The NHL, NHLPA and international officials on Wednesday finalized a long-ago agreed-to deal to send players to the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics.

The league, union, International Ice Hockey Federation and International Olympic Committee confirmed the participation of NHL players at the games for the first time since 2014. The groups negotiated the agreement and announced it initially last year.

IIHF president Luc Tardif called it “a major step forward for our sport.”

The final touches took time to figure out after officials insisted for months they were not concerned about the lack of a signed document. The deal opens the door for NHL participation to continue in 2030, something that had also been agreed to in February 2024.

WNBA

Red Panda fractures wrist at Lynx game

The iconic halftime performer Red Panda suffered a severe fracture in her left wrist after a fall from her 7-foot tall unicycle in the opening seconds of her routine on Tuesday night at Target Center.

Her agent Pat Figley told the Pioneer Press that Red Panda — the stage name for Chinese acrobat Ring Niu — spent 11 hours in a local hospital where she had a procedure on her left wrist. She was discharged and is currently on her way back home to San Francisco.

The recommendation from doctors in the Twin Cities is that Red Panda have an additional procedure on the wrist once she returns home, Figley said.

Red Panda’s routine involves balancing plates, bowls and cups on her head, hands and feet while pedaling her tall unicycle. According to a 2024 profile on scmp.com, she is 55 years old.

In an email sent to the Pioneer Press, Figley noted how much Red Panda appreciates everybody who has reacted out to her inthe wake of her fall, which occurred at halftime of the WNBA’s Commissioner’s Cup championship between the Lynx and Indiana Fever.

“It means the world to her,” Figley said. “She much appreciates from her heart the support she is receiving.”

— Dane Mizutani

NFL

Bills 1st round pick accused of sexual assault

Buffalo Bills first-round draft pick Maxwell Hairston was accused in a lawsuit of sexually assaulting a woman in 2021 at the University of Kentucky.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in federal court in Kentucky by a woman who claims Hairston entered her dorm room without being invited, ignored her when she said didn’t want to have sexual intercourse, forcibly removed her bottoms and sexually assaulted her. The Associated Press does not typically name alleged victims of sexual assault.

The Bills had no comment and referred to statements made by general manager Brandon Beane in April during the draft. Beane said at the time the team had “fully investigated” a sexual assault allegation from 2021 involving Hairston, who he called “an impeccable kid.”

“So that’s unfortunate when things like that are attached to someone’s name. And in this case, doesn’t seem to be anything there,” Beane said.

NBA

Ayton to join Lakers after Portland buyout

Center Deandre Ayton has agreed to join the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent, two people with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal could not yet be announced between the Lakers and Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft — two spots ahead of Luka Doncic.

The Portland Trail Blazers bought out Ayton’s contract last weekend, and he has agreed to join Doncic and LeBron James on a deal for the upcoming season with a player option for 2026-27. He will be paid more than $25 million by the Blazers while playing for the Lakers next year.

Ayton, who turns 27 this month, spent his first five NBA seasons with Phoenix before joining the Trail Blazers two years ago as part of the three-team trade sending Damian Lillard to Milwaukee.

Knicks offer head coaching job to Brown

The New York Knicks have offered their coaching job to Mike Brown and are working to finalize a deal with the two-time NBA Coach of the Year, a person with knowledge of the details said Wednesday.

Brown would replace Tom Thibodeau, who was fired last month despite leading the Knicks to the East finals for the first time in 25 years.

Brown had his second interview with the Knicks on Tuesday before the job was offered, the person told The Associated Press.

The plan to hire Brown was first reported by ESPN.

Brown earned his second award as the NBA’s top coach after leading Sacramento to the playoffs in 2022-23 — ending what was the league’s longest postseason drought with its first appearance since 2006 — but the Kings fired him nearly halfway through last season.

Briefly

NBA >> The Dallas Mavericks have signed No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg to his four-year rookie contract, and a person with knowledge of the agreement said Wednesday the club is bringing back guard Dante Exum on a one-year contract.

NBA>> Memphis Grizzlies All-Star big man Jaren Jackson Jr. is recovering from surgery for a turf toe injury and will be re-evaluated in about 12 weeks.

NHL >> St. Louis put veteran defenseman Nick Leddy on waivers. Leddy has one year left on his contract at a salary cap hit of $4 million.

NHL >> The Edmonton Oilers signed Curtis Lazar on Wednesday for the league minimum $775,000. The New York Islanders signed Maxim Shabanov after the sought-after KHL forward drew interest from multiple teams interested in bringing him to North America. The New York Rangers agreed to terms with Taylor Raddysh on a two-year contract worth $3 million, New Jersey re-signed Cody Class for $5 million over the next two seasons, Pittsburgh added Anthony Mantha for $2.5 million and Alexander Alexeyev for $775,000, St. Louis signed Pius Suter for two years and $8.25 million and Detroit got Mason Appleton for $4.8 million over two years.

— From news services