Blackhawks fire coach Joel Quenneville

NHL

Blackhawks fire Quenneville

Joel Quenneville knew the deal. After three Stanley Cup titles and nine playoff appearances with the Chicago Blackhawks, the longtime coach figured this was a big season for him.

“I only think we’re in the winning business and we better win,” Quenneville said on the first day of training camp.

Two months later, it was over.

The Blackhawks fired Quenneville on Tuesday, ending a wildly successful run that returned the franchise to the top of the NHL after years of heartache.

“This is certainly a very difficult decision,” general manager Stan Bowman said in a statement. “But I believe it is in the best interests of the Blackhawks organization. We need to maximize each and every opportunity with our playoff goals in mind and create continued growth and development throughout our roster at the same time.

“After much deliberation the last several days, with great respect to what Joel has meant to the Blackhawks, we knew we had to make a change.”

Assistants Kevin Dineen and Ulf Samuelsson also were let go. Jeremy Colliton was hired as the 38th coach in franchise history, and Barry Smith, 66, moved from Chicago’s front office to the bench as an assistant coach.

Colliton moves from Chicago’s American Hockey League affiliate in Rockford, Illinois, and is now the NHL’s youngest coach at 33. Blackhawks forward Chris Kunitz, defenseman Duncan Keith and goaltenders Corey Crawford and Cam Ward are older than Colliton, and defenseman Brent Seabrook also is 33.

Senators players filmed trashing team, coach while in Uber

Seven players from the Ottawa Senators have apologized after a video surfaced showing them insulting the team and an assistant coach during an Uber ride, the latest bit of humiliation for the organization.

The video shows the players discussing their ineffective penalty kill and mocking assistant Martin Raymond in what appears to be a recording from a camera mounted on the dash of an Uber driver’s van or SUV. There are seven players in the vehicle, including Matt Duchene, Chris Wideman, Chris Tierney and Thomas Chabot.

Post Media shared the video on its YouTube page Monday night. It said the video was originally posted elsewhere during the weekend and has since been deleted. It’s not clear who posted the original video.

NFL

49ers will start Mullens against Giants

The San Francisco 49ers are sticking with Nick Mullens as their starting quarterback after his spectacular debut.

Mullens said coach Kyle Shanahan told him Tuesday that he will remain the starter for the upcoming game against the Giants.

Mullens was sharp in his debut, after spending his first year-plus in the NFL on the practice squad as an undrafted free agent out of Southern Mississippi. Mullens completed 16 of 22 passes for 262 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions for a 151.9 passer rating in a 34-3 victory over the Oakland Raiders. That’s the highest since the merger for a player in his debut with at least 20 attempts.

Mullens worked with the starters during a limited practice as the 49ers (2-7) prepare for the Monday night game against the Giants. C.J. Beathard remains in the backup role after losing the starting job because of an injured wrist.

NBA

Lakers sign Chandler

Veteran center Tyson Chandler has signed with the Los Angeles Lakers two days after reaching a buyout agreement with the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers announced the signing Tuesday.

The 36-year-old Chandler will provide needed frontcourt depth for the Lakers, who have relied on JaVale McGee and undersized forwards to guard big men during their 4-6 start to the season.

Chandler is joining his seventh team early in his 18th NBA season. He spent the previous three years with Phoenix, and he averaged 6.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game last season.

Westbrook out with sprained ankle

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook will miss Wednesday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers because of a sprained left ankle. A Thunder spokesman said Tuesday the team wants to see how the ankle responds to treatment for the next few days before providing another update.

The Thunder won their fifth straight game by beating the New Orleans Pelicans 122-116 on Monday but lost Westbrook in the third quarter. After coming down hard on the side of his foot, he pounded the ground in frustration before limping off the court. Westbrook finished with 17 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.

Westbrook had a procedure on his right knee that cost him the preseason and the first two games of the regular season. The Thunder are 5-2 with him in the lineup and 0-2 without him. The former league MVP is averaging 24.1 points, 8.9 assists and 8.3 rebounds per game.

MLB

McCullers has elbow surgery

Houston Astros righthander Lance McCullers Jr. will miss all of next season following Tommy John surgery.

Houston announced McCullers had the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow repaired Tuesday.

The 25-year-old was 10-6 with a 3.86 ERA in 22 starts and three relief appearances this year, striking out 142 in 128 1/3 innings. He was 10-4 before the All-Star break, then went on the disabled list from Aug. 5 to Sept. 24 because of elbow discomfort.