WHEATLAND, Mo. – Jeremiah Hurst may not have the typical look of your average rookie driver, but for the coming season he will gladly wear a rookie stripe once again.

Excited for an opportunity to compete with one of the Midwest’s top open late model touring series, Hurst has announced his intentions to follow the Lucas Oil Midwest Late Model Racing Ass’n, competing for Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year honors.

The 43-year old driver from Dubuque, Iowa, brings a wealth of experience and a successful track record with him into the upcoming season.  Entering his fourth season driving for car owner Ken Roberts, the duo has already accomplished more than many do in a career, leaving them searching for a new challenge.

“Ken has always wanted to go full-time open motor racing and we are at a point where we can do it,” said Hurst. “I have always wanted to take the next big step too, and this is my shot, so I am going to take advantage of it and go for it.”

Hurst has steadily moved up the ladder since starting out in a shared hobby stock ride at the age of 19, followed by stints in Pro Stock and Modified before finding his comfort zone in late model racing. Hurst is no stranger to season long points battles, scoring the 2018 IMCA Late Model National Championship, and coming up five points shy of a repeat effort in 2019.

His most recent campaign also netted the team track titles at Marshalltown Speedway, his hometown Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway, and they came up one point shy of a third title at Maquoketa Speedway.

“I have always been really competitive at anything I do and I want to do good at everything I do,” said Hurst. “If you can start out good and keep the momentum going at the end of the year you never know how it will shake out.”

With a heavy dose of the MLRA schedule taking place at tracks in Hurst’s backyard of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois, it presents a great opportunity to be competitive and challenge for wins right out of the gate.

“I’m super pumped about going to Moline and Maquoketa, it should give us a little advantage over some of the guys that haven’t been there,” noted Hurst.  “I’m sure I will feel more comfortable at those places as opposed to tracks like Wheatland (Lucas Oil Speedway) that I have never been to.”

Hurst and the Roberts Motorsports No. 58 team will campaign with a pair of Black Diamond Chassis’ powered by a Clements Racing Engine.

“It’s going to be quite a bit different,” said Hurst on the transition to the open late model MLRA series. “Just from us doing it a little bit at the end of last year we learned a lot, and that’s why we did it to hopefully get a head start on things. The cars drive a little different because you are going faster. I was never one for bump stops and things like that, so it’s definitely going to be different.”

MLRA officials previously announced that the series will transition to time trial qualifying, something that will come new to Hurst.

“I have never really had to time trial before,” Hurst said. “I’m just used to starting in the back of your heat (via point average) and racing your way in, so I’m looking forward to it (time trials), because hopefully it will mean that I will get to start towards the front if I’m decently fast in qualifying.”

The MLRA schedule includes a new second date at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa (April 18 & July 3) along with the second annual Scottie 46 (Sept. 6) at Quincy (Ill.) Raceways – both venues in which Hurst has scored past wins while competing with the former IMCA Derry Brother Summer Series for Late Models.

The Lucas Oil MLRA will bring its 32nd season of action to life on April 10-11 when Lucas Oil Speedway plays host to the seventh annual Spring Nationals. A pair of complete $3,000 to win shows will highlight opening weekend.

Hurst will get his first opportunity in front of his home state fans the following weekend when the series travels to Davenport Speedway and the 34 Raceway for the annual Slocum 50.

“I’m really glad it is coming around here again (open late models) because it is kind of dying. Hopefully this will bring it back to life around here the way it used to be. Late models are an elite class and they shouldn’t be put in a box,” said Hurst.

New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes, the No. 1 overall pick in last year's NHL draft, will miss Thursday's game against the New York Islanders with an upper-body injury and is day-to-day, interim coach Alain Nasreddine announced.

In 36 games, Hughes, 18, has six goals and 16 points as a rookie. Since the last-place Devils traded former leading scorer Taylor Hall to the Arizona Coyotes last month, Hughes has built up some momentum playing on the second line. He has four points in seven games since the deal, and he scored the game-winning goal in overtime Sunday during a 4-3 victory in Ottawa. He also scored in the shootout of New Jersey's 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday.

It was in the victory over Boston, however, that Hughes took an awkward hit into the boards during the third period. He remained in the game and took two shifts in overtime before scoring in the shootout.

Nasreddine said Hughes took part briefly in the morning skate Thursday, in Uniondale, N.Y., but that the team wants to be careful. The Devils next play Saturday at home against the Colorado Avalanche.

OSTRAVA, Czech Republic -- Joonas Oden scored late to give Finland a 1-0 victory over the United States on Thursday and send the defending champion into the semifinals of the world junior hockey championship.

In a rematch of last year's final, Oden broke the deadlock on a power play 4:23 into the final period, one-timing a shot from the slot past goaltender Spencer Knight at Werk Arena in Trinec.

The U.S. pulled Knight for an extra attacker and a 6-4 advantage with 1:15 left but Finland held on.

Earlier, Canada and Russia also reached the semis.

