Utah Hockey Club goaltender Connor Ingram re-entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program on Sunday, saying he has not been himself since his mother died of breast cancer in early December.
Ingram posted a message on social media explaining his thought process a half-hour after the league and players' union announced that he would be away from the team indefinitely while he receives care.
“At this point in my life, I need to put my health first and (to) take the proper time I need away to come back at 100%,” Ingram said. “Though many view the program as a resource for substance abuse, I want to recognize all that they do. I am once again privileged to have access to their network of world class health professionals to hopefully avoid long-term negative effects of putting your health second. With the program's assistance, I look forward to getting the medical help I need and returning to a happy and healthy life.”
Ingram, who turns 28 on March 31, spent time in the program in 2021 when he was in the Nashville Predators’ organization. He has since spoken publicly about his undiagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder that led him to drink to cope with anxiety that led him into the program then and won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy last season for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey after establishing himself as a full-time NHL player.
Help is offered for anything from alcohol or drug abuse to mental health issues, sleeping problems or a gambling addiction. Confidentiality is guaranteed for players and their family members. An announcement is made only when a player becomes unavailable to his team during the season.
Ingram is the second player to be announced as entering the program since this season started. Detroit goalie Jack Campbell went in a few days before opening night. Five players took part last season, the same number who participated over the previous three years combined.
Earlier this season, he took a leave of absence after losing his mother. When playing, he is 8-9-4 with a 3.27 goals-against average and an .882 save percentage with Utah, which was formerly the Arizona Coyotes before being sold and moving to Salt Lake City.
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FILE - Utah Hockey Club's Connor Ingram (39) looks on during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the St. Louis Blues, Nov. 7, 2024, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Connor Hamilton, file)
BRUSSELS (AP) — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday welcomed President Donald Trump’s decision to temporarily halt most U.S. tariffs, but she did not say whether the European Union intends to press ahead with its own retaliatory measures.
“I have authorized a 90 day PAUSE,” Trump said, after recognizing the more than 75 countries that he said have been negotiating on trade and had not retaliated against his latest increases in tariffs. Countries subject to the pause will now be tariffed at 10%. The EU's rate was 20%, but it was not entirely clear how the 27-nation bloc would be impacted.
China was not included. Trump further jacked up the tax rate on Chinese imports to 125%.
Von der Leyen described the halt on reciprocal tariffs as “an important step towards stabilizing the global economy. Clear, predictable conditions are essential for trade and supply chains to function.”
Before Trump’s announcement on Wednesday, EU member countries voted to approve retaliatory tariffs on $23 billion in goods in response to his 25% tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. The EU, the largest trading partner of the U.S., described them as “unjustified and damaging.”
The tariffs are set to go into effect in stages, some on April 15 and others on May 15 and Dec. 1. The EU commission didn’t immediately provide a list of the goods. The bloc’s top trade official has shuttled between Brussels and Washington for weeks trying to head off a conflict.
But Von der Leyen gave no sign that the EU’s timetable has changed. Spokesman Olof Gill noted that the commission “will now take the necessary time to assess this latest development, in close consultation with our member states and industry, before deciding on next steps.”
Members of the EU – the world’s largest trading bloc – repeated their preference for a negotiated deal to settle trade issues, and von der Leyen underscored that commitment, “with the goal of achieving frictionless and mutually beneficial trade.”
Still, the head of the EU’s executive branch – which negotiates trade deals and disputes on behalf of the member countries – said that Europe intends to diversify its trade partnerships.
She said that the EU will continue “engaging with countries that account for 87% of global trade and share our commitment to a free and open exchange of goods, services, and ideas,” and to lift barriers to commerce inside its own single market.
“Together, Europeans will emerge stronger from this crisis,” von der Leyen said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stands prior to a meeting with Iceland's Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)
The NYK Meteor container ship is moored at the Port of Los Angeles, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
