World Rugby player of the year Emily Scarratt is in England's squad for the first autumn Test against France.

Darlington Mowden Park Sharks' Heather Kerr and Gloucester-Hartpury Women forward Ellena Perry are included after their impressive starts to the Premier 15s season.

Wasps Ladies' Abby Dow is also included after scoring seven tries in six matches.

The Red Roses play France on Saturday at Stade Marcel Michelin in Clermont.

The return fixture is on 16 November at Exeter's Sandy Park, before their final match against Italy at Goldington Road, Bedford on 23 November.

Detysha Harper, who featured for England's under-20 side in this summer's Tri-Nations Cup, will travel as a non-playing reserve to further her development.

"Outside of New Zealand, France is one of the toughest places to go and play," said head coach Simon Middleton. "It's a massive challenge but it's exactly what we want and we can't wait to get there.

"We play them away again in our opening match at next year's Six Nations so it'll be a good marker of where we are."

England squad

Forwards: Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury Women), Sarah Beckett (Harlequins Women), Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears Women), Hannah Botterman (Saracens Women), Shaunagh Brown (Harlequins Women), Poppy Cleall (Saracens Women), Lark Davies (Loughborough Lightning), Vicky Fleetwood (Saracens Women), Sarah Hunter (Loughborough Lightning), Heather Kerr (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), Marlie Packer (Saracens Women), Ellena Perry (Gloucester-Hartpury Women), Abbie Scott (Harlequins Women), Detysha Harper (Loughborough Lightning: non-playing reserve).

Backs: Jess Breach (Harlequins Women), Katy Daley-Mclean (Loughborough Lightning), Abby Dow (Wasps FC Ladies), Zoe Harrison (Saracens Women), Natasha Hunt (Gloucester-Hartpury Women), Sarah McKenna (Saracens Women), Leanne Riley (Harlequins Women), Emily Scarratt (Loughborough Lightning), Emily Scott (Harlequins Women), Lydia Thompson (Worcester Warriors Women).

Transitions of power are not always smooth.

After his party lost the 2010 general election, Labour Treasury minister Liam Byrne left his successors a memorable short note which stated blankly: "No money left."

Before a winter that may bring more political upheaval, Wales' departing head coach Warren Gatland hopes to leave a better inheritance for the heir to his throne, Wayne Pivac.

Gatland's own legacy is assured, thanks to a 12-year reign which has produced four Six Nations titles - including three Grand Slams - two World Cup semi-finals and a first stint as the world's number one-ranked side.

But as he approached his final match in charge - Wales' World Cup bronze match loss to New Zealand - Gatland had already been busy laying foundations for the future.

The New Zealander had built towards this tournament for years, always with one eye on what he was leaving behind.

Planning had been particularly focused during the past 24 months, during which Gatland gave debuts to seven of Wales' starting 15 against the All Blacks in Tokyo.

"I've always been conscious of what is being left behind and there are some young players that, particularly for the future, needed an opportunity to play against the All Blacks in a big game at the World Cup," Gatland said.

"We felt it was important we didn't just think about ourselves, it was looking at the bigger picture - which is what is good for Welsh rugby?"

As the Wales squad flew home on Monday, this was Gatland's passing of the flame before his return to New Zealand to take charge of Waikato Chiefs.

So when Pivac picks up the mantle and begins his new job, what will the former Scarlets coach find in his in-tray?

Nurture the next generation

After bowing out on Friday, Gatland said it would break his heart if Wales returned to the "doldrums" in which he found the team when he took over in 2007.

Thanks to his tenure of sustained success - and commitment to developing young players - a regression of that severity looks unlikely.

Gatland leaves his successor a squad which includes a raft of players who Pivac can expect to be around for the next World Cup in France in 2023.

In the squad of 23 to face New Zealand in Tokyo, Dillon Lewis, Adam Beard, James Davies, Tomos Williams, Josh Adams, Owen Watkin, Owen Lane, Elliot Dee, Rhys Carre, Wyn Jones and Hadleigh Parkes had all made their debuts in the past two years.

Apart from centre Parkes, flanker Davies and prop Jones, every one of those players was 25 years old or younger - and that was by design.

"Warren has given the likes of me and other youngsters a good opportunity," said 21-year-old wing Lane.

"What Warren has done has left the game in Wales in a really good place, and hopefully we can build on that going forward."

A late addition to the squad in Japan following an injury to Josh Navidi, Lane had been with the Wales squad less than a fortnight when he was given his first taste of World Cup action - and only his second cap - against the All Blacks.