Alexis Lafreniere marked his return from injury with a goal and an assist as Canada routed Slovakia 6-1.

Lafreniere wristed a shot past Slovakia goaltender Samuel Hlavaj to increase Canada's lead to 5-0 on a power play midway through the second period at the Ostravar Arena in the eastern city of Ostrava.

The 18-year-old center, who is projected to be the No. 1 pick at the 2020 NHL draft, recovered from a left knee injury he sustained against Russia in the team's second group-stage game on Dec 28. He missed the following two games against Germany and the Czech Republic.

Captain Barrett Hayton scored two goals and added an assist for Canada.

Lafreniere assisted on Hayton's opening goal in the first period. Connor McMichael, Jacob Bernard-Docker and Liam Foudy contributed second-period goals to build a decisive lead for the Canadians.

Hayton scored his second on a power play in the final period.

Oliver Okuliar spoiled goaltender Joel Hofer's shutout bid with a late consolation goal.

Canada is the most successful team at the world juniors with 17 titles but is looking to bounce back from a disappointing sixth-place finish last year when it hosted the event.

In Trinec, Dmitri Voronkov scored two power-play goals and Russia beat Switzerland 3-1 to become the first team to reach the semifinals.

Alexander Khovanov also had a goal and an assist and goaltender Yaroslav Askarov made 14 saves as Russia outshot the Swiss 36-15 in Trinec.

Gaetan Jobin scored for Switzerland.

Russia, which also beat Switzerland in last year's bronze medal game, last won the title in 2011.

The semifinal pairings will be determined after the last quarterfinal between Sweden and host Czech Republic, according to new rules based on rankings at the event.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quarterback Tom Brady could potentially be playing in his final career home game for the New England Patriots in Saturday's wild-card matchup against the Tennessee Titans, but he said he hasn't allowed himself time for sentimental thoughts.

"I'm not much for nostalgia. I'm just pretty focused on what I need to do. This week has felt pretty much like every other week for the last 20 years," Brady said Thursday.

The 42-year-old Brady is in the final year of his contract, and the Patriots are prohibited from assigning him the franchise tag, which creates a scenario unlike any he's experienced in his career -- the possibility of this being his final home game for the Patriots.

Brady was asked Thursday if he allows himself to consider those possibilities.

"I haven't thought about those things. I wouldn't be thinking about those things anyway. It's felt like a normal week for me," he answered. "I just approach practice like I always have, and try to do the best I can do. That's what I'm going to do this weekend as well."

Brady said he hasn't been aware of others talking about it, because, "I haven't turned a TV on. It's probably not the best after we lose to turn the TV on and listen to all [the] shows and stuff like that. There probably wasn't too many great things happening. I tried to lay low this week."

Brady arrived for his mid-afternoon news conference in a lighthearted mood, playing with a reporter's recording device, before later answering one question about his 30 playoff victories with a sarcastic touch by asking, "Is that good?"

To get his 31st playoff win against the Titans, Brady knows the Patriots can't play like they did in a surprising loss to the Miami Dolphins in the regular-season finale.

"This team gives you a lot of challenges. They're going to force us to really be tied together," he said. "When we haven't been this year, it hasn't looked very good. When we have been tied together, it looks pretty good."

Brady described the mood around the team as "excited and focused."

"It's playoff football. Everyone knows what's at stake. You certainly have to earn it to move on," he said. "A lot of plays come up over the years when I think about playoff football. If you're on the wrong end of one of them, it's your season. If you're on the right end, you move on. You don't know which play that's going to be. You can't take anything for granted. Guys are working hard and trying to do the right thing."

As for the Patriots playing in the wild-card round for the first time since 2009, having lost the chance for a first-round bye last week, Brady took a big-picture view.

"It doesn't matter. If we win, then what's the difference?" he said. "We just have to go win."

Sam Wyche, who coached the Cincinnati Bengals to an appearance in the Super Bowl, has died at age 74.

Wyche's son told Cincinnati's WCPO-TV that the cause of death was complications from cancer.

"Sam was a wonderful guy," team owner Mike Brown said in a statement. "We got to know him as both a player and a coach. As our coach, he had great success and took us to the Super Bowl. He was friends with everyone here, both during his tenure as head coach and afterwards. We not only liked him, we admired him as a man. He had a great generosity of spirit and lived his life trying to help others. We express our condolences to Jane and his children Zak and Kerry."

Wyche coached the Bengals for eight seasons from 1984 to 1991 and also was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for four seasons from 1992 to 1995.

He went 61-66 with Cincinnati and guided the Bengals to an appearance in Super Bowl XXIII, where they lost to the San Francisco 49ers.

BEREA, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said Thursday that his team will first hire a head coach so that person will have a say in whom the team eventually hires as general manager.

"If you look at the successful organizations that are consistently in the playoffs, there is alignment within the organization, and they have the right people in the right place, coach and GM," Haslam said. "That's what we're focused on tremendously, and that alignment is something that is really, really important."

