LONDON -- Chelsea 4 Ajax 4 -- a game with goals, red cards, defensive mayhem, penalties and VAR. It was a coach's nightmare, but a supporter's dream. One of those nights that reminded us all why we fell in love with football in the first place.

"It was a mad one," Chelsea manager Frank Lampard said after the game. "We had a 4-4 with Liverpool once, but I don't remember anything like tonight in my day because the game is a different animal now with VAR."

Having been 4-1 down with less than half an hour to play, Chelsea looked to have snatched a remarkable 5-4 victory when Cesar Azpilicueta netted his second goal of the game on 78 minutes, only for referee Gianluca Rocchi, with the help of VAR, to disallow the goal for a handball earlier in the sequence by Tammy Abraham.

It would have been harsh on Ajax to lose after such an impressive opening hour, but there is always an element of jeopardy with the Dutch champions. They live by the sword and, as we have seen over the past two campaigns, are ready to die by it, too.

But Chelsea should be thankful that their opponents were Ajax -- a team seemingly incapable, or unwilling, to play the percentages and pragmatically see a game out.

Lampard's team were obviously helped by the double dismissal of Ajax centre-halves Daley Blind and Joel Veltman following second yellow cards to each just before the 70-minute mark, but the end result wasn't just about the Dutch champions being down to nine men. Chelsea's fearless football drove them back into the game.

But Erik ten Hag's players continued to honour Ajax's tradition of being bold and trusting their ability to find a way to goal, even when they had a two-man disadvantage, and they still tried to win the game in the dying stages when any other team would have thrown up the shutters, simply to hold on to the draw for dear life.

Six months ago, Ajax allowed a place in the Champions League final to slip through their fingers by naively throwing away a 2-0 lead in second leg of their semi-final with Tottenham. Even at 2-2, the Dutch side were going through but they conceded a goal six minutes into stoppage time to lose 3-2, and on this evidence, they clearly haven't learned their lesson from that bitter experience.

But playing it safe has never been the Ajax way and that is why we ended up with a classic 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge, that left Chelsea and Ajax in a three-way tie on seven points with Valencia in Group H.

The game was less than two minutes old when a Quincy Promes free kick was diverted into his own net by Abraham. Nevertheless, Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa should have done better and kept it out of the net.

Having already beaten Real Madrid, Juventus, Tottenham and Valencia away from home in the Champions League in 2019, Ajax were making an early start in their bid to seal a fifth signature road victory.

But their lead would not last, Chelsea pulling level within two minutes after Jorginho scored from the penalty spot following a trip by Nicolas Tagliafico on Christian Pulisic.

A crazy start, but surely the game would now settle down with the two teams regaining their composure and organisation? Not quite.

Abraham had a goal disallowed for offside on 14 minutes after latching onto Mateo Kovacic's pass, but Ajax then regained the lead when the unmarked Promes headed in Hakim Ziyech's cross from close range on 20 minutes.

When Ziyech, who performed like a combination of Mesut Ozil and Riyad Mahrez on a good day, made it 3-1 on 35 minutes with a free kick from an impossible angle that went in off the post and Kepa's face, Chelsea looked to be out of answers.

Ajax were beating them with a display of youthful energy and audacity and they appeared to be destined for another great European victory when Ziyech teed up Donny van de Beek to make it 4-1 on 55 minutes.

Azpilicueta's far-post goal just after the hour mark seemed like little more than a consolation for Chelsea, but the game was turned on its head when Blind, and then Veltman, were sent off just five minutes later in a wild sequence.

Mel Jones has been commissioned to walk the tightrope that ultimately proved too much for Mark Taylor, marrying broadcast commentary with a place on the Cricket Australia board as Cricket Victoria's nominee for a director, the first instance of a woman being appointed via one of the state associations.

Joining Jacqui Hey and Michelle Tredenick as female CA directors, Jones will add a wealth of playing experience for Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and Surrey to the board, while also bringing further media savvy in addition to the guidance now provided by the former Foxtel chief executive Richard Freudenstein, who replaced Taylor as the Cricket NSW nominee earlier this year.

