Le Journal

The Bruins have proven to be the team of opportunity for AHL veterans looking for their big break. First it was 26-year-old defenseman Jonathan Aspirot, who played his first NHL game with the B’s this year and parlayed it into a two-year NHL deal. And on Wednesday, the B’s signed 26-year-old forward Alex Steeves, who had spent four seasons toiling in the Toronto system, to a two-year deal worth $1.625 million. He had originally signed with Toronto as an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame but had gotten just 14 NHL games in the four years he was with Toronto. The B’s signed Steeves as a free agent in the summer and, after hanging around for much of training camp, he was one of the last cuts. But he was brought up to Boston on November 8 when Elias Lindholm was injured. He didn’t allow this chance pass him by. Steeves made an immediate impression with his hustle, scoring in his second game with the Bruins against his old team. He’s got 8-6-14 totals and is plus-5 in 33 games, though he’s gone very cold lately. He has not scored a goal since December 23, a span of 12 games. While he was a goalscorer in AHL, topping the 20-goal goal plateau in three of the four seasons (his highest total was 36 last season with the Marlies), he has had to diversify his game to stick in the NHL. While his scoring touch has at least momentarily left him, he’s not afraid to get in on the forecheck and throw a hit. He leads the team in hits per 60 (17.15) and is fourth in total hits (117). Coach Marco Sturm has been able to utilize him throughout the lineup. The St. Paul, Minnesota native’s energy and physicality will also serve as a good baseline for the young players like James Hagens, Will Zellers and Dean Letourneau who are expected to be integrated into the mix over the coming seasons…. The Dallas Stars claimed — or reclaimed – defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok off waivers from the Bruins. The B’s had originally claimed Kolyachonok from Dallas when they were hit by injuries on the back end. He played just two games for the B’s. Speaking of Hagens and Letourneau, both Boston College players were among the nominees for the Hobey Baker Award. It was expected for Hagens, who was selected by the B’s with the seventh overall pick last June. But there was a question as to which way 6-foot-7 Letourneau, who was taken with the 25th overall pick in 2024, would go in his career. He had no goals and three assists in his freshman season at the Heights. This season has been different story, however, as he’s got 11-9-20 in 20 games and has been a physical force for the Eagles… The B’s reassigned defenseman Billy Sweezey to Providence.

By HILLEL ITALIE NEW YORK (AP) — Three authors who demonstrated how scientific research can be wedded to literary grace have been awarded $10,000 prizes. Related Articles Lili Taylor, Keith McNally and Andrew Ross Sorkin are among Gotham Book Prize finalists The pain, and joy, of Rachel Eliza Griffiths’ writing journey Why mystery readers will be seeing a lot of the detective DS Cross book series This book about historical figures’ drug use is an intoxicating must-read Mattel and Alex Aster team up for Barbie young adult novel, ‘Barbie: Dreamscape’ On Wednesday, the National Book Foundation and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation announced the winners of the fifth annual Science + Literature awards. The books include Kimberly Blaeser’s poetry collection, “Ancient Light,” inspired in part by the environmental destruction of Indigenous communities; the novel “Bog Queen” by Anna North, the story of a forensic anthropologist and a 2000-year-old Celtic druid; and a work of nonfiction, Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian’s “Forest Euphoria: The Abounding Queerness of Nature.” “These gifted storytellers shine a scientific and poetic light on the beauties and terrors of nature and what they reveal to us about our deepest selves, our humanity, and our existence on this planet,” Doron Weber, vice president and program director at the Sloan Foundation, said in a statement. Ruth Dickey, executive director of the National Book Foundation, said in a statement that the new winners continue the awards’ mission to highlight “diverse voices in science writing that … enlighten, challenge, and engage readers everywhere.” The Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards, one of the literary world’s most prestigious events. The Sloan Foundation has a long history of supporting books that join science and the humanities, including Kai Bird’s and Martin J. Sherwin’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “American Prometheus,” which director Christopher Nolan adapted into the Oscar-winning “Oppenheimer.” “At a time when science is under attack, it has become more urgent to elevate books that bring together the art of literature with the wonders of science,” Daisy Hernández, this year’s chair of the awards committee and a 2022 Science + Literature honoree, said in a statement. This story corrects the title of “Bog Queen.”

MILAN (AP) — Two Olympic cauldrons for the Milan Cortina Games will pay homage to Leonardo da Vinci. Related Articles IOC president says no contact yet with Trump’s White House, will meet Vance at Winter Olympics Rivals US and Canada could put North American dominance on display at the Olympics in Milan Fun-loving Kiwi Campbell Wright gives the US hope for its first biathlon Olympic medal Ice dancer Allison Reed returns to Olympics after 16 years, skating for Lithuania Vance and Rubio set to attend Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Italy. Trump isn’t on the list “For the first time in the history of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, two cauldrons (in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo) will be lit and extinguished simultaneously in two different locations,” organizers said in a statement. The design has been revealed and it is a sun-like structure that is inspired by Leonardo’s intricate knot patterns. Leonardo spent almost 25 years of his life in Milan and many of his most famous works are from his time in the city. The cauldrons have been designed to open and close — with a diameter that expands from 3.1 meters to 4.5 meters — and will contain the Olympic flame at their core, encased in a glass and metal container. This image provided by the International Olympic Committee shows an artist’s rendering of what the Olympic cauldrons designed by Marco Balich will look like for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy. (IOC via AP) This image provided by the International Olympic Committee shows an artist’s rendering of what the Olympic cauldrons designed by Marco Balich will look like for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy. (IOC via AP) This image provided by the International Olympic Committee shows an artist’s rendering of what the Olympic cauldrons designed by Marco Balich will look like for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy. (IOC via AP) Show Caption1 of 3This image provided by the International Olympic Committee shows an artist’s rendering of what the Olympic cauldrons designed by Marco Balich will look like for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy. (IOC via AP) Expand The cauldron in Milan will be at the city’s Arco della Pace, while it will be in Piazza Dibona in Cortina. They will be lit simultaneously during the widespread opening ceremony on Feb. 6 and extinguished on Feb. 22. They will burn with the Paralympic flame from March 6-15. There will also be a special show lasting three to five minutes, hourly at the Milan cauldron in the evenings during the Olympics. AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Tetsuya Yamagami pleaded guilty to killing Abe in July 2022 during his election campaign speech.