RIP

Dale Hawerchuck -- a hockey Hall of Famer and Winnipeg Jets legend -- died Tuesday after a battle with stomach cancer ... his son announced.

He was 57 years old.

Hawerchuk is arguably the greatest player in Winnipeg Jets history ... tallying 100 or more points in 6 of his first 7 seasons with the team after it selected him with the #1 overall pick in the 1981 NHL draft.

Hawerchuk ended up owning Jets franchise records for points (929) and goals (379) ... all the way up until the marks were finally bested in the 2015-16 season.

"The Winnipeg Jets Hockey Club, our players, our alumni, and our fans will miss him dearly," the Jets said in a statement, "and we will forever be inspired by his passion for the game, his commitment to his team, and his love for our community."

Hawerchuk went on to play 17 total seasons in the NHL ... which included a solid run with the Buffalo Sabres after his time with the Jets ended in 1990.

"The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Dale Hawerchuk, an instant and enduring star who captured the hearts of two hockey-loving cities, represented his country with class and distinction and is one of the most decorated players in our game's history," commish Gary Bettman said.

Hawerchuk began treatments for cancer in 2019 and completed chemotherapy this past April ... but his son announced just a few weeks ago the disease had returned.

A moment of silence was observed for Hawerchuk just before the Philadelphia Flyers took on the Montreal Canadians in a playoff game in Toronto on Tuesday.

The L.A. Lakers will rock special Kobe Bryant tribute jerseys during their playoff run -- which include a patch to honor Gigi Bryant ... and Vanessa is a huge fan of it all.

Check out the "Black Mamba" look -- uniforms that were actually inspired by and co-designed by Kobe a few years before he passed.

The design is sweet -- black uniforms with a snakeskin print ... featuring 16 stars on the side to represent the 16 Lakers championships.

The team is set to debut the new threads on Kobe Bryant Day -- 8/24 -- against the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 4 of their playoff series, according to the NBA's "Lockervision" website.

The jerseys will also include a special patch on the right shoulder to honor Gigi -- featuring her #2 in a white heart.

Vanessa gave a sneak peek at the threads on her Instagram stories Monday and they're awesome.

We're guessing the Lakers players are stoked about the look -- especially since LeBron James and Anthony Davis previously got Kobe Bryant tattoos to pay tribute to the NBA legend.

As for the date, 8/24 has already been declared Kobe Bryant Day in Orange County, where Kobe and Gigi lived.

The date represents the two jersey numbers Kobe wore during his 20-year run with the Lakers ... 8 and 24.

Nike, meanwhile, is giving Kobe his own memorial week starting on 8/23 (Bryant's birthday) ... with reps from the Swoosh saying they'll honor the Lakers legend all week with special programming and merch.

Kobe and Gianna -- along with 7 others -- died in a helicopter crash back in January.

Gianna was only 13-years-old. Kobe would have turned 42 this coming Sunday.

One of the men convicted in the murder of Michael Jordan's father, James Sr., in 1993 will walk free in 2023 ... after he was granted parole on Tuesday.

MJ's dad was shot to death in July 1993 while sleeping in his car at a rest stop in North Carolina. His body was dumped off a bridge in South Carolina and recovered 11 days later.

One of the men -- 45-year-old Larry Demery -- pled guilty to first-degree murder, armed robbery, and conspiracy to commit robbery in 1996.

On Tuesday, the North Carolina Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission announced that it has granted Demery parole as part of the Mutual Agreement Parole Program.

Demery is set to be released on August 6, 2023.

In a letter explaining Demery's release, the MAPP is described as a scholastic and vocational program that is a three-way agreement between the Commission, the Division of Prisons and the offender.

Elvis Presley lives on in the hearts of adoring fans who made sure to pay their respects on his 43rd death anniversary ... even if it meant wearing masks and having to spread out.

A candlelight vigil was held for The King Saturday night at his Graceland estate in Memphis, Tennessee -- which hundreds of people flocked to come sundown just to get a glimpse of the man's gravesite and leave behind flowers, notes and photos of their idol. It was one of the last events for Elvis Week around there -- but this year, precautions were in place.

The vigil was a ticketed event of sorts -- only 720 people were given access to the grounds for an up-close view, and the folks running the place only let parties in who wore face coverings and traveled in groups of 6 or less. Also, everyone had to trickle in slowly for proper distancing ... so it was certainly less packed than gatherings like this in the past.

There were also police officers stationed outside the property with barricades in place blocking off surrounding roads -- so people who didn't have tickets couldn't even get near the mansion to watch from a distance. By and large, it sounds like it was a success (COVID-wise).

Fortunately, Elvis fans didn't seem to mind either -- in fact, people came from all over the country (and the world) for the momentous event ... marking the year Elvis had been gone longer than he'd been on this Earth. He was just 42 when he died in 1977.

