David Krejci, left, and David Pastrnak won’t get a chance to play in their home country in October, as the NHL has canceled a game in Prague, Czech Republic, between the Bruins and Predators because of the coronavirus pandemic. Elise Amendola/Associated Press
HOCKEY
The Boston Bruins no longer will open the 2020-21 season in the Czech Republic because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Bruins and Nashville Predators were scheduled to play in Prague, but the NHL and players’ union announced it is postponing all 2020 international events.
The Bruins were also supposed to conduct part of their training camp in Mannheim, Germany, while the Predators were to hold some of their training camp in Bern, Switzerland.
• The Washington Capitals on placed Brendan Leipsic on unconditional waivers to terminate his contract after he made disparaging comments about women and teammates in a private social media chat.
The 25-year-old was in his first season with Washington, his sixth NHL organization since being drafted in 2012.
COLLEGES
BIG EAST: The presidents of the 11 members of the Big East Conference are leaning toward not allowing sports to be played this fall unless their campuses are open.
Commissioner Val Ackerman disclosed the thinking of the presidents on Friday in a wide-ranging virtual interview with members of the media about the fallout on the conference from the coronavirus pandemic.
While no deadlines have been set, Ackerman said the presidents indicated a late June/early July deadline for fall sports, and possibly a Sept. 1 deadline for winter sports, when basketball is played. The conference is considered a basketball power.
The Big East consists of Villanova, Creighton, Seton Hall, St. John’s, Georgetown, DePaul, Providence, Marquette, Xavier, Butler and former charter member Connecticut, which is returning to the conference on July 1.
AUTO RACING
NASCAR has canceled races at Richmond, Virginia, Chicagoland Speedway and Sonoma Raceway in California as it revises its schedule to restart the season.
NASCAR plans to race at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina on May 17 and May 20. Since those races weren’t originally scheduled, NASCAR forfeited events at its Richmond and Chicago tracks. Richmond was originally scheduled for April 19 and Chicagoland was scheduled for June 21.
Speedway Motorsports traded its road course race in Sonoma scheduled for June 14 for a Cup race at Charlotte on May 27.
NASCAR is attempting to race at tracks within driving distance of its North Carolina-based teams as it resumes competition following the sports shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. It has only announced races through May.
FOOTBALL
BRETT FAVRE disputed a Mississippi state auditor’s report that said the Hall of Fame quarterback received $1.1 million in welfare money for multiple speaking engagements that he didn’t actually attend.
Favre told ESPN Wisconsin’s “Wilde & Tausch” radio show he instead was being paid for his role in radio public service announcements and advertisements that ran for a few years in Mississippi. Favre reiterated that he is paying back the money.
“I did ads that ran for three years, was paid for it, no different than any other time that I’ve done endorsements for other people, and I went about my way,” Favre said. “For (the auditor) to say I took $1.1 million and didn’t show up for speaking engagements is absolutely, 100% not true.”
An audit released Monday had said Favre Enterprises received $500,000 in December 2017 and $600,000 in June 2018 from the Mississippi Community Education Center, a nonprofit group whose former leader has been indicted in a welfare embezzlement scheme.
Auditor Shad White said his office received $500,000 from Favre on Wednesday, plus a commitment that Favre will repay the other $600,000 in installments over the next few months. He praised the QB for his “good-faith effort to make this right.”
Favre, who lives in Mississippi, said he was unaware that the money he was receiving came from welfare funds.
• The Jacksonville Jaguars agreed to terms with journeyman quarterback Mike Glennon, giving them a veteran backup behind Gardner Minshew.
The 6-foot-7 Glennon has played for Oakland (2019), Arizona (2018) and Chicago (2017) after beginning his career in Tampa Bay (2013-16).
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