HOCKEY

NHL: Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel failed his pre-training camp physical and was placed on injured reserve, leaving the two sides no closer to a resolution over how to treat a herniated disk which has sidelined the player for six months.

General Manager Kevyn Adams said the player has also been stripped of his captaincy as the Sabres opened camp Thursday. The developments leave Eichel being out for the foreseeable future, with the growing likelihood the face of the franchise has already played his final game with the team which selected him with the No. 2 pick in the 2015 draft.

In what has become an ever-widening rift, the Sabres have so far failed in their attempts to trade the five-time 20-goal scorer this offseason. And Eichel, who first publicly questioned his future in Buffalo in May, changed agents last month in hopes to spur a trade.

The Sabres and Eichel remain at odds over how to treat the injury he sustained after being checked into the end boards by Casey Cizikas in a game against the New York Islanders in March. Eichel favors having artificial disk replacement surgery. The Sabres are against him having the procedure because it has never been performed on an NHL player, and prefer him having the disk fused.

Under the NHL’s new collective bargaining agreement reached last year, teams now have the final say on how players can treat injuries. The Sabres could eventually opt to suspend Eichel, which would likely lead to the player filing a grievance through the NHL Players’ Association.

There was little expectation Eichel would pass his physical. The option of surgery became necessary once the injury showed no sign of healing after doctors initially recommended Eichel rest it through the start of June. The 24-year-old Eichel has five years left on an eight-year, $80 million contract and features a no-trade clause which kicks in next summer.

• The New York Rangers announced Thursday they’ll honor late Hall of Famer Rod Gilbert this season by wearing a patch featuring his No. 7 on their jerseys. Players will also wear white “Gilbert” jerseys for pregame warmups prior to the home opener at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 14. They will then be signed and auctioned off for charity.

That game takes place on the 42nd anniversary of Gilbert becoming the first Rangers player to have his number retired. It’s against the Dallas Stars almost 44 years since he had two points on “Rod Gilbert Night” against the Minnesota North Stars.

New York is also creating the Rod Gilbert “Mr. Ranger” award to recognize the player who best honors his legacy by showing leadership on and off the ice and making contributions to the community. It’s the franchise’s first new award since 1988.

Gilbert died in August at age 80.

SOCCER

WOMEN’S EURO CHAMPIONSHIP: Prize money will double for the Women’s European Championship but will be less than 4% of the riches payed out for the most-recent men’s tournament.

European governing body UEFA announced Thursday that the 16 women’s teams at Euro 2022 in England will share $19 million, while $5 million will go to clubs who release their players.

The 24 teams at the men’s European Championship shared $435 million in UEFA prize money this year, but clubs were also guaranteed at least $235 million for the release of players. That means while at least $670 million is allocated in the financial package for the men’s tournament, only $24 million has been set aside for the women’s showpiece.

After the decision of its executive committee, UEFA said it was “ensuring that more money than ever before is distributed across the women’s game.” The committee features only one woman – French Football Federation General Manager Florence Hardouin – alongside 19 men.

The prize money is a reflection of the disparities in the revenue generated by the men’s game compared to women’s competitions. The Women’s European Championship is being hosted by England next July after being delayed by a year due to the pandemic.

AUTO RACING

FORMULA ONE: The first Formula One race in Miami will be held on May 8.

The Miami race at a new track named the Miami International Autodrome built around Hard Rock Stadium will be the first of two U.S. events on the 2022 F1 schedule, along with the existing race at the Circuit of the Americas near Austin.

“We’ve worked hard to create a track with great racing and a venue with unparalleled fan experiences,” Tom Garfinkel, Miami Grand Prix managing partner, said in a statement on Thursday. “We’re happy to be able to announce the date so that people can start planning for it.”

The full calendar for next season is expected to be confirmed next month with a record 23 races. F1 said in April that a 10-year agreement was in place for the Miami race. The city will be the 11th location in the United States to host an F1 race since the championship began in 1950, and the first in Florida since 1959.

TENNIS

ASTANA OPEN: Three of the top four seeded players lost their opening matches at the Astana Open on Thursday, including top-seeded Aslan Karatsev. Karatsev, who reached the Australian Open semifinals this year, lost to Finnish player Emil Ruusuvuori 7-6 (6), 6-4. Third-seeded Dusan Lajovic and fourth-seeded Filip Krajinovic also lost.

Lajovic was eliminated by South Korean opponent Kwon Soon-woo 7-5, 6-4. Kwon will next face seventh-seeded Laslo Djere. Another seeded player was knocked out when James Duckworth beat Krajinovic 7-6 (2), 6-3 in their second-round match. That sets up an all-Australian quarterfinals match between Duckworth and defending champion John Millman.

Alexander Bublik is the highest-ranked player remaining after he beat Miomir Kecmanovic 2-6, 6-3, 7-5. The second-seeded player from Kazakhstan next faces Carlos Taberner, who beat Egor Gerasimov 5-7, 7-6 (5), 7-5.

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