Sunderland drop points in 1-1 draw but stay unbeaten
VAR rules out Juventus winner in draw with Rennes
Celtic suffered more Europa League pain as Spanish side Celta Vigo came from behind to win 2-1 at Parkhead. After defeats by Ferencvaros and Benfica in their first two league phase fixtures, Martin O’Neill’s side struggled to impose themselves on the visitors who were neat and tidy without really testing Hoops keeper Sam Johnstone.
Germany midfielder Mika Baur fired the home side in front just over a minute into the second half to thrill the Celtic fans but Spain defender Javi Rodríguez scored twice in three minutes – a header then an unstoppable drive – to stun the home side who could not find a way back.
The Buffalo Sabres puzzlingly made no moves of consequence to replace the offensive firepower lost when winger Alex Tuch and defenseman Bowen Byram departed last summer. Tuch scored more than 30 goals in three of Buffalo's last four seasons and 33 last season. Byram scored a career-high 11 goals, third in defensive scoring behind Rasmus Dahlin and Mattias Samuelsson.
GM Jarmo Kekalainen opted to rely almost exclusively on internal growth from the club’s young forward group to make up the offensive gap, but through 10 games, the Sabres who finished 5th in the NHL with 288 goals last season (3.51 goals per game), are 20th in the NHL with 28 goals (2.8 goals per game). The club has trailed by two or more goals in nine of their 10 games, and still have a record of 4-4-2.
Playoff standout Zach Benson, who scored 13 goals in the regular season, is without a goal, while forwards Josh Doan (25 goals), Ryan McLeod (14 goals), Peyton Krebs (12 goals), Jiri Kulich, and Konsta Helenius have one. The Sabres welcomed back veteran winger Jason Zucker, who scored 24 goals last season, and he scored their only goal in a 3-1 loss to Philadelphia on Wednesday, but the lack of production is something that is beginning to concern head coach Lindy Ruff.
Which team is theb best fit for Connor Hellebuyck?
"We talked about missed nets, missed opportunities. I think we're 31st or 32nd in terms of missed nets. I thought we had some great looks in the first period. Some good looks in the second period too. I still think we miss the net too often," Ruff said. mentioned. " Our guys got frustrated.... and then we turned into trying to get a little bit too fancy when we hit the line. We had to get it below the line, win some battles. Those battles got to turn into opportunities.”
Other than Tage Thompson and Jack Quinn (each with five goals), Buffalo’s forwards have not been able to cash in on their chances. Kekalainen did not add a forward in a trade or via free agency over the summer to provide some secondary offense. A couple, Stanley Cup winner Vladimir Tarasenko and former 40-goal scorer Patrik Laine, are still on the market.
With Zucker back, the Sabres have to hope that their anemic power play will begin to produce, but more than that, they will need more than just Thompson and one or two others to begin hitting the back of the net.
That has made things increasingly difficult for a Warriors team that’s trying to ensure that the 38-year-old Steph Curry can play meaningful basketball in the twilight of his career.
Stephen Curry (30) of the Golden State Warriors dribbles the ball during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
The Warriors have begun to explore trade options for Porzingis, according to ESPN. The Warriors released a statement saying they wouldn’t comment on the report, adding that they are “not anticipating Kristaps being around the team in the immediate future.”
It’s a complicated and nuanced situation that has left the Warriors in a tough spot.
“It’s a hard one for all reasons, him personally first and foremost, but as a team knowing you have an idea of who you are coming into a season,” Curry said after the Warriors’ 127-105 loss to the Lakers in their season opener on Wednesday. “We always said availability was a big factor for our team with the guys we already had out.
Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis warms up before an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings, Friday, April 10, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. AP Photo/Scott Marshall
“So it’s no secret that that spot is an important one for us, especially with his skillset, It’s hard to talk about him without keeping the humanity of it in mind. But it is a tough one to figure out for the now, for the future. Again, we had a good look at what we were supposed to be as a team. We have to overcome that, obviously, but we would love to have him here.”
Porzingis, a 7-foot-2 center, played in 15 games last season, averaging 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 blocked shots.
His absence has made it so that Draymond Green has to play center more than he anticipated, something that puts a heavy load on the 6-foot-6, 36-year-old who’s the defensive heartbeat of that team.