On Sunday -- the day he actually died -- Elvis Week is set to cap off with a virtual gospel event at the Graceland soundstage, and later tonight ... a drive-in Elvis movie in the parking lot (which we imagine will also be limited). Definitely a bummer, but better than nothing.

Elvis died after suffering a heart attack. He was discovered on the bathroom floor, where he was using the commode moments earlier. His legacy is cemented in pop culture as a pioneer for modern rock 'n' roll music as well as the blues.

Speaking of that, he's faced criticism in the years since his death for culturally appropriating music made popular by Black artists, and passing it off as his own style. Still, the guy was incredibly talented ... and goes down as an icon from his time, paving the way for other big-time acts to follow. John Lennon once said, "Before Elvis, there was nothing."

He left behind his wife, Priscilla, and only child Lisa-Marie ... plus lots of grandchildren, many of whom went on to be famous in their own right. Some have tragically passed as well.

Robert Trump, President Donald Trump's younger brother, has died.

The White House released a statement Saturday night from the President ... "It is with heavy heart I share that my wonderful brother, Robert, peacefully passed away tonight."

It was apparent Robert Trump was gravely ill a few days ago, when Donald Trump flew to New York City to visit him in the hospital. He had reportedly been in ICU for upwards of a week.

Robert Trump was an exec in the Trump organization and close to his older brother. In announcing Robert's death, Donald Trump said, “He was not just my brother, he was my best friend. He will be greatly missed, but we will meet again. His memory will live on in my heart forever. Robert, I love you. Rest in peace.”

Robert Trump made news in the last few months when he tried to block a book, "Too Much and Never Enough," written by his niece, Mary Trump. The book was published in July.

Joe Biden sent his condolences, saying, "Mr. President, Jill and I are sad to learn of your younger brother Robert's passing. I know the tremendous pain of losing a loved one -- and I know how important family is in moments like these. I hope you know that our prayers are with you all."

Robert Trump was 71.

A prison inmate in Connecticut hanged himself behind bars, and officials say he did it with the very face mask they provided him to fight off COVID-19.

32-year-old Daniel Ocasio was found dead Wednesday at the Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center in Montville, with a ligature tied around his neck. That ligature was from the cloth mask issued to every inmate to prevent the spread of coronavirus from inside.

The Connecticut DOC says he was discovered in his cell around 5 AM, after which life-saving measures were administered ... before he was transferred to a hospital and later pronounced dead. The Medical Examiner's Office there ruled his death to be a suicide by hanging.

Ocasio had been at the prison since August 5 on a 3rd-degree burglary charge ... held on a $10,000 bond. Usually, paying 10% of that amount up front will get someone sprung.

Tekashi 6ix9ine is feeling like Randy Newman ... he says he loves L.A. and didn't disrespect Nipsey Hussle when he visited a mural of the late rapper ... near where he was murdered.

We got Tekashi shopping on Rodeo Drive in Bev Hills Friday, where he was surrounded by his security team and flanked by tons of supporters, as well as haters shouting obscenities. You could sense the tension in the streets.

69 tells us everyone claiming he trolled Nipsey's 'hood by posing in front of the mural has it wrong ... he says he loves Nipsey, which is why he kneeled and paid respects.

Lots of folks are pissed at Tekashi's stop in Crenshaw because Nispey was famously killed by a snitch, but he says his love for Nip is like L.A.'s love for the Notorious B.I.G.

6ix9ine also shoots down rumors he was robbed while seeing the sights around town. It's his first time in L.A. since he ratted on his former gang members back in New York, and he's been met with a mix of anger and adulation everywhere he goes.

George Floyd had at least 8 civilian onlookers, including a Minneapolis firefighter, pleading for his life ... and this newly released police body cam shows the panic and horror they all felt.

The footage comes from the body cam of now ex-officer Tou Thao -- he's the one who was doing crowd control during Floyd's arrest. The video shows the initial attempt to put Floyd into a patrol car and, seconds later, the 3 officers -- including Derek Chauvin -- taking him down onto the pavement.

As soon as George was on the street, with Chauvin's knee on his neck, Thao went straight to the curb where a handful of onlookers could immediately tell Floyd was in life-threatening distress.

While one young woman, Darnella Frazier, recorded the original video the world saw of Floyd's killing ... the most vocal citizen on the curbside was a black man who repeatedly asked Thao if he was just going to watch the other officers "choke him like that?"

Another onlooker, who identified herself as a Minneapolis firefighter, made multiple attempts to get a closer look ... and yelled at Thao, "Does he have a pulse? Show me his pulse!"

What's most interesting about this angle of the incident is you can see and feel the crowd's worry increase with every minute the officers are on top of George. It was painfully obvious to them a man was dying, and they got more and more agitated as the clock ticked through the 8 minutes and 46 seconds.

