Blackhawks President of Business Operations Jaime Faulkner said the club has sold 3,000 full season ticket plans since landing the right to the first overall pick in the draft lottery on May 8, which they used last night to pick C Connor Bedard. “That’s on top of an over 90% renewal rate and doesn’t include the half products that we’ve sold and all of our quarters,” she said. With the club set to begin its “ride back to championship hockey” after missing the playoffs each of the past three seasons, Faulkner said the club is getting close to capping full season-ticket sales at United Center. “Historically, the majority of the seats in our building have been season tickets -- that will not be the case,” she said. “The majority will be single-game buyers so that as many people have the opportunity to come experience Blackhawks hockey. I think that’s just the trend in entertainment.” 

Bedard was the only player drafted last night whose jersey was immediately available for purchase (along with player T-shirts). Most players’ jerseys aren’t available until the player makes his NHL debut. To ensure immediate availability, Faulkner said the Blackhawks worked with the NHLPA ahead of the draft to ensure Bedard was included in the union’s group licensing deal. It’s a process that other teams have gone through when selecting highly touted players first overall in the past, including Connor McDavid with the Oilers and Jack Hughes with the Devils.

Diamond Sports and the D-backs "postponed their federal bankruptcy court hearing" scheduled for today after Diamond "filed an emergency motion last week to get out of its broadcast agreement" with the team. The case was "scheduled to be heard in front of" Judge Christopher Lopez in Houston. In a joint statement, Diamond Sports CEO David Preschlack and D-backs CEO Derrick Hall said "games will continue to be broadcast on Bally Sports Arizona while both sides look to come to a resolution." If Lopez agrees to let Diamond out of the contract, MLB "would take over production" of D-backs games (AP, 6/28).

Under Armour COO Colin Browne, who also previously served as interim CEO, is "leaving the company as part of a slew of C-suite changes" by new CEO Stephanie Linnartz. Browne will "leave Under Armour in the fall" after seven years with the company, including "serving about nine months as interim CEO before losing out on the permanent job" earlier this year. Lisa Collier, the company's chief product officer, is "also leaving later this summer" after three years. Joining the company's C-suite are Jim Dausch -- who "will be the chief consumer officer and like Linnartz comes to Under Armour from Marriott International Inc." -- and Danny Miles, who is "being promoted to chief technology officer" (BALTIMORE BUSINESS JOURNAL, 6/28).

When Mets owner Steve Cohen set out to hire a GM and a president of baseball operations during the 2021-22 offseason, he was "turned down by several of the game’s top executives" and others he "wasn’t even allowed to interview." The Mets "never did fill that president of baseball operations role," but Cohen is "hoping to do so soon, emphasizing how important he views the role during his midseason press availability." The Mets are "expected to target" Brewers advisor David Stearns, a 38-year-old N.Y. native and lifelong Mets fan who stepped down from his role as the Brewers’ president of baseball ops last fall. Should the Mets have to pivot away from Stearns, Cohen is expected to "pursue someone with a pedigree" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/28).

The NBA and NBPA has officially signed its new seven-year CBA that begins on Saturday and runs through the 2029-30 season. The announcement comes just ahead of the start of NBA free agency. A key element of the deal is a “second tax apron" which could prevent the advent of "super teams,'' or franchises that employ multiple players with maximum salaries. The new "second apron'' states that any team spending roughly $17.5M above the tax limit will face spending limits on acquiring free agents and also potential draft pick penalties into the bottom of the first round if they are repeat offenders of the second tax apron. 

The new CBA also confirms there will be an in-season tournament beginning with the 2023-24 season. All teams will participate in the group stage of the tourney, with eight going on to a single-elimination knockout round. Other details include rules limiting players to less than a 1% interest in any sports betting outfit that offers NBA-type bets. Also, players cannot invest in WNBA teams in which NBA owners hold an interest. Players cannot collectively hold more than 8% of any independent WNBA team.

Read more about the new CBA agreement in last night's edition of SBJ Unpacks.

When the Ducks chose C Leo Carlsson No. 2 overall in the NHL Draft last night, the team chose that moment to "unveil their 30th anniversary sweater," which they will wear "at their home-opening game, home games against division rivals and select road games" this coming season. The 30th anniversary sweater will be "plum with jade, silver, plum and white stripes at the elbow." The center of the sweater "features a large circle that has 'ANAHEIM DUCKS' in block white lettering," with a "slightly more aggressive version" of the face of Ducks mascot Wild Wing in a white hockey mask. Ducks VP/Marketing Merit Tully said that the actual sweater that the players will wear -- and that will be sold to fans -- will have "MIGHTY DUCKS OF ANAHEIM" on one sleeve with "ANAHEIM DUCKS" on the other (ESPN.com, 6/28).

