The National Women's Hockey League is increasing salaries, offering a 50-50 split of sponsor-related revenues and improved benefits in an agreement reached with its players' association.

The union did not release any specific monetary figures in announcing the agreement Thursday. It's a one-year deal with the five-team NWHL holding the option to renew it the following season.

The NWHL Players' Association calls the agreement a "breakthrough'' because it provides "substantial gains'' for the first time since the league was founded in 2015.

After players made between $10,000 and $26,000 in the first season, their salaries were cut in half a little over a month into their second season.

As for the revenue-sharing split of money received from league sponsors, it will kick in when the league meets its operating expenses. The NWHL is privately run and backed by investors, and has not revealed its financial picture.

The deal also provides increases to travel and meal costs over a 24-game regular season, which opens in October.

The agreement comes at a time the U.S.-based NWHL faces questions about its future after experiencing several setbacks over the past month.

More than 200 of the world's top female players have pledged not to play professionally in North America. The boycotting players have since formed the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association in their bid to push for the creation of a single and economically viable professional women's league.

Also, the private owners of the NWHL Buffalo Beauts returned control of the franchise back to the league.

ST. LOUIS -- Erik Karlsson, Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski packed up their lockers and discussed varying degrees of postseason injuries Thursday, before addressing the fundamental question facing the San Jose Sharks this offseason: From this trio of star unrestricted free agents, which ones will return next season?

Karlsson, 28, was acquired before the season in a blockbuster trade with the Ottawa Senators. He had 45 points in 53 games, but that latter number was the significant one: Karlsson was slowed by a groin injury that eventually became such a hindrance to his skating that he missed the last four periods of the Sharks' season, including all of their Game 6 elimination by the St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference finals.

"It's nothing major. It's just going to take some time," said Karlsson, who was unsure about whether the injury would require surgery. "I'm still in the process of figuring all that out. But it's something I've been dealing with since January. I was very fortunate to play all the games, except for the last one, in the playoffs."

While the anticipation of Karlsson's free agency is somewhat tempered by his health, the defensemen should remain one of the summer's most coveted commodities. There were reports the Sharks were willing to offer him an eight-year extension. Would he consider staying in the Bay Area?

"I haven't really thought about any of that," he said. "I've been treated with nothing but class and respect here. I've seen the best side of this city and this organization, and I've liked everything I've seen. But I have to regroup and assess everything. Whatever happens is going to happen for a reason."

General manager Doug Wilson, who declined to share his plans for Karlsson, estimated the defenseman was "healthy for about six weeks" during his tenure with the Sharks.

Pavelski, who turns 35 in July, also missed Game 6 against the Blues, after missing six games against the Colorado Avalanche in the previous round. To say the Sharks' captain paid a physical toll would be an understatement: There was a puck off his mouth early in the first round, the horrific concussion he suffered when he head bounced off the ice in Game 7 against the Vegas Golden Knights, the reaggravation of a knee injury on a hit by St. Louis defenseman Alex Pietrangelo in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals and, revealed for the first time Tuesday, a hand surgery he underwent two weeks ago.

An unrestricted free agent, Pavelski said he was expecting he would return to the Sharks.

"I'm pretty confident. I have a pretty strong belief system is that I'll be back here," he said. "It's not about dotting the 'I's" yet. But we love it here. I'm sure things will move along."

Karlsson and Pavelski intend to continue on in the NHL next season. Thornton, who turns 40 in July, faces the question of whether it's time to hang up the skates.

Thornton said he'd discuss his future with team management, ownership and his family. "We'll see. I haven't made any decision yet. I feel like I can still play, that's for sure," said Thornton, who had 51 points in 73 games and is 14th on the all-time points list (1,478) in NHL history.

His quest for his first Stanley Cup was seen as a rallying cry for the Sharks, and was cited by several teammates in stating their regrets for the season ending two wins shy of the Stanley Cup Final. But Thornton felt the whole thing was overblown.