It was telling that the Cardiff Blues wing was called up in the first place, with Gatland overlooking the 58-cap centre Scott Williams, who some may have considered the logical cover for Wales' injury-hit midfield.

Although Gatland is a great admirer of Williams, he was also mindful that, at 29 and having struggled with several injuries of his own in recent seasons, the Ospreys player may not represent the same long-term potential as Lane.

The wing will have learned a huge amount from the 40-17 defeat by the All Blacks, particularly as his opposite number Ben Smith produced a vintage display to score two tries in his final international appearance.

The same is true for the likes of props Carre and Lewis, among others, and Pivac will be looking to further their development when he begins his reign with a match against a Barbarian team coached by Gatland in Cardiff later this month, and then for real with the Six Nations in February.

Manage the senior figures

Gatland will be a tough act to follow for Pivac, particularly in the Six Nations.

As the Welsh public has grown used to success in the competition over the past 12 years, expectations have increased enormously.

Pivac will need time to implement his own playing philosophy but, with that aforementioned Barbarians fixture his only game before the Six Nations, he may not have as much time as he might like.

With all that in mind, and with Wales as defending Grand Slam champions, Pivac will be eager to carry the momentum of the team's stellar 2019 into his first campaign.

Doing that will need continuity, not only among the younger players earmarked for the 2023 World Cup, but with the squad's senior figures who may not be setting their sights quite so far into the future.

Captain Alun Wyn Jones is as influential as ever and, as his World Rugby Player of the Year nomination demonstrates, he is still a world-class player at 34 years old.

Wales' record cap holder is contracted to the Welsh Rugby Union and the Ospreys until 2021 and, with a British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa that summer, Pivac would hope to have his skipper available for at least the next year-and-a-half.

Jones has alluded to the fact he may have played in his last World Cup, while Gatland suggested as many as nine or 10 of the 31-man Wales squad in Japan might have done so.

Hooker Ken Owens is 32, as is Parkes, while his centre partner Jonathan Davies is 31 and fly-half Dan Biggar turned 30 last month.

Even if another World Cup might be beyond some of them, there is no doubt they are all capable of excelling at Test level for the foreseeable future.

Passing on experience

So Pivac will look to them as leaders, hoping they can share their experience and knowledge with the younger members of the squad.

As Gatland said, Wales' smaller pool of players compared to many of their rivals means they have to "wring the sponge as dry as you possibly can" to compete.

The 56-year-old certainly did that over the course of his tenure and, fortunately for Pivac, there is still plenty to squeeze out of the squad he has inherited.

"We can look back and be very proud on what we've done, some of the things we've achieved, and the state we're leaving the squad in now," said forwards coach Robin McBryde, who is also departing after 12 years by Gatland's side.

"They're not coming to the end of their careers - a lot of them are just starting their careers and that can only be exciting."

Get the better of Gatland

A successful coach in his own right, Pivac will undoubtedly want to impose himself and his own ideas on his new team.

But given the achievements and sheer length of Gatland's tenure, his spectre is bound to loom large over Wales for some time.

And for Pivac's first game at the helm, Gatland will be unavoidable - because he will be in charge of the opposition.

Barbarians fixtures tend to be carnivalesque in the way they subvert the modern game's dominance of structure, the invitational team committing instead to a kind of entertaining chaos, harking back to the carefree rugby of the amateur era.

That approach is at odds with the pragmatic style which brought Gatland his success with Wales, but he is looking forward to turning the tables, both in terms of his own playing ethos as Barbarians head coach and by trying to plot Wales' downfall for once.

"I'm really looking forward to that game," he said.

"From my point of view, it's just about being able to go out there and throw a couple of moves that they wouldn't have expected.

"We want to be positive in the way that both teams play. The Barbarians will throw the ball around.

"Hopefully it gives me a chance to say thank you to the Welsh public and the fans, my sincere thanks in terms of how much I've enjoyed the last 12 years."

PLANO, Texas – Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series star Kyle Busch will join AIM Vasser Sullivan to compete in the annual running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona Int’l Speedway on Jan. 25-26.

Busch will make his IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and Rolex 24 debut when he co-drives an AIM Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 in the GT Daytona class. Busch’s Rolex 24 debut was announced at the annual Motorsports Day event for Toyota and Lexus team members held at the Toyota Motor North America headquarters in Plano, Texas.

