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The NHL is back on ESPN, for a limited time only.More than a decade after the league and the top U.S. sports network split up, theyre reunited for the World Cup of Hockey. Starting with exhibition games Thursday and continuing Sept. 17 when the tournament begins in Toronto, live games with NHL players will be all over the ESPN airwaves for the first time since 2004.ESPN won the exclusive rights to the two-week tournament over NBC, the NHLs current U.S. broadcast partner. The World Cup on ESPN has reignited the debate over whether hockey needs the network in order to grow in popularity in the U.S.I think its good for hockey in many ways, San Jose Sharks and Canadian defenseman Brent Burns said. Obviously, they reach a huge amount of households, and a lot of people watch it if youre a hockey fan or not. It may bring in more people, let them see how great the game is and get them addicted to hockey like the rest of us.Commissioner Gary Bettman has been steadfast in his support of NBC, which has showcased NHL coverage on its main over-the-air channel and on cable via the NBC Sports Network. It has domestic TV rights for NHL games through 2021 to feature the likes of Hockey Hall of Fame honoree Mike Emrick, its top play-by-play announcer, and has promoted the sport with gusto through outdoor games and national playoff coverage that now rivals Canada in volume.But, its not ESPN, with its deep connection to American fans of all sports.When you walk into a bar, you walk into a restaurant, you walk into any place in the United States or basically the world, ESPNs on, former NHL coach and current ESPN analyst Barry Melrose said. We still have that over any other sports network in the world: the fact that were on just about everywhere all the time.Thats part of the goal with the World Cup: dropping high-level hockey with 150 of the best players into the crowded fall sports calendar to attract viewers who arent hard-core hockey fans. Bettman said last year that the NHL sees the World Cup as an opportunity to rekindle `SportsCenter interest.As SportsCenter anchor and noted puckhead Steve Levy points out, Melrose is ESPNs only hockey analyst compared to countless experts for football, baseball and basketball. Hockey has been shuffled behind the NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball and soccer on ESPN, which has the rights to those sports.For this month, though, the NHL will get top billing on ESPN, to the delight of Levy and many of his colleagues in Bristol, Connecticut.Weve tried to do the best we can without having the games, said Levy, who said his reaction to the World Cup on ESPN was tears of joy. Were not afraid to lead `SportsCenter with it if its great hockey game or a specific play, something out of the ordinary. ... Hockey dominates top 10 plays on a regular basis.The NHL, of course, was once a fixture on the network when Gary Thorne and Bill Clement were the top broadcast team and Bill Pidto and John Buccigross hosted NHL 2Night. Thorne, now the play-by-play announcer for the Baltimore Orioles, said people approach him every day to tell him they loved ESPNs hockey coverage and miss him calling the sport.You did have a national sports audience that was there and I think people who were not hockey fans but were sports fans were brought into the game because it was on ESPN, said Thorne, who wont be calling World Cup games but isnt closing the door on doing hockey again at some point. They werent going out looking for hockey. It came to them. And many of them found they really liked it.The popular National Hockey Night music will be back -- Why mess with a masterpiece? Levy said. Levy, Melrose, Buccigross and former NHL goalie Kevin Weekes will call the games.Last year, NBC said other programming commitments made the World Cup challenging, and NHL Players Association executive director Don Fehr said going to ESPN was a vote of confidence the network would have a successful national broadcast.ESPN executive vice president of programming and scheduling Burke Magnus didnt want to speculate about getting the NHL back full time in a few years.We are excited to televise the World Cup of Hockey and be back in the professional hockey business, Magnus said. There are many NHL fans in Bristol. As far as rights are concerned, however, the next round is years down the road.Levy doesnt believe the World Cup is an audition for those rights, but said theres value to ESPN being good for the NHL.How can you be a big-time sport in the states and not be on ESPN? I think thats the part thats tough for a lot of people to understand, Levy said. I can tell you the players themselves get frustrated. Theyre on the road, in hotels, and they cant watch their own games, they cant watch action from around the league. Some of the people that have the (NBC Sports Network) channel, they dont know what number it is. It just seems very different than ESPN where you know exactly where youre going at all times.Though the NHLs recent deal with Sportsnet in Canada continued the trend of exclusive TV rights, Melrose and Levy suggested ESPN and NBC could at some point share coverage like other sports.Theres no reason it shouldnt be (on ESPN), Burns said. Its the best sport in the world, so youd think theyd want to have it.