Having played five Tests and 61 ODIs for Australia between 1997 and 2005, Jones went on to work in player management with TLA - a key partner of CA - before switching full-time to commentary in 2016, where she has worked with Nine, the ABC and on broadcasts for ICC events plus the IPL, PSL and CPL T20 tournaments. Last year Jones signed on with Fox Cricket as the subscription network became the major partner in CA's six-year, A$1.2 billion broadcast deal that also features the free-to-air Seven network.

When resigning from the board last year, amid the fallout from a cultural review into CA that led to the removal of the previous chairman David Peever, Taylor explained how difficult it was to work as both a commentator and a CA director, though he was able to hold the post from 2004 to 2018, with a brief break in 2012-13. Things became still more complex for Taylor when Nine lost the cricket rights to Fox and Seven, while he remained a pundit for his employer.

"I sit in sometimes an interesting position as a former player, board director and also a broadcaster," Taylor said. "It can be a very tricky position, and often very hard to get the balance right between saying too much or saying not enough. Balancing those positions is tough, and it takes it out of you."

Earl Eddings, the CA chairman, said Jones' strong record as an advocate for women's sport, including terms as a board director of Bowls Australia from 2014 to 2017, as a member of the Victorian State Government Women in Sport and Recreation Taskforce in 2014 and 2015 and a former board member and now ambassador for Red Dust, an organisation promoting health in indigenous communities, gave her a range of experiences and skills that the CA board required.

"Mel has been an active and inspiring part of the cricket fabric for many years and we are privileged to have her join the board," Eddings said. "Australian Cricket has been undergoing significant change over the past two years and I've no doubt Mel's experience on and off the field will be an asset to the team as we move into our next phase.

"Mel's commitment to the game and her advocacy, particularly for women in sport, will only bolster our continued focus on advancing cricket to be the number one sport for women and girls. Her understanding of the pressures and privilege of play, in addition to the challenges and opportunities of administration are a welcome complement to an already-strong team. A trailblazer in cricket, it is only fitting that Mel is also the first female elected to the CA board as a state nominee."

Jones, who spent her first five years out of the international game as pathways, schools and female cricket development manager at Cricket Victoria, is also a qualified secondary school teacher, adding further to her potential insights for CA.

"I'm excited to have this opportunity to work with the board to strengthen cricket's bond with the community and ensure a healthy and sustainable future for the next generations," Jones said. "I have much admiration for the work that has been undertaken over the past 18 months in particular, an incredibly challenging time for cricket, and testament to its place in the hearts of Australians."

Australia's spearhead Pat Cummins will be spared the long haul trip to Perth and back to rest his body ahead of the Test series against Pakistan, which has been confirmed as the starting point for Andrew McDonald as the national coach Justin Langer's senior assistant.

The decision to rest Cummins may well open the way for Sean Abbott to play his first international in more than five years, as Australia look for a victory at Perth Stadium on Friday evening to close out an unbeaten six matches against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, where so far only Sydney rain and arcane playing conditions have prevented a clean sweep.

A shift of Australian thinking from T20 back to the looming Test match assignments against Pakistan (two Tests in Brisbane and Adelaide) and New Zealand (three Tests in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney) have been underlined by the news that McDonald is now clear to commence his role alongside Langer for the Gabba Test later this month, after concluding his duties with Victoria and the Melbourne Renegades.

Lengthy negotiations among multiple parties have been required to allow McDonald the freedom to take up the national team role while also upholding pre-existing contracts to coach the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL and Birmingham in The Hundred, the first such instance of CA allowing a national team assistant coach to wear more than one hat.

As Langer's senior assistant, McDonald will fill the role left by David Saker at the start of the year when he resigned after the home Tests against India and Sri Lanka, also meaning he is likely to take primary responsibility for helming tactical discussions among Australia's bowlers.

Graeme Hick remains as the team's batting coach and Sridharan Sriram as a spin bowling and batting assistant, while the head of national teams Ben Oliver is eager to ensure a good degree of fluidity for other specialist roles to be taken on a short-term basis, as seen with the use of Ricky Ponting and Adam Griffith (World Cup), Steve Waugh and Troy Cooley (Ashes) and Michael Hussey and Ryan Harris (T20I series) alongside Langer this year.

