NHL

Justin Bieber PRAYED TO GOD his Toronto Maple Leafs would emerge victorious in Game 7 of their NHL playoff series ... so, when they lost, he REALLY needed comfort from his wife Hailey Baldwin.

Justin and Hailey were sitting in a private VIP box at TD Garden in Boston to watch his Canadian team take on the Boston Bruins.

Before the game, Justin offered up a prayer for his players on IG -- saying, "Dear lord please be with Austin Mathews, Mitch Marner and all of the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight as they play game 7 against the Boston bruins."

JB's prayers went unanswered -- his Maple Leafs got SHELLACKED in a 5-1 blowout.

You can see video of Hailey rubbing Justin's shoulders as she quickly realizes things aren't going his way ...

After the game ... Boston Bruins star David Pastrnak rubbed the win in Bieber's face -- tweeting, "Not today [Justin Bieber] #BostonStrong."

And, get this ... Justin's out of Canadian teams to root for in the NHL playoffs -- the Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames were both eliminated, too.

Teammates that go to hockey games together ... feed each other???

That's exactly what happened when Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott hit up the Dallas Stars game Monday night ... 'cause the QB fed his running back a whole bucket of popcorn!!

It all went down in Dallas' playoff game against the Preds ... when cameras caught the two Cowboys stars taking in the action.

Zeke, of course, had to hit the jumbotron with his famous "Feed Me!" celebration ... so Dak obliged -- making an entire bucket of popcorn rain all over the RB's face!!

Seems the guys on the ice were motivated by the gesture ... 'cause the Stars finished off the series upset over Nashville, winning the game in overtime just a few minutes later.

Gavin DeGraw's probably hurtin' bad right now ... after slipping and planting his face on some hard ice.

The "I Don't Want To Be" hitmaker hit up Bridgestone Arena in Nashville Saturday for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Stars and Predators. He was there to sing the National Anthem and absolutely KILLED. But, as he was hyping up the crowd ... he took one step too many backward and BAM!!!

It ain't pretty ... Gavin's face met the ice and it looked like it was a hard collision. Tough break for the local kid. He not only lives in Nashville, but he also owns the very popular joint, Nashville Underground ... a massive 4-level joint and bar just blocks away from the arena and on the famous Honky Tonk Highway.

IT'S ALREADY HAPPENING!!!!

Dustin Johnson and Paulina Gretzky's 1-year-old son is getting lessons on how to be hockey's next biggest thing ... from grandpa Wayne!!!

Paulina and D.J. posted the adorable vid of Rivers Johnson -- their youngest child -- with The Great One ... and we gotta say, it's hard not to see the resemblance.

Wayne and the little Gretzky did some stick handling drills ... with Rivers even gettin' a few past Grandpa!!!

Of course, Dustin and Paulina's kids (they have a 4-year-old son as well) have some tough choices to make when it comes to sports ... Dad is a pretty good golfer too.

We're one day into the NHL playoffs and we already have our first toothless interview ... courtesy of San Jose Sharks star Joe Pavelski ... who scored a goal OFF HIS FACE!!!!

Here's what went down ... the 3-time All-Star came in clutch in the 1st period of the game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday -- taking his teammate's shot right to his face and deflecting it into the net.

Does that sound like it hurts?? Hell yeah ... it LOOKED painful, too ... but somehow, Pavelski went into concussion protocol, got stitched up, and was cleared to come back on the ice by the 2nd period.

Pavelski -- minus a couple chompers -- talked about the incredible play after the game with a mouth full of blood, saying it was all worth it when he heard the fans cheering.

The NHL has just suspended Slava Voynov for the entire 2019-20 season over a domestic violence incident from 2014 ... the league has announced.

As we previously reported, Voynov pled no contest to misdemeanor corporal injury to a spouse -- stemming from a 2014 altercation with his wife at their Redondo Beach, CA home.

Cops said Voynov's wife told them the hockey player kicked, punched and choked her -- and also slammed her head into a TV. Cops said she was bleeding when they arrived to the scene.

Voynov was ultimately sentenced to 90 days in jail and 3 years probation, which he completed last year.

The L.A. Kings terminated Slava's $25 million contract in 2015 -- and he moved back to his native Russia where he resumed his hockey career.

But, now that his probation is over, he wants to play in the NHL again -- and recently met with NHL officials to discuss possible reinstatement.

Enter NHL Commish Gary Bettman ... who says if Slava wants to return, he needs to be punished by the league for his actions -- even if those actions are almost 5 years old.

Bettman decided a 1-year suspension was sufficient and made the announcement on Tuesday.

"I have determined that Player Slava Voynov engaged in acts of domestic violence directed at his wife,” Commissioner Bettman said.

"Today’s ruling, while tailored to the specific facts of this case and the individuals involved, is necessary and consistent with the NHL’s strongly-held policy that it cannot and will not tolerate this and similar types of conduct, particularly as directed at a spouse, domestic partner or family member."

NHL forward JT Brown was arrested just hours before his Minnesota Wild team took on the Dallas Stars on Saturday ... 'cause cops say he was involved in TWO drunken altercations.

