Former Bruin Nick Ritchie signs two-year, $5 million deal with the Maple Leafs

Sports Log

By Associated PressUpdated July 31, 2021, 12 minutes ago

Share on Facebook Print this Article

Former Bruin Nick Ritchie signed a two-year, $5 million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. It has an average annual value of $2.5 million. The 25-year-old forward was an unrestricted free agent after not receiving a qualifying offer from the Bruins. “It came together pretty fast,” Ritchie told NHL.com. “The lure of Toronto and the team they have, and being from here and the fit I think they have for me, that was all part of it. I felt the Leafs were the best team and fit.” Ritchie grew up in Orangeville, Ontario, 50 miles from Toronto. He scored 26 points (15 goals, 11 assists) in 56 games for the Bruins last season and four points (one goal, three assists) in 11 playoff games … Another former Bruin, Riley Nash, signed a one-year, $750,000 contract with the Winnipeg Jets. The 32-year-old forward, who was an unrestricted free agent, scored seven points (two goals, five assists) in 37 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets last season.

Rangers renew Reaves’s contract

Ryan Reaves agreed to terms with the New York Rangers on an extension, a deal that puts the team’s new enforcer under contract through the 2022-23 season. The Rangers acquired Reaves from the Vegas Golden Knights this week for a 2022-third round pick. Reaves’ extension is worth $1.75 million — the same as his current salary cap hit — according to a person with knowledge of the deal who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team does not announce contract values … Forward Warren Foegele signed a three-year, $8.25 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers. Foegele, who was a restricted free agent, was acquired in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes on July 28 for defenseman Ethan Bear … Tyler Bertuzzi signed a two-year contract to remain with the Detroit Red Wings. Financial terms were not disclosed … Joel Kiviranta signed a two-year, $2.1 million contract with the Dallas Stars.

Eichel’s problems with Sabres worsen

Jack Eichel’s representatives released a statement Friday night saying “the process is not working,” in further opening a deepening rift between the Buffalo Sabres captain and the team. In an email to the AP, agents Peter Fish and Peter Donatelli contradicted general manager Kevyn Adams by saying the Sabres went against their own medical staff’s recommendation in determining artificial disk replacement surgery was required to repair a herniated disk that sidelined the player for the final two months of the season. The agents also wrote they fully anticipated Eichel would be traded before the start of the NHL’s free agency period, which opened on Wednesday. They noted Eichel would be in a position to be ready for the start of the regular season should he be cleared to have surgery, and added: “Repeated requests have been made to the Sabres since early June to no avail. This process is stopping Jack from playing in the NHL and it is not working.” The Sabres declined to respond.

Golf

Sorenstam leads US Senior Women’s Open

Annika Sorenstam shot an even-par 72 to take a two-stroke lead into the final round of the US Senior Women’s Open in Fairfield, Conn. The 50-year-old Sorenstam, a three-time US Women’s Open champion making her first appearance in the senior event, had an 8-under-par 208 total at Brooklawn Country Club. Husband Mike McGee is working as her caddie. Playing partner and fellow Swede Liselotte Neumann was second, closing with a bogey for a 71. She won the 1988 US Women’s Open to become the first Swedish major champion. Catriona Matthew was 4 under after a 71. Laura Davies (68) and Yuko Saito (74) were 2 under, and Kris Tschetter was even par after a 75 … English duo Jordan Smith and David Horsey will go head to head in the final round of the World Invitational as they both look to end long winless runs in Northern Ireland. Smith claimed his first and only victory on the European Tour four years and one day ago in Germany, and a bogey-free round of 65 in Ballymena moved him to 15 under and in pole position to win a second title. For Horsey, it is nearly six years since he claimed his fourth tour victory at the Made in Denmark, and he went one shot better than Smith to sit just one back with 18 holes to play. In the women’s event, Thailand’s Pajaree Anannarukarn signed for a 66 to surge up the leaderboard and share the top spot at 13 under with Americans Jennifer Kupcho and Emma Talley.

Miscellany

Bucks’ Portis chooses free agency

Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis is declining his $3.8M player option and will become a free agent, said his agent Mark Bartelstein, ESPN reported. Portis’s play was crucial in the Eastern Conference finals (12.5 points and 6.5 rebounds a game) and the NBA Finals (7.7 points and 4.0 rebounds agame). He delivered in the Game 6 title-clincher, too, scoring 16 points on 6-for-10 shooting … Veteran guard Avery Bradley will reportedly enter unrestricted free agency after he and the Houston Rockets passed on picking up his option for 2021-22. The Athletic reported the Rockets and Bradley mutually agreed to part ways … Lewis Hamilton’s 101st pole position in Formula One snapped a six-race barren run and set him up perfectly for a shot at a 100th career win in the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday in Budapest. The British driver holds F1 records for wins and poles and has a record eight wins at the Hungarian GP, including the last three. Hamilton had not been on the pole since the Spanish GP in early May. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took the next two poles and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen clinched four in a row as he soared ahead in the championship … A 16-year-old Ajax academy player died from injuries sustained in a car accident, the Dutch soccer club said. Noah Gesser, a striker who joined Ajax in 2018, died along with his brother following an accident on Friday evening in Amsterdam. The teen was set to play for Ajax’s under-17 squad this season. The club planned moment of silence before its pre-season match against German squad Leipzig. Ajax players “will wear armbands in mourning of Gesser’s passing. In addition, flags will be flown at half-mast at the Toekomst sports complex.”