The NHL has suspended the Stars' Corey Perry for five games due to an elbow he delivered to the Predators' Ryan Ellis during the teams' Winter Classic game Wednesday in Dallas.

Perry met with the NHL's player safety board Friday. In the first period of Wednesday's game, Ellis kept the puck in the attacking zone at the blue line and attempted a shot on the Dallas goal. Perry skated in front of him and stuck his elbow up, making contact with Ellis' head.

Perry will forfeit $40,322.60 as a result of the ban. It will go to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

"While we acknowledge Perry's argument that he did not intend to elbow Ellis in the head, he is in control of this hit at all times and solely responsible for the end result," the Department of Player Safety explained in a video on the suspension. "Perry acknowledges that he initially takes an angle of approach to make a play on the puck, causing him to cut in front of [Ellis's] body. Now unable to make any meaningful body contact, Perry follows through with his elbow, driving it into Ellis' head with substantial force."

Perry has been suspended twice previously in his career. One of the games he'll miss during his suspension is his scheduled return to face his former team, the Anaheim Ducks, on Jan. 9.

Ellis immediately fell flat on the ice, chest down, and remained down for over a minute as Perry was escorted to the penalty box. Once there, the officials conferred and decided that Perry would be given a five-minute major for elbowing, which carries with it a game misconduct. Perry became the first player ever to be ejected from a Winter Classic game.

Ellis did not return to the game, a 4-2 Stars win.

Afterward, Perry called it an "awkward play" with unintentional results. "I've played with Ryan before. I know him personally. It's very unintentional. I didn't mean to hurt him. I hope he's OK," Perry said.

Information from ESPN's Greg Wyshynski was used in this report.

Through three holes on Friday, Joaquin Niemann remained steady atop the leaderboard at Kapalua.

His umbrella, on the other hand, fell apart — literally.

Per Golf Channel's Jim "Bones" Mackay, who was walking with the final pairing of Niemann and Justin Thomas, Niemann's umbrella broke on the third hole, the product of the high winds whipping players during the second round at the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

Suddenly without defense from the wind and the rain, Niemann got an assist from PGA Tour rules official Mark Dusbabek, who loaned Niemann his own rules-official-emblazoned umbrella.

The overnight leader following a first-round 66,  Niemann started par-par-par Friday, braving the wet and windy weather.

Standing below the 15th green on the Plantation Course, Chez Reavie had 66 yards to the back-left pin position.

He probably carried his approach closer to 76 yards.

Making the total displacement something like 86 yards.

Also, it went in.

Reavie is back at Kapalua after an 11-year absence. He made his first Tournament of Champions start back in 2009 thanks to his win at the '08 Canadian Open and is back in 2020 via his victory at last year's Travelers Championship.

The 38-year-old is 1 under for the week following rounds of 74-71. 

In six years on Tour, Justin Thomas has won 11 times. He's claimed a major championship. He's fired a 59. He's collected more than $30 million.

And he still hasn't learned not to wear white pants on a wet, windy day.

Thomas couldn't help but laugh and poke fun at himself Friday at the Tournament of Champions, where his green-and-white attire took a mud-covered beating.

After picking specks of dirt and divots off his clothes for much of his 1-over front nine, Thomas saw a divot fly back fly at his face following his approach at the par-4 10th, with part of the pelt winding up inside his green shirt, prompting this exchange with caddie Jimmy Johnson:

"I did it again," Thomas said. "And I got hit in the face with a divot. It’s in the back of my shirt. 

"I don’t know what I want. I need a new pair of pants is what I need."

Thomas then walked over to Johnson, who used a towel to fish the divot from somewhere around Thomas' shoulder.

Moments later, speaking directly into a Golf Channel camera, Thomas was savvy enough to plug his sponsor.

"This is the new Ralph Lauren pant," he said. "It’s called the Speckled Splattered Mud. Check it out at a store near you."