Los Angeles Lakers center Walker Kessler, right, is hit in the face by Golden State Warriors forward/center Draymond Green as he tries to defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, in Los Angeles. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
“Yeah definitely, but shit happens,” Green said when asked about the situation.
“You go out there and play,” Green added. “If a guy is injured, you don’t sit in the locker room, like. ‘Oh man, i want you —.’ You go play.”
That is exactly what the Warriors will do on Friday night in their home opener against the Grizzlies.
Los Angeles, - October 21: Forward Ziaire Williams #11 of the Los Angeles Lakers dives for the loose ball against the Golden State Warriors in the second half of a NBA playoff basketball game at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
During Wednesday’s game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors, things grew chippy when Luka Dončić and Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg engaged in some verbal sparring as Dončić gave Lendeborg an early Welcome To The League moment.
Last season, Dončić and then-Brooklyn Nets wing Ziaire Williams got a little heated while Los Angeles hosted the Nets inside Crypto.com Arena. Now a teammate of Dončić’s, Williams is much happier to watch the Slovenian superstar conduct trash talk with both of them wearing the same colors.
“Oh man, it’s cool. It’s a lot better when you’re on his side than the other side for sure,” Williams told reporters following the 127-105 win over Golden State. “The rookie, he was talking a lot of smack too, so I mean shout out to him for not backing down. Luka definitely had the better day, but I mean, at least he didn’t back away from the challenge so shout out to him. But I mean, Luka, in my opinion, is the best player in the world and it’s going to be like that on a daily basis with him.”
A Lancaster, California native, Williams earned a starting nod in his Lakers debut Wednesday. He tallied nine points on 4-of-7 shooting (1-of-2 beyond the arc), four assists (two turnovers), three rebounds and one steal. Los Angeles outscored the Warriors by 12 points during his 24 minutes.
Dončić has built a pretty lengthy history of trash-talk foes throughout his eight-year career and like Williams before him, Lendeborg is just another on the ledger. Unlike Williams, though, I don’t think he’ll be joining forces with Dončić in the near future. And these teams will face each other three more times during the regular season, so it’ll be interesting to see whether this story adds another chapter or if Wednesday’s theatrics will be its entirety.
Among the comfortable victory, his own performance and getting to witness Dončić dish out smack talk rather than be on the receiving end of it, Wednesday night was a nice one for Williams. He’ll hope to replicate the winning ways and positive outing Friday when the Los Angeles Clippers come to town (from Inglewood).
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - OCTOBER 30: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder handles the ball in front of Bub Carrington #7 of the Washington Wizards during the first half at Paycom Center on October 30, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images) | Getty Images NEW ORLEANS, LA – OCTOBER 16: Anthony Davis #23 of the Washington Wizards looks on during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on October 16, 2026 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Derick Hingle/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Game Info
When: Friday, October 23rd at 7:00 p.m. ET
How to watch: Monumental Sports Network, League Pass
Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
Injury Report
Raptors: Nate Bittle – Out (Foot)
Wizards: AJ Dybansta – Out (Ankle), Jamir Watkins – Out (Knee), Tristan Vukcevic – Out (Hip)
Pregame notes
After winning the season opener, the Wizards take on the Toronto Raptors. Toronto comes in with a victory of their own as they throttled Chicago Bulls by 43 points to open up the season.
The Raptors have made some changes to their roster, but none more heralded than the acquisition of Kawhi Leonard, who previously won a NBA Championship and NBA Finals MVP in his one season with Toronto back in 2019.
There are big things expected for the Raptors coming off a playoff appearance last season. This team is looking to make some noise as an Eastern Conference contender, which is why the addition of Leonard was so critical for their aspirations to ascend.
This game certainly would be a statement game for the Washington Wizards, who are looking to climb up into the Eastern Conference upper tier as well. After struggling for three quarters on Wednesday, the Wizards were able to finally put the Milwaukee Bucks away after a strong 4th quarter performance on both ends of the floor. Despite their struggle behind the arc, shooting only 21 percent from 3, the Wizards were able to pull off the opening win on the strength of 70 points in the paint and getting to the free throw line (41 attempts).
