "Black and Brown communities continue to face real, painful experiences. The NHL and NHLPA recognize that much work remains to be done before we can play an appropriate role in a discussion centered on diversity, inclusion and social justice.

As we previously reported ... the NBA kickstarted a massive movement on Wednesday after the Milwaukee Bucks elected to stay in the locker rooms in protest ... and have since agreed to continue the season.

"We understand that the tragedies involving Jacob Blake, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others require us to recognize this moment," the NHL added.

San Jose Sharks star Logan Couture claims he was "sucker punched" in Toronto on Tuesday ... and says it was all because he said he'd vote Republican if he could.

Couture -- who's Canadian -- made the revelation in a series of social media posts Wednesday ... saying, "I spent last night in Toronto Ontario."

"I talked about voting for the Republican Party, and I mentioned Donald Trump by name. I was sucker punched."

Couture didn't say if he suffered any injuries as a result of the alleged attack ... but added, "Is this really what we are coming to? If you vote you are a villain? Man this world is so wrong."

It's unclear exactly what Couture said that led to the alleged punch ... the 31-year-old claims he does NOT support Donald Trump and appeared to say he never voiced a pro-Trump opinion Tuesday.

Rather, Couture says he simply said something along the lines of he'd vote for the Republican party if he had a say in the matter.

"[I was punched for] saying my dad was a police officer and I 'would' if I could vote republican," Couture said.

We're out to the Toronto Police Service for more information.

Couture has been a beast for the Sharks for the past decade ... scoring 256 career goals since he came up with the team in the 2009-10 season.