NHL  – Blackhawks begin dismantling, trade DeBrincat and Dach

The  long-anticipated dismantling of the Chicago Blackhawks’ roster has begun with  the team trading Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators and Kirby Dach to the  Montreal Canadiens. Chicago eventually made three trades in going from having  no picks in the first-round of the NHL draft to selecting three times. The  Blackhawks got the seventh pick and two others for DeBrincat and No. 13 for  Dach. Now the situation turns to the future of longtime Blackhawks stars  Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane with the organization aimed at extending its  rebuild over the long term. Their matching contracts expire after next season.  Chicago added a third first-round pick at No. 25 by acquiring goalie Petr  Mrazek from Toronto.

NHL  – Canadiens take Juraj Slafkovsky with top pick in NHL draft

  The  Montreal Canadiens have selected Slovak winger Juraj Slafkovsky with the first  pick in the NHL draft. He’s the first player from Slovakia to be taken No. 1.  The previous best was Marian Gaborik going third in 2000. This was the first  year in nearly a decade there was suspense about who was going to be the No. 1  pick right up until the player’s name was called. The Canadiens said they were  considering Slafkovsky, Canadian center Shane Wright and American forward Logan  Cooley. The New Jersey Devils surprisingly selected Slovak defenseman and  Slafkovsky Olympic teammate Simon Nemec with the second pick.   

NHL  – Red Wings select Center Marco Kasper from Sweden

  Detroit  Red Wings general manager continued his pattern of going slightly off of the  board for their selection in the 2022 NHL Draft.  The Red Wings selected center Marco Kasper  with the 8th overall pick. The 18 year old Austrian born player scored  seven goals and had 4 assists in 46 games played for Rogle of the Swedish  Hockey League.   Yzerman also went slightly off the board when  they selected German defenseman Moritz Seider with the 6th overall  pick in the 2019 draft.  Seider won the  NHL’s Calder Trophy this past season as the Rookie of the Year. 

MLB  – Major League Baseball
Yesterday

  Detroit Tigers 2, Chicago White Sox 1

  Los Angeles Dodgers 5, Chicago Cubs 3

Tigers 2, White Sox 1 – Rookie Brieske outduels Cease,  Tigers beat White Sox 2-1

  Rookie  Beau Brieske tossed two-hit ball into the seventh inning while outpitching  Dylan Cease, Javier Báez homered and the Detroit Tigers hung on beat the  Chicago White Sox 2-1. The Tigers won their fifth straight. They began this  four-game series against the reigning AL Central champs after a four-game home  sweep of the Guardians, their first against Cleveland in nine years. Spencer  Torkelson had an RBI single in the ninth to give Detroit a 2-0 lead. Chicago  then made it interesting in the bottom half against closer Gregory Soto, who  earned his 17th save. Luis Robert had a one-out RBI double before Soto struck  out two batters to end it.

Dodgers 5, Cubs 3 – Gonsolin goes to 11-0, Dodgers get  4 HRs to beat Cubs 5-3 

  Tony  Gonsolin pitched seven strong innings for his 11th victory in the Los Angeles  Dodgers’ 5-3 win over the Chicago Cubs. Mookie Betts hit a pair of leadoff  homers and the Dodgers got a two-run blast from Gavin Lux and a solo shot by  Justin Turner. Gonsolin is the first Dodgers pitcher to start a season 11-0  since Alex Wood in 2017. He and Houston’s Justin Verlander are tied for most  wins in the majors. The NL West-leading Dodgers won their fourth in a row. The  Cubs got a two-run homer from Christopher Morel in the fifth.

Tonight

  Detroit  (Skubal 5-7) at Chicago White Sox (Giolito 5-4), 8:10 p.m.                WSJM/WCSY  7:50

  Chicago  Cubs (Thompson 7-3) at L.A. Dodgers (Anderson 9-1), 10:10 p.m.