“I’d like to thank everyone at Lexus Motorsports, AIM Vasser Sullivan and Toyota for this opportunity,” said Busch. “To have the chance to run in such an iconic race as the Rolex 24 is certainly something I’ve thought about and wanted to do. My partnership with Toyota and the history we’ve had together has been incredible. I would love to continue that history and maybe get my own Daytona Rolex to add to my trophy collection.”

“We’re thrilled to have a racer of Kyle’s caliber join AIM Vasser Sullivan to open our 2020 season at the Rolex 24 at Daytona,” said Jimmy Vasser, co-owner of AIM Vasser Sullivan. “Kyle has proven he can compete and win in many forms of motorsports and we look forward to having him drive the Lexus RC F GT3 at Daytona.”

Busch won the first NASCAR Cup Series driver’s championship for Toyota in 2015 and is the winningest driver in Toyota history, with 186 victories across all three NASCAR national series.

Overall, he’s earned 207 career NASCAR wins combined and has scored 55 NASCAR Cup Series victories. Busch holds the NASCAR record for the most wins in both the Xfinity Series (96) and the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series (56). He’s currently in the hunt for his second Cup Series championship with two races remaining in the 2019 season after having made the NASCAR Championship 4 the past four years.

“Kyle has been a fixture in our Toyota family for over a decade and is the winningest driver in the Toyota NASCAR program. He has accomplished so many firsts for Toyota throughout his tenure and we couldn’t be happier to have him join AIM Vasser Sullivan and drive the Lexus RC F GT3 in a world class event like the Rolex 24 at Daytona,” said Lisa Materazzo, vice president marketing, Lexus Division.

Busch will participate in the 2020 Roar Before the Rolex 24 at Daytona Int’l Speedway on Jan. 3-5 to prepare for the 2020 Rolex 24.

AUSTIN, Texas – Officials from the Alfa Romeo Formula One team have announced that Antonio Giovinazzi will return to the team for the 2020 season.

The 25-year-old Italian is in his first season in Formula One as a teammate to veteran Kimi Raikkonen. He has scored four championship points this season as a rookie.

“I am very happy to be staying with the team for 2020,” said Giovinazzi. “I am grateful for the incredible level of support I received in my first full season in Formula One: everyone in the team has stuck by my side since I joined and I am really looking forward to continuing our journey together. We learned a lot this year and I am confident we can make a big step forward next season. I won’t be a rookie anymore so there won’t be any excuses for me: I want to be competitive right from the start of the championship and repay the confidence the team has shown in me.”

“Antonio has done really well this year and I am extremely pleased to be able to confirm he will stay with Alfa Romeo Racing for 2020,” said Frédéric Vasseur, team principal of Alfa Romeo Racing and CEO of Sauber Motorsport AG. “The way he has integrated into the team and has consistently improved throughout his first full season in the sport are very promising and we cannot wait to unlock his full potential as we continue to work together. Antonio has emerged as a very quick driver, even alongside as tough a benchmark as Kimi, and we expect him to develop even further as his experience grows. His technical feedback, work ethics and positive approach will help us continue to push our team forward, and so will the consistency of an unchanged line-up for next season.”

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Young’s Motorsports announced Monday that Colby Howard will join the organization as a driver in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series.

The 18-year-old Howard signed a two-race contract with the team and will pilot the No. 20 Project HOPE Foundation Chevrolet Silverado beginning with Lucas Oil 150 at ISM Raceway on Nov. 8.

“It is the biggest break of my racing career,” Howard said. “I am very excited to have the opportunity to make my debut with Young’s Motorsports.”

Howard will make his NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series debut at the ISM Raceway, located in Avondale, Ariz., and is also scheduled to compete at Homestead-Mimi (Fla.) Speedway on Nov. 15.

The Simpsonville, S.C.,-native is currently running in the Show Me the Money Series Pro Late Models, where he has earned three wins, four top-five and four top-10 finishes in five starts this season. At the historic Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla., Howard captured one victory in the Allen Turner Pro Late Model Series.  In addition, he made one start in the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour presented by Chevrolet Performance.

He has 46 career starts in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series with four victories, 20 top-five and 39 top-10 finishes at the NASCAR Home Tracks of Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Speedway and Greenville-Pickens (S.C.) Speedway. Howard has also made one start in the CARS Late Model Stock Tour.

Howard has four starts in the ARCA Menards Series, finishing in the top-10 each time.

“We are excited to see Howard develop his stock car skills with Young’s Motorsports,” team principal Tyler Young said.

Anton Hulman Jr. is, perhaps, the most important figure in the 100-plus-year history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Hulman purchased the track in 1945, saved it from certain destruction and elevated its stature well beyond anything the original founding fathers could have imagined.