KAPALUA, Hawaii – The only thing that resembled paradise to Xander Schauffele at Kapalua was his name atop the leaderboard Friday at the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

Through bursts of rain and gusts that topped 30 mph, Schauffele managed to go bogey-free for the second straight day with a 5-under 68 that gave him a one-shot lead over Patrick Reed and Joaquin Niemann.

Schauffele is trying to become the first repeat champion of this winners-only event in 10 years.

On this day, he was trying to keep it together.

Schauffele finished with a birdie, a two-putt par from just under 100 feet, and a 7-foot birdie on the final hole. That gave him the lead at 9-under 137, the highest 36-hole score to lead at Kapalua since 2008.

"A day of adjustment is sort of how I like to look at it, and glad we were able to come out on top," Schauffele said.

Reed made three straight birdies around the turn, lost two good scoring chances late, made up for that with a 30-foot birdie on the 17th and wound up with a 66 for the best score of the day. Niemann didn't make a birdie until the ninth hole and limited the damage enough for a 72.

Rickie Fowler (71) was two shots behind.

Schauffele won last year with a 62 in the final round, a score that now seems out of reach on a Plantation course with entirely new grass on fairways that remain soft because of rain. The greens have shelves that weren't there a year ago. And the weather was never this rough when he won.

"Besides looking the same and looking over at Molokai, very different," Schauffele said. "We're on the same property, but for the most part there's no memory I can fall back on when it comes to making a putt or hitting a bump-and-run shot on a certain hole since the green layouts are very different."

Justin Thomas was poised to join Schauffele until he missed the green at the 17th to the right and made bogey, and made another bogey on the 18th when his drive went left into the waist-high native grass. He was three strokes back after a 73.

Thomas had a moment that sized up the day. Hitting into the wind, his divot flew back toward his face and deposited in the back of his shirt, leaving tiny splotches of mud on his white pants.

The round was stopped twice, without ever taking players off the course, during a few burst of showers early that left standing water in too many spots. When told it would resume, Paul Casey asked if there was room to hit off the first tee. A puddle stretched from one end to the other, but just behind the tee markers.

It was a sign that Kapalua would play longer than ever, and that much was evident throughout the day. Shots that typically bounce and roll out some 30 yards were rolling a few feet, if not hopping back from their pitch marks.

Matthew Wolff hit a tee shot on the 18th that plugged in its pitch mark.

The temperature felt tropical. Otherwise, this was a test.

Xander Schauffele leads Patrick Reed and Joaquin Niemann by one through two rounds at the year-opening Sentry Tournament of Champions. As the third round gets underway on Saturday at Kapalua's Plantation Course, here's all the who, what and when, you need to know.

1. Xander Schauffele (-9)

T-2. Patrick Reed (-8)

T-2. Joaquin Niemann (-8)

4. Rickie Fowler (-7)

T-6. Patrick Cantlay (-6)

T-6. Justin Thomas (-6)

Click here for the full leaderboard.

• The defending champion, Schauffele looks to become the first player to go back to back at the Tournament of Champions since Geoff Ogilvy in 2009 and '10. The other player to successfully defend at Kapalua? Stuart Appleby in 2004, '05 and '06.
• This time trying to close a 36-hole lead, Schauffele last year trailed by five after both the second and third rounds last year, closing in 62 to win.
• Schauffele is the only player in the winners-only field who is still without bogey.
• Reed leads the field in birdies with 14, having made 13 of them in his last 29 holes. Over that stretch, since a triple bogey at the seventh Thursday, he's 11 under par.
• Reed also leads the field in strokes gained: putting (7.085), having poured in 278 feet worth of putts over two days, his most made through two rounds in his PGA Tour career.

How to watch live action on TV and online:

• NBC, 4-6PM ET
• Golf Channel, 6-8PM ET
• Click here to view the NBC stream
• Click here to view the Golf Channel stream

MANCHESTER -- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has told Robin van Persie he has "no right to criticise my management style" and launched a blistering attack on the former Manchester United striker.

Van Persie, working as a BT Sport pundit, questioned why Solskjaer was seen smiling in an interview following the 2-0 defeat to Arsenal on Wednesday.