NBASL  – NBA Summer League
Last Night

  Detroit  Pistons 81, Portland Trailblazers 78

  – (DET) Jaden Ivey  20 Points, Saban Lee 13 points, Isaiah Stewart 13 points, Braxton Key 11 points,  Cade Cunningham DNO 

Today

  Chicago  Bulls vs. Dallas Mavericks, 4:00 p.m.

NBA  – Bulls finalize max contract with two-time All-Star LaVine

  The  Chicago Bulls say they have re-signed Zach LaVine, after the high-flying guard  agreed to a five-year max contract worth about $215 million last week. LaVine  had said he wanted to explore the market as an unrestricted free agent for the  first time after eight seasons in the NBA and five with the Bulls. If he went  shopping, it was a quick trip. He announced his decision about 18 hours after  the free-agent negotiating period began. Executive vice president of basketball  operations Arturas Karnisovas praised LaVine’s work ethic while saying the  Bulls “look forward to more great things from Zach.” LaVine averaged 24.4  points in the final season of a four-year, $78 million deal.

WNBA  – Women’s National Basketball Association
Last Night

  Chicago Sky 93, Indiana Fever 84

Sky 93, Fever 84 – Chicago secures home court for the  Commissioner’s Cup game

  Emma Meesseman scored 20 points, Candace Parker had 12  points, nine rebounds and five assists and the Chicago Sky beat the Indiana  Fever 93-84 to secure home court for the Commissioner’s Cup game. Chicago will  host Las Vegas on July 26 for the Commissioner’s Cup. Julie Allemand beat the  third-quarter buzzer with a long 3-pointer to extend Chicago’s lead to 77-57  after a 29-point frame. Indiana scored 18 of the opening 27 points of the  fourth, but Chicago held on. Azura Stevens scored 16 points and Allie Quigley  added 13 for Chicago. Courtney Vandersloot had seven points and six assists.  Kelsey Mitchell scored 27 points and rookie NaLyssa Smith had her sixth  double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds for Indiana.

Sunday
2022 WNBA All Star Game – Wintrust Arena, Chicago, IL

  Team Stewart vs. Team Wilson, 7:00 p.m.

WNBA – WNBA’s Griner pleads guilty at her drug trial  in Russia

  WNBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty to drug  possession charges on the second day of her trial in a Russian court in a case  that could see her sentenced to up to 10 years in prison. Her abrupt guilty  plea came amid a growing chorus of calls for Washington to do more to secure  her freedom nearly five months after her arrest amid rising tensions between  the U.S. and Russia over Ukraine. A senior Russian diplomat said earlier that  no action could be taken by Moscow on Griner until the trial was over. Griner  was detained at a Moscow airport while returning to play basketball in Russia.  Police said they found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage.

Tennis – Wimbledon – Injured Nadal out of Wimbledon;  Kyrgios advances to final

  Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from Wimbledon a day before  he was supposed to play in the semifinals because of a torn abdominal muscle.  Nadal announced that he was pulling out of the Grand Slam tournament at a news  conference Thursday. The 22-time Grand Slam champion was scheduled to face Nick  Kyrgios for a berth in the final on Friday. Kyrgios advanced to his first final  at a major tournament. He will meet either Novak Djokovic or Cam Norrie for the  championship on Sunday.

Tennis – Wimbledon – Jabeur 1st woman from Africa in  pro Slam final

  Ons Jabeur has reached her first Grand Slam final with  a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 victory over good friend Tatjana Maria at Wimbledon. Jabeur is  a 27-year-old from Tunisia who is the first African woman and Arab woman to get  to the title match at a major tennis tournament. Maria is a 34-year-old German  who is ranked 103rd and never had made it past the third round of a Grand Slam  event before. The third-seeded Jabeur next will face 17th-seeded Elena Rybakina  of Kazakhstan for the championship on Saturday. Rybakina overwhelmed 2019  Wimbledon champion Simona Halep 6-3, 6-3 in the second semifinal. She also will  be making her major final debut.