---Follow Stephen Whyno on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/SWhyno---This story corrects the surname of Kevin Weekes.SWell Bottles Nz . The Islanders dealt Thomas Vanek to the Montreal Canadiens after less than a year on Long Island. Meanwhile, the Oilers dealt long-time sniper Ales hemsky to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday for a fifth-round pick in 2014 and a third-rounder in 2015. Swell Traveler Sale .S District Court against Major League Baseball, the Office of the Commissioner and his own union, the MLBPA. http://www.swellbottlesnz.com/ . U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield in Manhattan agreed that lawyers on both sides could make their formal requests by Nov. 8. A hearing is scheduled for a day earlier. Jordan Siev, a lawyer for Rodriguez, wrote in a joint letter to the judge from lawyers on both sides that MLB lawyers planned to ask that the lawsuit be dismissed. Black Swell Bottle Nz . The visitors took a deserved lead in the 16th minute with midfielder Yohan Cabaye curling the ball beyond Adrian from inside the penalty area. Swell Bottle Nz 500ml . Nigeria beat surprise package Ethiopia 2-0 in the second leg of their playoff for a comfortable 4-1 aggregate victory. Victor Moses converted a 20th-minute penalty after an Ethiopian handball, and Victor Obinna made certain of Nigerias place in Brazil with his powerful free kick in the 82nd at UJ Esuene Stadium.BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Arkansas track and field athlete Jarrion Lawson and Florida gymnast Bridget Sloan have been named the 2015-2016 Roy F. Kramer SEC Male and Female Athletes of the Year by a vote of the leagues athletics directors, Commissioner Greg Sankey announced today.Jarrion and Bridget are perfect examples of what it means to be a student-athlete in the Southeastern Conference. They have competed at the highest level of collegiate athletics and through their hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence have been successful in their endeavors both in competition and in the classroom, said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. They are outstanding representatives of their universities as both students and athletes, and the SEC is proud to honor them for their accomplishments.A native of Texarkana, Texas, Lawson was named one of three finalists by the USTFCCCA for the Bowerman Award, the top achievement in track and field. He is the first Razorback in the history of Arkansas mens track and field to be selected as a finalist for the award.A six time NCAA Champion, Lawson turned in one of the most prolific seasons in collegiate track and field history his senior year. He is only the second man to win three individual NCAA event titles in one meet (2016 NCAA Outdoors), matching legend Jesse Owens (1935-36) whose accomplishment stood for 80 years.The NCAA Outdoor Championship modern day all-time points leader (31.5), Lawson was named the 2016 USTFCCA Mens Track Athlete of the Year and most recently was recognized as a finalist for an ESPY for best male collegiate athlete.The SEC champion in both the SEC Indoor and Outdoor long jump, he led Arkansas to SEC Indoor & Outdoor titles and a pair of national runner-up NCAA finishes this past academic year. Lawson was named SEC Indoor Field Athlete of the Year for 2016 for his efforts.A 19-time All-American, he owns the No. 4 best indoor long jump in NCAA history and is the NCAA Indoor All-Time Career Points Leader (Long Jump - 33).Lawson also excels in the classroom as a two time USTFCCCA All-Academic selection and a two time SEC Academic Honor Roll Selection. He was also named the 2016 SEC Indoor Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the 2016 SEC Outdoor Scholar-Athlete of the Year.Sloan was named the Honda Award winner as the nations top collegiate gymnast, the second such honor of her career. The NCAA all-around champion, she also shared the NCAA uneven bars and balance beam titles this past season. The three wins gives her Florida record for career NCAA event titles with six. The six career event titles is third all-time in the NCAA Gymnastics Championships 35-year history. She is the only gymnast ever to win World (2009), U.S. (2009) and NCAA (2013, 16) all-around titles.She was the only gymnast in 2016 to earn All-America first-team honors in each of the NCAA Championships five events and was the only to earn five NACGC regular season All-America honors (first team: all-around, bars, beam, floor; second team: vault).Sloan was awarded three 10.0s in 2016 (two beam & one floor) and was the nations only gymnast to earn multiple beam 10.0s. Of the nations six gymnasts to post an all-around total of 39.70 or better in 2016, Sloan is