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But at a news conference on Friday, Solskjaer hit back by showing "the edge" the Dutchman claims he lacks.

"I don't know Robin and Robin doesn't know me," Solskjaer said. "He probably doesn't have a right to criticise my management style and I won't change.

"That's definite. Yeah Robin, he took my No.20 [shirt] and that's probably all he's going to take from me as well. Because I'm not in medieval times."

Van Persie, who scored 58 goals in 105 games in three seasons at Old Trafford, was critical of Solskjaer's demeanour in the aftermath of the defeat at the Emirates on New Year's Day, prompting a brutal riposte from the United boss.

"When I listen to Ole, he sounds like a really nice guy," Van Persie said.

"I would like to see him a bit more mean at times, just be angry. I see him smiling now after a game like that. This is not the moment to smile."

Van Persie was not the only one in Solskjaer's firing line on Friday morning with agent Mino Raiola also coming in for criticism from the Norwegian over comments made about Paul Pogba.

Raiola said United were ruining Pogba -- who is sidelined for a month with an ankle injury -- because they are "out of touch with reality and without a sporting project" but Solskjaer was quick to tell the Frenchman's agent to keep quiet.

Asked whether agents should speak about clubs, Solskjaer replied: "No. I can speak to Paul about it.

"I don't think I should be talking to agents or about agents that talk about us, but Paul is our player and agents are hired by players, not the opposite way around. It's not 'agents' players' it's 'our players.'

"What me and Paul are talking about I don't have to talk to you about. That will be between us. He is very committed to coming back, playing well for us, and it's hard when you're injured to go and talk about all sorts.

"I think his talking needs to be when he comes back on the pitch. That's the most important thing that we get him fit. I think that's enough about Paul."

The U.S. Soccer Federation announced Friday that travel to the men's team training camp in Qatar has been called off due to the developing situation in the Middle East.

The announcement effectively cancels the trip to Qatar -- which is due to host the 2022 World Cup. The squad will instead open camp Monday at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

However, the USSF is hopeful a different trip to Qatar can be organized later.

"We are working with the Qatar Football Association to find an opportunity in the near future for our team to experience Qatar's world-class facilities and hospitality," the USSF said in a statement.

The camp was due to be held at the Aspire Academy in Doha from Jan. 5-25, meaning players were set to depart this weekend. During that time, the national team was scheduled to hold training sessions, as well as take part in closed-door scrimmages with other clubs and national teams holding camps in the country, including a match against Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg on Jan. 18.

Following its return to the U.S., the team would train in Carson, California, just south of Los Angeles, and play Costa Rica in a friendly at Dignity Health Sports Park on Feb. 1.

But the killing of Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, Iran's top military commander, by a U.S. air strike in Baghdad on Thursday raised concerns about the situation in the region. While Qatar is viewed as being safe, there is uncertainty over how the political and security situation in the region will play out in the coming days.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Iran would seek revenge for Soleimani's death. The U.S. State Department told Americans to leave Iraq immediately due to the heightened tensions in the region.

These developments led the USSF to reconsider whether it made sense to make the trip. On Friday, in an abundance of caution, the decision was made to postpone travel and relocate the camp.

January 4: Melbourne Stars v Melbourne Renegades in Melbourne

Our XI: Beau Webster, Aaron Finch, Shaun Marsh, Sam Harper, Kane Richardson, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Peter Handsomb, Dale Steyn, Adam Zampa, Nathan Coulter-Nile

NOTE: We might not always be able to tip you off about a late injury (or other relevant) updates. The above video was produced before Melbourne Stars left out Haris Rauf

Captain: Glenn Maxwell

Maxwell is capable of winning a match with the bat, that's well known. But he's had a good tournament with the ball so far too, which makes him a compelling pick as captain. His strike rate while batting is 186.95 this season, and he has not just been bowling economically - 7.11 - he has also been among the wickets - four so far. Maxwell is going to be in every team anyway, but to not have him as captain might hurt you.