Pac-12 facing uncertain future after losses to Big Ten

  The Pac-12 can make a case as the most successful  conference in collegiate athletics, amassing more than 500 NCAA championships  while leading the nation in titles 56 of the past 62 years. But when it comes  to the biggest moneymakers, football and men’s basketball, the conference has  come up short for years. The lack of success, particularly in football,  combined with the conference’s media rights missteps put the Pac-12 on shaky  financial footing, opening the door for two marquee schools to jump ship. Now  the conference and its remaining member schools face an even more uncertain  economic future.

NFL – Dome for Soldier Field? Panel says Chicago  should explore it

  A panel appointed by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot  recommended the city explore enclosing Soldier Field, part of an effort to  convince the NFL’s Chicago Bears to remain in their lakefront home rather than  leave for the suburbs. The panel also recommended expanding capacity of the  stadium with the fewest seats in the NFL as well as installing synthetic turf  and selling naming rights. Adding a roof or a dome might lure Super Bowls and  Final Fours as well as more concerts. The group’s work is part of a bigger  proposal to transform a stretch of land that also includes the Field Museum,  Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium and McCormick Place lakefront building. It  includes improved transportation and making the area more bike friendly.

NFL – Bears WR Moore arrested on drug, weapons charges  in Texas

  Chicago Bears receiver David Moore was arrested on  drug and weapons charges in his hometown of Gainesville, Texas, last weekend.  Gainesville police say officers responding to a possibly intoxicated person at  a Taco Bell drive-thru late Sunday night found Moore asleep in the driver’s  seat of a silver 2018 Ford F250. Officers smelled marijuana while talking to  Moore and found a package of THC edible candies and three pistols while  searching the vehicle. Police arrested Moore and charged him with possession of  a controlled substance and unlawful carrying weapons. The Bears say they are  aware of the arrest and “are in the process of gathering more information.” They  said they would “refrain from making any further comment.”

NFL – Commanders owner Dan Snyder, House committee at  odds

  Dan Snyder’s attorney told the Committee on Oversight  and Reform the Washington Commanders’ owner is willing to testify by video  conference regarding the investigation into the team’s workplace culture  following accusations of pervasive sexual harassment by team executives of  women employees. In a letter sent to the committee and obtained by The  Associated Press, attorney Karen Patton Seymour said Snyder is traveling  outside the country and available for video testimony July 28 and 29. Seymour  expressed concern because the committee countered with dates that conflict with  her travel schedule and Snyder’s.

Biden awards Medal of Freedom to Biles, McCain,  Giffords

  President Joe Biden has presented the nation’s highest  civilian honor to 17 people, including gymnast Simone Biles and the late  Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain. Biden and McCain served together in the  Senate. The president, who took office during the coronavirus pandemic, also  honored Sandra Lindsay, the New York nurse who received the first dose of  COVID-19 vaccine that was administered in the U.S. outside of clinical trials.  Others receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom were gun safety advocate  Gabrielle Giffords, U.S. women’s national soccer team player Megan Rapinoe and  late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

Soccer – US women beat Jamaica 5-0 at the W  Championship

  The U.S. women’s national team qualified for the 2023  World Cup on Thursday night at the CONCACAF W Championship. The United States  defeated Jamaica 5-0 at Estadio BBVA but had to wait until Haiti downed Mexico  3-0 in the late game to secure a spot in next summer’s World Cup in Australia  and New Zealand. With two victories at the W Championship, the United States  was atop its group and became the first team to win one of four World Cup  berths up for grabs.

MILB – Midwest League Baseball
Last Night

  West Michigan Whitecaps 7, Dayton Dragons 3 – Game 1

  Dayton Dragons 5, West Michigan Whitecaps 0 – Game 2

  South Bend Cubs 8, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 6

Lansing Lugnuts 10, Great Lakes Loons 1

Last Night

  West Michigan Whitecaps at Dayton Dragons, 7:05 p.m.

  Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at South Bend Cubs, 7:05  p.m.

  Great Lakes Loons at Lansing Lugnuts, 7:05 p.m.