A comfortable victory over Pakistan in Canberra on Tuesday evening, underpinned by Steven Smith's deft innings to smooth over the loss of early wickets in the chase, has further demonstrated how Australia are developing role clarity for their T20 team. Smith took complete control of the pursuit, providing a reminder that in the brief phase in which he has previously played in the Australia T20I side as a specialist batsman rather than a speculative wrist spin bowler, he showed an aptitude for being the "clean up man" if early wickets fell.

Across nine matches in 2015-16, Smith returned 263 runs at 32.87 and a strike rate of 135.56, before bowing out of T20I duty to provide brief periods of rest between his many Test match and ODI commitments. "If you look at my batting record in T20 internationals, it's not crash hot," Smith said. "I guess you have to bear in mind … early in my career I was batting No. 8 or 9, coming in and slogging, facing half a dozen balls tops. It's never easy so it's going to affect your record at some point.

"I don't doubt my ability. I know the tempos of the game … and I've played a lot of cricket now. I may not be as strong as some of the other guys but I use placement and timing. The white ball usually flies off the bat particularly when it's brand new. If you're timing the ball well you get value for your shots most places.

"If you're chasing you weigh up the situation and what you need and what you need to go at, which bowlers you want to target and just work out the maths in your head and that's chasing. Batting first you have to sum up conditions and how the wicket is playing, what you think a good score is and who is in the opposition, all those sorts of things. I've played a lot of cricket now, I'm pretty experienced and my role in this team is to fix it if the top don't come off."

Cade Cunningham, the No. 2 prospect in the 2020 class and the top available player in the country, according to ESPN's rankings, announced his commitment to Oklahoma State on Tuesday night.

"To be honest, I was this close to picking a different school, but blood is always thicker than water. Go Pokes," Cunningham said in his announcement posted to Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

I am who I am, and who I'm not, I will never be.

A post shared by Cade Cunningham (@cadecunn1ngham) on Nov 5, 2019 at 3:56pm PST

Cunningham chose the Cowboys after taking official visits to North Carolina, Florida, Kentucky and Washington, in addition to Oklahoma State. Cowboys coach Mike Boynton hired Cunningham's brother, Cannen, back in June and Oklahoma State established itself as the clear favorite from that point. Kentucky made a strong push following Cunningham's visit to Lexington in early October, but Oklahoma State held off the Wildcats to land his commitment.

"When my brother took a job at Oklahoma State, most people assumed my decision had been made for me," Cunningham said in his announcement video. "But my family encouraged me to explore my options and make my own decision, based on what I feel is best for me."

A 6-foot-7 point guard from Texas who attends Montverde Academy (Florida), Cunningham is the projected No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft. He averaged 23.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.7 assists on the Nike EYBL circuit last spring and summer for the Texas Titans grassroots program. He also won a gold medal with the USA Basketball U19 National Team, averaging 11.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists.

This is a monumental commitment for Boynton and the Cowboys, the program's first five-star prospect since Marcus Smart in 2012 and the highest-ranked pledge for Oklahoma State since the ESPN recruiting database began in 2007.

Boynton is hoping Cunningham is the centerpiece to an elite recruiting class, as the elite guard joins top-50 point guard Rondel Walker in the Cowboys' 2020 class. Oklahoma State also has five-star guard Bryce Thompson visiting Stillwater on Wednesday unofficially, and hosted top-50 power forward J.T. Thor for an official visit in early September.

WELCOME, N.C. – Crew chief Randall Burnett will join Tyler Reddick in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series next year.

Burnett, who has worked with Reddick this year in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Richard Childress Racing, will continue to work with Reddick next season on the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

This year together Burnett and Reddick have won five NASCAR Xfinity Series races and remain in contention to win the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship through the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs.

Burnett previously worked with A.J. Allmendinger in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series during the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

Burnett replaces outgoing crew chief Luke Lambert on the No. 8 team. Lambert, who has worked with rookie Daniel Hemric this year, will leave Richard Childress Racing after 14 years to join Roush Fenway Racing next season to work with Chris Buescher.