It was under Hulman’s leadership that the speedway and its cornerstone event, the Indianapolis 500, gained national and international acclaim, while achieving an iconic status that exceeded the boundaries of both auto racing and sports.

Hulman was born to a wealthy family in Terre Haute, Ind., on Feb. 11, 1901. His was not an automatic access to the family fortune, however. After he graduated from Yale in 1924, where he starred in track and football, Hulman was expected to prove himself in the family business.

Given charge of the Clabber Girl Baking Powder Co., one of many Hulman family holdings, Hulman’s task was to revive the brand’s sagging profits. He developed a 10-year plan, sent a squad of salesmen across the country and made Clabber Girl the top-selling baking powder in the nation.

Hulman’s business savvy proved such that at age 30 he had complete control of all Hulman and Co. businesses. When he took on the speedway, the challenge required all of his accumulated business acumen.

Hulman’s purchase of the speedway happened because of the persistence of three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Wilbur Shaw. Conducting secret Firestone tire tests during the winter of 1944, Shaw was appalled at the condition of the speedway. Since racing was shut down during World War II, the grounds had become overrun with weeds, brush and trees. The wooden grandstands were falling down.

The part of Gasoline Alley damaged by fire before the 1941 500 had not been repaired. The vegetation grew so thick between the famed bricks that it had to be cleared for Shaw to safely run his race car.

Immediately following the test, Shaw flew to New York and met with track owner, former racer and World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker. Rickenbacker’s intentions were to ready the track for the 1946 500. However, he preferred to get out from under it and concentrate his resources on his latest venture, Eastern Airlines.

Shaw originally considered buying the speedway himself and began seeking investors. Many were interested, but Shaw realized that most wanted the speedway for their own personal agendas and there was little concern about continuing the 500.

Shaw had reached the point of despair about the future of his beloved track when investment broker Homer Cochran introduced Shaw to Tony Hulman.

Hulman had attended the 500 regularly since his first trip there in 1914 as a child and shared Shaw’s passion for the speedway, the 500 and their unique place in Indiana culture.

Ironically, Hulman had also received inquiries from Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, regarding purchasing that facility. Hulman wasn’t interested. However, the more he talked with Shaw, the more convinced he became that he could preserve the speedway.

On Nov. 14, 1945, Rickenbacker flew from New York and met with Hulman at the Athletic Club in downtown Indianapolis. Hulman purchased the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for between $700,000 and $750,000.

The shy, unassuming Hulman, desiring anonymity, named Shaw president and general manager, while proclaiming himself chairman of the board.

To continue reading, turn to the next page.

INDIANAPOLIS — Roger Penske already figuratively owned Indianapolis Motor Speedway thanks to his 18 victories in the Indianapolis 500, but now he’ll literally own the legendary race track.

The Board of Directors of Hulman & Company announced Monday that it has entered into an agreement to be acquired by the Roger Penske-owned Penske Corp., a global transportation, automotive and motorsports leader.

Penske Entertainment Corp., a subsidiary of Penske Corporation, will acquire all Hulman & Company principal operating assets, including the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the NTT IndyCar Series and IMS Productions.

The transaction will close following receipt of applicable government approvals and other standard conditions.

The acquisition by the Penske organization will carry the future of the legendary IMS facility and the IndyCar Series forward for the next generation of racing fans.

It was the vision of Carl Fisher to build the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1909 and the track hosted its first races later that year. Eddie Rickenbacker later purchased the Speedway in 1927 before selling it to Tony Hulman and Hulman & Company in 1945.

IMS has been the host of the world’s largest single-day sporting event – the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race – for more than 100 years. The iconic venue has also hosted NASCAR, Formula One and other racing series events throughout its storied history.

What eventually became known as the NTT IndyCar Series began as the Indy Racing League in 1994, with the series officially hosting its first racing event in 1996.

The NTT IndyCar Series continues to be the premier open-wheel racing series in North America and is one of the most competitive championships in the world.

IMS Productions is a leading video services and production company.

“We recently approached Roger Penske and Penske Corporation about this opportunity and began working to put an agreement in place,” said Tony George, Chairman of Hulman & Company. “The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been the centerpiece and the cathedral of motorsports since 1909 and the Hulman-George family has proudly served as the steward of this great institution for more than 70 years. Now, we are honored to pass the torch to Roger Penske and Penske Corporation, as they become just the fourth owner of the iconic Speedway.