As you know, Thao and 2 other ex-officers, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Keung, are charged with aiding and abetting murder ... while Chauvin's been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, as well as an additional count of second-degree murder.

Herman Cain's political takes from beyond the grave will continue -- even if some Twitter users think it's dirty pool -- because they're not breaking any rules.

The late pizza tycoon and politician's Twitter account raised eyebrows Wednesday night when it started firing off anti-Joe Biden posts in response to Joe announcing Kamala Harris as his running mate.

The tweets drew a mixed reaction -- some joked Cain had jumped online posthumously to keep supporting President Trump. But, others fumed the account was violating Twitter policy ... since the person posting is obviously not HC.

Not so, according to a Twitter spokesperson, who tells us the profile info and images have been updated to reflect who is truly managing the account ... so, it's all Kosher.

The new group in charge calls itself "The Cain Gang," and -- led by his daughter Dr. Melanie Cain Gallo -- vows to continue working on his political mission.

Since Wednesday, that's included several tweets and retweets supporting Trump and slamming his opponents.

The updated account also includes a disclaimer ... "The Cain Gang consists of different writers who have their own opinions. We all lean right, but we're also individuals. Each piece reflects the opinions of that writer. That's how Herman wanted it to work."

As we reported ... Cain died last month from COVID-19. He tested positive for the virus after attending Trump's Tulsa rally on June 20 -- where he was seen without a face mask.

For the first time in team history, the Miami Dolphins will wear a special patch to honor an individual person -- the late, great Don Shula.

Coach Shula passed away back in May at 90 years old -- and the team has decided to honor his memory during the 2020 NFL season.

All players will wear a special patch on their uniforms with Shula's last name and the number 347 -- which represents his record number of wins as an NFL coach.

The team says, "This will be the first time in the Dolphins' 54 seasons that a patch will be worn to honor an individual."

The team will debut the patch at their season opener on Sept. 13 against the New England Patriots.

Shula is a bona fide NFL legend -- he broke George Haas' all-time wins record in 1993 before finally retiring in 1995.

He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997.

"Don Shula's lasting impact on the Miami Dolphins, NFL and South Florida community is immeasurable," Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said.

Legendary Indianapolis Colts coach Howard Mudd -- the man responsible for getting O-linemen to block for Peyton Manning for YEARS -- died Wednesday, team owner Jim Irsay announced.

He was 78 years old.

According to Mudd's family members ... the famous NFL coach was involved in a serious accident on July 29 -- and succumbed to injuries Wednesday.

"Right after the accident he fought so hard against all odds to communicate to us that he loves us and that he knows we love him," Mudd's family said in a statement.

"[On Tuesday], it became clear that he was ready and that we needed to surround him with love and fight for his right to comfort and peace."

"This morning he was surrounded in the room by his sons [Darren and Adam] who held his arms and prayed over him as he passed away."

Mudd is known as one of the league's greatest offensive line coaches ever ... he famously produced O-lines year after year in Indy that protected Manning during the Hall of Fame QB's prime.

Mudd ultimately coached for nearly 5 DECADES in the league ... and was a damn good O-lineman himself during his playing days in the 1960s.

"Rest in peace, Howard Mudd," Irsay said Wednesday. "Howard was a GREAT player during a shortened career and then became one of the game's all-time greatest offensive line coaches."

"He contributed to many different teams over 47 years in our league---but he will always be a Colt. #LoveYouHoward."

Dak Prescott spoke out Wednesday on the tragic passing of his older brother, Jace ... and the Dallas Cowboys QB said emotionally, "it's tough, obviously."

"He meant a lot to my family, meant a lot to me," the 27-year-old told reporters in his first news conference since Jace's passing. "He's part of the reason I am a quarterback."

"When I was a little kid, he's the reason that I first started throwing the football."

Jace -- one of Dak's two older brothers -- died suddenly at the age of 31 this past April. The family has not publicly revealed the cause of death.

Dak was clearly torn up over the loss. In fact, it took the QB nearly four months to open up about it all publicly ... telling reporters Wednesday he's now making it his life's mission to carry on his brother's legacy.

"It's been a tough year," Dak said. "It's been a tough year for me personally. It's been a tough year for my family. It's been a tough year for this country and this world, obviously. So, it's all been tough."

Dak says he leaned on his Cowboys teammates and his other family members to get him through it all ... adding, "I have a great family to count on, to lean on. Great supporters here, great teammates. Great coaches."

As we previously reported ... Dak and Jace were extremely close -- the two famously filmed a Campbell's Chunky Soup commercial together in 2019, where the QB praised Jace and his other brother for being a great support system.