INDIANAPOLIS – Era Motorsport will take on a new challenge next season, joining the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in a partnership with DragonSpeed for the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Led by Grand-AM and IMSA veteran driver Kyle Tilley, the team will race an Oreca 07 Gibson in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship LMP2 class.

“We’re very excited to confirm that we’ll be joining the IMSA ranks in 2020 for the Rolex 24 At Daytona,” said Team Principal Kyle Tilley. “We weren’t expecting to have to confirm the news so soon, but we’re thrilled there’s such media interest in our team.”

Tilley’s motorsport roots go back to his younger days in open wheel racing before switching to prototype and GT cars in 2010. He came to the United States in 2013, and has since raced in Grand-AM, IMSA, and the Pirelli World Challenge. He founded Era Motorsport, which originally focused on driver development in vintage and historic racing but had since expanded to encompass a variety of additional services including race car preparation, vehicle dynamics, support and more.

Based in Jupiter, Fla., DragonSpeed has become one of the most diverse professional sports car teams in North America. The team most recently competed in the 2019 NTT IndyCar Series championship, and also has championship titles in the European Le Mans Series, Pirelli World Challenge, as well as race wins in the FIA World Endurance Championship, American Le Mans Series, and Blancpain Endurance Series. The 2019 Rolex 24 at Daytona LMP2 race winners will offer technical support to Era Motorsport at the 2020 running of the event.

“The men and women at DragonSpeed are top-notch, and their support will be invaluable as we enter such a challenging event,” concluded Tilley. “Out of respect for all of our partners, we’ll withhold further details of our 2020 program until the final pieces are locked into place. We’re excited for what’s ahead and can’t wait for when the time is right to share that information.”

CONCORD, N.C. – Daryn Pittman will remain with Roth Motorsports to take on another season with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series next season.

Pittman joined Roth Motorsports this year to drive the No. 83 sprint car and has earned four World of Outlaws victories this season. He currently sits fourth in the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series standings with two races remaining.

“I am extremely grateful that Dennis and Teresa Roth are giving us another year to build on what we built and accomplished in 2019,” Pittman said. “I am very optimistic that we can continue to improve and be more consistent in what will be our second year together. We have a great team with Brent Ventura and Scott Vogelsong, and I am looking forward to trying to end our season with a win this week in Charlotte, N.C.”

Pittman and Roth Motorsports opened the year by sweeping through Florida and claiming the DIRTcar Nationals title. Pittman was also able to pick up a big win at Silver Dollar Speedway and claim the Gold Cup Race of Champions, pocket a win at Skagit Speedway, as well as win the Front Row Challenge at Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

Finishing second at the recently completed National Open at Williams Grove Speedway, Pittman was also on the podium at the Knoxville Nationals, finishing third behind race winner David Gravel.

Brent Ventura will continue leading the team as crew chief and Scott Vogelsong will also be back with the Roth Motorsports team in the pit area.

“All of us at Roth Motorsports are extremely excited to give this another shot,” Brent Ventura said. “It is an honor to work for Dennis and Teresa Roth, and I am looking forward to seeing what we can do in what will be our second year with Daryn Pittman. Scott Vogelsong has worked hard for our team, and I look forward to continuing to work with him and making improvements for an even more successful 2020 season.”

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A return to Martinsville Speedway in Virginia and a debut at Iowa Speedway headlines the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule for next season.

Martinsville Speedway returns to the calendar for the first time since 2010, with the series visiting the Virginia speed plant on May 8 as part of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series weekend.

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will debut at Iowa Speedway on July 31. The event is the furthest west the tour will race in 2020.

Also returning to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule next year is Jennerstown Speedway in Pennsylvania on May 23. The track has held 14 tour races over the years, with the late Ted Christopher being the last to visit victory lane in 2006.

The Whelen Modified Tour will open the season with a return trip to Virginia’s South Boston Speedway on Saturday, March 21. Connecticut will serve as the traditional opening of racing in New England with the 46th Annual Icebreaker weekend at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on Sunday, April 5, followed by the NAPA Spring Sizzler weekend at Stafford Motor Speedway on Sunday, April 26.