Vice-captain: Aaron Finch

If the captain is from the Stars, it makes sense to have the vice-captain from the Renegades. Who better than Finch? The Renegades captain has been in a rich vein of form, scoring runs in every game. As a top-order batsman, he has the best opportunity to score big runs, and given his naturally attacking game and stroke play, he is one of those who makes that opportunity count more often than not.

Hot picks

Kane Richardson
He takes wickets without giving up runs - Richardson has been a captain's dream in the BBL so far, with eight wickets from five games at an economy of 6.05. He bowls in the tough periods - at the start and at the death - but that also means he's got the opportunity to pick up wickets.

Shaun Marsh

Marsh continues to be among the most reliable batsmen in the T20 format. No matter the competition, Marsh seems to always turn up and score runs. He's been doing that in this BBL too, with 190 runs from five innings, and looks a good bet to bank on for a substantial score, with the possibility of turning a solid score into a match-winning one too.

Marcus Stoinis

Allrounders are always valuable in T20 cricket, and when you've been in fine batting form like Marcus Stoinis has, they're even more desired. Stoinis has not had to turn his arm over, thanks to the Stars' strong bowling line-up, but he can be called on to bowl if the need arises. He's hit the right notes with his batting though, scoring 213 runs from five innings at a strike rate of 122.41.

Value picks

Sam Harper: Wicketkeeper-batsmen are valuable, and though Harper hasn't been among the runs, he has the tools to make it count. A proper 'value' pick, Harper bats in the top order and scores quickly when he gets going.

Beau Webster: Webster has had a superb season, one which includes hitting his best T20 score so far - 67 not out. He's also proved difficult to dismiss, and has been out just once in four matches, while keeping a high scoring rate. A must-have in your team.

Point to note

This will be the first BBL match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground this season. The large boundaries mean there will be the freedom for the likes of Adam Zampa to give the ball more air with greater confidence, but batsmen have also prospered handsomely. In the most recent T20 game here, Australia outclassed Sri Lanka in November 2019, hunting down a below-par target of 143 comfortably. Finch, Richardson and Zampa all played in that game, and all of them did reasonably well too.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

New Zealand's injury- and illness-ravaged tour of Australia gained another casualty at the SCG with X-rays confirming Matt Henry had suffered a broken left thumb on the opening day of the final Test.

Henry was struck by a drive from Joe Burns in the first session of the Test and left the field for treatment before returning to bowl and finishing the day with 21 wicketless overs. The thumb has been splinted and strapped and Henry will continue to be available to bowl on the second day but his role with the bat will be determined by the state of the game.

Henry was preferred in the New Zealand side ahead of Tim Southee with coach Gary Stead explaining that his extra pace was one of the factors.

"I guess the decision making around that, we just felt that we wanted a little more pace out there, what Matt Henry sort of offers over Tim," Stead said. "And being the workload that Tim has had not just in the last two Tests but if you put the last four together, it's somewhere around 200 overs in a short period of time, just felt that what Matt offered would have given us a point of difference."

Henry is the third New Zealand pace bowler to be injured on the tour after Lockie Ferguson suffered a calf strain on the opening day of the series in Perth then Trent Boult broke his hand against Mitchell Starc in Melbourne.

New Zealand had to scramble to get an XI together for the final Test as flu went through the camp ruling out Kane Williamson, Henry Nicholls and Mitchell Santner. The uncapped Glenn Phillips was hastily flown across the Tasman and made his debut. He was surfing north of Auckland when summoned into the squad and almost missed the call from selector Gavin Larsen.

"I was way up north trying to find a couple of friends and I thought it was them calling. When I saw it was Gav… he said 'we've got a bit of a situation and we need you on a plane in a couple of hours'," Phillips said. "I pushed it really fine, traffic played ball and my brother-in-law left five minutes after me and only arrived half an hour later. Thank goodness, I got on where I did."

Phillips hasn't had much time to soak up the occasion but is determined to make the most of it. "You have to take the opportunities when they're there," he said. "You may never get a chance again so I'll grab it with both hands and enjoy the moment for what it is. Gary [Stead] came over and said 'hey mate you're going to be batting five'. I was like 'whoa this is happening'."