Chaz Lucius showed flashes of offensive brilliance in the 24 games he played for the Minnesota Gophers in 2021-22, before injuries cut his lone college season short. The same can be said for his time in pro hockey.

On Tuesday, the native of Grant, Minn., announced his retirement from the game at age 21 due to a joint disorder that has hindered his career.

In a social media post, Lucius said he was recently diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which affects the connective tissue that stabilizes and supports the joints.

“As I struggled with incurring and recovering from various joint injuries over the past several years, I had thought I was just unlucky,” Lucius wrote. “I now realize that my body impacted by EDS could not handle the physical nature of hockey.”

Lucius was picked in the first round, 18th overall, by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2021 NHL Draft and played 54 games over the past three seasons with their AHL team, the Manitoba Moose.

— Jess Myers

Top prospect Demidov signs with Canadiens

In an unexpected late-season development, the Montreal Canadiens are getting a huge boost for the stretch run and potentially the playoffs with top prospect Ivan Demidov joining them from Russia.

The Canadiens signed Demidov to a three-year entry-level contract, less than 90 minutes after his KHL team said the mutual decision was made for the skilled forward to go to the NHL immediately.

Demidov, 19, was the fifth pick in the 2024 draft and is widely considered the top young player not currently in the NHL.

Gretzky downplays political influence

Retired NHL great Wayne Gretzky downplayed his influence on Donald Trump in his first public comments since the U.S. president began his second term and began making references to making Canada as the 51st state.

On a radio show hosted by Ben Mulroney, son of former conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, Gretzky never used Trump’s name and was never asked about Trump’s 51st state comments. Mulroney instead asked Gretzky if it registered with him that others attempt to use his name to further their agendas.

“Trust me, I have no political power with the prime minister or the president,” Gretzky said on the show on AM-640 in Toronto. “That’s between those two guys, and that’s why you hold elections and that’s why people get to do what they want to do and say what they want to say. But trust me I have no pull or power with either the prime minister or the president.”

Some Canadians have openly wondered why Gretzky doesn’t speak out against Trump’s comments and they have noted his relationship with the Republican president dates back some years.

NBA

Grizzlies’ Wells injured after landing on head

Memphis starting guard Jaylen Wells broke his right wrist on a hard fall on his arm and head from a midair collision at the end of a fast-break dunk during a victory over Charlotte on Tuesday, likely ending the rookie’s season right before the Grizzlies go into the playoffs.

Wells was down for eight minutes before being lifted by medical personnel onto a stretcher with his head strapped in to restrict motion and taken to a hospital, where he had movement in all of his extremities, interim coach Tuomas Iisalo said.

The rookie’s father, Fred Wells, told the Memphis Commercial Appeal that his son was alert enough to ask what the score of the game was. He had pain in his face, jaw and back.

Wells caught an outlet pass from Ja Morant and went up to the rim, when Simpson inadvertently undercut him from behind after trying to catch up to the play. The contact caused Wells to lose his balance while in the air and land awkwardly on his side as his head slammed against the court near the baseline.

COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL

Richardson enters NBA draft after one year

Jase Richardson is entering the NBA draft, a year or two sooner than his father expected. The Michigan State freshman announced his decision on social media.

His father, Jason Richardson, a former Spartans star and NBA standout, helped his son gather feedback from the league to assist in the decision-making process.

The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 12.5 points, making 48.5% of his shots overall and 41.1% of 3-pointers. He helped Michigan State win the Big Ten title by three games and advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.

Briefly

MILB >> The Saints lost to the Omaha Storm chasers 3-0 on the first night of a home series. Zebby Matthews (1-1) gave up one hit through the first four innings. Omaha notched two runs in the fifth inning and added another in the eighth, but the Saints never made it on the board, with just two hits total.

College baseball >> Minnesota beat South Dakota State 4-3, led by senior Josh Fitzgerald, who went 1-for-3 with a home run and RBI.Junior pitcher Noah Rooney got the win, giving up just one run on 3.2 innings, and senior Seth Clausen had three shutout innings.

Men’s college swimming >> Minnesota’s Joey Tepper finished fourth overall and second out of Americans competing at the 10K National Championship with a time of 1:53:41, making the U.S. Worlds team.

Women’s college basketball >> Ta’Niya Latson, the leading scorer in Division I, has decided to transfer to South Carolina, where she will join a high school teammate and try to help the Gamecocks win another national championship.

Men’s college basketball >> Florida’s comeback 65-63 victory over Houston in Monday night’s NCAA title game was the most-watched championship game in six years, averaging 18.1 million viewers.

Skiing >> Overall World Cup skiing champion Federica Brignone was discharged from the hospital, five days after breaking multiple bones in her left leg in a giant slalom crash and undergoing surgery.

College football >> Former Northwestern University football players are finalizing an agreement with the school to settle lawsuits alleging hazing and abuse on the team that led to longtime coach Pat Fitzgerald’s firing.

— From news services