This will look like the formula for much of the season as the Wizards have a decisive size advantage on most nights, but in order for their team to compete with teams like Toronto they must clean up their defense and shoot from 3 at a much better clip. These are the two areas to pay attention to in this one.
Can Wizards pull of another win without their #1 draft pick, AJ Dybansta? Can the Wizards show the league that they can compete with the playoff teams in the East? The Raptors will be a great barometer to see how far this team is already in the season.
Ron Duguay plays for the New York Rangers alumni team on Dec. 31, 2011, in Philadelphia. On Thursday, the Rangers announced that Duguay died at 69. (Tom Mihalek / Associated Press)
Ron Duguay, a longtime New York Rangers star who finished his NHL career with the Kings, has died of cancer. He was 69.
The Rangers announced the loss of “one of the most popular players in franchise history” on Thursday morning after being informed by Duguay’s family.
“Ron’s signature skating style — with his hair flowing as he moved down the ice — captivated The Garden Faithful, and his skill, tenacity, and charisma earned him the admiration of all New Yorkers,” the team said in a statement. “We join the hockey community in sending our condolences to Ron’s friends, family, and loved ones during this difficult time.”
Former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican U.S. vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, who dated Duguay over the last several years, posted on social media that the one-time NHL All-Star “passed away peacefully” Thursday “after a hard-fought battle with cancer.”
“It’s with a shattered heart, but also deep peace knowing Ron is with Jesus now,” Palin wrote. “He fought so hard. Love never ends.”
On Sunday, Palin posted photos that appeared to show her holding Duguay’s hand while he was in a hospital bed. “Prayers for Ron Duguay are felt & appreciated,” she wrote.
Born in Sudbury, Ontario, Duguay was selected by the Rangers at No. 13 overall in the 1977 draft. Known for his long, curly hair and flashy lifestyle — “why, he even danced with Cher at one of Manhattan’s best-known discos,” the New York Times wrote in 1983 — Duguay became a star during the six seasons of his initial stint in New York. He helped the Rangers make the 1979 Stanley Cup Final and earned his only All-Star nod in 1982.
Ron Duguay, front left, blocks out New York Rangers' Carey Wilson as Kings teammate Marty McSorley winds up to shoot Feb. 27, 1989, at Madison Square Garden. (Ron Frehm / Associated Press)
Duguay was traded to the Detroit Red Wings in the summer of 1983 and had the two best seasons of his career, including career highs of 89 points on 38 goals and 51 assists during the 1984-1985 season. He also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and a second time for the Rangers before wrapping up his career with the Kings from 1988 to 1989.
Overall, Duguay had 673 points (305 goals, 368 assists) in the NHL regular season and playoffs. He went on to play in the minor leagues, including two seasons with the IHL’s San Diego Gulls, and spent 12 years calling Rangers games as an MSG Network analyst.
“Ron greeted each day with the biggest smile, an incredible zest for life, and a positive outlook that shone through everything he saw, everything he did, and every life he touched,” the NHL Alumni Assn. wrote on X. “He will be remembered not only for the player he was, but for the extraordinary person he was. His warmth, his laughter, his kindness, and his beautiful spirit will forever remain in the hearts of his family, friends, teammates, and the entire NHL Alumni community.”
The Kings reposted the alumni association’s statement and added: “Our hearts are with Ron’s family & loved ones and we join them in mourning his passing.”
In 2024, Duguay was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, which had started in his colon before spreading to his liver and other parts of his body, according to a post on the GoFundMe page set up by his three adult children to help pay for his medical and travel costs. He lived in Florida but had to make regular trips to Orange County for treatment.
“Early this morning, our beloved father took his final breath after fighting a long and courageous battle. He fought with everything he had, right until the very end,” daughter Shay Thomas wrote on Thursday in a separate GoFundMe post. “Our hearts are shattered, and the world feels a little less bright without him in it. He will be missed by so many, but we find peace in knowing that he is finally free from pain and suffering.
“He fought the good fight until his very last breath, and today, Heaven gained a truly special angel.”
After the congratulations were complete at St George’s Park on Thursday and the Australians milled on the outfield for a moment, Marnus Labuschagne lingered a few metres behind his teammates and appeared to be taking the whole ground in.