only one with multiple appearances (39.775/twice; 39.70/once) and of the three to earn the nations high of 39.775, Sloan is only one to earn that total twice.A six time SEC Gymnast of the Week in 2016, Sloan led the Gators with 27 event titles (nine all-around, seven bars, five beam, four floor, two vault). Shes Floridas career leader for: all-around wins (27), event titles (95), 10.0 marks (8), and All-America honors earned in NCAA competition (16).The other male nominees were: Derrick Henry, Alabama (football); Joe Patching, Auburn (swimming); Caeleb Dressel, Florida (swimming); Lee McCoy, Georgia (golf); Tyler Ulis, Kentucky (basketball); Leonard Fournette, LSU (football); Ryan Walling, Ole Miss (track & field); Dak Prescott, Mississippi State (football); Fabian Schwingenschlogl, Missouri (swimming); Matt NeSmith, South Carolina (golf); Jake Blankenship, Tennessee (track & field); Lindon Victor, Texass A&M (track & field); Matthias Schwab, Vanderbilt (golf).ddddddddddddThe other female nominees were: Haylie McCleney, Alabama (softball); Dominique Scott, Arkansas (track & field); Kasey Cooper, Auburn (softball); Keturah Orji, Georgia (track & field); Danielle Galyer, Kentucky (swimming); Ashleigh Gnat, LSU (gymnastics); Raven Saunders, Ole Miss (tennis); Marta Freitas, Mississippi State (track & field); Emily Crane, Missouri (softball); Aja Wilson, South Carolina (basketball); Felicia Brown, Tennessee (track & field); Shamier Little, Texas A&M (track & field); Simone Charley, Vanderbilt (track & field/soccer).The SEC Athletes of the Year Awards were first presented in 1976 for men and 1984 for women. The award was renamed the Roy F. Kramer Athletes of the Year in 2004 to honor the former commissioner who served the conference from 1990-2002.Past recipients of the SEC Athlete of the Year Award include: 2015 - Andrew Benintendi, Arkansas (baseball) and Lauren Haeger, Florida (softball); 2014 - AJ Reed, Kentucky (baseball) and Hannah Rogers, Florida (softball); 2013 - Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M (football) and Allison Schmitt, Georgia (swimming); 2012 - Anthony Davis, Kentucy (basketball) and Brooke Pancake, Alabama (golf); 2011 - John-Patrick Smith, Tennessee (tennis) and Kayla Hoffman, Alabama (gymnastics); 2010 - Mark Ingram, Alabama (football) and Susan Jackson, LSU (gymnastics); 2009 - Tim Tebow, Florida (football) and Courtney Kupets, Georgia (gymnastics); 2008 - Tim Tebow, Florida (football) and Candace Parker, Tennessee (basketball); 2007 - David Price, Vanderbilt (baseball) and Monica Abbott, Tennessee (softball); 2006 - Xavier Carter, LSU (track & field) and Seimone Augustus, LSU (basketball); 2005 - Ryan Lochte, Florida (swimming) and Kirsty Coventry, Auburn (swimming); 2004 - Alistair Cragg, Arkansas (cross country/track) and Jeana Rice, Alabama (gymnastics); 2003 - Alistair Cragg, Arkansas (cross country/track) and LaToya Thomas, Mississippi State (basketball); 2002 - Walter Davis, LSU (track & field) and Andree Pickens, Alabama (gymnastics); 2001 - Matias Boeker, Georgia (tennis) and Amy Yoder Begley, Arkansas (cross country/track); 2000 - Kip Bouknight , South Carolina (baseball) and Kristy Kowal, Georgia (swimming); 1999 - Tim Couch, Kentucky (football) and Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee (basketball); 1998 - Peyton Manning, Tennessee (football) and Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee (basketball); 1997 - Danny Wuerffel, Florida (football) and Trinity Johnson, South Carolina (softball); 1996 - Danny Wuerffel, Florida (football) and Saudia Roundtree, Georgia (basketball); 1995 - Todd Helton, Tennessee (baseball) and Jenny Hansen, Kentucky (gymnastics); 1994 - Corliss Williamson, Arkansas (basketball) and Nicole Haislett, Florida (swimming); 1993 - Jamal Mashburn, Kentucky (basketball) and Nicole Haislett, Florida (swimming); 1992 - Shaquille ONeal, LSU (basketball) and Vicki Goetze, Georgia (golf); 1991 - Shaquille ONeal, LSU (basketball) and Daedra Charles, Tennessee (basketball); 1990 - Alec Kessler, Georgia (basketball) and Dee Foster, Alabama (gymnastics); 1989 - Derrick Thomas, Alabama (football) and Bridgette Gordon, Tennessee (basketball); 1988 - Will Perdue, Vanderbilt (basketball) and Dara Torres, Florida (swimming); 1987 - Cornelius Bennett, Alabama (football) and Lillie Leatherwood-King, Alabama (track and field); 1986 - Bo Jackson, Auburn (football) and Jennifer Gillom, Ole Miss (basketball); 1985 - Will Clark, Mississippi State (baseball) and Penney Hauschild, Alabama (gymnastics); 1984 - Terry Hoage, Georgia (football) and Tracy Caulkins, Florida (swimming); 1983 - Herschel Walker, Georgia (football/track and field); 1982 - Buck Belue, Georgia (football/baseball); 1981 - Rowdy Gaines, Auburn (swimming); 1980 - Kyle Macy, Kentucky (basketball); 1979 - Reggie King, Alabama (basketball); 1978 - Jack Givens, Kentucky (basketball); 1977 - Larry Seivers, Tennessee (football); and 1976 - Harvey Glance, Auburn (track and field). 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