The season will conclude with the 48th annual NAPA Fall Final weekend at Stafford on Sunday, Sept. 27, and the 58th annual Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing at Thompson on Sunday, Oct. 11.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway will again feature a 100-lap showcase on Saturday, July 18. The Whelen Modified Tour will also return with the 200-lap main event for the track’s Full Throttle Fall Weekend on Saturday, Sept. 12.

“The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is coming off an exciting year in which we saw Doug Coby continue his historic championship run and we saw the level of competition and number of competitors increase,” said Brandon Thompson, NASCAR managing director, touring series. “We are excited about the mix of high-profile national series tracks that will showcase the great racing on the Modified tour, and the strong short tracks that have been the backbone of Modified racing.”

Two tracks that appeared on the 2019 calendar are absent next year – Myrtle Beach Speedway in South Carolina and Tennessee’s Bristol Motor Speedway.

2020 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Schedule

March 21 – South Boston Speedway – South Boston, Va.

April 5 – Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park – Thompson, Conn.

April 26 – Stafford Motor Speedway – Stafford Springs, Conn.

May 8 – Martinsville Speedway – Martinsville, Va.

May 23 – Jennerstown Speedway – Jennerstown, Pa.

June 6 – Seekonk Speedway – Seekonk, Mass.

June 20 – Riverhead Raceway – Riverhead, N.Y.

July 11 – Wall Stadium Speedway – Wall, N.J.

July 18 – New Hampshire Motor Speedway – Loudon, N.H.

July 31 – Iowa Speedway – Newton, Iowa

Aug. 7 – Stafford Motor Speedway – Stafford Springs, Conn.

Aug. 19 – Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park – Thompson, Conn.

Sept. 5 – Oswego Speedway – Oswego, N.Y.

Sept. 12 – New Hampshire Motor Speedway – Loudon, N.H.

Sept. 19 – Riverhead Raceway – Riverhead, N.Y.

Sept. 27 – Stafford Motor Speedway – Stafford Springs, Conn.

Oct. 11 – Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park – Thompson, Conn.

PLACERVILLE, Calif. – Two weeks remain until the start of the inaugural Elk Grove Ford Hangtown 100 and the lineup is stacked with a multitude of talents from various disciplines throughout the racing world.

All are gunning for the top prize at California’s Placerville Speedway which features over $130,000 in total prize money for the co-sanctioned USAC NOS Energy Drink National and Western States Midget event on Nov. 19-20.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup star and versatile dirt track pilot Kyle Larson will debut his own No. 1K for the first time in USAC National competition.  The 2011 USAC National Midget Rookie of the Year captured a non-sanctioned midget victory in the car at Placerville in September.

Larson is joined by a host of others who are planning to make rare outdoor midget starts at the event, including 2017 Indiana Midget Week champ Shane Golobic, 2016 USAC National Midget Rookie of the year Carson Macedo, 11-time USAC National Midget winner Brad Sweet, two-time All Star Circuit of Champions titlist Aaron Reutzel and Gio Scelzi, all of whom have been winners on the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series circuit this year.

What makes the event unique is that the talented bunch listed above gets the opportunity to face off against competitors who’ve been in the seat of a midget all year, including USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget point leader Tyler Courtney, plus series winners Kevin Thomas Jr., Chris Windom, Zeb Wise and Jason McDougal and against past series champs Spencer Bayston, Tanner Thorson, Jerry Coons Jr. and Dave Darland.

The bucket of talent infused throughout the field continues to overflow with 2019 USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car winners Kyle Cummins, Thomas Meseraull and Brady Bacon, as well as top international midget racing stars Michael Pickens and Kaidon Brown.

The USAC Western States Midget contingent is prepared to defend its home turf with the likes of series point leader Robert Dalby, 2018 champion Michael Faccinto, recent Ventura winner Chase Johnson, and regional USAC Sprint champs Jake Swanson and Ryan Bernal.

Tuesday’s PureCrop1 main event on Nov. 19 will be 30-laps and $5,000-to-win and features the top-12 cars in combined points inverted. Following the action on opening night there will be a post-race party on the fairgrounds with food, drinks, a live band and a lot of fun to be had.