It was an unforgettable moment on Tuesday night in New York when the Knicks raised a championship banner to the rafters at Madison Square Garden for the first time in over half a century, and the members of last year’s title-winning team received their championship rings.
It was unforgettable for everyone involved in the franchise's first championship since 1973. Well, except for Mitchell Robinson.
The former Knick, who signed with the Boston Celtics this offseason, admitted on Thursday that he wasn’t watching.
“I didn’t watch it,” he said, adding that he was “still stuck” in his head from the Celtics game earlier in the day as Boston began its season by letting a 22-point second-half lead slip away in a 121-113 loss to the Detroit Pistons.
“I am proud of those guys; obviously, I was a part of it,” Robinson said of his former comrades. “I just didn’t really wanna watch it.”
A few days later, Robinson indicated that his focus remains on his new team as he shrugged off any talk about facing his former teammates this Friday in Boston.
"It doesn't matter that I'm playing my former team; it’s more so just trying to bounce back from what happened two nights ago,” he said, referencing the season-opening defeat.
“It's basketball; it's a business,” Robinson continued. “Got to play the team just like you play any other team."
Karl-Anthony Towns said it was "bittersweet" to see Robinson join the Celtics.
"You love Mitch, we've done so many historical things together here. To not see him in a Knicks jersey anymore... for all of us. We're a family unit," Towns said.
"It's gonna be amazing to see our brother, to be able to hug him, to be able to show him some love, and to, obviously, compete," he continued.
Earlier in the day, Josh Hart said he was "looking forward" to seeing Robinson.
"They cross match a lot, so I'm sure he'll be guarding me, so can't wait to shoot in that..." he said before stopping himself. "When I make a couple, I'm gonna let him know."
Asked specifically about facing Jalen Brunson coming down the lane, Robinson shrugged and said he is “just here to play basketball.”
“Same thing I’ll do with any other team, same thing I’ll do with them. It’s just all about basketball,” he said.
Robinson started and played 18 minutes in the Celtics' first game, scoring four points (2-for-2 from the floor, 0-for-2 from the line) with just three rebounds (one offensive), two blocks, a steal, an assist, and two turnovers to finish a minus-8.
“I use it as fuel, kinda have to,” Robinson said about getting past a rough night. “Last game we got demolished. As a big, can’t let that happen. I gotta take that on the chin and learn from it, watch the film, and get better, and just focus on the next one.”
"It's bittersweet. You love Mitch - we've done so many historical things together here. To not see him in a Knicks jersey anymore...we're a family unit. To not be able to have him with us on this journey after that amazing journey we went through is bittersweet. But it's going to be amazing to be able to see our brother, hug him, show him some love and compete playing basketball like we love to do. We made each other better. He brought the best out of me, and I feel that I was able to bring the best out of him. Mitch was a big part of this team winning a championship and probably has the most important offensive rebound in Knicks history." Karl-Anthony Towns on facing Mitchell Robinson and the Celtics tomorrow night:
May 12, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; The 1995 World Series trophy on the field in honor of former Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner and former manager Bobby Cox before a game against and Chicago Cubs at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The 2026 World Series creeps ever closer.
Both teams participated in World Series Media Day on Thursday before the action finally gets underway Friday night in Milwaukee.
Which team are you pulling for to win its first World Series? Personally, a good friend of mine is a diehard Rays fan so I’m throwing my weight behind Tampa Bay to beat Milwaukee.
For those who will be watching even with the Braves not involved for the fifth straight year, here’s an appetizer MLB posted on its YouTube account Thursday.
And for those who are only particularly interested in watching when the Braves are involved, the timestamp you’re looking for is 47:30.
On Thursday, the CHL announced that the Québec Remparts have been selected to host the 2028 Memorial Cup. The tournament is scheduled to be played at the Vidéotron Centre, which has a capacity of 18,200. The Remparts are one of the most successful QMJHL teams when it comes to Memorial Cup championships, as they picked up victories in 1971, 2006 and 2023.