"Yeah I didn't buy into that," he said with a laugh. "I think that was more for you guys."

Thornton said if he does play in 2019-20, it would only be with San Jose.

"He's a Shark," said Wilson, who said he hoped Thornton would return. "I have such tremendous respect for him, not just as a hockey player, but as a man. He can take as long as he'd like to make a decision. We love him."

BOSTON -- Boston Bruins scoring leader Brad Marchand returned without missing a shift after appearing to hurt his left hand Thursday night when the team held an intrasquad scrimmage to tune up for the Stanley Cup Final.

Marchand bumped into Connor Clifton in front of the net "and jammed his ... I don't know what he jammed," coach Bruce Cassidy said.

"Injury risk was our biggest concern tonight. It will be Saturday when we practice at the regular time, and Sunday," Cassidy said. "He's fine."

With 10 days off between their sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference finals and Monday night's opener of the best-of-seven Cup final against the St. Louis Blues, the Bruins scheduled the scrimmage to stay sharp.

"It was good to get out there, and we appreciate the support," forward David Pastrnak said. "It's starting to feel real."

Tickets were $20 and the 17,565-seat TD Garden was sold out, with the proceeds going to the Boston Bruins Foundation. Fans chanted "We Want the Cup!" and "Let's Go Bruins!" and gave the team a standing ovation after Patrice Bergeron tipped a puck between his legs during a six-on-five, pulled goalie simulation before the buzzer.

Captain Zdeno Chara and Bergeron, the alternate captain, thanked the crowd after the scrimmage.

Marchand skated off flexing his hand near the end of the first 25-minute half. He appeared to be in discomfort on the bench, but was back for his next shift.

Cassidy left it up to the players to decide how much work they needed.

Goaltender Tuukka Rask played just one half. Chara, who missed the clincher of the East finals for undisclosed reasons, played the entire game. David Krejci showed up at the arena with an illness and was sent home, but he should be fine for Monday's game, Cassidy said.

The body of Colombian U20 and U17 player Leidy Asprilla was recovered on Wednesday on a highway in the southwest of Colombia, police have confirmed.

Asprilla, 22, had been missing since Sunday. Police said they found the body in heavy forest at dawn on a highway that runs from El Cerrito to Rozo, in Valle del Cauca, near Cali.

"We are deeply saddened by the death of our player," the Colombian League said in a news release. "The 36 clubs that make up DiMayor [the league] and our president, Jorge Enrique Velez, unite at this moment of grief with family, friends and teammates."

Asprilla played for Orsomarso as well as for the Colombian national team. Police said the cause of death is still under investigation and reported that they found all of her belongings as well as her motorbike, near the body. Her aunt, Amparo Asprilla said that her niece left home on Sunday in El Cerrito to pick up a teammate for a training session but never arrived. The family initially thought she had been kidnapped.

Asprilla is remembered for the goal she scored against Brazil in the South American U17 championships.

Manchester United will not let Romelu Lukaku leave on the cheap if Inter Milan firm up their interest with a formal bid, sources have told ESPN FC.

Antonio Conte is expected to replace Luciano Spalletti at the San Siro after the final round of Serie A games this weekend.

Conte is set to ask his new employers to sign Lukaku -- a target for the Italian when he was in charge at Chelsea -- with Inter favouring a season-long loan deal with an option to sign the Belgium international permanently in 12 months' time.

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United, however, will demand a sizeable fee for Lukaku before allowing him to leave this summer.

They paid Everton an initial £75 million for the striker in 2017 but that fee has risen to closer to £90 million after a series of add-ons.

Lukaku would consider a move to Italy because of fears he will not be Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first choice centre forward next season but the United boss is open to keeping the 26-year-old at Old Trafford.

United have struggled for goals over the past two seasons but Lukaku has still managed to score 42 in 96 games since arriving from Goodison Park.

United, meanwhile, have confirmed they have added another friendly to their summer schedule with a game against Kristiansund -- Solskjaer's hometown team -- in Oslo on July 30.

