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.

Last month, the 12 participating countries unveiled the first six players on their Olympic rosters. The men’s hockey tournament at the 2026 Games is scheduled to run from Feb. 11-22.

NBA: A person with knowledge of the details says the 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. Brown would replace Tom Thibodeau, who was fired last month despite leading the Knicks to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years. ... The NBA has adjusted all-time wins leader Gregg Popovich’s career record with the Spurs, removing the 77 games that he missed last season and crediting those wins and losses to new Spurs coach Mitch Johnson.

NFL: 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 Bills had no comment.