“There is no one more capable and qualified than Roger and his organization to lead the sport of Indy car racing and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway into the future.”

Penske, who fields multiple teams in the NTT IndyCar Series including that of 2019 champion Josef Newgarden and 2019 Indianapolis 500 winner Simon Pagenaud, is the chairman of Penske Corp.

Penske Corp. has a rich history of managing major motorsports properties, beginning with the acquisition of Michigan Int’l Speedway in 1973.

Over the course of its history, Penske and its subsidiaries have also operated the Grand Prix of Cleveland, Nazareth Speedway and California Speedway, along with investments in North Carolina Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Penske Corp. currently promotes and operates the Detroit Grand Prix, hosted annually at the Belle Isle Park street circuit.

“My passion for racing began at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1951 when I attended the Indianapolis 500 with my father,” said Penske, whose race team celebrated its 50th anniversary of first competing at IMS this year. “We have so much respect and appreciation for the history and tradition of the Speedway and the sport of IndyCar racing. I want to thank Hulman & Company for the opportunity to build on this legacy and it will be an honor for Penske Corporation to help lead these great institutions forward into a new era.”

“The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race and the NTT IndyCar Series have enjoyed considerable growth over the past decade, with significant increases in television, digital and social media audiences combined with record attendance at many of our race venues,” added Mark Miles, President and CEO of Hulman & Company. “With their track record of business success, their venue, operation and event experience and their passion for motorsports, Roger Penske and Penske Corporation will help us take the IndyCar Series, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and all of our properties to new heights. Everyone on our team looks forward to working with them to capitalize on the momentum that the Series and the Speedway have achieved.”

Hulman & Company’s financial adviser was Allen & Company LLC, and its counsel was Ice Miller LLP for this transaction.

This offseason, two New York-area teams dominated the headlines. After the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers landed the Nos. 1 and 2 picks in the draft, respectively, both teams upgraded with flashy veterans (2013 Norris winner P.K. Subban, 2016 Calder winner Artemi Panarin) and appeared poised to make earlier-than-expected runs this season. The media fawned all summer.

Then there were the New York Islanders, the only of the New York-area teams to make the playoffs last spring. The Isles were the best defensive team in hockey. They brought back nearly the exact same roster for this season. And nobody was talking about them.

"Obviously, we notice it," captain Anders Lee said in a phone interview this week. "But there probably wasn't much to talk about with us."

That's fine for the Islanders, who, after losing three of four to start the season, have won nine straight and sit five points behind the Capitals for first place in the Metropolitan Division standings. They like flying under the radar.

"At times, absolutely we consider ourselves an underdog," Lee said. "Last year, that was a big part of our identity. This year, we're coming back with a very similar team but still have a lot to prove. It's hard to really come in and demand that attention. You demand respect by the way you play -- if you win, how your season goes -- but we haven't accomplished our goals just yet. And until we do that, we're going to have to keep proving everyone wrong."

Lee was an unrestricted free agent this summer, and though the contract took a bit longer to work out than expected, he stayed with the only team he has played for on a seven-year, $49 million deal. "It felt maybe a little more up in the air outside our circle than it really was," Lee said. "It was never really in question. This is where I want to be."

Brock Nelson also re-signed in May, meaning the top five scorers from last season were back. The team improved in the middle six with the addition of veteran Derick Brassard, who is officially a journeyman after suiting up for his seventh NHL team.

The biggest change was in net. The Islanders let Vezina Trophy finalist Robin Lehner leave in free agency and, in turn, signed veteran Semyon Varlamov, with the belief that because of their stingy defensive system, there wouldn't be much of a drop-off. Varlamov, in a timeshare with Thomas Greiss (similar to what Lehner saw last season) has been solid: In seven starts, the former Av is 5-2 with a .929 save percentage and 2.14 goals-against average. (In six starts, Greiss has nearly identical numbers.)

The only other noticeable difference with the Islanders is the inclusion of the kids. New York has a vaunted prospect system, thanks to recent strong drafting. Nineteen-year-old winger Oliver Wahlstrom has appeared in seven games. Although Wahlstrom is without a point, he has shown glimpses of his offensive promise. Meanwhile, defenseman Noah Dobson, 20, has cracked the lineup for only four games but appears to be sticking around the big club for the foreseeable future as he continues to earn coach Barry Trotz's trust.

"It's amazing how not only good at hockey they are but how well-rounded they are at this age. To step in at 19, 20 and play in this league," Lee said. "They're really good kids and mesh well with our group, which is pretty tight-knit. They've shown a lot of growth even in the short time I've been with them."