Solskjaer has ordered his players to return to preseason training at Carrington on July 1 and has warned his squad there will be "no excuses" after a disappointing end to last season which saw United slip out of the race for a place in the top four to eventually finish sixth.

"We're going to sit down and go through all the plans with the physical coaches and with the coaches and we'll be ready when July 1 comes," Solskjaer told MUTV.

"There are not going to be any excuses.

"You're determined to come back a better team and a better coach, to help the players improve and be even better.

"Yeah it's nice, winning, don't get me wrong. But when you get a season like we've had, I think everyone wants to show what we can do, because they're proud players and we're proud coaches."

The Chelsea Supporters' Trust (CST) have criticised the club for failing to help or show solidarity with their supporters ahead of the Europa League final against Arsenal in Baku on Wednesday, and accused official travel partner Thomas Cook of charging an "extortionate" price for flight packages to Azerbaijan.

Only around 1,500 of the original 6,000 tickets allocated to Chelsea for the final have been sold to season-ticket holders or members, with another 500 or so purchased by local supporters' clubs and the rest returned to UEFA. Arsenal have only sold around 4,000 tickets to their fans.

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In a statement released on Friday, CST cited "unprecedented challenges" facing fans hoping to attend the game including the cost and complexity of travel arrangements, criticising UEFA for choosing a "totally unsuitable location" in Baku and adding that Chelsea have said and done nothing to assist their supporters.

"We are extremely disappointed that Chelsea FC have been unable or unwilling to help Chelsea supporters overcome the travel, expense and logistics in order for them to support the team in a European final," the statement read. "The lack of a statement from Chelsea FC is also disappointing.

"Arsenal FC issued a statement expressing frustration and disappointment on behalf of their supporters; acknowledging the unsuitability of the venue, the challenges faced by supporters travelling to Baku and the need to ensure more care by UEFA in future venue selection.

"While this may not make any difference to UEFA's immediate decision-making, at the very least it sent out a message to their supporters that they were concerned about the difficulties they face and were on their side.

"A similar statement from Chelsea would have engendered some much-needed goodwill from the supporters."

Thomas Cook's travel packages for the game are priced at £979 and consist of flights to and from Baku as well as bus transport to and from the stadium. The cost of a match ticket is not included and the return flight departs shortly after the match, meaning no opportunity for overnight hotel stay.

"They're obscenely priced," CST chair David Chidgey told ESPN FC of Thomas Cook's packages. "I would go as far as to say they're exploitative.

"They pay Chelsea a lot of money so they can fleece the fans, and that's exactly what they're doing. It just shows that we're cannon fodder to be exploited and the club are complicit in that."

The Premier League transfer window is open. You can click here to review all the latest transfers and keep up to date with all the latest gossip below.

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TOP STORY: Mbappe and Neymar on their way from PSG?

Could both Kylian Mbappe and Neymar be on their way out of Paris Saint-Germain in the summer? It's possible, according to boss Thomas Tuchel.

The Sun reports that Tuchel, speaking at a news conference, did not dampen speculation that the star pair could be off, with Real Madrid a likely destination for at least one of them.

Recent reports have alleged that they have fallen out, something that could hasten their exit from the French giants.

"As a coach I do want them to continue, but this is football -- we are not naive," Tuchel said. "Many clubs want to transfer many players and the market is crazy, but if you ask me, I want them here next season. But if they are not, we will find solutions."

LIVE BLOG

11.03 BST: Manchester United will not let Romelu Lukaku leave on the cheap if Inter Milan firm up their interest with a formal bid, sources have told ESPN FC.

Antonio Conte is expected to replace Luciano Spalletti at the San Siro after the final round of Serie A games this weekend, and is set to ask his new employers to sign Lukaku.

10.37 BST: To Spain, where AS reports that Tottenham made an approach to Real Madrid about a potential move for Marco Asensio, but were told he will not be sold.