USA Pickleball has signed pain relief brand Biofreeze to a two-year sponsorship agreement that will make Biofreeze the title sponsor of the USA Pickleball National Championships, the sport’s premier tournament. Biofreeze will also manage recovery tents at multiple USA Pickleball-sanctioned events, including this weekend’s APP Newport Beach Open, and offer product discounts to the national governing body’s members. Financial terms of the deal were unavailable, but USA Pickleball CMO Chuck Menke said it’s one of the NGB’s largest and most important commercial partnerships to date. This year’s National Championships will host over 4,000 amateur and pro competitors and take place in November at the Dallas-area Brookhaven Country Club, which is undergoing a $5M series of upgrades ahead of the event.

• Bayern Munich not renewing Qatar Airways deal.
• Brisbane 2032 execs confirm beer will be sold.
• UEFA tweaks rule on how clubs pay off transfer fees.

Check your preferences to make sure you are getting all the SBJ editions you need to keep you informed.

The SEC announced appointments to its Exec Committee for 2023-24, including: Alabama's Dr. Stuart Bell (President), Tennessee's Dr. Donde Plowman (VP), Ole Miss's Ron Rychlak (Secretary), Missouri's Dr. Mun Choi (member), Arkansas's Hunter Yurachek (member), Mississippi State's Ann Carr (member) and Texas A&M's Dr. Paul Batista (member) (SEC).

West Virginia signed a five-year extension with Diversified Energy, which is WVU's official energy partner (WVU).

Towson athletics signed an apparel and footwear extension with Under Armour for five more years (BALTIMORE BUSINESS JOURNAL, 6/28).

“You can do better than that” -- NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, on the fans booing him only a little bit as he announced the start of the NHL Draft (“NHL Draft,” ESPN, 6/28).

The Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL writes a new marijuana proposal is "another opportunity for NCAA to embrace athletes, changing times." The newest proposal by the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports "just might take cannabis off the NCAA’s banned drug list and keep testing protocols focused on performance enhancing drugs." It is "far from a done deal." All three NCAA divisions would "have to propose and pass legislation for it to be official." What it "does signal is another reason why the NCAA needs to fully embrace being an organization for its athletes." That is "especially true during this phase of conference realignment that will have UCLA flying across the country to play Rutgers in a Big Ten conference game when it joins the league in 2024."

Also:

• Why the Rocket Mortgage Classic is becoming a favorite on the PGA Tour.
• Looking at key questions surrounding San Diego State's future.
  

Congrats to too many people to mention for making the launch of @ripcityremix a success. A lot of work left to do but off to a great start! Thank you. https://t.co/XjKUkK79JE

— dewayne hankins (@DewayneHankins) June 29, 2023

THE WINDY CITY'S NEWEST STAR‼️

Connor Bedard goes No. 1 overall in the NHL draft 🙌 pic.twitter.com/OxVMBNUurx

— ESPN (@espn) June 28, 2023

The really dropped a 676 page CBA two days before free agency—NBA is diabolical

— NBA University (@NBA_University) June 28, 2023

I see the freak out about the ‘23 CBA. ‘11 CBA was horrible (cut the players share from 57%-51%). Total salaries players can make as a collective here stays the same. What it will do is cause non-franchise level talent to change teams more often or become free agents more often.

— Nate Jones (@JonesOnTheNBA) June 29, 2023

reminder, UGA can delay responding to FOIA requests re: the athletic department for 90 days because the legislature wrote a law specifically to protect the state's football programs from having to answer them https://t.co/2qdXZ7GvbD

— BUM CHILLUPS AKA SPENCER HALL (@edsbs) June 28, 2023

Sharks, I’m contractually obligated to pay my employees $1 billion each year, and I generate no revenue. I’m asking for $500 million in exchange for 8% of my company. https://t.co/uqQ7tKQF91

— deepfriedegg (@deep_fried_egg) June 28, 2023

Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “The Medical World."

"He created a chest drain valve that aided breathing in wounded soldiers in Vietnam but is better known for a lifesaving measure."

"Who is Henry Heimlich?"