National Hockey League (NHL)

Robert Siegel talks to sportswriter Stefan Fatsis about the NHL playoffs.

Washington Capitals right wing Joel Ward, center, is mobbed by teammates after his game-winning goal against the Boston Bruins.

Washington Capitals Hockey Player Scores Winning Goal, Draws Racist Tweets

Korva Coleman

Washington Capitals hockey player Joel Ward scores winning goal and is subjected to racist remarks on Twitter. Ward, who's black, says the comments didn't ruin his day.

Keith Ballard, right, of the Vancouver Canucks is tripped by Colin Fraser of the Los Angeles Kings for a penalty during game in Los Angeles on April 18. Researchers studying hockey penalties found that teams wearing black jerseys were far more likely to draw penalties than teams wearing other colored or white jerseys.

NPR 暗黑爆料

Power (Dis)Play? Teams In Black Draw More Penalties

Shankar Vedantam

Hockey teams wearing darker-colored jerseys are more likely to be penalized for aggressive fouls than teams wearing white jerseys, new research finds. And teams wearing black jerseys get penalized the most. It's not clear whether the jersey color increases player aggression or draws more visual attention by referees.

Rats Are Good Luck For NHL's Florida Panthers

In the 1990's, a Panthers' player earned a place in pro hockey lore when he found a rat in the dressing room, and whacked it with his hockey stick. Fans are encouraged to litter the ice with plastic rats after a win. In a playoff game Saturday, a player from the opposing New Jersey Devils raced for the puck, and kicked a toy rat instead.