Wednesday night’s Royal Truck Body A-main on Nov. 20 will be 100-laps around the famed red clay oval with the winner picking up a $20,000 payday. The overall points champion for the two nights will pocket a $12,000 bonus.

Hangtown 100 Entry List (As of Nov. 5)

1 Karsyn Elledge/Mooresville, NC (Tucker/Boat Motorsports)
1G Kyle Cummins/Princeton, IN (Jack Yeley)
1K Kyle Larson/Elk Grove, CA (Kyle Larson Open Wheel)
1NZ Michael Pickens/Auckland, NZ (RMS)
4D Robert Dalby/Anaheim, CA (Robert Dalby)
5 Kevin Thomas, Jr./Cullman, AL (Petry Motorsports)
7BC Tyler Courtney/Indianapolis, IN (Clauson Marshall Racing)
7x Thomas Meseraull/San Jose, CA (RMS)
8 Randi Pankratz/Atascadero, CA (Randi Pankratz)
11E Cory Elliott/Bakersfield, CA (Cory Elliott)
15 TBA/TBA (Petry Motorsports)
17BC Chris Windom/Canton, IL (Clauson Marshall Racing)
17w Shane Golobic/Fremont, CA (Matt Wood Racing)
19 Spencer Bayston/Lebanon, IN (Brodie Hayward)
19T Tanner Thorson/Minden, NV (Brodie Hayward)
19w Jake Morgan/Fair Oaks, CA (Sala Racing)
20 C.J. Sarna/Palm Desert, CA (C.J. Sarna)
21 Carson Macedo/Lemoore, CA (Tarlton Motorsports)
25 Jerry Coons, Jr./Tucson, AZ (Petry Motorsports)
25x Chase Johnson/Penngrove, CA (Tom Malloy)
27B Jake Bubak/Arvada, CO (Patrick Bourke)
27w Colby Copeland/Roseville, CA (Matt Wood)
39BC Zeb Wise/Angola, IN (Clauson Marshall Racing)
47BC Andrew Layser/Collegeville, PA (Clauson Marshall Racing)
47m Michael Faccinto/Hanford, CA (Del Morris)
57 Maria Cofer/Macdoel, CA (Maria Cofer)
67z Brad Sweet/Grass Valley, CA (Willie Kahne)
68 Jonathan Beason/Broken Arrow, OK (Six8 Motorsports)
71R Dave Darland/Lincoln, IN (Del Morris)
71x TBD
73 Dylan Ito/Ventura, CA (Keith Ford)
73K Jake Swanson/Anaheim, CA (Keith Ford)
76E Brady Bacon/Broken Arrow, OK (FMR Racing)
76m Jason McDougal/Broken Arrow, OK (FMR Racing)
77w Ryan Bernal/Hollister, CA (Matt Wood Racing)
81 Dillon Welch/Carmel, IN (Tucker/Boat Motorsports)
84 Gio Scelzi/Fresno, CA (Tucker/Boat Motorsports)
87 Aaron Reutzel/Clute, TX (Tucker/Boat Motorsports)
97w Kaidon Brown/Sydney, AU (Matt Wood)
99 Colton Heath/Marysville, WA (Carla & Gaylon Stewart)
99 Robert Carson/Concord, CA (Howard & Karen Segur)
TBA TBA/TBA (Clauson Marshall Racing)
TBA TBA/TBA (Matt Wood Racing)

TORONTO -- Maple Leafs captain John Tavares is set to return to the lineup Tuesday night after missing seven games with a broken finger.

The star center says he has made "really good progress" and is looking forward to the game against the Los Angeles Kings.

Tavares was hurt Oct. 16 after a shot by Toronto defenseman Morgan Rielly hit his hand during a 4-3 loss at Washington. The Maple Leafs were 3-2-2 without Tavares, including Saturday's 4-3 shootout victory in Philadelphia. He had three goals and four assists in eight games this season before the injury.

Tavares signed a seven-year, $77 million contract with Toronto in free agency two summers ago. He had 47 goals and 88 points in his first season with the team.