NHL – Blackhawks begin dismantling, trade DeBrincat and Dach 
The long-anticipated dismantling of the Chicago Blackhawks&rsquo; roster has begun with the team trading Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators and Kirby Dach to the Montreal Canadiens. Chicago eventually made three trades in going from having no picks in the first-round of the NHL draft to selecting three times. The Blackhawks got the seventh pick and two others for DeBrincat and No. 13 for Dach. Now the situation turns to the future of longtime Blackhawks stars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane with the organization aimed at extending its rebuild over the long term. Their matching contracts expire after next season. Chicago added a third first-round pick at No. 25 by acquiring goalie Petr Mrazek from Toronto.
NHL – Canadiens take Juraj Slafkovsky with top pick in NHL draft 
 The Montreal Canadiens have selected Slovak winger Juraj Slafkovsky with the first pick in the NHL draft. He&rsquo;s the first player from Slovakia to be taken No. 1. The previous best was Marian Gaborik going third in 2000. This was the first year in nearly a decade there was suspense about who was going to be the No. 1 pick right up until the player&rsquo;s name was called. The Canadiens said they were considering Slafkovsky, Canadian center Shane Wright and American forward Logan Cooley. The New Jersey Devils surprisingly selected Slovak defenseman and Slafkovsky Olympic teammate Simon Nemec with the second pick.   
NHL – Red Wings select Center Marco Kasper from Sweden 
 Detroit Red Wings general manager continued his pattern of going slightly off of the board for their selection in the 2022 NHL Draft.  The Red Wings selected center Marco Kasper with the 8th overall pick. The 18 year old Austrian born player scored seven goals and had 4 assists in 46 games played for Rogle of the Swedish Hockey League.   Yzerman also went slightly off the board when they selected German defenseman Moritz Seider with the 6th overall pick in the 2019 draft.  Seider won the NHL&rsquo;s Calder Trophy this past season as the Rookie of the Year. 
MLB – Major League Baseball 
 Yesterday 
 Detroit Tigers 2, Chicago White Sox 1 
 Los Angeles Dodgers 5, Chicago Cubs 3
Tigers 2, White Sox 1 – Rookie Brieske outduels Cease, Tigers beat White Sox 2-1 
 Rookie Beau Brieske tossed two-hit ball into the seventh inning while outpitching Dylan Cease, Javier Báez homered and the Detroit Tigers hung on beat the Chicago White Sox 2-1. The Tigers won their fifth straight. They began this four-game series against the reigning AL Central champs after a four-game home sweep of the Guardians, their first against Cleveland in nine years. Spencer Torkelson had an RBI single in the ninth to give Detroit a 2-0 lead. Chicago then made it interesting in the bottom half against closer Gregory Soto, who earned his 17th save. Luis Robert had a one-out RBI double before Soto struck out two batters to end it.
Dodgers 5, Cubs 3 – Gonsolin goes to 11-0, Dodgers get 4 HRs to beat Cubs 5-3 
 Tony Gonsolin pitched seven strong innings for his 11th victory in the Los Angeles Dodgers&#8217; 5-3 win over the Chicago Cubs. Mookie Betts hit a pair of leadoff homers and the Dodgers got a two-run blast from Gavin Lux and a solo shot by Justin Turner. Gonsolin is the first Dodgers pitcher to start a season 11-0 since Alex Wood in 2017. He and Houston&rsquo;s Justin Verlander are tied for most wins in the majors. The NL West-leading Dodgers won their fourth in a row. The Cubs got a two-run homer from Christopher Morel in the fifth.
Tonight 
 Detroit (Skubal 5-7) at Chicago White Sox (Giolito 5-4), 8:10 p.m.                WSJM/WCSY 7:50 
 Chicago Cubs (Thompson 7-3) at L.A. Dodgers (Anderson 9-1), 10:10 p.m.
NBASL – NBA Summer League 
 Last Night 
 Detroit Pistons 81, Portland Trailblazers 78 
 &#8211; (DET) Jaden Ivey 20 Points, Saban Lee 13 points, Isaiah Stewart 13 points, Braxton Key 11 points, Cade Cunningham DNO 
Today 
 Chicago Bulls vs. Dallas Mavericks, 4:00 p.m.
 NBA – Bulls finalize max contract with two-time All-Star LaVine 