10.17 BST: Atletico Madrid's Juanfran has said Barcelona's attack will be unrivalled if Antoine Griezmann links up with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

Griezmann confirmed his departure from Atletico earlier this month, and is widely tipped to move to the Camp Nou.

"If Griezmann goes to Barca, it would be difficult to find a better front three than Messi-Griezmann-Suarez," Juanfran told Cadena Ser. "It's the dream trident for any coach."

09.47 BST: Benfica have said they have not received any offers for Joao Felix, who has been compared to Cristiano Ronaldo, but expect clubs to make a move over the summer.

Attacking midfielder Felix, who has a €120 million release clause in his contract, is reported to be interesting clubs including Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus.

09.25 BST: Eden Hazard has told RMC he is focused on winning the Europa League and isn't thinking the Baku final could be his Chelsea swansong.

With just 12 months left on his contract at Stamford Bridge, Hazard is widely expected to end his seven-year stay by completing a switch to Real Madrid.

An announcement to that effect is expected after next Wednesday's final against Arsenal in the Azerbaijani capital, but Hazard said: "Honestly, I'm not thinking about it. I'm just thinking about winning the game. What happens will happen."

08.50 BST: Ajax winger David Neres is not a summer target for Atletico Madrid, a source close to the player has told ESPN FC, but could be Premier League bound this summer.

Neres, 22, had a breakout season with 12 goals and 15 assists as Ajax eliminated Real Madrid and Juventus as they reached the Champions League semifinals, as well as completing the domestic double in the Netherlands.

Reports in Spain had claimed that Atletico coach Diego Simeone had asked Rojiblanco bosses to sign Neres, but ESPN FC has been told the La Liga club has not made an approach.

A number of other clubs in Europe, including some in the Premier League, have shown a strong interest, the source said.

08.15 BST: David Luiz has revealed that Maurizio Sarri told him to leave Chelsea during last summer's preseason, only for him to quickly change the Italian's mind.

Chelsea gave Luiz a two-year contract extension earlier this month, breaking their policy of only offering one-year deals to players over 30.

That decision reflected Luiz's presence in the Stamford Bridge dressing room and his importance to Sarri this season -- but in an interview with the Daily Mail, the Brazilian admitted things might have turned out very differently.

"We had a conversation in the first week he arrived," Luiz said. "He didn't want me to stay and that was normal. I'd been injured for a long period. I was in the last year of my contract.

"Then, after three days he saw me training and said, 'No, you are going to stay.'"

PAPER TALK (by Richard Edwards): Solskjaer ready for a clear-out

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is wasting no time in revamping his squad.

The Mirror reports that Matteo Darmian, Marcos Rojo, Juan Mata and Romelu Lukaku will be off in the summer, following Ander Herrera and Antonio Valencia out of the exit door.

Lukaku is rumoured to be on Inter Milan's wanted list, while Mata is a free agent in the summer and could head back to Spain.

Rojo and Darmian, meanwhile, made only 13 appearances between them last season.

United keep tabs on PSG rebel

Manchester United aren't ruling out a move for PSG transfer rebel Adrien Rabiot, who hasn't played for the French champions since December, according to the Manchester Evening News.

Rabiot has been linked with Real Madrid, although United have reportedly been tracking him since Louis van Gaal's spell in charge.

The lure of Champions League football could put United at a disadvantage but, with Solskjaer intent on rebuilding, the France international fits the bill.

Tap-ins

- Fulham are set to hold out for £30m for star man Aleksander Mitrovic, but are already planning for life without him. The Standard says Fulham will look to bring Dwight Gayle and Britt Assombalonga to Craven Cottage if, as expected, Mitrovic leaves.

- Reports in Germany say Bayern Munich are set to launch a bid to bring Leroy Sane back to the Bundesliga. Suddeutsche Zeitung reports that president Oli Hoeness said the club were doing all they could bring Sane to the Allianz Arena.