WHL Edmonton Oil Kings F LANDON HANSON “brought the house down” with the Oil Kings’ first goal of the 2023 Teddy Bear Toss game, “resulting in a sea of fluff and fur inside a near-capacity Rogers Place” on Friday. The 17,226 in the stands saw the 17-year-old score the biggest goal of the regular season, taking a centering pass from F TY NASH and “making no mistake in batting it home” past Everett Silvertips G ETHAN CHADWICK 12:46 into the opening period. Hanson became the 16th different Oil Kings player to score the Teddy Bear Toss goal (EDMONTON JOURNAL, 12/1).
PRIVATE DINNER: Patriots owner ROBERT KRAFT and Avenue Capital Group CEO and former Bucks co-owner MARC LASRY were among the guests who were part of a private lunch at Coco's organized by former President DONALD TRUMP's son-in-law JARED KUSHNER and daughter IVANKA TRUMP in N.Y. last week. The lunch also hosted "Qatar's prime minister and a bipartisan group mostly of Jewish businessmen and billionaires.” Qatar is “increasing its lobbying in Washington, concerned that Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel from Gaza -- an enclave Qatar has helped to support -- could damage Qatar's standing with the U.S. and particularly with Congress" (AXIOS, 12/4).
NEWS: An “execution-style” killing at L.A. Live occurred last Tuesday, marking the “first killing there.” L.A. Live, which first opened in late 2007, has been “known as a safe area, with uniformed police and security visibly patrolling the vicinity.” Police said that just after 6pm PT Tuesday, a “masked gunman in dark clothes exited a car parked on Figueroa Street outside of Fixins Soul Kitchen, walked into the restaurant and began shooting at a 43-year-old man” (L.A. TIMES, 12/2).
NAMES: NBC Sports’ TIM HOWARD was elected to the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame on Saturday and will be inducted May 4. Additionally, Paralympic soccer player JOSH MCKINNEY was also selected. Former USWNT member TISHA VENTURINI-HOCH was chosen from the veteran ballot and United Soccer Leagues founder FRANCISCO MARCOS was picked from the builder category (AP, 12/2)....Former Hockey East and ECAC Commissioner JOE BERTAGNA on Wednesday night will receive the Lester Patrick Award for his near half-century of “outstanding service to hockey in the United States.” Bertagna, 72, will receive the award, presented annually by the NHL since 1966, at the Westin Copley Place Hotel. It is also where that same night USA Hockey will induct its newest HOF honorees, including DUSTIN BROWN, BRIAN BURKE, KATIE KING CROWLEY, JAMIE LANGENBRUNNER, and BRIAN MURPHY (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/2)....Former Braves exec and scout PAUL SNYDER passed away Thursday at age 88. Snyder’s career with the Braves “spanned more than a half-century” along with a brief stint as Dir of Stadium Operations when the franchise moved to Atlanta. In 2006, he received MiLB’s “King of Baseball” award. The same year, Baseball America named him “one of the 25 most influential people in the game” (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 12/1)....AMBSE and Falcons CEO RICH MCKAY will receive the Atlanta Sports Council's Lifetime Achievement Award Presented by Coca-Cola during the 2023 Atlanta Sports Awards, which will be presented on Dec. 16 on 11Alive (WXIA-TV) beginning at 7pm ET (Atlanta Sports Awards).