 The Chicago Bulls say they have re-signed Zach LaVine, after the high-flying guard agreed to a five-year max contract worth about $215 million last week. LaVine had said he wanted to explore the market as an unrestricted free agent for the first time after eight seasons in the NBA and five with the Bulls. If he went shopping, it was a quick trip. He announced his decision about 18 hours after the free-agent negotiating period began. Executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas praised LaVine&#8217;s work ethic while saying the Bulls &ldquo;look forward to more great things from Zach.&rdquo; LaVine averaged 24.4 points in the final season of a four-year, $78 million deal.
WNBA – Women&rsquo;s National Basketball Association 
 Last Night 
 Chicago Sky 93, Indiana Fever 84
Sky 93, Fever 84 – Chicago secures home court for the Commissioner&rsquo;s Cup game 
 Emma Meesseman scored 20 points, Candace Parker had 12 points, nine rebounds and five assists and the Chicago Sky beat the Indiana Fever 93-84 to secure home court for the Commissioner&rsquo;s Cup game. Chicago will host Las Vegas on July 26 for the Commissioner&rsquo;s Cup. Julie Allemand beat the third-quarter buzzer with a long 3-pointer to extend Chicago&rsquo;s lead to 77-57 after a 29-point frame. Indiana scored 18 of the opening 27 points of the fourth, but Chicago held on. Azura Stevens scored 16 points and Allie Quigley added 13 for Chicago. Courtney Vandersloot had seven points and six assists. Kelsey Mitchell scored 27 points and rookie NaLyssa Smith had her sixth double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds for Indiana.
Sunday 
 2022 WNBA All Star Game – Wintrust Arena, Chicago, IL 
 Team Stewart vs. Team Wilson, 7:00 p.m.
WNBA – WNBA&#8217;s Griner pleads guilty at her drug trial in Russia 
 WNBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty to drug possession charges on the second day of her trial in a Russian court in a case that could see her sentenced to up to 10 years in prison. Her abrupt guilty plea came amid a growing chorus of calls for Washington to do more to secure her freedom nearly five months after her arrest amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Russia over Ukraine. A senior Russian diplomat said earlier that no action could be taken by Moscow on Griner until the trial was over. Griner was detained at a Moscow airport while returning to play basketball in Russia. Police said they found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage.
Tennis – Wimbledon – Injured Nadal out of Wimbledon; Kyrgios advances to final 
 Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from Wimbledon a day before he was supposed to play in the semifinals because of a torn abdominal muscle. Nadal announced that he was pulling out of the Grand Slam tournament at a news conference Thursday. The 22-time Grand Slam champion was scheduled to face Nick Kyrgios for a berth in the final on Friday. Kyrgios advanced to his first final at a major tournament. He will meet either Novak Djokovic or Cam Norrie for the championship on Sunday.
Tennis – Wimbledon – Jabeur 1st woman from Africa in pro Slam final 
 Ons Jabeur has reached her first Grand Slam final with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 victory over good friend Tatjana Maria at Wimbledon. Jabeur is a 27-year-old from Tunisia who is the first African woman and Arab woman to get to the title match at a major tennis tournament. Maria is a 34-year-old German who is ranked 103rd and never had made it past the third round of a Grand Slam event before. The third-seeded Jabeur next will face 17th-seeded Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan for the championship on Saturday. Rybakina overwhelmed 2019 Wimbledon champion Simona Halep 6-3, 6-3 in the second semifinal. She also will be making her major final debut.
Pac-12 facing uncertain future after losses to Big Ten 
 The Pac-12 can make a case as the most successful conference in collegiate athletics, amassing more than 500 NCAA championships while leading the nation in titles 56 of the past 62 years. But when it comes to the biggest moneymakers, football and men&rsquo;s basketball, the conference has come up short for years. The lack of success, particularly in football, combined with the conference&rsquo;s media rights missteps put the Pac-12 on shaky financial footing, opening the door for two marquee schools to jump ship. Now the conference and its remaining member schools face an even more uncertain economic future.
NFL – Dome for Soldier Field? Panel says Chicago should explore it 