Also on the youth front: Lee noted that the three defensemen playing the most minutes are all 27 or under (Adam Pelech, Scott Mayfield and Ryan Pulock). Those are workloads that Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy used to shoulder. Devon Toews, 25, has also taken on a bigger role.

Other than that, the Islanders are picking up right where they left off last season. They're allowing 2.23 goals per game, third-fewest in the league. Last season, a lot of was made of the Islanders' needing more scoring. Their offense is pedestrian again, averaging three goals per game and hovering around the league average.

"I don't think we get enough credit for our offense," Lee said. "We don't have trouble scoring goals. I just think that the way we do it is a little bit different than some other teams. We do such a good job defensively that we get a lot of credit, well deserved, in that regard, but our goal scoring isn't one of our weak spots. At the end of the day, you just have to score one more than the other team."

The transition into captaincy has been smooth for Lee. He took a few management courses while he was a student at Notre Dame. "I remember the big takeaways from a lot of the textbooks were that there's so many different ways to be a leader. There's not one specific way," Lee said. "There are leaders who lead by example, vocal leaders, et cetera. But the big thing is just to be yourself and not trying to be something that you're not. You want to be as authentic as possible."

Authenticity for the Islanders in 2019-20 plays into their identity. The team has embraced the ability to fly under the radar.

"It's been that way pretty much my entire time here," Lee said. "We go out there and do our best. We're used to having people doubt us, used to not having people pick us to make the playoffs and all those things -- maybe because of the rough patch we had. But we've been a pretty good team for a little while now. But until you've earned it and have done it over and over again, you're going to have to go through these things. "

Jump ahead:
Emptying the notebook | What we liked this week
Three stars of the week | Biggest games coming up

Emptying the notebook

Lee said last summer that he had a hard time not thinking about how the season ended, getting swept by the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round. "It's always going to weigh on you, obviously," Lee said. "You need to move on, but you should never forget how you feel when you lost." Asked what he thought was his team's ultimate demise, Lee said: "We really just weren't, unfortunately, able to catch the momentum. Games 1 and 2 were extremely close. Give credit to Carolina for coming in and stealing those games from us. From then on out, we just couldn't grasp a bounce. We seemed to have a great response every time Pittsburgh scored a goal in the first round. We were fortunate sometimes, and we earned them other times. We couldn't get either to go against Carolina."

I returned to my alma mater, Penn State, for a visit this week. Side note: It was awesome to meet so many hockey-loving students there. I also had a chance to meet Penn State hockey coach Guy Gadowsky ahead of the team's big weekend series against Wisconsin (which, I must add, the Nittany Lions swept). I asked Gadowsky the biggest trends he has noticed in college hockey. "The trend is that it's just getting more and more competitive. There's more and more players coming from Europe. There's more players being grown, for lack of a better word, in nontraditional areas of the United States. With the exposure of television right now, I think it's becoming more attractive to Canadians. There's more and more better players and more college hockey players getting to the NHL." (The Nittany Lions have two Russians, two Finns and six Canadians on the roster).

When it comes to the on-ice trend he notices, Gadowsky says college hockey is a copycat league -- to the NHL. "Quite honestly, we do follow the NHL. We did in the past, but now it's just so easy because there is such great data now. We can get video of whatever you want, the analytics with it. So the trends pretty much follow them. We're a little behind because we copy them."

I had an interesting discussion with Gadowsky about whether there would ever be puck-tracking in college hockey (the NHL is expected to debut its system, developed by SMT, some this season). "Someday there probably would be puck tracking in college hockey, too," Gadowsky said before noting that there would be some hurdles to clear regarding getting (and distributing) data from student-athletes. However, it's not totally out of the realm. "For instance, in college we're able to put heart rate monitors on the players and get all that information, and in the NHL you can't," Gadowsky said. "Because of the professional hockey players' association. They want to own that stuff. If it's going to be something detrimental to their renegotiations, they want to hold it. Whereas in college, we can do it."

I wrote a story, out today, on Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoreoux-Morando making comebacks as new mothers. What interested me most: When the women's hockey team battled with USA Hockey in the 2017 contract negotiations, one of the things the players fought for was maternity benefits. They got them, and the twins were the first to use them.