The Wild stud -- who was the first-ever NHL player to protest during the national anthem -- went out partying in Dallas the night before his team was set to play in Big D.

The problem ... cops say he got wasted -- and caused such a big scene with employees and patrons inside a local bar -- he was booted off the premises.

But, cops say JT later returned around 2 AM ... and drunkenly got into it AGAIN with bar employees -- and this time, cops say they decided to arrest him.

We're told JT was processed for public intoxication, a Misdemeanor C violation.

One of the crazier parts of the story?? The Wild kept Brown out of its game Saturday night but said it was because he was battling an illness.

For his part, Brown released a statement, saying, “I would like to apologize to the Minnesota Wild, my teammates, family, and fans for the poor decision I made."

"I went out the night before our last game in Dallas, put myself in a bad situation, and take full responsibility for my actions. I have learned from my mistake and will make sure it does not happen again."

No "hamberders" or chicken sandwiches were served on silver platters ... but Washington Capitals star Nicklas Backstrom says the team's visit to Trump's White House was still awesome!

Backstrom -- along with several Caps teammates -- hit up 1600 Penn on Monday to celebrate their 2018 Stanley Cup victory. We spotted the guys out near the team practice facility after the visit.

And, since Trump has made it a "thing" to serve his championship guests smorgasbords of fast food ... we asked Backstrom if POTUS rolled out the silver platters for the Caps ... the same way Trump did for the football players at Clemson and North Dakota State.

Remember, the college guys LOVED the food -- with Tigers star QB Trevor Lawrence telling TMZ Sports the meal was a huge hit!

Unfortunately for the hockey players, Trump's tradition ended on Monday -- no chicken, no pizza, no berders -- but Backstrom says it didn't stop the visit from being great!!

"It was nice of him to invite us," the center tells us ... adding "It was just nice to be there. We were happy about it."

We also asked Nik if there was any drama in the locker room with Braden Holtby and other players who decided to skip the trip altogether ... but Backstrom says "everything's good."

What does Ron Burgundy love more than scotch?? HOCKEY!! ... and it turns out Will Ferrell's classic 'Anchorman' character is a damn good color commentator for the L.A. Kings!!

The legendary news anchor made a special appearance at the Kings vs. San Jose Sharks game on Thursday ... and, of course, we're in a glass case of emotion over it.

The highlights range from shading the Sharks for never winning the Stanley Cup to chugging Molson beers before the game. It's all hilarious.

Here are the highlights ...

"I once saw Jeff Carter with his shirt off in the locker room ... he's got the goods."

"Cleared by the Kings! Take that, San Jose!! Zero Stanley Cups. ZERO Stanley Cups for the San Jose Sharks!!"

"Shot on goal, he scores!! Put that baby to bed without a diaper."

Bonus -- Burgundy and a burrito had a steamin' hot makeout sesh on the kiss cam. Seriously, just watch the vid and laugh your ass off.

Burgundy ended up being a good luck charm for the Kings ... they beat the Sharks 4-2.

Sansa Stark went FULL TYRION at the Rangers game on Tuesday -- grabbing a glass of wine and SLAMMING IT ... just because she was on the Jumbotron!!

... and it was awesome!!!!

Sophie Turner was sitting in the stands -- watching the Detroit Red Wings dominate New York -- when the house camera threw her up on the big screen for all of Madison Square Garden to see.

She dabbed. She smiled. She chugged.

The crowd went wild ... because, duh ... and Sophie threw a celebratory fist bump.

Unfortunately, the "Game of Thrones" star didn't exactly turn the tides for the Rangers ... they ended up losing the game 3-2.

Conor McGregor provided inspiration to the Boston Bruins by giving a thunderous pep talk before Saturday night's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets ... kinda surprising given his felony robbery arrest just days before.

Conor was the guest of honor at TD Garden ... check out his roaring speech to the Bruins in the locker room.

The crowd went crazy when Conor came out for a ceremonial puck drop.

During the game, he went crazy with fans and went back into the locker room to congratulate the Bruins on their win.

Earlier in the day, Conor was in Chicago leading the St. Patrick's Day Parade.

As we reported, Conor was arrested for robbery/strong-arm and criminal mischief over $1,000 in Miami Monday morning for smashing a fan's cellphone and then taking it.

The fan, Ahmed Abdirzak, is suing Conor, claiming battery, assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

10:16 AM PT -- The NHL has concluded its investigation and has determined Rielly did NOT use homophobic language ... although it was not revealed what he DID say.

"Following a thorough investigation, the National Hockey League has determined that Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly did not direct a homophobic slur at referee Brad Meier during last night's game with the Tampa Bay Lightning at Scotiabank Arena," Colin Campbell, Senior EVP of Operations said in a statement.

"League officials interviewed several of the participants in the game - including Rielly and Meier - and reviewed audio of the alleged incident. All of those interviewed adamantly denied that Rielly uttered a slur and the audio supported their statements.

The National Hockey League does not tolerate language or gestures that disparage anyone based upon their race, creed or sexual orientation and continues to work to ensure that our games are played in a welcoming atmosphere for all of our players, coaches, officials and fans."

