COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State University President Gordon Gee abruptly announced his retirement after he came under fire for jokingly referring to “those damn Catholics” at Notre Dame and poking fun at the academic quality of other schools.

The remarks were first reported last week by The Associated Press, and Ohio State at the time called them unacceptable and said it had placed Gee on a “remediation plan” to change his behavior.

Gee, 69, said in a teleconference that the furor was only part of his decision to retire.

TORONTO — New NHL players might soon be forced to wear visors, and the rest might join that group in the not-too-distant future.The league’s competition committee recommended that visors be mandatory for all players entering the league, beginning next season.