The U.S. senior women's national team is in Pittsburgh this week for a joint training camp with Canada in place of the canceled Four Nations Cup, which was supposed to go this week. The Swedish players' standoff with their federation caused the cancellation. It feels like we just got through it, but the U.S. players' contract with USA hockey comes up again in 2021. I asked Lamoureux-Davidson what she hoped to achieve with the next contract. "What we're trying to create is a cultural shift in how women's hockey is supported, from the ground up. That doesn't happen overnight, and that doesn't happen just because you sign a contract. We've seen great positive strides with where the program is going. There's been some structural changes with how the women's program is staffed, and we're hoping to see the benefits of. But the big things we fought for -- equal marketing, sustainable livable wage, support -- we're still working on that."

She also mentioned institutional support. "For example, the boys U18 team is funded with millions of dollars through U.S. Hockey," Lamoureux-Davidson said. "There isn't an equivalent girls program there. There might not need to be from a developmental standpoint, but how else can we support girls hockey?"

Coming this week to ESPN.com: Player Confidential!

A project I've worked on for a few months is coming to life this week on ESPN.com, and I couldn't be more excited. Since the summer, I've been polling NHL players on a variety of questions, including the NHL's drug policy, whether there is a cocaine problem in the league, the best and worst visiting locker rooms, dreaded road trips, burner Twitter accounts and, perhaps most importantly, whether there is Gritty fatigue.

The art team did a terrific job illustrating the story, and they couldn't help but add one of my favorite anecdotes of the summer. I asked players (on the record) what impulse purchases they made over the past year. Here were my favorite responses. Some are more relatable than others.

Oskar Sundqvist, F, St. Louis Blues: "A dog. It's a Corgi. I got it two weeks ago [before the start of the NHL season]. My girlfriend told me, 'Let's go look at dogs. We're not buying any.' I said, 'OK, sure.' Then I fall in love. At first, I was like, 'No, no, no, I'm not going to buy one today.' I drove out there, and then I brought home a dog. Her name is Luna."

Haydn Fleury, D, Carolina Hurricanes: "I actually ordered three Cleveland Brown jerseys, midsummer, at like 2 in the morning. You could probably guess what I was doing. Odell, Baker and Jarvis. That was very impulsive. I ordered them when I was back home but ordered them [to Carolina]. Then when I got here, I kind of forgot I ordered them, and there were just three jerseys in my mailbox. I was like, 'F---'s sake.' I blame PayPal. It's too easy. You just click, and it's at your door."

Taylor Hall, F, New Jersey Devils: "A Fendi backpack. Bought it like a week ago."

Henrik Lundqvist, G, New York Rangers: "I bought a jacket when I went to London this summer. Didn't plan on doing on it, but it just happened. Nothing special, but I was there for a few days, walked around, and it caught my eye."

Cale Makar, D, Colorado Avalanche: "Umm ... the other day I was driving, and I stopped to buy myself a Slurpee. I wouldn't usually do that, but I did."

What we liked this past week

• Everyone in hockey was talking about how 19-year-old Canes forward Andrei Svechnikov scored the first lacrosse goal in NHL history. (Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews has attempted it a few times, but Svechnikov succeeded first.)

• Two days later, everyone was talking about Matthew Tkachuk's sick, between-the-legs goal (which absurdly got some velocity) to win a 6-5 overtime game against the Nashville Predators. The skill on the kids these days. Have mercy.

Couple more angles of Tkachuk's between the legs goal pic.twitter.com/HZAO0K3qFr

— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) November 1, 2019

• Colleague Greg Wyshynski had a spicy preseason take: The Canucks are a playoff team. I can't believe it, but Wysh might be right on this one. Vancouver looks legit -- or at least, the offense is. At 9-3-2, the Canucks have the second-best record in the Pacific Division. In half of their 14 games, they've scored five or more goals. And they have a great, young playmaking duo in Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson.

• Positive attendance signs from the desert:

#Yotes announce a sellout crowd of 17,125 tonight at Gila River Arena. Four of the Coyotes' past five weekend home games have been sold out.

— Alexander Kinkopf (@AEKinkopf) November 3, 2019

What we didn't like this past week

• It was a scary scene on Saturday in Boston, as Ottawa Senators forward Scott Sabourin appeared to lose consciousness after colliding with David Backes. Sabourin was taken off on a stretcher (he gave a thumbs-up on his way out) and posted this picture on Instagram the next day. Backes was visibly shaken and left the game himself, with an upper-body injury.

• I agree with Keith Olbermann here that this Don Cherry clip after the play was uncomfortable to watch. Cherry might have been laughing at "extremities" -- which he found to be a silly word? -- but he came across as making light of a really dangerous situation, which is not OK.

