The NHL is increasing its popular outdoor games, which in the past had been limited to on or around New Year’s Day. There likely will be six next season.

Toronto and Detroit will meet at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Jan 1, the Anaheim Ducks will play the Los Angeles Kings at Dodger Stadium on Jan. 5 and the Chicago Blackhawks will host the Pittsburgh Penguins at Soldier Field on March 1.

The games at Yankee Stadium were announced Wednesday. A game between Ottawa and Vancouver at BC Place on March 2 also is being planned.

The post Two games set for Yankee Stadium appeared first on IdealCapper.

The France midfielder was dismissed in the first half of the defending champions’ 4-3 Barclays Premier League win at Carrow Road for an alleged headbutt at Sebastien Bassong.

Manager Roberto Mancini indicated after the game on Saturday that an appeal would be lodged but, after further thought, the club have now announced there will not be a challenge.

“The Football Association has confirmed that Samir Nasri will serve a three-match suspension, following his red card during the 4-3 win at Norwich on Saturday. Nasri will now miss the New Year’s Day visit from Stoke City, the FA Cup tie with Watford (January 5) and the trip to Arsenal on January 13,” the club said in a statement.

Nasri reacted angrily to a challenge from Bassong in a manner that was seen as violent conduct. Mancini maintains the dismissal was harsh but conceded, as he met the media early on Monday to preview the Stoke game, an appeal may not succeed.

Appealing would have allowed Nasri to face Stoke as, due to the holiday season, a hearing would not have been heard until Wednesday. But by doing so the club would run the risk of having the ban extended if the appeal was deemed frivolous.

With Yaya Toure, Kolo Toure and Abdul Razak now due to depart for African Nations Cup duty with Ivory Coast after the Stoke game — rather than after Saturday’s FA Cup tie against Watford as first thought — it was considered too much of a gamble.

“We don’t know what can happen if we appeal. Usually they reject an appeal. This could be a problem because after this game we lose three players — Yaya, Kolo, Razak and we don’t want to lose another,” Mancini said.

The post Samir Nasri banned three matches appeared first on IdealCapper.