8/24 is now officially "Kobe Bryant Day" in Orange County!

The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday to honor the late Lakers legend -- and the measure passed with flying colors.

"During his career, Kobe Bryant’s numbers on his jerseys were 8 and 24, therefore a fitting day to celebrate his legacy would be August 24," the resolution said.

Of course, Kobe lived in Orange County for most of his 20-year career with the L.A. Lakers ... and his family stayed there even after he retired.

Kobe was well-liked around town -- and was seen several times playing the role of Good Samaritan when he spotted car accidents.

So, when Kobe -- along with daughter Gianna and 7 other people -- passed away in a January 26 helicopter crash, officials wanted to make sure to honor his legacy.

"Kobe Bryant was a basketball legend that inspired so many globally to pursue their dreams and taught us that hard work truly pays off," the resolution says.

Officials even spell out how fans can celebrate KBD -- "By engaging in community building, helping young people in need, encouraging aspiring youth to follow their dreams, and living by Bryant's words: 'The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they could be great in whatever they want to do.'"

FYI, Kobe's #8 and #24 jerseys were both retired by the Lakers -- he's the only player in franchise history to have two numbers hanging in the rafters.

The family of Elijah McClain is going after the city of Aurora and 13 of its police officers, claiming they're all to blame for his 2019 death.

McClain's parents just filed the lawsuit in Colorado claiming the city, the cops, a paramedic, and a doctor should be held responsible for the August 24, 2019 fatal incident based on their "needless use of excessive force and torture."

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the family says Elijah was listening to music on a short walk home from the corner store "when Aurora police officers grabbed, tackled, and assaulted him."

In the lawsuit, they claim officers "continued to brutalize Elijah for nearly eighteen minutes—approximately fifteen minutes of which he was handcuffed." They also allege the force the officers used against Elijah included "compressing his neck and the blood flow to his brain with two consecutive carotid holds, cranking his left shoulder with an armbar hammerlock that caused it to repeatedly pop."

Describing the arrest even further ... the family claims Elijah vomited after they slammed him to the ground. According to the docs, another officer allegedly "jammed his knee into Elijah's arm for minutes on end" with the sole purpose of inflicting pain and eventually separating Elijah's biceps and triceps muscles.

Then the paramedics arrived, but the family claims things only got worse. In the suit, they claim an EMT "involuntarily injected him with a massive dose of ketamine" even though he was not experiencing any medical condition that would have required ketamine ... a powerful sedative.

Minutes after they injected him with the sedative, Elijah stopped breathing, had no pulse and never regained consciousness before dying a few days later.

As we reported ... Aurora PD officers stopped Elijah while responding to a call about a suspicious person walking the streets wearing a ski mask and waving his arms. His family had previously said he commonly wore the mask to keep warm.

Body-camera footage of the incident shows Elijah telling the cops, "Let go of me. I am an introvert. Please respect the boundaries that I am speaking." His final words -- documented at the beginning of the lawsuit from start to finish -- popped up on social media posts demanding justice.

Raymond G. Allen, Sr., a character actor who played Uncle Woody in "Sanford and Son," has died.

Allen's family tells TMZ, he was in a long-term facility in California when he was found unresponsive early Monday morning. EMT's tried reviving him, to no avail.

The family says Allen died as a result of respiratory issues, but not COVID-related.

Allen was a working character actor, who also played Ned the Wino on "Good Times."

"Good Times" was a huge hit in the '70s, and Allen's character was hilarious. In "Sanford and Son" he played Aunt Esther's husband who never turned down a drink.

Allen also had roles in "Starsky and Hutch," playing a mechanic -- Merle the Earl.

And, there were many guest appearances, including "The Jeffersons," "What's Happening!!" and "The Love Boat,"

Allen had been sick for a while ... he was in a health care facility since 2016 ... where he had bouts with pneumonia.

Raymond Allen is survived by 2 children.

He was 91.

Hilary Tisch, one of New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch's daughters, is dead after taking her own life ... TMZ has learned.

Hilary attempted suicide over the weekend, and died Monday in a hospital, according to sources with direct knowledge. The Giants honcho mourned his daughter's death in a statement to TMZ ... remembering her as "a kind, caring and beautiful person."

Steve adds ... Hilary's "mother, sisters, brothers and I are devastated by her passing. It leaves a hole in our hearts and our lives. She, like so many others, bravely fought the disease of depression for as long as she could."

Our sources say Hilary, a successful jewelry designer, had struggled through depression for many years. Despite that, she poured her heart and soul into volunteering with Operation Smile, a nonprofit medical service organization that's provided over 220,000 free surgeries around the world for kids and young adults born with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities.

Hilary's father says the Tisch "family is utterly heartbroken and is mourning its tragic loss. We love and will miss her dearly."

Hilary was 36.