The NHL has launched an investigation into Morgan Rielly -- after a hot mic seems to have captured the Maple Leafs star calling a referee a "f*cking f***ot" ... but there's a twist.

It all went down during Monday's Leafs vs. Tampa Bay Lightning game -- when Rielly got into a heated exchange with a ref ... and people watching on TV claim they heard the homophobic slur.

There's a debate over whether Rielly used the homophobic f-word or if he said, "F*cking rag it" ... a hockey term that essentially means to freeze the puck and waste time.

Either way, the NHL says it's investigating -- "The NHL is aware of reports that a homophobic slur was used during the Maple Leafs-Lightning game," the league announced Monday.

"The League is investigating the incident and will have no further comment until this investigation is completed."

Leafs GM Kyle Dubas also addressed the alleged slur, saying "The issue of homophobia is one the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club strongly condems and takes very seriously. We are in communication with the NHL and are cooperating fully with their office."

The 25-year-old was NOT penalized during the game for whatever he said ... but the league has handed down punishments from game suspensions to fines in recent incidents.

Rielly -- the 5th overall pick to the Leafs in the 2012 draft and one of the top scoring defensemen in the league this season -- has yet to address the incident.

Rielly seems to be a support of the LBGTQ community -- and famously posted a pro-gay rights tweet in August saying, "Happy pride day Vancouver."

NHL Hall of Famer Ted Lindsay -- who was instrumental in founding the NHL Player's Association -- died Monday. He was 93.

Lindsay had been in hospice care toward the end of his life. And, that's all the family is saying right now.

Lindsay is a hockey legend -- he scored 851 points in his 17-year NHL career and raised the Stanley Cup on 4 different occasions with the Detroit Red Wings, alongside teammates Gordie Howe and Sid Abel.

In fact, it was Lindsay who started the tradition of hoisting the Cup and skating it around the ice after winning the championship. How cool is that?!

He was also such a stud, the NHLPA named the annual MVP Award after Lindsay.

"Terrible Ted" lit up the NHL during the 1949-50 season when he won the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer with 78 points in 69 games. He also racked up 141 penalty minutes that season.

While still a force on the ice in 1957, Lindsay was also a key figure in establishing the original NHLPA -- teaming up with other players like Bill Gadsby, Doug Harvey, Fern Flaman, Gus Mortson and Jim Thomson.

After he retired in 1965, Lindsay went on to start the Ted Lindsay Foundation -- which raises money to autism-related causes. So far, the TLF has raised more than $4 million.

Lindsay was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966 -- with the following stat line: 379 goals, 472 assists and 851 points in 1,068 games.

Nobody in the history of dating has ever screwed up THIS badly ...

A man at a Colorado Avalanche game elbowed his girlfriend in the head trying to catch a puck ... and then gave the souvenir to another woman -- and his GF was PISSSSSEEDDD!!!!

It all went down at the Avs-Jets game in Denver on Wednesday night ... when Colorado star Gabriel Landeskog flipped a puck in the stands to give fans a shot at some memorabilia.

That's when a guy committed the ultimate dating foul -- not only catching his GF with a flying 'bow ... but GIVING AWAY the prize to another woman!!

His date could not have been any less pleased with him ... but there was some good news -- the Avs went on to win 7-1!!

“I think, total, that thing has seen 33 countries, four IEDs, and two combat zones.”

That's Ken Brasington -- a Washington superfan and Marine Corps veteran -- describing his beloved Nationals cap that he nearly lost ... and yeah, the story of him getting it back is incredible.

Ken was at the Caps-Hurricanes game in Raleigh last Friday ... when his favorite hat -- that he had worn during his tours of duty across the world since he bought it back in 2004 -- was snatched off his head and thrown onto the ice in celebration of Alex Ovechkin's hat trick.

Brasington says he watched the beat-up headwear hit the ice in horror ... and described the ensuing panic to get the cap back as "a nightmare."

"Everybody that knows me knows me for wearing that Nationals hat," Brasington told The Washington Post, who first reported the unbelievable story.

"It’s the ugliest. It probably has to be washed once a week because it ends up smelling so bad. It’s a special piece of where I’ve been and it kind of describes me."

Ken says he immediately tried after the game to get the cap back from Hurricanes officials ... but was told it couldn't happen -- even after he described where the hat had been and how much it meant to him.

But, Brasington didn't give up ... and thanks to the help of a Hurricanes beat writer -- Ken got in touch with the Hurricanes' manager of communications and team services, who helped get the hat back.

"There was a good amount of hats in the bag, but his hat was right on top," Pace Sagester said ... “From the way that he had described it to us, we pretty much knew right away that that was the hat."

"It’s super beat up; the bill has, like, chunks missing out of it. It’s almost pink it’s so faded. It’s not something I would want to put on my head, but it’s special to him."

Pace was able to ship the cap from Carolina back to Brasington in Washington ... and even sent him a brand-new Hurricanes one in case Ken wanted to officially retire the Nats cap.

As for the hat's future ... Brasington says after the close call -- he might consider hanging it up, or even putting it on display in a shadow box.

"That way, everybody wins," Brasington says ... “I keep my hat, and [my wife] doesn’t have to see me wearing it."

"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!!!