DEREK KING

Luke Richardson says he likes a challenge.

The Chicago Blackhawks have hired Kyle Davidson as general manager, dropping his interim tag instead of going outside the floundering franchise for new leadership.

U.S. sports leagues are seeing rapidly increasing COVID-19 outbreaks with dozens of players in health and safety protocols, amid an ongoing surge by the delta variant of the coronavirus and rising cases of the highly transmissible omicron mutation.

Rangers Blackhawks Hockey Chicago Blackhawks center Jujhar Khaira (16) lays on the ice after being knocked out by New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski) (Kamil Krzaczynski)CHICAGO — (AP) — Chicago Blackhawks forward Jujhar Khaira was taken to a hospital after he was leveled by New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba and wheeled off on a stretcher Tuesday night. The 27-year-old Khaira suffered an “upper-body blow,” the team said, and was taken by ambulance to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. “He’s up, he’s talking, he’s very responsive,” interim coach Derek King said after Chicago's 6-2 loss. A handful of his teammates and the Rangers tapped the stretcher as Khaira was taken off.

Chicago Blackhawks forward Jujhar Khaira is responsive after he was leveled by New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba and taken off on a stretcher.