 A panel appointed by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot recommended the city explore enclosing Soldier Field, part of an effort to convince the NFL&rsquo;s Chicago Bears to remain in their lakefront home rather than leave for the suburbs. The panel also recommended expanding capacity of the stadium with the fewest seats in the NFL as well as installing synthetic turf and selling naming rights. Adding a roof or a dome might lure Super Bowls and Final Fours as well as more concerts. The group&rsquo;s work is part of a bigger proposal to transform a stretch of land that also includes the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium and McCormick Place lakefront building. It includes improved transportation and making the area more bike friendly.
NFL – Bears WR Moore arrested on drug, weapons charges in Texas 
 Chicago Bears receiver David Moore was arrested on drug and weapons charges in his hometown of Gainesville, Texas, last weekend. Gainesville police say officers responding to a possibly intoxicated person at a Taco Bell drive-thru late Sunday night found Moore asleep in the driver&rsquo;s seat of a silver 2018 Ford F250. Officers smelled marijuana while talking to Moore and found a package of THC edible candies and three pistols while searching the vehicle. Police arrested Moore and charged him with possession of a controlled substance and unlawful carrying weapons. The Bears say they are aware of the arrest and &ldquo;are in the process of gathering more information.&rdquo; They said they would &ldquo;refrain from making any further comment.&rdquo;
NFL – Commanders owner Dan Snyder, House committee at odds 
 Dan Snyder&rsquo;s attorney told the Committee on Oversight and Reform the Washington Commanders&rsquo; owner is willing to testify by video conference regarding the investigation into the team&rsquo;s workplace culture following accusations of pervasive sexual harassment by team executives of women employees. In a letter sent to the committee and obtained by The Associated Press, attorney Karen Patton Seymour said Snyder is traveling outside the country and available for video testimony July 28 and 29. Seymour expressed concern because the committee countered with dates that conflict with her travel schedule and Snyder&rsquo;s.
Biden awards Medal of Freedom to Biles, McCain, Giffords 
 President Joe Biden has presented the nation&#8217;s highest civilian honor to 17 people, including gymnast Simone Biles and the late Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain. Biden and McCain served together in the Senate. The president, who took office during the coronavirus pandemic, also honored Sandra Lindsay, the New York nurse who received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine that was administered in the U.S. outside of clinical trials. Others receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom were gun safety advocate Gabrielle Giffords, U.S. women&#8217;s national soccer team player Megan Rapinoe and late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.
Soccer – US women beat Jamaica 5-0 at the W Championship 
 The U.S. women&rsquo;s national team qualified for the 2023 World Cup on Thursday night at the CONCACAF W Championship. The United States defeated Jamaica 5-0 at Estadio BBVA but had to wait until Haiti downed Mexico 3-0 in the late game to secure a spot in next summer&rsquo;s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. With two victories at the W Championship, the United States was atop its group and became the first team to win one of four World Cup berths up for grabs.
MILB – Midwest League Baseball 
 Last Night 
 West Michigan Whitecaps 7, Dayton Dragons 3 – Game 1 
 Dayton Dragons 5, West Michigan Whitecaps 0 – Game 2 
 South Bend Cubs 8, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 6 
Lansing Lugnuts 10, Great Lakes Loons 1
Last Night 
 West Michigan Whitecaps at Dayton Dragons, 7:05 p.m. 
 Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at South Bend Cubs, 7:05 p.m. 
 Great Lakes Loons at Lansing Lugnuts, 7:05 p.m.

Southwest Michigan's Sports Leader

WSJM Sports

NHL  – Blackhawks begin dismantling, trade DeBrincat and Dach The  long-anticipated dismantling of the Chicago Blackhawks’ roster has begun with  the team trading Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators and Kirby Dach to the  Montreal Canadiens.