The Browns' new coach and general manager will report to ownership as equals.

The end of the regular season brought another regime change in Cleveland. Earlier this week, Haslam fired first-year head coach Freddie Kitchens and parted ways with second-year general manager John Dorsey after the Browns finished with a record of 6-10, running the NFL's longest playoff drought to 17 years. Dorsey had hired Kitchens.

Haslam and his wife, co-owner Dee Haslam, are undergoing their fifth coaching search since buying the team in 2012. The Haslams have fired five general managers during that span as well.

"Hopefully we'll learn from our past mistakes and do a much better job," Jimmy Haslam said. "We realize we've had a tremendous amount of change since we bought the team. We accept responsibility. At the same time, more determined than ever to get it right for the Browns, the players and the great fans of the Cleveland Browns."

Haslam said Cleveland's coaching search committee will be composed of himself, Dee Haslam, vice president and son-in-law JW Johnson, chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta (who has overseen the team's analytics department) and vice president Chris Cooper (who oversees Cleveland's salary cap).

On Thursday, the Browns interviewed former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy at their team headquarters. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, McCarthy was scheduled to interview with the New York Giants on Friday.

Haslam said that initially the team would not consider candidates who don't have NFL experience, ruling out former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer, at least for now.

Haslam said that despite the recent turnover and struggles on the field, the Cleveland job should appeal to prospective candidates, considering a young and talented roster that includes players like second-year quarterback Baker Mayfield.

"We're really excited about the group of candidates that we're going to be interviewing over the next several days," Haslam said. "Despite all the changes we've made, I think it's a very attractive job. Everyone in the NFL knows how important football is in this area. I think everybody understands we have a really good young quarterback and a really good core group of players."

The NBA has fined Sacramento Kings center Dewayne Dedmon $50,000 for publicly saying that he would like to be traded.

"I would like to be traded," Dedmon told the Sacramento Bee on Sunday. "I haven't been playing, so I would like to go somewhere where my talents are appreciated."

Dedmon, 31, signed a three-year, $40 million contract with the Kings in July. He is averaging 4.8 points and 3.8 rebounds in 23 games and has lost his spot in the rotation.

"I'm not the only person struggling with my shot, so if that's a factor, then it's kind of crazy," Dedmon said. "If you're not allowed to shoot through your slumps, I don't know how you're supposed to make shots."

Players are prohibited from making public trade demands under the CBA. Anthony Davis was fined $50,000 last season after his agent, Rich Paul, made Davis' desire for a trade from the Pelicans public.

Rising star Luka Doncic and reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo led the first round of voting for the 2020 All-Star Game, the league announced Thursday.

Doncic, the second-year guard from the Dallas Mavericks, leads all players with 1,703,957 votes -- 599 more than Antetokounmpo, the top vote-getter in the Eastern Conference. LeBron James is the only other player with more than one million votes through the initial round.

Fan voting accounts for 50% of the vote for the five starters -- two backcourt and three frontcourt players -- from each conference. The other 50% is split evenly among voting by media members and the players themselves.

Doncic, last season's Rookie of the Year, entered Thursday averaging 29 points and 8.9 assists per game, third in the NBA in both categories. He is averaging 9.5 rebounds.

Antetokounmpo guided the Milwaukee Bucks (31-5) to the best record in the NBA. He is averaging 30.4 points -- second only to James Harden of the Houston Rockets -- and 13 rebounds.

Doncic holds the top spot among Western Conference guards, followed by Harden, who has 749,080 votes. Harden was more than half a million votes ahead of Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard, who was third, and injured Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry. Harden's teammate Russell Westbrook checked in fifth.

James and Los Angeles Lakers teammate Anthony Davis (955,246) are tops among West frontcourt players, followed by Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (740,657). His teammate, Paul George, is a distant fourth with 280,894 votes, while Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns (173,129) rounds out the top five.

Antetokounmpo leads all East frontcourt players, followed by Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (606,534) and Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam (544,302). Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (431,483) is fourth, and Boston Celtics teammates Jayson Tatum (364,137) and Tacko Fall (110,269) are fifth and sixth, respectively.

Fall, a 7-foot-6 rookie free agent from Senegal, has played in only three NBA games, averaging 4.3 points and 3.7 minutes. He is a fan favorite, though he spends most of his time playing for the Celtics' G League team, the Maine Red Claws.

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young leads all East backcourt players with 443,412 votes, followed closely by Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (432,481), who has been out since late November with a shoulder injury. Kemba Walker, the man who replaced Irving with the Celtics, checked in third, just 450 votes behind Irving.

Detroit Pistons veteran Derrick Rose was fourth (233,669), and Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls (174,991) was fifth.

The NBA will update the voting totals on both Jan. 9 and Jan. 16, and voting will close on Jan. 20. The All-Star starters, along with the two team captains -- the starter to receive the most fan votes from each conference -- will be announced on Jan. 23 on TNT. The league will announce the reserves, chosen by the league's head coaches, on Jan. 30.