• It's as if these Canadiens fans were looking for poutine in Texas, and well, this ain't it:

Today in sports. ?#MTLvsDAL | #GoStars pic.twitter.com/WY8z6G02HV

— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) November 3, 2019

• In the spirit of Halloween week, here are some gory details on an injury to Devils defenseman Connor Carrick:

Connor Carrick's wife said his pinky finger was "shattered" and the doctor told them if he wasn't an athlete they would have amputated that part of his finger.

Ouch.

— Corey Masisak (@cmasisak22) October 30, 2019

Three stars

Elias Pettersson, C, Vancouver Canucks

He's shaking off signs of a sophomore slump. The Swede posted three goals and six assists in four games this week. His 20 points this season are the most by a Canucks player through the team's first 14 games since Trevor Linden in 1995-96 (21).

Mike Smith, G, Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers might just keep it up if Smith keeps playing like this. He was sensational, stopping 51 of 52 shots against the Penguins. In two games this week (both wins), the 37-year-old has a .974 save percentage and a 0.98 goals-against average.

Jakub Vrana, C, Washington Capitals

With the (perhaps a little tipsy) World Series champion Washington Nationals in the crowd, the 21-year-old Vrana gave them something to cheer for, scoring his first career hat trick in the Caps' victory on Sunday. And yeah, they cheered all right:

Ya love to see it pic.twitter.com/KnVX2sCG17

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) November 4, 2019

Adam Eaton knows how to celebrate Jakub Varna's hat trick ? ? ? pic.twitter.com/GFSqC90cVP

— Al Koken (@RealSmokinAl) November 4, 2019

Games of the week

Monday: Pittsburgh Penguins at Boston Bruins

Pittsburgh's early rash of injuries has been relentless. Right when the Pens get Evgeni Malkin back, they put Patric Hornqvist on IR. They've managed to stay competitive but get a big test in the East's most dangerous team on Monday.

Tuesday: Carolina Hurricanes at Philadelphia Flyers (ESPN+)

Nearly a month into the season, the Hurricanes and Flyers are still trying to establish consistency. Both are hovering around the middle of the pack in the Metropolitan Division, making this a big game for both clubs.

Sunday: Edmonton Oilers at Anaheim Ducks

The Ducks are, confusingly, better than expected this season. They get a chance to make up ground in the Pacific Division by facing Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl ... and OK, the rest of the Oilers, too.

Quote of the week

"If I tried that, I'd pull my groin."

-- Keith Tkachuk (via Sportsnet's Ryan Leslie) commenting on his son's ridiculous goal.

Everton midfielder Andre Gomes is expected to be sidelined until next season after undergoing surgery to repair an ankle injury he sustained during Sunday's 1-1 draw against Tottenham at Goodison Park.

The Portugal international, who completed a £22 million move to Everton from Barcelona in June, suffered a fractured dislocation of his right ankle following a 79th-minute challenge by Spurs forward Heung-min Son and subsequent collision with opposition full-back Serge Aurier.

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Everton have now confirmed, however, that Gomes has undergone a successful operation to repair the damage to his ankle.

The statement said: "Everton Football Club can confirm Andre Gomes underwent surgery to repair a fracture dislocation to his right ankle earlier today and the procedure went extremely well.

"The Portugal international, who sustained the injury in yesterday's Premier League fixture with Tottenham Hotspur, will now spend some time recovering in hospital, before returning to USM Finch Farm to start his rehabilitation under the guidance of the Club's medical staff.

"The 26-year-old is expected to make a full recovery.

"On behalf of Andre, the Club would like to thank all Everton supporters and members of the wider football family for the overwhelming messages of support we have received since yesterday's match."

Manchester United will remain with out Paul Pogba for at least another four weeks, sources have told ESPN FC.

The French international broke a bone in his right ankle at the end of September and has been wearing a plaster cast ever since. It will be taken off in ten days' time and the midfielder will need another two weeks of rehabilitation after that.

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Only then he will be able to start training properly, first on his own with a fitness coach and then with the rest of the first team squad. The club are hopeful he will be back before the end of December and the busy Christmas schedule.

United want to be cautious to avoid a further setback, similar to what Pogba has already suffered this season, but the end of December is a realistic aim.

His last game was the 1-1 draw against Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sept. 30 when he played his second match in five days following the 1-1 draw Rochdale. Before that, he had not played for almost a month after picking up a first ankle injury.

Pogba is desperate to get back into the team and United have struggled in his absence.

He has spent time in Dubai as part of his treatment process but has still been very involved in the life of the team despite being sidelined.