While the tournament is a year and a half away, it is very possible that a former Vancouver Canucks prospect will play a key role for Québec. That former prospect is Pierre-Cédric Labrie, who is currently an assistant coach with the Remparts. During his playing career, Labrie was a physical winger who signed an ELC with the Canucks on July 9, 2007.
Vancouver signed Labrie after an impressive career in the QMJHL. The undrafted forward recorded 63 points and 113 penalty minutes in 69 regular-season games. Labrie also skated in 15 playoff games, where he recorded 18 points and 41 penalty minutes.
Labrie spent two and a half seasons with the organization before being traded in 2010 to the St. Louis Blues for center Yan Stastny. He would play 175 regular-season games with the Manitoba Moose, where he recorded 39 points and 256 penalty minutes. Labrie recorded 1,200 penalty minutes over his 708-game AHL career and even got a chance at the NHL level, where he played 46 games over three seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
January 24, 2012; Tampa FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Pierre-Cedric Labrie (76) during the third period against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Tampa Bay Times Forum. Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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James Hoye has been named the crew chief of the nine-umpire crew that will work this year's Fall Classic, Major League Baseball announced on Thursday, Oct. 22. There are seven MLB umpires assigned to the field with a rotation each game that will ensure a different person is behind home plate. There are also two MLB umpires assigned to manage the league's replay system throughout the series.
The Brewers and Rays are set to open the 2026 World Series with Game 1 in Milwaukee on Friday. Here's a look at the umpires selected to work the series and their assignments for each game:
MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 13: Hall of Famer Robin Yount embraces Ryan Braun after delivering the ceremonial first pitch prior to Game One of the National League Championship Series presented by loanDepot between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Monday, October 13, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Aaron Gash/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
After the Brewers clinched the pennant, the first person I reached out to was my dad.
My father was born and raised in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. He’s been a Brewers fan his entire life, no doubt a consequence of coming of age during the franchise’s glory years in the late ’70s and early ’80s. When I was a kid, he’d tell me about (and show me highlights of) players like Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Sal Bando, and Rollie Fingers.
In 1982, he was 15, and the Brewers were the best team he’d ever seen. Yount was at short, Molitor at third, Gantner at second, and his cousin Tom was Bernie Brewer. If he had friends he wanted to impress, he’d have Tom wave at him from the top of the slide.
My dad had been going to games at Milwaukee County Stadium for years thanks to his uncle, who would take him whenever he didn’t have school. But that fall, his sister took him to see the Brewers play the Angels in the ALCS. The Brewers beat the Angels, but they went on to lose the World Series to the Cardinals in seven games. I asked him whether that loss took the air out of him.
“If anything, it made me more of a fan,” he said. The Brewers were still a great team, one of the best in baseball, and to him, it looked like they had what it took to win a World Series. They’d make it back soon enough.
But slowly, those late ’70s and early ’80s Brewers teams fell apart. While Yount and Molitor remained, Gorman Thomas and Don Money were gone by the end of the ’83 season, Don Sutton by the end of ’84, Fingers by ’86, and Ben Oglivie by ’87.
From 1988 to 2007, the Brewers won 90 games just once and finished under .500 more often than not. As my dad got older, his fandom faded a little, too. He went to college, moved away, and spent much of those 20 years working, preoccupied with more immediate concerns than the Brewers’ record. Baseball is magical, but it’s easier to see the magic when you’re a kid. He never stopped being a fan, but the love he’d had for those late ’70s and early ’80s teams didn’t quite return. Not until I came along.
He showed me the Brewers, and somewhere along the way, I fell in love with them on my own.
We visited family in Milwaukee in 2007, and my dad took me to a game at Miller Park, the first baseball game I ever saw in person. Rickie Weeks hit a walk-off single, and that was it: I was officially a Brewers fan, too. What my dad felt as a kid watching Yount and Molitor, I felt watching Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, Yovani Gallardo, and Rickie Weeks.
And because I cared about the Brewers, he started caring about them again, too. When he’d pick me up from school or take me to practice, he’d already have the Brewers game on the radio. He’d given me the team. Without meaning to, I gave it back.
I was six years old in 2008, the year my dad really got back into the Brewers. He remembers the CC Sabathia trade fondly, as many fans do. CC only pitched half a season in Milwaukee, but that run was unforgettable. More than that, as my dad put it, it was the “first time in (his) memory that he ever saw the Brewers go after a big name midseason.” That team felt different from the teams that came before it.
