HOCKEY

New investors in Seattle’s NHL bid — The investment group hoping to bring an expansion NHL franchise to Seattle for the 2020 season has announced a new set of local investors including Seattle Sounders majority owner Adrian Hanauer and members of the Ackerley family that previously owned the Seattle SuperSonics. Seattle Hockey Partners, the group looking to secure the franchise, also announced Wednesday that it will make a presentation before the executive committee of the NHL Board of Governors on Oct. 2. Hanauer is perhaps the most notable addition to the ownership group, but adding Ted and Christopher Ackerley is a nod to the history of professional sports in Seattle. The Ackerley family owned the NBA’s Sonics from 1983 to 2001 before selling the franchise. The city of Seattle and sports facilities company Oak View Group also announced several agreements Wednesday on the proposed renovation of KeyArena, the former home of the Sonics that would serve as the future home for an NHL team.

CYCLING

De Marchi wins Vuelta’s longest stage — Alessandro De Marchi broke away with 3.1 miles left to win the longest stage of the Spanish Vuelta on Wednesday, while Simon Yates kept his slim lead over Alejandro Valverde in the overall standings. De Marchi was in a group of 19 riders who escaped from the peloton about halfway into the 129.1-mile 11th stage in northwestern Spain. He then jumped into a solo lead in heavy rain on the final climb to secure his third career stage victory in the Vuelta. Bend’s Ian Boswell finished 166th on the stage, 31:40 back. Boswell is now 150th in the overall standings, at 1:51:48. Thursday’s 12th stage will be a hilly 112.5-mile route from Mondonedo to Estaca de Bares, the northernmost point in Spain.

BASEBALL

Orioles to wear Braille on Blind Night — The Baltimore Orioles will wear first-of-their kind big league jerseys with their names spelled in Braille, for their National Federation of the Blind Night. The Baltimore Sun reports the jerseys will be autographed and auctioned online after the Sept. 18 game against Toronto. The proceeds will benefit the federation, which is celebrating its 40th year in Baltimore and has about 50,000 members. Orioles marketing head Greg Bader says the club is making a “conscious effort to create an environment where everyone feels welcome.” The first 15,000 fans at Camden Yards will receive Braille alphabet cards, and a blind musician will perform the national anthem.

SURFING

Women to get equal prize money — The World Surf League will award equal prize money to women and men for WSL-controlled events beginning with the 2019 season. World Surf League CEO Sophie Goldschmidt said prize money equality is part of a long-range strategy to elevate women’s surfing and has been in the works since the new ownership group took over in 2013. The change, announced Wednesday in advance of this weekend’s Surf Ranch Pro, is “to really give more women a chance to compete on tour and elevate women’s surfing to a place it should be,” Goldschmidt said. The WSL currently has prize money parity, Goldschmidt said, for the 36 men and 18 women on tour. First-place prize money at each Championship Tour event for men is $100,000 out of a purse of more than $600,000, while first-place money for women is $60,000 out of a purse of more than $300,000.