The 2016-17 NHL schedule is jam-packed, thanks to a late start because of the World Cup and a bye week for each team.

Back-to-backs and stretches of three games in four days are more common than ever before because of the condensed schedule. The season runs from Wednesday, Oct. 12, to Sunday, April 9, which at 180 days is almost a week shorter than 2015-16.

The Bruins open their season with three road games, beginning Oct. 13 at Columbus, Ohio.

• Kings forward Vincent Lecavalier formally retired after 17 NHL seasons.

When he joined the Kings in January, Lecavalier declared the 2015-16 season would be his last.

• Forward Jimmy Vesey’s shortlist of teams includes the Sabres, though college hockey’s top player is still leaning toward pursuing free agency, the player’s agent told The Associated Press. Buffalo acquired Vesey’s rights in a trade with Nashville on Monday.

• Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ryan Callahan has undergone surgery to repair a labral tear in his right hip and will be sidelined about five months.

BASKETBALL

WNBA: Renee Montgomery’s 3-pointer with 2.9 seconds left lifted the Minnesota Lynx to a 72-69 win over the Los Angeles Sparks in a matchup of unbeaten teams. The Lynx are 13-0, the Sparks 11-1.

NBA: Hundreds of thousands of fans are expected to line downtown streets in Cleveland Wednesday to celebrate LeBron James and the Cavaliers winning the NBA title and giving the city its first major professional sports championship since 1964. The parade is scheduled to start at 11 a.m.

• Arron Afflalo and Derrick Williams have informed the Knicks that they are opting out of their contracts, a league source said.

Afflalo was set to make $8 million next season and Williams $4.6 million.

• The Milwaukee Bucks signed Coach Jason Kidd to a three-year contract extension.

SOCCER

MLS: LA Galaxy defender Robbie Rogers will be sidelined for at least six weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his ankle.

COLLEGES

MEN’S LACROSSE: Virginia hired Lars Tiffany, the men’s lacrosse coach at Brown the last 10 years, to take over the Cavaliers’ program.

Tiffany has been a head coach for 12 seasons, and this season guided the Bears to a program-record 16 victories and the national semifinals.

FOOTBALL: Oklahoma State and Arizona State have agreed to a home-and-home series in 2022 and 2023.

The Cowboys will host the Sun Devils at Boone Pickens Stadium on Sept. 10, 2022. Arizona State will host Oklahoma State on Sept. 9, 2023.

The Cowboys and Sun Devils have met three times, most recently in 1993.

• New Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt will make $1 million annually under his three-year deal.

BASEBALL: Eric Gutierrez hit a two-run homer, Texas Tech picked up a huge insurance run by way of two errors on the same play in the ninth, and the Red Raiders eliminated top-seeded Florida 3-2 at the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.

TENNIS

EASTBOURNE INTERNATIONAL: Fifth-seeded Petra Kvitova beat Timea Babos of Hungary 6-4, 7-6 (5), to reach the third round in Eastbourne, England.

– From staff and news services