As I fell in love with Fielder, Braun, Nyjer Morgan, and the 2011 squad, he did too. That team didn’t make it to the World Series, and neither did the 2018 team or the 2025 team, but our love for the Brewers never wavered. Whether or not the Brewers were doing well, we made a point of watching every game we could together.
Sometimes that meant complaining about the roster and praying for a .500 season, and sometimes it meant hoping the Brewers would finally make it back to the World Series. As every season ended in heartbreak, some more than others, the hope my dad had had for the 1982 team stayed with him, and with me. Someday, maybe next season, they’d be back in the World Series.
Now, for the first time since my dad was 15, the Brewers are back in the World Series. This year’s team is also different. My dad, who watched the ’82 team in person, says it’s the most fun Brewers team he’s ever seen. He loves Pat Murphy and thinks Murphy has them playing “as a team” more than any other version of the Brewers he’s seen. No one player is bigger than the team, and no one lets his ego change the dynamic. No matter who’s in the starting lineup, it’s all the Brewers. He loves the small ball, too: “four hits in an inning instead of waiting around for someone to hit a homer.”
I asked him what it would mean if they finally won it.
“Like many people have said: just one before I die.”
I’m in my hometown for the playoffs for the first time since 2019, so I’ve been watching almost every game with him at my parents’ house. As is often the case with parents, my dad and I don’t always know what to say to each other. When the Brewers are on, we never have to figure it out.
It turns out that works with strangers, too. During last year’s playoffs, I met a guy wearing a Brewers hat in an airport in Portugal, of all places. We were both jet-lagged and tired, but we immediately flashed each other a smile and struck up a conversation about the team. We didn’t have to explain anything. We both knew about 1982, 2011, 2018, the Cardinals, the Cubs, and the Dodgers, and we all know how rare this is.
I wasn’t home for the clincher. I was at the game in Los Angeles. After the final out, I was outside Dodger Stadium high-fiving people I’d never met and will never see again. I saw Yount jerseys, Braun jerseys, Morgan jerseys, Ben Sheets jerseys. Even a Norichika Aoki jersey. In Los Angeles. For a franchise that’s never won a World Series, fans find each other.
It was the first postseason game I’d ever been to; I was both elated to be there and sad I couldn’t watch it with him. So I texted him from the Dodger Stadium bleachers. He wrote back:
“So glad you got to see it. So sad I am not with you.”
“Here in spirit,” I responded.
I’m grateful to the Brewers for always giving me a reason to reach out to him. I’ll be watching every World Series game with him, hoping he gets to see one before he dies. This time, I’ll be there with him.
Because for us, and for so many Brewers fans, the Brewers are more than just a baseball team.
A Florida Panthers player making his NHL debut is also going to make some league history.
On Thursday, goaltender Cooper Black is set to see his first NHL action when the Panthers visit the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Florida signed the undrafted netminder in April of 2024 after a standout collegiate career with Dartmouth College.
During his two-plus years with the franchise, Black has done well to move up Florida’s goaltending depth chart, placing himself as the team’s apparent third NHL goaltender heading into the current 2026-27 season.
That’s why he’s already been recalled by the Panthers from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers twice this season due to injuries to Jacob Markstrom.
He’s also a giant.
The 25-year-old Black measures in an eye-popping 6-foot-8, which will put him in some very rare air (no pun intended) once he officially makes his NHL debut tonight.
That’s because he will officially become the tallest goaltender to ever hit the ice for an NHL game.
Currently, the height record for an NHL netminder is 6-foot-7, and it’s held by five different players.
They are Ben Bishop, who played with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings, Mikko Koskinen, who played with the Edmonton Oilers, Mads Sogaard, who played with Ottawa, Ivan Fedotov, who played with the Philadelphia Flyers, and Dennis Hildeby, who played with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Congrats to Black on his historic night, it will be one that he’ll likely never forget.
Australian skipper Pat Cummins has conceded selectors will look closely at the positions of several players after a humilating innings defeat in the second Test against South Africa in Gqeberha.
